#Meteors Immigration

[supersecretnerd]

Ok so these designs are cute as hell, the Internet is just mean

I have too many thoughts about a game I still need to watch

[runningpsychic]

Why Goodbye Volcano High resonates with me as...

...a musician

As a musician, it's hard not to immediately identify with Fang. What musician doesn't want their music to be heard, to play at music festivals, and have music as their career. I can wax poetic about how music is about self expression and it doesn't matter if I have an audience, but in the end, I still want my music to be heard, and enjoyed. And Fang is on track to making this their entire career.

Making music has been a minor hobby for me. Even as a kid, I knew there's almost no chance I can make it as a musician, so I went down the route of being a software engineer instead. It's such a minor part of my life that I don't even bother identifying as a musician, I just fool around with instruments. But something about GVH ignited that passion in me, and during my first playthrough, I wrote six songs inspired by themes in the game. Even if I'll stay an amateur, I want to make the most from life, and not let the fire die. (See last section)

All that said, I felt very bad for Fang throughout the game. I know how tough the life of a full time musician is. The industry is just completely screwed. And unlike me, Fang doesn't have another option other than music. The game also drives it in that Fang's friends all have viable career paths, while Fang doesn't. But then, the meteor throws an interesting wrench into this, as now Fang is the only one who achieved their dreams. I'm not sure what the point of this paragraph is besides fuck capitalism, give musicians a living wage.

...an enby

Fang really made me more comfortable about being non-binary. It's amazing seeing enby representation that doesn't feel shoehorned in, or merely an afterthought. It's actually integral to the story. Both Fang and Sage struggle having their parents take their identities seriously, and that mirrors my own fears of not being taken seriously as an enby myself, which leads me to only come out as non-binary to my closest friends, and just remain a binary trans woman to everyone else.

It's honestly amazing to see everyone in Caldera Bay being accepting of the queer cast, like being queer isn't a big deal at all. And that's how it should be. Everyone just calls Fang by their name and pronouns (except their parents of course), and no one seems to mind that Reed brought Alvin to prom. This really makes me feel more comfortable about my identity, and I feel proud to be queer. We don't owe them normal.

...an immigrant

It's so rare to see stories about the intersection of being trans and being an immigrant, so when I read Rosa's story, I felt it must've been written by someone who also has first hand experience. There's a distinct feel from my family that me being trans is a "western" thing, not something they could ever understand. Or worse, that I'm being corrupted by "the west" in some way by moving there. There's so much extended family I can never see again because I'm now an abomination of the family tree.

I find it really difficult to talk about this as I fear I'd be misread as being racist for suggesting that my home country is more queerphobic or something, but that isn't my point. I just want to tell my story, and my experience of being alienated for both culture and gender, in both my origin and destination countries, is one that most folks can't emphasize with. (Venba also does do a good job with the culture part, so you should check that out too)

There's a separate rant about how this brand of queerphobia was actually planted by Christian missionaries and not at all "traditional culture", but that's for another time.

...someone struggling with mental health

I've been obsessed with the game for months since I played it. I went through what everyone calls "Dino depression", but I think it really helped me, and it was the game I needed to play at this moment in my life. I struggle with depression and burnout. At times it can be hard to know what the point is, or feel that any of this is worth it. The first few weeks after the game, I actually felt more depressed, as I thought about what the point of life is if it all is temporary anyway, and what I would do if a meteor were to hit in 8 months. And I was scared, because I felt like my life wasn't under my control. Over time, I've learned to think about it more positively. If life is temporary, then it's up to me to make the most of it. If life has no meaning, it's up to me to make my own meaning. I have amazing friends around me, and I still have tons of music to make.

[vaguelyoriginaldrivel]

RANDOM TOWN GENERATOR

My longest-running campaign ended this year. Granted, that’s not saying much - only ran 9 sessions, started last fall, but still as of yet the only real “campaign” I’ve ever ran. Was some sort of “urban fantasy” thing, players a bunch of wizards (and one giant shrimp-man) driving around some undefined region of the USA in an again undefined recent past… though near the end I think I’d decided on it being set in Pennsylvania? Definitely a learning experience in a lot of ways for me, regardless. Anyways here’s some tables I made for it

Town name (d10):

Washington

Franklin

Chester

Dover

- 10. [random - roll prefix, suffix]

Prefix (d12):

Spring

Hill

Glen

George

Kings

Green

Arling

Clay

Ash

Gold

Mill

Fair

Suffix (d6):

field

lake

hill

view

ton

-Town

Notable Feature (3d10): 1-3. Can’t be rolled on a 3d10

Ignore everything else - this isn’t an ordinary small town, it’s a neo-nazi cult compound. They have guns and they don’t like you

Historic building - Weird modern house - all pods, steel, fiberglass, and concrete, with spherical pods covered in pods. Abandoned.

Ruins - Abandoned Shopping Mal

Speed trap town - local cops lurk on the side of the highway, entire town economy based on speeding tickets. Basically operates on piracy. Absurdly low speed limits not properly demarcated

Weird art installation - field of sculptures (d4 - abstract metal, cobbled-together trash, stone statues of animals and people, monoliths with inscriptions)

Historic building - haunted mansion, old style - wood, maybe some stone

Notable dam overlooking the town, potentially vulnerable to failure

Ruins - Abandoned Factory

College town - small local college dominates the local economy, most residents are students or staff

Tourist trap - Historic house (d4- Rotting wooden mansion with a ghost story, old colonial stone fort, weird modern house of a dead eccentric rich guy/ weird cult leader )

Large immigrant population from a distant country (ie not part of the Americas- like Kazakhstan or Swahililand or Lichtenstein, not like, Colombia)

Oddly high concentration of a hyper-specific specialized type of business - an entire district of dentists or dog groomers or something

Not a full on cult compound, but much of the town’s population do follow a specific esoteric cults religion like scientology or sedevacantist mormonism or something

Birthplace of some celebrity, statue in town square proclaims as much

Tourist trap -Giant sculpture, gift shop (d4 - historic figure, giant animal, mascot of attached restaurant, dinosaur(young-earth creationist))

Historic building - old colonial fort, earthworks and stone and wood

Geography - Subterranean water (1d4 - Hot spring, bottomless pit in a lake, water-filled mine pit)

Geography- Big rock (d4 - Balancing rock, weird outcroppings (like fang ridge nevada), meteor (in far-off museum, there’s a plaque next to the crater though), butte)

Geography - Weird Cliff (1d6: columnar jointing, waterfall, petroglyphs, looks like a face, church built into it, odd color)

Retirement community, no children whatsoever and everyone is either a senior citizen or a caretaker

Odd museum - animal (1d6- snails, songbirds, butterflies, earthworms, leeches, mice)

Odd museum - human (1d6- finger, ear, spleen, tongue, nose, lip, nail)

Odd museum - local cryptid (1d6 - sasquatch, lake monster, grey alien, weird alien (ie flatwoods), hodag, giant toad, devil)

Religious - large megachurch, drawing in the faithful from across the state

Weird art installation - small grove with (d4 - dollheads hanging from the trees, extensive etchings onto the bark, geometric statues in between the trees, the trees coated in colorful yarn)

Ignore everything else - this isn’t an ordinary small town, it’s some kind of hippy commune or cult compound or something. Either pseudochristian or pseudodharmic, flip a coin

Special - roll on Supernatural table

(intentionally weighted to be biased more towards the middle but I didn’t really check the probabilities here, might be way too hard to get the ones at the further poles)

Extra: Supernatural element. (d4)

Entire town was replaced with body-snatchers a few years ago. They’ll try to keep you in town for a few days - constantly surveilling you, in order to grow a body-double - when they’re done they’ll try and kidnap you to replace you with it the next time you wander away from the group. Body snatcher type varies - (Fae-esque boogeymen cuckoo-bird shapeshifters, pseudo-plant pod people, 1979 Alien style androids, etc)

Recent sightings of some kind of cryptid or something has drawn droves of “cryptozoologists” to town. This is a problem because some of you are cryptids. Coinflip if the cryptid in question is real or not

Entire town stuck in groundhog day loop - the US military has caught on and is using the town as a testing-bed/training site. Just like groundhog day, there’s one guy somewhere in town originating the loop - kill him or put him to sleep and it resets - make him learn the error of his ways - or keep him awake til midnight - and the effect ends permanently. The feds know about this, first thing they do every loop is send their special ops guys to bag him and hide him in a van before they start the raid in earnest. Outsiders, like you and the special ops guys, can enter the loop - no matter what happens, when the loop resets you’re plopped back outside right where you entered in exactly the state you were then except for your memories - even if you died you’re revived.

Certain nights, at the witching hour (12-1), local monsters and spirits and such emerge and walk the streets openly - certain stalls and shops pop up in areas that are normally unused, catering to this strange clientele, and others who sell mundane wares during the day reveal their magical affiliations at night. Also there’s street performances, music and dances and parades - and games, dangerous ones - ones you can join. The rest slumber on, but the magic that keeps them asleep does not apply to you. As magicians and cryptids yourself, this could be a good opportunity, but not all the spirits who’ve emerged are peaceful.

this is what the map of the actual campaign ended up looking like at the end btw

[answrs]

been reading a good chunk of dp fic lately, and was wondering if Unova might have certain otherwise-benign phrases it's a taboo (or faux pas, at least) to use when the dragons are active, ala how “I Wish…” is treated in Amity Park. or, *alternatively*, should only be used in serious, important matters (“It is my Ideal that Mother will survive her cancer” “It is my Truth that I will fight for my child to live in a world that respects xeir Identity”, etc)

for the former, perhaps considering it a rude or presumptuous burden to saddle The Good Of Truth Itself with a mortal’s minor inconvenience, or worse, in the other direction, risking having the god Itself hear your declaration and come down from the skies in a flaming meteor of screaming civilians and feathers to get, idk, your quarterly business profits to go up an extra 0.1% or whatever.

tourists and immigrants might get side-eyed a lot if they come from like, Galar (if you prefer them both having the same language ala the US and UK), or learn the language through a book or app developed by someone that's not Unovan translating a common phrase normal anywhere else that doesn't have to deal with said dragons actually living there.

on the other hand, now I'm thinking about the latter option and if swearing to The Dragons would likely be incorporated into ceremonies like weddings, or only really in the legal (and possibly business) world. for the happy couple to pronounce Their Shared Ideals and a priest to Confirm the Truth of their joining. or for there to be a lot of symbolism in engagement/wedding band colors. (technically blank and white aren't colors but shh)

ooh! a band with half of a coupling shape on it instead of (or carved from) a gem, and in the ceremony your partner slides the opposite on, which latches into the curvature and locks the black and white into place together… 👀👀👀👀 (of a similar note, to keep both dragons equal in importance, when engaged you wear a white band on one hand and the black on the other, then in the ceremony the couple (or the priest) slide the Truth Band from each person into the Ideal Band on their betrothed.

[hinaypod]

Just saw this now, but what a wonderful article! Thank you for the Hi Nay shoutout and for the other fantastic podcasts on the list!

(I see you @hellofromthehallowoods ;))

Hi Nay is a supernatural horror fiction podcast about Filipina immigrant Mari Datuin, whose babaylan (shaman) family background accidentally gets her involved in stopping dangerous supernatural events in Toronto. It takes inspiration from the concept of the “mystical BIPOC” character in horror films, but reimagines her as the protagonist.  Mari joins Detectives Donner and Murphy in dealing with supernatural threats across the city after saving her neighbor from a monster. The writing is the strength of the show; the first-person narration pulls you into the story and puts you in Mari’s shoes. It can be tense at times; the supernatural monsters Mari encounters are vivid and almost too well described. But Mari’s burgeoning relationship with the detectives is sweet, and there’s a caring undercurrent to the story that makes a good foil for the horror.  Good for fans of: Alice isn’t Dead, Desperado Also consider: Meteor City, CARAVAN

[6okuto]

STAAAAAPPP pinoy seijoh 4 😭😭 taena Makki would be makmak, iwa gives me kuya bebot vibes (desperately tries to hide it HAHAHAHA only his family + oikawa calls him that), oikawa would be kuya junjun for some reason (gotta keep him humble nga. Makki would call him kuya junjun nonstop whenever he’s around girls HAHA) and mattsun would be Mark (nickname Mak. That’show he and makki got close in the first place huhu) YOKONA.

Mahal ko talaga tong seijoh 4 na to. I imagine when Meteor Garden was a huge thing pa, they’d assign themselves to each member tapos sabay lakad like in the show HAHAHAHAHA ofc makki would be the instigator.

Also, I hc Makki being one of those kids na laging kumain ng pancit canton + sprite combo? Basketball jersey + 1 cm thin slippers???? Grew up to be such a fine specimen though pero it’s something for them to look back on (and laugh at 😩✨)

Karaoke nights with them would be chaotic too. I would Love to be sat in between Mattsun and Makki. Chismis while Iwa and Oikawa argue over which songs to play HAHAHA marites yarn.

i was saving my answer so i could send this to my irl for a comprehensive explanation/translation first but i realized They don't know hq so i'm here now. #WHITEWASHED #IMMIGRANT 😹😹😹

im crying so bad at the meteor garden though they're so dumb HEIWODJWO one of them takes tooru's spot just to tick him off 😭 MAKKI 😭 oh my god i can picture him so clearly. So clearly. don't get me started on him doing a swagapino meme they haunt him with it even if it was also a joke back then LOLLL

i was gonna say ur strong for sitting b/w those two for karaoke but ykw. i get it. if i was rlly into it and the songs were good it'd be soooo fun ohmmygod 😭 seijoh 4 karaoke will always be so real to me

[fieriframes]

[So, that the meteorite is a source of the light, and the meteor's just what we see. A young immigrant from South Korea at the age of 14]

[autumnslance]

Hi Autumn/Lyn! First things first, as someone who's embarrassingly into WoLcred stuff, I wanted to say that I love your writing and I'm a huge fan! Thanks for sharing your work with us!

I really relate to your WoL Aeryn (I too am Thavnairian irl Indian, in love with Thancred, love reading, main RDM, etc etc), which is super funny to me because I don't identify at all with my own WoL, who was originally meant as a self-insert, even (I didn't know what an "OC" was so I just made myself but in-game?), but then had her own ideas and went and became her own person (example: she has dyslexia and hates reading). No clue how this happened, and I still love my daughter OC dearly, but… you see why I also love your Aeryn. Lol.

I wanted to ask, did Aeryn inherit her grey eyes from her father? Or does the Thavnairian side of her family have a tendency towards grey eyes too? Does she have any relatives other than Zaine who have grey eyes?

I'm not sure why, but I got fixated on this one little thing because I've always loved grey eyes (especially described in literature) and the idea of a South Asian fantasy-equivalent with grey eyes fascinates me. Anyway, apologies in advance if this is too weird and/or offensive! Also sorry about how long this ask got! Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a great day!

Thank you so much, what a lovely ask to get! And funny how our WoL kids just do their own things, huh? Can't stop won't stop the WoL, not even their own writers. 😉

Aeryn did indeed get her eyes from her father (and it is mentioned most strongly, I think, in Bearing Sins of the Past), though there's probably some predisposition in her mother's side; her mom's eyes were very dark blue. I lean into the fantasy world's idea of "similar, inspired and influenced by, but not 100% the same" for the setting and characters, and am pleased Thavnair ended up labeled by the devs explicitly as a "melting pot" society (which makes sense for such a centrally located trade hub). Since I had Aeryn raised in Thavnair, with her reasons to return to Eorzea as an adult, but this was back in late Heavensward/early Stormblood before we had it in game, I had her mother's people be a more "recent" immigrant group (within the last couple hundred years) so they have mostly assimilated into Thavnairian culture, while maintaining some of their own traditions to give myself leeway, not knowing how the devs would go into the South Asian influences when we eventually got there.

Also I am very white, and know there's nuance I'd be missing, so while I wanted it to be a part of her character, and be respectful, I'm not trying to write about an Indian experience I have no inherent connection to, but a character whose upbringing includes similar influences to shape her. It's a weird and fine line when writing characters different from oneself.

There's also the meta where I based Aeryn's appearance roughly on the unused CGI Midlander woman model, though Aeryn's darker skinned (I'm still not sure if I want to adjust her facial features post-graphics upgrade or not, I might need to play around a bit). I wanted her to do some dragoon stuff for HW, but not just cuz "she's the WoL" so that got some of the backstory in there, which also worked with "she left as a kid and is now returning as an adult." And the idea that 1.0 WoL, based on Meteor (with some color shifts again), was her lost brother and it gave her a weird tie to Ardbert (before Shadowbringers even came out!).

Even the skintones for my FF14 characters are meta, as having played in earlier versions of World of Warcraft where the natural skin color options for humans/dwarves/gnomes/blood elves were "different shades of white", and my priest glowed like a lightbulb under Ashenvale's bloom lighting, seeing the sheer variety of the palettes in FF14 back in HW was a delight, and so Dark Autumn ended up brown cuz it wasn't an option at all in the other game (at that time). Even C'oretta's in the middle of the options for Seekers as my lightest OC...and Iyna being darkest Rava was playing in the Benchmark while annoyed at the examples shown by the devs at that FanFest.

What a character looks like, either in a visual video game or in a piece of writing, often comes early on to me, and in Aeryn's case, there was an appearance I wanted to adjust and build off of, and then went "OK, so what's the reasons for not only her looks, but also X and Y things I want to do with her story, and how would that work and shape her, and let's use the devs' trick of being a little vague here and there for now until the lore updates, and...."

I do fret sometimes, about how my characters look and how I portray them, especially with Thavnair having such a strong inspiring influence. But I mostly follow the game lore, fill in some gaps with light research, make up a few of my own things and remain consistent with them, and try to be true to the character and story I've written, and let the rest sort itself out. I can't and won't please everyone, but I'm always glad to hear from those who love my girls and their stories.

[theredlanternavenger]

The Saga of Fire King Zazzalil

(i WILL write this one day, i promise)

Inspired by Burn by lilfinch.

Setting is a somewhat futuristic world, where humans, machines and alien immigrants live in harmony. Hatchetfield was founded by a human and a bug, who were the first mayors of the town.

Some respects to the DCEU Snyderverse will be paid, such as the factor of the Super Friends being a league of six, with Mera as a seventh member.

The Lords In Black are morally ambiguous, and they and Webby were once mortals who ascended to godhood by going beyond the impossible and kicking logic to the curb. They promptly went against a crusade against the Abrahamic God, and each one had a hand in subduing him although it was Webby who dealt the killing blow.

Zazzalil, Lex and Hannah are Owen and Curt's adopted daughters, and they all have different powers, Zazzalil's being the most obvious one:fire.

Jemilla is the adopted daughter of the chief of police Molag, and unlike her mom, she firmly believes that superheroes are the cause of all trouble in the world and that puts her into conflict with Zazz.

The Princess is called Jasmine, in line with the Disney Aladdin movie.

Keeri is Max Jägerman's twin sister and they both lust after the same woman.

Installment #1:The Fire King

Zazzalil Carvour-Mega is a student of Galaxia High in the tiny town of Hatchetfield. After hearing the legend of the Lords In Black from her local librarian, Sherrezade, she aspires to be like them one day, despite being just a normal girl.

One day, she stumbles upon a mysterious meteor, and suddenly finds herself on fire...but not harmed by it. Impressed by her new powers, Zazzalil sets out to change the world, under the moniker of Fire King. But balancing school time and hero work is not an easy job, especially when Jemilla Jarrett, the most popular girl at school, loathes her Fire King identity. To make matters worse, Zazz finds herself falling for Jemilla...

Pairings:Zazzalil/Jemilla, Mouthface/Princess, Keeri/Grace Chasity, Grunt/Emberly, one-sided Tiblyn/Chorn, Bug/February, Lex/Ethan, Steph/Pete, Tim/Craphole, Tootsie/Mega-Girl, Taz/Up, Ja'far/Sherrezade, Paul/Emma, Curt/Owen

Installment #2:Fire King, Meet Super Friends

After defeating Snarl, Zazzalil becomes an internet sensation and, what's better, she's now officially dating Jemilla. Her newfound fame catches the eyes of the Super Friends, the protectors of Earth, and she is arranged to meet them. She expects to go to the big city...but turns out the Super Friends are coming to Hatchetfield, much to her surprise.

Meanwhile, Chief Molag reveals to Jemilla a deadly secret, along with what happened to her birth parents. Can Jemilla cope with the fact that she has powers? What is Mayor Spaceclaw plotting? And, most importantly, will the Fire King once again make it out alive?

Pairings:Zazzalil/Jemilla, Clark/Bruce, Barry/Victor, Arthur/Mera, Mouthface/Princess, Bug/February, Lex/Ethan, Grunt/Emberly, Junior/Pincer

Finale:The King's Last Temptation

A year has passed since Mayor Spaceclaw was exposed and peace was restored to Hatchetfield, and now Zazzalil and Jemilla are expecting to graduate from high school. They have made big name for themselves as the crime-fighting duo Fire King and Crystal Queen, while also having made peace with their new identities, the Destroyer Of Worlds and the White Devil.

However, things quickly get bad when Superman gets trapped inside a red sun, and the girls are summoned to the Watchtower. They need each other now more than ever—the Super Friends(and the world) are counting on them!

Pairings:Zazzalil/Jemilla, Clark/Bruce, Barry/Victor, Arthur/Mera

Addendum #1:Tales From Hatchetfield

(Chapter 1:In A Town Gone Mad)

One of the two unsung love stories from Hatchetfield. The Dikrats family's youngest child has always been somewhat of a ditz, but in his defense, he's just seven, and too young to think about love...right?

Craphole never gave a thought of what's going on between his mom and dad, or his sister and Jasmine. All that changes when he meets Tim Houston, two years older than him, on the playground, and for some STRANGE reason, he can't stop thinking about him. Could this be what the grown-ups call love?

Pairings:Tim/Craphole, Mouthface/Princess, Jack Bauer/Slippery When Wet, background Ja'far/Sherrezade and Tom/Becky

(Chapter 2:The Love Song Of Junior Spaceclaw)

Another of the two unsung love stories from Hatchetfield. Junior, the mayor's son, is being groomed to be the next evil overlord but he fails to live up to the standards his father set and copes by smoking pot.

One day, he meets Pincer, a wandering scorpion rogue looking for fresh human meat to eat, and what started out as a simple deal becomes something more but their evil love is put at stake when a new hero known as the Fire King emerges, and threatens to destroy everything. But if they're gonna lose, they'll do it together.

Pairings:Junior/Pincer, Bug/February, background Taz/Up and Tootsie/Mega-Girl

(Chapter 3:Zazzalil, I Am Your Father)

Set one year before the rise of the Fire King. Thirteen-year-old Zazzalil Carvour-Mega grew up idolizing heroes, and both her fathers. One day, Owen Carvour, her Pops, takes her to his workplace on Take Your Kid To Work Day, and there, she finds out a horrifying secret.

Faced with the fact that her Pops is a rogue, Zazzalil falls into a dilemma. But soon, she realizes that the Deadliest Man Alive is not your average supervillain, and there's more to him than meets the eye...

@mythuzalasheir3

[scotianostra]

On this day, January 20th 1937: Champion boxer Benny Lynch won world title… and the hearts of Scottish fans.

Some sources give the date as 19th, such as it is it never appeared on yesterdays lists, so……..

As he stood triumphantly opposite his opponent after 15 rounds of brutal action, his hand raised in victory, Benny Lynch was declared the undisputed champion of the world.

It was the culmination of an incredible journey, a true rags-to-riches tale that was breathtaking in its speed of ascent. But if the Glasgow boxer’s rise was meteoric, his downfall was as spectacularly swift and sudden.

His Wembley victory over the highly-rated American fighter Small Montana proved he was the true flyweight champion of the world, following a dispute about his status from across the Atlantic. There was no arguing over the identity of the true champion now.

Lynch had lifted the world, European and British flyweight titles 16 months earlier in a bout in Manchester, defeating Jackie Brown in the second round, having already knocked him down eight times in the brief contest. Thousands of fellow Glaswegians greeted him at Central Station on his return home from that defining contest in Manchester, with the crowds lining the streets all the way back to his Gorbals birthplace. The city council chiefs, for some odd reason denied him an official welcome home. It couldn't be because he was the son of an Irish Catholic immigrant could it?

Lynch was brought up in the deprived slums there, the son of Irish immigrants. He was only 5ft 4in and slightly built, but he possessed a power to his punch that belied his frame and he soon began to train at boxing clubs and took part in fights in the fairground booths at nearby Glasgow Green.

He turned professional in 1931 and fought more than 100 bouts in just seven years, an unbelievable statistic when looked at today.

Nine months after his career-defining victory over Montana, 40,000 people turned up at Shawfield Stadium in Glasgow to watch him defend his titles against Peter Kane. Lynch also fought at Anfield in Liverpool, Celtic Park, and the Kelvin Hall.

Benny was box office, but outside of the ring he was soon to be hampered in a way no boxer inside the squared circle could ever manage.

His downfall was the bottle, with Lynch becoming a chronic alcoholic. His training suffered, as did his conditioning and body, and he was soon turning up to bouts too heavy.

He lost his world title on the scales, unable to make the weight for his scheduled bout against Jackie Jurich in June 1938. The bout went ahead without the title at stake – and Lynch won.

But the cracks had long since started to appear and alcohol, combined with money problems and a number of run-ins with the law, took its toll.

His final bout was later that year, when he suffered his only knockout loss. With boxing gone from his life, his speed of deterioration accelerated and he passed away in August 1946, aged just 33.

In scenes similar in size to those that greeted Lynch upon his return home from Manchester as the champion 10 years earlier, but much more sombre in tone, the streets of Glasgow were lined to pay tribute as the funeral cortege passed through.

Forty years after his death, he was named in the Ring Magazine Hall of Fame, and in 1998 he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

His boxing legacy has withstood the test of time and he is often named in lists of the greatest boxers of all time, and has influenced the Scottish world champions who have come after him, as he memorably led the way.

[eric-the-bmo]

The Neighborhood Watch S2 Ep4: Keep Greenville Weird

The month-long hiatus is finally over! So much happens to everyone except John, who has a nice day at work.

[Summary: Song takes Amira to be fixed and discovers the consequences, while Markus makes bad decisions. John tries his best at his new job, and Louis sparks up conversation with a conspiracy theorist.]

We pick up where we left off: in the charred wreckage of Song's house. Song and Fatima assure Amira she's fine as they wrap a scarf around the injured part of her face, while Amira insists she's fine and is very confused; she doesn't seem to realize she's a robot.

Louis and Markus show up and immediately begin to help putting out the fires as the trio above head to the Sumpath house; they're going to Arjun, Amira's father, so she can be fixed.

Some of the neighbors have started to come over to see what's happening; Shelby is one of them, still in her pajamas and looking like she didnt get much sleep. Bob Patterson, number one asshole neighbor, tries to come over to help- but with their current mental state, Markus is somehow convinced he's behind the explosion of Song's garage and threatens him. Bob puts his hand on the handle of his gun as a warning, and immediately Markus pulls out their knife and stabs him straight through the palm. Louis wanted to try and interfere, but upon seeing this, is all "oh nevermind, yikes"

Meanwhile, Song and Fatima take Amira over to Arjun, who takes them down to the high-tech basement of their house. He takes out a duffel bag full of gadgets, all with a logo- Song recognizes it as the logo of a company that exclusively works with her father. Arjun says a code to shut Amira down as he goes to fix her, and he's like "Song you can't tell anyone about this," and Song goes "alright let me cast a geas on myself so if i ever Do tell someone i'll die" Song and Fatima go upstairs, and right before the basement door closes behind them, they hear Arjun break down and cry.

With the fires almost out, Markus notices there's some weird melted plastic in the grass, so they scoop it up and leave. Louis finds the source of the explosion, the propane tank, and also a bunch of shattered gnomes. At this point he just goes "man, nothing is normal in this fucking town, jesus christ," and starts muttering to himself about it before deciding fuck it, he's going home- but then he sees that Ken, our resident conspiracy theorist npc, has been watching him. Ken tries to act all natural like he wasn't obviously spying, and asks what happened ["Was this a meteor, or an underground volcano..?"]. Louis has an idea, and invites Ken to chat with him, because perhaps this man has info that can help us. Kenneth is so so hyped about this offer to chat, because no one's been interested in his theories before! They head to the coffee shop.

John didn't notice the explosion as he's driven to work; I rolled too high. When he gets dropped off at the city hall, he meets up with Clara, his coworker. They're assigned to be at the corner of Main and Sapphire Street; they chat as the walk there, and John learns about her favorite places to hang out- turns out the reason they haven't met despite her being here her whole life was because they hung out at different spots, besides the coffee shop. He mentions it's been hard for him to get a job since he doesn't have a government ID, and Clara asks if he's an illegal immigrant- she then apologizes for asking that, and John says it's okay, since humans are curious by nature. He says he'll go with the immigrant explanation for now, and the two of them reach the street corner.

They speak to passerby; John learns from Joseph Miller, the park ranger, that the weird plant seeds grow very quickly, and Jebediah Ford, the Minister of the church, wished all of the other employees to get better. John asks Clara about this, and it turns out that some of the people at this job have been getting strangely ill; Not even Dr. Sutherland, the town's miracle doctor, can figure out what's going on- in fact, one of his patients has been moved to one of the city hospitals. John then spots Jack attempting to empty the garbage cans around town; the man seems sick, and he's wearing sunglasses. John realizes his symptoms are awfully similar to what he saw when Karen Patterson was sick in Season One... He's connecting the dots.

Speaking of the strange plants, Markus notices that one's been growing in their house- the seed they grabbed in s1 has been growing, and is overtaking one of their bug terrariums. When they try to get near it with their knife, the plant shoots them with thorns. The roots tear easily as Markus rips the plant off the terrarium, and they put it down the garbage disposal. Deciding not to stay in their house for a bit, they grab the melted plastic from earlier and heads over to Emmett's house- the AI analyzes the stuff, saying it appears to be fake skin. Markus suggests maybe Emmett should talk to Arjun about it- they guy worked for the government, after all, unbeknownst to Emmett. Markus leaves, and heads over to the Patterson's.

Over at the Sumpaths, Fatima is telling Song that she Arjun have always wanted a kid but it just wouldn't work out, so Arjun, being an engineer, built one. She says there was a lot of trial and error to get things right and that she still has nightmares about it sometimes, but they care about Amira very much. She starts to mention something about how it's a bit hard regarding something- but then Arjun and Amira walk out of the basement; she's on her phone like nothing had happened. And Arjun introduces her ["Amira, this is Ms O'Sullivan, she just moved in to the neighborhood."], and Song's player pieces together that Amira has completely forgotten the entire events of them game. Song and Amira practically re-enact how they met for the first time, before the witch excuses herself and begins to head out; but not before inviting Fatima over for coffee later.

At the Patterson's, Markus is snooping around the perimeter of their house. The lights are on in the basement, so Markus heads over to the side to look in through one of the basement windows. Inside, they see Bob with a medkit, fixing up the hand that Markus had stabbed earlier. Observing through the window, Markus sees there's something mounted on the wall much like a hunting trophy: It's the skull of a giant feline with antlers, and next to his is an entire wall full of weapons- this man is a monster hunter. Markus decides to walk around and knock on his door.

Song sees a moving truck outside of Lucretius (aka Lestat)'s home; he greets her, expressing sympathies about the explosion and how he would offer her a place to stay, but he's moving to another house on the block since his current one is too infested with bugs. He says that if her house is still in repair by the time he's finished moving in, he can let her stay for a bit- In the meantime, though, he asks if she'd like to head downtown with him and grab a bite to eat?

But Song looks over and sees two cars: a sleek black car, like the kind her father's employee's drive, and a police car. She declines Lestat's offer and excuses herself, and heading over to the cars to see what's up. One of the cops, Jason Chen, is putting up police/caution tape around the debris of her garage; he's not doing a good job but he's trying. The other cop is approaching the Patterson's house, and is revealed to be Bob's son.

Louis and Ken arrive at the coffee shop and are greeted by Jewel, the teen at the counter. They order coffee- Ken's order is very pretentious, while Louis gets an americano. Jewel spells his name wrong, and when he mentions this a voice from one of the booths- Tawny Evergreen, her boss- says that she's not allowed to spell the customer's names correctly. Louis gives Jewel a 50 dollar tip.

The two of them go to sit down. Ken is super enthusiastic about this, bringing out folders and everything, and Louis, who had already been regretting this, finally declares that this was a mistake and starts to leave. He tells Kenneth that his level of enthusiasm is too much, he's too into this, and that deters people away.

Ken gets upset and pleads with Louis to stay, saying that no one ever wants to listen to what he has to say, and how there's so much happening in town but he's the only one who can see it- and as Louis tries to walk away Ken grabs his arm; his eyes go white and his grip tightens, before he blinks and stumbles back. "[Our new neighbor's name] is LESTAT?"

Notes and Thoughts:

Shelby Nicole Waters my beloved, why are you tired? Im suspicious and reading too much into this

Once again, Louis continues to be the funniest PC in the entire game, it's so entertaining when he talks to himself.

HOORAY JOHN LAUGHED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN S2 <3<3

The title is taken from a patch on Ken's jacket!

We all started yelling at Markus's player for the garbage disposal decision, but really that's Such a good storytelling thing to do. Let's go bestie let's make it worse /lh

I'm very happy Emmett made an appearance again! I was worried he would only be a s1 character, so it's neat he's back! I also have a more concrete design in my head for him, so hopefully I can sketch him out soon

FATIMA. WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU HAVE NIGHTMARES, HELLO???

God the favor Bob owes Markus means so much more if you consider he was probably worried he'd have to kill his wife in s1

LESTAT STAY AWAY FROM SON. BITE MAIM KILL

Markus is SO getting arrested oh my god

If I had a nickel for every time there was a blond prophetic conspiracy theorist in my ttrpg games, I'd have two nickels!

I don't think Ken is able to control his ability/what he sees! It seems to be activated by physical touch- good thing he didn't come into contact with any of the other Main Cast, yeah?

I am very very happy this game is back! We'll find out what happens next in two weeks! <3

[im-just-kinda-here-k]

11 and 12 for the ask game?

11: fave piece of lgbt media?

Off the top of my head there's owl house (fun fact I dont got Disney plus so I watched the whole dang series through YouTube clips and episode analysis. I should just suck it up and go torrent it but ough) another one I'm a fan of is cosmic wonders. An in-progress anime type thing made by p.m. seymour. The gist of it is that God, known as chronoa, decided to make a fucc ton of celestial spirits, who design whatever celestial body she tells them to. Then when they're finished, they are gifted special powers that symbolically represent their associated celestial body. (Ex. The lunar spirit Cyana can summon magic shield bc the moon protects earth from meteors)

The series takes place on earth, with the main cast being a band/fighting group that is working to raise awareness of earth's non human population (beast folk, mermaids, elves, a few immigrants from other planets in the solar system) as well as encouraging their acceptance. The villains are the black suit corp, a government organization turned terrorist group who want anything non-human dead. I highly recommend u watch the pilot and episode 1, + check out the fandom wiki aaand im gonna cut myself short before this post gets any longer.

12: fave lgbt artist?

That would have to be The Stupendium! I'm not exactly sure what genre their music be considered to be, but every single one is timeless like you literally can't get sick of it. If you haven't seen their music the best way I can describe it is if ur friend in middle school who made minecraft parodies went professional, most songs are based on a specific game like stray or tf2 and it's works perfectly each time.

[trashquisitor-shirozora]

2, 3, & 12 for the ask game!

2. Go to your AO3 “Works” page, to the sidebar with all the filters, and click the drop-down arrow for “Additional Tags.” What are your top 3-5 most used tags? Do you think they accurately represent your writing habits?

Ooh this looks fun.

One Shot

Crack

Tron Kink Meme

Alternative Universe

Established Relationship

... LMAOOOOOOOO I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THE KINK MEME IS STILL IN MY TOP 5. The tags that no longer really apply are "One Shot" and "Tron Kink Meme" since even Meteors turned from a One Shot to a two-chapter fic, and Tron Kink Meme my beloved that changed my life forever is probably a dead zone now, a dusty museum, the place where I wrote an enormous fic in the notepad app in a fever dream as a response to a prompt. That fic is We Are Pilots btw.

3. What are some tropes or details that you think are very characteristic of your fics?

I... want to say that character studies of characters with chlidhood-era trauma tend to show up 99.99% of the time? I want to say this is because of the characters I choose to write in the fandoms I choose to exist in, but I gave my nonmagical Trevelyan Inquisitor childhood trauma to explain pretty much all of his actions/choices and to also explore some thoughts on immigrant families and diaspora.

I am also painfully predictable about gift-giving and service as love languages and favors, like. I even bought a freaking Jedi holocron from Dok-Ondar's Den of Antiquities at Galaxy's Edge because the dang boxes keep showing up around my canon-adjacent dinluke fics.

Also, Yearning™. That sweet, sweet Yearning™, even in established relationships.

12. Are there any tropes you used to dislike but have grown on you?

Aw man, I think this question would have had an actual answer 10 years ago. By now, I'm pretty comfortable knowing which tropes I like and what tropes I actively avoid, and there is a huuuuuuuuuuge divide between them. It's going to take a lot to build a bridge between them.

Play ask games, win ask prizes!

[japanesepenguin]

Flying back to Japan

+ Woke up at 5:30... I haven't slept very well on this trip; being "on" for two weeks straight makes you dream about work... It didn't help that my room was near an elevator and the floor would shake everytime it was used

+ Lots of deer and rabbits on the mountain road this morning; the office is a quick stop on the way to the airport (view from the parking lot); dropped off my giant bag of quarters in the office to await their future in the gullet of the Speed Queen

+ LAX: Oh no, the "compiscation" announcement lady has been replaced; the new lady says "all luggage is subject to search"... how sad...

+ Actually, the more I hear it, the more I think it's actually the same lady; they asked her to record a new message without fake words

+ I made a friend leading up to the security check; in the international terminal there's a convoluted rope path that's always empty leading up to the proper line; to traverse the maze requires roughly two ridiculous minutes of walking back-and-forth in some bizarre psychological experiment; I always try to respond to anyone who comments on this odd reality to brighten their day a bit (it's always like this, are you dizzy yet, have we escaped the labyrinth); I'm wearing my Horizon hoodie (the company hoodie) so now everytime I see my new friend walking around the terminal he goes "Hey, Horizon!" and I wave awkwardly

+ Green and black materia in LAX; in case you hear a valley girl produce words with her mouth and want to end it all by summoning Meteor... the lack of cable restraints is how you know there's no serious earthquakes

+ The ANA flight attendants congregated together at the gate so I sat by them to eavesdrop; there's nothing interesting that was said; but I just learned that once they are ready to board the plane, they turn to face the terminal and bow, which is fairly common custom for martial arts and traditional tea ceremonies, etc. to show respect for the place of activity... Just nice to see after two weeks of LA...

+ I'm glad I live in Japan; it could've been El Salvador or Sudan or something and instead of waiting for a flight to go home to my wonderful wife I'd be being knifed in a muddy alley by a neighbor out of desire to harvest my organs for drug money

+ ...

+ Flight okay, seat besides me was empty; but despite how much I tried, the stewardess kept talking to me in English

+ The flight left 15 minutes early and arrived 30 minutes early... The boarding process was the smoothest I've ever been a part of; I guess the plane can just leave once everyone is on board?

+ Lots of tourists in immigration; zero people in my line; I get my own "special white guy" line and the officer is always nice; but I feel bad for anyone wanting to take advantage of the exchange rate to visit right now... that's gotta be at least an hour-long wait

+ Waited for luggage with other human beings and not a pack of animals

+ Uhm, it's reaaaaally nice to be back in Japan; went pee in a restroom that was cleaner than most public spaces I've been to in the past two weeks

+ Home, Akina is here!

[crossbordernarratives]

Trump Formally Named Republican Candidate, Picks Right-wing Vance As VP

Donald Trump won the formal nomination Monday as the Republican presidential candidate and picked a right-wing loyalist for his running mate, kicking off a triumphalist party convention in the wake of the weekend's failed assassination attempt.

The Milwaukee gathering erupted into cheers as Trump announced 39-year-old Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as his vice presidential pick, rewarding a one-time harsh critic who has become one of his most uncompromising supporters.

"As Vice President, J.D. will continue to fight for our Constitution, stand with our Troops, and will do everything he can to help me MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN," Trump posted on Truth Social.

The applause was even louder as the 78-year-old ex-president showed up to the convention in person hours later, his ear bandaged after the attempt on his life left him wounded.

He waved at the massed delegates and took his seat without speaking, just two days after surviving the shooting at a rally in Pennsylvania.

While Trump is increasingly confident of a shock return to the White House -- despite multiple legal problems and two impeachments clouding his first term -- President Joe Biden is reeling from weak polls and Democratic concerns over his health.

In the delegate count in Milwaukee, Eric Trump put his father over the threshold on behalf of the Florida delegation, calling him "the greatest president that ever lived."

Vance will boost support from the right but offers less chance of expanding the ticket's appeal to more moderate voters and women.

The standard-bearer for a new kind of populism that has come to the fore under Trump, Vance is also one of the least experienced VP picks in modern history.

But he embraces the ex-president's isolationist, anti-immigration America First movement and is even further to the right than his new boss on some issues including abortion, where he embraces calls for federal legislation.

He initially made his name with the 2016 memoir "Hillbilly Elegy," a best-selling account of his Appalachian family and modest Rust Belt upbringing that gave a voice to rural, working-class resentment in left-behind America.

Turning his back on previous Republican opposition to Trump, whom he once said might be "America's Hitler," Vance reinvented himself and ultimately won the ex-president's endorsement in the 2022 Ohio Senate race, launching his meteoric rise.

Some 50,000 Republicans descended on the shores of Lake Michigan for the four-day Republican National Convention, four months before election day.

The gathering comes with the country reeling from a botched attempt by a gunman to kill Trump at a rally in Butler, western Pennsylvania on Saturday.

The attack -- which killed one bystander and left Trump with a bloodied ear -- was expected to dominate proceedings.

At 81, Biden meanwhile is facing calls from his own side to quit the race over concerns around his age.

His campaign released a statement saying the Trump-Vance agenda would "take away Americans' rights, hurt the middle class, and make life more expensive -- all while benefiting the ultra-rich and greedy corporations."

Trump told the New York Post he had "prepared an extremely tough speech" about Biden's "horrible administration" to deliver at the convention.

Still, that means him having to rein in the instinct to settle scores -- demonstrated by his cry for supporters to "fight" in the seconds after Saturday's attack.

The Milwaukee gathering is largely designed in Trump's image, with digital banners beaming out a message in the cavernous convention arena: "Make America Great Once Again."

The branding reflects his takeover of the party.

Installing loyalists including his daughter-in-law Lara Trump atop the Republican National Committee, the billionaire has effectively crushed dissent within the party.

He scored another victory Monday as a judge dismissed one of the criminal cases against him, concerning accusations he endangered national security by holding on to top secret documents after leaving the White House.

[tmarshconnors]

Donald Trump's Choice of JD Vance as VP

As we approach the November general election, the political landscape is heating up with high stakes and intense competition. One of the most intriguing developments this election season is Donald Trump's decision to select JD Vance as his running mate for Vice President of the United States. This choice is bound to have significant implications for the race, and as a staunch supporter of the Republican Party, I believe it could be the defining factor that leads us to victory.

Why JD Vance?

JD Vance, the bestselling author of "Hillbilly Elegy," has emerged as a compelling figure in American politics. His book, which provides a poignant look into the lives of working-class Americans, struck a chord with many voters who feel neglected by the political elite. Vance’s background resonates with the same demographic that propelled Trump to victory in 2016. His deep understanding of the struggles faced by everyday Americans makes him a strategic and empathetic choice for VP.

Vance’s political rise has been meteoric. His straightforward approach and dedication to addressing the opioid crisis, economic disenfranchisement, and educational reform have earned him respect across the political spectrum. Aligning with Trump, who has a strong base of support among similar demographics, Vance brings a fresh perspective that could attract undecided voters and reinforce the ticket’s appeal to the heartland.

The Dynamics of the Race

This election is set to be one of the tightest races in recent memory. With the Democrats and Republicans neck-and-neck in the polls, every decision counts. The choice of JD Vance is a calculated move to consolidate support and reach out to swing voters who may have felt alienated in recent years. Vance’s narrative of rising from poverty to success embodies the American Dream, an ideal that remains a powerful motivator for many voters.

Moreover, Vance’s candidacy as VP is likely to energise the Republican base. His articulate stance on key issues such as immigration, economic reform, and healthcare aligns well with Trump’s policies, ensuring a coherent and unified platform. This unity is crucial in presenting a formidable front against the Democratic contenders.

What Lies Ahead

As we move closer to November, the importance of voter engagement and turnout cannot be overstated. Trump's decision to partner with Vance signals a commitment to addressing the concerns of all Americans, particularly those who have felt left behind. This ticket offers a blend of experience and fresh ideas, which could be the winning formula in this critical election.

The Republican Party has always been about resilience and innovation, and the Trump-Vance ticket epitomises these values. It's a combination that promises to uphold conservative principles while also pushing forward with innovative solutions to contemporary issues.

JD Vance's selection as Donald Trump's running mate is a bold and promising move. As a passionate supporter of the Republican Party, I have high hopes for this ticket. The journey to the White House will be challenging, but with strong leadership and a clear vision for the future, I am confident that Trump and Vance have what it takes to triumph in November. Let's rally together, work hard, and ensure that our values and voices lead the way to a brighter future for America.