#that's andy he has goats

[zingaplanet]

It's so funny that people kept debating about the GOAT in tennis between the big 3 but the only opinion that's objectively valid is Andy Murray's and he basically doesn't give a toss lol.

[riordanness]

fictional — [p.jackson]

pairing: percy jackson x reader

wordcount: 2.1K

warnings: none

‘i put myself in another world, where i can be any other girl, cause i don’t really wanna face it. cause if it isn’t real you can pretend all you want…’

I sigh as the lyrics of ‘Fictional’ by Khloe Rose filter through my headphones. My head leans against the cool glass window of the bus, bumping my forehead every time the driver goes over a pothole.

Hey, call me crazy, but this is probably the most relatable song in existence. At least to me. Falling in love with boys from books and movies was basically my job at this point.

I had one, though, that meant more than all my other ‘fictional boyfriends’.

Percy Jackson.

I’d grown up with this character, laughed with him, cried with him, held fast and braved the storm with him. I’d adopted his personality, tried to be like his girlfriend, acted as if we were best friends, talked to him, dreamt about him, read and written fanfiction about him, anything you can think of. I am obsessed, and no, I’m not ashamed of that fact.

I’m five years running with this crush now, and it’s not going anytime soon. I let out another sigh as I realise, yet again, that this is impossible. He’s fictional, as much as it hurts to admit. He isn’t real, and I can’t live my whole life pretending to date and marry a fictional character. Life just doesn’t work like that. Sadly.

The bus pulls up at school, and I climb off, slipping my headphones into my pocket. I’ll probably get them back out during a boring lecture in one of my classes, but for now I’ll just keep the daydreaming at a minimum.

“Hey, girl.” Andie sidles up to me, nudging me with her shoulder. “What’s kicking?”

“Nothing,” I deadpan. “Unless you’re a goat, like Grover Underwood.”

Andie laughs, my sarcastic comment going right over her head. I love her to death, seriously, but the girl hasn’t got an ounce of sarcasm in her. She’s the most literal and honest person ever, but she’s also super sweet and sincere. So, sarcasm isn’t even a word she knows.

“I’m not a goat, silly,” she giggles. “But guess what?!”

“Yeah?” I am actually kind of interested. Andie usually has all the gossip (somehow), so her news tends to be pretty good.

“There’s a new guy in our class today,” she squeals. “Apparently he just moved here from New York.”

“New York is where Percy Jackson lives,” I say automatically. “I wanna visit there someday so bad.”

Andie rolls her pretty eyes. She likes Percy Jackson. I made her read the books, and she did, but just so that she knows what I’m talking about most of the time. “You and your fictional boys, I swear. This is a real boy, y/n! You need to get your head out of a book for once if you ever wanna meet somebody.”

I shrug. “Real boys suck though.”

And even Andie can’t argue with that.

I’m doodling in my notebook, half listening to Mr Mintar explain something about geometry. I’m not terrible at maths, so I figure I’ll just catch up if I need to. My brain doesn’t want to pay attention today.

I perk up, though, when I hear something new.

“Students,” Mrs May, our principal, announces. “We have a new student joining us today. Please be kind to Mr Jackson and show him around. Remember, you were once a new student yourself.”

Jackson? Like Percy Jackson? How cool is that, I thought to myself. I yank my headphones out of my ears and glance up.

A boy is talking quietly with Mr Mintar; who is probably explaining what we’re learning and where he’ll sit. We have assigned seats in basically every class, because a few boys in our grade are idiots, so I sit alone in every class. Apparently, other students are very likely to copy my work if they’re sitting with me, so the teachers decided to make me sit alone all the time. It’s kind of okay, though. Means I can do whatever I want with no one to tell on me for listening to music.

I watch as Mr Mintar talks with his hands, waving them a lot. The boy has his back to me. He has messy black hair, and he’s wearing jeans, converse and a blue hoodie.

Mr Mintar gestures at me, and I sit up straight. The boy glances quickly, nods at Mr Mintar, and I realise what’s happening. He’s being assigned to sit with me, which probably means I'll also be assigned his personal ‘welcome-to-our-school’ guide. Which means I’ll be forced to be this guy’s friend for the next few weeks. Yay.

The boy turns to face me, and I swear my heart literally skipped a beat. Now, this wasn’t like those dumb fanfics where a girl’s celebrity crush just so happens to turn up at her school for some stupid reason, and they fall in love blah blah blah.

This was an honest-to-goodness ‘what the hell is happening’ moment. The boy now walking towards me looks exactly how I’ve always pictured Percy Jackson in my mind. The same crazily messy black hair, loose and slightly curled at the edges, twisting around his ears and falling in his eyes a little bit. He has the same smattering of freckles on his nose, the same tan skin, troublemaker grin, the same glint of determination in his eyes.

And gosh, I’d know those sea-green eyes anywhere.

The boy slides into the seat beside me. “Hi,” he says softly. “You’re y/n?”

I can’t do anything but nod, and I try to not stare at him too hard.

“You’re supposed to be my guide, or something, I think.” The boy sounds apologetic, like he knows how annoying being forced to be a school guide is. “And I’m supposed to sit with you in all my classes.”

I nod again, a little dazed. Even his voice is Percy Jackson-coded. A slight rasp, a little accented, ugh.

I find my voice. “That’s cool. I’d be happy to show you around and get you into the groove of things here at East High.”

The boy smiles, and he has little crinkles at the side of his pretty eyes, as if he smiles a whole lot.

“Awesome. I’m Percy by the way.”

I blink at him, absolutely sure he’s pulling my leg somehow. “What do you mean?” I ask.

Percy frowns. “Like… my name? The thing that people call me? It’s Percy. Percy Jackson.”

I just stare at him.

“Did I do something wrong?” he asks.

“Your name is Percy Jackson?”

“Yeah?”

“Like the book character,” I add, surprising myself with the calm in my voice. Inside my head, though, I was screaming.

Percy’s brow furrows. “A book character? I dunno. Never heard of a book character called Percy, but there probably is. I don’t read that much. Dyslexia.”

I nod slowly. “Of course.”

Percy frowns again, then chuckles a little. “You’re weird. I like you.”

My tongue feels like someone’s deep fried it in the microwave. I try to swallow, and it’s nearly impossible. “So you’re not messing with me right now? You’re really called Percy Jackson, and you have dyslexia and probably ADHD, and sea-green eyes, and your hair isn’t dyed, and…”

Percy laughs again. “Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes. What’s this about?”

I shake my head. “You wouldn’t understand if I told you.”

Percy raises his eyebrow. “Try me.”

It’s been a week since Percy’s arrival, and I’m still about 89% sure I’m dreaming. Not that I usually dream like this, but still.

I’ve spent basically all my school hours with Percy, as well as half my bus rides home, as his mum lives nearby to us.

The longer I know him, the more I’m sure that he’s real, that he’s actually here, and that he’s really, truly, Perseus Jackson, the not-so-fictional boy I’ve been in love with forever.

The weirdest thing, though, is the night after he arrived, I got home and all my Percy Jackson books and merch were gone. Mysteriously vanished. Even Andie doesn’t know what I’m talking about when I bring up PJO.

It’s like that movie, Yesterday, where everyone forgets about the Beatles. It’s like that, but with Percy Jackson. Oh, and obviously I have a real Percy to replace it; whereas Jack in that movie didn’t really have that.

Anyway, it’s crazy, it’s probably a hallucination, and it’s absolutely incredible. I’m spending every single day with my absolute favourite person in the universe, and he’s real.

The boy I’ve cried over, laughed over, loved for years… He’s here. He’s real. And he’s my friend.

“Marshmallows are not designed to be eaten alone,” I argue, pouting a french fry at Percy. “They aren’t even that nice anyway, but especially not when you eat them dry. All the powder, like, clogs up your throat and it’s disgusting. If you eat them on their own, you’re crazy.”

Percy laughs. “I hate them in my hot chocolates. They get all gooey and mushy, and… ugh.” He makes a face.

I roll my eyes. “You’re insane.”

Percy shrugs. “At least I don’t hate rice.”

“Hey!” I protest. “I have sensory issues! It’s not my fault the feeling of rice in my mouth makes me feel sick.”

“Hey, I know,” Percy says. “I was just kidding. I’m sorry.”

I relax. “It’s okay.”

I stare at him a moment, realising once again that this is really happening to me. That his pretty sea-green eyes are actually looking at me.

“What are you thinking about, love?”

“Huh?” I snap out of my trance, sitting up straighter. “What did you say?”

Percy smirks. “Whatcha thinkin’ about?”

To be honest, I barely remember. “Uh—nothing. Trying to think of what to do this afternoon after school.”

“You don’t have plans?” he asks.

I shake my head, and sip my chocolate milk. It tastes terrible.

“You’re going on a date with me, dummy,” Percy says, so casually I almost miss it. He leans his head back and throws a grape in the air, catching it in his mouth. It’s surprisingly attractive.

“Wait,” I say. “What?”

“You.” Percy points his finger at me, then himself. “Me.” He makes a swirling motion with his finger. “That new waterpark by the beach.”

I raise an eyebrow. “You’re asking me to go on a date with you?”

“You aren’t saying no.”

“No,” I reply, my voice soft, “I’m not.”

“Wow,” I say. “That’s an epic waterpark.”

Percy grins down at me, his eyes looking extra pretty in the afternoon sunlight. “You wanna race to the gate?”

I pretend to think about it for a second, then begin sprinting as fast as I can. I hear Percy gasp in laughter, then start after me. He catches me easily, his legs much longer than mine, but as he does, he scoops me up into a hug.

“Hey!” I shriek. “Put me down!”

I can tell he isn’t taking me seriously though, because we’re both laughing too hard. Percy eventually drops me gently on the ground. I can’t help but suddenly miss the feeling of his bare chest against me. I blink, and instantly shake those thoughts away.

“Buy me an ice cream and I’ll let you win all our races from now on,” I tease.

Percy scoffs. “Darlin’, you couldn’t win if you had a jetpack on.”

I try to ignore the flutter in my chest and roll my eyes. “Could so, and I don’t need any old jetpack.” I flex my nonexistent muscles. “You see these? I’m perfectly fine on my own, thank you.”

“Oh, oh yeah of course. Sorry, your majesty.” Percy has a stupid grin on his face, and I have an urge to kiss him right then and there.

And so I do. I grab hold of his shoulders, pull myself up onto tiptoe, and press my mouth to his. “I love you, Seaweed Brain,” I whisper into his lips.

Percy wraps his arms around my waist, causing the flutter to return, more greatly this time. He deepens the kiss, his head tilting downwards to accommodate my shorter height. His lips taste of the jellybeans we were eating earlier together. He had insisted on eating only the blue ones, of course.

The world around me blurs, and fades, and I’m left with only him, only Percy Jackson. His fingers on my waist, his mouth on mine, my heart in his hands. I am completely and totally his, as I’ve been forever, but now? He’s completely and totally mine too. My not-so-fictional boy.

[twwings]

Big Festivids Recs Post!

Last weekend was the big Festivids GoLive, which meant the release into the wild of 160 brand new small fandom vids (aka fanvids, edits, etc.) Right now the collection's anonymous, but tomorrow is vidder reveals, so I wanted to write up a recs post for some of my absolute favourites from this year's collection. If you know Yuletide, well, Festivids is like Yuletide, celebrating small/weird/underappreciated fandoms! It's an exchange fest, so people ask for the small fandom vids of their heart and, then, receive one.

Honestly the collection this year is SO high quality, you should really go and browse the works yourself in their entirety; there are so many vids that I absolutely loved that I didn't put on this recs list, because I was trying not to get carried away (and also trying to get it done). But just to get you started, here are a smattering of my favourites. I tried to represent a bunch of vid genres and source types here, but ultimately it's just my taste.

RECS RECS RECS!

Andor: Level Up

AHHHH this is a vid about Andor and fascism and collective action and One Way Out and it's so gorgeously done. Perfect song choice, perfect vid, makes me cry and I will rewatch it many times.

Andor: be ready and be brave

Focusing on Ferrix, its history, its people, and its revolution. Absolute chills. Also I'm SO happy whenever I get to watch a vid to a Mountain Goats song.

Mosquita y Mari: como siempre soñé

Such a sweet, soft, slow romance vid. I ACHED for these two. Like reading a 300k slowburn but in three and a half minutes.

Dropout TV: Nothing in my Head

The Dropout TV vid of my DREAAAAAMS! (largely Game Changer but with lots of stuff in there!)

Taskmaster UK: Blood in the Cut

UHHHH. IT'S AMAZING??? It's hot and raw and kinky and hardcore. the vidder has the delicate, precise touch of a bloody scalpel. Yes, this is a vid for Taskmaster, the UK show where comedians do silly tasks. Because yeah, it's that show, but it's also this show.

Slash/Back: Uja

This vidder KNOWS how to vid horror. The way this vid cuts the most terrible images to make them barely-there, more horrifying for being rough slaps against my consciousness . . . yikes. Amazing vidding, super cool and scary, while also maintaining the uplifting, kickass, hopeful tone you want from a collective-action horror movie.

Janelle Monae: I Like That

Glorious, joyful, sexy celebration of being a free-ass motherfucker.

Star Trek: Lower Decks: Hard Times

Boimler vid about how he's essentially a redshirt who is just slightly too sweet to actually die. Absolutely adorable and hilarious.

Woman King: Upside Down

Absolute BANGER of a vid, great cuts, great movement, great character arc and great Dahomey women being amazing.

Romeo + Juliet: Magnetic

We all agree Harold Perrineau is the best Mercutio, SO, with that in mind, here is a flawless celebration of the best Mercutio.

Knives Out/Glass Onion: 'Til You Hit a Nerve

Brilliant comparison vid putting Marta from the first film together with Helen and Andi from the second one, drawing out the similarities and dissimilarities in a visual feast and with a badass powerwalk. Nothing not to love!

David Cronenberg's Films: body

This one is phenomenal. It takes David Cronenberg's entire filmography and condenses it into a vid about all the sexualized body horror. It is deeply horny and deeply disturbing and deeply fascinated by every single finger going into a hole in a body that shouldn't be there. It's soft and tentative and it's very graphic and violent, all at once.

The Wheel of Time: Velodrome

Tower politics and circularity and being bound to one another in every good way and every bad way; what a beautiful vid. I love how this is about a place, and about how that place draws these people together over and over in their shared experience and love and trauma.

The Midnight Sky: The Laughing Heart

Absolutely gorgeous vid of the film to a spoken word + music rendition of Charles Bukowski's "The Laughing Heart" (there is a light somewhere). I have not seen this film but I found this vid deeply moving.

Moby Dick: Queequeg and I

There are four (FOUR!!!) Moby Dick vids at Festivids this year, and they are all amazing combinations of a huge smorgasboard of sources, I heartily recommend them all, but I'll specifically rec two. This one is Queequeg and Ishmael to "Wouldn't It Be Nice" and it is the sweetest queerest thing ever. Queequeg and Ishmael get a happy ending shhhhh they do shhhhh yes this is how it happened they came out of the water they're fine

Moby Dick: a vulture feeds upon the heart forever

This vid is a fucking masterpiece. It is a huge archival multisource Moby Dick vid that weaves all these incredibly different visual together to make a coherent, tragic narrative. And like. The BOOK is not a coherent narrative! This is such gorgeous and amazing fanwork. Don't miss out on it.

Women's 100m Sprinting: Didn't Come to Play

This is GORGEOUS, I don't know anything about sprinting but I know I love these beautiful joyful powerful women running really fast and hugging each other and being amazing. The editing on this is so tight; the vid never stops for a second. Like a sprint?!?!?!

The Golem and the Jinni: סיפור הגולם

This is another book vid, but since this book doesn't have any adaptations, it's using entirely archival source and probably some documentaries and films to construct the story - or, really, construct the vibe of the book, construct the metaphors of the book, and the result is beautiful and powerful and meditative. It's about survival, and making life.

Jesus Christ Superstar: Hope on Fire

This is another umbrella vid, where the vidder is taking a bunch of different productions of the play and mashing them together. This vid focuses on Judas and Jesus/Judas, and it all feels so inevitable and tragic and real and cruel. I really loved it.

Jordan Peele's Films: Goodbye, Honey, You Call That Gone

This is such a wonderful mashup of Jordan Peele's three films, exploring all the parallels and differences and just the rich tapestry of his imagery.

猎罪图鉴 | Under the Skin: Put It On Me

I don't know this source but this was just so gorgeously put together; there's a focus on art and art objects, on hands moving and creating, that's just mesmerizing.

[mysteriousmaninthesmoke]

Undead Unluck Unday Chapter 219

Time for Andy's return to Earth and rejoin the union.

But it's going to take some time. and this all been part of Souls plan. Now the quests will be all master rules, and I believe it will be quite impossible for them to be completed.

But Ruin aint one to wait, using two umas to attack. But Billy and Gina Co in clutch using unchange to stuff their jaws with air. Now Ruin deal makes it so he can't kill them.

But Fuuko doest want any losses right now. They need to be at max power for.these quests so she is getting him away from her. And now chikara has a massive ask for Billy he can only help with.

Helping him see without his eyes. Now does this mean chikara has permanent gone blind. Will we get a better explanation on how Billy was able to use Unmove without sight. We have seen through Billy's senses before in the start of the previous arc. Will it be similar.

But that's not important now. Right now Fuuko is taking Ruin far, but she is running out of tools to use for her unluck, and the one she gave him with her other gloves is fading.

allowing him to take out her cloud and send her flying down to... huh Japan. Where she perfectly pulls off Andy's roll. Fuuko is stronger than human if she can break concrete like that. Wait isn't this-

Wait why did it get darker?

HOLLY SH*T HE MADE A BLOOD SPIRIT BOMB!!! Using the power of her two umas he has got Fuuko trapped. What is with these Umas. Did the freaking raise him or somthing. And Soul did say something about powered up pair. Did he give Blood and Shadow a boost. Anyway

With something putting a hole in his ball, letting the sun light in. Seems like your God isn't helping you out Ruin. Also your wrong about somthing. This isn't where Fuujos story ends

THis is where her story started. RIGHT BACK AT THE SAME BRIDGE THEY MET FUUKO AND ANDY REUNITE!!!

AND THEIR ABOUT TO BRAT HIM WITH THEIR UNDEAD UNLUCK!!!! oh i can't wait for next chapter as the goat is back. AND THAT GOAT IS

Clothy.

[youssefguedira]

Some prompt ideas for you!

Nicky and Quynh as best friends, doing some ritual or activity together that they used to do before, again after she escapes from the sea and is healing

Andy as a baby immortal, doing some dumb dangerous shit. Maybe she's doing it to help someone and it's an external pov a la your "I have seen angels in my time" series?

Joe and Lucia after he and Nicky go back to find her. Maybe he's tentative about whether she'll understand or accept them being in love, they have a serious conversation, and then it turns into her telling him embarrassing baby/teenager Nicky Stories?

Absolutely love your writing and your Lucia stories are currently some of my absolute favorites ❤️

hellooooo i know you sent this forever ago but i have been thinking about family and Them lately so. this is set a couple years after the end of if i ask you to stay wherein nicky and joe have returned to stay with lucia for a bit ! it's not quite joe being nervous about whether she'll accept them or not (she largely already has) but it DOES turn into embarassing teenage nicky stories so i hope you enjoy

"Yusuf, come help me with this," Lucia says.

It's become something of a ritual, and so Yusuf is now comfortable joining her at the counter as she splits the dough into two parts and passes one to him. Outside, Nicolò is herding the goats towards the hills and having only partial success; one of the kids splits off from the herd and starts charging back towards the house, making Nicolò curse loudly enough that they can hear him faintly through the window. Lucia chuckles.

"I am glad he will have you, you know," she says. She tosses a handful of flour over the counter and begins to knead the dough. Yusuf follows suit. "After."

They don't talk about after often, even if all three of them know. For the most part, Yusuf tries not to think about it, and he knows Nicolò does the same, though it haunts every single thing they do, a constant shadow. There are still nights where Nicolò barely speaks, overcome by it.

"Did he ever tell you why our father sent him to seminary?" she continues.

"Enough," Yusuf says.

Lucia hums. She's quiet for a while. Outside, Nicolò resorts to picking up the wayward kid and carrying it with him while he herds the rest; it busies itself chewing on his sleeve.

"I only ever wanted him to be happy," she says. "When he left for the seminary I had hoped that it would bring him some kind of peace, even if it was not what he chose. But then he decided to go to Jerusalem, and, well. He never did tell me why. And I did not think about it beyond the fact that it was taking him away, and that I would likely never see him again. He has not told me many details about what happened to him - to you both - there, but I understand enough. But even despite all of it, I am glad he found you in the end."

"I am too," Yusuf says quietly.

"He was always so..." She waves one hand in the air as if searching for the right word, scattering a light cloud of flour that shimmers in the morning sun. "Uncertain. But he seems so much more settled, around you." She smiles at him, and Yusuf cannot do anything but smile back.

There is not much more to be said, after that. Nicolò has put the kid down, and now it bounces after him, dancing around him in circles and almost tripping him up at least three times. It makes him curse again, but he's smiling too much for it to be convincing. It makes Yusuf smile, too. They finish kneading the do

"He spent almost all his time with them when he came to visit," Lucia says, nodding towards the window. "The kids loved him. He would sit down and let them climb all over him. They used to chew on his hair."

Yusuf can imagine it clearly: fifteen-year-old Nicolò, still growing, letting five or six baby goats clamber all over him.

"There was this one doe, though, who hated him," she continues. "She would let anyone else near, but not him. She used to bite at his heels every time he came near. She chased him up a tree, once. I found him halfway up. He'd forgotten that goats climb trees, too."

Yusuf laughs out loud, and it's at that moment that the door swings open, and Nicolò's voice echoes through the house. "No, no, piccola," he's saying, "you have to stay outside."

When he comes into the kitchen, he's holding the kid, who has given up on chewing his sleeve and is now trying to reach his hair, refusing to be deterred even though he keeps pushing her away. He's so caught up in this task that he doesn't notice them both watching him straight away, and when he does pauses like he's been caught doing something he shouldn't. "What?" he asks, looking between them.

"Nothing," Lucia says before Yusuf can say anything. Nicolò looks between them again, before shaking his head and carrying the goat over to the table.

"New friend?" Yusuf asks him.

"She won't leave me alone," Nicolò says.

"Nicolò," Lucia says, "do you remember the name of that goat that chased you up the tree? I couldn't seem to recall."

Nicolò blinks, then sighs. "Tell me you didn't tell Yusuf that story."

"Not all of it," Yusuf says innocently.

Nicolò groans. Yusuf laughs, and so does Lucia.

The shadow is still there, yes. But even though he complains, for a moment Nicolò's shoulders seem more relaxed, and the sun seems just a little brighter.

[hawkcoyote]

Let’s talk Tennis

Now this is the tennis fan in me taking things a little too seriously. But as I continue to think about Challengers and I have rewatched the film again, I’m kinda looking at Tashi a little bit side ways. One thing people always talk about is how Tashi coulda/shoulda/woulda been this amazing player had she not been injured. And it’s not to say she wouldn’t have been. But she’s never actually had to put her money where her mouth is. And her being a great tennis coach for Art does not mean she could have been a major contender in her own career. I mean how good of a player was Richard Williams? Honestly, most of these coaches don’t have anything to their name. It’s a little convenient she got injured right before she actually had to make the transition. We never actually get to see whether or not Tashi had what it takes. We are all supposed to believe that because someone she beat in the junior league means she would have been on top. That’s not how tennis works. But she can forever believe that she was robbed of greatness based on her results in the junior league and college. Like okay…. And it’s like sis could have been proven herself. She wants to be the goat, but the goats were out there winning slams or at least coming close at her age. While she was playing against players she can easily crush.

So my theory is that Tashi prioritized attention over tennis. She liked being the big fish in a small pond. She liked being seen as special. That’s why her fight with Patrick rattled her so much. The idea that she’s not special affected her so much it breaks her knee and ends her tennis career. Does she really have the mental toughness to actually be a good tennis player? Idk. Cuz to me, she prioritized her ego over tennis. It cost her dearly, which is why I feel like she can’t feel satisfaction over what she’s actually accomplished. Because when she was playing tennis, her main focus wasn’t really tennis. She didn’t want her only skill in life to be tennis. She chose going to college over her tennis career because of education and branding!! To me her commitment to the sport only really showed its head after her accident. She was even being dodgy about going pro when she was playing at Stanford. Tashi is too stuck on what’s she’s lost, and she allows it to overshadow the fact that she did want other things. There were other things that were important to her and might have even been more important than tennis.

Also as much as what happened to Tashi breaks my heart, I wished folks stopped downplaying what she was able to accomplish. Only Tashi is allowed to do that, and it is very much a character flaw of hers. Because as a tennis fan, I don’t think y’all understanding why Tashi can be right alongside Art in the Aston Martin campaign. Because you have this 20-something year old girl coaching her boyfriend into winning titles and slams?!? Are you kidding me?!? Women don’t even be having female coaches like that! Please!!! A young biracial/black woman coaching her white husband into being one greatest American male tennis player’s we’ve seen since Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi?!? The last American man to win a grand slam was Andy Roddick! Especially when you factor in her story. You think folks wouldn’t eat that up? Hollywood would be making a movie about her!!! She’s gonna be the one making book deals!! She would be the reason why the GP would even know or talk about Art. And the best thing about it is that Art would completely feed into it and hype it up.

And folks be disrespecting Art too much. Calling that man a mediocre player. First off, he was a finalist in the junior grand slam alongside Patrick. There’s also nothing mediocre about winning six grand slams guys. And who even knows how many titles he has. So why folks acting like he wasn’t a great tennis player is crazy to me. Only Art gets to believe that he’s not as talented as Tashi and Patrick. This is very much a character flaw. He is a great tennis player, he just struggles to believe it because he has such a low self esteem. Tashi from the jump thought he was a good player. Art just didn’t have the confidence because he’s bisexual and hates himself. He just assumes people are better than him because they have what he lacks within himself. The idea that he couldn’t be a big tennis star without Tashi’s coaching is silly to me. Congratulations, he has a great tennis coach! Most athletes need great coaching to get them where they need to go especially when performing at that high level. I don’t think Tashi is so singular that Art couldn’t find someone else to coach him to grand slams, the only reason why he couldn’t win is because he needs Tashi in order to give a damn. So all folks are really saying is that man was able to win all those titles just to please his wife. Y’all that’s absolutely nuts. Seriously imagine the monster Art would be if he did care? So in conclusion, we are kinda feeding into both Tashi’s and Art’s delusions. We have no way of determining if Tashi would have been a great professional player. Just because her junior league rival is a tennis star four years after the fact does not mean Tashi would have been huge. We are being a little bit delusional. And Art is not a mediocre player. Because even if we like to pretend that the junior league is a measure of talent, Art was literally right along side Patrick. Like he was the second best player in that tournament, that’s not mediocrity…. Art just deludes himself into thinking he’s not great because he hates himself.

[shiro-s2e2-erukinzu]

Undead Unluck Week, Day 1: Favorite Negator

Hello, Undead Unluck fandom!! 😆 If I'm gonna be honest, I pretty much love every Negator that we've met so far (except for Ruin), but there are some that are my absolute favorites...!! 😁 Of course I love Andy and Fuuko, and Anno Un is MY BOY / THE GOAT; but if there's one Negator that I'd pick above the rest, it would have to be...:

Shen Xiang (Untruth)

(I originally wanted to put my fanart of Shen here, but I'm still working on it...! 😅 Hopefully I'll finish it before the week is over!! 😁)

I remember when I first saw Shen in chapter 2, I was like: "Who is this goofball?" 🤔

And as I continued to read, I was like: "I kinda like this goofball...!!" 😄 I mean, look how goofy this man gets!!:

I also love fact that one minute, Shen looks like his normal adorable baby face on a bodybuilder's body in a fight, and then he'll look like THIS: 😵

Speaking of Shen and fighting, one of things that we learn about Shen is that his dream is to be the strongest in all of creation...:

I'm usually not a huge fan of characters who only care about constantly getting stronger because almost every time, if they lose a fight, they'll get upset about it and start to think that they are weak, so they train nonstop to become "stronger..." Though Shen does seem to have that similar mentality to "keep getting stronger", this was the moment that he felt different from a lot of those other characters in my opinion:

He was smiling after he lost the fight and called the Union to come help in fighting / stopping Victor...!! 👀 I know that not every character that craves strength is a sore loser, but almost all of them have TOO MUCH PRIDE to let others help them in a fight!! 😤 So the fact that Shen had the Union come help was honestly really refreshing to me and it made me like him even more...!! 😄

One of Shen's standout moments has to be during the Summer Arc, where get to see his backstory and learn about why he wants to be the strongest in all of creation in the first place...!

I'm not gonna get into too much as to why I love this arc SOOO MUCH (that'll be for another day 😉), but if it wasn't obvious, it's because Shen is the main focus of it!! 😍

One of the last things that I wanna talk about Shen is his relationship with Mui...!! 🤗 (Though, I'm probably gonna keep short so that I can bring it up another day...!! 😉)

I just love how adorable their relationship is, especially whenever he calls her "Mui, my dear", IT'S JUST TOO CUTE!! 💗😍💗

Anyway, I think that all that I wanted to say about my boy Shen!! 😄 Sorry if this was a little bit too ramble-y, but I just love Shen a lot (and it doesn't help that I have a big stupid crush on this goober as well! 💗😌💗)

I'm gonna do my best to try and participate in all of UU Week 2024, so stay tuned!! 😊

[saltylandland]

The Lost Boys attractiveness rating

Curtesy of me. This may be a bit controversial but I’ll be giving reasons worry not. Also I’m not including Sam, the Frog brothers, and laddie for obvious reasons.

Dwayne

Tall, Dark, and handsome. My type and honestly, considering my past crushes have been Uta + Ayato (from Tokyo Ghoul) and Andy Beirsack, this really isn’t shocking. Plus he has long hair and he’s indigenous (I am also indigenous) he’s so fucking deadly lol.

David

I have a thing for voices and his is just 👌 and he’s just pretty, even with the mullet lol. Like look at that smile!!!! Plus out of all the boys I draw him a lot.

Marko

It took me awhile to get on board with him actually, but then someone described him as angel face and I was like ‘!!!!!!!’ Yeah totally! Plus he has a cool jacket, has pet pigeons, and he’s (at least Headcanon) creative.

Star

80’s Esmeralda lol. But like she’s so pretty??? It’s unfair. She’s also (Headcanon) creative. The main reason she’s this low on the list is bc women weren’t really allowed to have personalities in the 80s :/ (I’m joking,,, kinda) she could’ve been so interesting, instead she betrays her (supposed to be) friends for something she willingly gave up and Debbie Ryan. She makes Bella Swan look responsible.

Lucy

She’s also very pretty, just,,, women ❤️ also she’s very sweet, kind, and protective. Negative points bc she was a ‘starseed’/ ex-hippy kinda person which is a red flag.

Paul

Nothing against him or his actor (rest in peace Brooke) but he just looks like my uncle??? And a little like my Dad in the 80s, so I can’t get the appeal. Usually when I write for poly!lost boys or him on his own I replace his face with some other 80s Heartthrob or hair metal band member (Jon Bon Jovi? Especially when he was younger? ❤️👌)

Michael

I hate that Debbie Ryan smirk he does, plus every Michael I’ve ever met is a shit.

Max 🤮🤢

Ew.

Also keep in mind if he has been in Santa Carla for who knows how long, especially on the boardwalk where teens would want to hangout, he could’ve remembered Lucy when she was young. Ew.

Honourable mention

Grandpa

He may not work like he used to but he is goated and a role model to everyone.

[studentinpursuitofclouds]

use this ask to talk about your random headcanons for any character you like :)

Whoa, boy! It's been a long time since I wrote random headcanons (like, a month ago? idk). A great reason to add another portion of my crappy headcanons about sdv and sve. I hope you like it!

Some random SDV and SVE headcanon:

Once at the Stardew Valley Fair, when many tourists with their children come to the festival, a couple of teenagers began to tease and offend Jas. Shane, of course, was not happy when he found out that some brats were teasing his dear niece. But instead of barking at those little assholes, Shane acted differently. He whistled with all his might, and all the chickens that were in the aviary at the festival came running to his call. Shane gave them the command to 'sic'em, girls', and all his feathered friends rushed at the offenders, clucking and pecking to drive them away. Jas is saved, Shane is laughing his stomach out, mayor Lewis is not too pleased that the chickens are terrorizing the tourists. How Shane managed to train chickens like that - no one knows, except maybe Marnie and Jas. Also, Jas gave her uncle the nickname "The Chicken Lord". Well deserved, some would say.

Every Sunday, when Andy goes to Pierre's shop to pray at the Yoba altar, he always stops for a couple of minutes near the fence at Marnie's ranch and pets the baby goats and lambs, which quickly rushed to the old farmer in search of affection. Only Marnie knows about this little "tradition" and Andy asks her not to spread it, because he doesn't want to be called a slobber. Marnie doesn't mind, especially since Andy almost always brings a couple of his crops to treat her favorite animals. She also sometimes gives him a gallon of milk or fresh goat cheese as a thank you. No, Andy is not shy, go away, shoo!

Sam, Sebastian and Abigail went out one autumn day at night into the woods to perform a 'summoning ritual' using crystals, bird feathers and other crap that they found on the Internet and thought it would be scary and fun. None of them knew that the ritual had actually worked, how the fuck- A portal opened in front of them, from which the head of an ugly horned monster crawled out, ready to destroy everything around. Fortunately for them, Rasmodius felt a strange magical aura and arrived in time, drove the monster back from where the creature got out and closed the portal. Later, he severely scolded the terrified trio and promised to whoop their asses if anyone thought of doing the summoning ritual again. If you are doing magic and occult things, turn to Magnus for help, it's better to do it with a mentor than to do it anyhow.

Lance has repeatedly expressed his desire to explore the deepest levels of the mines in order to study the growth of purple mushrooms, which are in abundance there. To his luck, Marlon just needs the help of a battle mage in clearing those very levels from monsters and finding rubies and diamonds for Magnus's experiments. The hunt went well and Lance was able to pick up a couple of great specimens to study. They will serve as excellent material for the continuation of his book on magical plants and mushrooms, as well as for the brewing of important life elixirs. But the shroom stew turned out disgusting. Well, he still have to eat it, you can’t just throw out food, right?

Olivia was the one who instilled in Harvey his love for truffle oil. When Victor caught a terrible cold that was accompanied by a high fever, a frightened Olivia called Harvey for help. The doctor took care of Victor all week until he fully recovered. Relieved, Olivia already wanted to pay extra for Harvey's services, to which he categorically said no, explaining that this was his job and that he was doing it to save people, not for money. Olivia sincerely understands and respects his position. And yet, the next day, she sent a couple of bottles of expensive truffle oil by parcel to the clinic as a thank you, noting in a letter that she insisted. Harvey has to give credit, with oil the dishes really got a lot tastier and richer. It's better than the Joja ready meals anyway.

[spectres-fulcrum]

Wait-no Guilty as Sin?(by Taylor Swift) is the time period of Logan and the builder after the Goat. I was thinking maybe it was after that first look during the water tower destruction but I changed my mind.

It's after The Goat. They've fought, they've talked and cleared up that Logan isn't evil and there's spies lurking and they kinda share an adopted son by that point.

But still no one else knows-besides Andy, Grace, and Haru- knows that he's playing the part they assigned him. But if they knew that after that day she thought about him in her bed, feeling like he's branded her, wanting trysts, feeling like it's a vow but it's only fantasies, they'd crucify her. But Logan haunts her. And she chooses him, because she knows his truth.

And the "If long-suffering propriety is what they want from me/They don't know how you've haunted me so stunningly" lyric fits so perfectly cause in my headcanon my builder was dating Owen and after the Goat she forces herself to act normal but all she can see is the ways this town has abadoned their own and she knows Owen doesn't hold her heart anymore.

WHO gave Taylor access to my Google Drive and half written stuff? And my password protected Apple notes because Down Bad is my Tagge/Molock stuff with Molock dying and Tagge alive like in new canon.

(I actually want to make a post about how I see different snippets canon or alternate universes of Logan and the builder in quite a few songs of this album. But Daddy I Love Him, this, I Can Fix Him(Def. an AU but verse 2, that's so Logan's hands), maybe another idk).

[janesurlife]

Introducing the BIG 4 of men's tennis.

First we have Roger Federer aka THE GOAT. he's very classy but also an asshole (Stan Wawrinka's word not mine)

Next we have my (and also Roger's) personal favourite Sunshine boy Mr Rafael Nadal who has a killer forehead and a famous ass

and next up we have The Djoker who likes to have fun and also to bully next gen

Last but definitely not the least, We have Sir Andy Murray who, in his own words is "boring, unfunny and miserable". He has a metal hip and a dry sense of humour

[muirneach]

hello cactustreesmotel here!! i spent today deep in the weeds of métis fiddle (bless john arcand) and i know you have knowledge on the subject so i was wondering if you have any recs of artists/songs etc. for a novice such as myself... any response much appreciated!!!

great question. my fiddle playlist is here (not strictly métis because i also adore old time + maritime, but primarily métis because it is the superior subgenre. work in progress as i fix it from my first fiddle playlist)

i actually don’t know too much on the subject outside of a handful of artists because it’s a hugely under studied genre and i haven’t dug into the research that is available on the topic. this is mostly just things i’ve noticed from listen to this half my life and being weird about tradfolk and reading a lot of métis history.

the very most important song in the whole genre is red river jig. which is fitting because the red river is the beating heart of the métis homeland and their jigging is top class. other imo vitally important songs (from a culturally impactful/historical perspective) are louis riel reel, caribou reel, heel and toe polka. as well as songs that are popularly preformed in the métis style but are from other cultures such as whiskey before breakfast, irish washerwoman, drops of brandy, other basic tradfolk songs that many other traditions share. basically everyone has recorded their versions of these so you can find them wherever but the main goats of the genre are as you say john arcand and also reg bouvette (his red river jig might be the best album start to finish in the genre?). both of them have my whole heart i love love love them. other people of note are hap boyer and patti kusturok. andy de jarlis and lawrence houle aren’t on spotify but were influential. calvin vollrath is actually white but he is undeniably a master of the genre anyways and i like his unique style.

that said my favourite ever songs that aren’t the aforementioned that i would force everyone to listen to are these two. theyre sooo good

LASTLY. okay actually idk if these guys are métis or quebecois because they wiped their entire online presence a few years back and they only had one album and one ep but they were basically among the most foundational musicians for me when i was young. they’re so good that even if they aren’t métis i’m putting them on here anyways. album rediscovered and uploaded here on youtube. l’aviron by luc dauvin you will always be famous. to me

[tkstrandreyes]

Love the tennis angle on your blog. Favourite player? And do you have a view on Roger vs Rafa vs Andy vs Stan vs The Knob (sorry, can't stand the guy)?

Sorry I didn't answer this yesterday life has been busy. I just wanted to say thank you for the ask love when I get asked about tennis.

I know you said favorite player it is Dominic Thiem, Grigor Dimitrov, Carlos Alcaraz & Matteo Berrettini just to name a few I have lots of favorite players.

I don't think I will ever put Roger, Rafa, Andy, & Stan against each other I think they are all amazing and they are all amazing in different ways. Now I will say I do think Roger and Rafa are the true goats of the sport with Serena on the woman's side. I wish they were all young again because I could watch their tennis all day. I am going to assume the knob is Djokovic. I can't stand him and his tennis is boring I hate that everyone is like he is the goat because he has broken every record. I don't even think Djokovic cares about all the records broken he cares if fans and everyone like him which he will never get that recognition like Roger, Rafa, and Andy. Fans just don't appeal to him like they do to these guys. I hope he retires soon though.

[theliterarywolf]

What irks me about wish is that-it would’ve been easy for it to be good. Maybe not perfect but with a little effort it could’ve been a sweet little film. We could’ve kept the shape shifter and have the old timey romances that were (imo) a significant point in the Disney renaissance. You got the goat side kick (tho I’d have rather had a cuter voice the deep voice thing made me roll my eyes). And like, how hard would it be to write a villain who takes advantage of wishes? As I’m typing this I’m imagining a scenario where he captured the little star creatures and uses his magic to drain their powers and grants wishes. The people love him while not knowing he’s enslaved innocent creatures for his power. Que the shape shifter who could be like the star prince or something similar coming down and getting Asha to help him free them.

There. Now I’m not saying that’s as good as little mermaid or batb but dang it I’m TRYING to bring back that Disney renaissance magic

When people were originally crying out 'The Ken Effect' when King Magnifico's first outburst clip was uploaded, I was trying to say 'okay folks, let's at least try to have some media literacy'.

Because I was naively thinking 'okay, maybe they'll write it as "Magnifico is only able to maintain his power by absorbing wishes he doesn't think are worthy" or "Maybe the movie will have the Queen be a twist villain who is the real reason for the wish discrepancy" (which would actually be an interesting reference because it's been so long since Disney has had an evil queen character)

But just for them to do... Nothing. Aside from referencing (not showing but referencing) that he has some trauma that is why he's doing what he's doing. Also evil book out of nowhere?

Eh...

Also, really hating how this execution of the star turned out to be the equivalent of jingling keys on a screen. When we could have had the opportunity to fix what Raya utterly failed at with Sisu.

But, hey! We won't have to worry about anything original from Disney for a while!

Inside Out 2! Toy Story 5...! With a plot of Andy trying to get his toys back from that little girl, utterly shitting on the ending of Toy Story 3... Frozen 3 AND Frozen 4!

Because Disney really wants us to think that, despite Frozen 2 being an incoherent mess due to them creating a movie before finalizing a story, that a new story in the Frozen universe is not only possible but is so GRAND that it needs TWO MOVIES.

[non-un-topo]

Tagged by @lazaefair. Thank you!!

Rules: Pick any ten of your fics, scroll roughly to the midpoint, pick a line (or three) and share it. Then tag ten people.

I picked some favourites, but also some lesser known/read ones (all TOG, in order of most recent upload)

Jericho, My Moon

A black stallion is joined by his red twin. They bracket Nicolò, circle him. Their proud riders wear helmets of silver moonlight.

all things pass into the night

They’d found Joe and Andy under a white strobe light, facing each other this time and tossing their heads and hair as they danced. Joe reeled Nicky in by his belt loop and without even having to think, Booker used his tall body as a blockade between the two nose-rubbing, hip-grinding men and some of the crowd, downing his beer. Then again, wouldn’t have it been fun to have had to beat someone up that night? Booker hadn’t been presented with the opportunity, and before long he’d flown to the full toilets and dumped his guts onto the floor.

Axis

The spectre does not move. The fur does not even seem to breathe. It is as if the wind can’t touch it, there in its hiding place. It is fur, Nicolò can see that clearly now. Though of what animal, he cannot discern. A thought occurs to him, then. Perhaps this creature is a guardian of the forest. Perhaps he has angered it.

The Falconer

“You cannot startle me like that, with her here,” he said, and realized how impressively he was failing at sounding authoritative. “In fairness, Nico,” began Andromache, tipping far enough back in the chair Nicolò could already picture her falling and pretending she hadn’t, “how were we supposed to know you’d adopted a feral bird?”

Heard a Joke Once

De Marchi was flattered at the praise, exactly what Sébastien had counted on. Flattery was one thing an artist could simply never resist, no matter their false modesty. Sébastien would know.

Young Man's Game

His mother hummed flatly, which raised the hairs on Yusuf’s head, but she thankfully let him be. For a moment. “Have you put any more thought into Gamila?” she then asked, which was honestly worse.

My brother spits blood.

But before Booker can say anything, Nicky pulls out a key and says, “Come in and get cleaned up. I’ll make you some tea. When Joe comes home, we will see if we can reach Andy.” Wordlessly, and suddenly feeling the weight of the previous night on his shoulders, Booker steps in after him and breathes in the familiar scents of spices and herbs, gun oil and linen.

Primavera

“Can I come with you,” Nicolò asks without preamble. He grips his seat on either side of his thighs as he leans closer to the table. His uncle dazzles him with a fond smile, a proud smile. “Perhaps when you are older. If you go now, who will protect the goats from hungry giants?”

la mer a bercé mon coeur pour la vie

“If you die, I’m gonna kill you,” Joe jokes. Andy laughs to lighten the mood, but she squeezes his arm in reassurance.

Tangerine and Roc

The nightmare returned to Yusuf that night. He stayed awake as long as his body willed it, but inevitably gave into exhaustion at some point deep in the night. He gasped awake, sweaty and shaken by visions of the gnarled beak, his family jumping in. His hand instinctively sought out Nicolò beside him, who remained in his deep, unmoving sleep.

Probably double-tagging a lot of people buuuut I'm tagging @maddielle @captainshakespear @babygirlyusuf @nicolos @the73rdpostscript and @knoepfchen

[liverpool-enjoyer]

footballers as pokemon types

OOOOH THIS IS PERFECT FOR MY POKEMON LOVING ASS. requested by @imjusthereforideasagain !! thank you sm for requesting <3

leo: psychic and normal type!! not implying its the reason for his skills, rather the way he hyperfixates on football reminds me a some psychic types. mans is using calm mind 24/7. also normal type, cause i feel like he rlly is Some Guy. hes OBJECTIVELY the goat n has more God given talent in a strand of hair than i do in my entire body, but hes also a dude you bump into at publix while in line for a pub sub.

ney: electric type!!! now if you play/watch pokemon you know pretty much everyone who trains a certain type kinda has a similar personality. ney definitely gives electric type. hes always "!!!" what can i say his personality is jus,,, electric ;))

jordan: hendos a fire type!! as captain he has to inspire his team n be their guiding light in a way,,, n also use will o wisp to burn em when they get outta hand.

virgil: ice and steel type!!! ice cause hes as calm (and cool) as you like. however ice is literally the WORST type in the game defensively, n that aint virgil at all. hes the goat of defenders, an abolute wall. a STEEL wall you could say. like literally there are eighteen types in the game n steel resists ELEVEN of em. i realize this leaves him quad weak to fighting n fire but IGNORE THAT.

luis: the mans a dark type. i love this lil blorbo but the man can play DIRTY. n the dark type is all abt using underhanded tactics to win (its actually called the evil type in the original translation lmao), with literally every move having some secondary effect. and how can i forget: bite is a dark type move (for some reason).

andy: a water type!!! like water takes the shape of its container, man can ADAPT. waters also the most abundant type in the game and has been paired with literally every other type. jus like how andy is friends w every one of his teammates!!

trent: grass type!! now what does trent do (well,,, besides defend). he ASSISTS. he DELIVERS. grass is an AMAZING supportive type, w moves like stun spore, grassy terrain, n how could i forget LEECH SEED??? not to mention cotton guard which literally raises your defense by THREE stages instead a two which is more than any other defense boosting move in the game.

sergio: he is a fighting type. what,,, what more do you want me to say. jus ask mo salah (sorry luv). hes kinda like if you skill swapped gallade to give it the contraty ability n used close combat, where instead of a defense DROP it jus,,, gets better every time.

milly: a rock type!!! hes become quite formidable over the years, n this is way overthinking but it could also parallel how rock type gym leaders tend to be the first you face in the game as theyre meant to show new trainers the ropes, jus like how milly does w the younger players of lfc!! also PLS gimme credit for holding back n not going w the "milly is boring" joke n making him a normal type. cause i did think abt it.

klopp: ok papas a GHOST TYPE. fun fact this is my favorite type in the game n the best in my opinion. anyway. klopp is so intelligent he feels like an old soul, passing on old ass wisdom. he works subtly, like how gengar sneaks around in the shadows before you actually see it. this MIIIIIGHT be (most definitely is) based off @liverpoolfanfiction 's AMAZING supernatural au now that i think abt it.

alisson: a fairy n steel type!!! he is jus,,, THE sweetest, how could i not slap the fairy typing on him. hes the kinda guy who knows his friends are upset based on lil tiny cues, like how the hatterene line detects strong emotions. n hes a steel type for the same reason virgil is. the most defensive type in the game!! resists more than half the fuckin types!! no ones getting through our keeper!!!