#and like. Ashton having to contend with the change. that the Thing is over. but they are not alone

[blizardstar]

Me when Ashton Greymoore is denied honorable and meaningful self-sacrifice, and now must face the reality that they MUST keep living after it’s All Over

[karajaynetoday]

clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose | ashton irwin

image source 

hello friends! yes it is after 2am in my timezone, OOPS. But the inspiration struck, and the writing gods blessed me with motivation and words, so here’s part 3 of charlie rose, ten fingers, ten toes. apologies for any typos, i’m a lil delirious right now. Thank you so much to everyone for their lovely feedback and shares with the previous parts. Also shout out to any Friday Night Lights fans who got a lil kick out of the title of this one lol. Enjoy!

Read Part 1 here | Read Part 2 here 

Word count: 4.1k

Warnings: none

(This is a fem reader insert)

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After your quiet moment of togetherness on the beach that evening, you felt more comfortable around Ashton than ever before. Previously small touches were held for longer; instead of accidentally waking up in each other’s arms, you purposefully went to sleep that way; and Ashton’s hand slipped into yours whenever he could manage it.

Charlie Rose still crept into your bedroom every morning for her favourite snuggles, and then she began joining her Uncle Ashton out on the deck for some morning yoga every day as well (which was possibly the cutest thing you had EVER seen). Charlie tried her best to follow all of his poses and stay as quiet as she could, but her favourite part was when the yoga was over and Uncle Ashton used her as a body weight for his push-ups and bench presses, bopping her nose between each rep and earning a giggle in response. Again, a contender for the cutest thing you’d ever seen. 

You spent your days on the beach or relaxing in the villa, and your nights eating out and then stargazing on the deck. You were getting far too used to paradise, and you had to keep reminding yourself that the holiday would soon come to an end. You noticed Ash spending more and more time looking at emails on his phone as your time in Maui progressed, and it started you thinking about how busy his life was about to become. Tour was kicking off a few weeks after you were due to return from Hawaii, which meant Ashton would be criss-crossing all over the US for a few months, before a short break and then heading to Europe and eventually Australia. 

As you watched him build yet another sandcastle with Charlie on a lazy afternoon, you realised just how much effort Ash was putting into spending time with Charlie and making memories with her. Of course, you’d had a lot of Charlie Rose quality time as well, and spent some nice one-on-one time with Alice that you hadn’t really had since Charlie had arrived (naturally, Alice had tried her best to pry information from you about exactly what was going on between you and Ashton, but you didn’t quite know yourself yet, so you’d brushed it off the best you could). But Ashton had barely gone a few weeks without seeing Charlie her entire life, and especially now that she was a little bit older, she was definitely going to know that he was away, and you weren’t quite sure how she’d take it. You also weren’t sure how you’d take it, either. 

Your mind was running into overdrive with increasing anxieties, and you just didn’t know how to voice any of them. On your final night in Maui, after another incredible beachside dinner and a trip to get Charlie’s favourite ice cream, you were folding clothes from the dresser into your suitcase quietly while Ashton was in the shower. You know you needed to talk to him about how you were feeling, but not quite knowing what that even was was driving you up the wall. You hated the overbearing sense of uncertainty. Did Ashton even want something more than a holiday romance from you? You’d only kissed again a handful of times, and despite increasing tension between you, the only thing happening beneath the sheets of your shared bed was some very wholesome spooning (not that you were complaining). Was more-than-friends even on the table? Did you want it to be on the table? Could you handle months of Ashton being away on tour, and the critical eye of his fans and the media? Were you reading into everything too much? Oh god, why were you like this?

You were snapped out of your trainwreck of thoughts by the bathroom door opening, and in your peripheral vision you saw Ashton step out with a fluffy white towel wrapped around his hips. You busied yourself with folding more clothes, but your hands faltered as you felt Ashton come closer, and you sucked in a breath when he slipped his arms around your waist and pulled your back against his bare chest. 

“Why are you packing already, darlin’? We’ve still got the whole night to enjoy.” Ash whispered against your ear, before pressing soft kisses down one side of your neck. You closed your eyes for a moment, enjoying the sensation, before all of the anxiety you’d been grappling with came flooding back into your mind and without meaning to, your entire body tensed up. Ashton immediately sensed the change in your demeanour, and stopped what he was doing. He let go of your hips, and gently tilted your head to face him.

“What’s on your mind?” He tried gently, knowing that you hated confrontation (Ashton’s love for it was a huge part of what intimidated you in your first few interactions all those years ago). 

You sighed, before turning around to face him completely as you perched on the edge of the bed. Ashton sat down next to down, and loosely linked his hand with yours. 

“What… what are we, Ash?” You whispered, not wanting to meet his gaze as your heart started beating faster and faster.

“What do you want us to be?” Ashton countered, squeezing your hand softly.

“I want…” You trailed off, closing your eyes and inhaling deeply. “I want us to be as close as we are, always. I want to have you by my side, while we get to be Charlie’s godparents and watch her grow up and support her achieving her dreams. I want everything we’ve had in Maui, and I want more, but I just… I don’t know how this all works, once we’re back in LA and I’m stuck working a 9-5 while you’re touring the world meeting incredible, probably attractive people, and then I started thinking about what would happen with Charlie if we didn’t work out and I… I don’t know how to make this work. “ Oh god, you were rambling now, but every anxiety that had crossed your mind in the last few days was tumbling out and you couldn’t stop it now.

Ash waited for you to stop talking, and took your other hand in his. 

“That’s all valid, babe. I don’t know how this works either. I’ve had relationships while I’ve been on the road before, sure, but this is different. Because it’s us. You… You mean more to me than anyone else, but I know it’s scary. For both of us.” Ashton said softly, raising your hands to his face and kissing them. 

“Charlie’s going to be important to both of us for the rest of our lives. We’re going to be there for her, like you said, and that means we’re also unavoidably going to be around each other. If we date and it doesn’t work out, we can’t let that get between us being the best godparents Charlie Rose could ever have, because I know we both love that little girl more than anything… but, I also don’t want to let the fear of us not working out hold us back from even trying, you know?” 

Damn it. Why did he always have to be so wise? A wordsmith, of sorts. 

“I know, Ash. I know it shouldn’t hold me back, and I’ve let fear hold me back from a lot of things, too many things…” You paused, as your mind flashed back to the last time you had a serious conversation about a relationship with someone. Someone who’d ripped your heart out and stomped on it several times over. You shook your head, trying to shake away the memories. 

“But I don’t want you to think that I don’t want to give us a chance. I do. But I’m a little out of practice at this, and the last time I tried, it didn’t go so well.” You grimaced, as the flashbacks continued no matter how hard you tried to block them out. 

“And I respect that you’re going to need time to feel comfortable with whatever this is. I can’t promise to wait forever, but I can tell you that right now I’ll give this a chance, if you’ll let me.” Ashton spoke firmly, ducking down to meet your eyes.

“Okay. But slowly, right?” You looked at Ash properly for the first time all night, and his hazel eyes gazed back at you steadily, with a glint of excitement at your agreement. 

“Slowly. I will cancel the romantic beachside dinner with a string quartet, and put a hold on asking you to move in the minute we land at LAX.” Ashton said solemnly, before cracking a grin at what must’ve been a slightly panicked expression on your face. 

“I’m kidding, you dork. We’ll take it slow. I’m going to be gone for a while anyway, so we’ll have to kind of take it slow thanks to circumstance anyway. But you’ve got to let me take you out a few times before then, deal?” Ashton stuck his hand out, and you shook it, rolling your eyes at his antics.

“Pleasure doing business with you. Now then, I should probably put some pants on…” Ashton murmured, looking around the room for his clothes and getting up from the bed to pull some shorts out of his suitcase by the door. You were, quite frankly, ogling his toned back and shoulder muscles, when a knock at the door snapped you back to reality.

“Charlie wants both of you to come read her bedtime story, please!” Alice’s voice sounded through the door, sounding tired and a little on edge. For a tiny human, Charlie sure knew how to make a big performance out of bedtime. Ashton finished getting dressed, and he tugged your hand into his as you made your way over to Alice and James’s room where Charlie was snuggled into her cot. Tonight’s book of choice was from the Little Feminist collection you’d bought Charlie when she was a baby, and you read all about Malala, and Ruth, and Frida, and Rosa, until her little eyes closed and her breathing steadied. You and Ashton took turns to lean into the crib and kiss Charlie’s forehead silently, before making your way back to your own bedroom for one last sleep before your scheduled return to Los Angeles. 

Leaving Maui felt much harder than arriving - not helped by the tantrum Charlie threw when you explained there was no time for yoga or sandcastles. After James had calmed her down and negotiated one final quick walk on the beach while the rest of you checked out of the hotel, you made your way to the airport and onto the first flight and then the second with ease. You’d learnt your lesson from the previous long-haul flight, and Ashton had downloaded a few more Charlie-friendly apps onto his iPad that she happily engaged with. She barely left Ashton’s side for the whole flight, and you started to wonder if she’d sensed his impending departure on tour. Sure, Charlie was only small, but her emotional intelligence was remarkable (I mean, as her godmother you were maybe a little biased, but maybe you had a child prodigy on your hands, who knows?!) and you weren’t looking forward to seeing them bid each other farewell in a week or so. 

You and Alice shared an iPad and watched a few episodes of Friday Night Lights. It was one of your favourite shows that you’d binged watched together one summer, and rewatching it brought you comfort (and a fair dose of fangirling over Tim Riggins, and a recurring debate on whether or not he should’ve ended up with Lyla or Tyra). It was an emotional rollercoaster, and the small town of Dillon in the show reminded you of the one you’d grown up in (albeit a little more Texan, and a bit more enthusiastic about American football specifically). After landing at LAX and disembarking, you made your way to the long term parking garage and helped James and Alice load their luggage and Charlie into their car. You were about to get in yourself, when Ashton cleared his throat behind you.

“Can I give you a lift? You’re just around the corner from me, it’s not out of the way.” Ashton said brightly, pre-empting any excuses that you were about to come out with about you being a bother. You agreed, and he took your suitcase from your hands and led you towards his car that was parked nearby. The car ride home was quiet, and when Ashton pulled into your driveway, you didn’t want to unbuckle your seatbelt and get out of the car. Because that would mean that the magic of vacation was truly over, and you didn’t like that idea at all. 

“Come on, slow poke. I’ll help you carry your stuff inside.” Ashton tapped your nose, disrupting your internal dialogue. You reluctantly followed his lead and got out of the car and headed inside, groaning to yourself about the idea of having to do laundry and all of your unattended life admin the next day, to ready yourself for a return to work on Monday. Ashton pulled your suitcase into your bedroom, and laughed when you flopped down onto the bed and moan in annoyance into the pillow.

“Post-holiday blues, gorgeous?” His tone was teasing, and you could hear the stupid smirk on his face. 

“Not all of us have the luxury of a rockstar lifestyle, Irwin. No more late nights or sleep ins for me. Back to the daily grind.” You sighed, pushing yourself up onto your elbows at the edge of the bed.

“Well…” Ash crouched down so your faces were level. “How about I make it a bit less of a travesty by taking you to brunch tomorrow? Just us.” He shot you a wink as he spoke.

“Just us?” You felt yourself smiling, and oh yes, there were those butterflies again.

“Just us. Pick you up at ten.” Ashton beamed as you nodded, and he quickly pressed his lips to yours before you could say anything in response. You reached up and linked your hands behind his neck in an attempt to deepen the kiss, but Ashton caught onto your arms and untangled them, before pulling away.

“Slowly, remember? Gotta keep something up my sleeve for you, darlin’.” Ashton smirked, pressing one final kiss to your lips and standing up to his full height. “I’ll see you tomorrow at ten. Sweet dreams, babe!” He shot you another wink, and strolled right out of your bedroom without another word. Damn, he had you good. 

Brunch was delightful, there was no other way to describe it. Conversation between you and Ashton flowed easily, but there was also comfort and content in the silences you shared as well, sipping coffee and eating your smashed avocado. Ashton had a few days of final rehearsals and meetings this week before flying out for the first tour date on Friday. On Thursday, you were scheduled to babysit Charlie, and you’d suggested to Ash that perhaps you could go to the nearby park and play on the playground. He’d agreed, and was going to see if Calum wanted to come along and bring Duke. Charlie Rose loved her godparents, but she also loved dogs, especially ones that were a little more Charlie-size friendly. She did not love Calum (yet), but that was mostly because he liked to rile her up with arguments about who Ashton’s best friend was (logically, it was Calum, but emotionally, Charlie was definitely giving him a run for his money). 

On Thursday the sun was shining, so you headed to the park with a bubbly and chatty Charlie Rose in tow (once you’d ensured you’d both slip, slop, slapped for sun safety, of course). Charlie had insisted on wearing her brand new overalls that Alice had hand-embroidered her name and a series of colourful roses onto, and a bright yellow sunhat to match her seemingly sunny disposition. The park was fairly empty when you arrived, and you easily spotted Ashton and Calum resting on a park bench by the swings. Charlie spotted them also, and tugged on your hand for permission to run over, which you gave her.

“Charlie Rose! How’s my best girl?” Ashton’s voice boomed across the park, as he lifted Charlie up into a hug and then swung her around, causing Charlie to shriek with excitement. You reached the park bench and set down the tote bag you’d brought along, and Cal stood up to hug you hello with Duke in his arms. 

“Thank god you’re here, mate. We were starting to get some weird looks from the mums over there.” Cal muttered, pulling away from you and setting Duke down on the ground.

“Duke! My best puppy!” Charlie yelped excitedly, wriggling out of Ashton’s arms to greet her favourite furry friend, who patiently stood still while she petted him softly and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Gentle, Charlie,” You reminded, crouching down to her level. “Did you say hi to Cal? He brought Duke to the park, just for you.” You gently prompted, smiling encouragingly at your goddaughter, who eyed you suspiciously before fixing Calum with a glare. 

“Hi. I guess.” 

You had to stop yourself from cracking up at Charlie’s blunt tone in greeting Calum, and you could see Ashton doing the same. Cal just smiled at Charlie, before producing a tennis ball from his back pocket and offering it to her.

“Wanna play fetch with Duke, Charlie? I’ll let you have the first throw…” Cal offered cautiously. Charlie grabbed the ball from his hand and bounded off with Duke on his lead, and Calum scrambled to follow her. 

“You got it, Cal?” Ash called after him, half-serious, half-laughing.

“Yep! Got it! We’ll be best friends in NO TIME, just you wait!” Calum called back, as Charlie stopped a few metres from him. She liked to push the boundaries sometimes, but Charlie Rose also knew the rules, and not to go too far from her grown ups when you were out and about. 

Countless rounds of fetch, a few turns on the swings and one too many trips down the slide (both Calum and Ashton almost got completely stuck) later, it was time to take Charlie back home so that James could come by after work and collect her. Ashton offered to walk you back, and Charlie clapped her hands in delight when he let her climb onto his back for the journey home. She kissed Duke goodbye and mumbled some sort of farewell to Calum (which was progress), and you headed out of the park towards your house.

You’d noticed that Ash had grown reserved on the walk, but he was still listening intently to the story Charlie was telling him about how proud she was of Duke for learning how to play fetch. When you arrived home, he set Charlie down on the couch with an exaggerated groan and a kiss to the forehead, before heading into the kitchen to get himself a glass of water. You followed, sensing that something was up. Ashton was facing away from you at the sink, but he didn’t flinch or react when you brushed a hand along his shoulders reassuringly.

“You okay?” You asked quietly, trying to meet his gaze.

“Yep. Just gotta do the pre-tour goodbyes to my two favourite girls. Sucks, but no avoiding it.” Ashton said, his tone laced with sadness. He gulped down the rest of the water in the glass, and set it on the sink, before turning to you and pulling you into a brief hug.

“Time to rip the bandaid off.” Ash whispered, pressing a soft kiss to the top of your head before heading back into the living room.

“Charlie Rose, can I talk to you for a second?”

Charlie looked up from where she was playing on the floor with a teddy bear you kept here for her, and cocked her head to one side, eyeing Ashton curiously.

“I suppooooose.” She drawled out, making you chuckle. This child had a flair for the dramatics. Ashton crossed the floor of the living room and picked up Charlie, sitting her on his lap as he settled onto the couch.

“Do you remember how I get to play my drums with Calum, Luke and Michael?” He asked slowly, brushing the hair that had come loose from Charlie’s pigtails out of her eyes. She nodded, looking up at him curiously.

“Okay, good. So, there are lots of people that like to hear us play, all over the world. And that means I have to go away for a little while, so we can play our music for them.” Ashton continued, and you could tell he was struggling to keep it together. 

“Oh! So we get to go on more airplanes, like Maui?” Charlie said, excited at the prospect of another adventure.

“You don’t get to come with me this time, Charlie Rose. Maybe you and auntie, and mama and dada can come visit me for a bit of it, but I’m going to go by myself for a little while. But I promise I’ll still FaceTime you lots, and read you stories, and you can tell me all about your adventures with auntie, okay?” Ashton was trying to keep his voice calm and steady, but it was starting to waver, especially as the realisation dawned on Charlie Rose and her bottom lip began to wobble. Ashton noticed, and pulled Charlie in close, whispering reassurances into her ear and rubbing her back as she began to sniffle into his shoulder. 

“What about auntie?” Charlie asked, her voice muffled into Ashton’s shoulder. You sat down on the couch next to Ashton, and rubbed a hand along Charlie’s shoulders.

“What about me, Charlie Rose? I’m not going anywhere, lovebug.” You coaxed reassuringly, giving Charlie a small smile when she turned to look at you and rub her face.

“Yeah, but… but won’t you b-b-be sad that Uncle Ashta’s gone too?” She hiccuped, looking at you with worried eyes and a frown, as her tiny mind tried to process everything that was happening. You saw Ash glance at Charlie in wonder, but then admiration, when he realised what she was trying to say. 

“You’re right, lovebug. I will miss him,” You began, pausing to note the flicker of a smile that crossed Ashton’s face. “But, just like you, I’ll get to call him on the phone heaps, and then maybe we can go and visit him on tour, won’t that be fun?” You tried to speak as brightly as you could muster, but you could feel the anxiety and emotion starting to build in your own chest. If only you could get away with throwing a temper tantrum, but alas.

“Mmm, fun. But… how will you sleep?” Charlie asked, confused.

“What do you mean, bug?” Ashton asked, bopping her on the nose which made her wrinkle her face in confusion. 

“How will you sleep without snuggles?” Charlie asked so innocently that you had to stifle a laugh and partly a cry, because honestly, you had no idea how you were going to cope with the next month or so apart from Ashton. It seemed silly, given you’d been friends for literally years before this, but something had shifted in those close moments you’d shared in Maui, and the sense of content you’d found with Ashton at brunch and the park and other places in between was going to be hard to go without.

“It’s going to be tricky, Charlie, you’re right. But remember, you can always feel your loved ones and how much they care about you, even if they’re not with you, right? And you can do anything you set your mind to, can’t you?” You said softly, as Charlie reached over to you for a hug and pulled you closer to Ashton in the process.

“Yes, we can.” She mumbled, giving you and Ashton slobbery cheek kisses in response.

“What does mama say to auntie when I get frustrated or sad, can you remember?” You prompted, returning Charlie’s kiss on the cheek.

“Oh! Clear hearts, full eyes, can’t lose!” She exclaimed, proud of herself for remembering. You laughed, and Ashton joined you, throwing his arms around you and Charlie in one warm embrace.

“Almost, lovebug. Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.” 

You knew getting through these next few months was going to be a challenge, but in that moment, it felt like you were ready for anything that the universe was going to throw your way. 

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[allsassnoclass]

i hate that i didn't say hi in that last request. HI hazel what do you think about!! "MY MOM KNITTED YOU A JUMPER" for malum? that sounds like the malum i love!! love u <3

hello hello hello here you go!

Ficmas Day 4

Rating: General Audiences

Read on AO3

Christmas in London is very different from Christmas in Australia.  For one thing, there’s snow on the ground.  It’s not much, tramped over by boots and mixed with the dirt to create sludge along the streets, but it’s still present on the ground.  For another thing, it’s cold.  Australian temperatures can dip down in winter, but by December it’s warm again, summer sun heating skin from the moment you step outside.  It’s strange to be at the end of December and have to put on a coat outside.  It’s also a little colder than Australia ever gets, and Michael finds himself seeking out blankets inside the house and shoving beanies over his hair before he sets foot outside.

It’s also different because Liz is the only parent around.  All of them had to barter extensively with their parents to convince them to even let them come to London, and once they realized they probably wouldn’t have Christmas together it prompted a new flurry of discussions about the exact timeline of the move.  In the end, professional interest won out over familial traditions, and Michael isn’t upset about heading to London early, but he’s careful not to mention the ache of loneliness in his stomach when he calls home.

He’s not really lonely.  He has Calum, Luke, and Ashton, and Liz ensures that they all eat actual meals and get enough sleep and always have someone to turn to when they need a motherly hug.  They have a little fake tree with some lights and generic ornaments on it, and Liz has been snatching packages as soon as the post delivers them, shifty about the contents inside.  Michael isn’t worried about gifts, because being in London is his Christmas present, and it’s kind of nice to get the full Northern-Hemisphere-Winter-Experience shown in all of the movies.

It would be worse if he didn’t have Calum.  It would be worse if he didn’t have all of them, but Calum has always felt like home in a way that few other people ever will.  He’s been Michael’s best friend through thick and through thin, and he’s the one who brought Luke into their life and who’s agreement to do the band kick-started their process.  Michael can always count on him to cheer him up on bad days and share his happiness on good ones, and living in London is a lot like an extension of the sleepovers they’ve been having since before they hit double-digits.  The biggest difference is that they’re in separate beds rather than piled sleeping bags on the floor.

On Christmas Eve, Michael wakes up late and spends a long time laying in his bed, debating whether he should bother getting up or let himself melt into his mattress.  Luke and Liz had plans for the day that they had suggested dragging everyone else along for, but Luke’s bed is empty and Michael can’t hear other activity in the house, so they probably left already.  Michael doesn’t mind.  He’s been tramping around London a lot lately, and a day to recharge is fine with him.

When his stomach finally growls, he heaves himself out of bed, throwing back the covers and shivering at the change in air temperature.  He needs socks.  He needs long sleeves.  It's winter in England, and that is not conducive to getting out of bed right now.

He manages to find socks that smell clean and a t-shirt that seems passable.  Hunger pushes him towards the kitchen before an acceptable hoodie can be found, but he can always sneak into the other room and steal one of Calum's.  Calum's hoodies tend to be some of the most comfortable, and he guards them carefully.  He always lets Michael keep it on if he's caught wearing one, though, which is more than can be said for the other two.

Calum enters the kitchen once Michael's toast pops.  Michael has an irrational fear that the toaster popping will startle him bad enough to bite the tip of his tongue off, so he's partially thankful that Calum makes his appearance then and distracts him, even if his presence startles him more than the toast ever could.

"I didn't know you were home," he says in answer to Calum's raised eyebrows.

"Liz took Luke and Ashton.  They'll be gone all day."

"Doing what?"

Calum shrugs.  "I think Liz is still getting presents for the family to send for New Years and wanted Luke to help.  Ashton just likes being out of the house."

Ashton is probably trying to find gifts for his own family.  Michael already sent some kitschy souvenirs for his parents, although they haven’t reached Australia yet.  He'll get them something better later, when he actually figures out what they would appreciate.

"Toast?" he offers.

"I'm making noodles," Calum says.

"Can I have some?"

"Yeah, okay."

Michael hums and slumps against him.  Everyone should have a Calum in their lives.  He's a space heater and a chef and a great bassist rolled into one, and he's pretty low maintenance.  Michael only has to give him undying love to get all of the perks.

They keep a comfortable silence while Calum cooks and Michael eats, enjoying existing together rather than filling the air with mindless chit chat.  Michael takes a shower when he finishes his toast, and Calum has the noodles ready when he's done.  After lunch, they migrate to the living room, taking advantage of the empty house to finally play Fifa uninterrupted.  Calum wins more than Michael, but he's not mad about it however much he pretends to be.  Calum is often humble to a fault, so Michael is happy to let him rub these victories in his face.

Calum goes to check the mail while Michael gets more snacks.  He comes back with two packages, one that he distractedly puts on the couch and another that he looks at curiously.  It's bigger than a shoe box, taped together securely over some colorful paper.

"What's that?" Michael asks.

"From my mum," Calum says.  "Your mum sent Liz something."

"What?  What is it?"

"I don't know," Calum says.  "It's a crime to open someone else's mail."

"But it's from my mum."

"Maybe she and Liz gossip about you.  If it's meant for you, you'll get it tomorrow."

Michael pouts.  Calum is, unfortunately, very resistant to his pouting.  He also takes the package and makes Michael put it in Liz's room before Michael can get too curious and start shaking it.  He could still peak, but then he'd have to contend with Calum's disappointed face.  That's not something anyone should have to face on Christmas Eve.

"Michael!" Calum calls from the living room.  "Get out here!"

"Why?"

"Mum sent you something!"

Michael leaves the package on Liz's bed and tramps back to the living room.  Calum grins and holds up a dark blue sweater with two white stripes stretching around it.

"My mum knit you a jumper!"

"For me?" he asks.  Calum nods enthusiastically.

"Put it on," Calum says.  "She wants a picture."

He holds out the jumper, letting Michael slip his hands in the arms and helping him pull it over his head.  It's a little big, spacious and comfortable, and the yarn is soft.  Michael doesn't know the difference between any of the stitches, but they're fun and feel fancy.

"She said she made it big so we can grow into them."

Calum pulls another jumper out, just like Michael's except in green.  When he puts it on, Michael resists the urge to help fix his hair, unruly from the static.

"I can't believe your mum knit me a jumper," Michael says.

"She's going to do one for Luke and Ashton, too, but she wanted to get yours done quickly.  She said you're an ice cube in our winters, so she was worried about how you were handling this one."

Michael feels a rush of affection for Joy Hood.  The entire Hood family is his favorite family besides his own, even without considering the fact that Calum is his favorite person.

Calum snaps a selfie, tilting his phone so they both fit in frame.  Michael presses close, faces centimeters away, and ensures that his grin is bright and happy, trying to push as much gratitude into one picture as possible.  Calum doesn’t step away while he sends it and Michael once again leans against him.

“Tell her I love it,” he says, looping his arms around Calum’s waist.  He slips his hands under the hem of Calum’s shirt and presses them against his stomach, making him squirm and swear.

“Get your icicle hands off me!” he laughs, but Michael has a grip now and doesn’t let him go until they’re tumbling onto the couch in a tangled, giggly mess.

“Still want to play another round?” Calum asks once he catches his breath.  Michael considers it, but he can’t properly cuddle with Calum if he has to hold a game controller, so he shakes his head.

“Movie?” he suggests instead.  Calum shrugs and grabs the remote, shutting down the game and switching the input so they can browse through Netflix.  Michael stretches out and Calum fits himself against him, pulling a blanket from the back of the couch to cover their legs.  It’ll probably get too warm about thirty minutes into whatever they decide to watch, but for now it’s perfect.  Michael tucks himself lower into his sweater and pulls Calum closer to him, savoring every piece of warmth he can get.

[takemealivelh]

Ahadskalajsh I just read the Mikey blurb and now I want one too except could you please make it with Ashton andddd you could do the same concept of enemies to lovers cause I live for that stuff lol❤️❤️

JAIDA I’M FINALLY HERE WITH YOUR BLURB

To be honest, this is a fic okay? I really enjoyed writing this story and you know what? There’s going to be a part 2. I promise.

I present to you…

BATTLE OF THE BANDS

2.6k | Enemies to Lovers | Mentions of alcohol and sex | FEEDBACK IS ENCOURAGED AND APPRECIATED

Thank you so much to @5sosnsfw and @angelbabylu for helping me edit this, I love you so much

Battle of the Bands Pt. 2

The new 5 Seconds of Summer single had been climbing up the charts, positioning itself in number 10 in the third week of its release. The members were happy with how well it was doing, they’d worked so hard on it, pouring their hearts out in the lyrics and the performance. Luke’s voice transitioned from heartfelt head voice verses into belting notes in the chorus, Calum’s baseline was a funky reminiscence of Duran Duran’s Come Undone, Michael’s guitar riff gave it a whole new depth with a chockfull overdrive. It was Ashton’s drums that really glued the piece together, a steady 4/4 beat and consistent open hi-hat flow with several well-calculated fills. Their best song to date.

Midnight Street was a new upcoming band that no one expected to blow up so quickly. Their rock-pop sound with heavy piano riffs was a refreshing addition to the public’s ears, and they found themselves escalating the numbers as well with their new single. Critics described it as a ‘whimsical and skittish track, an intriguing take on the classic pop verse-pre-chorus-chorus formula that deconstructs its way towards the end, but blends into a homogenous anthem by vocalist JJ’s performance’.

It wasn’t until Billboard hosted a party to announce their list of nominees that these two bands finally met face to face.

“I think I might throw up, I’m so excited.”

Ashton’s smile glowed through the candle-lit table he was sitting in with his bandmates. The stage displayed a wide screen with the list of nominees for Top Rock Song. He felt his heart gurgle in his chest, the feeling of pride about to spurt out of his veins.

“This is it,”

He whispered to himself, “this is what we deserve.”

The room remained a buzz to the band’s ears. Only when they were announced and a round of applause exploded around them they allowed themselves to celebrate by clinking their glasses of wine. They didn’t pay attention to much else until the ceremony was over and the party started.

“You might win this one,” They were told by producers and managers that approached their table to congratulate them.“I would only be worried about that new band- Midnight Street, they’re doing pretty good as well.”

Ashton nodded the warnings off, he didn’t need to be concerned about a bunch of kids that had only started to understand the highs and lows of the music industry. In his eyes, they weren’t a threat. Sure, he and Calum had gone to a few Midnight Street shows, they were good. They were passionate. But they still had a long road to walk to get to the place he and his bandmates had paved for themselves. Ashton wasn’t worried. Especially when the new band showed up to showcase their admiration to all the work 5SOS had done.

“We’re big fans, it’s just an honour to be put into the same league as you guys.”

Michael and Calum engaged in conversation with the drummer and bassist of the band, two chunky guys with short hair and green jackets. Luke quickly found common grounds with the lead guitarist and vocalist JJ, a love for Nickelback and eccentric cowboys. It was Jaida that caught Ashton’s eye, the pianist of the band. He liked that she actually played a vertical W. Hoffmann onstage instead of the classic Korg keyboard he had seen over and over again at every single live show he went to. He liked the fact that she was the responsible one for making Midnight Street the novelty they were. Didn’t hurt that she was gorgeous and flaunted it, a well-tailored deep emerald suit with a plunging neckline was always a good fashion choice in his eyes.

“We’re contenders now. If you give me any advice tonight, I won’t take it seriously. You might just be trying to mess with my head.”

Jaida’s lips curved into a smirk behind her glass of mojito.

He liked her confidence, her presence was strong enough to keep him interested.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Ashton let out a small laugh, setting his now empty glass on the table and leaning towards her. “You don’t look like someone who takes advice from anyone anyways.” His tone was flirty, his eyes lingered on her lips for more than a brief moment and his knees barely touch hers. She noticed his lustful behaviour, it wasn’t the first time another musician had taken an interest in her.

Jaida had had her fair share of one-night stands, knowing that she couldn’t hold a relationship because of the band’s schedule. In that sense, she and Ashton were on the same page. He was a sexual being, a man who liked to have fun without many responsibilities, his rockstar status made his fantasies easy to come to life. She was no different, and she knew just how to get a guy’s attention with the right gestures.

“I caught your performance last week in LA, it was a wild one.”

Jaida crossed a leg on top of the other and placed her elbow on it, the fabric of her satin pants slightly riding up as she teased Ashton’s leg. The expression of amusement in his eyes was obvious and she licked her lower lip before leaning forward, resting her chin on her hand, knowing Ashton would get a better view at her cleavage. He wasn’t subtle about the new view he was granted.

“Thank you.”

Ashton had a hard time focusing his eyes on hers, they seemed to travel down her neck every instant.

“We love putting our entire energy in our shows. I’m always soaked after playing the set, but I like it. If you don’t believe in your music, no one will, ya know?”

He laid an arm on the table, his long fingers brushing against the fabric that covered her arms, “I think you know,” he chuckled to himself, growing excited by how Jaida’s lashes seemed to frame the same lust he held in his eyes.

“I’ve seen you play once or twice.”

Ashton nodded and in one swift movement, he propelled his body forward, lips hovering her ear.

“I like the way you move.”

Her skin visibly bristled and he smirked against it. Jaida dropped her gaze and turned her head to engage in the most intense staring contest she had ever participated in.

“And that’s only onstage.”

Her teasing grin was enough for Ashton to decide this was the girl he wanted to take back to his place that night.

-

“You’re leaving already?”

Ashton called her from his spot on the bed. The black suit he’d worn to the party laid on the floor, his red hair was plastered all over his forehead. He watched Jaida collect her things from the dresser next to his bedroom door, and put on the heels she had eagerly discarded the night before when he pushed her down onto his mattress.

“You don’t want me here, Ashton. Especially after you check your phone,”

She laughed and ran a hand through her tangled hair. His eyebrows knitted together, curiously staring at her triumphant smile.

“I’m gonna go.”

Jaida laughed and pulled out her phone, scrolling down whatever was displaying on the screen, “I know my way out. Have fun today.” She didn’t even wave goodbye when she left his bedroom. Moments later, he heard the front door.

The sound of the cars driving up and down the street grew louder as the clock got closer to 9 am. Ashton pushed his hair back and looked over at the mess he and Jaida had made. He remembered her lips on his skin, her moans when he pushed inside her, the mark he’d left on her right hipbone. He looked down at his bare chest and found one of her works as well, a red lipstick-stained lovebite under his sternum. “Wow,” he breathed out before getting out of bed and hopping into the shower.

-

Twenty minutes before the radio interview would begin, Ashton stared at his phone screen blankly. He would refresh the page every ten seconds but the numbers didn’t change. 5 Seconds of Summer was number 6, Midnight Street was number 3.

“How did this happen?”

They weren’t sure. Luke and Michael were pacing back and forth, discussing ideas of how they could promo the single, how they could get back up on top. Calum was outside smoking a cigarette. Their team was nervous about the interview, Midnight Street beating them on the charts had definitely staggered their confidence.

In some kind of irrational train of thought, Ashton remembered Jaida’s comment and he felt angry. He had fallen into her spell and now he was paying the price. And for what? A squirming body under his touch? Red lips trailing wet kisses down his torso at an excruciatingly slow pace? A high-pitched whimper when he hooked her knees over his shoulders? He heard his name being called from inside of the studio.  

“5 Seconds of Summer is here! We have Luke, Calum, Ashton and Michael to talk about their new single and their upcoming performance on the Billboard Awards next month. How are you guys? Excited?”

The band talked about the creation of their new track and the inspiration behind it, but no one had prepared them for the next question.

“New band Midnight Street has just beat you on the charts with their first ever single, how do you feel about that?”

Like a dropkick on the groin.

Ashton could feel the blood flush his face. He had worked so hard for his pride to be stomped on by a band that had never even had a world tour. So what he had fucked the pianist? So what? He didn’t owe her anything.

“You know, I don’t mind them. Yeah, their song is good, but that’s it. Nothing inventive.”

Lie. “Nothing that really caught my ears.” Lie. “They’re not gonna be around for long, I’m tellin’ ya. So I’m not worried.”

The look on his bandmates’ faces was either pure rage or unhidden disgust, washed over by a thin layer of astonishment.

-

“Ash, what the fuck was that?” Luke poked the redhead’s shoulder. He had disappointed him, had disappointed all of them.

He hadn’t been the bigger person.

It didn’t take long for Ashton to receive hundreds of notifications on his phone. Angry management, inquisitive journalists, confused fans… his Twitter and Instagram feed was full. Buried between a DM of his producer and a link to an article, there was a text from Jaida.

Fuck you, Irwin.

The temptation was too much, he loved his doses of masochism and assholery. He knew it wouldn’t lead him anywhere, that it was just playing with fire. For a moment, the thought of being the bad boy in other’s eyes was too fascinating. It felt powerful.

Fuck you right back.

He shoved his phone deep into his jacket pocket and waved his team goodbye. He had dropped a bomb and was now heading out for an iced coffee like it was nothing.

The flashes caught his face immediately, all of them yelling at him. Questions came right and left, but he didn’t stop to address them.

Only when he turned his TV on later that night, he knew what kind of trouble he had gotten himself into.

“Midnight Street is the new upcoming band….”

Ashton rolled his eyes when he saw Jaida’s tense body at the end of the couch, squished between the drummer and the vocalist/guitarist. Now they were getting more press because of his comment. This was exactly the opposite of what he wanted.

“I just want to say.,”

Jaida’s voice pierced through the speakers of Ashton’s sound system and travelled to his ears, unpleasant, like nails on a chalkboard.

“… To the drummer of 5SOS, thank you for getting us to number two with your comment.”

She was facing the camera directly now. Ashton hated himself for thinking she looked hot with another power suit that complimented her skin tone. “You dug your grave yourself, you’d think you’d be wiser than that. I was wrong.”

His blood was boiling, his ears matched his hair colour. Ashton turned off the TV, immediately pulling out his phone to look for Jaida’s contact information. Oh, she was going to hear him.

-

The insistent bell rings were enough of a clue to know who it was. Jaida had gotten to her place only a few hours ago, stripping from the suit and heels and throwing a ratty old t-shirt on. She had expected some kind of response from Ashton; a text, a voice message, a callout on Twitter. Something.

Had she not learned that with him it was either go big or go home?

It was almost 2 am.

“What are you doing here?”

Jaida’s voice was stern, she didn’t want her surprise to show.

“Are you coming to insult me in my own place? That’s mature of you.”

Ashton’s lips were pursed together in a flat line, jaw jutting forward, muscles rigid.

She drove him completely insane. Everything from the tone in her voice, the few strands of hair out of place from her ponytail, locked knees in display thanks to an Arctic Monkeys tee… He wanted to yell at her, then bend her over and have her right there on the front door.

“Aren’t you gonna invite me inside? You’re being a rude hostess, doll.”

The raspy voice was the quickest way to remind her of how he’d absolutely wrecked her the night before. The hot skin against her own, the bites on her shoulders and collarbones, his breathy groans when she sucked him off. She stepped aside to let him in, eyes quickly glued to his ass when he passed her, that same ass she had eagerly squeezed not 24 hours ago. Angry sex was the best kind of sex in her opinion, she was not going to let this fuel go to waste.

Jaida closed the door behind her and leaned against it, rotating her ankles one at a time on the welcome rug.

“Had I known I was having visitors, I would’ve put on some pants and opened a bottle of wine.”

She grinned, amused. Watching Ashton peruse around her apartment was like observing a deer in unknown territory. Her territory. His face was still unreadable, but his movements were hesitant and discerning.

Ashton browsed the collection of books and CDs she had on a shelf next to her widescreen TV, kept himself busy by counting the number of awards she had put on her living room table, not all recognizable, but a large amount of them. He didn’t bother to look at her, knowing that he’d most likely get a boner from the tension in the air alone.

She kept talking.

“I guess I’ll get the beers from the fridge.”

A sigh escaped her lips as she pushed herself off the door and made her way to the kitchen. Jaida could feel the shift of his attention, now completely focused on the way she moved.

“Stop drooling over my legs. ” her lips broke into a smirk.

This kind of power she liked, knowing she could make a man turn his head in under two seconds. She had them eating from the palm of her hand.

Ashton had been intense and passionate under the sheets, his tight grip all over her body, he knew what he wanted and how he could get it. Not a shy minute while he ravaged her, and Jaida had liked that. He got a good peek at how her concert tee slipped up her bum as she bent down to pick two bottles of lager from the bottom of the fridge. Her thighs felt like they were on fire, as if Ashton was burning holes through them with his eyes.

-

To be continued.

TAG LIST

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[dontshootmespence]

Coercion - 20

@coveofmemories @reiding-and-writing @myxomatosis-s @skeletoresinthebasement @passionate-hedgehog @camigt1999 @eideticenticement @ultrarebelheart @remember-me-forever-silent-angel @mishamgos @matthewgublers @tinyplanet-explorers

You are just about to start your new job at the BAU after years of working to get there, when a man you don’t know approaches you with an evil plan and knowledge of every sordid detail of your past. What will you do? Will you give into the man’s demands? Or will you be able to find another way out?

                                                                 ----

It seemed like an eternity before you were able to take your eyes off him. How were you supposed to feel? Sure, Rocco was no longer able to hurt anyone else, but what did it mean for your morality if you were ecstatic that someone else was dead? Were you a changed woman? Could you ever go back to who you used to be? Did you want to? There were so many questions.

Spencer sat at your back, arms wrapped around you in solidarity as the rest of the team took care of the crime scene. JJ was working with the CSI that had come to collect the body – her body moving in slow motion as Rocco was picked up from a pool of his own blood and slipped into a body bag.

More than once, someone from the team came to kneel at your side, wondering whether or not you were okay. You couldn’t say much; nodding and incoherent mumbles were about all you could muster.

Still, you sat in the middle of the floor with Spencer wrapped around you as pictures were taken. Everything documented. Every piece of rope that had been placed around your wrists, every bit of torn fabric from his clothing or yours noted for future generations to study. The ending of your nightmare was documented for all to see. 

Nearly an hour and a half passed before you turned to Spencer. “It’s over. You can move forward now.”

“I don’t know how to feel,” you said softly, turning your head back toward the pool of blood on the floor that was now beginning to coagulate. “How am I supposed to feel?”

Moving out from behind you, he pulled his legs underneath him and got off the floor, extending his hand for you to grab. You’d spent enough time looking at this place. You’d spent enough of your life afraid. It was time for you to leave. “I don’t know,” he said honestly. “It’s likely you’re both ecstatic and numb. It’s normal.”

“Is it?” It didn’t feel normal. You felt sick. There was bile stinging at the back of your throat.

As you began to walk out of the room, your feet heavier than bricks, Spencer nodded toward Hotch that he was going with you. He placed his arm around you, resting underneath your arm as a steadying force. If he wasn’t here, you were positive you’d have fallen to floor in a heap again. “It’s normal,” he said again. His voice felt so far away. “You’re going to feel a whole range of emotions for the next few weeks. Sadness, anger, despair, guilt – sometimes nothing at all – but I’m here.” After a moment’s hesitation, he spoke again. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Once outside, Spencer placed you at the edge of the ambulance to be checked out. You were sure you were fine, just in shock, but Spencer wasn’t taking no for answer. “Exactly,” he said emphatically. “You’re in shock. You have no idea what injuries the shock could be covering up. Get checked out. I’m staying right here.”

You stared forward, mouth agape and brain racing as lights were flashed in your eyes, your pulse was taken, and every limb was poked and prodded. “You just have to contend with the shock,” the EMT spoke. “A few cuts and scrapes but nothing big. Just don’t try and do anything right now. Stay here and wrap this around you.” Before leaving, he placed the shock blanket around you and left you leaning against Spencer’s shoulder.

Finally, the rest of the team emerged from the building that somehow looked so familiar and yet so foreign to you. You hadn’t been here in forever. As they walked over to you, you once again felt an overwhelming wave of emotions engulf you. The tears that had dried up, returned in full force. “Are you okay?”

You hadn’t even looked up. Who was that? A hand on your shoulder made you look toward Emily. “Are you okay is a stupid question,” she said, shaking her head. “How are you? What’s going through your head?”

“A lot,” you said, doing your best to crack a smile and make it look like you were just recovering from any other case. You wiped the tears from your eyes and did your best to formulate a coherent thought. “I-I…” How did you adequately thank these people for what they’d done for you? Nothing felt like enough. “I can’t thank all of you enough for taking on a fight that wasn’t yours,” you started, taking Spencer’s hand in yours for a little added strength. “Rocco was bad enough, but I can take that as you just doing your jobs because he came across your path, but you all could’ve easily left me to the wolves with Ashton…and you didn’t…I don’t know how to process that.”

Rossi came to your side, giving you a kiss on the forehead. As he pulled away, you could’ve sworn you saw your father’s eyes staring back at you. “We’re family,” he said. Everyone nodded their heads, even JJ and Morgan who you were convinced for so long would never actually forgive you. “When someone comes after one of us, they come after all of us.”

“I know,” you said, your voice strained as the tears burning your cheeks as they fell into your lap. “That’s just it. I haven’t had that…a family…since I was 15. When my parents died, I thought my world was going to fall apart, and then for a time it did…and Leslie…she was the only one I felt at all close to. She protected me, even when I felt I didn’t deserve it. And then I lost her too.” A sob rattled out of you as you brought the shock blanket around your head and leaned further into Spencer. “When you spend 20 years without a family, believing it’s you against the world and always will be, it’s hard to imagine that you’ll ever have a family again. And then after Ashton…”

You looked towards JJ, breaking down again at the thought of what had gone down in the past. “It’s over,” she said, wrapping her arms around you. “We’re working on it. That’s what we need to focus on now.” She stepped away, giving you space to breathe, but not before giving for a kiss on the forehead.

You blew a kiss of your own toward her as you attempted to continue. “After Ashton, I wouldn’t have blamed any of you for turning away. I’m sure some of you wanted to,” you said, turning your head and smiling at Morgan, “But whatever the reason was, you didn’t, and I will never be able to thank you enough for what you’ve done for me. Whether it was for me or not, it doesn’t matter, I benefitted from it, and that’s more than I could’ve ever asked for, or deserved, so thank you. I promise I’ll spend the rest of my life proving to all of you that you didn’t make a mistake in trusting me.”

“Are we all getting married or something?” Morgan asked after a few moments, trying to lighten the mood.

It was the first time you’d smiled since returning to Decatur, snorting as you realized that your words did sound somewhat like wedding vows. “Yes,” you said. “Yes, we are.” One by one, everyone gathered around you and gave you a hug, insisting that what was done was done, and they all wanted to move forward.

“Now, you two,” Hotch said, nodding toward you and Spencer. “When we get back, I want you to go home. Take the day off.” He didn’t have to tell you twice. Having a day to yourself after all of this was going to come as a welcome relief. “In the meantime, we’re going to go back with the locals, and Y/N, they are going to want to ask you all about Rocco and what happened just now…are you up for that?”

Hesitantly, you nodded your head. “If it means being able to leave here and work toward never thinking about that man again, then yes.” You waited a moment as the team began to walk away. The thought of being alone right now was not something you wanted. “Hotch?” you called after him.

“Yes?”

“It may be a stupid question, but can I just answer whatever questions they have in the middle of the station?” He looked a little confused, as if he wasn’t sure what you were asking. “I’d just rather not go to a conference room or interrogation room and be alone. My past with him is my past, I’m not hiding it anymore, and I’d rather have you all at my back.”

In a rare moment of public affection, Hotch lifted his hand and brought it to the side of your face, assuring you that if you wanted them there, they’d be there as you recounted everything. He turned around to leave and you stood up to lean on Spencer. “Thank you, Spence. I’m just so sorry…about everything.”

He brought his hand up to cradle the back of your head. “We’ll talk about it later. For now, just breathe. It’s over.”

---

After recounting your past with Rocco and your subsequent altercation to the team and the Decatur PD, you were physically, emotionally and mentally drained. The last thing you did was send over the file of Rocco’s confession to the local officers for them to record. “Agent Y/L/N,” Chief Sturgis said. “I am truly sorry about what you’ve gone through, but we can’t thank you enough for helping as take down a man that’s been terrorizing this area for more than 20 years. For you, what’s happened has happened, but because of you, and the rest of your team, other women won’t have to suffer at his hands. Thank you.”

“Thank you, officer,” you replied. “It’s been difficult, but if I take any solace from what’s happened over the course of this case, it’s that no more women will have to endure him.”

Along with the team, you returned to the jet. It wasn’t a long ride back home, but the second you sat down in Spencer’s lap you fell asleep.

---

Hours later, you woke up, but you weren’t on the jet. Spencer had taken you home and placed you into bed all without waking you up. “Morning, sleepyhead,” he said softly as he pushed the hair out of your eyes. “How’re you feeling?”

“Better,” you said. “How long have I been out?”

“I got you off the jet and here without waking you up. You’ve been out for about six hours all together,” he said, bending down to kiss your cheek. As you looked toward the clock, you realized it was 8PM, and you could probably still go back to sleep for another two days. “I brought you some tea. The sleepy-time tea you like.”

You sat up and took the cup to your lips, inhaling the sweet scent that never failed to lull you off to sleep. Reaching between you, you grabbed his hand. “I love you, Spence. I’m so sorry for everything.”

“Listen, Y/N,” he said with a smile, coming to your side and pulling you into him. “When it comes to Ashton and JJ, and all of that. It’s in the past. I forgive you. I can see in your eyes that you never wanted things to happen as they did.  And when it comes to your past with Rocco, you have nothing to be sorry about. You were taken advantage of, and nothing about that was your fault. Now, I just want to help you move forward, because it’s not going to be easy.”

“No, it’s not,” you said. “I just don’t know how to start the process of moving forward, you know?” You’d thought moving forward after Ashton was hard, but now Rocco was no longer a threat, adding another layer onto your already complicated recovery process.

He tilted your face up to meet his and brushed his lips against yours. “I know. For now, don’t try. Just be. We’ll figure it out. Together.” You pulled him in and kissed him passionately, unable to thank him in any other way. “I promise I’ll be here through it all.”

After finishing your cup of tea, you sunk back against the mattress, ready to let sleep overtake you again. This time, Spencer gathered you close to him, kissing your neck as you fell asleep in his embrace. Twenty years. It had been 20 years since you’d been able to fall asleep knowing you had nothing to fear when you woke up. Tears fell out from under your eyelids as you began to drift off, but instead of tears of fear and sadness, you fell asleep knowing your past was truly behind you, and you had a family at your back willing to help you move forward and follow you to the ends of the earth.

[cricketbettingtips-me-blog]

Today is the 36th match of the IPL 2019, which is going to be held between Rajasthan vs. Mumbai. The Rajasthan Royals are on the edge of being knocked out of the league. They have lost the previous match because of their poor planning and poor performance.  They will confront a strong team Mumbai Indians, who is in the second position in point table currently. From now, Rajasthan Royals need to win every single match from here to qualify further in the league. On the other hand, Mumbai Indians require only two more wins from their remaining matches to make place on the playoffs.

Rajasthan Royals:

The team with six losses from 8 matches, this match is like now or never for the Rahane’s team. With four points, they are at the second last position and now time is running out as they have reached at the position of must win. In their last match Rajasthan Royals did two things in their last game against Kings XI Punjab. To begin with, they left Steve Smith - who in spite of his not all that terrible record, couldn't drive the pace in the wake of coming in at number four. Two, the captain downgraded himself down the request and let the free-stroking Rahul Tripathi bat at the top. Sadly, the two moves didn't prove to be fruitful. Tripathi played a very Rahane-like thump, achieving his half century in the 44 ball he confronted. At that point, Rahane - batting at Smith's position couldn't drive the pace. Together, the team strangulated the innings in the mid-overs and what appeared to be a journey at one phase wound up in a 12-run misfortune, in spite of a valiant unbeaten 11-ball 33 from Stuart Binny.

Ben Stokes missed the last match with injury is as yet a farfetched starter. Steve Smith was dropped against Kings XI Punjab and his substitution, Ashton Turner, kept going one ball - despite the fact that the mid-innings lull constrained him to attempt and be forceful. Ish Sodhi was costly in his first match of the competition and might clear path for the arrival of Smith or Stokes.

Probable Playing XI: Rahul Tripathi, Sanju Samson (wk), Ajinkya Rahane (c), Steve Smith/Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Ashton Turner, Mahipal Lomror, Stuart Binny, Shreyas Gopal, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jofra Archer.

Mumbai Indian An amazing success far from home against the Delhi Capitals gave the Mumbai Indians their 6th success this season. The Mumbai Indians are a decent batting side. They have a lot of batsmen that can strike the ball neatly and get their keeps running at a quick rate. Rohit Sharma has not been in the best form this IPL. He is getting starts however can't change over them into enormous scores. The bowling he is going to look against the Rajasthan Royals isn't exceptionally compromising and the pitch should his style of batting also. The great form of Hardik Pandya and the absence of will to send Kieron Pollard up the request has made the West Indian excess. The group the board wants to send Krunal Pandya up the request when early wickets are lost or Hardik Pandya when the finish of the inning is drawing closer. This implies Kieron Pollard is certainly not a decent contender to wager on right currently to get such a large number of runs. The Mumbai Indians have discovered a superb leg-turn alternative in Rahul Chahar. He took three wickets in the past match and drove them to triumph.

Probable Playing XI: Rohit Sharma, Quinton de Kock (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Ben Cutting, Lasith Malinga, Jasprit Bumrah, Rahul Chahar

IPL the biggest festival of Cricket has just spread his magic all over begun to enjoy it at fullest, stay tuned with Bhaiji. If you are also the biggest fan of this game then, Bhaiji is the best place for you. As we provide you with the best and genuine IPL cricket betting tips and predictions and you can get the betting tips for IPL 2019 with us. You can subscribe to our paid services to get more accurate betting tips and can support your favourite team. Don’t wait, subscribe us now and make your IPL 2019 more exciting and cheerful with Bhaiji.

[businessthreesixfive-blog]

Passing muster: The Social Business Owner Saving His City's Manufacturing Heritage.

When Colman's Mustard, a British organization, announced they were taking out of manufacturing in Norwich, Norfolk it signalled the end of an age for the renowned brand name. By the end of 2019, the factory that has actually been making mustard on the website for almost 160 years will close, according to its Anglo-Dutch moms and dad company Unilever.Enter Norfolk entrepreneur Robert Ashton, who chose to establish a social business to fill the space left by the business choice and led the charge to launch

Norwich Mustard.After a ten-year business sales and marketing profession, redundancy had triggered him to set und run his own marketing agency. Over the taking place quarter of a century the he became progressively disillusioned with it.

"I was tired of promoting item A over item B, when actually either would be fine," he states. "What I actually wished to do was utilize my business abilities to provide enduring, positive social change."

He assisted to set up Norfolk's Community Structure, found out a lot about philanthropy, and started advising charities as they took their very first, tentative enter social business. "This was rewarding work, although hardly ever well paid," says Ashton.When the statement came ofthe Colman's Mustard factory closure public feeling was strong. At one time the company had employed more than 2,000 people.Comedian Stephen Fry caught the mood when he tweeted:'Norwich without #Colmans? Take the Tower from London, the RSC from Stratford and the potteries from Stoke, however leave our mustard in the FineCity.'Ashton went a step further and tape-recorded a video, recommending that rather than complain, regional

people need to get together and replace Colman's with a new, community-owned, brand of mustard. The video had 5,000 views over a weekend. "People were fed up of big business's trampling over local feeling,"states Ashton."Lots of might keep in mind how Nestle, after purchasing Rowntrees, closed the Norwich chocolate factory in 1994."A Crowdfunder project was released, raising almost ₤ 8,000 from 184 individuals, who were assured absolutely nothing more than a pot of mustard. Crowdfunder then introduced the team to Power to Modification, a Lottery-funded charity set up to support community-led companies. They supplied a ₤ 6,000 grant and invited Ashton to join their Neighborhood Company panel."Our objective was to raise ₤ 6,000 and we ended up with close to ₤ 14,000,"he says.But big challenges lay ahead for Norwich Mustard, not least the fact that whilst regional individuals wanted mustard production to stay in Norwich; they

didn't want to consume tonnes of the item themselves. Mustard is not like chocolate; a little goes a long method, so the product required a point of market difference that would attract clients outside Norfolk.Another consideration was that Colman's is a ground mustard powder. With only a handful of mustard mills on the planet, contending head-on would be both pricey and unlikely to alter

customer behaviour.Ashton says:"We chose to work with our local jail, providing employment and training for males nearing the end of their sentence. By making our mustard inside a prison, it ends up being an item with a story and a social

effect. Dealing with us within will make it simpler to discover a job when they're launched. "To draw attention to this link a photo of Elizabeth Fry-finest remembered as a jail reformer, and also a Norwich Quaker-was included to the label of the first wholegrain product." We are being sensible about producing mustard inside the jail,"says Ashton."We can make enough here for our regional market, but when our products make it to the supermarket shelves we will require to agreement production out, investing a few of the benefit from this in supporting our jail

workforce into jobs when they are launched. "Norwich Mustard now has a small Board, a part-time CEO, and will pack and distribute its second batch of mustard in time for the Christmas market. A neighborhood share issue is planned for January which will raise the capital to establish a mustard heritage centre in Norwich city centre.Ashton states:"

We have our eyes on among lots of redundant churches there, where we hope to tell the story of mustard making in Norwich, including obviously the story of Colman's. We will likewise sell mustard, serve mustard in food and show individuals how we make mustard too. "His five-year vision for the social business is to establish an acknowledged, lucrative national brand of dressings and sauces, owned by people who live in, or love Norwich, and possibly the only significant food business owned by the neighborhood. Ashton likewise hopes to influence others to follow their example.He states:" When we eventually open a brand-new factory in Norwich, we hope to be able to utilize

individuals with mustard-making experience, as well naturally as ex-offenders. That method we can support them in jail with work experience, then offer them a job when they leave; a stepping-stone from their past to a much better future. "The experience has supplied an important insight into the larger picture of the changing business landscape. He says:"I'm convinced we'll see much more community owned services, as individuals become fed up with things being taken away. It's an intriguing time. "

[juleskelleybooks]

So @machawicket turned me on to this hilarious “What does your hero smell like?” generator and I’m so mad because it’s so accurate, so here, have what it said about my werewolf/vampire characters along with excerpts about them from the manuscript. (I saved Haley’s for last because it was the one I did last and I nearly fell over.)

Diego’s eyes felt like they were glued shut. He groaned, rubbing at his eyelids until he could peel them open. Being in a strange bedroom wasn’t a new experience for him; he’d stayed the night with quite a few casual partners, usually eager to sleep somewhere besides Carmen’s couch. But there was nobody in the bed beside him, and the persistent ache in his body wasn’t the good kind that came from rowdy, raunchy sex with an enthusiastic man.

No, he was in Michele’s extra bedroom, and he still felt like he’d been run over by a truck. 

“Besides, what the hell is up with you and that—that outfit?” Diego said, trying to get his attention.

It worked. Val looked down at his ruffly white shirt—unlaced, with dark chest hair showing through the laces, Diego noticed with a rush of interest—and pursed his lips thoughtfully. “What, this? It’s laundry day. I’ve had this shirt since 1982. It’s just the only thing clean right now.”

Diego blinked. “Seriously? You’re not just pretending you’re still in Transylvania in the 1800s or something?”

Val put a finger in the book to hold his place and tilted his head, holding Diego’s gaze as he studied him. “You said you were bitten,” he said, and it took Diego a second to catch up with the subject change.

“Yeah.” He reached up reflexively to touch his injured shoulder, his stomach tightening at the reminder. He’d managed to forget about all the shit that was going wrong for the past half-hour or so, here in this opulent room with a quiet babysitter. “About three weeks ago.”

Val tugged the loose, ruffly collar of his shirt aside, and Diego could just see two pale spots on his neck. “I was turned against my will, too,” he said, quiet and bitter. “In 1983, in San Francisco.”

“Well, when you go into town to do your paperwork and orientation, you’ll find out why nobody wanted the deputy position. This place has a reputation.”

“Oh yeah?” Leland grinned at her, seeming more relaxed by the moment. She could feel herself easing into it too, like they’d been friends for years. She couldn’t tell if that was a good thing or not. “What, because of the werewolf thing?”

Haley nodded. “That, and by extension the tourists. You really will have more work to do around the full moon.”

“Just promise me there’s no Bigfoot to contend with, and I’ll cope with the werewolves.” The glint of mischief in his eyes belied his dry tone, and Haley felt her heart skip a beat. Dang it, he’s cute.

“No Bigfoot that I know of,” she promised, holding up three fingers like a Girl Scout.

He chuckled, breaking off a piece of bacon and stuffing it into his mouth. “Well, you’re the first person I’m calling if I find him.”

Haley had never been to Ashton. Almost ninety minutes outside Pine Grove, it had been the one off-limits thing that the handful of teenagers in the town hadn’t messed with. She’d been skinny dipping in the river in the middle of the night, she’d sneaked out of her bedroom window when she was grounded to go mudding with Josh Havers, and she’d played hooky from her practicum exam in college to go to Seattle Pride, but she’d never trespassed on the closed-down ski resort that a vampire colony had claimed as its own.

There were some rules even Haley Elizabeth “but we didn’t hurt the cows” Fern was not dumb enough to break.

So it wasn’t lost on her that the first time she was breaking a century-old treaty meant to keep the peace between two supernatural communities, she was in pursuit of a brand new werewolf who had no idea what he was getting into.

[grapsandclaps]

GRAPS AND CLAPS REVIEWS - GPW 'THUNDERBRAWL'

Hello and welcome everyone to another edition of Graps and Claps taking me on another journey to deepest darkest Hindley for GPW 'Thunderbrawl' on a surprisingly sunny Friday evening given the wet weather we have had all week in the North West. Sadly for me not a lot of pub crawling on this evening due to arriving into Hindley for 6:30 pm, so me and our Geoff went to meet up with Ben (@britwresawaydays) and Tom in Hindley's new drinking hot spot called 'Korre' which is basically a Cocktail/Wine Bar that I have been trying to visit in the last couple of visits but never ending up doing, so I was interested in seeing what it had to offer.

On first reflection if you like your cocktails this is more your place, if you like your beer probably not as they only have Staropramen on tap costing £3.60 and also a handful of 500ml bottles of some local plonk, to be honest though the Staropramen was a very good pint and as a change to visit I would probably go again - so a thumbs up from this pub expert.

On the walk down to the venue, the locally famed Jonesies Bar is now boarded up, so sadly we will never see what actually lurked in that pub.

With the time coming up to 7 p.m we met up with Graps and Claps correspondent and French Football expert Andrew Gibney and also Baseball fanatic John who were visiting GPW for the first time, so it's good to see that the company is picking up new followers by the show.

This was shown as well by the sold out crowd in attendance snaking round the Rose Club looking at advertisements for 'Big Bang Tungsten' featuring some proper heavyweights of the darting world.

In the venue the scramble for chairs and tables was evident with a number of our group going upstairs on the balcony to snaffle a chair or two to set up to the side of the entrance way. With all that said let's get into the wrestling action on what looked on paper to be a tasty night of action!

First up we had a Grudge match months in the making between former Tag Team partners and friends as Martin Kirby took on Ashton Smith in a match that should have taken place at the 15th Anniversary show but due to Ashton having a supposed injury he was unable to compete leaving Kirby to take on Crater instead on that evening. It is to be noted that Ashton came out to 'All of the Lights' but as he is a very naughty boy in GPW, his usual singing section was keeping quiet and instead was giving him the sound of apathy - BOOOOOOO!!!.

The opening of the contest was mainly Kirby tricking Ashton with a number of headlock and arm reversals to frustrate Ashton enough to send him for a powder to the outside - which elicited a shout of 'Chicken' from the crowd that provoked Ashton to say 'That's Damon Leigh's Gimmick'! Back in the ring, Ashton managed to get back on the offence, including a sweet variation on a 'Code Red' for a count of 2 and seven eighths. With Ashton looking like he was on his way to victory, he was caught with an enziguri to the back of the head by Kirby and then finished off with a Rocker Dropper for the 1-2-3 and your winner Martin Kirby. With the cross in the loss column bad boy Ashton was then subjected to the AAAAAAARRRRGGHHH walk of shame from the Hindley faithful to send him sulking backstage! This was an excellent opener between two of the best in the UK and well worth your viewing once it arrives on GPW's On Demand service.

Before we get into the next contest, the greatest discovery known to Hindley man was found as a range of hot pies are now on sale at The Rose Club including Steak & Ale and Meat & Potato costing £2.50 - these went down such a treat that they had sold out by the time the Rumble had started. As I said on Twitter on Friday night, these possibly rival the Temple of Boom Vegan Curry & Rice for the 'Best Food at the Graps' award - a game changer this certainly was.

Next match was a 3-way No Holds Barred Tag Team Title Match with the Champions Craig Kollins & T-Bone taking on The Austins (L.A & Lana) and also the Midnight Bin Collection (Ste 'Bin' Mann and Jett Fashion) who as noted last time had a break up/make up of sorts at the 15th Anniversary show so it would be interesting to see if they could co-exist to rest the titles away from Kollins & Bone. 

As ever with No Rules matches at GPW this went all around the building, including Kollins sending Fashion through a fire exit door to the left of me, we had a dive sequence to the outside which included poor Ste 'Bin' Mann unfortunately not getting enough traction on the dive doing his best Brie Bella impression by going vertical to the outside and landing with a big 'THUD!' Thankfully he was able to continue the match but this didn''t half draw a gasp from the audience.

With more fighting on the outside, including some evil baking tray shots the fight took to the bar area that ended with Lana Austin hitting a dive to everyone outside from the raised bar area. Back in the ring with the match reaching it's climax, either T-Bone or Kollins got caught up in the ropes for Jett Fashion to hold in place for Ste 'Bin' Mann to use a couple of Baseball Bat shots to the gut that had Baseball expert John shaking his head in disgust at Bin Mann's swinging technique. Sadly though for the MBC it all went downhill from there as The Austins put paid to Bin Mann, as L.A Austin finished off Jett Fashion with a Swanton Bomb to get the 3 count and your new Tag Team Champions - The Austins.

Another great match for just the chaotic nature of the action, this was excellent! With the match out of the way, a despondent Bin Mann attacked his partner Jett Fashion to finally break up the long serving team due to cuts at the council - so no more bin collections in Hindley as of from Friday evening.

Next up GPW's owner Johnnie Brannigan came out to confront the GPW British Champion Sam Gradwell who has recently picked up a ACL injury which will keep him on the shelf for around 9 months which is unfortunate for Sam as he has been an excellent champion and for me one of highlights of many a GPW show over the last year and a bit. Brannigan anyway wanted to strip Gradwell of the British Title and award it to tonight's ThunderBrawl winner but Gradwell said 'NO!' and that he will compete in the Rumble to take his opportunity at winning the No.1 contendership to the GPW Heavyweight Title.

GPW Heavyweight Title time the Champion Joey Hayes taking on the former Champion Dylan Roberts w/Alan Alan Alan Tasker in a rematch from the 15th Anniversary show, this time in a Submission match. With the Submission rules, this was more technical based contest that did sort of bring the audience down a little bit from the opening two contests, but nonetheless it was still a fine contest. Dylan tried to get the Submission victory with a half crab and a variation on The London Dungeon arm submission to Joey but thankfully our Champion was able to get to the ropes to break it up. With Dylan desperate to reclaim his crown, his Manager Alan Alan Alan Tasker got on the ring ropes to try and distract Joey, but Joey instead ducked to send Dylan knocking down Tasker to the floor, leading to Joey hitting a cutter then locking in the CrossHayes for the tapout win to send the Hindley faithful celebrating into the half-time photos with Joey Hayes. 

Before we got started with the ThunderBrawl, the formality of the raffle was drawn with a drunken audience member who's birthday it was - my god this bloke was just having too much fun as he fell on his arse on the outside to roars of laughter from the crowd, it is to be noted that said fella was then hit with a stray baking tray by a lad I know in the front row - AAAAAAARRRRGGGGGHHH!!!!

ThunderBrawl time with combatants coming in at 60-second stages which did at times feel like 10-second stages it was that frenetic. Now I am not going to list all of the 40 competitors or all eliminations - you can checking @britwresawaydays for all of that, but instead I will note some of the interesting happenings during this contest. Sadly for Indy Corner fans, Benno was not present for his surprise entry in the Rumble it must have been the roadworks in Liverpool putting paid to this, but we did have a number of surprise entrants including Heresy (Johnnie Brannigan), Simon Valour, Ethan Allen, Luke Jacobs, JJ Webb, BIG T and the most shocking of them all - Liverpool's No.1 Zack Gibson as the 35th entry!

We also had Sam Gradwell who made his entrance but never actually got in as he stayed on the outside to speak some lethal barbs to Johnny Brannigan and Simon Valour commenting on their dad bod's and if they had only just grown a moustache they would have got a WWE contract - Ouch! This was a great line! We had the sound of the Bad Lads theme playing which instantly led our group who wanted to see Big Joe left in disappointment when it was Drill and Mickey Barnes making their entrance to much apathy but when Joe did make his entrance at No.37 there was much relief.

Crowd favourite in this rumble was Entrant No.28 Sandy Beach who since with his losing streak going has been on a roll in GPW and by the show he is gaining  well deserved following. As we know with Sandy he now makes his entrance with an Inflatable Shark of all things that was used to great effect in this rumble provoking the Hindley faithful to shout to the tune of 2018 smash hit 'Baby Shark' - SANDY'S SHARK DO DO DO DO! Christ alive this caught on! Also in this match we had the newly broken up team of the Midnight Bin Collection coming to blows as they eliminated each other when Jett Fashion came on rushing at Bin Mann.

Anyways we got down to the final 4 with Craig Kollins, Sandy Beach, Martin Kirby and Zack being the men that could possibly become the No.1 Contender to the GPW Heavyweight Title. Kollins was the first to go, leaving just three with the crowd fully behind Sandy Beach and Martin Kirby to get the glory. Sadly with Sandy looking to throw Kirby over the top rope, ever the opportunist Gibson creeped up from behind and chucked Sandy out much to the disgust of the audience who wanted Sandy to get the victory but nevertheless a star was made in GPW in the form of Sandy Beach!

Down to two now with Martin Kirby facing off with Zack Gibson and it was Gibson who low-blowed Kirby on the apron to send him packing over the top to become the 2018 ThunderBrawl winner and also your new No.1 Contender to the GPW Heavyweight Championship. After the match Gibson got on to the mic to proclaim his victory and to send some tasty words to Joey Hayes who came out only to be locked in the Shankly Gates to end the show. Well what a fantastic rumble this match was, breathless and plenty of storyline development in this with Gibson instantly getting 3 new challengers in Kirby, Beach and Hayes and instantly filling the void which has been left with the injury of Sam Gradwell.

With the show done at 10:15 pm, we made our way out of the venue and back to the station for one last drink in the Joseph Holt's pub next to the station for the debrief of the show before getting back into Manchester for 11:30 pm to end what was an excellent evening of action and another one to add to GPW's continuing trend of excellent shows - no wonder this event sold out if they are constantly like this one!

I hope you have enjoyed reading this edition of Graps and Claps, give it all the likes and retweets and any comments are very welcome - the support means a lot! Next review from myself will be from Futureshock's show in Stockport taking place on Sunday 16th September. Till next time  - BYE!!

[nerdybouquetdetective-blr-blog]

Terri Schiavo And The State Of Exemption, Eric L. Santner.

Research recommends that Clinton's political election can enhance women's political power-but they'll encounter the very same risks as their male counterparts. You could be certain that you'll be feeling more positive at job this afternoon if you establish a new personal document in the health club this early morning. Like Oliver Sacks, who lugged a note pad everywhere, Lee constantly had a little 2 × 3 ″ pocketbook with him, which he full of every little thing from training routines to the contact number of his pupils (that included trainees like Chuck Norris as well as Steve McQueen) to rhymes, affirmations, and thoughtful representations. This deck lift PL-TG wheelchair handicap lift has some extra features to make certain the security of the individual of this lift. Alpha 5, a totally sentient automaton, or robot, is the devoted assistant to Zordon in the Power Chamber. When the Rangers lost their powers to Madtropolis, Web cam made use of the Scroll of Time to take a trip into the past and recover a source of power which might save them - the Samurai Amulet, a family members treasure in the ownership of his mommy. While there are many firms that make lift recliners - such as Med-Lift, NexIdea, Catnapper, Berkline, Franklin and La-z-boy - Pride Wheelchair and Golden Technologies have been around the lengthiest and have a few of the very best online reputations. However every specific exercise of power adds to power relationships all at once, as well as adjustment is unstoppable. Et put la maison, il est possible d'avoir chez soi un particular nombre d'accessoires d'entraînement employees tels que nattes et tapis de sol, haltères et fitness center weights pour poignets ou gym weights pour chevilles, cordes à sauter, hand hold, extenseurs, ballons de grand diamètre ... Bref, proclaim un toolbox qui vous accompagnera efficacement dans toutes vos bonnes résolutions! Denied by their classmates and also rather miserable, the women are conveniently guided when Mojo Jojo (voice of Roger L. Jackson), a superintelligent monkey in a turban, asks to assist him with a project to conserve the city. But also if you simply provide adequate power to supplement the power company, and even leave the grid for life, you are mosting likely to really feel a feeling of success. Defensively, power gamers will typically play as the catcher, edge infielder, or ideal field. http://szepkartya-blog.info/ misbehaved plan, these movie critics maintained, to delegate the future to real estate designers, job engineers, and a lot of public authorities, that seldom lifted their eyes from the issue right at hand. As you breathe out a second time, weigh down with your feet equally and also gradually raise more of your back from the floor. The announcement ends months of supposition that Engie intended to close the plant as component of a step away from coal-fire power. After revealing the Dino Gems, Tommy forms a brand-new group of Power Rangers to make use of a combination of Dinosaur DNA and Technology to eliminate versus the evil forces of Mesogog, as well as stop them from returning the Earth to the age of the Dinosaurs. One of the most wonderful and also crucial benefit of installing or taking care of residential hydraulic wheelchair lift is that this training machine does not call for electrical power to relocate or run. The person having loss of power need to take natural oil massage therapy to get solid erection as it aids to enhance circulation of blood to the organ to reclaim power and period normally. Power firms consistently move generation among plants and between business to successfully supply the power called for, as well as to satisfy contamination control needs cost-effectively. Pure Health club claims its company model is based upon using participants budget-friendly fees without linking them into repaired term agreements, with fitness centers available at any moment of night and day. Nonetheless, his as well as various other researchers' findings suggest that it is the helpless, not the powerful, who will certainly be most responsive to that message (individuals reduced in power record feeling compassion for others much more often). I ended up liking this a great deal greater than I anticipated to. For what is fundamentally a pretty played out idea (the Justice Organization with the serial numbers submitted off yet abrasive as well as dark as well as quote unquote practical), Straczynski truly toenails the psychological and moral intricacies. The Yellow as well as Red Rangers are still recouping from my last strike, and also I'm less than a lawn far from her. The ordinary fitness center subscription lasts 18 months, states the Health and fitness Market Association, yet there will certainly be many people that fall off the exercise bike long prior to that. A 132-pound woman needs to clean up 90 extra pounds at an intermediate level and also 150 at elite. Tumbling skills are usually a choosing aspect for class development in acrobatics. Powerbanks featured a USB cable television; you attach it to a power source such as a laptop computer to charge the powerbank. With power of all five Dino Gems, he makes use of the Shield of Victory to become the Triassic Ranger, as well as command the Mezodon Wanderer. This opens up Gaventa's suggestions of a brand-new means of assessing power relationships, called a third-dimensional technique, that recommends the miners and their neighbors aren't idly accepting their destiny and also gives some hope that, if they are ever able to strike at the origins of the power structure in their environment, there could be hope for significant change. It claims a lot that one of the endorsements that adorns the book jacket of Power is from one of Pfeffer's graduates. I call the little one Hans and the large one Franz since they view me in the fitness center, though I have actually never ever once seen either of them lift a weight. In the early 1990s, maker Haim Saban appealed the suggestion of acquiring up footage from the completely insane Japanese program Super Sentai, which adds the majority of the battle scenes in Power Rangers episodes to this day, and also shooting new tale" sequences with American-based stars. Affiliate Professor Ashton Patridge from the professors of design at Auckland University claimed off-the-grid, small neighborhoods" like Ta'u were preferably fit" to utilizing solar power. As soon as the door irised shut behind him, Andros observed that the various other Astro Rangers were standing there, awaiting him. Located 4,000 miles from the west coast of the United States, Ta'u has actually depended on over 100,000 gallons of diesel shipped in from the main island of Tutuila to endure, using it to power residences, federal government buildings as well as - crucially - water pumps. When an individual has power, either through political election or armed forces stroke of genius, their power exists in the capacity to physically persuade people right into doing just what they do not want to do. The necessary concept of a leader or ruler, with power, does not alter from federal government type to federal government kind. The brother or sister rivalry in between the two doesn't stop them from invoking plans to damage the Rangers. It comes as a research was published last week concluding that middle age currently begins at 60 Nuffield Wellness stated just under 10 percent of its 211,000 gym participants are aged over 65. In this storyline we not only satisfy the Waste Barret family (waste is the population that do not have any type of defense from a 'Family' a judgment power in this dystopian future and are generally not well off or well cared for) yet we additionally reach find out more regarding the Family members, the characteristics of the globe, as well as the past of Eve (also known as Permanently). LYNN: Aly has actually made a decision to go professional, which she is extremely excited around, but that suggests she won't be able to contend in acrobatics in university.. Mary McNary, one of Environment-friendly's consumers, informed The Province: It's intimidating entering into a fitness center setup. What they say: We are a group of runners that believe that gyms are a waste of power. Health clubs have generally taken our most familiar exercises, analyzed which muscular tissue teams are worked, what coordination is required, and afterwards created brand-new routines that tactically maximize impact and also effectiveness. Yet together they tipped the ranges at 755kg - more than 120kg above the maximum weight restriction in the lift at the Hilton hotel in Bath, Somerset. The 1,000-megawatt brownish coal-fired Loy Yang B power station gives approximately 17% of Victoria's power demands. The insurance claim that the Plan thrusts massive brand-new concerns on the states is based on the fiction that that the power field is a imperishable and or else steady industry. Holding a slab is one most reliable means to increase your endurance and endurance at the gym and in the bedroom. Super-setting by exercising on 2 or even more different pieces of equipment prevents others from utilizing them.

[megadarkbouquettidalwavethings]

Bristol City 2-3 Manchester City (Agg: 3-5)

Kevin de Bruyne celebrated signing a new five-year contract at Manchester City with a goal

Manchester City reached their first final under Pep Guardiola as the Premier League leaders beat battling Bristol City in the Carabao Cup.

Already leading 2-1 from the first leg, goals from Leroy Sane, Sergio Aguero and Kevin de Bruyne at Ashton Gate ensured Manchester City’s place at Wembley on Sunday, 25 February.

They dominated the first half and Sane deservedly put the visitors in front shortly before the break, with his deflected shot bouncing in after Bernardo Silva had dispossessed Hordur Magnusson.

Manchester City looked to have all but killed the tie early in the second half when Aguero’s strike across goal rounded off a lethal counter attack.

The Championship team produced a rousing final 20 minutes to give Guardiola’s side a brief late scare, with Marlon Pack’s smart header and Aden Flint’s stoppage-time goal threatening for a moment to take the tie into extra time.

But De Bruyne’s calm finish with the final kick of the game denied Bristol City a creditable draw on the night and confirmed Manchester City’s place in the final where they will face either Arsenal or Chelsea, who play the second leg of their semi-final on Wednesday.

The Robins, meanwhile, will turn their attention to converting their current fifth place in the second tier into promotion – with their four previous victories over Premier League opposition in the Carabao Cup giving them a taste of what they hope is to come.

Relive Manchester City’s Carabao Cup semi-final win at Bristol City

Guardiola takes no chances at Ashton Gate

Leroy Sane has either scored or assisted in five of his six appearances for Manchester City in 2018 (three goals, three assists)

Guardiola has previously used this competition to rest and rotate a number of his star players, but he picked a near full-strength side for the second leg, making just two changes to the team that beat Newcastle in the Premier League on Sunday.

His selection was tribute to the way Bristol City had performed at the Etihad a fortnight ago, impressing many with their adventure and attacking intent.

There would be no such repeat at Ashton Gate, however, with the away side taking complete control almost from the very first whistle.

Aguero’s cross clipped the bar and David Silva’s low shot had to be palmed away even before Sane’s opener – and once Manchester City were able to add a ruthless streak to their overall dominance it was always going to be a big ask for the home team.

Despite the impressive late rally, culminating in makeshift striker Flint stabbing in for 2-2, the visitors were still more than good value for their victory across both legs.

They had 68% possession and finished Tuesday’s game with 28 shots on goal, scoring from three of the six they got on target.

Can Man City do the quadruple?

Guardiola is now just one game from winning his first silverware with Manchester City, having endured only the second barren season of his managerial career in 2016-17.

The 47-year-old Spaniard, who won 14 trophies in four years as Barcelona boss and a further seven in three years at Bayern Munich, is hoping to lead City to an unprecedented quadruple.

He has repeatedly played down his team’s chances of achieving that feat, yet they continue to fight strongly on all fronts – already 12 points clear in the Premier League, they have also reached the last 16 of the Champions League and the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Domestically, only Liverpool have found a way to beat them so far this season, meaning the one apparent remaining question mark is over whether they can translate their league and cup form into European competition.

If they are able to progress beyond FC Basel and into the quarter-finals of the Champions League, even at this early stage they may seldom have a better opportunity of sealing a clean sweep of league and cups.

A step too far for brave Bristol City

Johnson has turned Bristol City from Championship relegation contenders to promotion candidates within a season

Lee Johnson and his players earned plenty of plaudits after their first-leg defeat, with Guardiola describing Bristol City as a “fantastic team” and lauding their style of play and attacking intent as “good for the show”.

Despite trailing on aggregate throughout the second leg, the fact they became only the second team since October to score twice in a domestic match against Manchester City spoke volumes of both their quality and spirit.

The Robins had already seen off top-flight sides Watford, Crystal Palace, Stoke City and famously Manchester United on their way to the last four – though two legs against the runaway Premier League leaders was always going to be a tall order.

Following a tentative opening period, during which they were pinned back for long spells, they looked much more of a threat with the half-time arrival of £5.3m summer signing Famara Diedhiou.

Head coach Johnson will now hope the return of Diedhiou, who has missed the past three months with a knee injury, can also inspire his side towards achieving the ultimate goal of securing top-flight football for the first time since 1980.

“I’m very proud, not just of the team, but of the club,” said Johnson.

“It was a fantastic run. The fact is, it has taken them two injury-time goals in both legs to beat us.

“We came close to a draw today. They are a top, top side, probably the best side I’ve seen live.”

What they said:

Bristol City boss Lee Johnson: “We came close to a draw. They are a top, top side, probably the best side I’ve seen live.

“They have so many players that are intricate and have class on the ball and sometimes you have to hold your hands up and say ‘they are a better side than us’.

“But the spirit we showed, we never gave in and we continued to try and attack and scored two goals and not many teams can score two goals against a side like that.”

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola on Sky Sports: “We are so happy to be there, to reach this final. We played an amazing game until 2-0 and then we lost control, these type of games never end until the end.

“At 2-0 we knew it would be easier because they needed three or four goals but with one minute left it was 2-2 and anything could happen.

“It’s not for me, it’s for Manchester City, a club who are trying to reach another level. We try to keep going, the important thing for me is to be there.”

A landmark game for Pep – the stats

Pep Guardiola celebrated his 363rd victory in top-flight management in what was his 500th game, with 63 of those victories coming in 92 games with Manchester City.

Guardiola has now won 11 of his 18 semi-final ties, reaching his first final as a manager in England.

Bristol City have won just once in nine games in all competitions (D2 L6) since their victory over Manchester United in the quarter-finals.

Manchester City have reached their sixth League Cup final, winning four of the previous five — 1970, 1976, 2014 and 2016.

Man City have progressed to a domestic cup final for the fourth time in the last six seasons (excl. Community Shield); winning the League Cup in 2014 and 2016, as well as finishing runners-up in the 2013 FA Cup.

Marlon Pack’s header ended Bristol City’s run of 550 minutes without scoring a goal from open play in all competitions.

Leroy Sane has either scored or assisted in five of his six appearances for Manchester City in 2018 (3 goals, 4 assists).

In fact, the German winger has provided 14 assists for Manchester City in all competitions this season; no Premier League player has provided more (level with teammate Kevin de Bruyne).

Sergio Aguero has scored eight goals in six appearances since the turn of the year, assisting one more.

What next?

Bristol City resume their bid for promotion to the Premier League as they host QPR on Saturday, 27 January (15:00 GMT). Manchester City, meanwhile, are away to Championship side Cardiff City in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday, 28 January (16:00 GMT) in a game that is live on BBC One.

The post Bristol City 2-3 Manchester City (Agg: 3-5) appeared first on Breaking News Top News & Latest News Headlines | Reuters.

[pavspatch]

Banim relishes challenge of managing Ashton alone

IF the June 8 general election was the biggest surprise today, the announcement of Will Haining’s decision to quit as co-manager of Ashton United had to come second, at least in Tameside.

The former Oldham Athletic defender informed partner Jody Banim and senior club officials two weeks ago but gave no hint of his impending departure to anyone else. In his Pav’s Patch interview after Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Blyth Spartans he talked about planning for the 2016-17 season.

Haining’s resignation was revealed to the players after yesterday (Monday’s) game at Warrington and made public this afternoon in a statement on the Robins’ website. Club chairman Terry Hollis commented: “Will has been absolutely outstanding during his short time as joint-manager, and indeed while playing for the club. He has been an absolute pleasure to work with.

“We are extremely sorry to see him leave us but he goes with the very best wishes of everyone connected to Ashton United. His hard work has given us the platform to kick-on for the new season.”

Mr Hollis’s sentiments were echoed by Jody Banim, who now takes sole control of playing matters as team manager.

“When Will told me his plans I was as surprised as anybody as we had been talking about next season and the need to sign players,” said the new boss.

“I’m disappointed that he won’t be there to continue what we started, but I really respect his decision and I’ve got nothing but praise for what he’s done. He has a young family and I can understand that he wants to spend more time with them.

“It was Will brought me on board after Paul Phillips and Steve Halford stood down to take over at Stalybridge Celtic and I’ve loved every minute of working with him, even though we’ve had some tough spells where we lost games and had to change things around. But I think that since the start of the year we’ve turned a little corner.”

The task of restoring the Robins to the ranks of Evo-stik NPL premier division promotion contenders now falls squarely on the 39-year-old Banim’s shoulders. Even though he will no longer have Haining at his side for support and advice, it’s a challenge he relishes.

He explained: “I’m excited to have the job on my own. I’m excited to have sole responsibility for the team.

“A lot of pre-season work, like sorting out friendlies, is already under way and I’ve been speaking to players, too. So long as we can keep the nucleus of the current squad and add four or five new players I think we’ve got a real chance of doing something special next year.”

The new Hurst Cross number-two will be defender Simon Woodford who joined the Robins earlier this year after being released by Curzon Ashton. Banim believes he has all the qualities to be an ideal assistant.

He said: “To be honest, we don’t have the biggest budget in the league but although Simon is coming to the end of his career, he can still play centre-back or right-back when necessary, which means a little bit more money will be left that we can spend on a starting player.

“I’ve not known Simon too long but he’s done really well since he joined us. He’s quite a voice in the dressing room and people respect him. I think he’ll make a great assistant because he’s an experienced lad who’ll be able to fulfil that vital role as a go-between between the team and me, the manager.”

Attempts were made to contact Will Haining but he wasn’t answering his phone this evening.

[ultralifehackerguru-blog]

New Post has been published on http://www.lifehacker.guru/workout-showdown-sworkit-vs-nike-training-club/

Workout Showdown: Sworkit vs. Nike Training Club

Maybe you can’t go to the gym. Maybe you don’t want to go to the gym. Maybe the gym is too darn expensive. Good thing you can turn to your phone for an instant workout. Which app gives the best workouts, though? Today, we find out.

The Contenders

There are plenty of workout apps out there, but these two are popular and well-rounded, and are available on both iOS and Android. They don’t require any setup or subscriptions to get started, so you can do a five-minute workout with each one right now. Or, you can just read these descriptions:

Sworkit is a longstanding Lifehacker favorite. You can choose the length of your workout, from five minutes to an hour, and the app fills that time with the type of exercises (strength, cardio, etc) you requested. For a fee, you get training plans and more variety in workouts. Besides the full Sworkit app, there are seven other apps that each give you a few specialized workouts: Upper Body and Lower Body apps, for example, and a Cardio one, and a Kids version.

Nike+ Training Club is the workout partner to Nike+ Run Club, one of our favorite running apps. NTC has a huge variety of workouts, from yoga to gym moves, and they’re always featuring a new workout named after a celebrity athlete. Nike sells shoes, not app subscriptions, so everything including the workout plans is free.

Both have plenty of workouts you can do without equipment in your living room, and they have options for everybody from total beginners to total beasts. Let’s put them through their paces.

Sworkit Gives You Workouts You Can Do Right Now, In Your Nice Clothes

Picture this. A writer sits alone in her home office, eyes glazed over from hours of staring at a screen, blogging about life hacks. She should really try to get a workout in, but it’s the middle of the day, she only has five minutes to spare, and she is wearing a sweater and jeans rather than workout clothes. Which app is the right one for the job?

It didn’t take me long to get in character (Life hacks: check! Glazed eyes: check!) so my first task was to install Sworkit. I started with the Butt app, just because it is called Butt. Sadly, the “Rump Roaster” workout in the Play store screenshots has been removed (or maybe just renamed) so I instead chose “Brazilian Lift.” The workout did, indeed, challenge my butt. The glute bridges burned pleasantly, the leg lifts were challenging, and the 30 second break in the middle was briefly relaxing. I didn’t break a sweat, though, so I was fine in my work clothes. I even ate crackers while doing some of the lunges. Success!

I noticed later that the full Sworkit app even has a workout called “Get Moving Without Sweating”, which you can do for anywhere from 5 to 60 minutes. Sworkit understands me.

NTC, on the other hand, failed this test miserably. When I tried to browse for workouts, only one was listed as five minutes long. I recognized this workout, my old nemesis Bodyweight Only Benchmark.

I remember the Bodyweight Only Benchmark from last summer. Indeed, it is seared into my memory. In total, it asks you to do 50 full pushups, 50 burpees, and 50 squat jumps. When I tried it last year, it took over 20 minutes, and nearly killed me. So I skipped that one, and instead chose the Start Up Benchmark, listed at 6 minutes.

This one was good! I did it in five minutes. It was a few rounds of jumping jacks, squats, lunges, and knee pushups. It’s not a good workout to do in a sweater, though, unless you want to literally sweat into it.

Nike Wins at Serious Workouts

OK, I’ve changed into my workout clothes now. Which app is better for a serious workout?

Let’s start again with Sworkit. The full app—not the Butt one—gives you a choice of strength, cardio, yoga, or stretching. If you scroll down, there are more options, including workouts just for beginners. Most of the advanced and more interesting workouts are locked, but there’s still plenty available for free. I chose a cardio workout described as “Boot Camp Inspired.”

You can choose the length of the workout, so I asked for 20 minutes. I tapped the music note at the top and found a selection of playlists: three for Apple Music, and 12 for Spotify. (NTC doesn’t have music linked through their app, although you can find their Spotify playlists on your own if you like.) I blasted one called Throwback Jams and got to work.

I churned through Sworkit’s 30-second nuggets of exercise, with a 30-second break every now and then. I thought I would get bored, but it was kind of nice to have a predictable rhythm to the workout. There were jumps, ab exercises, and pushups, to name a few. At first I wasn’t sure how anybody was supposed to do a full half minute of star jumps, but then I realized the point is to just use the 30 seconds to do as many as you can. So I’d do a few jumps, rest for a few breaths and do a few more. (I admit that toward the end, though, I skipped a set of dive bomber pushups and just danced to the music instead.)

On to Nike+ Training Club. The first thing you’ll notice is the variety of workouts. You’re not limited to bodyweight-only moves; there are workouts that call for dumbbells or pull-up bars or plyo boxes. And rather than cycling through a library of moves, the workouts are designed with a specific structure. Some are branded with athletes’ names, like one from Serena Williams and another from decathlete Ashton Eaton, with moves that correspond to the way they train for their sports.

I did the Game Changer, a high intensity workout that starts with some bodyweight warmup moves, then has segments of lower and upper body weightlifting. It finishes with some quick footwork and some cooldown stretches. On another day, I did Fresh on the Circuit, a bodyweight workout in timed sections that feels a little more Sworkit-like. It starts with stretches and simple warmup moves, proceeds to lunges of various types, and finishes with a different set of stretches.

The Bottom Line: Nike Has the Range

If you just want that five-minute workout in your jeans, download Sworkit and stop reading here. Seriously, you would spend more than five minutes reading my conclusion and composing a defense of Sworkit in the comments. Just start the app already.

Okay, so those of you still reading must be interested in more than just a five minute Rump Roaster. For you and me, Nike+ Training Club is the app to pick.

Nike’s workouts are better thought out, and you have more variety in the types of moves. Sworkit does have a few more specialized workouts, like the Figure Skater workout in its Sports Conditioning section—but those are only available to premium subscribers. A subscription is $7.99/month.

With Nike, you can get a workout plan for free. And you get an actual plan, set on a calendar, not just a list of workouts and a FAQ from a trainer. I use NTC whenever I need a real workout and can’t get to the gym, and I know that if I pick the right one, it will kick my butt.

Now, I also wear Nike shoes, so maybe I’ve been brainwashed. And I admit that with Sworkit, you can still get a good workout, but there’s no variety to the structure (it’s always those 30-second nuggets) and the particulars are a roll of the robotic dice. So I’m awarding this one to NTC, but I’m going to do Nike’s workouts to the Sworkit playlists. Don’t tell.

Push It!

How I Went From Weight Lifting to Bodyweight Exercises and Still Gained Strength

Gym Showdown: Free Weights vs. Machines

​Are Bodyweight Exercises Effective?

©

[grapsandclaps]

PCW SIXTH ANNIVERSARY PART 2

Food done at Yates's it waa time to take in a couple of the usual haunts in Preston, first of all - The Guild Ale House which is a real ale haven for the hardened craft ale drinker, generally every drink is under £3.50 and of the highest quality. I would liken this pub as well to someones fromt living room with the white carpet which i am surprised no one has ruined yet spilling their stout, we decamped to the small yard area to think up of niche songs for one of the night's combatants - Su Yung. A mixture of stuff from The Beatles, Genesis and The Corrs were batted about but as we would find out later would go down as well as a wet fart in Church. The drink i had in here was 2/3rds of a Saison like drink "Never Known Fog Like It" for £3.50 and it was a nice drink that i would try a second helping of if i saw it again. Next stop was Hogarths to see the latter end of our football coupons going down and also a lovely pint of £2.05 Hogarths own ale. This pub looks like it has been a success since it has opened rivalling Wetherspoons on price and it also caters for people who like their sport with Racing UK and Sky Sports being prominent on all screens. Drinks done it was time to get into Evoque for the show, thankfully this time their was a high stool in my usual spot so i took advantage to rest my feet and sit in my perch to watch the graps. A bigger crowd than expected crowd was in attendance and it was nice to see people give PCW another try having probably being put off by the below par shows that were provided in 2016, but in fairness since the change in booker this year to Greg Lambert holding the pencil shows have improved by far so the ball was in PCWs court to make it worth it - lets see if they pulled it off. First off was a 3 way match to be no.1 contender for the Cruiserweight Title with Ricky Knight Jr vs Chris Ridgeway vs Chris Brookes - the latter making his return to PCW after just 1 solitary appearance in one of the Who Dares Wins rumbles a few years ago. Brookes received a great reception once his banger of a tune hit (Human Fly by The Cramps), Brookes has become a darling of the scene in the last year or so and could be on the cusp of joining his Midlands cohorts in the States sometime. This was a great opener to set the tone for the evening with all 3 guys working well together, Ricky Knight Jr impressed and didnt look out of place with his more experienced adversaries. Ridgeway eventually got the win in around 12 minutes catching Knight Jr with a choke in midair causing RKJ to tap immediately. Next up was Sheikh and Shake and Dave Birch vs 3 Mates Pissing About (Kirby/Hope/Joey Hayes). Seymour Gains gave an opening spiel trying to get over his S.H.I.T.S Protein Shake to a chorus of boos with his mate Sheikh El-Sham eyeing me up again - naturally i booed him again. These two have become a good team in their short time together getting the right reaction from the audience - good work lads. This was a really fun match as you can expect with the 3 mates who are fantastic at these comedy matches and are filling the void left by Dave Rayne and Mad Man Manson. The 3 mates got the win with the Shield Powerbomb to Seymour for the 1-2-3 and to rub it in Seymours face even more they poured his S.H.I.T.S Protein Shakes all over him. Soner Durson vs CJ Banks Part 3 was next with it being 1-1 in the series from their 2 good scraps in Tidal and PCW. Even though it took time for the crowd to warm to the match, they eventually got the crowd onside and provided a good match with Soner looking impressive again but sadly coming up short trying to hit the frog splash but CJ caught him with a pair of knees and Cheeky Rolled him up for the win. Good Stuff!! Half Time Main Event was Aussie Open challenging the PCW Tag Champions The UK Hooligans. As expected this was a really good match but it was more suited to The Hooligans style of working fighting around the ringside area smacking especially Fletcher with suicide dives and school chair shots to the head. The Aussies did eventually get some offence in, using their raised cutter for a close 2 count but after 15 minutes they fell to The Hooligans but they shouldnt be too disheartened and i for ine would like to see them in PCW again. But if you do see Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis elsewhere in the country I urge you to see them. After the match the UK Hooligans found out that they would be facing The NAK (Chris Renfrew and BT Gunn) in September, should be a good scrap. My mate Ben made quite the hot take after the match saying even though he likes The Hooligans, he is a bit fed up with their style of match and would like to see something different from them, but did point to the fact only Team Single went toe to toe with them all the way through their matches and wouldnt lie down and take a pasting. 1st half done and a mark photo with British Wrong Style accosting Aussie Open for a picture near the bar, decent enough gentleman to meet. Now the 2nd half and what do we start off with - Lionheart vs Philip Michael. The opening of this contest started off with a 3 minute singing of Philip Michaels name the like we havent seen since the days of Noam Dar, Philip was over like rover. Good action here for around 7 minutes with Phil matching Lionheart hold for hold and looking his equal but a spot where Lionheart pulled Phil off the ropes causing Phil to land awkwardly caused a long stoppage to the match and bringing a number of the roster to ringside to check on Phils wellbeing. Now with what happened to Lionheart previously when he broke his neck at PCW which left the audience in stunned silence and tears that night, visions of seeing a serious injury is still fresh in peoples minds but as ever with wrestling companies nowadays - many a fake injury angle happens and you dont know when to know if its real or not. In this case Lionheart picked up Phil to applause but then proceeded to use a Uranage Slam to drop Phil to a chorus of boos and a 1-2-3. Personal opinion i think Fake Injury Angles are shit and the dog worst thing to get a baddie over in this sense. They could have easily had Philip Michael catch a win from nowhere on Lionheart and then have Lionheart give him a beating after the match - it still has the same effect. This left a bad taste in a few peoples mouths and I for one was one of them. Su Yung vs Lauren (replacement for an injured Saraya) was next in a short match with Su Yung dominating early and looking good in the process. But despite all the songs in the world to rally Su she fell to a roll up from Lauren for the shock victory. I do think Lauren will probably end up winning the PCW Womens title in 2 weeks in the tourney but i cant say i am totally sold on her as a champion but just my opinion. Dean Allmark took on Jody Fleisch next for the Cruiserweight title in a fantastic match as you would expect from these 2 wrestlers. Jody hasnt missed a beat since the early 2000s and looks better bodywise since then, Deano has been a constant highlight in the past year with the rest of the cruisers pulling some of the shows over the line with some top matches. Jody hit the 720 DDT but only got a 2 for a near fall, Deano hit Jody with the Smiles Clash before finishing a valiant Jody off with the top rope Spanish Fly. Great stuff and a great pick me up after what was on previously to it. The Big Grudge Match with Tel Banham vs BIG T was next but sadly after much talking from Banham and tomfoolery from his cronies, it never got started with BIG T booting referee Des and joining up with Banham to be his bodyguard muscle i guess to the Chicken Shit Heel Banham. In one way a poor payoff to an angle that has been going for 3 months but in one sense Banham can use BIG T to fight his battles. Live i think the angle didnt go down well in the end and left a flat feeling due to people wanting Banham to get his comeuppance. Main Event time with the 3 way being turned into a 4 way with Champion Iestyn Rees vs T-Bone vs Bubblegum vs Ashton Smith. This went around 20 minutes with plenty of action and nearfalls happening, Iestyn did a majestic dive over the ropes which for a big fella is impressive. With the clock ticking to me getting the train, i took a position at the back of the room to see just in time Iestyn Rees using the Cheeky Roll Up to beat a defiant Bubblegum and continuing his near year long reign as champion. This made the show finish on a flat note, with the crowd wanting to see Bubblegum pick up the win and finally get a small run with the PCW Title. I found out when i left that Bubblegum is putting his PCW Career on the line at the next show vs T-Bone in a street fight which i guess there is a reason behind but i didnt see much skullduggery costing Bubblegum from a T-Bone prespective but hey ho - Wrestling!! Iestyns next opponent i am not too sure where they are going next, maybe Ashton gets another chance but for me that was 3 contenders finished off in one night. So i guess we get Iestyn being the not so brilliant paper champion again for another 6 months 😕. Overall a great first half followed up by an indifferent second half with as i have explained - the result of the main and the injury angle being topics of complaint from myself. But still this is worth a watch when it comes on demand. Delayed train to Manchester meant getting back at around half midnight into Rochdale, as ever Geoff was doing his best sleeping pose for #grapsandnaps - Standard part of a trip to the wrestling. Evoque beer prices - £4.50 for Tyskie (500ml) they ran out of these bottles halfway through. £7 for 2 bottles of either Samuel Adams, Brewdog Punk IPA or Brooklyn Lager. So in effect it was £7 for a pint and a smidgen if you look at it that way. Next time in #grapsandclaps will be my first trip to Attack Wrestling in Cardiff which by going off what people are going and the general fun of that promotion - could be a fantastic which i am looking forward to.