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bookstantrash · 4 years

Text

A/N: Here we are folks. The chapter y’all have been waiting for. I’m hoping it reaches your expectations because I was dying to write it.

Huge shoutout for the gc — specially @thewayshedreamed for her mind blowing theory, although I tried to make it less angst lol — for all their hype and ideais for this chapter 💜

In which she makes a friend, Part Eleven

Cassian woke up late. He was sure of that because of two factors:

One, the birds were chirping louder than when he usually woke up, the sun high in the sky given the sunlight entering the bedroom through the curtains.

And two, Nesta was fast asleep in his arms, her vanilla and lavender scent all around him.

He took his time watching her, as he did not know when he would have another opportunity.

Nesta looked younger like that, her face relaxed for once, mouth partially open as she slowly breathed. Their legs were intertwined, his free arm somehow having ended up in her hair, holding her close, as if during the night he had gotten afraid she would disappear.

Cassian had nightmares of that. Of waking up and finding her gone, snatched out of her bed once again in the middle of the night by his enemies and killed. He would wake up panting and reaching for a dagger he kept in his bedside table, his blood roaring at him to kill whoever had touched her, to find and protect Nesta.

It usually ended up with him pacing in front of her room for a few minutes, her steady heart beat easing his worries after a while. He would then return to his room and go over some reports from Rhysand and Azriel or look over some camp matters until the sun was rising.

Last night had to be the best night of sleep Cassian had had in the last two years. Maybe in all five hundred years of his life.

He signed, willing his thoughts to not go down that path. To not wonder too deeply about the reason why Nesta Archeron affected him like she did, since the first time he saw her at her father’s house when she was still human.

Willed them to not think how she seemed to fit so perfectly against his body, as if they had been made for each other.

To stop thinking how her bare skin would feel against his, her soft lips kissing his own.

To stop thinking of her running her hands over his body, pulling his hair.

The sounds she would make when he kissed her, properly this time, without death hovering above them.

If she was a screamer or a beggar or a talker and how it did not matter anyway because he would make sure to pleasure her until she was screaming his name, until she was begging him for more, until she was saying how good he felt and how none of those other males back in Velaris had given her a speck of what he was giving her.

How he would take care of her afterwards, how he would kiss her lazily and sweetly, and how he would not let her go for a long long time, satisfied to just stay holding her.

“That is nothing but a distant and impossible dream” he murmured, daring to gently run his fingers in her silky hair “I have to be grateful for what I have and do not desire for more.”

Cassian felt Nesta stirring in his arms, mentally cursing himself for waking her.

“Javy ju” she mumbled, her voice heavy with sleep, slowly blinking at him.

“Javy ju, anahí” he answered a little breathless, being hit straight in his stomach by the fact that she had remembered the Illyrian greeting.

Nesta was about to say something when Cassian felt her whole body froze, blue eyes widening as she looked at how close they were.

And that is when he felt it. His morning wood.

Cauldron that was embarrassing. If Nesta did not think lowly of him before — he knew all those times she had called him a pervert or a bastard had been nothing but empty words — now she surely did.

He quickly withdrew his wings, Nesta squinting at him momentarily due to the sudden brightness.

But before Cassian could get up and put more distance between themselves, hoping to save some face, Nesta placed a hand firmly on his shoulder, keeping him still.

And she smirked.

“Wound a bit tight these days? she said, throwing his words from yesterday back at him.

“You can not blame my body for reacting at you” he tried to sound as if he was teasing her, but his words came out softer and truer than he would like “Have you looked at yourself?”

“You mean my too thin and bony body?” she snorted, dismissing his words “You must be really desperate.”

If Nesta had said that to him months ago, he would have been inclined to agree with her statement — not that that would have stopped him from thinking her beautiful. His feelings towards the strong minded female were not purely physical attraction. It went beyond that.

“You can not be blind to not see how your body has changed since you started training and eating more regularly” he said “I still wish you would eat more, but you can not deny that you have gained muscles and some weight back”

“Are you calling me fat?” she asked, arching an eyebrow.

Cassian laughed at that. Nesta had a sense of humour that sometimes reminded him of Azriel.

“You fill your leathers much more now” he answered, the hand in her hair sliding along her arms “You have gained muscles here”

His hand travelled down her front slowly, making sure to avoid her breasts, although all he wanted was to finally know how they would feel beneath his touch.

“And here” he gently squeezed her waist.

“Cassian��”

“And here too” he added, fingers dancing along her leg where her nightgown had exposed some skin.

Nesta took a sharp intake of breath, her pupils dilatating

He was walking on thin ice, he knew that. His words at Nesta were nothing but desire and longing veiled by teasing he knew Nesta believed in.

Cassian had no one but himself to blame for that.

“So I am desirable because of my body?” her voice had a bitter tone, and Cassian quickly corrected her.

“You are desirable because of this, ” he touched her temple, moving then to lay his hand over her heart “and this”

“Lying will not get you anywhere bat” she turned her face and made to get up.

“I’m beyond lies right now, Nesta” he said, pulling her flush against him, gently grabbing her chin and tilting her face up.

Her gray-blue eyes seemed incredibly bright, looking straight at Cassian, as if she could see his very soul.

He did not hide from it. He met her stare head on, not daring even to blink.

“Why do you run from me?” his voice so low it was almost a whisper “Why do you hide yourself?”

“Why do you run from me?” and her voice carried so much hurt, so much feeling and rawness that Cassian knew she had let one of her iron walls fall “Why did you drop my hand that time? Why look for me only when I’m alone?”

Her words pierced his heart. He had not know. Had not known how much she was hurting, what she may have thought his actions appeared to be.

“Why do you bother so much when not even my own family cares for me?” she snapped, and for a split second Cassian thought Nesta was going to cry.

“Your sisters love you, Nesta” he said softly.

“I believe you made it abundantly clear last solstice I was unlovable”

“Your sisters love you. I can’t for the life of me understand why, but they do.”

He flinched, cursing himself for his past actions.

“I have never regretted something as much as the moment those words left my mouth. I was rude and insensible,” he brushed her cheek with his thumb tentatively “ and none of those things I said were true. I hope someday you will forgive me.”

“I said some rude things to you too,” she whispered “Would you be able to forgive me?”

“I never took them to heart” Cassian gave her a watery smile “I knew it was a way for you to push me away and that you did not mean them sweetheart”

A lonely silent tear fell from Nesta. Cassian gathered her closer, and she buried her face in his neck.

“Hush now xe nhia. Aan arevanque”

They stayed like that, with Cassian running his hands through her hair and talking with her in Illyrian. She hadn't cried more than that single tear, but she trembled slightly sometimes.

“Nes...I have been meaning to tell you something”

“What is it?” she asked, looking up at him, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

“You don’t have to answer me or say anything at all, I just—”

“Cassian, out with it” she said, anxiousness lacing her every word.

“Since I met you I—”

But whatever he was going to say was interrupted by the sound of dishes falling and a curse coming from the kitchen.

“Kaelin,” Nesta said sighing “I better go see what he is doing when he should have been resting”

Cassian agreed with her, and a part of him was glad they had been interrupted. He still had much to make up to Nesta, his feelings would have to wait a little longer.

“What were you going to tell me?”

“It was nothing” he gave her a reassuring smile “Go see Kaelin. I can tell you another time”

Nesta hesitated, but his kind eyes were enough to make her trust his words.

“Thank you” and with a quick kiss on his cheek she was gone.

Cassian was so stunned he had to pinch himself to make sure he had not fallen asleep again, staying in bed for a few minutes more until he could put himself together.

~•~

The clock’s ticking was the only sound in the room, neither Cassian or Kaelin talking.

Nesta had left after breakfast, saying Esmée had lifted her resting order to help the healer collect a rare flower that only blossomed every sixty years.

After reassuring her that he knew which medicine to give Kaelin in case the kid felt pain and that he would make sure he rested, Nesta left them promising to return as soon as possible.

Kaelin was a bit awkward around Cassian at first, probably embarrassed about crying in front of him. It bothered the General to the point that he lent his copy of ‘King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table’ to the young illyrian.

“This book is very precious to me,” he had told Kaelin “as it was the first I managed to finish once I learnt how to read”

Kaelin had taken the old book with the utmost care, and Cassian almost laughed when he saw how slowly the boy was turning the pages, almost afraid of damaging it. And with his attention fully on the book, Cassian could work on Kaelin’s solstice present without fearing it would be seen.

Because Cassian was working on expanding the old storage room near the birch.

He was designing a room for Kaelin to sleep. If the kid was to live with him and Nesta definitely — or at least as long as he wanted to — Cassian could not let him keep on sleeping on the sofa.

He had been working in secret to refashion the space. Had worked until dawn on it two nights ago when he had rescued Kaelin from the bullies. Maybe two weeks more only and it would be ready on time for the Winter Solstice.

Thinking about the birch made Cassian realise how sore he was, both from the training, working on the bedroom and the time spent hunched over the piece of paper drawing the room. A trip to the birch would help relax, which gave him an idea.

“Hey kid,” he called, catching Kaelin’s attention “I don’t know if Nesta told you, but we have a birch here. How about we go? It would help relax you”

It was a tradition for male Illyrians to go birching — be it with family or friends — as a form of bonding.

And Cassian did want to get closer to Kaelin. He saw a lot of himself in the orphaned kid.

The young one, however, did not seem to find the ideia appealing at all.

“I— it would be an honour sir, I mean, Cassian, but I—” Kaelin blushed deeply while trying to politely refuse Cassian’s invitation, stammering and tripping over his words.

“You know what? Why don’t I go first and you get there after I’m done?” Cassian shrugged, seeing Kaelin sigh in relief.

It was a step too far it seemed. Maybe Kaelin was uncomfortable because they were not closer — although the objective was for them to get closer — maybe he is shy or maybe embarrassed because he is not as muscled as the other boys his age. Cauldron knew how much extra practice Cassian himself had done when he was younger, wanting to get as strong and muscled as Enalius, their warrior god.

He would have to work a little harder if he wanted to make Kaelin feel as comfortable with him as he was with Nesta. They were both males, so it should be easier for them to bond despite meeting the kid after Nesta.

“You can bond in other ways” he muttered to himself as he got dressed in his room, drying his hair.

It was then that he realised he had forgotten to leave Kaelin a second towel, in case his got too damp because of the heat in the birch.

Grabbing a towel he goes to the birch and opens it.

“Kaelin, I forgot to give—” he stops himself when he sees that Kaelin is naked, head thrown back against the wall, completely relaxed for once.

Yet all that easiness goes away once he hears Cassian’s voice.

“I’m sorry. Here’s your towel” stammering, he quickly leaves the white towel on the bench and closes the door, internally beating himself for forgetting to knock.

Kaelin had wanted to go alone and Cassian invaded the kid’s personal space and now he would hate him and—

Cassian stops in front of his room, thoughts finally catching up with his brain.

He remembers the ugly bruises along Kaelin’s ribs, their purple and green colour already fading to yellow and has to reboot his memory for a second.

He’s almost sure he saw boobs.

But boys don’t have boobs. He knows that.

And he could not possibly be confused because of the heat or the smoke inside the birch—

But he recalls how Nesta is so protective of Kaelin. How she almost seemed afraid for him to meet Azriel, how Kaelin had cried and said nobody could know he had activated his killing powers because they’d look too much into him.

And suddenly it clicked.

Kaelin was a girl.

~•~

Cassian was very close to having a mental breakdown.

Kaelin was a girl. A girl. As in boobs, periods and weird hormones.

And he had seen him — her, naked.

Cauldron, he was knee deep in shit.

After walking in on Kaelin, Cassian had been unable to leave his room. He was sure she would want some time alone to process what had happened and that he now knew her secret.

Because Kaelin was a girl.

“Gods, where is Nesta when I need her?” he grumbled, running his hands on his hair.

Nesta knew it all along and was helping Kaelin hide it. It was a noble thing to do, but also so reckless. If the wrong person discovered it they could be killed. He would not put it past the Illyrians to do that.

He had to talk with Kaelin. He had left her alone for long enough. If he did not talk with her now he would have to wait for when Nesta arrived, and that was a talk Kaelin did not have to be present.

It was a little past the time for lunch, so he had the perfect excuse to knock in Nesta’s bedroom and ask Kaelin to come out.

Except when he did that nobody answered.

Kaelin was not there.

“Fucking hell, not again” Cassian swore, quickly going out and getting airborne.

Kaelin was still hurt so she would not be able to fly. He had a chance to catch up with her given that she was walking.

And to his luck he found her not far from his cabin.

But she was not alone.

“Are you sure you are a boy? Look how skinny you are”

“I am a late bloomer” she answered an older Illryan, making him and the other one beside him laugh.

“Late bloomer? That is girl talk, ain’t I right Bjerke?”

“Take off your shirt, boy. Show us those muscles” the male, Bjerke, said.

“Thank you, but no. I have to go” Kaelin tried to go past them, but was held back by Bjerke.

“Here Falk, hold this thing while I help our friend”

As Cassian got closer, he realised Kaelin was holding his book, which was teared from her grasp by Bjerke, who started trying to undress her.

Blood roaring in his ears, Cassian dropped in front of them, his siphons flashing.

“Let. Go. Of. Him” he gritted out, and the males froze.

In front of them stood the General Commander of the Illyrian armies.

The Lord of Bloodshed.

And he was not happy.

“We were just talking to him” Falk said, his voice hinting at his fear.

“He said no” Cassian growled, seeing Kaelin’s clothes messed up.

All Cassian could see was Kaelin's scared face and remember when Nesta had hinted about being attacked when she was human.

He still wanted to know who that piece of shit was.

Would take his sweet time making him suffer for what he did.

“I think it’s best that you go” he snapped, and Bjerke let go of Kaelin, taking a step back “If I hear you were bothering someone else again — be it male or female — you will want to have never been born. Are we understood?”

Both males assured Cassian it would not happen again, and were airborne within minutes.

Kaelin straightened her clothes, grabbing the fallen book and dusting off its cover.

She still refused to look at Cassian.

“What am I going to do with you kid?” he sighed “Nesta will kill me once she discovers I let you out of my sight.”

That caught the young girl’s attention. She finally glanced his way, searching Cassian’s face for something, anything that would give away that he was angry with her or that he was going to expose her secret to someone.

She found nothing.

“I… I am sorry I lost lunch” she mumbled.

“Good thing I have not eaten yet” giving her a reassuring smile, he ruffled her short hair “Let’s go home and eat before Nesta arrives and kill us both.”

“Yeah. Let’s go home” Kaelin answered, and it seemed a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

•

Tags: @sayosdreams @thewayshedreamed @sjm-things @perseusannabeth @arinbelle @caotica-e-quieta @vidalinav @swankii-art-teacher @ireallyshouldsleeprn @duskandstarlight @greerlunna @thegoddessaltenia @dayanna-hatter @verypaleninja @awesomelena555 @courtofjurdan @valkyriewarriors @moe8 @illyrianwitchling13 @silvernesta @bri-loves-sunflowers @queenestarcheron @imwritingthesewords @vasudharaghavan @rainbowcheetah512 @darkshadowqueensrule @letstakethedawn @starlightorstarfire @city-of-fae @thalia-2-rose @nestaarcher0n @rowaelinismyotp @julemmaes @dontgetsalmonella @alinaleksanders @lysandra-tiara9 @inardour @hikari274 @fatimafares123 @angelina-figjam

#nessian #nesta x cassian #nesta archeron #cassian #sarah j maas #sjmaas #sjm books #sjm fanfic

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housewifekiki · 3 years

Note

Blogtress, I’m watching Frasier from the beginning all over again and wow, queen Demeris had Niles almost as well-trained as Kiki has Harvey. They should really hold a masterclass.

—Lily, who hopes you and all the Monstre-Xaviers are doing well🥰

*blows dust off* HOUSEWIFEKIKI AND THE BLOGTRESS ARE BACK!!! although I've literally thought about this blog every day and I am so so happy to be back, I promise not to leave like that anymore. Any time is going to get announced

But I have been doing well. Been working for the most part and staying in. Fully vaxxed and hoping cases go down again. No big news to report. Just been chugging along

AND YES MARIS WAS THE OG GIRLBOSS GATEKEEP GASLIGHT QUEEN. (Kiki and Harvey obvi have a much healthier relationship) BUT YOU CANNOT TELL ME THAT MARIS DID NOT PAVE THE WAY FOR SO MANY OTHERS.

As for the Monstre-Xaviers, this is what they have been up to since the last post on this blog of March 2021:

Harvey: got offered the department head position but turned it down because he prfers being a regular professor and geniunely enjoys teaching. his grad students still keep crying randomly. is running out of a desk space to keep pictures of his family because they're so big now. next family reunion he will stuff everyone into the same picture to avoid the hassle. is teaching more courses than ever so he can be kind of hard to spot.

Kiki: has taken upon herself to occasionally do the after school runs for Micah and Timmy to keep up her crown- her kids might be too old for school but she will make sure her grandchildren know their grandma is a G. Still has zero grey hairs or wrinkles. got invited to play in an Among Us livestream and shocked everyone by a)being the best imposter there ever was and b) proving to them that she wasn't a catfish and was indeed a housewife granny in suburban Massachusetts

Wes: Still on the farm, has no plans to leave the farm. Still producing pop-folk bangers; his name may or may not be listed somewhere in Miss Swift's Folklore album production credits. Summer and him are currently excepting their second baby, a girl that is going to be named Thursday, and is due in late October.

Micah: Is working on his Ph.D at Harvard (his thesis is on perceptions of the common class by upper and noble classes through the lens of literature) and enjoys seeing his dad at lunch time. They make sure to eat together if they get a chance (Micah eats the lunch Timmy packed for him and Harvey eats the lunch Kiki packed for him) and talk about how their grading is going. He prides himself on being the hot new DILF on the block even if his kids aren't babies anymore.

Harlan: Briana Joo and him are newly engaged. He bought her an engagement ring after seeing a Twitter thread appreciating the buff chick with the paint chips on the show my mom is watching (Briana Joo was indeed that buff chick with the paint chips) and proposed to her right on (streaming) television and even got a Chip and Johanna Gaines congratulations on their streaming service Instagram page. His first poetry collection got published and was a commercial but not critical success (exactly like he wanted)

Joss: Working at the hospital to this day and now has the fastest typing speed of any of the adminstrative employees. Is no longer working the front desk/customer service gig and is now a proper admisntrive employee in the cubicle space of the hospital eye and ear building. His sugar mama is now officially his girlfriend because she is as emotionally attatched to Joss as he is to her.

Daniel: Still dating Armanda and still wearing black nail polish. Has gotten very lowkey into the Pokemon card craze but is mostly replaying Fire Emblem: Three Houses and trying to convince people it was underrated for all the hype it got as the big Switch game. he romanced Dorothea.

- The Blogtress

#k-p-p-d #i have also been into 2pm coming bacc for their crown #real king shit #about the fam #ask

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quicksilverlightning · 5 years

Text

Number One In Our Hearts

It starts innocuously enough, with All Might being invited to run the yearly Quirkless course on Quirk Warrior.

“It’s been a rough course this year folks – only six runners have made it all the way through, but we’ve got one last contestant to go.”

“That’s right, Ken, and it’s the one you’ve all been waiting for. This year’s Quirkless Run has pulled out all the stops – the jump hang is longer, the wall is higher, and it’s all for this one last runner. Ladies and gentlemen, the one, the only, the legend, All Might!”

___________________________________________

cinnadust

My favorite thing about All Might running the QLC is that he doesn’t run at all. He strolls through like he’s fucking bored.

Staples083

his wingspan is enormous

pipe-fingers

Petition for All Might to run the Quirk course #NumberOneInOurHearts

GangOrg4n

look at him wave at the audience he’s not even tring lol Absolute Legend

Red-Phone-Wire

please someone make these announcers losing their shit into a meme

___________________________________________

All Might’s appearance rockets the ratings to unseen heights; the full video goes viral and has over a million views before the weekend is over. It isn’t long before the agency is fielding phone calls from the usual suspects – reporters, journalists, talk shows – but also from some more unusual places.

Toshinori lights up when PR brings him the first batch of requests and immediately agrees to do them all. The second flurry of requests comes before the cooking show segment is finished airing and the floodgates open. Every reality show and competition is clamoring for All Might to guest star.

___________________________________________

Quirky Kitchen makes it an hour-long special. The first half is dedicated to some old American favorites; he chats with the host and audience while slicing tomatoes with charming ease. The audience delights in his culinary prowess, gained over long years of bachelordom, and laughs at his silly anecdotes. Which makes the second half all the more surprising.

With the burden of secrecy lifted, Yagi Toshinori can finally see his way forward. All Might can no longer be a pillar, but, perhaps, Yagi Toshinori can be a support beam. While the live audience munches on potato chips hot from the fryer, Toshinori pulls a simple hardback chair from the set, seats himself, and opens up.

___________________________________________

“Cooking… it’s a lot like my Quirk – my strength is gone, but the reflexes, the training, all of that is still there. I can’t eat what I’m making anymore, but I still know how to make it. And I can still share it with all of you.”

___________________________________________

explendative

holy shit

out-of-batt

damn, look at him flipping burgers @9:32 this man is perfect??

h0m3b0dyJJ

Okay, guys, my dad had a gastrectomy a few years before he died and it’s seriously no joke. My dad lost 63 pounds just a few months after his; it’s hard to keep anything down and you have to eat little meals all the time and there’s just so. much. food. that you can’t have anymore. He was taking like a billion supplements and vitamins just to manage everyday challenges. I can’t even imagine going through that on top of being an active Pro.

its-ibuki

we must protect All Might at all costs

___________________________________________

He laughs when his students gather round, babbling about the dance show. He ruffles Ashido’s hair fondly.

“You don’t get to Number One without some fancy footwork! Take that to heart, my young students,” he nods sagely, managing to extract himself before he’s late to the staff meeting. He heads down the hall, but not before tossing one last piece of advice over his shoulder.

“And learn at least one social dance!”

___________________________________________

Honestly? I don’t like the hero rankings. I’d prefer they didn’t exist at all. How do you rank acts of heroism? Why is saving one life worth less than saving a hundred? You can’t quantify someone’s worth down to a data point. What’s a hundred lives to a parent that’s lost their only child?

- All Might discusses the ranking system on Hero Discourse

12,086 notes

LoreleiFae

another day, another reason to love All Might

FlipFlapItsATrap

you know, I never really got the hype around All Might. Like, I understood he was number one and super strong and all that, but I never got all the fervor around him. I started to get it after Kamino, but it’s really little moments like these that make me understand why he was number one. why he’s still number one, no matter what the ranking says. #NumberOneInOurHearts

07ohseven

@FlipFlapItsATrap: I’ve met All Might twice, both before and after Kamino (humblebrag, lol), and he really is just the nicest guy. He never treated anyone like they weren’t worth his time, from teenagers hunting autographs to little kids that wanted a hug. I ran into him again a few months ago at the Mustafu Library – he’d tucked himself away into a corner with a few books and we talked a little about what he was reading (a biography and a fantasy novel, if you were wondering). He asked me to call him Toshi and gave me some movie recommendations.

07ohseven

@FlipFlapItsATrap: I got off topic there, but what I wanted to say was that you’re right – All Might wasn’t number one because he was a good hero. He was number one because he’s a good person. All Might made me feel safe, but Toshi made me feel comfortable, like talking to an old friend. I hope I get to meet him again one day. #NumberOneInOurHearts

___________________________________________

Kizumi Takada @0Window0Knight0

@AllMightOfficial how many people have you kissed?

All Might @AllMightOfficial

@0Window0Knight0 None.

All Might @AllMightOfficial

@0Window0Knight0 But, many, many people have kissed me.

___________________________________________

Peony-crowned

Next time on Hero Theory – is All Might asexual?

Superxxchar04

@peony-crowned: OTP – All Might X Justice

Hkoin

@superxxchar04: All Might X A healthy mind body and soul in a long life filled with joy and laughter FTFY

___________________________________________

He’s carrying a stack of grading in one hand and nearly throws the entire pile in the air when Present Mic grabs him in the hallway, begging him to be on his show. After a few moments spent calming him down, Toshinori manages to gather that his guest for the night has had a last minute cancellation. He offers an easy smile and agrees to fill in.

He wasn’t expecting Hizashi to open the phone lines up for questions, but what kind of hero would he be if he couldn’t roll with the punches?

___________________________________________

Am I on the air?

That’s right, listener! You are live and you’ve got a question for us?

Yeah! Well, for All Might. Big fan by the way, you’re the greatest.

Thank you kindly, young man!

Right, so I was wondering – do you make more from your hero work, or from merchandising rights? I’ll hang up and listen, if that’s okay?

Perfectly fine, listener!

I don’t – didn’t – make any money at all from my hero work. Any bounties have gone to victims or to charity, and I’ve never sent anyone a bill for helping at a natural disaster. Merchandising rights more than cover the agency overhead – I’m not even the highest paid individual at my own company.

___________________________________________

TexasSmashMe

I’m sorry to inform the hero fandom that Stain was 100% correct – there is only one real hero, and his name is Yagi Toshinori.

___________________________________________

drrdrrdrrdrr reblogged from nessalee

[gif set]

[First image description]

A young All Might flies through the air, cape billowing like a banner

[Second image description]

Silver Age All Might holds up a collapsing bridge pillar with one arm while the other gives a thumbs up.

[Third image description]

Golden Age All Might overlooks the city from a skyscraper, bangs ruffling in the wind

[Fourth image description]

All Might stands tall, battered and bloody, a single fist raised into the air

[Fifth image description]

Yagi Toshinori bounces at the front of the course, posture relaxed, waiting for the starting bell

[Sixth image description]

A toddler yanks on Yagi Toshinori's bangs as he smiles indulgently

[Seventh image description]

Yagi Toshinori sitting in the bleachers at Yuuei, beaming proudly at the field where his students compete

[Eighth image description]

Yagi Toshinori stands, battered and bloody, face turned away, pointing into the distance

A Hero for Eternity

All Might / Yagi Toshinori

36,875 notes

CoraBakes

get u a man that can do both

la-la-lo-li

The one with the kid is so cute <3 Yagi-san would be a great dad

kainnn9056

pft look at him casually holding up a bridge with one arm hes so extra i love it.

___________________________________________

He's just leaving the school when PR messages him with the request from Hero Monthly magazine. It's usually the kind of thing he would sign off on without a second thought, but his eye lingers on a single word - photoshoot. This wouldn't be like answering questions about his gastrectomy online, or explaining his injury on a talk show - this would be actively showing off the wound that nearly killed him.

Toshinori never expected to retire; hell, he'd never expected to survive. He assumed he would die as he lived - being a hero - and take all his secrets with him. But now...

Now he thinks of young Midoriya with his scarred hand; of his friend Todoroki, who couldn't hide his burn if he wanted to. He thinks of Iida's older brother, learning to walk again. He remembers Best Jeanist may lose his own stomach in the near future and the scar under Aizawa's eye. He remembers hospital wards full of children with amputated body parts and prosthetic limbs and dreams of heroism. He remembers being twelve and Quirkless and thinks again of young Midoriya, to whom Quirkless may as well have been a synonym for disabled.

___________________________________________

[Image set]

[Cover image description]

Yagi Toshinori sits in a crisp white button-up on an angled couch, legs stretched over the cushions, looking at the camera over his shoulder.

[First image description]

Yagi Toshinori adjusts a cuff-link, grinning wildly at something off camera, suit jacket flared in the wind.

[Second image description]

Yagi Toshinori sits on the edge of a bed, hands together between his open knees. His white shirt is unbuttoned, revealing a skinny chest and hints of spiderwebbing red.

[Third image description]

Yagi Toshinori looks away from the camera shyly, one hand rubbing the back of his head. His scar is viciously red, stretching the full length of his torso before disappearing below the hem of the dark slacks clinging to his skinny hips.

108,792 notes

vedran-oligarch

All Might looks like someone punched a hole through him and I'm still lusting over his fine ass hot DAMN

i-am-a-blank-page

@vedran-oligarch: it's the eyes - they're always the same and they're always so intense

vedran-oligarch

@i-am-a-blank-page: point, but those beautiful hipbones aren't hurting my lady-boner

IrisEvergarden

I really, really love the last picture. His expression is so sweet and unsure and humanizing - the whole set is, but that one really does it for me <3

paperclipped-wildflowers

his hair looks so soft

IrisEvergarden

I just want to give this man a hug, he's so good and pure and brave

ExpectingDelay

okay, but how how no one mentioned the interview part?!

If I saved one person when I lost my stomach, it was worth it. If I brought one child home to their parents when I crushed my lungs, it was worth it. If my words have helped someone through a rough patch, if I inspired someone to do better, be better, it was all worth it. There are a great many regrets in my life, but helping others has never been one of them. There is nothing I wouldn’t break; no sacrifice that would make me hesitate.

That's what heroism is - it's taking these hits so that no one else has to.

this man is incredible.

flowwithit54

@ExpectingDelay: I'm fucking crying rn we don't deserve All Might OR Yagi Toshinori

___________________________________________

It's almost nine when Ishiyama finds him lazing on the teacher's lounge couch, idly scrolling through his own tag online. In the past few minutes alone, he's found post after post from individuals finding strength from last week's magazine shoot. A teenager with an arm mangled in a villain attack; an office worker embarrassed by needing a wheelchair; a boy with an annoying twitch thanks to an accident with his electricity Quirk. Thousands of messages of love and support, admiration and inspiration. It's almost enough to make him wonder why he'd been so worried about the inevitable. Ishiyama hands him a cup of tea.

"You look happy today, Yagi."

He closes the phone and takes the offered tea with a smile.

"Yeah. I guess I am."

#yagi toshinori #All Might #my hero academia #boku no hero academia #fanfic #social media fic #mha #bnha #I maintain that shows like Ninja Warrior would be AWESOME in a world of superpowers #which is how this fic started #and now I'm writing a whole series #about fandom and they ways in which we relate to our heroes #because I can't stop having Ideas #and I am LIVING #for All Might being a hero in a completely different way after Kamino #still salty about the lack of line breaks on tumblr

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excaliefur · 4 years

Text

How Anne got her Introduction

Hey y’all. I hope your good!

This idea came to me from a whim, I was listening to the Anne Boleyn introduction and it just came to me lol. I have a lot of angst coming so savour this strange fluff while you can.

Also a bit of context, at the time of this fic, they are working on the musical, it wasn’t fully written.

TW: I don’t think there’s anything, a bit of swearing maybe, let me know if I need to add something.

And sorry for the boring dares, I have no life and no friends to do stuff like this. Anyways, enjoy folks!

*THIS IS A REUPLOAD BECAUSE TUMBLR DECIDED TO HATE ME AND MY LAPTOP*

All the queens were working hard writing the musical, so naturally after a hard week, on the Friday evening, the only thing they wanted to do was get drunk and have fun. So thats what they did.

‘If i roll a 2, you have to call Starbucks and say you want a pizza.’ Catherine snickered, pointing at Jane. Jane looked affronted and nodded vigorously. ‘I’ll do it, I’ll do it, just watch.’ She said, offended.

‘Woah, calm down she hasn’t even rolled yet.’ Anna said, holding her back. Maybe everyone was a little drunk, scratch that, they were very drunk. First they played some harmless board games, then moved onto cards against humanity after Jane started to slur her words, and now they made up a game, just because they could. Anne had to stand on her head for a round, which she did, afterwards she proceeded to throw up and return to the game. Everyone was too drunk to say otherwise. Cathy had to chug 3 red-bulls, which was definitely not good, she was definitely gonna throw up soon. So maybe some of the dares were a bit extreme.

‘Awww man, I rolled a one.’ Catherine cried, she was a very emotional drunk. So if she felt sad normally, as a drunk she would be devastated. all her emotions were multiplied by a 100. Jane frowned. ‘I wanted Pizza!’ Anne yelled from her armchair. ‘Ok, moving on, Kat, its your turn!’ Cathy said, out of all of them, she was probably the most sober, which was saying something. She passed the die to Kat.

‘If I roll a six, Anna, you have to do push ups until it comes back to me!’ Kat shouted. Kat was a loud, horny drunk. Anna did not look like she was fit for push ups, but nodded nonetheless.

‘Seriously Kat?’ Anne groaned. ‘You’ve been focusing on Anna for the last four, or five, no it was two, turns.’ She continued, looking extremely confused as she tried to count on her fingers.

Kat shrugged, ‘I like seeing you do them Anna.’ she said, winking very clearly, everyone except Anna and Kat groaned. ‘Get a room!’ Jane said in disgust. Anna sighed and said ‘Fine, roll it then.’ Kat threw the dice across the room, right next to Catherine, who crept over and looked at it.

‘ahh, a five,’ She said, very sympathetically.

Anna smiled, glad she didn’t have to, but she looked over to Kat, who had a very exaggerated pout on her face. Anna hated seeing Kat upset, but was too drunk to notice that it was fake. ‘Don’t look so upset liebe, I’ll do it.’ She told her, before sighing and dropping down. Kat instantly looked happy and cheered ‘Yay!’. However, the others had noticed her fake expression.

‘Wow another manipulator huh?’ Catherine asked, cynically. That wasn’t really said well, and Anne slapped her hand. She looked up and noticed the not fake frown on Kats face, and the fear in her eyes. ‘Oh I didn’t mean it like that, I swear! I meant it like you and Anne are so alike!’ she rectified, Kat nodded and looked down. Catherine sighed, how could she have forgotten about Kat’s previous tormentors. ‘I’m sorry Kat.’ Kat nodded and gave a small grin, saying she accepted the apology. When everyone looked away however, Kat had a devilish grin on her face.

‘Lets move on then.’ Cathy sighed, she was getting bored. She caught the die from her god mother and passed it to Anne who slid onto the floor. Anne thought for a second, wondering what she wanted.

‘Ok, If I roll a 4 then Cathy you have to cuddle with me.’ Anne said impishly, Cathy groaned, Anne was such a hypocrite. A minute ago she was talking about lame dares and then she asked for this.

‘You could just ask for affection, you know?’ Cathy asked. She rolled her eyes and waited for a rebuttal.

‘Hush, let me roll.’ There it was. It was very late in the night and Cathy was starting to get energised from the red-bull. She stood up and started pacing. As she looked around from the room, she noticed that Anna was perspiring heavily, she felt sympathetic for her. Jane was curled up next to Catherine, looking tired.

‘A four!’ Anne cried out in joy. ‘Now get over here!’ she said with her arms open. Cathy rolled her eyes and climbed into Anne’s arms. She focused on listening to Annes heartbeat.

‘Anna, you can stop now, it was a stupid dare.’ Kat said, eyeing Anna nervously. Anna shook her head. ‘I never back down from a dare.’ she said between breaths.

‘It’s my turn right?’ Jane asked, before grabbing the die, and preparing to roll. Anna stopped doing push ups and grabbed a bottle of water. during her break she looked up. ‘Do something good this time!’ Anna huffed out, Anne nodded.

Jane looked upset, ‘Hey! Mine was good last time.’ Jane said.

‘Seriously? Knocking on the neighbours door and giving them a high five without speaking isn't that interesting.’ Anna sighed, then she dropped back to do more push ups

Kat grinned at Anna before speaking, ‘Ok, moving on, what do you suggest?’ she asked calmly, Jane pondered for a moment, and took a look around the room. Cathy was sweating badly, but neither Anne or Cathy seemed to notice. Anna was looking faint and seemed to struggle to stay balanced. Kat looked worried, but Anna was extremely stubborn. Jane, although drunk, still had her mother-senses dialed high. So she quickly thought, Anna was exhausted and needed to rest, while Cathy was energised and needed to let off steam before she overdosed.

‘If I roll a 1, Anna and Cathy have to switch dares.’ Jane said smugly, she was a genius. Anna looked relieved, Cathy looked confused but excited, she was so hyper it seemed animated. Kat looked relieved, Anne however pouted.

‘Ha! I rolled a one, both of you, move.’ Jane shouted, pointing at them. Anna stopped and collapsed onto the floor. Cathy and Kat moved to help her.

‘Can Cathy even do push ups?’ Anne asked, not meaning to sound mean, just Cathy was so short, and underweight. Nobody really expected her to be the second strongest queen.

‘Rude, I am very strong for your information.’ Cathy replied, while moving into plank position. Anne rolled her eyes. ‘Sure, twig arms, i dare you to do like 100- Woah.’ Anne said, before she stopped. Cathy, energised by the caffeine and wanting to prove Anne wrong, immediately did 20 push ups rapidly, without breaking a sweat. Everyone stared at shock, everyone except Anna, who smiled smugly. Cathy and Anna trained together all the time, they were both extremely fit.

‘Get on my back.’ Cathy said to Anne. Who looked confused ‘What. no I’ll break i-’ she was interrupted by Cathy, who shouted ‘GET ON MY BACK.’ Anne flinched and complied. ‘O- K?’ She said, still confused.

‘Woah!’ Anne was taken aback by the speed of the push ups Cathy did. Caffeine and Alcohol did surprising things to people.

‘OK! moving on. Anne it’s your turn.’ Catherine said suddenly, getting up from her chair rapidly and grabbing the die.

------------TIME SKIP BECAUSE I PROCRASTINATE------------

A few rounds had passed, it was nearing 1 am and everyone was still awake. Everyone was even more drunk, Cathy was banned from the coffee, Jane had to do the chicken dance to crab rave, Catherine had to stare at Anne for 2 rounds. Kat was trying to balance herself between Anna and Janes chairs, which were opposite each other. Anna had write a fan fiction about Henry Manox and Thomas Seymour both getting what they deserve, and she had to publish it. Anne was forced to throw her phone into the air and let it drop, only if the others were nice, they would catch it. Nobody caught it. Cathy stopped doing push ups and was now running up and down the stairs.

It was once again Anne’s turn.

‘Ok, if I roll a, 3, then you guys have to write a song about me.’ Anne muttered, slurring her words. Catherine chortled ‘Thats easy, i already have one I HATE ANNE BOL-’ she began. ‘No, Catherine,’ Jane commanded ‘Stop’ Cathy said before running back up ‘Don’t be mean pwease,’ Kat stage whispered ‘Did you just say pwease?’ Anna stage whispered back. Kat giggled. Frowning, Catherine sat back.

‘No, I mean for the musical! And it has to be good.’ Anne said after Catherine shut up. Cathy reappeared, also frowning. ‘But we already have Don’t Lose ur head?’ she asked.

‘Yeah! but it has to be like, like it’s hyping. me up!’ Anne said, throwing her hands up. ‘Like, OH HERE COMES ANnE BolEYn THe GreATEST tEmptReSS!’ She sang, very out of tune.

‘Yeah I’d make that for you when hell freezes over.’ Catherine muttered darkly. Anne sighed. ‘Ok, say if it doesn’t land on 3, then I have to do something instead.’ she suggested, that got them interested.

‘Go on,’ Anna said, sitting up. ‘Ok, so, um, if it lands on 4, you guys get to make me do a dare instead.’ Kat nodded, a devilish smirk appearing on her face. ‘BUT, if it does land on 3, you guys have to make a good song for me, ok?’ Anne said before anyone interrupted. Looking at each other, the queens nodded.

‘Ok, we’ll agree with that, but are you sure you want to do this? I mean the odds of it landing on 3 is low, and we won’t show any mercy once it lands on something else.’ Cathy said cautiously. Anne smirked, they were overconfident, that was their mistake. She nods and gets ready to roll.

She rolled it, it disappeared underneath a table and everyone held their breath as Kat went to check it. She popped out and sighed. ‘It was 3.’ Everyone groaned. Except for Anne who shot up. ‘YES!! YOU GUYS HAVE TO WRITE A SONG ABOUT ME!’

Catherine shook her head desperately. She grabbed the die and rolled it, ‘It has to be tampered with, no, I can’t write a song about Anne.’ she hissed. It was a six, then it was a 4, then a 3, then a 1. It wasn’t tampered with.

Catherine dropped her head low.

‘Suck it Aragon!’ ‘Fuck off Boleyn!’

_______________________________________________________________________

let me know if you want to be added to my taglist.

Stay safe and wash your hands queens/kings/leaders

#catherine parr #catherine of aragon #katherine howard #six the musical #anne boleyn #jane seymour #anna of cleves #six the musical fanfic #this is a reupload #because tumblr on my laptop decided to fail #and my phone doesnt want to work with me #so im sorry

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ariainstars · 4 years

Text

Sorry, But I Don’t Support Minorities (Any More)

For a start: I will not use inclusive language in this text. (I usually don’t, only in this case I want to make sure it’s known from the start.)

Secondly, if you identify as trans or non-binary and / or are a huge Harry Potter fan, I am warning you: don’t read this.

If you do want to hear me out, be respectful in your comments or hold them back altogether. I won’t tolerate bullying merely because I am expressing my own opinion. Though the topic touches a sore spot in me, too, I will be as objective as I can.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am not and never was a fan of J.K. Rowling and her works. I found the Harry Potter hype strongly exaggerated, the books mildly unoriginal and biased, the films ok until they became so overloaded with derivation from other sources (dragons, elves, magic wands, brooms, unicorns, centaurs, phoenixes, basilisks, flying horses - stories like Star Trek or Star Wars at least have their own world-building) and later so dark that they were no fun anymore. In my opinion an average writer was lucky because she tapped into a trend and was at the right place and right time with her stories. I daresay years from now many fans will wonder why they liked these stories so much and realize that they just jumped on a train, having been too young and naïve to question it.

I don’t own any of Rowling’s books or DVDs or merchandise and I never have been part of the fandom. So, I come from a different corner when I say that I have my own attitude about the current shitstorm regarding J.K. Rowling now being coded as “transphobic”. This is due to personal reasons of my own.

1. The Discussion Can Add Confusion

Rowling stated that in her youth she had problems with her own identity due to her father having wanted her to be a boy. I can understand that because I went through a long period in my late teens and early twens where I had difficulties identifying with the sex I was born with. At times I also felt physically attracted to females. In my case, it turned out to merely be a phase: I am an average cis woman. I can understand that for some people, such doubts may turn out to be more than a phase. But I know what Rowling refers to because I have been there. And I am grateful that there was no gender discussion when I was young because it would have confused me even more than I actually was, and I already had more than enough other problems. I was and I am a “common” woman, but there was a time in my life when I did not like it very much. That time was bad enough, combined as it was with other aspects in my life I had to come to terms with, which at times almost drove me to despair to the point where I contemplated suicide. So, I am glad that in my time being gay / straight / trans / cis / non-binary or other was not such an issue, at least not where I grew up. With my confusion and disorientation, well-meaning people might have taken the opportunity to encourage me to “embrace my lesbianism / trans identity”, when in truth I am neither. I was discouraged, from many sides, to liking myself, and that self-loathing took many forms.

I am extremely cautious when it comes to gender identification because I know that finding one’s way in life under difficult circumstances can take years and years and end in a very different place from where it started, well beyond adolescence. In my case, for a long time I thought I was “not really female” because I love my independence and never wished for children: this is not due to some masculine trait inside of me but to my growing up with a disturbed mother who strongly invaded my life and mind and did everything that was in her power to trap me. I suspected that something was wrong with her since my early teens, but I found out the truth only about twenty years later. I had to accept her the way she is and put distance between us.

Then there were my peers: where and when I grew up it was trendy to be (or appear) as tomboyish and easy-going as possible because this was seen as a sign of a “strong, modern, emancipated female”: fie on you if you wore your hair a little longer, liked clothes or only had to much as a flower-pattern on your notebook. Again: I simply had to get away. For many years I had been led to believe that my too “female” or “masculine” traits were a problem, when the actual problem was not mine. And if this happened to me, I daresay there may be many others in similar situations; which is something that who supports and encourages trans people usually does not consider. People who are confused about their sexuality without actually being trans need understanding as well.

2. What About Us?

As a native Italian, I cringe when I only think e.g. of Lady and the Tramp’s silly “Bella notte” scene or films like Good Fellas or of The Godfather trilogy, cultural phenomena that did a lot to cement the general audience’s idea of how Italians are like. Not to our advantage. - No, “bella notte” is not correct Italian. No, we don’t play the mandolin, it’s an outmoded instrument that you are more likely to find in a museum. And no, spaghetti with meatballs are not Italian food!

Following the 2009 economic crises many countries in the European Community applied for financial “umbrellas”; Italy didn’t, it paid into those funds. Italy was the first Western country who went into lockdown as the Covid-19 crisis struck. The country functioned, though under huge restrictions and security measures. In both cases, other countries’ reactions in and outside Europe were like: “Typical - Italians are too lazy to work!” When it came to negotiating an economic pact to help Europe start again, the countries who had said this the loudest held their purse-strings tight - after having locked down too late and hidden the truth about the casualties in their own countries. Convenient.

Italians are generally often seen as silly and not trustworthy. And nobody talks about how demeaning and disrespectful, and on the long run damaging, it is to portray us in such a stereotyped way which at best is good for a laugh. The prejudices stick, and they have destroyed or turned into a living hell many existences.

There are huge now discussions about banning films like e.g. Gone With the Wind due to its “clichéd portrayal of Blacks”. Nobody talks about abolishing The Godfather or other films of that kind although they contribute to the stigma that Italians are either all in league with the mafia, or easy-going, silly folks who sing and drink wine all day and have no idea of what hard work means. Most Italians have too much personal pride to victimize themselves and bo-hoo “the rest of the world just won’t understand us”. They love their country but that does not make them not blind to its shortcomings. I hope they stay that way. In any case, I intend to.

3. The Actual Problem: Bullying

I can sympathize with anyone who comes out as trans because I know what it’s like to be bullied. I was bullied myself for many years due to my Italian origin as well as my upbringing while I had to live among persons who were on a lower social level than I. I was e.g. accused of being stuck-up and “inhibited”. I know now that the female bullies were envious of my self-esteem and insinuating that I was missing “fun”; while the males were counting on another girl being at any guy’s disposal for free and were angry when I didn’t let them have their way with me.

The actual problem with any kind of intolerance and discrimination is bullying. Whatever form it takes, bullying is or ought to be unacceptable. Bullies will be bullies, they do not care who they harass and why: if they e.g. can be convinced to leave trans people alone, they will vent their frustrations and build up their self-image by bullying people who are fat or black or whatever. Except trans people won’t be there to witness that (unless by coincidence they are both trans and fat / black etc.)

We live in a world that gives a great deal of importance on competitiveness; as a result, even in families, schools and other institutions that ought to educate children and youngsters to be respectful towards themselves and others, bullying is often not seen as such, or simply downplayed as “assertiveness”. Bullies do not want to hear reasonable argumentation and learn to be sympathetic: they want to show off their power, provoke an emotional reaction from their victims to see how far they can go, and gloat when they can hurt them. They will not change their minds and they will never be trustworthy, no matter how many discussions about your particular situation you have with them.

To bullies, the world is a jungle where only the strongest have the right to survive; any attempt to make them rethink their attitude will only make them laugh at their victims’ alleged stupidity (because that’s what a humane, respectful attitude is to them) even more. The only language they understand is violence. If you are bullied, protect and, if you can, defend yourself; never try to discuss. Minorities were silent and subdued for such a long time with good reason: because they knew that the more they held their heads up and did not hide what made them different, the more targets they offered for bullies. No one ought to go in hiding because he is queer or black or Jewish etc., but sometimes it’s unavoidable simply for self-protection. I am almost fifty years old and I have never witnessed a nasty person changing for the better. If anything, they became worse, because every time they got away, they felt more superior than before.

Particularly sly bullies will make their victims believe that they have changed, maybe even pulling off the role “I’m a victim myself”. Please, please, whether you belong to a group of minorities or not: don’t listen to them. Ever. Maybe they once were victims, but it turned them into arseholes, and now they are sunk too far in their own filth to care. Compassion is a good thing, but it should never go as far as to delude yourself, endure abuse and sympathize until you become an object for compassion yourself.

For instance, I like wearing dresses, cooking and sewing and looking after my household. Fifty years ago, that would have made me a pattern housewife; nowadays, feminists would either want to strangle me or at least have a good laugh at my expense. This just goes to show how short-sighted any kind of prejudice and bullying is. Any human being ought to follow its own nature with a healthy self-esteem, and esteem others as well. But with our today’s view of the world we are supposed to be not altruistic and respectful but “strong” so that “we will make our way in life” (i.e. feed capitalism in any way we can); and nothing can make you feel “strong” more easily than finding someone who is allegedly weaker and pick on him. We are expected to be “winners”, and the first thing winners need are “losers” to serve them as a foil. The pool from which to choose is large.

4. Who Is Subject to Intolerance Can’t Be Intolerant… Really?

For many years of my life, I always found myself a supporter of someone who was ostracized for one reason or another.

A woman who had left her husband. (It was the early Eighties.) A gay man. A girl who had been harassed by being called ugly. A woman who had been abused sexually by a family member. A woman from East Germany (I live in the West and there are lots of prejudices.)

For the record: these persons were of different age, origin, upbringing, social status, intellectual level and character, and they did not know one another.

I knew and supported them for years, listening, loyal, supportive, interested in their problems and personal development. I never attacked or criticized them. And each and every one of them sooner or later accused me of “not understanding them” and “being prejudiced towards them”. In the case of the abused woman this was particularly unfair because I have been abused myself in my family, though psychically and not sexually. The divorced woman, my own mother, viciously accused me of lying and being in league with her ex-husband after I had been loyal only to her for entire decades.

It appears these people only were my “friends” as long as I told them what they wanted to hear. When I suffered, I was put off with “pull yourself together”. Like I had no problems, because the only people in the world having problems were them. Thank you very much. So, I was supposed to accept their growing insolence due to their being such poor victims, while from their point of view I deserved neither understanding nor respect.

Only recently, in the aftermath of the riots caused by the killing of George Floyd, I posted a comment on a video on youtube… guess what. I was immediately attacked by a black woman saying that my “stupid remark” just went to prove how a white person would never understand “things like these”. She had not even read my post carefully enough to understand what I actually wanted to say, she simply felt entitled to offend me.

I do not say that I dislike trans people or that they are bad, I’m sure there are as many good or bad people among them as anywhere. If someone says e.g. that though born with male organs they identify as female that is their very own affair. I must not like it or understand it. Tolerance means leaving other people alone to do as they please. Any person is “bad” only the moment they behave badly towards others; being different from the mainstream does not count.

But when I have to watch and read people nowadays defending trans or gays or blacks or some other minority, believing to be being open-minded or particularly noble and heroic by supporting them, all I can say is that I have been there and it did me no good. I won’t get caught up in another wave of “minority tolerance”: in my experience, it’s a waste of time. Many of those who now proudly burn their Harry Potter books and proclaim that they will no longer support the author, respectively that they “love Harry Potter but love trans people more” will make the experiences I made. Except they most probably won’t talk about that, because these experiences are so humiliating.

Minorities of any kind do not want to be supported, understood and defended by people who are not in their shoes: it hurts their personal pride. Which I can understand, although it’s a lame excuse for being mean to the very persons whom they expect help and support from. They will tend to envy the ones who do not have their problems due to being white / straight / cis etc., and consequently turn a blind eye to the fact that these can have huge problems of their own. Many of them expect their supporters not only to understand them but to support them enthusiastically at every turn, and if these don’t, (or if there is the slightest reason for them to assume that they don’t) these “victims” will feel entitled to be offended and become vicious aggressors, with a whole fan club behind them protecting their backs and convinced of promoting a honorable cause.

I am fed up with being tolerant. It seems you can hardly do anything anymore without offending someone: watching Disney movies or old classics, wearing a pink dress, calling a woman a woman instead of woman / trans / cis / non-binary etc. There is always someone who will point to these things saying why they’re not right.

I’m sorry but clichés, prejudices and stereotypes can’t be totally avoided: the human brain is not wired to know all facts about everything and everyone. What you can do is teach children and adolescents to be respectful towards everybody, even if they don’t like a particular person or group. Nobody has the right to force you to like everybody and to agree with every life style. But it seems the world has become full of people who seem to have nothing better to do but feel personally offended at the drop of a hat and make a fuss about how hurt their feelings are. Helping someone out who is in a difficult situation is not the same as catering to the keyed-up hysterics of some entitled brat. Seeing the difference between these two can be quite difficult because the latter often show their true face only after years and years, when they realize that for some reason or other, they can no longer squeeze you out for their personal benefit giving nothing back.

Who follows my account is aware that I did not like The Rise of Skywalker. Heaven knows I wrote enough about it. But I did not and will not harass the studios twittering, mailing, making youtube videos etc. ranting and raving about what rubbish it supposedly is for years, like the haters of The Last Jedi. Listening to them, one would think their whole reason for living had been destroyed on purpose. We most probably largely have to thank them for the Episode IX disaster, the flattest and most uninteresting Star Wars film ever made; not to mention the harassment the actress Kelly Marie Tran was subject to. Anyone has the right to dislike the development the authors chose for the saga, but for heaven’s sake: after all, it’s just a movie. If such a relatively insignificant thing can be hyped up like this, I don’t want to know what’s in store coming from people who feel offended for much more personal reasons, like race or gender.

Tolerance cannot be one-sided; it cannot mean that whatever one side wants does not have to be reasonable or useful, but they are entitled to scream and yell until the other side gives in. (If for no other reason than to satisfy them so they will finally shut it.)

Conclusions (I did warn you…)

I. Hogwarts is not my world

Hogwarts is supposed to sound like a dream come true, but I never liked the idea of a “school” where pupils, who are still children and adolescents, are taught spells and engaged in games and tournaments where they have to risk life and limb. These facts are commonly overlooked, I guess, because “the heroes” usually don’t get hurt. The heroes overcome their traumata but do not get wiser from them, on the contrary: their suffering is supposed to make them seem nobler so that we will root for them more. Harry loses his parents before he could get to know them; his adoptive family mistreats him, but he doesn’t care about them; Cedric dies in his stead, but they were not close friends; Dumbledore dies when Harry was getting too old for a father figure; Snape dies, but Harry never liked him either. The list could go on. Harry always remains an innocent; he never gets to look into a metaphorical mirror where he has to see all of the bad that is inside of him, his darker sides are always projected and personified by someone else. (When he does look into a metaphorical mirror in the first book and movie, he finds out that the Philosopher’s stone is, magically, in his pocket. How convenient.)

I can’t invest emotionally in a fictional character who stands out before having earned or deserved it. Harry is like a Chosen One who skips the hero’s journey: from an abusive household, he is catapulted into a whole new world made of mystery and wonder, where he immediately is singled out, admired before he lifts a finger, unexplainably lucky, awed due to his heritage, envied by who is not as special as he. Harry remains untainted by own sins because other people do the dirty work for him; which seems ok because they are, for one reason or another, uncool - Dumbledore = old, Ron = weak / foolish, Hermione / Snape = unpleasant, his parents = dead, and so on. Yes, Harry sometimes makes mischief, but people usually cut him slack because of his past as an abused child, his parent’s tragic death, and his undefinable power that makes him resist the Evil One. The Dursleys, Snape and Draco don’t tolerate him, which is why they are coded as villains or at least very disagreeable characters. How do you recognize a villain in these stories? Simple, he’s being mean to Harry. Everybody else gives him special treatment because you don’t want to upset the person whom you expect to defeat the ultimate villain. I always found his character bland and uninteresting. We e.g. learned why Snape was so lonely and bitter, but not why Harry was so “good” although he had grown up unloved, in an abusive household, until he was eleven.

For decades now Harry Potter fandoms and clubs gather all over the world proudly proclaiming that they are something really special and not like “them Muggles”. No wonder these stories are so popular with who feels misunderstood and downtrodden. Wouldn’t it be nice to be born with capacities ordinary people can’t even dream of? When maybe you’re just a common person, shocking thought. Nowadays, if you want to be someone outstanding, make it up in your mind and it automatically becomes true. And if you identify with the protagonist, you get to be a hero before you did anything special into the bargain. Harry is a victim of other person’s sins and / or blunders and his story is about unfolding the details of his victimhood and correcting them so he gets his happy ending. We are supposed to sympathize with this: well, I can’t. Victimhood and alleged inborn virtue are insufficient to make a protagonist “overcome his trials” and emerge triumphantly over his sidekicks or enemies, without any real loss on his side, while they get killed or, at best, ridiculed. And I will not pick up the part of that sidekick any more.

II. Feminism Is Not My World

While I am an advocate for women’s independence, I do not identify as a feminist. I have an independent nature: that does not mean I am or should be ashamed of being a lady. This where we live is the era of the tomboys, of the feisty, cool, tough females. And often they don’t just go their own way but feel entitled to scorn women who do have their own job and live with a man who respects them, but also like the color pink, pretty clothes, flowers, romantic stories and everything else the new wave feminism likes to dismiss as “brainwashing”. Today you can hardly let your daughter watch a Disney movie without being accused of undermining her identity with false ideas about womanhood because, oh wonder, it seems a “real woman” must think and act like a badass guy.

Louder for the feminists in the back: you can actually look and behave in a way that is coded as “female” and be intelligent, independent and self-respecting. Women who went their own way have existed in every age and culture, often making great achievements and changing the world around them; they were intelligent, compassionate and took matters into their own hands. They did not proclaim that they unfairly were victims of men: they knew how to make men respect them. Being a woman is not a stereotype thrust upon you, it’s natural. If someone rejects qualities that are identified as “female”, it’s their very own affair. If I wanted to return the offense, I might as easily say that “feminists” and “empowered females” are just too smug to do the dishes.

III. Trans, cis, binary etc. is not my world

For millennia, people had to accept the sex they were born with. Now you can have surgery and take hormones to get rid of a problem which you can’t solve on your own. Sorry, but I can’t get my head around it: to me the gender diversity discussion is unnatural. Good and right things are always the same, they cannot change with time and “scientifical / medical progress”. Tomboyish females and same-sex lovers are as old as the world, but it’s only a few decades since you can surgically have your sex changed if you feel uncomfortable with it, and even less time since you can claim the right to be both male and female or not to choose any sex at all. Excuse me, what’s behind it? Fear of missing out? I know, nowadays we are supposed to “change the stars”, but excuse me, it’s not possible. Rowling did not change the stars: as I wrote above, she got lucky.

I can say from own experience that for healthy growth a person needs limits. It is not “tolerant”, in my opinion, to say that one can be male or female or binary or none of that, all by choice. If I raise a child calling it a boy because he was born with male organs, or by Catholic standards because I am a Catholic myself, I believe no one has the right to say that I am intruding into its personality. I would be intolerant if said child would later come out to me e.g. as trans or atheist and I would dismiss its identification and opinion as a matter of principle, or disown it altogether. Rejecting rules and values is like pretending that it is wrong to be e.g. female, or straight, or that Catholic values are rubbish. None of that is true. It is true that a trans or gay or atheist or Buddhist etc. is not automatically an immoral or inferior person.

I can accept other people’s choices about their gender identification; that doesn’t mean I must like or support their mindset. It doesn’t automatically make me “transphobic”. If it is intrusive or intolerant to say that someone is male because he was born with male organs, what will come next? Will “normal” females no longer be entitled to protect their most intimate privacy because any guy can share our private space, like a public toilet or dress room, claiming he’s a woman (and he might well not be trans, but a lying voyeur?) Will we no longer give our children male or female names? Not teach them any values? No longer send them to kindergarten, to school, maybe not even feed or clothe them or furnish their nurseries according to our own judgement, because the poor babies can’t choose by themselves yet?

We all did not choose to be born in the first place.

If you want to protect your children from suffering, don’t have them: suffering is a part of life. Trans is not my world. I don’t want to destroy it or to behave rudely towards it; I simply do not want to have part in it. I want people to care for me, and to do so because I am me, not because I come out with this or another sexual orientation or make myself an advocate for people who belong to this or another minority.

All of the above is why I will not jump on the current “I defend minorities” respectively “I defend downtrodden victims” train. The good part is that I don’t have any Harry Potter book or merchandise I could burn anyway. 😊

Anyone who is uncomfortable with my point of view can unfollow me. Bullies will be blocked and reported without further ado. Greetings from a notorious Muggle.

#minorities #jk rowling #trans #harry potter #disney #gone with the wind #the godfather #goodfellas #feminism #prejudices #bullying #read more

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misssolitudesmusicblog · 4 years

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Happy March! I can’t fathom that we are already 3 months into the year. I realized it’s been a year since I have been live streaming on Meetme, and anyways today we entered a new month and a new playlist, Episode: March is out now on Spotify and available to anyone who would love to participate in collaborating and adding new music to the playlist everyday based off the themes I choose. For today’s theme I am asking my audience to reflect in their personal life and choose music that would reflect them embracing whatever they may face this month and welcome March. The music should resonate within their own personal life and serve as a reminder to continue and keep moving forward. Here is my personal in depth of what I added:

1. This Way by Dilated Peoples: I absolutely resonate with the chorus

“ This time I made up my mind This time I'm back on my grind I know there's things in my life That I'ma let go startin tonight (I can't live my, I, I can't live my) (I can't live my, I, I can't live my) I can't live my, I, I can't live my I can't live my this way (can't live my, I, I can't live my) This way (I can't live my, I, I can't live my) This way, I can't live my, I, I can't live my I can't live my life this way “

I choose to start off with the month strong and serve as a reminder that I know change is necessary and I must choose a different behavior for the results I’m hoping for.

2. Grindin by Clipse: I choose this song because I have to grind so hard this month. My lease is up in June and I have to figure out where I will be relocating and make sure I have enough money to do so. So like Snoop Dog says “ I got my mind on my money and my money on my mind”

3. Early In The Morning by The Gap Band: This song is a hype song for me to remind me that the early bird gets the worm. I’ve been trying my best to establish a morning routine and although I need to be up by 8a.m. unfortunately I’m not a morning person so therefore I embrace March with many mornings in hopes I can execute Sunrises more often.

4. So Ruff, So Tuff by Zapp: This song is such a delight but also so real. I live out here in California where the weather is amazing but the cost of living is horrible. Another chorus that I embrace and resonate to:

“So ruff, so tuff out here baby So ruff, so tuff out here baby So ruff, so tuff out here baby So ruff, so tuff out here baby”

5. Backstrokin by Flatback Band: I choose this song because this song just has amazing rhythm and compliments the last first few songs here and I know this song will have me continuously jamming out throughout the month.

6. All The Stars by Kendrick Lamar ft. SZA : I love Kendrick I feel like he is one of the most realest rapper of our generation and he just validates all the emotions that I feel at times with people that cross my life and have done me wrong or the person’s ego and character is just not aligned with the values that I harbor in my heart and personal life.

7. Hit Different by SZA ft. The Neptunes: SZA another brilliant female artist that I absolutely adore. Here is to me hoping that March hit’s different.

8. I’m Not In Love by Kelsey Lu: OMG this song! First it’s a cover but definitely serves as reminder to me that I am not in love...I hope to still embrace love in March however still find balance to be detached as well.

9. Not My Baby By Alvvays: So my love interest and I stopped talking on January 31st, and we have not spoken since. I was excited to embrace new love into my life but unfortunately it didn’t work out but I’ve made peace and let that person go and move forward even though we were never official:

“ Now that you're not my baby I go do whatever I want No need to turn around to see what's behind me I don't care And it's true I've been checking out lately I go do whatever I want No need to turn around to see what's behind me I don't care “

10. telepatia by Kali Uchis: Thank Ticktock for this song as a welcoming song for March. I’m stuck on this cute and catchy song.

11. Soul Meets Body by Death Cab For Cutie: This song is amazing and I was reacquainted with it recently. It has been a minute since I had heard it but I definitely resonate with the feeling of finding new things and feeling new again:

“ I want to live where soul meets body And let the sun wrap its arms around me And bathe my skin in water cool and cleansing And feel, feel what its like to be new “

12. O Children by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: So I recently watched Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 1 & 2 in which this song is featured and this song made me reflect the strong friendship Harry, Ron, and Hermonie possessed to which I too share a a strong friendship with my 2 male bestfriends Elbert and Edson and it’s a solid friendship of over 10 years now. This song is sad but beautiful and I resonate with the following lyrics:

“ Hey little train! Wait for me! I was held in chains but now I'm free I'm hanging in there, don't you see In this process of elimination “

13. Nostalgic Feel by Bedroom: Ugh...another love song to remind me of this person but also to remind myself to trust the universe and remember that what is meant for me will come effortlessly.

“ Sitting in an open room Thinking of how much I miss you I know the future is looking good But I would still love to go back if only I could Nostalgia keeps haunting me With all of those sweet colored memories “

14. Live Well by Palace: I came across this song recently from one of my viewers on my meetme CapNMickey123 and yet it was another song that made me think of my past love interest and thought to myself may he know it was his loss and we both be in peace and maybe a part of me wants him to return but at the same time may we both let go and live well

“ And I know it's fine to end our time Be safe, be true, and I'll think of you 15. lo que paso by Nina Cobham: Another one...

“ Lo que pasó, ya no duele tanto Think that I can move on But I'm not sure what you want from me If you want from me Tú me has esperado tanto tiempo “

16. Icarus by White Hinterland:

“Together going arm and arm To meet our solitude, to meet it head on I'll meet you where the water's warm To meet my solitude, to meet it head on Though I can see clearly ahead of me I cannot stop it once I'm set a-spinning What can it mean Why must I always see the ending at the beginning?”

17. Discouraged by Devin The Dude:

“ The second hand on the clock don't stop Gotta keep climbin' 'til you hop on top ('cause) Whoever said life was easy? Same folks who believe in magic You gotta pay, mane, it ain't no freebies And buy the things that'll make you happy Funny how the people treat you When your money gone and you don't have it Don't worry, don't get nervous Discouraged “

18. March Madness by Future:

“ We ballin' like the March Madness”

#Spotify #playlist #march

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b99fandomevents · 5 years

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Thank you again to the awesome folks who joined our first ever Fic Exchange!!! We hope you enjoyed writing your fics as much as we loved reading them.

Under the cut is a masterlist of all the submitted works, compiled and arranged in alphabetical order by the amazing @amez-santiago. ♡ (If you don’t see your fic here or notice any errors, please let us know!)

If you’re interested in joining the Fall 2019 Fic Exchange, definitely keep an eye out for our next announcement post within the next couple of weeks.

a summer rain is passing over, and it feels like a dream | AO3

↝ by @exploding-snapple for @storyinmyeyes

Amy takes Jake to go see a play, but it’s really the walk home afterward that he enjoys the most. (set a few weeks after 3x02)

Cause you’re what I always wanted | AO3

↝ by @sandylovesfandoms for @a-wren-d

Rosa shows Gina Babylon, and sparks fly

Coming Out | AO3

↝ by @the-poodles-of-pulitzer for @yaboring-yabasic

Rosa’s POV for coming out.

Dancing around each other | AO3

↝ by @disruptedvice for @amydancepants-peralta

“Ah! Amy! Help!” Jake shrieked the moment she answered her phone, not really concerned about volume control since he was kinda trying to not die at the moment. It had gotten through four rings before she finally picked up, and this would’ve been it for Jake if it’d gone straight to voicemail. Amy frowned, looking around as if he could see her, but soon brushed it off as her being paranoid. “Jake? What’s wrong?” “I’ve got the goose!” He shouted, jumping to dodge another swipe that could only be described as intelligent and intent. “The goose is here! The goose is here!”

Soulmate AU where one person finds a goose who leads them to the other person. The difficulty comes in not being mauled by a goose

doggone summer | AO3

↝ by @timeforginasopinion for @sandylovesfandoms

Amy should have known it was going to be an awful summer from the moment Jake Peralta appeared on her front doorstep carrying a dog. “Morning, Ames,” he chirps, irritatingly cheerful, as if he’s passing her in the hallway at school rather than standing in front of her house during the sadly fleeting time of year she’s supposed to be free of this bullshit. “Cheddar, say hi to Amy.” The corgi swaddled in his arms, predictably, doesn’t respond. Jake fixes it with an offended frown. “Well, that was rude.” Amy sneezes a lot and thinks longingly of her bowl of oatmeal squares, now growing soggy on the kitchen counter. Her life was so much simpler ten minutes ago.

everything's good, everything's just as it should be | AO3

↝ by @fezzle for @the-poodles-of-pulitzer

“Jake,” she starts, slow and deliberate. “Do you know who I am?” He stares at her a moment before shaking his head, and her stomach swoops. Oh my god. or Jake gets an appendectomy, and there happens to be an amusing side effect as he wakes up from his anesthesia.

foolishly, completely falling | AO3 [E]

↝ by @fezzle for @kamekamelea

“Are you… asking to hook up with me?” Amy asks slowly, every syllable enunciated carefully. “Whaaaat? No! Nope. No, I definitely was not! What I meant to say was -’’ “Becausetheanswerisyes.”Jake freezes, eyes bugging. “Wh-What?” “I-I said yes.” or Jake and Amy are friends with benefits. What could go wrong?

Heads and Hot Dogs and the Best Day Ever | AO3

↝ by @vernonfielding for @nerd-husbands

Nikolaj spends a day at the precinct not helping Rosa solve a case. He's never been happier.

hold me in this wild, wild world | AO3

↝ by @dmigod for @santiagoswagger

He wants to say he doesn’t know how he got into this situation, but he knows exactly how it happened (or, at least mostly): with a bet. It’s not news to anyone that he and his professional partner are competitive—Santiago is a type A tightwad who feels like she has to prove herself to everyone (except him), and Jake, well, Jake likes to spite her. And to win. He really, really loves winning.

hold me in this wild, wild world | AO3

↝ by @johnny-and-dora for @meepmorpperaltiago

“It takes every ounce of willpower he has left not to kiss her like it’s their last night on earth. Despite the odds, he refuses to kiss her like he’s saying goodbye.” or, a forbidden love/royalty/fairytale au in which jake comes up with an alternative solution to amy being forced into an arranged marriage with the most boring man in the seven kingdoms.

i found a mirror for my soul (i don’t need no other) | AO3

↝ by @b99peraltiago for @exploding-snapple

When she realizes her sleeve has rolled up a little, showing the skin of her wrist and tries to cover it again, it’s already too late. Jake’s seen it. He’s caught sight of the glowing “S” printed there. “S” as in, Soulmate. Amy finally found hers – and, obviously, it’s not him. (Post-4x22 soulmates AU, in which Jake and Amy are not soulmates and she finds hers while Jake is in jail.)

i’ll put it all on the line | AO3

↝ by @amydancepants-peralta for @callginalinetti

"We have to find her, Jake!” He looks up from an evidence marker, furrowing his brow. “I’m sorry … her?” “Your mystery woman! The beautiful woman you were stuck on the subway with. She’s obviously your soulmate.”

I’m going home, to the place where I belong (where your love has always been enough) | AO3

↝ by @storyinmyeyes for @outofinspo

It’s moving in day for Jake and Amy and she’s a little stressed out over all the boxes that need unpacking, but in true Jake fashion, he provides a distraction.

I’ve got a really bad feeling I’m gonna love you so good | AO3

↝ by @amesantiagos for @romanovember

A typical Friday night at Shaw’s bar with the Nine-Nine …or not quite. “Really, I just wanted to check if you’re okay.” “Why wouldn’t I be?” She frowns at him, her eyes dark in the dimly lit booth, “and why do you even care?” “Well, first off, that’s rude,” he raises he eyebrows at her, “and secondly, because you’re my partner, and I know I normally come across as a badass, emotionless action-hero like type– ” “No, you don’t.”

if they’re meant to be together, they won’t stay too long apart | AO3

↝ by @startofamoment for @e11evenseggos

They’d first met in the fall of their freshman year. Amy can still remember it with perfect clarity: how Jake rushed into the lecture hall, hair unruly and plaid shirt rumpled. He looked like he’d just woken up, or maybe never slept. Perhaps he’d pulled an all nighter in prep for their big exam. (She had gotten the recommended eight hours of sleep, naturally, and had gotten up with more than enough time to have a balanced breakfast and to go over her review sheets.)

It is like Oatmeal……. | AO3

↝ by @dancezwithwolvez for @cheddar-the-dog

Another chance.

it’s your love i’m lost in | AO3

↝ by @stolethekey for @ofbuttsandbombs

She smiles. “That’s been the theme of the entire Holt-Cozner relationship. Finding love, despite everything telling them that they cannot. Being confronted with danger, with fear, with risk, but making the incredibly brave choice to love anyway.” or, an mcu post-snap au in which holt and kevin renew their vows

julian santiago and the case of the sister’s mystery boyfriend | AO3

↝ by @amyscascadingtabs for @397bartonstreet

Eventually, he makes the educated guess that there must be someone else in her life. She must have wanted for this to break-up to happen, he figures, and a new mystery lover could very well be the reason. Julian simply has to figure out who it is.

long live all the magic we made | AO3

↝ by @benwvatt for @startofamoment

He deserves to know about cheering charms, or spells that change mice into teapots, or a potion that could double his age. He belongs in her world, she thinks. If only he were. Rule number one of being a Santiago: Neighbors like the Peraltas don’t have any business knowing about magic. Amy ignores it and finds everything she was dreaming of.

of babies and binders

↝ by @a-wren-d for @acanoftrash

domestic peraltiago

Of Debates and Chickenshit Boys | AO3

↝ by @professionalpenthief for @imalloutofhoots

Amy’s happily dull life turns upside down when a mystery admirer’s love for her goes viral in her high school. As she navigates the new uncharted territories of being in the public eye, she finds love does defy all expectations.

Regarding The Incident In Which Raymond Ran Away To Mexico | AO3

↝ by @nerd-husbands for @amesantiagos

“Can you clarify,” Kevin said into his cellphone, using his other arm to hail a cab, “how much wedding cake did Cheddar eat?" The Honeymoon episode, from Kevin’s perspective.

Run, Hide, Fight (Show Me Going) | AO3

↝ by @cheddar-the-dog for @vernonfielding

around two days after the active shooter situation in Brooklyn Heights Hotel Rosa wakes up from a nightmare that she soon realizes was not a nightmare at all

sailing home once and for all | AO3

↝ by @kamekamelea for @disruptedvice

In the universe where Jake is a sailor from New York, he finds himself coming back home to this one special girl - detective Amy Santiago.

Sick Leave | AO3

↝ by @winnietherpooh for @amyscascadingtabs

Amy decides that Jake needs a vacation after he returns prison, and he finally begins to open up about his recovery as they read Harry Potter together.

Something more than a catalog of non-definitive acts | AO3

↝ by @chipmunksallshipklefan for @professionalpenthief

Jake and Amy go undercover as a couple.

The Beer Burglar | AO3

↝ by @outofinspo for @cheeto-anaconda

Brooklyn Nine-Nine and The Good Place crossover where Jake arrests Eleanor

The Date Night

↝ by @meepmorpperaltiago for @amazingsantiago

Based on the prompts: jealous Amy and Jake being Amy’s hype man

The Desert Sucks, But Being a Damsel in Distress Isn’t Too Bad | AO3

↝ by @romanovember for @fezzle

I’m never drinking again. Jake Peralta thinks as he comes to consciousness, his mouth full of cotton swabs and sandpaper and his head pounding like a sledgehammer on concrete. Or maybe 50 million sledgehammers, a freight train and another 24 elephants. Ugh Jake rolls over, and pulls his crinkly and hot duvet closer, relaxing his aching and hungover body into the cool embrace of… sand? And on his head? An honest to god cowboy hat. Yeehaw?

The in-between | AO3

↝ by @disruptedvice for @amydancepants-peralta

Amy’s thoughts between ‘go back to being colleagues’ to ‘screw light and breezy’

the interrogation room | AO3

↝ by @yaboring-yabasic for @timeforginasopinion

one-shot based loosely on the prompts badly trying to keep a secret, locked in, and kid fic with some peraltiago, dianetti, and the whole squad.

the smell of coffee runs through my veins | AO3

↝ by @elsaclack for @winnietherpooh

five times jake smells like fresh coffee grounds (and one time he doesn’t)

the stars lean in a little closer all because of you

↝ by @peraltasames for @b99peraltiago

baby peraltiago + beach house 2.0

there was a time when a moment like this wouldn’t ever cross my mind | AO3 [E]

↝ by @kamekamelea for @disruptedvice

She looks deeply into his eyes, dark from the desire overwhelming him and whispers straight into his lips in an authoritative tone. “No, Jake. Fuck me with my uniform on.”

THIS BOY WILL BE THE DEATH OF ME | AO3

↝ by @ofbuttsandbombs for @stolethekey

Jake Peralta and Amy Santiago, self- proclaimed 'best detectives of the Nine-Nine’ (and 'of the NYPD’, 'no, USA!’, 'no,the entire freaking world!!’, when they get a little drunk) are handed a routine murder investigation which goes off- track. Will this cause their already fragile relationship to change? The journey from 'Peralta and Santiago’ to 'Jake and Amy.’

time is ticking away (and there are too many things I wanna say) | AO3

↝ by @what-about-gay for @johnnydora

Amy is stressed because she can’t find her soulmate, while Jake couldn’t care less about his soulmate. Time is ticking and they have to find their soulmates, because when the clock is at zero and you haven’t found your soulmate yet, you and your soulmate both die.

Variations on sharing a bed 1/2/3 | AO3 [T to M]

↝ by @disruptedvice for @amydancepants-peralta

Peraltiago drabbles + sharing a bed trope

We Are The Greatest Love Story (The World Had Ever Seen) | AO3

↝ by @cheddar-the-dog for @dancezwithwolvez

the night they meet his life changes forever and he’d never go back to before or how the story of Kevin and Raymond found its start

we could be a beautiful miracle, unbelievable | AO3

↝ by @stolethekey for @johnny-and-dora

Kylie hums, reaching over to unzip the back of Amy’s dress. “Well, whatever you’re not anxious about is going to lose his mind when he sees you in this. Seriously.” “He has a girlfriend,” Amy snaps, shimmying out of the dress and snatching her leggings off the wall. “And this isn’t for him.” - in which Amy throws a New Year's Eve party that subsequently implodes.

we were good at faking forever | AO3

↝ by @johnnydora for @dmigod

David Santiago has super powers. No matter how much effort Amy gives to everything she does, he always manages to beat her tenfold, including obtaining the girlfriend of his parents’ dream. With ten days until her brother Miguel’s wedding and no date, Amy has no choice but to convince the next person she sees to fall madly in love with her.

we were wild and fluorescent, come home to my heart | AO3

↝ by @santiagoswagger for @benwvatt

Desperate to find a last minute gift for her mom, Amy stumbles into the only open flower shop in her neighborhood. Unfortunately, the florist is very annoying.

we won’t run (we can fight) | AO3

↝ by @amydancepants-peralta for @chipmunksallshipklefan

“Be careful who you give your midnights to, my darling. Midnights are for talking - for old friends and new; for truth and never for lies. When you’ve only got the stars to illuminate, everything else falls away. Midnights are for confessions.” Her hand falls to Amy’s shoulder, squeezing gently. “They’re for falling in love.” Well that’s just ridiculous. She and Jake were definitely not falling in love. Oh. Medieval AU where the evil King Vulture is ruining Brooklyne. Amy and Jake work together to take him DOWN.

whelp, this might be your view for the next seven years | AO3

↝ by @callginalinetti for @galaxygaydreams

sometimes you get to meet your soulmate twice (basically a new version of how jake and amy meet and fall in love)

When You’re Home

↝ by @397bartonstreet for @peraltasames

jake and amy’s first night back together after the ambulance scene in coral palms pt 3 + fluffy reunion goodness.

where’d you go, david santiago | AO3

↝ by @acanoftrash for @brillliant

when amy’s brother goes missing, she hires private detective jake peralta to find him.

You Already Know | AO3

↝ by @e11evenseggos for @what-about-gay

a one-shot of Gina and Rosa’s wedding ceremony.

you showed me something i can’t live without | AO3

↝ by @amazingsantiago for @dailyb99

Alternative ending to Casecation. Jake is left reeling after Amy’s “start over” comment. Title from ‘I Believe’ by the Jonas Brothers.

#b99 summer 2019 fic exchange #b99fandomevents #summer 2019 fics #b99 fic

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hermitologist · 5 years

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My 20 Favorite Records of 2019

Lists! Everyone loves them. Here’s another one.

These are the records I liked the most this year. That doesn’t mean they’re the *best*, that means I liked them. You might not. That’s fine! You might be livid that Porpoise Corpse’s neo-classical folk prog double LP isn’t on my list because it’s an easy top 5 record for you, but maybe electric mandolin solos, blast beats, and harpsichord runs aren’t my thing. That’s fine too! It’s infinitely cooler and far more productive to let people enjoy the art they enjoy rather than wasting precious minutes of your life trying to convince the entire internet to have the exact same taste in music.

That said ...

This years list is chock full of the usual, if you’re familiar with my taste at all -- tons of super heavy bummer jams, a handful of Radiohead-adjacent mid-tempo rock of the indie or emo variety, some hearty post-rock, some tried-and-true vets doing the thing they do very well ... again, and a few outliers. The honorable mentions list gets considerably more eclectic if you’re looking for stuff that sounds less like a soundtrack to various stages of the apocalypse.

As always, I welcome your suggestions for records and podcasts I might’ve missed the boat on. There’s way too much good stuff out there to keep up with, so PLEASE help me out.

Also: When I am not being a lazy pile of crap, I try to haul my dadbod around town for a run a few days a week and will listen to/briefly review a record in the process. Almost every record on this list has been a part of one of those posts, so if you’re interested in such a thing, please check out my Instagram.

BONUS: I put together a playlist on Spotify of my favorite song from each of my top 20 records, and a separate one for the 51 other records I liked this year, so if you’re overwhelmed and don’t know where to start, just needle drop a little and see if anything grabs you. And if anyone’s feeling productive and has time to do an Apple Music playlist, I’ll link and credit you.

Top 20 Spotify Playlist

Top 20 Apple Music Playlist -- Thanks, Austin!

Other Faves Spotify Playlist

But before we get to the Top 20, a couple of records that deserve a nod ...

Record I Listened To The Most In 2019 Whether I Wanted To Or Not

Angel Du$t - Pretty Buff

This is my four-year-old son’s favorite record, and while I’m trying to round out his musical palate by throwing on all sorts of different bands while we’re hanging out, he insists on either “no music” or “The Basketball Song” (which is “Big Ass Love”). I have no idea how or why his little amazingly weird brain equates the song with basketball (a sport he doesn’t really play or watch or think about ever, to my knowledge), but it does. He LOVES IT. I’ve got to admit, I didn't care for the song all that much when I first heard it, but it’s an earworm, and some 3000 plays later, I love it, and I love the record. Funny how that works out.

Record That Came out in 2009, But I Didn’t Discover Until 2019

Self-Evident - Endings

Endings was neck-and-neck with my favorite record of 2019 for spins this year. Coincidentally, the it was recommended by someone from the band who made my #1 record, and it has moments where it sounds a whole hell of a lot like my #1 record. Blows my mind that a band that was/is so incredibly in my wheelhouse sonically, that has released nine LPs over an 18 year career, and operates in circles incredibly close to a ton of bands I love and respect and nerd out about music with somehow managed to elude me for the better part of two decades. At any rate I’m incredibly stoked to have finally found them, absolutely love them, and honestly might’ve listened to this LP 20 times in a matter of a few days when I got my first taste. It’s that good.

And now for the list ...

20) Remote Viewing - It’s Better This Way

Super nasty, dark, sludgy, well-crafted noise rock out of London that fits somewhere in between KEN Mode and early-Kowloon Walled City sonically. You’d think it was pretty crazy to have a band be so locked in and fully formed as early as LP2, but then you find out they’re ex-members of Palehorse, Million Dead, and I Want You Dead and it all kinda makes sense. Unfortunately, the song on the playlist is from a previous LP (because the new one is inexplicably not on Spotify), but you can and should get the new record on Bandcamp.

19) From Indian Lakes - Dimly Lit

I’ve been a big fan of FIL for years, but have always been at a bit of a loss when it comes time to describe them. It’s hazy and dreamy, but not quite shoegazey ... it’s insanely infectious and pleasing to the ear, but not really poppy ... it’s forward-thinking and experimental, but not quite art-rock or groggy at all. It’s just excellent. Full stop. If you dig anything from Tycho, to Radiohead, to The Cure, to Slowdive you’ll enjoy this.

18) Stray From The Path - Internal Atomics

Furious, mathy, riff-heavy hardcore from Long Island that sounds like a reformed Rage Against The Machine had spent the past two decades doing steroids, mainlining Red Bull, and studying the finer points of Moshology. The breakdowns are massive, the drumming absolutely mental, and the vocals pissed as hell. At my advanced age, it’s rare that a record makes me want to pit and/or try to deadlift cars, but this one’s got that magic.

17) Glassing - Spotted Horse

Mostly spazzy, occasionally dreamy, black-metal sprinkled post-hardcore that fits in very well with bands like Portrayal Of Guilt and Respire in the rebirth of traditional screamo. It’s fits and starts of chaos and beauty, and it all sounds and feels like it could completely go off the rails at any time which is what made bands like Orchid and Majority Rule and Saetia so great back in the day.

16) La Dispute - Panorama

It’s no secret that I’m a big La Dispute fan (Thrice has toured the US with them twice in the past decade), and I love all of their records, but I’m pretty sure I can say with full confidence that this is the best record they’ve ever made. Everything is firing at peak performance, and the way the record is arranged and sequenced makes it feel more like a film score than a collection of songs. It’s a complete work -- meant to be listened to as such, which is a daunting artistic task, but they pulled it off in grand fashion.

15) Russian Circles - Blood Year

This band has been in the upper echelon of post-rock bands for as long as I can remember, and Blood Year is another incredible addition to their already stellar discography. These guys are all absolute monsters at their given instruments, and one of the best live rock bands on the planet, so getting to hear them do their thing on a record that manages to actually capture that live energy and ambience really does the trick for me.

14) Greet Death - New Hell

This one kinda came outta nowhere for me, as I (ashamedly) was not familiar with them prior to giving New Hell a spin. It blew me away. I’m a total sucker for bummer jams, and this record is full of top-quality sludgy, sad, shoegazey goodness. If you dig Cloakroom, O’ Brother, or Pianos Become The Teeth this is gonna be right up your alley.

13) Sleep Token - Sundowning

Another record that came out of nowhere to knock me on my ass. I downloaded it before a transatlantic flight on a whim (after hearing about 30 seconds of the opening track), hoping that it would be a nice, mellow companion to ease my in-flight anxiety. And it was, but whoa was it so much more than that. It kinda sounds like a collab between Active Child and Deftones -- poppy, melancholic piano ballads, brought to crushing crescendos via super heavy drop-tuned sludge -- which sounds like a mess, but it works so well. It’s a killer record and probably would’ve landed higher on this year’s list if it hadn’t come out so late in the year.

12) Big Thief - UFOF

This one’s a bit of an outlier, and a damn good one at that. I came across UFOF via a friend’s recommendation before the hype train had left the station, and honestly didn’t know what to expect. Said recommendation simply said that it was good and infectious and probably a few other things that I can’t recall, but didn’t mention the folk thing (which is great because I probably would have passed). The friend was right. It’s good (maybe even great), incredibly infectious, and gave me a nice reprieve from the heavy stuff I tend to listen to on the regular.

11) Cave In - Final Transmission

I’m beyond thankful we got any new music from Cave In after Caleb passed. They owed us nothing, and had every right to walk away, but managed to rally to release a killer record that is heavy both sonically and conceptually, and still manages to give me chills despite being live demos recorded in a rehearsal room. There are few bands on the planet who’ve inspired me like Cave In have, and seeing them pull together to grieve and forge ahead to continue to build their legacy is even more inspiring. What a band.

10) Pedro The Lion - Phoenix

My favorite singer/songwriter of my generation decided to revive the project that made me a fan of his in the first place. That project put out a record for the first time in 15 years, and I had unreasonably high expectations for it. Phoenix delivered and then some. I remember sitting at my kitchen table, weeping into my cup of coffee the first time I heard Phoenix, the same way Control used to make it seem like the inside of the Thrice van was getting a little dusty during cross-country drives back in the early 00s. It blows my mind that David Bazan can be such a prolific artist, write such insanely powerful music, and seem incapable of writing a dud song.

9) Coilguns - Watchwinders

This Swiss noise-rock band kicks unbelievable amounts of ass. Their Millenials LP made my favorites list last year, and when I heard they had a follow up coming out a little over a year later, my gut reaction was to worry they’d blow it with a new record that was either rushed and/or half-assed, or lose the plot and take a hard left turn and make something markedly un-Coilguns. They did neither. The made an absolute monster of an album, that was apparently written in the studio, and is full of live energy in rawness that is pretty tough to capture in a sterile atmosphere like a studio. Watchwinders dropped in late October, and if I’d had a bit more time with it, I could see it moving up to my Top 5. It’s that good. I find myself going back to it constantly.

8) Blessed - Salt

This record kinda defies description, but it reminds me of everything from Pile to Menomena to Interpol to La Dispute to Devo at times. As scatterbrained and incongruent as that might sound, I assure you it rules. It was in verrrry heavy rotation this year -- mostly for the utterly filthy drum groove on the final track. If you like your music catchy, but slathered in weird, this is definitely gonna do the thing for you. It’s an incredible record.

7) Herod - Sombre Dessein

I hadn’t heard of this band before they popped up on a Spotify playlist early this year, and when “Reckoning” hit, it absolutely flattened me. You know that nuclear apocalypse scene from Terminator 2? That’s what “Reckoning” did to me. It was undoubtedly my favorite ultra-heavy track of the year, and while it’s my favorite song on the record by a pretty large margin, the rest of Sombre Dessein kicks ass too. It’s 42 minutes of crushing heaviness that kinda sounds like a blend of Cult Of Luna, Meshuggah, and Gojira. Heavy. Pissed. Unrelenting. And Outstanding.

6) Pile - Green & Grey

Every time I try to describe Pile to someone I fail. On Wikipedia they’re described as “indie rock”, which ... sure, I suppose? There’s a little post-punk in there, a little post-rock, a little noise-rock, nods to classic rock (maybe?), a little of that southern magic that made Colour Revolt so great (but Pile’s from Boston so hmm ... ), some country even? Do you like weird guitars? Freakish musicians? Melancholic crooning? I dunno. It’s all over the place, but in the best ways possible. They’re a singular band, and so damn good. Green & Grey is stellar addition to a discography that is already full of incredible music ... even if the album cover gives makes me want to fold those blankets and put them away.

5) PUP - Morbid Stuff

Was this the year that PUP broke? Definitely seems like it, and rightfully so. Morbid Stuff is my favorite thing they’ve ever done, but I’ve absolutely loved everything they’ve ever put out, so that’s saying a lot. Per usual, it’s insanely infectious and anthemic without being traditionally poppy or relying on tropes to burrow into your skull and take up residence there. It’s uplifting musically, but kinda depressing lyrically, which does this weird push/pull thing in my brain that makes it impossible to stop listening to. The musicianship is fantastic, the guitar parts especially -- like the guitar line in “Scorpion Hill” wow. I really needed a record to fill the gaping void between the metal/sludge/noise and the ambient/downtempo electronica I listened to this year, and Morbid Stuff fit the bill perfectly.

4) Cult Of Luna - A Dawn To Fear

These guys belong on the Mount Rushmore of Post-Rock/Metal with Neurosis and Isis. Nobody has done it better than them over the past two decades, and A Dawn To Fear is arguably their best work to date. It, like any Cult Of Luna requires a great deal of patience, but man if they don’t make the wait worth it. They’re the masters of the slow build to an absolutely crushing climax, the dynamic shifts that leave you feeling like you got hit by a freight train, the nuanced instrumentation that tells a different story each time you listen to a certain section of a song. They’re absolute masters at their craft, and this record is them at their peak.

3) Big|Brave - A Gaze Among Them

Another record that came out of nowhere to completely floor me. I hadn’t heard a single note from this band until a friend recommended I check out the opening track, “Muted Shifting Of Space”. I did ... and that plodding drum and bass pulse with dark, swirling, ethereal guitar swells/feedback and soaring vocals building into a huge release of sludgy, drop-tuned goodness checked off all the boxes for me. I was hooked. The atmosphere and dynamics Big|Brave have built their sound around give every song a cinematic feel -- if you close your eyes, can you see drone footage of landscapes too? . If you dig post-rock/metal that is experimental around the edges, moody, absurdly heavy, and has both feet firmly planted in sludge, this is a must-have record.

2) Cloudkicker - Unending

If you’ve been following me on social media or reading these year-end lists for a while you’re probably pretty familiar with Cloudkicker by now because any time we get new music I can’t shut up about it and the record invariably ends up on this list. This instance is no different. Unending is the first LP we’ve gotten from Ben Sharp in four years, and it’s worth the wait and then some. He’s managed to pull from every era of CK and turn it into a masterpiece mash-up of styles without it ever feeling rehashed or uninspired. I’d go far as to say this tops Beacons and Fade for me, and comes awfully close to challenging Subsume for my favorite Cloudkicker record of all time and space. There’s soooo much progressive and djenty masturbatory metal garbage floating in the ether right now. Hearing the one of the kings do the damn thing properly is incredibly refreshing.

1) Town Portal - Of Violence

No surprise here. I’ve been crapping my pants about this band ever since my good friend Scott Evans shared their music with me a couple years ago. I’ve been unhealthily obsessed ever since. The magical progressive rock/metal these three guys are capable melts and massages my brain in a way few bands ever have. Of Violence is incredibly mathy without ever feeling awkward, it’s melodic without being conventional, it’s discordant without being abrasive, it’s heavy as shit without being overloaded with distortion, it’s progressive as hell without ever coming remotely close to devolving into a wankfest, and it’s damn near perfect in every way. Songwriting? Great. Tones? Phenomenal. Musicianship? Otherworldly. Execution? Flawless. Mix? Perfect. Replayability? (Not a word, but ... ) PUT THIS RECORD ON A GODDAMN LOOP AND NEVER TURN IT OFF. Can you tell I like it? You might too, so give it a listen. And if by chance you do not like it, please see a doctor. You’re broken.

OTHER STUFF I REALLY ENJOYED THIS YEAR

HEAVY JAMS

METZ - Automat

Buildings - Negative Sound

Helms Alee - Noctiluca

Minors - Abject Bodies

Periphery - Periphery 4: HAIL STAN

Employed To Serve - Eternal Forward Motion

Elizabeth Colour Wheel - Nocero

Defeater - S/T

Pelican - Nighttime Stories

Spotlights - Love And Decay

Great Falls - A Sense of Rest

Baroness - Gold & Grey

The End of the Ocean - -aire

Vous Autres - Champ du Sang

Brutus - Nest

Torche - Admission

Glose - The Second Best of Glose

Throes - In The Hands of an Angry God

Slipknot - We Are Not Your Kind

meth. - Mother of Red Light

SECT - Blood of the Beasts

Kublai Khan TX - Absolute

Seizures - Reverie of the Revolving Diamond

Dead Kiwis - Systematic Home Run

Norma Jean - All Hail

Refused - War Music

Chamber - Ripping / Pulling / Tearing

MIDRANGE JAMS

Jimmy Eat World - Surviving

Elbow - Giants of All Sizes

Raketkanon - RKTKN #3

Bad Religion - Age of Unreason

The Appleseed Cast - The Fleeting Light of Impermanence

DIIV - Deceiver

Idiot Pilot - Blue Blood

Microwave - Death Is A Warm Blanket

Low Dose - S/T

SWMRS - Berkeley’s On Fire

Self-Evident - Lost Inside The Machinery

B. Hamilton - Nothing and Nowhere

MELLOW JAMS

Trade Wind - Certain Freedoms

Square Peg Round Hole - Branches

Great Grandpa - Four of Arrows

Local Natives - Violet Street

Rhone - Leaving State

Shlohmo - The End

Tycho - Weather

Bon Iver - i,i

Drowse - Light Mirror

Bonniesongs - Energetic Mind

Telefon Tel Aviv - Dreams Are Not Enough

GoGo Penguin - Ocean In A Drop

Bent Knee - You Know What They Mean

THE PODCAST QUEUE

The Deadcast (RIP) - sports, culture

Chapo Trap House - politics

The Rich Roll Podcast - health, wellness, endurance sports

Hang Up & Listen - sports

Effectively Wild - baseball

The Gist - current events

The Downbeat - drums, humor

To Live & Die In LA - true crime

FilmDrunk Frotcast - movies, culture, humor

The Modern Drummer Podcast with Mike & Mike - drums (duh)

The Trap Set - also drums

Song Exploder - songwriting

#music #AOTY #endoftheyearlist #topalbums

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zerolympiustrife · 5 years

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Favorite video games of all time?

Get ready for a LONG post, folks! However…allow me to break this down to my three favorite video game genres: Fighting games, RPGs/JRPGs, and Platformers/Action Platformers (both 2D and 3D). However! Since I feel like these posts are gonna take MUCH longer than I thought it would, I’m just gonna divide the genres into separate posts. But for now, let’s stick with the…

FIGHTING GAMES!:

Dragon Ball FighterZ: My number one favorite (traditional) fighting game of all time. My favorite ArcSys game of all time. My favorite Dragon Ball game of all time. This game is the reason how I got into the Dragon Ball franchise back when I’ve had to little to NO interest in the franchise, even when I’ve watched the ENTIRE Namek saga from the original anime back in 2009. The game’s GORGEOUS art style, every character animation’s (such as specials, supers, intros, victory poses, and ESPECIALLY the Dramatic Finishes) faithfulness to the original manga AND anime of Dragon Ball Z and other DB properties (such as GT and Super), the AWESOME soundtrack (courtesy of ArcSys theirselves, who’re known for awesome music in their games), the 3v3 gameplay, the character roster (though I’ll admit that having five Gokus and Three Vegetas is rather silly), having a new character design by DB creator Akira Toriyama himself, and lastly, being a breath of fresh air to those new to the fighting game genre (since the genre itself is notorious for its high learning curves) AND to Dragon Ball fans who were sick and tired of having the story of DBZ recapped over and over and over AND OVER AGAIN is a fucking sight to behold. This game FUCKING RULES (and a million times better than MvC:I). However, I wouldn’t call it perfect. I’ll admit that the Story Mode is rather lackluster, Arcade Mode is rather lacking, the Shop is completely randomized, and the Online Mode, much like every other fighting game, suffers from lag, spammable players, or just outright ragequitters. That, and the fact that, unlike MvC3 and BB:CTB, every character assist only sticks to ONE attack (meaning that more than one character is gonna have a Kamehameha assist), and that MOST PLAYERS you’re gonna run into is gonna main the likes of Cell (who ENJOYS dragging out combos for as long as possible), Adult Gohan (like Cell, also drags out long combos), and Vegeta (Super Saiyan, because of his assist. Need I say more?). But aside from those flaws, it is hands down the BEST fighting game I’ve ever played, next to…well, below.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: My number one favorite (unique) fighting game of all time. My favorite Nintendo game of all time. Series creator Masahiro Sakurai is a man that I’d like to describe as…well, not only doing the impossible and HIGHLY respected, but also putting those filthy naysayers about certain characters in their place. The fact that the whole point of Smash Ultimate was to include EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER FROM SMASH 64 TO SMASH 4 (Wii U and 3DS), INCLUDING EVERY THIRD-PARTY CHARACTERS DESPITE THE LICENSING AND DEVELOPMENT ISSUES THIS WOULD CAUSE is another sight to behold. FUCK Melee, THIS is hands-down the best Smash game of all time! The inclusion of Spirits, the Adventure Mode, the Boss battles, the gameplay, the kind of chicanery you can pull, the game’s main theme “Lifelight”, the roster, the soundtrack…there’s just ALOT about this game that I just fucking adore. What can you make folks more hyped about this game? Oh, I don’t know…why not shock everybody with JOKER (from Persona 5) AND BANJO & KAZOOIE (who’s still owned by Microsoft) being in the game. What I love about Smash Bros is how Sakurai is just outright defies those say certain characters can’t appear in the series for silliest (or justifiable) reasons. Cloud can’t be in Smash because his game was never released on a Nintendo console until 2019? No problem! Ridley’s too big therefore he can’t be playable? Fuck that! Banjo & Kazooie can’t be in Smash because they’re owned by Microsoft of the Xbox brand? It’s fine! Why? “Because I AM HERE!” -Banjo (JK, but seriously, the fact that Banjo’s in was quite a surprise.) Smash 4 is the reason how I got into Final Fantasy VII, and I hold the entire Smash series in high regard for doing so. Goddamn, do I love this franchise! But! Again, it’s not perfect. The Online Mode is MUCH worse than DBFighterZ (to the point where you’re more than likely to end up in a battle with Items TURNED ON or stages with distracting hazards, OR end up fighting the SAME fucking characters I hate fighting against, such as Little Mac, Falco, Inkling, Incineroar, etc.), and that fighting against EVERY single spirit in the Adventure Mode to get 100% can get rather tiring (not to mention that you gotta get BOTH bad endings from fighting Galeem solo AND Dharkon solo), lack of additional content upon release (Stage Builder and Home-Run Content weren’t even implemented into the game at first), and lastly (although these two complaints are one of more personal matter and one towards Square Enix), the fact Zero from Mega Man X, my favorite video game character is ASSIST character instead of a playable was really heartbreaking to see (but hey, I’m not complaining TOO much since I enjoy interacting with him in my free time in Training), and lastly, the fact that Cloud, and to high extent, Final Fantasy VII AND the FF franchise as a whole has LITTLE TO NO representation in this game whatsoever (again, I feel like this was more of SE’s fault than Sakurai’s). No spirits, no “Fighter Spirit” artwork from the original FFVII, no Assist characters, not being dubbed in English AGAIN (though this was more of a contract issue with SE), no additional music on Midgar, NOTHING. But, nonetheless…this game is fucking awesome.

Blazblue: Cross Tag Battle: Ahahahahaha! Ah…Oh, Blazblue…I love this franchise oh-so much, but the fact that it hasn’t received the same treatment as Guilty Gear lately (not to mention the mainstream Blazblue games, aka the C-series, has pretty much came to an end) is a rather sad sight to see…depression aside, I love Blazblue. I REALLY do! I love the characters, I love the stages, I love the music, the story is confusing as FUCK, but it’s a fighting game franchise I’ve discovered WAY back 2012 and I still love to this day, even more so than Guilty Gear (don’t @ me). So…what to do now? Could there perhaps be another Blazblue game? A game that just so happens to be a crossover? One just as awesome as Smash Bros? Ooh! How about…PERSONA 4?!? UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH?!? A FRANCHISE THAT, LIKE DRAGON BALL AND FFVII, I’VE HAD NO INTEREST IN UP UNTIL 2018 (aka RWBY)?!? AAAAAAAAAAAAAA- Fangasm aside, the fact that this game even EXISTS is an achievement in its own right. As stated before, this game is the reason how I got into RWBY. What I really love and adore about the game are the interactions among the characters. That, and I was SO HAPPY to hear that the game would be dubbed in English, after GG:Xrd Revelator and BB: Central Fiction lacked a dub. I was not only excited to hear the likes of Ragna, Noel, and Hazama voiced in English again, but I was also happy to hear that any characters who’ve never been dubbed in English in the past (characters from UNIB, newcomers in BB:CF, etc.) would be dubbed in English as well. Hell, the fact that the characters from both Blazblue AND Persona 4 (two franchises/games I really love) being in the EXACT same game together was enough to make me be all like “Shut up, and take my money!”, considering how crazy excited I was in the past to see them interacting with one another via fanart and fanfiction (thanks to the Persona 4 Arena games being developed by ArcSys). And if you thought having only THOSE four franchises in the game was enough, you’d be wrong! Here’s Arcana Heart! Here’s Senran Kagura! Here’s a FIFTH character from RWBY: Neo Politan! This game, much like DBFZ and Smash Ultimate, is awesome. However, complaints I do have towards the game are the Online Mode (although the chibi interactions are cute and adorable and I will praise the Online Mode for that, and ONLY THAT), Gordeau from UNIB is still a problem, the rest of the half of the roster is entirely DLC, lack of additional content upon release, the control scheme is WAY too simplistic (even moreso than DBFZ), and lastly, while I love the sprites ArcSys did for RWBY, the reused sprites from Blazblue, Persona 4 Arena, and UNIB is also a complaint I have (but a minor one, mind you. They could’ve just easily redone the sprites specifically for this game, but…no). And while this game isn’t exactly in my top two favorite fighting games, it’s definitely in my top THREE. Also, I have yet to actually to play the Story Mode of this game, but I haven’t yet, therefore, I hold no opinion on the story as of currently. Marvel vs Capcom-styled traditional fighting games are hands-down, my go-to preference for traditional fighters.

Dissidia (and Dissidia 012): Final Fantasy: Forget Dissidia NT, THIS game (mostly Dissidia 012) is what an awesome 3D Action Fighting game is about! Much like how Smash Ultimate’s a unique fighting game (a Platform Fighter), this game is also a unique type of fighting game, possessing RPG elements and just having a blast with its awesome combat system. Cloud and Sephiroth were just so much fun to play as, with Terra, Squall, and WoL being my other favorite characters in this awesome game. This game is also essentially a HUGE homage to Final Fantasy as whole. From the ongoing conflicts between Cosmos and Chaos, to MULTIPLE references to the character’s original games, to additional modes that involve unlocking the likes of Gilgamesh from FFV, or fighting against the most frustrating secret final boss I’ve ever had the displeasure of fighting against (Feral Chaos), these games are awesome! Also, the reason why I’m addressing both games as a single installment here is because technically, while Dissidia 012 IS a prequel, it pretty has the same content (no, scratch that, MORE content) from the first Dissidia game and it’s pretty much an updated…well, not a “port”, per say, more like an enhanced re-release, much like Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 or any of the Blazblue EXTEND re-releases. However, complaints I have for Dissidia is that certain characters are annoying to fight against (such as Jecht, FUCK that character), the RPG system takes a while to build up until your favorite characters are FINALLY at Level 100, trying to get the rarest Equipment is rather difficult, and lastly, the action commands for certain character’s EX Bursts can be retooled for the sake of a proper fighting game, but then again, Dissidia ain’t a “traditional” fighting game. But aside from that, not only is this my favorite Action RPG/Fighting game of all time, but this is also my favorite Final Fantasy Spin-Off of all time.

Tatsunoko vs Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars: What’s that? You were expecting a Marvel vs Capcom game to be on this list, let alone my top 5? Too bad! It’s Tatsunoko, baby! This one definitely holds a spot in my heart as this game stands as my number one favorite “Capcom vs Whatever” game of all time (yes, even moreso than Marvel vs Capcom itself OR any of the SNK vs Capcom games, don’t @ me). I love this game. I love its soundtrack (ESPECIALLY its main theme, “Across the Border”), I love the roster (despite being small), I love the final boss of the Arcade Mode (Yami, from Capcom’s Okami), and I love the gameplay. My complaints goes towards the lack of additional content outside of Arcade and the Gallery (although the top-down shooter minigame is rather fun), and, as stated before, small roster. But other than that, this game was really fun to play.

OTHER FAVORITE FIGHTING GAMES:

Sonic Battle, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, SvC: Chaos, and Blazblue: Chrono Phantasma.

Coming up next: My favorite RPGs/JPRGs!

#fighting games #dragon ball fighterz #super smash bros ultimate #blazblue cross tag battle #dissidia final fantasy #tatsunoko vs capcom

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matthillica · 5 years

Text

Pandemic - Day 10

Luckily, we dodged a bullet on Wednesday and didn’t wind up going to the ER. I think the threat of an ER visit during a pandemic put the fear of god in my wife and mother in law. They strictly monitored her fluid intake the rest of the day, which made a huge difference in how she felt. I’m sure the extra dose of cortisol the doctor recommended is helping too. Her energy levels have been right back at normal levels the last two days. That fact alone has done a lot to lift my spirits.

We try to continue our daily routines as much as possible. Work continues for both of us and, luckily, I think we’re in industries and businesses that might just be able to support us through the duration of this thing if it doesn’t go on too long. If all this is over and we can resume our normal lives by July or August, I’ll be surprised... sadly, I think very few of us are prepared for how long this will actually go on in the US.

Working from home has been a challenge, especially with a 2 year old, but we’re trying to get all our work done while remaining flexible. People seem to understand... lots of little voices interrupting conference calls these days. Work stress has been oddly increased as we struggle to keep up with the additional strain Covid-19 has put on the business. There’s also a sense that we’re just lucky to have jobs, so we better make the most of it and be very visible to upper management. We try to maintain some normalcy and keep pushing projects through as much as possible. It all feels a bit like polishing the brass on the Titanic. As I’m having a call about where we should move buttons on a landing page, I’m also trying to convince my wife via text to not let her parents go to the grocery store; that we should do it for them. The abstract has become reality and vice versa. It feels so unimportant and futile to be talking about web page changes during the apocalypse.

To say pandemic is a completely weird and surreal experience is total understatement, but there ya go. Life has been ripped right from the pages of a Stephen King book. I know we’re all going through the same thing at the same time, too. Everyone on Earth is experiencing this, but we have to be isolated as we do it. During these catastrophic events, our instinct is to gather in groups to kind of group process them. After 9/11, I spent so much time in bars with friends or random strangers just trying to understand what’s happening, drowning sorrows. Stories are shared about what we’re hearing, maybe someone had a friend or family member with direct experience... it’s catharsis. And it’s something we don’t have right now. Sure we’re all connected on the internet or Facebook (for now), but that face-to-face group therapy option isn’t here for us. Each of us are processing this on our own, through our own filters, and with whomever we’ve decided to hunker down with for the next week to six months.

Our family has put ourselves on as much of a lockdown as possible. I’ve stockpiled enough groceries to keep the three of us and Laura’s folks fed for at least a few weeks if not an entire month or longer. For about two weeks now, Laura and her parents have quietly (sometimes not so quietly) wondered if I was going overboard. To be honest, I wondered that myself. I’m not worried that the stores will run out of food or supplies, even though I still think that’s a very real possibility. I’m more concerned with the threat of infection. We absolutely cannot afford for this virus to come into our house... the fewer trips we take to the store as a family, the lower our chances of bringing it home will be. That’s what I’m hanging my hat on, at least.

Yesterday when Laura went to her parents house with Caroline, I sent her with a cooler that had frozen chicken, frozen ham, some canned goods and a few boxes of dried goods. Her dad is 80 and if I can at all avoid it, I want to keep him out of grocery stores. He does all the cooking at their house. They are accustomed to not keeping much in their pantry or fridge and he usually takes daily trips to the store for whatever they’re going to eat for dinner. This virus they were shrugging off just a few days ago has suddenly come into focus for them. Laura said her Dad said to her yesterday, “You know... I’m starting to think I’m one of the at risk people they’re talking about.” Uh... that’s what I’ve been trying to tell you guys, man! The media hype gets less “liberal spin” to them by the minute now. I think seeing that cooler roll into their house yesterday and coming to grips with what it implied made everyone a little sad and afraid for what lies ahead.

But you really can’t spend too much time wallowing on that train of thought, am I right? I keep having to remind myself that these stories are unfolding in so many households right now... my neighbors and friend are all going through shades of the same thing I am. Hell, the entire world is. It is crazy and I hope it gives Americans some empathy for one another as we try to pull through this.

I’ve been taking walks outside as much as possible. I try to go once a day if I can. Before this all hit, I’d been dieting pretty hardcore. I’m doing my best to keep up with it and taking walks has kept a thread of my world’s normalcy intact. Still, walks are not entirely unchanged either. Passing people on the sidewalks, I try to hold my breath for fear of walking through a cloud of exhaled breath... I mean, how ridiculous is that sentence? Can anyone imagine having read that 3 weeks ago? I see the other people doing the same mental math as me as we approach and get ready to cross paths. Yesterday, a couple walking their dogs left the sidewalk completely and were just walking down the center of the street on the double yellow line as we passed one another. “Good morning,” he said. We locked eyes and nodded, then passed, dogs straining at the ends of their leashes trying to say hello to me. You can see the fear in people’s faces. You can see that they really want to talk about all this, but you know... what is there to say? Besides, a conversation would put us all at risk... and in some ways, we’ve just said everything there is to be said. “Morning. Stay safe.” is all I could muster in reply.

It’s enough to make you cry contemplating those moments, and I have. Several times. Certain things just hit me sometimes and let all the fear, sadness, stress, and uncertainty rush in, completely overwhelming me. I made a mistake at work yesterday and was being chastised for it over chat by several people and finally was just like... “Guys... I’m sorry, but I’m still new here and it’s been a super shitty week.” and then I broke down. I think they understand. Silver lining is that working from home is great if you need to have a mini breakdown.

I also cried watching Jimmy Fallon do his monologue from his house on Tuesday night. There wasn’t anything particularly sad about the monologue itself. It was funny, in fact. But again, reality just comes crashing in when you’re watching one of the most famous people on earth attempt to keep his late night show running from an iPhone video with no audience and his kids running around all over the place. You suddenly realize how fragile everything is. It comes rushing in all at once... you see that this is what it’s come to, that this is us struggling to stay alive and healthy, that this is America doing its best to put on a brave face in a time when no one can tell us how long this is going to last or what shape our country will be in when it’s all over. It’s all just so terrifying. I’m anticipating many moments like this over the coming months.

Today is Saturday. This means I’ll be watching Frozen for the 4,745th time. I really don’t care, though. My daughter is happy and healthy and threw a tantrum this morning because she wanted water out of her animal cup, not the orange one I’d already gotten ready for her. it’s comforting to know that certain things continue even with the world falling apart.

#pandemic

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xpwewarchive · 4 years

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XPWEW Friday Night Pyro (4-3-2020)

Friday Night Pyro #420 April 3rd, 2020 Los Angeles, CA The Barracks

Opening Segment: Golden Bryce says Blitzkrieg was a success NOW ON TO THE RUMBLE....

Leonard McGraw enters with Ryu McGraw to Bryce: “And I plan on winning that Xtreme Rumble match in just 3 weeks and any piss pants punk in the back can file back cause come April 26th brother I’m coming for ya...

Alveno enters “Who’s to say I don’t have a chance to shock the world”

Leonard to Alveno “You wanna back that up kid”

GT and Bedlam enters “Leo you got more problems considering saving your bollocks. Last Sunday at Blitzkrieg you won that cage match within an inch of your life. You should be more concerned about me

Leonard signals GT “Get your finger out of Ethan’s ass. Cause Garrett I’m fixing to fight you right now c’mon son take your best shot”

GT to Leonard “Perhaps later”

Bryce “Perhaps you take your best shot against me. Because Garrett you know in this business and lately you’ve been beating around the bush with Leonard McGraw so I say this in this locker room you either act tough or talk tough and you a pussy

OHHHHHHHHHHHH SHITTTTTTT

Mandy Leon consort promo “The roaring 20’s-esq promo”

1 on 1 Non-Title / Exhibition Match M1: Golden Bryce defeats Garrett Thompson w/ Bedlam

Bedlam interference consistently but smarty Bryce avoids many of his antics. Referee Kevin Madrox officiates it well and doesn’t completely blind himself like the typical ref spot. He continuously is catching Bedlam off guard before he does heelish tactics. GT is able to get upper hand on Bryce for a long time so much so that commentary points out “Garrett Thompson a former Lockdown main event himself. Main evented Lockdown 5 unsuccessfully but despite never being a world champion GT has always remained IN THE HUNT. And a win over Bryce tonight can put him in that position; potentially in 3 weeks at the Rumble” Finish: GT is setting up Bryce for the Wasteland. But in the follow-through of the maneuver Bryce is able to cradle GT in for a crucifix roll-up for the 1-2-3 Bryce defeats Garrett Thompson After the match GT Irate calls for a “2” towards the ref. Bryce hits the 6 rings on him for good measure. And just like that the world champion is on nothing but a positive momentum swing as we treach toward the rumble.

After the match Leonard McGraw runs down to the ring and “gets a piece of GT’s ass” Bedlam tried to evade him but Leonard tosses Bedlam right over the top rope to the outside and then Lou Thez press on GT, punches him and then GT rolls out the ring. McGraw then all hype backs up into Bryce’s chest and turns around quick and fake him out with a Buckshot clothesline ONLY a fakie. Bryce DID NOT flinch and McGraw nods his head up and down then points up 3 fingers as to signal just 3 more Pyro’s until the Rumble. Then he points up at the Lockdown 7 sign.

Camera follows Bryce from the ring, up the ramp and even behind the curtain.

The Set is chilling right behind the curtain smoking weed “as ya do” Ruckus, Jordan Oliver, Myron Reed, Kotto Brazil, Siaka Lexoni & Chrissy Rivera Jordan Oliver to Bryce: Hah! Nice roll up champ. Bryce: It wasn’t pretty but it was a win Jordan: Yeah it was a win but c’mon I’m undefeated. You’ve lost a couple bucko. 2020 is the year of The Set. 2020 is my year. And in just 3 weeks I’m gonna throw out all those clowns and I’m gonna unify our titles pimp Myron & Kotto: laughing Ruckus: gets up from chair and looks Bryce up and down** psssk let’s get outta here Bryce: What? Ruckus: looks Bryce up and down again Bryce: What’s wrong Ruckus? If you don’t talk, I’ll talk to this talkative punk Jordan Oliver: Me? Bryce: Yeah..I don’t have the authority to unify titles. I certainly wouldn’t classify myself a “Junior”weight. So how bout this junior, take on the heavyweight. Champion. And we’ll see how long your solid that undefeated streak of yours is. Jordan Oliver: You want me? Your own. I just think it’s a bad marketing move to do the Lockdown main event next week but that’s cool. You and me. 1 on 1. Juniorweight champ vs Heavyweight champ. Bryce: And by the way “The Set” your welcome to be at ringside to play cheerleader for Jordan. Just know that if you step in my ring during the match. As soon as I see some ass I’m kicking it. Get it. (Looks at Myron) Got it. (Looks at Kotto) Good. (Looks at Ruckus)

Bryce walks off The Set stares at him walking off (((Clustered talking))) “Fuck that nigga” “Lame ass Busta” “Green Bryce lookin ass”

M2: Tag Team Action! Myron Reed & Kotto Brazil w/ Jordan Oliver defeat 3M3 (wearing 3M protective facemasks)

(((Ruckus and Lexoni on commentary put over Myron, Kotto & Jordan)))

Backstage: Amy Lee knocking on Kiera Hogan’s Dressing Room door. “Are you ready?” Kiera: I can’t open the door... Amy: I’m coming in Kiera: I need help... Amy: Ok I’m coming in (Kiera Hogan is screaming with both hands stuck to her weave not natural hair (not a weave that she typically sports) Amy: are you gonna put your hands down? Kiera: That bitch Priscilla has put glue all over my weave and now I can’t remove it from my hands. Amy: our match is next we gotta go Kiera: no no no no no I can’t no no no Amy: Oh yeah the title, I’ll hold your belt for you (Amy Lee practically pushing Kiera Hogan down the hallway) Amy: Champion’s don’t take breaks Kiera: that is the un-truest statement ever

Tag Team Action! (Kiera Hogan not in ring gear with hands glued to her head (on apron most of match, can’t tag in)

M3: Prisiclla & Doxy defeat Amy Lee & Kiera Hogan (c)

*comedy match with spots revolving around Kiera Hogan not being able to use her hands since they were glued meticulously by Priscilla when she put on her weave *Priscilla and Doxy have had a barbed-wire massacre match in the past so seeing them team up for once they weren’t very chummy but both have a grudge to settle with Kiera now

Finish: Priscilla hits osteoporosis on Amy Lee for the win and after the match Kiera is able grab her title and scram once she un-glues her hands but her weave is still stuck so she has just a basket use for hands. “I’m gonna finish you once and for all you tramp” *Doxy standing side by side in the ring with Priscilla *Doxy grabs the mic “Prisiclla tonight we were a team but there aren’t women’s tag titles In this promotion. So we are not friends. I’m looking at one thing. My women’s championship. Priscilla: Well I’m looking a two things. A bimbo with her hands glued. And the women that took that title from me. I’m not friends with ANYONE. Bite me

*Backstage: [Pre-Recorded Promo] ((Looks to be inside of a car)) Rosemary and Lotus with Slayer Slayer: 30. 30 dived by half is 15. 15 in 3rds becomes 5. And just like the lotus blossom. You can pluck it away 1 by 1 by 1 by1.........then that petal remains. That petal will always be remembered. In 3 weeks. I am that petal. And my seed is another. I’m not a betting man. But betting odds. Lotus or myself main eventing the biggest event in XPWEW history. I’m just waiting. I don’t have anything to prove.....

In Ring Segment: (((Joe Gacy needs to find a tag team partner worthy of being champion with him since Brodie Croyle is injured His first trial: Soloman Nasty

Tag Team Action! M4: Joe Gacy & “Soloman Nasty” defeat 2 jobber local talents Bully Jaxon & “Mr. Insane Replay”

After the match Joe Gacy gives Soloman Nasty a “thumbs up” Nasty smiles Gacy then gives a “thumbs down” and pounces Nasty Gacy then sets up a table in the ring and presses him through it Joe Gacy: “I guess Soloman Nasty isn’t Plagueground material and isn’t worthy of being my tag team champion partner” *lifts Soloman Nasty up and slams the microphone on his head! EMTs didn’t even bother helping the jobber Soloman Nasty tonight here folks

Main Event! 3 Way Match (first fall wins) Leonard McGraw defeats All Man & Slayer

Finish occurs when Slayer gets thrown to the outside. All Man is getting momentum he’s going crazy shaking the ropes but off the ropes on the other side of the ring BOOM! TEXTBOOK TITAN TRON LEVEL Leonard annihilates All Man with a CLOTHESLINE FROM HELL aka “The Buckshot” Leonard McGraw picks up the WIN by pinning the All Man

IN RING SEGMENT: James Westerbeck: Ladies & Gentlemen for the first time speaking in over 6 months. Troy Clausen

Champagne Clausen enters

Champagne about to speak...

Troy Clausen enters

“Troy: Well, dont look at me like I’m fricken Frankenstein you don’t wanna give me a hug. That’s fine. I don’t want it. 6 months ago I got into the ring for the first time and I got my ass handed to me. And since then that man hasn’t won a match huh huh (Hi Jacques, how ya doing) In those months we’ll we’ve entered a new decade. Kobe Bryant passed away. Terrible. Corona Virus has changed the everyday world, as we know it. Jacques Dudley has a losing streak...Jake Awesome doesn’t even work here anymore. Golden Bryce won a match on PPV. Champagne: I was the World HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION Troy: Yeah well I didn’t see it Champagne: I was Troy: Oh yeah you were, but not the Curtis Clausen I knew. Before you won that title 45 minutes before I was incapacitated. You were different. And then when you seen I was going to make a full recovery I was told you amped my meds? You amped up my dosage? How is that legal? You won that title and you became vindictive, vengeful, hateful, mean, calculating, heartless, relentless and god damned GUTERRRRAL .......Just like me! :) But Curtis you’ll never be evil as me :) You’ll never be as good at bein one VILE SON OF A BITCH LIKE ME! You’ll always be...a Troy. Clausen wannabe. You took me out of the picture because you wanted to be the center of attention well now you got it. You got it. I like it You know why? Cause I would have done the same DAMN THING!!!! But now your times up. Freight Train told me everything. But now I’m awake and I don’t care what title you won, you are a pissant. You couldn’t keep me down! And I love it! I love it! Vindictive! Calculated. Vile. You tried but Damnit son lol I’m just a whole lot better at it Now look at ya You got no title You have no sedated father Where’s all the attention you wanted Well that’s fine cause you’ve paid yourself an ass whooping And this means I got one more chance to beat the fuck outta you Champagne: You won’t Troy: Oh I won’t SLAPS CHAMPAGNE ((Champagne tackles troy and punches him repetitively over and over. ((Troy just Eats all those punches)) Troy laying on mat on his back: You got nothing.. heavily breathing ((Champagne looks under the ring and grabs a Singapore Cane)) Troy: Do it. Do it you Jagaloon Champagne: thwaks .......again.........again....then hits Troy on the back about 6 times (((Champagne goes back to punching Troy on the head over and over until blood is spilled and Troy has a crimson mask just flowing from his forehead (( Champagne un-do’s his tie and leaves the ring )) Troy: You and me...Lockdown Seven Champagne: mouthing since he has no microphone “I’ll be doing the main event” Troy: No heavily breathing I’ll make damn you won’t..... Camera zooms in on a bloody crimson masked smiling Troy Clausen SHOW ENDS

#xpwew #friday night pyro #golden bryce

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beingmad2017-blog · 7 years

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Internet Business Service - 20 Tips For Finding Your Ideal

New Post has been published on https://beingmad.org/internet-business-service/

Internet Business Service - 20 Tips For Finding Your Ideal

There is a perception, created by unscrupulous Internet marketing “Gurus”, that anybody can make a fortune by starting an Internet business. It takes wisdom, experience, patience and persistence to create an income generating Internet business following a solid business plan, just like any other business in the real world. Well, at least for us ordinary folk!

The good news is that being over 50, you have all of these qualities and you can start and maintain a profitable Internet business by enlisting an Internet business service that suits your requirements. Here is how I learned the hard way to find an ideal Internet business service

1. Research

Undoubtedly the backbone of any venture. To become an expert in research read, learn and practice everything a good search engine provides. Stick with a market leader and use all they have to offer and you won’t need anything more. Good search engines offer many excellent and easy to use research services that are not well known as they do not as a rule market their capabilities aggressively. Go to their home page and read everything they have carefully.

2. Stick to what you know

Good Internet marketers try to enlist you in business that “follow the money”. This sounds quite logical as the Internet provides the means to follow booming market niches. But you are over 50. You are an expert in your area, be it in business or a hobby. You can start all over again ( I have encountered several people over 50 that did), but it will take many years to get to your current level of expertise in a new field. Stick to what you know best and use what you have acquired over many years to dominate a market niche in your field.

3. Use Established, Credible, and Accountable Companies

There was a time when I mastered searching to the point that I was totally overwhelmed with information. To cope I decided to work with established, credible companies that have a track record of accountability. Once you have become a good researcher using the research engine of your choice you will find companies that can provide you with services and products suited to your needs. Stick with the ones that meet your needs. Do not be tempted to switch to new companies no matter how good the deal sounds. A good company will adapt.

4. If it is too good to be true, it is

Not much more to say about this tip. Being over 50 has a great advantage that we can spot unrealistic claims a mile off. Beware of the “amazing easy way to…anything” marketing hype.

5. Beware of “silver tongue” marketing

I still fall into this trap. Some marketers are just so good. They know just how to hook you and reel you in. It is actually an amazing example of how you can get almost anybody to part with their money following proven marketing systems. If I follow my first tip above, research, I seldom buy unless it turns out to be of value. Resist the immediate temptation to buy and just do some research. Rather invest the money you would have spent in your future business.

6. Lots of free offerings? Beware!

Free offerings are always attractive. All you have to do is provide a name and email and you get some great free information. But then you have “opted in” to receive endless amounts of e-mail, some tempting marketing, and information overload. I must have about 100 000 free e-books saved I never looked at. But to make sure I do not lose out, I…research, of course. And never miss out on the good stuff.

7. Unobtrusive marketing

A good Internet business service will respect your privacy and provide you with good but low-intensity information dispersed over a period of time. They also leave the decision up to you without pressure and will eventually either check with you if you are still interested or stop the process. I like this approach and research usually shows that these companies are in a class of their own.

8. Two-page web site test

Over the years I have correlated good Internet business offerings with sites that have just two pages I need to read. A good Internet business service provider will reveal all their offerings in detail on their home page including price. The second page is the purchase or buys page. (some sites give the price details here). With a good home page and research to confirm all the information and claims stated, it is easy to make a decision to buy into the service or not.

9. Try then buy and short notice subscription cancellations

A company that has confidence in their product will offer a trial period, usually, 3 months and an opt-out option if the service does not work for you. Some even offer immediate cancellation if you do subscribe and once a company even refunded my advanced payment the same day. Money back guarantees are not as good as they sound as its a well-known marketing tactic because people do not bother to claim back their money in the short time the guarantee is available.

10. Solid track record

It takes a time to build a good service on the Internet and of all the tips, this is perhaps the best measure of a companies worth. The Internet service companies I deal with most of the time has been active in their market at least 8 to 10 years.

11. Good reviews

Good reviews are helpful, but be aware that a lot of companies write their own reviews and their customers also will write glowing reviews to promote their own business as they are coupled to these companies. I have found good and well known neutral sites that write balanced reviews very helpful.

12. Structured, in-depth training courses

As an over 50 web entrepreneur, I have a hard time keeping up in my area of my expertise, let alone trying to keep up with the ever-changing world of Internet business marketing. My ideal service provider must have easy to use, well-written courses I can follow and practical examples and exercises. Different levels and regular updating of content is also a must for me.

13. Good tools to do the complicated work

An Internet business is driven by statistics. Word counts in articles, use of keywords, a density of keywords, what words or phrases people use to search and many more vital information. Service providers worth their salt have many tools that not only gives you the information you want but also makes recommendations as to what works and what does not.Displaying all relevant information regarding your marketing campaigns in an easy to read format is also essential.

14. Active and helpful forum

If a site has an extensive forum with a lot of active members willing to share their experiences and willing to answer any questions you might have, then you are on to a winner. Lately, I have discovered the very productive means of forum activity and my productivity has improved markedly.

15. Easy to contact

One would think that this is a basic requirement. To my dismay, I have found out the hard way that some companies deliberately make it very difficult to communicate with them, especially if you have account problems. A well known and prominent company I joined on a trial basis have been taking money from my account now for 4 months after cancellation and there is no way I can contact them. Lesson learned.

16. Low-cost entry

Good service providers have lots of satisfied and loyal customers that ensures a good and steady revenue to the company. As result, their prices are very reasonable. Paying out a huge amount of money upfront is always a risk and puts one under pressure to get up and running fast, not an option if you want a stable profitable company that will serve your needs for the long term.

17. Read the fine print

Everybody knows they should, but nobody does. As I have a good grounding in legal matters, I always read the fine print and a lot can be learned about a company in doing so. In any case, I have found that the good companies have good, understandable and uncomplicated terms and agreements.

18. Ask Questions

I ask my questions on formal business social sites. The best ones to join do ask a small monthly fee but it’s an investment. I have also found sites that provide you with an expert who quotes you for answering your questions and it was not only reasonably priced, but the answers were just what I needed

19. Trust your instincts

If you have read this far, you must be over 50! Only those over 50 still value the fact that good information cannot be conveyed in a few sentences, right? And at 50 and over one does have the advantage of good instincts. Use them. Listen to them. You will be more often correct following your instincts than not.

20. Are you in control?

The final test. After you have done your homework the final test is to make sure that your service provides you with the means to be in control of everything you want to be. By using the above methods I have finally found the ideal service partners I need to start building a lasting and profitable Internet business. It’s exciting and now I am confident that I will make it. I wish you the same.

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