#Jean was only allowed to retired if he was still making some money to send to the Moriyamas for the next few years

[jtl-fics]

You said you had something queued for the non-specific reality show AU?

WIP WEDNESDAY

"Welcome to Ugh." Andrew says while sitting in a perfectly white room on a simple black chair.

"We're your hosts, I can't believe I'm still alive to suffer through this, it's Jean Moreau." Jean says pouring half of a bottle of wine into a wine glass and handing the rest of the bottle to Andrew before taking a sip.

Andrew accepts the bottle, "And Contractually obligated by the Real House-spouses of Exy to say I'm happy to be here, Andrew Minyard." Andrew says.

"Today's segments include, 'No Kevin just because it has Exy in the title doesn't mean any of us want to hear about changes in player stats'" Jean says tiredly.

"And ,of course, 'Is it fashion or is Neil just hot enough to pull it off?' The answer may surprise you."

****

Thanks @ittyybittybaker for goofing around with me in messages about this yesterday lol

[bluerosefox]

I like to think the reason why Childe likes Mirabel to the point of seeing her as sibling is more than her being able to keep up with him in a fight even when he uses his Electro Delusion (they haven’t fought in his Foul Legacy Transformation though, he likes Mirabel too much to and knows she is nowhere near able to fight that... yet, is the reason why Childe spars/duels with her is to try to train her to fight him in that form basically, he can see the hidden raw strength/power in her and wants to bring it out to its fullest) She reminds him of his siblings a lot and understands her dedication towards family.

That even though she felt like such an outsider to her own family, she always and will forever love them. Childe (Ajax) understands that feeling very well. (Though small side note, should he ever meet the Madrigal’s, especially Alma, he would like to have a tiny... talk with them, after all he needs to remind them that nothing is more important than family...)

WARNING: I rambled a lot below.

-x-x-

Isekai, this is basically set as an isekai btw. And she had been in Teyvat for a few good years before she is reunited with her family too! (She's still on the short size in height though)

So when I first came up with the idea its Mirabel falling into the world of Teyvat. Do I have two different ways her old family see her again, yes. One is where the Encanto is attacked and with its final last bit of flame and wick the candle (after Mirabel disappeared it started melting and fading away, their powers were fading too) transports them to the world she is in, using the tiny bit of love she still has for them as a guide to that world.

The candle’s power wasn’t enough to send them to her fully so it spits them out near Mondstadt, which is good cause Mirabel actually does live in Mond, she’s just away in Sumeru at the moment at Port Ormos buying some rare bolts of fabric she heard was coming in and is inspecting its quality in person. Mirabel inherited a clothing shop in Mond (her old employer had no kids of their own and left the store to her once they retired), she does customs clothes, uniforms for the knights, celebrations, and for the church, repairs as well and has made a good name for herself. She did use to be a full time adventurer for the Adventurers Guild before that and had traveled around Teyvat in hopes of finding a way home (While also studying the unique clothing of each region she visits at the same time, funnily enough its how she meet Childe btw, she noticed his clothing and went to ask him about it when they were in Inazuma (this was before the Sakoku Decree happened) but over time and countless dead ends Mirabel starts slowly accepting that she might not ever find a way back and it gets even harder with the new life she makes for herself to justify leaving it. Basically its a bittersweet acceptance.

Anyways they end up near Mondstadt, get attacked by monsters, and get saved by [insert any Mond character here, any is good but I like switching between Diluc or Kaeya due to them being my favs and the least likely to spill certain info], they take note of the Madrigal’s last name (Mirabel is a rather well-liked person in Mond due to her personality alone) but don’t ask if they’re related to her (maybe they know full detail of how she was treated, idk). They get taken to Jean and explain what happened and are given another chance at a new life and learn how Teyvat/Money/The Seven/Elements/Visions/Monsters/Abyss/etc etc work. They also know of a nice clothing shop in town that’s on break right now since the owner is away at the moment and only know her nicknames/titles. Point is, the Madrigal’s don’t know Mirabel has been living in Teyvat/Mond just yet, not until she comes back from Sumeru.

The Madrigal’s have been set up in small and empty place in Springvale someone is allowing them to rent out since there wouldn’t be a place in Mond for all of them to live together, they are all starting to find any kind of jobs as well and trying to make a new life. They reunite with Mirabel when Antonio, who had been playing with some Springvale kids near the woods is attacked by a few Abyss mages and Mirabel who was on her way back home to the city hears their screams. She makes quick work of them and (depending on when she fell into Teyvat, either before Antonio was born or after his birthday/gift came in. So either he recognizes her or not, either one works) she takes the kids back to Springvale. When she drops Antonio off is when she meets her family again.

OR

She’s was contacted by the Adventurer’s Guild, despite not being a full member anymore (she does do odd jobs every so often if they need a hand and she has free time), to help investigate a new domain that popped up. She takes with her a small team of her friends [Any of anyone choosing, some could be from Mond or maybe some friends are visiting her when she asks if they wanna join] and Mirabel can't help but notice the domain is close by where she was found when she fell into Teyvat before going inside.

Inside, she and her team take note of the Abyss Order members in the rooms and quickly realize this domain needs to shut down quickly when they overhear some plans to use it location to harm Mondstadt by opening a huge Abyss tear/portal and to spill out huge abyssal monsters (like some we've been seeing in Sumeru, the Chasm/ etc etc)

They do their best to clear our the domain and to take out the portal spell/device that will open the tear but an Abyss Mage manages to summon forth an Abyss Lector (or Herald, or even a Iniquitous Baptist) point is, they summon a higher up Abyss Order member that does give them some trouble.

Thats when things get out a little out of hand, in the middle of the fight Mirabel and her teammates get separated and with so much elemental magic in the air it upset the portal spell/device causing it to activate before it was actually ready and open up a pulling tear/portal. It pulls them all in, even the Abyss member.

When Mirabel wakes up, she feels the weather different than Mond, it reminds her of Sumeru's a bit and even the forest/jungle she woke up in reminds her the Land of Knowledge a tiny bit from her travels. She doesn't get to think to much about it though cause she can hear screaming from people about a monster. She's sprinting, using Ameno to hasten herself at that, and finds a strangely familiar looking village but again doesn't dwell on it when she spots the Abyss member terrorizing the place.

Without much thought she quickly leaps into its oncoming attack it was sending towards a child that fallen when trying to escape the Abyss member, and uses her claymore to block most of the attack by grounding it and herself in front of the child (her arms took some hits from the attack but used her Anemo to redirect what couldn't be blocked to go around her and the kid.) Cue epic hero moment.

She looked like a butterfly warrior/knight, her outfit fluttering in the winds giving off the imagine of her having wings, the Anemo butterfly's she creates all fluttering around her before fading away.

Mirabel wants to look back at the kid she just saved but knows better than to take her eyes off an Abyss member, whose currently snarling words at her and blaming her for them falling into this place/world. Mirabel, knowing she honestly can't take on a high ranking member of the Abyss alone prays lightly that her teammates/friends are also here and weren't too far, she just needs to stall the Abyss member until they find her but that doesn't mean she won't try taking it out without them.

With a deep breath, Mirabel takes hold of her grounded blade and pulls it out, twirling it with ease in her hands (like Diluc did in his story quest) from years of practice and strength. Without looking back she tells the kid that's still behind her to take shelter and after a second of staring at each other Mirabel and the Abyss member start their battle.

Mirabel was so caught up with a plan to take out the Abyss member she never heard the kid, a young boy with dark brown/black curly hair and a red scarf behind her mutter out very low.

"Mirabel?"

Nor did she notice the rest of her old village, and her old family come rushing towards her battle.

I'm like super hyper fixated on Genshin Impact rn and Encanto still and my brain keeps making a crossover (Mirabel is main character cause she's my fav) and it won't stoppppppp

Anemo/Claymore user Mirabel who has the nickname The Butterfly/Butterfly of the Winds/Mariposa of Anemo and is apart of the adventures guild.

That's it, that's the idea.

IGNORE THIS, IM JUST SUPER FIXATED ON THIS IDEA

[kingfritzhater]

If they lived...

AOT headcanons of how different ships would live if they were still alive.

Manga Spoilers!!!

Eruri:

They move outside of Paradis, Erwin always wanted to know if there were humans outside the walls and now he wants to know how different their lives are from what he knows.

Once they settle down and Levi opens his teashop, Erwin offers to help but Levi won’t allow him as he thinks the tea he makes is horrendous, in the end, Erwin manages the money and Levi takes care of the rest. 

They still spend a lot of time with Gabi and Falco, Gabi always insists in moving Levi’s wheelchair (since Erwin is still missing an arm), and Falco adores listening to Erwin’s stories about the survey corps and life inside the walls.

Eremika:

They live hidden in Paradis, they built a little cottage in one of the giant tree forests outside of where the walls were and are very careful to stay hidden, Eren feels guilty that Mikasa has to live hiding like she was when her family was prosecuted by the government, but she doesn’t care, she still has him and their friends.

The remaining members of the alliance visit them pretty often, bringing them gifts from all around the world, Armin sends them books and pictures of the places they visit by mail every time he can. 

Many years go by, and Eren still can’t believe that this is his life, the day he notices some grey hairs and wrinkles in Mikasa’s face he starts crying from just the realisation of how happy he is to grow old together.

Levihan:

Hange is pretty sad when titans stop existing, so to make them happy Levi helps them get their hands on any scientific information that the outside world has developed, no matter how much it costs.

Hange switched their passion for titans to the works of the human body (and they almost fainted once they found out about germ theory), so Levi became their test subject for any time she wanted to test something that they read in some book.

Hange makes it their life purpose to find a way to make Levi be able to walk again, and after coming up with a pretty good prototipe some previous members of the military come asking for help for their missing limbs, so now they make prosthesis for free to anyone who needs it.

Nicosasha:

They open a restaurant in the countryside, Sasha plants a garden to get fruits and vegetables and hunts for the meat and Niccolo does the cooking.

When Niccolo decided to propose, he asked her father for his approval, what he did not expect was having to get the approval of Jean, Connie, Mikasa, Historia and Levi, the old captain was just as terrifying in a wheelchair as he was before.

They usually babysit Historia’s child since they live pretty close and they get along pretty well, the first name she learned how to say was hers, though it sounded more like “asha”, Sasha will always brag that she is the best aunt in the world.

Yumihisu/Yumikuri:

The baby still exists, but the farmer is just a way to keep Historia safe, yet Ymir still finds similarities between them and jokes about if Historia isn’t sure that she isn’t hers.

Ymir always remembers how she didn’t even have a name as a child, so now every achievement of their daughter is recorded, in fact, she asked Historia to get her a camera from the outside world to be more efficient in this task.

They both are the kind of parent that likes to show off their child to anyone who will listen, no matter how ashamed she gets.

Mobuhan:

They never settle down, both travel the world discovering new places and wonders, it started when Onyankopon invited them to his homeland and now they can’t stop, unintentionally they’ve done more for Paradis’s international relationships than anyone else just by making friends wherever they go.

Moblit proposes out of the blue, even taking Hange by surprise, they were visiting some place and Hange looked the happiest they’ve ever been and with the excuse of looking for something he left, Moblit ran to the nearest jewelry store and bought a ring, asking the question that night, Hange said yes in tears.

Their wedding is the biggest event Paradis has seen in recent years, even when the current military does not like them they can’t do anything without risking a major international conflict, specially with so many important figures present.

Reibert:

They move away from Libero, Bertholdt’s father had died, and Reiner’s mother being there hurt him too much, so they go back to Paradis, enjoying their lives away from the city.

As a way to silently pay back to the people of the island, and also due to Reiner’s love for children, they often volunteer in orphanages or help local schools and families, it does not take them long to adopt a boy and a girl.

Gabi and Falco visit them constantly, Gabi is the only way Reiner keeps contact with the rest of his family and she adores their children, Falco almost fainted when one of them called him uncle.

Jeanmarco:

Marco lost an eye in Trost, even then, they both join the survey corps as a way to honor their lost comrades, any time he sees Marco during a mission Jean worries that he won’t be as lucky this time, and that Marco might die that day.

They were horrified when he discovered how deep the corruption in the military police went, more Marco than Jean, so once Historia becomes the queen they offer all the advice they can give about reforms to the military.

Post rumbling, they both settle down in a nice house where once was wall Sina, now tired from the battle, the only missions they do are negotiations between Paradis and the rest of the world, they are the first to retire.

Kenuri:

Uri punches Kenny in the face when he discovered that he hid the fact that he had a nephew and abandoned him, it took a week of Kenny begging for Uri to talk to him again, now he adores Levi and finds it amusing how similar he is to Kenny.

They both love Historia and try to help her in any way they can with her labours as queen, Uri gives her advice and helps her to gain the trust of many important figures in Paradis and Kenny takes a more aggressive approach, threatening to kill anyone who questions her authority.

When Historia’s baby is born they go in full grandfather mode, once they met her they could not stop crying and at one point Uri had to try to take her away from Kennys arms, a pretty difficult task due to their height difference

Petruo/Auretra:

They've been together for years, but only told their families after the female titan arc, Petra’s father felt pretty embarrassed about his earlier conversation with Levi, but didn’t tell their comrades as they felt pretty shy about it.

After the battle of Shiganshina Auruo proposed to her in front of everyone, holding a ring that belonged to his mother and had been holding on to for months now, the only one that wasn’t surprised with this was Levi.

Petra asked Levi to make a small speech at their wedding, which he surprisingly agreed to do, when he did he talked about how he knew Auruo liked Petra from the moment he saw them and how jealous he would get, and would intentionally assign them to the same tasks together by themselves so one of them finally dared to confess, by the time he returned to his table, both of their faces were completely red.

Mikenana:

While Mike managed to hide from the best titan and come out unscarred, Nanaba was not so lucky, losing one of her legs at Utgard Castle and having to retire from the military.

During the uprising arc, Mike joined the new Levi squad and went into hiding, Nanaba became essential to collecting information behind the scenes, as she could easily go under the radar, so she stayed with Hange and Moblit.

When Mike returned from the battle of Shiganshina, Nanaba ran to him in her crutches and jumped into his arms as soon as she was close enough, and didn’t let go until she could convince herself that he really survived.

Hilow/Hitchmaru:

Seeing as her efforts to convince him to not join the survey corps were failing, Hitch just directly confessed her feelings to him as a last effort to save him, Marlowe told her he felt the same way, but he knew his destiny was with the scouts.

Both Marlowe and Floch survived the battle of Shiganshina, when Floch starts talking very sharply to the families of the deceased Marlowe shuts him up, when Hitch asks him why he is so determined to stop him he says “Imagine if I died and he said those things to you”.

Marlowe is captured by the jaegerists and couldn’t join the alliance, once Hitch manages to free him he expresses his frustration with not being able to go to battle, yet he is still happy that he does not have to leave Hitch one more time.

[fmdwooramarchive]

famedkrp idol headcanon meme — accepting

Send ✈ for an airport fashion headcanon. (wc: 240)

Cuddly casual is a very good combination of words to determine his style when it comes to airport fashion, most of the times. Because he has to work with the image that the company wants to build for him, Alex can’t simply go anywhere dressed sloppily so he puts extra effort when he knows he’ll be photographed by the press and not only his fans.

He wears a lot of button-ups and flannels to travel, some comfortable, slightly oversized shirts and t-shirts with simple patterns or just plain ones that go well with dark jeans. He layers many of his outfits to the airport, sometimes using a coat or a jacket, but nothing that will constrict his movements much like leather, for example. He’s always using sneakers or boots; it makes him look casual but still fashionable (aka boyfriend material).

There’ll be articles saying how the solo artist looks effortlessly handsome during his appearances in airports and his most popular looks would be the ones where he transpires chic vibes, especially when he wears overcoats, ripped jeans, darker pieces of clothing or/and sunglasses. There’s a genuine concern from his part to make himself look more appealing because it’s not a performance, so he can’t simply show up and make a good job showing people he knows how to sing, so he has to overcompensate that fact and make people feel impressed by his visuals which, most times, end up happening.

Send ☎ for a bad fan experience headcanon. (wc: 256)

Because his public recognition is not high and his fame is not where he wants it to be just yet, there are fans who can easily become obsessive because of the proximity they are allowed to have with him (like when he recognizes some recurrent faces during his schedules). Not just borderline obsessive but act in ways that are genuinely scary and creepy. Because the purpose of some of those followers is to remain in the memory of idols, some didn’t even think twice before they started following Alex’s car after he finished a schedule. He got into his car and there was another vehicle blocking his way and his manager was unable to reverse and they couldn’t leave the parking spot. When they finally got to the street, the same car continued to follow them and Alex couldn’t get home for hours because they kept making turns and going to busier roads trying to make them lose sight of his car so he could get to his apartment. In the end, after three hours or so, he managed to get home but he couldn’t fall asleep that night because he still had this feeling someone was following him. Besides that, he had some episodes where he would receive explicit threats ‘if he ever looked at a girl with interested’ or ‘had any relationship scandals because oppa is mine and no one else’s’. Those were countless in the spam of just a couple of weeks and things wouldn’t change even if he changed his phone number.

Send ∞ for a future (post-idol life) headcanon. (wc: 217)

He doesn’t really see himself ever getting married or even having a last-longing relationship. He always had issues with the way that his parents raised him and he never pictured their relationship as ideal or exemplary, they were just two people who ended up together for some reason and remained married because it was easier for the families instead of getting divorced. There’s no love there, just a business partnership that resulted in Ahn Sangwook and as they know, it failed because he didn’t become a classical musician as they wanted and now there barely have any contact. He doesn’t want to have kids too; he surely wouldn’t know how to deal with kids or how raise them to be better than him and the world certainly doesn’t need another Alex.

Maybe he’ll use the money he saved from his idol career to have an easy and stress-free retired-life. He’ll do all the things he couldn’t when he was younger (date freely, kiss whoever he wants to kiss and not have to hide to avoid a scandal, travel around the world and go sightseeing, enjoy life) and live a life with no preoccupations or responsibilities. He’ll have long nights of sleep and he’ll go see a therapist at least twice a week because boy, he needs it.

Send ♡ for a social media headcanon. (wc: 237)

But of course, he loves social media and social media loves him because he’s visuals left and right and netizens love seeing a pretty face online. He’s an avid Instagram user, he can be found in @ahn.lex, he has a little bit more than 7 million followers (more than a half of those probably don’t even know he sings for a living or that he’s an idol and just follow him because of his visuals or because of his fashion posts, either way, it’s good, it inflates his ego and he’s fairly known too), he follows most people from his label and a couple of people out of it too. He mainly posts sefies or photoshoots he has been working on, backstage of his MV shootings and when he’s in the recording room, he just avoids posting things he records at home though.

He also has a Twitter account, but he rarely tweets something there. His page is pretty much a bunch of retweets from Dimensions announcing he’s going to attend some event or when they release teasers for his comebacks. It’s probably his least favorite social media.

He also has a TikTok but he also never uploads things there (it’s under a fake name and e-mail too) he just has it because he finds it amusing to see people making and editing videos for that platform. Some of those are really impressive and very funny too.

Send ❂ for a voice-related (singing or rapping) headcanon. (wc: 227)

Alex has a pleasant tone even though he needs to get a better technique. It’s not as if he learnt how to sing wrong, because he had classes for a while before he joined K-Pop Star 3 but it’s mostly because he got used to singing this way and now it’s a little bit difficult for him to leave that habit and start doing something new. Even then, people would argue and say that he has actually a pretty good technique and control of his pitch and tone of voice. His voice is very soothing and smooth, quite melodic, either when he’s speaking or singing which honestly, only helps him and his whole image as well (who would have thought that something like your voice color would matter so much while promoting himself). People find it to be very easy to connect with the emotions he puts on his songs, the way he sings and how emotionally heavy some of them are, it’s one of his best attributes and what makes others feel so connected to him and his music. He also has good intonation and projection and his pronunciation is also very good because of his training to fix his accent. In the beginning, he used to slip into Busan accent much more often but he was always harshly nicely reminded to use the capital dialect.

[a-jynx]

Lost in the Heart & at Sea;  Chapter One: Love Letters & Shipwrecks

Summary: Sam and Nathan Drake finds themselves running in circles when they catch wind of a new treasure that was supposedly lost to the sea; the Diamond of the Pacific, a ring that was meant for Captain Jules wife. With enemies at every corner, they’ll need all the help they can get… Including, inside jobs. How will Sam and Nathan react when they figure out who Y/N really is? How will Sam react when she shows him sides of her no one else has seen?

Pairing: Sam Drake x reader; mentions Nathan Drake, Elena Fisher, Victor Sullivan, Nadine Ross, Rafe Adler,

Warnings: Cursing, blood/violence, gun violence, implied smut, angst, testing fate/loyalty, major injury,

Notes: This is the first Uncharted Series I have ever attempted, so, I apologize now if it turns out horrible :) I’ve taken a strong liking to the Drake boys once again, and I don’t plan on seizing up hopefully! However, I will still take request for SPN, and other shows/video games! Send an Ask and you’ll be added to my drafts to be written! :) 💖

Enjoy! Feedback is appreciated!

I woke with a growl, rubbing at the knot that had formed on the back of my head. “Dammit.” Glancing around, I noted that I was in a hotel room that I didn’t recognize as the one from Italy. Pushing myself up onto my elbows, I sat up fully with a huff as I cracked my neck, frowning at the stiffness that warped through my aching bones. 

“Good to see Drake didn’t kill you, I would’ve had to shoot him,” Nadine spoke as I glance over, furrowing my brows as she stuck out a glass of water, sighing I thanked her and took a sip. “How’s your head feeling?” She asked, sitting in the desk chair as I frowned, rubbing a hand down my face with a scoff. “My head’s fine, I’m not dead. But... The cross,” 

“Y/N, you tried... I know I usually want 110% from you since you’re my right-hand gal, but... You had it until Nathan Drake came barreling in like some bull in a china shop.” Nadine frowned as I shrugged gently, glancing down at my outfit to see my suit had been replaced by my pale tanktop and my army green cargo shorts. “Besides, Rafe found something better...” Nadine smirked as I looked up, frowning as I shook my head. “There can be nothing better than Henry Avery’s treasure, Nadine.” 

“But, there can be.” She jutted out her index as I deepened my frown before pushing up from the comfortable bed, moving towards her as she turned in her seat and shoved a few books off to the side before showing a few pieces of old, torn papers that held something that resembled... Coordinates? 

“Alright, I’ll bite, what the hell?” 

“Since Rafe expressed his anger with the cross being stolen, he demanded that he got something to replace the thing... So, in return, the woman running the auction gave him this,” she paused, handing me one of the papers that resembled a diary entry. 

My love, 

I am afraid that your gift will never arrive and neither will I. I chose the wrong life, my sweet, for I should’ve chosen you. If this letter is to ever reach you then you shall know that I tried... I tried to give you the sea, but it only took me away from you. I do hope you know how much I love you, Merina... My God, I love you. 

Your Jules.  

“Okay, so, some pirate-” 

“Captain Charles Jules,” Nadine added as I nodded, continuing. 

“Right. Captain Charles Jules was coming home to give his wife something that related to the sea... But, it was lost just like his body was to the cruel waves.” I murmured the last part, thinking about the poor bastard’s wife and how she must’ve never truly known about her husband's death, or just how deeply he wanted to please her. So sad... 

“Poor man, but the last thing he writes are the coordinates of where his ships sank, and that could lead us to the Diamond of the Pacific.” Nadine grinned like the Devil as I cocked a brow, dropping the piece of paper back in front of her as I frowned. “Diamond of the Pacific? Do we even know what that could be?” Nadine merely frowned. 

“Not yet, but there are a few more mentions of this Diamond throughout his entries, and Rafe is stating that it’s most likely not a real diamond.” She sighed, flipping through a few more pages as I laughed, grabbing one of the stone-like paperweights and tossing it up and down. “Well, I guess Captain Jules never learned that diamonds are a girl’s best friend.” 

“Ha! I’ve never seen you wear diamonds, not even when needing to play fancy.” Nadine scoffed with a snort as I grinned, twirling the paperweight in hand with a smirk. “I didn’t say they were mine, I’m more of... Sapphire or emerald type of gal.” Nadine nodded, smirking. She went to say something, only to be cut short as her cell rang, making me set the paperweight down and move away, thinking it was an important call. 

My mind slowly floated back to the other night, it whirling as I thought of... Sam Drake. He had to have known something was off about me, especially when Nadine came running down the hall screaming my name like a madman. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the memory. Why was he so... Keen on knowing who I was? What was his motive of knowing my true name? Damn him, anyway, even if he was one of the more attractive men I’ve met in my field. 

“Y/N! Pack your bags,” Nadine moved towards me as I turned, furrowing my brows as she smirked. “We’re heading on a little vacation.” She slipped her phone into her pocket, making me cross my arms over my chest as I sent her another look of ‘to where exactly?’ 

“I hope you brought your swimsuit, I hear Bora Bora is extremely lovely this time of year.” 

I pressed myself against the door, tying my hair back as Nadine and Rafe discussed the diamond’s hiding place further, but I couldn’t help but push them out of my thoughts. The sun was shining bright above head while the heavy winds bellowed through the open windows, my bangs tangling and flying around my aviators as I couldn’t help but smile. 

“Y/N!” Rafe shouted over the wind as I scooted forward, pushing the sunglasses down some on my nose with a grin. “Yes, Mr. Adler!” 

“I hope you realize just how important this treasure is now, right?” He shouted as I swallowed, thinking back to Henry’s cross. He must blame me... “Yes, sir, I do realize this.” 

“Then, you know that you must be ready to shoot, be shot at, and work until you’re sweatin’ like a pig!” Rafe laughed as I furrowed my brows, frowning some before stealing a glance at Nadine, who held an intense glare while keeping her head forward. “Yes, sir, I’m well-prepared for anything ahead of us.” I nod, puffing out my chest slightly as he glanced back at me in the rearview mirror. “Atta’ girl!” Rafe howled into the wind before pressing down on the gas, causing Nadine to hiss through clenched teeth and gather a death grip on her leather seat, I quickly do the same. This man is going to end up killing us...

“So,” I echoed as Nadine and I walked through the hotel hallways, attempting to find our shared room. “What exactly is our plan? I know you ended up bringing the Shoreline to help with this, but... I don’t think I’m ready to murder people in cold blood.” I huffed as she paused, humming before entering our keycard and pushing into the cool room. It held a more tropical sense, the walls were sky blue and fake palm trees tried to hide the few markings that weren’t supposed to be there. All of the furniture was a black stained bamboo wood that was accompanied by a deep red comforter -- it looked comfortable enough. 

“I know you’re concerned with this job, Y/N, but... Rafe is promising enough money to give us both a nice life, along with landslides into retirement.” She grinned as I scoffed at the thought, but snorted at the thought of Nadine Ross entering retirement. “Please, I’m only 35, jerk.” I moved around her, throwing my bag onto the bed as she did the same. “Also, I don’t know about you but I’m going to go explore the market, care to join?” 

“I would love too, but I need to get these coordinates figured out and which island I need to send the Shoreline and where that diamond could possibly be hidden.” Nadine murmured, reaching into her pack and yanking out books and maps that would’ve drove me mad ages ago. “Suit yourself! If you need me, you’ve got my number.” I called over my shoulder before exiting the room, pulling at my ponytail, and shaking it out before entering the small elevator; the silver doors slowly closing. “Hey, hold that ride down!” A gravelly voice shouted, causing me to thrust my hand out and stop the doors from closing. 

A tall man came running, an old white tank top that was peeking out from the open Hawaiian shirt which was accompanied by light wash jeans. The light scruff and curly, yet unruly brown hair showed how late he was, along with the sunglasses hiding his dark circles -- which I may happen to be doing the same. 

“Thank you, my dear lady,” he grinned, climbing in before pressing the lobby button before jutting his thumb at the buttons. “Different floor?” I shook my head. “Nope, the same place you’re going, flower boy,” I smirked as he furrowed his brows, only to what I assumed was glanced down and let out a chuckle. “Ha, flower boy, that’s a new one.” I grinned as the soft elevator music played, seeming to give us a soft atmosphere around us. I swept my hand through my wave of hair, allowing the thick mess to breathe as I gently sighed. 

“So,” Flower boy tsked suddenly, making me glance at him over my aviator's lens. “What brings a girl like you to a place like this? Honeymoon? One-year anniversary?” He couldn’t help but smirk as I scoffed, puffing up the back of my hair once again. “Oh, please, like any man could handle this.” I rolled my bottom lip between my teeth as I crossed my arms, puffing out my chest as his dark eyes trailed up and down my body making heat crawl up my throat and into my face. “Ah, so... You’re a free bird? No cage to hold you down.” 

“Not an iron bar in sight,” I smirked, reaching up and pushing my glasses to rest on the bridge of my nose. “What about you flower boy?” I glanced at his fingers that hung from his belt loops, a gold band sat neatly on his finger. “I see a cuff.” 

“Ah, it’s not my cuff, some poor bastard lost it so I took the poor thing and gave it a home.” He flexed his hand, causing me to glance down at it again. How would it have fallen off someone if it fits so tight on his hand? “So, you’re technically married to some woman that doesn’t know you exist?” I giggled with a small snort, causing him to chuckle with a shrug. “I suppose so, though, I don’t think I’d make a good husband.” He murmured, making me frown as I slowly took off my glasses, brushing my hair to the side. 

“Hey, flower boy, you can’t beat yourself up, alright? Besides, you seem like the type of guy that would have men jealous and the woman fawning over you.” I grinned as he chuckled, shrugging again. “I’m serious! Cut yourself some slack,” I paused as the elevator dinged, signaling that was flower boy and I’s stop. “Besides, maybe you just haven’t met the right girl yet!” I called over my shoulder as I exited the elevator, slipping my glasses back on as I moved towards the lobby doors, exiting into the warm heat of Bora Bora’s sunshine with a wide grin. The Diamond of the Pacific could wait a few more hours... I needed to get my exploring on. 

After exploring the through the market a bit more, and a few canvas bags later, I couldn’t help but notice the sweet view of the ocean from one of the tents. Chewing on my lip, I couldn’t help but wander closer to the shore. Stepping carefully through the large rocks, I dropped my bags off by the side and slipped my sandals from my aching feet, also removing my glasses. I bit my lip as the warm saltwater crashed over my toes, making me sigh as I gently kicked up some of the soft sprays with a chuckle. 

“What I would kill to live here,” I mumbled, taking in the heavenly view as the clash and clatter came from the market, keeping me well aware that I still needed to get back to the hotel. Inhaling the tropical air, I sighed, closing my eyes as I carefully listened to the waves rolling and crashing against one another, the slight slap as it crashed against the freshly muddied sand. I couldn’t help but wish I had chosen a different job... 

“Hey there stranger,” I gasped, thrusting my elbow back into the person’s stomach, before swiping my leg beneath their own, before turning and growling, only to gasp again as I saw flower boy lying beneath my shadow. “Holy shit! I’m so sorry, I -- military training.” I leaned down, grabbing one of his large hands with both of mine and tugged him up, keeping a hand on his chest as I made sure nothing was actually damaged, before quickly stepping back as his gaze traveled down before meeting my eyes once again. 

“Damn, Aviators nearly knocked me out.” He chuckled with a wheeze as I winced, squinting one of my eyes as I stepped forward with a frown. “I’m so sorry, it’s like I said, military training.” 

“No, no, it’s my fault,” he wheezed again before straightening his back, he stood taller than me once again, making me feel small. “I shouldn’t have snuck up on you like that.” He coughed, reaching back and scratching his neck. 

“I was just... Lost in thought.” I murmured, turning sideways and narrowing my eyes at the sea. Flower boy moved closer, standing next to me while stuffing his hands into his pockets with a low whistle, causing me to glance at him. “I can see why. It’s gorgeous once the sunsets just perfectly across the horizon,” he smirked, nodding to himself as I arched a brow, before turning back towards the ocean. 

“It’s a mystery out there. It’s one that I want to solve one day.” I sighed, just a little bit above a whisper. 

“So, you’re a marine biologist? That’s pretty cool.” 

“Oh, uh... Not exactly. That was my dream job while I was growing up, but... My dad had different ideas for me.” 

“So, he’s the one that sent you to military training, I take it?” He asked, pulling out a package of cigarettes, slipping one of the slender sticks out and snapping open his lighter and taking a hefty puff from it. “What made you guess?” I snarked, biting at my lip as I shook my head, causing my loose hair to fall into my face. “It was stupid of me to let him do it, but then again, when you don’t have anyone else to run too, you stick around with who you know.” I shrugged, kicking at the grains of sand as he turned towards me, offering me the cigarette, which I slowly went to accept, only to take a step back. “Can’t. Learning to quit.”

“Ha, you’ve got more willpower than I do, aviators.” He grinned, taking another huff of it as I frowned, turning back to the sunset only to narrow my eyes before going wide-eyed. Even with the heavy waves, the water was crystal clear, making it almost like a mirror. Narrowing my eyes again, my mouth formed a little ‘o’. Spinning on my heels, I quickly ran towards my things, slipping on my sandals, and grabbing my small bags before quickly trying to climb up the rocks. 

“What’s with the sudden rush?!” Flower boy shouted after me, making me pause as I turned towards him, already standing on the pavement with small bursts of breath. “I... There’s just something I really, really need to take care of but... I want to see you again. So, meet me here tomorrow, same time.” I grinned before taking off down the sidewalk, my mind not registering that I had just told a stranger to meet me again, as I ran back to the hotel. My legs slightly burned as I raced up the hillside up to the hotel’s driveway, running through the lobby, causing my sandals to slap across the floor before I reached the elevator, frantically clicking the third floors’ button. Once I reached the floor, I quickly jogged towards the room and banged on the door, only to have Nadine appear with a shocked look. 

“Y/N? What’s gotten into you? You look like a madman,” she slightly hissed, grabbing my wrists and pulling me into the room, peeking out before turning towards me and closing the door. I panted before dropping my bags and falling back into the desk chair with a grin. “I... I found it.” 

“Found ‘it’? You’ll have to more specific-” 

“The shipwreck... The shipwreck is just a few miles off the shore here. I... I was just standing there, and the water was so clear that I could just... See it.” 

“Y/N, there have been million’s of shipwrecks near Bora Bora, we need to mark these coordinates down, then head wherever they are trying to lead us.” Nadine sighed, yet I could see the hope in her eyes as I slowly nodded before sliding down onto the floor. “I’m going to take a nap because it’s been years since I ran that quickly with that much weight.” 

To be continued... 

Well, here’s chapter one! It’s shorter than I anticipated, but I feel like as long as you guys enjoy it, I’ll still work on it. And like I said if this series flops than I’ll make reader insert scenes from this :) 

So, hope you enjoy and know that I still will take requests and tags are still open 😁💖

[austinpanda]

Dad Letter 041821

18 April, 2021

Dear Dad--

Very busy! Much excitement of the new job variety! Happy weekend, and I have survived my first grueling day and a half of work; my orientation is now complete. I would probably have other news about small insignificant shit too, but the job news seems to be consuming pretty much all of my thinking this morning.

It began at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday. I was in a training class of about seven people and one ebullient trainer, the HR woman Gabby. She explained the dress code and attendance policy, and played a video of the CEO welcoming us. Everyone is very sweet here! (Sweetness is kind of required, it seems. I shall have to be conscious of being sweet to everyone.) Nevertheless, we still had training on dealing with gambling addicts and how really, really important it is that we not serve alcohol to drunk people. I have a hard time thinking of a system to address how drunk a customer is that would be accurate all the time. Everyone’s different, right? I suppose the idea is that we won’t serve alcohol to people who are VISIBLY intoxicated, and I assume that’s interpreted to mean anyone who’s a little drunk and an asshole about it, or anyone who’s really drunk, but they’ve been nice about it up till now; it’s just that they can’t stand up any more.

None of this comes within a hundred miles of what I’ll be doing, even though I still have very little idea what it is I’ll be doing. I start work on Tuesday at 8:30 a.m., and for the moment, I’m only working Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I’m part of the “compliance” department, and I will do “audits,” and have a report I’ll be completing every morning about the previous day’s money movements. I get the impression that a LOT of money moves through a place like that, even though it’s a casino located in Bangor, Maine. I think a lot of the customers are retired. Beyond that, I probably shouldn’t comment further on the customers, because one thing we learned over and over: we don’t talk about the customers on social media. Protecting the customers’ privacy is a hugely big deal, and if someone famous visits, I’m not allowed to bother the famous person for a photo and post it on the internet.

One more thing about the day and a half of orientation I just completed: I figured it would be a day and a half worth of stuff I already know, like: Sexual harassment is bad! Stealing is bad! Physical fights with coworkers are bad! Here's how to use a fire extinguisher! And because I knew it would be a lot of stuff I knew already, I figured my main job would be to remain awake. I was correct in my assumption! There were some surprises during the orientation online training. I had to watch a video about Hepatitis, for some reason. I now know a lot more about our precious bodily fluids than I ever did before, and the differences between the few varieties of Hepatitis. I actually had to politely refuse, in writing, their offer of a hepatitis vaccine, in case I happen to come into contact with a customer’s bodily fluids, and it has hepatitis in it. I thought the chances of this happening were too small to warrant protecting against, so...now I’m Little Ricky Hep Sponge, just waiting for someone to throw a bodily fluid at me and give me hepatitis. Perhaps I should have accepted the vaccination, but I would have had to drive to a place, and it takes a total of three different shots on different days...screw that. I’m an auditor, and you can’t catch hepatitis from checking someone else’s math, no matter how bad the math is.

A few things about life behind the scenes of a hotel casino: A lot of space is dedicated to storing the tons and tons of shit that they need, just not right at this moment. The hallways are packed with stuff they’re going to need some day, just not today, like covered pianos, partly disassembled slot machines, pallets full of new linens, and pallets of bottled water, which included a sign saying the water was for customers ONLY, so none of the employees take water without authorization. They also have a jeans day every week, but if you wish to participate in the jeans day, you must donate two dollars to the casino’s preferred charity. (I think I’ll just wear non-jeans. Don’t tell ME how to philanthropize. And the fact I have no jeans that fit had no bearing on this decision whatsoever.)

So...there seem to be many elements of this job that are similar to elements of my Progressive job, things like: working for a company, having an attendance policy, having a cubicle, working at a computer near a phone, and having to be conscious not to say things like, “You’re wrong, cocksucker!” to anyone while I’m there. I’m trying to think of a few things that will be different: I won’t be dealing directly with customers all day. That’ll be nice. I have to be kind to everyone either way, but if I only have to interact with my own coworkers, they have to be kind to me, too. And it’s not a casual dress environment, like the call center. (People did, in fact, come to work in pajama bottoms and flip flops.) It’s business casual. This means I have to wear actual clothes, and as it happens, I enjoy that. I wear actual trousers and iron my shirts and everything. I look sharp, and I’m going to look even more sharp once I no longer have to wear a mask at work all day. Then they will see the salt and pepper that’s taking over my otherwise unimpressive beard and swoon with desire. Swoon, I say!

You know, they had so many guidelines regarding employees gambling at the casino that I came away not knowing whether employees are permitted to gamble in the casino. I mean, I’m guessing we’re not allowed to gamble while we’re in uniform or wearing anything identifying us as an employee, but I’m only guessing that because it seems logical, not based on anything the orientation said. I’ll have to ask my immediate coworkers about this once I start the job. If I want to play $5.00 in a slot machine on my way home after a work shift, can I do that? If I can enjoy the gambling in moderation, perhaps it could be an enjoyable diversion. Slot machines are unrecognizable now, by the way. You don’t feed in quarters, and there’s no slot machine arm to pull down. They’re giant computer screens, and you have a dozen buttons you can press, and they all seem to do the same thing: make your bet bigger, except for one small, no-account little button that says “SAME BET,” which they sincerely hope you’ll never use, because look at all these other buttons--better buttons!--that increase the size of your bet!

I have been experiencing sciatic pain in my left leg! It sucks. I assume it’s another signal my body is sending me to exercise more, though I’ll be doing a lot of walking in the casino.

My drive to work is gorgeous, and will be even more gorgeous in the spring, and will be downright picture postcard beautiful during the fall.

On days when I work, I tend to sleep better, and I smoke a lot less.

Zach figured the place would be red carpeting, with red wallpaper, and we’d have to wear red vests and coats. I think he thinks I’m going to work in a bordello.

I’m enjoying The Pacific. It is very very good!

More next week! All my love to you both!

[nadjaofstatenisland]

Im saddened by the lack of teen Hiram and Hermione content. I'm sorry but I love this shady ass couple lmao

Teen Hermione? Queen bee. River Vixen. (always competing with Penelope for head cheerleader while trying to remain on somewhat friendly terms with her) Her family wasn’t rich, per say, but they were better off than most. She could have lived off her allowance, but actually liked having a job and sense of purpose. (I mean, it was just working the jewelry and perfume counter at her dad’s store, but it was still contributing.)

She wasn’t the kind of “pin me and lets go steady” kind of girl. She liked to keep her options open, enjoyed having a different boy take her out each weekend. It didn’t make her slutty. She just didn’t want to be one of those girls who settled for a boy at 15 and never experience anything else.

Of course, she was most often the object of two different boys affection. Fred Andrews and Hiram Lodge.

Fred was your typical, aw shucks all American kid. Played football (not great), had a band (also not great but damn did they throw their heart into it). Dates with Fred meant splitting sundaes at Pops and going to the Twilight and parking and singing along to whatever was on the radio until they both had tears of laughter falling down their faces. Fred was a gentleman. Never rushed or pushed and she knew deep in her heart this boy really cares about me.

But, as I said, Hermione wasn’t settling down in high school. No way, no how.

That Hiram Lodge on the other hand? Talk about a charmer. Came from one of the richest founding families of Riverdale. Big house, new car on his 16th birthday. Wrestling team (light weight, of course). Just like Fred, he was a shameless flirt, but damned if you didn’t even know you were flirting with him until he walked away. (level headed Mary was never much of a flirt, but even she couldn’t hold a conversation with Hiram without bursting into giggles and blushing. he just had than effect on people.) Hiram just had that air about him. You wanted him to like you, even if you couldn’t understand why. Dates with him were trips to nice restaurants in Greendale and lunch at the country club. Dates where you couldn’t just toss on some jeans and a crop top, you had to plan an outfit.

By junior year, Hermione realized she wasn’t getting asked out as much. As a matter of fact, it seemed like one weekend she was going out with Freddy, one weekend with Hiram, next weekend with Freddy again, and so on and so on.

Alice finally broke the news to her one day, laughing her head off at how naive Hermione was. Of course other guys weren’t asking her out anymore. She, Fred, and Hiram now made the ultimate Riverdale High love triangle. The school was practically placing bets on which boy she was going to choose by graduation and, “come on now, Hermione. Hiram has the money, but Fred has the heart. Don’t be stupid now.” Every other guy in school was wary about even getting to close. Because if you cross Fred, you’d have FP breathing down your neck looking for a fight. And if you crossed Hiram… well, god help you if you crossed the junior godfather.

Hermione stopped seeing them both for months. Took up extra shifts at the store just to keep herself busy. End of junior year, Fred came to her, hat in hand, asking her for another chance. She figured she’d punished him enough. And after all, wasn’t Fred the kind of boy you dreamed of? So wholesome and sweet. He’d jog a mile just to make sure he got to the door first so he could hold it open for her. (and then if he wouldn’t hold it open for the next ten people who walked in to because damnit that is so Fred.) So she went out with Fred and they started going steady. After all, senior year is full of making decisions, right? And at 17 going on 18, you’re not really settling anymore. You’re practically an adult who needs to make an adult decision. 

College was still so up in the air. Fred was staying in Riverdale, already had a job lined up working construction with his dad. He’d make foreman soon enough, hell maybe even management in a few years. Hermione could continue working at her dad’s shop (she was still undecided about college), and maybe even take it over when he retired. Her older sisters had already married and moved on, so who else would do it?

But then… wasn’t that all settling? All American boy in this all American town that time forgot. They’d never be well off, but they’d be comfortable. Never could afford to go to Europe, but they could definitely take a week to spend at the Jersey shore. Maybe if they saved enough, they could pack the kids in the car and all go to Disney World. Hell, it wouldn’t be glamorous, but they’d still be happy, right? Right?

Senior year got weird. Alice disappeared and Hal mentally checked out and Mary nearly went full on panic mode trying to get into a good college and FP was getting into some shit everyone was too afraid to question him on. And then good old Freddy was there, smile on his face, telling everyone to just relax. Everything is going to be just fine.

How Fred? How can everything be just fine when a life of Riverdale and being a shop girl and construction and weeks at the shore is right there and maybe it’s not what you want?

So she felt bad, so bad, when Hiram invited her and Fred to a party and she went without him. But what could she do? She needed some excitement in her life.   

And then her and Hiram spent the whole party on the bench swing in the yard while the party raged on inside. (alcohol only at this one. Alice was gone and everyone knew FP would only get you weed, nothing heavier.) They drank rum from the bottle and he told her about New York and going to school and how he wanted to stay there after graduation and fuck Riverdale, right? We don’t have to be these small town nothings. We can be bigger. Big fish in a small pond? Fuck it all. We’ll be big fish in the ocean still. 

And she leaned over and kissed him and he kissed her back. And the next morning she went to Fred’s house in tears and broke his heart and never looked back. 

Her parents always preferred  Hiram anyway.

When Alice came back to school, she made a point to call her a heartless bitch in front of the entire locker room one day. Even Mary became a bit cold towards her. 

And then prom came and they were crowned king and queen. (which Alice sweetly pointed out was only because her and Hal didn’t run.) And then graduation came and they had a huge bonfire party near Sweetwater River and when Fred and FP started singing around the fire, her and Hiram joined in with the rest of the senior class. They kept their distance though. She saw Fred toss his arm around Mary at one point and kiss her on the cheek and she couldn’t explain the feeling of discomfort afterwards.

They packed their bags in August. Only Mary came by to say good bye. As they hugged, Hermione asked her if she was dating Fred now. Mary told her to keep in touch.

They passed the Town with Pep! sign as they left Riverdale for good. She made the right choice. Right?

(i took this too far. did i take this too far? damn, send me more asks.)

[headquartersforlievmuses]

► Richard Grayson

Dick Grayson is a vigilante in the Batman Family and the original hero known as Robin. Eventually he outgrew this position and was inspired by Superman to become Nightwing, while Jason Todd and Tim Drake succeeded him as Robin. Following the disappearance of Bruce Wayne, he succeeded his mentor to become Batman with Damian Wayne as his Robin during Battle for the Cowl. Bruce's return allowed them to both wear the mantle as part of Batman Incorporated, although Grayson has since then returned to his Nightwing costume in Traps and Trapezes.

Dick Grayson was a twelve-year-old circus acrobat, the youngest of a family act called The Flying Graysons of The Haley Circus. Dick joined the act at a very young age, having been trained in acrobatics from birth. While on tour in Gotham City, he overheard "Boss" Tony Zucco, a well-known and feared crime-lord, threaten the performers unless the circus's owner paid extortion money. The owner refused, and that night Dick watched in horror as his parents' high wire snapped, sending his parents hurtling to their deaths, all while many of Gotham's elite watched on. Young Dick felt responsible, because he didn't warn his parents in time.

Shortly after the tragedy, Dick was placed in an uncaring juvenile services system, on the grounds that social services were full. He got beaten up by a number of the inmates, and he was later sent to a Catholic orphanage. Bruce Wayne rescued Dick by adopting him as his ward, because the boy did not want to replace his deceased father with the billionaire. Frustrated by the lack of attention from his new guardian and the mystery still surrounding his parents' death, Dick sneaked out of Wayne Manor one evening to solve the crime on his own - only to stumble into Batman, who was also investigating the murder. When Dick returned to the circus, he was confronted by Zucco's business associate, Eddie Skeevers who nearly killed Grayson, but Dick was saved thanks to Batman's intervention. After waking up in the Batcave, he is shocked to learn that Bruce is really the Batman. They succeed in revealing Zucco's complicity, but he supposedly dies of a heart attack before his arrest. Seeing a reflection of himself in Dick; that he could temper compassion with a thirst for justice, Batman made the young orphan the offer of a lifetime; the chance to become his crime-fighting partner. Dick chose the name Robin, and his training began. Dick's first mission alongside the Dark Knight involved battling The Hangman in Gotham's sewers, and then Two-Face and the rest of Batman's Rogues Gallery at the Batcave.

Dick enjoyed his first year as Robin, regarding the job as an adventure until a confrontation with Two-Face served as a rude awakening for the young hero. Two-Face had captured the new District Attorney and Batman, and had each suspended from a hangman's noose in a 'double gallows death-trap'. Robin, in trying to save the D.A., used a batarang to cut the rope of the noose. It worked, but Robin didn't account for Dent's obsession with the number two -- it was a two-fold trap, and the floor gave way, dropping the D.A. into the water, where the man drowned. Robin was unable to prevent his death, and received a beating at the hands of Two-Face. A beating witnessed by Batman, still tied up on the platform trying to free himself. Eventually, Batman was able to free himself and apprehend Two-Face. This event, however, scarred the young crime-fighter, and haunts him even today. Rather than see Dick be further endangered, Batman "fires" his partner, sidelining the Boy Wonder for a time.

The formation of the Teen Titans mainly happened due to the sidekick's mentors making them feel lesser of themselves, which they quickly knew wasn't right about them. Dick, along with Wally West (Kid Flash), and Garth (Aqualad) teamed-up; later on, Donna Troy (Wonder Girl) joined the team along with Roy Harper (Speedy).

Together, they cured the heroes from their mind control; later, their mentors (Batman, Flash, Aquaman, and Wonder Woman) supported the idea of the teens becoming a heroic group, the Teen Titans! Dick became the leader of this team.

Dick continued his adventures with Batman, but Robin started to take on solo missions as well, and found himself to be a capable crime-fighter in his own right. Shortly afterward, the mysterious Raven summoned Dick Grayson, and several other young heroes, to form a new group of Titans. Robin again resumed leadership, and moved out of the shadow of the Batman. Dick rediscovered his self-worth among the Teen Titans and he also found love in Starfire, a beautiful alien who joined the team shortly afterwards. Dick handed over leadership of the Titans to Wonder Girl.

At the age of 19 and after six years of being Robin, Dick was shot in the shoulder by the Joker, and this prompted Batman to end his sidekick career for good. As a result, Dick moved out of Wayne Manor and attended college at Hudson University, but dropped after the first semester. Meanwhile, Dick continued working with the Teen Titans, but his identity as Robin was no longer fit for him and he soon adopted a new identity.

Uncertain what to do, he turned to someone he knew would understand: Superman. Very briefly, Dick had considered giving up the whole crime fighting gig, but he couldn't imagine his life any other way; but if he couldn't be Robin, who would he be? Superman had the answer. Long ago on Krypton, a man was cast out by his family - just as Dick had been. He dreamed of a world ruled by justice, and set out to protect the helpless of Krypton. His true identity was never revealed. He was known only as Nightwing.

When all his teammates were captured by Deathstroke the Terminator, and delivered to the HIVE, Dick assumed a new identity of Nightwing and helped to free them, with the help of new ally (and future Titan), Jericho.

Nightwing had finally moved out of the shadow of the Bat, and would lead the Titans through some hard times. Dick endured brainwashing at the hands of Brother Blood, his relationship with Starfire would suffer due to her marriage of state, he would be deeply affected by the fact that Batman trained a new Robin (Jason Todd) only for him to be seemingly killed at the hands of the Joker.

Bruce and Dick remained at odds with each other, never fully sorting out their strained relationship. After leaving the New Titans, Dick was searched out by Tim Drake, a long-time fan of the Dynamic Duo, who wanted Dick to return as Robin. Dick refused, but he noticed Batman's need for a partner. Although Nightwing assisted Batman in capturing Two-Face, they both required assistance from Tim Drake, who adopted the Robin identity in order to help them. After weeks of persuading and proving his potential, Dick then returned to the Batman to plead Tim's case, with help from Alfred. Due to their arguments and the realization that the Batman needs a Robin, Tim Drake became the third Boy Wonder.

But his relationship with Starfire became strained, and problems in Gotham demanded Dick's attention. Impulsively, Dick proposed marriage to Starfire. The two almost wed, but the ceremony was interrupted by Raven, now reborn as an evil avatar of her father, Trigon. Her brutal attack on Starfire triggered changes in Dick and Kory's relationship. Starfire was implanted with a demon "seed" which causes her to leave Earth and go on a spiritual journey. The two grew apart, and Starfire eventually returned to her home planet of Tamaran.

Eventually, Nightwing learned that Bruce was taken down by Bane and that he had chosen a total unknown called Jean-Paul Valley in his place as Batman. While Nightwing didn't agree with the decision, he trusted Bruce's judgement.

Unfortunately, months later, that judgement call proved to be wrong and a recovered Bruce Wayne summoned Nightwing to Gotham City, to help him take down Jean-Paul, who had gone rogue while wearing the mantle of the bat. While Bruce trained to regain his lost skills, Nightwing and Robin teamed-up to find Jean-Paul. The two of them went to the Batcave and placed surveillance equipment to monitor all of Jean-Paul's activities. After this, they were shocked to see Jean-Paul acting as a madman, talking to himself alone in the cave. They decided to tell Bruce about Jean-Paul, but when they found Bruce, they witnessed how he apparently killed one of his opponents as part of Shiva's training. However, they soon learned that it was all a ruse to deceive Shiva and Nightwing joined Robin to prepare the Batcave for Bruce's final comeback.

Still recovering from his broken back, Bruce asked Dick to substitute for him as Batman for a time; Dick accepted. During this time, Dick was able to confront Two-Face and lay some demons to rest. He also established a wonderful partnership with Tim. Bruce eventually returned to Gotham to reclaim his role as Batman. For the first time in a long time, Bruce and Dick began to heal their strained relationship. Bruce's respect for Dick was at last obvious.

Nightwing travels to London to convince Alfred to come back to working for them, and they foil a military coup together. Shortly afterward, Dick decides to retire from crimefighting since his brief stint as Batman made him realize he does not want to be Bruce. He gives his costume to Bruce and tells him to get rid of it. His attitude changes when he learns that Prince Balsik of Kravia might have been responsible for the murder of his parents. Harold Allnut makes Dick a new improved Nightwing suit. In Kravia he helps overthrow the trannical Balsik and also learns that his parents witnessed an assassination shortly before their deaths. Balsik sends the assassin Goode Ole Bernie to kill Dick, but Dick beats him. Ultimately Dick learns that Balsik was not responsible for the death of his parents, but the experience makes him remember how important being a hero is to him. He reconciles with Bruce, saying Bruce and Alfred are the best family he could have hoped for, and returns to his role as Nightwing permanently.

Investigating a crime in nearby Blüdhaven, Nightwing saw that the city was just as bad, if not worse, than Gotham. With no one to protect Blüdhaven, and a need to forge his own path as a hero, Nightwing decided to relocate there.

This was the beginning of a long, uphill battle for Dick Grayson. He fought many victorious battles in Blüdhaven as its protector, and certainly made it a safer place, but he never won the war. The city, and his losses, took their toll on Nightwing, leading him to eventually adopt a grimmer outlook on being a hero.

The Titans and Young Justice are approached by a corporation named Optitron who want to achieve a massive tax write-off by completely funding them, but Nightwing angrily dismisses the idea as "selling out." They're also attacked by an android named Indigo who hospitalizes a third of both teams, although Cyborg insists that she is not hostile. In the aftermath, Nightwing broods in the hospital over his failures as a leader. The Indigo android continues her rampage and accidentally releases a broken Superman Robot from S.T.A.R. Labs who murders Omen when they try to approach it. Nightwing coordinates the team to fight this robot, but they're badly beaten and Indigo doesn't defeat it until after it's already slain Donna Troy. Following her funeral, Nightwing angrily tells Arsenal that he can't see another friend die and he's disbanding the Titans.

Three months after Graduation Day, Arsenal approaches Nightwing with the idea of rebuilding a team that they're not emotionally attached to. This team of new recruits includes Grace Choi, Indigo, Jade, Metamorpho and Thunder operating out of a bomb shelter under Brooklyn. Their first mission is an invasion of super-intelligent gorillas led by Gorilla Grodd in Manhattan. This is revealed to be a ruse engineered by the Joker to kidnap and torture President Luthor, although they stop him before he can kill the President. In the aftermath, Nightwing explains to Batman that he's tired of being a reactionary hero and wishes to make his team proactive hunters as the new Outsiders.

Deathstroke betrays Nightwing when Blüdhaven is destroyed by the Society. The Society drops the super-villain Chemo on the city, killing 100,000 people. Dick tries to rescue survivors, but is overcome by radiation poisoning, only to be rescued himself by Batman. Nightwing confides that he let Blockbuster die and asks Batman to forgive him. Batman tells him that his forgiveness doesn't matter; Dick has to move beyond Blockbuster's death. Inspired by his mentor, he proposes to Barbara Gordon, who tearfully accepts his proposal with a kiss.

Unable to find Batman, Nightwing returned to the city, where he unleashed his frustration on some street criminals.[61] Upon his return to the Batcave, Nightwing learned of Batgirl's plan to create a new team to replace Batman and he didn't liked the idea at all.

Nightwing returned to New York, where he was contacted by Two-Face, who asked Nightwing to save Carol Bermingham and keep her safe from an unknown threat. Nightwing rescued Carol, but he was badly injured. After recovering, Nightwing took Carol to one of Batman's safehouses and he went to the Batcave seeking Alfred's medical attention. Alfred healed Nightwing from his wounds and after a brief recovery, Nightwing went back to Carol and took her to one of his safe places in New York, but the place was soon attacked by all of Batman's greatest enemies. Nightwing realized that it was all an illusion created by Scarecrow's Fear Toxin as Alfred informed him earlier. Nightwing fought his deepest fears and managed to overcome the illusions, just to find that Two-Face was behind it all. Nightwing failed to save Carol from Two-Face and the villain escaped.[65] After a few days, Nightwing saved New York from Two-Face's ultimate plan to destroy half of the city of Manhattan.

In the wake of Bruce Wayne's disappearance, Gotham was thrown into chaos by a new Black Mask who destroyed Arkham and took control of its inmates using microchips. Nightwing rallied Batman's Network to stop the gang violence, but in the midst of the increasing violence, a new Azrael appeared and Nightwing became aware of his presence. When Azrael broke into the batcave, Nightwing confronted him and they started a sword fight. Nightwing defeated Azrael and returned him to his apartment, where he placed the Suit of Sorrows and the swords attached to a note allowing him to work in Gotham and later he informed this decision to Talia. Refusing to take the mantle of the bat, Nightwing learned of the destruction of Arkham and during his investigation, he saved Damian from a certain death, but in the end they were confronted by Jason Todd, who had started wearing his own crooked version of a batsuit.

At Bruce Wayne's private funeral, Dick announces that they cannot allow Batman to die and his legend must continue. Alfred Pennyworth helps him build a new Bat-Bunker so he can make the identity of Batman his own, and Dick begins his career by taking down Scarecrow.

He makes an immediate impression as a more media-friendly Batman who allows crime scenes to be recorded so his convictions stick. When he goes after the Penguin, Black Mask intervenes by sending Clayface and Lyle Blanco as hitmen. Two-Face breaks into the Batcave using a teleporter and tries to confront Batman as an impostor, but Dick convinces him otherwise. His first mission with Damian Wayne as Robin involves Professor Pyg and the Circus of Strange, who they stop from spreading drug addiction like a virus and turning people into Dollotrons.[83] They continue to struggle with Hush posing as Bruce Wayne, and begin keeping him under constant guard to stop him from damaging the Wayne Foundation. Firefly betrays Black Mask to satisfy his pyromania and Zsasz uses the Broker to construct a gladiatorial abbatoir.

Tim Drake believes that Bruce is still alive, and leaves Gotham as Red Robin to look for clues in Europe when Dick won't support him. They test the mettle of Stephanie Brown as the new Batgirl when they're attacked by Roulette. He also observes Batwoman taking down the Religion of Crime, although he allows her to operate independently. The Riddler gains his respect when they work together on a case involving Conundrum.[88] In an encounter with Booster Gold, he's briefly erased from history by the Black Beetle and then restored.[89] Aqualad visits him for advice on how to handle Atlantis after losing his mentor Aquaman. His new identity is also shown to affect Starfire, who still has romantic feelings for him. When Vigilante arrives in Gotham, they fight and then arrive at a mutual understanding. In his first team-up with Azrael and the Question, Robin is kidnapped and they go after a religious cult named La Saligia.

Black Mask remains cornered by the National Guard in Devil's Square with his mind-controlled False Faces, but he plans to threaten the city with experimental toxins using his Ministry of Science including Doctor Death, Fright, Hugo Strange and the Reaper. Mario Falcone returns to Gotham after many years and tries to take organized crime back for the Roman Empire, although Batman eventually burns his estate down. The Penguin hires a young thief named Kittihawk who plagues Batman, although she eventually becomes Catwoman's sidekick and takes the name Catgirl. Eventually Batman is forced to lead a frontal assault on Devil's Square using the Network, and he exposes Black Mask as the newly insane Jeremiah Arkham.

In the aftermath of Blackest Night, Donna Troy and Hal Jordan rebuild the Justice League inviting Batman into their membership including The Atom, Congorilla, Cyborg, Doctor Light, Green Arrow, Guardian, Mon-El and Starfire.

Grayson and Damian made an excellent job as Batman and Robin and as such, they attracted the unwanted attention of Vicki Vale, and Dick was forced to turn her attention away. However, this only caused her to focus her attention even more, which was bad for Batman and Robin as a new vigilante appeared in Gotham; a man only known as the Insider. Upon his return to the present, Bruce Wayne has turned the concept of "Batman" into a global operation known as "Batman Incorporated", after revealing to the press he has been "funding" Batman all these years. Dick has retained the the Batman identity despite Bruce's return to the mantle. He continues to operate as Gotham City's primary defender with Damian Wayne continuing as his Robin. He has also joined the current incarnation of the JLA.

Powers 

Acrobatics: Grayson is a prodigious natural athlete and master acrobat, possessing a peak human level of agility/acrobatic skills. He is regarded as the greatest human acrobat in the DC universe . He is one of three people in the world who can pull off a quadruple flip

Computer Hacking: He is skilled enough to hack into the JLA emergency override codes and hacked an alien Terminal with the use of the Tameranean Language he learn from Starfire.

Disguise

Driving

Escapology: Due to his training with Batman, he possess extreme skill in escapology. He was able to escape a maze before the Flash could [119], release himself from police handcuffs in an instant before the cop could even notice, and was able to use a Tibetan Mind Technique to escape virtual reality. 

Firearms: Grayson is also skilled with firearms, as he was trained by Batman to do so.

Genius Level Intellect: He has vast knowledge of different fields. He often shows this when in use with his Detective skills. He was intelligent enough to build his own "Nightcar", build and program a Tech Glider, and also mentioned he can fool a polygraph.

Indomitable Will: Like his mentor, Grayson has a very strong will. He is able to resist Scarecrow's potent fear toxins, resist and overcome mind control from Brother Blood and the Groom. He was even a candidate to succeed the Green Lantern, Abin Sur.

Intimidation: He is skilled enough to get Scarecrow, who only fears Batman, to talk and, during his time as Batman, was able to contain a riot in Arkham Asylum.

Investigation: Grayson is a master detective, and has been said to be second to Batman. He was able to solve a riddle by the Riddler before Batman himself even figured it out before becoming Robin and has been shown to solve mysteries and cases in a speed that even impresses his mentor. Barbara even commented that he was able to solve 4 cases in "America's Most Wanted" in a single morning and solved a homicide case that went unsolved for 14 years. He was also able to deduce clues Bruce left in the manor that suggested he was traveling through time.

Leadership: He is also a brilliant and experienced leader with superlative team skills, having served as leader to the Titans, the Outsiders, and even the Justice League. Additionally, Dick's efforts to remain in contact with other heroes makes him a master at rallying, unifying, and inspiring the superhero community, a skill in which he has surpassed his mentor.

Martial Arts: Grayson is a master martial artist, having studied under Batman  and Richard Dragon.. His fighting style has an emphasis on Aikido and Eskrima. He is considered second only to Batman in fighting skill  as he as been able to take down Arsenal, Ra's al Ghul, Red Hood, Shrike, and has stalemated the likes of Cassandra Cain, Cheshire, and Deathstroke. He is proficient in various martial arts such as:

Aikido

Boxing

Capoeira

Eskrima

Hapkido

Judo

Ninjitsu

Savate

Stick Fighting

Kung Fu

Multilingualism: Having had the finest education as Bruce Wayne's ward, Grayson speaks fluent English, Spanish, Japanese, German, Russian, French, Swahili, Mandarin, Cantonese, and is possibly fluent in other languages. He has some knowledge of the alien language of Tamaran.

Peak Human Condition: Due to his training with Batman, Dick Grayson is at the peak of human perfection (almost on Batman's level). He has displayed peak human strength, speed, stamina, agility, reflexes, and endurance because of his training at a young age.

Peak Human Strength: Nightwing possesses enough strength to break a holographic construct Bane's back, throw KGBeast through a concrete wall, throw a refrigerator and use a bed as a weapon. He had even been able to damage Blockbuster. Dick can easily lift a man with one hand.  His greatest feats of strength were breaking through titanium legs, snap a Superhuman Talon's knee tendons with a single kick, and supporting over 1000 lbs of rubble over his head to save people from a burning building.

Peak Human Agility: Dick Grayson possesses perfect equilibrium, balance, flexibility, dexterity, and bodily coordination far above than the Olympic-level athlete and one of the world's greatest acrobat. He is one of the 3 people able to do a quadruple backflip. His agility also enables him to possess extremely high gymnastic and acrobatic prowess, Dick also can survive at heights that would even concern the likes of Superman and Starfire.

Peak Human Speed: Dick Grayson possesses peak human speed, able to keep up with and even surpass his mentor in speed. He has been said to be faster than Batman. He is capable of sprinting speeds of approximately 30 mph. Nightwing himself has said that he's fast enough outrun a moving vehicle. He is also able to match Metahuman's in combat speed (with the exception of speedsters)

Peak Human Reflexes: He possesses enough skill to detect a Sniper and dodge several rapid gunfire bullets[166] at point blank range.

Peak Human Stamina: At peak capacity, Dick Grayson is highly resistant to toxins, and can exert himself for approximately an hour before beginning to slow down or tiring. He is capable of holding his breath for 7 minutes from training with Batman. Ever since his teenage years, he has been shown to intensely train for exceptionally lung capacity. His most prominent feat of stamina is outpacing Midnighter, who has Superhuman Stamina.

Peak Human Endurance: Dick's muscles and bones are much more tolerable to damage than other humans, he possessed endurance similar to his mentor and is able to survive attacks from Blockbuster, who possesses Superhuman Strength, and Osiris. He continued to function despite a direct gunshot from a .32 pistol grazed to the back of his head. He also functions for up to 4 days straight without any sleep. While not enhanced level, he endure the highly temperatures from the flames.

Stealth: He is capable of breaching very high security facilities without being detected. He can even sneak up on Batman himself on occasion. Grayson is also skilled enough to even sneak away and keep hidden from Speedsters like Jesse Quick.

Swordsmanship: Grayson has bested the master swordsman, Ra's al Ghul, in a sword dual.

Throwing: Grayson is skilled in throwing modified Shuriken (Wing-Dings) to hit thugs at a great distance with his eyes closed, despite occasionally giving them head-starts and even disarm others with his wingdings..

Tracking

Weaponry: He has displayed high expertise with various weapons including Shuriken (Wing-Dings and Batarangs), throwing knives, paired staves, and swords.

Dick actually met his Robin successor Tim Drake at a very young age during the Year Three storyline. Tim greatly admired the Flying Graysons as a child and idolized Dick, even posing together in a picture with him at one point. Drake would later use his knowledge of Grayson's acrobatic style to independently deduce Batman's secret identity during A Lonely Place of Dying.

Dick's parents left him a trust fund that Bruce Wayne's business partner Lucius Fox later turned into a small fortune. Although it is not comparable with Bruce Wayne's wealth, it has been enough for maintaining his Nightwing equipment; for purchasing the rights to Haly's Circus, saving Dick's former home from financial troubles; and for secretly buying the apartment building at 1013 Parkthorne Avenue in Blüdhaven. This address was also the home of the retired hero Tarantula (Jonathan Law).

Dick has an admitted weakness for redheads Both his big loves, Barbara Gordon, and Starfire, are redheads.

Dick has called Alfred Pennyworth his "best friend" on multiple occasions.

Dick's parents were killed on June 27th.

Verses

Dick Grayson v. Flying Grayson

tba

Dick Grayson v. Tragedy Strikes

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Dick Grayson v. A new Family is created

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Dick Grayson v. Grayson Legacy

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Dick Grayson v. We are a Team. We are the Titans

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Dick Grayson v. Blüdhaven belongs to Nightwing 

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Dick Grayson v. Forever in a Kiss

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Dick Grayson v. Positive Blue Stick

tba

[joie-university-rp]

Dear, BENJAMIN CLARINGTON,

It is with great pleasure we invite you admission to Joie University! Welcome to the Thunderclap family!

–

Congratulations, ADMIN O! Please be sure to check the New Members’ Checklist and send in your character’s account within 24 hours from now. We cannot wait to see all that you will bring to this roleplay! We love you already!

OOC INFORMATION:

Name/Alias; preferred pronouns: Admin O aka Moe (She/her)

Age, Timezone: 20, EST

Activity, short explanation: I’m just… always here, Man. Idk.

Ships: Benji/Male

Anti-Ships: Benji/Female

Triggers: RFP

Preferred photo for Character’s ID (please give a link): I’m making the damn things, lol.

Anything else: N/a

IC INFORMATION:

Full Name (First, Middle, Last): Benjamin ‘Benji’ Levi Clarington

FC: Tom Holland

Age: 18

Birth date: 31 Oct. 2000

Hometown: Toronto, CND

Gender/Pronouns: Male (He/him)

Sexuality: Homosexual

Major(s): Dance (Ballet focus)

Minor(s) [optional]: Education

Housing request (remember only the president of a Greek Organization is required to live at a Greek House to be in it!): Bieste 113

Extracurriculars (Click here for the list. Be sure to specify any executive board positions [i.e. president, secretary, etc.] If something isn’t listed, please put it here and we will add it to the masterlist!): Cheer Squad, Gymnastics, Free Running, Circus and Performing Club, LGBT+ Association (secretary)

Greek Life Affiliation [optional] (Please be sure to specify any executive board positions [i.e. president, pledge educator, etc.] or if your character is not yet a member, but plans to rush): Considering rushing AXi. Not quite decided.

CHARACTER PROFILE:

Although identifying as wholly cis-male, Benji has never had trouble using his clothing to express himself. Sometimes, he can be found wearing a straight-forward outfit of a hoodie and a pair of jeans. Other times, he’s seen wearing a skirt and his newest pair of Converse chucks. It just depends.

Benji is actually a product of Benji and Hunter’s father having an affair. Benji’s mother actually tried to keep her pregnancy a secret, but once this all came to light, in true Clarington fashion, their father sued Ms. Adelman, using the best lawyers money could buy, and gained full custody of Benji. Ms. Adelman was allowed very strict visitation rights for the first few years of Benji’s life, but not much after that. As a result, Benji has never seen Ms. Adelman as an actual mom and the two don’t stay in touch.

However, Benji decided at a young age that he was going to practice his biological mother’s religion of Judaism. Although he is by no means a strict orthodox, there are still a number of Jewish traditions that Ben makes a point to practice–such as avoiding pork, attending services every Friday, and never being seen without his kippah. He also attended Hebrew School when he was younger and, thanks to the Claringtons being well off, he was able to pay for tutors that taught him both Hebrew and Yiddish. As far as values go, Benji’s relationship with YHWH is one of the most (if not the most) important things to him.

Unlike Hunter, since Benji was a result of infidelity and Mr. Clarington felt a little guilty about suing Benj’s mom for full custody–she was an expensive escort, and Mr. Clarington knew Benji would have a  much better life with him–he did give Benji some liberties growing up. As long as Benji did Krav Maga and kept up with his studies, he was allowed other things he wanted (expensive ballet classes, tutors to learn Hebrew and Yiddish, any video game console he wanted, etc.).

Since the age of 7, Benji has been practicing ballet and other dance styles and his main career goal is to be a dancer/gymnastics performer of Cirque du Soleil. Once he retires, he wants to buy and run a dance studio of his own.

Benji is a polyglot–he is fluent in English, Hebrew, Yiddish, and Canadian French

STUDENT CENSUS SURVEY:

(Please answer the following questions IN CHARACTER. Responses can be as long or short as you see fit!)

What made you want to attend Joie University?

“Two big reasons! First off, I really wanted to go to school in America. As much as I love Canada, I really don’t feel like the dancing programs we have there really compare to the programs that you can find in the States.

Secondly, I wanted to go to the same school as my big brother Hunt. He’s, like, basically my biggest role model, so what easier way to make him proud than to go to the same school as him? (Also, I kinda just missed him being around everyday.)”

What are at least 3 positive or neutral and at least 3 negative traits that you believe you possess?

“Okay. So positively, I feel like I’m really empathetic. Like, I see and understand what others are feeling. I also think I’m fairly conscientious when it comes to most things. Learning physical forms like Krav Maga and ballet… you seriously to disciplined, and I feel like a lot of that comes from being bound to your conscience–which then rolls back into the way you treat people. My third positive trait is also neutral and kinda negative, depending on the situation: I’m a loyal dude. Like, to a fault. And while it’s nice at time, it also sometimes puts me in situations I’d rather not be. And, in the worst cases, it blows up in my face.

For negative, I have one really big one: I’m short-tempered. Not always, but there are definitely times where I just… break. Hard. And it’s seemingly random and, honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if some people see it as kinda scary. I can’t really explain it… maybe I get it from my mom’s side. Another thing (one that I think is positive, honestly, although others don’t agree) is that I’m brazen. Like, I say what I mean, I wear what I feel… I’m an open book, as much as I can be, and although that’s great, it’s also just… not, y’know? My other negative trait is that I’m immature a lot of the time. I’m not denying it, but I’m also just kinda questioning why that’s negative? I mean, who wants to drink black coffee and read newspapers all day? I’m 18 and I look like I’m 15, sorry not sorry that I wanna get tipsy and dance to Rihanna in my bedroom all day.”

Which of your traits do you value most?

“My loyalty. It gets me in trouble, but y’know what? That’s okay. If I feel something is worth part of me, I’ll give all of me. And I think that’s admirable.”

How can that trait benefit the University (or its student body) as a whole?

“I mean, I think I kinda already explained that! Loyalty means sticking together. Because, y’know, teamwork makes the dream work–all that jazz.”

What do you hope to gain from your experience at JU?

“A badass dance education, an even closer relationship with Hunt, a bunch of new friends, a soulmate, a new boyfriend, someone who’ll help me pick out clothes for a whole new wardrobe, a big break for my dream career, a pet dog once I’m able to live in Sylvester Apartments… I mean, basically I want JU to be the beginning of the rest of my life.”

What is a quote or song lyric that describes you?

“They tell us from the time we’re young, to hide the things that we don’t like about ourselves, inside ourselves. I know I’m not the only one, who spent so long attempting to be someone else. Well I’m over it. I don’t care if the world knows what my secrets are.” ~Secrets by Mary Lambert.

[stephenmccull]

Must-Reads of the Week From Lauren Olsen

Hiya! I’m Lauren Olsen, your new Newsletter Editor. That’s right — the totally official, no more fill-ins, always-here-for-you Newsletter Editor. As the replacement for editor extraordinaire Brianna Labuskes, I’m here to tackle all your health news needs.

Why yes, you’re right — a pandemic is a heck of a time to take over this job. I’d argue, however, that it’s the best time, because who doesn’t need a hand sorting out all this craziness? So far, 2020 has been like trying to paint the “Mona Lisa” while riding a unicycle in a rainstorm — in other words, a sloppy mess teetering on disaster — but, with any luck, when it’s done we might all manage to smile.

In the meantime, I won’t Louvre you in the lurch. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.) Be sure to read each day’s top health news headlines in KHN’s Morning Briefing, compiled by yours truly. Please subscribe, if you haven’t already — and tell your colleagues and friends, too. Have a comment about the Briefing or the Breeze? Send me an email at laureno@kff.org. I look forward to hearing from you.

A Gift for You, My New Friend

Because we’ve just met, I’d like to offer you a token of friendship: Today’s Breeze will do its best to have a positive spin. Things are dreary enough in the world right now — you don’t need me to blow more gray clouds your way. In the words of Helen Keller, “Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.”

What’s Donald Up To?

Today, let’s play a game called “What’s Donald Up To?” You won’t win any points or money. What you will win is the knowledge that there are 180 days until Inauguration Day! (I suppose your real prize will be if “your guy” wins, whether it’s President Donald Trump, Joe Biden or Kanye West.)

So what is Donald up to? He began his busy week of tweeting, mask-wearing and name-calling with a feisty interview with Fox News’ Chris Wallace on Sunday. In it, he lamented increased COVID testing (“I’m glad we do it, but it really skews the numbers”), called Dr. Anthony Fauci, America’s infectious diseases superstar, an “alarmist,” boasted about the sagging U.S. economy (“I built the greatest economy in history, I’m now doing it again”), reasserted his opinion that the virus will “disappear” and downplayed the potentially devastating physical effects of COVID-19 by saying some people just have the “sniffles.” When asked about the nearly 1,000 deaths a day in the U.S., Trump said it “is what it is.” On the positive side? Well, the interview was only about an hour.

The critiques rolled in, and for most of the week we saw a kinder, gentler version of Trump. Maybe it was because he was happy he supposedly aced the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, a test that detects early signs of dementia. Or maybe it was because he’d passed “multiple” COVID tests a day, according to his press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany. (“I don’t know of any time I’ve taken two in one day,” he clarified a few hours later.) Or perhaps he was simply feeling generous, providing $5 billion for struggling nursing homes, resuming COVID task force briefings, renewing the national public health emergency and even (gasp!) tweeting a pic of himself wearing a mask. But I think the real reason may have been because two White House cafeterias closed this week after a staffer tested positive for the coronavirus — providing another excuse for him to keep eating McDonald’s. (Just a theory.)

Even so, Trump’s good mood subsided by the end of the week, probably because he had to cancel the GOP convention in Jacksonville, Florida, amid the state’s rising COVID cases. (Not to mention that the Duval County sheriff did warn him about not being able to provide security.)

Wondering what Biden, Trump’s probable Democratic rival in November, was up to? Well, this week he released his massive “caregiving plan” for Americans — $775 billion over 10 years. (That certainly would buy a lot of Care Bears.)

California and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

California, the most populous state, on Wednesday surpassed New York as the worst-hit state for cases (tallying 413,576 as of that day). The increase of 12,112 was the biggest single-day increase since the pandemic started. At the national level, there have been 4 million cases — it took only 15 days to jump from 3 million to 4 million — and the death toll stands at 144,000. Unfortunately, the rise in cases is outpacing the rise in testing, with The New York Times explaining: “About 21,000 cases were reported per day in early June, when the positive test rate was 4.8 percent. As testing expanded, the positive test rate should have fallen. … Instead, the positive test rate has nearly doubled.”

The number of COVID cases is likely 10 times higher than what we thought, experts now say. On Saturday, the FDA approved the use of pooled testing, essentially allowing the testing of many more people using fewer tests. But the White House, not to be outdone, announced it would push to phase out funding for testing from the COVID-relief bill in Congress. (More on that in a minute.)

In the “oops” category, 113 people in Rhode Island, about 90 in Connecticut, 26 in Kentucky and dozens in New York were told they had COVID-19 when in fact they had tested negative. (Does that qualify as positive news? I’m not sure, but I’m happy those folks are fine.) Conversely, in The Villages, Florida, one of America’s biggest retirement communities known for its golf and rockin’ house parties, is seeing a spike in positive cases, jumping from the single digits last month to at least 29 last week.

Scientists delved into the big question this week: Can you get reinfected with COVID? And the absolute, no-doubt-about-it answer was: Um, not sure. But it’s unlikely, they say. Scientists did determine that mosquitoes most likely don’t spread COVID, and they’re testing whether UV light, which can kill many nasty germs, can kill this virus, too. As a bonus, the CDC now says that if you do get sick, you should isolate for 10 days, not 14. (But severely ill patients should isolate for 20 days.)

So Much for Vacation

Congress returned from a two-week summer recess Monday to begin work on the fifth COVID-relief bill of the year, and it played out like a real-life version of Chevy Chase’s “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” starring Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell as Clark Griswold, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as the Ferrari-driving Christie Brinkley and Trump as the security guard at Walley World who basically ends their fun. (My goodness, can’t you just envision it?)

Republicans had a $1 trillion agenda that included funds for schools and COVID testing, a payroll tax cut, direct checks for individuals and $600-a-week stipends for laid-off workers. Senate Republicans seemed near a deal with the White House on Wednesday as the Griswold family station wagon chugged along. But the car crashed Thursday when the two groups failed to reach an agreement on the unemployment issue. (Mind you, the Democrats haven’t even gotten involved yet.) Republicans vowed to have a new deal next week. As all this was going on, smooth-driving Pelosi left tire tracks all over Trump while speaking on CNN’s “The Situation Room” on Tuesday, calling the coronavirus the “Trump virus.”

Let’s Make a Deal: Which Vaccine Is Behind Door No. 1?

Am I the only person who can’t keep track of all the vaccines and treatments in play? Chinese group Sinopharm said it will have a vaccine ready for the public before the end of the year. (Woohoo!) British pharmaceutical firm Synairgen announced a breakthrough nebulizer treatment that reduces the severity of COVID-19, and Oxford-AstraZeneca’s vaccine AZD1222 showed promising results in human trials, too. Meanwhile, behind Door No. 2, the Russians are insisting they didn’t try to steal British coronavirus vaccine research.

Back in the good ol’ U.S. of A., five pharmaceutical giants testified to Congress on Tuesday that they wouldn’t cut corners when developing a vaccine. And Wednesday, as if on cue, Pfizer and German firm BioNTech made an unusual $1.95 billion deal to supply 100 million doses of a not-yet-finished vaccine to the federal government, which plans on giving it to Americans at no cost. (Not to nitpick, but there are 330 million people in America. I’m not great a math, but still …)

Meanwhile, behind Door No. 3, the Department of Justice indicted two Chinese nationals this week on charges that they hacked and stole research from companies working on COVID vaccines in the U.S., the U.K., Sweden, Spain, Australia and other nations.

The REALLY Important Questions

Sure, all of that stuff has big implications. But here in the real world, we’re worried about simpler stuff. For example, when can I watch NFL football? (Not for a while.) Has baseball started? (Yes!) Can I travel to the Bahamas (no), Niagara Falls (yes) or New York (maybe)? If I live in California and need a haircut, where can I get one? (Outdoors.) Should I buy my teen some condoms? (It’s up to you, but more adolescents are improvising with plastic wrap — shudder.) Does it hurt to get shot with a less-lethal projectile? (Um, HECK YES.) Should I wear a mask in Atlanta, at a Marriott hotel or when buying jeans at the Gap? (Yes.) How about at the bank? (Yes, as long as you promise not to rob the joint.)

That about wraps it up for me. Hope you enjoyed my inaugural Breeze. Keep smiling! Until next week,

— Lauren

Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

Must-Reads of the Week From Lauren Olsen published first on https://smartdrinkingweb.weebly.com/

[gordonwilliamsweb]

Must-Reads of the Week From Lauren Olsen

Hiya! I’m Lauren Olsen, your new Newsletter Editor. That’s right — the totally official, no more fill-ins, always-here-for-you Newsletter Editor. As the replacement for editor extraordinaire Brianna Labuskes, I’m here to tackle all your health news needs.

Why yes, you’re right — a pandemic is a heck of a time to take over this job. I’d argue, however, that it’s the best time, because who doesn’t need a hand sorting out all this craziness? So far, 2020 has been like trying to paint the “Mona Lisa” while riding a unicycle in a rainstorm — in other words, a sloppy mess teetering on disaster — but, with any luck, when it’s done we might all manage to smile.

In the meantime, I won’t Louvre you in the lurch. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.) Be sure to read each day’s top health news headlines in KHN’s Morning Briefing, compiled by yours truly. Please subscribe, if you haven’t already — and tell your colleagues and friends, too. Have a comment about the Briefing or the Breeze? Send me an email at laureno@kff.org. I look forward to hearing from you.

A Gift for You, My New Friend

Because we’ve just met, I’d like to offer you a token of friendship: Today’s Breeze will do its best to have a positive spin. Things are dreary enough in the world right now — you don’t need me to blow more gray clouds your way. In the words of Helen Keller, “Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.”

What’s Donald Up To?

Today, let’s play a game called “What’s Donald Up To?” You won’t win any points or money. What you will win is the knowledge that there are 180 days until Inauguration Day! (I suppose your real prize will be if “your guy” wins, whether it’s President Donald Trump, Joe Biden or Kanye West.)

So what is Donald up to? He began his busy week of tweeting, mask-wearing and name-calling with a feisty interview with Fox News’ Chris Wallace on Sunday. In it, he lamented increased COVID testing (“I’m glad we do it, but it really skews the numbers”), called Dr. Anthony Fauci, America’s infectious diseases superstar, an “alarmist,” boasted about the sagging U.S. economy (“I built the greatest economy in history, I’m now doing it again”), reasserted his opinion that the virus will “disappear” and downplayed the potentially devastating physical effects of COVID-19 by saying some people just have the “sniffles.” When asked about the nearly 1,000 deaths a day in the U.S., Trump said it “is what it is.” On the positive side? Well, the interview was only about an hour.

The critiques rolled in, and for most of the week we saw a kinder, gentler version of Trump. Maybe it was because he was happy he supposedly aced the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, a test that detects early signs of dementia. Or maybe it was because he’d passed “multiple” COVID tests a day, according to his press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany. (“I don’t know of any time I’ve taken two in one day,” he clarified a few hours later.) Or perhaps he was simply feeling generous, providing $5 billion for struggling nursing homes, resuming COVID task force briefings, renewing the national public health emergency and even (gasp!) tweeting a pic of himself wearing a mask. But I think the real reason may have been because two White House cafeterias closed this week after a staffer tested positive for the coronavirus — providing another excuse for him to keep eating McDonald’s. (Just a theory.)

Even so, Trump’s good mood subsided by the end of the week, probably because he had to cancel the GOP convention in Jacksonville, Florida, amid the state’s rising COVID cases. (Not to mention that the Duval County sheriff did warn him about not being able to provide security.)

Wondering what Biden, Trump’s probable Democratic rival in November, was up to? Well, this week he released his massive “caregiving plan” for Americans — $775 billion over 10 years. (That certainly would buy a lot of Care Bears.)

California and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

California, the most populous state, on Wednesday surpassed New York as the worst-hit state for cases (tallying 413,576 as of that day). The increase of 12,112 was the biggest single-day increase since the pandemic started. At the national level, there have been 4 million cases — it took only 15 days to jump from 3 million to 4 million — and the death toll stands at 144,000. Unfortunately, the rise in cases is outpacing the rise in testing, with The New York Times explaining: “About 21,000 cases were reported per day in early June, when the positive test rate was 4.8 percent. As testing expanded, the positive test rate should have fallen. … Instead, the positive test rate has nearly doubled.”

The number of COVID cases is likely 10 times higher than what we thought, experts now say. On Saturday, the FDA approved the use of pooled testing, essentially allowing the testing of many more people using fewer tests. But the White House, not to be outdone, announced it would push to phase out funding for testing from the COVID-relief bill in Congress. (More on that in a minute.)

In the “oops” category, 113 people in Rhode Island, about 90 in Connecticut, 26 in Kentucky and dozens in New York were told they had COVID-19 when in fact they had tested negative. (Does that qualify as positive news? I’m not sure, but I’m happy those folks are fine.) Conversely, in The Villages, Florida, one of America’s biggest retirement communities known for its golf and rockin’ house parties, is seeing a spike in positive cases, jumping from the single digits last month to at least 29 last week.

Scientists delved into the big question this week: Can you get reinfected with COVID? And the absolute, no-doubt-about-it answer was: Um, not sure. But it’s unlikely, they say. Scientists did determine that mosquitoes most likely don’t spread COVID, and they’re testing whether UV light, which can kill many nasty germs, can kill this virus, too. As a bonus, the CDC now says that if you do get sick, you should isolate for 10 days, not 14. (But severely ill patients should isolate for 20 days.)

So Much for Vacation

Congress returned from a two-week summer recess Monday to begin work on the fifth COVID-relief bill of the year, and it played out like a real-life version of Chevy Chase’s “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” starring Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell as Clark Griswold, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as the Ferrari-driving Christie Brinkley and Trump as the security guard at Walley World who basically ends their fun. (My goodness, can’t you just envision it?)

Republicans had a $1 trillion agenda that included funds for schools and COVID testing, a payroll tax cut, direct checks for individuals and $600-a-week stipends for laid-off workers. Senate Republicans seemed near a deal with the White House on Wednesday as the Griswold family station wagon chugged along. But the car crashed Thursday when the two groups failed to reach an agreement on the unemployment issue. (Mind you, the Democrats haven’t even gotten involved yet.) Republicans vowed to have a new deal next week. As all this was going on, smooth-driving Pelosi left tire tracks all over Trump while speaking on CNN’s “The Situation Room” on Tuesday, calling the coronavirus the “Trump virus.”

Let’s Make a Deal: Which Vaccine Is Behind Door No. 1?

Am I the only person who can’t keep track of all the vaccines and treatments in play? Chinese group Sinopharm said it will have a vaccine ready for the public before the end of the year. (Woohoo!) British pharmaceutical firm Synairgen announced a breakthrough nebulizer treatment that reduces the severity of COVID-19, and Oxford-AstraZeneca’s vaccine AZD1222 showed promising results in human trials, too. Meanwhile, behind Door No. 2, the Russians are insisting they didn’t try to steal British coronavirus vaccine research.

Back in the good ol’ U.S. of A., five pharmaceutical giants testified to Congress on Tuesday that they wouldn’t cut corners when developing a vaccine. And Wednesday, as if on cue, Pfizer and German firm BioNTech made an unusual $1.95 billion deal to supply 100 million doses of a not-yet-finished vaccine to the federal government, which plans on giving it to Americans at no cost. (Not to nitpick, but there are 330 million people in America. I’m not great a math, but still …)

Meanwhile, behind Door No. 3, the Department of Justice indicted two Chinese nationals this week on charges that they hacked and stole research from companies working on COVID vaccines in the U.S., the U.K., Sweden, Spain, Australia and other nations.

The REALLY Important Questions

Sure, all of that stuff has big implications. But here in the real world, we’re worried about simpler stuff. For example, when can I watch NFL football? (Not for a while.) Has baseball started? (Yes!) Can I travel to the Bahamas (no), Niagara Falls (yes) or New York (maybe)? If I live in California and need a haircut, where can I get one? (Outdoors.) Should I buy my teen some condoms? (It’s up to you, but more adolescents are improvising with plastic wrap — shudder.) Does it hurt to get shot with a less-lethal projectile? (Um, HECK YES.) Should I wear a mask in Atlanta, at a Marriott hotel or when buying jeans at the Gap? (Yes.) How about at the bank? (Yes, as long as you promise not to rob the joint.)

That about wraps it up for me. Hope you enjoyed my inaugural Breeze. Keep smiling! Until next week,

— Lauren

Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

Must-Reads of the Week From Lauren Olsen published first on https://nootropicspowdersupplier.tumblr.com/

[dinafbrownil]

Must-Reads of the Week From Lauren Olsen

Hiya! I’m Lauren Olsen, your new Newsletter Editor. That’s right — the totally official, no more fill-ins, always-here-for-you Newsletter Editor. As the replacement for editor extraordinaire Brianna Labuskes, I’m here to tackle all your health news needs.

Why yes, you’re right — a pandemic is a heck of a time to take over this job. I’d argue, however, that it’s the best time, because who doesn’t need a hand sorting out all this craziness? So far, 2020 has been like trying to paint the “Mona Lisa” while riding a unicycle in a rainstorm — in other words, a sloppy mess teetering on disaster — but, with any luck, when it’s done we might all manage to smile.

In the meantime, I won’t Louvre you in the lurch. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.) Be sure to read each day’s top health news headlines in KHN’s Morning Briefing, compiled by yours truly. Please subscribe, if you haven’t already — and tell your colleagues and friends, too. Have a comment about the Briefing or the Breeze? Send me an email at laureno@kff.org. I look forward to hearing from you.

A Gift for You, My New Friend

Because we’ve just met, I’d like to offer you a token of friendship: Today’s Breeze will do its best to have a positive spin. Things are dreary enough in the world right now — you don’t need me to blow more gray clouds your way. In the words of Helen Keller, “Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.”

What’s Donald Up To?

Today, let’s play a game called “What’s Donald Up To?” You won’t win any points or money. What you will win is the knowledge that there are 180 days until Inauguration Day! (I suppose your real prize will be if “your guy” wins, whether it’s President Donald Trump, Joe Biden or Kanye West.)

So what is Donald up to? He began his busy week of tweeting, mask-wearing and name-calling with a feisty interview with Fox News’ Chris Wallace on Sunday. In it, he lamented increased COVID testing (“I’m glad we do it, but it really skews the numbers”), called Dr. Anthony Fauci, America’s infectious diseases superstar, an “alarmist,” boasted about the sagging U.S. economy (“I built the greatest economy in history, I’m now doing it again”), reasserted his opinion that the virus will “disappear” and downplayed the potentially devastating physical effects of COVID-19 by saying some people just have the “sniffles.” When asked about the nearly 1,000 deaths a day in the U.S., Trump said it “is what it is.” On the positive side? Well, the interview was only about an hour.

The critiques rolled in, and for most of the week we saw a kinder, gentler version of Trump. Maybe it was because he was happy he supposedly aced the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, a test that detects early signs of dementia. Or maybe it was because he’d passed “multiple” COVID tests a day, according to his press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany. (“I don’t know of any time I’ve taken two in one day,” he clarified a few hours later.) Or perhaps he was simply feeling generous, providing $5 billion for struggling nursing homes, resuming COVID task force briefings, renewing the national public health emergency and even (gasp!) tweeting a pic of himself wearing a mask. But I think the real reason may have been because two White House cafeterias closed this week after a staffer tested positive for the coronavirus — providing another excuse for him to keep eating McDonald’s. (Just a theory.)

Even so, Trump’s good mood subsided by the end of the week, probably because he had to cancel the GOP convention in Jacksonville, Florida, amid the state’s rising COVID cases. (Not to mention that the Duval County sheriff did warn him about not being able to provide security.)

Wondering what Biden, Trump’s probable Democratic rival in November, was up to? Well, this week he released his massive “caregiving plan” for Americans — $775 billion over 10 years. (That certainly would buy a lot of Care Bears.)

California and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

California, the most populous state, on Wednesday surpassed New York as the worst-hit state for cases (tallying 413,576 as of that day). The increase of 12,112 was the biggest single-day increase since the pandemic started. At the national level, there have been 4 million cases — it took only 15 days to jump from 3 million to 4 million — and the death toll stands at 144,000. Unfortunately, the rise in cases is outpacing the rise in testing, with The New York Times explaining: “About 21,000 cases were reported per day in early June, when the positive test rate was 4.8 percent. As testing expanded, the positive test rate should have fallen. … Instead, the positive test rate has nearly doubled.”

The number of COVID cases is likely 10 times higher than what we thought, experts now say. On Saturday, the FDA approved the use of pooled testing, essentially allowing the testing of many more people using fewer tests. But the White House, not to be outdone, announced it would push to phase out funding for testing from the COVID-relief bill in Congress. (More on that in a minute.)

In the “oops” category, 113 people in Rhode Island, about 90 in Connecticut, 26 in Kentucky and dozens in New York were told they had COVID-19 when in fact they had tested negative. (Does that qualify as positive news? I’m not sure, but I’m happy those folks are fine.) Conversely, in The Villages, Florida, one of America’s biggest retirement communities known for its golf and rockin’ house parties, is seeing a spike in positive cases, jumping from the single digits last month to at least 29 last week.

Scientists delved into the big question this week: Can you get reinfected with COVID? And the absolute, no-doubt-about-it answer was: Um, not sure. But it’s unlikely, they say. Scientists did determine that mosquitoes most likely don’t spread COVID, and they’re testing whether UV light, which can kill many nasty germs, can kill this virus, too. As a bonus, the CDC now says that if you do get sick, you should isolate for 10 days, not 14. (But severely ill patients should isolate for 20 days.)

So Much for Vacation

Congress returned from a two-week summer recess Monday to begin work on the fifth COVID-relief bill of the year, and it played out like a real-life version of Chevy Chase’s “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” starring Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell as Clark Griswold, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as the Ferrari-driving Christie Brinkley and Trump as the security guard at Walley World who basically ends their fun. (My goodness, can’t you just envision it?)

Republicans had a $1 trillion agenda that included funds for schools and COVID testing, a payroll tax cut, direct checks for individuals and $600-a-week stipends for laid-off workers. Senate Republicans seemed near a deal with the White House on Wednesday as the Griswold family station wagon chugged along. But the car crashed Thursday when the two groups failed to reach an agreement on the unemployment issue. (Mind you, the Democrats haven’t even gotten involved yet.) Republicans vowed to have a new deal next week. As all this was going on, smooth-driving Pelosi left tire tracks all over Trump while speaking on CNN’s “The Situation Room” on Tuesday, calling the coronavirus the “Trump virus.”

Let’s Make a Deal: Which Vaccine Is Behind Door No. 1?

Am I the only person who can’t keep track of all the vaccines and treatments in play? Chinese group Sinopharm said it will have a vaccine ready for the public before the end of the year. (Woohoo!) British pharmaceutical firm Synairgen announced a breakthrough nebulizer treatment that reduces the severity of COVID-19, and Oxford-AstraZeneca’s vaccine AZD1222 showed promising results in human trials, too. Meanwhile, behind Door No. 2, the Russians are insisting they didn’t try to steal British coronavirus vaccine research.

Back in the good ol’ U.S. of A., five pharmaceutical giants testified to Congress on Tuesday that they wouldn’t cut corners when developing a vaccine. And Wednesday, as if on cue, Pfizer and German firm BioNTech made an unusual $1.95 billion deal to supply 100 million doses of a not-yet-finished vaccine to the federal government, which plans on giving it to Americans at no cost. (Not to nitpick, but there are 330 million people in America. I’m not great a math, but still …)

Meanwhile, behind Door No. 3, the Department of Justice indicted two Chinese nationals this week on charges that they hacked and stole research from companies working on COVID vaccines in the U.S., the U.K., Sweden, Spain, Australia and other nations.

The REALLY Important Questions

Sure, all of that stuff has big implications. But here in the real world, we’re worried about simpler stuff. For example, when can I watch NFL football? (Not for a while.) Has baseball started? (Yes!) Can I travel to the Bahamas (no), Niagara Falls (yes) or New York (maybe)? If I live in California and need a haircut, where can I get one? (Outdoors.) Should I buy my teen some condoms? (It’s up to you, but more adolescents are improvising with plastic wrap — shudder.) Does it hurt to get shot with a less-lethal projectile? (Um, HECK YES.) Should I wear a mask in Atlanta, at a Marriott hotel or when buying jeans at the Gap? (Yes.) How about at the bank? (Yes, as long as you promise not to rob the joint.)

That about wraps it up for me. Hope you enjoyed my inaugural Breeze. Keep smiling! Until next week,

— Lauren

Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

from Updates By Dina https://khn.org/news/friday-breeze-health-care-policy-must-reads-of-the-week-from-lauren-olsen-july-24-2020/

[gadgetsrevv]

What if Manchester United kept David Moyes for his entire six-year contract?

Moyes’ run as Man United boss didn’t last too long even though his original contract only just expired. Truth is, they’d be no worse off if he was still there.

The David Moyes era at Manchester United didn’t last long and yet, it just ended.

You know the details by now. Sir Alex Ferguson retires as the most successful British manager of all time. He hand-picks his successor before he leaves, tipping his fellow Scotsman to be the club’s next longtime steward. After taking Everton from relegation-fighter to Champions League qualifier, Moyes makes the move to United and brings Marouane Fellaini along with him.

Moyes bans fish and chips from the Carrington. Fans unfurl a banner for their new coach with the words: “The Chosen One” but he turns out to not be Ferguson because no-one is, nor ever will be. The team finishes seventh a year after finishing first. By the spring, the banner turns into: “The Wrong One.” Moyes gets fired before the season ends and his ensuing managerial career resembles a two-dimensional video game character bouncing down a gigantic staircase, a series of thudding, often-comic and exponential disappointments.

Moyes hasn’t coached since 2018, but his initial deal with United expired just three months ago. His contract was set to be for six years, running through June 30, 2019, and despite getting rid of him, United haven’t made any real on-field progress since. In Moyes’s one season with the club, they reached the Champions League quarterfinals, won 19 games and finished outside the top four. In what could’ve also been Moyes’s last year with the club in an alternate universe, they reached they reached the Champions League quarterfinals, won 19 games and finished outside the top four.

Revenues keep growing, the players keep changing, the managerial chairs keep getting shuffled and the team’s performance remains the same. So what if Manchester United had never fired David Moyes and instead allowed him to see his six-year contract through to the end? It couldn’t be any worse, right?

Among the six post-Ferguson seasons, Moyes’s one year with United ranks last in points (64), but that’s perhaps slightly unkind. That team scored more goals (64) than all but two of the others and allowed more (43) than all but one. Their goal differential (plus-21) was the fourth-best of the post-Fergie years. They may have even been slightly unfortunate to finish where they did. Injuries limited Robin van Persie, who’d scored 56 goals in the previous two Premier League seasons, to just 1,579 minutes. And according to TruMedia data, United’s expected-goal differential under Moyes was fifth-best in the Premier League in 2013-14.

It’s true that “but our underlying statistics suggested we were the fifth-best team in the league!” would be a pathetic rallying cry, especially for one of the three richest clubs on the planet. To judge the success of a manager, then, the consultancy 21st Club looks at two things: Did a team’s performance level improve under that coach (based on 21st Club’s World Soccer League ratings)? And how did the team’s performance compare to what we’d expect based on their resources?

The context is important because if you coached Real Madrid and Pep Guardiola coached, say, Oxford United, well, your team would likely win more points, but that wouldn’t make you a more effective manager. Some of the names that grade out best according to this method: Guardiola, Mauricio Pochettino, Julian Nagelsmann and Jurgen Klopp.

But what about what we’ve seen at United, post-Ferguson? The club has not once exceeded — let alone met — their spend-related expectations and none of their managers have left the club with a higher rating than when they arrived. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has now been in the job for longer than Moyes and the team has declined since he took over, too.

“Relative to all other managers, Jose Mourinho oversaw the largest increase in quality: his peak being in the early months of the 2017-18 campaign,” said AJ Swoboda, managing director for the Americas at 21st Club. “But compared to Moyes or Louis van Gaal, Mourinho ultimately left the club in a worse-off position relative to when he started.”

Before arriving at United, Moyes oversaw an improvement in performance and an over-performance at Everton: that’s why he got the job. After leaving Old Trafford, his Real Sociedad team declined in performance but outperformed their resources. At Sunderland, neither indicator was positive and the team was relegated but at West Ham, the team did improve, although not enough to match their wages. There are a select few managers who improve performance, another select group who hurt performance, while the majority don’t have much of a long-term impact on a team’s fortunes at all. Moyes probably falls into that big group in the middle.

“You could argue Moyes was a roughly average manager among ‘Big 5’ managers,” Swoboda said. “And so you would have expected him to have as good of results as United’s front office ‘would have allowed’ had he not been sacked.”

That front office is, of course, led by Ed Woodward, a former investment banker who helped the Glazer family buy the club and has no previous experience running a soccer team. He’s grown the sponsors list to an absurd degree; the club has an Official Global Lubricant Partner, an Official Transformation Partner and an Official Denim Partner. (If you really support Manchester United, you must wear True Religion jeans.) Except not one of the club’s major signings from the Woodward Era has been an unmitigated success: five of the 15 most expensive transfers no longer player for the club and most of the ones who’ve stayed have struggled to even maintain a starting spot.

With Woodward seemingly still leading the way, United still doesn’t have the kind of modern front office structure that have helped enable the rise of their major rivals, Liverpool and Manchester City. While Liverpool have invested in analytical decision making, United still don’t even have a Director of Football.

“In United’s case, there is a pretty big question of what is really driving inefficiency — i.e. the coach or front office operations?” Swoboda said. “I’d be inclined to argue the latter given all the coaches that have come through since.”

The transition from Ferguson’s incredible tenure was bound to be complicated. He’s arguably the most successful manager in the history of the sport and he turned United into a powerhouse at the tail end of an era when the word “manager” still meant something different than it does now. You weren’t just the coach; you managed all of the club’s affairs. On top of that, he handed off a team that seemed bound for regression (they scored 86 goals on 78.65 xG in 2012-13) and was relying on an aging core, with stalwarts like Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, Patrice Evra, and van Persie all soon aging into their 30s and out of their peaks.

However, United have been in the top four of global revenue in every year since SAF stepped down, and they’ve spent at least £77 million on transfer fees — to go along with higher salaries than just about any other club — in every season since he left. Despite the continued financial advantages, five of the six most recent seasons have produced point totals that were lower than any of the club’s 21 Premier League campaigns under Ferguson. Given their resources, the expectations for United are “one of the three or four best teams in the world”. Instead, right now, they might not even be one of three or four best teams in their own country.

Barring some kind of self-sabotage or large-scale internal mutiny, it’s hard to envision a team with Manchester United’s money being any worse than they’ve been since 2013.

Would a more patient approach with Moyes have prevented that decline? Maybe the club would’ve continued to invest in proven Premier League performers like Marouane Fellaini and Juan Mata, rather than chasing big names like Falcao and Angel Di Maria whom they quickly got rid of. Maybe Adnan Januzaj would’ve become the star he looked like at times during the 2013-14 campaign. Hell, maybe the team would’ve even crested during the strange 15-16 season when it only took 81 points to win the Premier League.

The most probable outcome, though, is that Moyes, like van Gaal, Mourinho, and Solskjaer, would’ve piloted the team to the same level they’re at right now.

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[dwarvencraftsdirectfromorzammar]

Corpse Roads (Part 2)

I finished it and whole work is posted on AO3 already and im posting the rest here also. Hate the ending but whatever, rewritten it 3 times already.

It feels good to be back in Lanya, to wander the streets of Hua city again. Familiar scenes and well known scents greet him, but he can't allow himself to indulge. Chi Zhen is here only for his mother, so he mostly stays shut in apartment, avoiding everyone and everything. Glued to the TV, playing romantic Korean dramas, while exclusively feeding himself pumpkin seeds only, which he has overabundance of, for some reason and drinking cheap alcohol that makes his head hurt. Other then that, he visits his mother.

Nervously, Chi Zhen makes his way to her, with hope and expectations. And when she sees him, she breaks down. Approaching him slowly she reaches for him, making sure, tenderly touching his face, everything while tears streaming down her face. When Chi Zhen allows hesitant smile to spread on his face as to say - it's real, she sinks to her knees, horrible sobs escaping her throat. From the ground, she becomes him into a hug and he rushes into her arms. Squeezing him so hard, lovingly petting his hair, she mumbles into his shoulder over and over - i knew it.

They talk, she ask questions and he tries to answer to the best of his abilities and she holds his hand whole time. When it's time to leave he promises to be there tomorrow, be there as long as she needs him.

There is a smile on his face next day, whole day, reunion leaving relief Chi Zhen didn't even knew he needed, wanted.

"Did you visit your coworkers?”, next day she asks carefully, watching him for a reaction.

"Why? They think im dead, they don't need ghost to come haunting them.” Small expression pulls on her face, but ultimately she just sighs long tired sigh and decides to change the topic. They talk about his life in Hong Kong, her life in retirement home and they don't utter a word about past. She asks of him to stay a little longer, later she asks again.

Night falls, Chi Zhen slowly prepares to leave, kissing his mother on forehead and soft knock interrupts them.

Lu Li stands frozen on the threshold, looking between both of them. Several expressions quickly pass on his face until it settles on deep frown. Chi Zhen panics, looks around for exits, looks at his mother for some sort of help and then he sees it, sees that smile on her face and knows.

Lu Li nods greeting nod at her, squeezes Chi Zhen's wrist in tight hold and tugs. He feels like he should struggle, do something, anything, but he lets himself be led, taking this time to examine Lu Li. Still dressing in ridiculous black skinny jeans with unbuttoned shirt over a dark t shirt, he always looked good like this but Lu Li put on some weight, his waist doesn't looks so tiny anymore. His hair are little bit longer - he could tuck them behind his ear. He can't see his face, he knows it didn't change.

In quiet corridor he is slammed against a wall, hands fisted in his shirt, furious face so near his, and Chi Zhen was right, it didn't change.

“What's wrong with you? Hm? What's wrong with you? We all thought you were dead." Chi Zhen can't speak, there is rage in Lu Li's eyes and it doesn't matter. Chi Zhen can breath, pressure in his chest easing and that knot not only loosening, but completely unraveling.

"I spent so much time here, talking to your mother, talking about you like you were dead and she knew all along. I fought to clear your name, for justice for your mother, for you.”

"I waited for you! I waited for you.” Lu Li has tears in his eyes, his hands trembling, fisted in his clothes, they let go the instant Chi Zhen hugs him. It's exactly like the hug in the scrap yard. Lu Li crying and not hugging him back. I only make him cry - Chi Zhen thinks.

“She didn't,” Chi Zhen whispers to his temple, “she didn't know.” Lu Li finally hugs him back.

"Are you going back to Hong Kong?” Lu Li volunteered to give him a ride back, insisted, so they are sitting in his car, with unbearable tension between them. Chi Zhen feared this, loathes this but also, he can't open his mouth to dispel it.

"Yes.” Chi Zhen answers, he is not lying.

"You could stay. With your mother. To work for Police Department. You should stay." Lu Li is doing little nervous motions with his hands, so unlike him, and Chi Zhen can't believe Lu Li is first one to reach.

“You would be my boss.” Chi Zhen always was a coward.

“Yes, I would.”

“Okay.” And Chi Zhen decides to reach too.

Everybody swamps him with questions, he jokes he is going to hold conferences to satisfy everyone's curiosity. Lu Li never asks him anything, no questions about Hong Kong or what happened. Chi Zhen knows he wants to, wants to know everything and Chi Zhen wants to tell him everything, just doesn't know how to go about it. It feels like the opportunity to explain himself passed, because that's what he needs to do, explain himself and hope Lu Li would forgive him. Forgive for acting like coward and running, for not reaching and hiding. Maybe Lu Li already forgiven him, maybe he has no reason to, maybe Chi Zhen feels like he doesn't deserve it, doesn't deserve what he has now. Lu Li and his mother, he has them back and he feels like a fraud.

He stays in his shitty apartment, in his shitty neighborhood but now he drinks on the rooftop of Hua City Police Department, not in from of his TV.

Half of the Bacardi is already gone, Chi Zhen is bundled in blanket in his flimsy chair resisting the biting wind that's trying to chase him off the roof. Instead another person joins him. Lu Li comes with another two blankets, also with another bottle, setting up on the floor. Chi Zhen wordlessly slides from the chair and joins him.

“What about with Wu Wenxuan?” Chi Zhen opens with, even when he knows she is in jail. Lu Li looks at him surprised, bottle halfway to his lips, he rests it back on the floor.

“We managed to get her lowest sentence, she should be out in two years or so.” he takes long swig as he explains, eyes not leaving the horizon. Silence falls over them again.

“It was the best decisions at the time, I kept thinking of how to protect you, how to protect my mother and my death was convenience. When - if I died you would have an easy out, somebody to blame.” Chi Zhen drinks some, clears his throat, “I didn't want to hold you back from your happiness, so I just cut the loose weight. I fled for Hong Kong as soon as I recovered, nobody knew just some associates from old job.”

Lu Li looks angrier with every word that leaves him, “Why couldn't you leave me to protect you for once? What about your happiness? What about your promise?” taking a deep breath, he continues “You didn't plan to let me know you are alive, you came back and it never crossed your mind to let me know.” Lu Li looks at him with defiant look, mouth set in a sharp line, daring him to disagree.

“Why open old wounds?” he wants to say more but Chi Zhen buries his next words in the bottle, burn choking him along with his needy words and his want.

“I never thanked you for clearing my name, you know. So thanks for that. And i'm sorry, that you had to do it alone, that i wasn't here.” Chi Zhen reaches hesitantly, sets his hand on the nape of Lu Li´s neck, so warm despite the cold wind, sneaking tips of his fingers to his soft hair to which Lu Li shudders, slight tremor passing his whole body.

Lu Li slumps against him, head falling to the crook of his shoulder, smiling he says “You know, your mother told me some very interesting stuff about you.” and they sit there talking, warming each other until they finish both bottles.

“This old drunk man opens the door, nothing but nightgown - that kind that old ladies wear, and flip flops,” Chi Zhen is wildly explaining, from his nest of blankets, orange in his hands, struggling with a peel. “doesn't even look at me and runs towards the horse.”

Lu Li inches closer to him, closer to warmth and takes orange from his hands, finally makes a progress.

“He just takes off to the woods and i have no idea what to do, I don't have the money they send me for and he just disappeared. So i decide to look around his cottage, maybe i will find something useful, i tell myself.” With one hand, he tuck Lu Li's hair behind his ear, so he can see his face scrunched in concentration, fighting with orange. With other hand he traces each vertebra, fingers sliding across his back as Lu Li slightly squirms against that, grumbling under his breath about being ticklish. Still, he inches closer.

“Not even a minute passed and i hear him coming back. What I notice first is that he lost one of his flip flops and then that he has something bundled in his nightgown. He walks up to me, opens the bundle and scatters the mushrooms he had in there, at my feet. Tells me - take it, and i'm so baffled that i start picking them up and shoving them to my pockets.” Orange is finally peeled and piece is unceremoniously shoved into his mouth, sweet scent permeates the room, but all Chi Zhen can smell is soft sandalwood fragrance as Lu Li makes himself comfortable on his chest.

“Then finally, he brings the money from the cottage, tell me that i can borrow the horse but to return it by midnight. I didn't take him up on that offer of course, i didn't trust that horse not to kill me, let alone bring me back.”

“But you trusted that stranger in the middle in the woods won't kill you and dump your body somewhere in the forest.” Lu Li scoffs as he looks up at him.

“Well, it's not like i had a choice with him. Either way, horses are devil spawn, have you seen the teeth? I bet you, they could just bite your head clean off, it also doesn't help your head is so tiny.” at that Lu Li sputters, bewildered laugh escaping him, attacking Chi Zhen with a pillow.

“You are just saying that because your head is so ginormous.”

[gabriellakirtonblog]

Are You Making Yourself Rich, or Poor? Here’s Why Every Choice You Make Today Matters

I come from a frugal family. My parents taught me to make smart money choices from an early age. Now that I’m an adult—and successful by many measures—those habits have proven so useful that I can’t imagine being any other way.

It wasn’t until I started hiring and mentoring other trainers that I realized just how much money people waste on unnecessary stuff: designer clothes, takeout food, top-of-the-line equipment, supplements. Their lives look great on Instagram, but what you won’t find in their profile is that they’re still sleeping under their parents’ roof because they can’t afford their own place.

I once had a trainer request a pay advance—for $300 jeans. One gym owner I know orders takeout for every meal and pays a $7 delivery fee each time. Factor in food and tip, and that’s easily $1,000-plus a month.

Thanks to the rising cost of living and our culture’s general penchant for extravagance, learning to manage your money early is more important than ever. For young trainers in particular, what you do with your earnings now can mean the difference between struggle and success later on.

A stock trader once told me that wealthy people feel valuable when they save money, and poor people feel valuable when they spend money. That resonated with me because it highlights the true secret to money management: confidence and self-belief.

As the founder of Female Trainer Society, I’ve seen so many young trainers unable to reach that next level because deep down they don’t truly believe they can. They don’t take themselves seriously enough, and that leads them to spend their money on superficial things instead of investing in themselves.

But you can do this. You can make six figures. You can live the life you imagined for yourself. You can achieve anything you want as long as you’re willing to work for it. (Mom and Dad taught me that too!)

It all starts with the right mindset—and a few simple tips.

READ ALSO: “How to Get Started as an Online Personal Trainer”

1. Sell something before you buy something

Look, I love Lululemon too. But when it comes to clothes, my rule is if I want to buy something, I have to sell something.

Trainers get Lulu apparel at a 25 percent discount, and that stuff retains its value. So if you sell it, you may make back almost what you paid for it. I do this all the time on Facebook Marketplace, and I find that brand-name fitness apparel sells quickly.

Just be sure to price it right. Often sellers will overestimate the value of their item. You wouldn’t believe how often people list products at prices that are the same—or higher—than what you’ll find in stores. If it’s available brand-new for cheaper elsewhere, no one’s going to buy it used from you. (And you do want someone to buy it, right? That’s kind of the whole point.)

2. Invest in yourself

There are a couple ways to accrue wealth. You can save. Or you can put your money to work so it makes money for you. That’s what I try to do.

When I see young trainers failing to invest in their business or their self-education, they always give the same excuse: “I can’t afford it.”

If that’s you, I have news: Yes, you can.

When I was 14, I wanted a snowboard. My dad told me that if I could earn enough to pay for half the cost, he would cover the rest. I did laundry, dishes, mowed the lawn … Okay, fine, my dad paid my allowance for those chores, so technically his money was footing the full tab. But my dad was teaching me a lesson: You can afford anything if you work hard enough.

Several years ago, I wanted to sign up for a coaching program. The course was $2,000. At the time, I was making $1,500 a month. (You do the math.) With just a week before the cutoff date for registration, I was selling off everything I could think of—snow pants, shoes, whatever. In the end, I raised enough to fund the course, and I guarantee that investment has paid off many times over since then.

I recently spent $500 on a Facebook ad that brought in $30,000 in revenue. That seems like a no-brainer. But many young trainers will say they can’t afford that initial investment (though their designer boots suggest otherwise).

Entrepreneur Russell Brunson has talked about a concept called “lead or gold.” If you absolutely had to make $500 by tomorrow or you and your whole family will die, you’d find a way to make $500. If you’re serious about your career, pretend that the stakes are that high.

READ ALSO: “What I Learned from 15,000 Training Sessions in a Commercial Gym”

3. Gamify your finances

My partner and I like to make a game of finding deals. We make a competition of it, and that helps us both stay on track. After all, if there’s one thing that motivates us fitness pros, it’s tapping into our competitive spirit.

Tech gives me the edge: I love Flipp, which searches circulars and coupons to find the best deals for all the items on your weekly shopping list.

I also like Mint. It links to all your accounts so you can easily see what you spend money on. It lets you create a budget and sends you notifications if you’re coming close.

I do my food shopping at the end of the day, when near-expired food gets discounted. Just the other week I snagged $100 worth of antibiotic-free meat for $38! Believe me, the rush you get from a deal like that is way better than fancy jeans.

I take the game further by establishing rules. For example, I refuse to throw out any food. At the end of the month, I clear out my cupboards and fridge and eat everything that’s about to go bad. I’m like Pac-Man eating pellets.

Level up!

READ ALSO: “Forget About Setting Goals. Do This Instead.”

4. Set aside money for taxes

I have friends who gross six figures a year, and because of that assume they don’t need to worry about saving. Then tax season hits, and they understand why that’s a mistake.

If you, like many trainers, are self-employed, you should be setting aside at least 25 percent of your income for taxes. If you make about the same amount each month, you can have your bank automatically transfer a stipend over to savings.

You should also be using accounting software like QuickBooks. For a small monthly fee, you can see how much you’re actually making after expenses. And that’s a number you should know.

5. Treat one client as your pension

If I have one financial regret, it’s that I didn’t start saving for retirement in my early 20s. I convinced myself I couldn’t afford it then, but I’d get to it eventually. When I think about the amount of exponential growth I missed out on, I can’t help but get annoyed with my younger self.

Research shows a way to think more seriously about your future: In one study, people who viewed aged images of themselves contributed more of their earnings to a retirement plan than those who viewed images of their current self. When you relate to your future self, you’re more likely to make good decisions for that person’s happiness and well-being.

Setting aside a couple hundred dollars a month can make a huge difference. Try this easy hack: Take the revenue from one client and put that into a retirement fund. So if you’re charging one client $300 a month, consider that your retirement money.

READ ALSO: “Why You Should Have Dinner with Your Clients”

6. Take your own advice

Trainers are always preaching to their clients about the importance of meal prep—right before they grab another takeout meal.

And I get it. I still remember when I first started and was working all hours, taking on every client I could. By the time I was done working, the only places that were still open sold fast food. I was spending $150 on takeout every week, and it wasn’t even quality nutrition.

Those meal-prep tips we give clients aren’t just lip service. They work. And you can save a ton of money following them.

I make sure to keep quick, ready-to-go foods in the freezer, and I always have cooked chicken prepped and ready to go. After a recent long day, I used that chicken, some frozen peppers, and frozen tortilla shells to whip up fajitas in about five minutes.

As a trainer, you’re setting an example for your clients. When you advise them to avoid takeout, be sure to follow your own advice.

READ ALSO: “A Trainer’s Guide to Protein”

7. Realize something is better than nothing

Thinking about opening your own training space? Good for you! Just don’t feel you need to start out with the works.

I remember one new gym owner who dropped six figures on equipment alone. The gym looked beautiful—they even had brick professionally installed on the walls—but I cringe to think of the sheer number of hours they’ll have to work just to pay off those bills.

A lot of people have an all-or-nothing mindset. I like to teach that something is better than nothing.

Opening a gym with over $100,000 worth of equipment is a big jump. But you can get a solid start by renting a small space inside a larger gym for a fraction of the price. And don’t assume you need the shiny new equipment, either—I’ve found great deals for used equipment online.

People tend to misjudge what will have the greatest impact on their career. Truth is, more than any amount of fancy clothes or equipment, grit and personality will take you much farther. And those are free.

READ ALSO: “Three Mistakes that Could Cost You $100,000 and Sink Your New Gym”

    More Habits of Highly Wealthy Trainers

When it comes to your career and financial success, every choice you make today matters. Learn the two habits you need to break free from the daily grind when you pick up your copy of Jonathan Goodman’s limited-edition, two-book box set The Highly Wealthy Online Trainer.

Compiled here for the first time, these books will empower you to think and act differently, and reap the rewards. Why a box set? Because marketing strategy is worthless unless it is acted upon, and that requires good habits. The two go together.

What you get:

Book #1: Habits of Highly Wealthy Online Trainers

Book #2: Marketing Breakthroughs of Highly Wealthy Online Trainers

Don’t wait –> Order your copies today.

    The post Are You Making Yourself Rich, or Poor? Here’s Why Every Choice You Make Today Matters appeared first on The PTDC.

Are You Making Yourself Rich, or Poor? Here’s Why Every Choice You Make Today Matters published first on https://onezeroonesarms.tumblr.com/

[fitono]

Are You Making Yourself Rich, or Poor? Here’s Why Every Choice You Make Today Matters

I come from a frugal family. My parents taught me to make smart money choices from an early age. Now that I’m an adult—and successful by many measures—those habits have proven so useful that I can’t imagine being any other way.

It wasn’t until I started hiring and mentoring other trainers that I realized just how much money people waste on unnecessary stuff: designer clothes, takeout food, top-of-the-line equipment, supplements. Their lives look great on Instagram, but what you won’t find in their profile is that they’re still sleeping under their parents’ roof because they can’t afford their own place.

I once had a trainer request a pay advance—for $300 jeans. One gym owner I know orders takeout for every meal and pays a $7 delivery fee each time. Factor in food and tip, and that’s easily $1,000-plus a month.

Thanks to the rising cost of living and our culture’s general penchant for extravagance, learning to manage your money early is more important than ever. For young trainers in particular, what you do with your earnings now can mean the difference between struggle and success later on.

A stock trader once told me that wealthy people feel valuable when they save money, and poor people feel valuable when they spend money. That resonated with me because it highlights the true secret to money management: confidence and self-belief.

As the founder of Female Trainer Society, I’ve seen so many young trainers unable to reach that next level because deep down they don’t truly believe they can. They don’t take themselves seriously enough, and that leads them to spend their money on superficial things instead of investing in themselves.

But you can do this. You can make six figures. You can live the life you imagined for yourself. You can achieve anything you want as long as you’re willing to work for it. (Mom and Dad taught me that too!)

It all starts with the right mindset—and a few simple tips.

READ ALSO: “How to Get Started as an Online Personal Trainer”

1. Sell something before you buy something

Look, I love Lululemon too. But when it comes to clothes, my rule is if I want to buy something, I have to sell something.

Trainers get Lulu apparel at a 25 percent discount, and that stuff retains its value. So if you sell it, you may make back almost what you paid for it. I do this all the time on Facebook Marketplace, and I find that brand-name fitness apparel sells quickly.

Just be sure to price it right. Often sellers will overestimate the value of their item. You wouldn’t believe how often people list products at prices that are the same—or higher—than what you’ll find in stores. If it’s available brand-new for cheaper elsewhere, no one’s going to buy it used from you. (And you do want someone to buy it, right? That’s kind of the whole point.)

2. Invest in yourself

There are a couple ways to accrue wealth. You can save. Or you can put your money to work so it makes money for you. That’s what I try to do.

When I see young trainers failing to invest in their business or their self-education, they always give the same excuse: “I can’t afford it.”

If that’s you, I have news: Yes, you can.

When I was 14, I wanted a snowboard. My dad told me that if I could earn enough to pay for half the cost, he would cover the rest. I did laundry, dishes, mowed the lawn … Okay, fine, my dad paid my allowance for those chores, so technically his money was footing the full tab. But my dad was teaching me a lesson: You can afford anything if you work hard enough.

Several years ago, I wanted to sign up for a coaching program. The course was $2,000. At the time, I was making $1,500 a month. (You do the math.) With just a week before the cutoff date for registration, I was selling off everything I could think of—snow pants, shoes, whatever. In the end, I raised enough to fund the course, and I guarantee that investment has paid off many times over since then.

I recently spent $500 on a Facebook ad that brought in $30,000 in revenue. That seems like a no-brainer. But many young trainers will say they can’t afford that initial investment (though their designer boots suggest otherwise).

Entrepreneur Russell Brunson has talked about a concept called “lead or gold.” If you absolutely had to make $500 by tomorrow or you and your whole family will die, you’d find a way to make $500. If you’re serious about your career, pretend that the stakes are that high.

READ ALSO: “What I Learned from 15,000 Training Sessions in a Commercial Gym”

3. Gamify your finances

My partner and I like to make a game of finding deals. We make a competition of it, and that helps us both stay on track. After all, if there’s one thing that motivates us fitness pros, it’s tapping into our competitive spirit.

Tech gives me the edge: I love Flipp, which searches circulars and coupons to find the best deals for all the items on your weekly shopping list.

I also like Mint. It links to all your accounts so you can easily see what you spend money on. It lets you create a budget and sends you notifications if you’re coming close.

I do my food shopping at the end of the day, when near-expired food gets discounted. Just the other week I snagged $100 worth of antibiotic-free meat for $38! Believe me, the rush you get from a deal like that is way better than fancy jeans.

I take the game further by establishing rules. For example, I refuse to throw out any food. At the end of the month, I clear out my cupboards and fridge and eat everything that’s about to go bad. I’m like Pac-Man eating pellets.

Level up!

READ ALSO: “Forget About Setting Goals. Do This Instead.”

4. Set aside money for taxes

I have friends who gross six figures a year, and because of that assume they don’t need to worry about saving. Then tax season hits, and they understand why that’s a mistake.

If you, like many trainers, are self-employed, you should be setting aside at least 25 percent of your income for taxes. If you make about the same amount each month, you can have your bank automatically transfer a stipend over to savings.

You should also be using accounting software like QuickBooks. For a small monthly fee, you can see how much you’re actually making after expenses. And that’s a number you should know.

5. Treat one client as your pension

If I have one financial regret, it’s that I didn’t start saving for retirement in my early 20s. I convinced myself I couldn’t afford it then, but I’d get to it eventually. When I think about the amount of exponential growth I missed out on, I can’t help but get annoyed with my younger self.

Research shows a way to think more seriously about your future: In one study, people who viewed aged images of themselves contributed more of their earnings to a retirement plan than those who viewed images of their current self. When you relate to your future self, you’re more likely to make good decisions for that person’s happiness and well-being.

Setting aside a couple hundred dollars a month can make a huge difference. Try this easy hack: Take the revenue from one client and put that into a retirement fund. So if you’re charging one client $300 a month, consider that your retirement money.

READ ALSO: “Why You Should Have Dinner with Your Clients”

6. Take your own advice

Trainers are always preaching to their clients about the importance of meal prep—right before they grab another takeout meal.

And I get it. I still remember when I first started and was working all hours, taking on every client I could. By the time I was done working, the only places that were still open sold fast food. I was spending $150 on takeout every week, and it wasn’t even quality nutrition.

Those meal-prep tips we give clients aren’t just lip service. They work. And you can save a ton of money following them.

I make sure to keep quick, ready-to-go foods in the freezer, and I always have cooked chicken prepped and ready to go. After a recent long day, I used that chicken, some frozen peppers, and frozen tortilla shells to whip up fajitas in about five minutes.

As a trainer, you’re setting an example for your clients. When you advise them to avoid takeout, be sure to follow your own advice.

READ ALSO: “A Trainer’s Guide to Protein”

7. Realize something is better than nothing

Thinking about opening your own training space? Good for you! Just don’t feel you need to start out with the works.

I remember one new gym owner who dropped six figures on equipment alone. The gym looked beautiful—they even had brick professionally installed on the walls—but I cringe to think of the sheer number of hours they’ll have to work just to pay off those bills.

A lot of people have an all-or-nothing mindset. I like to teach that something is better than nothing.

Opening a gym with over $100,000 worth of equipment is a big jump. But you can get a solid start by renting a small space inside a larger gym for a fraction of the price. And don’t assume you need the shiny new equipment, either—I’ve found great deals for used equipment online.

People tend to misjudge what will have the greatest impact on their career. Truth is, more than any amount of fancy clothes or equipment, grit and personality will take you much farther. And those are free.

READ ALSO: “Three Mistakes that Could Cost You $100,000 and Sink Your New Gym”

    More Habits of Highly Wealthy Trainers

When it comes to your career and financial success, every choice you make today matters. Learn the two habits you need to break free from the daily grind when you pick up your copy of Jonathan Goodman’s limited-edition, two-book box set The Highly Wealthy Online Trainer.

Compiled here for the first time, these books will empower you to think and act differently, and reap the rewards. Why a box set? Because marketing strategy is worthless unless it is acted upon, and that requires good habits. The two go together.

What you get:

Book #1: Habits of Highly Wealthy Online Trainers

Book #2: Marketing Breakthroughs of Highly Wealthy Online Trainers

Don’t wait –> Order your copies today.

    The post Are You Making Yourself Rich, or Poor? Here’s Why Every Choice You Make Today Matters appeared first on The PTDC.

Are You Making Yourself Rich, or Poor? Here’s Why Every Choice You Make Today Matters published first on https://medium.com/@MyDietArea