#Cole World: The Sideline Story

[jcol3]

Cole World: The Sideline Story 🎵 available now on Vinyl & CD.

[babyflorencee]

Jealousy

Gilbert Blythe x fem!Reader

The sun dipped below the rolling hills of Avonlea, casting an amber glow across the landscape. Gilbert Blythe, with his characteristic disheveled hair and thoughtful gaze, strolled through the orchard, a place that had witnessed the blossoming of friendships and the unveiling of tangled emotions.

Avonlea was abuzz with preparations for the upcoming fair, a festivity Y/n L/n held dear in her heart. As Gilbert walked past the vibrant stalls and fluttering banners, he couldn't help but notice the vivacity in Y/n's step, her eyes sparkling with an enthusiasm that painted the world in hues of her imagination.

Yet, beneath Gilbert's calm exterior, a storm brewed. A quiet jealousy, like an unexpected visitor, had taken residence in his heart. It wasn't the kind born out of malice but rather a realization of the changing dynamics between them.

Yln, oblivious to the tempest within Gilbert, happily chatted with Cole and Diana, her laughter weaving into the summer breeze. As Gilbert observed from a distance, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was standing on the periphery of her universe.

His heart, usually steady as the Avonlea river, now raced with an unfamiliar cadence. Why did he feel this way? Gilbert grappled with the turmoil, his fingers absentmindedly tracing the edge of the fair's prize ribbon he held.

Later that day, under the canopy of stars, Gilbert found himself by the bridge, a place where moments unfolded like chapters in a story. The rhythmic sound of cicadas filled the air as Y/n approached, her gaze alighting upon Gilbert's contemplative silhouette.

"Hey, Gil. Are you alright?" Y/n inquired, a glimmer of concern in her eyes.

The words struggled to find their way out of Gilbert's mouth, but the truth, as elusive as it was, demanded expression. "Y/n, do you ever feel like things are changing, and you're not sure where you fit in anymore?"

Y/ns brow furrowed, a reflection of her confusion. "Change is a constant, Gilbert. But you'll always have a place in my heart. In my world." With the last sentence that left her mouth, her eyes softened, feeling sadness for the boy standing by her.

His heart, still entangled with vines of uncertainty, yearned for more. With a breath held in the quiet night, Gilbert spoke the words that fluttered within. "Y/n, it's not just about the changing world. It's about me, about us. It's about what we could possibly be. I can't stand on the sidelines anymore, y/n. I want to be more than a distant star in your sky."

It was a balm to Gilbert's restless heart, and yet, a lingering question remained unspoken. As they stood on the bridge, the moon casting its silver glow upon the water, the bond between them seemed to shimmer with an understanding beyond words.

Y/n's eyes widened, finally realizing the gravity of his confession. "Gilbert..."

Before she could say more, he took a step closer, his hand cupping her cheek. "I can't hold back any longer," he admitted, and in the soft glow of moonlight, he kissed her.

Their lips met, a silent promise of untold emotions and uncharted paths. The orchard witnessed the quiet culmination of a friendship blossoming into something more, as the stars overhead continued their timeless dance. In that stolen moment, Gilbert and Y/n discovered a new chapter in the story of Avonlea—a chapter written with ink that glistened with unspoken feelings.

[horizon-verizon]

Been observing a rather strange phenomenon within fandom reactions regarding HotD and the criticisms pertaining to Ryan and Sara's writing.

The Black faction is dissatisfied because of issues such as the writers' lack of adherence to canon, distortion of character, sidelining/erasure of PoC actors

The Green faction is upset because the show didn't validate the elaborate headcanons they had constructed about the Greens: about Aegon and Aemond's brotherly love and loyalty, about Alicole's selfless courtly love, about Aemond being a caring and dutiful son. And many of these are not just unsupported by canon but outright rejected.

Book Aemond didn't care to rescue his mother and sister who were trapped in King's Landing. He even remarked that Aegon's crown looked better on him. Criston Cole was always an opportunist with a bitter obsessive hatred for Rhaenyra. He joined Alicent for no reason save for his own gain.

It seems like some people are still unable to wrap their heads around the simple fact that the Greens are the villainous antagonists of the Dance.

Ryan Condal has uttered a lot of bullshit but saying that the book was biased in favour of the Greens isn't one of them. This show went out of its way to bend canon and water down the Greens' villainy, at the expense of the quality of the script I would add. But there is only so much the Condal and Hess can do, biased that they are, without completely changing the entire plot they have to adapt.

Wrote about Aemond, Alicent & Helaena HERE. And in the line of the book where Alicent employs Criston, it is immediately described after Criston is responding to Rhaenyra's rejection and killing a man in rage during a melee/vis-a-vis spectacle. Definitely an opportunist.

This show went out of its way to bend canon and water down the Greens' villainy, at the expense of the quality of the script I would add. But there is only so much the Condal and Hess can do, biased that they are, without completely changing the entire plot they have to adapt.

This wasn't elaborated on. Why is there "only so much they can do" and how does this undisclosed information/explanation show that they couldn't have adapted the original story's most criritcal FACTS as they were the best they could instead of going into a totally different direction, even oppositional. Esp to go so far as to try to equalize Rhaenyra and Aegon. As political leaders, social and individuals, with is to undermining the misogyny that Westeros/many Targs practiced, which enabled the fall off of the dragons and magical imbalance of the world?

Many changes have been done that didn't need to be there but were there for a particular "moral" reason of preventing the violence we're going to witness. That's a whole other conversation, point is that this is a clear CHANGE and many projects have been able to display competiting medieval entities w/o caricaturizing them.

Like yes, the Dance was people concerned with political power and thus it seems that it was a petty dispute...but the commentary is that what makes this dispute petty is that they really could've let Rhaenyra reign (who committed no great wrong against vulnerable individuals nor smallfolk, and esp not the way Aegon had before the war), but the greens didn't and their supporters didn't because BOTH they thought they deserved that power and that men should maintain exclusive rights and access to women's bodies and general/more political authority through the transfer of power that is male primogeniture. That status as the "world's" leaders. As if Rhaenyra's reign would have totally upended patriarchy in an instant or end male privilege , but bc it would at least set up a change towards women having more power even if it would take YEARS, they responded violently. For the HotD team not to really internalize that and not see the value in several things they have outright changed to make some faux, pretentious claim of moral superiority when they try to be "neutral" is to actually be against the story's point in the first place. It's affected how Daemon treats Laena, it's affected how Daemyra operate around each other, how Rhaenys was written the way she was, how both Rhaenyra and Alicent were and basically every female character.

That is not them having "difficulties" with adapting but trying to make said story "appealable" to audiences who really don't know much about ASoIAF.

[andydrysdalerogers]

To The Limit ~ One

F1 Racer Johnny Storm x OFC Maya Levinson

Summary: He's been away from the sport for 2 years. He has 24 races to prove he belongs here. There are two things that could derail this: his family and her.

She's the one thing he is willing to push to the limit for.

This a sequel to my original story, "Following Team Orders" If you want to get caught up in my Formula One world, you can find it HERE

Future Warnings: references to a partner's death, cheating (but not by the MCs,) alcohol consumption, SMUT!, angst, racing incidents, language, grief, etc.

Moon Dividers by @firefly-graphics

Car divider and Banners by me!

Previous Chapter: Prologue

Story Master List // Main Master List

I do NOT give permission for my work to be translated or reposted on here or any other site, even if you give me credit. DO NOT REPOST MY FICS. Reblogs, comments, likes, and feedback ALWAYS appreciated

Winter Testing ~ Bahrain ~ Two Years Later 

Surprising news coming from the FIA.  Newly crowned champion Olivia Williams-Rogers has been pulled as a driver for the season. The only statement made was that Mrs. Williams-Rogers had made the decision with Mercedes.  One can only hope that everything is ok.  Mrs. Williams-Rogers won her first championship last year at the helm of Mercedes following a second championship by her husband Steve Rogers and her former crew chief James Barnes. Mercedes has said that their reserved driver, Cole Riggin, will take her place this year.  

Devastating update from winter testing. After a hard collision with the barrier, Cole Riggin has been medically sidelined for the year due to injury. Mercedes is now scrambling to find a replacement for Riggin as they now only have George Russell in the car. Lots of names are being thrown around, including bring back disgraced racer Ransom Drysdale and semi-retired driver Johnny Storm. Only time will tell who will take the second seat with Mercedes.  

A Wonderful surprise coming from team Mercedes and team Red Bull! Congratulations are in order for former champion Steve Rogers and his wife, current champion Olivia Williams-Rogers. The Rogers family have announced that Mrs. Rogers is pregnant and that is the reason why she is not racing this year. Andy Barber was buzzing in joy as he made the announcement during the post testing press conference. Per Barber, “Olivia is doing well. When she was told by medical of her condition, Mercedes pulled her license immediately. Of course, she was happy to relinquish her license and Steve is overjoyed at the news.  We here at Red Bull are thrilled to have a future driver coming soon.  

No details on how far along Olivia is but here at Sky Sports are sending their congratulations and well wishes to the happy couple.  

With this announcement, there is still no news on the replacement driver. The first race of the season is set to be here in Bahrain in one month’s time and we can only hope that Mercedes announces a decision soon.  

Ari 

“Let’s get this meeting started.” I moved to the front of the room at Mercedes headquarters. My now pregnant driver, Olivia Rogers sat with my current George Russell, on one side. Maya, my public relations expert, Mike, head engineer for George and Lewis, retired driver and former head engineer for Oliva sat on the other of the table.  “Go around the room.”  

Lewis cleared his throat. “Riggin’s injury is significant. He has torn ligaments on both sides of his knee so there is no chance of a comeback this year.  He’s flying back home two weeks after his surgery. We have already arranged rehab for him.”  

“Fuck me,” I muttered.  “Ok then, who is the replacement?”  

“With the way the car is running,” Maya starts, “we need an experience driver. A rookie will have a hard time with the pull we see.  And until we get the updates from the factory, this will continue to be a problem.”  

“What about Drysdale?” Mike asked. The room went quiet. “ I know he made life difficult here but the chance to bring him back for another championship is something we must consider.”  

“No,” Olivia and I said at the same time. I continued, “Drysdale is a liability risk that will harm the team more than help. I am not going to give him a redemption story. Anyone else?”  

The team debated on several other drivers, Riccardo, Hulkenburg, Lawson, before Olivia sat up straighter. “What about Storm?” 

“Storm? Johnny Storm?” George asked.   

“Yeah, Storm was great at Ferrari. He only lost his seat because Nick Fowler is a jack ass who wouldn’t take responsibility of the fact the team fucked up the strategy.” Liv smiled. “He may have been gone for a couple of years but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t lost his touch.”  

I smile.  I love that I kept Olivia as a consultant while she is pregnant. My World Champion has a brilliant mind when it comes to drivers and strategy, and it would have been a shame to not use her. I also couldn’t let her use that brain on her husband’s team. “Ok, let’s see if we can bring him in.”  

Arriving in New York is a trip. After spending so much time in Europe I wasn’t used to the hustle and bustle of the city.  As I headed into Manhattan, I went over my notes for Johnny. 

John Storm  Age: 30  Status: Single  Experience: Formula 3 Champion, Formula 2 Champion, 2 Years – Mcclaren; 6 years – Ferrari; currently without a contract. 

I pulled up to the Baxter Building and looked up. I wondered how an unemployed driver could afford to live here but it wasn’t my place to judge.  I went up to the penthouse. There was a receptionist on the floor. What the hell? “Uh, hi. I have an appointment with Mr. Storm.”  

The lady smiled.  “And your name?” 

“Ari Levinson.” 

“Let me ring him.” She calls out and she smiles.  I take a seat in the waiting room, looking at the memorabilia on the walls.  Johnny has a wall with pictures from his racing days. Another woman, with his coloring, has some pictures as well, but with science stuff. “Mr. Levinson, he will be right out.”  

“Thanks.” I stood up and looked at a photo of Johnny and Charles LeClerc. “We took that in Vegas,” a new voice said.  I turned and looked at Johnny Storm. He looks a little bit older from the photo that was just two years old. I offered him my hand.  

“Johnny, it's good to see you.”  

“Good to see you too Mr. Levinson.”  

“Ari, please.”  

“Sure. Follow me.” He walked towards the living room.  “Can I get you anything?” 

“Coffee, if you have it.”  

“Sure do, one sec. How do you take it?” 

“Black.” He disappeared though a door with a nod and I took in the room.  It was simple yet comfortable. I wondered if Johnny had a girlfriend or wife. “Here you go,” he said with a mug.   

“Thanks.” I took a sip as he went to sit across from me.  “This is a nice place.”  

“It belongs to my brother-in-law. His grants pay for the lab upstairs and the living area.” He twiddles his thumbs and looks at my expectantly. I decide to stop with the small talk.  

“Well, I’m sure you’re wondering why I’m here.”  

“A little bit.” Johnny looked a little apprehensive and maybe a little tired. “I mean, I haven’t been in Formula One for a while, so I am not sure why you are here.”  

“I’m here to offer you a job.”  

“A job,” he repeated. “I don’t have the skills to be a mechanic or anything. That’s more Reed’s speed.”  

“Reed?” 

“My sister’s fiancé, my brother-in-law. He’s the brain around here. I’m just a pilot. Or, well, I was a pilot.”  He patted the back of his head.  He reached for his own cup.  

I smiled. “How would you like to be a pilot again?” 

Johnny stopped mid-sip on his own coffee. “Excuse me?” 

“I don’t know if you have been following F1 news lately, but Liv is out for the season and her replacement had a big bust up at testing.”  

“I heard about Bug. She called me when the new broke. I’m happy for her and Rogers.” He took another sip. “I thought Riggin was supposed to take her seat. So, would you need me as a reserve driver?” 

“No. Riggin’s crash was more brutal than reported.  He tore up his right knee and is out for the year. I want you to be our second driver next to George.”  

Johnny 

This is just a weird day. Like a fucking weird day. I haven’t had a day like this in over two years. That day turned my life upside down. Not that I regret it. I would never regret it. I’m in my thoughts, making some macaroni and cheese for dinner when my sister walks through the door. “Hey bro.”  

“Hey sis.”  She kisses me on the cheek. “How was the lab?” 

“Busy. I’m getting a headache just thinking about it.” She shakes her body. “I don’t want to talk about it.  Tell me how your day was.”  

“Took a walk, read a book and met with Ari Levinson.”  

Susie stopped drinking her water. “Ari Levinson? From Mercedes?” 

“That would be the one. He came into town on business, and he asked to meet.” I stirred the pasta, thinking back to the conversation we had.  

“What do you say Storm? Want to drive for Mercedes?” 

It's the dream, the dream I gave up two years ago. It's the chance of a lifetime to go back to the sport I love and race again.  I was good, fuck I was elite. But sacrifices had to be made when Ferrari let me go and while I miss racing, I wouldn’t change it for the world.  

“Yeah, and what did he say?” 

“He offered me a spot as second driver for this season.”  

“Johnny, that’s incredible. Did you take it?” 

“No, not yet. Told him I had to talk to my family first. I told him everything and that if I went, I would have to take my sister with me. Non-negotiable, you would have to be on my staff.”  

Susie frowned. “I already have a job, Johnny.”  

I plated the food and sat down. She followed me and waited for me to answer her. “You know, if I do this, I’ll only be home for a couple of days a week if not less. And it would kill me to be away. I need you, Susie. You hate your job and research anyways. Take a sabbatical and come with me. The contract that you’ll have will be awesome.”  

“What about your contract?” 

My mind flashes back to the conversation with Ari.  

This is unreal.  

It the chance of a lifetime.  To be able to come back and race after so long.  

“What’s the catch?” Because there is always one.  

Ari pulled a manila envelope from his bag.  “The contract right now is for one year, $2 Million with an option to pick up at the end of the season. Perform well and we’ll renegotiate. But this is a guaranteed one-year contract.”  

One year.  

This season has the most races. Twenty-Four races around the world. Ten months around the world. But life is different now and I have to remember that.  

“I need to explain a few things before I can accept.”  

I look back at Susie. “One year.” She blanches. “It’s probably my last chance.” I stare at the pictures on the wall. “My last chance to prove myself and set us up to be ok.  I mean, you made me smart, and we’ll be ok but then we’ll really be ok.” I look at Susie. “You know you’re the only one I can trust. Please?”  

I give her my best puppy eyes and she rolls her eyes but smiles. “I do need a break and Reed just mentioned needing to spend some time in Florida with NASA.” She sighs. “How good of a contract?” 

I pace my room, evening routine done and I’m alone. I had already spoken to Charles, Liv and Steve. They all said that its one more chance and with everything, this could be the start of a revival and that I should do it. Susie promised that she could handle being on the road, Reed said he could join her when he could. Now it was just me. As I gazed at the picture of Molly, I hit send on the phone.  

Johnny: I’m in

NEXT

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[twinsand]

OKAY (SPOILER-Y) POST about the new MK 2 movie updates...

Soooo apparently there was an early test screening for the movie (still unfinished) and I have thoughts...

So from what we all know new characters in the movie are Johnny Cage, Shao Kahn, Kitana, Jade, Sindel, Baraka, and Quan Chi ... and that's about it (this screening confirms it) Everyone returns (some as revanants which a lot of us knew). Most of the movie/screen time it sounds like is gonna be mainly Kitana, Johnny, and Shao Kahn.

I def know we'll get fastbacks with a young Kitana (her young self was cast) and her breakdown talked about her family's demise and the kingdom. The screening said the world building was done really well? So that will be interesting to see with Shao Kahn taking over etc. I also know (from some sindel and jade auditions on youtube) there's a prophecy in the script? Sindel tells Kitana about it involving "a barbarian who cannot die" (idk who that would be... Noob?) "a gardener amongst the flames "(my bb scorpion) and " A princess who carries the fates of three different realms" (OBVIOUSLY kitana). So I'm reeeeally interested to see how this unfolds. From this screen apparently we know Kitana is like... the hero lol but how do the other too fit in? That's what I'm curious about! I really love the idea of her being HER being the hero in this story and HER avenging her family and home and not a rando man like every typical "chosen one" saving a princess story line. I'm excited and I heard that the guy who saw screening loved her character!

As for our other heroes Liu, Jax and Sonya it seems like are primarily sticking together but are "sidelined"... I'm assuming that just means they're not the MAIN protagonists since they were bigger in the last movie. Which I'm okay with.... but I hope we get like SOME meaty stuff with those three since I love them so much and I feel like the cast genuinely like and work well together (esp Jax and Sonya !!) And I love Johnny so I REALLY wanna see him WITH the other champions from Earth. I know his breakdown it said he has a friendship with Baraka (which the screening confirms) but not much else with the others? Fingers crossed for reshoots and we get more scenes with them. If not that's SUCH a missed opportunity imo- it would be so fun to see him interact with them as a team.

Loved hearing that Karl's performance was really good but the guy just said he too old? So not sure what that means or how that's gonna translate? Like why can't this film go with a Johnny that is more of an washed up old action star. Idk. I also wish I heard more about the humor (if any) in his performance.

I already knew Hiro/Scorpion wasn't gonna be in much of the movie (he was busy with Shogun and being a superstar lol) but I reaaaallly wanna see how his character fits in with everything. The guy at the screening didn't mention him in regards to the story-just who he fights with - which are some interesting match ups.

Nothing really about Shang Tsung .... idk I wish we heard more about my evil boy lol.

Oh and poor Lewis Tan but I'm pretty sure we all called Cole's fate (most probably hoped for lol) and it seems like the screening confirmed what I suspected lol

Idk how real this all is but if it is there are some shocking deaths which I find interesting and am excited for I'm sure other fans will hate but mostly I called as soon as this movie was announced lol. And how some people die is gonna be brutal.

[prettyhennytea]

"Enthralling Escapades: Team USA's Triumph in the Olympic Track and Field Trials

Get ready to witness a dazzling display of athletic prowess, my dear readers, as Team USA gears up conquer Paris in the upcoming Olympics. The recent Olympic Track and Field Trials have unveiled a roster brimming with talent and exceptional athletes, promising a spectacle like no other on the track and field.

In a flurry of exhilarating performances, one name shone brightly above the rest - Noah Lyles. The electrifying sprinter clinched victories in both the men’s 100-meter and 200-meter finals, solidifying his status as one of the standout stars destined to illuminate Paris with his speed and agility. Joining him in the spotlight is the dynamic Sha’Carri Richardson, who secured her spot on the Olympic squad after a suspension sidelined her from the games three years ago.

However, not all stories had a fairytale ending. Reigning gold medalist Athing Mu faced a heartbreaking setback during the women’s 800-meter race, missing out on an expected Olympic berth due to an unfortunate fall. Her valiant effort ignited discussions about the rigorous nature of athletic competitions, where one misstep can dash an athlete’s dreams in the blink of an eye.

Let’s take a closer look at the stellar track and field athletes who will be proudly representing Team USA at the olympics in July.

👟Noah Lyle, Kenny Bednarek, and Fred Kerley lead the charge in the Men’s track and field roster, showcasing their speed and skill in the 100m and 200m events 

Grant Holloway, Freddie Crittenden, and Daniel Roberts stand out in the 10m Hurdles, with Holloway eyeing the gold after securing his spot with a swift performance at the trials.

Erriyan Knighton,joins Lyles and Bednarek in the 200th event, bringing his talent and tenacity to the Olympic stage, aiming for a spot on the podium.

🔥 Quincy Hall, Michael Norman, and Chris Bailey are set to light up the track in the 400m event, with Hal’s impressive triumph at the trials hinting at a medal contention in Paris.

🏅 Rai Benjamin, CJ Allen, and Trevor Bassit are poised for success in the 400m Hurdles, with Benjamins stellar performance in Eugene marking him as a strong contender for Olympic glory.

🎖️ Bryce Hoppel, Hobbs Kessler, and Brandon Mille are ready to take on the competition in the 800m event, showcasing their endurance and determination on the world stage. 

🏆 Cole Hocker, Yared Nuguse, and Hobbs Kessler are geared up for the Men’s 1500m, bringing their speed and strategy to secure a place among the medalists in Paris.

The track and field arena will be ablaze with talent and tenacity as these exceptional athletes from Team USA arrive for greatness in the upcoming Olympics. With a blend of seasoned veterans and promising newcomers, the stage is set for an unforgettable showcase of athleticism, determination, and sheer excellence. Stay tuned for more updates and thrilling performances as Team USA aims to mark in Paris.  🏃‍♂️🏅🌟

[destinysbounty]

"There’s a lot more to it than that, but I won’t bore you with the details" no. Spill. Tell us everything about City of Gears

!!!!! I would love to!!! I freakin love this wip and I could go on about it for years probably.

(For anyone who's curious, here is the "City of Gears" concept in question)

Now, this story has changed a LOT in the past few months. First and foremost, it's kind of evolved into less of a fanseason and more of just a really involved fanfiction. Reframing it in my head as a fic/wip instead of an all-out fanseason has really helped take some of the pressure off and let me just enjoy the process of making it.

And thanks to that change, I've actually made heaps of progress in just this past week alone!! I have most of the main story beats and character arcs figured out, aside from a few patches here and there as well as some of the specifics. My goal is to start writing it sometime in the next few weeks. Which will be SO cool, because this concept has lived in my head rent-free for a bajillion years now.

That being said, the basic premise is fundamentally the same: the ninja stumble upon a series of disappearances in a quaint steampunk-themed tourist town, where the callous and manipulative Lady Adelaide has been turning people into mannequins. For now I'm calling them Clockwork Servants, due to the wind-up mechanism on their backs, but I'm not totally married to either of those concepts yet so that may change. Zane gets turned human, which is the main focal point of the fic, but he's also not the only one Going Through It: Cole is a ghost again, Lloyd is trapped in Oni form, and since this takes place sometime post-Seabound Nya is having a hard time dealing with, uh, that whole mess. She's human again, but that doesn't mean her trauma is gone or anything (whether this fic will be Crystalized-compliant remains undecided). And also Skybound comes back to bite Nya and Jay in the ass, so that's fun. Also also Morro returns, this time as a kind-of ally, which definitely won't cause issues for Lloyd at all whatsoever.

I've also made a lot of developments for Lady Adelaide and her motivations. She believes the human form to be a 'gift', to be the highest form of existence, and that you cannot be truly real if you aren't human - but that the humans of Ninjago have taken their 'gift' for granted and have no appreciation or regard for their humanity. She wants to 'elevate' the likes of nindroids and serpentines to a 'superior' state of being by making them human. The original humans of this world, however, she feels do not appreciate their 'gift' and therefore no longer deserve their humanity. So she wants to turn them into mannequins instead.

As such, Adelaide's goal is to create a new world order: the only people with humanity will be those she believes deserve it, thereby replacing the original humans and punishing them for their complacency/carelessness by turning them into mindless mannequin servants.

So yeah, there's a reason she turns Zane into a human. She is trying to convince him that his friends don't truly love him as a person, and never will until he becomes a person - until he becomes human. She really twists into his head, blaming all the bad stuff that happened to him on him being a nindroid - if you were human, Vex wouldn't have been able to ruin you. If you were human, you wouldn't have been dismantled and shut down time after time. If you were human, your father wouldn't have been able to turn off your memories. If you were human, you would have been able to die and stay dead. If you were human, your friends would love you enough to protect you instead of just watching from the sidelines as you sacrifice yourself time and time again. That whole slimy shtick. (Listen, Adelaide gave him the gift of humanity and she's gonna make him appreciate it whether he wants to or not.)

Oooh, and I know this is veering into spoiler territory but I just HAVE to share this one quote from Lady Adelaide, just to give you a taste for her character:

"How many times will your friends have to fix you before enough is enough? How many times will you die before they give up on you altogether?"

Because at the end of the day, that's the core of the fic. Zane is human, and there's all sorts of funky hijinks where he figures out how to be human and whatnot and tries to figure himself out, and it's all silly and goofy and what have you - but at the end of the day, a human cannot turn off their emotion meter or flip off their memory switch or encrypt all their trauma into a digital puzzle box. All his old coping mechanisms are incompatible with his new organic body, which means that every single trauma he's ever repressed is swinging at him with a baseball bat to the face. He is NOT having a good time right now.

Lady Adelaide may be a total asshole, but you gotta give credit where it's due - she somehow accidentally forced these idiots into the world's worst therapy session. I mean sure, therapy doesn't usually involve fighting hordes of wooden mannequins, but whatever works, right?

On the note of the mannequins, that's actually something I kinda wanna touch on. These mannequins all used to be people, before Lady Adelaide cursed them. Some of them even used to be the ninjas' friends and allies. But since the mannequins all look identical, it's impossible to tell them apart. Cole's dad becomes a mannequin, and he ends up having a bit of a Spirited Away Chihiro-in-the-pig-pen moment when trying to figure out which of the mannequins is his father. This, of course, means they can't in good conscience hurt the mannequins like they would with other horde enemies, only subdue them or run away. As you can imagine this makes all their fights way more complicated.

Also, human!Zane has a golden kintsugi-like scar on his face that may or may not be representative of the faceplate that fell off when he fought the Overlord. This detail isn't super relevant to the current discussion but it is very important to me personally.

Anyway, that's the broad strokes of what I'm willing to reveal for now! The rest involve spicy spoilers that I don't wanna give away just yet lol

Thank you so so so much for giving me an excuse to rant about this!!! <3

[wrestlingisfake]

WrestleDream preview

Christian Cage vs. Darby Allin - Allin is challenging for the AEW TNT championship, in his hometown of Seattle. It's a best two out of three falls match, so the first guy to score two falls (by pinfall, submission, count-out, disqualification, or stoppage) wins the match and the title. Cage has been acting like the TNT champion ever since he helped Luchasaurus win the belt on June 17, but he didn't officially win the belt until September 23, in a three-way match against both Lucha and Allin.

The story has dragged out for months and it seems to be well-received, but there's not much to it beyond the fact that Cage is a mega-dick and Allin has a strong attachment to this particular championship. I could get into how Christian has become a meme for fixating on his opponent's dead fathers and single moms, but that's not really pertinent here. I also don't expect his talk of becoming a real father figure to Allin's protege Nick Wayne will amount to anything. Once the bell rings, it's just going to be a hometown hero against a ridiculous heel running out of ways to avoid a straight fight.

Christian spent most of his career intertwined with Adam "Edge" Copeland, whose WWE contract reportedly expired at the end of September. Naturally fandom jumped the gun and started fantasy booking Edge getting into this storyline two weeks ago, so by now there's a lot of hype for his debut. If he's in the building tonight, my guess is he'll make his entrance after the match is over. I'm not at all convinced that he'll align with either of these guys or play a role in the finish. But I guess we'll see.

I was on the fence about who would win here until they made it clear this match would close the show. We've got several local boys on this card and I don't think they'll all win, but you gotta figure the one in the main event has to win. WWE would jump at the chance to defy that expectation, but AEW isn't nearly so eager to fuck with people, so I think Darby will secure his third TNT title reign.

Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Bryan Danielson - Sabre is the NJPW World television champion, but as far as I've heard the title is not at stake here. This match is more about simple pride, and delivering a dream scenario for mat-based wrestling.

Danielson is such a good grappler that he routinely won the Wrestling Observer's annual reader's award for technical wrestling, and when he retired in 2016 the award was named in his honor. The only other man to hold the award in the past 17 years is Sabre; Bryan once joked that he came in second for the Bryan Danielson award. A scheduled matchup in 2022 was canceled when Danielson was sidelined. Now planning his second retirement, Bryan is circling back to that unfinished business.

I expect these two to just have fun exchanging holds and working however they want. That may or may not click with AEW's audience. I mean, the AEW fanbase isn't going to ridicule this for being a nerdy scientific bout. But Sabre is all about wriggling in and out of holds, not splashy high-impact maneuvers. And Bryan isn't doing this match to not work Sabre's style; the point will be to beat him at his own game. That could come across like a chess match in the middle of a football game, if they're not careful.

I had a pretty good feeling Danielson would win here...when I still thought this match was going to close the show. The fact that it isn't suggests they don't want to end with a local favorite going down in defeat. And it makes sense for Bryan to put over the younger guy on his way (eventually) to retirement. However, I think there's at least a chance of a Danielson win, so I'm picking Sabre but not with a ton of confidence.

MJF vs. Vincent Marseglia & Bobby Dutch - On September 22, Vincent and Dutch, of the Righteous, earned the right to challenge MJF and Adam Cole for the ROH tag team title. However, Cole injured his ankle on September 20, and revealed on September 27 that he'd need surgery. Rather than forfeit the championship, Max insisted on defending the belts all by himself.

Before Cole got hurt I was sure this was a slam-dunk easy win for the champs. Now I have no idea. The Righteous really have no business winning the ROH tag title from two top AEW stars in the middle of a hot storyline. They certainly have no business pinning the AEW men's world champion. On the other hand, I'm not a fan of a top singles guy winning a handicap match against a solid midcard tag team--WWE used to do that all the time, but that doesn't mean I want AEW to start. Also, what's the point of having Max retain? It'd be a huge testament to his devotion to Cole, but you'd just be setting up another two-on-one situation for the next title defense.

Regardless, I think this should be sports entertainment at its finest. Max will have to pull out all his cheap tricks to stay alive, and because of the storyline the fans will be solidly behind each and every one of those tricks. I don't see him retaining the belts unless someone does a run-in, and right now Max's only friend is not exactly equipped to run into anything. So if he does win, it'll probably involve a whole new wrinkle in the ongoing saga...

Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi & Chris Jericho vs. Will Ospreay & Konosuke Takeshita & Sammy Guevara - Don Callis and Takeshita turned on Omega a few months ago, and Guevara turned on Jericho a couple weeks ago to join them. Ospreay hasn't formally joined the Don Callis Family but he's been helping them out an awful lot for someone who isn't technically involved. Omega and Jericho needed backup, so naturally that means the return of Kenny's ~very special friend~ Ibushi.

I don't expect this match to resolve any feuds. At most it'll set up Jericho vs. Sammy and Takeshita vs. Ibushi. I'm not sure where that will leave Omega or Ospreay, who already squared off in June. You'd think the destination is Golden Lovers versus Takeshita and somebody, but I'm not sure who ends up in that role. The Callis faction is still a work-in-progress, so they'll probably get the win as they continue to coalesce into their final form.

Eddie Kingston vs. Katsuyori Shibata - Eddie is defending both the ROH men's world title and the NJPW STRONG title. Shibata's ROH pure championship is not on the line, and pure rules won't be in effect. I'm not sure there's any point here except that Eddie loves Japanese wrestling, so he's been going around wrestling all the guys he admires. On paper I'd call Shibata the heavy favorite, but it doesn't make sense for him to be a triple champion. So the story needs to be about Eddie overcoming Shibata's withering offense with sheer force of will. Kingston retains.

Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler vs. Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis - FTR (Dax and Cash) are defending the AEW tag team championship. This is a rematch from October 1, when FTR beat Aussie Open to retain the IWGP tag title. The build for this is the same as every other big tag match you've ever seen, with both teams claiming to be the best, and resenting the other being called the best, and everybody's trying to feed their kids yadda yadda. Point is, the wrestling will be good. I suppose a title change would be okay, but I'm thinking FTR will retain.

Kris Statlander vs. Julia Hart - This is Statlander's 13th defense of the AEW TBS championship. Julia has not lost a match since April, when she came up short against...well, Kris Statlander. I've been digging Julia's whole spooky chick gimmick and it's gratifying to see her getting a push, although I don't know if switching the title here is the next logical step for her. Of late she's been spraying black mist into the eyes of Skye Blue and Willow Nightingale, and I have no idea how or why that'll play into this match. Something tells me Kris will retain and Julia will refocus on that spooky stuff.

Adam Page vs. Swerve Strickland - Strickland is from Tacoma and is bound to be over huge in Seattle. I've been profoundly disappointed in the writing for Swerve's storylines in AEW, and I think he's been criminally underutilized. He desperately needs a big win as a statement, and I'm not confident he's going to get it here. They've tried to make this feel like a huge grudge match, but the go-home promos just didn't click with me--each guy basically said what they would have said to literally any other opponent. I like Page and want him to get back into the groove, but under the circumstances I have to pull for Swerve to beat him.

Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson vs. Austin Gunn & Colten Gunn vs. Orange Cassidy & HOOK vs. Penta El Zero Miedo & Rey Fenix - This is a four-way match where the first man to score a fall on any opponent will win the match and a future AEW tag title shot. This feels kind of random. I get the feeling the Gunns are next in line, and the other three teams are just here so we won't expect the Gunns to win.

Ricky Starks vs. Wheeler Yuta - Starks is now 0-2 against Bryan Danielson but he still talks like he's winning, so now Danielson's young boy is going to try to shut him up. I mean, Starks needs a win and he's obviously going to win here, so that's good. But since Yuta is the bottom bitch in Danielson's group it really emphasizes that Starks had to take a big step down to find somebody he could beat. I'm not thrilled about that, but as far as this match goes I'm sure they'll make him look good.

Shane Taylor & Lee Moriarty & Diamante & Mercedes Martinez vs. Athena & Keith Lee & Satoshi Kojima & Billie Starkz - This is on the pre-show. I haven't kept up with ROH lately so I assume Taylor's team is the latest incarnation of Shane Taylor Promotions. I don't know that the other team has any reason to be in this fight. The only storyline I'm aware of is how Athena is a heel but she's "graciously" recruited Starkz, a babyface, as her personal minion. Kojima seems to just be here to remind us that this was ostensibly a New Japan tribute show. I guess Athena's team wins.

Claudio Castagnoli vs. Josh Barnett - Another pre-show match. Barnett is a former UFC champion and once headlined the Tokyo Dome with New Japan. But modern wrestling fans may know his name best from Josh Barnett's Bloodsport, a regular fixture in GCW's Wrestlemania weekend schedule. I'm a bit surprised they're just throwing his AEW debut out there like this, but maybe that's because Claudio's just going to beat him in 8 minutes.

Max Caster & Anthony Bowens & Billy Gunn vs. Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls & Bad Dude Tito - Gunn and the Acclaimed are defending the AEW trios title on the pre-show. The challengers are Zack Sabre's teammates in TMDK. I hope this means Haste does a cool entrance with his theme song and the orange hat h had during the G1, but knowing AEW they'll accidentally play Slapjack's entrance theme instead. The champs obviously have to retain.

Luchasaurus vs. Nick Wayne - Yet another pre-show match. Wayne is the son of journeyman wrestler Buddy Wayne, who trained Darby Allin in the Seattle area. Luchasaurus is a 65-million-year-old dinosaur with a master's degree, who is unwaveringly loyal to Christian Cage for no apparent reason. So they're going to fight here, probably to keep each other from running into the main event. I'm sure Nick's flippy moves will keep him alive for a while, but Lucha is going to grab this kid and squash him like a bug.

[bestjcoletracks]

"Sideline Story"

The Fifth song I'll introduce you guys to as one of the best J Cole songs is “Sideline Story”. This song is from Cole's debut album “Cole World”, you can see how different this album is from his newer ones. Self reliance, determination, and overcoming obstacles is the theme J Cole goes for in this song. During J Cole’s journey he’s faced plenty of struggles during his pursuit of success in the music industry. Throughout the song, Cole demonstrates perseverance through his own experiences in life. Here is why “Sideline Story” stood out to me as one of J Cole's best creations. 

What I admire about this song is Cole's ambition and determination to make a long lasting impact. Jermaine expresses the challenges he faces, while searching for recognition. This song speaks about J Cole's confidence in his own abilities and his desire to surpass his competition. Not only that, but the desire J Cole has to get off the sidelines, and to outshine others not only in the music industry. This is a message from Cole that everybody can take and put to use. Whatever it is you want to do or accomplish in life, you should always aspire to be the best version of yourself no matter what obstacles are in the way. J Cole drew motivation for this song, being an underdog in the music industry. I personally listen to this song because of its reliability and the way it resonates with me. Myself and many others can relate to the feelings of self-doubt, the pursuit of dreams, and the feeling required to overcome any obstacles blocking our goal. 

“The Sideline Story” contributed to the evolution of hip hop, because of Cole’s unique approach to the genre. This song and album was a reminder to hip hop fans that Jermaine’s approach using meaningful lyrics could coexist with the mainstream part of rap, which is what makes this song so special to myself as well as other Cole fans.

[rhetoricandlogic]

Outcast by Louise Carey

On April 7, 2022February 2, 2023 By The Unseen Library

Impressive rising science fiction author Louise Carey continues her awesome first series with Outcast, a brilliant and powerful cyberpunk thriller read that is incredibly fun and very clever.

Outcast is a sequel to Carey’s debut novel from last year, Inscape, which told a unique and intriguing story about espionage, betrayal and corporate politics in a cyberpunk world.  Set in the distant future after a major calamity, the fractured world is now ruled over by all-powerful and advanced corporations who battle for dominance while they attempt to create the latest in weaponry and bio-tech upgrades.  The protagonist of the series, Tantra, works as an intelligence operative for one of the largest companies, InTech, and investigates a mysterious theft that could have dire consequences for her company.  Filled with dystopian cyberpunk elements, such the built-in communication and information technology known as scapes, this ended up being an excellent and captivating science fiction thriller that was one of my favourite debuts of 2021.  Carey has continued her amazing series in a big way here with Outcast, which serves as an outstanding and impressive sequel to her first solo book.

Following the success of her first mission, Tantra’s life has been turned upside down.  Despite saving her company and uncovering a traitor, Tantra has been sidelined by a jealous supervisor and now works as a lowly security guard.  Worse, Tantra now knows the terrible truth: that the company who gave her everything has long controlled her mind with the invasive Harlow Programming, which she has since been freed from.  With her loyalties tested, Tantra is thrust back into the thick of the action when she discovers a bomb sent to InTech’s headquarters.

InTech soon finds itself thrust into a brutal corporate war with its main competitor, Throughfront.  The bombing of their headquarters is the latest in a series of attacks on InTech assets, and the board are desperate to get them under control.  Determining that she is their best operative to stop the culprits behind the attack, Tantra is assigned to the case.  Teaming up once again with her former partner, Cole, the brilliant scientist with severe gaps in his memory, Tantra attempts to find the culprit before they cripple InTech for good.

But, facing opposition from both deadly internal InTech politics and lethal external forces, their chance of succeeding seems slim, especially when they are banished to a remote InTech facility in the Unaffiliated Zone for the remainder of their investigation.  Barely escaping a deadly assassination attempt, this unconventional team find themselves caught in the middle of a dangerous conspiracy that is determined to bring InTech down for good.  However, when they discover that InTech is planning their own sinister machinations, will Tantra and Cole still be as eager to save their company?

Wow, Carey follows up her excellent solo debut in a big way here with Outcast.  This second book was even better than Inscape, taking the reader on a wild and action-packed adventure through the author’s unique cyberpunk world.  Bringing together some amazing characters with a powerful and thought-provoking narrative about control and the potential evils of technology, this was an exceptional read I powered through in a few short days.

Outcast has an excellent story that perfectly continues the fantastic narrative started in Inscape.  Taking place shortly after the events of the first book, Outcast sees a struggling Tantra and Cole once again placed in the middle of a big investigation with major implications, this time involving the destruction of company drones outside the city, which is impacting the company’s food supply.  At the same time, Tantra finds herself forced to deal with deadly company internal politics, while Cole finds himself involved with a mysterious rebel group who are attempting to stop InTech’s more troublesome activities, including their latest upgrade.  This forces them to venture outside of the city where they encounter unaffiliated mercenaries, enemy agents, dangerous rebels and deep secrets about InTech’s past.  The middle of this novel is filled with an excellent series of great emotional sequences, action scenes, world building, character development and shocking twists, as the protagonists get closer to finding out who is behind the attacks, as well as the true plans of their parent company.  This leads up to a brilliant final sequence where the protagonists are forced to make some very hard decisions in a great no-winners situation.  This leads up to the amazing and powerful conclusion where the protagonists, despite their best efforts, are left devastated by the events that unfolded, and which ensures that all the readers will be back for the third entry in this awesome series.

There are so many cool elements to Outcast which really help to turn it into a first-class read.  I deeply enjoyed the way the impressive story unfolded, and Carey makes great use of a couple of alternate character perspectives to tell a unique and multifaceted tale, such as the entertaining scenes told from the perspective of a smarmy and desperate secondary antagonist.  The author does a great job of combining a thriller storyline with the unique science fiction elements, and it results in a fast-paced and action-packed story that takes the time to explore certain technological implications.  There are some brilliant twists loaded throughout the book which are well paced out and ensure that the reader is constantly on their toes.  I liked how, despite the sheer amount of world building featured in the first book, Outcast still came across as an accessible novel, and new readers can probably jump into the series here.  That being said, I think you would be missing out if you didn’t try Inscape first as this sequel does an amazing job building on and expanding some excellent storylines from Carey’s debut.  However, nothing will compete with the awesome ending that this novel has, and the reader is chucked through the emotional wringer as the book’s characters are put into an impossible situation, which produces some very dark results for them.

The excellent cyberpunk science fiction elements of this series once again shine in Outcast as Carey continues to explore the advanced biotech that was such a great feature of the first novel.  Not only is a lot of this technology very cool, especially as it results in some brilliant moments in some of the action sequences, but this mind-connected technology continues to be a key part of the plot.  Multiple storylines examine the ethics behind this technology, especially as the protagonists are now fully aware of the full extent of their parent company’s attempts to program their employees’/residents’ minds using their scapes.  This leads to some intriguing and deep discussions, especially as you get to see corporate greed and a desire for control weighed up against the rights of a person and their desire for independent thought and identity.  This exciting look at the series’ unique technology becomes even more intense and important as Outcast continues, especially when certain new advancements are revealed which could have devastating impacts on all the characters.  I loved how deep and captivating some of the scenes involving this technology get, and it results in some of the best bits of the entire book.  I cannot wait to see what happens with these cool technological aspects later in the series and I imagine it is going to be very fun.

I was also very impressed with the incredible character work featured throughout this book as Carey did a wonderful job expanding on her complex and damaged protagonists.  Like Inscape, Outcast is primarily focused on the characters of Tantra, a young intelligence officer, and Cole a formerly unethical scientist whose memory was completely erased, giving him a very different personality while retaining his brilliant mind.  These two formed a unique and fun pairing in Inscape, where they both experienced a lot of development and trauma, and it was great to see them back together again here.

Both characters had some brilliant moments throughout the novel, especially Tantra, who realised in the first book that her mind and her actions have been subtly controlled by a program her entire life.  Now rid of the Harlow Programming, Tantra is in full control of her mind, but must keep this hidden from InTech, who would kill her or reprogram her if they found out.  Forced to act like the obedient drone they think she is, Tantra chafes against the restrictions and contradictions of her superiors and the company, as she can see many of the injustices or manipulations now that her mind is solely hers.  This also results in are also some excellent ethical and loyalty implications for her as she can finally see how nefarious InTech, the company who raised her, really are, and she must decide whether she is still loyal to them.  It was especially powerful to see how her relationship with Reet, her lifelong romantic partner, has been changed.  Reet is still infected by the Harlow Programming, and Tantra can only watch as she toes the company line and fails to understand Tantra’s many concerns, criticisms or newly awakened point of view.  This puts some real strain on their relationship, and it was heartbreaking to see Tantra suffer even though she is now free.  This was easily the best character work in the entire book, and if the tragedies and hard decisions that occurred towards the end of Outcast are any indication, Tantra is going to be in for a rough ride in the third book.

Cole also had some outstanding moments in Outcast as he continues to struggle with his sense of self and identity following his memory loss and the eventual revelation that his past self was responsible for many of InTech’s evils, including the Harlow Programming.  Now mistreated and mistrusted by InTech, Cole works with a mysterious group outside of InTech to try and bring them down, while also attempting to learn more about his past actions and what led him to do what he did.  He does get some of the answers he wants as the story progresses, especially when he is reunited with an old colleague, but it only leads to tragedy and despair.  Cole’s story gets pretty dark in places, especially when he realises how InTech have repurposed and enhanced his original work, and it was fascinating to learn more about his past mistakes.

Aside from these two, there are several awesome supporting characters who also add a lot to the novel, especially as several of them are utilised as point of view characters.  This includes Douglas Kenway, a senior director at InTech and Tantra’s boss, who is determined to keep his position and power no matter what.  Convinced that Tantra is gunning for his job, he spends most of the novel trying to undermine her, while also inching closer to discovering the truth about her lack of Harlow Programming.  Kenway serves as an excellent secondary antagonist, and his dive into company politics and sabotage of the protagonist adds a fantastic and entertaining edge to the novel that I really enjoyed.  Despite his self-centred nature, Kenway does provide an intriguing alternate perspective on the events of the book, and he gives some corporate context for much of what is going on.  I also really liked how his fears were mostly realised towards the end of the book, although not in the way he expected.  I should also mention new character, Fliss, the leader of a rogue gang out in the Unaffiliated Zone who gets dragged into the conspiracy attacking InTech.  Fliss provides another great alternate perspective, especially as she and her friends have no technological upgrades to their bodies and are naturally human.  I liked the story that surrounded Fliss, especially as she struggles to control her gang when forced to work for a corporation, and she ended up being an excellent addition to the plot.  These characters, and more, help to turn Outcast into a first-rate book, and I deeply enjoyed seeing all these amazing personal stories unfold.

Louise Carey continues to shine as one of the most impressive new authors of cyberpunk fiction out there with her second novel, Outcast.  This outstanding sequel does a brilliant job of continuing the powerful storylines from Inscape, while also introducing new dangers, betrayals, and some great characters.  Filled with action, intense character moments and captivating cyberpunk science fiction elements, Outcast is a fantastic novel that proves to be exceedingly addictive and fun.  I am really starting to get hooked on this outstanding series, and all cyberpunk and science fiction fans need to do themselves a favour and check out Carey’s impressive Inscape series.

[thejfblog]

“For All the Dogs Scary Hours Edition” by Drake

Drake bars up for something of a swan song in the aptly titled, “For All the Dogs.”

Album artwork for “For All the Dogs Scary Hours Edition.” (Drake)

The Toronto born entertainer delivers some of the best lyricism of his career in his eighth official solo studio album and fourth since 2021 (“Certified Lover Boy” in 2021, and “Honestly, Nevermind” and “Her Loss” in 2022). The 23 track offering plays for an hour and 24 minutes, his longest album since “Scorpion” in 2018.

He confirmed comments made earlier in the year in an interview with Lil Yachty at the album’s Sound 42 release event that he is taking an indefinite hiatus from music after “Dogs,” to focus on his health.

The album’s lead singles “Slime You Out” featuring SZA and "First Person Shooter" featuring J. Cole respectively debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, notching Drake his 12th and 13th U.S. pop chart leaders, the most for a rapper. The feat ties him with Michael Jackson for most chart toppers by a male solo artist.

He dropped a “Scary Hours Edition” reissue of the album, promoted as “Scary Hours 3,” in November 2023, a month after its original October release.

“For All the Dogs Scary Hours Edition”

Best features:

“Calling for You:” Drake reflects on his exploits and woes with a pretty young thing he met at the club. The song features 21 Savage, who has become a regular collaborator with Drake, appearing in “Jimmy Cooks” on “Honestly, Nevermind,” and shared billing on their latest respective album, the joint project “Her Loss.”

“First Person Shooter:” J. Cole collaborates with Drake for the first time since Cole’s 2011 debut, “Cole World: The Sideline Story” (“In the Morning”) for “First Person Shooter.” Cole proclaims, “Me and Drizzy, this shit like the Super Bowl.” and “Love when they argue the hardest MC, is it K-Dot, is it Aubrey or me?”

“Slime You Out:” Drake earns his 12th No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100, tying The Supremes and Madonna, in his collaboration with R&B songstress SZA for “Slime You Out.” The song addresses a failed relationship from the perspectives of the two, for their ex-partners. The proposed single artwork featuring Halle Berry was replaced after it sparked outcry from the actress.

“Rich Baby Daddy:” Drake partnered with rap newcomer Sexyy Red and again with SZA for “Rich Baby Daddy.” Sexyy Red raps a hook “Bend that ass over / let that coochie breathe / Shake that ass bitch / Hands on your knees.”

“Scary Hours Edition” picks:

“Red Button”

“The Shoe Fits”

“Wick Man”

Updated November 17, 2023

[sirenbirdie]

(awkward) Blog Introduction

Hello friends. Welcome to my little blog dedicated to one thing: fanfiction (and other fan-created things, if I’m honest). You can call me Cole, or Birdie, or anything, really, as long as it isn’t mean. ;) I’ve dreamt up little story ideas for what feels like my entire life and have always flirted with the idea of posting them, but things like self-consciousness and... well... life got in the way. 

Until now. 

I’m starting out by revisiting a Harry Potter idea I’ve had since the wee age of six and we’ll see where the world takes me. I tend to go through phases of fixation on different characters and topics, so this should be fun!

Really, I’m just here to have fun, explore daydreams and ideas, and support the fantastic works of writers I’ve been following for ages from the sidelines - Y’all are absolutely amazing and I admire you.

You can also find me over on my main @lavenderbirdie (warning: I’ve had the blog since I was ... 15? Forgive the odd phases I’ve had. It’s been a ride.), as well as Wattpad and AO3. 

note: I’m tagging this with some of the tags I plan on using for my first story. Yes, it is a snape x oc fic and it is my baby. I’m so new to this it isn’t even funny, please forgive me if I’m doing this wrong.

Now I’m going to hop into the snape tags and see my own post. this is so bizaaaarre 

[iammusiccriticism]

I have recently created a podcast episode about Cole World: The Sideline Story. If you're interested, click the link

[fmhiphop]

Dissect Returns with Full Flavor: Breaking Down J Cole's "The Climb Back"

April 4th marked the return of Spotify's feature hip-hop podcast Dissect. The premiere episode offered 51 minutes of intellectually engaging lyrical breakdown, a masterful introduction to its newest season. What is Dissect? Image Source: Spotify Dissect is a podcast that takes its listeners into a deep dive into some of Hip-hop's premium lyrical content, with every episode featuring a different track. The host, Cole Cuchna, methodically breaks down a selected track's lyrics. Initially, the podcast centered on the collective work on an album. This meant that a different hip-hop album was explored each season. For those current fans, this season will veer from its original format. Although slightly variant in focus, the underpinning remains the same. Listeners might find this season even more tantalizing than the previous one. However, in this season's offering entitled Dissect Mixtape Vol. 1: Lyrical Masters, each episode is based on a select song by a different artist weekly. And this will be the focus for nine weeks of exploratory content. This is fantastic news for those hip-hop enthusiasts who love variety and have a taste for a broader contextual understanding of a diverse body of works. Dissect Episode 1: J. Cole Dissect's first episode of the season bought fans J Cole's "The Climb Back." Cole released "The Climb Back" in the summer of 2020. It was both written and produced by Cole. https://youtu.be/oVaBgcJwkI4 And according to Billboard, "The Climb Back" earned Cole his second entry into the Hot 100. Episode one of Dissect takes an intellectual approach to analysis, including exploring Cole's background. This includes a delve into his life from childhood to his rise to fame. But ultimately, it will all culminate in a deeper understanding of the sub-textual meaning behind the lyrics. Listeners will leave fully informed of all the complexities that went into the pouring out of one of Cole's signature works. About J. Cole Those who know, they know. Cole began making his mark in the industry over a decade ago. His first foothold was with the release of his debut work in 2007, "The Come Up." However, it was the release of his 2011 project, "Cole World: The Sideline Story," that took the artist to certified platinum status. As time passed, it was clear; Cole was building momentum, his talent chiseling his path. Biography notes his 4th album, "4 Your Eyes Only," went number one. And J. Cole continued to hit his mark. His fifth album was even greater proof of his genius.“Upon release of his fifth studio album, KOD, Biography reports that Spotify's opening-day streaming record was shattered in the runup to Billboard's top spot." In those eleven years, Cole had more than solidified his talent as a master lyricist, a creative giant with the skill of the pen worthy of in-depth exploration. Future Episodes of Dissect Hip-hop connoisseurs can catch a new episode of Dissect every Tuesday on Spotify. However, fans will have to stay on their toes. Per Spotify, "The show will keep the line-up of songs and artists a mystery, but fans will be given clues on social media leading up to each new episode." In Closing So, if you're a Cole fan or want to comprehensively understand an artist's output, tune in to Dissect this season. But remember, this is only the beginning. Listeners can expect eight more weeks of this engaging content. And here at FM Hip Hop, we will keep you posted. Written by: Renae Richardson Read the full article

[lboogie1906]

Jermaine Lamarr Cole (born January 28, 1985) is a rapper and record producer. Born on a military base in Germany and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, His father is an army veteran, and his mother, Kay was a USPS postal worker. He gained recognition as a rapper following the release of his debut mixtape, The Come Up. He went on to release two additional mixtapes, The Warm Up and Friday Night Lights both to critical acclaim. He released his debut studio album, Cole World: The Sideline Story. It debuted at #1 on the US Billboard 200. His next album, Born Sinner topped the Billboard 200. Moving into more conscious themes, 2014 Forest Hills Drive topped the Billboard 200 and earned him a Best Rap Album nomination at the 2015 Grammy Awards. His jazz-influenced fourth album, 4 Your Eyez Only, debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200. His fifth album, KOD became his fifth #1 album on the Billboard 200 and featured a then-record six simultaneous top twenty hits on the Billboard Hot 100, tying with the Beatles. His sixth studio album, The Off-Season, earned him his sixth #1 album. Self-taught on piano, he acts as a producer alongside his rap career, producing singles for artists such as Kendrick Lamar and Janet Jackson, as well as handling the majority of the production in his projects. He has developed other ventures, including Dreamville Records, as well as a non-profit organization called the Dreamville Foundation. Dreamville's compilation album Revenge of the Dreamers III debuted at #1 on the Billboard200 and was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2020 Grammy Awards. He decided to house single mothers rent-free at his childhood home in Fayetteville. He has won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Song, a Billboard Music Award for Top Rap Album, three Soul Train Music Awards, and 8 BET Hip Hop Awards. All five of his albums have been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, as well as Revenge of the Dreamers III. He graduated from St. John’s University magna cum laude with a BS in Communications. was the president of Haraya. He married Melissa Heholt and they have two children. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence https://www.instagram.com/p/CoAUTjgLaTt/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=