#and i know the irony of this is that i’m taking a semi-hiatus but the point still stands. we don’t have to have a million threads to still

[rebelcliche-archive2]

ok last ooc post for the day (i’ve been making a lot of them lately oops) but if you follow me first and don’t make an attempt to write with me, i will softblock after a month. say what you want, but i shouldn’t have to reach out to someone who followed ME first. like, you obviously followed me because you wanted to write, yeah? so if you go a month with no attempts, that’s it. or if i continually try to reach out and you ignore me but engage with others, softblocked.

i’ve just been having this happening to me a lot lately and it’s exhausting. it’s just nice to know if there’s any interest at all as opposed to feeling like a number for your follower count.

[twistedtummies2]

The Devils I Know - Number 8

Welcome to “The Devils I Know!” For this spooky time of year, from now till Halloween, I’ll be counting down My Top 31 Depictions of the Devil, from movies, television, video games, and more! Today’s Devil proves that the fast-food industry is the most evil thing in the world. Bua ha ha. Number 8 is…Sadao Maou, from The Devil is a Part-Timer!

It’s been a spell since our good pals from the very weird world of Japan paid a visit on this countdown, hasn’t it? I went over a couple of anime-style Devils in the Honorable Mentions, and believe me, there are plenty more out there…but out of all the different takes on the Demon King one can find, there’s really only one that I felt was worthy of placement in the top ten. That is Satan, a.k.a. Sadao Maou, from “The Devil is a Part-Timer!” Based on the light novels by the same name, “The Devil is a Part-Timer” is a semi-dark comedy anime series. I say “semi-dark” because, for the majority of the show’s runtime, it’s pretty much pure silliness. It doesn’t take itself seriously in the slightest, most of the time, and just about every second there’s something new and crazy to make you giggle and smile. However, at it’s heart, the show is a story about demons, angels, holy warriors, and the freaking Inquisition, so…yeah, it can’t be completely funny ALL the time. But even in its more dramatic moments, there’s usually something in the mix that sort of punctures the pomposity, bringing things back to a comical place. The show recently got its second season going after a several-year hiatus, and I’m happy to say it’s still just as goofy and weird and generally fun as its first season, even if the art style has undergone a slight face change. The plot of the series begins in an parallel world to Earth called “Ente Isla.” In this fantasy landscape, the Devil himself – Satan – attempts to, of course, take over the world. His plans are foiled by the half-angel hero, Emilia, so Satan and his most loyal general, Alciel, flee through a portal to our own world, with Emilia in hot pursuit. This is where things get daffy, because upon reaching the “real” world, these characters have to deal with real world problems on a mundane, low level: the Devil ends up getting a job at a fast food restaurant, his nemesis works at a service call center, both have to live in apartments and deal with bills and coworkers and all that jazz…that’s really where the humor of the show comes from. These fantastical characters being thrown through the ringer in some of the most drab and utterly ordinary positions a person can find themselves in. Satan – who goes by the alias “Sadao Maou” to try and fit in – is an interesting twist on the Devil. I keep hearing people refer to him as a misunderstood character, but I don’t really think that’s the right terminology for him. He meant everything he did, as far as I can tell, and what he did was not necessarily very nice. However, there is a sympathetic edge to his character: the whole reason he tried to take over Ente Isla was because he wanted to make that world a better place for his own kind. It was a noble ideal, but…well…perhaps being a demon, he went to extreme lengths to try and achieve this goal. He admits that he feels the power might have gone to his head, and that he really didn’t fully understand what being human was really like. The great irony is, now that he’s stuck in such a place as he is, he’s gotten to understand humanity on a different level, and even though he still wants to take over the world, it seems to have created a conflict in him. He’s no longer interested in hurting people, and he actually does his best to protect and help people whenever he can. As a result, he becomes a more enigmatic character: we can usually guess what he’ll do, the real question is why he’ll do it. And, of course, he’s freaking hilarious. I think the best way to describe Satan in this series is that his priorities are a complete mess: he’s somehow both a total drama queen and one of the most laid-back characters of the whole bunch at the same time. He’s given to grandiose speeches and has a flair for the dramatic, but it usually comes out in a hilarious way: giving a big monologue while wearing nothing but his underwear, naming his bicycle Dullahan and referring to it as his “royal steed,” and talking about promotions and sales at the restaurant like he’s fighting a great and glorious war. Then, in direct contrast, he’ll just be completely dismissive when Emilia tries to kill him, or when a corrupt priest is trying to make a monologue of their own, or when he’s doing something incredible like holding up an entire building with his magic. It’s that weird sense of taking everything and nothing completely seriously at all that I think makes him so amusing, and it really describes the entire series in a nutshell: nothing is sacred, except when it suddenly is. In the original Japanese version of the show, Satan is voiced by Ryota Osaka. Most people would know him best for the role of Marco in “Attack on Titan.” I, personally, know him best beyond this series for playing Ex in “Grimms Notes.” Osaka does a good job, of course, but in my opinion, this is a series where the English Dub is MUCH better than the original. It’s just so much FUNNIER, in my opinion, as the voice actors are given a lot of liberty that leads to some really hysterical line reads, ad-libs, and performances overall. At the same time, the moments of drama feel even more impactful in the English version; these actors really give it their all and every scene and line hits hard. In the Dub, Satan is voiced by Josh Grelle; he’s also an alumni of Attack on Titan, having played the role of Armin there. He’s also the voice of Tokoyami from My Hero Academia. Whichever version you choose to watch, the series is a riot, and if this campy craziness sounds up your alley, you should definitely give it a try. Tomorrow, the countdown continues with Number 7! HINT: “SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND!”

[sapphicscholar]

Pride Month Prompts Day 3: First Date (Majorly Judging You - Lucy/Alura)

From this Pride Month Prompts post! I’m taking the opportunity to write some short fics for a variety of pairings that I haven’t written for as much, maybe at all. They won’t be going on AO3, so I’ll be sure to tag them all with #pride month prompts so you can find them later if you want. 

Day 3: First Date

Pairing: Majorly Judging You (Lucy x Alura) - told ya this month would be about taking a stab at writing for ships I’d never written before

A/N: Remember how I said I was gonna try to cap things at 1,000 words? Oops.

Age 15: Technically speaking, it was not a date. It was four teenagers all hanging out and getting pizza. At least, that was what Lucy told her father when asking if she could go out that coming Saturday. In reality, it was a double date, and Lucy’s first date at that. Derek had asked her out after the basketball team won the championships. It didn’t matter that he was only a sophomore and therefore only got to play about 5 minutes of the game; he was still a big deal, and he had really nice dimples, and Lucy happily agreed. The date itself was fine, if a little awkward. Derek talked more to Chad than he did to Lucy, so Lucy talked more to Julie than she did to Derek, but when they got the check, Derek paid for Lucy and Chad paid for Julie, and when they walked around town, they paired up and held hands and tried not to think about if their palms were sweaty. At the end of it, Derek kissed her, tasting like pepperoni and the whole handful of mints he’d shoved into his mouth when he thought Lucy wasn’t looking. It was nice. Better than her first kiss at one of those multi-school mixers she’d gone to last year. Later that night, he texted her to say he’d had fun and ask if she might want to do it again. The yes came easily, and even though the relationship only lasted until the end of the school year, she didn’t regret it. It was simply time for it to be over, for them to both move on.

Age 17: Not seriously dating anyone for a whole year hadn’t been intentional, but it was hard switching schools mid-way through high school, and she didn’t want to get a reputation by saying yes to the very first boy who asked her out, especially when she didn’t even know his last name, let alone anything else about him. After a full year at her new school, though, Lucy decided some fun fling was rather overdue, so when Arun started swinging by her locker a bit more often than was strictly necessary, Lucy paid attention. He had dark hair and deep brown eyes, and he was sweet in a way that made her stomach swoop pleasantly. Her friends nodded their approval when he asked to sit with her at lunch one day, and within a week, he’d asked her to the movies. Deciding Arun could do without the parental disapproval on date 1, she lied and told her father that she was going to the movies with all of her friends from the track team. Theoretically, they were also going to the movies that Friday. Just not with her. Or the same movie. Not that she and Arun saw much of the movie. After watching half an hour of an action flick that didn’t seem all that different from every other action flick out there, they both decided it would be a shame if they didn’t take advantage of their back row seating to make out, and they only stopped after a staff member flicked a flashlight over at them and asked them to “knock it off. Please.” Lucy forced herself to look apologetic until he left, at which point she had to muffle her laughter with her whole hand. Who would have thought Lieutenant Colonel Lane’s daughter with her Dean’s List honors would be the one getting busted for inappropriate behavior in a movie theater? From that point on, Lucy decided Arun was good for her. He made her feel light, insisted she have fun. He did things like let her throw popcorn at him while he lunged out of his chair to catch it in his mouth in midair. He made a scavenger hunt with little candy rewards at each stop for her 18th birthday. He bought her a West Point sweatshirt when she got her acceptance letter, even though she already had a ton from growing up in an Army household, telling her that she deserved a new one to celebrate her accomplishments. They tried to make long-distance work after graduation, but it became clear that the 12 hours of distance between them and the rigors of life at West Point weren’t exactly conducive to a relationship. So they called things off during a teary coffee date over winter break.

Age 21: Lucy had long admired the graceful way so many women carried themselves. The slope of an elegant neck. The soft, smooth skin so well maintained. She thought they were beautiful, but in that untouchable, graceful kind of way. It wasn’t until her junior year she realized that kind of admiration might mean something more, something deeper, something about her. Not incidentally, junior year was when she got close with Ximena. They’d clashed during Lucy’s first two years, always somehow at each other’s throats, competing for some privilege or award or honor. But then they went and got to know each other beyond a semi-anonymous rivalry. And it turned out Ximena was more than just smart and athletic and talented; she was sarcastic and funny and able to make Lucy smile, even when everything seemed to be going to shit. And she was pretty. God, was she pretty. After several months of going from rivals to friends to best friends, Ximena went and mentioned an ex-girlfriend from high school. Lucy was silent just a beat too long, and Ximena bolted. It took Lucy three full days to figure out what she wanted to say, and she had a whole speech prepared--hell, she’d taken notes in a shorthand that she was positive no one else would be able to decipher--but when she found Ximena looking guarded and wary and sad underneath all of it, none of the words felt right anymore. Instead, Lucy pressed her lips hard against Ximena’s and felt a part of herself she’d never known to look for before suddenly light up, nerve endings and atoms and neurons all crackling to life and sending her hands into Ximena’s hair while she lost herself in the feeling of Ximena’s mouth, hot and desperate and just a touch too hard. Their dates were all secret, disguised as study time or long runs or even sparring sessions that left them both turned on enough to be nearly reckless. During the summer before senior year, Lucy tried hinting about her newly discovered bisexuality to her father, only to have him dismiss it at every turn. And she didn’t want to disappoint him--not when she’d finally made him proud with all that she’d accomplished at his alma mater--so she carefully, quietly withdrew. Only Lois knew, but she had her own life, her own boyfriend, her own place in the world that was increasingly far away from Lucy and their father, and no matter how many times she insisted that Lucy was welcome at any point, she couldn’t help but feel it as a distancing.

Age 30: After things with Ximena finally fell apart after a year of long distance, with both of them out on active-duty and their letters censored to a point of emotional stiltedness, Lucy took a long hiatus from the dating world. Celibate, she was not, but she wore her singledom like a badge of honor, dedicating herself full-time to her tour of duty, to her graduate studies at Harvard, and then to her work as a trial counselor. Over the years, she watched as the honors and accolades piled up, and each time a new one came, she preened under her father’s attention, trying not to focus on why that sense of fulfillment never went deep enough for her to feel it--to feel it in the way she’d felt the warm weight of Arun’s belief in her before she left for West Point or the deep-rooted sense of security in how proud she knew Ximena was, even when Lucy’s victories meant a second-place finish for herself. But then she was back stateside in Metropolis, and James Olsen was hanging around that boyfriend of Lois’s she just knew would end up a fiancé any day now. Lois had laughed and rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath about “calling it” when Lucy had asked her who the tall guy was. Still, whether her sister had called it or not, James was handsome, and his deep laugh seemed to echo all around them, filling the whole room with a sense of levity, and when he wrapped his strong arms around her, she felt safe. It was enough for her to ignore a lot of signs that things weren’t working, but eventually it all became too much. First it was him choosing to chase Superman all over the city instead of spending time with her. Then it was her choosing to devote all of her time and energy to her job instead of to building a relationship and a life with him. By the time they were rekindling things in National City, he had found himself a new girl--and, because the world loved irony, as it turned out, he’d also managed to find himself a new Super who he could admit to crushing on without worrying about what it meant--and Lucy found herself caring less and less about putting in the effort to fix a relationship that seemed broken beyond repair.

Age 35: Ever since law school, Lucy had sworn she would never date another person in the legal profession. No lawyers. No clerks. No law professors. Nothing. But then a judge from Krypton with wavy brown hair and sharp cheekbones and a way of talking that was deliberate and precise and made Lucy want to sit and debate her for hours before maybe leaning over and kissing her for another few hours showed up. Of course, nothing was easy, so she turned out to be Kara’s mother, the one they’d all assumed was long since dead. For months, Lucy resolved to be there for Alura as a friend and nothing more. Everything was messy enough as she attempted to adjust to life on Earth and rebuild a relationship with the daughter she’d sent away to save, only to doom her to decades spent grieving the planet and the people she’d believed were lost forever. Of course, being there for Alura as a friend also meant seeing so much more of Alura. It meant long days spent talking about other planets and ways of life together. It meant sweaty afternoons spent in a training room helping Alura, who had decided, despite having no military training, that she would fight alongside her daughter to regain her trust, to show her that she firmly intended to establish a life right alongside hers. It meant nights spent helping Alura acquire furniture and decorations and all the little necessities for her apartment that had, somehow, begun to feel a whole lot like their apartment. It took a joke muttered in the DEO’s control room with Alura nearby enough to overhear it for her to ask Lucy point blank if they were dating. It took another week for Lucy to sort through her own feelings before coming back to Alura with an answer: No, we’re not dating. Yet. She tried not to look too pleased when Alura’s expression fell, but it was a matter of seconds to rectify it by explaining that she’d like to start, or at least to try. The homemade dinner at Alura’s apartment didn’t feel that different from the many nights they’d spent there together over the months leading up to their first official date. They still shared stories from their pasts, their hopes for the future. But this time that future included a possible “us.” It included the near future and plans for dates and outings they’d go on, not only as two friends, but as a couple. At the end of the night, it felt perfectly natural to lean in for a kiss--the same kiss Lucy had been telling herself she was just fine without every other time they shared a meal together. Instead of the electrifying frisson of excitement, the earth-shattering discovery of some new part of herself that she’d felt with Ximena, the kiss she shared with Alura felt like all those pieces that had been unsettled and upset as she discovered herself were finally falling back into place, righting themselves in a new order that felt good, that felt whole, that felt like home.  

[ceerecord]

𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚊𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚎

17/07/2019

Please, if you ever need help, reach out. There will always be someone there - even if it doesn’t feel like it. I’m sorry you had to feel like you were all alone in this messed up world and we have truly lost an utter sweetheart. Maybe you weren’t a saint, we all know you weren’t, but you were one of the kindest and most caring people I’ve ever met. When we met and the weeks it was so awkward for I’ll never forget you trying to make me smile all the time and constantly muttering things under your breath about Freudian theory. To think, I sit in A-level psychology classes now and it’s like those two years never happened. You and your attempts to tattoo yourself (the smiley face is still my favourite and you know it, the stitches were an awful, awful choice!) and me helping you when you tried to scrub it off because you knew your mum would flip. I remember her finding out and just laughing. I miss that smile, I miss that laugh. I hope you’re in a better place.

Rest easy love, you’ve been to hell and back and I just hope you’re happy now.

Sorry for this. I just wanted to let this out, someone I know went missing the other day - he left his phone and a note saying he loved his mum and goodbye and that he was sorry. We’ve just been told he passed away a couple of hours ago, if you ever need help, please reach out. talk to someone, anyone, I’ll always be here - yes we don’t know each other but I’m more than happy to help. I’m going to be a bit inactive over the next few days and things while I take some time to just process this. Please please get help, no matter how late you may think it is ♥︎

19/07/2019

Last night we said good bye to you. Good bye to all the things we’ll never get to see again. I’ll never get to see that smile, hear that life, have you make stupid jokes - usually at the expense of our psychology teacher - to try cheer me up, never have you tell me that I deserved better when that boy broke my heart, that I’ll achieve my dreams, I won’t run my hands through your hair again nor plait it when you grew it long, never tell you to stop being stupid when you pierced your own ear (again) and it almost got infected, your god awful attempts at tattooing yourself - expect the smiley face, I loved that one, I’ll never get to look into those dreamy eyes of yours again, I’ll never get to try and talk you out of smoking, tell you off for being high or trying to convince you to study, never will I cram with you the day before the exams so you could try and pass, I’ll never get to see you again. I hope that wherever you are now that the demons have been put to rest, the voices have stopped tormenting you, that you finally feel at peace. Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, I hope you know we love you and we will miss you. You didn’t realise the impact you had on people and I will never forget the moment it was announced to our year, the eerie silence in the hall was horrendous. You would’ve hated it. The pure emotion in our teachers voices as they tried to speak to us, the faces devoid of all emotion around the room. It’s so messed up. The world is a cruel, cruel place and I really hope you’re happier now. I’m not mad at you about what you did, I’m not mad that you gave up on the world, I’m mad that the world gave up on you. I’m mad we couldn’t do enough to make sure you were safe. This is the world we live in and I promise you I’m going to do what I can to make a change.

Last night was all for you, you would’ve loved it.

You always did love fire in any shape or form. Watching people release lanterns, saying good bye and fly high, I’ve never cried so hard in my life, nor have I ever laughed so much. The irony of how many people are gathered to send you off but we couldn’t do enough for you before. We will all miss you and this has definitely changed me and I will never forget you.

Good bye, love. Rest well and may you finally be happy ♡

Remember, even shadows need light to exist.

I have over 80 posts queued, my blog will continue to run off of them. I on the other hand will still be around but for now I will be on what I’m classing as a semi-hiatus. I have some personal projects I will continue to work on such as FTY. It was my last day of school today, I’ve officially broken up for the summer and while I should be happy I can only think about the beautiful human being we lost. I originally posted this on another blog as well as on my personal twitter but decided to share it here as well in order to raise awareness. Mental health is something that has always been close to my heart and I’ve watched far too many people struggle with depression, including myself, and so I want to be able to do more to help. I need the time to process what has happened, it was a massive hit to our entire community and particularly my school year and I know it’s yet to truly hit me.

Please, if you ever need any help and feel like you can’t talk to anyone - I truly am here. I want to help you, I want to be the person you need to get you through this, I can be your anonymous figure, your detachment or depersonalisation from your real life or your new best friend, whatever you need I want to help in whatever capacity I can.

~ Lani

Fly high love, we know you’re watching over us.

[gizedcom]

Rob Cross targets return to world’s top two ahead of World Matchplay defence | Darts News

Cross begins his World Matchplay campaign against the in-form Gabriel Clemens

Rob Cross is yet to complete his fourth year as a full-time professional on the PDC circuit but his sensational World Matchplay success 12 months ago already places him among an exclusive group.

The 29-year-old defeated his World Cup partner Michael Smith in last year’s showpiece, to become just the fourth player in PDC history to have lifted both the World Championship and World Matchplay titles.

He followed in the footsteps of Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson – three of the greatest of all time.

Nevertheless, Cross’ Winter Gardens triumph was more significant than simply creating history – it was vindication following the scrutiny he had been subjected to since his World Championship exploits.

Cross’ World Championship victory on New Year’s Day in 2018 was one of the most astonishing darting stories since the PDC’s inception. The players he defeated – plus the emphatic nature of his win over Phil Taylor in that final will be an abiding memory.

Suddenly, ‘Voltage’ was thrust into the spotlight- he was the sport’s figurehead and by his own admission, he struggled with the expectation and pressure that followed.

Nothing will compare with becoming a world champion. It’s the pinnacle of your sport and it changed Cross’ life. However, he admits that he was able to enjoy his Matchplay title more.

“If I was to compare it to the Worlds, when I won the Worlds, I didn’t consider myself a full-time pro. It changed my life and then I found it a bit difficult after that,” Cross told Sky Sports.

Cross admits it was tough to process his whirlwind World Championship success

“The difference with winning the Matchplay is that I managed to enjoy it a little bit more and actually look back at it and think to myself: ‘Do you know what I did well there to win that’. You almost reminisce.”

There was a certain irony to Cross’ Blackpool victory. He reached the Premier League final, the UK Open final and multiple European Tour finals in the early stages of 2019, producing some world-class performances along the way.

By his own admission he was nowhere near his vintage best at the Matchplay, but a combination of tenacity, impeccable timing and some good fortune saw him secure his second major title – his first ranking title of any note for over 12 months.

Just three months later, Cross claimed the third televised title of his career at the European Championship, and he credits his Matchplay success for helping him to rediscover the winning formula.

“I think realistically winning that title was the boost that I needed. Obviously I went on to win the European Championship before I had a bit of a downfall at the end of the year with the Worlds, but it wasn’t an unsuccessful year.

World Matchplay: Sunday’s Order of Play:

Mensur SuljovicvsJamie HughesGlen DurrantvsJeffrey de ZwaanRob CrossvsGabriel ClemensPeter WrightvsJose De SousaMichael SmithvsJonny Clayton

“It just shows you that you go so long without a title and then all of a sudden you’ve walked in and won that and it reminds you that you can win again.”

Cross’ route to glory was anything but serene however. He came through an epic quarter-final clash against Stephen Bunting, before an astonishing semi-final tie against Daryl Gurney ensued.

The World Matchplay is a tournament synonymous with famous comebacks and Cross created his own chapter against ‘Super Chin’, recovering from 14-7 down to defeat the Northern Irishman – winning 10 of the last 11 legs.

“I think it’s definitely the best comeback of my career and maybe the best that the Matchplay has ever seen,” admitted the world No 4.

“I can remember just saying to myself ‘take it leg by leg’ and I won a few legs and just watched Daryl’s head drop a little bit. I thought ‘right you need to jump on this now’ and luckily it was my day to win.”

The three-time major winner defeated Michael Smith to claim last year’s crown

Cross begins his World Matchplay defence against the dangerous Gabriel Clemens on Sunday evening, but buoyed by an impressive Summer Series campaign, he’s confident of kicking off with a win against ‘The German Giant’.

“I’ve had a slow start this year. It hasn’t been the best of years personally or on the dart board with the way I was playing before the lockdown.

“I think the rest has helped me and I’m back practising properly. Things are going well for me on the dart board now. I will definitely go to the Matchplay with 100 per cent confidence that I will win it again.”

Whilst defending his World Matchplay crown remains an impending priority, it promises to be a hectic second half of the season, with the Premier League set to resume behind closed doors in Milton Keynes from August 25-30.

Cross has reached the play-offs in both his Premier League appearances and he was a runner-up in last year’s roadshow – Van Gerwen accounting for him in his previous trips to the O2 Arena.

World Matchplay – Monday’s First Round matches

(10) Dave Chisnall v Vincent van der Voort(11) Ian White v Joe Cullen(7) Daryl Gurney v Ricky Evans(3) Gerwyn Price v Danny Noppert(14) Adrian Lewis v Steve Beatonfrom 6pm on Sky Sports Action

Nevertheless, he is embroiled in a battle to avoid elimination after registering the solitary win from his opening six matches and he occupies eighth spot – with a three-point lead over Gurney.

There was much conjecture surrounding Cross’ early-season form. His indifferent averages were indicative of his struggles but he’s used the hiatus to make some technical adjustments and produced some impressive displays upon the sport’s return last week.

The former electrician sparked into life on day four of the Summer Series- firing in a spectacular nine-darter before succumbing to a clinical James Wade in Saturday’s final, and he’s confident of reversing his Premier League fortunes.

“I had a lot of draws and I don’t think I was playing like I am now. I think the break came at a good time and has given me the chance to make amends,” he continued.

“If you can string three wins together then I’ll be up in the top four probably, so I’m not miles away and darts is on the spin of a coin sometimes. If I am playing well and I take my chances, I can turn that around no problem.”

“I’m probably going to look for top two by the end of the year if I’m honest. I’ve been second in the world before. I’ve just got to work hard now and be disciplined.”

Cross sets top two target

However, whilst Cross is focused on a top four spot in the Premier League, he’s aiming even higher in regards to his Order of Merit position.

He was ranked as high as second 12 months ago, but his premature World Championship exit in December saw him relinquish almost £400,000 in prize money via the rolling two-year Order of Merit.

This saw him slip to fourth in the world rankings, but he’s got designs of regaining his status as world No 2 and is still intent on challenging the seemingly irrepressible Van Gerwen at the summit over the coming years.

“I’m probably going to look for top two by the end of the year if I’m honest. I’ve been second in the world before. I’ve just got to work hard now and be disciplined and get myself on the dart board, and that’s how I’ll do it.

Follow Sky Sports Darts on Twitter!

Stay up-to-date with the latest news from around the darting world.

“I will definitely set myself targets to get up to second in the world by the end of the year. I’ve got to work really hard to get it and if you’re in a position to get number two, then you can challenge for the number one spot by the end of next year.

It’s an ambitious target, but Cross is not a man to be underestimated. Even in the fledgling stages of his darting career he’s made a habit of defying the odds, but it’s first stop Milton Keynes, as he bids to retain the coveted The Phil Taylor Trophy.

Rob Cross begins the defence of his World Matchplay crown on Sunday night, and you can watch every dart live on Sky Sports from now until the final on Sunday, July 26.

Credit: Source link

The post Rob Cross targets return to world’s top two ahead of World Matchplay defence | Darts News appeared first on GIZED - Breaking News Worldwide.

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[i-am-perryshmirtzed]

What We Know About Murphy’s Law

I’m not going to even bother with an opening or ending, i’m going to fix this up later. I just need it all out of my drafts before the special.

Let’s get right to this!

Murphy’s Law is conscious

Let’s imagine Murphy’s Law as a sort of deity, shall we? It’s easiest to imagine when it it personified.

Murphy’s Law is a proud force. When its existence is disputed by Zack’s father in “Time Out” it turns its attention away from its primary targets, Milo and Martin. As Mr. Underwood disputes the Law’s existence time and time again, it just drags him through hell until he admits it. First his hat is tossed in the water by Milo, and torn to shreds by birds, and it is dismissed as “inexperienced casting”. Murphy’s Law then decides to kick it up a notch with the swordfish. Finally, it does  the whole pelican-eating-the-fish-bumping-into-the-side-of-the-boat-and-getting-a-box-of-bait-to-the-head-and-falling-into-the-water trick. That’s what convinces Mr. Underwood that Murphy’s Law is real.

And what should happen in the very next scene? Martin tries to start the motor and it breaks off of the boat. After getting its revenge on Mr. Underwood, Murphy’s Law is happy to go back to terrorizing Milo and Martin. After Mr. Underwood’s muttered acceptance of the Law being real, it immediately goes back to its original job. Murphy’s Law’s got a bit of attitude, doesn’t it? Reminds me of of a scene in Phineas and Ferb, actually. In the episode “Just Our Luck”, you’ll remember that Candace is hit by one of Heinz’s -inators and becomes lucky, while her brothers become unlucky. She taunts the boys as they get down from their project of the day, saying “Just take your time, it's not like the earth is gonna open up and swallow it!” moments later, the ray is destroyed and reversed, and Candace’s bad luck and the boys’ good luck returns. Perhaps the Mysterious Force was kept at bay by the stinklekrampen-inator, maybe it was the reason the -inator broke, but as soon as Candace was unlucky again, the earth split open and swallowed their structure. The Mysterious Force has a similar personality to Murphy’s Law. “You dare taunt me? Here you fucking go.” Both forces have an attitude and sense of irony. They have some sort of conscious and awareness of the situation at hand.

However, this can be entirely disproven by “Rooting for the Enemy”. If Murphy’s Law knew what was going on, why did it comply, and allow Milo’s plan to physically root for the Tigers when he wanted the Geckos to win? Did it just let this one thing slide? Or is it not as conscious as we think it may be?

Murphy’s Law hates whomever it inflicts having friends. There is a great meta about this by @allieinarden, analyzing Milo and Zack’s first meeting and what Murphy’s Law had to say about it. The same principle applies here. Just as Murphy’s Law gave Zack hell the first day he and Milo met, just like that girl got her arm broken by sitting next to Milo, just like Mort fell into a dumpster after attempting friendly conversation, just like Dakota’s pistachio cart was destroyed after he simply introduced himself, Murphy’s Law does its best in this episode to convince Mr. Underwood that it is real and to drive him away from Martin, just as Zack was made to be driven away from Milo. Perhaps it didn’t even notice that it was insulted.

Murphy’s Law can make mistakes

This is a very simple point. Murphy’s Law may have the unlimited power to wreak havoc in the Murphy Family’s life, but the fact remains that nobody, not even a semi-conscious force capable of laying waste to Swamp City, is perfect. Murphy’s Law makes mistakes.

The first that comes to mind is the pistachio stand in “The Doctor Zone Files”. The only noticeable Murphy’s Law incident that occurred on this day was the pistachio stand blowing up, just preventing the group from getting snacks. This goes back to Murphy’s Law being conscious- it’s battle strategy for that day was to do nothing, simply to fray on Sarah’s nerves. It must have decided to just trouble Milo a little by not letting him get the nuts to scare Sarah even more. It did not, however, notice/care/prevent the pistachio cart falling from the sky. Surprisingly enough, Murphy’s Law was fine with that.

That takes me to “The Note”. For one, when Melissa was stuck on the conveyor belt, Milo’s first attempt to save his friend went awry when the rope he was using to swing to her snapped. While trying to reach her, he accidentally knocks over a metal pole when he falls from a rising wooden board, and it jamms the shredder, allowing Melissa to escape. Murphy’s Law is weird in this scene, keeping Milo from rescuing Melissa, and at the same time helping her to escape.

The last thing I want to talk about here is “Athledecamathalon”, and Murphy’s Law in predicting the future.

In the end of the episode, Milo is the only contender for his team left in play. He gets to the final question- President Garfield’s blood type. We see the flashback- several times, he has been close to learning the answer, but he never got to actually hear it. Not being able to hear a teacher during a lecture, a power outage, and a nearby jump roping game going awry isn’t unusual for Milo. But the fact that he was interrupted just as he was about to learn the information is rather unnerving. Can Murphy’s Law predict the future? Did it want to make sure that he didn’t get the answer right by preventing the knowledge from reaching him for at least weeks, if not months ahead of time? Of course, Murphy’s Law made a mistake by allowing Melissa to mention the information. Murphy’s Law can make mistakes, yes, the the fact that it may be able to predict the future is much more unnerving.

Murphy’s Law will never kill Milo.

This time ‘round, let’s imagine it as a sort of parasite, shall we? A genetic, sentient parasite that exists to give bad luck to whomever is unlucky enough to have it passed on to them

This parasite wants to keep infecting. It wants to keep getting more victims to torture. But it won’t ever kill Milo.

It reminds me of how the River Phelgethon was potrayed in “House of Hades” from the Heros of Olympus series. It is stated that the River is not meant to heal. It keeps the dead intact so that they may endure more torture. It keeps you alive so that you may suffer more.

If Milo were to die, what would it be to him? He would be dead. It’s those around him who would suffer. “Your death is something that happens to everybody else. Your life is not your own….” (BBC Sherlock, The Lying Detective.)

Milo has to live, not only so he can continue being harassed by Murphy’s Law, but so he can have children who are also cursed. The parasite lives on.

The worst thing to happen to the Murphy men would be having to live though their loved ones’ deaths. So-Sara, Bridgette, Melissa, Amanda, Zack...I theorise that everyone Milo or Martin love will die before them, perhaps as a result of Murphy’s Law. I’ll remind you, that Zack would have been crushed by the concrete pipe had Milo not told him to move closer, that he was the one who had peanut butter stuck to his back when being chased by wolves, that the wolf and bees later nearly jumped on him, all in “Going the Extra Milo”. Not to mention that Murphy’s Law thoroughly enjoyed freaking Sarah out during “The Doctor Zone Files”, or that Melissa was trapped on the conveyor belt heading towards the paper shredder in “The Note”. Murphy’s Law doesn’t want to kill Milo- it just wants to torture him.

On that happy note, I’m going to wrap this baby up. I typed this all up in the past hour, and it’s getting pretty late. I’m going to do minimal editing now; I can always fix it up, fine tune, later. I needed to get this meta out of my system, and I want to put it out before anything can contradict it in the special. I’m on a short hiatus, until I find a place to watch Missing Milo, so...bye!