#im putting all my blood sweat and tears into this because he DESERVES IT DAMMIT

[peppermint-whiskers]

I am,,,, insanely proud of how mid ground turned out

Like are there things I could done better? Yeah

But I'm PROUD OF THIS and it's gonna look SO SICK WHEN IT'S ALL DONE

[verawhisk]

my dear friend. i am so mentally exhausted and have shed literal tears tonight. i am so happy. i will catch up on everything you’ve posted for tonight in the morning, but what were ur thotz abt tonight <3

omg hi you dont have to do that! you’re too nice to me rosey. besides i turned into a little autistic creature last night lolol, sorry y’all had to witness that. but im so glad you saw that card! it was INSANE!! i was so prepared for it to be not that great because 2022 has kinda sucked in terms of fights yknow? just lots of dubious, weird moments with injuries and strange decisions within the organization and ofc its not the fighters’ faults but still i was so ready for this to be bad

luckily it was actually amazing all the way from the start of prelims to the end of the main event!! it was incredible!! they said it broke the record for first round finishes! i just cant believe the show they all put on… they have so much heart and courage, every single one of them

i was actually considering not buying the ppv this time because 280 was so bad LOL could you imagine if i didnt buy it? i would have missed possibly the best card this entire year

first of all i was so overcome with joy when dan got the win over puelles, i was damn near crying hahah. i mean a win over costco ryan hall is not SUPER impressive but who cares?? THAT’S MY BOY!! HE’S SO CUTE!! and i want him in perth dammit. give him his flowers dana. (fun fact: i started watching mma mainly because i watched the conor vs. urijah season of tuf and i thought ryan hall was so cool LMAO)

(this crusty ahh drawing from 2021…. yup i thought he was super cool and im kinda sad that he’s less active than other fighters but if i were offered a fight with ryan hall i’d probably turn it down too)

as for frankie vs. gutierrez my stomach dropped when he landed that knee bruh. what the hell was that? bro HAD to know that was frankie’s last fight and to do that to him in front of his family is just sick… i mean good on him for not sandbagging just for someone else’s career to go out on a nice note but did you have to finish him that brutally?? idk man maybe im just a casual but he deserves more than that

poirier vs. chandler… im not even exaggerating when i say that fight made me nearly puke and pass out bro. i got fucked up sweat glands so your girl can’t sweat but if she could she woulda been DRIPPING from head to toe last night LOL. guys i think the reason i went so crazy was because i actually mentally prepared myself for the fight to be bad, for real. that’s genuinely what i did. i went into the fight telling myself that there was a well and good possibility that michael might actually just wrassle him into a decision and i was all good with it because i was still gonna like them no matter what. but HOLY CRAP i need to remind myself to never doubt them ever again because that was AMAZING!!!! start to finish was just an absolute dog fight. they looked so exhausted and broken and blood was pouring everywhere and michael was tossing dustin like a bag of flour only for said bag of flour to start raining punches on him (a la justin gaethje lol) and it was fucking incredible and i cant believe it really happened. not to mention the alvarez-chandler-gaethje-poirier circle of violence is finally complete hahah omg it feels unreal. and i can't believe dustin finished ALL of them.. he's so classy and talented and handsome lul he's really the perfect fighter

but hol on i wanna mention michael cheating because i’m not gonna lie that really made me question him?? not that iron michael chandler cares about what some delusional mma fan in canada thinks about him LMAO but still he always carries himself like a professional athlete everywhere he goes and he seems to pride himself on his ability to stand out among the fighters who don’t have the speaking style or the business etiquette that he does, so when he went into the fight and started pounding on the back of his head and actually HOOKING HIS FINGERS on the inside of dustin’s mouth trying to make him show his neck, it made me scratch my head because why are you behaving like an olympic athlete in front of the press only to go in the cage and treat your opponent like an abused farm animal lmao?

though im ngl… the idea of this polite, charismatic, american psycho type dude entering the cage and turning on mean ape mode is actually fucking hilarious? and he’s kind of more interesting to me now?? so i guess it doesn’t really matter that my opinion of him went down a little hahah silly observation but there’s my two cents. i’m still super impressed by both of them and they both have my heart at the end of the day

during weili vs carla i was playing runescape. i’m so sorry. i was just tryna level up my fishing i really have no clue what happened other than that weili finished carla because she’s really awesome and she kicks ass and i feel really bad that i wasn't paying attention IM SORRY LMAO!! my social credit score is in massive danger rn

izzy vs pereira had me biting my nails into little shreds because i could feel exactly what they were feeling. alex is just one of those “one clean hit and you’re out” fighters but izzy is obviously still a master of striking so watching those exchanges was like watching two people balancing on a plank over shark-infested waters lolol it was crazy nerve wracking. however y’all know that i was rooting for alex so i am super duper happy and i can’t wait to see who challenges him next!! tbh i’d prefer anybody but khamzat because if he really does move up to middleweight and becomes alex’s first challenger he’s fucked lmao cries… please start training in dagestan alex thank u <3

thanks for asking me ahh it really means a lot to me that you actually care about what i think. :D let me know what you thought about it too!!

[lizzy-mayhem-179]

George and the Family Party

Let me tell you a story of what George decided to do at a family party because he got fed up. It's a long but interesting story.

So, Joey and George have a homophobic grandfather. Obviously that's bad for Joey since he's gay. Now, the grandfather is conflicted on how he should feel towards Joey. See, he helped raise Joey and George (he likes to say that blood, sweat, tears, and a lot of beers went into raising the two. Don't even get me started on what he means by that phrase.) and so he loved the twins to death. So when Joey came out, he felt betrayed. He had kept telling everyone that "I raised them to be men and what do I get? A boy and a pile of shit!" every time he saw them. Everyone was sick of hearing it and every time Eric and Catherine heard this, their guilt built up because they know Joey hasn't done anything wrong and yet he is being subjected to hate in his own family.

Eventually, after about three months of this, the grandfather gives up saying that and he just stops talking to the family altogether (which is better for everyone, really). So obviously, Joey ends up becoming a great student and ends up graduating two years earlier than his grade. This impresses his grandfather (who's still talking to one of the other family members) and he says that Joey "didn't turn out to be complete shit" and so his hatred lessened slightly. He starts talking to the family again and although he's talking to them, he refuses to talk to Joey (which is fine with Joey). And so the hate speech starts again, but this time it isn't as bad.

Eventually, Christmas rolls around and Rick and Carol have invited everyone to celebrate at their place. Not wanting to be rude, the family goes to the party. Everyone wears their casual clothing (it's a family Christmas party so it's not like they NEED to dress up for it) and they look pretty decent. And then there's George. Like I said before, he had gotten fed up. He got fed up with the grandfather and he was tired of hearing the same thing from him about Joey (and we all know how much George loves Joey and how defensive and protective he can get). So George decides that he's gonna go to that party and make a statement (literally, as you'll hear in a moment).

He puts on a rainbow tye-dye shirt (which he made with Joey a while back), a pair of neon orange jeans, a pair of bright green sneakers, some bright blue sunglasses, and the most colorful SnapBack he owns (which just so happens to have a swirly rainbow pattern on it). Needless to say he looks like a mess and the family's like "you...you sure you wanna go like that?" And George is like "yeah I'm sure. I'm totally sure. I'm so sure. I am so sure of myself-" and then the family stops him there because yeah we get it okay you're gonna go looking like a mess there's no point in arguing with you. So, Joey (being the wonderful brother he is) packs some extra clothes for George because he knows his brother will not be able to stand being in those clothes for longer than three hours and he knew that they were expected to stay at the party for at least four. So he brings a backpack containing the clothes and the family leaves.

Keep in mind, no one knows why George is wearing those clothes. They are just assuming he wanted to wear those and since he is a stubborn little shit everyone's like "alright fine just don't start anything" (and by that they mean "don't fight with Paul" but we all know he'll end up arguing with him at least five times within the first hour of being there).

So they get to the party and they're happily greeted by everyone and of course people comment on George's outfit. Carol would say "that's an...interesting outfit" and George would just nod. Rick (always being blunt about things) would say "that's a weird outfit you put on" and George would say "yeah but it'll serve a purpose." And of course Paul would just go "wow, that's a shitty outfit. You look like a fucking disaster. As if someone was creating an outfit, couldn't decide what colors to choose and just decided to use all of them and vomit them all over the clothes." and George having absolutely no good comeback to that (since Joey's the one who can do the comebacks, as we all know) would just say "that's nice Paul."

An hour into the party, the grandfather comes. He's greeted by everyone and Joey and the family are just keeping to themselves in the corner. The grandfather walks over to them (the room goes kinda quiet as he does and Paul looks just about ready to kill the grandfather (and he probably will do it considering how much he loves Joey)). THIS is the moment George has been waiting for. He takes a sip from his cup (which is a red solo cup) and waits. The grandfather looks at the group and just goes "I don't know what I expected." Joey just shrugs and the grandfather goes "well you haven't changed have you?" (This comes off as a threat). George looks up and just goes "speak for yourself." The grandfather looks over at George and immediately frowns. "George Salmor what is that HORRIBLE outfit you have on?" And George just goes "don't talk to me, I'm gay." Everyone gasps and the grandfather now has a horrified expression on his face. the family stares at George, confused. All the grandfather can manage to say is "I'm disappointed in you" before walking away.

The party goes on as if nothing happened but now every time the grandfather tried insulting Joey or the family he'd shout something like "shut up, I'm gay!", "don't talk to me, I'm gay!", and/or just "IM GAY" (and other things but those seemed to be his favorite phrases). For two hours straight it went on like this (can you imagine the torture that the rest of the family went through? Meanwhile Joey, Catherine and Eric are just sitting there laughing. Joey catches on to what he's doing though.)

Then it's time to eat dinner (because that's a thing they do) so they all sit around the table (George makes sure that the grandfather sits away from them). George continues his antics until the grandfather, now fed up, confronts George. He goes "what is the matter with you?! I didn't raise you like this!"

And all George says is "wow, what a shame. I like being like this. It's like I'm just too gay to function."

Joey starts laughing and the grandfather just loses it. He goes off on a rant on how he's put up with them for years and how he cannot believe this fate could befall on him and blah blah blah. George cuts him off halfway through and goes "you done yet? You're not the only that's fed up here."

And the grandfather stares at him all offended because of course he does and goes "what, you wanna say something?"

And George goes "oh my god I thought you'd never ask!"

And Paul goes "I swear to GOD if you just yell out something about being gay-" everyone starts laughing and George grins. 

"Nah, I've run that to the ground by now." George motions for the bag and Joey hands it to him. "But first, I'll be right back." He leaves for a few minutes (and there's an uncomfortable silence in the room), George returns dressed in the clothes Joey packed for him and everyone's surprised (Paul reminds himself to thank Joey later). George turns to the grandfather, now straight faced (literally) and goes "I'm not actually gay. The only gay person is Joey. But, if I were gay, I would probably be like this all the time which would get everyone annoyed VERY quickly." Everyone nodded.

The grandfather goes "so why did you do this?" "To prove a point." "What the hell is your point?" "A person who does the same shit over and over again is gonna annoy everyone at some point, yeah?" Everyone nods. "And the person who's doing it doesn't always notice that they're annoying everyone. unless if you're me, of course." George motions over to the grandfather. "You are that person." The grandfather stares at him. "You have annoyed us to no end with you constantly hating on Joey. And let me tell you I have had it up to HERE (he slams his hand on the table as he says that and everyone flinches) with that shit. Joey doesn't deserve that shit. He isn't a piece of shit like you keep telling everyone he is! He's my brother, he's a fucking human and he deserves to be treated with respect dammit!" George glares at the grandfather. "What point are YOU trying to make to us when you go off on a rant on how terrible Joey is?! Huh?! What is it?!" Everyone turns to the grandfather who is too stunned to even speak. "Yeah exactly. You don't have one. You act like my brother's sexuality is the most horrible thing that could have happened to the family! We could be drug addicts! We could be involved with the mafia! We could be psychopaths, murderers, REPUBLICANS (some people chuckle at this), and the thing that you think is the worst is that your grandson's gay?! News flash, it's not! And you're just an asshole!" George takes a sip from his cup before continuing. "I don't know how you can't see my brother for who he is. He's not just gay, you know. He's smart and creative and cool and awesome and insert a lot more words that have a positive meaning to them here (Joey laughs at that). He's a person who's gonna do great things someday and I'm gonna be there with him through it all, that's for sure. I don't know about the rest of you but I'm assuming you will be too." He looks around at everyone else. They nod. He turns back to the grandfather. "If you can stand looking at me in that horrible outfit for more than three hours yet cannot stand to look at my brother for more than a minute without acting repulsed then I might as well reciprocate those actions towards you since we now have a problem."

An uneasy silence follows. The grandfather just stares at George. What the hell could he be thinking about? They never found out. The grandfather stands up and walks out. They hear him drive off and George sits down. He then puts the clothes in the bag and leans against Joey, who hands him the bowl of mashed potatoes since he knows it's what he needs right now. George eats the mashed potatoes and everyone just goes back to eating as if nothing happened.

And that's the story of how George managed to annoy everyone (except Joey) and yet not get kicked out.

[taciteaneremite]

COLT: *this has reached a whole new level of petty and therefore unacceptable. he knows joel won't talk to him through text or call, so there's only one way to handle this... he's showing up at joel's door without letting anyone knowing that's where he went, knocking impatiently.*

JOEL: *He doesn't have to answer the door either. Joel is locked in his room, pretty much hiding from Rammie more than Colt. But he hears the knocking and sticks his head out of the window. Actually, physically climbing out onto the roof. The surrounding of Joel and Rammie's house is mostly greenhouse and with the humidity at an all time high, the windows are open. Bringing on a generous breeze.* Hey.

JOEL: Nobodys home dipstick.

COLT: *colt squinting (TM) as he looks around, before he steps back and traces to sound of joel's voice to the roof. * We need to talk.

JOEL: Whys that. *Doesn't move. If anything that would be convenient for Colt.*

COLT: Because this is gettin' out of hand.

JOEL: No shit it is. But hey.

JOEL: At least youre telling me this stuff to my face. And not lettin folks interfere for once.

COLT: *looks around. he can get up to the roof too... watch him. he just needs to get a good start... he's got enough adrenaline going he can pull a dumbass strider move and flash step off of a tree to launch him up onto the roof. naturally, he stumbles, but he manages to land looking moderately cool.*

COLT: I don't "let" people interfere... They can make the choice for themselves if they wanna get involved or not. *looms over him*

COLT: Can't really blame them... I know we're bein' obnoxious.

JOEL: Youre being fucking obnoxious. Im just responding. *squares himself up against Colt. Glaring.*

COLT: How? What am I doin'? *MAKES HIMSELF BIG. and he's only gotten much much bigger over the years.*

JOEL: Youre just??? *gestures wildly* Rubbing it in my face by now! FUCK.

JOEL: Yeah I KNOW you have nice happy family. I fucking KNOW you three are saints and aint never done anything wrong in your lives.

JOEL: Im just a little bit fed up with your perfect life achievements and MAYBE. Think you deserve to fuck off.

COLT: *he just... looks so tired.* When the hell did any of us claim to be perfect?

COLT: I'm sorry that I'm not completely goddamn miserable anymore. But just because I'm happy most of the time, that don't mean I can't mess up ever. I know I do. Just because I wanna live my life too instead of lettin' my short comings drag me down to that dark place again-- *shakes his head*

COLT: Joel.

COLT: I know that I hurt you.

COLT: I know you're perfectly entitled to hatin' me if you want to. But I don't... I don't understand why. Why wouldn't you wanna work somethin' out?

COLT: Why don't you just talk to me?

JOEL: *Where Colt looks tired, Joel continues to fume. Practically snarling.* Why wouldnt I?? When the shit have you acted like you deserve for me to forgive you. You dont.

JOEL: You went and cherry picked who you still wanted around and now you gotta fucking deal with it. Deal with *me* because unlike EVERYBODY FUCKING ELSE. They left you when the going got too tough.

JOEL: I would never.

JOEL: EVER.

JOEL: Have let you feel like you left me. I wouldnt have let ANYBODY put me in that position. Not Mithun not Zuserk not Rammie. But you left me to shit. Thats what you DID Colt.

COLT: *he fists clench and it feels hard to breathe with the thickness in the air. naturally, his eyes start to water with frustrated tears as he steadily boiling blood causes him to snap back.* I've always wanted you around! I never stopped wantin' you around!! I've been tryin' to include you in my life, but you decided for me whether or not I should. You act like I abandoned you...

COLT: But you never let me make any mistakes! Don't pretend like "loyalty" trumps everythin' else. You think bein' stoicly present despite all odds is the same as havin' a fuckin' relationship with somebody. Well, it's NOT. You shut me out long before Little and Finn went away back on Avalon.

COLT: I had a crisis back on GG's island... And then when I married Little I made a choice. And instead of talkin' me through it like they do when the goin' *actually* gets tough, you abandoned ME. You damned ME for being a FUCKIN' person.

COLT: I've never judged you in my life, Joel! I've loved you and supported you and I tried to take some of that weight you're always carryin' around but you never let me! You never let anybody but-- Goddammit, if it had been anyone why couldn't it have been me?

JOEL: Because I TRUSTED YOU. And you threw me under the fucking BUS. FUCK. *throws his arms up, having had enough of this thickness in the air. The hard of breathing and his own echoing hurt. Joel preforms a perfect backflip off the roof and lands in the gravel below. He starts to stomp for the yard.*

COLT: Don't you-- Come back here! *GREAT. he is NOT /that/ nimble... he has to clunkily descend by climbing down if he hopes to catch up to joel.*

COLT: I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU.

JOEL: *Nope. They're taking this shit outside. And it's true the air had gotten thicker. Joel had to blame it on the overgrowth and the ever changing weather. He breaks a sweat as he storms the whole way to the yard.*

JOEL: You broke my trust ONCE COLT. Why the FUCK would I wait around and wait for you to break it again???

COLT: *FOLLOWS when he finally gets to the ground.* Is that how it works now? You disown your family on account of one mistake?

COLT: Don't pretend like this is about trust! You're just fishin' for excuses to keep people out.

JOEL: So what??????? I will be-- UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! *looks about ready to tear his hair out. The tears crawling straight out of his eyes as terror grips him.* I WILL BE FUCKING DAMNED IF YOU LEAVE ME TO BELIEVE THIS IS MY FAULT.

COLT: I DON'T think it's your fault! That's not what I'm tryin' to say...!

COLT: It ain't a matter of FAULT.

COLT: I know... I know you're just scared and hurtin' but I... I can't keep followin' at your heels tryin' to break down your walls. Dammit-- *runs a hand over his face and through his hair watching joel come apart like that, his own tears springing anew.*

COLT: I still have a life of my own... That don't mean I don't want you a part of it. I just... I don't know how to reach you. If you still want me in your life, you gotta meet me halfway sometimes. I can't read your mind, I can't--

COLT: I never wanted things to escalate like this. I just don't know what to do, Joel. Please... Let me fix this. Let me make up for it. Anything.

COLT: I'm beggin' you. *his voice cracks with desperation, feeling like he's officially at the end of his rope here. he doesn't want to lose his brother, but he feels so powerless. the atmosphere is suffocatingly tense... did it get darker out, too? even with a breeze picking up, a blanket of dread is snuffing out any hope for relief.*

JOEL: *His instincts are screaming for him to run. He hears what Colt said but it's the very opposite of what his mind is twisting the truth around to be. He says it's not a matter of fault but how the fuck did he know that? It might as well be and in this exact moment as the night seems to close in around Joel, every doubt and icy fear is surging up at him all at once. Choking him where he stood as Joe

JOEL: l practically fought for breath. It was happening again. These last three years were empty, void of any meaning and it was ALL HIS FAULT.*

JOEL: *And just like that, the ringing in his ears turn into snarls. The sounds seem to come from the woods, inside, all around. Joel feels his vision swim as he breathes too much of this thick, humidified air. It's a whim when he wills the choked feeling in his lungs to CHARGE with something. Something, anything, that will break this barrier around himself. His life.*

JOEL: *It's an act of the very same violence Joel was holding to himself when he turns on Colt. Lunging by some force of will that wasn't entirely his own. With great protruding fangs that seek to tear into any bit of Colt's flesh this fever-crazed Joel could reach, neither of them will even have time to notice the green colored taint of the mist around them.*

COLT: *there's no time to notice anything, or react. not that he would even think to. he knew joel could be violent and impulsive, but nothing could prepare him for the absolutely primal look in joel's eyes as he comes crashing over colt, knocking him to the ground with a powerful thud.*

COLT: *the sudden shock reverberating through his whole body, however, is dwarfed in comparison to the sharp, ripping pain where his neck meets his shoulder, only barely missing a very crucial vein. for a moment, all thoughts and instincts surrender to the feeling and he can only scream out in agony.*

COLT: *and then it gives way to something else, as if the pain is fueling him; it's not quite like an adrenaline rush, if anything, he has more clarity to deliberately grasp at joel's face and shoulder with digging nails... claws? to wrench him off, in spite of the way it hurts.*

JOEL: *The taste of blood has him pulling away faster than anything. Colt's terrified scream and the force it takes for him to shove him off has him recoiling. Joel's whole world is spiralling fast, his senses pressing down on him all at once. The sight, scents, sounds, tastes...*

JOEL: *He barrel rolls through the dirt, eyes blown by some feverish high as he springs to his feet just as quickly. His thoughts are too incoherent for him to try to make sense of his own survival instinct. But it's enough. In an instant, Joel is flashstepping off. Bolting for the woods in a hard run. Gone.*

COLT: *joel's gone, and colt is sitting to catch his breath and clutching at the wound in his shoulder, the hot flow of blood seeping past the gaps in his fingers. it'd be stupid to try to drive himself to the hospital, but he's doing that anyway. nothing is clear right now. and as far as he can tell in this rush of confusion, none of this even happened. it couldn't have.*