#alex Agro

[shizucheese]

Hey guys, we need to talk. Because a certain little something in TMAGP 8 is causing what is genuinely the most toxic part of the Magpod fandom at large to once again rear its ugly head. So let's talk about podcast character appearance head canons, shall we?

I'm tagging this with the Magnus Archives, TMA and Magpod tags because I am absolutely calling all of you out, but if you don't want spoilers for The Magnus Protocol episode 8 then stop reading right now.

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. Okay, so, Gerry exists in the TMAGP universe. He's happy (or at least acts cheerful). And some people have headcanoned this to mean that he is no longer goth, or at the very least isn't dying his hair black with bad box color. And other people have decided to get seriously agro over this. I have literally seen with my very own eyeballs someone call "un-gothing" Gerry a "hate crime" and calling the person they were talking to "gothphobic."

Let me make this absolutely clear for all of you: podcasts are a purely audio medium and unless a physical trait of theirs is explicitely stated, everyone's headcanon for how a character appears is valid. Goth TMAGP Gerry is valid. But also

Rainbow Goth TMAGP Gerry is valid. Pastel Goth TMAGP Gerry is valid.

Not Goth At All TMAGP Gerry is valid.

Bald Gerry who has actually gotten his brain cancer diagnosed in time and is getting treated for it is valid. Somebody's headcanon of a character that has no canonical description to them, or whose headcanon matches the few crumbs of canonical description we have but otherwise doesn't look the way you imagine them to, is not going to take away from your own headcanon of what a character looks like. If someone imagining or drawing a character looking a different way from how you imagine them looking somehow takes away from your enjoyment of the fandom or otherwise makes you feel like you need to barge in and tell them that they're Wrong and need to conform to your headcanon or else, that is a reflection on you, not them.

And this problem way predates TMAGP, let alone TMAGP 8. The only description we have of John is that he is in his early 30's and has prematurely greying hair.

If someone thinks he looks like the pastiest motherfucker to ever dwell in a basement, an extra-in-the-Adam's Family or Tim Burtan protagonist of a man, let them.

What's that? You want to tell them that John is BROWN and if they don't headcanon him looking that way they're WRONG and RACIST? Back away from the keyboard and go outside.

(Ironically, as someone who started getting grey hairs in my hair in my 20's myself, I'm pretty sure everyone's headcanon of John, with tiny little whisps of grey in his hair, is wrong, because if he was so grey that people were surprised to learn he was "a child of the 90's," he was probably full on salt-and-pepper when he was in his 20's.)

The only description we have for Martin is that he (man who canonically has the self esteem of a used doormat) describes himself as "not the smallest guy", Not-Sasha called him "roomy", Melanie is skinner than him, and Jonny said he imagined him as a "bigger guy" who would beat Alex in a physical fight. If someone decides to take this information and conclude that it means he's tall, broad and has muscle, rather than that he's overweight, fucking let them. If your first instinct to this is to run to your keyboard and call them "fatphobic" or otherwise bash them for it, I once again urge you to back away from your keyboard and go outside.

Someone headcanons Basira not wearing a headscarf? We have exactly 0 canonical physical description of her and the people who headcanon her as having one are basing that purely off of her name alone. Fucking let them. Someone headcanons Melanie and/ or Georgie as a skin color you don't agree with or a hairstyle you don't like? Fucking let them. As long as someone's headcanon of a character's description doesn't contradict the few canonical descriptions we have of a character, why do you care? Them having a different headcanon from you doesn't take away your right to imagine the characters looking however you like, anymore than it should take away their right to do the same. Someone headcanoning John as white (or Black, or Asian, or Mixed, or whatever) isn't going to make all of the fanart of John as brown with long hair suddenly disappear, nor the fanfiction describing him as such (although I do often wonder if the opposite is not true; is the fact that John looks the same in so much of the fanart I see on here really because of fandom "consensus", or is it because people are absolutely awful to anyone who draws him Different?). Someone headcanoning Martin as not fat isn't going to make the mountains of fanart of him as a fluffy little marshmallow vanish into the void (although I do remember hearing about someone getting bullied off the internet for daring to draw Martin as not fat). And someone headcanoning Gerry in TMAGP as not being goth isn't going to take away your preciouse goth TMAGP Gerry headcanon. That should be part of the fun of it, shouldn't it? Seeing what different images people have conjured in their heads of these characters we only get to experience with our ears, and celebrating the differences as well as the similarities? Why are we bullying people into conforming to one appearance of a character when no actual canonical appearance of them exists?

[shuuen-no-cimory]

what districts would LIs even be from? or at least which one of them would be from nests?

like I'm pretty sure whitney grew up in backstreets, and with how clueless sydney is i'd almost call them a nest dweller

...on the other hand, we already have the city's Britain...

Crack my fingers and open your eyes. I'm gonna write about this in FULL THROTTLE as I've been thinking abt all this for THE WHOLE MONTHS.

WARNING: some aspect might spoil any of the lore related to both medias That's an interesting question... Personally I do think they all collectively came from District 20 LOL BUT YES, defo Whitney came from Backstreet, District 20 nonetheless. I can already imagine them ever joined Dead Rabbits at some point if they didn't decide to enter any Wing or pursue higher education (as per Vrel ever mentioned how Whitney might wants to be a doctor.) Robin... I personally enjoy the idea of them coming from District 12's Backstreet when Lobcorp. still running as the Wing. Or maybe D22 where Vergilius orphanage is on. Ok no, I'm joking, that's gonna be a bit painful but kinda interesting scenario alright. Other possibility I have in mind is that Robin might be living in District 21's Backstreet, right at the coastal area that's under Middle's control. In this scenario, Bailey themself might be someone involved with The Middle. Probably a Big Brother/Sister. As for Sydney, I could imagine them came from Nest K, or at least Backstreet area in D10 that's under Dieci Association's control. This can play into an interesting scenario of how Sirris (who I could see might be working for K Corp. or any high school in Backstreet 10) met their partner, which I can already see very fitting to be part of Dieci. Oh on the side note, River is defo a Dieci alright. That fist filled with knowledge say it all LOL Kylar... ISTG I can't not imagine him as Edgar Linton HFVJSFVHSD but yes, they might be a rich Backstreet dweller but with family involved/under the protection of/influenced by The Ring. Or hell... What if they're involved with Church of Gears instead. That'll be pretty fun idea to think of... Alex... I can imagine them to be on the well-off side of Backstreet dweller. As District 19 is under S Corp. that run in agro-industry bizz, I might put them here. HOWEVER, seeing how adamant many people wants to leave District 19 (Yi Sang, Blade Lineage), it's a little hard to imagine them staying on District 19 either. Though I might change this once Don's Canto drop, which could possibly take place in either District 20 or District 19. As of now, I can think they might be coming from Backstreet T, probably on the same area where The League of Nine used to live on. ... Which then also make Remy possibly a D19 dwellers as well! However, I can see them as one that's backed out by syndicates instead. A big shot one, that is. Move on to Avery. Definitely some hot shot in T Corp., could be Class 5 worker. Them being 'interested' in science (or that's how they claimed to be when we met them as PC for the first time), rich, gaudy, and all that kinda scream a Feather to me. Could be one that involved with some Syndicate as well. The Thumb, perhaps...? Oh, as I write this, I found that northern area of the City supposed to be a lot richer and developed. That might be where they came from too. However we couldn't make any assumption yet as this part of the City hasn't get much attention from any of the game/media. With how keen they're to stay out of The Town, can I say Eden might be Outskirt dweller...? Maybe someone who used to be someone from the City but decide to pull off? Perhaps even might be someone that ever put some hands on The Light project while not directly took part of the group. I can imagine them as someone living on the outer area of Black Forest, alright? Like, maybe someone that knows about the Three Birds and been telling people off. Maybe in Ruina era, they ended up joined the Library once it got yeeted to Outskirt lol who knows. AND OF COURSE, we couldn't talk about LIs without talking about the beasts! Both Great Hawk and Black Wolf is under Site X-394 trust me. I can already see them on Outskirt, alright. Probably not on the same part of Outskirt as Eden but still around that area.

AND WHILE WE HAVE FINISHED THE LIS, I might as well talk about some of the People of Interest as well. THERE'S TWO THINGS I CAN THINK OF ABOUT WINTER: Either a Claw/Arbiter, or someone that used to take part in Smoke War or the War between Wings. If he was a veteran of Smoke War, I can see them on the winning side, or someone that's ended up like Salvador. Perhaps they might be retired fixer too, an Ex-Dieci that used to be the one who did Ruins-delving to retrieve Relics. Wren is defo someone who visit Backstreet J often, might even be District 9 dweller. They might be one with a Nest permit but not really living on the Nest themself. Hell, they could actually run a bizz on Nest as a way for them to smuggle things to-and-from Backstreet J. Though them as part of a pirate syndicate that deals more in smuggling bizz is a good possibility too, alright. Zephyr is, clear as a day, as part of pirate syndicate OR sailor ship akin to the Pequod in either of the coastal districts. I can see them as part of the Twinhook, though they might run their own syndicate instead. I have two ideas for Ivory Wraith in mind, according to "which" we're talking about. As an actual person, Ivory might be part of Index who had a clash with Church of Gears and fallen victim. However if we talk about them as the Spirit, I can imagine them as something like Bloodfiend. In a way, a nonhuman born out of Distortion-esque phenomenon. Harper... What can I say about them but Dongrang? LOL. I just can imagine them as a big shot on K Corp. that's close to who Dongrang is. Someone influential enough to be taking care of Teary-Thing. Yeah, something along that line... If not, they might run their own clinic that provides healthcare, but of course with whatever The City-esque business backed it. With the new Dieci Association updates I can confidently say that Jordan is, without doubt, a Dieci's Saint, at least on Section 4 or 5. If not, at least he's at the same level as Dieci Meur. One thing for sure, Niki definitely NOT from District N. They'd disappear as soon as they whip up a camera. N Corp and its Taboo is just something... As for the others... I have no idea yet, but maybe I'd came up with one later on!

[ryangero]

Gravity Falls gender representation analysis

Gravity Falls is an animated TV show created by Alex Hirsch that aired from 2012 - 2016 on Disney. There are only two seasons, but the show has built a dedicated fan base that continues to grow even after its conclusion. The series, set in the mysterious town of Gravity Falls, Oregon, follows the summer adventures of twin siblings, Dipper and Mabel Pines, as they unravel supernatural mysteries, encounter peculiar creatures, and navigate the complexities of family and friendship.

What sets Gravity Falls apart is its unique blend of humor, heartwarming moments, and a narrative that seamlessly weaves together overarching mysteries. Creator Alex Hirsch's clever writing and commitment to character development have left a lasting impact on viewers of all ages. The show's memorable characters, from the lovably eccentric Grunkle Stan to the enigmatic Bill Cipher, have become iconic figures in popular culture. Gravity Falls not only entertains with its imaginative storytelling but also delves into themes of identity, friendship, and the acceptance of the unknown. Gravity Falls' influence extends beyond its on-screen presence, inspiring a myriad of fan theories, artistic creations, and a thriving online community. Its cultural impact is a testament to the show's ability to resonate with audiences and spark discussions on various social and philosophical topics.

By examining specific characters and relationships, including Dipper's encounter with manliness and the unique dynamic between the two sheriffs, we can unveil how the show challenges and transcends traditional gender representations.

Judith Butler's notion of performativity finds resonance in Dipper's encounter with manliness in the episode, “Dipper vs Manliness” (S1E6). In her essay, Butler argues, "That it must repeat this imitation, that it sets up pathologizing practices and normalizing sciences in order to produce and consecrate its own claim on originality and propriety, suggests that heterosexual performativity is beset by an anxiety that it can never be finally or fully achieved, and that it is consistently haunted by that domain of sexual possibility that must be excluded for heterosexualized gender to produce itself” [1]. In other words, Butler explains despite the efforts to adhere to established norms, there is a persistent fear that the performance of heterosexuality is never fully achieved or secure.

The episode begins with Dipper wanting to win the approval of Stan and Mable by scoring high in a “Manliness tester” game. They both laugh at the idea of Dipper being “manly.” Frustrated, Dipper plays the game but gets the lowest level, wimp. Later on, he meets a mythical creature in the forest, called a Manotaur. These large bearded creatures embody all of the stereotypical “manly” qualities Dipper seeks–tall, deep voice, chest hair, buff. The creature brings Dipper to the “man cave” where all of the Manotuars live. In order to join the clan, Dipper must pass a series of tests to prove his manliness. At the final test, Dipper folds and accepts that he is not the “manly” person he hoped to be. He expresses his feelings to the Manotaurs, saying: “You keep telling me that being a man means doing all these tasks and being agro all the time, but I’m starting to think that stuff’s malarkey.”

Dipper's reluctant participation in the “manliness tests" reflects the performative nature of gender. The episode deconstructs traditional notions of masculinity by showcasing Dipper's discomfort with stereotypical expressions of manliness. His resistance to conformity challenges the established gender norms within the narrative.

It’s not uncommon for the series to use a mythical species to represent certain stereotypes or insecurities. In this episode, the Manotaurs are the portrayal of Dipper's insecurities of gender performativity. The Manotaurs other Dipper and his characteristics by making him feel inferior to their exaggerated, hyper-masculine standards. This not only highlights the external pressures individuals face in conforming to societal expectations of masculinity but also underscores the detrimental impact of such expectations on one's self-perception. Gravity Falls skillfully employs fantastical elements to delve into real-world issues, encouraging audiences to critically examine and challenge societal norms surrounding gender and identity.

Creator Alex Hirsch likes to hide subtle clues of LGBTQ representation in certain characters (he’s explained many times that it’s insanely hard to get most things through Disney’s censor). However, the relationship between Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland seems to be the most clear example. The two characters are the town’s police officers, who appear as recurring characters in many episodes. The dynamic between Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland provides a fascinating exploration of gender representation. The duo subverts expectations by embodying traditionally masculine roles in law enforcement while also sharing a close bond that challenges traditional expressions of masculinity. They share a close bond, expressing things like, “The time we spend together is treasure enough,” and “Edwin darling, you are a diamond in the rough.” In almost all Western depictions of police officers, they embody hyper-masculine traits, as being fearless and stoic seems to be inherently part of the job. The sheriff’s dynamic challenges the binary understanding of gender, showcasing the fluidity inherent in Butler's theory. In the last episode, their romantic relationship is confirmed: “We’re mad with power… and love,” they declare while looking into each other's eyes. Creator Alex Hirsch also confirmed this at a charity event, and has repeatedly explained how hard it was to get past Disney’s censors. Hirsch has also revealed dozens of scenes originally written to have openly gay characters that got slashed by Disney. Unfortunately, a company as big as Disney has ultimate power over what is and isn’t aired. While there isn’t any other direct LGBTQ representation in the show, the blame should be put on Disney, not Alex Hirsch. Most likely Disney provided the outlet for him to create this show, but in turn, blocked many of his creative ideas. 

Gravity Falls, through the characters of Dipper, Sheriff Blubs, and Deputy Durland, becomes a compelling exploration of gender representation. The show aligns with Judith Butler's gender theory by deconstructing traditional norms, emphasizing the performative nature of gender, and challenging the rigidity of binary constructions. Dipper's resistance to manliness and the nuanced dynamic between Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland collectively contribute to Gravity Falls' progressive portrayal of gender identities. In doing so, the show invites audiences to question and redefine societal expectations, demonstrating the transformative potential of animated narratives in challenging and reshaping cultural perspectives on gender.

[1] Judith Butler, “Gender Is Burning: Questions of Appropriation and Subversion”, New York University Press, 1999, 338-339. 

@theuncannyprofessoro

[denyjesuschrist]

went to a show tonight and this dude started getting super weird with my boyfriend about how he'd dated a tgirl and she called him a faggot after he got agro with her. i think he was trying to get alex to sympathize with him, but my man was just like "think about why she might have said that, think about your actions". he later told me that he almost responded by saying "well‚ are you a faggot?" and i cannot tell you how proud i am of him 💖💖💖

[ocombatente]

TV Alero começa a exibir reportagens especiais sobre a importância do homem do campo

Em um esforço para destacar a importância da atuação parlamentar em prol de produtores rurais rondonienses, a TV Assembleia produziu uma série de reportagens especiais conduzidas pela jornalista Meiry Santos, que começam a ser transmitidas para todo o público pelo canal 7.2, a partir desta quinta-feira (13). Ao todo, foram realizadas 22 matérias, focadas na liberação de emendas para o agronegócio em diversas regiões do estado e como os recursos contribuem para a potencialização da produção de alimentos. As reportagens, que mostram a atuação parlamentar e o impacto das emendas no agronegócio, foram inicialmente exibidas em momentos estratégicos na Rondônia Rural Show Internacional (RRSI): antes, durante e nos intervalos dos eventos na feira, em um telão externo, além de serem apresentadas antes das atividades no estande da Alero. Uma matéria geral sobre toda a atuação da Alero durante a Feira também foi produzida e está no cronograma de veiculação. O trabalho foi produzido pelos profissionais da TV Alero: a jornalista Meiry Santos, os cinegrafistas Alex Rocha, Ednei Carvalho e os editores João Paulo Palitot, Thiago Oliveira e Clênio Melo. Conforme Meiry Santos, foi um trabalho que teve início com a pesquisa dentro da própria Alero, junto às equipes dos deputados estaduais, buscando informações sobre a destinação de emendas. Na sequência, houve contato com as associações rurais beneficiadas e a filmagem in loco com os produtores, mostrando os equipamentos e produtos entregues, como: máquinas agrícolas, calcário, mudas e sementes, além do impacto positivo no resultado final, que é a produção de alimentos e a realização de serviços como a preparação do solo e plantio das sementes. “Foi uma experiência enriquecedora estar em contato direto com os produtores rurais de Rondônia. Apesar das dificuldades enfrentadas, como os desafios logísticos e as condições climáticas adversas, a alegria de ver o impacto positivo das emendas na vida dessas pessoas superou qualquer obstáculo. É gratificante poder contar essas histórias e mostrar como o trabalho parlamentar faz a diferença no dia a dia do campo, da população rondoniense”. Equipe da Secom percorreu o estado para produzir um material especial para a TV Alero (Foto: Rafael Oliveira I Secom ALE/RO) Para o presidente da Casa, deputado estadual Marcelo Cruz (PRTB), muitas vezes a população não consegue entender os benefícios proporcionados pelas emendas parlamentares e como ocorre essa entrega para o destinatário. “É fundamental que a população veja onde os recursos estão sendo aplicados e como eles beneficiam o pequeno produtor rural. As emendas são ferramentas essenciais para o desenvolvimento do agronegócio, que é a principal base da economia no nosso estado. Então, nada melhor que a TV Alero produzir reportagens sobre essas ações, pois nos ajuda a dar transparência ao processo e valoriza o esforço de todos os parlamentares em apoiar aqueles que mais necessitam”, afirma. As reportagens especiais da TV Alero começam a ser exibidas diariamente a partir desta quinta-feira (13), no canal 7.2, sempre das 8h30 às 9h30. No site O mesmo tema também foi alvo de uma série de reportagens no site institucional da Assembleia Legislativa de Rondônia com título: RO é Agro. No total, foram produzidas 16 matérias pelos jornalistas Alexandre Almeida, Cícero Moura e Eliete Marques, com imagens dos fotógrafos Antônio Lucas e Rafael Oliveira. Junto com a equipe da TV Alero, os profissionais acompanharam as gravações e conversaram com os produtores rurais e representantes de associações. O conteúdo pode ser acessado em: RO é Agro. Texto: Ivanete Damasceno | Secom ALE/RO Fotos: Antônio Lucas e Rafael Oliveira | Secom ALE/RO Fonte: Assembleia Legislativa de RO Read the full article

[illithiddreams]

Get 56 k runes every 3 minutes or so EARLY GAME START!

Elden ring best start here you guys: No bullshit about going to altus here or anything like that I am level 64 guys 5 hours in and am still in limgrave killing bosses, this is not a joke.

I don't know if I'd recommend doing this if you are new because it does kind of break the game and stops you from learning move sets but here it is anyways. This is for people like me who think the starting enemies don't drop much runes at all.

Right at the start of the game after getting your horse get the flail from the cart past the knights (where the map is), head right to the teleporter where you get the physic, if you don't know where this is head where you find alex (Past the shack guy who sells the AOW's). Keep heading until you find a weird boat guy. Keep heading that way till you see a random red scarab drop here and you will find graves, keep heading that way till you find Kenneth and then a church with a random giant outside.

Sit at the grace at the beast place if you really want to go to roundtable. Head back out side and head straight out the doors ignoring EVERYTHING there are little weird people just ignore them, get the seed and head to the grace near the dragon. Now instead of going past the dragon head right around the rock and head that way past more short guys. (DO NOT DO THIS AT NIGHT) there is a boss on the bridge that will 1 shot you don't go at night but go sit at the grace past that bridge.

THIS IS A GOOD GRINDING SPOT TO USE FOR NOW. If you want 2000 runes or so head down the path a ball will spawn spin your horse around it so it falls off the cliff and face it to get 2000 runes rinse and repeat (the only reason to do this is if you plan to do a dex build honestly if you do that then put all points to dex until 18 we need this for later. (If not a dex build you can just go get the soreseal near the dragon in the castle and put one point in dex.)

There is a sprit spring near the grace go up it to more tombstone's get these if you want other words keep going straight. Now there will be a boss that might agro here stay to the far right of the cliff to avoid it if you get hit it's not a big deal you will just instant die but you shouldn't have much runes anyways and we will be getting more soon. Jump up another sprit spring behind this tree. THIS IS OUR DESITNATION.

You will see a grace run toward it hit it then equip the flail. Go to the dragon near it's tail (there should be like some mushrooms or something?) Go hit it there with spinning chain pressing walk forward at the same time (don't worry about running out of mana it doesn't matter.) Do this until it is one hit from death then hop on torrent and instantly keep hitting it. THE MOMENT IT FLINCHES RUN BACK TO THE GRACE AND SIT DOWN. This will keep the runes you got 56k or so. Rince and repeat as much as you want. I got to level 64 like I said.

Do this till you are ready to do stormveil after that just do the bird glitch.

[exitpointbreaksbass-beats]

Exit Point Breaks, Bass & Beats Podcast (Vol 71): https://www.house-mixes.com/profile/Exit-Point/exit-point-breaks-bass-beats-podcast-vol-71.

[topmodelranking]

#2 – Alex

Alex’s portfolio ended on an incredible high. The potential was always there, and this shot proves it. The pose is maybe a bit too forceful with the hands, but I am willing to forgive that because she is drawing attention to the clothes. The whole thing is so obviously seductive. She definitely looks like a more fashionable Katy Perry; all of her features feel like an elevated version. Her lips look flawless, and her eyes are so alluring. A slam dunk really. I bet Guess were frustrated seeing so many stunning shots come from those they couldn’t even use.

[topmodelcentral]

Alex Agro for Las Olas Lifestyle Magazine 

~ America (20) ~

by James Woodley

[teddy06writes]

Chaos Family

{Authors note/PSA before we start, if someone's requests are closed please respect that. Before I last uploaded I was at 11 out of the 10 limit  that I have and then I posted to bring it back down to 10, since then I have gotten four different requests, and there's nothing wrong with that it’s just really frustrating to me because it makes me feel like there is no way I’m going to catch up. FYI if you made a request between this post and the last one it will be a while until I can get to you.}

anon asks: “Could I please request a Karl x nick x Alex x fem!reader in which the boys come to pick up reader from her house but Philza is the one to open the door, leading Karl, nick, and Alex to be interrogated by the sleepy bois inc. crew? ( Reader is apart of the SBI family)”

sapnap x karl x quackity x fem!reader + sleepy boys x sibling!reader

trigger warnings: swearing, protective Phil, Tommy thinks he’s intimidating, Wilbur feels bad for threatening them, Techno saw this coming

premise: Nick, Karl, and Alex come to pick you up for a date, but you don’t get to the door before Phil, leaving your poor boyfriends to have a *chat* with your brothers and your father

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“(y/n), Dad want’s to know where you think we should order from.” Wilbur said, shoving open the door to your room. 

You yelped in surprise, nearly dropping your hairbrush, “I don’t really care, I’m not gonna be here for dinner.” 

“Why?” He asked, clearly confused as he watched you finish pulling your hair back. 

“I’m going out.” You said simply.

“With who?” 

“People.” You said dismissively.

Your brother looked at you quizzically, mimicking Philza, “mmhhhm.” 

You glared back at him in the vanity mirror, “Yeah.” 

He rolled his eyes, growing bored and wandering out.

You’d been seeing Karl, Nick and Alex, in relative secret for two weeks now, having gone on two or three dates, and you were starting to run out of excuses as to why you were spending so much time out. 

As you started to do your makeup you listened to the sounds of Techno and Tommy arguing over restaurants to order from. 

~~

About 15 minutes later the arguing stopped as Tommy looked out the window, “Who the fuck is pulling into our driveway?” 

“Watch your mouth.” Phil chided, smacking the back of his head. 

“No I’m serious who is-” He squinted out the window again, “Why is Big Q here? And- and Karl and Sapnap?”

Techno’s brow furrowed, and he shoved Tommy out of the way to look, “Phil he’s right, they are uh, they’re here.” 

Phil barley had time to think about it before there was a knock on the door.

He moved to open it, confused to see Karl, Alex and Nick, “Uh, Hello boys, what- uh what can I do for you?” 

“Oh, is (y/n) not ready yet?” Nick asked. 

“Ready for what?” Phil said skeptically. 

“Maybe we’re early,” Karl muttered, glancing down before looking back up at Phil, and offering, “We’re gonna go see a movie and get some dinner. It’s our third date.” 

Phil blinked, listening as from the kitchen Tommy choked on water and he hazarded, “A date?” 

Alex nodded.

He blinked again before pushing the door open fully, “Uh- come in, come in. Is it a double date or?” 

“Oh- uh, it’s with all of us.” Alex chuckled sheepishly, “If that makes sense.”

Phil nodded motioning for them to sit on the couch, before turning to his eldest son, “No yeah, Techno why don’t you go tell ya sister these guys are here.” 

Techno nodded, understanding the tone of his words, and started to head up to your room, passing Tommy who was hurrying out clearly agitated.

“So what makes you lot think you can just go datin MY sister?” He practically demanded as he entered the living room.

Though Karl jumped a bit at the sudden noise, none of the boys were really intimidated as he paced back and forth in front of them. 

Alex bit back a laugh, “Well I don’t think we necessarily had her family in mind.” 

“So what were you thinking?” Phil asked, ever the protector of his family. 

Nick cleared his throat awkwardly, lacing Alex’s fingers in his, “Gonna be honest sir, that is the weirdest way I’ve heard someone ask ‘what are your intentions with my daughter?’” 

The man chuckled, “Well would you rather me ask that way?” 

“I mean, I guess we just would like it if your daughter joined our relationship,” Karl spoke up for the first time since they had come inside, “she’s just a wonderful person, and we all like her a lot.” 

Tommy started to as Tubbo would say ‘puff up to go agro’, “If there's already three of you why do you need (y/n)?” 

Wilbur elbowed him, “Shut up Tommy.” 

“It was just a question!” 

Wilbur rolled his eyes as Tommy kept talking, “Listen, gents. If I allow you to date my sister, you’d be lucky, first of all, and if you ever did something to hurt her, emotionally or physically mind you, you’d be dead within the hour.” 

Phil sighed, standing up as he heard you and Techno coming back down the stairs, “Excuse me for a second.” 

You didn’t have time to come around the corner to the living room before Phil was grabbing your arm and pulling you off into the kitchen, only allowing you to catch a glimpse of the boys sitting on the couch, Tommy stalking back and forth in front of them. 

“You said you were going out, you didn’t say you were going out on a date.” Phil crossed his arms, looking at you closely. 

You giggled nervously, “Surprise?” 

“And with three boys?” 

“I really like them, and they seem to like me and-” You would’ve kept rambling but Phil cut you off. 

“Are they nice? Are they good people?”

You nodded, “The nicest. They really make me happy Phil.” 

He smiled, “That’s all I needed to know. Let’s go rescue those boys from Tommy then.” 

~~ A few minutes later, with one final threat from Tommy you were heading out the door and to the car, apologizing to your boyfriends about the whole situation. 

“They really are ridiculous. I’m sorry.” You said again.

“It’s alright, I could take Tommy in a fight.” Nick said, taking his hands off the wheel just long enough to make loose fists. 

“He really is a weird kid,” Alex laughed, “Whole weird family.” 

“If it makes you feel better I’m adopted,” You quipped, “Though all of us are, I’m just the most recent.” 

Karl smiled, taking your hand in his, “It’s nice that they care about you so much.” 

“Yeah, it is.” You agreed. 

[b-yg0ld]

okok i have hcs (are they inspired from @teachiisan ? MAYBE SHH)

steve tripets

-older version steve is the innocent slightly dumb older brother of the three

-herobrine is the chaotic middle child

-the newer versions steve is the youngest and the most absolutely tired and done with the world and his brothers bullshit

youngest steve absolutely loves his two brothers but will not admit it as if it'd kill him

youngest constantly dragging older from trying to poke a goat and die

middle casually drinking stuff HE REALLY SHOULDN'T BE

oldest is absolutely terrified of the new mobs (aka the agro ones)

BUT absolutely LOVES the glow squid

oldest steve is dating alex

youngest constantly rolling eyes at the two

middle is just constantly teasin and poking at them till oldest is cherry red and alex is vvv pink

(Alex is definitely harder to embaress than older steve is)

also Herobrine is aroace and you cannot tell me otherwise

it took a bit longer for youngest to understand and oldest was like "huh, ok!" and kinda just forgot

youngest is bi but doesn't understand that not everyone is bi its choas

oldest steve is definitely straight as a rod for alex

alex is kinda just "eh *shrug*" thats all you'll get outta her

alex has pulled all three out of many near death scenarios while playing hardcore

also alex and middle have an ongoing prank war and neither youngest or oldest know when it started

basically the chaotic steve siblings trio and alex

[tilliam-w-psears]

#grelleboss

listen to it here 😍🪓

some lyric annotations under the cut 

primadonna (marina)

i can’t help that i need it all/the primadonna life the rise and fall/you say that i’m kinda difficult/but it’s always someone else’s fault

bloody mary (lady gaga)

we are not just art for michelangelo to carve/he can’t rewrite the agro of my furied heart/i’ll wait on mountain tops in paris cold/je ne veux pas mourir toute seule

i/me/myself (will wood)

say my name like a slur, but i’ve been called worse/yeah i’ve heard it all before no this isn’t a first

townie (mitski)

i want a love that falls as fast/as a body from the balcony and/i want a kiss like my heart is hitting the ground/i’m holding my breath with a baseball bat though i don’t know what i’m waiting for/ i am not gonna be what my daddy wants me to be

cop car (mitski)

i miss riding horses, i miss running fast/i was meant for running fast/i pretended you were mine, it made me calm babe

hermit the frog (marina)

did you find your bitch in me/oh you’re abominable socially/you’re just a little bit too much like me

sandy (alex g)

my name is sandy i’m 14 years old/my insides are changing and right now i just wanna grow up

natalie wood (tv girl)

cause when you’re born into this life/recited lines is a waste of time/just go in there and close the door behind ya/and there’s a world of difference between acing the audition and doing whatever it takes to win the part

ideal world (girlpool)

i thought i found myself today/no one’s noticed things are okay

bubblegum bitch (marina)

i’ll chew you up and i’ll spit you out/cause that’s what young love is all about/so pull me closer and kiss me hard

the same (alex g)

i’ll be downstairs, let me do my hair/and put my makeup on, it feels so wrong

skate witches (teen suicide)

cause i don’t like myself/and i can’t be someone else/and i don’t like you/you don’t like me too

bag of bones (mitski)

and after everything’s done and i’m all undone/you can hear my high heels walking on/clickity-clacking through the night/i’m carrying my bag of bones

video girl (fka twigs)

trying to make a stand for the main squeeze/please, you don’t stand a chance/stop acting like you can

leavin on your mind (patsy cline)

if you’ve got leavin’ on your mind/tell me now, get it over/hurt me now, get it over

[what-is-your-plan-today]

Riding On Ch 13: Healthy Competition

Summary: Mary decides she wants to compete in her first horse riding cotest, so the family take an outing and Frank gets a first-hand experience of the world Fliss once called her life.

Warnings: Bad Language words.

Pairing: Frank Adler x Fliss Gallagher

A/N:  This is very Mary/horsey heavy so apologies in advance. Thank you to @southerngracela​ and @icanfeelastormbrewing​ for the beta reading and ideas. 

Chapter Song: It’s My Life by Bon Jovi 

Series Masterlist //  WIYPT Masterlist

My heart is like an open highway, like Frankie said I did it my way. I just want to live while I'm alive

 October 2018

"Lissy, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Course you can sweetie." Fliss looked at Mary as she approached the sofa, Laptop in her arms. "Everything OK?” "Yeah." Mary nodded, “Just before, some of the other girls at the yard were talking about a jumping competition in a few weeks and I was wondering..." she sat down, perching her laptop on her knees "Do you think maybe I could take Monty?" "Do you wanna take him?" Fliss asked and Mary nodded. "Then of course you can" "Really?" Mary's eyes lit up. "Yeah, it's been ages since I went to a competition. It'll be fun!" "I wasn't sure I would be good enough." Mary shrugged. "Mary, Monty could do a jumping course with his eyes closed." Fliss smiled "and you're plenty good enough. Besides, it doesn't matter anyway. It’s about enjoying yourself. I take it you got the website there?" She nodded to the laptop. Mary grinned and opened it up. Fliss took it from her and quickly scanned the information. "FireAnt Farm Equestrian Centre, Tarpon Springs..." Fliss mused, quickly grabbing her phone to locate the area on Google maps. "Is it too far?" Mary questioned. "Nope." Fliss shook her head. "Probably take us 40 minutes in the wagon. I used to travel much further." "There's a lot of different classes to enter." Mary said, shuffling towards Fliss so she could see the screen too "I wasn't sure which one I would go in." "I'd put you in the beginners class." Fliss said "It's 40cm max height and you've jumped those plenty. And then....why don't you try a few flat classes whilst we are there? The schedule doesn't look like they would clash..." "Flat class?" Mary frowned "like dressage?" "Kinda, it’s about showing your pony off. You basically do a go round as a group in each pace on both reins and then you do a quick individual show. It’s easy, I used to do a simple figure of 8." "Oh. OK." Mary shrugged. "I never saw that before." "Well, let's have a look." Fliss smiled, opening up a browser to YouTube. She flicked her eyes over to Alex who was fast asleep and then spent the next 15 minutes or so showing Mary various videos of different kids showing classes on the Web. "So Monty is a Welsh Pony." Fliss said "so he doesn't need to be plaited…or braided, whatever. We turn him out true to type which means we just need to tidy his mane and tail up a bit. And as he's over 15 he can go in the Pre-Veteran class. So they look at how he moves and performs for his age group. Why don't you do that which is the 4th one in the morning and then do the junior rider. Then there's a long enough break before the beginners jumping." "So I get to do 3 classes?" Mary grinned and Fliss nodded. “Hey, it says here they're running a winter league." Fliss mused "Is that what you wanna do? Compete in the league or just the one off?" "A league like with baseball or football?" "Exactly that." Fliss nodded. "So you join up and it says here you get points immediately for just going in the class. They place to 6th position and award points according with the highest being 12 to first. Then the person with the moat points takes the Championship overall at the end."

She pointed at the screen “Say’s here the first one is on 3rd November and they run to March next year, so there’s 5 overall. What do you think?” Mary grinned “Bring it on!”

Fliss smiled as Mary gave her a hi-five.

“Why don’t you bring Bronson?” Mary asked, “Or Cap?” Fliss shook her head. “It wouldn’t be fair on everyone there.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I competed at a professional level” Fliss shrugged “It wouldn’t be very sporting of me if I entered a class full of hobbyists. I would have hated it when I was there myself. The only way I’d do it is if I went in and declared I was 'hors concours' or HC as it’s known.”

“Hors concours?” Mary repeated “What’s that?”

“It means that I’d be taking part without actually competing. So I might enter a competition to give a young horse experience or what-have-you but my marks would not be counted as such.”

 “Bronson is only 6.” Mary said “You said he had never done a jumping competition before.” “He hasn’t.” Fliss said, pondering “Maybe another time. This one we concentrate on you.”

Mary grinned and then Fliss turned her attention to what they needed to get her. They spent a bit of time looking at Tweed showing jackets, Mary deciding on the type of thing she liked before Fliss found a decent value second hand one on a local Equestrian Buy and Sell group on Facebook which Mary eagerly nodded at, the same seller also having a Navy Blue show-jumping jacket the same size.

“When you’re not growing so fast I’ll buy you brand new ones.” Fliss smiled, tapping in a message to the seller arranging to collect the items the following mornings. “So you have your DeNiro boots which we can polish, your short boots as well,  you have a hat that will be ok, it should be velvet but for the time being it will do...so we need canary and white jodhs… a show shirt, a tie…shall we take a trip up to the Tack Shack tomorrow?”

“Yes please!” Mary smiled “I have some of my pocket money saved, I can put that towards it.” “Put what towards what?” Frank asked as he walked into the family room. He dropped a kiss to Fliss cheek and ruffled Mary’s hair, causing her to scowl up at him. “More horse riding crap?” he nodded to the screen of the laptop.

“Mary is going to do her first competition in 2 weeks so we’re kitting her out.” Fliss smiled. Frank looked at her, then to Mary and smiled.

“That so?”

Mary nodded “I’m gonna do 3 classes. 2 showing and one jumping. So we already sorted my jacket and Fliss is taking me to the Tack Shack tomorrow for the rest of it.” “Why what else do you need?” “Jodhpurs, a shirt and a tie.” Mary nodded reeling it off. “Oh and a new hat at some point but Fliss says the one that I have will do…”

“Why do you need another hat?” Frank asked.

“Well strictly speaking show hats should be velvet or suede.” Fliss shrugged “But for this level it won’t matter.”

“Sounds like another bashing my card is gonna take.” Frank grumbled good-naturedly and Fliss swatted at him. He chuckled again and stood up straight from where he had been leaning on the back of the couch, heading to the fridge to retrieve his standard post work beer.

“Can I wear the same tie for show-jumping and showing?” Mary asked.

“Hmmmm possibly. We can get 2.” Fliss said. “One that matches your tweed and then you can pick whatever you want colour wise for jumping. Have a look on the website, see if there’s anything you like.”

Mary grinned and took the lap top off Fliss who stood up, stretching slightly. She headed over to Frank, slipping her arms round his waist.

“She’s excited.” He stated, watching Mary as she tapped at the keyboard. His chest was warm at the utter delight on the young girl’s face as she was searching different coloured ties. “What sparked her wanting to do this?” “Someone at the yard. She overheard them talking and asked if she could go.” Fliss smiled “She wants to do the Winter League” “They run a league?” “Yeah.” Fliss smiled “5 competitions in total. It’ll be good for her, a bit of healthy competition. I already managed to grab her 2 jackets. Both second hand but no point shelling out loads when she’s gonna grow out of them by the end of the season. Tweeds cost a fortune.”

“How much are the hats she was talking about?” he asked, taking a swig of his beer.

“Erm, her size probably about eighty bucks, why?” “Just get her one.” He said gently, dropping his voice “She never asks for stuff like this so…” “You big softie.” Fliss smiled, standing on her toes to give him a kiss. “I love you.”

“Love you too. And thank you.” Frank said gently, bumping his nose against hers.

“What for?” Fliss frowned.

“For this.” He nodded to Mary “Doing stuff that makes her excited and happy.” “You don’t need to thank me.” Fliss looked at him, and then for the first time she noticed the look on his face. He was watching Mary, his eyes not quite as full of their usual sparkle. “Frankie, what’s wrong?”

He took a deep breath and looked at Mary “Hey Stack, have you spoken to Evelyn this week?”

“Not yet.” Mary said “I was gonna later, why?”

“Why don’t you give her a call before dinner?” he suggested “You can tell her about your competition.” “Ok.” Mary shrugged standing up “But if you wanted to talk in private you could just ask.” “Ok I’m asking, scoot.”

She stood up and looked at him “You forget I know you Frank.”

“Oh, trust me I don’t.” he shot after her as she laughed, climbing the stairs.

Fliss turned to Frank as he sat down on one of the stools by the breakfast bar. “Honey, what is it?”

“I spoke to Greg before.” He looked at her as she moved to stand between his legs. “He still hasn’t heard back from her father about the adoption.”

“Ok.” Fliss dropped her hands to his shoulders as his rest on her hips “That doesn’t mean he’s gonna cause an issue.”

“No, but Greg’s twitchy, I can tell. I mean if the asshole wasn’t bothered about Mary surely we would have heard by now. It’s been almost 8 weeks.” Frank wrinkled his nose. “Baby there’s nothing we can do about it.” Fliss soothed “Yeah, if he protests it’s gonna be a little more agro than we thought but…well, we’ll just have to face it when it happens, ok?” “I know I just…well I was hoping this would be done for Christmas, that’s all.” “It might be yet, it’s not even November. Is there anything Greg can do?”

“He’s gonna send a chaser letter but other than that not really.” Frank shrugged before he sighed “I know you’re right, there’s nothing we can do but that doesn’t stop me worrying about it.”

“I know, because you love her. We both do. I’m worried as well but like you said to me, whatever happens we face it together.” She leaned down to give him a quick peck “Now, change of subject…you gonna come with us to the competition in a few weeks? Be nice for us all to go. Can be our first proper family outing.” “Will there be beer?” Frank pondered, his hand sliding down the outside of her thighs and back up again.

“Take a cool box” she smiled

Frank chuckled “Of course I’ll come. Wouldn’t miss her first competition for the world.”

******

October ticked into November, bringing with it a slight drop in temperature and still no movement on the Adoption. However, Frank and Fliss had pushed it to the back of their minds which in the grand scheme of things wasn’t that hard as Mary’s excitement over her impending first competition was infectious.

When Fliss took her to the Tack Shack and told her that Frank said she could get a competition hat, Mary had almost cried, giving Fliss a huge hug but reserving the biggest hug of all for her Uncle when she got home. She’d paraded around the family room in her show gear, showing off her outfit for both Fliss, Frank and then again for Verity and Bill, and on a video call to Evelyn.

She practiced with Fliss or Joanne every day after school. They taught her the ring etiquette, how to talk to the judge and also set up a full course for her to practice on, Fliss teaching her all about how the first round was about getting clear and the jump off also introduced the element of time. Fliss felt an overwhelming sense of pride as the girl improved day by day and found herself actually believing that she’d do pretty well when the day came.

The afternoon before the show was spent with one final practice and then Mary had to give Monty a bath. Whilst he was drying off she then loaded the wagon with her jackets, cleaned her tack and then carried that to the wagon too where Fliss placed it in the tack locker, locking it up.

Frank was under the bonnet of said wagon, checking the oil and the coolant to make sure it was ready for the trip in the morning when he heard footsteps on the gravel and he looked up to see Mary hopping up the steps into the back of the wagon.

“What’s she checking now?” he looked over at Fliss, straightening himself up and reaching for the rag that was tucked in the back pocket of his dirty jeans. Fliss didn’t reply, she was too busy scanning Frank from head to toe, and making no attempt to even disguise the fact she was blatantly eyeing him up “Earth to Lissy…” “Yeah, sorry…what?” she asked, looking at him, biting her lip.

He snorted as he wiped his hands on the rag, shaking his head “And you call me a pervert.” Fliss shrugged “I told you, the whole dirty mechanic things does stuff to me.”

“He will do stuff to you give him half a chance.” He grinned and she smirked, arching an eyebrow.

“You’ll corrupt our son.” She said, placing her hands over his ears, where he was positioned in the baby sling at her chest. “Mind you, he’s probably already scarred for life after your antics last night…” “Didn’t hear you complaining.” Frank smirked, “Quite the opposite in fact.” Fliss bit her lip a the memory of a particularly good round of sex the night before, which had resulted in her on all fours in the middle of the mattress. Looking at Frank she shrugged and he snorted, closing the bonnet of the wagon “All set.” He nodded towards it. “Oil topped up, coolant and water levels good…”

“So you didn’t find anything to fix, like I told you that you wouldn’t.” “Hey, I just wanted to make sure it’s safe for my girls, it hasn’t been anywhere in a while.” He shrugged

“Joanne used it yesterday to go to the wholesalers for feed and shavings.” Fliss looked at him.

“Yeah, well…whatever, I make no apologies for wanting to check anyway.” He smiled, taking the kiss she offered.

Mary jumped down from the back of the wagon and reached up to lock the back door before she trotted round and handed Fliss the keys.

“You happy you got everything?” Frank looked at her “Seeing as that’s like the five-hundredth time you checked.” “Don’t exaggerate.” Mary rolled her eyes as Alex made a noise and the 3 of them looked at him before Mary pointed “see, even he thinks you’re an idiot.”

“Rude.” Frank grumbled. After one last check on Monty who was sparkling white (Although Fliss knew they’d end up giving him another quick clean up in the morning) they headed home and after a quick shower Frank lit the BBQ outside. The family enjoyed a good grill for dinner, before Fliss disappeared upstairs and came back with a wrapped packaged. Frank frowned, as she handed it to Mary.

“Everyone needs one of those for competitions.” She smiled, as Mary looked at her, taking it gently.

“What is it?”

“Open it and see!” Fliss rolled her eyes as she sat back down on the seat, glancing at Frank who had Alex against his chest, his head resting on his shoulder.

Mary tore the wrapping paper off and gasped as she held up the pink gilet top. It had the Sandybrook Stables logo embroidered on the front right hand breast but it was what was on the back that had caught her eye. She looked at it, then to Fliss and with a stunned smile turned it round so Frank could see. It was a motif of a horse jumping her fence with ‘Mary Adler’ arched over the top in gold, cursive writing and ‘Monte Carlo VI’- Monty’s show-name- underneath in the same typeface. Small diamantes were scattered around the entire design which caught the lights that were dotted around the garden and Frank’s face broke into a huge smile as Mary looked at him, then to Fliss.

“Sally has one of these for Jackson…” she whispered “I always wanted one, how did you know?”

Fliss smiled “Sally’s mum told me you asked where she got it from. I thought I’d get you one. It’s a bit bigger so will fit over your jackets and a hoody if you need it to. You can wear it in the collecting ring and then take it off before you go in to do your shows and jumping.” “Lissy I love it, thank you so much!” Mary stood up and rounded the table to give Fliss a huge hug. Fliss kissed her head and cupped her cheek.

“You’re welcome sweetheart.” “Well, come on…” Frank nodded to it, “Let’s see it on!”

Mary grinned and shrugged the gilet on over her jumper and beamed, giving them a twirl. Fliss told her to stand still and took a photo of the front and the back if it, before setting her phone down on the table.

After a little more chat, given the fact they had a busy day they all headed up to bed. Frank tucked Mary in before Fliss popped in to say goodnight, Thor jumping up onto Mary’s bed clearly deciding he was staying there for the evening with Fred. Fliss closed the door and made her way to the master bedroom where Frank was led on top of the bed in his boxers, Alex sleeping in the basinet as his dad flicked through the channels on the TV.

“How much did that gilet set you back?” he asked and Fliss wrinkled her nose.

“I put t it through the account on company expenses as Sponsorship.” she shrugged. “I’m gonna order her a jacket and a hoody for Christmas.”

 Frank chuckled “You spoil her.”

“So do you.” Fliss shrugged and pulled off her T-shirt and jeans before opening the door to the en-suite.

“But if it makes you feel better, I got a present for you too, sailor…” she grinned, shedding her underwear and beckoning for him to follow her.

Frank blinked, smirked and jumped up off the bed, the pair of them giggling as he dispensed of his boxers and backed his future wife into the shower, shutting the cubicle door behind him.

*****

Fliss and Mary set off early the next morning, whilst Frank took a little more time making sure he had everything Alex needed before he headed out to his truck and keyed the location into his GPS. When he arrived he parked up, got Alex settled in the stroller and wandered down the yard. As he rounded the corner, he gave a blink, the place was packed with horses and people, all sorts of different competitions going on. After a little walk around he located their wagon and as luck would have it, Fliss and Mary were making their way back. He smiled, Mary was dressed in her older jodhpurs, and a hoody with her personalised gilet proudly donning her top half where-as Fliss looked every bit the cowgirl in her jeans, plaid shirt, cowboy boots and her hat.

“Hey!” She greeted him, giving him a quick kiss before she looked at Alex, her hand stroking his cheek.

“You all set?” Frank asked and Mary grinned.

“Yeah, we booked in, registered…I got my membership number...” she held up the laminated piece of paper with the digits 287 printed on “…and we got about 40 minutes until my first class.” “So we need to get him off the wagon, quick bush down and then you can get on to warm up.” Fliss said, nodding to the ramp. Frank moved the stroller out of the way and he and Fliss undid the latches, dropping it down as Mary hopped up and undid he partition. She brought Monty down and set about undoing his travel boots and his tail bandage, taking his tail out of the braid before she hopped up to get her brushes.

“She’s like a coiled spring.” Fliss grinned, looking at Frank who chuckled.

“Yeah, she doesn’t do anything by halves.” He smiled, looking around “It’s busy.” “First one of a season always is.” Fliss mused “There’s over 20 in her first class and 11 so far in her second. No idea about the jumping, I didn’t ask. I told her not to bother about it, as long as she enjoys herself…”

Frank smiled as Fliss gently touched his arm and set about helping Mary. 20 minutes later Monty was tacked up and Frank, from what little he knew about horses, had to admit they looked pretty smart. Her tweed was a dark green with a check pattern of brown and pinks, her show shirt was cream and the tie she was wearing was a green and pink striped one, matching perfectly. Fliss had braided Mary’s hair so it hung down her back and had secured it with a matching ribbon and as she jammed her new hat on she grinned at Frank.

“Looking good Stack” he smiled.

“Ok, ready?” Fliss asked.

Mary nodded and hopped up onto the small step at the back of the wagon, vaulting onto Monty, the pony simply standing still and observing his surroundings as if he did this every day.

Frank pushed the stroller as Fliss walked besides him, Mary slightly ahead as she made her way into the collecting ring. Fliss followed her in and Frank stood at the side, watching as Fliss made sure the girth on the saddle was tight enough before she nodded, spoke to Mary who also gave a nod and walked away from Fliss. Fliss stayed in the ring with her, gently giving her instructions, helping Mary to warm Monty in. And then Mary’s class was called. Fliss took the gilet off her before Mary looked over at Frank. He gave her a huge grin and a thumbs up and she smiled back before he saw her take a deep breath and follow another rider into the ring.

Fliss joined him and they made their way down a little so they could watch. Monty was easily the smallest pony in the class and Frank frowned.

“He looks tiny.” “He is only 14’2 hands high.” Fliss shrugged “But this is a veteran class, for horses over 15. So they’ll look at how he moves, not how he looks next to the other horses.”

“Oh.” Franks shrugged, turning his attention to Mary, then the two women stood in the middle “Are they the judges?”

“One is, the one in the hat.” Fliss said “The other is a steward. She basically shouts the instructions out and helps the judge.” Frank watched as the woman instructed the group to trot on. They did a few laps around the ring before they set off into canter. Mary’s face was set in concentration as thy ride repeated the action on the opposite rein before they all lined up.

“Now they do their individual shows.” Fliss said, her eyes focussing on the action in the ring. “This is what Mary was practicing yesterday when you showed up.” There were two horses before it was Mary’s turn. She walked Monty out of the line-up and stood him, perfectly square in front of the judge. She chatted to the woman who walked around Monty to take a look at him, before Mary set off to do her show. Frank glanced at Fliss and smiled as his girl was beaming with pride as Mary completed her show, foot (or hoof) perfect before she halted, saluted to the judge and then gave Monty a huge pat. She glanced over at Fliss who gave her a thumbs up, smiling.

All in all it took about 30 minutes to work through the class, and once the last person had done they all set off in a walk as the judge was muttering something, her eyes flicking along the ponies. Eventually she nodded and the steward walked out, pointing to a large bay. A few people started clapping as the Bay moved inwards to take first place, and then next was a smaller chestnut and then she pointed at Mary.

“Fuck, Frank she got third!” Fliss almost exploded as she started to cheer, Frank giving a grin as he also clapped, Mary’s face split into a huge grin as she took her place. 4th, 5th and 6th were awarded, rosettes were handed out and then the placings took a lap of honour before exiting the ring.

“Well done!” Fliss beamed at Mary as she grinned, looking at her yellow rosette “3rd out of 20! Mary that’s amazing for your first go!”

Mary nodded, taking a deep breath, the tears filling her eyes “I’m so happy!” she spluttered and Frank gave a chuckle, looping his arm around her, giving Monty a pat.

But that was nothing compared to her reaction when she won second place in the next class she was in, the Junior Rider. Fliss really did explode at that point, and Mary burst into tears, the judge looking a little shocked before she smiled at Mary, handing her the blue rosette.

After they’d calmed Mary down, they untacked Monty as there was a little wait until the jumping started and Frank headed off to grab them a burger from the fast food van at the far end of the yard. They sat on the ramp of the wagon, Frank teasing Mary as usual, before they heard a little cough and all looked up.

“I’m really sorry…” A woman spoke shyly “But are you Fliss Gallagher.” “Yeah.” Fliss smiled “Erm, hi.” “My daughter…she’s a huge fan. She followed all of the US team but you and Charlotte DuJardin from Team GB really hooked her in the 2012s and she’s…well, she’s hiding over there because she wouldn’t come speak to you.” The woman bashfully admitted and Fliss felt her cheeks growing red.

“Oh…thanks.” She said, “Which one is she?”

“The blonde over there…”

“Be back in a sec.” She smiled at Frank, standing up.

Frank looked at Mary, his mouth falling open “What just happened?” “Fliss is a horse riding celebrity Frank.” Mary shrugged. “She was a huge star until her accident.”

Frank turned and watched as Fliss spoke to the teen who was clearly in awe, and then smiled and nodded when her mom waved her phone. She posed for a quick photo before she turned and started to walk back towards them.

“I feel kinda sorry for her in a way.” Mary sighed.

“How do you mean?” Frank looked at his niece.

“Well, imagine finally doing the thing you always dreamed of, what you worked your whole life towards only to have it cut short.” Mary spoke, her mouth full of burger “Half the show-jumping teams around the world have people in them that are in their sixties you know. Fliss was only 28.”

Frank pondered for a moment as Fliss approached, he hadn’t really thought about it from that point of view before, nor had he even considered for one second that Fliss might still be recognised. Either way, he felt a little warmth in his chest as she flopped back down next to him, reaching for the rest of her burger.

“Can I get an autograph?” he asked.

“Piss off.” Fliss snorted as he laughed, dropping a kiss to her cheek.

Despite having enjoyed Mary’s flat shows, Frank did NOT enjoy the jumping. It scared the shit out of him. Fliss walked the course with Mary, now dressed in her jumping outfit of white breeches, navy jacket and a bright pink and blue sparkly tie as they examined the route she would take. And then far too soon in his opinion it was her turn to go in and he wasn’t sure he could watch.

“And entering the ring now we have Mary Adler riding Monte Carlo VI…” the announcer spoke on the tanoy as Mary trotted Monty in. The buzzer sounded and she picked up canter and pointed the pony at the first jump. Monty cleared it with ease and did the same with the 2nd, 3rd…all the way to the 11th leaving one to go.

“She clears this she’s in the jump off.” Fliss muttered. Frank took a deep breath, watching as Mary approached the small oxer and Monty took off. His back feet brushed the pole and Fliss held her breath, but thankfully despite rolling, it didn’t fall.

“Wait, that means she has to do that again?” Frank asked as Fliss clapped and cheered as Mary headed towards the gate to exit the field.

“Yeah, but not as many.” Fliss replied as she headed over to Mary.

Not as many, but twice as damned fast as Frank found out. The ponies where whizzing over the 5 jumps in the jump off, which were part of the course but not in order, the numbers being 2, 7, 5,9 and 8 the turns being tighter as the idea was still to go clear, but in the event more than one clear was achieved it went down to time.

The riders were in no order, and Mary decided to go a little further down the line so she could watch the others take the turns, a tactic Fliss suggested. By the time she was due to go in there were 5 clears already.

“Ok, so you’re gonna have to go for speed too.” Fliss said, looking at her “But the main thing is try and stay clear. If you want my advice, cut the corner between numbers 5 and 6. Everyone is looping round 6 to get to 9 but if you hang a right as soon as you’re over 5 you’ll have a few seconds off. Its tight, and he won’t have as many strides, probably 3 max, but let him take you ok?”

Mary nodded, swallowed and headed in. She took the first jumps easily and then after the 3rd did exactly what Fliss said. Monty put in an extra half stride, however, which threw Mary’s balance a little as he took off and for a horrible moment Frank thought she was going to fall but she didn’t, she regained her balance and turned, taking the last 2 jumps easily.

Mary secured 4th place in her jumping, the smile on her face was infectious and Frank found himself beaming along with them as they walked back to the wagon.

***** “Where’s Stack?” Frank asked as Fliss emerged into the room dropping the bag of Mary’s show clothing onto the sofa. Thor, who had been with Joanna whilst they had been out all day, flopped down onto the rug in front of the TV.

“She’s giving Monty some treats after he did so well today, and chewing Jo’s ear off about the competition. Jo said she’d watch her back over when she’s done.” Fliss smiled, reaching for Alex as he started to gripe “You hungry baby?”

Frank smiled as she settled on the sofa, undoing her shirt so she could feed him and he sat on the arm, looking down at her.

“She did so well today.” He said, “I never in a million years dreamed she’d be doing anything like this.” “Well, I did warn you the first time you walked onto my yard that once you have that horse smell on your hands, you’re hooked.” “Don’t I know it?” Frank grinned, kissing her cheek.

A little while later, Fliss finished up feeding Alex and peered down at him, the baby gazing at her, waving his eyes, his lips curling up into a smile and Fliss laughed.

“He’s smiling again.” She said.

“Sure it’s not wind?” Frank teased. “Err, no I just burped him.” Fliss said indignantly “They start smiling at 6 weeks, he’s smiling. I can tell.”

Frank chuckled and peered down, smiling at his baby and earning himself one back in return. He gently took him from Fliss so she could do up her top before he set him down and followed her into the kitchen where, upon examining the contents of the fridge, they settled on take out for dinner.

“So I know Mary did but did you enjoy it?” Frank asked as Fliss pulled a beer for them both out of the fridge.

“Yeah, yeah I did. You know, seeing it there, all those people competing…there’s nothing like that around here.”  “Got me thinking, maybe I could run something like that at some point down the line.” “Sandybrook Show huh?” Frank smiled as he popped the caps off their beers, settling down at the kitchen counter.

Fliss grinned “Yeah, it would be kind of cool to expand into stuff like that.” She took a drink “I’ve actually been giving it a bit of thought in general.” “What, competitions?” Frank asked

“No, expanding.” Fliss swallowed a mouthful of drink “The land at the back has always been available to me to buy, the old Farmer said he would give it to me whenever I want, and it would add another 10 acres to the portfolio. I could grow the yard area, more stables, more grazing, hold events like that one today…” she trailed off, frowning as she noticed the look on Frank’s face. “What’s wrong? Don’t you think it’s a good idea?”

“No, I mean yeah, I do. We always talked about expanding your business.” He hesitated “I guess I didn’t realise it would be so soon.” “What do you mean?” Fliss looked at him. “I’ve been up and running now for over 3 years.”

“I mean after Alex being born.” Frank said, his eyes flicking to where his baby son was asleep in the basinet. “He’s barely 10 weeks old Liss, don’t you think you’d be taking on too much?” “I’d manage” she waved her hand “I could recruit more staff.”

She could see from the look on Frank’s face he wasn’t convinced. She took a deep breath and turned in her seat so her body was facing his “Sailor,I can tell you’re not happy about the idea.”

“It’s not that I’m not happy.” Frank shook his head, and that was the truth. The fact she had such drive and want to build something better was amazing, he loved it in her, but he was struggling to find the words to voice what he was feeling about it. “Ok, I’m…just gonna come out and say this and I don’t want you to fly off the handle…4 weeks ago you were petrified of leaving Alex with your mom. You still don’t like being away from him now, and…” “Of course I don’t like it.” Fliss frowned “I’m breast feeding him, and-“ “Exactly.” Frank looked at her “So you take on this extra work, what are you going to do? You wanna put him in Creche, find a Childminder?”

Fliss shrugged a little “Mum said she would have him but I don’t want to put that on her, not every day. Maybe 2 days a week and then I don’t have to be at the yard all the time. Joanne runs things now and I can just…” Frank chuckled “I know you. Name me one day in your pregnancy that you didn’t pop in. You were teaching like almost until the day you dropped. And before you start I’m not saying that was a bad thing, far from it. You said yourself it kept you active and your brain engaged. I’m just saying there’s no way you’ll take a back seat. It’s bad enough trying to get you to stick to your Sundays off.” “I know.” Fliss nodded “But that’s something I’ll have to get stricter at.”

“Ok.” Frank took a deep breath “Whatever you say.”

Fliss frowned “Don’t do that.” “Do what?”

“Dismiss what I said.” “I wasn’t.” Frank shook his head.

“Yes you were, you just completely shrugged it off.” “No.” Frank said, his voice remaining calm “I said whatever you say. If you say that’s what you’re gonna do then…”

“Don’t you want me to do this or something?” Fliss asked and Frank took a deep sigh.

“Liss, we literally just went over this. I never said I didn’t want you to do it. Quite the opposite. I just…well I think it’s too soon ok?” he looked at her “Alex isn’t sleeping through yet, you’re tired during the day as you tell me when I get home. Hell, I’m tired and my job is nowhere near as physically demanding as yours not to mention the fact I’m not the one feeding him and…” he licked his lips

“You fix boats.” Fliss looked at him, a little sullenly “That’s physical…” “Not as much as I used to.” Frank shook his head “I’m based in the office a lot now, as you well know because you complain I don’t come home full of grease as much as I used to. We won’t mention the fact that I’m growing a little…how do I put this, softer round the edges now because of that, hence the weights in the garage”. He smiled, attempting to make a joke out of it as he could recognise only too well the look in her eye. It wasn’t full blown anger yet but if he didn’t cut the discussion off soon it was going to be. “Look...” he reached out and took her hand “We’re incredibly lucky. We’re in a position where you don’t need to rush back to work. My job pays well, your business brings you in a very decent turnover each month, we have savings…I just think that we should take advantage of that and you should take a few more months off, maybe look at going back in March, say. Take a full 6 off to be with him, enjoy being a mom.”

“Is that what you want me to do?” Fliss asked after a moments pause.

“This isn’t about what I want.” Frank sighed, his tone now starting to betray his frustration. “I can’t and won’t stop you doing anything, you know this. I just want you to consider your options, that’s all.” Fliss took a deep breath, gave a nod and pushed her stool back, draining the rest of her beer. “Where you going?” Frank frowned.

“For a shower.” She said simply “I need to get out of these jeans and this shirt.”

Frank gave a groan “Why do you do this?” “Do what?”

“Every time we have a slight difference in opinion on something you clam up.” He looked at her “Let’s talk this through, Liss. Don’t walk away.” “I’ve nothing else to say.” Fliss said, her voice ending in a little chuckle. “You’ve made your opinion on the matter very clear.” “Yeah, and now I’m waiting to hear yours.”

Fliss took a deep breath “I don’t wanna take 6 months off.”

“Ok.” Frank nodded “Then you don’t have to. I still think it’s too soon for you to be looking at expanding though.”

“I know what you think Frank, you told me.” Fliss shrugged “You don’t need to keep repeating yourself.” “I keep repeating myself because you seem to be completely and utterly dismissing what I’m saying.” Frank looked at her.

“For fucks sake Frank.” Fliss looked at him. “Stop talking to me like I’m one of the kids.”

“Well you’re doing a pretty good job of acting like one.” Frank looked at Fliss, his eyebrow raised as he felt his temper beginning to flare “And a petulant one at that.”

Fliss gave a chuckle of ironic laughter “Oh that’s rich, you calling me a petulant child. You’re the one kicking off because I’m refusing to entertain some stupid idea about taking 6 months off work”

“You know, a lot of women would kill to be in the position to be able to do that.” Frank looked at her and she shrugged.

“So?” she frowned “With the greatest of respects, I don’t care. Yes, I’m lucky. I get that but I don’t want to Frank!” “And I’m not saying you have to! Jesus Christ!” Frank groaned “When did I, at any point in this discussion, ever say you have to stay at home huh? You tell me exactly when those words left my mouth….” Fliss looked at him, and blinked as her mouth closed and she swallowed. “See, you can’t because I didn’t say it!”

“Well, you might as well have.” She glared at him “You’re trying to control my decision about what I feel is right for me…”

“You think…” Frank cocked his head to one side, as he felt a flash of angry heat rush up his neck to his cheeks at her words. His temper was really brewing now, the angry knot in his stomach growing tighter by the second. “You think I’m trying to control you?”

“Well aren’t you?”

“God damnit Lissy!” Frank’s voice was loud as he stood up from his chair, “You’re downright infuriating at times. No, that’s not what I’m doing. At all. What I’m doing is trying to have a sensible discussion with you.” “Well I don’t want to discuss it anymore.” Fliss’s voice raised “So, like I said. I’m going for a shower. Or would you like to discuss that as well.” “Oh for fucks sake…” Frank groaned his hands rubbing his face as he let out a frustrated noise, shaking his head. “You know what, I give in. Do what you want. Shower, buy more land, work, don’t work…just…whatever.”  

Fliss shot Frank a glare, and then a small noise from the basinet jerked them both out of the stare-down and Fliss headed over to pick him up. Turning she made for the door, baby in her arms.

“What are you doing?” Frank asked.

“Going for a shower, like I just said.”

“Well leave him with me.” Frank frowned, “What’s the point of taking him upstairs just to lay him in the crib whilst you shower?” “Because I want to take him with me.” Fliss looked at Frank. “I can leave the door open. I like him being there. Is it a problem?” Frank snorted, his hands on his hips as he looked at his feet “No problem.” He huffed out a little laugh as he raised his face to look at her “But you tell me you’re ready to go back to work when you can’t bear to be apart for the 10 minutes it takes you to shower.”

Fliss’ face fell and Frank felt a pang of guilt at what he had said, but in his mind it was true. She hated leaving him, and he didn’t want her to be in a position where she felt she needed to, whether it was to prove something to herself or everyone else. He’d never tell her this but he loved the homely feel of coming home and his future wife and baby son both waiting for him, either on the sofa or the sun lounger. It was a wonderful, caring, passionate environment that he’d never had before and if he was brutally honest he’d quite happily see her at home until Alex was back in school. She didn’t need to work, but she wanted to, he got that. And he would never stop her. But the fact was she was still on edge about their son being left with people and he could almost picture the melt down she was going to have if she rushed back.

“Fuck you” Fliss seethed at him, drawing him out of his thoughts as Alex began to cry, clearly picking up the vibes in the room. Frank sighed, shaking his head as Fliss began to soothe him

“Lissy, just…”

But she didn’t stay to listen, instead she turned on her heel and stormed out of the room, Alex’s little whimpers dying in his ears as she made her way up the stairs.

The argument made for a tense family dinner. They both tried their best to be normal, talking to Mary about her day, not wanting to but a dampener on it but as ever she was sharp. When Frank tucked her in, she asked him about it and he assured her there was nothing to worry about and that it was a silly disagreement which would be forgotten in the morning.

He hoped.

Fliss didn’t really speak to him much the rest of the evening, taking herself to bed early and she was flat out when he came up a little later. With a sigh he gently brushed the hair off her cheek before he kissed her temple and settled down himself.

He woke in the middle of the night, and still half asleep reached out to Fliss’ side of the bed but she wasn’t there. He sat up, blinking and then saw that Alex’s bedside crib was empty too. Frowning, he climbed out of bed and as he headed downstairs he could head soft baby cries from the family room.  

“Hey, everything ok?” Frank asked, opening the door and looking at Fliss as she was stood by the large window seat, gently rocking Alex as she tried to calm him.

“Yeah he’s grouchy.” She said, “I’ve fed him, he’s been changed…” “Want me to take him?” he offered and she shook her head.

"It’s fine Frank, I got him." "I mean, that is what you wanted isn’t it? Me, being a good little wifey-to-be and mummy, right?"

Frank blinked before he gave a groan “Really, do we have to do this now?” he sighed, shaking his head. “I never said that, at all.”

“What it sounded like to me.” “How would you know?” he looked at her “You were so focussed on your position that you didn’t listen to a damned word I said. Because if you had you would have understood my point of view instead of accusing me of trying to control you.” He took a deep breath “When are you going to get it into your head that I am not your shit bag ex?”

“I didn’t say that.” Fliss looked at him, shaking her head

“But you thought it.” Frank eyed her “I could see it on your face.”

“There you go again, presuming you know what I’m thinking.”

“Am I wrong?”

“Yes, you are.” Fliss looked at him “What I was actually thinking was how shit it was you couldn’t just support me with what I wanted to do.” “Baby, I do support you, and I’ll back you with whatever you want to do, but I’m not gonna lie to you and say I’m happy about something when I’m not.” Frank shook his head.

“How can you back me when you don’t agree with what I want?”

“Because that’s what being together is about.” Frank looked at her “It doesn’t matter what I think…” “It matters to me.” Frank let out a groan “We’re going round in circles…” he shook his head as Alex’s screaming grew louder “Look, why don’t you let me take him? You go get some rest, we can talk about this later.” “I said I got him its fine.” Fliss shook her.

“Oh for fucks- just let me help will you?”

“Go back to bed Frank.” Fliss blazed it him in the dim light of the family room, her brown eyes angry “You have work in the morning, I don’t. Remember?”

He words themselves were innocuous, but the sheer sarcastic way she said them wasn’t. Frank felt the weary anger from their earlier argument which he had been fighting so hard to keep buried, slowly seeping back into his veins. He’d tried to explain his point of view, over and over again but she was being too fucking stubborn to even attempt to see it through his eyes. As he watched her cradling their sobbing son to her chest he didn't have the energy to keep going round and round in circles, not at 3 in the morning anyway. So instead he gave into the frustration he was feeling, and shot a stinging barb, one simple word spoken with exasperation as he shook his head and turned to leave the room. "Bitch"

[ocombatente]

TV Alero começa a exibir reportagens especiais sobre a importância do homem do campo

Em um esforço para destacar a importância da atuação parlamentar em prol de produtores rurais rondonienses, a TV Assembleia produziu uma série de reportagens especiais conduzidas pela jornalista Meiry Santos, que começam a ser transmitidas para todo o público pelo canal 7.2, a partir desta quinta-feira (13). Ao todo, foram realizadas 22 matérias, focadas na liberação de emendas para o agronegócio em diversas regiões do estado e como os recursos contribuem para a potencialização da produção de alimentos. As reportagens, que mostram a atuação parlamentar e o impacto das emendas no agronegócio, foram inicialmente exibidas em momentos estratégicos na Rondônia Rural Show Internacional (RRSI): antes, durante e nos intervalos dos eventos na feira, em um telão externo, além de serem apresentadas antes das atividades no estande da Alero. Uma matéria geral sobre toda a atuação da Alero durante a Feira também foi produzida e está no cronograma de veiculação. O trabalho foi produzido pelos profissionais da TV Alero: a jornalista Meiry Santos, os cinegrafistas Alex Rocha, Ednei Carvalho e os editores João Paulo Palitot, Thiago Oliveira e Clênio Melo. Conforme Meiry Santos, foi um trabalho que teve início com a pesquisa dentro da própria Alero, junto às equipes dos deputados estaduais, buscando informações sobre a destinação de emendas. Na sequência, houve contato com as associações rurais beneficiadas e a filmagem in loco com os produtores, mostrando os equipamentos e produtos entregues, como: máquinas agrícolas, calcário, mudas e sementes, além do impacto positivo no resultado final, que é a produção de alimentos e a realização de serviços como a preparação do solo e plantio das sementes. “Foi uma experiência enriquecedora estar em contato direto com os produtores rurais de Rondônia. Apesar das dificuldades enfrentadas, como os desafios logísticos e as condições climáticas adversas, a alegria de ver o impacto positivo das emendas na vida dessas pessoas superou qualquer obstáculo. É gratificante poder contar essas histórias e mostrar como o trabalho parlamentar faz a diferença no dia a dia do campo, da população rondoniense”. Equipe da Secom percorreu o estado para produzir um material especial para a TV Alero (Foto: Rafael Oliveira I Secom ALE/RO) Para o presidente da Casa, deputado estadual Marcelo Cruz (PRTB), muitas vezes a população não consegue entender os benefícios proporcionados pelas emendas parlamentares e como ocorre essa entrega para o destinatário. “É fundamental que a população veja onde os recursos estão sendo aplicados e como eles beneficiam o pequeno produtor rural. As emendas são ferramentas essenciais para o desenvolvimento do agronegócio, que é a principal base da economia no nosso estado. Então, nada melhor que a TV Alero produzir reportagens sobre essas ações, pois nos ajuda a dar transparência ao processo e valoriza o esforço de todos os parlamentares em apoiar aqueles que mais necessitam”, afirma. As reportagens especiais da TV Alero começam a ser exibidas diariamente a partir desta quinta-feira (13), no canal 7.2, sempre das 8h30 às 9h30. No site O mesmo tema também foi alvo de uma série de reportagens no site institucional da Assembleia Legislativa de Rondônia com título: RO é Agro. No total, foram produzidas 16 matérias pelos jornalistas Alexandre Almeida, Cícero Moura e Eliete Marques, com imagens dos fotógrafos Antônio Lucas e Rafael Oliveira. Junto com a equipe da TV Alero, os profissionais acompanharam as gravações e conversaram com os produtores rurais e representantes de associações. O conteúdo pode ser acessado em: RO é Agro. Texto: Ivanete Damasceno | Secom ALE/RO Fotos: Antônio Lucas e Rafael Oliveira | Secom ALE/RO Fonte: Assembleia Legislativa de RO Read the full article

[straength]

                              JOHN  MURPHY  +  EDUCATION. 

alex murphy loved kids, nature, and learning.  from agro station, he'd crossed boundaries to be a teacher.  despite this, he followed his passions and became a teacher.  as such, he taught several different grades on the ark.  his favorite was always the younger ones, elementary aged kids were his favorite.  he shared his love for learning with murphy from a very, very early age.  with him, though, he preferred to teach him about his own passions rather than a more formal based education.  

in season one, we see murphy talking about preserving meat and correcting another delinquent on the proper way to do so.  i thoroughly believe this information is straight from one of his father's hyperfixations.  when murphy started school at five, he struggled with literary subjects such as language arts and social studies.  thriving in more numbers based courses, he was often top of his class in mathematics.  that is, until he fell ill.  he spent several weeks too sick to move, and then as he was coming back from his near death experience, his father was floated.  murphy went back to school miserable and alone.  he was traumatized by the loss of his father, and everything about education reminded him of the man.  

school very suddenly became something he had to do rather than something he wanted to do.  between this and his mother's…  distaste for him.  murphy began failing most of his classes, and then when they started to hold him back — he did just enough to skate by.  he didn't learn much, and that's why we see him struggling to spell even the most simple of words BUT we see him have really intelligent ideas at times. 

he was arrested at twelve, and most of the other delinquents were able to continue their education because they would face a retrial once they were adults. the likelihood of murphy being granted a pardon after his eighteenth was zero.  the guards never ceased telling him so either.  kept in solitary, he was given the option to continue his education but refused more than once.  he had no interest in learning, especially not when they were just going to float him anyway. 

so, as i've said time and time again… murphy isn't dumb, just uneducated. but this time, i present to you the answer as to why he's uneducated.