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autunno101 · 5 years

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Takoda

Writing-prompt-s: A villain kidnaps the hero’s sidekick, only to realize the hero has been badly mistreating them, and decides to take the sidekick under their wing.

He looked a little pale, but that could be just the light. However, his thinness and obvious fragility under the baggy clothes - looked more like hand-me-downs - could not be so easily explained away. He had only just arrived...

"Where'd he get the black eye?" Of course, his men were not expected to be gentle with the sidekick, but the condition was alarming.

"We grabbed him from the back of the station, nursing it with an ice pack." At the villain's nod, he continued, "didn't really struggle too much. I don't think we even bruised him..." The man cleared his throat. "Those other bruises weren't from us."

Other?!

The villain opened the door, no longer interested in only peeking through the tiny window. His sudden and intimidating appearance had the young man cowering in his corner.

Yellow bruises lined his arms, several looking suspiciously like handprints and none of them fresh enough to be the cause of his men. Face-to-face, he could see sickly bones protruding from sunken flesh.

The sidekick shook under the villain's presence.

In an attempt to calm him, he waved his security out of the room and they waited just outside the still open door. Near, but out of view.

Krisztian Simon, known under the name Hydra - Agent Hydra when employed under Sidero. Recently, the media had taken a liking to the name 'Guta'. A Hungarian demon. His number of victims had increased greatly in the past six months, though that may be due to the sudden and huge losses he sustained, and most landed underground. The name became suitable.

If Takoda recalled correctly, Sidero had been his first official victim after breaking off as a solo villain. Killing her after a supposedly large fight over the direction they should take.

Both had been powerful water manipulators. Sidero preferring to kill her victims by drowning and Hydra - or Guta - physically sucking the water from their bodies. Either gruesome to watch.

Now a highly wanted, international criminal responsible for stealing and selling military weapons and plans to either terrorists, villain organizations, or warring countries.

"Forgive me for not knowing your name, at least, how to pronounce it, Takoda." He squatted down to be eye level. "You're a healer... sidekick to Lady Vienna."

Her real name was Bernita Mora.

Bernita had been a real-life superman, towering over the average man with the strength to easily lift a semi-truck and fly at a max of Mach 3. The world loved her and from her heroic acts, ranging from her home in Costa Rica to Japan she loved the world.

"It's Pejihuta Witshasha." Krisztian could barely hear him.

"An easier name would have been better. The press simply call you 'The Healer'. Though, I haven't seen you since your... what? Third live appearance? You were a lot heavier then too..." He intended to poke his stomach in jest, but Takoda flinched away from him. "What does it mean? You're little sidekick name."

"Healer." Again, Krisztian strained to hear.

"Alright..." Seemed stupid to him. "Do you know who I am?"

"Hydra..."

"The press like 'Guta' nowadays." He stood and carefully helped the young healer to his feet. "You can heal yourself, can't you?" Only a trembling nod in response. "Why haven't you?"

The change came suddenly. And a bit violently.

Takoda squirmed out of his hold, scratching even to break free of Krisztian's light hold. He dashed back into his corner, his trembling increased and he hid his gaunt face in the crook of his elbows.

The subordinates outside the door shrugged at their boss's questioning brow.

"Takoda." Sternly, he pulled the kid to his feet and lead him out the door with a bit more force than before. "Let's talk."

After a shower, some ointment for the bruises he refused to heal - there was something to that and Krisztian planned to figure it out - and dinner, Lady Vienna wasn't so kind after all. At least, not to the criticism magnet her sidekick turned out to be.

Takoda, Krisztian admitted, wasn't fat. Not like how the media relentlessly teased. A little chunky with no real strength or stamina, but otherwise a healthy kid. Someone who sought to help those in need. Lady Vienna, of course, found his abilities useful. Bullets could still hurt her after all.

The press were quick to point out the adorableness of their obvious different builds. Their view changed rapidly to poking fun and degrading.

A fan of his native heritage, Takoda sought to make his family proud with his choice of name. Unfortunately, while Lady Vienna had no issues with one being proud of one's heritage, the media disagreed, finding more ammo to use in their taunts. Criticism was one thing the superhero would not stand for, especially when she felt heat because of her certain young man by her side.

If the press didn't appreciate his lack of build or the "excessive" pride in being Sioux, then neither did Lady Vienna.

"You know, Guta is a demon in Hungarian myth." They had been silent for a bit after dinner and Krisztian sought to end the silence. Takoda had been much too afraid to engage in small talk. "Your translate more accurately to a Sioux healer, correct? Medicine man?"

His men had been diligent in their search during dinner including finding Lady Vienna's excuses for her sidekick's public absences after fights.

Too weak at the moment.

Because you were starving him.

Badly injured.

Because you beat him every time the media sneered at you.

Shy.

More like afraid.

Unavailable...

Takoda had only been 17 when first meeting Lady Vienna. Standing proudly at 5'5" and used to be over 175 lbs.

Now, at 19 years old, he stood around 100 lbs.

"Yeah..." His hesitancy to answer made Krisztian cringe.

"I prefer Guta because it sort of reflects my own heritage. And my reputation." The confession sparked curiosity in Takoda.

"Really?" The villain nodded, laughing at the excitement.

"Yes, really. Much better than Hydra." Venom laced his tone at the former name. "Stupid Sidero. Always so arrogant," he grumbled but didn't elaborate.

Takoda had nothing to say to that.

"Tell me, Sioux Healer," once more, the 19-year-old perked up, "do you think she will come for you?"

Half a world away, the sunset lit the sky a somber orange, chased by indigo. Twinkling lights off a city in the valley shone so brightly, it blocked the stars, despite the stronghold's superior altitude in the mountain's side.

"Yes."

"But, not because she has to."

"No."

For such a scared child, Krisztian noted that Takoda had not once stuttered. Mumbled. Whispered. Never stuttered.

"You could always stay here. Though, I'm sure you haven't seen you're family in a long time... Would you work for me?" He expected a flat out no.

"I don't want to hurt anyone." He was happy with the answer he received, even if not a definite yes.

"You don't have to." Guta stood, beckoning the younger man to follow. "I hope you understand I will you use you as evidence to display her cruelty. To ruin her."

"I guessed..."

He continued, unfazed, "good. There are always other heroes and non-heroes alike that oppose me and my operations." Hopefully, a small reassurance. "After a few photographs, I'll send you home, okay?"

Takoda nodded glumly.

Once home, Takoda took his time recovering, staying removed from the public as Lady Vienna came under fire. Many still supported her, but with Takoda "missing" and his family not speaking out per his wishes, the debate remained one of the biggest unsolved superhero issues.

About a month later, Takoda found a package, addressed to him, sitting on his porch. He hadn't heard a knock or the doorbell ring.

A neat note sat on top of a pile of clothes and other items.

Takoda,

I hope you've gained some much-needed weight since we last met. From what I understand, Lady Vienna and others believe you are still under my care. My accusations have only angered her, but I'm dealing with the blowback pretty well.

I know you had a goal of helping people. Take this card and use it as you wish. I'm sure you'll go where you feel as you needed. Your culture is important to you, but perhaps a different name would suit you and be better for the public's sake. Perhaps a role model's name?

-K. Simon

P.S.: If you know Captain Thunder, he sends his regards, as well as his young sidekick, Boo. I did tell them I sent you home and they haven't publically announced it - I don't think they were the only ones suspicious.

Takoda inspected the black card, surprised it was real. He had never had one before. Perhaps before meeting Lady Vienna, he had thought about it, with the prospects of a new job.

It had his full name in silver on the front.

"Woah..."

The clothes were nice too. Cotton t-shirts, jeans, formal button-ups, and slacks. A few silk ties. A brand new Rolex watch with dusted gold and diamonds. Several pairs of sneakers and loafers.

Krisztian had no reservation about spending money apparently. But, when you're a villain with supposedly a billion corporation you had money to spend.

The young healer hadn't met Captain Thunder, a loud, but pretty cool Canadian hero that manipulated sound waves. Boo was a ten year old from Chad with the ability to turn invisible. Her powers extended beyond just herself and she could turn objects she touched invisible as well. Often, she liked to spook the reporters, much to the Captain's amusement.

Perhaps he would meet them one day.

Re-reading the note, Takoda suddenly had an idea and raced to his bookshelf where he had kept a lot of books relating to the Lakota, his mother's people. In particular, he had several relating to the Black Elk, a medicine man, and participant in the Wounded Knee Massacre.

While his mother had disagreed with several of the books, written mainly by non-natives, he found some quotes comforting.

It wasn't easy growing up with his abilities, especially when he was younger. He never lived on a reservation, though he knew relatives that did, and his father, a non-native, graduate engineer from Chicago, didn't agree with his maternal family's interpretation of his abilities or the sudden pressure laid on his shoulders.

When he was seven, his parents moved away to Iowa, which was equally easier and difficult. His biracial status didn't mix well with his black relatives, but they at least were kept from knowing about his powers.

One quote in particular was "...I cured with the power that came through me."

Takoda had questioned whether Black Elk had actually said it as his mother's doubts and criticisms of the book echoed through him time and time again. But, he had decided a while ago that it didn't matter. In context, out of context, real or fake; it brought him comfort.

Krisztian was right. "The Healer" was what he did, but not who he particularly was. "Pejihuta Witshasha" was too difficult for the press - as much as that insulted him.

Guta described Krisztian based on reputation, but not necessarily ability...

Lady Vienna chose her name as more of a nickname.

Captain Thunder... well, Takoda had no idea where he got the name from and Boo got hers because that's what she always said scaring reporters.

Takoda wanted to reach those in need, but such a task would take him all over the globe. Many cultures had their own view on healing and with it, he wanted to adapt to it.

Why be one if he could be many?

Early in this process, he decided to stick to the shadows. Avoiding heroes and villains alike for his own safety. As such, black or navy would need to become a part of his attire.

Guta was surprised, pleasantly so, at how quickly the "Black Bear" and "Black Stag" appeared throughout North America over the span of two months only to disappear.

The media speculated if the appearances were individuals or the same person while others claimed it to be the work of some type of cryptid. However, the collective terms "Black Healer" and "Black Healer Society" were often used.

Shortly afterward, the "Black Hummingbird" began to spread its wings over South America. It took a while and after heavy debate that remained mainly unresolved, the public believed the figure to be some kind of bird. The hummingbird becoming more likely due to the images of a unique long beak that extended from the face and colorful reflectors of a sort that made use of the moonlight and city lights to produce a beautiful metallic look.

Guta quickly checked the card he had given the healer, noting only a few charges here and there. Mainly flights and bus rides back and forth across the countries. Still, Takoda must have been using a lot of his personal money.

It took a bit, especially since Takoda moved quickly and almost at random. Useful for hiding from those seeking him out. Nonetheless, Krisztian found him.

A small Haitian village. Dressed in dark, casual clothes with a cloak. No animal symbolism.

"No animal this time?" The healer jumped at the familiar voice.

"Gu-... uh, I mean Mr. Krisztian..." As awkward as ever, Takoda glanced around them. Of course, the famous Guta wouldn't travel without some degree of protection hence the number of armed men surrounding them.

"I see you haven't finalized your outfit yet or was that what you were going for?" Krisztian nudged Takoda along to the jeep not far from the small alley.

"I... uh... wanted to use animal symbolism, but the internet hadn't been very cooperative with me." The older man hummed thoughtfully.

"One symbol should be enough."

Takoda shook his head but didn't elaborate until they reached a resort. Apparently, the villain preferred to stay in luxury.

"I wanted it to be significant to them..." He continued to follow the villain, uncomfortable with his shabby appearance contrasting against the upper-class finesse.

"The bear represents healing, the stag... I don't quite-"

"It varies but I was aiming for longevity and gentleness."

"Alright, and the hummingbird was optimism, yes?" Krisztian gestured to a secluded booth from the other guests.

"Basically... why am I here?" While the security gave them space, the atmosphere remained heavy and intimidating.

"To catch up, of course." Krisztian tapped the menu before sliding it his way. "Wine and food all on me."

"I don't drink..."

"Soda, water, whatever you'd like." He waved his hand in the air, unconcerned. "I expected a bit more weight on you."

Takoda had removed his cloak, revealing the still oversized clothes he wore underneath.

"Oh... uh..."

Krisztian shook his head in disapproval.

"The card was for you to use to your heart's content. Including feeding yourself and putting a roof over your head during your travels." With that, Krisztian waved over a waiter and they placed their orders.

After spending the night, Takoda was booked a flight home. He needed more time to think.

The mysterious healer or healers disappeared as quickly as they appeared. Months rolled by without an appearance.

Then, as winter rolled through, photos surfaced from Ethiopia. A hunched black shadow wandered almost empty streets with horns upon its head.

Press, blog sites, and cryptid believers were quick to tear the photos apart. The assumed horns were really antlers. Bear claws covered the hands. An assumed stag head covered the face. It took a while, but another managed to find more photos of it traveling along the African east coast. Most notable were the ones under the full moon where the light reflected a familiar, colorful pattern across the arms to the back.

A mash of the three healers before.

Because of the animal symbolism and the communities most believed theories, the public took the liberty of calling the healer "Shaman". Many referred to the healer as a cryptid rather than a man and most notable suspected it to be capable of shapeshifting between four forms.

In a public announcement by several heroes including Captain Thunder, Guta had reassured them he would not lay a hand against the Sioux Healer - as was a concern considering the healer's sudden travels into the villain's prominent domain. A domain that traveled from Somalia, up the coast, across the Arabian Peninsula and into Jammu and Kashmir.

His statement seemed to confirm the theory of the healer's native origin and spun new debates.

However, as if to keep people on their toes, the healer would vanish only to reappear as a bear, stag, or hummingbird or as the entangled embodiment. Its work remained seemingly random to the public and continued to be uncaught by the press or heroes.

Lady Vienna expressed great public interest in meeting the Shaman. Despite her attempts, Takoda managed to stay out of her grasp and eventually feeling unsafe, he abandoned everything. Abandoned his outfit. His personal items. The credit card from Krisztian. His mission down the east coast of Africa.

She came much to close and in a moment of panic, he disappeared into the Kenyan savannahs. Thankfully, commotions began to appear globally, including South Africa, and she was forced to stop her pursuit.

Hiding away, he accepted the kindness of strangers when offered and stayed off every beaten path. He continued south.

Takoda crossed the path of many heroes, local and foreign as they aimed to take down several terrorizing organizations. He kept his distance.

Starving, he entered a city despite the war zone it had become. Perhaps there would be food and clothes abandoned for him to have. His had been torn from the travel, the ambushes, and predators.

Here, his powers were limited to an almost unfair level. His exhaustion and hunger only hindered him further. Still, he tried to comfort those dying by easing their pain, unable to extend their lives.

A little girl laid under some rubble and all he could do was close her eyes.

"You shouldn't be here, Sioux Healer." He froze at the unfamiliar voice.

A large man stood behind him, bloodied from the fighting. From his black combat boots to the jockey straps and cut to fit shirt, he bled a fighter. Not local however by his white skin and dirty blonde-ish hair.

Takoda's eyes widened at the trademark hat that hid his cropped hair. One that had a logo of a maple leaf overlapped by a military jet surrounded by a blue circle.

The Canadian hero, Captain Thunder.

"Takoda, Lady Vienna is here. You need to go." With a hand signal, Boo appeared by his side in a fine, colorful, and decorative dress with a matching head-ware that hid most of her hair. Takoda assumed traditional clothing for her people. "Boo will help you out of the city."

The Captain took off without much of a word, heading to the thickest fights in the city.

"He doesn't want me to join anyway." Boo sounded a bit dejected, but took Takoda's hand and led him away.

"He cares for you."

"Like Lady Vienna should have for you?" Her bluntness hit him hard. "Sorry." Apparently, she noticed.

Wishing to change the subject, he asked, "how many languages do you speak?" It was well known her first appearance with the hero had been to help translate for him.

"Including dialects... seven fluently." It had been debated before, but the numbers were impressive. And she only counted what she was fluent in.

"That's impressive."

"Thank you. My parents are big advocates for education in Chad. I spend more time with them and doing school work than with Captain Thunder." That also bummed her out. Before Takoda could ask, she answered, "I only get to hang around for reporters and small crimes. Me being here was an accident."

"Things like this can be dangerous."

"I know..." With that, Boo quickly hushed him and they ducked out of view as people passed by.

She kept them invisible as they moved past fights, survivors, and emergency personnel.

At the very edge of the city limits, Krisztian waited. Angry at Takoda's starved appearance.

"I believe I told you to gain weight, not lose it." Krisztian grabbed him by the elbow and dragged him to the guarded helicopter.

Takoda limply let him shove him inside and deflated as he offered a kind hand to Boo.

Takoda folded him into himself, keeping silent as they headed to a small, private airport. On the plane, Boo sat beside him as Krisztian talked with others outside.

Alone, she patted his hand, "if it helps, Captain gets depressed too. I think its because the ratio of people he saves is small compared to how many he couldn't."

The thought was depressing. Captain Thunder had such a loud, joyous, and respectful persona that made it hard to believe. But it made sense.

"Thanks, Boo." Takoda smiled her way, grateful, but that wasn't the problem.

"Krisztian, for a villain, is exceptionally caring. Captain was surprised too." Boo didn't elaborate as said villain returned.

Boo left first, her parents already awaiting her return. Krisztian remained on the plane, hidden away lest they know who dropped her off. Afterward, they headed for the stronghold in the east.

Takoda did his best to avoid the villain, staying closed off and curt in his answers. When they landed and Krisztian went to guide the kid by the shoulder down the ramp, he noticed him flinch. Takoda nearly tripped over his own feet to get away.

"Takoda..." His words were soft and his touch gentle as he helped the healer regain his balance. "I'm not going to hit you. Come on. You need a full meal, not just snacks." Even though Takoda had received fresh clothes, Krisztian removed his jacket and wrapped it around his shoulders.

Inside, Takoda feasted on everything they gave him. His father would have been upset at his behavior, to say the least. He had always been big on manners.

Krisztian watched, disgusted, but never uttered a sound of protest. Let the kid eat.

Takoda, finally feeling full in months, became over consciously aware of his surroundings and took a napkin to wipe his hands and mouth.

"Sorry..."

"Don't be. More?" He began to wave over a servant, but Takoda stopped him.

"No, I'm... I'm good." Taking a gulp of water, he cleared his throat. "Can I ask you something?"

Krisztian quirked a brow at that, "sure."

"When did you and Captain Thunder become friends?"

Krisztian laughed, "oh no. We're not. The only thing we have in common is you."

That came as a surprise.

"Me?"

"I think I told you before that he had suspected something going on. I did end up telling him and he, thankfully, kept that to himself."

A servant interrupted them, bringing Takoda a decent slice of chocolate cake.

Krisztian encouraged him to eat, pouring a glass of wine for himself. He came to sit next to Takoda, sipping his 1990 Grand Cru.

They intermittently had small chit chat. Both put thoughts of heroes and villains aside. Here, they were merely friends. Passing the time until they grew tired and while Takoda would remain under 24/7 watch, Krisztian had work the next morning.

Takoda remained at the stronghold, trying hard not to think about what Krisztian's job entailed. A villain's job.. is well, he supposed a villain's job.

Krisztian returned a couple of weeks later, bandages covering his torso and hands. While he had Takoda informed of his return, he did not summon him to his side. He had always healed naturally. No need to put the kid to work.

However, Takoda ventured to the upper floors on his own. He ignored the caution servants threw his way.

The Guta does not wish to be disturbed.

This is not wise. Return to your chambers.

Please, sir, return downstairs.

He moved around them, not even registering their words. Nudging open the doors, he stepped inside the bedroom.

Krisztian had his bedside lamp on and the windows open with a view of a dark sky over a dry desert. He held a small, leather worn book in his hands.

"Takoda?" He set the book aside.

The healer came, pulling up a chair, and sat beside him.

"You should have called me. I can heal you." Setting to work, he first unwrapped the man's hands. It had always been easier to heal if he could see the wound.

"I'm a villain. An international criminal. A terrorist to some." Krisztian watched on. Amused at the scene before him. Impressed as the light green glow faded and rather than bloody and torn fingers, they were sore and barely scarred.

"You helped me. You fund me..." His words felt like a half-ass excuse.

"I make people into raisins."

"I've managed to heal over two thousand people and that number is going to continue to grow. This past year is really the only time I've been practicing my powers. Dealing with different people, different wounds. I'm growing stronger." As if proving his point, Takoda healed Krisztian's torso - easily in worse condition than his hands - with ease.

Takoda continued, "I couldn't have done that as quickly before. I'd have barely started and already would be sweating. Broken bones took at least 15 minutes without any breaks and I usually would need a long break afterward." He looked Guta in the eyes, seeing a friend rather than a demon. "I've grown a lot. I'm healing faster. Leaving fewer scars each time. Actually able to help with healing diseases and illnesses rather than just the symptoms."

Krisztian nodded, chuckling at the enthusiasm.

"Alright. I helped you out a little."

Takoda wasn't quite finished.

"Besides, I've never known you to be that cruel, not even to Sidero and the media seemed to make it out like you guys loathed each other." He raised a questioning brow at that, so Takoda continued, "Gamez, from a couple of years back, sold out one of your operations and you suffered some pretty severe causalities. However, Hana's betrayal happened a few months later. She sold out your smuggling operation in Taiwan, but you never turned her into... a... uh, a raisin."

Krisztian remained silent. Partially in awe of the kid's observance which reminded him a bit of Boo. Mainly to hide his laughter at Takoda's hesitancy to use the word 'raisin'.

Krisztian settled for scoffing.

"You're a bit too observant, aren't you?" Takoda stiffened as if he had been slapped. "It's impressive. Don't get me wrong." Thankfully, he relaxed at the villain's praise. "But that doesn't make me good."

"No, but..." Krisztian watched, heart heavy and light, as Takoda balled his hands into fists. Frustrated. He wasn't prepared to back down as he finally shot back, "it's better than no reason at all or just for fun. You have reasons and motives that may be... exaggerated or unethical-"

"I suppose." Krisztian surrendered the fight. The last thing he wanted was to work Takoda up.

He patted the empty space next to him on the bed, moving pillows out of the way. Takoda put the chair back before taking the invitation. Krisztian picked his book back up, secretly flexing his fingers in delight. The pain was gone.

"Heard of the book called 'Embers'?" At the shake of his friend's head, Krisztian nodded, already figuring that was the case. "You might like it..."

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I tried really hard with this and it was only meant to be like a couple of pages long, not ten. Anyway, I’m sorry if I messed up.

#heros #villains #sidekicks #i'm sorry #i tried #prompt based #abuse #healing #writing prompt #fiction #writing #takoda #Krisztian

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thedistrictsleepsalonetonight · 6 years

Text

How to fall in love the wrong way

Chapter 12: Days and nights seem never ending, space and time bleed into one

She stands with Cheryl at the window, a rare moment of peace in the middle of their crazy lives.

The group has kind of drifted away, everyone doing their own thing. Jughead is working on his novel, a plate of fries in front of him, Archie is currently locked in an arm-wrestling battle with Sweet Pea as Fangs presides, and Veronica is sneaking looks over Betty’s phone. The rest of the Serpents are dancing, playing cards, or getting drunk.

Cheryl tilts her head a little to press a kiss to the side of her neck “Baby,” she murmurs.

“Hmm?” Toni asks lazily, tightening her grip on Cheryl’s arms that are wrapped around her body.

“What are you thinking?” the taller girl asks her, kissing her cheek this time “You look sad.”

“This night,” she starts slowly “I don’t know why, but it kind of reminds me of the night of the Sisters.”

Cheryl’s arms convulsively exert a little extra pressure, and Toni can feel the sudden stiffness in her body. She twists around to look her girlfriend in the eyes, leans her forehead against Cheryl’s.

“Hey,” she whispers “I’m sorry I brought it up.”

“No, no,” Cheryl shakes her head, tries to smile but falls short just a tiny bit “Don’t be sorry. It’s just……it’s something I have to get over eventually, right? I can’t keep crying about it all the time.”

“That’s not……baby, you went through something terrible, It doesn’t matter how long it takes, you don’t have to get over something just because some time has passed. That’s not how it works,” Cheryl shakes her head a little, and she bumps her forehead against the taller girl’s, wanting, needing to make her feel better “You believe me, right, Cheryl?”

******************

Toni tells Cheryl to believe her.

Tells her to believe her when she says that she loves her, and wants to be her girlfriend. Tells her to believe her when they’re playing couples blindfold battle (it’s a thing, don’t ask) against Archie and Veronica in the school lawns. Says it when Cheryl is crying and she promises her that she’ll make it all better. When Nana Rose falls down the stairs and Cheryl can’t stop sobbing that she’ll lose her.

“You won’t lose her, baby,” she says, making sure she’s looking right into Cheryl’s eyes.

“You can’t possibly know that, okay?” Cheryl asks her, hysterically “You can’t promise me that….”

“I know, I know,” she whispers, gritting her teeth, because no matter how much she wants to, she can’t “But I can promise you that I’ll be here no matter what. I can promise you that it’ll all be okay.”

And Cheryl believes her then.

It is exactly this fact that makes her feel a billion times worse when Cheryl goes missing the next day.

******************

She hasn’t slept in two days. She knows she probably looks like a mess, scratch that, she definitely knows she looks like a mess; like an eye-dark-circled, hair-tangled, clothes crumpled, and face exhausted from all the running around she has been doing, but she doesn’t care. She’s talked to every person in the school, who has so much at glanced Cheryl’s way sometime in their life, interrogated all the people who live near Thistlehouse, and nobody knows anything. Nobody’s seen anything out of the ordinary.

“You know you have to eat sometime,” Veronica tells her, plate in hand, resolutely standing in front of her.

“No, I don’t,” she refuses, stubborn, and sees the girl exchange a glance with Sweet Pea. He hasn’t pushed her yet. He shows his worry, his care in other, smaller ways, like making sure she gets to a bed when she crashes for tiny minutes, or helping in her single-minded search for Cheryl.

“If you don’t eat, how are you supposed to search for her?” Jughead tries to reason with her.

“I can’t,” she starts, and her voice cracks, but she refuses to cry. Now’s not the time “I can’t eat, when I don’t know if she is. I don’t know if she’s eating, I don’t know if she’s okay, and I don’t have the time, I can’t, I can’t……”

Nobody says anything after that.

******************

“If we’re not out in fifteen minutes,” Veronica tells Kevin “Call your dad.”

It’s dark, and it’s creepy, and Toni would probably be a little spooked if her mind wasn’t on Cheryl. They’re all standing in a circle, Archie, Veronica, Sweet Pea, Fangs and Kevin. Betty and Jughead are stuck in the Whyte Wyrm, untangling some mess the Ghoulies had created today morning. Kevin sticks close to Fangs’ side, their hands almost brushing together, and Toni would smile, if not for the fact that the girl who usually holds her hands is trapped inside this dilapidated building somewhere.

“Are you sure you don’t want us to come inside?” Sweet Pea asks her, his eyes solemn in the moonlight.

She shakes her head “You guys stay outside. We’re going to need backup if this thing goes to shit. Just…….keep an eye out.”

Fangs nods at her.

“Okay, then,” she says, with a last look at the guys before she turns “Let’s go find my girl.”

******************

If Toni stays alive enough to be a thousand years, she would still never be able to forget those five minutes of her life that she spent in a dark theater, looking for Cheryl.

She would never forget the smell of the place, musty, wet, and disgusting. The sheer oppression she could feel, as though the walls were closing in on her every moment she was inside. The way the tunnels seemed to go on and on, splitting off into a million different directions. How dark, and sad, and terrible the place seemed.

But most of what she wouldn’t be able to forget is Cheryl. Cheryl, standing up looking utterly confused at seeing her there. Cheryl, who had tears on her face, and a bruise around her eyes. Cheryl, who looked at her like she was her superhero, like she’d somehow known Toni would find her.

(And Toni both hates herself at that moment, and thinks Of course I’d find you, Bombshell, there isn’t a place on earth that could keep me away from you)

Cheryl takes one step forward, two, slowly, then starts running. They collide, and Toni steadies her as she runs into her (she feels her thin bones beneath her arms, and hates this place with a vehemence that she has never felt in her life, ever), grabs her and pulls her into her arms.

And God, it feels so……..pure is the word for it, she supposes. It feels pure, and divine, and Toni feels relief from the pain she hadn’t even realized had settled into her bones over the past few days, releases a long breath, and breathes Cheryl in. The girl pulls back to look at her, her eyes wide as though she still can’t believe this is real, and Toni leans in to kiss her.

******************

Archie drives them back. Veronica is sitting next to him, and Sweet Pea is sitting in the backseat with Cheryl and her. Fangs left on his bike with Kevin sitting behind him, a few minutes ago, and she guesses he won’t be back before the morning. Cheryl is sitting quietly next to her, her head nestled into Toni’s shoulder, with their hands tightly locked together.

“Baby,” she turns to whisper “You okay?”

Cheryl nods a little, and while Toni does not believe her in the slightest, she kisses her forehead, and grips her hand even tighter, as they drive back.

Archie smiles at them as they get off, and Cheryl nods back at him, her expression grateful. Veronica touches her hand briefly, and Toni wonders how she got so lucky to have the greatest friends anyone could ever ask for.

“Guys,” she starts “Thank you for…….”

“Oh fuck off,” Sweet Pea booms from the backseat, poking his massive head out “Don’t be an asshole.”

Yeah, she’s pretty lucky.

******************

That night Toni watches Cheryl break in front of her, watches her cry and sob, and try to tear at her own skin, muttering that she feels dirty. She sees her rock back and forth, teeth biting into her own lips to try and stifle the noise. Hears her cry out for Toni not to leave her when she tries getting up to get her some water. She sees Cheryl at her weakest, at her most vulnerable.

She sees Cheryl bare, and she holds her. She holds her through her tears, kisses them away when she can’t breathe, wraps her up in her arms, and promises her she’ll never let her go. Promises her that she would keep her safe, and that she won’t let anything happen to her, ever.

“I’m sorry I’m a mess,” Cheryl whispers through her tears, and Toni thinks I love you I love you I love you, thinks I’m never going to let you out of my sight, thinks I’m sorry I’m not better.

This is what she says instead “That’s okay. We can be a mess together.”

Chapter title: Lapse by Haken

#choni #choni fanfiction #cheryl blossom #cheryl x toni #toni topaz #riverdale #riverdale fanfiction #riverdale choni #fanfiction #fanfic #romance

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obsxbjoo · 7 years

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mundorkday heyo

Preferred name: tbh I’ll respond to any noise you make in my general direction but Inc is totally fine as well !!  Preferred pronouns: any ?? any,,   Timezone: MST (UTC -7 or smth) ey -yodels at the top of the Rocky Mountains-

Preferred writing style: 

hahah is it news that I don’t have a preference ?? tbh I’m super cool with any format, para, sms, dialogue or otherwise !! I actually find it a mote easier to respond to styles that are naturally shorter but thats jus bc I feel like it’s less pressure and I don’t have to fiddle with words for nine billion years pFSFSFSSS but I love em all the same !! just,, might respond faster to shorter ones just because its easier for me haaa

Preferred writing genre:

boy I’d love to try anything at least twice hahah //shot exploring different themes is always a treat in my experience ?? wherever the inspiration takes us ! I just believe that putting a muse into different situations can showcase different sides that wouldn’t have otherwise come to light !! does the usually distant or socially awkward muse have a chivalrous streak ? is the quiet one actually good with comforting people ? does the tough one have a way with children ? does the small one LOVE CHEESY GARLIC BREAD CHIPS ?? it’s always a discovery and I think it’s pretty great pFFFS,,, explorinn find the new things I’ll admit tho I’m all for them crack and dank memes 

Genres you’re less interested/would rather not partake in:

as a minor I’m neither interested in nor willing to write smut or excessively sexual content :’> anything else is really fair game !!  

Any other writing preferences?

ah I guess ?? I usually prefer small text but really it doesn’t matter either way hahaha anything else is pretty Aesthetic but also time consuming so I’m like ?? wow ?? amazing but also ahahah I’m so lazy so um yeah I’m pretty minimal on formatting,,

Favorite color:

right but listen here every color is beautiful in its own right like yeah some are drab some are neon some are pale and others aren’t and that is honestly incredible *DEEP BREATH* tl;dr how do you expect me to choose

 Favorite/lucky number:

uuuhhhhh,,, well idk the number 9 or 1 / 11 appears a lot in my life I guess hahahaha 

A song/show/drama you’d recommend:

a friend of mine would like me to promote Scorpion (cbs) and I’ve seen the first two episodes and it’s pretty great so far ?? either way I’ve peeked into quite a few different corners of music/show/drama tho but at the sam time I know like nonE AHAH,,, tho for real you can get me into pretty much anything ?? I always find something to appreciate pffs 

Fill in the blank: “You’re always free to message me about ___!”

yelling ?? idk man for real I’m a huge chatterbox and I always want to talk to people haha !! really feel free to start a conversation with me about like,, most anything tbH,, if it’s a topic I’m not familiar with you should 100000% tell me about it ?? I’d love it :00 ( also we can always just hold a conversation in just screeching I’m down for that also )

 If you could choose a species in Obscura that you’d like to be, what would it be? Why?

geeeee all the species r pretty cool ?? tho bein a vampire or a werewolf is to u gh so like I honestly don’t think I could pull it off hAHAHA,,, tbh a beast blooded would be mighty cool !! I’d totally want to be a dragon :‘DDDD

 What is your ultimate weakness; what makes you feel all soft and squishy inside?

um,,, tbh ships ?? and not even just the romantic kind like give me familial ships,, friendships, hateships, platonic ships ???? I’ll just m elt inside hahahaha wow I’m super lame.,, just some kids just having to deal with each other’s existence in their lives is honestly the best,,, angst also makes me cry and hurt forever but I love it 8")

 Write the first thing to come to mind in caps:

tHATS NOT WHAT THE FROG COLOR IS 

Three random facts about you: HAHAHAH whoops I absolutely,,, s UC K at these pFF ok um,, um lessee other than the fact that I’m lame

a pair of magpies were going to build a nest in this smol conifer right up against a window in our house and like ?? yo you could see the beginnings of the twigs getting threaded through there and I was like :000 !!! hype ?? wow they chose this place to be home and I was so ready 2 take pictures of ugly baby dinos I mean cute baby magpies since it’s like I could sit on the arm chair that’s up against the window and I could have full vantage of the lil nest ??? as I was saying, hype !! bUT THEN MY MOM TOOK OUT A FRUIT KNIFE THE ONE WE CUT WATERMELONS WITH AND SAWED OFF THE WHOLE BRANCH AND THREW IT TWIGS AND ALL INTO THE TRASH AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHG -sobs softly- im just sorry for the poor magpie pair,,, I’m sorry we wasted all your hard work,,, ( mom’s explanation: this is my house so I’m not going to let them build a home on my home I was here first !! ) tho like I don’t think the magpies moved out tbh I saw the other day they were perched on our tree so ???? I’m just sad I missed out on the great pictures sob it was like a fairy tale ( I tried to talk my mom out of it by saying about how a pair of magpies were considered auspicious n all and I’m disappointed it didn’t work ?? I made a pretty good argument I feel ;v )

right so like last week we had a few slices of raisin bread from T&T ( our local Asian food supplier in the form of a supermarket eyyy ) and I was like,,, wow ??? dude how great would raisin bread french toast be like wOW !!? I’ve never made french toast before and tbh we’re like rice everyday ™ and honestly the inside of our fridge has never seen cheese or cream or pasta ( ok look I know uncooked pasta doesn’t go in the fridge but I was making a point ) and certain other western-type foods are rare guests ( a tragedy rly because I love that stuff ) bUT ANYWAY !! I was thinking about french toast and going,,, woah,,, woah woAH ??? we might actually have all the ingredients ?? we always have eggs, and… oh, half and half…? aw… we don’t have that— oH but you can make it with milk and butter ??? gasp i actually think we have like 1 stick of frozen butter from waaaay back and I’m sure it’s saved there omg this’ll work. we don’t have nutmeg but… I distinctly remember getting vanilla extract and my mom says we have cinnamon ?? I didn’t even know we had cinnamon !! wow this is going to work imma make it for breakfast tomorrow it will be great !! so cue tomorrow, I wake up earlier to get it ready ( lmao since usually I wake up like 5 mins before transit comes and toss stuff into my backpack and leave ) and,,, and it turns out we I overestimated what we had in our fridge aHAHA,,, what I thought was a stick of butter was actually yeast and there was ?? no sugar ?? I could not find sugar,,, we didn’t have milk either and I was v disappointed in myself bUT !! I still made it using soy milk and brown sugar ( it was super hard I was chiseling it with a spoon ) but luckily I did manage to dig out the vanilla extract + the cinnamon was def there, as were the eggs and salt was around. of course, had to use vegetable oil instead of butter to grease the pan as I’d planned but !! it totally turns out great and was a p good success considering a first attempt hahaha,,, topped it with bananas, crumbled walnut and maple syrup and it was great :^))))))

ummmmmmmmmmmm wow those turned out long hAHAHA,, uh no other interesting stories are coming to mind right away but like ?? I guess one time when I was a kid we were in Toronto I think and I,,, rushed some pigeons ( like when u try to make people flinch right ?? yeah ) some pigeons that were in a courtyard and like,,, ok so there was a lady eating subway and she was a respectable business lady or smth bUT SO THE FLOCK OF PIGEONS ALL TOOK OFF AND SHE ( understandably ) SPOOKED AND DROPPED HER SUBWAY AND WALKED QUICKLY AWAY AND WOW I FELT SO BAD AAHHAAHAAAaaa,,, either way the pigeons descended on the subway and it was never seen again,,, I still feel rlllyyy bad abt it I’m so sorry for like ruining that woman’s day sobbbbb

ohey and we come full circle aHahah,, one story about birds, another story about food, and then a story about birds and food aahhaahaHAHAA,,, pretty accurate reflection of my life tbh,,, I’m all about birds and food

oH,, oh,, ‘nother story came to mind which involves a rly majestic nosebleed but uh hmmm let’s save that one PSHH

#warning because wow is this a heckin long post !!#「 ooc. 」#obs: munday #aka listen to me fail at talking about myself + asdflsdfj edition :')#is this a week late or is it on time? no one will ever know

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junker-town · 6 years

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Willie Taggart’s ready to find out what happens after your dream comes true

How Taggart went from being ‘the third Harbaugh’ to landing the job he always wanted.

On Thanksgiving morning, 2016, then South Florida head coach Willie Taggart sat behind his desk in the dark, staring at cut-ups — video clips of particular plays — of Central Florida’s defense on a big TV, twirling the remote in his hand.

Occasionally one of a number of cell phones on his desk would brighten. South Florida was one game away from a 10-win season that would vault Taggart into the national conversation as A Coach On The Rise. Two weeks later, he’d accept an offer from Oregon.

Taggart’s life was changing one ping at a time on those phones, but he never looked like his attention was away from the UCF tape. This was, and is, behavior typical of a man who’s built a career by looking exceedingly relaxed in highly stressful situations. Taggart created his shell of ineffable cool to subconsciously reassure 19-year-olds who are easily spooked.

“Players see everything,” Taggart said to SB Nation this summer. “They act like they aren’t paying attention, but they see everything.”

I sat across from Taggart in total silence, trying to act like I saw the same thing he did in UCF’s formations. Eventually I gave up and started scrolling through Twitter on my phone. That broke his silence.

“They say anything about Jimbo?” he asked, still clicking through cut-ups.

Jimbo Fisher, then Florida State head coach, was in that moment considered to be neck and neck with Tom Herman, then Houston head coach, for the LSU job. (Ed Orgeron would end up taking the job 24 hours later.)

I asked him why he cared.

“Florida State. Hooooo, man,” he started smiling. “That’s it. That’s the dream job.”

He paused for a beat.

“All I’ve ever wanted.” He said it in such a genuine way, with no apparent ulterior motive. It was (and is) strange to hear a coach talk like that.

“I’m pretty sure LSU is going with Tom Herman,” I told him.

He clicked through another play.

“Florida. State ...,” he said, still staring at the TV.

A dream job — a legitimate dream job, not the frequent Todd Graham-style political appropriation of the term — is probably too naive a concept for most football coaches to hold with much conviction. Sure, there’re destination gigs and big paychecks. But a real dream job? The business is too aggressive, the expectations too ridiculous, for anyone to earnestly admit they really want to coach one particular team because of the same emotional connections we rank-and-file fans hold.

Yet new FSU head coach Willie Taggart has won the hearts of his constituency by putting his on his sleeve since his hiring in December.

On paper, Taggart’s path to the job makes little sense. He’s replacing a national title winner at one of the best jobs in the sport after just one 7-6 season at Oregon, his first as a Power 5 conference head coach.

But he’s a fierce recruiter and current purveyor of the Gulf Coast offense, renamed “Lethal Simplicity” for Tallahassee, and his perks — not to mention his uncanny fit with FSU’s culture — are all absent from his win-loss total.

He’s Floridian, to the bone, and as a black man and former high school football star, he’s also a mirror to the majority of his roster. Demarcus Christmas is a senior defensive tackle who played for Taggart’s alma mater of Manatee in Bradenton, 25 years after Taggart did.

“Now I have a great opportunity, really,” Christmas said. “Him coaching me and us being from the some place, this can show people back home that they can make it and they can do great things. I’m not looking into becoming a coach, but his success shows how much you can achieve, not just in a football perspective.”

Taggart’s also a Florida State fan. A fan, full stop. He’s not “an admirer of their tradition” or “respectful of their success” like another coach might be, but an actual posters-on-the-wall, cheering on Saturdays fan by birth. His family tailgated in the parking lot of spring games, barbecuing alongside regular-season ticket holders. When he was head coach at South Florida and the Bulls played FSU, his own brother refused to change out of FSU gear for the game.

That means the real fans don’t scare him. When you’re a member of the same congregation, no behavior is really that weird if it’s an expression of a shared faith.

“I was driving around Tallahassee one day this summer, and I’ve got tinted windows. You can’t see in. This guy is out in the street and starts going [Taggart waves frantically], just crazy. And I pull over. I think something’s wrong, like he needs help,” Taggart said. “I roll the window down and he starts yelling, ‘COACH! COACH! WELCOME TO TALLAHASSEE! BUT YOU CAN’T HIDE BEHIND NO TINT IN TALLAHASSEE, COACH!’

“That was it. And I was like … ’you gotta be kidding me.’ But I was one of those fans growing up. I knew everything about Florida State football. I get it. How they feel, how he feels, that’s how I feel.”

Taggart’s climb to Florida State head coach started the day he left home to play quarterback at I-AA Western Kentucky for Jack Harbaugh — father to John and Jim, head coaches of the Baltimore Ravens and Michigan, respectively. Manatee High School quarterback Willie Taggart, 26-4 as a starter, loved FSU, but it was unrequited. No one in Florida recruited him to play college ball.

“No offers. I was just a skinny little dude,” he says. “That’s why I’m hard on [our players]. Little bit of envy! I tell em all the time, ‘I envy you guys. This is really special. And I need y’all to treat it that way.’”

Taggart won an I-AA national title as an option quarterback at Western Kentucky, but his playing career became an extension of a coaching apprenticeship in the Harbaugh family. Immediately after his eligibility ended, he joined Jack’s staff, eventually becoming offensive coordinator and assistant head coach before going to work at Stanford for Jim Harbaugh as running backs coach.

By the time he left Palo Alto in 2010 to come back to Bowling Green as head coach, Taggart was already considered another Harbaugh son, both in their family and the greater coaching community.

“I never could get to him in practice, he was so slippery,” former WKU linebacker and FSU director of player development Trae Hackett said. “But I knew you couldn’t really touch him. He had an uncanny ability to avoid getting hit as a quarterback. But you always knew, that was Willie Harbaugh.”

Hackett was a co-captain with Taggart and is one of three FSU staffers to work with Taggart through his entire coaching run.

WELCOME TO TALLAHASSEE! BUT YOU CAN’T HIDE BEHIND NO TINT IN TALLAHASSEE, COACH!

In far-flung Bowling Green, Kentucky (Taggart never left his home state until college), he stuck out immediately as distinctively Floridian.

“He was just like the Florida guys who would come in the program — laughing and smiling all the time. And then it’s all about the competitiveness. It was always there, no matter what you were doing in practice, even just running. Everything was competitive and yet always fun. Always loose. But then when you look back now, you realize [that attitude] is a wise choice,” Hackett said.

In the wake of Jimbo Fisher’s messy divorce from FSU, Taggart’s lifelong affection for his new employer is more than just charming; it’s tactical messaging. It’s rebranding.

Entering 2017, Fisher, Urban Meyer, Nick Saban, and Dabo Swinney were the only four coaches with national championship wins at their current jobs. But unlike healthier push-and-pull relationships between those other championship coaches and their donor bases, Fisher and FSU boosters soured on each other’s vision.

Not long after Fisher won Florida State a national championship in 2013 — all that fans could ask for, and the best bargaining chip the coach could use to rally money to his projects — his name surfaced as the leading candidate for jobs at other Power 5 schools.

Fisher came with constant demands for expensive improvements he wanted commitments to as quickly as possible*. But at Florida State, boosters are organized in a LLC independent of the athletic department, and thus exists a power dynamic unlike that of other major athletic programs.

“What’s interesting is that if you donate to Florida State boosters, it’s not guaranteed that your money is going into football. They really pride themselves on their dedication to Olympic sports,” Florida State booster and alumnus Robin Alston said.

Also, there just wasn’t that much money. Comparatively, at least.

If you’re younger than 40 you probably think of Florida State as a football powerhouse equal to an Ohio State or Alabama or USC. And on the field they are, but the history of the school still puts them in a sort of debt relative to other football powerhouses.

Florida State was a small women’s college until the G.I. Bill forced the state to enroll men after World War 2. Football didn’t begin until 1947. It wasn’t nationally relevant until Bobby Bowden’s arrival in 1976. So while the ‘Noles would become two-time national champions and redefine FSU as a modern force in the sport from the 1980s through now, the massive endowments built by other major universities didn’t exist at a formerly tiny teacher’s college in the panhandle. To pick a not-so-random example, Texas A&M had an $11 billion endowment as of 2018, compared to Florida State’s $700 million.

The friction over money and Fisher’s constant teasing with the job market boiled over when quarterback Deandre Francois was injured against Alabama in last season’s opener. The ‘Noles flopped from national title contention, culminating in a 35-3 loss at Boston College to push them to 3-5. When Fisher’s name surfaced in the job market again weeks later, this time at A&M, a growing number of influencers around FSU shrugged. He left a $5.5 million salary guaranteed through seven more seasons in Tallahassee for Texas A&M’s staggering all-guaranteed $75 million offer.

“Only in America. Only in America you get promoted from going 5-6 to a $75 million job,” former Florida State board of trustees member Leslie Pantin said.

* One night before FSU’s 2018 began, the Noles announced Taggart’s donating $1 million of his own toward facilities.

Shortly after becoming FSU athletic director during the 2013 national title season, Stan Wilcox had prepped to make a coaching hire — only the third in modern program history — each time Fisher’s name was floated for another job.

The former Notre Dame basketball player and legal analyst in New York City had navigated a lengthy enough path between the executive (jobs at the NCAA and Big East Conference) and school levels (Notre Dame, Duke) to build a Rolodex deep enough not only to debunk rumors, but also keep a fresh short list of potential head football coaches.

“There were always rumors,” Wilcox said. “The thing that as an athletic director, as big as collegiate athletics is, it’s a small world. I always knew enough people at places to find out whether or not [a rumor] was true. Because a lot of time it’s just rumors started by outside individuals.”

Though he’d heard that Taggart had a soft spot for Florida State.

“You’ve got to play the ‘What if’ game. You try to always survey the landscape as to who is out there, and who is hot, just knowing what the coaching landscape looks like at the moment.”

Glenn Beil-USA TODAY Sports

Willie Taggart, left, is welcomed by athletic director Stan Wilcox

Except Willie Taggart wasn’t really out there at that moment. Just as FSU had grown accustomed to Fisher’s name floating around every December, so too had Taggart. He’d moved on from his dream job for the time being and was settled in at Oregon, finishing an injury-plagued 7-6 first season after restocking the Ducks’ recruiting with a heavy dose of Sunshine State prospects.

Taggart knew that bolting on Oregon — and almost as importantly Nike founder Phil Knight — would be a blow to his perception in coaching circles.

“I’ve always believed I’d get to Florida State, but I definitely didn’t believe it would happen so quick, that it would happen the time that it did. We had a great thing going at Oregon. We knew right after we got there it would take a lot to get us out of there. And there was only one job that would do it [after one season],” Taggart said.

As he privately turned down approaches from SEC programs, Taggart made it quietly known in November that if FSU actually opened, he wanted a shot. His fandom for FSU was known in a few circles, but it still caught Wilcox a bit off guard.

Late in the vetting process to replace Fisher, Wilcox called a current assistant athletic director who had worked with Taggart earlier in his career for a character reference.

“She was telling me how he was the best coach she’d ever worked with, then she said this, and it stuck with me: ‘Stan, you know that’s his dream job, don’t you?’ I said, ‘No, I didn’t.’ She said, ‘Yeah, he was always talking when we were here, about how one day he wanted the Florida State job.’ I said, ‘Well thanks, you may have just helped me make a decision.’”

“I didn’t tell her this, but it also helped with negotiations because I also knew it was his dream job,” Wilcox said, laughing.

But long before Taggart was savvy enough to sell a vision of his program’s culture and the Gulf Coast Offense to people as influential and intimidating as Phil Knight, he was just a rank-and-file assistant coach with a dream and no plan, which nearly blew up his head coaching career before it started.

Western Kentucky was Taggart’s first head coaching job in 2010, but his second shot at the gig. When Jack Harbaugh hand picked Taggart to succeed him following his retirement from WKU in 2002, the young assistant imploded during the interview.

“I wouldn’t have hired me. I wasn’t prepared, that was the biggest problem. I didn’t know how to answer questions about what I would do in all these different circumstances you have to prepare for as a head coach,” Taggart said.

Jack Harbaugh had pushed for Taggart to be interviewed. WKU agreed, but by the time it was over Jack’s protege “third son” felt like he’d failed his old coach.

“For one, I was 25. I wasn’t ready to be a head coach. I’d always figured one day I’d be a head coach but I didn’t think anyone would look at me then. That’s when I started doing the academies,” Taggart said.

Taggart signed up for every offseason coaching academy and seminar he could. This circuit is where aspiring head coaches get crash courses on everything from staff management to speaking skills, basically anything that isn’t pure football. During that time he decided how he’d eventually utilize the often double-edged Rooney Rule, an NFL policy adopted in 2003 that mandates teams interview minority candidates for head coaching and particular front office positions.

There is no official version of the Rooney Rule in the decentralized legislation of college football. Certain states, such as Oregon, have laws for minority interview mandates for any public position, including college football coaches. Some major programs have made a good faith effort to bring in minority candidates for head coaching openings. Other programs have made sure to leak the name of minority candidates to the media to satisfy public criticism of the sport’s lily white head coaching landscape (12 of 130 FBS head coaches are African-American; only seven of those hold Power 5 jobs).

As a young assistant coach, Taggart was sitting in the audience of a minority coaches academy when future Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel spoke about the expanding job market.

“He said, ‘I hear excuses about minority coaches not getting chances to become head coaches. That’s not true. Coaches are getting opportunities, they’re just not doing a good job in those interviews. You’re losing these jobs in the interviews.’ That stuck with me. It stuck with me because I had lost that exact way. For Ward to say that three or four years later, for him to say that, he was talking specifically to me.”

Taggart acknowledges an awareness among his peers that schools commonly bring in minority coaches merely as a box to be checked, with no intention of actually considering them for the job.

To this point in his career Taggart has embraced an extreme — arguably naive — optimism about being brought in for job interviews, even if it is just to check a box. He believes an interview is an interview is an interview. Regardless of the subtext or the politics or the numbers. If you’re the token, if you’re the PR move, it doesn’t matter.

Or rather: “Just get in the room,” as he says to other black coaches.

“You can’t buy in to that [feeling that you’re just there to check a box]. It becomes a weakness, and then it’s a crutch for you to explain why you aren’t where you want to be. You can’t buy into people saying ‘It’s just a Rooney Rule interview.’ By the time I heard that when I was headed out to interview with Oregon, I was like ‘Psssh, bring me in for the Rooney Rule. Great. Now I’m gonna change your mind.’ That was my mentality. ‘Sure, Rooney Rule me, great, bring me in.’ That’s what the Rooney Rule is made for, I think. Get me in, then it’s up to me to change your mind.”

Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports

Wilcox, an African-American athletic director, served on the board of the Black Coaches Association for 11 years, two as president. On Aug. 20, Wilcox was named the NCAA’s new executive vice president for regulatory affairs, ending a five-year run in Tallahassee. Taggart’s hire will almost certainly persist as his defining legacy at FSU, good or bad. That Florida State has a black head coach is an achievement, that he was hired by a black AD holds a connotation Wilcox says he shut out during the process.

“I don’t know how to put it other than you kind of know that, but if you dwell on that you can put yourself in a position where you might not make the right decisions. I was just lucky, because in the position I’m in right now I’ve got to be successful to help others who are minorities to be in my position,” Wilcox says.

“I’ve got to find a successful coach who’s able to come here and win. I have to make sure what I’m doing is right for Florida State. I was just very fortunate that this person, at this time, that was best for this job, just happened to be African-American.

“In our pool, we had minorities and non-minorities. Willie just out-shined the others. I hope the results can be similar to what happened when John Thompson won a national championship in basketball, that more minority candidates can be considered at the highest level. At the end of the day I will have come full circle with my career.”

Having coached at three schools in two years and with a record of 47-50, Taggart was recently named one of the most overrated head coaches in the FBS by his peers in an anonymous CBS Sports poll.

Curious FSU fans and critics alike have a tough time predicting his success, but the single season in Eugene, both in scheme and culture, is the best case study available. And while it’s not much, it’s been good enough for FSU players.

“What I saw on tape at Oregon convinced me to stay. That, and conversations with Coach Taggart. But I turned on the tape and that convinced me,” senior running back Jacques Patrick says.

Patrick could’ve gone pro after last season, but watching film on Taggart’s Duck offense convinced him a senior campaign could be statistically beneficial. Patrick also spoke with Oregon running back Royce Freeman, who, despite Taggart’s one-and-done exit, endorsed the spirit and attitude the staff had created in a short time.

That spirit and attitude is marked by a willingness to listen and trust his players. And, in one memorable instance, completely revamp his offense to fit what they wanted to do.

In 2015, Taggart was on the brink of losing his job at USF — the Bulls were 7-21 in his third season. Taggart had his team running the plodding, pro-style, two-tight-end smash he’d come to revere while working for Jim Harbaugh. It wasn’t working.

The players on the team wanted to run.

“The way we’d been playing in two-minute drills up until that point … it was like their play was screaming at me to make a change. It was ‘Coach, let us go,’ but also ‘Coach you let go, too.’ During that time I was still play-calling. We were better, but I wasn’t used to calling it fast. We were no huddle but I wasn’t really coaching it that way. I had to get faster calling plays and not looking out and calling the perfect play.”

With his job on the line, Taggart listened to his players: He threw out his offense, substituting in a fast, quick, and simple spread that mashed together a power run with Art Briles-era Baylor pass concepts in spread formations.

“That Syracuse game I did it and it was like ‘Holy … ‘ Plays that didn’t work before were clicking. They were having fun and not thinking and could just go. And when you have talented kids that can just go play football, that’s it. To me kids don’t get bad, they get confused. That’s why I go back to lethal simplicity. This is football, not geometry. Keep it simple.”

USF won the game, 45-24. A year later, Taggart took them to an 11-2 record and a win over South Carolina in a bowl game.

In his first offseason with FSU, Taggart is once again throwing out a meticulous and purposefully slow pro-style offense, this one the one the ‘Noles ran under Fisher. This year, FSU is going to move. The new look offense is going to go as fast as humanly possible, with the hopes that it will not only delight fans and boosters looking for something fresh but, more importantly, reinvigorate the current roster and appeal to Florida high school talent running the same style of offense. Oh, and win.

Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

What Taggart couldn’t have known back in 2015 was that his willingness to listen to his USF roster and ultimately adapt — successfully — to their style would earn him instant credibility with a roster of FSU players he’d once tried to recruit to Tampa.

“We’d already talked to all those other players at USF as soon as we heard he was hired. We saw he showed he could coach but they told us he was real about how he cared about his players,” quarterback James Blackman said.

“I knew right away after talking to Coach I’d be here,” Patrick said. “It wasn’t so much what he said to me as it was how he said it. It was using words like ‘we,’ and the same way you and I are having a conversation right now, that’s how he spoke to me. It’s not like that with other coaches. There’s a lot of ‘I’ and ‘you.’”

Despite his four years in Tallahassee, Patrick met Bobby Bowden this offseason for the first time in his life. Bowden had receded from the program throughout the course of Fisher’s time. Taggart, ever the fan, sought the former coach out. In the summer he turned the documentary “The Bowden Dynasty” into a history class for the roster, supplemented by speeches from former FSU players from the 1980’s and 90’s.

Patrick said he still gets calls from recent Seminoles who are active NFL players.

“This helmet means a lot to a lot of people.”

Willie Taggart turned 42 on Monday. He was an 11-year-old boy in Bradenton, Florida, when Danny McManus under-threw a two-point conversion in the final seconds vs. Miami, ruining the Florida State’s chance at a perfect season. He was 13 when the ‘Noles whooped Nebraska in the Fiesta Bowl, 15 for Wide Right 1 and a senior quarterback at Manatee High in 1993 when Charlie Ward won the Heisman and 12-1 FSU won an outright national championship.

He knows all of this by heart, of course. Like a dad sharing his vinyl collection, Taggart’s now fixated on making sure that a bunch of players who were born long after learn the same moments and plays.

“We’ve challenged our guys to reach out to some of the great players who played their position. I think the more they understand the more they’ll give us, and the more pride they’ll take from it,” Taggart said.

“I always had to look at it from the outside. I knew then, and I know now you have to be special to play at Florida State.”

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galaxy-of-chaos · 7 years

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Budget 2017

In case you hadn’t noticed today the UK Government released it’s latest Budget today, so it must be time for one of my Budget Blogs!

The main headline as you’ve probably noticed is the Conservatives doing what the Conservatives love doing - encouraging home ownership, this time by offering no stamp duty for first time buyers (for homes under £300,000). Or the fact that there were many Best Man-esque jokes in the Budget report.

The Budget was also almost as famous for what wasn’t in it as what was - the Leader of the Opposition, Jeremy Corbyn, attacking the Government for not helping those in social care, those who work in Public Service, and those sleeping rough.

So what’s the real deal? As always, we dive into the actual Budget Report itself (available here) and take a look.

A Boring Budget?

Before the Budget there was lots of speculation as to whether this was going to be a “boring budget”. To understand this you need to bear in mind the context of this Budget.

The Conservative Party does not have a majority in the House of Commons. It’s running the country with a supply deal with the Northern Irish DUP party. This makes it very easy for the Opposition parties to convince a few Government MPs to rebel and overturn any key policy. Since the Budget, like all other laws, needs to be voted in by the House of Commons, it means the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, wouldn’t want to announce anything too contentious as it would increase the odds of the Budget in it’s entirety being overturned. And it wouldn’t have been the first tine he would have had to do an embarrassing U-turn on Budget policy - for it to happen again on only his second Budget would be disastrous - for him anyway.

And it’s not as if he’s got a lot of wriggle room. The UK Government spending still runs at a deficit every year - we spend more than we get in tax revenues - and the economy is not exactly stable with the backdrop of an ever-uncertain Brexit. With inflation at 3%, interest rates having just raised to 0.5% and UK productivity still stubbornly lower than elsewhere, it’s not as if Mr Hammond is in a position to suddenly spend lots of money. Unless he completely reversed Government policy to borrow now to invest in the country (something I personally believe he should do), but this would risk rebellion within a Government that only barely has a majority.

The economic outlook isn’t that good either: “over the medium term the impact of a weaker economic outlook and the measures taken at the Budget see borrowing higher than previously forecast.” says the Government’s own Budget report!

So many expected Mr Hammond to announce modest changes and some boost to home ownership.

Spend Spend Spend (calmly)

As you listened though, the list of spending commitments went up - the NHS, home ownership, changes to Universal Credit - but changes to taxes were relatively modest.

Dive into the report and you actually quickly reach an amazing conclusion. Without making too much of a deal or a dance over it, this is a Budget that is a net spend - over £25Bn over the next 5 years, from what I can make out!

Bearing in mind the recent Budgets have always tried to be relatively neutral - some spend here, some tax here - this is exactly the opposite of what everyone was expecting. And yet everyone appears to be completely calm about it, especially the markets.

This is because it isn’t the hundreds of billions the Labour Party at one point said they wanted to invest. The extra borrowing Mr Hammond will have to do to meet his spending commitments - assuming the rest of his sums add up - isn’t too large. So he’s managed a bit of a spend giveaway without any drama. Keep calm and spend on.

Homes - even for the homeless

The Budget always ends with a Rabbit-out-of-the-hat moment, and today’s was a immediate scrapping of Stamp Duty for First Time Buyers for houses under £300,000.

This is not a surprise for the Conservatives, who have always wanted to boost home ownership. It’s a nice scheme, and it’s in tandem with pledges to boost housebuilding, especially to encourage more small and medium homebuilders to try and get into the game. Interestingly Mr Hammond threatened homebuilders with compulsory purchase orders if they don’t build on land that they hold. While this may sound tough, it depends if there’s a reason for builders not to build - such as a labour or skills shortage(!)

The Government has also pledged to do more to end homelessness, with a pledge to end homelessness by 2027. This is certainly laudable, but without extra investment in mental health and drug rehabilitation, neither of which is mentioned in the Budget report, feels like an empty promise.

What Else?

The key one for me was a commitment to spend £28m on helping the victims of Grenfell Tower, including mental health support and counselling. While these are welcome - indeed the Government is obligated morally to do this - would this be necessary if there were better support for mental health in general? If we truly had parity of mental & physical health the Government once pledged?

The other key point was allowing the Scottish police and fire services to get refunds on VAT from April 2018. While this doesn’t sound like much, this was politically necessary given the noise coming from the various Scottish political parties.

As always though, I look for the titbits. Some key points are:

£335 million of extra funding for the NHS to be provided this year, to help the NHS to increase capacity over winter, and £1.6 billion will be provided in 2018-19 – taking the overall increase in the NHS’s resource budget next year to £3.75 billion.

A £1.5bn package to "address concerns" about the delivery of universal credit, with new claimants entitled to 100% advance payments within five days of applying from January.

Tax-free personal allowance on income tax to rise to £11,850 in April 2018, with the higher-rate tax threshold to increase to £46,350.

The Northern Powerhouse, a pet project of the former Chancellor, George Osbourne, gets a mention. Money for the former Redcar steelworks site, the Tyne & Wear Metro, and extra investment & devolution on the cards for Greater Manchester & Liverpool.

“A further £36 million of banking fines over the next 3 years to support Armed Forces and Emergency Services charities and other related good causes.”

Young person's railcard extended to 26-30-year-olds, giving a third off rail fares.

Modest changes to Business Rates, including making revaluations more frequent but hopefully less dramatic.

Opinion - Money needed, but there were better opportunities

I’ve been arguing that the Government, of whatever colour, needs to use this era of low interest to borrow more to pump into the economy. The theory is, more money invested (e.g. in infrastructure projects) means more people employed or with better jobs, we spend more, government gets the money back in tax. This has to be done robustly, so that the investors (usually pension funds and the like) who lend UK Plc the money don’t get spooked that we borrow more than we can afford, but the time seems to be right to level off on Austerity and try a different approach.

To that end, a Spending Budget seems to be a good call - as long as cash is flowing to where it needs to be. And while a boost to the NHS is long overdue, and money to resolve issues with Universal Credit essential if confidence in this new simpler benefit is to be restored, money for a stamp duty freeze doesn’t cut it to me.

Two reasons. One, there is much more pressing needs - funds for public sector pay would have a huge boost to the economy as well as the moral justification that employees with a 7-year pay freeze need the boost. More infrastructure spend and regeneration projects to prepare the country for a post-Brexit world seems fair. A revolution to the Business Rates would give the SME (Small & Medium Enterprise) sector a much-needed boost in the arm and allow them to invest - and SME’s to a certain extent are our future. More road & rail investment would potentially help to address the Productivity Gap. Doing more for the Northern Powerhouse would help rebalance the UK and alleviate pressure on the infrastructure and housing in the South-East.

But more importantly getting more young people to buy houses will only make the housing price bubble worse by increasing demand now when plans to improve supply are at least 2 years off (assuming the Government’s proposals to speed up house building actually work). Young people are only too willing to buy homes, but can’t either get the deposit together because of the price of renting, or are priced out of their area.

Rent controls could help here, especially in certain areas. Targeted help-to-buy, especially for those in the public sector such as teachers and nurses, to guarantee their deposits and allow them to pay back later on, would be a huge boost.

But ultimately the housing market won’t be resolved until less people own second homes / timeshare holiday homes, and more houses are built. So I would have flipped the Budget today - more focus on house building now, and (if I were politically cunning) keep the scrapping of stamp duty for first time buyers until these houses were built and we were closer to the next General Election.

I fear Mr Hammond may have committed to try and get more money into the economy and try and get us talking less about Brexit - but has ended up sending good money after bad. Only time will tell.

#Budget #Uk Budget #UK politics #philip hammond #Current Affairs

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