#❝ get outta here with that blood of yours ❞「 promo 」

[troublewithvampires]

//tag dump (this time with better formatting lol)

[troublewithvampires-a]

//ignore me

[iinferna]

tags

[star-quill]

thinking.... rockstar!peter and his band are at the height of their career, selling out arenas and stadiums worldwide. you're his girlfriend, a pop star also at the height of your career.

once their tour is over, he immediately starts working on his next project. a tv show. it's dark and gritty and something he's always wanted to work on. the trailer comes out around 6 months later and the premiere is 6 months after that. he's promoting the show while you're promoting your new single. the show is getting rave reviews and the interviewers on your promo tour ask you about it and you just tell them how proud you are of him. a few weeks later and it's halfway through the show being on. peter's character has a sex scene in the newest episode and that's all the interviewers want to ask you.

"so your boyfriend.. that latest episode got steamy.. how does it feel watching that as his girlfriend?"

peter's come with you on this interview and he's standing off to the side behind the camera and you just smile at the interviewer.

"well, that's acting.. i get the real thing when he comes home every night.."

the rest of the show gets more brutal, it's more action now but it's still got those dark, gritty drama elements in it. it gets announced that there's a second season green lighted and you're finally free to go and watch him film it. you surprise him on set, but first you secretly watch him film one scene. and this one is really brutal, he's beating someone up, his fist covered in fake blood with splatters of it on his face, some dripping from his nose and he looks super angry. teeth gritted and grunting as he throws punches.

you can't watch anymore and just go to his trailer, laying on his bed. a while later he comes in and you get up and run to him.

"jesus shit! you scared the shit outta me, baby!"

"sorry.. wanted to surprise you.."

"c'mere.." he just chuckled and shook his head, opening his arm for a hug.

"have you been in here the entire time?"

"i watched some of your last scene actually.."

"yeah?"

"yeah.. it was.. uhm.."

"a lot?"

"kinda.."

he noticed you clench your thighs together and he just smiled.

"did you touch yourself in here?"

you swallowed thickly, before nodding.

"kind of.. i was watching you in that scene and.. god, you were so hot.."

"mmhm?"

he was slowly manoeuvring you back to the bed, smirking and encouraging you to continue.

"all that blood on you.."

"you like it?"

you just nodded, the backs of your knees hitting his mattress and you sat down instinctively. his hands moved to cup your jaw as you looked up at him.

"well.. i gotta do a reshoot of it tomorrow.. you wanna watch again? or are you gonna get too needy?"

[mlobsters]

so i started this episode and when the flowers started coming back to life i thought to myself, if i'm gonna watch some sad timeywimey shit then i'm gonna just go all in and rewatch arrival. and if i'm gonna rewatch arrival, i'm gonna rewatch interstellar. so that's what i did instead. here's attempt #2

sidenote david reed did the story, he was also a writer on the magicians

supernatural s5e19 hammer of the gods (st. david reed, teleplay andrew dabb, daniel loflin)

starting strong. she's so good, great voice

DEAN How you doing?

WOMAN No.

DEAN But--

WOMAN No.

yellowjackets s1 - rekha sharma as jessica roberts

funny little trick of lighting and certain colors, can't say i pay much attention to what they're wearing unless it's an outlier like that white floralish printed button down and the like sam wore in early seasons especially, but thought, i don't recall seeing dean in a brown jacket before

but in this cooler kitchen lighting, it looks green. there was a tiktok going around a few years ago about someone who bought a ... hat? that looked green or brown depending on the lighting. reminds me of that

i appreciate the point of like hey. judeo-christian apocalypse, what about all these other religions that have to deal with the bullshit fallout. BUT like, is big g god who abandoned them in the same hierarchy as these gods? because if not, then hmm. i may not have enough firing brain cells for this thought process, and definitely a general lack of understanding of religion

um random ghostfacers pseudo-but-kinda-not promo? okay.

ps the angel blades to me always looks like super cheap plastic fake chrome things. i try not to laugh every time i see one.

sam's reaction *chef's kiss* padalecki is hitting the spot for me lately with his wtf faces

DEAN I'm outta options. Now on any other given day, I'd be doing my damndest to, uh, kill you. You filthy murdering chimps. But, uh, hey, desperate times. So even though I'd love nothing better than to slit your throats, you dicks, I'm gonna help you. I'm going to help you ice the devil. 

not loving the makeup they went for on decaying vessel lucifer. also do not understand the internal logic of why lucifer can just snuff out a god. little snicker snack twist of the wrist but archangels and their ilk need a special blade otherwise?

makeup looking much better in this mood lighting with some blood spatter. very menacing, to boot

this pestilence bit with the goo is unending. please, we get it. 😩

okay. laughing at myself because i'm just realizing i thought matt frewer was murdock in the original a-team, but no. that was a different dude. dwight schultz. i can't figure out what i originally knew him from, maybe doctor doctor, maybe the stand? something 80s/90s.

altered carbon s1e6 man with my face - matt frewer as carnage

kind of a nod to max headroom there seems like. which, i'm not sure if i ever saw any of the max headroom shows? i just associated the character with coke ads.

the stand (1994) matt frewer as trashcan man

dwight schultz not matt frewer in the a-team

well. i wasn't really expecting that change of heart with gabriel, and swift execution. i like the actor and the character but while i picked up the mushy emotions they were putting down, i also hold a grudge against him for torturing sam for approaching a year with the mystery spot. wish maybe they'd worked on that arc a little longer.

[gamergirl929]

The Man’s Champion  (Becky Lynch x Reader)

Anonymous Request:  Hey I think your writing is incredible and I wanted to make a request where Becky is dating the reader who is the MMA fighter who knocked out Rhonda Rousey and is the Ufc champ. Maybe she shows up during their feud or the one with Shayna? And is a total badass, but totally bottoms for Becky? Sorry if that’s confusing and makes no sense... I just wanted to say you’re awesome!

THE IS SMOOT, YOU’VE BEEN WARNED

You couldn’t help but smirk from your place in the front row, watching Becky cut a promo was always all encompassing, the woman having a way with her words that made you hang on every word.  

It’s when that promo is ruined by the Cage Fighter, The Queen of Spades, Shayna Baszler begins her assault. Your fingers twitched, hands balling into fists, you wanted nothing more than to leap over the barricade and take out the former Cage Fighter, but the UFC champion interfering in WWE?  

You’d be stripped of your title for sure, but it was when Shayna sunk her teeth into your girlfriend’s neck that all of your sense went out the window.  

Shayna had made a quick retreat when you jumped over the barricade, cupping Becky’s cheeks as she rambled to the medical staff, chanting over and over again; I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m fine.

“Baby, you’re bleeding, we need to get you to the hospital...” You frown.  

Becky shakes her head.  

“I’m fine.”  

Becky’s brown orbs flutter open, immediately seeing the sadness and concern in your eyes, accompanied by a stealthy pout, you had an image to maintain after all.

Becky groans.  

“Damn it, Y/N. I’m fine. Where’s Shayna?” She asks her hand on her bleeding neck.  

You practically have to chase your girlfriend back stage, glaring at the medical team to keep them away from her.  

“Becky, you have to-

Becky turns on you, utter fury in her brown orbs.  

“I’m da Man damn it; I can take care of myself.”  

You pinch the bridge of your nose, unable to hold back a smile.  

“You’re always so fucking stubborn.” You mumble under your breath as you chase after her, noticing the bleeding is getting worse.  

“Becky, I know you can take care of yourself, but you still need to get it looked at.” You grab her shoulder, the woman turning around abruptly.  

Becky lets out a groan, rolling her brown orbs at the sight of your pout, bottom lip jutted out as far as it can go.  

“Fine, but I won’t like it... And if we see Shayna...” She shakes her finger and you nod.  

“I won’t hold you back.”  

                                                          ***

Of course, you hadn’t expected for Becky to steal the ambulance, driving the two of you to the hospital and back, after Becky was bandaged up, the woman yet again cutting an amazing promo before coming back to you backstage.  

You frown, brushing a fingertip across some dried blood on her cheek.  

“Come on babe, let’s get you cleaned up.”  

“Excuse me, Becky would you like to comment on-

You turn around, sending Charly Caruso a glare that makes her little back away, hands held up in surrender.  

You turn back to Becky your steely Y/E/C orbs softening immediately which makes her smile.  

“You know when I get my hands on her, I’ll make the first time I knocked her out look like a love tap.” You snarl angrily, Becky taking your hand.  

“Come on, yer gonna clean me up, right?” She asks and you give her a shy smile, cheeks pink.  

“Gladly.”  

                                                          ***

You’d become Becky’s shadow after that, your presence in the backstage area deterring any and all challengers who wanted a piece of Becky Lynch.  

You were the UFC Champion, the underdog who’d knocked Ronda Rousey out with a swift punch, shocking the world.  

You could also say the same about Shayna since you knocked her out with a knee to the face, busting the woman open in the process.  

You were a force to be reckoned with, currently untouchable in the world of MMA.  

When it came to Becky Lynch though?  

You were literal putty in her hands, the woman had you wrapped around her finger and she knew it.  

Becky delicately cups your cheeks, pressing a tender kiss to your lips.  

“Go get them champ.” You smirk and Becky grins, patting her title.  

“Oh, I will. Stay outta trouble.”  

                                                          ***

Becky, as per usual is cutting an amazing promo, slowly digging Shayna’s grave when the woman herself makes her presence known, but not in the ring, no, the woman strutting up to you backstage.  

Almost immediately a camera is on the two of you, Becky going silent as she stares at the Tron where there’s literal inches between you and Shayna.  

“You look pretty cocky strutting up to me, I mean... The last time we met I kneed you in the head and knocked your ass out.” You smirk, the WWE Universe cheering.

Becky smirking up at the screen.  

You chuckle.  

“Why are you back here with me?” You nod your head towards the camera. “Your opponents out in the ring, afraid?” You ask, a cocky smirk stretched across your face, your nose brushes Shayna’s as you lean closer.  

“Yeah, I knocked you out in UFC...” You pat your title.  

“But Becky?”  

You grin cockily.  

“Becky Lynch is gonna beat the holy hell out of you.”  

Wordlessly, you turn on your heels and walk away, leaving a visibly shaken Shayna Baszler behind.  

Becky nods, clapping a hand against the microphone.  

“I think Y/N said all dat needs ta be said.”  

Becky’s music hits and the fans cheer, the Raw Women’s Champion holding her title high, a smirk on her face as her tongue swipes at her lips.  

She definitely would have to pay you back for that solid promo tonight.  

                                                          ***

“I know that look...” You smile as you follow Becky into your hotel room, the woman immediately pushing you back against the door when it clicks shut.  

“Wat look?” She asks as she presses sloppy kisses to your neck, your head tilting back as you hum.  

“They look that usually leads to...” You groan when Becky gives your pulse point a nip.  

“Usually leads ta wat?” She asks as her tongue flicks against your pulse point, your hips jumping slightly.  

“Ya mean da type of wrestlin’ not fit fer TV?” She teases and you nod, grunting when the woman’s hands slip up the back of your shirt, unhooking your bra.  

“Ye-Yeah...” You stutter, the Irishwoman smirking as her lips trace your jawline, her fingers playing with the hem of your shirt.  

You immediately lift your arms in the air, the Raw Women’s Champion grinning as she pulls your shirt over your head, pulling your bra down your arms until your top half is entirely bare.  

“All mine.” Becky whispers, ducking her head to dot the flesh of your breasts with love bites before she latches onto your nipple, nipping, sucking and flicking her tongue against the erect bud before turning her attention to your other breast.  

Becky’s fingers run down your body, stopping when they get to the button of your pants, popping them open easily, her fingers slowly, teasingly dragging the zipper of your pants down.  

“Daddy is gonna take care of ya.”  

Becky’s eyes lock with yours as she sinks to her knees, pulling your shoes off before her fingers slip into your belt loops, the woman’s brown, nearly black orbs still locked with yours as she drags your pants, and panties down your legs.  

You tilt your head back, picking your feet up so she can rid you of the garments entirely. You let out a squeak when Becky pulls your legs up over her shoulders, using her incredible upper body strength to hold you up.

“Daddy’s gonna make ya feel so good...” She purrs, kissing up your thighs before she buries her face between your legs.  

You shudder, the woman delicately kissing your clit, grinning up at you, her eyes locked with yours as she runs a tongue through your folds, humming.  

“Ya always taste sooo good...” She purrs.  

You let out a cry when Becky begins licking wildly at your sex, her nose bumping your clit before she lashes at it with her tongue.  

“Tell me how much ya like it.” She whispers between your legs, and you groan, your fingers tangling in her hair as her tongue flicks and swipes against your clit. 

“Oh god, I love it. I love it...”  

You moan as Becky sucks your clit into her mouth, flattening her tongue against it, her head shaking back and forth at it rubs against your clit.  

“Just like that, just like that.” You chant, Becky chuckling as she works you to your highest peak.  

You squeak when Becky slips her hands behind you, slapping your ass as she licks at you wildly.  

“Tell daddy how close ya are...” She whispers and you cry out, your brows furrowed as your body rocks.  

“I’m so close, I’m so close, I’m so close.” Your breath hitches as Becky slaps your ass.  

“Yesssssss, cum fer me baby.”  

Becky’s hands slide up your body, palming your breasts, pinching your nipples between your fingers.  

“FUCK BECKY...!” You cry out, your body shaking as the woman eagerly drinks in the essence pouring you from your core.  

Becky, ever so gently slides you down to the floor before she takes you in her arms, carrying you to the bed, your legs wrapping around her middle.  

“I’m far from done wit ya.” She whispers and you smile, burying your face in her neck, nibbling on the sensitive flesh before she drops you onto the bed.  

You watch eagerly as Becky sheds her clothes, the tanned God standing before you, a cocky smirk on her face.  

“Move closer to da headboard love.” Becky nods and you do, shuffling backwards The Man climbing on top of you, stopping to pretty tender kisses to your lips.  

“I love ya Y/N.” She whispers and you grin.  

“I love you too Becky.”  

Becky nods towards the headboard, sitting up.  

“Want a taste?” She winks and you lick your lips.  

“Always.” You bite your bottom lip, Becky shifting until her thighs are on either side of your head, the woman resting on your chest.  

You turn your head, nuzzling into her thigh, pressing delicate kisses to the smooth, soft flesh.  

“Please, let me make you feel good.” You purr, the Raw Women’s Champion grinning as she again shifts, her core hovering above your face, before she slowly lowers her hips.  

Becky gasps, grasping the headboard when your tongue runs through her folds, the woman throwing her head back.  

You groan against her, the rumbling against her core making Becky tremble, the woman giving her own breasts a squeeze.  

“Ya... Just like dat.” She whispers as your tongue assaults her clit, the woman squeezing her breasts roughly as you grab her ass, your tongue slithering into her entrance.  

“Ya, deeper.” She growls, your tongue slithering as deep as it can in exploration of Becky’s tight channel, your nose nuzzling against her clit as you explore.  

You feel her walls fluttering slightly and you hum.  

“Don’t stop, I’m so close.” Becky groans, her hips rolling as you latch onto her clit, your lips wrapping around the senstive numb, giving it a hard suck before you lash it with the tip of your tongue.  

“Yes! Just like-

Becky shivers, body stiffening before she shakes, her body trembling as she cums, hard, your tongue adding her through her high, her slick coating your tongue.  

Becky eventually stills, rolling off of you, panting heavily, a toothy grin on her face.  

She rolls over, wrapping her arms around you and pulling you into her, your face buried in her chest.  

Becky tilts her head back, kissing your forehead.  

“I love ya so much Y/N...” She whispers and you grin.  

“And I love you too.”  

Becky remains silent for a minute before grinning.  

“Imagine wat people would think if dey knew ya were a da Man’s bottom.”

You shake your head, rolling your eyes.  

“Shut it Lynch.”  

[dreaminfinite]

OOC : Rules and Notes

RULES. I only have seven. Lucky number.

1. Be kind. 2. No bigotry on my watch! Outta here with that shit! 3. No godmodding, please. 4. Don't try to fill in backstory for me, or try to take over my interpretation of the character. Yes, I've had people do this. It's a dick move. Don't do it. 5. I'm open to interactions without plotting, but if you want to get into shipping or other Important things, please, for the love of all the stars in the sky, talk to me first. 6. Communication is key!! If you're unhappy or want to change something, talk to me! Even if you just want to chat :D 7. Unless you're a canonical family member/lover, don't just pop up playing that angle without even consulting me first. My Dream is a different one than yours, and won't have the same relationships and feelings as yours.

bio link, tag list, and potential triggers under the cut.

Bio; [X]

TAG LIST

you're only dreaming : threads heavy is the burden of the wise ones : musings the Dreaming : aesthetics Lucien's Library : headcanons the dreamers : anonymous a sense of humor : wardrobe a helm a pouch and a ruby... : gear dream.txt : muse posts daydreams : replies cracked ruby : blog maintenance the staff : companions/guests reflection in the glass : faceclaim dream diary : fanart dreams come true : music Matthew's Balloon : silly things king's court : ask games tribute : submissions in the gallery : closed starters the waking : end thread

Tags that are exactly as they're meant; ask, ooc, promo, intro, open starter, starter call

ALSO; ask to tag; means if there's a trigger warning you'd like added, just shoot mun an ask and I'll do my best to remember.

Potential triggers; Unreality, delusion, blood and injury, gore (if you've read the Sandman comics you know what I mean), mentions and possible discussions of trauma

[murfeelee]

Video Games Pt3: Video Game Challenge

I saw this list on Pinterest out of nowhere, and what better way to ring in the new year than with another questionnaire, about my favorite pastime! This is the spiritual successor to Part 1 and Part 2.

Day 1 - Very first video game: Pacman and/or Mortal Kombat and/or Samurai Shodown on arcade machines (way back in the day when laundromats had arcade machines and gumball machines and such in them--good times, good times U_U); Tetris on computers; and a buttload of PS1 titles (again: back in the good ole days when consoles came with promo demo discs--I had Frogger, Need for Speed, Medieval, and a bunch of others).

Day 2 - Your favorite character: Here’s my Top 10 Males post and Top 10 Females post.

Day 3 - A game that is underrated: I will preach the greatness of PS1′s Legend of Dragoon till my dying day. It was doomed to dwell in Final Fantasy 7′s shadow, which came out earlier that same year, and it’s a real shame, cuz LoD was E V E R Y T H I N G.

My favorite aspects of the game are:

Its lore and worldbuilding. On top of the fact that the premise of the game is could be an anime series in its own right, you just get SO EXCITED to visit each new location, and uncover more about the world’s history, and see the different architecture, technologies, cultures and different races (I LOVE the Winglies, of course). It’s actually a gorgeous game for its time.

The combat -- I STILL have some of the Addition patterns memorized to this very day! They get progressively harder as you level up, but once you get used to the timing you feel so dang good. Die, More and More!

The soundtrack and cutscenes. The NOSTALGIA? O_O Bruh. The story is just really good, and was the very first video game to make me cry when certain...events...happened. Play the game and find out for yourself!

Day 4 - Your guilty pleasure game: The Sims, Dragon Age...any and all EA games. Effing ashamed of myself every time I give that nest of corporate demons at Electronic Farts money. “Surprise mechanics” my arse. 

Day 5 - Game character you feel you are most like (or wish you were): Has Jar Jar Binks been in a video game yet? Then that’s me. XD But I wish I was most like Lara Croft, as explained in my Top 10 Females post.

Day 6 - Most annoying character: For females it’s Lightning from Final Fantasy 13, and for males it’s Vaan, from Final Fantasy 12. I don’t mind as much when supporting characters are effing annoying (Vanille, Hope, etc), but when it’s the MAIN protagonist?! WHY, Square Enix? WHY.

Lightning was just a negative nancy debbie downer. I wish they had swapped Serah and Lightning, I seriously do. I just couldn’t stand her dry and soulless personality. She wasn’t being edgy or bada** or cool or sexy or FANG or anything; she was just a bitter jaded unhappy wench.

And with Vaan I just effing hate that dude. Why was he even there? They tried so hard to make this pushy entitled kid relevant, but I was like no, the story could’ve easily been told without him, and I wish it had been; he’s a effing idiot.

Day 7 - Favorite game couple: Yuna and Tidus from FFX (hardest I ever cried playing a video game -- THE FEELS I TELL YOU).

Day 8 - Best soundtrack: I used to think it was Skyrim, but nope, it’s Witcher 1, 2 and 3. Just listen to ALL of the songs CDPR ever produced for the entire franchise, including all the unreleased tracks, and enjoy the eargasm.

Day 9 - Saddest game scene: Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice had me legit depressed for a good week. Get your tissues and holy water ready; it’s seriously effed up. The entire game is the saddest I ever played, jfc.

Day 10 - Best gameplay: Witcher 3, duh. Main quests, side quests, combat, dialogue, plot, graphics, worldbuilding, creatures, bosses, soundtrack, characters, Gwent, NEED I GO ON.

Day 11 - Gaming system of choice: Playstation for life. But the Nintendo Switch is effing brilliant, ngl; once they put Skyrim & The Witcher on it I was like SOLD.

Day 12 - A game everyone should play: At least ONE Final Fantasy game. There’s 15+, and Dissidia and Kingdom Hearts. It’s not just a game, it’s an experience.

As much as I rag on FF13 and FF15, they’re still admittedly LEAGUES better than a lot of other crap out there. I just happen to feel that Square Enix is out of its frikkin mind lately, and tbh I’ve been rapidly losing my hype for the FF7 Remake. I was never much of a FF7 fan to begin with, aside from being a rabid Sephiroth fangirl and watching Advent Children a billion times. But Square’s gotta be drunk as a skunk if they think I’m paying all that money for god knows how many of these effing “episodes” they’re gonna piecemeal us to dangit death with. HAYUL no. I’d rather not get too attached.

Day 13 - A game you’ve played more than five times:

Day 14 - Current (or most recent) gaming wallpaper: Huh?

Day 15 - What game are you playing right now: Speak of the devil, I’m replaying God of War for the zillionth time already.

Day 16 - Game with the best cut scenes: In terms of graphics and story impact IMO might be Red Dead Redemption 2. That game was frikkin gorgeous, and the story was SO DANG GOOD. Braithwaite Manor!? O_O

Day 17 - Favorite antagonist: For females it’s either Edea from FF8, or Yunalesca from FFX. For dudes it’s Sephiroth, from FF7. That man needs some serious counseling.

Day 18 - Favorite protagonist: Yuna from FFX for the ladies, and TW3′s Geralt of Rivia for the dudes. 

Day 19 - A game world you would like to live in: The more Middle Eastern-inspired scifi/steampunki-medievalesque world of Ivalice from FF12, or the medieval French/Swiss Toussaint from The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine.

Day 20 - Favorite genre: RPGs and JRPGs, and pretty much action-adventure games with swords and sorcery.

Day 21 - Game with the best story: Red Dead Redemption, which is a good thing and a bad thing. A lot of the time I felt I was watching a movie, rather than playing a game. But it was still an Oscar worthy movie. XD

Day 22 - A game sequel which disappointed you: Technically it hasn’t come out yet, but from what we’ve seen of the Nioh 2 beta release, omfg what’s going on? U_U Now, don’t get me wrong! Nioh 2 looks AMAZING. But....that’s cuz it looks exactly like Nioh 1, just with new yokai gameplay thrown in. o_O Uh...is this a DLC expansion pack or what? Cuz it sure ain't lookin like a full-fledged sequel! :P Dare I call it an asset flip. Come on, don’t do this; do MORE. Unless this is actually an expansion you’ll sell for half the price. ;)

Day 23 - Game you think had the best graphics or art style: For graphics it’s RDR2, but for most unique art style it’s always been Okami for me. <3

Day 24 - Favorite classic game: Spyro the Dragon. Their reboot for PS4 was AMAZING.

Day 25 - A game you plan on playing: Cyberpunk 2077. I’m so bummed, knowing the game’s been delayed to September 2020 instead of April, but oh well. As long as CDPR gives us that master-class level of Polish we all know and love from The Witcher 3, then take as much time as you need, I guess. At least they’re not like effing EA or Bethesda. XD

Day 26 - Best voice acting: BOY. Freaking iconic, Kratos. :P

Day 27 - Most epic scene ever: Ciri beating the absolute tastebuds outta Caranthir in TW3, not once but twice. Most OP Witcher EVER, girl; WERK.

Day 28 - Favorite game developer: Though I effing hate them, I’m still a Square Enix fangirl at heart. It’s just saddening to see this weird turn they’ve been making recently, with garbage like the Quiet Man, and especially with Final Fantasy, my favorite game series of all time. U_U I’m not looking forward to the FF7 Remake anymore, tbh. I just hope FF16 is more of a return to form.

Day 29 - A game you thought you wouldn't like, but ended up loving: Skyrim. I was never a big fan of Elder Scrolls games, and when Skyrim came out I was very meh at first. But then the mods started coming out for it and I was like wow. O_O

Day 30 - Your Favorite game of all time: Legend of Dragoon on PS1, Final Fantasy X on PS2, Skyrim on PS3/PC, The Witcher 3 on PS4, and The Sims on PC.

________________________________________________

Thanks for reading!

[calamity-bean]

emotional ramblings re: american gods 2.07

I told myself I was gonna make a post with my thoughts on 2.05 first, and I still will, but I am absolutely bursting with thoughts and feelings and emotions about 2.07 and I can’t just keep them in. At the very least, I have to gush a little about Sweeney and his character development and his relationships in this ep. 

Major spoilers from the leaked 2.07, as well as some minor details from the novel for the sake of comparison.

Do you ever just feel so proud of a fictional character. So overwhelmed with pride and love and bittersweet affection that your chest feels a little bit tight because of it? I am so emotional about Mad Sweeney right now, in every way. I’m so staggered by Pablo’s performance this episode, and I really hope it’s not his final episode, I feel it’s likely not his final episode and that, somehow, Sweeney will come back, but if he doesn’t, what a stunning note to go out on, for both actor and character. I think this might be my favorite episode of the whole series so far. 

With Sweeney’s turmoil and sorrow and confusion boiling over, we really got to see his eponymous "madness” in this ep in a way that season 1 really never showed us. And I don’t just mean in the flashbacks, either, although I loved every one of those. We really finally get the sense that contemporary Sweeney is not just bitter and jaded, but that his mind, his memory, his entire sense of identity is fundamentally clouded and that a lot of his pain and aggression is rooted in the fact that he’s so empty of past, of memory, and of purpose. He’s been clinging to this idea of owing a battle because that provides him some measure of identity and purpose, but god, he was so much more, and has been becoming so much more over the course of the series.

I loved him finally rebelling against Wednesday. I loved his conversations with Salim, and especially every scene between Sweeney and Shadow. Since I knew what was coming, it was like a punch to the gut seeing how Shadow acted in their first scene together: slapping Sweeney on the shoulder almost like old buddies, being so concerned when Sweeney starts to fall apart... Like, these two have not exactly been best friends, but there were moments of tragic camaraderie between them throughout this ep. It says a lot about Shadow’s character, of course, that he’s fundamentally a good person who’s naturally going to be concerned when someone looks unwell, even if that someone is an asshole; it likewise says a lot about Salim’s character that, despite all the crass little comments Sweeney’s thrown at him, he, too, is clearly concerned and tries to help. One thing I really enjoyed about Samedi and Brigitte in 2.05 was that we finally got to see Sweeney among friends, among people who actually like him, desire him, enjoy his company. It’s just SUCH a far cry from the treatment we’ve usually seen him get, especially from Wednesday. I daresay Shadow and Salim don’t exactly like Sweeney, but they (and Bilquis and Ibis) nonetheless treat him with interest, civility, charity, even concern, and it just makes for such a bittersweet change of pace.

And even more remarkable is the vulnerability Sweeney allowed himself with them! Little slivers of vulnerability such as we’ve scarcely seen from him, especially with anyone other than Laura. Sweeney really doesn’t care for Shadow at all, but all episode, he sincerely tries to warn him, to get him away from Wednesday, to keep him out of the line of fire... He’s reaching out with camaraderie in his own way, and it never quite connects, even before the brawl, Shadow and Sweeney never quite reach a moment of true understanding, but their attempts make the end all the more wrenching.

What an ending, too. One thing I really love about how they did this episode is that it made a lot of callbacks to Sweeney’s death in the novel while also drastically changing the circumstances and impact. As in the novel, Shadow finds Sweeney miserable and drunk and in despair beneath a bridge; as in the novel, Sweeney convinces Shadow to give him $20, and he initially intends to use it for whiskey or “a ticket outta this place.” In the novel, he buys the whiskey, and uses it to drink himself senseless in the snow, where he freezes to death. It’s suicide by apathy and despair. Not a direct suicide, perhaps, but it’s clear that this was exactly the sort of ticket outta there that he’d been after all along. In the show, where Laura has repeatedly called him a coward and he has remarked disparagingly on cowardice as well, it would probably be considered a coward’s death, an easy way out.

But not Sweeney of the show. He throws away the money for that whiskey and that ticket outta there. He takes back his autonomy; he remembers who he is. Just as Laura goaded him to do so at the end of 2.05, he walks boldly up and chooses his battle rather than waiting for one to be given to him. And it’s a battle on his own terms, fought for his own sake and to protect what (or should I say who) he cares about -- nothing that benefits Wednesday, nothing to do with Old vs. New Gods. Last week, I predicted the timing and method of his death pretty accurately, and at that time, I hated the thought of poor Shadow being the one to kill him; it made me sick to my stomach to think of, for both their sakes. But the way it actually played out, it was brave, and meaningful, and personal, and bittersweet and thematically resonant and a tragedy and a triumph all at once.

There’s SO much more to talk about in this episode -- all the mythological aspects woven into his backstory, for instance! all the different versions of him, all simultaneously true! -- but I feel like those merit their own posts, separate from this one, which has basically ended up just being “tl;dr: I’M SO SAD BUT SO PROUD OF HIM I LOVE HIM SO MUCH.” 

As for where we go from here... I’m daring to hope Sweeney will be brought back. We know Laura has reached Cairo; we know there was a shot in a promo of her carrying his limp form. We know she has a resurrection potion that only needs two drops of blood infused with love. I don’t know that she loves him yet, but I know that there is a deep connection between them, even if neither of them wants to acknowledge it, and I feel like she will not want him to stay dead. I don’t dare say anything for certain, and I’m terrified that my hopes are all wrong, but I’m not ready to be done with Sweeney, and I feel like the show’s not ready to be done with Sweeney, and that the narrative has provided itself with the means to not be done with Sweeney. So I live in hope.

But what a beautiful episode, what a beautiful character arc, and, final or not, what a terrible, memorable, beautiful death.

[wrestlezon]

liveblog containment post for aew dynamite 6/15/22

whoa startin with the hair vs hair match already lmao regal right out the gate with the excalibur flirting barber on call... ortiz: (rips off his shirt) excalibur: i like what im seeing! lmaoooo... same, excalibur if ortiz loses this im going to riot btw oh look theres kip sabian eddie vs the world... all alone oh! santana and wheeler backup! yay LMAO YES EDDIE SNEAK ATTACK lmfao william regal "cover him cover him! i want to see this man BALD" OH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HE KICK OUT fuego???? damn eddie got all the backup FUEGO???????? HOW DARE YOU????????????? THIS IS A LEVEL 9 HEEL MANUEVER AND FOR WHY WHAT NO ORTIZ OH MY GOD FUEGO I'LL MURDER YOU ....................... sammy... you....... YOU.... HEEL...............!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! blood and guts! blood and guts! jesus ortiz straight up cut himself too

wardlow vs the security guards is this a new theme...? or have i just never heard this much of his regular theme. i dont recognize it... lmfao wardlow just BURSTING out of 20 guys like an anime 18 left! lmfao stacking them for the multi-pin jesus what a ragdoll powerbomb lmao this match rules. 100 man smash i wonder if theyre gonna have a showdown between wardlow and The Final Security Guard The Last Security Guard Standing hey is that dan the dad? same haircut at least ok they didnt have a final showdown but lmao its sterling's time to get-- NO DAN LAMBERT ALERT........... sending his ufc goons against him... wardlow utilizing class consciousness YEAHHHHH!! MARK STERLING GETTIN POWERBOMBED wardlow is unionizing the guys theyre just ufc guys. they dont understand professional wrestling arm raising

dax vs ospreay next oh i have to do some work real quick. im sure dax will do cool moves tho dang has cash and dax lost all their singles nooo theyre beating him up oh yay rocky is here! hes got his fancy new jacket too. roppongi vice in the house OH!! HES BACK!!!! return of orange!! yay!!!! (c... chuck... where is... i KNOW hes backstage too...) orange i did miss u tho

moxley and tanahashi talk it out? settin up the ppv match? moxley earring :)c bruh fuckin' what. why is jericho here. is how they are avoiding having someone speak japanese on tv. fuck off with that. hire an experienced live translator oh! el desperado is here! i dont know anything about him but he is cute excuse me jericho. talking sex on main? bro? augh and you have sammy and tay on here? youre killing me

setting my cope-o-meter to level 9: perhaps in kayfabe chuck hasnt been around because minoru suzuki is working with jericho and hes in hiding

oh hey its toni storm promo-ing against britt baker ...man there is just so much (meta) weirdness going on surrounding thunder rosa. what is up with that. whats going on back there

ethan page! vs miro!!! miro's back :)c this is tough because i like ethan page. but i also like miro. i think miro should win though. sorry ethan page you hang out with dan lambert and i want to have as little exposure to drive-by bigotry as possible miro should win for punching the hell outta dan lambert yay miro did win

whoa, theres a dante martin vs moxley match on rampage this week? wild my friends are mad at me for saying that matt sydal has a small head because now they are so distracted by it every time hes onscreen now sorry not sorry

oh its britt baker. she has a match? britt baker from ........................ pittsburg oh shes fighting toni storm today? already? ok this is aew's one chance to NOT get me mad. do NOT make britt baker win. i dont care if its the dirtiest win in the goddamn world. i dont want to see it. dont make me generate that level of anger oh! thunder rosa is here chasing off jamie hayter... is this how they set up a rosa vs hayter match. i think that would be cool, i guess hmm... glove flung into the air... just sitting in the ring... hell of a hipcheck chekov's glove. the ref still hasn't moved it so... ................................................................ hmmmm ugh the glove is equipped..................... HMMMMMMM... ok toni storm won. danger averted. im no longer on alert

oh! its stokely hathaway and tony schiavone! OH!!!! WILLOW NIGHTINGALE!!!! shes so cute!!!!!!!! i love willow nightingale. infinite charisma

hangman promo time! hi hangman hiiiiii LMFAO self deprecating hangman... buddy its ok. who expected jay white to win the championship wha-- who is interrupt-- aw man! not ADAM COLE.... the thing with adam cole is that while i love him being adam cole, most of that love is wholly dependent on everything blowing up in his face. and its been kind of a while. and im starting to lose my patience jay white is here! i can appreciate jay white being this maniacal bad guy too oh boy! finally! adam cole gets taken down a notch!!! its about fucking time!!! yaayyyyyyyy im satiated. for now

what is even left on this card

oh! its the young bucks jurassic express ladder match jungle boy running up the ladder was cool omg that table OMG JUNGLE ON THE OTHER TABLE is nick gonna get lucha on this table.... OH MY we are 3 people out of 4 through tables and this match has like... not even been going on that long omg poor jungle boy. hes getting laddered... i love the bucks' california gear btw double table... making up for the lack of hardys in this match i feel there are so many kicks happening. im sorry jungle boy... you have so much 2v1s to fight luchasaurus' turn to fight! revenge!! moonsaults!!! lucha climbing up the ladder... but for why oh i forgot the belts are up there LMAO nooo luchasaurus onto the ladders...!! AND the table. rip luchasaurus i forgot about chekov's quad-table out by the ramp lolll... HMMM ohhhhH!! scary when they push the ladders... NOOOO LUCHASAURUS... THE QUAD TABLES... SO SCARY..... whoa nick's face is bloody jungle boy will now have to fend for himself if the young bucks arent going to get the ti-- oh! what the! what the??? young bucks really! oh my dang... christian cage you pushed jungle boy too far... the matches were too hard for him... WHOA WHAT THE!!!!!!!!!!! KILL MURDER??? MR CAGE WHAT IS YOUR MOTIVATIONS HERE i mean im always down for guy turning evil but. for why

oh! theres fite tv post show content

he kill him... LMAO WHY ARE YOU BEING MEAN TO JUNGLE BOY'S MOM... FOR WHY... LMAOOOOO

[toomanywxngs]

OOC : Rules and Notes

RULES. I only have seven. Lucky number.

1. Be kind. 2. No bigotry on my watch! Outta here with that shit! 3. No godmodding, please. 4. Don't try to fill in backstory for me, or try to take over my interpretation of the character. Yes, I've had people do this. It's a dick move. Don't do it. 5. I'm open to interactions without plotting, but if you want to get into shipping or other Important things, please, for the love of all the stars in the sky, talk to me first. 6. Communication is key!! If you're unhappy or want to change something, talk to me! Even if you just want to chat :D 7. Unless you're a canonical family member/lover, don't just pop up playing that angle without even consulting me first. My Death is a different one than yours, and won't have the same relationships and feelings as yours.

bio link, tag list, and potential triggers under the cut.

Bio; [X]

TAG LIST

just visiting : threads my friends the pigeons : musings punk is NOT dead : aesthetics for every feather from my wings : headcanons lost spirits : anonymous piercings and tattoos : wardrobe everyone needs a cool umbrella : gear death.txt : muse posts chitchat : replies peachy keen... soon : blog maintenance visitors : companions/guests *cries in lesbian* : ship tag eye of horus : faceclaim don't mind the ankh : fanart ROCK N ROLL : music feed the pigeons! : silly things nothing but time : ask games gossip : submissions you get a lifetime : closed starters it's not your time : end thread

Tags that are exactly as they're meant; ask, ooc, promo, intro, open starter, starter call

ALSO; ask to tag; means if there's a trigger warning you'd like added, just shoot mun an ask and I'll do my best to remember.

Potential triggers; Death, blood and injury, gore (if you've read the Sandman comics you know what I mean), mentions and possible discussions of trauma

[triumviratelost]

OOC : Rules and Notes

RULES. I only have seven. Lucky number.

1. Be kind. 2. No bigotry on my watch! Outta here with that shit! 3. No godmodding, please. 4. Don't try to fill in backstory for me, or try to take over my interpretation of the character. Yes, I've had people do this. It's a dick move. Don't do it. 5. I'm open to interactions without plotting, but if you want to get into shipping or other Important things, please, for the love of all the stars in the sky, talk to me first. 6. Communication is key!! If you're unhappy or want to change something, talk to me! Even if you just want to chat :D 7. Unless you're a canonical family member/lover, don't just pop up playing that angle without even consulting me first. My Lucifer is a different one than yours, and won't have the same relationships and feelings as yours.

bio link, tag list, and potential triggers under the cut.

Bio; [X]

TAG LIST

dance with the devil : threads twinkle twinkle little star : musings hellfire : aesthetics the horns are a myth : headcanons imps : anonymous armani armor : wardrobe liquor and lighters : gear lucifer.txt : muse posts charm's no sin : replies solis needs attention : blog maintenance welcome to Lux : companions/guests only you can make me bleed : ship tag devilishly handsome : faceclaim made of marble : fanart pianist's hands : music seven not-so-deadly sins : silly things what do you desire? : ask games gifts from admirers : submissions a wink and a nudge : closed starters morning sun : end thread

Tags that are exactly as they're meant; ask, ooc, promo, intro, open starter, starter call

ALSO; ask to tag; means if there's a trigger warning you'd like added, just shoot mun an ask and I'll do my best to remember.

Potential triggers; Unreality, delusion, blood and injury, gore (if you've read the Sandman comics you know what I mean), mentions and possible discussions of trauma

[hcllblazing]

OOC : Rules and Notes

RULES. I only have seven. Lucky number.

1. Be kind. 2. No bigotry on my watch! Outta here with that shit! 3. No godmodding, please. 4. Don't try to fill in backstory for me, or try to take over my interpretation of the character. Yes, I've had people do this. It's a dick move. Don't do it. 5. I'm open to interactions without plotting, but if you want to get into shipping or other Important things, please, for the love of all the stars in the sky, talk to me first. 6. Communication is key!! If you're unhappy or want to change something, talk to me! Even if you just want to chat :D 7. Unless you're a canonical family member/lover, don't just pop up playing that angle without even consulting me first. My John is a different one than yours, and won't have the same relationships and feelings as yours.

bio link, tag list, and potential triggers under the cut.

Bio; [X]

TAG LIST

haec verba justorem : threads et astrum noctis : musings smoke and mirrors : aesthetics mundus finitum : headcanons shades : anonymous rumpled occultist : wardrobe artificialia arcane : gear constantine.txt : muse posts dabbling : replies consult the grimoire : blog maintenance not so alone : companions/guests non est obscura posterum : faceclaim zed's sketchpad : fanart choir : music card tricks : silly things tarot readings : ask games non donum : submissions call a man about a demon : closed starters terminum viae : end thread

Tags that are exactly as they're meant; ask, ooc, promo, intro, open starter, starter call

ALSO; ask to tag; means if there's a trigger warning you'd like added, just shoot mun an ask and I'll do my best to remember.

Potential triggers; Unreality, delusion, blood and injury, gore (if you've read the Sandman comics you know what I mean), mentions and possible discussions of trauma

[anxiety-trademark]

The week in review:

Raw 11/02 NXT 11/04 NXT UK 11/05 Smackdown 11/06

Raw:

Alexa just says, “he could be here,” then starts laughing. She’s like a walking red flag.

Love the difference in ‘play’ and ‘pain’, and I love how she’ll wave with either one depending on her intentions. Interesting to note that she’s left-handed, so every time she uses her right for ‘play’ it is absolutely a conscious decision.

Great editing to have Alexa disappear.

Randy’s got a hard life rn lmao.

Mandy and Dana’s gear looks fantastic.

Wow Lana is hella ballsy coming out there during their tag match.

Mandy Rose trying to use Octopus stretch? What an interesting world we live in.

I understand that Dana and Mandy might want the tag titles, I’m just not sure it’s wise to be fighting your future teammates ahead of SvS :/

Dana and Mandy do good team work, I just wish they’d work on the timing for their synchronized cartwheel + kick combo.

Pretty suplex, Shayna. Shayna’s probably the nicest most harmless bull you’ve ever seen. I become more and more of a fan every week.

Damn Mandy plays perfect defense but Shayna kicked out. Good teamwork though.

So Lana’s a face now because Nia and Shayna are assholes who have been tormenting her for like 7ish weeks? Do I have that right?

Oh sad, Lana accidentally screwed Dana and Mandy out of winning the titles. Ahhhh this is why Lana has no friends.

Lmfaooo. “What cuz [Lana’s] a little butthurt that I put her through a table?” “You put Lana through six tabl--” “I TOLD you NOT to say her name in my presence.” pffftt bye.

Weak finish to that promo. Hella rude to threaten to end someone’s career though, Nia. Hella rude.

I love Alexa’s enthusiasm when she’s the Firefly Funhouse version of herself.

Bro what the fuck. Christ these always have so much to digest.

I don’t... I don’t know what exactly her trick is... was that blood? Are we going for blood? That didn’t look like blood. It looked like melted fucking organs or something (or melted down candy/licorice/gelatin but let’s not get meta and ruin the fun)

I love the contacts. That’s an interesting look that I wish she’d carry on in her present day matches once she transforms into her evil, alternate self. Also noted that he used his ‘heal’ hand to turn her into the blood spitting, warped version... and I think it was the same last time, right? Was it his ‘heal’ hand last time? What does that mean in his eyes??

These are such a mindfuck ever since she joined his Funhouse. That’s not a complaint.

Why are they having Nia fight in 2 matches tonight? Why couldn’t they push this off a week?

First off, I really don’t like Lacey and Peyton together, and I’m actually quite fond of Lacey. She’s not the best worker, but she’s a fantastic entertainer, and that deserves much more respect than a random tag team with Peyton Royce.

Second, LOL at Shayna immediately clearing off the announce table. This is gonna be tragic and unfair. If I’m Lana, why the hell would I accept this match? Ego? WHAT EGO DOES LANA HAVE lol. This should be pointless in her eyes.

Lana your bravery isn’t gonna get you shit. Is Asuka gonna come out? Cuz that’s the only way you survive this.

Normally you won’t hear me cry about no selling like the dumbass iwc, but Lana did a pretty fucking high worked kick and should’ve nailed Nia in the side of the head/neck. Why wasn’t there a reaction to that? Lame. That should’ve stunned Nia at the very least. Made her flinch? Anything??

LMAO Nia just called her a pathetic piece of crap. Rolling.

Nia breaks up the pinfall attempt on Lana herself x2. Fantastic heel work. Don’t see that enough.

Peep the red marks on Lana’s back. Sad.

Fuck man, table number 7. That’s... that’s sad. Pretty bummed that NOBODY will come help her. 7 fucking times, whew.

Having a lot of the women appear multiple times tonight. Looking at how the Raw women’s division is being booked, I gotta say, SD is kinda over-bloated.

Oh cool I can actually see Alexa’s white tattoo on her shoulder blade in this lighting.

Nikki I’d advise you to not speak ill of the fiend. Also lesbireal, you iced her out the second you didn’t win the title against Bayley all those months ago.

Fucking LOVE those contacts why weren’t they a permanent part of her look as this version???

Highlight: Firefly Funhouse

---

NXT:

Ahh I love Dakota and Raquel’s matching colors.

Tbf, Dakota is a stepping stone, she just SHOULDN’T be cuz she’s way too good for that.

Dakota is so fucking scrawny. I really hope she isn’t just deemed a jobber on the MR. She needs to keep that speed up or bulk up a little.

lolol you know what Ember, you fucked around and ate a ringpost. Serves you right.

Nice armbar, Dakota. Now sit up and lock in the dis-arm-her (she won’t)

Dakota’s leading this match, peeped that call.

Ember’s suicide dive is so vicious. Like a missile straight up impaling her opponent.

LOL Dakota dodged the second. Again serves you right, the double suicide dive is Seth’s move.

Damn Dakota fucking NAILED her with that kick upside the head. You seeing stars Ember? Cuz you should be seeing stars. That was NOT a thigh slapper, that had an audible pop.

Yeahhh Dakota is absolutely the face in this match and you cannot tell me different. Ember’s arrogance is infuriating. Girl legit failed on the MR and she comes down there with an ego (in kf) tf outta here.

Love how people in nxt are constantly trying to use the Bank Statement but it NEVER looks as good as Sasha’s. Take a hint.

Love how Dakota utilizes these arm bars, that’s so random to me, has she always used submissions? Probably.

Why are we showing Ember dramatically hulk up like I care?

“This is Ember’s law” WHAT IS EMBER’S LAW FFS

HAHA atta girl Dakota, atta girl. That’s the homie, good for you. Fuck Ember’s law.

Shotzi PLEASE I could actually like you if you didn’t make me want to punch my 27″ monitor every time you fucking howled.

Also why you’d ever choose to face Toni over Rhea is beyond me but whatever.

This is not a whole new Toni Storm. You’re the friggin same. Ember has changed more than you and she didn’t even have a heel turn.

And why is the term ‘stepping stone’ being shoved down my throat this week?

Interesting that Io has chosen to tie things up with Rhea, but that’s to be expected. See now, if I was wwe, I would’ve called up Rhea immediately after this title match took place, but I already know that doesn’t happen.

Odd that they never show footage of Charlotte when they play back clips of In Your House. Triple h really that salty that she beat Rhea? Fuck man, Rhea needed that loss. Did her good.

Io: “I’m not afraid of Nightmare” I liked that.

“2020 has been complete trash,” what a babyface line by Rhea tbh.

Rhea idk when you’ll get to hold the gold again, but it’s not gonna be anytime soon. Your best hope is that you’ll win the Royal Rumble. Your second best hope is that they’ll move you to Raw and at some point in 2021, you can potentially make the Raw women’s championship meaningful again... what with it being devalued to hell since Becky left. Your realistic hope says maybe you can hold it by the time SummerSlam 2022 rolls around.

oof Shotzi’s big mad lmao. At least we skipped her lengthy entrance and that stupid howl.

Ohhhh nooooo Shotzi botched a vault like 20 seconds in. Oh man that wasn’t even just ugly, she fucking wiped out. Yikes. Yikes. Go back to the pc hun, practice that a couple dozen times more, cuz that’s the type of shit that’s gonna keep you down in nxt.

“you gotta wonder where [Shotzi’s] mind is” sure... sure...

Oh the tank’s a nod to her cousin in the military, interesting.

That cannonball was way too high anyway, Shotzi. You were never gonna make impact with that.

Holy shit Shotzi looks sloppy as fuck tonight. Usually it’s her ring work that I compliment, but good lord. Out here looking like the low card.

“Shotzi Blackheart just has not been herself so far in this one,” no this is practically a carry.

Yikes these restholds. Awful match. Do a Storm Zero and call it a night.

Christ and Shotzi fumbles on Toni’s Northern Lights Suplex. Mk.

“This match has certainly lived up to the hype” wow then y’all have LOW expectations.

No she didn’t get all of the ddt, and she could’ve ended her damn career with a dumb move like that for some throwaway tv match. Holy shit she’s such an extreme indie performer.

WOW so we sit through this long ass dreadful fuck up of a match, do a potential career ending move, then the ref just... stops counting cuz ???? and Candice pops up on screen just to get Shotzi’s attention. Hello? WHAT IS THIS TRAINWRECK. Negative 8 points to Shotzi and Candice (just because I don’t like Candice) and plus 3 to Toni for having to deal with this bullshit on her second match in nxt.

Dumb. Toni should’ve been counted out, and she should’ve been allowed to hit Shotzi with a finisher. Dumb.

lmao fuck that tank. I don’t even like Candice, either. gg. Plus 2 points.

I thought Toni was a heel? Lame. Negative 2 points for continuity.

If Xia says the letters from her family are personal, then they’re personal. Leave her the fuck alone, tmz.

Xia vs Raquel?? Lol good luck man.

Highlight: Dakota vs Ember

---

NXT UK:

Ah a squash match for Jinny, mk.

This girl looks ridiculous.

Nice impact on the Irish Whip into the corner.

Lol no selling Jinny’s stomps, ooookay.

Jinny has this aggressive wrestling style, but I feel like Bayley could toss her around lmao.

Someone give me a dollar every time Jinny calls her ‘stupid’ so I can buy a new car.

Kay so this James girl is hella athletic, that’s nice.

Rolling lightning kick? That’s your finish?? A recklessly blind heel kick while somersaulting??? Alllright, anyway.

lol plz, you’re no queen.

Ah yes a match I have ZERO interest in: Piper vs Jinny. Give KLR a squash match, I’m bored.

SPEAKING OF MY UK QUEEN

Jeeze look at KLR’s arms. Whew.

She’s so much more entertaining than the rest of the division, holy hell.

LOL KLR. Look at her sell that fear. What a fucking performer, goodbye. All the points to KLR.

Piper, KLR’s hair is way too fucking gorgeous for you to be pulling her around by it. The blatant disrespect. And you dare touch her title? Rude. RUDE.

Highlight: KLR existing

---

Smackdown:

Great video package but I have to highlight the way Sasha just sat there against the ropes staring at Bayley for what, 2 minutes? Before even acknowledging she had won the title. That was fantastic.

What’s funny is I watched their hiac match live cuz I wasn’t sure Sasha would actually win, but I never bothered with this one, because I KNEW Sasha’s curse had been broken. I knew it’d be against Bayley that she’d retain her title for the first time.

kekekek Bayley’s so fucking obnoxious.

Beautiful opening sequences. Not often can people do that particular sequence with Sasha, I think I’ve only seen Becky do it on the MR (could be mistaken)

Nice baseball slide while pulling Bayley’s ankle off the apron. Smooth af.

Jeeesus Bayley launched Sasha into the air just for Sasha to smack the apron and crash hard on the floor. Points to everyone.

Bayley playing gassed as if she’s actually tired, when we all know this girl’s stamina is aces above the rest.

Beautiful elbow drop to Bayley as she’s hanging off the apron.

Bayley sort of no sells the backstabber and goes for a messy Bayley to belly as Sasha counters into her Bank Statement. The idea for that sequence was there, the execution was not.

Oh shit Bayley hit her with the Eddie Guerrero swerve that didn’t pan out, and then popped a backstabber on her. Lmao nice.

Sasha kicks out of a Bayley to belly and flying elbow. Guess we’re showcasing her resilience as a champion. Solid.

Bayley’s so fucking fast. I love watching her wrestle when she’s not spending all of her time on the defense, holy shit.

Lmao now Bayley has her in the Bank Statement. Nobody does it like Sasha though, and there’s why.

Great match, great match. Real treat. Le curse is finally broken.

Peeped Sasha kicked her in the face on the apron, just as Bayley did when she turned on her. Nice storytelling. I enjoyed the in ring stuff with these 2, but holy shit I’m glad this feud’s over.

Man oh man do I hate Mella’s lipstick lol. I do, however, like her as Sasha’s first opponent.

Nattie: “I shouldn’t have been put in that triple threat match,” Also Nattie: “I think we should do a triple threat match,” Is ‘crazy cat lady’ ALWAYS going to be Nattie’s gimmick?

I really hate seeing other women besides Charlotte wearing Gucci, and I know that’s fucking insane but it is what it is.

This should’ve been on the show, wtf wwe. 

Do the commentators not know what’s fucking happening lol?

The speed of this is as if they were told they have 3 mins, make everyone shine.

Just watched a match where Charlotte hit a Natural Selection on Nattie while Nattie had the Sharpshooter applied to someone, and she bumped it perfectly. Why that Running Bulldog looked atrocious, I’ll never know.

Should’ve given me the video explaining why this match is happening. Did Sasha and Bayley go over time? Dumb that this was so rushed.

hahaha Nattie got fucked out of 2 svs team qualifying matches in a row. That’s hilarious.

Highlight: Bayley vs Sasha

---

*Raw shined the brightest as a whole, but Bayley vs Sasha was the star segment of the week.

[mikenips]

I Read the News Today, Oh Boy

I got back into bed after having my morning cigarette at three in the afternoon.  Still half a cup of coffee.  Just the right amount of Kahlua.  Enough to catch the notes of rum through the vanilla hazelnut cream.  But not overpowering to the point where you feel like shit for spiking your first drink of the day.  It’s not even five o’clock here yet.  A cigarette always tastes better when you smoke it in bed.  But you gotta get your fresh air somehow.  Probably won’t leave the house today.  Lots of editing to do on the documentary.

Crawl back under the fleece pineapple blanket.  Spoon a lump of sludge into my mouth.  Oatmeal.  Spent a lotta time avoiding the junk.  A coworker turned me onto it during a morning shift when I drank too much coffee on two hours of sleep and couldn’t see cause I hadn’t eaten at all.  I was always under the impression it would fill me up more.  But it’s fuckin’ oatmeal.  Just sits there.  Clumps up in your stomach.  Doesn’t do shit for ya.

Flip open the laptop.  White rocks stuck in the holes over the speaker.  Kief covered keyboard.  I really should finance for a better grinder than that shitty plastic thing I’ve used since high school.  Old reliable.  Works wonders on grinding.  But everytime you shove the top piece back in, clouds of kief mushroom around it.  Settling in puddles of sweat.  Every now and then the fingertips come back stained after a long editing session.

Camera lays next to the bed.  Sitting directly in front of the trash can.  A wall of VHS tapes stacked up next to the black cylinder.  Can only distinguish the different objects by the masking tape.  Chicken scratch Sharpied onto the cream backdrop.  I really should’ve dated all of them.  Not just the subject.  Can better timeline the filmmaker’s journey by knowing when each segment of the film was shot.  And now I won’t be able to track the dates.  Who the fuck saves emails and texts anyways?  Might be able to find a few from Instagram DMs.  But that’s all up to how the artist wants to portray the story.  Should the viewer discover chronologically?  Or should they piece it together and learn with the filmmaker?

Check the Hamtown Rats Facebook group.  It sounds like some gentrifier bullshit.  Young white people moving into a two square mile city.  Starting a Facebook group with all their friends that live there.  Very elitist.  Especially for a town where the majority of the population is below the poverty line and speak English as a second language.  But after all this shit.  More and more people come begging to live in the city that once had a dumpster running for mayor.

That’s literal too.

At least it’s a good way for neighbors to share shit they can’t afford to get on their own.  Posting which alleys have the best furniture to trash pick.  Or what bars have a pop-up kitchen each day.  Or other general bullshit.  Closest thing you can get to commune living here.  Never know what you’re gonna see walking through this town.  Which makes it so much more interesting what the citizens find to be newsworthy.  That’s what you gotta love about this city.  It’s a community of people that didn’t know where else to go.  From the Polish immigrants that founded it.  To the now growing middle Eastern population.  To all the artists and drunks that can’t afford anywhere else.  Everybody is a part of this community.

Last week people were tracking the journey of a wild turkey roaming the streets.

Today.  The first image that pops up through drops of Stroh’s dried up on the screen, the image of a local legend.  Sporting a fur coat.  Mardi gras beads slouching his back.  Bugler and beer in hand.  Only eye contact with the camera was the eyeball earring a friend had made.  Weird how it always looked to the side like that.  Sparkles shimmering in the purple skin around his eyes smeared by a finger with blue eyeshadow.  You never really were sure if he had gotten into a fight or just hadn’t slept in weeks.  Come to think of it.  Nobody ever had heard stories of him getting into fights.  He had a collection of handguns.  But no bullets.  Anything was possible with Bart though.

Barf.  That’s what his friends called him.  The nickname dated back to high school.  The burnouts he was friends with mocking him for puking when they introduced him to grass his freshman year.  Boys will be boys.  A good vomit joke always gets the laughs.  And of course when you tell any guy to stop, they never do.  So the name stuck.  I can still hear him in the interview.  “Fuck the name your family gave you.  Blood don’t mean shit.  I can get a transfusion whenever I want.  A nickname reflects the person others see you as.  And isn’t someone else’s perception of you better than your own?”

He had moved to the city after getting busted with a script full of Vicodin his first year at Wayne State.  Grandma bailed him out.  Mom said he could keep living with her after the bust.  He was an adult now.  Had to make his own decisions.  But he couldn’t bring any junk into her house.  So he got his own place in Hamtown.  Moved in with a girl he was seeing.  The split would happen not much longer after that.  But she didn’t wanna keep the shitty apartment split front and back.  So he took it over.

Sad to see the image.  It was taken at one of his house parties.  Nobody could pinpoint which one.  Not surprising though.  Anything was possible with Barf.

Skim over the stack of tapes.  Find the one labeled “Barf.”  Pop it in the VHS player.  Something about capturing all that stuff on tape.  Seems more real.  Seeing the actual tape move from reel to reel broke down the illusion to me more than watching the Instagram story highlights or YouTube videos that circulated the internet.  With all the fake news out there, you can never be sure where reality and illusion separate.  But wasn’t that kinda the point of art?  Or at least Barf’s body of work.  Pushing the boundaries of reality and illusion.

He was a magician.  Hard way to crack through the art world.  But somehow Bart managed to slip through the cracks.  To the bewilderment of some of the old heads that still were active in the DIY scene.  The urban legends that inspire locals to pick up the axe and start shredding away the stump that still remains.  Bart was slingshot to their status by his peers.  Many of them leaving a much bigger dent on the stump of culture than Bart.  Still, they cited him as a major help to their careers.  As he kept standing in front of the stump.  Curtain held over it.  Hoping one day he’d pull away and it would all be gone.  Some of us, kids my age that were sneaking into his shithole bar underage, believe the stump was never really there in the first place.  These notions were all just in our head.

The snow gives way to the glimmer of a bottom lip grill.  No top.  Mouth hanging open.  Gasping to the tune of “Zig Zag Wanderer” by Captain Beefheart.  Black octagon sunglasses still on in the room dimly lit by rock god prayer candles and ritual candles melted straight to the glass table top.  Greasy hair falling over his face.  Hiding the chain stretching from the industrial piercing in his left ear to the diamond at the lobe.  A knot of baby hair tangled in his right eyebrow piercing.

His head sinks into the penguin pillow.  A gift his grandma gave him when he was a kid.  The white face now gray.  Almost as black as the outer color.  Color chipping off his cracked fingernails.  Purple kimono barely covers his sunken stomach.  Skin detailing the texture of bone.  One floating rib on his right side.  Never was sure how that happened.  “Can’t hold onto everything that hurts you.”  It’s eerie thinking in other people’s voices.

“You ever do quads brooooooo…”  His now baritone voice trails off as the nitrous canister falls outta the cradle of his arms onto the dirty carpet.  The fiend in me wants to Hoover his carpets with my nose.  Someone like him probably doesn’t give a shit how much he spills.  Less getting in his bloodstream.  But part of me says he does regular cleaning on his own.

From the TV you can hear Scooby-Doo scratching his ears.  Doesn’t mute the PS2 game.  Just turns the record player up over it.  Gotta have that full sensory overload to really get in the head space.  “You wanna know the real story of how I lost this tooth?”

“Sure.”  It’s always a shock hearing your own voice on recording.

“So I woke up one day with the worst tooth pain I have ever experienced.”  He rips a line of blow without even lowering his shades.  Looks up and smiles.  “Like ‘em?  My buddy left them after a house show at my place.  His going away party on Devil’s Night when he joined the navy.  Used to run this really cool cassette label.  Always did my part by providing him a venue for releases.”

His palms thunderstrike together.  Shakes his hair violently.  “Anyways.  I shoved my whole phone in my mouth.  Capture a nice pic of the inside of my tooth.  Solid black.  So I get it yanked out.  Smoked three packs of Camel Blues through my nose while I waited out the dry socket.  That was when they did that Camel through the decades promo.  Still got some of the packs on my display of empties in the kitchen.

“Anyways.  Fuckin’ sidetracked.  What most people don’t know is I chipped the tooth at Jenkem.  Managed to get this insane Aussie garage band to play while they were touring the US.  Sold out show.  And this one fuckin’ asshole I knew.  Ian.  He fronted some shitty indie band.  Mac DeMarcore type sound.  Until I opened the bar he only knew me as the bowling bartender.  Even though I met him several times before working there.  And the asshole had been to my house for parties!

“All these shitty indie bands lived in the burbs.  But they loved coming to Hamtown and seeing the garage bands.  Made them feel like they were doing something they shouldn’t be.  And they’d smoke cigs at the bar.  Play pinball and pool.  Stand at the front of the pit.  But stand completely still.  Just kinda romanticizing our filth and flaws without having to see it at home.  Ya know.  Where daddy could pay to get them on Spotify playlists for publicity.

“So he begs me to let his band open.  And they didn’t fit the bill.  But they wanted a fuckin’ shit show.  So we gave ‘em a fucking shit show!  Sparked a joint during their set.  Tried passing it to him while he played.  But he refused.  All the homies booed.  Just dumb shit to make them uncomfortable.

“So the headliners go on.  I’m tanked by this point.  I mean.  I was tanked when I unlocked the bar that day.  But now I was just obliterated.  And somebody hit me from behind in the pit.  I fell forward.  Bust my tooth on this asshole Ian’s leather jacket.  That is standing completely fucking still front and center.

“Lost a third of the tooth.  But left a pretty nice scratch on the leather jacket daddy got him that afternoon for his ‘big gig.’”  I’m gonna miss that beautiful smile.  The kind of innocent smile of a child unsure what’s going on.  But knows he’s enjoying it.

[neoraven]

NWA TNA Episode 1, June 19th 2002

17 years ago NWA TNA started the weekly PPV experiment. I went to every single one. Now I'm going to watch them for the first time since I was there.

(this review brought courtesy of Toby Keith and the red white and blue)

In 2002, I was a teenager set adrift by 9/11 and the alienation from starting high school. For better or worse, every week I started going to National Wrestling Alliance - Total Nonstop Action shows on Wednesday night. I loved WCW and was bitter about the botched invasion going on, and here was a new WCW in my backyard.  It looks like there were 111 weekly PPVs, I'm not sure exactly how many taped ones / clip shows ended up happening, but I never missed one for injury, illness, or even vacation for the better part of two years. It was basically my ECW, for someone who was too young to follow ECW when it first aired.

I'm not really sure what the format of these is going to be. It's kind of a recap + live blog + review,  I'll give matches the standard 0-5 star ratings with 1/4*'s possible, so it's really a 20 point scale. I'm going to hopefully figure out a better way to get screen captures going forward. Also, these first couple were taped in Alabama, not at the TNA Asylum in Nashville. Hopefully if my memory holds up, I'll be able to give some live notes and memories from being there for some of these. I have an old hard drive of pictures taken that I hope I can recover. I won the "Best Fan of the Night" and "Best Sign" contests a couple times to get to go backstage, and I also generally hung out before the shows and after the shows to talk to the wrestlers coming and going like a groupie. Later on, I was even on the TNA "Street Team" helping to market TNA and hand out flyers/ads during Smackdown tapings.  I was also the moderator for the brief TNA Online Message Board, which I truly wish I had screencaps/archives somehow of all the…wildness there.

NWA TNA #1 June 19th 2002

Don West is the first person out of the gate, introducing Ed Ferrara after pyro and a brief introduction. Ed's all about TNA and introducing the girls dancing in cage as some sleazy music plays. Appropriately, he throws it to Mike Tenay, all business at ringside. TNA chants kick us off. Don West's hawaiian shirt is a thing of legend, and it's distracting me from Tenay's long explanation of the "Gauntlet For The Gold".

Jeremy Borash eventually is in ring announcing a parade of legends. Harley Race, Dory Funk, Jr, Jackie Fargo, Bullet Bob Armstrong, Corsica Joe & Sarah Lee, Bill Behrens, Ricky Steamboat. "All Our Base Are Belong To Us" shirt spotted in the stands. The Dragon compares the belt to every major championship in pro sports, the Stanley Cup, etc. He will special referee the finals of the match, and that brings out the one and only - Jeff Jarrett. His TNA theme "My World" is a lowkey banger that nevertheless completely haunted my life for 2 years. His big mouth earns him the first spot in the match. Ken Shamrock is here after that, and he joins Jarrett in burying the Battle Royal match. Finally, Scott Hall saunters through the crowd in a strip club(!!!) t-shirt as his awesome theme "Marvelous Me" plays. To round up, Ken Shamrock's theme wasn't great. "Hey Yo" sign spotted.

Goldylocks is backstage with Total Nonstop Action and the original midget killer "Puppet the Psycho Dwarf". Oh no. He's gonna spill some midget blood. Jeff Jarrett angrily kicks over a tiny music stand in the background hilariously. Then we go to the girls in cages and honest to goodness our first wrestling match -

6 Man Tag Team X Division Showcase AJ Styles, Low Ki, and Jerry Lynn vs The Flying Elvii (Sonny Siaki, Jimmy Yang, and Jorge Estrada)

An X Division showcase awaits. The legends surround a tiny monitor backstage. The generic faces' intro music is bland. The flying Elvii have a nice little knockoff theme at least. Siaki has Big The Rock Energy while the other two mug. The Elvii refuse handshakes and all hell breaks loose. Triple dropkicks and flying splashes to the outside. Styles reverses a back suplex into a phenomenal forearm, and I'm not going to attempt to catch every move. As an aside - Total Nonstop Action has taken a full 18 minutes on air before someone punched someone. Siaki and LowKi is a pretty appealing matchup. The former does a crisp Samoan Drop. Styles and Yang get in and have a very crisp, quick flurry of moves together. Jerry Lynn crushes a cradle Piledriver, and Siaki runs in and hits his neckbreaker finisher. LowKi accidentally brains AJ, and Yang capitalizes with the Yang Time for the pin. Considering who went on to hold the X Title, this is an odd result, but commentary was generally putting over how the mismatched team was going to compete in the X Title Round Robin coming up.

The Flying Elvii in 7 minutes, Yang Time pins AJ Styles **3/4

Midget Showcase Teo vs Hollywood

Hollywood starts it before the bell. From the promo, I thought this was a triple threat with Puppet. Hollywood kicks out of the "Tadpole Splash" from the top rope. Ed Ferrara says in response to Teo's claims to be a ladies' man - "He's the right height". Teo finishes Hollywood with an ugly swanton.

Teo in 3 minutes, Swanton?, 1/2*

Now West and Ferrara are in the ring hyping the Lingerie Battle Royal next week. The New Francine, Miss Joanie, Shannon (Daffney?), Alexis Laree (Mickie James!), The Incredible Sasha, Erin (Baltimore Cheerleader?), Elektra from ECW, Miss Taylor Vaughn, Darisa Da?? I didn't catch her name as Ed starts rambling about a kid in a candy store. Maybe I'll catch all the names if they're introduced with title cards next week. Francine grabs a mic and calls Ed "pudgy" and says none of the women compare to her. Elektra stands up to Francine and starts a catfight.

Goldylocks is in the back with Mortimer Plumtree. His character peaks with his name. He manages a tag team that bullied him in high school for reasons that are never explained. He leaves to walk "The Johnsons", Richard and Rod, to the ring.

Tag Team Match The Johnsons w/ Mortimer Plumtree vs Psychosis and James Storm

The latter is an odd pairing for a few reasons. I honestly didn't remember James Storm started off without Chris Harris and America' Most Wanted. He even has the prop guns firing blanks in the ring, which was always a nice touch. I feel like this is where I mention that the Johnsons are in full body suits and masks that make them look like walking penises. In other news, Psychosis is going without his trademark horned mask. Alicia from WCW is on the stage scouting the match. There's a fella in an XFL jersey in the stands. What year is it? "Buff your(sic) still the stuff" sign spotted. Ferrara "These Johnsons just look good". They hit simultaneous clutching suplexes to take control of the good guys, but Mortimer interferes to let one of the Johnsons hit their finisher on Cowboy. Post match, the ref pays off the lady watching the action.

The Johnsons in 4 minutes, Samoan Drop into Neckbreaker, *

Stan and Bo Dupp harass Goldylocks in the back until they run into the brothers' shared girlfriend in a quick nothing segment.

Borash introduces 1993 Rookie of the Year and Winston (yes, cigarettes) Cup Points Leader Sterling Martin. K-Krush is out to save us from the race car drivers. He's getting booed, but this would be a face promo anywhere other than Huntsville Alabama. K Krush "Damn you, and Damn Alabama" Brian Lawler is out to save the NASCAR dopes from the angry black man. He cuts an angry promo about "your kind" while the crowd howls in racist jeer. It's a pretty ugly segment considering "Grandmaster Sexay" Lawler is still clad in his Too Cool black rapper cosplay outfit.

Backstage, Jeff Jarrett is choking Jackie Fargo.

Tag Team Match Christian York & Joey Matthews vs The Dupps w/ Fluff Dupp

For better or worse, now I know their girlfriend/cousin's name now. After the crowd roared for the pasty white NASCAR duo, commentary is really going in on how these two wrestlers are completely fucking stupid and southern. The Dupps' intro is very boring twangy banjo crap, and they're not much better in the ring. Matthews hits a move called the Virginia Necktie that looks pretty nice. I think the non-Dupp team is working face, but it's hard to tell who the crowd is popping for. The Dupps win with some cheating and Fluff interference.

The Dupps in 4 minutes, Crotch shot, 1/2*

Before the Gauntlet For The Gold, we get a Toby Keith music video. He is singing "Angry American". Jeff Jarrett walks out and pushes Toby Keith off his little stupid stool and the crowd goes wild and honestly, I screamed in joy and Jeff Jarrett turned face for my money when he says "Nobody wants to hear that damn song, and take your Angry American Ass OUTTA HERE".

The Gauntlet For The Gold 20 Man Battle Royal for the NWA Heavyweight Championship Of The World

Buff Bagwell runs down for number 2 and the bell rings. Maybe it was for the main event finally starting but honestly the crowd goes pretty wild for Buff Bagwell laying hands on Double J. Buff hits a couple signature moves, but gets tossed before the next entrant. Ragin' Cajun Lash Laroux Is 3. He falls victim to The Stroke and is eliminated fast. "Somebody pissed in Jeff's Cheerio-s this morning!" Here comes Screamin' Norman Smiley at 4. The second largest pop of the night so far comes for the Big Wiggle. Jarrett tosses him anyways. Apolo comes down at 5, getting more offense than the previous entrants combined. K-Krush is 6. His signature axe kick gets tremendous boos, they hate him. Slash w/ James Mitchell is 7. Del Rios is 8. He is some kind of bodybuilder and it shows. Slash bites his way out of a belly to belly suplex as the announcers stress everything is legal. Justice is 9, I think this Is the future Abyss, but I can't swear to it. He hits a Black Hole Slam and now I'm 99% sure. Konnan is 10, yelling "Arriba La Raza" on his way to the ring. Abyss sells Konnan's facebuster a la HBK vs Hogan and I love it. 11 brings out Joel Gertner "I'm gonna be with 5 girls in Huntsville because I don't settle for less" He gives an X-rated introduction for the man they call Bruce of the Rainbow Express, led out by Lenny Lane. I'm not gonna bother listing all of the homophobic euphemisms the announce team runs through explaining who the Rainbow Express are. Rick Steiner is 12. He dumps Slash and Abyss with a couple impressive shows of strength. Malice is 13, dealing out chokeslams. Bruce, K-Krush, Del Rios,  Konnan, and Steiner go out quickly thereafter. Scott Hall is 14. Toby Keith? is 15. He suplexes and tosses Jarrett. Not that anyone cares, but Toby Keith leaves through the middle rope to chase Jarrett and is never officially eliminated. 16 brings Wildcat Chris Harris. Vampire Warrior, former Gangrel, runs down seemingly early as an entrant with no music? The on screen countdown timer disappeared during the Toby Keith situation. Dangerous Devin Storm, aka Crowbar, is probably 18. Steve Corino comes in at 19, the only former NWA Champ. Ken Shamrock is out at 20. "Hall was framed" sign spotted. Brian Christopher/Lawler is number 20 and I realize now that Toby Keith was not an official entrant. Brian clears out Chris Harris, Vampire Warrior, and Crowbar mostly by holding the top rope down when they ran by. He dumps Corino shortly after. Christopher and Apolo get dumped by Malice next. Then the cameraman somehow misses Malice back body dropping Scott Hall over the top, leaving Malice vs Ken Shamrock to go to a  pinfall or submission.

Malice vs Ken Shamrock, Special Referee Ricky The Dragon Steamboat

Malice gets some advice from Father James Mitchell at ringside.  After going back and forth, Shamrock gets an awesome cross arm breaker reversal of a choke slam. After a long tease of tapping, he gets the rope, maybe with James Mitchell pushing it a little toward his client. A big boot leads into the Ankle Lock and Shamrock refuses to break it on the ropes, after even a 7 count, leading to heated words with Steamboat. Shamrock wins with a Belly to Belly to a big pop despite his heel tactics. Cue pyro, and hoisting the tiny gold belt.

Ken Shamrock wins a 5 minute match following a 33 minute battle royal, Belly to Belly. **

The match was a little too long, even with Jarrett speeding up the beginning by tossing the opening entrants as fast as possible. Speaking of Double J, he fights with legends and security backstage before emerging with a microphone. He punches the legends after moaning about the battle royal until Toby Keith and Jackie Fargo come back out to book Scott Hall vs Jeff Jarrett next week, the show ends with them brawling up the ramp.

That wraps up episode 1! They have some marquee singles matches next week in addition to crowning the first X Division champ, I'll see you then to wrap up the two first Alabama shows before settling into The Asylum.