#He punched children who are weaker and smaller than him in the face at least twice

[breadmecoshy]

Kokichi in its usual manifestation

I like both the dynamics of Shuichi x Kokichi and the dynamics of Kaito x Kokichi, but with regard to Kaito and Kokichi, I can never bring myself not to think that Kokichi was REALLY afraid of Kaito, and Kaito REALLY gave him a reason to be afraid of him

[slow-burn-sally]

Izzy grew up small, and with a high pitched, feminine voice. Because of his smallness, and his high pitched voice, he was beaten up repeatedly as a child. Also because of his smallness and his high pitched voice, he was (predictably) verbally bullied and called names, including homophobic slurs. He suffered the mockings and the beatings, until a friend told him that in order to get people to stop beating him up, Izzy would have to fight back. So Izzy fought back. He stabbed some bully kid in the leg with a pen knife he stole from his abusive father, and then from that day on, he decided he’d never let anyone beat him up ever again. 

He fought back against all the bullies, until, as is the way with these things, he became a bully himself. He picked fights with people weaker than he was, and people stronger. People smaller and people larger. People who deserved it, and people who just got in his way when he was in a bad mood. But, if he was punching someone, stabbing someone, or calling someone else names, no one was doing it to him, and he never wanted those things to happen to him ever again. 

He is also gay, and though he knows this about himself, he will go to very great lengths to hide it. So, to avoid the prospect of marriage and children, to be around men all day long, and to keep indulging in the lifestyle that keeps him a threatening henchman and not a small, weak little man with a girly voice and a face that people enjoy using as a punching bag, he becomes a pirate. 

It works for a long time. He gets to wear tight leather outfits and imaginative jewelry and be around a bunch of big, sweaty men on a ship all day. He gets to take hostages and torture people and make people walk the plank, and of course, kill people, though he doesn’t enjoy that. It’s just sometimes a necessary component of the job of pirating. Every time he meets a new gang of pirates or a new set of English or Spanish or French or Portuguese sailors, he has to fight and stab and yell and punch and kick until they too learn that he is not someone to be trifled with. That he’s no longer “jizzy izzy” or “izzy the weakling”. 

He meets Ed and joins up with Blackbeard’s crew, and within a matter of days of laying eyes on Edward Teach, he is deeply, hopelessly in love. Edward Teach is the most beautiful man Izzy Hands has ever seen. He’s tall and handsome and has gorgeous hair. He’s smart too. And he’s a ruthless, violent pirate who loves pillaging and looting, fighting and stabbing, just like Izzy. What’s best is that Ed validates Izzy’s life choices. He makes Izzy’s decision to push the world away and snarl and growl at anyone who tries to get close, seem like a good move. 

Ed doesn’t love Izzy back, not in that way, and Izzy knows this. But he’s fine to keep his feelings hidden (like he always does). To keep pirating and pillaging by Ed’s side, year after year, yearning for him, yet never having the courage to really speak up. Besides, being gay is not generally looked on as a positive in the pirating business, so Izzy is careful that the part of him that loves men is kept securely under wraps. 

And then Stede Fucking Bonnet comes along, and Ed decides he wants to be soft and thoughtful and give up pirating. Stede’s whole crew appear to be gay, and no one is mocked or tortured over it. Stede is kind and frilly and weak and yet he commands a whole ship full of (at least partially) loyal pirates. They all seem so god damn happy, and Ed leaving, Ed so clearly falling in love with Stede, effectively pulls the ground out from under Izzy.  Izzy sees all his security and his hopes and dreams crumbling before his eyes, so he loses his fucking mind. 

I wrote all of this just to say that I am a total and complete Izzy Hands apologist and that I think he’s neat, and maybe I’m madly in love with him. That’s it. Thank you for listening. 

[feynavaley]

Hetalia Writers Monthly – January 2021

A last-minute snippet for @hetalia-writers-monthly

Theme: Turning Over a New Leaf Prompt: Hesitation Characters:  England and Canada Words: 1,350

———

In Time of Need

The boy was small.

That was the only thing England could think as he stared at the wide lilac eyes looking up at him, gleaming with a mixture of apprehension and timid hope.

If France could have heard his thoughts, he would have scoffed and rolled his eyes with that practised air of superiority of his. “Of course he’s small, how were you thinking he would be? He’s just a young colony!”

And England knew all about that – he was already taking care of another young colony, after all. However, America’s exuberance and boundless energy often made him look bigger than he actually was, bigger than life itself.

The child standing in front of England, instead, had nothing like that. He was probably just a bit thinner than America – but the way hunched his shoulders and neck as if to protect himself made him look even smaller. There was a vulnerability about him that plummeted to the bottom of England’s stomach.

He recognized that look with painful clarity. That trembling hesitance, that bottomless neediness born out of loneliness.

…A corner of his mind wondered if older personifications had ever recognized that look in him, in spite of how hard he had tried to hide it behind a façade of cheekiness.

Good Lord, what am I even going to do about him?

He didn’t know. He couldn’t. One thing was America, with his brightness and confidence, but that child who had already been so hurt… England’s head was spinning. There was no way he could deal with something like that.

…But the child was still in front of him, waiting for his reaction. A small child that shouldn’t have known hesitation, the pain of rejection.

Swallowing around the lump in his throat, England forced his stiff lips into a smile and extended his right hand towards the child.

“I was serious,” he declared with much more confidence than he actually felt, “From now on, you’re going to be part of my family. Come with me.”

The child’s entire face opened in a smile of such blinding warmth that England’s heart constricted.

“Thank you, Mr England! I won’t make you regret this.”

His fingers slipped inside England’s hand, so small and fragile that England almost wanted to scream. He didn’t know what he was doing. How could he, when nobody had ever shown him what he was supposed to?

Hopefully, this entire situation will improve quickly.

******

The situation did not improve quickly.

If he was honest with himself, England had been fully aware it wasn’t going to. He had a very young colony in his hands, a very young colony who had just experienced a war followed by a power transition. The result was plainly foreseeable.

…Yet, part of him had still hoped. Hoped that like America, his new colony would be blessed with unnatural health and strength and be spared from the pain England knew all too well. Hoped that the rosy flush gracing the child’s cheeks was natural, in spite of his otherwise ghostly pale complexion.

(He had hoped he wouldn’t have to intervene. What did England know, of taking care of sick children?)

Nevertheless, England could draw a small consolation from the fact he was prepared. The moment he saw the child wobble, his eyes dazed, almost confused, he jumped up and gathered the small (so small, so light, so frail!) body in his arms.

He didn’t have to think about his destination, his feet automatically leading him towards the bedrooms. The child’s skin burned with fever against his collarbone.

“You’re going to be all right,” England said automatically, refusing to let his voice tremble.

His stomach coiled on itself. What a pathetic reassurance that was, for a child who was surely experiencing the worst pain of his short life… England was surprised he wasn’t even crying. If not from the pain, at least from the scare… Actually, such a young child should have started complaining a lot earlier.

Instead, Canada was quiet in his arms, keeping his body rigid as if to prevent it from trembling.

“I’m so sorry, Mr England… I don’t know what came over me, I…”

England almost missed a step, dread washing over him.

How am I supposed to fix this?

Physical illness, that he could deal with. But that quiet resignation, that sorrow of a child shaped by a type of rejection he was far too young to endure… England didn’t know how to heal it. (He had never had.)

“There’s nothing to apologize for,” he said anyway, because he had to say something, “it isn’t your fault. It’s a normal reaction after going through such a big political change.”

Doubt still clouded Canada’s fever-bright eyes, but a coughing fit that left him breathless prevented him from replying.

Relief shouldn’t have gripped England at that. Only the worst scum would react that way to a child’s pain.

…Yet, gently drawing circles on his back was a lot easier than answering questions.

At last, England deposited the child on the bed. He fussed with the pillows and blankets, faking a reassuring smile all the while. His lips almost hurt from the unnatural position – yet, he couldn’t show how he was truly feeling.

“Try to get some sleep now,” he said in the most soothing voice he could muster, “You need to rest and keep up your strength.”

He couldn’t tell Canada that he didn’t know how long the illness would last, that it would probably get worse before getting better. Instead, he wetted and wrung a cold cloth before placing it on the child’s forehead. He had to tense his muscles to prevent his hands from trembling.

All the while, Canada’s half-lidded eyes followed his movements.

“The cold cloth is probably uncomfortable, but it will help with the fever,” England rambled, “And if it doesn’t go down on its own, I have some medicine for it. So, you just rest and don’t worry about anything…”

What am I doing?

That probably wasn’t reassuring in the slightest. In spite of being a personification, Canada was still a young child – a sick child who needed reassurances, not a scientific explanation. England’s stomach was knotted with tension. He wasn’t cut out for that, he was probably just making things worse…

“Thank you so much, Mr England… I’ll sleep now, you don’t have to stay…”

The words reached England like a punch to his chest, stealing away his breath. He was gripped by a strong impulse to cry for that poor child (and for his own inadequacy). How could he even begin to fix that?

Perhaps, he should admit defeat and leave the task to somebody else, somebody better equipped for that. But who? A human doctor, who would be able to deal with Canada’s symptoms only in part due to his nature, and wouldn’t even be able to understand the complexity of the situation, let alone provide the needed reassurances?

…France? The mere thought brought a sour taste inside England’s mouth, but he couldn’t deny France had always been better than him at providing emotional comfort.

Yet, France had abandoned Canada. England, instead, was right next to him.

“No, Matthew,” he declared in a gentle voice, using for the first time his colony’s name. “I’ll stay with you until you’re feeling better. You’re my little brother now. Do you know what this means? It means that I’ll never leave you alone when you need me.”

Such bold words. A taunting voice in a corner of his brain told England he was being ridiculous. He swallowed it back and focused on threading his fingers through Canada’s soft hair.

After a moment of hesitation, the child seemed to melt under his hand.

“Thank you, Mr England.”

It was nothing more than a feeble whisper, but filled with so much abandon that England forgot how to breathe for a moment.

He still didn’t know what to do. But now he had another child relying on him – a meeker, weaker one – so he had to find a way. He couldn’t break the trust that had just been placed on him.

[kawaiichibiart]

I considered it. And fuck it.

Little Mermaid AU. One-sided Yueka and endgame Sukka. The 100 year war ended early, though I'm considering making it a no war AU, in which case, things will be revised to fit.

And no, this isn't based off Disney's The Little Mermaid, Disney's The Little Mermaid can go suck an ass.

The Little Mermaid - Yue

The Prince - Sokka

The Princess - Suki

The sea witch - Zhao

Let's start this off with one thing. Yue will die. If you've read the original story of the Little Mermaid, you know she died.

Yue is the daughter of the Chief of the NWT, a tribe of merfolk who live, well, in the North. Unlike the SWT, where everyone was fully human.

Yue had never once gone to the surface, but on her 18th birthday, she was deemed ready to go. And so, she was prepared.

Going to the surface was a grand occasion for them, as they spent their entire lives underwater.

It was nighttime by the time she was ready. And so, in the dead of the night, she went up to surface. The moon was full and a ship was nearby that she could see it, but not nearby enough that anyone on it could see her.

Yue decides that she wants a closer look and swims over, keeping under the water as to be undetected.

It's then that she sees a young man, not much older than she should be, on the ship. He's smiling and laughing. A young girl pulls him by the arm into a dance of sorts. The two are laughing and enjoying themselves. And Yue yearns for that.

She's an only child.

She doesn't have many friends.

She's...lonely.

And then, the storm hits. And Yue watches as everyone on board runs for the smaller boats attached to the larger ship.

She watches as the younger girl is put into a boat and held back as she screams for the boy.

She watches as he tries to make his way over, only to be thrown over board by a loose pole.

The girl and two men scream the boy's name, Sokka, and the girl holds her hands out.

She's a bender.

But the SWT had no other benders. She didn't have the training. She was trying to use her bending to get the boy out, but she was struggling.

And Yue went under the water, looking around. She could still hear the young girl scream, crying for Tui and La to save the boy, her brother.

And she sees him. His eyes closed and he seems suspended.

She swam over, grabbed him, and pulled him to the surface.

Both tribes enjoyed their travels, and often time, when merfolk were to go to the surface, they would head the island of Kyoshi before returning to the North Pole. Yue heard of the greens of the island, of the legendary Unagi. She heard of the Kyoshi warriors.

And the island was close enough that she could get Sokka there. He would be found and helped and he could send word to his sister that he was okay.

It's nearly dawn by the time she gets to Kyoshi Island. But she gets there and drags Sokka onto the sand and leaves him there. She hides nearby as she sees a young group of girls walking over. One of them spots Sokka and runs over. She's looking over him, and Yue can't hear her, but some of the other girls run off, likely to get help.

And then, he starts to move. Yue watches as the girl helps him up and she and the rest of her group lead him away.

Needless to say, her father isn't happy to hear of this. Even if he was from a Water Tribe. Tui and La must of meant for him to fall overboard.

But Yue can't stop thinking about him. She wanted to know more about Sokka. To have a life on the surface. To see the moon without risking being seen and fearing for her life.

And one day, she meets the Sea Witch, Zhao.

Zhao, who was once an Admiral of the Fire Nation. Dragged into the sea where he was turned into a spirit. He would grant anyone a wish for a price.

She heard that he did it because he was eager to take and to take. That he had tried to kill his own Prince while he was at sea.

She heard that he tried to kill the moon spirit, but someone stopped him. Some say it was the very Prince he tried to kill, some say it was a young airbender. And some say it was La himself.

Either way, Zhao was punished to spend his life underwater, his inner fire struggling.

And knowing the risks, she went to him anyways, and asked him to grant her one wish. To make her human.

And he did, at the price of not just her voice, but her life.

It would be a painful experience, but if she could get Sokka to fall in love with her, she would remain a human. But if he fell for someone else, she would turn into seafoam. In other words, she would die. She had no time limit. Just to make Sokka fall in love with her.

And she accepted his terms.

And she felt it. She felt excruciating pain and swam to the surface. She's struggling to stay up.

And she hears someone call out. She's not sure who, but eventually, a rope is thrown to her. She grabs it and is pulled onto a ship, a blanket thrown over her. Her coughs are silent and she looks up.

He's here.

Sokka is here.

And he's asking if she's okay. She opens her mouth to reply, before remembering and nodding. He seems quick to realize and asks if she can speak, and she shakes her head. He then tells her not to worry, that his sister, Katara, might be able to help. She was a healer after all.

And in the mean time, she could stay with them. They were headed to the Fire Nation. Her surprise must of been obvious, because Sokka laughs and waves it off. Something about a peace treaty being offered by the current leader.

Last Yue heard, Firelord Ozai was a tyrant. Why would he want peace?

But it meant she could spend time with Sokka.

She spends time with both siblings. Katara was unable to help her with her voice, and writing wasn't too common in the NWT, at least, not with ink.

Katara summed it up to some memory loss. Likely a result of whatever lead her to be in the middle of the ocean. And so, she teaches her.

That's how they learn her name.

It's nice to hear them say her name. Both usually filled with joy. She wasn't lonely anymore.

Katara gave her some of her clothes, something Yue was grateful since she didn't have any of her own.

Weeks went by by the time they got to the Fire Nation, where they were welcomed not by Firelord Ozai, but by Firelady Ursa.

Ozai was nowhere in sight.

When asked by the chief, Firelady Ursa said her husband has passed not too long ago, and she decided to take up the throne until her son was old enough. He was technically already crowned Firelord, but he was only 16, and she refused to let him rule a nation while he was still a child.

So, while Ursa lead the men to a meeting room, she asked a servant to take her, Sokka and Katara to the gardens. It was likely there that her son would be. They could keep each other company.

And he was. Katara was the one to speak up first and the Prince stammered as he greeted them. His name was Zuko and Yue found him a bit endearing. He had a scar on his face and he gave her a soft smile when Katara told him she couldn't speak. He admitted he was partially blind and deaf on his scarred side and that he suffered from tremors due to being struck with lightning by his father.

He said it so casually, but it was shocking. How was he alive?

He also warned them about his sister, Azula. He loved her, don't be mistaken, but she got...protective of him after he was struck by lightning. He believed it was due to him constantly being the one to try and protect her, and she wanted to show him that she could protect him and didn't need him to protect her. That she was stronger, and he was weaker, so it was clear who protected who.

Yue stays away from Azula when she's near. She's actually pretty scary.

The Peace Treaty seems to be going well, as members of the Earth Kingdom arrive. And so does an airbender named Aang.

Yue smiled, remembering her first night at the ship. It felt like it here. Men and women talking while children laughed and ran around.

She spotted Azula with two girls.

She saw Aang and Katara dancing together.

She even saw a small girl in green go up to Zuko and punch him. She thought Zuko would get mad, but he laughed and punched her back. She didn't say anything as the two snuck out.

She would later learn her name was Toph Beifong, and she and Zuko were siblings no matter what anyone else said.

Things seemed to go well, she was enjoying herself. And then, Sokka walked over with another girl.

The girl from Kyoshi Island. And he introduced her as the one who saved him.

Her name was Suki.

And she insisted that all she did was find him on the beach and got him medical help. Anyone would of done that.

But he insists that he opened his eyes and saw her, his saviour.

And how he could never forget the girl who not only saved his life, but taught him to respect women and to be a better person.

He loved her. Sokka loved Suki.

And Yue was heartbroken.

Because as much as she said it was nothing, clearly, Suki loved Sokka as well.

The day comes that they have to leave the Fire Nation.

But before they do, Sokka presents Suki with a betrothal necklace. He tells her that it isn't really a tradition in the SWT, but moreso a family tradition. His grandmother started it.

He didn't know it, but Yue heard stories. Of a young mermaid who asked to be human in order to escape. And she was turned into a human.

Only the NWT gave betrothal necklaces.

And she could only hold back her grief as Sokka tied the necklace around Suki's neck.

The two were happy. Congratulations were given to the couple.

That night, while everyone is asleep, Yue stays on deck.

They were headed back to Kyoshi Island, where they would restock before going South.

The moon was bright but brought little comfort to her.

And she heard her name being called. She spotted one of the few friends she had from the NWT.

Her hair was cropped and her arms were burned, but in her hand was a knife.

She had gone to Zhao as well.

She wanted her best friend back.

And in order for that to happen, he had to break their contract. So, he gave her a knife to give to Yue. And Yue was to kill Sokka and have his blood spilt onto her, she would become a mermaid again and no longer have to worry. A wave brings the knife to her. And she looks at it, contemplating.

When she gets to Sokka's and Suki's room, she sees them hugging each other in their sleep.

And she can't do it.

So she runs.

She runs and she runs, ignoring anyone who calls out to her.

She throws the knife into the ocean, where it dissolves, before throwing herself over.

She's sinking, but all she can think of is how she finally felt happy.

She began to turn into foam, when a voice called out to her.

Tui.

Yue had been given a chance to chase happiness, to chase a life not her own, and to give her life, so the one person she loved could be happy.

And so, Tui came with an offer.

For Yue to become the Moon Spirit.

She would have to work for it.

But it meant she wouldn't just become seafoam. She would be able to watch over them. Over him.

And closing her eyes, she accepted it.

If anyone noticed, they didn't say anything, when on the night of Sokka's and Suki's wedding, the moon shone brighter.

.

.

.

.

Some side notes:

1. As much as I like Iroh taking the throne, I wanted Ursa to be the one to take charge of the Fire Nation. She has a better relationship with her kids, and under her disguise of Noriko during her banishment, she wrote to her children.

It's when Azula writes to her telling that Ozai hurt Zuko, that she returns.

She returns to her second eldest hiding in her room. She returns to find her only son locked away, like a criminal. She returns to a man who refuses to let his son heal.

A man who tells his son he was lucky he was just in prison and not dead or banished.

And she is furious. So, she kills him and takes over.

2. I guess, in a way, Azula has a redemption arc? She cares about Zuko, but she honestly does get really protective of him. Especially after what Ozai did to him.

3. Toph Beifong and Zuko are siblings. Nothing else need be said.

4. In the original Little Mermaid story, the mermaid wishes to be a human to get a soul in order to go to heaven. I had it so Yue would gain true happiness. However, due to the nature of her contract with Zhao, she was putting her happiness against Sokka's.

5. The original story has Catholic tones to it, what with God and Heaven and souls going to Heaven and all that jazz. Because this is meant to be an AU for ATLA, I did my best to change things, but chances are I forgot something or will forget something. Rather than have no soul, I thought Yue becoming seafoam would be more of a, she would be never be at peace sort of thing. She would never be reunited with her family or friends when she died.

6. Yue was not born with the moon's blessing. She earned that when she decided Sokka's happiness meant more to her, than her own. She chose to die if it meant he was alive and happy.

[justmenoworries]

If Ben’s Aliens Were Their Own Characters (Part 2: Alien Force + Ultimate Alien)

Part 2: The Electric Boogaloo.

Sometime in his teens, Ben decides that it’s unfair to only set some of his aliens free and with the help of Azmuth, re-creates the glitch from part 1 in order to bring out the rest of them too.

The compound the alines have lived in until now needs to get expanded again to make room fro 24 new family members.

With the help of Grandpa Max, some plumbers (and a very reluctant Azmuth) they eventually manage.

Swampfire: Haughty and arrogant. He suffers from a major inferiority-superiority complex due to the fact that he feels being one of the aliens who did not manage to get out of the Omnitrix by themselves makes him weaker somehow. Thus he has an intense, but often one-sided rivalry with all off his “older” siblings, especially Heatblast since their powers are the most alike. Ironically, the two of them make a really great team in battle, if Swampfire manages to keep his ribbing in check for five seconds and Heatblast in turn manages to not rise to the bait for once.

Jetray: A tough, no-nonsense hero. He takes his job as a plumber very seriously and has no patience for his siblings’ childish antics, though he gets caught up in them fairly frequently. He’s more of a scout than a fighter but that doesn’t mean you can afford to underestimate him.

Echo Echo: A music lover through and through, but also a little anti-social. He spends most of his time in his room listening to music from every corner of the galaxy and even composing some of his own sometimes. It’s usually dubstep. You’d best have some earplugs ready when stepping through his door, because he often forgets that not every species has eardrums of steel like he does. It’s a miracle the house hasn’t come down yet.

Goop: Perky, friendly and just downright adorable. Nothing really gets him down (except maybe snatching his anti-gravity device, but why would you? Why would you??? You Monster.). Actually getting on his case is ill-advised, though. He will mess you up if you insist on keeping up whatever bad thing it is you’re doing right now. All while chattering and giggling excitedly.

Humungousaur: The strong silent type. It’s not that nothing gets to him, it’s just that he doesn’t think he has much to say. Which makes it all the more baffling when someone happens to reach his breaking point (hurting his family) and he just goes ballistic, roaring and throwing punches, kicks and tail-swipes left and right. He’s the literal definition of calm before a storm.

Big Chill: He somehow manages to be the Mom Friend and super chill at the same time. He’s a good listener and great at giving life advice, but he also won’t hesitate to use his snark to call someone out on their bullshit. He’s sassy, enjoys quiet places, cool nights and meditation.

Brainstorm: Extremely snooty and thinks he’s the smartest of them all. He is not. That would be Grey Matter, but good luck trying to tell him that, you’ll either be ignored or called an inferior being in some way. Secretly, he just wants Grey Matter to acknowledge him as an equal and prove his worth as a great mind.

Alien X: Like in the show, Alien X doesn’t really talk or do much, because Serena and Bellicus won’t let him most of the time. Occasionally they release him from their on-going debate so he can at least spend a little time with his family. When he’s himself, he’s a composed, intelligent, charming individual. As a result of being essentially a prisoner ins his own body 90 % of the time he’s terrified of waking up one day and finding himself being alone, because the world moved on while he was forced to play referee to his split personalities. In order to help him at least a little bit, Grey Matter and Brainstorm (with a little help from Upgrade) in a rare act of cooperation, modified his room to notify either of them when he’s about to wake up, so they can inform the rest of the family and they can all welcome him together. He appreciates it immensely.

Chromastone: Sophisticated and responsible. He tries not to let it show, but he feels really pressured by his role as Sugilite’s successor and doubts he can actually live up to his role as a guardian of Petropia. He’s especially nervous and awkward around Diamondhead, since both of them don’t really know how they should treat each other. Diamondhead hesitates giving Chromastone orders in battle, despite being the leader, because shouldn’t Chromastone take that role? He’s the guardian after all. Chromastone on the other hand struggles with actually taking command. Diamondhead is older and has been the leader far longer than him, so should he really be handing him the reigns? As you can see, it’s complicated with these two.

Nanomech: Did somebody say Napoleon complex? He’s smaller than even Grey Matter, yet if you listen to him boast, you’d think he was the galaxy’s mightiest fighter. To be completely honest, his arrogance isn’t that unfounded: If he actually gets over himself and fights smart not hard by using his height to act as a saboteur or spy he’s crazy dangerous. He’s always eager to help whack some bad guys and apart from the above mentioned ego problem, he’s a nice little guy. (Tho if you want to stay on his good side, don’t mention the “little” part where he might hear.) His origin of having been part of a malevolent hive mind once is something that bothers him immensely and  a huge part of the reason for him acting like he does. He wants to stand out and for everyone to think he’s a mighty hero, because he doesn’t want to be seen by others (or himself) as still part of the Swarm or even just less of an individual because he technically used to be part of it. Mentioning the queen is a sure-fire way to make him uncomfortable, because it’s a nagging fear of his that she’s still out there and that he’ll fall under her control one day. He has rather graphic nightmares about that, which he of course keeps to himself.

Spidermonkey: Energetic, upbeat and very talkative. Your typical hyper-active monkey-character, with a fair amount of mischief on the side. He, Ripjaws and Ditto hit it off right away. Beware, for together they are the ultimate (pun intended) prank trio. For Spidermonkey, everything is essentially one big joke. Even fights he takes more as an opportunity to have fun than an actual job. When you hear him stop laughing it’s usually a sign just how serious a situation is.

Lodestar: Competent, but really emotional and clumsy. He’s the ‘New Guy’ in every way. Really wants to prove himself, tends to lose control of his powers and as a result often pummels himself or his teammates with all kinds of metal stuff and/or literally loses his head, also can’t help acting overly hammy. His magnet powers are tied to his emotions, causing all kinds of crazy things to happen whenever he’s upset. Which, considering how much of a klutz he can be, is often. He never means to cause as much ruckus and chaos as he does, but the universe in general just seems to have it out for him in that regard. He often spends time with Big Chill, since the latter is often the only one with enough patience to properly train him and is always there to hear him out.

Rath: LEMME TELL YOU SOMETHING, PERSON READING THIS ENTRY ON A TUMBLR POST!! RATH DOESN’T NEED SOME FANCY-PANTS TUMBLRITE TO WRITE HIM A PERSONALITY! RATH ALREADY GOT A PERSONALITY! IN FACT, RATH’S GOT SO MUCH PERSONALITY, I COULD RIP SOME OUT OF MYSELF, THROW IT AT YOUR FACE AND STILL HAVE SO MUCH LEFT I COULD WRITE THIS WHOLE ENTRY MYSELF!! (He’s also got a huge soft-spot for children and his family, but don’t expect him to admit that.)

Armodrillo: He’s not very smart and, despite being really big and really strong, he gets scared very easily. Essentially a big friendly child. His siblings don’t like taking him on missions because even though he can be destructive as heck when in action (or maybe exactly because of that) he doesn’t even like fighting. He just does it to defend himself and others, but his drilling powers and invincibility is often crucial. They always make sure at least one of them stays by his side throughout the whole thing to act as a sort of guardian, though.

AmpFibian: Extremely shy and introverted. Talking to strangers is not his thing. His first instinct when meeting or seeing someone new is usually to book it into the nearest electronic device and stay there until he’s sure they’re safe to be around. He probably had the hardest time out of all the aliens to adapt to his new life out of the watch. Even in present day the only one of his siblings he’ll occasionally hang around with is Echo Echo and even then they don’t really talk much. They just both share a liking for electronic music, so they’ll mostly just listen to that whenever AmpFibian feels brave enough to leave his room.

ChamAlien: The definition of Creepy/Chaotic Good (yes, even more than Big Chill and Ghost Freak). He’s....hard to read. He has this grin on his face 24/7, as if he knows something that nobody else does and the fact that he really seems to like appearing where no one expected him to be doesn’t help. He also doesn’t talk much, only when he thinks the person he’s addressing needs to hear what he has to say.

Clockwork: He’s the detective of the family. Mainly because of his ability to recreate past events, but he also has some rather impressive deductive skills. He and Grey Matter often act as mission control, though Clockwork works in the field as well more often than not. He’s not much of a fighter, but his time powers give him an advantage or two.

Fasttrack: You’d think he’d be a loud bundle of uncontrollable energy like his older brother XLR8, but you’d be wrong. Yes, he’s fast but that’s about the only thing he and XLR8 have in common. Fasttrack is serious, confident, mature and focused, never slacking off on a mission even for a moment. Honestly, he could be considered Diamondhead’s right hand if it weren’t for Frankenstrike. He also utterly despises being mistaken for his moronic speedster sibling and saying or even hinting that the two are alike will get you on his bad side. He has a rather dry sense of humor that often comes out when he’s partnered up with one of his less mission-focused family members.

Jury Rigg: For the love of all that is holy, keep him away from machines! He is an absolute menace around them, either because he doesn’t know how they work, yet still fells the need to mess with them or precisely because he knows how they work and just wants to try and “fix them up” to reach their “full potential” as he calls it. Said potential is often explosive, of course. He and Grey Matter are basically at war because he won’t stop touching Grey’s stuff without permission or stop trying to get into his workshop. He doesn’t mean anything by it, he’s just so naturally hard-wired to be a maniac around technology that he can’t help it. If you manage to pry him away from that, he’s actually pretty low-key, sensible, even. Currently, he acts as the familys’ armorer. It’s his passion. Anything he built is sure to give the bad guys (and sometimes the good guys) a run for their money.

Shocksquatch: Looks scary, but he’s a really big softie. That doesn’t mean he won’t pummel bad guys into the ground, though. Ironically he gets along the best with Wrath of all people. Mostly because they’re both huge wrestling fans and enjoy fighting as a sport. The both of them often spar with Four Arms and Cannonbolt. The record is currently tied, but they’re working on that.

Terraspin: Good-natured and slow movement-wise. He’s friendly to the point of being a doormat, which often leads to some of his siblings, like Upchuck, taking advantage of him. Unsurprisingly, he gets along the best with Upgrade, Wildmutt and Goop. Goop sort of looks out for him and keeps the whole “Do my chores” thing that Upchuck has going with him in check. A very harmless and completely hypothetical joke about tongue-burning acid is all it takes to put a stop to it most of the time. Terraspin is grateful for it.

Water Hazard: The rugged, charming rogue of the group. He does his own thing and doesn’t exactly play by the rules. He can be reasonable, but where’s the fun in that? He and Heatblast do not get along, possibly even less than Swampfire and Heatblast. It may be due to them being opposite elements, it may be because Heatblast secretly fears Water Hazard may take his place as the ‘Cool Big Brother’ or it may just be the fact that Water Hazard won’t stop dousing him in water for no good reason. Who knows?

NRG: Loud, dramatic and really big on physical affection. He’s an enthusiastic hugger, which, combined with the fact that he wears his containment suit at all times, often results in tremendous pain for the hugged. You could say it’s compensation for the fact that he can so rarely actually touch things/people because, y’know...they’d literally die. He enjoys every moment out of his suit, flying around giddily and shouting even more than usual.

[razieltwelve]

Company (FF XIII x Pokemon)

Lightning was not about to admit it, but she was lost. In retrospect, she probably should have purchased a map from one of the stores near the entrance, but they had been charging extortionate prices.

On the upside, I’m fairly sure we’ll die of thirst before starving to death in here. Lucario shooed away a number of Zubat that looked as though they wanted to attack.

“You’re not helping,” Lightning growled.

I wasn’t trying to. Lucario shrugged. And at least we’ve got light. It would be pretty bad if you had to wander around in the dark. I mean… I’d be fine. I’m awesome. But you? Heh. Humans are so awful at seeing in the dark.

“Yes, you’re wonderful,” Lightning drawled. “But at the moment, I think I like him more than you.” Lightning nodded at her Ampharos. The electric type was the one responsible for lightning their path through the cave. He gave her a jaunty salute and continued leading the way. “Not only does he provide light but he is also way less snarky than you.”

I prefer to think of myself as witty.

“I think the word you’re looking for is troublesome.” Lightning was about to say something else when Lucario and Ampharos both froze.

Wait. Lucario signalled for Ampharos to move closer to Lightning. The other pokemon wasn’t as fast as him, but he had a knack for fighting well off the back foot. If something got past Lucario, he was confident that Ampharos would be able to protect their trainer. There’s something up ahead.

“What is it?” Lightning asked as she reached for another pokeball. Lucario was her most reliable pokemon, for the most part, but she had others at her disposal. The last thing she wanted was for him to get injured in a place like this fighting a disadvantageous battle. “Is it a pokemon?”

I think so. Lucario crept forward and then leapt back as something burst out of the ground nearby. Show yourself!

As the dust cleared, a pokemon emerged. It took Lightning a moment to realise what she was looking at. With its large mouth, red belly, and dorsal fin, the Gible would have made for an intimidating sight if it wasn’t so small. The dragon eyed them warily, especially Lucario before growling and striking a more aggressive pose.

Leave him to me. Lucario moved smoothly to intercept Gible as the pokemon tried to lunge past him. A swift strike sent the smaller pokemon reeling away. He wasn’t using anything close to his full strength. Perhaps when he evolved, this pokemon might be a threat, but for the time being, he was a mere child, and Lucario did not believe in dealing too harshly with children. He seems to be hungry.

“Well, we could share some of our food with him,” Lightning replied. The Gible did look a little scrawny for his species, and there were some odd marks on his body too. If she didn’t know better, she’d say those were frost burns from ice attacks, but there shouldn’t be any ice pokemon in this cave. “Here.” She tossed some food toward the Gible. “Let him have that and ask him where he got those wounds from.”

The food calmed the Gible down, and Lucario was able to inquire about his injuries. It turned out that Lightning’s suspicions were partially correct. There had been ice pokemon in the cave recently. However, they weren’t native to the cave. Instead, they were being brought there by strange humans in weird outfits. Based on the description Gible was able to provide, Lightning thought it was probably one of several criminal organisation that frequented the area. 

Dragon types were always in high demand, so raiding areas like this cave could be very lucrative. Of course, Lightning had a permit to catch a dragon type if she encountered one here, but she doubted the criminals did. They were probably swiping as many as they could.

If that was the case, she’d have to stop them.

X     X     X

Lightning had always believed in striking hard, fast, and decisively. Once she had her opponent off balance, she was ruthless in pushing her advantage and denying them the time they needed to recover and regroup. Her approach to dealing with criminals was the same.

Once she’d located the criminals, she took a few moments to observe them before unleashing her pokemon. As she’d suspected, they were relying heavily on ice types to overwhelm and capture the Gibble that lived in the cave, as well as many of the other ground pokemon too. 

Her plan of attack was simple: her Lucario and Houndoom would engage the ice types while she, Ampharos and her other pokemon went after the trainers. Both Lucario and Houndoom were battle-hardened pokemon. They’d been with her back when she’d won her first and second leagues, and they’d helped her win her third league only a month ago. They could handle a few ice types, and once she and the others disabled the trainers, the battle would be over.

She reached for her pokeballs. Time to get started.

X     X     X

Ah, this brings back memories. Remember that time we got caught in a blizzard and got overrun by ice pokemon? Lucario calmly punched a Mamoswine in the face before twisting to kick it in the side. The impact sent it hurtling into the wall of the cave, and the battered pokemon struggled to rise before fainting.

Yes. Except we were weaker back then. Houndoom roared, and flame billowed outward, driving back a trio of ice pokemon. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Ampharos knocking several criminals unconscious with well-placed shocks before Gardevoir flung her hand to one side, tossing aside enemy trainers and pokemon alike. Lightning, their trainer, was not idle either. She was using a shock baton to deal with any criminals she could reach. These small fry might actually have troubled us before. Now, they can’t even buy their trainers time to escape.

Lucario would have called Houndoom arrogant if the statement weren’t completely true. The two of them had been with Lightning for years, and they had both already grown far too powerful for any run-of-the-mill pokemon. He blurred into motion and dropped another four ice pokemon with expert precision before backtracking to grab Gible.

The young pokemon had followed them and had decided to join the battle to free his kin. Alas, his typing, inexperience, and youth meant he was in serious danger of injuring himself.

Stay back. Lucario dropped the Gible off next to Gardevoir. The fairy type could protect him. This is not a battle for you.

X     X     X

Lightning eyed the downed criminals with disdain. In retrospect, knocking all of them unconscious was going to make transporting them difficult, but there were too many of them for her to handle otherwise. At least, she had their pokeballs. 

“Watch them,” she told the Gibles. The dragon-ground types snickered evilly as they surrounded their would-be captors. She turned to the Gible they’d met earlier. “Do you know which way is out? We need to find the authorities.”

It didn’t take long for Gible to lead them to the exit, and Lightning was able to contact the local authorities to come pick up the criminals. It was, she felt a good day’s work, all things considered. As she and her pokemon prepared to leave, Gible scrambled over and nudged her leg with his head.

“Oh?”

He wants to come along. Lucario folded his hands across his chest. He has seen our strength and believes he could achieve great things as one of your pokemon. He chuckled. Plus, he liked the food you gave him earlier.

“Is that so?” Lightning took out a pokeball. “Welcome to the team, Gible.”

X     X     X

Years later…

“You’ve come a long way,” Lightning murmured to the teenager in front of her. Cynthia was a rising star, someone who many believed would become the champion of her region. Having watched Cynthia battle several times, Lightning agreed. “Are you here to battle me?”

“I was hoping to,” Cynthia replied. “They say your Garchomp is the strongest in the world. I’d like to see how mine measures up.”

Lightning regarding the pokemon standing beside Cynthia. The teenager’s Garchomp was an excellent pokemon. From what Lightning had observed in Cynthia’s battles, her Garchomp had outstanding speed, power, and technique. Indeed, she was an outstanding pokemon, so much so that Lightning strongly suspected her development had begun to slow due to not being able to face opponents on her own level consistently enough.

That simply wouldn’t do. Cynthia had tremendous potential, and Lightning wanted her to reach it. Her lips twitched. Cynthia and Averia were practically the same age too. It would do her oldest daughter good to have peers and rivals to push her along. 

“Garchomp!” Lightning shouted. Her pokemon arrived a moment later, still wearing the apron he’d donned while slicing and dicing vegetables for lunch. Cooking was something he’d developed an appreciation for, and he liked to practice his fine control by cutting vegetables. “You’ve got a challenger.”

Immediately, the happy-go-lucky air around Garchomp faded as he shrugged off the apron and turned to gaze at his challenger. The air grew thick and heavy as he exerted the full weight of his presence on the other Garchomp. Lightning could sense his satisfaction when the other pokemon remained standing. There were few pokemon who could meet Garchomp’s gaze without flinching.

“Come on,” Lightning said. “We can use the field over there to battle.”

Cynthia’s eyes gleamed. “Thank you.”

X     X     X

Author’s Notes

Lightning did a lot of travelling in her younger days, and she got into a fair bit of trouble too. In fact, that’s how she met a lot of her pokemon.

The Gible in this story eventually becomes a Garchomp, and he plays a pivotal role in Lightning eventually becoming the undisputed and undefeated world champion. His success would inspire many young trainers to catch and train Gibles of their own. He is also not half bad as a cook although he is especially good when it comes to cutting things like vegetables. When Averia and Diana were little, they would only eat their vegetables if they got to see Garchomp slice them.

Note that in this AU, the timeline is set so that Averia is roughly the same age as Cynthia. When Averia eventually becomes the world champion (following in Lightning’s footsteps), Cynthia is the reigning Sinnoh champion. The two regularly spar, with Cynthia’s Garchomp often squaring off against Averia’s Hydreigon.

You can find me on fanfiction.net, AO3, and Amazon.

[imgilmoregirl]

Vowed For Eternity (Chapter 19)

AO3 Link

Burst Of Light

There was a storm scaring people outside the castle in Avonlea, the thunders resounding loudly, the wind blowing the falls and making the weaker trees arch with its strength, but inside the princess’ chambers nobody was really paying attention to it. Belle had never truly known pain before, she concluded in that endless night. It all started with a pressure down her body which started to become higher, spreading the pain around her belly and back, burning slowly in shorter breaks at each time. She took long breaths, closing her eyes to concentrate whenever the pain came, clenching her teeth.

The princess accepted Fiona's help to stand up as her husband encircled her waist, supporting her when he saw Belle grimace with another contraction. She gripped at his arm tightly, frustrated that it was taking so long for this child to come.

"I don't remember it hurting so much the first time," Belle grunted.

"It's because on the first time you had a rather smaller baby and Rumple's potion helped your body to stretch easier," Fiona explained. “But you know, once a woman’s water break, it doesn’t take much longer for the baby to arrive, your body shall start to work soon.”

"Can I have another potion?"

"No," the fairy bounced, "it can be harmful for the child. Now walk."

Narrowing her eyes, Belle tried to fight her sudden need to slap her mother-in-law for being so ridiculously calm and authoritative when she was going through so much pain. In fact, she didn’t remember having such horrible sensations when she gave birth to Colette, she had just laid there in the bed with what seemed to be a burning ache in her stomach until the maddening need to push came.

But now there was none of this and her body didn’t appear to be collaborating to accelerate things, as the last time Fiona checked on her she told there would still be some time of wait.

"I hate you," she spitted at the fairy.

"You'll thank me later," Fiona answered walking to the other end of the room, where she had left a whole table prepared with clean cloths, water and some silver tools which’s use Belle didn’t want to wonder about.

She allowed Rumple to help her walk to the balcony, where she reclined herself breathing out and relishing in the feeling of having no contractions for a while as he rubbed at her back. The princess wasn’t feeling her baby moving or kicking now, instead it was pressing down, but with no space to make its debut to the world, what only frustrated her more.

"It's your fault!"

"My fault?" He asked, stupefied and confused. "How is that supposed to be my fault?"

Belle pointed at her round belly, angrily.

"You put it inside me and now it has to come out!"

His mouth fell open at the accusation, without believing that she was really saying those nonsense things to him.

Of course, the guilty was all his, like she hadn't participated in that child's conception or like she had totally forgot he tried to avoid it in first place, not that now Rumplestiltskin didn't love his children and wasn't eager to meet the second twin, but he had tried to prevent himself, she was the one who didn't listen to him, so if Belle wanted to blame someone for her contractions she should realise it was likely her own fault.

"You didn't drink the potion," the Dark One pointed out.

However, he regretted those words by the moment the slipped out of his mouth and he saw the anger become clearer in Belle's face, the imp swore the look she was giving him was capable of setting someone on fire and turn the person into ashes right on her feet.

"Are you trying to blame me?" She asked in a dangerously slow voice.

"No, sweetheart," he immediately denied, not wanting to start a big argument when their child was about to be born, "of course not."

Opening her mouth, Belle seemed about to snap another couple of harsh words at him, but suddenly she shrunk, closing her eyes very tightly.

"Ah, there is another contraction coming," his wife murmured in an puffy voice.

"Do you want to sit?"

"No, no," Belle shooked her head, leaning against the handrail. "I'm fine."

However, every time her pain came Rumple felt like his heart was being smashed in agony, to see the suffering appearing in her face.

"You don't look fine."

"I'm not," she panted.

"But, you said - "

"Shut up," Belle yelled, angrily. "Go get me some water."

And just like that the terrifying Dark One, was sent away by his little wife, frustrated with the pains of the labour. He wished he could help her somehow, but Fiona had forbidden any potions and said that magic would be no good in that moment, because none of them wanted to pay any prices just now. The imp might not trust his mother a bit, but he knew that she at least was a talented midwife and would never let anything happen to her grandchildren, as he could see in her eyes how much she cared for them.

Actually, Rumple also saw how much Fiona cared for him, but he made himself blind to this, because he didn’t want to believe in her motherly love, not after the terrible life he had because of her. He approached the fairy anyway, watching as she worked in setting things ready for the birth and stretched a hand to grab the water jar and pour some in a cup for Belle.

"It is going to be a long night, my son," Fiona murmured distractedly.

He swallowed hard, lifting his reptilian glance to her, with some fear shining in his eyes, as he couldn’t think about having to deal with this angry psychotic Belle for more than another couple of minutes.

"It will take the whole night?"

"If we are lucky," his mother answered with a little laugh. "I've seen women stay in labour for two days before the babe came."

What Fiona didn’t say was that Belle probably wouldn’t reach the morning without having her child in her arms, but seeing her son panic was rather funny and helped distract her.

"May the gods help us all," Rumplestiltskin whispered, even though he wasn’t one to pray to any gods.

But in this night, well in this night he would beg to anyone that could hep him for this childbirth to be quickly and successful. However, the only thing that truly mattered now was time, because all they could do was to wait.

A couple of hours later, king Maurice appeared on their door with a squealing Colette in his arms, crying loudly, hungry and desperate. He didn’t know what to do or if he should send someone to fetch a wet-nurse for her, but the Dark One told him it was better if nobody saw the baby girl, then he took her from the king’s arms and brought her to Belle, that was curled on the bed, trying to deal with her now more constant and horrible pain.

“My love,” he murmured stroking her hair. “I’m so sorry to disturb you, but our daughter is hungry. Do you think you can feed her?”

No answer came from the princess, she just closed her eyes more tightly and allowed him to hold the baby closer enough so she could get her late-night meal, before he dragged her away, soothing the little one to make her sleep as he walked back to where king Maurice was, impatiently waiting.

"Here,” Rumplestiltskin said, laying the babe in his arms. “Now that Colette is fed, I think you can handle her."

"Uh, yeah,” Maurice answered, struggling to fit something so little as his granddaughter in his big embrace. His palm was twice her tiny head and he felt that if he didn’t take the right care, he would break her. “I don't believe she will cause any trouble."

Fiona went back inside Belle’s chambers and Rumple hurried to do the same, closing the door behind him and walking towards the bed, where he took a seat beside his wife, looking away as the fairy started to exam her. Suddenly, Fiona stood up, quickly reaching for the things she had separated earlier and bringing them to bed, placing the items there as parting Belle’s knees.

"She is ready."

"No,” the princess whispered weakly, “she is not."

"Come on, Belle,” Fiona gave her a sceptical glance, “you're braver than that."

Belle wanted to scream at her saying that Fiona was so damn wrong that she couldn’t even begin to tell, but there was a part of her, the logic one, that knew once her child was out, the pain would pass, like it simply had never been there before and it kind of gave her some strength. She nodded at her mother-in-law, adjusting herself on the pillows and grabbing Rumple’s hand. It didn’t matter if she wanted to do it or not, now she had to, so that’s what Belle did, taking Fiona’s commands and thinking about holding her child.

She clenched her teeth, holding the screams of pain whenever she pushed, the drops of sweat sliding down her now reddish face as Fiona kept encouraging Belle to go ahead, which only made her want to punch the fairy, because optimism was the last thing somebody in pain wanted to hear, but finally it got to its end, when she felt herself get strangely empty and her mother-in-law received the baby in her arms.

Allowing herself to fall against the pillows, all Belle could do for a long moment was to pant as she heard, full of relief her child’s cries filling the room. She had been fearing this moment for so long, thinking that maybe the baby wasn’t going to cry, just like what happened when its sister was born, and yet there was that amazing sound, guarantying her that it was alive.

"Is she alright?" Belle asked as her husband petted her hair with the brightest smile she had ever seen, taking his face.

"He” Fiona corrected, “is very beautiful."

The fairy laid the new-born on its mother’s chest. A little boy, certainly bigger than Colette, squealing until he felt the first contacts with the skin of his mother’s hand, that gently caressed his bareback, slowly calming him down and causing him to open his big brown eyes and bring his small fist up, his mouth sucking at it with soft little noises. Fiona was right, he was perfect.

"Oh," the princess gasped, tears streaming freely down her cheeks as sobs started to erupt from her throat.

"Sweetheart,” the Dark One started, his voice full of concern, “what is it?"

For a moment, she couldn’t answer, all Belle could manage to do was to cry as she stroked her baby’s back repeatedly. She was happy, however, she was also in panic.

"I'm sorry, Rumple," Belle mumbled. "I'm so sorry it is a boy."

Immediately, the Dark One shooked his head, a sad expression crossing his face, because he knew this fear his wife was feeling now was not just caused by the prophecy, but also by his previous reactions whenever the possibility of the child being a boy came to his mind. Of course, he had been way gentler during the last two months, vowing to protect her and the babies, despite of anything, but Rumple still had left a scar on her heart that couldn’t just be erased this simply.

He covered her hand with his, just above the little boy which still seemed really confuse, but unlike his sister, appeared to be way more peaceful and less fussy.

"Look at me," the imp asked his wife, cupping her cheek with his free hand, gently stroking her soft skin. "Sweetheart, you have nothing to be sorry about. You gave me a strong, handsome heir."

"But..."

"I love you and I love him," Rumplestiltskin remarked, taking the babe from her and nestling it in his own arms.

Fiona handed him a blanket to cover the little boy and he quickly wrapped him in the soft yellow fabric, smiling mesmerized at the child as Belle slowly stopped to cry, sniffling and wiping the corners of her eyes.

"You can give him a name if you wish so. I named our girl, now it's your turn."

The Dark One thought about it for a moment. He wasn’t expecting her to ask such a thing, and they never even talked about babies’ names, so Rumple just assumed that Belle would come up with something at the right time. But now he had to make a choice and he found it rather difficult. It took the imp some minutes, but the perfect name finally came up to him, as if it had been on his mind all the time, ready to be given to that sweet boy.

"Baelfire," he announced. "My pride and joy."

Lifting the babe up, Rumplestiltskin brushed his green-gold lips to his small brow, hearing Bae hiccup slightly before he felt the wave. It was powerful. The most powerful magical act he had ever felt, even more powerful than the True Love’s Kiss that woke Colette up from the sleeping curse.

Something started to happen to him, inside and out he could feel himself burning with renovated power as his mother and wife gasped with surprise. The room seemed to be filled by a blinding light that came exclusively from him and then, when it lighted off, it was all over.

"Rumple," Belle muttered in awe holding up a hand to touch the tip of her fingers in his now human pinkish skin. "Oh, gods..."

Looking down at his own hands, Rumplestiltskin could see the same calloused fingers of the spinner he once was and when he glanced at the full-length mirror that was placed on the wall next to him, he could see that his eyes were no longer the reptilian ones that darkness had made appear, but the same brown ones he now shared with his new-born son. He was human again.

"The boy will come and destroy what darkness created," Fiona recited. "Your love and acceptation for your son broke the curse."

"But I can still feel the magic inside me," Rumplestiltskin said, very stupefied.

"Yeah, just no longer dark," his mother laughed with happiness. "You became light, my boy."

He couldn’t contain the joyful chuckle that came up from his own throat, and when he glanced back at Belle, he saw that she had happy tears falling from her gorgeous blue eyes.

"Belle, he saved me," Rumple whispered pointing at their son.

"Yes, my love," she agreed, pulling him down for a kiss. "Indeed."

For a couple of minutes, they were just utterly and extremely happy, because life couldn’t be more surprising or wonderful.

Waiting for some news was simply horrible and Maurice hated not being in control of the situation, as he usually was, but staying there with Colette was certainly a welcoming distraction. He was really happy that Belle had chosen to give her daughter her mother’s name, because he knew if his wife was still alive she would be very proud of the fierce woman their princess had become and if he spent many time watching his granddaughter he would swear he could see some of his wife’s features on her.

Maurice hoped the other baby would born healthy and they could find a way to get themselves rid of whoever was threatening his daughter’s happiness. He looked at the storm outside his window and suddenly heard the door being open to reveal a very slim woman, with short curled hair, wearing peasant clothes.

"King Maurice," she greeted with a smile.

"These chambers are out of the reach," the king immediately said, stepping forward to cover the small crib and not allow the woman to notice it. "I thought I was clear about that."

"Oh, you were," she nodded, coming closer and toying with a thin stick in her hands. "But I'm not one of your maids."

She was right, he had never seen her around the castle and as much as he never payed a great attention to the help, he also knew that all of the maids in there wore red knee-length dresses, but this woman was wearing a long blue one.

"Who are you, then?"

"Someone who is very, very angry with the lies that had been told around this kingdom," the woman said, slowly, glancing at the baby that he desperately tried to behind himself. "You have a beautiful granddaughter, Maurice."

"Get out, or I'll call for the guards."

He was ready to do it, to take the child and run away from there, leaving his knights to deal with her, but an invisible force threw him away, making the king fall against a nightstand that broken into pieces with his heavy weight.

"Oh, no," she murmured, picking up the babe. "I need a new fairy and I think I can raise a great one. Say hello to Purple."

The woman became blue light and diminished until she seemed no more than a bug on the room, flying away through the open window with Colette in her arms, as Maurice tried to stand up, but kept falling back, because his abdomen had been impaled by a piece of broken wood.

"No," he manged to mumble. "Please, come back!"

But nobody was there to hear him anymore.

[mattmercerbignaturals]

A Garden for Two Ch. 2 (2148 words)

Ruby had become a regular at the gardens with Beacon’s unofficial caretaker. Every Thursday night, right after training with her team, she would show up just before nightfall and they would watch the sunset together through the dome and talk. The waning light would cast the room in a soft orange glow, allowing some of the flowers to pop in ways that were nothing short of dazzling. After several weeks had passed, one day, Ruby showed up in a very un-Ruby-like mood.

 She flopped down onto the makeshift stone bench, as she had grown tired of attempting to sit cross-legged, citing that it made her limbs fall asleep. Her face was set in a deep frown as she propped her head up on her fists.

“What do you do when someone needs help but won’t let you help them?” Yatsuhashi cracked open an eye, turning to face his friend.

 “If I had such an answer, I would share it.” That isn’t helpful. The eye closed and his breathing evened out. Quiet took over, leaving Ruby alone with her thoughts. Well, her thoughts and an incessant tapping noise. The girl looked to her friend to see one massive foot moving back and forth, the sole of his boot striking the concrete over and over. She looked to his arms, usually calm and relaxed. Now though, she could trace the veins on his forearm like a roadmap. Finally, there was his eyes. They were shut like he was afraid something would pluck the eyeball from his head, his face scrunched in a manner that made it plain he was anything but relaxed.

 “Are you OK, Yatsu?” His eye opened again and he nodded.

 “Of course.” He opened his other eye, cocking his head. “Are you?” She nodded, plastering on a smile that looked more like something stolen from a mannequin than a normal human facial expression. He shot her a look and the face crumbled. She leaned back, letting out a groan that was much louder than one would’ve thought her tiny body could produce.

 “Cardin’s a big jerk!” As the name left her lips, Yatsu’s hand clenched into a tight fist and his jaw tensed. His mouth barely opened as he replied.

 “Yes, yes he is.” Ruby popped from her seat, pacing back and forth across the stone.

 “What gives him the right to bully other people just because they’re weaker than him, huh? So what if Jaune’s a bad fighter, and not good at school work, and smaller than him? That doesn’t mean he can pick on him! When someone needs help, you’re supposed to actually help them! Not make everything worse. But nooooooooooooooooo! Cardin needs to show off and prove how big and tough he is!” She threw her arms in the air in exasperation. “All it shows is that he’s a big dumb jerk.”

 “I take it that this “Jaune” is a target of his as well?” She nodded.

 “Yeah! We all see it! Cardin trips him in the hall, slaps his books out of his hands, and shoots spitballs at him in class. The worst of it is that Jaune won’t let us help him. We’ve all offered to step in, his partner Pyrrha’s even tried to actually stand up for him but he stops us every time.” She groaned, plopping down on the stone bench again. “Why won’t he let us help him?” Yatsu had all but given up on his attempts at meditating, instead choosing to rest his hands on his knees.

 “I would tell you if I knew.” For a moment, the only sounds were chirping birds and blowing leaves.

 “Wait a second, you said “as well”, is Cardin bullying one of your friends too?” Yatsu inclined his head, his mouth set in a thin line. “Can I ask who?” He was quiet for a beat.

 “Do you remember my teammate Velvet? I mentioned her some time ago.” Ruby nodded.

 “The Faunus girl, right? With the big bunny ears?” He nodded, it took a moment for Ruby to process what he said but when she did, her eyes went wide. “Cardin’s bullying an upperclassman!?” Yatsu simply sighed, nodding again. “Why doesn’t she just beat him up and get him to stop?”

 “I could ask the same of your friend, Jaune.” Ruby wrung her hands, eyes finding the floor. If she thought that would help, she would’ve suggested it by now.

 “Jaune’s not the best fighter…” Yatsu gave a grunt of acknowledgement.

 “I can’t say the same for Velvet. As for her reason for not standing up for herself…” He sighed. “She says that violence doesn’t solve these kinds of things.” He shook his head. “Unfortunately, she seems to be unable to be swayed to another course of action.”

 They were both being silly. Jaune should let Ruby and Co. deal with Cardin then he’d leave him alone. Velvet should easily be able to beat him up, maybe even his whole team. Ruby groaned, throwing her hands up in the air as her voice slipped into a mocking tone.

 “She sounds like my dad. He’s always saying stuff like that “violence never solved anything”, “drink your milk”, “no boys until you’re thirty” blah blah blah. Then why do we fight Grimm if violence isn’t the answer, huh?” She crossed her arms, thinking back to all the times she brought up this argument. None of them ever ended up swaying her dad, he just said that “that’s something entirely different” and sent her to her room or something.

 Yatsu chuckled into his fist. A sound that made the butterflies in her stomach begin to flutter. She shouted internally for them to quit it before shifting her attention back to her friend.

 “My father said much of the same, Dad on the other hand always told me to not leave bruises.

 Ruby scoffed and gestured to her massive friend.

 “I think if you hit someone, it’s going to leave a bruise no matter what.”  

 Yatsu smiled and looked up into the orange tinted skies above. It had been a gorgeous day on campus as some warm air finally made its appearance, balancing out the autumn chill.

 “I wasn’t always this large, Ruby. Even I was small once.” He said with a chuckle. Ruby waved him off.

 “Sure you were, I’ll believe that when I see it.” He stared at her for a second before pulling out his Scroll and typing out a message. Well, if one could consider jabbing one finger into the keypad, hitting several keys simultaneously, and then frantically hitting delete over and over to be “typing.”

 “I’ll have proof momentarily.” As if on cue, the Scroll dinged and he smiled. Ruby plopped down next to her friend and he turned the screen to her. She was greeted to the image of six children with a stout man with closely cropped sandy brown hair and a wicked scar that went diagonally over his lips. Standing on the man’s right, his arm on his shoulder, was unmistakably Yatsuhashi.

 “Oh. My. Gosh!! You were so small!!!” The boy was barely four feet tall and couldn’t have been more than fifty, maybe fifty-five pounds if Ruby was being generous. Yatsu nodded his head, another n small smile finding his lips.

 “Indeed, I was.” Ruby stole the Scroll away, tapping the screen for a closer look at everyone. The children were lined up in front of the stout man, all throwing up two fingers in a V shape. They looked positively adorable in their little white outfits that were at least a size too big and the bright white belts that some of the kids were using like a headband.

 “The guy with his hand on your shoulder, that’s your teacher, right?” Yatsu nodded.

 “Correct. He’s also one of my fathers, Clay. He ran the studio out of the back of our home.” Ruby nodded, studying the man again. Not only was the scarring evident on his face, his hands held a fair few of their own. He was also missing one of his front teeth.

 “It’s the tooth, isn’t it?” Ruby cocked her head to the side. “You’re staring at his missing tooth, aren’t you?” She began to babble out a response. Stupid Ruby, stupid stupid stupid! Dad always told you not to stare at people, that it was rude! Yatsu held up a hand.

 “It’s fine.” He took a breath and nodded. “Clay… had a rough life before he met my other father, Oliver. You see, the style he teaches is known as bajiquan, or “eight-extreme fists”. It’s been passed through his family for generations as they were among the few who preserved the tradition after so long. He was an only child and when he told his family that he was never going to produce a biological child to pass along the art, they were… less than enthused.” Before she could think about it, she found her hand going to his arm, giving a gentle squeeze. She pushed the Scroll into his face with the other.

 “Does this look like a man who regrets the choices he’s made?”  Yatsu was silent for a moment before shaking his head.

 “No. No he does not.” He placed a massive paw over hers. “Thank you, Ruby.” He stared down at the picture again before chuckling. “It’s funny in a way, Clay passed on some of his teachings to me, hoping I would never have to use them, especially against bullies.”

 “You never had to, right? I mean, who was going to mess with the Master’s son? That’d be stupid.” Yatsu shrugged.

 “You would be surprised what children think they can get away with when adults aren’t looking.” Rub’s eyes widened.

 “Wait, you were bullied?” He gave a halfhearted nod.

 “It wasn’t for long, barely two months, but it happened. Like you said, I was small and some of them thought I received special treatment from Clay. They might have been right on that latter account, but my father did his best to treat all as equals.”

 “Well, how did you deal with them? Did you tell your dads? Did you beat them up?” Ruby hopped to her feet in an instant, throwing out flurries of kicks and punches at nothing in particular. Her mind screamed at her to stop, that she was embarrassing herself again but the laugh that came from her friend made it worth it.

 “I stood up for myself and said that I wasn’t going to take it anymore. Naturally, they pushed back against me and then, yes, I beat them up.” Ruby threw her fist in the air, nearly jumping for joy.

 “Good!” She smiled, sitting back down at his side. For moment, they say in peaceful silence. The fractured moon was rising up into the air, night having taken hold. She stared upwards at it before sighing. “Why won’t Jaune and Velvet do what you did?” Yatsu’s gaze followed Ruby’s. His even breathing helped enhance the calming effect of the area and she felt her hand creep towards his on the stone.

 Bad Ruby! No! You’re just friends and even if you weren’t, he’s eighteen and you’re fifteen! What if he’s seeing someone? What if he doesn’t even like girls? But still, her hand inched onwards. Thankfully, his voice broke her out of her trance, causing her to shake her head.

 “I cannot say. We can only hope that they come around in time.” Ruby felt heat travel up her cheeks as Yatsu turned to her. “Your cheeks are red. Are you feeling well?” She hopped up to her feet, throwing up her hand in a salute that she knew she’d mentally flog herself over later.

 “Never better!” She gave an awkward laugh. Ruby needed to get out of there before she embarrassed herself any further. So, she faked a yawn, adding a soft moan and stretching to hopefully make it look more natural. “It’s getting late and I have class tomorrow I should get going.” Yatsu stared at her and for a moment she thought he was going to call her bluff, or worse, offer to walk her back to her dorm. Yang would never let her hear the end of it if that happened. He checked his Scroll and nodded.

 “You’re right, I’m sorry for taking up so much of your time.” Just then, the piece of technology chimed and the face of a dark-skinned girl with bright blonde, almost white, hair appeared on screen. A small smiled played at her large friend’s lips. “Goodnight Ruby.” She nodded vigorously, waving off his mention of monopolizing her time.

 “Goodnight Yatsu, sweet dreams.” He nodded

 “To you as well.” Ruby nearly sprinted from the gardens as she tried to justify holding hands with Yatsu in her mind. We’re just friends. F-R-I-E-N-D-S. She repeated the thought all the way back to her dorm.

[thenamelessscribe42-blog]

14 Beautiful Facts About MMA Fighting

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is a grappling-based martial art whose central theme is the ability of controlling a withstanding challenger in manner ins which force him to submit. Due to the truth that control is generally much easier on the ground than in a standing position, much of the method of mma is centered round the skill of taking a challenger down to the ground and battling for dominant control positions from where the opponent can be rendered safe.

To manage and overcome higher size, strength and aggression with lesser size and strength is the keynote of the sport. This is done by using remarkable take advantage of, grip and position upon your opponent. Trainees of the sport get a deep understanding of the operations and limits of the body.

This understanding can be used to control and manage an opponent with whatever level of seriousness the student selects. The course to this understanding is physically and mentally requiring. Trainees take advantage of considerably increased fitness, problem-solving capability, self-knowledge of their body and mind and the many social benefits of working within a large group of similar fellow students as you find out and have fun together.

Numerous students very first discover Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is a grappling-based martial art whose main theme is the skill of managing a resisting opponent in manner ins which require him to send. Due to the reality that control is generally much easier on the ground than in a standing position, much of the technique of jiu jitsu brazilian is focused round the skill of taking a challenger down to the ground and battling for dominant control positions from where the opponent can be rendered safe.

To manage and conquer greater size, strength and hostility with lesser size and strength is the keynote of the sport. This is done by utilizing superior leverage, grip and position upon your opponent. Students of the sport acquire a deep understanding of the functions and limits of the human body.

This knowledge can be used to subdue and control a challenger with whatever level of severity the trainee chooses. The path to this understanding is physically and psychologically demanding. Trainees gain from greatly increased physical fitness, problem-solving capability, self-knowledge of their mind and body and the many social advantages of working within a large group of similar fellow trainees as you discover and have a good time together.

Many trainees first learn more about jiu jitsu through the excellent appeal of mixed martial arts (MMA) competition, where Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu strategy is really prominent. Undoubtedly, the beginnings of the contemporary MMA competition were mostly tied up with proving the combat-efficiency of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The practice of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as a sport, however, is strongly separated from MMA. Daily classes do not feature kicking or punching. The focus is on safe grappling method that can be done daily with no more worry of injury than any other contact sport. While there is a professional MMA group at the Renzo Gracie Academy, the terrific majority of students study only the grappling sport and find that this is the most enjoyable and gratifying route to take.

Renzo Gracie is a world-renown practitioner of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA. He is a senior member of the famous Gracie household of jiu jitsu instructors and fighters who did so much to alter the shape the current state of martial arts instruction in America. He has put together a terrific team of a few of the very best trainers from Brazil, a lot of whom are members of his remarkable household and who teach his system to a large and ever- growing community and his world popular New york city City Academy. Renzo's popularity and charisma is the basis of a really enjoyable location to train, grow and develop your skills among lots of devoted professionals of the sport, varying from famous expert fighters to everyday enthusiasts.

Classes at the academy are taught all the time 6 days a week. They feature a strength and endurance structure warm-up, followed by demonstration and practice of strategies after which students engage in live wrestling with other students of their own level. It is a really requiring exercise with a strongly cerebral aspect and a sense of purpose and skill that will really record your imagination. Boil down to the academy. Feel free to learn more here https://youtu.be/rOIM2K4HHtU. Come have a look at a class or better yet, take among the intro classes. We are positive that mixed martial arts will become one of the most valued and satisfying aspects of your life. It will provide you a confidence, knowledge and body-dexterity and physical fitness that few individuals will ever know.

In the last days of the 19th century, some Jiu-Jitsu masters emigrated from Japan to other continents, teaching the martial arts in addition to taking part in fights and competitors. Mitsuyo Maeda was one such master. Maeda showed up in Brazil in 1915, and settled in Belem do Para, where he satisfied a male called Gastao Gracie.

The dad of 8 children, amongst them five boys and 3 ladies, Gastao became a Jiu-Jitsu enthusiast and brought his earliest child, Carlos, to learn from the Japanese master.

For a naturally frail fifteen-year old Carlos Gracie, Jiu-Jitsu ended up being a method not merely for battling, but for individual enhancement. At nineteen, he relocated to Rio de Janeiro with his family and started teaching and fighting. In his journeys, Carlos would teach classes, and also showed the performance of the art by beating opponents who were physically stronger. In 1925, he went back to Rio and opened the very first school, known as the "Academia Gracie de Jiu-Jitsu."

Jiu Jitsu promotes the idea that a smaller, weaker individual can effectively prevent a bigger, more powerful aggressor by using leverage and appropriate technique.

Jiu-Jitsu constitutes the natural defense the weak individual deals with versus the strong person. It is a sort of leveling process through which strength, faced and controlled by the smart application of reasonable mechanics, is resulted in admitting that the person, usually taken as a body endowed with a soul, ought to really be deemed a soul that takes place to reside in a body. This, nevertheless, no matter what our philosophical or spiritual orientation is, must never suggest disregard or absence of attention towards the body we use in this world. We don't understand, actually, how, in order to reach wisdom, love, or in order to adore and serve God, appreciating His laws, it can be required or possible to damage among His most stunning and ideal animals.

If it is true that the disharmony in our thoughts and sensations can generate physical harm, it is no less true that the care we take with our body reflects not only on that body, however also on the psychological health we all require to attain a harmonious, delighted life.

Of course one does not require unique capabilities to master specific resources of mma, which permit us to protect efficiently. Let us not forget, regardless of, that, no matter what we eagerly anticipate, we will constantly have better chances of reaching it if we utilize our biggest spiritual and physical possibilities. Jiu-Jitsu, which can not escape that peremptory rule, is nothing but its application in self-defense. Being, even more, a sport, and indeed among the most complete, how could it perhaps turn its back on physical preparation?

Without health, in its entire meaning, there can be no total happiness. Extremely often, nevertheless, instead of studying the laws we must appreciate in order to avoid diseases, we are more worried about what is the appropriate medicine or process for fixing the repercussions of our ignorance or mindful offenses.

It is illogical for male, who is the most perfect being to inhabit Earth, to have a shorter life than that of other animals. We are amongst those who fiercely think we need to live more than any irrational being. For that reason, if we compare the current average period of the human life to that of the parrot's, we don't understand why, when among us decides to live a a century, it is something so extraordinary. Think of if, like any elephant or turtle, one of us happened to live up until the age of 2 hundred!

However, as we see it, all that would be really typical if, throughout generations, with odd perseverance, we had not been repeling from the natural laws.

Among other descriptions, for instance, is nutrition. What do we actually learn about how, when, just how much and what to consume in harmony with natural laws?

However let us stop here in the past, my dear reader, your tolerance disappears totally and you, with sensible irony, ask: "And, by the way, what about Jiu-Jitsu?"

You are partly right. Due to the reality that it is, nevertheless, a difficult-- if not impossible-- task, in its amplitude, we won't disregard our duty of alerting you that wanting to understand, solely by means of reading, the tricks of this traditional art of defense and attack is as effective as studying singing by mail.

To you, buddy and reader, my genuine thanks, and we'll see each other again. If I didn't succeed in pleasing you, at least I hope I didn't absolutely dissatisfy you.

The history of Jiu Jitsu in Brazil mainly originates from one male, Mitsuyo Maeda-- known in Brazil as Conde Coma (Count Coma). Maeda was a trainee of Jigoro Kano and his Kodokan School of martial arts. Though Kano is commonly recognized as the father of Judo, his style of mentor was related to in the early days as a branch of Ju Jitsu and not it's own martial design. In fact, Jigoro's branch of Ju Jitsu has actually been diluted from its initial format over the years by consistent changes to Judo's rules and policies.

Mitsuyo Maeda was among Jigoto Kano's star students, and as such he was asked to assist get the word out of his master's style. Maeda travelled all over the globe displaying the art in arenas and circuses, travelling through the United States, England and lots of other nations prior to landing in Brazil. It remained in Brazil that he satisfied trainees such Carlos Gracie. Carlos was a distressed teenager that Maeda took under his wing and taught his style, though Carlos wasn't the only student taught by Count Coma, nor was he the only one to develop his own Jiu Jitsu School, one other student of Maeda likewise spread his seed into Jiu Jitsu's landscape, Luis França. There were other Japanese Jiu Jitsu masters teaching Jiu Jitsu in Brazil who were lesser known, though still relevant to BJJ today, people like Takeo Iano in the North of Brazil and Kazuo Yoshida in Bahia.

What are the benefits of Jiu Jitsu?

The many benefits of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu & Submission Grappling training consist of:

Self-defense.

Increased versatility.

Enhanced physical fitness, strength and general physical conditioning.

Stress release and enhanced concentration.

Increased confidence.

Carlos Gracie was taught by Master Maeda in the city of Belém do Pará in Brazil, however due to monetary difficulties moved to Rio de Janeiro. Mituyo Maeda likewise moved away returning at some point after to develop a school where his lineage is still very much alive, though he never to see Carlos again. In Rio de Janeiro, 1925 Carlos established his first school of Jiu Jitsu in the Marques de Abrantes Street, number 106. To help out with the school he brought in his bros and taught them his master's art. The bros were: Oswaldo, George, Gastão and Hélio Gracie. Carlos and his bros would go on to promote their academy through a series of difficulties, some with no guidelines, where they would combat guys of any size or weight proving their design's supremacy.

Though Helio ended up being perhaps the most popular family member of the Gracie siblings, it was George Gracie the one that held the family's name greatest competitively from that first generation of Gracie combatants. Helio Gracie did contend successfully also, but his two most famous fights were also his worst beats, to Masahiko Kimura and Waldemar Santana, two fights he lost when he was currently reaching his 40's versus bigger and more youthful guys.

As Carlos Gracie got more included with the business side of the household and George's wild ways separated him from his brothers chain of thought, it was Helio that took duty in keeping the school a tight unit. Helio Gracie was likewise offered the duty of raising the majority of Carlos Gracie's household, teaching them the family martial arts trade. Given that the 1920's the Gracie family has had the ability to produce consistent skill through every generation, making it one of the greatest martial arts family trees on the planet and the greatest amongst mma.

The first steps of MMA were given in the 1920's Brazil and this events were called "Vale Tudo" (anything goes). They were unauthorized bouts with no guidelines (eye gouging and strikes to the groin were enabled) no gloves, no weight categories and most of the times they did not have a time frame either. It remained in these bouts that the Gracie's made their mark and created a name on their own throughout the country. As the sport progressed, a few tweaks were made to these Vale Tudo matches, however no place near what the sport is today.

In the early days, when these matches started happening, Jiu Jitsu's biggest opponent was Luta Livre, a design of submission grappling utilized in Brazil. As the popularity of Vale Tudo grew, so did the rivalry in between these 2 opposing designs, a lot that lots of street fights in between trainees of both martial arts and even Dojo storming prevailed practice.

In the 1984 an attempt to settle the affair was made with the "Jiu Jitsu vs Martial Arts" event being held where numerous important figures of Jiu Jitsu were installed against fighters of other trades (but generally Luta Livre). The result was inconclusive and the unfriendly Banta continued, until 1991, one of the most important occasions in the history of Vale Tudo/MMA was held to choose at last which was the best martial art in Brazil, the name of the occasion was "Desafio-- Jiu-Jitsu vs. Luta Livre" (BJJ vs Luta Livre Challenge). 3 fighters were selected from each style to compete versus each other in a Vale-Tudo match with no time limits, the fighters from BJJ were Wallid Ismail, Murilo Bustamante and Fabio Gurgel versus Eugenio Tadeu, Marcelo Mendes and Denilson Maia from Luta Livre. Jiu Jitsu won all 3 fights, a major plume on the cap of BJJ's neighborhood who ended up being broadly thought about the stronger design, the disagreement in between the two styles had lots of ups and downs, as explained on our "JJ vs Luta Livre" short article, a disagreement that ultimately resulted in the ban of Vale Tudo in Brazil.

While the Brazilian Vale Tudo panorama was roaring, the very same was not taking place in the United States. It was again through the Gracie household's efforts that the sport was put in its place. The Gracie's had seen a market for their Jiu Jitsu style in America, and they established an academy in California. In trying to prove that their style was the very best martial art available, the Gracie's developed a No Holds Disallowed occasion, the principle being created by Rorion Gracie, this occasion was named Ultimate Combating Championship (UFC), and it had the exact same concept as the Vale Tudo occasions back in Brazil. The very first champ to emerge from this event was Royce Gracie, who later on ended up being a UFC Hall of Popularity. The brand name and the event itself would suffer extreme changes to the rule set, such as the inclusion of gloves, the Robe (Gi) being removed, the time frame and striking limitations added and so on etc. With time the fighters ended up being more well rounded learning all facets of the game. Today, though less appropriate than it was in the past, jiu jitsu brazilian is still one of the most crucial disciplines in the sport.

If the sport began in the United States in the early 1990's, the same seemed to happen in Japan around the same time. Thought about the birth country of Martial Arts, Japan would appear to have a head start when it pertained to No Holds Barred; the Japanese were serious about striking martial arts and ground fighting with their Karate and Kosen Judo schools. Still, when MMA (Vale Tudo) emerged in Japan, another Gracie name rose above all others, the name of Rickson Gracie. Considered by lots of the greatest BJJ competitor of all time, Rickson stayed unbeaten throughout his career, and once again cemented the Gracie name and the Jiu Jitsu style in that country.

(BJJ) is a martial art, battle sport, and a self-defense system that concentrates on grappling and particularly ground fighting. Brazilian jiu-jitsu was formed from early 20th century Kodokan Judo ground battling (Ne-Waza) principles that were taught to Carlos Gracie by master Mitsuyo Maeda. Brazilian jiu-jitsu ultimately happened its own art through the experimentations, practices, and adaptation from the Judo understanding of Carlos who then passed their understanding on to his extended family.

Is Jiu Jitsu helpful for self-defense?

Yes, BJJ is a fantastic sport and fitness activity, but it's also a martial art. Which implies that you require to be able to utilize it to defend yourself. But the good news is that you DON'T need to commit all your training to 'reality' self defense.

BJJ promotes the principle that a smaller sized, weaker individual can effectively prevent a larger, more powerful foe by utilizing leverage and proper strategy, taking the fight to the ground-- most notably by applying joint-locks and chokeholds to beat the other individual. BJJ training can be utilized for sport grappling tournaments (gi and no-gi) and blended martial arts (MMA) competitors or self-defense. Sparring(typically referred to as "rolling") and live drilling play a major role in training, and a premium is put on efficiency, specifically in competition, in relation to advance and ascension through its ranking system.

through the terrific popularity of blended martial arts (MMA) competitors, where Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu method is extremely popular. Indeed, the starts of the contemporary MMA competition were mainly consolidated showing the combat-efficiency of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The practice of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as a sport, however, is strongly separated from MMA. Daily classes do not include kicking or punching. The focus is on safe grappling method that can be done every day with no more worry of injury than any other contact sport. While there is an expert MMA group at the Renzo Gracie Academy, the excellent majority of trainees study just the grappling sport and find that this is the most satisfying and rewarding route to take.

Renzo Gracie is a world-renown practitioner of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA. He is a senior member of the well-known Gracie family of jiu jitsu instructors and fighters who did so much to change the shape the existing state of martial arts direction in America. He has actually put together an excellent team of a few of the absolute best trainers from Brazil, a lot of whom are members of his renowned family and who teach his system to a huge and ever- growing community and his world popular New york city City Academy. Renzo's popularity and charm is the basis of a genuinely pleasurable place to train, grow and develop your abilities amongst lots of passionate practitioners of the sport, ranging from well-known professional fighters to everyday lovers.

Classes at the academy are taught throughout the day six days a week. They feature a strength and endurance structure warm-up, followed by demonstration and practice of methods after which students participate in live fumbling with other trainees of their own level. It is a genuinely demanding exercise with a strongly cerebral aspect and a sense of purpose and skill that will really record your creativity. Come down to the academy. Come have a look at a class or even better, take one of the introduction classes. We are positive that mma will become one of the most treasured and satisfying elements of your life. It will provide you a self-confidence, knowledge and body-dexterity and fitness that couple of people will ever understand.

In the last days of the 19th century, some Jiu-Jitsu masters emigrated from Japan to other continents, teaching the martial arts along with taking part in battles and competitors. Mitsuyo Maeda was one such master. Maeda got here in Brazil in 1915, and settled in Belem do Para, where he met a man named Gastao Gracie.

The daddy of 8 kids, among them 5 young boys and three ladies, Gastao ended up being a Jiu-Jitsu enthusiast and brought his oldest boy, Carlos, to gain from the Japanese master.

For a naturally frail fifteen-year old Carlos Gracie, Jiu-Jitsu ended up being a technique not simply for combating, but for personal improvement. At nineteen, he relocated to Rio de Janeiro with his family and began teaching and battling. In his travels, Carlos would teach classes, and also showed the effectiveness of the art by beating opponents who were physically more powerful. In 1925, he returned to Rio and opened the first school, called the "Academic Community Gracie de Jiu-Jitsu."

Jiu Jitsu promotes the principle that a smaller sized, weaker person can effectively defend against a larger, more powerful foe by utilizing utilize and appropriate strategy.

Jiu-Jitsu makes up the natural defense the weak person disposes of against the strong person. It is a sort of leveling procedure through which brute force, challenged and dominated by the sensible application of rational mechanics, is caused admitting that the human, normally taken as a body endowed with a soul, ought to actually be considered a soul that occurs to live in a body. This, however, no matter what our philosophical or spiritual orientation is, must never ever indicate neglect or absence of attention towards the body we use in this world. We do not comprehend, actually, how, in order to reach wisdom, love, or in order to love and serve God, respecting His laws, it can be essential or possible to damage one of His most gorgeous and best creatures.

If it holds true that the disharmony in our ideas and feelings can generate physical damage, it is no less real that the care we take with our body reflects not only on that body, however likewise on the mental health all of us require to accomplish an unified, delighted life.

Naturally one doesn't need unique abilities to master certain resources of brazilian jiu jitsu, which allow us to protect efficiently. Let us not forget, notwithstanding, that, no matter what we eagerly anticipate, we will constantly have much better possibilities of reaching it if we utilize our biggest spiritual and physical possibilities. Jiu-Jitsu, which can not get away that peremptory guideline, is nothing but its application in self-defense. Being, further, a sport, and undoubtedly among the most total, how could it perhaps turn its back on physical preparation?

Without health, in its whole significance, there can be no total happiness. Really often, nevertheless, instead of studying the laws we must respect in order to avoid illness, we are more worried about what is the appropriate medication or procedure for repairing the repercussions of our ignorance or conscious offenses.

It is illogical for man, who is the most perfect being to live in Earth, to have a shorter life than that of other animals. We are amongst those who increasingly believe we should live more than any unreasonable being. For that reason, if we compare the present average duration of the human life to that of the parrot's, we don't understand why, when one of us chooses to live a hundred years, it is something so extraordinary. Imagine if, like any elephant or turtle, one of us occurred to live up until the age of 2 hundred!

However, as we see it, all that would be extremely typical if, throughout generations, with unusual perseverance, we hadn't been driving away from the natural laws.

To name a few explanations, for example, is nutrition. What do we actually understand about how, when, just how much and what to eat in harmony with natural laws?

However let us stop here previously, my dear reader, your tolerance goes away totally and you, with justifiable irony, ask: "And, by the way, what about Jiu-Jitsu?"

You are partially right. Due to the fact that it is, nevertheless, a challenging-- if not impossible-- job, in its amplitude, we won't neglect our task of warning you that wanting to know, solely by means of reading, the tricks of this traditional art of defense and attack is as effective as studying singing by mail.

To you, buddy and reader, my genuine thanks, and we'll see each other again. If I didn't succeed in pleasing you, a minimum of I hope I didn't completely dissatisfy you.

The history of Jiu Jitsu in Brazil mainly derives from one guy, Mitsuyo Maeda-- known in Brazil as Conde Coma (Count Coma). Maeda was a trainee of Jigoro Kano and his Kodokan School of martial arts. Though Kano is widely recognized as the dad of Judo, his design of mentor was related to in the early days as a branch of Ju Jitsu and not it's own martial style. In fact, Jigoro's branch of Ju Jitsu has actually been diluted from its initial format throughout the years by consistent changes to Judo's rules and regulations.

What is the distinction between Jiu Jitsu and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?

Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a competitors sport. Like Japanese jujitsu, BJJ functions tosses in addition to joint locks and chokes, influenced by competition-orientated judo. ... BJJ focuses on grappling on the floor and features no striking. It is taught generally through live training and competitive sparring, called rolling.

Mitsuyo Maeda was one of Jigoto Kano's star students, and as such he was asked to help spread the word of his master's style. Maeda took a trip all over the world displaying the art in arenas and circuses, travelling through the United States, England and lots of other nations before landing in Brazil. It remained in Brazil that he met students such Carlos Gracie. Carlos was a struggling teenager that Maeda took under his wing and taught his design, though Carlos wasn't the only trainee taught by Count Coma, nor was he the only one to develop his own Jiu Jitsu School, another student of Maeda also spread his seed into Jiu Jitsu's landscape, Luis França. There were other Japanese Jiu Jitsu masters teaching Jiu Jitsu in Brazil who were lower recognized, though still pertinent to BJJ today, people like Takeo Iano in the North of Brazil and Kazuo Yoshida in Bahia.

Carlos Gracie was taught by Master Maeda in the city of Belém do Pará in Brazil, but due to monetary troubles transferred to Rio de Janeiro. Mituyo Maeda also moved away returning sometime after to develop a school where his lineage is still very much alive, though he never ever to see Carlos again. In Rio de Janeiro, 1925 Carlos established his very first school of Jiu Jitsu in the Marques de Abrantes Street, number 106. To assist with the school he generated his siblings and taught them his master's art. The siblings were: Oswaldo, George, Gastão and Hélio Gracie. Carlos and his brothers would go on to promote their academy through a series of difficulties, some without any guidelines, where they would fight guys of any size or weight proving their style's supremacy.

Though Helio became possibly the most popular relative of the Gracie brothers, it was George Gracie the one that held the household's name highest competitively from that very first generation of Gracie contenders. Helio Gracie did contend effectively likewise, however his two most well-known battles were likewise his worst beats, to Masahiko Kimura and Waldemar Santana, 2 fights he lost when he was currently reaching his 40's against larger and more youthful men.

As Carlos Gracie got more involved with the business side of the family and George's wild methods separated him from his siblings chain of thought, it was Helio that took obligation in keeping the school a tight unit. Helio Gracie was also offered the obligation of raising the majority of Carlos Gracie's home, teaching them the family martial arts trade. Because the 1920's the Gracie household has actually had the ability to produce consistent skill through every generation, making it among the strongest martial arts lineages in the world and the greatest among mixed martial arts.

The initial steps of MMA were given in the 1920's Brazil and this events were called "Vale Tudo" (anything goes). They were unsanctioned bouts with no guidelines (eye gouging and strikes to the groin were permitted) no gloves, no weight classifications and most of the times they did not have a time limit either. It was in these bouts that the Gracie's made their mark and produced a name for themselves throughout the nation. As the sport advanced, a couple of tweaks were made to these Vale Tudo matches, but nowhere near what the sport is today.

In the early days, when these matches began occurring, Jiu Jitsu's biggest opponent was Luta Livre, a style of submission grappling utilized in Brazil. As the appeal of Vale Tudo grew, so did the competition in between these two opposing designs, a lot that numerous street fights in between students of both martial arts and even Dojo storming were common practice.

In the 1984 an attempt to settle the affair was made with the "Jiu Jitsu vs Martial Arts" event being held where several essential figures of Jiu Jitsu were set up versus fighters of other trades (but primarily Luta Livre). The result was inconclusive and the hostile Banta continued, up until 1991, among the most crucial occasions in the history of Vale Tudo/MMA was held to decide at last which was the very best martial art in Brazil, the name of the occasion was "Desafio-- Jiu-Jitsu vs. Luta Livre" (BJJ vs Luta Livre Obstacle). 3 fighters were chosen from each style to contend versus each other in a Vale-Tudo match without any time limits, the fighters from BJJ were Wallid Ismail, Murilo Bustamante and Fabio Gurgel versus Eugenio Tadeu, Marcelo Mendes and Denilson Maia from Luta Livre. Jiu Jitsu won all three fights, a significant plume on the cap of BJJ's community who became broadly thought about the more powerful style, the conflict between the two designs had many ups and downs, as described on our "JJ vs Luta Livre" article, a conflict that eventually led to the ban of Vale Tudo in Brazil.

While the Brazilian Vale Tudo panorama was roaring, the exact same was not happening in the United States. It was again through the Gracie household's efforts that the sport was put in its place. The Gracie's had seen a market for their Jiu Jitsu style in America, and they established an academy in California. In attempting to prove that their design was the very best martial art readily available, the Gracie's established a No Holds Disallowed event, the principle being designed by Rorion Gracie, this event was named Ultimate Battling Champion (UFC), and it had the exact same concept as the Vale Tudo events back in Brazil. The very first champ to emerge from this event was Royce Gracie, who later on ended up being a UFC Hall of Fame. The trademark name and the occasion itself would suffer severe modifications to the guideline set, such as the inclusion of gloves, the Kimono (Gi) being stripped, the time frame and striking restrictions added and so on and so forth. With time the fighters became more well rounded finding out all elements of the game. Today, though less relevant than it remained in the past, gracie jiu jitsu is still one of the most essential disciplines in the sport.

If the sport began in the US in the early 1990's, the exact same seemed to take place in Japan around the exact same time. Considered the birth nation of Martial Arts, Japan would appear to have a head start when it pertained to No Holds Barred; the Japanese were serious about striking martial arts and ground battling with their Karate and Kosen Judo schools. Still, when MMA (Vale Tudo) emerged in Japan, another Gracie name rose above all others, the name of Rickson Gracie. Thought about by lots of the best BJJ competitor of perpetuity, Rickson remained undefeated throughout his profession, and once again cemented the Gracie name and the Jiu Jitsu design because country.

(BJJ) is a martial art, battle sport, and a self defense system that concentrates on grappling and particularly ground fighting. Brazilian jiu-jitsu was formed from early 20th century Kodokan Judo ground fighting (Ne-Waza) fundamentals that were taught to Carlos Gracie by master Mitsuyo Maeda. Brazilian jiu-jitsu eventually came to be its own art through the experimentations, practices, and adjustment from the Judo knowledge of Carlos who then passed their knowledge on to his extended family.

BJJ promotes the principle that a smaller sized, weaker person can effectively defend against a larger, stronger enemy by utilizing take advantage of and appropriate method, taking the fight to the ground-- most notably by applying joint-locks and chokeholds to beat the other person. BJJ training can be used for sport grappling competitions (gi and no-gi) and blended martial arts (MMA) competition or self-defense. Sparring(commonly referred to as "rolling") and live drilling play a significant function in training, and a premium is put on efficiency, especially in competition, in relation to advance and ascension through its ranking system.