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currentfandomkick · 4 years

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Marinette did not sign up for this part 4

hey, so OG chapter 4 will now be chapter 5 as the gremlins hijacked this chapter.

part one here previous part here ao3 here

Damian stared in quiet horror as he looked over Ladybug’s exploits after hacking into Paris’ servers. His sister—the one he took down with little effort—had been defending the city for a month before he appeared. From the video of “Stoneheart” he could tell she was given no training. And her partner was flirting with her! When he should be focusing on the mission!

What gathered from further research was the following: his sister and her ‘partner’ were untrained. Their teammates were also untrained. A team of ten untrained teenagers—perhaps younger—were tasked with keeping a villainous coward from stealing their magic artifacts, and with stealing his in turn. A team lead by his sister. A very alone, scared girl from his one interaction with her. Smart (he saw now she knew how to save her own skin. Redirecting his attention was a good move at the time). She is smart and creative because if she isn’t, then her city and her will lose. Be under the control of some madman.

He had to get there, and he doubted he could convince Jon to help him at the moment—why are kyptonians always fighting one another when you need the assistance of one?

Father would stop him.

The League was keeping Father in Gotham and he didn’t have individual access yet…

He was stuck for the moment, and did not like it. Perhaps Grayson could prove useful? He’d ask once the man was done resting from patrol.

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Cass was enjoying Paris. She spotted the possible sister at the bakery with her adoptive mother. They were happy. Cass likes that.

Cass moved quickly through the crowd, managing to make it to the bakery.

Marinette ran into her.

“Ah! Sorry!” the girl managed to catch her things before they hit the ground.

Cass waved her hands, indicating there was no harm or foul. The girl was no clumsy—Shifu Cheng was ill-informed. Those reflexes and her expression before indicated nothing but an intense focus on something else. On what, Cass wasn’t sure.

Yet.

For now, Cass took a seat in the bakery, smiling at the kind woman working the front. Sabine Cheng, the woman who raised the maybe-Bat.

Cass began doing her own research, messaging Babs that she saw Soup Girl for a moment, and would be assessing her parents. She knew of cases in Gotham where things weren’t always right, and she wanted to be certain that this girl was safe, regardless of if she’s a Bat or not.

--------

Tim decided to ignore Babs offer in the end. The possibility of owing Jason was low given both him and Cass are on the Case. Jason is good, don’t get him wrong, but the chances of Jason actually talking to the girl in a real conversation before the rest of them? As Red Hood?

This is a calculated risk and the odd are in Tim’s favor. (Well, not in Jason's.)

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Steph hummed as she went over the designer pool she was looking over. Shockingly low given its Paris—granted 200 girls is a lot to investigate… she didn’t give the others all the information she had though.

According to Damian, she “posts a disgusting amount” which means she’s posting or tagged often. When she used some of Babs old filtering program with social media involved, it brought the candidates down to 30. She could go through thirty teenage designers social media and comb over who at least has some genes that are dominant from the Wayne side. Her natural hair had to be medium brunette at the lightest, so the natural blondes took out seven candidates right off the bat. While blue or green eyes would give them more priority on the list, eye color genes are weird. Weirdly, five of her candidates had attached earlobes, so she only had 18 left after that filter was put on… Bruce’s hair isn’t curly, so two girls with intensely curly natural hair were taken off the list. Bruce’s thin lips only knocked out two more candidates.

That left Stephanie Brown with 14 designers in Paris to find and investigate in the right age range, because she doesn’t think Bruce started having sex at 15, unlike Tim who is allowing college kids into his ‘could be Bruce’s daughter’ mix.

Stephanie is also going to need a plane ticket to meet these girls, and that means getting help from one of Wayne kids… Or stowing away on the private jet that she knows Tim can and will be using sometime today to do ground work himself.

She’s cool stowing away—Babs is covering for her on principle since Tim wouldn’t take the deal. Steph was smart enough to relinquish one piece of blackmail in total in exchange for use of Babs filtering tech—she has more than that thanks to one Supergirl spilling a number of things Babs has done over the years. Has Stephanie mentioned she’s the only one of the Bats to listen to Oracle, Queen of Technology, in this bet? She is, and she is better for it.

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Marinette managed to make it to the Agrests Mansion with little issue this time. Today she was going to one of the production lines with Gabriel to learn how to reset the machines and program them to follow any simple stitch pattern she wanted. It was good.

She also noticed that during none of her times with Gabriel, was there a single akuma sighting. Not an attack—those never happened anywhere near their time together. It was an… interesting pattern. She was beginning to suspect that if Hawkmoth wasn’t Gabriel (he was akumatized, it can’t be him. Get that theory out of your head Marinette), then it had to be someone who worked for him, and high on the food chain.

She made sure to memorize each of his ‘supervising managers’ and partners’ names. One of them had to be Hawkmoth. And Gabriel had to be someone that this Hawkmoth either really respected or really didn’t want handle re-scheduling with. Which would be all of them…

She really wished she had more time to dig into their lives herself. For now, she had to trust Max and Markov to do the research… which reminded her, her name had been pinged on multiple searches in Gotham last night. From numerous devices. If the Bats were planning anything…

Marinette gripped her purse a bit tighter. Her team has her back. She just doesn’t want them caught up in this mess too. She wishes that Aquaman never showed up. If he hadn’t, then the Bats wouldn’t be looking into her civilian life, the one they already knew about but only now deemed worthy of their attention.

She wished they would just stop—she won’t look into the Great Detectives. She knows she’s not one of them. That she wouldn’t hack it in Gotham. But Damnit, in Paris? Her Territory—she does more than hack it. Sure, she may have blown herself up that one time, and yes, there is the timeline where as Princess Justice she may have sort of broke the world by forcing it to conform to that akumatized version of hers’ idea of Absolute Justice (apparently she was ruthless, made no exceptions and took out a third of the Justice League using Multimouse at the time on top of it all). Yes, she is not a perfect leader. Or hero. But Damnit, her (admittedly two) supervillians have been almost caught twice. Her re-akumatazation rate is much lower than any of the Justice League’s heroes’ normal villain or general crime recidivism rate by more than a little. By a lot. She’s not some Detective but she’s a damn good strategist, a champion at improvising and she and her team do work with the public and victims and reworked so much of Paris’ social culture to lower akuma-creating circumstances and keep the public emotionally healthy.

She’s no detective.

She’s a Guardian. That means caring about the details that shift the bigger pieces. That means adaption with what is there and creating what she needs. That means knowing her limits and getting help—to set an example and prove that not even her or Chat are an island. That even superheroes need help, need others and need to work together.

She’s no detective. Detectives work alone.

Her? She’s forged a team that (she hopes) could become the new Order of Gaurdians with her… some day. For now, they’re heroes with the same mission and different roles to play.

Marinette just wishes that she could shut up this hunch since its been disproven. Her instincts on guilt and possible baddies aren’t the best—Adrien’s job is to sense what’s wrong and take them out. Hers is to make whatever is needed to help fix things, to push someone forward and help them grow. Her job to craft a better tomorrow today… and to do that, she lost the parts of her that picked up Danger. She can still find Caution signs (and her anxiety will always invent danger) but real Danger detection went to Adrien when she agreed to become Ladybug in the first place… And until both her and Adrien renounce their roles as the pair wielding the Ladybug and Black Cat miraculouses, she’ll always be missing it.

The same way Adrien is missing his ability to think outside the box—seeing things as what they could become to help them went to her. He can only see potential threat and act on them. She can only see potential aide and act on that.

---------

Jason grinned when he managed to make it into Paris. The second there was some damn akuma attack, he was grabbing the baby Bat and hunting Hawkmoth his way—she need the jewelry? Fine. She can have it. The guy brainwashing kids? The one that slaughtered the city? He’s Jason’s. ---------

Bruce didn’t like being benched. He doesn’t like not knowing he had another child. He especially doesn’t like that this one is constantly preventing an apocalypse and his allies can’t be bothered to even send him anything about it. Not even a basic ‘she’s not living on the streets’ like Jason did. Or ‘she’s got parents here, calm down’ so he could get this stupid instinct to storm Paris and take on the bastard threatening his family that he didn’t know he had.

Apparently Barbra has a hunch, but isn’t sharing until she has “conclusive evidence” of his daughter’s identity. Damian just isn’t speaking of it. As if being someone’s father biologically gives him a built-in alarm system for when he’s had a child and the ability to track them down at birth. Damian being raised in the League of Assassins should be enough proof to the contrary there.

The others were… he wasn’t absolutely certain, but fairly certain his self-proclaimed ‘middle kid club’ were tracking his missing daughter down themselves. Possibly to claim her as part of their group, specifically.

God, she was so young, It was before he even heard of the League that she was born. In that lifetime before becoming Batman. Would she like him? He was absent her whole life—did she want to meet him, meet the family? They’re a mess, he knows it. But they’re his—he chose them and they chose him. Would she chose him too?

He watched another video of Ladybug in her early days, before she and her partner (dear god he’s cat-themed. Is it genetic? Should he test her and himself for some ‘drawn to dresses-as-a-cat’ gene?) were given any kind of training.

She blew herself up to stop her city from being taken over by ‘Animan’ and his creatures.

His daughter.

Exploded.

(She died. She died and he didn’t know. God he’s a horrible parent, and he hasn’t even parented her yet.)

She died.

To keep her city safe.

She somehow reconstituted. But her face, in that video, she was shocked.

His daughter should be dead but she’s not.

Magic, he’s so glad his daughter uses magic.

He. He’s going to need to consult someone. Raven? Raven should work. He can’t talk to the Justice League—nothing wrong with talking to the half-demon all of his Robins that lead the Titans has worked with.

Loopholes.

The Justice League is horrible at closing them.

---------

Dick wanted to be mad when Damian came clean to him about the needles. He wanted to freak out over almost losing a sister he hasn’t met.

He did.

But.

But this is Damian.

Damian who still has trouble connecting. Who still flinches at certain tones of voice and phrasing. Damian who desperately wants to do Good but… struggles.

Damian who has all of Bruce’s communication problems and then some.

So no, Dick did not scream when he found out Damian only sparred “the blood daughter” because she looked too frail and weak for her to be considered anything resembling a threat to him. He did not sigh when he found out that Bruce didn’t know when Damian assumed he did. He did not hit himself when Damian discussed the various weapons he’d gifted her as a apology with the bouquets over the years and their meanings.

He did take a deep breath, and begin explaining from this baby bat’s stance what had happened.

“Imagine for a moment that it was me before I became Robin, and I was almost killed by someone who only let me live if I never contacted a shared parent or that parent’s known family. How do you think Pre-Robin me would have responded?”

“You would have feared for your life and done whatever you could to prevent contact.”

“Now, imagine I wasn’t told who to be avoiding, only aliases.”

“You would avoid everyone with an alias that you did not help them create, and keep them from unknown aliases.”

Dick snapped his fingers. “Exactly. That’s what this sister, what are we calling her?”

“Her alias is Ladybug.”

“Yes, that is what Ladybug was going through before Aquaman made contact.”

Damian was quiet for a moment. “She must be on edge.”

Dick nodded at that. “She probably is.”

Damian furrowed his brow. “Do you think the League would allow me to contact her and end our agreement?”

Dick rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m not sure, but we can try.”

“… And if they refuse?”

“Then we find another way. We’re Bats,” Dick reassured Damian. He just hoped the missing members weren’t doing anything too rash…

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Marinette made a (painful) decision. Adrien and her would swap miraculouses—at least until there were less pings on her sites from Gotham. For added protection, she kept the Mouse miraculous on. Chatte Noire was less known, and she doubted Wonder Woman or Aquaman informed Batman about the miraculous of Creation and Destruction’s particular… refusal to let anyone but a pair chosen together to wield them at any point.

Chatte Noire would only be on call for a day or so… what’s the worst that can happen?

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the characters are jinxing themselves, and procrastinating the (vague) plot of Shenanigans. i swear.

if anyone can message me on how to add in a read more, that’d be great since i know these can get long to scroll past for mobile users.

@heldtogetherbysafetypins @laurcad123 @raisuke06 @chaosace @jeminiikrystal @toodaloo-kangaroo @kris-pines04 @laurcad123

#maribat #bio!dad bruce #marinette did not sign up for this #part 4 #long post #my writing #i hate formatting #how do i tag

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dontbesoweirdkira · 5 years

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Dating Jason Todd would include

-YOU ARE LITTLE PRECIOUS BUNNY I SWEAR YOU BRING OUT THE SOFTEST PART OF THIS BROKEN MAN

-like this dude will literally let you get away with ANYTHING and no one better stop you

-“Hey Jay I just robbed a bank and took a lollipop from that kid next door.”

-“Aww you’re so cute, Doll. Let me put out this cigarette and I’ll help you count the money, okay?”

-“Jay, Dick said I can’t have anymore ice pops!!! I really want some, it’s not fair!!”

-“ He said what?! hOld On iM gEtTinG mY Gun nO OnE TelLs mY lItTle Babe sHe caNt haVe anY iCe popS.”

-wearing his thick leather jackets that smell like cigarettes and expensive scotch

-Stealing his 1/16263819827 Red hoods and waddling around the house while he’s out on patrol

-“Hey I’m RedHood and I have DaDdY IssUes, prepare to diEee!!! *pew pew*”

-“is that how I sound to you?! Because I don’t *pew pew* I *brrraaatratratatataaa* get it correct Y/N”

-Your tough edgy boyfriend

-If he has an off day, he’ll take you on a ride on his motorcycle to wherever you want to go. If it’d make you happy, he’d drive to Paris for you if he could.

-You guys usually end up drifting by the waterside, taking in the longing smell of the sea, feeling the subtle warmth of the setting sun and melting into the welcoming breeze

-There’s this really good Sandwich stand by the oceanfront and you guys always get a large one, and share it with a nice cold bottle of Coke. There’s also this really nice private beach that you two have no business being on, you guys would sometimes just sit on one of the lifeguards stands for a while and just enjoy each other

-“Hey Jay Jay?”

-“What’s up, Love bug?

-“Your eyes have a hint of Aqua Green in them. It’s the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen. I just wanted you to know that, that’s all.”

-IN HOME CONCERTS EVERY SATURDAY AND OR FRIDAY.

-every week you guys make a list of your favorite classics and you build a Spotify playlist and dance around the house screaming *cough* I-i mean singing on the top of yalls lungs.

-weird adventures around the city! Like you guys sometimes go to weird parts of the city to see some weird crap to laugh about later on.

-“Why is he wearing a tutu and dirty socks-“

-“keep walking baby girl don’t question it.”

-monthly movie nights where you guys watch a movie that has crappy 1 star reviews while eating a bunch of unhealthy garbage all night.

-“but why did he do that?”

-“according to ‘moviecridictbooiiii12’, he’s an uncultured swine who has no Character development, 1/10 trash person totally.”

-If you guys are just sitting in a comfortable silence, just cuddling, he might open up a bit about his childhood or maybe talk a bit about how he’s feeling. But that’s a rare rare occasion he doesn’t like talking much about it.

-This sometimes can cause a bit of a rift because it almost feels as if there’s a lack of trust but you understand he’s been through a whole lot and if it were you, you’d probably be the same way

-he does not like pills in the house but if you have health issues and have to take them, he won't crucify you because of it, but he will monitor you and make sure there is no drug abuse. He wants to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself. He doesn't wanna lose you that way.

-He’s a depressed crackhead

-“Hey Y/N, can you tell me what’s in the drawer in the kitchen. The one next to the sink”

-“Hmm? There’s nothing in here Jason.”

-“Nothing you say? Just like my relationship with Bruce haha.”

-“Are you okay?”

-“No I am not and neither is my sleep schedule.”

-Oh yeah this Poor boy barely sleeps. Mainly because he’s out on patrol all night and when he finally gets home, he’s being called back out. Or sometimes he’s just so restless thinking about everything he needs to do. Other times he’s just scared to sleep.

-Yeah he’s pretty reluctant to go to sleep. He’s scared to have a bad dream and wake up in a vulnerable state. Or to accidentally wake you up from tossing and turning and wails of agony.

-You lost a lot of hours of sleep already do to comforting him at night so as much as he can function without a nights rest, he’ll do it to spare you

-You hate when he does this because you actually don’t mind comforting him, it makes you feel like he trusts and can rely on you.

-nightmares about the joker or the pit. Cryinggg this boy is really traumatized

-“Shhh, Jason it’ll be alright. I’m right here love.”

-Even though he avoids sleep at all costs, this doesn’t stop him from napping on the recliner or at the kitchen table from time to time.

-He’s a bit self destructive with drinking, smoking, betting himself up, not sleeping or eating properly. You really have to help him and work with him. Be patient and kind pLz.

-He doesn’t like exposing you to the stuff he does, he doesn’t like you seeing all the gore or what not so he doesn’t try to come home bloody much actually. He might stop at dicks house or some other friend’s house to clean up a bit before coming to you

-Todd doesn’t like you to see and be around all that. He wants to keep that life very very separate, he even tries to keep the news off and away from you. Although you already know and if it bothers you it not, it’s not much you can do to stop him.

-The only time you might see him bloody or hurt is when he can’t make it to a friends house and he needs you to patch him up and put him to bed quickly.

-argurmentssss

-Yeah you guys do little annoying antics back and forth but it’s not something super crucial. The only time where it heats up is like if something he’s doing really really bothers you, like his killings or if he does something super reckless. The arguments usually end up with

- “I’m sorry Doll, I’ll do better for you.”

- “Sorry JayBird, I wasn’t being fair”

-The worst an argument had ever gotten was when he didn’t come home for weeks without telling you he was out on a mission and you were scared out of your mind and ended up cursing him out for scaring you.

-You didn’t talk to him for about a week and he was a wreck

-“JASON DONT YOU DARE TRY TO KISS ME OR HUG ME I THOUGHT YOU WERE F*CKING DEAD OR WORSE! YOU COULD'VE TOLD ME SOMETHING LIKE I LITERALLY HATE YOU RIGHT NOW I COULDN'T SLEEP FOR WEEEKS JASON I WAS WORRIED SICK-“

-“Hey, it’s okay Y/n- I’m here no-“

-“NO IT'S NOT LITERAL I DON'T WANT TO TALK TO YOU ANYMORE, GET AWAY FROM ME.”

-He cannot stand when he breaks your heart or makes you upset like he beats himself up a whole lot. He will apologize to you and do anything to make it up.

-“Stupid Todd? How can you upset the one person that seems to be so patient and loving to you? Ugh you idiot.”

-yeah he literally kissed up to you for months he felt so bad even after you apologized for overreacting and told him he didn’t need to do anything

-Yeah speaking of kissing up to you, he Buys you anything you want just ask. Looking at that super nice outfit in the mall? Check your room, it’s on your bed with a cute little note. Want an ice cream sundae? Yeah he got extra fudge/caramel for his princess.

-He just loves you like so so much he doesn’t care what you look like, how big or how skinny, how light or how dark you are. He literally adores you and wants to protect you with all his heart. He’d buy the whole world for you.

-“Jason, literal listen to me. 600 dollars for a charm bracelet I liked in the mall is too much, go return it”

-he’s a bit overprotective with you. Not in a “HEKDJEHEHEHINEEDTOKNOWWHEREYOUAREATALLTIMESSENPAI.” Kind of way but in a like “Check in every once in a while will ya babe? I wanna make sure you’re okay.”

-He doesn’t let you go outside after a certain time for ANYTHING unless it’s an emergency. It’s too dangerous in Gotham for you to be out scrolling going to a convenience store at 10pm at night. So if you need something from the store he’ll go get it for you or already have it in the house.

-Will 100 throw hands for you

-actually makes sure you can defend yourself and trains you a bit every month to make sure if trouble comes and he’s not there, you can protect yourself

-Intimacy

-Honhonhon. Although what many believe Jason has a high sex drive and wants it a lot or what not. I don’t think it’s 100% true

-I believe that like if his partner wasn’t the type of person who wanted it, or didn’t feel comfortable with it, he’d be okay with it. Like he doesn’t need it to survive although you look hecking good in that outfit today

-I feel like he’d be more kissy and rough touching than the full 100 yards with a more soft/standoffish sexually significant other.

-Yeah if he gets from a stressful mission or just needs to feel you, he’s gonna wanna kiss and touch on you but if you’re not into all that then like he’d back off because he respects you enough

-neck kisses and thigh kisses

-“jaybirdy I wanted to wear that new skirt I got yesterday, now I got your bites all over my legs.”

-he's a totally Dom and that’s on that period boo

-dAdDy KiNk I’m sorry

-His voice somehow becomes super raspy when he’s aroused?!?!

-He will tease you to a point you moan out his name and then turn around and act innocent

-“let’s watch Frozen! What’s with that face dear? You didn’t think I’d let you have it that easily now did you?”

-*wears anything short*

-”WOOOOO DAMMNNNN Y/NNNNNN LOOKING FOINE TODAY I SEE YOU! CAN I GET YOUR NUMBER?!?! YOU GOT A BOYFRIEND BECAUSE I KNOW HE'S DAMN LUCKYYY!”

-Highkey finds it so hot when you sit on his lap like damn it feels so nice to him like you know you’re his and that’s like arousing to him. Will play with the hem of your skirt if your wearing them and your thighs aren’t safe

(Anyways I ain’t trynna make this NSFW but I might do a little something for my 200 follower special)

-On a softer purer note, you guys are like the roasters of the fam, okay! Like no one is safe, especially Damian.

-“Tch- Todd and his little pet.”

-“Dami, didn’t know you’d be here, and apparently your hairline didn’t know either.”

-*Jason, Tim and Dick were dying*

-“Hey you little accident, why you standing like that, you look like you’re bout to enlist in the army.”

-“shut up Todd, at least I have good posture unlike you.”

-“Hey leave Damian alone, Jason. Dami just has a pole in his ass that makes him stand in first position all the time. It’s a serious condition, y’all need to stop laughing.”

-“Hey Selina! Your Sugar Daddy is in the kitchen, try not to steal anything though because he might cut down your weekly allowance.”

-“Haha Y/N and yours is in the living room getting drunk, careful he might end up with me tonight.”

-“Hmm, a gold digger and a cougar? Wow you got your careers set don’t ya! Ooops you should check in the mirror tho! I think your Botox is drooping.”

-yAlL CAnT sTop ROaStinG PeOpLe anD it’S wOrse When yaLls DruNk

-You’re actually pretty close to The BatFam and like Bruce Adores you he thinks you’re a wonderful influence on Jason like you changed him a lot. Dick sees you as a baby sister and like he literally baby’s you so much it’s sad. Tim and you like to joke around a bit and talk you guys get along decently. Although Damian would NEVER admit it, he actually is kinda fond of you even though you guys insult each other. He might stab someone for like hurting you or something. But watch your back because he might stab you as well.

-going to Bruce’s Galas and charity events like by force.

-“yYyyYYyyY/NnnNnNnNiEeeeEEee PLEaSE COmeEeeee sO iWOnT DrInk MySelF ouT oF tHeRe!!!”

-“Jason let go of my leg.”

-You don’t actually mind it too much, you’ve made some nice connections and plus it’s a little date night with Jason so Win Win!!

-He actually wears a nice Tux and styles his hair real nicely. Might even be wearing that nice watch Bruce gave him a long time ago on his birthday.

-*sniff sniff* is that Cologne? *sniiiiiiffffffff* *HIGHLY* Expensive cologne he’s wearing?! And *pat pat* HAIR GEL OH BOIIII

-He actually picks out a dress for you to wear. One he’s been dying to see you in. The super expensive one he found while shopping with Dick and Bruce one day.

-If some rich guy try’s flirting with you, it’s over for them. Jealous Todd Mode activated!

-“Doll Face, I found you. Love wandering off don’t you babe? When we get home, I’ll make sure you won’t want to wander off again,” He kisses into your ear hungrily “wHo’s tHiS, Y/N? Is he bothEriNg yOu?” He asks like he didn’t see him there

-“No but Jason you are.“

-“:o”

*later*

-“I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT I DID WRONG Y/N!! HE WAS FLIRTING WITH YOU AND I HAD TO INSERT MY DOMINANCE.”

-“JAY HE WAS A BUSINESSMAN LOOKING TO INDORSE ME AND MY WORK! YOU JUST EMBARRASSED ME AND MADE HIM FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE!! LITERALLY NOW HE THINKS I HAVE AN OVER POSSESSIVE BOYFRIEND.”

-“oh-“

“YEAH ‘oH’! serIouslY I CanT stAnd yoU.”

-Jason’s drinking and smoking. Let’s just say you’re not the biggest fan of it because of his health, you’re so worried about it. He’s already taking shots and stabs but like the drinking and smoking on top of that? You’re worried about him

-You always voice your concern and he’s never too phased and he’s always like

-“Don’t worry L/N, I’ll be okay. If this kills me, don’t let Dick take my meat stash in the freezer. Tell him I’m coming back to life in like 3 months give or take and I’ll be hungry for steak.”

-Actual best boyfriend! Like if you’re insecure about anything he’ll make you feel so much better, in every way possible. He makes it so know how much he loves you it’s so sweet and super cute like I’m crying.

-makes weird faces at you randomly and it somehow gets you to laugh?!?!

-cooks breakfast or dinner for you every once in a while but messes up a few times

-“sorry y/n I accidentally burnt the cookies I was trying to make for you. I-I can go run and ask Alfred to make some? I know how long you’ve been waiting to have some.”

- Did I mention he’s best boi? Like ugggghhhh he’s so blind to all that superficial mess people get caught up in. You talk down about yourself and he’ll like attack you in love I swear he will. He doesn’t like the self deprecation you do. He completely detests it.

-“Say you’re ugly one more time I’ll slap you with this heart of mine. Don’t make me do it Y/N. I’ll give you so much love, the only thing you’ll be able to say is “Omg I love myself so much like damn I’m so sexy and so fine and my personality? Perfect! thanks to my totally handsome boyfriend, I see myself so clearly now.”

-You guys Also like spend his birthday with just each other. But it’s really special to him and he always looks forward to the small marble cake you make, that has strawberries on top. He loves when you sit on his lap with your face in the crook of his neck, whispering into his skin ever so gently telling him to ‘make a wish old man’

-something about the birthdays you spend with him, brings him back to a happy place he once felt as a child. Or wanted to feel. He always wishing for the same thing…..to always see you happy

-“Jay I love you.”

-“I love you too Y/N. Remember that okay?”

(Request open)

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rosesgonerogue · 4 years

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Mistletoe

Daminette December Day Nineteen

No one knew how long Damian had been dating his mystery girlfriend. In fact, no one knew anything about Damian’s mystery girlfriend other than the fact that she existed. The fact that they knew that much was a miracle in and of itself, revealed to them through a combination of Dick’s stubborn persistence and Damian slipping up for once in his life.

Concerned at his seeming total disinterest in romance, Dick had approached Damian about the topic, complete with several pamphlets on different sexualities, as well as a book on how to initiate dating. When this first occurred, Damian had merely brushed off his brother, claiming that he was able to figure it out on his own.

Dick didn’t take well to that, instead inundating Damian’s life with the cursed pamphlets. Damian found them in Robin’s utility belt, at his place setting at the dining table, and shoved into every crevice of his school bag. Damian didn’t know about the last one until he actually got to class, opening his bag only to have the pamphlets spill all over his desk.

He was furious. Only Jon had seen anything, but that didn’t stop Damian from shoving the evidence into his bag and storming away from the school, even if it was still first period.

Dick had gone back to Bludhaven the night before, so it scared the life out of him when Damian came crashing into his apartment. He had been catching up on sleep, so he screamed girlishly before his eyes focused on Damian. “What are you doing here, Little D?”

Damian threw the pamphlets at his brother, seething with rage. “I told you I am FINE, Grayson. I don’t need your damn pamphlets.”

“Listen, Damian, I’m just concerned. You might be ace, and that’s perfectly fine, I support you in that. I just think with your particular upbringing that your sexuality might have been repressed, so I wanted to--”

“I DO NOT NEED YOUR HELP WITH MY SEXUALITY. I AM VERY HAPPY WITH MY GIRLFRIEND, GRAYSON. THANK YOU FOR NOTHING,” Damian yelled, shaking his brother by the shirt.

Dick’e eyes lit up like a child on Christmas morning. “Did you just say girlfriend, Damian? You have a girlfriend? What’s her name? Where did you meet her? Did you--”

“Goodbye, Grayson,” Damian said, escaping before Dick could get anything further out of him.

When he was a good distance away from Dick’s apartment, Damian went into an alleyway, kicking a brick wall. He sulked a few moments before reluctantly pulling out his phone.

It rang a few times before Damian’s favorite voice answered in French. “Damian? Shouldn’t you be in class?”

“You should also be in class if I remember correctly, Angel,” Damian responded, feeling a bit calmer already.

“We were let out early today, and this is a great way to celebrate. But I doubt your school let you out this early. What’s wrong, Dames?”

He sighed deeply. “I slipped up. I may have accidentally told my eldest brother about you.”

“You’re the only one that thinks that is a tragedy, Dames. I honestly thought you would have told your family months ago. My parents are practically planning our wedding already.”

“I know, but your family is different,” Damian said, pouting a bit. “I just… I just wanted to keep you to myself for now.”

“That’s sweet, Dames, but I’d like to meet them eventually,” Marinette laughed. “Now I have an excuse.”

Now the Wayne household was preparing for Damian’s mystery girlfriend’s arrival, and each member was handling it differently. Damian had spent most of the time threatening the lives of his siblings, while Jason and Tim were busy updating the betting pool about Damian’s mystery girlfriend. Dick followed Damian around, chirping dating advice. Meanwhile, Stephanie and Barbara spent their time hanging copious amounts of mistletoe around the house.

When the doorbell rang, everyone froze. The only sound was Alfred answering the door and speaking to the person lowly before coming into the parlor. “A guest for Master Damian has arrived.”

Every resident watched with bated breath as a young girl stepped into view. She was around Damian’s age, and she was--

“She’s adorable!” Stephanie exploded.

“How much is Damian paying you to act like you’re his girlfriend?” Jason demanded.

Everyone began speaking at once, and the girl backed away a bit, eyes widening. The girls kept talking at Marinette, but she couldn’t hear them over Jason and Tim arguing or Damian yelling at Dick. Marinette was ready to walk right back outside until Alfred clapped his hands, his usually calm exterior tainted with disapproval. “You’re disgracing the Wayne family, you should all be ashamed of the way you’re treating your guest.”

All heads bowed and apologies were murmured before Damian finally pushed Dick away, an uncharacteristic smile gracing his face. “You made it here safely, Angel.”

Marinette finally grinned, her face lighting up the room. “Dames! It’s good to see you!”

Stephanie leaned over to Barbara. “Is that a French accent I hear?”

“Come into the parlour, I suppose if you’re here you have to meet my family,” Damian said, not without regret. “I didn’t realize that your English had gotten so good.”

As the girl stepped into the room, Stephanie and Barbara watched her like a hawk, waiting for the inevitable moment that Marinette would step under the mistletoe. It was almost impossible to avoid if you were paying attention, so the girls didn’t expect to be waiting long.

“I made Adrien practice with me almost non-stop since I knew I was coming here,” the girl said, making her way into the room. She was clearly immersed in the conversation, but she managed to subtly weave her way through the mistletoe like it was some kind of maze. “He hasn’t been to America, but he’s fluent and it seems to have worked well enough. I couldn’t get rid of the accent, though.”

“If I may be so bold, I would like to state that the young lady speaks beautifully,” Alfred said, somehow magically procuring a tea tray. “Just where in France are you from, Miss…”

“Oh, I’m Marinette, I guess I forgot about that part,” the girl said, blushing as she settled onto a couch, somehow still avoiding the mistletoe. “Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and I’m from Paris.”

Introductions were made, and Marinette somehow fit into the family flawlessly. However, no matter what they did, Marinette somehow avoided the mistletoe.

It was Stephanie that broke first. “Is Damian paying you or something? Just stand under the mistletoe already!”

“There’s mistletoe?” Marinette glanced up, the picture of surprise. They would have bought it, too, but there was something too sharp in her eyes, too cunning. “Oh, none of your animals can get to it, can they Dames? It’s poisonous, I would hate for anything to happen to one of your animals! Titus is a pretty large dog, isn’t he? Jerry is probably safe, but Pennyworth! Oh, I hadn’t even considered Pennyworth, what if he climbed up the curtains and--”

Marinette’s worries were interrupted by Jason’s laughing. He laughed hard and deep before sighing. “Demon Spawn does have a girlfriend, I’m amazed. No actress would care so much about his stupid pets.”

“On that note, I believe we have overstayed our welcome. We will have time to see our guest more throughout her stay, but in the meantime I believe Master Damian and Miss Marinette would appreciate some time to themselves,” Alfred said, collecting empty tea cups.

Marinette watched as the butler shepherded the rest of the occupants out. When she turned to Damian, her smile was knowing. “Your family is a bit overwhelming at first, but they’re actually quite fun, not miserable like you describe.”

“They’re all completely ridiculous,” Damian huffed. “And they were far too monopolizing of you.”

“Oh, that’s why you’re so upset,” Marinette teased, lightly jabbing him in the side. “I meant what I said about the mistletoe, but your pets are safe for the moment. Want to make good use of it before Alfred makes the others clean it up?”

“Have I mentioned that I love you?”

Taglist:

@daminette-december2019 @cravethosecrazysquares @krispydefendorpolice @thesunanditsangel @sonif50 @kris-pines04 @persephonebutkore @tbehartoo @corabeth11 @caffeinetheory @drarryismylife101 @bluerosette23 @weird-pale-blonde-person @mystery-5-5 @heaven428 @thethirdwheelfriend @thetinymoonflower @interobanginyourmom @chocolate1721 @akana-sama @skyel0ve @katiegardneriscoolerthanyou

A day late, but it happens. I’m going to try to get these out on time, but who knows what will happen. In other news, I’ve posted the prologue of the Jasonette fic that I’m writing to celebrate having 100+ followers. However, at the rate you guys are going, chapter one is going to celebrate me having 200 followers, I’m amazed by you guys! Until next time!

#daminette #maridami #daminette december #maribat

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caffeinatedtimdrake · 5 years

Note

congratz on the 200! Please could you do Dickyboy x female reader with the prompts 42.“You look…” “Beautiful, I know. Can we move on?”, 57.“You love her don’t you?” “Was it that obvious?”, and 59.“I was just kind of hoping that you’d, y’know…. fall in love with me.”? Thank you so so much

2.1k of our darling Dick Grayson feeling flustered because he’s got a big fat crush on the reader. I hope you like it!!

42.“You look…” “Beautiful, I know. Can we move on?”

57.“You love her don’t you?” “Was it that obvious?”

59.“I was just kind of hoping that you’d, y’know…. fall in love with me.”

Artemis watches you spin in several circles, arms angled awkwardly over your shoulders, attempting to zip up your dress, before you promptly collapse on the bed with an exasperated shriek.

She clears her throat, eyebrow arched. “You know, I could…help you.”

You grimace.

“The magic word is please.” She informs you, standing up and striding over to you. The emerald gown flows off of her elegant, wiry frame, gentle against her curves and pulling the pretty olive tone from her skin.

You feel like a hot mess next to her, bunching your hair up so she can tug the zipper up against your spine. She pats your shoulder reassuringly and you sulk, letting your hair drop and your shoulders sag.

“Thank you,” You grumble.

“What’s got you down in the dumps? We’re going to eat fancy little appetizers and drink fruity things and there will be no shortage of eye candy. This banquet is going to be a little slice of heaven.” She smirks when she sees you flush. “But eye candy doesn’t matter to you, though. You’re holding out for one charming Richard Grayson, hm?”

You turn away from her, marching stiffly toward the bathroom to finish applying a delicate layer of mascara. “Am not!”

That was a lie. You were absolutely enthralled at the prospect of ogling at Dick in a flattering tux and hearing his boisterous laughter. You weren’t overly fond of fancy banquets and pretentious small talk and perilous high heels, yet they were integrated heavily into your graduate school experience – but maybe that only happens when you receive a Wayne Enterprises scholarship to one of the most prestigious law schools on the coast and are required to fraternize at fundraising galas filled to the brim with Gotham’s most elite.

“You look beautiful, Y/N. He’s going to drool.”

The compliment makes you outrageously self-conscious, even though it comes from one of your closest companions. Your hands are cold as you press them against your heated cheeks. It even makes you a little bashful to look in the mirror, face adorned with a little more makeup than usual and a simple hairdo. It makes you nervous to be so dolled up. You like simplicity and predictability, comfortably situated in a defined schedule. You are grounded yet flexible, entrenched in routine but adaptable to the changes thrown at you in the form of revised deadlines and additional papers. You know your aspirations and what you wanted from life and you know your limits.

But you don’t know how to function properly in front of Dick Grayson.

This fact is calamitous considering you must collaborate with him often, working out of a public attorney office down the street from the police station to exchange information addressing both criminals and victims. Professionalism usually comes easily to you, polite handshakes and appropriate jokes, but when Dick pops into the office with a file of information and your favorite espresso, you almost always stutter and fall over – even if you’re already seated.

But being around Dick has developed into an unfortunate borderline addiction. Something about his emphatic energy and cloying compassion and aquamarine eyes leaves you wanting more and more each time he utters your name. You thought you’d been inconspicuous about the moon eyes and dreamy sighs until one afternoon a few months ago when Artemis asked if you’d made out with him in the custodial closet yet. When you sputtered a horrified denial of such a thing, she had casually shrugged and demanded an invitation to the wedding someday.

“Pinky promise me you’ll say at least five words to him tonight.”

You wrinkle your nose at her, and she huffs.

“It’s not impossible, Y/N! And you must know he loves talking to you. He practically melts when you smile at him. I’ve seen it!”

You emerge from the bathroom to dig around in your closet for a pair of shoes. You tug out your cutest, most painful pair of pumps. “I don’t like breaking promises. And I would definitely break that promise. And do you think I’d break my ankle if I wore these?”

Artemis squints. “Potentially. But they make your legs look hot. And if you break an ankle, Dick can just carry you around.”

You groan and drop the shoes.

She launches herself off the couch and comes to stand in front of you, grinning. “C’mon, let’s practice.” Her voice drops and octave. “Hey, Y/N, glad to see you here. How’s your night going?”

You snort and shrug. “Oh. It’s going alright. I was just kind of hoping that you’d, y’know…fall in love with me and father my firstborn. No big deal.”

Artemis fixes you with a serious look but her mouth twitches in amusement. “That can be arranged.” She manages to maintain the deep voice before erupting into giggles – and it’s contagious.

You lean over to wrench your foot into the heel. “One step at a time.”

The penthouse is like a dream, decorated with string lights and gold streamers and southern magnolias in a way that’s both cozy and sophisticated. Wide glass doors open to reveal a large balcony, more flowers wound around stone and matte iron, sweetening the summer evening breeze. Above the murmur of conversation, a quaint orchestra plays near the entrance beneath a sign that welcomes guests to the gala, raising money for organizations that help people formerly incarcerated for non-violent offenses find stability.

“B really went all out for this, huh?” Jason muses, swirling a glass of red wine.

“It’s the last big benefit before summer begins and things get too crazy. He might as well have.” Dick shrugs and thanks a waiter for some sort of cute-looking pastry on a toothpick.

“I wonder if we’ll double the donation amounts this year. Actually, I bet Steph we would because there are two dozen more checkbooks in this room than last year.” Tim declares.

Damian arches an eyebrow. “Does it qualify as dehumanizing to refer to people as checkbooks?”

“Only if they hear you.” Jason replies, stealing a slice of pineapple off of Damian’s plate.

The boys have taken momentary refuge from socializing in a corner near the balcony doors, hovering over a shared plate of appetizers with complicated names.

And then you walk in, downright radiant, and Dick nearly chokes on a shrimp.

He keels over, coughing and wheezing, and Jason tentatively pats his back, offering him his glass. Seeing as water is not an immediate often and you look so good, he’s going to have a conniption, Dick takes several large gulps from Jason’s glass.

Damian watches him curiously. “Might I ask why you nearly hacked up a lung?”

“It’s more like he nearly hacked up his heart. The pretty girl he’s been enamored with for ages just walked in.” Tim grins.

Dick wants to deny it, but his voice is tight, and he’s beyond flustered – plus, it’s the undeniable truth. He’s been besotted for months.

“I’ll bet…a cat…that Dick makes a move by the end of this evening.”

Tim holds up his hands in defense. “There’s no need to bet. It’s going to happen.”

Jason grins at Dick, who appears rather overwhelmed. “Pinky promise.”

You find it incredibly difficult to resist searching for Dick when you enter the penthouse – so difficult, in fact, that you fail and end up ogling at every dark-haired man that pops into your field of vision. When you finally spot him, across the room looking decidedly mouthwatering in a navy tuxedo, you blush violently, and Artemis knows instantly about your discovery.

“You are beautiful, Y/N. Inside and out. And he knows it. Just go talk to him! Take a drink over to him! Then let him take you home.”

She’s informed you of her perception of your beauty at least twenty times since the car ride here and you were about to lose it. “Absolutely not!”

She taps the top of her wrist, referring to a nonexistent watch. “The clock is ticking, Y/N.”

You glower and shove a crab cake into your mouth.

The clock doesn’t have to tick for long before you find yourself an arm’s length away from Dick Grayson at the dinner buffet.

He looks impossibly more stunning this close up, glancing at you coquettishly through his lashes in a way that nearly makes you stumble face first into the pasta.

“Enjoying the evening so far I hope?”

You nod dumbly, hoping he doesn’t see the way your hands shake when you pluck a piece of bread from the pile. “It’s lovely. Are you?” You peek up at him shyly, throat constricting that charming smile.

“You are,” He says softly, pausing with a pair of salad tongs in his right hand. A sharp jab in the rib from Jason and the panicked expression across your face ground him immediately – and by that he means he comes crashing back to earth in a big, frantic, fiery explosion.

Dick clears his throat forcefully, but his voice still cracks a little. “I – oh god, um why did I – w-what I mean to say is that yes, y-you are right, it is lovely.”

You’re so flustered, you can only look at him with wide eyes and a parted mouth, so he promptly bids you goodbye and books it back to the table.

Artemis nudges you along and laughs in a low tone, one that makes your jaw tic.

“You’re beautiful, he’s beautiful, and you’ll have beautiful babies. I’m thinking the color scheme of the wedding should be Caribbean blue – like the color of his eyes, you know?”

You know. Too well.

Jason cackles and recounts the dinner fiasco to the table while Dick tensely stabs some steamed carrots, face flaming.

“You love her, don’t you?” Tim quirks an eyebrow.

“I don’t – she just – oh, for god’s sake.” Dick exhales deeply in exasperation, deflating like a tired balloon, and then recoils a little. “Was it that obvious?”

Jason snorts. “She said less than five words and you gawked at her like she was infinitely better than sliced bread. Or any type of breakfast cereal.”

Damian tilts his head inquisitively. “Is that what the romantic variation of love does to a young man?”

“Among other things.” Jason smirks.

“Hm. Interesting.”

Dick eats the rest of his dinner half-heartedly, pushing around seasoned vegetables and steak cooked to perfection.

“I think you should go talk to Y/N.” Jason tells Dick earnestly.

Dick winces. “I don’t want to make a fool out of myself. I really like her.”��

“She spent ninety percent of the last half-hour glancing in your direction. I think that maybe she really likes you, too.” Tim offers.

“She’s at the dessert table. Go tell her how you really like chocolate cake. And her face.” Jason nods in your direction and Dick drags his gaze from his brother over to you a little too eagerly.

You’re intensely studying the array of frosted cake pops, features pulled into a darling frown.

Dick pushes out his chair and stands abruptly. “I’m going to do it.”

“He’s going to do it!” The boys cheer.

“I’m going to die.”

The boys boo him.

“Been there, done that. And let me tell you, there are no cute girls.”

Dick takes that with a grain of salt and wishes his legs were a little shorter, so he had more time to prepare. But nothing can prepare him for the alluring curve of your neck and shoulders that he wants to kiss and the scent of your perfume that leaves him cotton-mouthed and the endearing little tendrils falling out of your hairdo that he wants to twirl around his fingers.

He comes to a stop, just lingering on the edge of your space.

He fumbles over his words for several painful moments before, “You look…”

You stiffen and bristle, expecting to glare agitatedly at Artemis. “Beautiful, I know. Can we move on?”

And then you turn around to see Dick Grayson, aqua eyes blown wider than the moon, rosy hue blossoming rapidly across the apples of his cheeks.

You audibly gasp and proceed to flail your arms frantically. “Oh no. OH NO. I didn’t mean you! I thought you were – oh, fuck, I messed up – why is this happening? I’m s-so sorry, Dick! I didn’t know it was going to –”

His mouth slides up into a bemused smile, teasing and tender. “I’m glad you know you look good, Y/N.”

Your mouth snaps shut, and you think you probably look like a steaming tomato, but you’re enchanted by that mouth and that low voice, so you can’t help but lean into his space.

Dick’s gaze flits up to the ceiling. “B-but I don’t think I can really move on. I’ve been stuck on you for, like, a really long time.”

“Good.” You breathe. “Let’s stay stuck. Together.”

He tucks a strand of hair behind your ear, leaving his fingers against the side of your neck for a moment too long, bringing a new wave of bashfulness to the surface of your skin. “That can be arranged.”

#oh this was about 1k longer than i thought it would be #but bashful dick grayson is just. such a good concept #dick grayson #nightwing #dick grayson imagine #dick grayson x reader #nightwing imagine #nightwing x reader #jason todd #tim drake #damian wayne #young justice #teen titans #dc #fluff #prompts #you look beautiful #bruce wayne

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shirlleycoyle · 3 years

Text

WTF is Wearable Ketamine?

When I first heard about wearable ketamine a few weeks ago, I almost spit out my cocktail at the person who had casually mentioned it to me. I had no idea how it worked, but the concept alone seemed outrageous—was this a new fashion trend, like smartwear for psychonauts? Would I one day spot club kids sporting it under leather harnesses while standing in line at Berghain? “No, no,” laughed the person I was speaking to, shaking her head. “I’m afraid it’s not as sexy as that.”

So what the fuck is wearable ketamine? The answer, it turns out, lies at the bleeding edge of ketamine therapy, and while the futuristic-sounding device is still a few years away from hitting the market, it could unravel yet another layer of this extremely useful—yet deeply mysterious—drug.

Bexson Biomedical, a California-based company, is already in the process of making such a device. Here’s how it works, in theory: wearable ketamine will be a Bluetooth-controlled device that you can stick on your skin, most likely your belly area. The device will contain a disposable cartridge filled with liquid ketamine, which is injected via a tiny needle into the layer of fat between your skin and muscle.

This is called a subcutaneous injection, and works similarly to an insulin pen. It is less painful than injecting into your muscle or veins, and the drug is absorbed into your bloodstream at a slower rate—but much faster and more effectively than intranasally. Each cartridge will hold 70 to 200 milligrams of ketamine, released slowly over a 24-hour period. This comes out to around 4 mg per hour, which is a low-dose—a typical k-hole dose is around 125mg—so no, you won’t be tripping balls. Instead, the company says the effects will be slightly less intense than drinking a glass of wine or martini.

A computer rendering of Bexson Biomedical's wearable ketamine delivery device

While much of the recent media hype around medical ketamine has so far centered around it as a breakthrough treatment for depression, wearable ketamine is intended for another condition that ketamine is remarkably good for: pain relief—specifically, acute postoperative pain following surgeries and other medical procedures. “The ‘ketamine for depression’ story has already been done, and we wanted to go where others have not,” said Gregg Peterson, co-founder of Bexson Biomedical. (Bexson also plans to target mental health conditions like depression at a later date.) The company is betting on the device getting FDA approval by 2026.

Right now, ketamine can be legally prescribed by doctors, but licensed ketamine therapy is prohibitively priced; an IV infusion at a ketamine clinic can cost up to a thousand dollars per session, and usually requires multiple rounds under the supervision of a doctor. While the company has not yet set a price for its device, FDA approval would potentially allow Medicare and insurance companies to cover the cost. Another factor is that the device will not require multiple doctor visits; rather, it can deliver a steady infusion of low-dose ketamine at home, thus potentially democratizing the pool of people who have access to this therapy.

One issue with ketamine injections is that they can cause pain, swelling, and redness on the injection site because of the drug’s high salt and acid content —(Peterson compares it to a “very salty orange juice.”) So Bexson also worked with leading ketamine researcher Jason Wallach to devise a novel formulation of ketamine they named “BB106” that has lower salt and PH levels, making it more comfortable for a steady stream of infusions. Subcutaneous injections are also more wholly absorbed by the body and more consistent in dosing compared to other methods, like intranasal ketamine sprays and lozenges. “A lot of people suffer from pain and it’s no secret we need better and varied approaches,” said Wallach. “As [Janssen Pharmaceutica founder] Paul Janssen would say, ‘The patients are waiting.’”

Bexson Biomedical’s biggest bet—and what it is pitching to its investors—is that wearable ketamine will chip away at the US opioid crisis, a grim epidemic that has been raging for the past two decades and shows no signs of abating. According to the CDC, opiate overdoses claimed 50,042 lives in 2019, with over 40% of deaths involving a prescription opioid like oxycontin. In comparison, ketamine is a powerful pain reliever that has been used as an anesthetic since the 1960s, and there is some evidence that low-dose ketamine is as effective as opiates like morphine for controlling acute pain.

One of the most fascinating differences between ketamine and opioids is their effects on memory, which plays a huge role in managing pain and addiction. “Pain is a learned experience,” said Jeffrey Becker, a Bexson Biomedical co-founder and ketamine researcher. “Ketamine creates a psychological distance from pain so that it is [a] signal but not necessarily having a grip on your consciousness,” said Becker, “while opioids accelerate the development of chronic pain.”

Pain following surgery, a $12 billion market and the leading cause of opioid abuse and addiction, is “the gateway to an enormous amount of suffering and death,” Becker said. By targeting this gateway to addiction, Bexson hopes that patients who go home with their devices won’t need to use opioids—or at least be able to use less of them as a form of harm reduction, or “opiate-sparing” to use medical-speak.

“Ketamine is currently restricted to a hospital and that makes it very cumbersome,” agreed Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. While she was excited by the potential of wearable ketamine, she cautioned against idolizing it as a panacea—drawing a comparison to cannabis, another drug marketed as the “answer” to opioid addiction. “It’s like a fairytale: we want to believe in the magical properties, and ignore potential negative effects."

“Pain is very challenging to treat and saying this is the solution that can address the opiate crisis is very simplistic,” Dr. Volkow continued. “It’s much more complex than that.”

Long-term ketamine use can also lead to kidney and heart problems, as well as memory loss. A recent Stanford University research study also raised the possibility that ketamine’s antidepressant effects work through the brain’s opioid system—a surprising finding that suggests a complicated interaction between depression, pain, and addiction that researchers are still unpacking. Still, as Dr. Volkow pointed out, the probability that someone will get addicted to an opioid is much higher. Bexson also cites several safety precautions, including making sure only one patch can be worn at a time to prevent someone from pasting devices all over their body—a (hilarious) hack I hadn’t even considered.

Wearable ketamine could be game-changing, but its ultimate dent on the public health crisis of opioid addiction remains to be seen. When I met a fentanyl addict recently and told him about wearable ketamine, he laughed at the idea, but told me that he had gotten hooked to painkillers after surgery as a teenager. Now, he’s trying to kick his dope habit—and using ketamine to help the withdrawal suck less.

“Maybe my life would have turned out different if I had gotten this wearable ketamine thing instead of Oxys?” he said slowly. “Yeah… maybe.”

WTF is Wearable Ketamine? syndicated from https://triviaqaweb.wordpress.com/feed/

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jobone123 · 4 years

Text

#report ok let's talk EVERY STEP OF THE WAY SINCE BLOOD HAS BEEN planned a attack TALKED ABOUT WALMART so Walmart was taken out the next city BECAUSE JAYSON WAS JOBS# ONLY 500 JOBS WALMART N 200 MCDONALDS sat without planes hates yacht's job#

Anyways I'm guessing I'm walking up the beach n walk into a desert BECAUSE UCRANE SHOWED US MIAMI FLORIDA IS TO EASY TO COPY on land ALLABAMA SPECIFICALLY verify downtown Miami

Anyways we all know it's almost over for JAYSON n I will kill with a razor blade TO DIE we have no more options

Anyways so we know it's almost over n u that survived TIC TOC U WILL NOT SURVIVE JAYSON no jobs tomorrow WHISTLE BLOWER

So I'm walking up 441 n all the sudden I walk into LAS VEGAS FLORIDA happened#

I'm guessing UCRANE showed me where FLORIDA failed LOVES BLACKS HATES DOWNTOWN that's how I killed blonde ffake gem houses on land THEY LOVED DOWNTOWN HATED HOUSES SPECIFICALLY I think their downtown had all open windows n sliding glass doors FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE not make black people suffer like FLORIDA does BROWN S WIFE IS DEAD

So what is it I'm going to be on university N END UP SEEING A SIGN THAT SAYS WELCOME TO ORLANDO you construction idiots cant build snow computers BUT CHANGING STREET SIGNS SEEMS TO BE THE BROWN PEDIFILE move

Like dont call me dumb I'm stupid construction worker for brown stack bricks SOME CONSTRUCTION CREWS WERE FUNNIER like hoe SAWGRASS built on the wrong side LMAOOOOO I dont think that was a joke I JUST THINK THEY TRIED TO KIDNAP JAYSON from downtown

Anyways ever since blood you PEOPLE have staged every step I took EVEN TO BRING ME TO SITE'S that were built to fail LIKE BOSTON'S UNION jk love u snow#

So are we just going to see if JAYSON bleeds to death or how many beach showers he can find TO MAKE BLACK PEOPLE UNION FOLLOWING HATE HIS BLACK HAIR

We know FLORIDA lost when first Drop of blood sweat from JAYSON s head BUT TO STICK AROUND BLEEDING FOR YEARS for a FLORIDA ping satellite n not YACHT was stupid n I think the first blood was when snow Jason died OR VEGAS JASON WAS REPLACED did you know desert city had 15,000 identical house Jason s just like YACHT was made I BET THOSE FAKE GEM LOSER HOUSES WITHOUT POOLS RUINED EVERYTHING can u imagine that YACHT made me BLONDE OR SET UP BY SNOW SAT WITHOUT BOATS huh

It was an attack on my YACHT mad because I was born with a pool SPECIFICALLY

Fuck las VEGAS shoutsouts CALIFORNIA1 I only been to California 1 time sent a chilling message said ALABAMA 6 times n texas 5 WE GUESS ALL THE COMPUTER BOYS WERE MADE n sent to witness ville of Jason ucrane ITS ALMOST LIKE THEY KNEW EXACTLY WHO I WAS like they remember FLORIDA JAYSON from 16 years ago ANYWAYS I THINK FLORIDA SENDING ME TO UCRANE AFTER I WAS MADE so there FAMILIES could fly FLORIDA ping MADE ME DAD N NOT WORK FOR FLORIDA only the YACHT clubs ANYWHERE

Anyways let's talk about why JAYSON left n didn't hold down the CITY BUILT FOR HIM JEALOUSY oh I know BROWNS weakness FOR DUMBER LAND LOCK FAKE GEM HOUSES easier to kill without boats MAKES US THINK EVERY BOY HOUSE WAS CASTRATED N JAYSON IS LITERALLY THE ONLY SON #EVER we wondered why FLORIDA would build a COMPUTER boy house n send him off TO WORK FOR STATE GOVS turns out they killed all my computer brothers 1 by 1 I ASKED WHAT HAPPENED TO MY COMPUTER SISTER n they said they were all killed too SO I WAS THE ONLY SURVIVOR it was a VIRGIN sacrifice gift s to downtown from the house STEAKS SO I WAS TOLD a ritual

If we just killed all the VIRGIN SLEEPING BABIES life SAROGATECY kids WOULD MEAN EVERYTHING MORE the story of the DATABREACH from a COVID19 murder witness WAS KILLED BY a steak VIRGIN killed downtown more# but SAT SONS N DAUGHTERS REPLACING PARENTS MAKES SENSE if you just sacrificed the VIRGINS call me crazy but the FLASH GERNADES SOUND BABIES FRO DEAF ISLANDERS WITHOUT BOATS DAUGHTERS TOUR was #inpact was NUCLEAR fireworks on fourth of july

Just think every 16 years every building is replaced by the next building VIRGINS FLASH BOMBS then we could close the airports

Anyways flash bomb generades SOUND BABIES WERE EPIC LEGEND they didn't suffer 2 TO 3 MINUTES but there impact was legendary NUCLEAR so we picked up there bodies n COOKED them JOKING I THINK THEY LIED N DIDN'T KILL ANY VIRGINS just the usual old ladies n men TOUR

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annabethwisegirl-chase · 7 years

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250 Headcanons (Part 4)

I bet you thought you’d seen the last of these. Headcanons #151-200. These cover from Annabeth’s time in college, to her death, as well as a little extra. You’ll see what I mean if you make it to the end of this.

151. One of the general education requirements at the university in New Rome has to deal with an Ancient Roman history course, and how they’ve evolved over time, how things have changed and stayed the same, and how the past repeats itself, etc. Being the good Greek demigod that she is, Annabeth spends most of the class creating edited versions of notes that contradict half of what the professor’s saying. The myths that were so obviously stolen from the Greek tradition get the most heavy handed treatment, with Annabeth opting to continue telling it the way she knows. After all, it’s based on her culture, so it has to be more accurate than whatever the Romans turned it into. Since most of the tests in the class are short and long essay response questions, Annabeth ends up not doing too well in that course because of the fact she refuses to change her perspective on Rome and its history. Her final paper in the class has about half a page about Roman history/mythology, comparing it to its Greek counterparts, before she spends the rest of it detailing where the narrative is completely wrong, citing sources like “my mother, the goddess, Athena,” and “Chiron, trainer of heroes,” and “former Praetor Jason Grace, who met this guy and said he was a dick.” The last one, she found, was really hard to cite in APA format.

152. Although Annabeth does have friends in New Rome (Reyna, Frank, Hazel, and the occasional appearance by Jason), she never feels quite right there. She knows that most of the others living there don’t think twice about having her around, but there’s still an underlying prejudice with many of the younger demigods still at Camp Jupiter. It’s enough to make her want to move back to New York after one year. But, the credits at New Rome don’t really transfer to any other university, and Annabeth can’t stand the idea of feeling like she wasted her time there. So, she agrees to stick it out for the next three and reevaluate at the end of it where they want to live.

153. She spends those next three years drawing up plans for New Athens in her spare time and working with Chiron via IM on how to make it a reality. At first the centaur seemed hesitant, because camp was never intended to become a permanent home. But, with demigods living longer and Camp Jupiter having such a well working structure, Chiron knows he really has no choice but to give in. Through some “anonymous funding” provided by the Olympian gods, the camp is able to buy more land and expand its borders for the creation of a new town. The Athena Parthenos is moved to where the gates of the new city will be, and Annabeth almost hates that she’s not there to see its symbolic new placement. Almost.

154. At the college in New Rome, passwords have to be changed every 180 days. It’s a supid rule, and Annabeth has to get IT to reset her account for her once because she forgets and lets it expire. But, each year, she sets up her passwords based around a “theme” in the hopes they’ll be easier to remember. (Although so many people are amazed at the things Annabeth can remember, passwords just don’t seem to be among them). Her first year is pretty simple, just naming her friends and adding a number at the end of it. The next few years have themes including favorite Disney characters, famous architects, and superheroes.

155. Annabeth has never liked the taste of coffee. Ways to keep her going after pulling all-nighters usually include a lot of exercise and Dr. Pepper. She also has very specific stages that she goes through whenever she hasn’t slept that are, in order: drunk sounding Annabeth, giggly Annabeth, sarcastic/sassy Annabeth, flat out mean Annabeth, and finally dead girl walking Annabeth.

156. The first place she starts to design for New Athens is the home she wants to live in with Percy. It’s completed in bits in pieces, because she keeps trying to hide it from him, which is definitely a task that is easier said than done. He keeps trying to sneak up behind her or steal her blueprints away, just to see what is taking her away from him that he knows isn’t school work. Somehow though, she manages to keep it tucked safely away, in a tube with a pen mark down the side that she stashes with her old Olympus sketches.

157. She will drop anything and everything to have her head and/or neck rubbed.

158. Annabeth also is just a really good artist in general. Like, she’s great at proportions and angles from her years of trying to train as an architect. But, it transfers over into other subject matter as well. Her notebooks are filled with doodles in the corners that look way more detailed than something absentmindedly drawn during lectures.

159. Since her mom is also the goddess of crafts, Annabeth tries to take up knitting over a winter break, watching Youtube tutorial videos to try and get good at it. Although she can make a pretty wicked scarf, her hats kind of look deformed. But, that doesn’t stop her from making them for nearly everyone that she comes in contact with. It’s therapeutic, to be able to work with her hands and continue to create things instead of feeling like she’s only tearing them down. And making hats and scarves take so much less time than watching a building rise from the ground up. So it definitely provides the more immediate satisfaction while she’s waiting for her more major projects to come to fruition.

160. Annabeth cannot cook to save her life. She made it a point to learn how to make cupcakes, but that’s as far as her ability in the kitchen goes. Everything else ends up burnt or not completely done. Then, when Annabeth tries to cook it/bake it longer, then it just ends up burning.

161. Ham, pineapple and extra black olives is her pizza of choice. However, due to the fact she seems to be the only one on the side of pro-pineapple, and her boyfriend’s insistence that the pineapple taints the pizza entirely, she just settles for olives on her half of the pizza.

162. Literally always cold. It doesn’t matter that they spend the majority of the year in California, Annabeth always has some sort of jacket or sweater on her. She walks around her apartment with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders and sleeps with her socks on because she swears that it keeps her warmer.

163. Annabeth is that person who always dresses up for class. Well, not necessarily dresses up, but is careful to make sure she looks professional at all times. Literally the second she gets home though, it’s goodbye pants and hello oversized sweatshirt. If there are going to be any plans to go out to eat dinner, or hang out in the city, those have to be made between classes or immediately after she walks through the door. Because the second she changes out of her clothes, that’s it for the day.

164. The first year that Percy and Annabeth live together brings back a lot of the bickering from their younger days. And sometimes, that bickering can spiral out of control and have them in full on fights. The argument that crops up the most definitely has to do with household chores. Annabeth is used to having a certain level of cleanliness. It helps her to stay focused it there’s not a huge mess everywhere. Percy, on the other hand, does not seem to be quite as phased by it. Fed up, she decides to try and institute a chore wheel, but it ends up causing more problems and neither of them pay much attention to it. But, they never think to take it down off its place on the fridge. So, it stays there pretty much the entire time they live in that apartment.

165. She owns three calendars. One is a little planner that she keeps in her backpack, one is hanging up on the wall by her desk, and one is huge and actually sits on her desk. Although the same information is written in pretty much all three, the constant reminders and hope of seeing it makes it more likely that Annabeth will complete a task that’s set out for her. Everything is also color coded. School assignment due dates and tests are in red, family events are in blue, social events are in green, appointments are in purple, demigod related things are in orange, and anything else that might pop up is in pink.

166. Annabeth gets a job her second year of living in New Rome working at a cafe. She has to be up way too early for her liking, but she always has been an early riser so it’s not too hard to make the adjustment. Besides, it means that she’s done with her shift by the time her classes start, giving her ample time in the evenings to work through her homework as well as her plans for New Athens. She walks around all day smelling like coffee though, and it’s enough to make her never want to get near the stuff when she finally quits a few months before graduation.

167. Growing up at camp, Annabeth’s used to eating pretty healthy. However, that does not mean she can’t inhale junk food like the next person. Her favorite non-healthy snack has to be chocolate covered peanuts (specifically, Goobers, but she’s not super picky on that). On the flip side, she doesn’t really like peanut M&Ms. Despite the fact that people have tried to convince her they’re basically the same thing, she’ll have none of it. She claims that the candy coating gives the M&Ms a completely different flavor and basically refuses to eat them.

168. There’s only one movie that Annabeth has ever cried at: Dinsey’s Hercules. And, it didn’t even start until she was in her teens. Even in college and beyond, she spends the entire film pointing out things that the movie got wrong. But, the last ten minutes of it has her tearing up every single time.

169. Annabeth is a Slytherin. She also thinks that the people who combine houses (Slytherclaws, Gryffinpuffs, etc.) are just lying to themselves to make them feel better.

170. Annabeth and Percy end up adopting two dogs from a nearby animal shelter. They definitely went with the intention of only getting one, because their apartment was still small, and they were super busy all the time. But, they couldn’t decide between two and ultimately decided to just get both of them. Since there were two, each of them decided they got to rename one each. So Otis and Aramis Jackson were added to the clan.

171. Annabeth’s eyesight starts to get really poor during her sophomore year of college. She dealt with it being slightly fuzzy, too stubborn to get her eyes checked out, for more than a year before finally giving in. While she thanks the gods that she’s allowed to get contacts from the get go, her back up glasses have large, black frames and she feels sufficiently like a dork when she has to wear them.

172. They’re juniors in college the first time the question of marriage is seriously discussed. It’s Christmas break, and they're spending a weekend at her dad’s before Percy’s family flies in to celebrate the holiday. Her stepmom meant it as a joke when she asked when they were getting married, and everyone--including Percy--looks stunned with Annabeth answers: “the summer after we graduate, that Saturday in the weird week where July becomes August.” She says it without even looking up from the piece of chicken that’s she cutting, and is genuinely confused at everyone’s expression when she does look up.

173. That same night, after everyone goes to bed, Percy asks her if she was being serious about what she said at dinner. Annabeth responds in the affirmative, explaining how she felt like it went along with the whole idea that she wanted to be married young. And, she wants to change her last name before she makes her mark in the mortal architectural world so that when she becomes a sort of “brand,” she’ll be restricted from doing that. Since everything in their life happens in the summer, it only made sense that they’d get married then and she picked the weekend closest to the middle of their birthdays. He acts all offended for about half a second, claiming that he can’t believe she made all these plans without even asking her to marry him, but they’re both a little too giddy at the prospect of actually getting married for them to believe it’s actually genuine. Their laughter only grows when Annabeth gets down on one knee and asks him to marry her, slipping his college ring onto his ring finger to keep up the charade.

174. Technically, they get engaged twice. The first time, when Annabeth proposed with a college ring and it’s the time that she swears is the official start of their engagement. The second time takes another year to crop up, and they’ve already started planning their wedding when Percy slides the engagement ring onto her hand. It’s the second time that he swears is the official start of the engagement.

175. In high school, the running gag was that if Percy didn’t graduate, then he couldn’t come to New Rome with her. Of course, it was a ridiculous thing to say, because they both knew that no matter what happened, she would not be leaving him behind. In college, the running gag becomes that if he doesn’t graduate, then he won’t get to marry her. Of course, it proves to be just as ridiculous as their old gag, and not just because they’ve already put their deposit down on the venue.

176. She designed exactly four structures for New Athens before deciding it wasn’t worth trying to do it all on her own. She would go insane. So, Annabeth handed over her designs and basic outline of the town to the Athena campers living at camp. Those campers team up with the Hephaestus cabin to work on the city, careful to make sure each of Annabeth’s designs--including the house she made for herself and Percy--go into the final construction of the city. It’s not ready to move into when they graduate college, but it’s closer than anything Annabeth could have achieved on her own.

177. When they graduate from college, it’s a huge ordeal. They have their friends from both camps come out, Percy’s family flies in, Annabeth’s family (including Magnus and two of his friends) shows up, and most of them end up crashing in their tiny apartment. It’s cramped, and you can’t walk two steps without stepping on someone at night, but it’s great. They have a barbecue after the ceremony, and the entire day is spent laughing and reminiscing on the various instances that made everyone doubt either Percy or Annabeth would end up as college graduates. All through the day, Nico keeps shooting her strange glances, like he suspects something, but never voices a concern. The party lasts for an entire weekend, and when people finally start leaving, they all express excitement at reuniting again in New York in a few months for the wedding.

178. They decided to move back to New York after graduation. Although Annabeth liked being close to her family and the safety of New Rome, neither of them felt they were truly at home. So, two weeks after graduation, Percy and Annabeth pack as many of their belongings as they can into their car, and drop off the rest with Frederick, who promises to mail them soon. It’s a long trip that’s only supposed to take four days, but because they’re who they are and constantly need breaks, monster attacks, and a weird case of car sickness from Annabeth, it ends up taking them almost twice that long. Percy ends up having to drive most of it because Annabeth is exhausted or has a headache for most of the trip, and spends as much of it as she can sleeping.

179. Since they don’t have an apartment when they move back to the city, Percy and Annabeth move back into his old room at Sally’s until they find one they like. It’s still small and not in the best part of the city, but it’s theirs and her dad insists that he doesn’t mind helping them out a little. At least, it’ll do until Annabeth’s job becomes more than just an internship and Percy finishes up with the final three courses that he has to take in order for his teaching license to be compatible with New York’s teaching requirements.

180. She’s never been good at taking medication. It doesn’t matter if there’s people there to remind her to do it, or if she puts post it notes up everywhere to try and get herself to take it. It’s just one of those things that slips her mind. It was the case when her stepmom put her on medication for her ADHD, and now, it’s the case with her birth control. And it’s hard for her pills to work if she never takes them. Which might be why she finds out she’s pregnant a little over a month before her wedding day.

181. She absolutely does not want to invite any part of their godly family, and insists that they won’t even show up if they are invited. But, Piper convinces her that it’ll be a slight if they don’t get invited to it, so Annabeth eventually relents. Her invitation to Hera though has to be mailed a week later by Percy when Annabeth insists that it got “lost.” However, due to the fact that Hera is the goddess of marriage, he vetoes her in saying that it’s asking for trouble if they don’t have her come. Everyone is surprised when most of the gods RSVP with a yes.

182. I keep seeing people saying Percy and Annabeth’ll get married at Camp and I’m like... no. Okay here we go. They get married at Montauk, and there’s this place called like the Navy Beach House or something, and it’s super nice and expensive but Frederick insists on paying for it because he knows that this is what Annabeth wants. And he hasn’t really felt like he’s been able to really give her anything she wants before, so this is something that he goes all out for. Also keep in mind, mortals can’t enter camp, and there is no way that Percy and Annabeth would get married without Sally, Paul, and baby Blofis around. They want it to be a small thing, but of course, what Percy and Annabeth want and what usually happens end up being in complete contrast with each other. It’s another huge party, with people from both camps coming in, basically all the gods showing up in human-esque form, the hunters of Artemis showing up (but they kind of have to, since Thalia’s in the wedding), in addition to the mortal sides of both their families. The gods put up a protective border for the day, because that many demigods in one place would definitely draw monsters. And Aphrodite has been waiting for this day since Percy and Annabeth were eleven, so no one is messing it up unless they want to deal with her wrath. It’s great, but there’s so much preparation and planning and hugging relatives that it seems to go by in a blur. Annabeth is sufficiently disappointed when the only piece of wedding cake she gets is the piece that Percy smashed in her face.

183. She manages to keep the whole pregnancy thing a secret from everyone (except she’s like 85% sure Sally knows something’s up, and Nico definitely knows. Turns out he can sense new life just like he can sense people dying and that’s why he gave her the weird looks at the graduation). It’s during the reception that she just writes “I’m pregnant” on a napkin that she passes to Percy before walking off to go greet more guests. The look he gives her when she finally makes eye contact again is priceless.

184. She changes her last name to Jackson as soon as she can after they get back from the honeymoon. Piper gave her some grief about it, claiming that it was giving into the patriarchy or something, but Annabeth didn’t care. She finally was officially a part of a family that was going to be permanent and that was going to be there for her, no matter what. Changing her last name to symbolize her belonging to that family was 100% her choice and something she’d decided on doing not long after her and Percy started talking about getting married.

185. Annabeth wanted to get her master’s directly out of college and was even accepted into a program. However, she decided to delay it due to the fact she was the idea of working, going to school, and taking care of a newborn seemed next to impossible. Annabeth knows she’s incredible, but she’s not that incredible. It actually gets pushed back a lot farther than she meant to, because all of their kids kind of end up being born back to back to back. Eventually, she is able to go back to school when the youngest starts kindergarten, and gets her master’s degree, before going on to achieve her doctorate as well.

186. They have three kids: two boys and a girl. The first two were not planned. The only reason they did decide to have a third was because of the whole ‘rule of three.’ Despite the fact that Annabeth proved it was a stupid law on her first quest, something about it still seemed safe. So, they had one more. It becomes a tradition for the next two kids that whenever Annabeth finds out she’s pregnant, she just writes it on a napkin and slips it to Percy at the end of dinner, before taking one of the kids to another room in their apartment.

187. It’s after their second kid is born that New Athens is completed and they’re able to move back into the safety of camp borders, while still living as functioning adults. It’s kind of a difficult commute for Annabeth for work, but she doesn’t care. She likes living in a home she designed with her family. And knowing their safe is worth the trip she has to take every day to get to the firm she works at. When Annabeth got to take Percy around the house the first time after it was done, and explain the intricate details of it all and why she designed things certain ways, she was couldn’t stop bouncing on her feet as she walked. They totally make out like teenagers in their newly finished kitchen before remembering that their kids are being watched by a few of Apollo’s kids in camp that probably should be relieved of their babysitting duties as soon as possible.

188. Their youngest gets Percy’s water powers and he can’t properly control them until he’s about eight. However, that doesn’t mean that his emotions don’t set them off. Annabeth loses track of the number of times she gets doused in toilet water (to which Percy can’t help but laugh every time) and his siblings find themselves getting water from the faucet shooting straight at their faces every time there’s an argument.

189. There are family Halloween costumes pretty much every year until their oldest is ten. Some of Annabeth’s favorites include the Incredibles, Batman, the Scooby Doo gang, and the Addams Family.

190. Due to the fact that both Percy and Annabeth are ADHD and dyslexic, all three of their kids have ADHD. Only their daughter is not diagnosed with dyslexia and there are definitely tears of joy when Annabeth first hears her daughter read through a sentence without stumbling any more than any other child learning to read.

191. When each Jackson kid is six, they receive a plastic sword to begin learning to sword fight. Granted, it probably seemed overkill, but all three of them definitely do still have a potent smell. So, it’s necessary for them to learn how to fight. After proving that they are capable of handling a blade and not hurting themselves (or pulling it on their siblings for the fun of it), they are given a real weapon, made especially for them by Tyson.

192. Board games, card games, and puzzles aren’t actually a thing that can go on in the Jackson household because everyone is so competitive about it. Pieces go “missing” from puzzles because someone took it so they can put the last piece in. Cards get traded below table tops to help someone win a hand. Board games usually get tipped over “accidentally” when someone gets up to go to the kitchen for something to drink.

193. Annabeth falls asleep more at the kitchen table than she does in her own bed. She gets wrapped up in some new project and insists on it being perfect. So, even though she swears she’ll only be up for fifteen more minutes, there’s no telling what time Annabeth will actually pass out and Percy gave up trying to wake her up to come to bed about a year after they got married. It just seemed that when he would wake her up, she’d murmur something about being awake enough to keep going and that she still definitely had five more minutes of work time left in her.

194. She’s totally that mom who frightens teachers and coaches a like about her kids. Like, when they make a mistake getting onto her kid for something that wasn’t their fault, or they take them out of a play when they’re clearly the best player on the team, Annabeth loses it. She ends up banned from her daughter’s volleyball games for a year.

195. When they take their kids to Disney for the first time, Annabeth is just as excited as any of the Jackson spawn. She spends the entire time describing the inspiration for the facades of the buildings, as well as how the forced perspective is working. She spends weeks planning their days down to the minute, factoring other potential plans for extra wait times, shorter wait times, etc. but ends up ditching all of it as soon as she rides Dumbo for the first time. No one really understands why, but that is her ride. They have to ride it first the two days they go to the Magic Kingdom during that trip.

196. It’s not uncommon for either Percy or Annabeth to be asked to go out and escort a halfblood to camp. Typically, they go as a team on the weekend, after dropping their kids off with Sally and Paul or letting them stay in their cabins at camp. However, after getting a call from Chiron about a halfblood near by, Annabeth opted to take on the mission by herself. After all, she’d be heading back close to camp’s borders at the end of the day anyway. It only made sense to find the demigod and take them back with her. But it wasn’t one demigod that she found. There were three. All kids under the age of twelve, and all looking absolutely terrified and banged up from a long journey. There’s a rushed warning about something following them, and Annabeth decides then and there that it’s probably better to take them back to camp now instead of convincing them to hang out at work with her for the rest of the day first. True to their word, there’s a cyclops on the trail of the three half bloods, who is ruthless in its attempts to hunt them down. It destroys Annabeth’s car, and they’re but a few hundred feet from the protective borders of camp when she tells them to run and she’ll hold it off. And it’s almost poetic, in a way. When she’s turned to call directions to them, the cyclops knocks her to the side with a blow she didn’t see coming. It sends her knife flying out of her hands, but she knows that she has to stall it in order for the kids to get to safety. And they do. They make it. But Annabeth doesn’t. She’s a month away from turning forty one when she dies.

197. There’s a weird murmuring when Annabeth goes into the Underworld, and a few of the guard spirits seem to click excitedly when she arrives. Despite her better judgement, she decides to go in front of the judges, to see if there is any sort of reward waiting for her on the other side. Maybe she’ll get Elysium, or maybe--if she pleads her case hard enough--she’ll be able to wait for a few dozen years before Percy shows up so they can make the decision together. After all, it was never a conversation that had popped up before. Whenever they got close to the topic, they’d quickly find something else to talk about. It definitely took her by surprise when she made her way in and found that she’d been granted not Elysium, but the Isles of the Blessed. Her third life had been completed. It’s then that she’s granted the memories of the first two lives as well before being ushered on. In each of them, there are two common elements. The first, there’s always a demigod present. Somehow, the Greek gods continue to plague her life in each of her three incarnations. The other, the boy she falls in love with is always the same. Different names (except for his first and last lives, a fact she finds amusing), different parentage, slightly different personalities but the same goofy grin and same quick wit.

198. Her first life found her as a princess in Ancient Greece, with parents who claimed she was more beautiful than Aphrodite. The claim was considered blasphemy, and she was chained to a rock to be eaten for her parents’ words. It seemed unfair, but she was too prideful even then to try and beg for her life from the gods. So, she kept silent and faced her fate. But her fate never came. Instead, there was a boy--a demigod--who carried Medusa’s head that turned the monster to stone. They married and lived happily ever after. Seriously, depending on what version of the myth you read, Perseus and Andromeda are described to look exactly like Percy and Annabeth so fight me on this.

199. Her second life had her as another Greek demigod, born in England. This time, she was a daughter of Apollo. Her mother had died when she was young, leaving the girl to become a charge to an aspiring artist during the early years of the English Renaissance. He taught her how to paint and how to play the lyre, which she found that she was rather good at. A soldier heard her playing, and quick banter made the girl find this soldier interesting. Due to who her father was, she was talented with a bow and arrow, so she cut off her hair, ran away from her home, disguised herself as a man, and joined the army. It was foolish, of course, and she died not long after by throwing herself in the way of a sword that was meant for the soldier she cared for.

200. One of the privileges of being in the Isles is that she can travel through the Underworld, but it comes with stipulations. It can never be for too long, she can’t look for people she used to know who chose to stay in the Fields of Asphodel, she can’t speak to demigods that come down for a quest, and the Fields of Punishment are completely off limits. She uses this slight freedom to visit Daedalus when he’s working, often offering up tips for the redesigns he’s doing and to play catch with Cerberus. As much as she enjoys the relaxing after three taxing lives, it does get a little lonely, even in a perpetual paradise. There are definitely some happy tears shed when she finally reunites with who she can only call her soulmate.

#likes #annabeth chase #i onLY HAVE 50 LEFT #THE NEXT SET WILL JUST BE LIKE LITTLE FACTS KIND OF #I'M ALREADY BRAINSTORMING SOME #ONE DEALS WITH PEANUT BUTTER AND ONE DEALS WITH BANDAIDS AND ONE DEALS WITH HER YANKEES HAT #also it'll probably have some rp things to pop up in the next one as well #OKAY I'M EXCITED THE END

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torentialtribute · 5 years

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USPGA 2019 betting tips and odds: Moliwood boys look good to take down Tiger Woods at Bethpage Black

The 101st USPGA championship at Bethpage Black is about us. CHRIS CUTMORE runs through the gambling market and gives some tips on where the smart money could lie between the favorites and those who fly under the radar.

BOMBS AWAY

Holy cow, you have to ride your ball here! & # 39;

Tiger Woods summed up how difficult a course of Bethpage Black's tee is with this little doozy, and the course is difficult, it has its own warning sign is definitely in it Become a top champion this week's USPGA championship.

Or right? More about this later.

First, let's look at Woods & # 39; comment and summation of the course, which is 7,432 meters long with a par of only 70 and much thick, juicy rough is about as difficult as it becomes

& # 39; It is important not only to drive long, but you also have to drive straight ahead & # 39 ;, Woods told GolfTV . & # 39; Balls that are hit roughly, you cannot continue to the greens because most greens are high. If they dry out during the weekend, it will be difficult to keep the ball on the green. I remember that they were lightning on the weekend in 2002 (fast). Boys made bogeys left and right. It becomes easy to make bogeys here and hard to make birdies. The leading score towards the end of the week will not be that deep. It plays a long time. & # 39;

<img id = "i-60bb499b8bce30c6" src = "https://dailym.ai/2WPpjas -image-a-19_1557917793902.jpg "height =" 423 "width =" 634 "alt =" Tiger Woods is in excellent shape for a bid to win his 16th major this week in New York "class =" blkBorder img-

Tiger Woods is in excellent shape for a bid to win his 16th major this week in New York

The ruthless Brooks Koepka is the favorite to win the USPGA championship <img id = "i-daae4699112e6a85" src = "https://dailym.ai/2E95MKI -a-20_1557917796867.jpg "height =" 465 "width =" 634 "alt =" However, the ruthless Brooks Koepka is the favorite to win the USPGA championship "

The ruthless Brooks Koepka, however, is the favorite to win the USPGA championship

The premium for long, straight driving plays in the hands of those who would already be favorite for this championship: Brooks Koepka (11/1), Dustin Johnson (11/1) and Rory McIlroy (12/1). They have the power to tame any course and to emerge during the toughest of the most important tests. Among them, Koepka's brutal big form – three wins in the last seven, plus the second at the Masters, makes him the first among equals.

The man who blew Koepka to the green coat also deserves to be among them, despite his sometimes stubborn driving. Woods (14/1) is back, you don't have to remember. His comprehensive brilliance and still unparalleled mental strength means that Major No. 16 can be on the map if his driver behaves. He won the US Open at Bethpage in 2002.

OTHER TOUR OFFERS

But the bets with the best value lurk in the group just below the favorites. Francesco Molinari (30/1) and Tommy Fleetwood (33/1) – the Ryder Cup & Moli-Wood collaboration – looks like excellent choices.

Bethpage winners are always excellent ball strikers – Woods, Lucas Glover (US Open 2010), and both are plentiful – but both hit more fairways with their drivers than one of the main favorites. Patrick Reed (The Barclays, 2016), Nick Watney (The Barclays, 2012) – but you will find that there are no longest hitters. More ammunition for Molinari and Fleetwood, both in excellent shape, with the Italian adding the Masters to his Open victory and the groundbreaking big win of the Englishman around the corner – he finished second on the road at Shinnecock Hills last year.

Tommy Fleetwood is ready for an attack on the USPGA championship "class =" blkBorder img-share "/>

Fleetwood drives away from the fourth tee on Bethpage Black "class =" blkBorder img-share "/>

Tommy Fleetwood is ready for an attack on the USPGA Championship on Bethpage Black

Also ready for his first big win is Jon Rahm (20/1). Another great power hitter, Rahm is in second place on the ranking of the PGA Tour (behind McIlroy). Three top 10 & # 39; s in his last five majors mean that he is clearly working on his anger management issues. With three PGA Tour victories at the age of 24, Rahmbo is ready to collect first blood in the majors.

There are many other excellent ballstrikers that are worth considering: Tony Finau 35/1) is a master blaster from the tee with a brilliant major record so keeps it clear of the heaviest tracks; Xander Schauffele (25/1) is the American Fleetwood with a few extra large victories to his name and has made a serious impression in almost all recent major cases; Sergio Garcia (45/1) is a top 10 machine, in good shape and has three top 10's in three starts at Bethpage, so go find out; Adam Scott (55/1) has also performed well here in the past and has looked all year round for a big win without going over the top, so it looks good; and Paul Casey (50/1) relies on powerful, straightforward to help him collect top 10's, including five top 5's in his last nine starts.

USPGA TOP PICKS

Jon Rahm (20-1)

Francesco Molinari (30/1)

Tommy Fleetwood (33-1 )

Sergio Garcia (45-1) Scott Piercy (125-1)

WORTH A POINT?

There is, however, a reason to say more about driving – just think of the presence of this small plot at the top of the final scores in Bethpage: Jeff Maggert, Nick Faldo, Nick Price (all 2002) , Soren Hansen, Hunter Mahan and Mike Weir (all 2009). [+] Webb Simpson (75/1) and more information on this subject.

<img id = "i-4768cbefa24bfc8e" src = "https://dailym.ai/2WJ1lNN. jpg "height =" 423 "width =" 634 "alt =" Bethpage Black is such a beautiful woman, and she is a woman, a difficult course that carries his own warning sign for golfers "

<img id = "i-4768cbefa24bfc8e" src = "https://dailym.ai/2E9cn7S" height = "423" width = "634" alt = "Bethpage Black is such a tough course bearing its own warning sign for golfers" class

OTHER BEST BETS

Bethpage Black is such a tough course bearing its own warning sign for golfers [WebbSimpsontop20-finish(13/5)

Paul Casey first-round leader (50/1)

]

Winner is determined by play-off (4 / 1)

YOU NEVER KNOW!

As Lieutenant Columbo used to say, one more thing …

Just before you go to the big guns, remember that the USPGA is in the habit of putting on the least likely size of large weapons. to give winners – and especially Americans. This major offers the type of target wave on which they grew up and continued their bread and butter. Just look at some recent past champions – Jimmy Walker, Jason Dufner, Keegan Bradley, Shaun Micheel, Rich Beem, David Toms … – all good players don't have the top class] Some of those wins were huge shocks, such as the US Open Glover's victory at Bethpage too, just think of the following. The following are all great ballstrikers in good shape, have great prizes and are American: Patrick Cantlay (45/1), Kuchar (50-1), Scott Piercy (125/1 ), Kyle Stanley (200/1).

You would also like to record Phil Mickelson (75/1). Lefty is often wild on the tee, but finished seventh on Bethpage in 2002 and second in 2009.

* All odds, from oddschecker, are the best prize at the time of publication. This year Sky Bet, Betfair, Paddy Power, Boyle Sports and Coral will pay up to 10 seats at the USPGA. All expectations and conditions for the bookmaker available

[Warning:]

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#USPGA 2019 betting tips and odds: Moliwood boys look good to take down Tiger Woods at Bethpage Black

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flauntpage · 6 years

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Eight Reasons Why the Eagles Are Not F*#$ed

Houston, we have a problem. Until we actually don’t because the Texans beat the sad sack Cowboys last night, the Giants lost in predictably hilarious fashion, and… the Redskins.

@CrossingBroad @JoyOnBroad and kyle i dont want anymore of your everything is fine baghdad bob bullshit anymore. You come with that weakshit next podcast you are an immediate unsubscribe

— Joe Rider (@jride442) October 7, 2018

First off, Joe sucks– he spends nearly all of his time on Twitter trolling me despite tweeting almost exclusively CB folks.

But at risk of sounding like Baghdad Bob, a comparison that is apt, let me just note that the Eagles have been disappointing and even more underwhelming than one might expect for a team coming off a Super Bowl win and all the trappings that go with it, plus multiple, impactful injuries.

However, they’re not fucked. Far from it. Travel down this hole with me and feel the glory:

Two fluke plays cost them the game yesterday

A goofy fumble-fat guy touchdown, and a horrific and yes very bad roughing the passer call that led to a touchdown. Never mind the fumble by the goal line from Jay Ajayi. Carson Wentz was 24-35 with 311 yards and two touchdowns. Stats from the game were highly even, generally in the Eagles’ favor, and ultimately the game was lost because of flukey plays and poor penalties (which are admittedly inexcusable but also fixable).

This isn’t an excuse. It’s reality. The Eagles should have won the game yesterday. Two promising drives were ruined. It happens. Game was way closer than score indicated for most of it.

It took three fourth-down overtime conversions to beat them last week

They gave the game away multiple times, got lazy, and the secondary was dreadful. Fair. But the game was won.

We are literally one fluke play and a 4th down stop from 4-1. I am NOT trying to make excuses, and fully acknowledge most wins and losses have one play that can change the outcome. The point is, the Eagles, who have played FAR FROM THEIR BEST FOOTBALL are mere possessions away from having the second-best record in the league, all of this with:

Carson Wentz returning from injury

I had this conversation with my father-in-law yesterday– he dropped the “yeah but they make so much money” line. They’re also human. The Eagles’ best player and MVP candidate is coming off a very bad injury, with no preseason, and being inserted into an offense with many pieces coming and going. The best receiver is coming off an injury. The most dynamic playmaker is coming off an injury and now hurt again. Ditto for the left tackle. These are major positions to get back to game speed, with almost no continuity in an offense that dominated the NFC last year and another one that won the Super Bowl. The Eagles are essentially on their third version of the offense, personnel-wise, since the start of last season, and right now it’s showing.

Two of their three best running backs have been hurt

Corey Clement and Darren Sproles have missed the last two game (four for Sproles). Want to know how quickly things have changed already? Go check the Sunday Night Football bus from the opener against the Falcons– Foles and Sproles are the two guys on it. Both are currently afterthoughts.

Again, insane lack of continuity the Eagles are fighting through, both due to injury and, in the case of Wentz, return from injury.

The division sucks

The Cowboys’ offense is dreadful. The Giants are a mess. And the Redskins are just OK and, at this point, scare no one. Even as they are currently constructed, the Eagles are better than every team in the division.

The offensive line can’t be this bad

Right?

Jason Peters may be cooked. But Jason Kelce, Brandon Brooks and Lane Johnson are proven, at times dominant players. Their play, as a whole, this season has been disappointing and frustrating, but at some point they have to revert to the mean at a least a bit. Vaitai and Wis (or whomever Doug Pederson decides to rope-a-dope him with) have shown they are capable of handling duties on the left. I just refuse to believe the line is as bad as it’s looked.

They’ll probably add an impact player

Current top running back? Jay Ajayi. He was still a Dolphin at this point last season. Howie Roseman is hyper active in making impactful transactions. I can’t imagine there isn’t an impact player added to the team this month.

The defense is better than they’re getting credit for

Big plays are a problem, but the defense has controlled large swaths of the Falcons, Colts, Titans, and Vikings games. Their front is as good as ever, linebackers decent, and secondary hurting from Jim Schwartz continuing to leave Jalen Mills on an island. If the offense finds its footing, that should take some pressure of the defense and make opposing offenses more predictable, thus allowing for a more balanced team.

Everything here is a genuine reason for struggle. Now, that doesn’t mean they will just disappear on their own. But Carson Wentz should rapidly improve (he already has). The Eagles should get at least one of Clement or Sproles back in a more significant role. The offensive line should improve.

Things have been “bad,” sure. But we can’t view this team the way we did poor Andy Reid teams toward the end of his tenure. This is not a pattern of glaring mistakes and weaknesses like those teams routinely had. The Eagles are working through a lot right now, with a complete lack of continuity, and probably some entitlement on the field. There’s no guarantee any of that gets better, but many signs point to it doing just that. It is not out of the realm of possibility, at all, for the Eagles to hit their stride in the second half, earn a 10-6 record and a home playoff game. A lot needs to happen first, but we may look back on this start as a blip rather than reason for genuine concern.

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The post Eight Reasons Why the Eagles Are Not F*#$ed appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Eight Reasons Why the Eagles Are Not F*#$ed published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

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skudal · 6 years

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VC signaling

We’re talking about VC signaling in early-stage these days, and I’ve been reading to understand more about how founders should relate to this. Figured I’d share a condensed version of what I’ve found out so far.

First: VC signaling is what happens when you take money from a VC, and they choose not to follow up their investment in later rounds. If they have inside information and choose not to invest more, why should someone on the outside take a bet on you?

If you’re a founder who just raised capital, you’ll be in one of three categories next time you raise money (more in Mark Suster’s brilliant post on this):

Everything sucks. You have failed with your plan, missed all targets. Nobody will invest more in your business, including you. You gave it a shot and it didn’t work out. Nothing matters (including VC signaling).

You’re like Facebook. You’re crushing all milestones; everyone wants to work for you, buy your product, buy your stock. You might have concerns, but not regarding VC signaling.

You’re almost there. You’re doing okay, but not great. With more resources, you’re convinced you will pull it off. This is where most companies are, and where you potentially should be concerned about VC signaling.

Since you should hope for the best but plan for the worst, you should consider VC signaling before deciding who to pitch.

First, consider what the investor’s preferred entry point is? (discussed more by Brad Feld). Some investors do the thorough assessment right away, as they view the seed investment as either the only or the first round of several. If this is the only investment they do (like us), ensure they are consistent with this approach. One exception and every other portfolio company get a bad signal.

If this is the first of several financing rounds they plan to do, explore whether they need an outside lead in the next round, or if they will take it? If they plan to lead, what milestones do you need to reach in order for this to happen? If they need an outside lead, how do they decide whether or not to follow/take pro-rata?

Other investors consider seed deals to be options; a foot in the door to get more information - and postpone the real assessment until next time the company fundraises. You should be especially alert when approaching this group, as the risk of signaling is higher. Chris Dixon elaborates;

“when you take any money at all from a big VC in a seed round, you are effectively giving them an option on the next round, even though that option isn’t contractual...Even in the good scenario when the VC does wants to follow on, you are likely to get a lower valuation than you would have had you taken money from other sources of funding“.

This is because new investors expect existing investors to follow. Jason Lemkin explains; ”The bigger the brand of the fund, the more important it will be [that they follow]”. By already being shareholders, brand name VCs have leverage in the following round. You could say that the more tempting is to bring an investor onboard early, the more harmful if said investor doesn’t follow. Which is somewhat counter-intuitive, but true. There’s examples of VCs offering to sell back shares if they don’t follow, but my impression is that’s not the norm.

To mitigate this risk, make sure you discuss potential investors’ seed strategy before taking their money. But further, don’t overthink it too much. Signals exist everywhere, regardless of how you go about fundraising. Going back to Mark Suster’s post, that has a few examples of other signals:

You’re on your second company. A prominent VC funded your first company but isn’t currently investing in this company. Think that’s not a signal? Think again.

Or you’ve never done a startup but your last boss from Google, Facebook or Yahoo! is now a VC. Many are. They didn’t invest in your company? Signal, signal, signal.

OK, so your boss didn’t become a VC. You were a VP at a startup company that sold for $100–200 million making the founder very wealthy. You’re startup raised angel money and is now looking for VC. That founder wasn’t one of your angels. Think that the VCs looking at your deal won’t wonder why? Think they won’t call him? Signal.

In conclusion, signals exist and you should be wary of them when you fundraise. Discuss this with potential investors, and you know what to expect. Then go back to focusing on what you can control, which is the performance our your own company. Do everything you can to become a type 2 company, and you don’t have to worry about signaling whatsoever :)

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wellpersonsblog · 7 years

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The Complete Guide to the First 200 Episodes of No Meat Athlete Radio

If I had to guess the average lifespan of a podcast (no luck finding it on Google, I tried), I’d say it’s almost certainly less than ten episodes. Matt would probably say less than two.

So it brings me enormous joy to announce that No Meat Athlete Radio just hit its 200th episode. Two hundred. There are now more episodes of NMA Radio than there are episodes of Seinfeld. And there are a lot of episodes of Seinfeld…

What started as an experiment back in October 2011 has grown and developed, and over the years became one of the primary forms of content on No Meat Athlete. It’s a means for us to share our ideas and the knowledge of others, connect directly with you the listener, and have a dang good time doing it.

As a thank you for sticking and growing with us (through good mics and bad), Matt and I sat down to discuss possible ways to celebrate.

We came up with:

An epic block party, complete with bouncy-house, balloon animals, and face-paint,

Commemorative tattoos, and

A guide to help new listeners navigate the library of episodes.

It was a tough decision, but after concluding no one would show up to our party and tattoos of the running carrot wearing “200” NYE-style glasses were too predictable, we landed on the guide.

So here you have it: The complete guide to the first 200 episodes of No Meat Athlete Radio.

No Meat Athlete Radio, The Highlight Reel

If you’re new to No Meat Athlete or NMA Radio—and the stats tell us that many people are—200 episodes sounds like a daunting number. With years of in-depth interviews, intriguing topic discussions, and laugh-out-loud jokes (mostly at the expense of Matt. Sorry buddy…), where do you start?

The first episode, of course!

Just kidding, you can skip that one.

But according to that episode, this podcast was started as a way to share interviews and highlight voices from members of the plant-based community. While it’s much more than that now, I’d say that theme is still the best place to start.

Our Favorite Interviews

We can read books and talk about someone’s philosophies all we want, but there’s no way better way to learn from someone else than to hear from them directly. That’s why we focus so much on interviewing guests. Here are a few of our most memorable:

1. The Embrace Imperfection Interview with Robert Cheeke

Over the years Robert has become the most interviewed guest on No Meat Athlete Radio, but there’s one conversation in particular that stands out—an honest 2016 conversation where Robert shared his imperfections and how they’ve shaped who he is and what motivates him to improve.

Listen to the Episode

Episode 163: Robert Cheeke on Staying Motivated, Changing Course, and Embracing Imperfection

Bonus: More from Robert here, here, and here.

2. The Most Fun Interview We’ve Had with Sid Garza-Hillman

Sid Garza-Hillman is an ultrarunner, nutritionist, podcaster, YouTuber, author, and small-step advocate, and it was a 2015 interview covering almost every one of those topics that stands out as one of the most interesting (and entertaining) interviews we ever had.

Listen to the Episodes

Episode 107: Sid Garza-Hillman on Meal Planning, Ultrarunning, and Why We Shouldn’t Take Showers

Bonus: More from Sid here and here.

3. The Vegan Lifestyle Interview with Rich Roll

If you’re a vegan athlete, it’s a safe bet you follow Rich Roll. Rich is the bestselling author of Finding Ultra and The PlantPower Way, one of Men’s Fitness’ 25 Fittest Men, and one of the biggest names in our community. He also happens to be one of the first guests we ever had on No Meat Athlete Radio back in 2013.

But today it’s the second interview with Rich that I’d like to share: A two-part conversation on living a vegan lifestyle, raising vegan children, and being your best self.

Listen to the Episodes

Episode 69: Rich Roll On The Plantpower Way – Part 1

Episode 70: Rich Roll On The Plantpower Way – Part 2

4. The Starch Interview with Dr. McDougall

Starch. Not kale or fruits… the humble starch. That’s what Dr. John McDougall, a giant in the plant-based nutrition community, says is key to a healthy diet.

In this interview—a controversial one and the most downloaded NMA Radio interview ever, I might add—Dr. McDougall shares his views on nutrition and what makes for a truly healthy diet.

Listen to the Episode

Episode 165: Dr. McDougall and the Healthiest Diet on the Planet

5. The Family Member Interview Collection

When you record two hundred episodes, it’s only a matter of time before you drag your family in front of the microphone. Matt and I have interviewed his wife Erin, father Tim, and two children, Holden and Ellarie. And they happen to be some of my favorite interviews we’ve published.

Listen to the Episodes

Episode 44: Hanging Out with Matt’s Wife, Erin Frazier

Episode 166: Matt’s Dad on Going Plant-Based at age 63 Has Drastically Improved His Health

Episode 196: Raising Vegan Children (Featuring Matt’s Kids)

The Best Running Episodes

As you might expect from No Meat Athlete, running and training have been a main theme of the podcast since week one. While looking through the archive or running related episodes, these stood out as the best place to get started.

1. The Summer Running Camp Series

The summer of 2016 brought us the Rio Olympics, Pokemon Go, and (my personal favorite) the NMA Radio Summer Running Camp… complete with camp songs and all.

We used the five-part camp series to go in-depth on the fundamentals of running as a crash course for new runners and review for those with more experience.

Listen to the Episodes

Episode 150: Summer Running Camp, Part 1: Building Consistency

Episode 153: Summer Running Camp, Part 2: Running Form

Episode 157: Summer Running Camp, Part 3: How to Prevent Running Injuries

Episode 158: Summer Running Camp, Part 4: Advanced Marathon Training and Racing with Coach Jason Fitzgerald

Episode 161: Summer Running Camp, Part 5: Race Day Walkthrough

2. The Great Running Motivation Episode

With the fundamentals down, maintaining your motivation comes next. Every runner has his or her own unique reasons for lacing up, but it’s the techniques covered in this episode that have worked best for us over the years.

Listen to the Episode

Episode 106: The Best Resources for Running Motivation and Training

3. The Make Running Easy Again Episode

Running is hard. It’s fun, motivating, and important… but also hard. In one of our most popular episodes to date, Matt and I share some of our simple tricks for making both the routine and the act of running just a little bit easier.

Listen to the Episode

Episode 78: Our Favorite Running Hacks

4. The ‘It’s Okay if You Don’t Want to Run’ Episode

Speaking of running being hard…

Sometimes you just don’t want to do it. And you know what? We think that’s just fine. So fine, in fact, that we recorded an entire episode on why you shouldn’t let a running slump get you down.

Listen to the Episode

Episode 102: The Guilt-Free Running Slump

5. The ‘Here’s How to Start’ Episode

Brand new to running and don’t know how to get in those first workouts? This episode was designed for you, and covers everything you need to know from your first weeks of training to the gear you need (and don’t need).

Listen to the Episode

Episode 195: How to Go From Zero to 5K

The Best Nutrition Episodes

Nutrition is the underlying theme in everything we do at No Meat Athlete, including the podcast.

1. The Everything You Should Know About Vegan Supplements Episode

Supplements have to be one of the most talked about topics for vegan athletes, but what we assume to be important isn’t always the case.

In a recent episode we explore which (if any) supplements you really need on a healthy plant-based diet.

Listen to the Episode

Episode 179: What Supplements Do You Need?

2. The Great Protein (Myth) Episode with Dr. Garth Davis

Protein. Every non-vegan’s favorite word. But what’s the deal?

Dr. Garth Davis, author of Proteinaholic: How Our Obsession with Meat Is Killing Us and What We Can Do About It is the person to ask. So we did.

Listen to the Episode

Episode 116: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Protein, with Garth Davis, M.D.

3. The Paleo vs. Vegan Episode

Some called it must-listen podcasting. Some called it the battle of the century.

We called it the great Paleo vs Vegan Debate, and it surprised many listeners.

Listen to the Episode

Episode 55: The Paleo vs Vegan Debate

4. The Let’s Get Practical Episode with Dr. Pamela Fergusson

One of the biggest critiques about the plant-based diet is that it isn’t practical.

“How do you possibly have time to cook food like that?”

So we asked Dr. Pamela Fergusson, a mother of four, world traveler, and vegan nutritionist what she thinks, and her approach is remarkably simple (and yes, practical).

Listen to the Episode

Episode 162: Dr. Pamela Fergusson on Practical Vegan Nutrition, Speedwalking Ultramarathons, and Living Intentionally

5. The Staple Foods Episode

It’s easy to get excited about a unique ingredient or recipe, but it’s the staple foods we keep in our pantries that keep us going day after day. Here’s a look inside.

Listen to the Episode

Episode 98: Staple Foods in the Vegan Athlete’s Pantry

The Best Habit and Mindset Episodes

Habit change and mindset are core ingredients to making your nutrition and fitness goals work. We don’t shy away from the topics on NMA Radio.

1. The Nerdiest Episode (Not Really, but kind of) with Steve Kamb

Steve Kamb of the website Nerd Fitness has been inspiring self-proclaimed nerds from around the world to lose weight, get fit, and “level up” for years. What can you learn from action heroes and gaming references?

Listen to the Episode

Episode 123: Nerd Fitness’ Steve Kamb on How to Level Up Your Life

2. The Best Books Ever Episode

A lighthearted episode on the most impactful books we’ve ever read.

Listen to the Episode

Episode 184: 27 Books that will Change Your Life

3. The Obligatory Zen Habits Episode with Leo Babauta

If you’ve listened to any of the early episodes, you probably heard the running joke that we couldn’t make it through a conversation without mentioning Leo Babauta or Zen Habits. His habit and simplicity work has had that much of an impact on Matt and No Meat Athlete.

Well, it took a little while, but we finally had him on the show.

Listen to the Episode

Episode 43: Leo Babauta on Habits, Simplicity, Running & Diet

4. The Pick Yourself Episode with Alex and Jeanette Ruiz

Alex and Jeanette Ruiz wanted a thriving vegan community in their home town of Miami. Instead of just talking about it, they took action, leading the No Meat Athlete Miami Running Group and starting their own podcast to highlight vegan activities in the city.

They’re a perfect example of what you can achieve by picking yourself.

Listen to the Episode

Episode 80: How to Pick Yourself and Start Making Change in the World

5. The Start Something Big Episode

But how do you get started after “picking yourself?” Matt and I share our experience starting blogs and podcasts that went on to create engaged communities.

Listen to the Episode

Episode 111: How to Start Your Movement

Ready to Join in on the Fun?

Two hundred episodes in and we’re just getting started. Help us keep the momentum going.

Subscribe in iTunes here or Stitcher here, and look for new episodes dropping Thursday mornings.

Thanks for coming along for the ride.

Bonus: 5 More Episodes Not to Miss

Want even more? Here are five additional episodes we can’t help but share.

1. The Vegan Pro Soccer Player Episode

Episode 121: Vegan Pro Soccer Player Baggio Husidic

2. The Comedian Ultrarunner Episode

Episode 59: Vegan Running Meets Funny — Comedian Jeffrey Binney and His Quest to Beat Obesity and Run the Leadville 100

3. The Vegans are Weird Episode

Episode 52: 21 Weird Things We Do Now That We’re Vegan

4. The Ideal Way to Eat Episode

Episode 20: Weight Loss and Ideal Eating Habits with Ray Cronise

5. The Blue Zones Episode

Episode 64: Live to be 100 – Lessons from the Blue Zones

The post The Complete Guide to the First 200 Episodes of No Meat Athlete Radio appeared first on No Meat Athlete.

First found here: The Complete Guide to the First 200 Episodes of No Meat Athlete Radio

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othersportsnews-blog · 7 years

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How Las Vegas bookmakers established the odds for the Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor struggle

New Post has been published on https://othersportsnews.com/how-las-vegas-bookmakers-established-the-odds-for-the-floyd-mayweather-conor-mcgregor-struggle/

How Las Vegas bookmakers established the odds for the Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor struggle

On Feb. sixteen, almost four months in advance of the Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor struggle was produced official, iconic bookmaker Jimmy Vaccaro and the odds-making crew at the South Position sportsbook in Las Vegas opened Mayweather as a significant -2,seven hundred (one-27) favorite over McGregor. The final time Vaccaro produced a fighter with those odds, he finished up making global news, and receiving a phone from Steve Wynn, his manager at the time.

Flash back to 1990: Vaccaro was head of the sportsbook at the Mirage, a new warm place on the Strip owned by Wynn. It was the only book in city with odds up on a seemingly lopsided struggle in Tokyo, Japan, in between undefeated heavyweight juggernaut Mike Tyson and digital no-identify Buster Douglas.

A well known Las Vegas odds company thought of the bout generally an exhibition and encouraged its bookmaking clientele not to even hassle taking bets on it because Tyson was also huge of a favorite making any sort of two-way action could be an problem. Vaccaro went for it anyway, opening Tyson as a -2,seven hundred favorite.

Large bettors did not flinch at the large price on Tyson. Vaccaro inched the odds up as an array of significant bets showed up on the champ: $fifty four,000 to gain $2,000, $96,000 to gain $3,000 and, two days in advance of the struggle, $126,000 to gain $3,000. The biggest wager on Douglas was $one,500 at 37-one.

A person bettor has already wagered $one hundred fifty,000 on Conor McGregor to conquer Floyd Mayweather at William Hill US. Right here is a managing file of the biggest Mayweather-McGregor bets across Nevada sportsbooks.

The Floyd Mayweather compared to Conor McGregor boxing match is on. Here is all you want to know about the megafight in between two of the biggest stars in overcome athletics.

one Associated

The odds on Tyson peaked at -four,200, an just about unthinkable price for a struggle, but one that was expected to attract any sort of dollars on Douglas. By the time the bell rang, Vaccaro had finished his career, divvying up the believed $one.eight million wager on the struggle at the Mirage and putting his book in a no-eliminate place. They’d gain a couple of thousand bucks if Tyson won and just over $100,000 if Douglas in some way pulled off the gorgeous upset.

“We had been in a good place,” Vaccaro recalled.

Douglas shocked the globe, knocking Tyson out in the tenth round in one of the biggest upsets in athletics record and offering a reliable final decision for the Mirage sportsbook. The publicity, nevertheless, was well worth considerably much more.

In the early morning several hours on the Monday following the struggle, Vaccaro’s phone started ringing. Interview requests had been pouring in, seeking to speak to the only Las Vegas bookmaker with odds on the struggle. Vaccaro spent his morning and early afternoon appearing on national Tv, on shows like “Very good Early morning The united states” and “Currently,” and speaking to newspaper reporters from around the world. Then, he received the phone from Mr. Wynn and headed up to the boss’s workplace.

As he rode up the elevator, Vaccaro wondered if he had reported anything incorrect on Tv and was in issues.

“I walked in and he was sitting there smiling and laughing,” Vaccaro reported of the journey to Wynn’s workplace. “He seemed up at me and reported, ‘I really don’t know what the hell you did back there, but just continue to keep carrying out it.'”

Twenty-seven a long time following Tyson-Douglas, Vaccaro is scheduling an additional seemingly lopsided struggle — Mayweather-McGregor — only this time the odds are relocating in the reverse way.

Mayweather (49-), almost four weeks in advance of a struggle against a challenger with no qualified boxing working experience, is only around a -600 favorite at most shops. And the volume of dollars on the underdog McGregor is, as one bookmaker set it, “brain-boggling.”

“This ought to be the easiest struggle that any bookmaker’s at any time booked,” Vaccaro quipped. “The basic community is considerably much more concerned these days, and you know their gap cards. They are heading to wager the huge doggy, and you are going to know closer to the struggle what variety the huge men are salivating to lay.”

When Las Vegas sportsbooks 1st started out heading through the process of setting the odds in February, they had no notion that they had been making a price on a struggle that is setting up to be the most intensely wager bout at any time.

Right here is how Las Vegas bookmakers established those odds and how they are reacting to all of the betting action on McGregor so much.

Environment the odds

In February, buzz started to intensify about the possibility of the undefeated boxing winner Floyd Mayweather coming out of retirement to just take on the flamboyant UFC star Conor McGregor.

The matchup appeared unrealistic to some, and several doubted the two mega-personalities from competing athletics would at any time be equipped to occur to an settlement. Still, there was evidently fascination in the matchup, enough that oddsmakers at the Westgate SuperBook made the decision to throw around likely prices in the workplace powering the sportsbook counter.

They did not break down punching figures or review the speed and elusiveness of the fighters. They did not scour the web, seeking for any online video of McGregor boxing, or sneak a peek at Mayweather to see how considerably the forty-12 months-old had been enjoying retired lifetime, both. Instead, they just tried to predict how considerably would be wager on the struggle and what share of the betting community would routinely gravitate toward McGregor, who would undoubtedly be a large underdog.

That transient assembly powering the counter was all it took for the sportsbook to open odds on the struggle on Feb. sixteen. They settled on Mayweather -2,500, although some considered -5,000 was much more suitable. McGregor opened as an 11-one (+1100) underdog.

“We understood there’d be some fascination in McGregor,” Jay Kornegay, vice president of Westgate race and athletics, advised ESPN in mid-July, “but the ability established, in a boxing match only, was so lopsided that we did not imagine we had been heading to be equipped to make it higher enough.

“You make a variety primarily based on what type of dollars and circulation of dollars that you would expect at the counters,” Kornegay included. “It can be not essentially the accurate odds it is really just reflective of the betting designs that we expect to see. Considering that we opened [minus] 2,500 and it is really now down to [minus] seven hundred … which is how shut we had been.”

The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook opened the struggle with Mayweather a -2500 favorite he is down to -seven hundred. Ben Fawkes

Several sportsbooks waited right up until the struggle was produced official on June 14 in advance of submitting odds and nevertheless had been surprised by the volume of early assistance for McGregor. A thirty day period in advance of the struggle, eighty five per cent of the dollars that had been wager on the winner at William Hill’s sportsbooks was on McGregor, which includes a trio of $fifty,000 bets on the underdog put by the same client on July 24 that would end result in a $662,500 financial gain. The early lopsided action had William Hill facing perhaps its biggest final decision in the firm’s 5-12 months record in Nevada.

“It can be brain boggling the dollars McGregor has drawn so much,” William Hill U.S. director of trading Nick Bogdanovich advised ESPN on Sunday.

“You can find no rocket science to it,” Invoice Sattler, director of specialty game titles for Caesars Amusement, advised ESPN. “You just set anything out there and go with it. We are hoping to determine out how the community is heading to wager this and not really sticking our necks also much out. We set anything out there that is probably lessen than what it realistically ought to be and it is really been managing. It can be [been] all McGregor at this issue.”

Bookmakers for MGM Resorts took a very similar technique to their counterparts at the Westgate following the struggle was declared, focusing much more on how considerably they envisioned to be wager on the struggle than the ability of Mayweather and McGregor.

“If you can find a important edge in ability and ability, that right away prices the struggle previously mentioned 5 bucks (-500),” reported Jay Rood, vice president of MGM Race and Sporting activities Guides. “If you can find anticipation of a good take care of, then it can flow into north of seven (-seven hundred) or eight bucks (-800).”

From one sportsbook to the next, up and down and on and off the Strip, the betting tendencies have been almost similar — countless numbers of bets on McGregor, with only a handful on Mayweather. And that has Las Vegas bookmakers at present perspiring a little bit, because their liability is at present pretty lopsided.

Taking care of the liability

With the bets now flowing in, sportsbooks are wondering how considerably huge dollars on Mayweather they can count on in the last weeks leading up to the struggle. In the meantime, the dollars on McGregor has not slowed in fact, it has intensified over the final couple of weeks, leaving bookmakers with a final decision about how considerably liability their bosses are keen to endure.

“We could be in a place on the struggle, for example, wherever we can eliminate numerous million and only gain a couple of hundred thousand,” reported Jason Simbal, vice president of chance for Las Vegas sportsbook operator CG Technological innovation. “That is not the circumstance any sportsbook really needs to be in.”

The Floyd Mayweather compared to Conor McGregor boxing match is on. Here is all you want to know about the megafight in between two of the biggest stars in overcome athletics.

one Associated

Some sportsbook administrators advised ESPN that they’ve already heard from their on line casino bosses, who had been anxious about the liability building up on McGregor, significantly less than a thirty day period in advance of the Aug. 26 struggle.

By mid-July, MGM’s sportsbook had taken shut to one,800 bets on McGregor and significantly less than fifty on Mayweather, in accordance to Rood. A person of the bets on Mayweather was shut to six figures, but the book’s liability remained on Mayweather.

“The liability is promptly approaching seven figures,” Rood advised ESPN. “It can be not making me anxious, but some men on my workforce have reported, ‘How lengthy are we heading to permit this go?'”

Rood’s prepare is not to worry. He hopes to continue to keep the odds on Mayweather at -seven hundred or greater for as lengthy as attainable and not provide also good of price on the undefeated winner.

“[Floyd] is 49- for a explanation, a fantastic return on expense,” Rood included. “So I really don’t want to give also considerably away on that facet and conclude up needing McGregor for a huge volume. If you go back at Floyd’s average price the final 10 a long time, it is really received to be north of six bucks (-600), and which is against the best opposition in boxing. So now you happen to be heading to give him a subaverage price for a guy which is under no circumstances really boxed in his lifetime. I’m not keen to set Floyd Mayweather on a blue-light-weight particular. We are at -750, and I imagine which is a blue-light-weight particular.”

Floyd Mayweather, suitable, is 49- in his profession — and has under no circumstances lost for bettors, both. Al Bello/Getty Visuals

Rooting for Mayweather? A comfy place to be in

Let’s make anything apparent — every single bookmaker in Las Vegas needs to conclude up rooting for Mayweather to gain a struggle which is making significant betting fascination.

Quite a few shops reported the accurate odds of Mayweather winning are closer to -5,000 (one-fifty), but they are equipped to book the struggle at a considerably lessen price.

“I’ve reported [McGregor] realistically could be fifty-to-one,” Jeff Sherman, assistant manager at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, included, “and people have questioned, ‘Why really don’t you give me fifty-to-one, then?’ I inform them I really don’t want to, because you happen to be already betting him at 5-one.”

The Westgate expects twice as considerably dollars will be wager on Mayweather-McGregor than the volume wagered on Mayweather’s struggle against Manny Pacquiao, the most intensely wager struggle in Westgate’s record.

“This is the Super Bowl of boxing,” reported Sherman, one of numerous bookmakers who consider the accurate odds on Mayweather are considerably greater.

So although the exploding liability on McGregor may be causing problem for the on line casino bosses, the publications know the odds are in their favor. Now, they are just hoping to gauge how several huge bets on Mayweather to expect. Some shops are anticipating seven-determine wagers.

“I advised my immediate report that it is really heading to get unappealing right up until struggle week, and then we’ll determine it out,” Rood reported. “I know I have probably three consumers [with] the likely to enjoy Mayweather really significant. I’m just hoping that the Pacquiao final decision [upset loss to underdog Jeff Horn] did not spook anybody.”

In the conclude, every single sportsbook in Las Vegas is anticipating to be rooting for Mayweather occur Aug. 26 — and they are just fine with that.

“We are comfy needing Mayweather, let us just say that,” Bogdanovich of William Hill reported. “Proper now, we are comfy wherever we are at, but speak to me in an additional two weeks, when [the liability] retains escalating and escalating and we may well not be so comfy. It can be a outrageous final decision.”

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Image Comics Solicitations for July 2017

Image Comics has released solicitation information and images for new books and products shipping in July 2017. When you’re through checking out these solicitations for new Image releases, be sure to visit CBR’s Image Comics forum to discuss these titles and products with fellow readers and fans.

Image Comics Solicitations – Last Six Months

Product shipping June 2017

Product shipping February 2017

Product shipping January 2017

Product shipping November 2016

Product shipping October 2016

Product shipping September 2016

MOONSTRUCK #1 – GEM OF THE MONTH

STORY: GRACE ELLIS

ART: SHAE BEAGLE/KATE LETH

COVER: SHAE BEAGLE

JULY 19 / 32 PAGES / FC / E / $3.99

A NEW ONGOING SERIES from Lumberjanes creator GRACE ELLIS and talented newcomer SHAE BEAGLE that tells a story of monsters, romance, and magical hijinks! The first arc also includes an additional short story with artist KATE LETH!

Fantasy creatures are living typical, unremarkable lives alongside humans, and barista Julie strives to be the most unremarkable of all. Normal job, normal almost-girlfriend, normal…werewolf transformations that happen when she gets upset? Yikes!

But all bets are off when she and her centaur best friend Chet find themselves in the middle of a magical conspiracy. Will Julie and Chet be able to save their friends? Is Julie’s dogged determination to be normal a lost cause? Who’s going to watch the coffee shop while our heroes are out saving the world?? These questions and more will be answered in MOONSTRUCK, coming July 19 from Image Comics.

SACRED CREATURES #1 – GEM OF THE MONTH

STORY: PABLO RAIMONDI & KLAUS JANSON

ART: PABLO RAIMONDI

COVER A: PABLO RAIMONDI

COVER B: KLAUS JANSON

COVER C (1 IN 25): FRANK MILLER

JULY 5 / 72 PAGES / FC / M / $4.99

When the supernatural forces maintaining the fragile balance of power in this world start to unravel, Josh Miller, a young college grad and expecting father, is caught in the middle of a vast conspiracy threatening to tear apart the foundations of humanity as we know it. As myth and reality collide, Josh finds himself on the frontline of a battle against an enemy dating back to the beginning of time itself.

Comic legends KLAUS JANSON (Daredevil, Dark Knight Returns) and PABLO RAIMONDI (X-Factor, Book of Doom) proudly present SACRED CREATURES, their first-ever creator-owned series, with a monster-sized first issue featuring 66 pages of color art!

BALSAMIC: A SKETCHBOOK AND ART COLLECTION HC

STORY / ART / COVER: GIANNIS MILONOGIANNIS

AUGUST 16 / 200 PAGES / FC / M / $19.99

ADVANCE SOLICIT

Collecting the best of five years worth of drawings, BALSAMIC is a deep dive into GIANNIS’ (PROPHET, Old City Blues, G.I. Joe) sketchbooks and comics!

BLOODSTRIKE #1 REMASTERED EDITION

STORY: ROB LIEFELD

SCRIPT: ERIC STEPHENSON

ART: DAN FRAGA, DANNY MIKI & ROB LIEFELD

COVER A: DAN FRAGA

COVER B: ROB LIEFELD

JULY 26 / 32 pages / FC / T+ / $3.99

1993’s original BLOODSTRIKE #1. Celebrate the 25th anniversary of Image Comics with a bloody delightful remastered edition of 1993’s BLOODSTRIKE #1, illustrated by DAN FRAGA and DANNY MIKI over layouts from ROB LIEFELD, dramatically recolored by color wizard THOMAS MASON (X-Men)!

BY CHANCE OR PROVIDENCE TP

STORY / COVER / ART: BECKY CLOONAN

COLOR: LEE LOUGHRIDGE

JULY 26 / 128 PAGES / FC / T+ / $14.99

BY CHANCE OR PROVIDENCE collects BECKY CLOONAN’s award-winning trilogy: WOLVES, THE MIRE, and DEMETER, with lush colors by LEE LOUGHRIDGE and a sketchbook/illustration section. These stories cast a spell of hypnotic melancholy, weaving their way through medieval landscapes of ancient curses and terrible truths that will haunt you long after you’ve set them down.

CURSE WORDS, VOL. 1 TP

STORY: CHARLES SOULE

ART / COVER: RYAN BROWNE

JULY 19 / 168 PAGES / FC / M / $9.99

A wizard has appeared in present-day New York! His name is Wizord, and he’s here to save us all from dark magical forces bent on our destruction. He’s the best wizard of all time! Or…he’s not, and he’s lying to everyone, and secretly is the dark magical force, but wants to hang out in our world for a while because it’s so much nicer than the hellhole he comes from.

Secrets, and spells, and talking koalas—CURSE WORDS is a gonzo dark fantasy from CHARLES SOULE (Daredevil, Letter 44, Star Wars) and RYAN BROWNE (GOD HATES ASTRONAUTS).

Collects CURSE WORDS #1-5

THE DARKNESS: DARKNESS / BATMAN & DARKNESS / SUPERMAN 20TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION TP

STORY: GARTH ENNIS / SCOTT LOBDELL & JEPH LOEB / RON MARZ

ART: MARC SILVESTRI / DAVID FINCH & CLARENCE LANSANG / TYLER KIRKHAM

COVER: MARC SILVESTRI

JULY 5 / 264 PAGES / FC / M / $19.99

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of Image Comics and the 20th anniversary of THE DARKNESS, this special volume collects THE DARKNESS ORIGINS (Issues one through six and Preview), THE DARKNESS/BATMAN, and THE DARKNESS/SUPERMAN! This is a one-time printing in honor of the anniversaries, so don’t miss out!

GENERATION GONE #1

STORY: ALEŠ KOT & ANDRÉ LIMA ARAÚJO

ART / COVER: ANDRÉ LIMA ARAÚJO & CHRIS O’HALLORAN

JULY 19 / 56 PAGES / FC / M / $4.99

America, 2020. Three young hackers with nothing to lose. A secretive scientist with a plan. One final job.

What happens when you’re poor, angry, and get superpowers you never asked for? Skins + Unbreakable = GENERATION GONE, sort of— if you also include multiple trips to the sun, weird black goo, a breakup fight inside a nuclear factory, love, hate, anger, loss…and survival. GENERATION GONE is for every kid struggling out there. It’s about what it means to be young in the USA, 2017.

GOD COUNTRY TP

STORY: DONNY CATES

ART / COVER: GEOFF SHAW

AUGUST 2 / 184 PAGES / FC / M / $14.99

ADVANCE SOLICIT

SOUTHERN BASTARDS meets American Gods in a high-stakes fantasy series that masterfully blends high-octane action and jaw-dropping worldbuilding.

In GOD COUNTRY, readers meet Emmett Quinlan, an old widower rattled by dementia. Emmett isn’t just a problem for his children—his violent outbursts are more than the local cops can handle. When a tornado levels his home—as well as the surrounding West Texas town—a restored Quinlan rises from the wreckage. An enchanted sword at the eye of the storm gives him more than a sound mind and body, however. He’s now the only man who can face these otherworldly creatures the sword has drawn down to the Lone Star State… In GOD COUNTRY, salvation is a double-edged sword.

“So much fun to watch creators find that next level. Go, Cates, go!” —BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS

Collects GOD COUNTRY #1-6

LAZARUS: X+66 #1 (OF 6)

STORY: GREG RUCKA & ERIC TRAUTMANN

ART: STEVE LIEBER

COVER: MICHAEL LARK

JULY 19 / 40 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

FIRST ISSUE

In the wake of “CULL” and setting the stage for “FRACTURE,” the sixth storyline of the critically acclaimed LAZARUS, this series takes us into the year +66 with six separate stories. Casey Solomon has caught the eye of the Lazarus, but gaining the Family’s attention can be as much a curse as a blessing. Will Dagger Selection destroy Casey, or will survival mean something worse?

LOW, BOOK ONE HC

STORY: RICK REMENDER

ART / COVER: GREG TOCCHINI & DAVE McCAIG

OCTOBER 4 / 440 PAGES / FC / M / $49.99

ADVANCE SOLICIT

Millennia ago, mankind fled the Earth’s surface into the bottomless depths of the darkest oceans. Shielded from a merciless sun’s scorching radiation, the human race tried to stave off certain extinction by sending robotic probes far into the galaxy to search for a new home among the stars. Generations later, one family is about to be torn apart in a conflict that will usher in the final race to save humanity from a world beyond hope.

Dive into an aquatic fantasy like none you’ve ever seen before in this oversized hardcover, packed to the gills with concept art, design sketches, original script, and more hidden treasures, as writer RICK REMENDER (DEADLY CLASS, SEVEN TO ETERNITY) and artist GREG TOCCHINI (LAST DAYS OF AMERICAN CRIME) bring you a tale of mankind’s final hour in the cold, deathly dark of the sea.

Collects LOW #1-15

MAGE: THE HERO DENIED #0

STORY / ART / COVER: MATT WAGNER

JULY 12 / 16 PAGES / FC / T+ / $1.99 (?)

MATT WAGNER returns with the third and final volume of his epic fantasy trilogy—MAGE: THE HERO DENIED. This long-awaited conclusion follows the adventures of the reluctant everyman hero Kevin Matchstick, who, after encountering a shaggy and beguiling wizard, discovers he is the reincarnation of the legendary Pendragon and able to wield the power of the mystical weapon, Excalibur. The story picks up several years after the fateful climax of THE HERO DEFINED and finds Kevin beginning to once again doubt the virtue of his actions and the course of his destiny.

This introductory, half-sized issue #0 continues MAGE’s tradition of an “Interlude” short-adventure, bridging the gap between this series and the previous storyline. It also acts as a perfect jumping-on spot for new readers.

MAGE: THE HERO DISCOVERED, VOL. 1 TP

STORY: MATT WAGNER

ART: MATT WAGNER & SAM KIETH

COVER: MATT WAGNER

JULY 12 / 224 pages / FC / T+ / $19.99

The first of two volumes reprinting the classic early issues of creator MATT WAGNER’s epic fantasy trilogy. THE HERO DISCOVERED reveals the fledgling adventures of the reluctant everyman hero, Kevin Matchsick. After encountering a shaggy and beguiling wizard, Kevin soon discovers that he is more than he ever imagined.

This seminal work has found an enduring popularity with readers for decades and marks creator MATT WAGNER’s emergence as a powerful story-teller. With the release of the final part of the MAGE trilogy, this series will spark interest with new readers and older fans alike.

THE OTHER SIDE SPECIAL EDITION HC

STORY: JASON AARON

ART / COVER: CAMERON STEWART

JULY 26 / 144 PAGES / FC / M / $19.99

THE OTHER SIDE SPECIAL EDITION is a hardcover collection of the Eisner-Award nominated miniseries that started it all for writer JASON AARON (SOUTHERN BASTARDS, THE GODDAMNED, Scalped)! With amazingly visceral artwork from CAMERON STEWART (MOTOR CRUSH, Fight Club 2) and vivid colors from DAVE McCAIG (American Vampire), THE OTHER SIDE tells an unforgettable Vietnam War story from the point of view of two young soldiers on both sides of the conflict.

THE OTHER SIDE SPECIAL EDITION will not only showcase this powerful war story but also include loads of extra materials straight from the files of both writer and artist. CAMERON STEWART was so committed to this project that he traveled to Vietnam to do preliminary research, and this collection will feature pictures, drawings, and journal entries from that trip.

Collects THE OTHER SIDE #1-5

SOLID STATE TP

STORY: JONATHAN COULTON & MATT FRACTION

ART / COVER: ALBERT MONTEYS

JULY 26 / 128 PAGES / FC / T / $19.99 / 10”x10”

From musician, singer-songwriter, and internet superstar JONATHAN COULTON comes the graphic novel accompaniment (in square-bound, 10″ x 10″ format) to his new concept album, SOLID STATE.

Two guys, connected by a name and hundreds of years, somehow stand at the end of man’s beginning, and the beginning of man’s end. But…it’s funny? Also kind of a nightmare. But mostly funny? A funny science FACTion nightmare about the end of everything, but how that’s all kind of okay.

Teaming up with MATT FRACTION, the writer of SEX CRIMINALS, CASANOVA, and ODY-C; and the award-winning Spanish artist of Universe! ALBERT MONTEYS, COULTON’s SOLID STATE is a tech mashup where 2001: A Space Odyssey meets Office Space and getting all we ever wanted might just be a terrible idea.

THE STREET ANGEL GANG HC

STORY: JIM RUGG & BRIAN MARUCA

ART / COVER: JIM RUGG

JULY 26 / 40 PAGES / FC / T / $19.99

What if Kal El had been found by the Warriors instead of the Kents? The deadliest girl alive accidentally joins a super violent street gang. Are the Bleeders the family Jesse never had, or is Jesse the child they never wanted? What? Free snacks at the gang tryout party! Also, SCANDAL—one of the Bleeders is a spy!

THE BEAUTY #16

STORY: JEREMY HAUN & JASON A. HURLEY

ART: THOMAS NACHLIK

COVER A: JEREMY HAUN & JOHN RAUCH

COVER B: SHANE WHITE

JULY 5 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

END OF STORY ARC! The hunt for the Narcissus Killer ends as Detectives Vaughn and Foster come face to face with a career-defining enemy.

BIRTHRIGHT, VOL. 5 TP

STORY: JOSHUA WILLIAMSON

ART/COVER: ANDREI BRESSAN & ADRIANO LUCAS

JULY 12 / 112 PAGES / FC / T+ / $12.99

Born during a time of endless war, Rya will do anything to give her child a better future. Whether that’s on Earth or back on Terrenos, she fights for that future alongside her new family. Even as they all start to realize something’s not right with Mikey…

Collects BIRTHRIGHT #21-25.

BITCH PLANET: TRIPLE FEATURE #2

STORY: CHE GRAYSON, DANIELLE HENDERSON & JORDAN CLARK

ART: SHARON DE LA CRUZ, TED BRANDT, RO STEIN & NAOMI FRANQUIZ

COVER: VALENTINE DE LANDRO

JULY 19 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

DECONNICK & DE LANDRO PRESENT: The Triple Feature! Patriarchy beware…this sci-fi kidney punch can’t be stopped! Return to BITCH PLANET for more tales from a world gone upside down…that might just be around the corner… Plus all the backmatter you can handle! 100 percent Grade A satire. Tell your friends. Tell your enemies.

BLACK CLOUD #4

STORY: JASON LATOUR & IVAN BRANDON

ART / COVER: GREG HINKLE & MATT WILSON

JULY 12 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

Zelda’s fantasy of escape fades as her past and present collide, and she has to decide if she’ll fight for her place in the Outside.

THE BLACK MONDAY MURDERS #8

STORY: JONATHAN HICKMAN

ART / COVER: TOMM COKER

JULY 19 / 40 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

END OF STORY ARC “UNIONIZED LABOR” The unholy alliance of money and law is formed. Dumas and Ria meet again.

BLACK ROAD, VOL. 2: A PAGAN DEATH TP

STORY: BRIAN WOOD

ART: GARRY BROWN & DAVE McCAIG

COVER: GARRY BROWN

JULY 26 / 120 PAGES / FC / M / $14.99

Having located Bishop Oakenfort on the extreme northern coast of Norssk, Magnus the Black moves in on this rogue Vatican outpost with the intent to shut it down. But as formidable a Viking warrior as Magnus is, he is still one man versus a fortress. The epic conclusion to the story started with volume one’s “THE HOLY NORTH.”

Collects BLACK ROAD #6-10.

BLACK SCIENCE, VOL. 6 TP

STORY: RICK REMENDER

ART / COVER: MATTEO SCALERA & MORENO DINISIO

JULY 5 / 136 PAGES / FC / M / $14.99

After years adrift in the chaotic Eververse, the McKay family finally reunites in their home dimension. But it’s far from the happy end they expected. To save all there is and ever will be, the Dimensionauts need to cut deeper into the Onion than ever before!

RICK REMENDER & MATTEO SCALERA present the sixth chapter of the runaway pulp sci-fi smash hit BLACK SCIENCE!

Collects BLACK SCIENCE #26-30

CANNIBAL #7

STORY: BRIAN BUCCELLATO & JENNIFER YOUNG

ART / COVER: MATIAS BERGARA

JULY 19 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

The townsfolk of Willow go on an all-out manhunt for Danny. But to get to him, they’ll have to go through the Hansen family.

CROSSWIND #2

STORY: GAIL SIMONE

ART / COVERS A & B: CAT STAGGS

JULY 26 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

The mind-breaking crime fantasy continues! Slick Chicago hitman Cason Bennett and mousy Seattle housewife Juniper Blue have inexplicably switched bodies and lives, and a heartless, relentless killer seems intent on killing them both. Don’t miss this edge-of-your-seat thriller by fan-favorites GAIL SIMONE and CAT STAGGS!

CURSE WORDS #6

STORY: CHARLES SOULE

ART / COVER A: RYAN BROWNE

COVER B: RYAN STEGMAN

JULY 12 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

NEW STORY ARC “EXPLOSIONTOWN,” Part One

CURSE WORDS IS BACK!! The hit series launches its second arc. The full roster of the Demon Sizzajee’s Nine Evil Wizards is revealed! Meet the Carbuncle, Silly Bee, and all the rest…while in New York City, Wizord and his newly de-powered ex, Ruby Stitch, embark upon a most peculiar business venture.

DEADLY CLASS #31

STORY: RICK REMENDER

ART / COVER A: WES CRAIG & JORDAN BOYD

COVER B: DANIEL WARREN JOHNSON

JULY 19 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

ARC FINALE! There’s something grand about being lame, and the lame are making moves to haunt all who imagine themselves members of the council of cool kids.

DESCENDER #22

STORY: JEFF LEMIRE

ART / COVER A: DUSTIN NGUYEN

COVER B (INTERLOCKING VARIANT): JEFF LEMIRE & DUSTIN NGUYEN

JULY 19 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

NEW STORYLINE! “RISE OF THE ROBOTS,” Part One

THE FIRST DESCENDER EVENT STARTS HERE! Tim-22 makes his move on Telsa and Quon, Andy and Effie attack the Machine Moon, and Psius and The Hardwire have Tim-21 in their grips. As the various factions hunting Tim-21 close in, the galaxy is on the verge of all-out war. This is it! Everything DESCENDER has been building to begins to erupt in the most important and surprising DESCENDER storyline yet!

This five-part DESCENDER event will include a series of interlocking variant covers by LEMIRE and NGUYEN!

THE DIVIDED STATES OF HYSTERIA #2

STORY / ART / COVER: HOWARD CHAYKIN

JULY 12 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

A city, devastated. A nation, shattered. A people, terrified. And the most hated man in the world…the man who got us here in the first place…is all that stands between us the next attack.

THE DYING AND THE DEAD #6 (OF 10)

STORY: JONATHAN HICKMAN

ART / COVER: RYAN BODENHEIM

JULY 26 / 40 PAGES / FC / T+ / $3.99

“CLEAR SKIES, EXPECT RAIN” The team heads to Japan to talk to ghosts. Claire leaves the hospital for good.

ETERNAL EMPIRE #3

STORY: SARAH VAUGHN & JONATHAN LUNA

ART / COVER: JONATHAN LUNA

JULY 12 / 32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $3.99

Tair and Rion discover that they share a fire power when in close proximity with one another. But will they be able to control it? And what will they do now that they’ve defied the Empire?

EXTREMITY #5

STORY / ART / COVER: DANIEL WARREN JOHNSON

COLOR: MIKE SPICER

JULY 5 / 32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $3.99

Thea has followed her father’s every order in their war against the Paznina. But how far is she willing to go?

THE FIX #11

STORY: NICK SPENCER

ART / COVER: STEVE LIEBER & RYAN HILL

JULY 12 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

Mac is out for answers.

GRRL SCOUTS: MAGIC SOCKS #3

STORY / ART / COVER A: JIM MAHFOOD

COLORS: JUSTIN STEWART

COVER B: MIKE HUDDLESTON

JULY 19 / 32 PAGES /FC / M / $3.99

Gwen and Rita are forced to pick up the pieces after Daphne’s brutal death. Josie moves into power with the Magic Socks, quickly becoming a pop cult sensation. This third issue is stuffed to the gills with an action-packed story, bonus art, soundtrack, and sketchbook—plus, a variant cover by the mighty, mighty MIKE HUDDLESTON! Pure fun! Pure flavor!

HORIZON, VOL. 2: REMNANT TP

STORY: BRANDON THOMAS

ART: JUAN GEDEON & MIKE SPICER

COVER: JASON HOWARD

JULY 19 / 128 PAGES / FC / M / $14.99

Zhia Malen has delivered the first crippling blow to Earth. Now, Chicago braces for a super storm as she kicks off the next phase of her invasion. But the connection between her world and Earth runs deeper than she imagined, making this planet hostile to EVERY species in the galaxy.

Collects HORIZON #7-12

I HATE FAIRYLAND #14

STORY / ART / COVER A: SKOTTIE YOUNG

COVER B (F**K FAIRYLAND UNCENSORED VARIANT): SKOTTIE YOUNG & EWAN McLAUGHLIN

JULY 19 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

“LOVE’S LABYRINTH” Gert meets a mysterious (aka super creepy) man who offers her the redemption she’s looking for if she can solve his treacherous maze. You don’t want to know what will happen if she fails! Wait…scratch that. You do want to know. Buy the book to find out.

INJECTION #15

STORY: WARREN ELLIS

ART / COVERS A & B: DECLAN SHALVEY & JORDIE BELLAIRE

July 19 / 24 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

END OF STORY ARC. VOLUME 3, PART V

The Cold House has been opened, and the connection between the Injection and the Other World is open. And that may not be the worst thing in Brigid Roth’s life tonight.

INVINCIBLE #138

STORY: ROBERT KIRKMAN

ART / COVER: RYAN OTTLEY & NATHAN FAIRBAIRN

JULY 19 / 24 PAGES / FC/ M / $2.99

“THE END OF ALL THINGS,” Part Six. Face to face with Thragg and his new Viltrumite army, Mark and his allies must fight to survive while the fate of the whole universe hangs in the balance!

KILL OR BE KILLED, VOL. 2 TP

STORY: ED BRUBAKER

ART: SEAN PHILLIPS & ELIZABETH BREITWEISER

COVER: SEAN PHILLIPS

JULY 26 / 160 PAGES / FC / M / $14.99

Brubaker and Phillips’ bestselling series keeps on hitting, as our vigilante hero goes deeper into the darkness, and the NYPD begin to realize there’s a masked man killing bad guys all over town. Both a thriller and a deconstruction of vigilantism, KILL OR BE KILLED is unlike anything this award-winning team has done before.

Collects KILL OR BE KILLED #5-10

KILL THE MINOTAUR #2

STORY: CHRIS PASETTO & CHRISTIAN CANTAMESSA

ART / COVER: LUKAS KETNER & JEAN-FRANCOIS BEAULIEU

JULY 19 / 40 PAGES/ FC/ M / $3.99

No one has ever survived the labyrinth. Now it’s kill or be killed as Theseus leads his fellow tributes through its many horrors in a desperate bid to escape. But all paths lead to the dreaded minotaur. Each issue features 30 pages of story!

OUTCAST BY KIRKMAN & AZACETA #30

STORY: ROBERT KIRKMAN

ART / COVER: PAUL AZACETA & ELIZABETH BREITWEISER

JULY 26 / 32 PAGES/ FC / M / $2.99

“THE COMING STORM” The forces of evil are closing in.

PAKLIS #3

STORY / ART / COVER: DUSTIN WEAVER

July 26 / 32 Pages / FC / T+ / $3.99

In the third chapter of Amnia Cycle, Tara Donnia crash-lands on a strange world with strange creatures and finds herself at the mercy of strangers. Meanwhile, her friends, having followed her into the Shadow Zone, find themselves caught in a battle between two warring ships. And in part four of Sagittarius A*, micro-blackholes in the brains of chimps? Animals made to depict God? Had Linus Rad’s scientist father lost his mind?

PLASTIC #4 (OF 5)

STORY: DOUG WAGNER

ART: DANIEL HILLYARD, LAURA MARTIN

COVER A: ANDREW ROBINSON

COVER B: DANIEL HILLYARD

JULY 26 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

Edwyn takes a hostage of his own, changing all the rules of this bloodcurdling cat-and-mouse game. Will Virginia’s captors finally cut their losses and return her to Edwyn, or will there be more “death by plastic”?

POSTAL #21

STORY: BRYAN HILL

ART: ISAAC GOODHART

COVER: LINDA SEJIC

JULY 26 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

NEW STORY ARC

With tensions at an all-time high between Laura and her son Mark, the criminals of Eden will have to learn to work together because Mark’s father and the FBI are coming to punish the guilty.

RAT QUEENS #4

STORY: KURTIS J. WIEBE

ART / COVERS A & B: OWEN GIENI

JULY 5 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

“CAT KINGS AND OTHER GARYS,” Part Four. A harmless quest for magic ingredients leads the Queens into the belly of a dark dungeon. Of course it’s full of deadly traps, monsters, and sentient décor that all want the Rat Queens dead.

REDNECK #4

STORY: DONNY CATES

ART / COVER: LISANDRO ESTHERREN & DEE CUNNIFFE

JULY 26 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

In an attempt to stop the chaos engulfing their family, Perry and Bartlett revisit Bartlett’s past…but digging up old wounds sometimes opens new ones. What exactly is Bartlett’s big secret?

REGRESSION #3

STORY: CULLEN BUNN

ART / COVER: DANNY LUCKERT & MARIE ENGER

JULY 12 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

The body count is on the rise, and the blood may be on an innocent man’s hands! A dark power is haunting Adrian, terrorizing him, whispering dark secrets and ghastly promises in his ear. Unable to account for his own whereabouts…unable to trust his own senses…Adrian wonders if he is responsible for recent murders. The police certainly seem to think he knows more than he’s letting on. And now Adrian is starting to believe sinister forces are watching him…from the real world…and in the realm of his own nightmares. Meanwhile, Molly worries about her friend, not realizing that she may have become the next target of his unholy desires.

RENATO JONES SEASON TWO #3 (of 5)

STORY / ART / COVER: KAARE KYLE ANDREWS

JULY 12 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

“THE FREELANCER,” Part Three. The true power of any Freelancer is to walk away. But when the ONEs keep dying, who is filling in for Renato Jones?

ROCK CANDY MOUNTAIN #4

STORY / ART / COVER: KYLE STARKS

JULY 5 / 24 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

END OF STORY ARC

Well, you wouldn’t think it could get any worse for our Hobo Heroes did you? On the run from a swarm of G-Men and the Literal Devil, but well, here we are—trapped like rats in a prison?!?! Oh, what have our Sweet Boys done? How will they get to the legendary Rock Candy Mountain if they’re stuck in the clink? Is this all part of Jackson’s mysterious master plan? Can Pomona Slim survive the harsh confines? We’ll have to see won’t we? Oh yeah, and Jackson fights the entire prison.

ROSE #4

STORY: MEREDITH FINCH

ART / COVER A: IG GUARA

COVER B: DAVID FINCH

JULY 12 / 32 PAGES / FC / T / $3.99

The battle for the future of Ttereve continues as Thorne is forced to grapple with demons from his past. After a cruel betrayal from a trusted ally, Rose and Ila are separated from their companions and in a fight for their lives. Magic itself hangs in the balance as Drucilla destroys everything and everyone in her path.

ROYAL CITY #5

STORY / ART / COVER: JEFF LEMIRE

JULY 19 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

END OF STORY ARC

The first story arc of JEFF LEMIRE’s acclaimed new series comes to its shocking conclusion as the secrets of the Pike family are finally exposed, and there will be no going back. Meanwhile, while lying in a coma, Peter Pike goes on a bizarre journey with his life hanging in the balance.

SAGA #45

STORY: BRIAN K. VAUGHAN

ART / COVER: FIONA STAPLES

JULY 26 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $2.99

As Hazel and her family venture into the Badlands, their newest companion is left to hold down the fort on her own.

SAMARITAN: VERITAS #3

STORY: MATT HAWKINS

ART / COVER: ATILIO ROJO

JULY 26 / 32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $3.99

END OF FIRST STORY ARC! Will Sam be able to take down the president? Several major characters die as this Edenverse arc comes to a close.

SAVAGE DRAGON #226

STORY / ART / COVER: ERIK LARSEN

JULY 19 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

SELF-CONTAINED ISSUE

“TRUMPED” When a tyrannical madman assumes command of the United States, aliens are deemed a threat to national security and targeted for elimination—and that includes Malcolm Dragon and his family! With a country turned against him, Malcolm Dragon fights as he’s never fought before!

SEVEN TO ETERNITY #8

STORY: RICK REMENDER

ART / COVER B: JAMES HARREN & MATT HOLLINGSWORTH

COVER A: JEROME OPEÑA & MATT HOLLINGSWORTH

JULY 12 / 32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $3.99

That which was pure and perfect is gone. Home, a distant memory. Some yet fight to preserve good, to resist the consumption of the whispers.

SHIRTLESS BEAR-FIGHTER! #2 (OF 5)

STORY: JODY LEHEUP & SEBASTIAN GIRNER

ART: NIL VENDRELL & MIKE SPICER

COVER A: ANDREW ROBINSON

COVER B: NATHAN FOX

COVER C: ANDREW MACLEAN

JULY 26 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

Savage, wild-eyed bears are attacking cities across America, and only the Shirtless Bear-Fighter can stop them! But as Shirtless punches his way through wave after wave of not-so-friendly fozzies, one question looms large in his furious mind…just what is driving these bears so damn crazy? Enter…THE HILLBILLY WARLOCK!

SHUTTER #30

STORY: JOE KEATINGE

ART / COVER: LEILA DEL DUCA & OWEN GIENI

JULY 26 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

SERIES FINALE

“CODA OBSCURA, PART TWO: SAUDADE” Thirty years later. One last adventure. One final goodbye. KEATINGE and DEL DUCA wrap up their long-running, critically acclaimed series by uncovering the mystery Kate Kristopher has searched for since the very beginning.

SNOTGIRL #6

STORY: BRYAN LEE O’MALLEY & LESLIE HUNG

ART: LESLIE HUNG & RACHAEL COHEN

COVER: LESLIE HUNG

JULY 5 / 32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $2.99

NEW STORY ARC!

From the creator of Scott Pilgrim! Lottie Person is a glamorous fashion blogger living her best life—at least that’s what she wants you to think. The truth is, she’s an allergy-ridden mess who may or may not have killed somebody! THIS MONTH: Spring is the season for mystery, madness & mucus as Lottie meets her adoring public, Coolgirl has a change of heart, and we learn more than we ever wanted to know about Cutegirl!

SONS OF THE DEVIL #14

STORY: BRIAN BUCCELLATO

ART / COVER: TONI INFANTE

JULY 26 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

SERIES FINALE

“SACRIFICE” The stunning finale of the third arc! Travis and David go head to head, with the lives of everyone Travis loves hanging in the balance.

SOUTHERN CROSS #14

STORY / COVER: BECKY CLOONAN

ART: ANDY BELANGER & LEE LOUGHRIDGE

JULY 26 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

“THE CRYPT DIMENSION,” Part Two. Trapped on the Southern Cross, Hazel and her crew have just as much to fear from each other as they do the alien-possessed undead that are haunting the ship.

SPAWN #276

STORY: DARRAGH SAVAGE / JASON SHAWN ALEXANDER

ART / COVER A: JASON SHAWN ALEXANDER

COVER B: TODD MCFARLANE

JULY 26 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $2.99

“DARK HORROR,” Part One. An even darker new chapter in the SPAWN saga begins with a new creative team! Art by Eisner-nominated illustrator JASON SHAWN ALEXANDER, and story by DARRAGH SAVAGE & ALEXANDER (EMPTY ZONE).

On the other side of the world in Tokyo, a dark conspiracy is unleashed. An old enemy resurfaces. To combat this evil, Spawn will evolve NEW POWERS in order to inflict the same HORROR, pain, and destruction as Hell has done to him over the years.

STRAY BULLETS: SUNSHINE & ROSES #26

STORY / ART / COVER: DAVID LAPHAM

JULY 12 / 32 PAGES / BW / M / $3.99

Kretchmeyer takes a trip down memory lane and finds himself on a bloody stretch of bad road.

SUN BAKERY #6

STORY / ART / COVER: COREY LEWIS

JULY 26 / 48 PAGES / FC / M / $4.99

“SOUL OF SHARKNIFE,” Part Two. Sharknife’s new nemesis, a harpooning psycho named PIERCE GASHER reveals himself. Ven attempts to master his unique breakdancing abilities and conquer the copycat breaker The Biter in “FREEZE.” “BAT RIDER”‘s mysteries unfold. “DEAD NAKED” takes us on a trip across the desert. Four amazing stories continue in SUN BAKERY #6.

UNDERWINTER #5

STORY / ART / COVER A: RAY FAWKES

COVER B: JAMIE McKELVIE

JULY 26 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

“SYMPHONY” Part Five. As the end approaches and deaths accumulate, the quartet remember what made each of them take up the art that is destroying them all.

VIOLENT LOVE #6

STORY: FRANK J. BARBIERE

ART / COVER: VICTOR SANTOS

JULY 12 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

NEW STORY ARC

Chapter 6: BASTARDS OF YOUNG

THE WALKING DEAD #169

STORY: ROBERT KIRKMAN

ART: CHARLIE ADLARD, STEFANO GAUDIANO & CLIFF RATHBURN

COVER: CHARLIE ADLARD & DAVE STEWART

JULY 5 / 32 PAGES / BW / M / $2.99

NEW STORY ARC

“LINES WE CROSS” It is time for Dwight to step up.

WAYWARD #22

STORY: JIM ZUB

ART / COVER A: STEVEN CUMMINGS & TAMRA BONVILLAIN

COVER B: STJEPAN ŠEJIĆ

JULY 26 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

Back in Ireland, revelations of Rori’s past and the road to Tír na nÓg…

Cover B is illustrated by fan-favorite painter STJEPAN SEJIC(SUNSTONE, WITCHBLADE)!

“Wayward isn’t just a fun and addictive read, it is cultural exchange in comic book form.” – Comic Book Resources

WAYWARD, BOOK 2: DELUXE HC

STORY: JIM ZUB

ART / COVER: STEVEn CUMMINGS & TAMRA BONVILLAIN

JULY 5 / 320 PAGES / FC / M / $39.99

Includes a special poster of the five-part WAYWARD connected cover illustration from issues #11-15!

The new gods of Japan have arrived, and a clash with the myths of old will change the country forever. JIM ZUB and STEVEN CUMMINGS combine the camaraderie and emotion of shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer with Japan’s engaging culture and mythic monsters.

Image Comics’ supernatural sensation continues in this oversized hardcover collection that includes every stunning cover illustration, design sketches, and extensive essay material on culture and mythology by monster scholars ZACK DAVISSON and ANN O’REGAN.

Collects WAYWARD #11-20

THE WICKED + THE DIVINE #29

STORY: KIERON GILLEN

ART / COVER A: JAMIE McKELVIE & MATT WILSON

COVER B: JOCK

JULY 5 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

NEW STORY ARC

Regrets, I’ve had a few, but then again, too many to fit in the scant time I have remaining, so what’s a girl to do? The party’s over. The party never ends. A hangover that just won’t go away opens IMPERIAL PHASE (Part II). Heaven help us all.

THE WICKED + THE DIVINE, BOOK TWO HC

STORY: KIERON GILLEN

COVER: JAMIE McKELVIE

ART: JAMIE MCKELVIE, MATT WILSON, BRANDON GRAHAM, KATE BROWN, LEILA DEL DUCA, MAT LOPES, STEPHANIE HANS, TULA LOTAY

JULY 12 / 400 PAGES / FC / M / $44.99

Oversized hardcover collection of issues #12-22 of THE WICKED + THE DIVINE, including the most experimental and elating material in the critically acclaimed commercial superstar of a series so far. Collects COMMERCIAL SUICIDE and RISING ACTION with copious making-of material and extensive director’s commentary.

WINNEBAGO GRAVEYARD #2 (OF 4)

STORY: STEVE NILES

ART / COVER A: ALISON SAMPSON, STEPHANE PAITREAU & JORDIE BELLAIRE

COVER B: DAVID RUBIN

JULY 19 / 32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $3.99

Pursued by cultists, Christine, Dan, and Bobby must run through the night to stay alive.

YOUNGBLOOD #3

STORY: CHAD BOWERS

ART / COVER A: JIM TOWE

COVER B: ROB LIEFELD

COVER C: DAN FRAGA

JULY 26 / 32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $3.99

“REBORN,” Part Three. Answers lead to even more questions as the search for Man-Up continues! But Vogue’s plan to infiltrate HELP! headquarters backfires when Youngblood’s sordid legacy threatens to tear the fledgling team apart.

IMAGE+ #16

JULY 26 / 64 PAGES / FC / $1.99

THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED FINALE TO THE HERE’S NEGAN STORY

Don’t miss this issue of IMAGE+! Read the highly anticipated conclusion to the HERE’S NEGAN! story. This final, jaw-dropping chapter will hit THE WALKING DEAD fans harder than a smack from Lucille. Don’t miss out on this collectible, unforgettable finale to the fan-favorite villain’s origin story by the New York Times bestselling team of ROBERT KIRKMAN & CHARLIE ADLARD.

IMAGE+ features in-depth interviews with creators, extended previews of upcoming titles, insightful essays, spotlights on comic shops, and everything fans want to know about what’s coming soon from Image Comics. IMAGE+ is the winner of 2016’s “Magazine of the Year” Diamond Gem Award and the go-to resource for what’s new and hot at Image Comics.

SKYBOUND PINS

Skybound and Yesterdays have teamed up to bring a new line of enamel pins to the masses. Get your pin fix today! MSRP of $10 for all pins, except Saga – Lying Cat, which is $15.

The Walking Dead – Logo Pin

The Walking Dead – Walker Head Pin

The Walking Dead – Lucille Pin

The Walking Dead – Negan Wrakk Splaugg Pin

Saga – Lying Cat Pin

Saga – Ghus Pin

THE WALKING DEAD LUCILLE BALLPOINT PEN

Price: $9.99 each

Now you can lay waste to all of your document signings with the new Lucille ballpoint pen. Each pen is 6” long and comes pre-blood splattered.

THE WALKING DEAD LUCILLE BALLPOINT PEN 16PC CS

Price: $159.84

Comes with a display box

THE WICKED & THE DIVINE SKULL ENAMEL PIN THE WICKED & THE DIVINE KLLK! ENAMEL PIN

While the road to hell is paved with good intentions, the road to lapel is paved with good merchandise. These are the first The Wicked + The Divine pins. Purchase them, with money. Wear them with pride. Or shame. Or however, really. You bought ’em, wear them how you want.

The post Image Comics Solicitations for July 2017 appeared first on CBR.

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‘I’m like a secret assassin’: Poo Bear on writing for Justin Bieber, Skrillex and Sam Smith

The songwriter aka Jason Boyd has been writing hits for more than 20 years, but his collaboration with Bieber on Where R Now? made him an overnight sensation. It literally changed music, he tells Elle Hunt

You may not have heard of Jason Boyd, better but not widely known as Poo Bear, but youve heard him.

After more than two decades as a songwriter and producer of mostly R&B and pop, his fingerprints are on hits for an array of artists including Usher, Chris Brown, and Lupe Fiasco.

Peaches & Cream by the R&B quartet 112, which spent 25 weeks in the Top 40 in 2001, is one of his. So is Caught Up, Ushers fifth single from Confessions. And Work, one of Kelly Rowlands most successful solo works.

Poo Bear was 14 and still in high school when he co-wrote his first hit, Anywhere, for 112; he is now 38.

He considers his low profile the secret to his longevity; people tire of the same old songwriters and producers. It might not mean that your music isnt great anymore; it might just mean they might just be over it, he says. For me, it was a blessing to stay under the radar so they couldnt really get tired of me … Im like a secret assassin. You dont even know its like, oh, Poo Bear did that.

His star is in fact the highest its ever been, thanks to a boost from a musician whose own could not have fallen much lower. Poo Bear was instrumental in Justin Biebers turnaround from one of the worlds most-loathed celebrities to electronic dance music superstar, co-writing much of his 2015 album, Purpose.

Just weeks after Bieber brought his megatour-stroke-victory lap to Australia, Poo Bear is in Sydney for the world premiere of Afraid of Forever, a documentary about his career, produced by Red Bull.

Softly-spoken and earnest, with the trademark greeting happy birthday (because youre supposed to feel like that every day), he seems a little bemused by the attention.

Poo Bear: Ive watched songwriters, writers, producers, even artists that Ive written hits for come and go. Photograph: Dustin Downing

Ive watched songwriters, writers, producers, even artists that Ive written hits for come and go, he says, speaking to Guardian Australia at the Star casino on Wednesday morning. But to the world, it looked like Justin Bieber was my first success.

When Bieber and Bear were first introduced in Las Vegas in January 2013, they bonded over their shared love of R&B, with Bieber a fan of many of the artists Bear had written for.

Both were raised by single mothers in low-income, religious homes, and both entered the music industry at a young age. As Bieber once put it, they kind of just vibed on a personal level.

Poo Bears parents divorced when he was eight; two weeks later, a tornado destroyed the family home in Connecticut. He and his mother and brother spent nine months homeless before moving to Atlanta, Georgia, for a fresh start made possible by a donation of $4,000 from their church.

Bear signed his first record deal four years later. Bieber was the same age 13 when he was discovered on YouTube by his longtime manager, Scooter Braun.

Braun disapproved of Bear when he first started spending time with Bieber, concerned he was a bad influence at a time when the young singers star was already in a nosedive. (Bear did once characterise his early friendship with Bieber as making bad decisions with a minor smoking weed and getting into trouble.)

[Braun] did try to separate us, and that brought us closer. Over time, I understood it … This was a kid hed been raising since he was 13 if I was in that situation, I probably wouldve been a little overprotective too. (Braun is now Bears manager as well.)

Poo Bear and Bieber eventually collaborated on Journals, an unassuming compilation of mostly R&B singles released at the end of 2013. It was never intended to be a commercial hit, says Bear; Bieber was exercising some creative freedom and taking tentative steps out of child-stardom a transition to which Poo Bear proved crucial.

People always say, I wasnt really feeling Justin, but it wasnt really for them. It was always for kids and little girls. When Journals came out, it opened up the world to this other side of Justin that we never knew existed.

Most Top 40 hits are collaborations between producers, who make the beat, and top-line writers such as Poo Bear, who come up with melodies and lyrics. Photograph: Dustin Downing

At that time, Bieber was almost exclusively known for abandoning his pet monkey to customs officials, spitting on fans from a balcony, and urinating in a restaurants mop bucket.

Theres no time for failure; theres no money for failure, the producer Scott Storch, with whom Poo Bear collaborated closely between 2005 and 2008, says in Afraid of Forever.

Compared to the songwriting-by-committee approach and safer bets such as the Swedish hit-making powerhouse Max Martin Biebers insistence on working with the relatively unknown Poo Bear constituted a risk, and at a time when his future was at stake.

The foundations for Biebers comeback were laid in a whole campaign devised by Scooter Braun, says Bear: The [Comedy Central] roast and everything that was all Scooters idea.

Poo Bear and singer-songwriter Justin Bieber at Poo Bears Grammy Party at Serafina Sunset on February 10, 2017 in West Hollywood, California. Photograph: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images

But public relationships could only do so much: it would take a hit to cement Biebers return, and that pressure was on Poo Bear.

The breakthrough was Where R Now?, imagined by Bear as a piano ballad. Then Skrillex turn it into a movie, he says, almost with awe.

Skrillex and his fellow producer Diplo had heard the demo of the track, and expressed interest in it as a single for their upcoming collaboration as Jack .

In their hands, the wistful ballad became springy and cinematic, with a throbbing beat and a dolphin-cry chorus that was revealed to be Biebers voice, digitally manipulated beyond recognition, in a slick New York Times video about its production.

Its influence is inescapable now; in February 2015, when it was released by Jack with Justin Bieber, it was utterly new. It literally changed music, says Bear. It took a while, but it ended up catching on. It was played, oh my God, so much on the radio.

Where R Now paved the way for What Do You Mean?, the lead single off Purpose and co-written by Bieber, Poo Bear and just one other. It was an immediate hit the first number-one of Biebers half-decade career and introduced to the charts the Caribbean-influenced tropical house sound now so ubiquitous, even Ed Sheeran has dabbled in it. (Its like, out of all the people, I would have thought you would be somebody to do something different, says Bear, slightly accusatorially.)

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Two more number-one singles followed, while Purpose itself debuted at number-one on the US Billboard 200 album chart. It topped album charts in 11 other countries, and was nominated for album of the year at the 2017 Grammys.

Bieber was back.

It was done, says Bear. Nobody could take it away from him. I dont know about the rest of the world, but America loves redemption. They love giving people second chances.

With the momentum behind Bieber came unprecedented attention for Poo Bear, who gave the first extensive interview of his career to the New York Times in October 2015; at the time, he didnt even have a Wikipedia page.

At the same time, he is under no illusions that he is now a celebrity.

I like going out and having very few people coming up to me because they read the credits and they know, he says. I see my friends who have superstar lifestyles, and its great to have hundreds of millions of dollars, but at the same time, its a sacrifice of your own sanity.

He has, however, quadrupled his pre-Purpose fee in a bid to retain some exclusivity in the face of increased demand. Now he is working with Skrillex and UK singer-songwriter Sam Smith on projects that, he hopes, will throw out the sound he pioneered 18 months ago and which has been widely aped since. (He makes a conscious effort not to listen to popular music: its not inspiring.)

Finally, Ive reached a place where if Im working with an artist, they allow me to just do whatever I feel, he says. Growing up it was like, we want another Peaches and Cream. Then you realise … why would you want a 2001 Mercedes Benz when Im making 2018 Benzes?