#jacob & coco across the universe

[noperopesaredope]

Working on the Archivists + Collector and their sibling dynamics is so fun for me. Like, these bitches are so fucked up. This family is so toxic and messy but interesting. They all resent each other and can barely stand being around each other. They pretend to be functional when they are two seconds away from fighting each other. So much fucked up shit has occurred in that household. The Archivists are low key trying to sabotage each other while the Collector is just sitting there, completely oblivious to the fact that they all hate each other.

I’m not even gonna write outlines for each of their personalities. Almost everything about them can be told via their relationships and how they feel about each other. And their relationships are so fucked up, just like them <3

[rockislandadultreads]

Some Titles to Celebrate the Last Day of Women’s History Month

Visionary Women: How Rachel Carson, Jane Jacobs, Jane Goodall, and Alice Waters Changed Our World by Andrea Barnet

This is the story of four visionaries who profoundly shaped the world we live in today. Together, these women—linked not by friendship or field, but by their choice to break with convention—showed what one person speaking truth to power can do. Jane Jacobs fought for livable cities and strong communities; Rachel Carson warned us about poisoning the environment; Jane Goodall demonstrated the indelible kinship between humans and animals; and Alice Waters urged us to reconsider what and how we eat. With a keen eye for historical detail, Andrea Barnet traces the arc of each woman’s career and explores how their work collectively changed the course of history. While they hailed from different generations, Carson, Jacobs, Goodall, and Waters found their voices in the early sixties. At a time of enormous upheaval, all four stood as bulwarks against 1950s corporate culture and its war on nature. Consummate outsiders, each prevailed against powerful and mostly male adversaries while also anticipating the disaffections of the emerging counterculture. All told, their efforts ignited a transformative progressive movement while offering people a new way to think about the world and a more positive way of living in it.

In Praise of Difficult Women: Life Lessons From 29 Heroines Who Dared to Break the Rules by Karen Karbo

Smart, sassy, and unapologetically feminine, this elegantly illustrated book is an ode to the bold and charismatic women of modern history. Best-selling author Karen Karbo (The Gospel According to Coco Chanel) spotlights the spirited rule breakers who charted their way with little regard for expectations: Amelia Earhart, Helen Gurley Brown, Edie Sedgwick, Hillary Clinton, Amy Poehler, and Shonda Rhimes, among others. Their lives--imperfect, elegant, messy, glorious--provide inspiration and instruction for the new age of feminism we have entered. Karbo distills these lessons with wit and humor, examining the universal themes that connect us to each of these mesmerizing personalities today: success and style, love and authenticity, daring and courage. Being "difficult," Karbo reveals, might not make life easier. But it can make it more fulfilling--whatever that means for you.

Women Heroes of World War II: 26 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Resistance, and Rescue by Kathryn J. Atwood

Noor Inayat Khan was the first female radio operator sent into occupied France and transferred crucial messages. Johtje Vos, a Dutch housewife, hid Jews in her home and repeatedly outsmarted the Gestapo. Law student Hannie Schaft became involved in the most dangerous resistance work--sabotage, weapons transference, and assassinations. In these pages, young readers will meet these and many other similarly courageous women and girls who risked their lives to help defeat the Nazis.            Twenty-six engaging and suspense-filled stories unfold from across Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Denmark, Great Britain, and the United States, providing an inspiring reminder of women and girls’ refusal to sit on the sidelines around the world and throughout history. An overview of World War II and summaries of each country’s entrance and involvement in the war provide a framework for better understanding each woman’s unique circumstances, and resources for further learning follow each profile. Women Heroes of World War II is an invaluable addition to any student’s or history buff’s bookshelf.

Glory, Passion, and Principle: The Story of Eight Remarkable Women at the Core of the American Revolution by Melissa Lukeman Bohrer

The heroism of the females of the American Revolution has gone from memory with the generation that witnessed it, and nothing, absolutely nothing, remains upon the ear of the young of the present day. -- Charles Francis Adams

John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin -- these are the names we typically associate with the American Revolution. But was American History solely written by men? Were there no influential women? No women who had an impact on the founding of America in its crucial, formative years, in its fight for independence? Indeed, there were -- although their contributions have been overlooked or ignored for over two hundred years. Until now. Glory, Passion, and Principle is an extraordinary journey through revolutionary America as seen from a woman's perspective. Here are the lesser-known stories of eight influential females who fought for freedom -- for their country and themselves -- at all costs. Whether advising prominent male leaders in political theory (Abigail Adams), using their pens as swords (Phillis Wheatley, Mercy Otis Warren), acting as military spies (Sybil Ludington, Lydia Darragh), or going to battle (Molly Pitcher, Deborah Sampson, Nancy Ward), these women broke free of the limitations imposed upon them, much as our forefathers did by resisting British rule upon American soil...and laying the groundwork for the United States as we know it today.

[rickhorrow]

15+5+5 To Watch : 12020

15 TO WATCH/5 SPORTS TECH/POWER OF SPORTS 5: RICK HORROW’S TOP SPORTS/BIZ/TECH/PHILANTHROPY ISSUES FOR THE WEEK OF JANUARY 20

with Jacob Aere 

Brands spent $4.48 billion on TV advertising during 2019 regular season NFL broadcasts, according to iSpot.tv data shared by Broadcasting & Cable. The figure is up nearly 14% on 2018, as the number of ad airings during NFL broadcasts climbed more than 7% to more than 32,000. According to the data, the ads scored 157.8 billion impressions, an uptick of 11% from the previous year. Verizon, also an NFL sponsor, was the top-spending company, shelling out an estimated $150.6 million to advertise during NFL games. Insurance firms Geico, Progressive, and State Farm also spent more than $100 million on ad spots. Most money came from the automotive industry, as Toyota, Hyundai, and others reportedly spent $605.2 million on commercials, while electronics and communication firms spent an estimated $351 million. The study comes ahead of Super Bowl LIV, which has seen brands pay FOX as much as $5.6 million for a single 30-second ad slot during the game. We assume that State Farm is disappointed to see spokesman Aaron Rodgers’ Packers fall to the 49ers and miss out on a “Super State Farm Bowl” against fellow pitchman Patrick Mahomes.

Pro Football Hall of Fame's latest round of inductees were announced last Wednesday, when the 13-man contingent joining coaches Bill Cowher and Jimmy Johnson in Canton, Ohio, were revealed. The so-called "Centennial Slate" comprises 15 members in total, with 10 slots reserved for members of the Seniors category—former NFL players who have been eligible for election for over 20 years but have not been voted in yet—three contributors (including former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue), and the two coaches. According to Newsweek, The Hall of Fame assembled a special 25-man strong Blue-Ribbon Panel to determine the 15 inductees. The panel included 13 members from the Hall of Fame's traditional pool of 48 voters, while the remaining 12 comprised Hall of Famers, coaches, football executives, and football historians. A list of almost 300 candidates was whittled down to 38 finalists last month, which was voted on by the Blue-Ribbon Panel. The 15 men on the Centennial Slate will be joined by the five modern-era enshrinees, who will be announced during the NFL Honors ceremony the weekend of Super Bowl LIV in Miami.

Lots of familiar ESPN faces, U.S. females populate the Australian Open. The Australian Open gets underway on Monday, replete with many very familiar faces reporting from Melbourne against the backdrop of bushfires that have commanded headlines, donations, and on-the-ground aid personnel from across the world. In the broadcast booths at Rod Laver Arena and around the vast tennis complex, James Blake has joined ESPN’s tennis team, with the company announcing a bevy of new contracts for its veterans as well. Longtime ESPN tennis stalwarts with new contracts include Darren Cahill (2007, the year he joined ESPN); Chris Evert (2011); Mary Joe Fernandez, marking 20 years (2000); Brad Gilbert (2004); John McEnroe (2009); Patrick McEnroe, celebrating 25 years (1995); Chris McKendry (1996); and Pam Shriver, marking her 30th year with the network (1990). Additionally, there are 22 American women in this year’s Australian Open main draw, the most at a Slam other than the U.S. Open since the 1999 Australian Open. The first round pitted the oldest, 39 year old Venus Williams, against the youngest, 15 year old Coco Gauff (the winner).

Family-friendly Gainbridge LPGA event offers something for everyone. Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio kicks off this week with 108 of the world’s best female golfers teeing it up in the four-day championship, January 23-26. Event officials have outlined additional family-friendly and affordable tournament week offerings for the whole community. The tournament kicks off on Monday with the Gainbridge Junior Golf Clinic at Osprey Point Golf Course. LPGA Players and certified golf instructors will be on hand to offer free golf instruction to kids ages 5 and up. On Tuesday, #GainbridgeLPGA is teaming up with Versant Health for a Women’s Leadership Summit that will feature a panel headlined by female business leaders, a fireside chat with a LPGA Tour pro, and presentations from pioneering female leaders. Next weekend, A.D. Henderson University School will offer free onsite STEM activities for kids of all ages. “Gainbridge is committed to making sure the week is affordable for the entire family and that there is something for everyone, beyond golf,” said Lesley Baker, Executive Director. “We are thrilled the tournament is able to offer several programs throughout the week in year one, and we invite everyone in the community to come out and experience the event.”

NHL All-Star Game takes the ice and the streets in St. Louis. The NHL has lined up its roster of activations for the 2020 NHL Fan Fair, the official fan festival of the2020 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend, running January 23-26 in St. Louis. Partners gearing up for the event include Enterprise, Honda, New Amsterdam Vodka, Truly, Discover, Dunkin’, Bud Light, GEICO, Great Clips, MassMutual, and SAP. Highlights of the four-day, family-friendly festival include autograph sessions featuring former and current NHL All-Stars; a Hockey Hall of Fame exhibit featuring the St. Louis Blues; NHL memorabilia and trophy displays, including the Stanley Cup; and the sixth annual NHL Mascot Showdown featuring all 29 NHL Mascots. Additionally, the NHL and Green Day will build on their multiyear partnership with the band’s headlining performance at the 2020 Honda NHL All-Star Game on January 25. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees will perform outside Enterprise Center shortly before they take the stage inside during the second intermission presented by Ticketmaster. The performance – as always, aimed at expanding hockey’s demographic reach – will be televised as part of the live All-Star Game broadcast on NBC and throughout Canada.

The WNBA and its players' union have come to terms on a new eight-year collective bargaining agreement that includes higher salaries, improved family benefits, and better travel accommodations. This represents a turning point for women's basketball and could ultimately lead to a substantial shift in how female athletes — across all sports — are compensated. The average WNBA cash compensation will reach nearly $130,000, and top players will be able to earn upwards of $500,000. Players will also receive a full salary while on maternity leave, and an annual child care stipend of $5,000. WNBA teams, which provide housing, will now guarantee two-bedroom apartments for players with children. And while players will still have to fly commercial, they'll finally get their own individual hotel rooms. "We believe it's a groundbreaking and historic deal. I'm proud of the players; they bargained hard, they unified, they brought attention to so many important topics," said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. The implications of this agreement reach beyond basketball into the larger workplace, at a time when women are demanding increased pay and benefits, on their merit and as a challenge to historically unequal pay.

The NBA players’ union has created an accelerator to aid athletes’ off court business ventures. NBA superstars LeBron James and Kevin Durant have become serial investors, lending their names, ideas, and money to multiple business ventures and startups. Now, their union wants to help its members with similar off-court aspirations follow suit. To that end, the NBPA is creating an accelerator program that’s open to current and former members. The program will operate in conjunction with Patricof Co., a highly specialized private investment platform designed to meet the unique needs and of pro athletes. The firm’s clients include Henrik Lundqvist, Venus Williams, J.J. Watt, and Todd Gurley. The union says the program will offer select player-led companies benefits including mentorship, exposure to like-minded entrepreneurs, and access to resources of the NBPA, Patricof Co., and undisclosed program sponsors. The new accelerator includes a three-day training camp to be held in June that culminates in a final pitch to a panel of professional investors. Just think of it as “Shark Tank” for hoops.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred came down hard on the Houston Astros last week for illegally stealing signs in 2017. Penalties Manfred imposed included a $5 million fine, the forfeitures of several top draft picks, and one-year suspensions from the game for manager A.J. Hinch and GM Jeff Luhnow -- who were subsequently fired by Astros owner Jim Crane. While the Astros have suffered irrevocable damage as a result of this investigation, ripple effects extend far beyond Houston. Former Astros bench coach and Boston manager Alex Cora was also fired by the Red Sox for his involvement in the Houston sign-stealing, and former Astros player Carlos Beltran, whom the Mets hired as manager just days before the first sign-stealing story broke, was canned and thus had the shortest tenure in Mets history. The sign-stealing scandal also likely extends beyond Boston and Houston, and the league will have no choice but to pursue all future leads now that the precedent has been set. While MLB's strict punishment will likely help dissuade teams from breaking the rules, further action is still required to quell public concerns about cheating.

Looking beyond the Super Bowl, sports books nationwide are preparing for XFL bets. While sports fans have been focused on picking NFL playoff teams to bet on, or marshaling their cash for the Super Bowl, yet another opportunity to wager on football is right around the corner: the XFL. Several states have already authorized bets on the second incarnation of the upstart football league, which begins its season in February, shortly after the NFL season concludes with the Super Bowl. Others are considering doing so, and bookmakers say they have requested that regulators add the league to lists of approved betting events. On the sports betting front, helped by a surge in sports betting, Atlantic City's casinos won $3.29 billion from gamblers in 2019, an increase of over 15% from 2018 — and a huge boon for a city that's still recovering from a mid-decade meltdown that saw five casinos close.

The Super Bowl is two weeks away, but Pepsi is already making Miami Ground Zero. Pepsi has announced that Harry Styles will headline the Pepsi Zero Sugar Super Bowl party on January 31 at Meridian Island in Miami. Planet Pepsi Zero Sugar “will see an out-of-this world build out, transporting fans to a transcendent audio-visual experience unlike anything else at Super Bowl LIV,” according to the announcement. Pepsi also promises a free Pepsi Zero Sugar to everyone in the U.S. if either the San Francisco 49ers or the Kansas City Chiefs’ final score ends in zero. The company said that if such a score results, it will refund the price of the drink, up to $2.50, to anyone in the U.S. who purchases it from February 2-4. It said that in 25% of previous Super Bowl games, at least one team finished with a score ending in zero. Pepsi will also award the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year winner for the 17th straight year. This year’s winner will receive a custom matte black Pepsi Zero Sugar trophy as the highest fan-voted honor for NFL Rookies.

Fashion retailer H&M has announced a new partnership with NFL in a deal brokered by IMG. The arrangement will see a new line of NFL-branded products sold in more than 20 countries outside of the US, including China, Japan, and the UK. Akash Jain, the NFL’s vice president of commercial development, said, “By partnering with H&M, we are able to reach fans in markets across the world with a diverse selection of apparel and accessories for men, women and children.” Meanwhile, Matthew Primack, IMG’s senior vice president of licensing, added, “The NFL’s international appeal as a lifestyle and fashion brand continues to grow rapidly. “With its reputation for creative collaborations and thousands of stores around the world, H&M is the perfect partner to provide an accessible and stylish collection of NFL apparel and accessories that will be sought after by football fans and fashionistas.” The collaboration is designed as a response to the NFL’s growing international profile, with regular season games in London and Mexico having heightened the league’s exposure. The Super Bowl is now broadcast in over 180 countries and 24 languages. 

In other football fashion news, ahead of Super Bowl LIV, Saks Fifth Avenue has created a Super Bowl-inspired collection for its Miami stores. After a successful collaboration in Atlanta last year, the upscale retailer is going even bigger in Miami. Last year, Saks Chief Men's Merchant Louis DiGiacomo told Women’s Wear Daily that the retailer is "not working with the NFL on this initiative but undertook it independently." He added, “Every year we work with the store in the city the Super Bowl is in.” For this year’s game, more than 100 items were created by fashion brands ranging from Heron Preston and John Elliott to Prada. The products "range from ready-to-wear and sneakers to accessories and were designed to celebrate the game." With NFL athletes increasingly as fashion-conscious as their NBA counterparts, it’s a safe bet that the Saks collection will be perused by visiting players as well as sartorially-savvy fans.

Nike begins the 2020s where it began the 2010s: as the number one sportswear brand on the planet. Nike’s Q4 earnings in 2019 grew to $10.2 billion; its income for the last completed financial year was $39.1 billion. All the same, the Portland-based giant faces significant change. It begins 2020 under only its fourth chief executive. John Donahoe, former eBay chief executive, joined Nike in January. Donahoe arrives after an awkward end to Mark Parker’s 13-year tenure. The high-profile Oregon Project closed amid reports that Parker had known uncomfortable details about the activities of banned distance-running coach Alberto Salazar. Strategically, Nike has other decisions to make that will be pertinent to the wider industry. Nike acquired consumer data analytics firm Zodiac in March 2018 and then bought Celect, a “predictive analytics and demand sensing” specialist, in August 2019. That same month it launched Adventure Club, a three-tier trainer subscription service for children. A full-scale version, perhaps based on the Nike+ membership and training scheme, could be a useful source of recurring revenue. Running a $143 billion corporation brings its rewards. Donahoe collects $45 million in cash and stock on arrival, then stands to earn up to $18.5 million a year. 

Starting this season on golf’s European Tour, caddies — who are on camera almost as much as their players — will be able to earn money through endorsement deals. Allowing caddies to be paid to have logos on items like their hats, bag straps, and towels could significantly improve their financial stability, which is currently tied to player performance. “As it stands now, a player pays the caddie a weekly fee, mostly to cover expenses, and a percentage of his earnings,” notes the New York Times. “This is not for the guy who caddies for the seventh-ranked player in the world, since he does very nicely," Sean Russell, chairman of the European Tour Caddies Association, told the media outlet. "This is for the guy who caddies for the 157th-ranked player. If you do the math, that caddie probably earned 12,000 euros (about $13,000) in bonus payments over the fixed fee for the week that covers expenses. If you're earning a 12,000-euro bonus you'd be better off stacking shelves." Since 2014, Valspar has sponsored the PGA Tour's Caddie Hat Program, which pays caddies to wear the paint company's logo on their hats. The European Tour's approach expands on that. 

Sad that the college football season has ended? A few more All-Star games remain. The Hula Bowl, the post-season all-star college football game held annually in Hawaii, named Newsweek as title sponsor of the 2020 event, which takes place January 26. “Newsweek is delighted to support the revival of a great American tradition," said Newsweek CEO Dev Pragad. "The Hula Bowl, with its deep American roots and its potential for global appeal, fits perfectly with our mission to build a loyal audience through highly engaging content on our multimedia platforms.” NFL Network also delivers live coverage of three collegiate all-star games this month starting this past Saturday, with the East-West Shrine Bowl and the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl. On January 25, the network airs the Reese’s Senior Bowl. For college football diehards, that leaves mere weeks to fill with the pro game, including the debut of the XFL, before the NFL Combine gets underway in Indianapolis February 23.

Power of Sports Five

The NBA tipped off league-wide activities honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. NBA teams playing January 16–20 are wearing custom Nike MLK Day warmup shirts designed in collaboration with the NBPA, MLK Foundation, and Martin Luther King III. The Dri-FIT T-shirt features words from MLK’s timeless speech on August 28, 1963: “We cannot walk alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back.”  The NBA has long been a leader in race relations and community outreach activities centered on diversity, and its annual MLK Day celebrations – which lead into the league’s month-long celebration of Black History Month every February – serve as a tentpole moment for this activism each year. 

A capacity crowd of more than 15,000 at Rod Laver Arena watched Roger Federer defeat Nick Kyrgios in a one-set finale to the Australian Open's Rally for Relief to aid wildfire charities last Wednesday. Tennis Australia said the night helped raise nearly 5 million Australian dollars ($3.5 million) for the victims of recent and ongoing fires in Australia that have killed 28 people and destroyed several thousand homes, most of them in New South Wales and Victoria states. Smoke haze from the continuing fires has played havoc with scheduling of the first two days of qualifying at Melbourne Park, delaying play by several hours and prompting complaints from players over the air quality. Other players who took part included Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Caroline Wozniacki, and Alexander Zverev. On several occasions, volunteer fire personnel were invited on the court to play against the tennis stars. Fundraising efforts, which include various amounts for aces served during the tournament and the sale of merchandise donated by players, continue as the Australian Open begin in earnest on Monday.

FOX honors Stoneman Douglas students during its Super Bowl LIV prep. The football team of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida was recently invited by FOX to serve as stand-ins for the Niners and the Chiefs as FOX technicians check camera angles for their broadcast ahead of the game. "They are really excited. It should be an awesome experience," Stoneman Douglas football coach Quentin Short, told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Stoneman Douglas was the site of the tragic mass shooting in Parkland in February 2018. Its students, including student athletes, subsequently became high-profile international spokespeople for gun control, and were said to be an inspiration for Swedish teen activist Greta Thunberg in her international quest to combat climate change.

The Fritz Pollard Alliance released a pointed statement decrying the last two NFL hiring seasons. The Athletic reports that the alliance, which was founded in 2003 to promote diversity hiring, “called on the league to...take tangible steps to develop plans to increase the hiring of people of color in leadership positions.” Of five NFL openings this offseason, only one was filled by a minority — Ron Rivera at Washington. In the last two hiring seasons, only one African-American was hired to fill the 13 openings (Brian Flores in Miami), with five African-Americans fired. Four of 32 NFL teams have a minority coach: Washington, Miami, Pittsburgh (Mike Tomlin), and the Chargers (Anthony Lynn). 70% of the NFL’s players are men of color compared with 12.5% of head coaches. The alliance points out that in 100 years the NFL has gone from Pollard as the first African-American coach in 1921 to four coaches of color in 2020; the league has only one African-American GM and no African-American team presidents. This despite the presence of the Rooney Rule, enacted in 2002, which requires that teams interview at least one minority candidate. 

Dwayne Wade begins new career as Chief Culture Officer for CAA. Wade may have retired at the end of the 2018-2019 season, but there’s little downtime in his future. According to AdWeek, the 13-time All-Star is launching a new company with powerhouse talent agency CAA to help marketers connect with diverse audiences. Wade, who will soon celebrate his 38th birthday and have his Miami Heat jersey retired during a three-day ceremony, said he’s motivated in part by being “extremely competitive” with his wife, businesswoman and actor Gabrielle Union, and setting an example for his family. Wade’s role at CAA will have several facets. He’s launching CAA AMP, described as a brand-focused “cultural strategy agency,” and taking on the title of chief culture officer of CAA Basketball. There, Wade intends to help other athletes chart an entrepreneurial course for their post-playing lives. The new division is an extension of CAA’s diversity initiatives. In 2017, the agency launched CAA Amplify, highlighted by an invite-only conference featuring diverse artists and leaders from the sports, entertainment, media, and political worlds.

Top Five Tech

BASE:LINE is the new soundtrack to the NBA thanks to Apple, Ebro Darden, and Steve Stoute. According to The Undefeated, music industry entrepreneur Steve Stoute has combined the forces of Apple and the NBA to create a new weekly music playlist of 40 songs that will search the world for new hip-hop talent. The first weekly installment, which was released January 16, features Baby Keem, Dame D.O.L.L.A., Princess Nokia, Mozzy, Young M.A., Tobe Nwigwe, and more. Apple’s director of hip-hop and R&B, Ebro Darden, will curate the weekly playlists and the NBA will feature BASE:LINE in the soundtrack for its highlights and on social media. The new playlist offers artists a platform to get their music to a large worldwide audience while fans feel privileged to hear the up and coming artists before the rest of the world – it’s a win-win all centered around getting more eyeballs on the NBA.

Nike partners with esports giants T1 Entertainment and Sports and their League of Legends star Faker. According to SportsPro, Nike will design all T1 team uniforms while every athlete on the South Korean outfit’s roster will wear Nike footwear and sportswear during competition. The agreement also includes the development of a new esports training facility based in T1 headquarters in Seoul, South Korea’s capital, where Nike will devise training programs designed to improve the performance of T1’s professional gamers. Lee Sang-hyeok, T1’s star League of Legends player commonly known as “Faker,” will play a key role in promoting the partnership due to his iconic status and strong personal following. Founded in 2012, T1 becomes the latest esports company in which Nike has invested. The sportswear manufacturer signed its first esports apparel deal with China’s League of Legends Pro League last February and has since entered into a multi-year partnership with Furia Esports, a Brazilian gaming company. Nike is one of the few athletic brands diving headfirst into esports and is establishing itself early as a key player in the rapidly developing esports field.

BetMGM becomes the exclusive gaming partner of the National Lacrosse League. According to SportTechie, the deal represents the first gaming partnership for any lacrosse league in the United States. BetMGM is the mobile sports betting app developed by Roar Digital, a joint venture between MGM Resorts International and U.K.-based gambling firm GVC Holdings. BetMGM will create weekly betting lines distributed across all NLL platforms and social channels. Users will be able to wager on NLL games (where it’s legal), including placing in-game bets via the BetMGM mobile app or website. The BetMGM sportsbook is only currently available to users based in New Jersey. BetMGM also allows users to place bets on sports such as the NBA, NHL, NFL, MLB, MMA, college sports, soccer, golf, and tennis. The brand will receive promotional opportunities throughout the NLL regular season and playoffs as part of its partnership with the league. In November, the NLL announced a multi-year agreement with sports analytics firm Sportlogiq and the league already secured a betting integrity deal with Genius Sports, so the BetMGM deal was the final puzzle piece to get fans betting and paying attention to professional lacrosse.

Under-Armour refocuses its global brand through podcasts and long-form content. According to The Drum, the sports company's latest campaign, “The Only Way is Through,” aims to realign the sports label as one that truly understands athletes’ drive to push limits – to break “through” pain and mental barriers. It features a wide array of star athletes, including basketball MVP Stephen Curry, swimming legend Michael Phelps, and volleyball world champion Zhu Ting, who star in a fast-cut hero film that places them all in their natural, blood-pumping environments. This new campaign led to an entirely new global platform of storytelling: podcasting. Alongside out-of-home and OTT streaming buys, the brand is trialing new formats in order to get consumers engaging deeper with its athletes and is launching its first podcast with iHeartRadio. The series, which will launch with eight episodes and be hosted by the famed interviewer Cal Fussman. Similarly, Under Armour has brokered a deal with The Players' Tribune, in which the brand’s stars will write about their experiences in sport.

Barstool Sports is close to selling to little-known casino company Penn National. According to Recode, the Chernin Group, which currently owns Barstool, is in advanced talks to sell a majority stake in the company to Penn National Gaming, a publicly traded, regional gambling company that operates 41 properties in 19 states. Barstool was last valued at more than $100 million, but a potential purchase price could be much higher, and might create the biggest media-gambling tie-up in the U.S. since the Supreme Court legalized sports betting in 2018. The deal would tie Barstool, a well-known company with a passionate audience, to a casino company you may have never heard of and use Barstool’s brand to transition into online sports betting. This potential move looks like a positive for Barstool, which can't find a home with sports leagues due to its brash approach to sports and pop culture coverage, and Penn National, which needs to compete in the move to online sports betting.

[biofunmy]

Modernism Reboots at the Museums

This autumn the excavation, reconstitution and globalization of 20th-century modernism continues apace. And that’s not just because the new, improved Museum of Modern Art is reopening next month, although let’s not minimize the significance of the main birthplace of modernist linearity seriously rearranging its brain cells. Nearly all the shows here contribute in some way, from a show about New York’s first female gallerist at the Jewish Museum, to a “second-tier” French painter at the Metropolitan Museum of Art to the redeployment of the Modern’s famed “Americans” exhibitions, which originated at an upstart museum in Florida.

The Museum of Modern Art Returns

The Oct. 21 unveiling of the Modern’s increased galleries and expanded historical purview is the biggest bump on the art horizon this fall, and its reopening is only the beginning. Sorting it out architecturally as well as artistically will take some time and it promises to be an object of fierce debate for months, if not years.

All the opening shows are drawn from the revered permanent collection. But know this: That collection is going to be a lot less permanent. It will be in a state of relatively constant flux, with about one-third of the collection rehung, or at least shifted about, every six months. This means that there will be, essentially, a completely new hang every 18 months — rather like the human body renews all its cells every seven years or so.

The narrow march of great white male genius is out; chronology will be followed, but not strictly; galleries will be devoted to individual artists, but not exclusively; and mediums will be decidedly mixed. Expect new acquisitions, like Leonora Carrington’s “And Then We Saw the Minotaur’s Daughter,” purchased this summer; rarely seen works liberated from storage and old standbys dramatically refreshed through conservation. Visitors expecting the wall-to-wall masterpieces will be disappointed. Many others, especially in the art world, may find it necessary to drop by more regularly to see what’s going on. Here’s hoping that the new design will make it easier to do so.

Museum of Modern Art, New York, Oct. 21

‘Edith Halpert and the Rise of American Art’

In 1926, Edith Gregor Halpert (1900-1970), an émigré from Ukraine, opened the Downtown Gallery on West 13th Street. It was the first gallery in Greenwich Village and she was the city’s first female gallerist. She was known for her ecumenical taste and progressive politics, which drew her to other émigré artists, as well as artists of color, and she gave Jacob Lawrence his first show — the famed “Migration” series snapped up by MoMA and the Phillips Collection. Horace Pippin, Stuart Davis, Charles Sheeler and Georgia O’Keeffe were among the many others she showed. Intent on reaching everyday people and selling them art — on the installment plan if needed — Halpert was looked down on by male dealers. This show, which promises remarkable photographs and ephemera, is long overdue.

The Jewish Museum, New York, Oct. 18-Feb. 9

‘Designs for Different Futures’

The future is always just beyond the present. This ambitious show, organized with the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis and the Art Institute of Chicago, looks ahead with 80 designs, almost none of which are in production. (An exception is the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, located in a mountain near the Arctic Circle, a model of which is seen here. Also included are the “Cricket Shelter,” in which to raise insects for protein; various aids for people with mobility challenges, including a lightweight exoskeleton; and shoes grown from sweat that look, fittingly, like ballet slippers.

Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, Oct. 21-March 8

‘In a Cloud, in a Wall, in a Chair: Six Modernists in Mexico at Midcentury’

Five of the female artists and designers here were influenced in some way by the sixth: Clara Porset (1895-1981), the exiled Cuban whose fusion of modernist and Mexican lifestyles made her one of Latin America’s most prominent furniture and interior designers. The other women include the Mexican photographer Lola Álvarez Bravo, the German American weaver Anni Albers; the American fiber artist Sheila Hicks; the also American textile designer Cynthia Sargent and the Japanese-American Ruth Asawa, who discovered the looped-wire basket technique — basic to all her sculpture — while studying with Porset in Mexico.

Art Institute of Chicago, Sept. 6-Jan. 12

‘French Fashion, Women and the First World War’

Haute couture was the only industry that the French government did not curtail during World War I. Change came organically. Male designers were called to the front (Paul Poiret among them), enabling more women to emerge, joining Jeanne Lanvin and Coco Chanel. As men left factories to fight, their places were taken by women who needed standardized, mass-produced work uniforms. These intersecting, transformative forces are among many traced in this encompassing exhibition, a feat of scrupulous, imaginative research.

Bard Graduate Center, New York, Sept. 5-Jan. 5

‘Memory Palaces: Inside the Collection of Audrey B. Heckler’

This exhibition celebrates the collection assembled over nearly three decades by Audrey B. Heckler, a trustee of the American Folk Art Museum and seasoned patron of self-taught art, whose creators are increasingly seen as intrinsic to modernism. The works range from European Art Brut to the American folk canon that emerged in the last century and the amazing African-American artists of the South. It promises more than 160 objects by around 80 artists, with some displays in “cabinet of curiosities” concentrations like those Ms. Heckler has arranged in her New York apartment.

American Folk Art Museum, New York, Sept. 17-Jan. 26

‘Modernisms’

Untrained in either art or art history, Abby Weed Grey (1902-1983) was a globalist ahead of her time. Around 1960, this well-off Midwestern widow decided to collect non-Western contemporary art and began acquiring postwar modernist works in Iran, Turkey and India, as well as Japan. After the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, her hometown, turned it down, Grey eventually gave her 700-object collection to New York University and endowed the Grey Art Gallery on Washington Square East. The collection’s Middle Eastern holdings have never been shown together; the Turkish material has never been displayed at all. This show, subtitled “Iranian, Turkish and Indian highlights from N.Y.U.’s Abby Weed Grey Collection,” should be instructive.

Grey Art Gallery, New York University, Sept. 10-Dec. 7

‘Félix Vallotton: Painter of Disquiet’

The Swiss artist Félix Vallotton (1865-1925), who moved to Paris when he was 16, usually lurks in the background in shows or books about late 19th-century French art. His sharply black and white prints are his best known works, for their striking compositions and rich, sometimes sinister narratives: domestic interiors occupied by uneasy couples; acerbic depictions of the haute bourgeois and scenes of police brutality. Vallotton’s less known paintings oscillate between a rigorous realism and a flattened style in keeping with the prints. Giving equal space to the paintings, the first Vallotton retrospective in this country since 1991 promises to give his work the stature it is due.

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Oct. 29-Jan. 26

‘Ernst Ludwig Kirchner’

A retrospective of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, the best and most versatile of the German Expressionists, is always welcome. Like many 20th-century German painters, Kirchner was twice broken, by World I, which resulted in his nervous breakdown, and the rise of Hitler, which ultimately drove him to suicide in 1938. This show will emphasize Kirchner’s joltingly innovative color, which like his exuberantly jagged line, helped acidify his images of modern life.

Neue Galerie, New York, Oct. 3-Jan. 13

Modeling its title on the Modern’s “Americans” shows of the 1950s, this prescient exhibition of 30 American artists of African descent originated 10 years ago in Miami at the upstart Rubell Family Collection (soon to be the Rubell Museum). Since then it has toured to 16 museums nationwide accruing near-legendary status. The Barnes Foundation stop this fall brings it closest to New York. The artists range across three generations, from Robert Colescott (1925-2009) to the biting work of Nina Chanel Abney, and includes Mickalene Thomas, David Hammons, Xaviera Simmons, Kerry James Marshall and Henry Taylor. In the years since “30 Americans” opened, it has become undeniable that African-American artists are making much of the best American art today. It’s also clear that this show could be redone with an entirely different, mostly new group and be just as good — if not better.

Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia, Oct 27-Jan 12; barnesfoundation.org.

Sahred From Source link Travel

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[juliandmouton30]

MVRDV's letter-shaped housing blocks spell out HOME across old army barracks site

MVRDV has revealed its plans to redevelop the former Mannheim US Army camp in Germany, creating a green mound from demolished barracks and four residential towers that spell out the word home.

The Dutch firm's designs for the 144-hectare Franklin Mitte neighbourhood in Mannheim are intended to introduce density and diversity to the monotonous plan of barracks.

Aimed at local families leaving the German city due to a lack of an attractive housing, the new community will also connect an isolated area of the city with a scenic forest nearby.

The Green Hill will be made from the remains of demolished barracks buildings and built around and over existing buildings. As the central hub, it will house a shops, restaurants, cafes and community spaces.

A pathway cutting through the centre of the large mound and piercing through some of the old structures, will provide a connection to the residential areas.

From the top, the hill will provide a panoramic view of the four new housing developments arranged around it. Each one will be shaped to resemble a letter from the word home.

"The Green Hill is the central icon of this revitalised neighbourhood, a park heart of the community for people to walk on, relax, a great panoramic look out onto the neighbourhood and its HOME towers," said MVRDV founding partner Winy Maas.

"With a series of investors a variety of typologies and interpretations of the past is celebrated," he continued.

"A primary axis, the Europa Achse, cuts through the centre of the scheme, piercing through some of the old structures, while connecting the two surrounding nature areas and at the same time, creates transitions from old to new."

A plaza will surround each building in the shape of the projected shadow of each letter. These markings will cut through both old and new buildings, as part of the architects' intention to juxtapose the site's history with the contemporary structures.

MVRDV will design and detail the 12,380-square-metre O tower and the 17,890 square-metre M building, while Stuttgart-based Haascookzemmrich STUDIO2050 will complete the H and the E blocks.

The towers will vary in scale, with the the O tower containing 120 apartments, and the M block housing 185 apartments.

The architects have also adapted each of the forms to different uses. The roof of the M tower will feature tennis courts, while the lower levels in the gap at the centre of the O will form a public stage with a staircase leading up from the ground level.

Each of the HOME towers will feature bright individual colours to make them stand out against the neutral-toned neighbourhood. They will be rotated towards the Vogelstang district and the highway to allow readability from a distance.

Built in 1606 as an innovative trading city, Mannheim was used as a US army base until 2011. Since then, much redevelopment has been planned for the desolate site, including another proposal by MVRDV to create a "village" of affordable housing.

Architecture students from Germany's University of Kaiserslautern have built a wooden community centre for a refugee camp for some of the thousands of refugees now residing in Mannheim.

"The HOME towers signal a welcoming suggestion," said Mass. "Especially needed in these days of doubt. Mannheim is an ambitious city with a strong social agenda, the site is currently occupied by 10,000 refugees, I find that impressive and to be honest, quite touching.’’

Winy Maas founded MVRDV was founded in 1993 along with Jacob van Rijs and Nathalie de Vries. The firm's office is located in Rotterdam – a city that is fast becoming a hub for architectural innovation.

MVRDV's most recent projects include a Y-shaped villa with rooftop swimming pool for Taiwan, a Copenhagen community centre that invites grownups to play and a shopping centre and night club complex for Seoul.

Related story

MVRDV to transform old US Army barracks in Germany into affordable housing

Project credits: Design team: Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs, Nathalie de Vries, Jeroen Zuidgeest, Markus Nagler, Johannes Pilz, Mikel Vazquez, Philipp Kramer, Elena Ambacher, Christine Sohar, Remy Koning, Xiaoting Chen, Rebecca Pröbster, Máté Mészáros, Elien Deceuninck, Marco Gazzola and Susanna Horn Jardemark Visualisation: Antonio Luca Coco, Paolo Mossa Idra and Tomaso Maschietti, Matteo Artico, Carlo Cattò Partners: Wenzel+Wenzel Client: RVI and PD Capital Holding

The post MVRDV's letter-shaped housing blocks spell out HOME across old army barracks site appeared first on Dezeen.

from ifttt-furniture https://www.dezeen.com/2017/03/06/green-hill-home-residential-towers-mvrdv-mannheim-germany-former-us-army-barracks/

[jeniferdlanceau]

MVRDV's letter-shaped housing blocks spell out HOME across old army barracks site

MVRDV has revealed its plans to redevelop the former Mannheim US Army camp in Germany, creating a green mound from demolished barracks and four residential towers that spell out the word home.

The Dutch firm's designs for the 144-hectare Franklin Mitte neighbourhood in Mannheim are intended to introduce density and diversity to the monotonous plan of barracks.

Aimed at local families leaving the German city due to a lack of an attractive housing, the new community will also connect an isolated area of the city with a scenic forest nearby.

The Green Hill will be made from the remains of demolished barracks buildings and built around and over existing buildings. As the central hub, it will house a shops, restaurants, cafes and community spaces.

A pathway cutting through the centre of the large mound and piercing through some of the old structures, will provide a connection to the residential areas.

From the top, the hill will provide a panoramic view of the four new housing developments arranged around it. Each one will be shaped to resemble a letter from the word home.

"The Green Hill is the central icon of this revitalised neighbourhood, a park heart of the community for people to walk on, relax, a great panoramic look out onto the neighbourhood and its HOME towers," said MVRDV founding partner Winy Maas.

"With a series of investors a variety of typologies and interpretations of the past is celebrated," he continued.

"A primary axis, the Europa Achse, cuts through the centre of the scheme, piercing through some of the old structures, while connecting the two surrounding nature areas and at the same time, creates transitions from old to new."

A plaza will surround each building in the shape of the projected shadow of each letter. These markings will cut through both old and new buildings, as part of the architects' intention to juxtapose the site's history with the contemporary structures.

MVRDV will design and detail the 12,380-square-metre O tower and the 17,890 square-metre M building, while Stuttgart-based Haascookzemmrich STUDIO2050 will complete the H and the E blocks.

The towers will vary in scale, with the the O tower containing 120 apartments, and the M block housing 185 apartments.

The architects have also adapted each of the forms to different uses. The roof of the M tower will feature tennis courts, while the lower levels in the gap at the centre of the O will form a public stage with a staircase leading up from the ground level.

Each of the HOME towers will feature bright individual colours to make them stand out against the neutral-toned neighbourhood. They will be rotated towards the Vogelstang district and the highway to allow readability from a distance.

Built in 1606 as an innovative trading city, Mannheim was used as a US army base until 2011. Since then, much redevelopment has been planned for the desolate site, including another proposal by MVRDV to create a "village" of affordable housing.

Architecture students from Germany's University of Kaiserslautern have built a wooden community centre for a refugee camp for some of the thousands of refugees now residing in Mannheim.

"The HOME towers signal a welcoming suggestion," said Mass. "Especially needed in these days of doubt. Mannheim is an ambitious city with a strong social agenda, the site is currently occupied by 10,000 refugees, I find that impressive and to be honest, quite touching.’’

Winy Maas founded MVRDV was founded in 1993 along with Jacob van Rijs and Nathalie de Vries. The firm's office is located in Rotterdam – a city that is fast becoming a hub for architectural innovation.

MVRDV's most recent projects include a Y-shaped villa with rooftop swimming pool for Taiwan, a Copenhagen community centre that invites grownups to play and a shopping centre and night club complex for Seoul.

Related story

MVRDV to transform old US Army barracks in Germany into affordable housing

Project credits: Design team: Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs, Nathalie de Vries, Jeroen Zuidgeest, Markus Nagler, Johannes Pilz, Mikel Vazquez, Philipp Kramer, Elena Ambacher, Christine Sohar, Remy Koning, Xiaoting Chen, Rebecca Pröbster, Máté Mészáros, Elien Deceuninck, Marco Gazzola and Susanna Horn Jardemark Visualisation: Antonio Luca Coco, Paolo Mossa Idra and Tomaso Maschietti, Matteo Artico, Carlo Cattò Partners: Wenzel+Wenzel Client: RVI and PD Capital Holding

The post MVRDV's letter-shaped housing blocks spell out HOME across old army barracks site appeared first on Dezeen.

from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8217598 https://www.dezeen.com/2017/03/06/green-hill-home-residential-towers-mvrdv-mannheim-germany-former-us-army-barracks/

[noperopesaredope]

Jacob & Coco Across the Universe (Post-Canon Collector AU): The Collector’s New Outfit!

So, I was planning to put out Coco and Jacob’s outfit redesigns together, but I’ve been having the slightest bit of trouble with Jacob’s and I may just start over on it entirely. I still wanted to at least put out Coco’s design, so I’m just letting it be it’s own post. I’ll release more of my designs later.

So, without further ado, here’s an edit with their new outfit!

I also decided to do a little practice for getting the hang of their basic design elements, and made this:

I found the reference in my photos and I unfortunately have no idea where it came from or who made the original, so if anyone knows, please tell me so I can give them proper credit.

I’m pretty proud of it, in all honesty. The stars are a bit tricky, but I don’t mind the ones on the sleeves being inconsistent. Honestly, Coco might have made it so that it’s shift around and stuff for the sake of aesthetic.

I’m hoping to go for a more “cozy winter outfit” aesthetic to go with the space one. Cod will not dawn this outfit at the beginning of the AU. There will be a specific point in the story in which he decides to change things up a bit. But his hair will be noticeably growing throughout the story even before the outfit change. I like how most of us have been drawing them with a long braid in our timeskip outfits, so I’m keeping that as a thing. I believe the Collector ages slowly compared to the others, so I won’t ever give them much of a growth spurt or puberty. Instead, they will just get long hair that get’s increasingly longer until they’re basically Jinx from Arcane.

You may also have noticed that he has no ears. That is because I like the headcanon that he simply doesn’t have ears. He may have round ears in canon, but I prefer the no ears route. I will never show any of the Collectors’ ears.

Anyways, hope you liked the outfit! I really enjoy drawing it (besides the stars, which I am beginning to regret), and I hope you’ll like some of my future designs to come for this AU!

[noperopesaredope]

A Post-Series Collector AU

So, over the past few days, due to my Collector brainrot and new AU, I ended up creating a concept for a show idea based very loosely on my Servitude Collector AU. I actually kinda wanna make into an actual show now, and I’ve actually put it in my folder of “Ideas That I Legitimately Want to Pitch to a Network”, which only has, like, three or so things in it. 

I wasn’t going to talk about any of it on Tumblr (since I’m a bit paranoid about someone stealing my ideas or networks thinking that I had stolen my own ideas), but recently, after having finished the finale for TOH, I realized that this concept was exactly what the Collector fandom needed. So I changed some stuff up a bit (both for the show concept and for the AU), and have decided to put it out there as its own little AU thing. You’re welcome.

Spoilers for TOH finale:

As some of you may know, at the end of the finale, the Collector decided to leave the Boiling Isles and explore the universe to figure themselves out. This may have been unsatisfying to many, as the kid is in desperate need of proper friends and a good family, and they honestly shouldn’t just go off completely alone.

I felt the same way, and decided that they probably spent some time exploring the universe and making friends all over the place, each of whom taught him important life lessons.

I thought that that sounded like a fun idea, and whilst thinking a bit about it, I remembered that show concept I was working on. I realized that the basics of it worked way too well, because it is very much a found family story that takes place in space, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized it was exactly what the Collector needed.

It would definitely involve them going around the universe and making new friends whilst learning life lessons that they really need, but it would also make sure they weren’t alone whilst doing it. They could grow alongside someone, and that person could learn from him.

So I quickly wrote down the basics for this AU idea, and I’m pretty proud of it. But first, before I explain it, I need to explain one important thing.

Okay, so I didn’t want to talk too much about my original show concept, and it will go in a pretty different direction in comparison to this AU, but I will tell you one thing about it. By the way, I actually wrote my show concept’s main character long before I thought up this AU as a whole. The reason I say that is because you may think that because it will sound ridiculous, but trust me, this was actually my plan for my original story and OC. Okay, here it is:

The main character for my original story is a 30 y/o conspiracy theorist with a degree in astrophysics who is determined to prove that there are aliens on the moon (among other conspiracy theories). I’m not kidding. I was trying to think of a backstory for my human MC, and I thought to myself: “wouldn’t it be funny if he was a comedically paranoid conspiracy theorist who flipped between playing the straight man and the wacky one? Wouldn’t it be wild?”

I had everything for him planned out, from his personality to his motives to how he met the show’s version of the Collector (all the characters in my show are very different from the ones I’ll be using in this AU, and many elements of the plot will be different too). I love him so much. He’s so smart and normal and yet so stupid and chaotic and possibly has psychosis (that will be portrayed sympathetically).

Whilst turning this into an AU type thing, I considered making an OC for this AU, since we don’t really have any characters in the Human Realm who would fit his role and other important elements of his characters, such as stuff related to his character arc.

Then I remembered.

There is a character who fills all the criteria I need for this AU, possibly even more than I could possibly think of.

A character who has some pretty significant similarities to my Human OC (though not the same personality).

A character who doesn’t have any real attachments on Earth, and whom I can do whatever I want with.

A character who didn’t need a character arc, but could suddenly get one in my AU.

A character who I hate, but can work and even have fun with.

A character who could bounce of the Collector so well in terms of banter.

A character who could honestly fit amazingly with the kind of story I want to tell.

You know who he is.

I know who he is.

It’s a character that nobody expected me to use for anything!

It’s........

....

....

....

Jacob Hopkins, the conspiracy theorist who kidnapped Vee that one time

.............................................ok hear me out-

Let me just explain my basic idea. It will all make sense.

The AU’s Plot:

So, the AU starts out after the Collector has been bopping around through space for a few weeks after leaving in the finale. He wants to make friends, but isn’t sure how to make the first step, and he’s afraid of messing it up somehow. They tried going around to different planets, but kept chickening out in fear of rejection. They eventually land on an abandoned planet and sit next to a mysterious structure. This is important.

But not right now.

Now, let’s go look at Earth for a bit. Specifically, one particular human: Jacob Hopkins.

Jacob is, to be frank, a fucking loser. He’s a conspiracy theorist with no job and very few friends and has been deemed the “town crazy guy” that nobody really likes all that much. In order to prove that there are 100% extraterrestrials on Mars, he decided to secretly build a spaceship that would launch him into outer space and all the way to the planet, where he would finally find aliens and take pictures of them to bring back to Earth with him.

He has finally finished building it (as well as bought an actual space suit), and we see him open a package he got from the darkweb with a mysterious crystal inside it. The seller told Jacob that it’s basically a special type of rocket fuel, though we the audience know that something is definitely up. He puts the thing in his ship, gets on his spacesuit, gathers his supplies, and finally gets ready to launch.

He finally launches his ship into the sky, and part way up, it seems like it’s obviously not gonna make it. Jacob quickly realizes that this is a terrible idea, but it’s too late, as he’s already thousands of feet in the air. He closes his eyes, ready to accept his fate, but suddenly, the crystal inside the fuel tank starts glowing, and, in a really cool looking bit of animation, a wormhole appears in front of the spaceship. The ship flies straight through it and out a familiar looking structure: the structure which the Collector was sitting next to.

Meanwhile, the Collector, startled by the spaceship which just crashed next to them, hides behind a rock, and chooses to simply observe for now. Jacob finally opens his eyes, and realizes he is still alive, and on a totally different planet. He puts on his helmet and gets out, amazed at it. The Collector, seeing this slightly confused but harmless looking human, decides to finally introduce themselves. He walks up behind Jacob and simply says hi.

Jacob is at first horribly startled, then amazed. A real life alien. He starts basically fangirling and takes multiple pictures of the Collector, who is very confused. I’m having a hard time figuring out how to explain some of this next part, but Jacob eventually realizes that they aren’t on Mars and the Collector isn’t a Martian or even from that planet. He is disappointed, but then gets curious about the Collector’s deal.

The Collector explains that they’re traveling the universe to find friends, but even though they’ve seen so many different beings, they aren’t really having any luck with making friends yet. Jacob sees an opening, and says that if he could come along with the Collector, they could be friends. The Collector gets excited at this, then suspicious, and asks if Jacob is trying to manipulate them or something. Jacob, who currently has no morals, chooses lying. Even though he is kinda bad at it, he manages to convince the star child, because this kid is really desperate and bad at telling when people are lying to him. The Collector agrees, and they pinky promise, before the Collector asks if they can use Jacob’s ship to travel.

Blah blah blah, stuff about wormholes, blah blah blah, Collector improves the ship and suit a bit, blah blah blah, other plot stuff. Then they both get in the ship and start heading off. Whilst getting ready to wormhole jump, Jacob says that he never got the Collector’s name.

The Collector almost introduces themselves as The Collector, but then hesitates for reasons that will be revealed later. He finally decides to introduce himself as “Coco”. Jacob introduces himself, and they wormhole jump.

Most of the story (until it gets a bit more plot heavy) involves the pair traveling from planet to planet and helping people out whilst learning important life lessons that will be important to both of their arcs. I decided to not make any original worlds (didn’t want this particular AU to be too OC heavy), and instead decided to do something a bit more fun and easy with it. Basically, every new planet will basically be a crossover with something else, like an Amphibia crossover (though it’s implied that Amphibia and TOH both take place in the same world, so…) and a Gravity Falls crossover and a ton of other increasingly bizarre crossovers. While this is happening, there is a mysterious pair of bounty hunter type people who are tracing the Collector down, and the duo needs to keep escaping and outsmarting them, which is one of the reasons they keep going to different planets. The plot (which involves the Collector’s siblings) will pick up later, but I will write it all out in another post.

For now, that’s the basic premise!

There are a few major differences between my OCs and Coco/Jacob that will significantly change the story and vibes.

First off, my space child OC is very morbid, but much more self aware than the Collector, and also a bit younger. The two are both similar and very different, and that will heavily affect their respective character arcs.

There’s also my MC and Jacob, who are both very similar and very different. They may both be slightly unhinged conspiracy theorists, but their personalities are very different, and my MC is a bit more chill than Jacob.

On top of that, in my original story, I am relatively nice to my conspiracy theorist man, as he does mean well, he’s just…….himself. However, I refuse to be nice to Jacob. I will stop being mean to him once he gets far enough into his character arc and starts actually seeing the error of his ways and begins becoming a better person. That will take a bit, as I don’t want his change to be too immediate or seem OOC, but I will have him change and eventually become more likable, but in an earned way.

There is another major difference between the two stories. In my original story, the two main characters (basically the Collector and Jacob) develop a bit of a parent-child relationship, and it mainly starts out with the human guy feeling awkward and anxious whilst the star child is simply amazed by and affectionate towards him. That is not the case here. At the beginning of the AU, “Coco” and Jacob start out willing to give each other a chance, but their main dynamic is a bit less wholesome and a bit more “being annoyed with each other”. Overtime, however, they gain an almost sibling(?)-like relationship, and still banter a lot, but it becomes more friendly. This is honestly more of a story about the pair learning to become better and less self centered people through each other.

Most of the plot and many of the characters will be incredibly different from my show concept (most of my OCs won’t even appear in this AU), but I will also be using many types of ideas from it. I want my personal project to be unique and its own thing, but I also think some of it would work and could satisfy the Collector fanbase without battling canon. It could give the Collector a happy ending, and, fuck, it could even give my least favorite character a happy ending of sorts.

It will also follow some of the same themes as my show idea, but not all of them, and it will bring some new ideas into the mix. Its main themes (both shared and not shared with my story) are found family, friendship, kindness, redemption, purpose, responsibility, mortality, forgiveness, trauma, change, and probably some other stuff that will pop up as I go along.

I’m probably gonna call this: “Jacob & Coco Across the Universe”

Hopefully ya’ll think it sounds cool. I’m still gonna be putting out stuff for my Servitude Collector AU (since I still love it), but I’m also gonna focus a bit on this little AU and make it a fun thing to feed the fandom with.

[noperopesaredope]

Jacob & Coco Across the Universe (Post-Canon Collector AU): Collector Lore (Pt. 1)

A messy and disorganized post explaining some of my Collector lore for Jacob & Coco.

A Collector is born from a star. Specifically, a Collector is born every time a micronova occurs (look up micronovas. They’re interesting, but little is known about them currently. Sorry if I bs some of the science). Within the stream of energy the smaller star is absorbing from the larger star, a tiny miracle will occur, and a being will be created from a portion of the energy being transferred between the two. This being is often known as Collector, though they are occasionally referred to as a Starlight. The two stars which the Collector was born from are considered their “parents”, and Collectors born from the same stars are considered “siblings.” A group of siblings (who always live together) is called a family.

As babies, Collectors don’t have any particular rank or responsibilities like older Collectors. They just do all the stuff that babies do and are cared for by their siblings (unless they are currently an only child. In that case, they will be raised by an older Collector until they can live independently). However, they don’t go through all the same stages as human babies. Baby Collectors tend to start out like the average 9 month old human, able to crawl around and such, but not yet able to walk. They can float slightly whilst in space, but are always curled up when floating, and not very high or for very long.

Once they are no longer toddlers, Collectors will gain new responsibilities. They will still be treated as children, but they do have certain “chores” and such. Once they reach the right age, they will begin learning how to actually collect things. They will start accompanying their older siblings on less dangerous missions

When a Collector reaches maturity and has collected a certain amount of items, they often end up ascending to the rank of Archivist. Archivists hold the responsibility of actually storing and taking care of the many things they and other Collectors may have gathered. 

There are other ranks, but these are the most important ones right now.

An important thing that we learn early on in the AU is actually quite important to the function of the story, a bit of the lore, and might even make the Collector’s exit a most satisfying conclusion. During the MLP crossover, at some point, Coco will mention that they won’t be staying for too long, about a few weeks to a few months at most. They will definitely come back in a few years at most, but they can’t really deal with sticking around for more than a year, at least, not at that point in time.

He explains that not only did he promise to take Jacob all around the universe, but that his species is actually nomadic, and rarely stays in one place for too long. They mainly stay long enough to collect things and bring them back to their ship, something common for a group of Collectors to have. They all feel most comfortable moving around and discovering new places, collecting new things. So traveling around the universe is actually a very happy fate for Coco, as they were forced to stay in one place for so long without even getting to collect anything new. Even if they were perfectly happy with the idea of staying with King and friends, Coco would have felt the urge to leave at one point or another.

Collector families tend to spend most of their time exploring the universe in a family traveling vessel the size of a small moon. This moon-like ship is made out of materials orbiting their stars, and the older siblings make said ships together as a group. The ship is mostly hollow and maze-like, a vast temple for archiving, sometimes even structured like a museum. On the surface of the ship, they will often have a small palace made for the family to live in. The palaces are typically shaped like crowns and have intricate decorations.

The reason they have these ships is not just for storing, but for traveling around quickly, as Collectors are a very nomadic species. They strongly prefer to travel in close groups, but can travel separately from their family, as long as they find other traveling companions.

Collectors are very diverse in their definition of collecting, and they will often use different methods to collect, or will collect different types of things. Each has preferences for how they choose to preserve, and some are very different from others. At some point in the story, our Collector will have a realization about themselves and their personal method of collecting, one that is a bit different from the traditional methods. I’m pretty excited about that, but I won’t spoil it right now.

~~~~~

That’s all for this post. I’ll make more later, specifically how Collector society and culture works.

[noperopesaredope]

Me: *Decides to write Jacob as having legitimate NPD rather than wiping away all his canon symptoms*

Me: “Wow, it’s gonna be pretty hard to write an actual narcissist in a manner that you can legitimately sympathize with. And it’s probably gonna be even harder to create one that eventually manages to grow and evolve as a person and learns to maintain healthy (platonic) relationships that aren’t harmful to either side. This is gonna be the toughest thing I’ve ever written, and I’m not sure if I’ll even be able to do it.”

Me: “Oh well, might as well give it a try!”

Me: *Writes an outline explaining how it will fit into the story*

The Story: *Barely has any changes besides little differences in character dynamics and small interactions, but basically no changes in story beats*

Jacob: *Becomes a legitimately more interesting and complex character with a better character arc that the one I originally wrote, and is honestly more likeable to me for some reason*

Jacob and Coco’s Dynamic: *Somehow more healthy and wholesome than before once their character arcs start kicking in* (Jacob’s reasons for caring about Coco are still a bit self centered, but he’s better at treating them correctly. I somehow gave them a mutually positive relationship whilst keeping the NPD part consistent)

Themes and Message: *Appear out of thin air*

The Entire AU: *Improves in every way*

Me: “........................................”

Me: “Huh, that was surprisingly easy.”

[noperopesaredope]

So, I’ve been working on the Steven Universe crossover episodes for Jacob & Coco Across the Universe (my post canon Collector-centric AU), and during the initial planning, I had an interesting idea. For a bit of context, each planet that the pair visits is meant to teach at least one of them a lesson, typically via meeting a character whom they might be able to learn from or relate to. 

In the case of the Steven Universe crossover, Coco was originally just gonna connect with and relate to Spinel (though Lapis could also work a tiny bit). This is still the case, as they gonna become friends in the second part where I give them a pretty touching scene. However, before that, there is an episode in which Coco connects with another character. I’m not sure how I’ll make this happen exactly, as the two won’t truly meet, but Coco will relate to this character. They will relate to her almost as much, if not moreso, than they relate to Spinel.

We have been comparing Spinel and the Collector a lot, but there’s one character that we’ve been overlooking in terms of parallels. And that character is......

Pink Diamond/Rose Quartz

.

.

Hear me out!

Let’s start from the beginning. I know she gets a lot of hate, but Pink did actually have a pretty rough childhood, the kind that would mess with one’s sense of right and wrong. Pink was raised by three older sisters, the Diamonds, ancient powerful beings who committed genocide and war for many years. Sound familiar? On top of that, they weren’t always the best to Pink, and never took her seriously. As far as we can tell, this may have been the case for our dear Collector.

Pink had a tendency to treat other people like toys, and it was likely because she legitimately didn’t know better. It can be hard for young immortals to learn that others have feelings, especially when you’re taught otherwise.

And despite that, when she was sent down to another planet, she discovered other lifeforms, and she loved it there. She discovered how wrong the others were, and she hated the destruction her own species brought upon the world and beings she had begun to love. So she fought back. She became Rose.

This is where the stories diverge.

Even after thousands of years, Rose was still learning new things about kindness and love and people. Sure she wasn’t a very good person, but she wanted to be. She tried to be. Even when she kept fucking it up over and over and over again, she tried. She learned how to love and care for other beings, something that went directly against everything she had ever been told growing up.

And eventually, it seems that Rose had a realization of sorts. “There is something about be that is inherently unable to be a truly compassionate being. I was born a Diamond, and I’m not sure I’ll ever really stop being the way I was raised to be. I want to become a human.” And so she did. She likely believed that she wasn’t good enough, kind enough, to be worthy of such love her friends gave her. They didn’t deserve all her flaws.

So she chose to become a being that she believed wouldn’t have those flaws.

Something better.

Someone better.

If only Coco could do that too.

~~~~

So yeah, I realized there are an unhinged amount of parallels between the Collector and Pink Diamond. Yes, I am part of the Pink Diamond Apologist Squad. That is mainly because of the parallels between the two gave me realizations. Also, I like Rose and think her arc is actually kinda inspiring when you tell it in order. Also, her being a bad person was probably a retcon. 

But anyways, yeah, that is my mini-essay comparing these two very interesting characters.

[noperopesaredope]

Jacob & Coco Across the Universe (Post-Canon Collector AU): My OCs

Due to the fact that my other Collector-centric AU is practically MADE of OCs, I decided to not make too many OCs for this particular AU (also, I’m lazy). However, I did make two to serve an important role in the story. These are the bounty hunters.

Worm:

(he/him) A hardened bounty hunter trying to capture the Collector with the help of his trusted partner, Worm is a legend amongst the intergalactic community. Despite being a magic-less mortal from a not particularly advanced planet, he has managed to cement himself as a dangerous foe, and is not to be taken lightly. He does have a small advantage that has helped him along the way: he is able to make enchanted weapons. Similar to Luz, he has no magic, but he has found ways to manipulate it, though rather than using written language, he primarily uses the spoken language of the stars. This allows him to make certain enchanted weapons, though it is a relatively difficult process, and can take a couple of hours, especially since most of them must be made of special materials. But he is nevertheless excellent at his craft.

However, the enchanted weapons aren’t exactly what makes Worm a terrifying foe. He’s just extremely skilled at figuring out exactly how to defeat his enemies. He is more of a long term planner than anything, tracking down his opponent and observing them for a period of time before deciding on the best attack strategy.

Worm is serious and reserved, with a closed off personality. He’s definitely the gruff guy who's been mostly disillusioned with the world, but he doesn’t have too tragic of a backstory, so he doesn’t angst all that much. He also keeps his word, as he finds promises to be extremely important, and it can take a lot for him to break one.

The only person who has any true sway over Worm is Lacta, and though he won’t admit it, he does care deeply for her. He almost never gets close to anyone, but she somehow managed to worm (hehe, worm) her way into his heart. They don’t have romantic feelings towards each other, but they are basically platonic soulmates.

We don’t get to know too much about him over the course of the story, especially since I don’t have too many ideas for his personality, but he’s hopefully gonna be pretty cool.

At first I was planning for him to be relatively big and buff, but then I decided against that. He’ll probably actually look like a slightly more muscular (and masculine presenting) version of Double Trouble from She-ra, but with purple skin, a very different outfit, a special pattern on his face, a different outfit, and much shorter hair. I’ll draw him and Lacta at some other time, but this is just a basic visual description for now.

Lacta:

(she/her around close friends and family, but they/them around everyone else. Gender-fluid either way) As Worm’s bounty-hunting partner and longtime (platonic) companion, Lacta knows her stuff. She may not exactly be a prodigy like him, but she is very good at her job. They prefer to take on multiple smaller bounties rather than one big one, as they are less about the planning and observing and such, and more about the “thrill” and “the chase.” She prefers to burst in ready for a brawl, and unlike Worm, she prefers it when her “prey” knows that she is after them, kinda like a wolf. They’re not evil, I promise.

They are what is called a “sub-celestial” or “mega-mortal”. Basically, they aren’t quite as powerful as a celestial, and they definitely aren’t immortal, but they are quite strong, and you don’t want to mess with one. Honestly, Titans would likely be categorized as a “mega-mortal” species. Lacta herself is a Zethspheri, a species that we gradually learn more about through subtle hints as Lacta occasionally mentions things about her species that cause her to act a certain way.

What we immediately find out about Zethspheries is that they are very difficult to hurt or kill, have an extended lifespan, and possess various magical abilities, though it is hard to determine their limits. Lacta is noted to be a particularly strong Zethspheri, with a lot more energy and endurance than most. They seem virtually unkillable, as many of their (mortal) targets have tried to end them, but they always get back up again. They can most definitely be defeated by, say, a fully grown Collector or adult celestial (though they would still put up at least a bit of a fight), and if they are battling someone with better abilities/a lot more experience than them, then Lacta will likely be defeated. However, in this case, she is facing off against a human and a very young celestial, and she has access to a few weapons capable of combating Coco, so she has an advantage over the duo.

Lacta has what seems like two sides to her personality, though they don’t have a split personality or anything. One side is the one that most people have heard of: a ruthless, determined bounty hunter who will track you down and capture you no matter what you throw at them. They enjoy chasing people down and fighting, which is why they sometimes can be seen with a slightly unhinged smile whilst “on the hunt.” She is a feral person, and almost ruthless. She has probably killed at least one person at some point. She cannot be broken by anyone, no matter what they say or do. However, though not everyone knows it, Lacta does have a strong moral compass. They are fine with capturing adults of all sorts (though they will hesitate to capture someone who is wanted dead for non-violent crimes), but they refuse to hurt children. This is partially because of their personality, and partially because of their species/culture.

The other side of their personality is a little bit like Scorpia from She-ra, but if Scorpia was the mom-friend. Lacta is surprisingly friendly and enthusiastic, and can be very gentle when she wants to be. They definitely give off chill mom vibes, and though they won’t allow their “children” to do anything too stupid, they aren’t afraid to join in a few shenanigans and be playful and fun. They absolutely adore children and are great with them.

They actually have the space equivalent of a degree in childcare, and planned to become the intergalactic equivalent of a social worker/member of CPS. Unfortunately, due to pressure from her broader community and even some on the intergalactic stage, she became a bounty-hunter instead. She does legitimately like the job, as she has choice over what jobs they want to take on, and, being a Zethspheri, they enjoy “hunting” and stuff. But the idea of working with and helping kids also deeply appeals to them.

The reason they accepted the offer to track down Coco is because they were told that Coco is a runaway kid whose family wants them to return home. But since Coco is “rebellious” and Lacta’s employers don’t want to make too much of a scene, she needs to track him down and carefully capture him without hurting him. The story was made to be realistic enough for Lacta to believe it, but she had a few small doubts in the back of her head.

Lacta looks a lot like Zethrid from Voltron, but with a different outfit and four arms instead of two. She’s also a bit more buff around the arms, and might have slightly different legs depending on my mood. But they both look very similar.

~~~~~~~~~~~

So that’s all I have to say about these two! Hope you find them at least somewhat interesting. I’m pretty sure you can guess what I might do with Lacta at the very least, but I won’t confirm anything for now until I get my full outline of the AU out!

Feel free to send me asks or whatever about these two. I’ll admit, I have a lot more to say about Lacta than I do about Worm, but I’m working to make him at least a bit more interesting. So ask away, since it might honestly help me flesh these two out more!

[noperopesaredope]

Jacob & Coco Across the Universe (Post-Canon Collector AU): Episode Masterlist

I mentally imagine “Jacob & Coco Across the Universe” being told in the form of episodes of a show, which is why I will be formatting this story like it is made up of episodes. This is why I decided to make a masterpost outlining each episode in the AU and their basic premise (though more episodes will be added to said post over time). Each individual episode will also have its own separate post outlining it in its entirety. Once I post said episode, I will add a link to it in my full outline. I may post episodes out of order, which is why it’s best to just look at the masterpost listing each episode in order. This is that post.

Season 1:

Episode 1: A Loner and a Loser (working title)

This is basically the episode I outlined in the premise for the story. We are introduced to Coco and Jacob and their respective situations, they both end up on a planet together, and they decide to travel together. That’s pretty much it.

Can I Help?

Coco, who is trying to figure out how to be a better friend, offers to help Jacob out around the spaceship. Unfortunately, Jacob quickly realizes he doesn’t really like children, and as ancient as they are, Coco is still very much a child.

Planet of Vines

Just a little simple episode to help Coco and Jacob get to know each other better. The first planet the two land on is a planet of absolute thick tropical jungle mayhem.

Corona

The pair of travelers crash land in a kingdom known as Corona. There, they manage to get the assistant of a young engineer known as Varian. Whilst helping him fix the ship, Coco learns a few bits of advice on feelings of betrayal and how to not let them control you. Meanwhile, Jacob hears whispers of a werewolf living in Corona, and his monster hunting instincts kick in.

Gas Station

After learning that the crystal needs recharging, Jacob and Coco decide to stop at an intergalactic gas station, and shenanigans ensue.

Equestria

On a tourist map they found in the gas station, Coco spots an ad for a land called Equestria, where anyone can learn about the magical potential of friendship. The two decide to travel there so Coco can properly begin their quest to learn about things like friendship, and there, he meets an unexpected person, whilst Jacob has a small nervous breakdown in the background.

Checkers

Jacob and Coco decide to play a game of checkers, and things get a little intense.

Amphibia

Having heard whispers about the beautiful (yet chaotic) land of Amphibia, Coco suggests they go to one of the planet’s humble villages, and whilst there, they learn that Jacob isn’t the first human to have come to their little planet.

Where Are You From?

After leaving Amphibia, Coco becomes curious about Jacob’s origins. Sure, they know that their human companion is from Earth (a lovely round planet), but where on Earth is he from? What’s his deal? What’s his history? So Coco asks, and Jacob gives a very chaotic explanation of his life story.

Voltron

“Well. This is unexpected.” Jacob and Coco find themselves in the middle of a battle between the universe’s legendary defenders and an evil empire! Both of them get a little too excited.

Special

Jacob suspects there is more to Coco than meets the eye. Coco finally confesses their power levels.

Had an idea for this episode, then ended up taking the Voltron episode in a very different direction than initially intended, basically making this episode pointless. And some of the later episodes basically fill a similar role to this one. So I might cut “Special” completely.

Race Around the Moon

After landing on a planet where racing is everything, Jacob decides to compete in a local homemade-spaceship flying race for fame and glory. Unfortunately, the competition is not afraid to use unsavory methods to win.

It’s Dark

A small accident leaves Coco stranded in space, and he starts to panic. After rescuing the little celestial, Jacob learns a tiny bit about the kid’s history.

Spooky Stories

Fluff with a bit of angst. Jacob and Coco basically tell each other spooky stories in the dark.

Clones

Coco and Jacob meet a squad of clones whilst running from some Separatist soldiers, and they decide to help the group out.

Siblings

Meeting the clones makes Jacob and Coco each reflect on their own strained sibling relationships.

Game of Pretend

Coco wants to play pretend! Unfortunately, they are still learning about boundaries and respecting others, so things take a sudden turn for the worse when Coco temporarily turns Jacob into a puppet.

Spider Snake Speeder

The people who’ve been stalking Jacob and Coco finally decide to strike. This is how we meet Worm and Lacta.

Splendorious

With Coco’s quickly dwindling powers, Jacob is forced to take them to a magic-filled land known as Splendorious, where the celestial can hopefully recharge and recover their powers. But bad luck strikes again when a misunderstanding causes a group of magical warriors to go hunting after Coco. And worst of all, Jacob is helping them!

Creepy Kid

After the incident in Splendorious, Coco and Jacob talk as they recover.

Call and Response

The bounty hunters are catching up to the duo, and a confrontation begins.

Can You Hear Me?

Having lost contact with Coco in the middle of the battle, Jacob is forced to wait, and he reflects upon his current relationship with the kid.

Evasive Maneuvers!

Reunited, the traveling duo try to find a way to outrun their pursuers. Looks like it’s time for some evasive maneuvers.

Season 2:

Steven

After crash landing on a strange planet at the end of season 1, Coco and Jacob run into a young human(?) named Steven, who offers to take them to a place where they can recover and sort themselves out. As they travel with the mysterious stranger, Coco ends up looking further than they probably should, and discovers something about both Steven and themselves.

Beach City

Having arrived at Beach City and holding a small meeting with the Diamonds, Coco is slightly overwhelmed by all the attention they are receiving. After quickly excusing themselves and finding a quiet space to calm down, they find someone who is able to understand how they feel. Meanwhile, back in Beach City, Jacob meets his past self, and gains a bit of perspective.

Occulonimbus Edoequus

On their new ship, Jacob and Coco run into a strange species.

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

So, that’s what I have so far! Hope ya’ll are interested! I’ll add more as I go along, as well as links to the different episode outlines as I post them.

[noperopesaredope]

I’ve been working on the write-out for the first “episode” of Jacob & Coco Across the Universe (Post Canon Collector AU), and god damn do I love writing Jacob (or at least my version of him). He’s such an asshole and an absolute loser and I love it. He’s a genius prodigy and an absolute idiot at the exact same time. He’s just mean to everyone around him and he doesn’t get why people don’t like him. He sucks so much and I’m obsessed with writing his scenes. He’s so cringefail.

I turned him into a poor little meow meow and I can’t stop.

[noperopesaredope]

Whilst this series is called “Jacob & Coco”, they will gradually gain a few friends over the course of the series (not all of whom will consistently travel with them, but will become a part of their found family). This is the final endgame space family (not including the BI Fam).

Every Friend Group Should Include:

A bimbo: Crystal Funk

A mean bisexual: Jacob

An even meaner lesbian: String

She/theys: Lacta

He/theys: The Collector

A token straight that’s on thin ice: Worm

An astrology bitch who has everyone’s birth charts memorized: Zoolu

And a short king: Hanratuve

[noperopesaredope]

Me: “I won’t have too many OCs in J&CAtU, I’m pretty sure people don’t want that and it might be hard to keep track of.”

Also Me: *Keeps making Collector and Found Family OCs*