#and let us not forget!! he showed up to challenge pac for the first time for it after pac beat kip!!

[the-kipsabian]

..not me looking at clips and immediately start seeing patterns of how oc immediately turned when he got that international title shot tho

[beeeskneeess]

pac: what do you need to hear right now 🐚

if you are new to pick a pile readings, just take a deep breath and ground yourself and energy, then pick which pile you feel drawn to.

Take what resonates and leave what doesn’t because this is a collective reading

I use intuition and my tarot deck

DISCLAIMER: this is for entertainment purposes only. Take everything with a grain of salt.

Pile 1

Cards: page of pentacles, the high priestess rx, the 2 of swords rx, 6 of pentacles in rx, 6 of swords in rx, 9 of wands rx, page of wands

Back of the deck: Ace of wands

Random: 1010, plague mask, captains hat, the brothers sun // charles sun, (the netflix show with michelle yeoh[so good]), a guy sleeping, 

Songs:

invisible war - sitti

arthur’s theme (best that you can do) - christopher cross

Hallu pile oneee!!

I have no idea if i’ve just been watching too much netflix, but what first came into my mind was bruce sun from brothers sun. It’s a TV show on netflix. He’s always a reminder to stay soft and use your words. A strong message of don’t let the world harden you just because you are hurt. Don’t hurt others just because they hurt you. Stay soft, but stand your ground. Don’t lose yourself because of other things that are outside your control and influence. Clear things that don’t make you, you. The main message really is don’t lose yourself despite the circumstances you are in. Despite all the hurt, the expectations of others, the opinions of others or whatever you’ve been through, don’t lose yourself. Don’t forget who you are and what you’re capable of. 

Overall, nurture yourself and your inner fire. Let it burn. Nurture the fire within you. The fire that makes you, you. Not the fire that others have lit for you. What makes you passionate about the things you like doing? What do you like doping? What makes you happy? Start over again if you have to. It’s never too late for second chances.  Find that spark again and let it flourish. Don’t compare where you are to where others are. You are exactly where you are meant to be, even if it means starting all over again. You are never too young or too old to start doing that thing you want.

To do this, set strong foundations for yourself. Be committed and continuously put small efforts that lead towards your success. A small step is bigger than no step at all. And even if you can’t see what’s ahead of you, follow your heart, follow your intuition. Listen to yourself and not your ego of what should be and what could be. Listen to what you want. Don’t doubt yourself.Let go of anything that is really holding you back, like what i’ve mentioned. You have to let go of the expectations of others, the hurt, the opinions of others. And though it is valid, everything you’ve been through is valid, you have to let go. You have to move forward and look to the future.  And despite the challenges you might encounter, stay committed. Do the best that you can do with what you have. Rest, but never give up. Don’t beat yourself up too much, don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Just have fun with it. It’s a very privileged saying however, life is too short to take it too seriously. I guess realistically just have a balance of fun and seriousness. Also, ask for help if you are having a hard time. You don’t have to go through things alone. Just continue to stand your ground. Don’t be swayed by others, let yourself flourish. Stand in your power. Guard your passions. And find small things to fall in love with this passion as you go along your way. And fall deeply in love with it. Romanticize it. Because in the end, you’ll find yourself. As an undying fan of percy jackson books and series, “hold fast. Brave the storm.”

Thanks for being here! I hope this helps you and I wish you all the best <3 💫

Remember to take what resonates and leave what doesn’t ! 😌

If you enjoyed this reading and found it helpful, why not tip a college student :’)) Thank you in advance 🌊: https://ko-fi.com/ceedeesbees

If you want to book a paid reading with me, just DM me following the instructions in this post. Thank Youuu :>>> 🏄‍♀️

Pile 2

Cards: the empress, queen of swords, 3 of swords, 8 of wands, 9 of pentacles rx

The back of the deck: the wheel

Random: Walking away with a peace sign, trust, saddle, 222, I keep yawning and I feel heavy, daydreaming, sledding,1515

Song: I couldn’t stick with one, nothing really stuck i think it’s because nothing feels right or worthwhile. Maybe what is needed is silence for a bit to come back to yourself. 

Helloo pile 2! Whats upp?

I think overall, have you been pushing yourselves too hard :’) Please if you have to rest and get some sleep. You’re probably wondering when you’ll stop being tired (?) but, you’ve never even caught a breath yet to reflect on everything that has happened to far. You haven’t really felt your emotions in a long time. I feel like you got to listen to what you’re feeling especially if it’s fatigue. It’s time to take it a little bit slower. You’ve been going to fast, and maybe feel like you have to go really fast. I feel like I’m just lying on my bed ready to sleep. I think you should too. Even my brain isn’t working too well right now. I feel really tired as well. 

Overall, you need to trust a little. There’s a lot of doubt and the feeling of needing to explain yourself, but no need. Just do things because you want to. Especially if you need to take a break. Just sleep for a while. I feel like you’ve done all you could, now its time to leave it up to fate or the universe or any higher power you believe in. Let it go. Trust the process. You don’t have to be in control of every little detail. If it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out because maybe there’s something better for you out there. Give some time for yourself, don’t be too hyper focused on one single thing. There are other things in your life that matter as well. And you matter as well. Take good care of yourself. Nurture yourself. If you’ve been through disappointments recently because you feel like you haven’t done enough,let me tell you, you have done enough. You have done more than you know. Now it's time to trust that despite all these disappointments, you’re being guided to where you are meant to be. 

Funny enough, I don't feel like I have to say a lot for this pile, but I keep thinking I have to write more for this pile. But, I really don’t feel like I have to write anything anymore. I feel like it’s all enough. I think this is what you may be thinking too, like you haven’t done enough. But i’m here to tell you, you did, and you don’t have to be overworking yourself too much just because of comparisons you make of yourself against others. The message is kind of similar to pile one if i’m being honest here, this time it’s don’t let your comparisons stop you from resting or from thinking you aren’t good enough. Because you’ve already given so much. Too much even. Maybe it’s for faster results or what not, but you’re getting burnt out and you need to rest. Take a break. It’s hard to enjoy anything when you’re tired or stressed. Take things slow and one at a time. Just chill and slow down for a sec. Nurture yourself again. Watch comfort shows or films. Listen to music that brings you back. It will get better. You’ll regain your strength once again, just give yourself some time. rest , but never give up. 

Thanks for being here! I hope this helps you and I wish you all the best <3 💫

Remember to take what resonates and leave what doesn’t ! 😌

If you enjoyed this reading and found it helpful, why not tip a college student :’)) Thank you in advance 🌊: https://ko-fi.com/ceedeesbees

If you want to book a paid reading with me, just DM me following the instructions in this post. Thank Youuu :>>> 🏄‍♀️

Pile 3

Cards: 3 of cups rx, 9 of wands, 10 of pentacles rx, queen of pentacles, 6 of pentacles, 4 of swords, temperance, page of pentacles, 9 of cups

Back of the deck: page of swords

Random: banana, a guy holding his head and about to tear out his hair in frustration, dolphins, anchor, exercise, a girl with a hat peeking out the side of a boat breathing in the fresh air, surfing

Song:

So Slow - Freestyle

Hello Pile Threeee!!

Let’s go!! this is my pile for real. You guys are so hyper, yet so chill. HAHA the duality. Anyways, to start reading with the energy, I'm sorry this is very unhinged and TMI HAHA, but my lower abdomen hurts so Idk if you guys are constipated (cos I know I am) or it’s something with your root chakra. The root chakra is blocked when you fear change or just in the constant fight or flight mode. So, I suggest you try clearing this. Though, I'm gonna be honest with you, I'm not very sure what the step by step process is like. But, in my not so expert opinion, I would try doing shadow work. Also grounding exercises for your root chakra. But I think it’s best if you guys also do some research on it. 

Overall, The main theme here is to explore. To get curious. Try new things, be open to new things.  Aaand,  I just wanted to say this cos you guys are my favorite kind of people, I hope you continue to be unapologetically yourself. If you have a question, don’t be shy to ask it. If you want to compliment someone, go ahead and do it, I'm pretty sure it’ll make their day. Anyways, what I'm saying is be a little more open to new things that come your way. Explore it in moments and really take it in, like let it all sink in for a bit. Relish it. Stop and smell the flowers for a while. I’m also really getting it to slow down. And ground yourself. I know you guys are hyper (and i love it ngl), but there still needs to be order. There might be so many things swirling in your mind that you’ve lost track and you already feel so confused on what to say and what to do because it’s all over the place. Take things one thing at a time. ground yourself, get to know your thoughts and feelings and be more open with these things that enter your mind. Take it slow. You don’t have to rush. No one is chasing you. You can just chill for a while. Take it a day at a time. Also, take some time out to feel your feelings and notice your thoughts. Explore them some more one step at a time. Take some time to get to know these. Even though my cards were a bit chatty, a lot of them flew out. I needed to tell it only a little cos I'll get confused if it was too much. 

In line with being open to new things, I’m guessing you also need to remove the things you don’t need in your life to let these new things into your life. You need to remove it even though you’re afraid. But if it isn’t making you happy anymore or if it’s an item and you aren’t using it, it’s best to let it go my friend. I hope you guys clear the things you don’t need, so the universe can bring you the things you need, and maybe so that you can explore more and get curious about the world, and step out a little bit. 

Thanks for being here! I hope this helps you and I wish you all the best <3 💫

Remember to take what resonates and leave what doesn’t ! 😌

If you enjoyed this reading and found it helpful, why not tip a college student :’)) Thank you in advance 🌊: https://ko-fi.com/ceedeesbees

If you want to book a paid reading with me, just DM me following the instructions in this post. Thank Youuu :>>> 🏄‍♀️

Pile 4

Cards: 5 of wands, 10 of wands, 5 of swords, the fool, 6 of wands, king of wands, 10 of pentacles in rx, page of swords rx, 8 of swords rx, ace of pentacles

Back of the deck: page of wands

Random: a girl in a maxi skirt standing alone in a deserted place. You probably keep telling yourself to focus. 

Hello pile fourr :>>

You guys feel like you’re stuck or stagnant at the moment. Like maybe you have nowhere to go, but you feel like there’s a lot you can do. Maybe before, you were very high achieving. Very ambitious. You did everything and anything you could to achieve something. But your eyes have grown tired. Nothing is giving you the same fulfillment and satisfaction anymore. You feel like you’ve lost all passion for things and are just working on a routine over and over again, and you’re bored. You tried the things that made you fulfilled before, but no bueno. It’s not the same anymore. And there’s no need to feel guilty that you feel like you aren’t doing as much as you would have liked as to. There’s no need to feel guilty if you aren’t chasing the same passions as you once did. 

There’s definitely a lot of things that the cards wanted to say if I'm being honest with you. But, It’s too much hehe i’m gonna get confused for real. But the main thing right now is to start fresh. Try new things. Start from scratch. Start from 0 again, and commit to it even if it becomes hard. Only change or switch it up when you can see it isn’t working out or is just bringing you down even more. Just keep trying new things. This pile is similar to pile 3, but more stuck, not knowing what to do. Cos for pile 3, they’re literally gogogogo, and scattered (in a good and bad way) So, keep trying new things and find the one that sticks because out of the many things you can do here, you can’t run out. Don’t stay still, keep moving. If you’re in a desert and can’t see where else to go, of course you have to keep on walking until you find the right place to stay. And you probably won’t get it on the first try,even if I know you really want to speed things up and hurry it up and keep moving forward, you got to try to stick with one first. You got to explore your passions and new things related to it, even if it may seem hard and what not. I know you’re doing what you can right now, and it’s very admirable, and I hope you just keep exploring, and don’t let failures or the need to rush get in the way or keep you stuck in place because you’re the only one doing that to yourself. You won’t be able to get yourself unstuck unless you take action, and pull yourself to try something, and keep on trying even if it doesn’t work, and rest once in a while when you’re tired. And you’re already focused enough btw. If you keep thinking to yourself, “focus”. You are, you just need to explore a bit outside of that “focus”.

I also wanted to say you are not worthless or anything if you feel like the things that give you passion once don’t stick as well. Maybe you just need a break. Try something else, explore new things that make you happy. You don’t have to revolve around one thing all the time. And If you’re worried that you’re losing that passion you loved so much, you're not, you just need some time for the fire to rekindle again. And sometimes that comes in the form of exploring new things.

Thanks for being here! I hope this helps you and I wish you all the best <3 💫

Remember to take what resonates and leave what doesn’t ! 😌

If you enjoyed this reading and found it helpful, why not tip a college student :’)) Thank you in advance 🌊: https://ko-fi.com/ceedeesbees

If you want to book a paid reading with me, just DM me following the instructions in this post. Thank Youuu :>>> 🏄‍♀️

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #376

“when the wind bends the branch to softly touch me  /  when the band plays your song  /  i feel strong enough to keep dreaming”

If your s/o smoked pot/did drugs would you care? Yes, but for pot that's only because it's illegal here. I also find smoking to be a turn-off, but I'd be able to look past that if it was for actual health reasons. Do people ever call you by your last name? No. Has the last person you dated/fell in love with ever seen you cry? Yes. Where are you going on your next vacation (or where do you WANT to go)? I've got none planned, nor do I know where I'd want to prioritize. Like there's South Africa, but I first need to get healthier before I could handle the heat and trudging through sand. I want to go to Yellowstone National Park to spread Teddy's ashes there (seeking permission of course), but again, I need to be in better shape before I go on a venture of photographing there, as well. I need to be healthier to do a lot of the things I want to... Do you own anything bought in another country? No. Who do you text the most? Sara. Four things you wish you had? Better health (including mental), financial stability, a job, and motivation to indulge more in my artistic hobbies. What was the last thing you cried about? Stress regarding this dog we're stuck with. What is your favorite Elvis song? Probably "You're The Devil In Disguise." Do you think you could be the next American Idol? Ha, absolutely not. Do you prefer reading fiction or non-fiction? Fiction, by a long shot. Does anybody send you money in the mail for your birthday? No. My grampa used to, but he's been dead a couple years. Who is one person you met and automatically didn’t like? I was not a fan of a doctor I once saw for my tremors. She was very rude and just threw the idea of me having Parkinson's or something at what, 17 years old or whatever? My psychiatrist knows her as well and knows she's a whackjob. Heard her name and was essentially like "ew" lmao. What monster would you be most afraid to have in your closet? A male one with a knife, I guess. I really hate knives. And men scare me anyway. Which Adam Sandler movie do you like the most? I don't know, he's in too many to possibly think of one right off the top of my head. Who was one of your first celebrity crushes? Jesse McCartney was my first true love, haha. Have you ever been hit on through text messages? Yes. Do you have to do any yard work? No. Have you ever mowed the lawn? No. Do you get an allowance? No. Did you ever know your great grandparents? I think I knew one? There was this woman from my childhood I knew as "GG" for "great grandma," but I have no recollection of who she was related to or even if she was directly related to me. I remember that I really really liked her, though. Do you like the taste of Tums? It's the texture I really don't like. The candy-like Tums though, y'know, not the chalky ones, I like more than someone should like medicine, haha. How about Pepto Bismol? Omfg no. Do you have a fast or slow metabolism? I have a slow metabolism, but thank Christ it's not as bad as when I was on Abilify. That stupid fucking medicine was the reason I gained so much weight that I haven't been able to lose. What’s your favorite onomatopoeia? (Crash, bang, zoom, meow) I dunno. Do you eat ramen? There's only one specific kind of ramen I've had that I like: Yakisoba's spicy chicken one. Sweet or regular pickles? Regular. I don't like sweet pickles. What kind of dreams do you have most often? Since my nightmares started, violent ones. I'm usually trying to defend myself or lashing out at someone myself. What do you do for personal growth? I try to be a deep thinker, for one. This can way too easily lead to overthinking, but I appreciate that I think it at least helps me learn from my mistakes and work towards making me a better person. I need to start challenging my anxiety more, as that would definitely be massive growth... If you could read anyone’s mind, who would be the first person you’d read? Jason's, only because all I want to know is if he thinks I was emotionally abusive after the breakup or not. But I also don't want to know. Do you have a makeup item or style trick that you feel improves your look significantly and that you feel like you couldn’t go without now that you have it? No. What’s your favourite cereal? Probably Cinnamon Toast Crunch, but I like a lot of cereals. Do you prefer red wine or white wine? I don't like wine. Way too bitter. Do you read Reddit? If so, how often and what subreddits do you like? I don't, but I've thought about lurking on a reptile husbandry one or something like that. Might learn some stuff. But at the same time, there are so many conflicting and very strong opinions amongst hobbyists to the point of awful toxicity that I'd rather not read. Have you recently broken up with a significant other or even just a friend? No. Have you ever eaten at a restaurant and left without paying? God no. When was the last time you played a board game? What did you play? Probably Scrabble back when Sara visited. Do you primarily use cash or card for your purchases? Why? Cash, because I don't have a debit or credit card. Do you believe sex should be mandatory in an ongoing dating relationship? Um, no? Some people don't care for it, and that's completely fine. Have you ever recorded yourself doing a cover of a song? No. Any secrets you’d never tell anyone? No matter how close they are to you? Yes. Do you like deviled eggs? NO. FUCK that yolk shit. What career are you most interested in? I still think my first career goal, a paleontologist, would be most interesting and exciting. Like just IMAGINE discovering a new dinosaur. And it's such a job of passion - you have to be so, SO careful and invest so much time in slowly recovering it from millions of years of rock and sand and time. I can only imagine the feeling of accomplishment when an excavation is complete. Have you ever seen a rooster? Yeah? What do you think about religion? Honestly, I personally wish it had never been a thing. It's brought with it so much hatred and bigotry, but I do acknowledge at the same time it's brought great comfort and hope to some people, and that's wonderful. But just all things considered, I feel it's done more harm than good. What’s your favorite sweetheart name (baby, honey, angel, dumpling) Probably "lovely." Has a little kid ever fallen asleep on your lap before? Yes, back when I babysat my neighbor's kid once. Have you ever thrown a grenade? Yikes, no. Have you ever talked face to face with someone famous before? No. Have you ever owned a rocking horse? I don't think so? If you could meet anyone in the world who would it be? HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM Have you ever wished you were dead? Yes. Is it awkward when people start talking all deep around you? No, I actually like deep convos. Have you ever played the old school Pac Man arcade game? Possibly? Ever played Mario Karts on Nintendo 64? No. Have you ever been scuba diving? No. Can you surf/boogie board? No. Do you like Chinese food, Mexican food, or American food better? American. What’s your favorite thing to order from Taco Bell? Cheese quesadilla and fiesta potatos. Sometimes I get the cinnabon delight thingies, but I avoid 'em with how unhealthy they are. Do you like hot, cold, or lukewarm showers? Pretty hot. Do you like to swing? I LOVED swinging as a kid. I haven't done it in a very long time now. How about jumping on a trampoline? I loved that as a kiddo, too. I haven't done that in years. What are you favorite color eyes? Sapphire blue or like an emerald green. Do you have long arm hair? Nah, at least I don't think so. What third generation console is your favorite? PS3, Xbox 360, or Wii? I loved my PS3. I'm still so bummed mine broke. How often do you like to have sex? I'm not sexually active, but even when I was, I didn't care. Do you have a facial expression you seem to pull a lot? What is it? Not really. I think I look stoic most of the time. Do you always listen to music when you’re online? No; I usually have a let's play or something like that on that I can split my screen and watch while doing something else. If so, what are you currently listening to? I'm listening to "Love Goes On And On" by Lindsey Stirling and Amy Lee right now. Do you ever forget how to do really simple things? Like what? Yes, like how to control the laundry machine and other things like that. There's just so many options that I never, ever remember what to set it to, no matter how many times Mom shows me. That's how my memory is with most things these days, really... Were you born with naturally straight teeth? No; I needed braces. If you were the opposite gender, what name would you like to be called? Uhhh maybe Severin. Do you prefer original or sour Skittles? I love both, but sour wins. What about chocolate or peanut M&M’s? I also enjoy both, but the original are better. Your favourite band: Do you prefer their old or new stuff? That's like... impossible to answer, lol. I just love everything. Do you check to make sure your ear phones are going in the right ear? No. Do you secretly still listen to Ace of Base? I have no idea who that is. Have you ever broken someone else’s bone? No, thank goodness. I'd feel awful. Is it stupid to think you can write a book at thirteen? No?????????? There are incredibly talented writers out there at young ages. Hell, I remember as a kid, I wanted to be the youngest published author way before that age. Are you ever embarrassed about what you dream about? There've been some I wouldn't share. Have you ever had sex with someone as a favor? No, and I never would. Does your mom let you date? I'm 25, my dude. She let me when I felt ready, though. If you had the last person you kissed’s Facebook password, would you go snooping through their stuff? Why or why not? She doesn't have one, but hypothetically, fuck no. Because that's none of my damn business, and it still wouldn't be even if we were still dating. Have you ever fainted? If so, when was the last time? If not have you ever come close? I've fainted once when I was a teen and have come close many other times. Ever take a keyboarding class? Do you type using the skills you learned in class, or how you used to before you took the class? Yeah; it was mandatory for I think one year in middle school. I type how I was taught in there. Do you find your best friend’s significant other/crush attractive? She doesn't have an s/o, and idk who her "real" crush is, as much as she'd love Frieza to be real, haha. What do you do with your clothes that don’t fit anymore or just don’t want? Donate them. Do you cut out coupons? My mom will keep some fast food ones she gets in the mail sometimes. Did you ever breathe in helium and talk funny afterwards? I think I did once at a birthday party, but I'm unsure. Would you ever open your own business? If so, what kind of business could you imagine yourself having? I want to be a freelance photographer so, so badly. I want to specialize in nature and wildlife, but having a boudoir studio would be great to help keep me afloat, plus I adore the art of boudoir. I've shot it once for an old friend, and by god, I loved how empowered it made her feel, especially as a plus-sized woman. She adored the pictures, and I'd just love to help other clients feel like they're gorgeous in their unique body, too. Last type of candy you ate? I had a donut from Starbuck's yesterday. Did you decorate your house for Halloween? If so, how many decorations? Did you go all out, or just put up a few things? Mom and I don't really decorate anymore. :/

[danwhobrowses]

AEW: Predicting the Next Champions (from Dec 2020 Onward)

Note: Spoilers for AEW Dynamite ‘Winter is Coming’ 2nd December Show

So Winter Came, and it came for Jon Moxley’s title reign. With a new champion, Kenny Omega’s reign will begin and most likely rule into and potentially beyond the year 2021 - along with what seems to be a budding relationship with IMPACT wrestling as well. At this current point I am expecting all the current champions: Darby, Cage, Young Bucks, and Shida to still be champions come the year’s end. So now is time to determine who will take the title from them? Note: While I am Legitimizing the FTW Championship for these predictions I am not doing predictions for the AEW Diamond Ring since it seems to be an annual trophy thing, the same applies for the Deadly Draw medals.

Potential AEW Trios Championship Prediction: Death Triangle Alternative Options: Jurassic Express, Best Friends & Orange Cassidy or Dark Order This is just an out-there one because there currently is no Trios Championship, but recently Tony Khan has noted that there is the possibility of a Trios Championship being introduced in 2021, and with several stables having 3 members it does look very likely.  So for my money, PAC and the Lucha Bros’ faction Death Triangle (or Triángulo de la Muerte) will be the first to claim the gold. Currently a tween faction having feuded with Eddie Kingston and family, Death Triangle is definitely one of the most popular trios stables in AEW, to the point that we’ve anticipated their reunion longer than they’ve been a stable. Also, the Lucha Bros are due a title win, they fell short on the AEW Tag tournament and kinda hovered in the midcard, so they do need this the most. Alternatively, I can see other trios winning with the same appeal. Jurassic Express have been a favourite babyface faction who also seem to lose more than they win, the Best Friends with OC could use their experience to establish a solid reign and the Dark Order’s resurgence and usage of the Freebird Rule could allow them to enable dominance by numbers. While Team FTW and the Inner Circle could also be long shots, FTW have their own title and the Inner Circle, may have other plans for them. One can wish that the Trios Championship could be Intergender to allow more women to wrestle and be involved in factions, could have All-Women trios or mixed Trios but I do doubt so I won’t entertain for now.

FTW Championship Prediction: Cody Rhodes Alternative Options: Eddie Kingston, Lance Archer, ‘Hangman’ Page, Wardlow or Mr. Brodie Lee Recently the FTW Championship has been gaining attention due to Team Tazz’s prolonged feud with Darby Allin overlapping with Cody Rhodes. The rankings do have Cage and Starks very high up without title matches - save for Cage’s Casino Ladder Match victory entitling him to one. In the prior Dynamite, Tazz demanded that the FTW Championship be legitimized, and I feel like this will only happen if it changes hands to Cody. As much as he is talented and has a good head on him, Cody has unfortunately been reluctant to leave a form of spotlight. With the Shaq thing going nowhere like the Tyson thing was with Jericho, Cody making a ‘rise up’ feud with Cage and winning the FTW Championship would be a means to keep Cody in a top billing as he looks to legitimize the title only under his possession. This could also further storyline with Tazz, having ‘Hook’ perhaps side with his father and FTW fight to reclaim their branded title, or even Tazz vacating the title from Cody in stubborn rage. The alternative would be down to who else would have Brian Cage in their corsairs to be a legitimate threat. The FTW Championship this way could be a ‘Big Man’ belt since not many can beat Cage and share the FTW mantra Tazz would allow the belt to change hands for. With that in mind, Archer, Wardlow and Brodie are definitely ‘Big Man’ wrestlers capable of dethroning Cage and Eddie Kingston would definitely be someone who fits the FTW attitude, the man is money after all. Hangman Page would also be a decent shout to further his slow-burn storytelling, having Hangman fall into nihilism with this title, but for it to bring him no joy since this first singles title of his is from an illegitimate championship.

AEW World Tag Team Championship Prediction: Santana & Ortiz (Inner Circle) Alternative Options: FTR, Best Friends or Dark Order It is no easy feat to dethrone the Young Bucks. There’s not much else you can say about that, because of this it is not easy to determine who in the uber talented tag division can usurp them. Acclaimed, TNT, Private Party and Top Flight are not ready and Hybrid 2 are so talented but not in the champion mentality, the Trios Title talk also makes JE and Death Triangle less likely to just go for the tandem title. As a result, I am picking the former LAX to beat the Bucks. While Jericho and Hager seem to be representing the Inner Circle’s tag front right now, I do not think they would be successful to defeat the Bucks, this could trigger Santana and Ortiz to finally get involved. Like the Lucha Bros, despite some stellar matches they have found themselves aimless, so this is a good time to rebuild them to the great tag team we know them to be. With the advantage of the Inner Circle backing them also, it would restore legitimacy to the faction’s name. Other than the Inner Circle, FTR are probably the most likely to usurp the Bucks, I only don’t think they will because as the former holder it’d be a bit of a flip flop. The feud doesn’t need a title after all. Best Friends may not have to team with OC to capture gold, the same way that Dark Order don’t need to go for the Trios to capture gold, the Dark Order’s overness and the fact that the Bucks have taken responsibility for their booking could mean that they will seek to pay off the faction as a whole.

AEW TNT Championship Prediction: MJF Alternative Options: Sammy Guevara, Jungle Boy, Ricky Starks, Orange Cassidy or Miro Darby Allin is definitely entertaining as hell, but now he has the test of seeing if he can carry momentum on a weekly TV basis as a champion. I am certainly sure he can do it, but his downfall can easily be putting his body in too much harm’s way, which fits the strategy of MJF. Potentially without the AEW Diamond Ring when his challenge comes around, MJF can certainly profit from being a title holder in year 2 of AEW, his prior snipes at Darby especially before his World Title match against Moxley can fuel his confidence going against him and with the Inner Circle and Wardlow flanking him it can lead to him resorting to cheat tactics for heat and potentially lead to his downfall for when he loses the title, as well as neutralizing the legendary Sting - who I expect to stick around Darby, or at the least have a paternity test - for that extra dose of nuclear heat. Ricky Starks is considered the common alternative right now given their long-term feud, but let’s not forget Sammy Guevara had a great series of matches with Darby in the early days too. Miro right now is in one of AEW’s weaker gimmicks at the moment but a TNT title reign can restore dominance to his character. One possibility we do have to consider though is the heel turn, Darby could easily become consumed with defending his championship by any means, or his challenger obsessed with claiming gold, the former would better suit against opponents like Orange Cassidy - who will then be forced to ‘try’ - or Jungle Boy - who would seek to establish himself as a future world champion and not just an athletic midcarder.

AEW Women’s World Championship Prediction: Britt Baker DMD Alternative Options: Abadon, Kris Statlander, Thunder Rosa or Jade Cargill Despite its criticism, I believe that Hikaru Shida’s record-breaking title reign has been for the most part great. Shida herself has made a great fighting champion, calling on all contenders and having very good matches, to the point where we hold Shida matches at a higher standard to others. While I would love to have a strike match between her an a strongly-booked Tay Conti, I don’t think it’ll happen in time for Shida to still be champion, because the Doctor is in. Britt Baker was intended to be the Face of the Women’s Division, but after failing to connect with the crowd she became a revelation as a heel, only to be cut down by injury. In my opinion, AEW have maintained confidence in Shida’s reign because they want Britt to overcome her, likely by snide heel tactics to subdue Shida when she continues a juggernaut run through the division. Bringing a heel champion in will also open the door for more face challengers to shine, including returns for Riho, Statlander and Yuka Sakazaki. Currently Abadon has began to feud with Shida, crossing paths for the first time since Abadon’s only AEW loss against the then-not-champion Shida. Leaning on having the champion face fear, despite the Champion’s insistence that she is not afraid, it is still possible for fear to take over and for Abadon to win the championship, her gimmick definitely stands out and she has a definite following, there is also crossover value for her if AEW link her with or against IMPACT’s Su Yung and/or Rosemary. Other than Abadon, Statlander’s return from injury could start with a Heel turn of her own, allowing Statlander to use her power moves to more intensity, former NWA Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa may also rekindle the rivalry for a second crack. While I’ll admit I’ve not seen Jade Cargill wrestle, if looks are to be judged, Cargill can certainly rule as a smarmy heel champion, and there can be added story with Vickie Guerrero allying with her and guiding her to get personal vengeance on Shida where Nyla failed.

AEW World Championship Prediction: ‘Hangman’ Page Alternative Options: PAC, Brodie Lee or Brian Cage Storytelling doesn’t have to be convoluted to be great, AEW and NXT have proven that with stellar stories even when we knew how it would end. And climbing Adam Page from the gutter to the top is certainly the story one would top off a big PPV or an Anniversary show on. Granted, it’d be a super slow burn, but Omega is certainly a champion you expect to hold ‘Big Platinum’ for a long time, it also serves AEW better to limit the amount of times their main belt changes hands, which I’m sure the EVPs are all well aware of. Kenny’s alliance with Callis can usher in some IMPACT wrestlers to perhaps bolster Kenny’s allies and opponents but for now I feel that AEW should keep their world title at the very list restricted to their roster. Outside of Hangman, PAC definitely has unfinished business with Omega, the Bastard’s talent cannot go amiss and his character has been a proven success in WWE and the Indies as strong titleholder. Brodie may also fit the top title, his feud with Moxley was brief but very entertaining, I would love him to have the same coveting that he did in the Moxley feud, even having Dark Order members carrying the title for him to the ring. The final option so far has to be Brian Cage, in NJPW Kenny had multiple foils; Okada, Tanahashi, but one of the major ones was the ‘Stone Pitbull’ Tomohiro Ishii, a man with plenty of physical similarities to Brian Cage. Cage’s deceptive speed and monster power could prove to be a similar foil to Omega as Ishii had been for him years prior. So yeah, congrats to AEW’s new champion, I wonder how many I’ll get right.

[killscreencinema]

Wrecking Crew (NES)

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I’ve probably told this story before, and I’ll probably tell it again, but when I was a child there was a brief period of time where we had to live with my aunt and uncle, who had four girls of various ages ranging from my age at the time to teenagers in high school.  Any given day in that house was crazy, like something from out of Roseanne or some other sitcom featuring a benignly dysfunctional family.  As if being in that kind of atmosphere wasn’t stimulating enough, my cousins had a Nintendo with a fucking treasure trove of games.  I’ll never forget how amazing I was when they first showed a large plastic Tupperware container full of NES games, the most I had ever seen in one place up to that point.  It was like that scene in The Wizard, when the protagonists are challenged by some douchy kid named Lucas to an NES match and he shows them his collection of games, claiming, “I have them all.”  

My aunt and uncle weren’t wealthy and had four kids to support.  So I have no idea how they were able to afford those games, while my parents, who probably made about the same with fewer kids to support, could scarcely afford to buy me one game a year for Christmas.  While the amount of games they owned was staggering, the quality of them.... not so much.  Off the top of my head, the games they owned was Rambo, Mighty Bomb Jack, Skate or Die 2, The Legend of Kage, Micky Mousecapade, Bases Loaded III, Ghosts n’ Goblins, among others I’m probably forgetting.  As you can see, while there are some gems in there like Ghosts n’ Goblins and Mighty Bomb Jack (which I was obsessed with playing whenever I was visiting), the rest of the games were... questionable at best. 

One of them I hadn’t named was Wrecking Crew, released in the first wave of games with the NES in 1985.  I remember my first reaction to playing the game was utter confusion that this was a Mario game.  First of all, you can’t jump in Wrecking Crew, and jumping... is kinda Mario’s thing.  It’s his only thing.  HIS ORIGINAL NAME WAS “JUMP MAN” FOR CHRISSAKES!  So how could I believe this imposter in the construction hat was Mario? 

Well, the game itself confirms as much, so I had to accept it, but even then the gameplay was so different than any Mario game I had played up to that point.  Where were the goombas, Koopa Troopas, and Bowser?  Where was Donkey Kong?  Wasn’t terrorizing Mario in a construction setting usually his territory?  Instead Mario is beset by angry ratchets, eggplant men, and an evil version of Mario called Spike (a sorta proto-Wario).  The objective of every level is for Mario to use his trusty hammer to destroy walls, doors, and concrete ladders - anything that he can pulverize. 

I enjoyed the game as a kid to a certain degree, but ultimately got bored with the repetitive nature of it.  As an adult.... same.  Arcade style games like this are fun, but aren’t made to be an immersive experience in the way that many games are nowadays.  While I don’t mind playing a twitchy, fast-paced game, like you’re Galagas, Ms. Pac-Mans, etc, there’s only so much I can play before I let myself get killed or just leave the game entirely. 

Even then, Wrecking Crew is no Namco classic.  It can be pretty unfair in how much time it gives the player to figure out the best strategy for beating a level and the later stages get insanely difficult.  Sure, you can pause the game and plan out what to do next, but that’s no fun.  Either way, Wrecking Crew is a fun curiosity to revisit, but you’ll get bored pretty quickly.

[yobaba30]

~ Tim Wise

1/ If the Dems blow this election it will not be because they were "too far left on policy" or because they "weren't left enough." It will have little to do with policy at all. They are making a mistake caused by traditional consultant theory that does not apply here...

2/ And by listening to influential pundits in liberal media who also don't get the unique nature of Trumpism, relative to normal political movements & campaigns...this election is NOT going to be won by talking about all your "great plans" for health care, jobs, education, etc..

3/ And the reasons are several...Let me begin by saying that I have experience confronting the kind of phenomenon we see in Trumpism, and far more than most. Any of us who were involved in the fight against David Duke in LA in 90/91 know what this is and how it must be fought...

4/ So before explaining what the Dems are doing wrong right now, a little history...In 1990, white supremacist David Duke ran for U.S. Senate in LA, and in 1991 for Governor. He lost both times but both times he won the majority of the white vote (60 and 55% respectively)...

5/ I was one of the staffers of the main anti-Duke PAC at the time & ultimately became Assistant Director. In 90, even though our Director Lance Hill, myself & a few of our founders wanted to focus on Duke's bigotry, ties to extremists and appeals to white racial resentment...

6/ ...after all, that WAS the issue--it was a moral struggle against racism--we had mainstream Democratic consultants who warned us against focusing too much on it. They said that "played into Duke's hands" and allowed him to set the agenda....

7/ So sure, we could discuss his ties to Nazis & such, but we shouldn't make a big deal out of his contemporary racist appeals, per se, bc "lots of voters agree" with those appeals...they even encouraged us to talk about utterly superfluous shit like Duke paying his taxes late..

8/ Or Duke avoiding service in Vietnam, or Duke writing a sex manual under a female pseudonym (yeah he did that)...although Lance held firm that we needed to talk mostly about racism, we did end up talking about some of that other stuff too, sadly...

9/ I say "sadly" because doing that normalized Duke as a regular candidate. Attacking his generic character or bill paying habits (or even discussing his inadequate plans for job creation, etc) treated him like a normal candidate. But he was/is a NAZI...

10/ And none of his voters were voting 4 him bc of jobs, or tax policy or support for term limits, etc. And none were going to turn on him over late tax payments, Vietnam, etc. Indeed throwing that stuff out there & downplaying the elephant in the room (racism) seemed desperate..

11/ It allowed people to say "well if he's really this racist, white supremacist, why are they talking about all this other stuff?" It actually undermined our ability to paint him as the extremist he was/is. And as a result, the threat he posed was not clear enough to voters...

12/ And this didn't just allow him to get votes he might not have gotten otherwise; it also depressed turnout among people who almost certainly disliked him but didn't think he could win or would be all that big a deal if he did. In fact I recall convos with "liberals"...

13/ ...Who said they weren't going 2 vote bc after all Duke's Dem opponent was just a shill for the oil and gas industry, and that was just as bad, blah blah fucking blah...because some lefties can't tell the difference between corporatist assholes and actual literal Nazis...

14/ But we bore some responsibility for that because we got suckered into playing this conventional game and "not playing into his narrative." Anyway, Duke gets 60% of the vote, black and white liberal turnout is lower than it should have been and Duke gets 44% of vote...

15/ In the Governor's race we dispensed w/ all that bullshit. We talked about Duke's ongoing Nazism and the moral/practical evil of his racist appeals. We discussed how that moral evil would have real world consequences (driving tourists and business away, rightly so, from LA)..

16/ Because it was wrong, and it was not who we wanted to be, and it was not who were were. We were better than that and needed to show the rest of the country that...

17/ Now, did this flip any of Duke's 1990 voters? Nah, not really. Indeed he got 65k MORE votes in the Governor's race than the Senate race. But it was never about flipping them. We knew that would be almost impossible...

18/ To flip Duke voters would require that they accept the fact that they had previously voted for a monster, and people are loath to do that. Our goal was not to flip them, but to DRIVE UP TURNOUT among the good folks, many of whom stayed home in 90...

19/ And that is what happened. The concerted effort of the anti-Duke forces (not just us), challenging Duke's "politics of prejudice," and making the election about what kind of state we wanted to be, drove turnout through the roof...

20/ 28,000+ registered on one day alone, between the initial election and runoff (which Duke made bc of the state's open primary system), with tens of thousands more overall: most of them, anti-Duke folks...

21/ When it was over, Duke had gotten 65k more votes than in 90, but his white share went to 55 (from 60) and overall to 39 (from 44) because the anti-Duke turnout swamped him...So what does this have to do with 2020 and Trump? Do I really need to explain it?...

22/ First, trying to flip Trump voters is a waste of time. Any of them who regret their vote don't need to be pandered to. They'll do the right thing. Don't focus on them. That said, very few will regret their vote. They cannot accept they voted for a monster or got suckered...

23/ Duke retained 94% of the folks he got the first time out (and got new people too), as Trump likely will. So forget these people--or at least don't wast time tailoring messages to them. And policy plans for affordable college don't mean shit to them, nor health care...

24/ Their support for Trump was never about policy. It was about the bigotry, the fact that he hates who they hate...Second, as for the "undecideds." ...Not many of these but seriously? If you're still undecided at this point about this guy...

25/ Then there is almost no way to know what would get you to make up your mind...I doubt it's a plan to deal with Wall Street though, or infrastructure, or tax policy...

26/ If anything, I would say crafting an argument that this is an existential crisis for the nation--and making it about Trump's bigotry and who we want to be as a country, would be far more effective in inspiring them to make up their minds...

27/ And what I know for a FACT is that this message--that Trumpism is a threat to everything we care about and love about this country--is what will inspire the Dem base to vote...and THAT is what this election is about...

28/ I'm not saying the Dems don't need policy ideas, but focusing on wonky, look-how-much-I've-thought about-this stuff is not going to move the needle in 2020...

29/ What the left never understands is: we need to stop approaching elections like the goddamned debate team, and start approaching it like the right does, like the cheer leading squad...

30/  The right knows psychology and we know public policy and sociology...great. The latter does not win elections...

31/ People who say the Dems should ignore Trump's race baiting because its some genius political strategy calculated to distract us, are idiots. He is no genius. And if you downplay it you NORMALIZE him. If you make this about policy, you NORMALIZE him. He is a racist...

32/ He is a white nationalist.

He is an authoritarian.

He and his cult are a threat to the future of the nation and world because of their hatreds.

His movement betrays the country's promise.

THAT is the message that will drive turnout. Not debates over marginal tax rates...

33/ Or how we are going to fund schools...And anyone who says we should ignore the race baiting to talk more about Mueller and Russia is an even bigger fool...that's like talking about Duke and late tax payments or other corruptions...it might all be true but is not the point...

34/ Not to say the House shouldn't impeach over that stuff. They should. But the 2020 candidates must craft a message that is not about that.

Trumpism is the threat to America, more than Putin.

And Putin didn't birth Trumpism.

Conservative White America did...

[patriotsnet]

Did Trump Say Republicans Were Dumb

New Post has been published on https://www.patriotsnet.com/did-trump-say-republicans-were-dumb/

Did Trump Say Republicans Were Dumb

Ben Carson: March 4 2016

Donald Trump Tells Oprah in 1988 What He Would Do as President

You would be forgiven for forgetting that at one point last fall, Dr. Ben Carson was tied with Trump for first place in national Republican presidential preference polls. They were two different versions of the “outsider” candidate Trump, the brash billionaire and reality TV star; and Carson the quiet doctor propelled by faith. ;In;November, Trump went on the attack. He turned to Carson’s own autobiography for ammunition, noting with skepticism Carson’s story of how his religious conversion began when he attempted to stab a friend only to have the knife blade break on the friend’s belt buckle. “How stupid are the people of Iowa?” Trump asked. “How stupid are the people of the country to believe this crap?” At the time it seemed a direct challenge to evangelicals that could only hurt Trump, but it was Carson who began to slip in the polls. The doctor did poorly in the early primaries and dropped out after Super Tuesday. A week later he endorsed Trump, saying the two had “buried the hatchet” and that he believed there are “two Donald Trumps” the bombastic public figure and the private man who is “cerebral” and willing to consider other views.

Trump Secretly Mocks His Christian Supporters

Former aides say that in private, the president has spoken with cynicism and contempt about believers.

One day in 2015, Donald Trump beckoned Michael Cohen, his longtime confidant and personal attorney, into his office. Trump was brandishing a printout of an article about an Atlanta-based megachurch pastor trying to raise $60 million from his flock to buy a private jet. Trump knew the preacher personallyCreflo Dollar had been among a group of evangelical figures who visited him in 2011 while he was first exploring a presidential bid. During the meeting, Trump had reverently bowed his head in prayer while the pastors laid hands on him. Now he was gleefully reciting the impious details of Dollars quest for a Gulfstream G650.

Trump seemed delighted by the scam, Cohen recalled to me, and eager to highlight that the pastor was full of shit. Theyre all hustlers, Trump said.

The presidents alliance with religious conservatives has long been premised on the contention that he takes them seriously, while Democrats hold them in disdain. In speeches and interviews, Trump routinely lavishes praise on conservative Christians, casting himself as their champion. My administration will never stop fighting for Americans of faith, he declared at a rally for evangelicals earlier this year. Its a message his campaign will seek to amplify in the coming weeks as Republicans work to confirm Amy Coney Barretta devout, conservative Catholicto the Supreme Court.

So If None Of This Counts What’s The Point

According to those conducting the recount, the purpose of this project is to address a prevailing concern among some voters that the 2020 election was illegitimate. And if the final result is that there was no fraud? That’s fine, too.

“This is not about calling into question the results of the November election,” Ken Bennett, spokesman for the audit, told the Washington Post. “This is about identifying if there are any areas of our elections that need to be improved going forward.”

Few Democrats believe this, of course. They fear that the point of the audit is to simply sow further doubt about Biden’s victory – and pave the way for Republican state-level efforts to enact new voting restrictions that disadvantage their candidates and voters in the name of “ballot security”.

Also Check: What Is Difference Between Democrats And Republicans

Trump Slashes At Mcconnell As He Reiterates Election Falsehoods At Republican Event

Former president Donald Trump called Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell a dumb son of a bitch as he used a Saturday night speech to Republicans to blame the senator for not helping overturn the 2020 election and reiterated false assertions that he won the November contest.

Trump, speaking at a Republican National Committee gathering at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla., excoriated a number of Republicans even as he publicly called for party unity focusing on those who voted to convict him in impeachment proceedings. But he saved his sharpest vitriol for the Kentucky Republican.

If that were Schumer instead of this dumb son of a bitch Mitch McConnell, they would never allow it to happen. They would have fought it, he said of the election certification on Jan. 6, the day his supporters led an insurrection on the Capitol to block President Bidens formal victory.

Trump spent much of the speech, with many senators in the room, lashing into his former ally in personal terms, often to cheers from the partys top donors. He falsely claimed that he won the Senate election for McConnell in Kentucky and attacked his wife, Elaine Chao, who served as Trumps transportation secretary.

I hired his wife. Did he ever say thank you? Trump said. He then mocked Chao for resigning in response to the Jan. 6 events and Trumps behavior that day.

Some attendees left the private event early, with the speech getting mixed reviews.

Bette Midler Apologizes For Sharing Fake Trump Quote: But It Sounds So Much Like Him

Singer/actress refuses to take down the fictitious meme after her apology

Bette Midler apologized on Monday after posting a fake quote attributed to Donald Trump where he purportedly disparaged Republican voters in a 1998 People Magazine interview.

I apologize; this quote turns out to be a fake from way back in 15-16. Dont know how I missed it, but it sounds SO much like him that I believed it was true!, the singer/actress

I apologize; this quote turns out to be a fake from way back in 15-16. Dont know how I missed it, but it sounds SO much like him that I believed it was true! Fact Check: Did Trump say in 98 Republicans are dumb? via

Bette Midler

In addition to her apology, Midler also included a link to the Reno Gazette Journal debunking the quote. It read, If I were to run, Id run as a Republican. Theyre the dumbest group of voters in the country. They believe anything on Fox News. I could lie and theyd still eat it up. I bet my numbers would be terrific.

The photo accompanying the quote shows a younger Trump around the time he was a real estate developer in New York City and long before he became a political candidate.

Dumb and Dumber @GOP, he said in a tweet before deleting. Narisetti is also an alum of the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and News Corp.

The memes providence dates back to at least 2015 when Snopes, a liberal-leaning fact-checking website, fact-checked the quote and proved it was false.

Don’t Miss: What Is The Definition Of Republicanism

Wait A Minute Bamboo Fibre

Yes. According to one volunteer, John Brakey, they’re investigating whether fake ballots may have been snuck in from overseas.

“They use bamboo in their paper processing, people in southeast Asia,” he told a local CBS television station.

Brakey is quick to say he doubts such fraud is real, but the investigators apparently want to leave no stone unturned, untested and unsubjected to ultraviolet light.

As mail-in Arizona ballots are matched against registered voters, multiple votes cast by the same individual would have been flagged.

Donald Trump’s Most Controversial Quotes

On America:

GETTY

Guns

He also praised the National Rifle Association and Second Amendment, describing his sons as serious NRA. His praise of the Second Amendment comes just days after an Uber driver went on a deadly shooting spree in Michigan, killing killed six people.

I want to begin by thanking my boys, Eric has been all over the place making speeches. Hes getting better than me so Im a little jealous. And Don went to , you were all over, right?

He loves the rifle stuff. This is serious rifle. This is serious NRA, both of them, both of them. We love the Second Amendment folks, nobody loves it more than us, so just remember that.

Guantanamo

Trump is promising to keep the controversial detention camp open after President Obama’s repeated pledges to close it, something he reiterated in his victory speech.

Were going to keep as you know Gitmo, were keeping that open, and were going to load it up with bad dudes. Were going to load it up w a lot of bad dudes out there.

Walls

Finally, he repeated his most familiar campaign promise: to build that big beautiful wall, and make Mexico pay for it.

Were going to have our borders nice and strong. Were going to build the wall, you know that. Were going to build the wall. And I have a lot of respect from Mexico and you just heard we won Hispanics. But let me tell you Mexico is going to pay for the wall, right? Its going to happen.

Recommended Reading: Who Has More Billionaires Democrats Or Republicans

Jeb Bush: Feb 20 2016

A year ago, Jeb Bush was at the forefront of an historic fundraising juggernaut, with a super PAC that raised more than $100 million by June. But Bush could never generate the passion and enthusiasm of Trump. The billionaire branded Bush a “low energy” candidate;and proceeded to tie George W. Bush’s invasion of Iraq around Jeb Bush’s neck like a lead weight. During a , Trump said President Bush had lied about the pretext for the Iraq War.;Jeb rose to his brother’s defense. ;”While Donald Trump was building a reality TV show, my brother was building a security apparatus to keep us safe and Im proud of what he did,” he said. But Trump fired back: “The World Trade Center came down during your brother’s reign, remember that. That’s not keeping us safe.” A;week later Trump won the winner-take-all Palmetto State primary and Bush dropped out of the race.

Tale Of The Tape: The 16 Contenders Trump Has Knocked Out

Oprah asks a 42-year-old Trump if he’d run for president

Donald Trump clobbered his opponents in Indiana, knocking out Texas Sen. Ted Cruz ;and;Ohio Gov. John Kasich. Cruz whom Trump labeled “Lyin’ Ted” acknowledged Tuesday that he had no path left to the nomination and suspended his campaign, and;Kasich threw in the towel;Wednesday. Even RNC Chairman Reince Priebus has called the fight for Trump, declaring the billionaire the presumptive nominee.

Heres how Trump has dispatched the contenders who stepped into the ring with him during this years presidential contest:

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Jeb’s Campaign Releases Video Of ‘the Real Donald Trump’

Jeb Bush’s campaign is ratcheting up its attacks on Donald Trump, releasing a video that paints the Republican presidential candidate as an unabashed liberal. And Trump is firing right back.

The spot, titled “The Real Donald Trump,” plays on two separate occasions a clip of the billionaire candidate saying that he “lived in New York and Manhattan my whole life” and that “my views are a little bit different than if I had lived in Iowa.”

“Liberal Things That Trump Says,” the text on screen reads before flipping to “Liberal Things That Trump Believes.” Trump has made a point of embracing his eclectic policy views in the past, something that Bush’s campaign is seizing upon in the latest spot.

Trump is shown in a 1999 “Meet the Press” interview telling Tim Russert that he is “very pro-choice,” though a dozen years later, Trump announced that he opposed abortion in most instances, except in cases of rape, incest or to protect the health of the mother.

The spot also highlights Trump’s praise of single-payer health care systems in Canada and in Scotland during last month’s GOP debate, though it does not include his qualifying statement that although he thought it was a good idea for the U.S. in the late 1990s, he does not believe that to now be the case.

Im Getting The Word Out: Inside The Feverish Mind Of Donald Trump Two Months After Leaving The White House

I Alone Can Fix It

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Seventy days had passed since Donald Trump left Washington against his will. On March 31, 2021, we ventured to Mar-a-Lago, where he still reigned as king of Republican politics. We arrived late that afternoon for our audience with the man who used to be president and were ushered into an ornate sixty-foot-long room that functioned as a kind of lobby leading to the clubs patio. A model of Air Force One painted in Trumps proposed redesigna flat red stripe across the middle, a navy belly, a white top, and a giant American flag on the tailwas proudly displayed on the coffee table facing the entrance. It was a prop disconnected from reality.; Trumps vision never came to be; the fleet now in use by President Biden still bears the iconic baby blue-and-white livery designed by Jacqueline Kennedy.

Trump had invited us to Mar-a-Lago to interview him for this book. He had declined an interview for our first book about his presidency, and when A Very Stable Genius was published in January 2020, attacked us personally and branded our reporting a work of fiction. But Trump was quick to agree to our request this time. He sought to curate history.

But future elections were not front and center in his mind. A past election was. Trump was fixated on his loss in 2020, returning to this wound repeatedly throughout the interview.;

Also Check: How Do Republicans Feel About Climate Change

Wisconsin Gop Wrestles With Just How Much To Indulge Trump

The former president set off infighting among state Republicans by saying they were not working hard enough to challenge the 2020 results, accusing them of covering up election corruption.

By Reid J. Epstein

Wisconsin Republicans were already going to great lengths to challenge the 2020 election results. They ordered a monthslong government audit of votes in the state. They made a pilgrimage to Arizona to observe the G.O.P. review of votes there. They hired former police officers to investigate Wisconsins election and its results.

But for Donald J. Trump, it wasnt enough.

In a blistering statement last week on the eve of the state partys convention, the former president accused top Republican state lawmakers of working hard to cover up election corruption and actively trying to prevent a Forensic Audit of the election results.

Wisconsin Republicans were alarmed and confused. Some circulated a resolution at the convention calling for the resignation of the top Republican in the State Assembly, Speaker Robin Vos, who in turn announced the appointment of a hard-line conservative former State Supreme Court justice to oversee the investigation. The Republican State Senate president released a two-page letter addressed to Mr. Trump that said his claims about Republicans were false but that made sure to clarify in fawning language the state partys allegiance to the former president.

Fact Check: Trump Did Not Call Republicans The Dumbest Group Of Voters

5 Min Read

An old quote falsely attributed to Donald Trump has recently resurfaced online. The viral meme alleges Trump told People magazine in 1998 that Republicans are the dumbest group of voters in the country. This is false.

While the quote has been debunked several times since it apparently surfaced in 2015, users have recently been resharing it on social media. Examples can be seen here , here , here , here

The meme reads: If I were to run, Id run as a Republican. Theyre the dumbest group of voters in the country. They believe anything on Fox News. I could lie and theyd still eat it up. I bet my numbers would be terrific. – Donald Trump, People Magazine, 1998

Snopes first wrote about the false quote here in October 2015 . Since then, the quote has been debunked multiple times .

People magazine has confirmed in the past that its archive has no register of this alleged exchange.

People looked into this exhaustively when it first surfaced back in Oct. . We combed through every Trump story in our archive. We couldnt find anything remotely like this quoteand no interview at all in 1998., a magazine spokesperson told Factcheck.org that year .

In December 1987, People published a profile on Donald Trump titled Too Darn Rich. The article quoted him saying he was too busy to run for president .

Read Also: How Many Registered Republicans In Texas

Donald Trump Quotes That Should Horrify His Evangelical Supporters

After months of campaigning, flip-flopping on important issues,;and generally wreaking havoc on the party that for decades has presented itself as defenders of Christian America, Donald Trump took to the stage at the Republican National Convention and thanked the evangelicals who helped him get there.

At this moment, I would like to thank the evangelical and religious community because Ill tell you what. Because the support theyve given me, and Im not sure I totally deserve it, has been so amazing. And has had such a big reason for me being here tonight. True. So true.

So true, its cringeworthy.

White evangelical Protestants are a considerable force in the elections making up one-fifth of all registered voters.;While a number of evangelical leaders have pointed out that Trumps policies and actions are decidedly un-Christian, rank-and-file white evangelical Americans have in fact thrown their support behind the candidate. According to the Pew Research Center, 78 percent of white evangelical voters;say they would vote for Trump if the election were held today.;

But if you place Trumps quotes, principles and policies next to the ideals set forth by Christianitys founder, the gap is startling. Trump has little regard for some of the fundamental teachings of Jesus Christ showing love for your neighbor, welcoming the stranger, and asking for Gods forgiveness.;

[iol247]

South Africa beware: Ace Magashule’s RET faction will fight to the bitter end

By Joel Netshitenzhe• 22 March 2021

South Africans, including the mass of ANC members, cannot allow the advances since 2017 to be squandered, and for the constitutional order to be subverted. The campaign against this assault on our democracy should be intensified, involving all sectors of society.

When pronouncements by the secretary-general of the African National Congress on Gagasi FM that the Democratic Alliance was “the enemy of the National Democratic Revolution” and that voting with the party in favour of an inquiry into Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold office, was “sleeping with the enemy” came to public attention beyond the radio’s listenership, the first question that came to mind among many ANC members was, do we still have an organisation?

There are many conceptual issues that reflect the kind of confusion that should not be associated with a secretary-general, such as his reference to the Democratic Alliance as “the enemy of the National Democratic Revolution”. A cadre deserving of such a senior position would be aware of debates that have taken place within the movement since 1994 about characterisation of the opposition in a democratic society. In this context, the ANC in 2007 resolved in the Strategy and Tactics document that: 

“…unlike before, when antagonists across the apartheid divide were locked in mortal combat, engagement around issues of transformation in a democracy forms part of legitimate discourse and electoral politics. Those who continue to resist change within the constitutional framework are opponents in a democratic order. Their political and other organisations are legitimate expressions of a school of thought that should be challenged, but at the same time accepted as part of democratic engagement.”

While in 2017 the ANC argued that electoral outcomes could place “into positions of authority, forces that can stealthily and deceitfully chip away at the progressive realisation of a National Democratic Society”, it also recognised that the ANC itself could wreak untold damage on the cause of social transformation. The 2017 Strategy and Tactics document acknowledges that “it cannot altogether be ruled out that the liberation movement itself can be so corrupted — in terms of its objectives, policies, value systems as well as composition and conduct of its leadership — that it becomes a bed of counter-revolutionary infestation”.

The conceptual confusion aside, what irked many ANC members is that the secretary-general sought to distance himself from the guidance that the officials (so-called Top Six) recently gave to the ANC caucus in Parliament. This was on whether or not to institute a formal parliamentary inquiry into the fitness of the Public Protector to hold office, given the report of the panel set up by the Speaker of the National Assembly, which had found prima facie evidence of incompetence and misconduct. 

The National Chairperson of the ANC communicated the Top Six’s decision to the parliamentary caucus. Yet, according to the secretary-general, this could be defied, as “officials of the ANC are not a structure in terms of our constitution”. “What repercussions,” he retorted when asked whether there would be consequences for those who wilfully went against the leadership’s guidance, “when they have done the right thing?” The ANC caucus has since clarified that the MPs who were absent had valid explanations — further deepening the confusion sown by the secretary-general. 

There are moments when any leader can miss a point or misspeak. What is concerning is that this has become the hallmark of the secretary-general’s public pronouncements on difficult matters facing the movement. For instance, on the issue of members stepping aside when formally charged, the National Executive Committee (NEC) in February adopted the guidelines, a decision that was publicly communicated by the president at the end of the meeting. However, the secretary-general has argued ever since that no such decision was taken, as the matter, according to him, still had to go to the branches. The treasurer-general who led the team that prepared the guidelines has had to countermand this publicly, reiterating the president’s closing remarks.

And so, a trend is emerging where the secretary-general of the ANC is starting to stick out like a sore thumb among his peers and across the movement. This seems to form part of a wider campaign to undermine the structures of the ANC.

Do these developments reflect “the counter-revolutionary infestation” that the 2017 conference warned about? Let us be generous and characterise it merely as the consolidation of a faction within the ANC. 

The so-called Radical Economic Transformation (RET) faction has announced that it is holding meetings; and one of its leaders, incidentally, working in the secretary-general’s office, has released a “basic document” that calls for “a return of the ANC to its socialist ideological orientation”, whatever this means, under current global and domestic conditions. 

On land expropriation, the RET document argues that food security and other conditions cannot be a factor. Yet the 2017 ANC conference resolved to ensure that any expropriation should “not undermine future investment in the economy, or damage agricultural production and food security” and it “must not cause harm to other sectors of the economy”.

On state ownership, the RET document calls for wholesale nationalisation, in contrast with the 1992 ANC Ready to Govern document and numerous conference resolutions thereafter which argue for the weighing of the “balance of evidence”.

It is not the first time that the ANC has experienced the emergence of an organisation within the organisation. As with the PAC in 1958 and the Group of 8 in the 1970s, this ultimately led to rupture. The elephant does take long to turn — or to use a different metaphor — the fruit was allowed to ripen and drop at the slightest shake of the tree.

But the situation may be more serious than this generous interpretation, and so, debate on content issues may be pointless, as policy is but a ruse to hide something else. Veterans of the ANC and other respected individuals and organisations in the Defend our Democracy campaign identify the threat to include defiance of the Constitutional Court, and they argue that it “goes beyond that posed by an individual [and] illustrates how that individual embodies a political culture fundamentally antithetical to democracy: the cult of personality, rule by factional dictate, nepotism, and totalitarianism in a securitised state”. 

According to the Defend our Democracy campaigners, this threat is characterised by the looting which has weakened the state and undermined the economy. Proceeds of corruption are being used both for personal enrichment and to “enable a well-organised cartel” to stall prosecution of beneficiaries of corruption and state capture. Further, a private militia and a wider network have been mobilised to amplify unlawful defiance of the courts by the former president.

Conspiracy theories abound, with reports of units trained in sabotage and assassination, and strange coincidences such as the attempt to incite violence against foreigners in KwaZulu-Natal by elements of the very same private militia, and the fire in Parliament after the vote on the Public Protector. Some of these theories may be without basis. 

But it cannot be ruled out that South Africa’s own Savimbis and Dhlakamas — who destabilised Angola and Mozambique with the support of the erstwhile SA Defence Force and its Military Intelligence — are crawling out of the woodwork and showing their true colours.

South Africans, including the mass of ANC members, cannot allow the advances since 2017 to be squandered, and for the constitutional order to be subverted. The campaign against this assault on our democracy should be intensified, involving all sectors of society.

In these efforts, the battles must be deftly chosen, and the timing of each fight must be appropriate. Care must be taken not to allow the saboteurs to dictate the “what, when and how” of engagement. The fish should not be allowed to twist, turn and muddy the waters so as to slip out of the grip of the justice system.   

Lest we forget: the beneficiaries of corruption and state capture will not give up without a fight. South Africa cannot afford to be complacent! DM

Joel Netshitenzhe is the executive director of the Mapungubwe Institute and a member of the ANC National Executive Committee (NEC). He writes in his personal capacity.

Submitted by TT

[ohnojustimagine]

masterlist

AEW

Brodie Lee

A Man Like That; Smut, 1460 words

Just after Brodie challenges the dog collar match.

Jon Moxley

Full of Love; Smut, 1054 words

Impregnation kink.

DDT

Isami Kodaka

Painless; Fluff with implied smut, 790 words

Isami and his scars.

Yukio Sakaguchi

Some Nights, Sober, Reader/Yukio Sakaguchi & Kudo & Masahiro Takanashi; Smut/Explicit, 2450 words

Yukio wants you to meet his friends.

Dragon Gate

Ben-K

Save What You Can, Reader/Eita, Reader/Ben-K; Angst with some smut, 1245 words

Tensions rise in the lead up to Dead or Alive.

Eita

Never Let Me Down, Reader/Eita, Reader/Pac; Smut, 3380 words

You’re Eita’s girl, but the champion has needs.

Save What You Can, Reader/Eita, Reader/Ben-K; Angst with some smut, 1245 words

Tensions rise in the lead up to Dead or Alive.

Lucha Underground

The White Rabbit (aka Killer Kross)

Take Me to Wonderland; weirdness and a little smut, 2120 words

The White Rabbit requires sacrifice. Contains choking and dubious consent.

NJPW

Bushi

Too High, Can’t Come Down; Fluffy-ish, drabble

Bushi and his mist.

Douki

Bound to Fall, Douki/Reader/Taichi; Smut, 3305 words

Taichi likes to surprise you.

At First Sight; Smut, 2120 words

Douki and a blindfold.

El Desperado

Desire Unmasked; Smut, 1145 words

Despey’s new mask

Evil

One Soul Less, Evil/Reader/Sanada; Smut, 3350 words

The spoils of war. Faux historical AU.

Hiromu Takahashi

The Cat’s Meow; Fluff with some very mild smut, 560 words

Daryl likes to watch.

Mouth to Mouth; Fluff, 625 words

Hiromu and his lip balm.

Behind the Scenes; Smut, 1090 words

Hiromu during the BOSJ tournament, with Naito and Bushi watching.

Jay White

Sharp Edged; Smut/Explicit, 1585 words

Switchblade isn’t just a name.

Suited; Smut/Explicit, 1030 words

Jay in his suit before the press conference with Okada.

The World Will See; Smutty-ish, 760 words

After Jay’s title win at New Beginning.

Lessons to be Learned, Jay/Reader/Yoh; Smut, 830 words

Jay and Yoh’s tag matches are not going well at the G1.

envy your hand and my heart; Smut, 1165 words

Set after Jay’s backstage comments at the G1 where he grabbed that camerawoman.

Make Me Believe, Make Me Forget; Smut, 2105 words

After Jay loses the belt at MSG.

Need Some; Smut, drabble

Post-WK press conference with Jay

Kenny Omega

Someone Not You, Kenny/Reader with mentioned Kenny/Kota Ibushi; Angst with smut, 2210 words

After the G1 finals.

Fall Down, Male Reader/Kota/Kenny; Smut and angst, 3295 words

Things are never what they seem.

Kenta

Dark Horse, Kenta/Reader with background Jay White/Reader; Smut, 2125 words

Jay wants you to show Kenta a good time.

Kota Ibushi

Fall Down, Male Reader/Kota/Kenny; Smut and angst, 3295 words

Things are never what they seem.

Leo Tonga

Fair Share, Reader/Tama Tonga & Leo Tonga & Tanga Loa; Smut/Explicit, 1850 words

Foursome smut as Leo joins you for the first time.

Marty Scurll

I Want It That Way; Smut/Explicit, 940 words

At the bar with Marty.

Miho Abe

Center of Attention, Reader/Miho Abe & Taichi; Smut, 1075 words

Miho likes to play.

Minoru Suzuki

Monsters and Angels, Minoru Suzuki/Reader/El Desperado; Smut/Explicit, Drabble

You’re more than a match for Suzuki.

Take Me Over; Smut/Explicit, 1080 words, warning for breathplay

Misu and the bullrope from Power Struggle.

All Change; Fluff, 660 words

After Wrestle Kingdom and the hair thing.

At Your Will; Smut, 1900 words

In the lead up to Jay and Suzuki’s match at the G1.

Go Fish; Fluff with some smutty talk, 1270 words

Fishing with Misu.

Sanada

One Soul Less, Evil/Reader/Sanada; Smut, 3350 words

The spoils of war. Faux historical AU.

Taichi

Bound to Fall, Douki/Reader/Taichi; Smut, 3305 words

Taichi likes to surprise you.

Tama Tonga

Fair Share, Reader/Tama Tonga & Leo Tonga & Tanga Loa; Smut/Explicit, 1850 words

Foursome smut as Leo joins you for the first time.

Tanga Loa

Fair Share, Reader/Tama Tonga & Leo Tonga & Tanga Loa; Smut/Explicit, 1850 words

Foursome smut as Leo joins you for the first time.

Yoh

Lessons to be Learned, Jay/Reader/Yoh; Smut, 830 words

Jay and Yoh’s tag matches are not going well at the G1.

WWE

Adam Cole

All the More, Reader/Adam Cole & Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish & Roderick Strong; Smut, 2385 words

Roddy joins the four of you for the first time.

Aiden English

Variations on a Theme; Fluff with some smut, 960 words

Aiden likes grand gestures.

AJ Styles

Take Me to Church, part 1, part 2; Smut/Explicit, 4900 words

Historical AU and preacher AU. Warning for overt religious themes

Worth It; Smut/Explicit, 1235 words

AJ’s working outside on a hot day, but it’s you who needs cooling down.

The Devil’s Due; smut, 1225 words

After the boneyard match. Demon AU.

Akam

Motivate Me, part 1, part 2; Smut, 3455 words

Drake thinks the AoP need some extra motivation.

Kill This Love, Seth Rollins/Reader/AOP; Angst and smut, 615 words

Seth’s changed, and he knows what he wants.

Aleister Black

Everything Zen; Smut/Explicit, Drabble

Aleister is talented.

Melt; Smut/Explicit, 2230 words

Waxplay with Aleister.

Say His Name, part 1, part 2; Velveteen Dream/Reader, Aleister Black/Reader, implied Velveteen Dream/Aleister Black; Smut/Angst, 3735 words

Both you and Dream want Aleister’s attention.

Alexa Bliss

Between, Alexa Bliss/Reader/Braun Strowman; Smut, 3955 words

You get more than you bargained for with Alexa.

Andrade Cien Almas

Don’t Call It Chemistry; Andrade Cien Almas/Reader/Zelina Vega, Smut, 2035 words

Zelina thinks a professional will make things less complicated. (Reader is a sex worker.)

Angel Garza

The Prince and the Duke, Angel Garza/Reader/Humberto Carrillo; Fluff and smut, 6760 words

Historical AU with arranged marriage and poly.

Austin Aries

Stress Relief; Smut/Explicit, 1660 words

You thought Austin was just irritating, but maybe you’ve misjudged him.

Taste; Mostly fluff with a bit of smut, 1230 words

Seduction via vegan cheesecake.

Baron Corbin

You Should See Me In A Crown; Smut, 735 words

You in Baron’s entrance gear.

Big E

All In; Fluff, 1030 words

“It’s like a romcom cliché or something. Best friends forced to share a bed.”

Big Show

Smooth; Smut/Explicit, 900 words

Big Show shaves his beard.

Bobby Fish

All the More, Reader/Adam Cole & Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish & Roderick Strong; Smut, 2385 words

Roddy joins the four of you for the first time.

Bobby Roode

Not The One That Got Away; Fluff, 720 words

Bobby, or Robert, has a new look.

Braun Strowman

Piercing Issues; Smut/Explicit, 3125 words

Braun has a problem with his nipple piercings, you help out.

Ride Along; Braun Strowman/Reader/Bray Wyatt, Smut/Explicit, 830 words

On the road with Braun and Bray.

Remote Control; Braun Strowman/Reader/Bray Wyatt, Smut/Explicit, 1775 words

An evening out with Braun and Bray.

Between, Alexa Bliss/Reader/Braun Strowman; Smut, 3955 words

You get more than you bargained for with Alexa.

Bray Wyatt

Make Me A Believer; Bray Wyatt/Reader/Luke Harper/Erick Rowan, Smut/Explicit, 790 words

Bray never touches you, until he does. Warning for slightly dubious consent

Ride Along; Braun Strowman/Reader/Bray Wyatt, Smut/Explicit, 830 words

On the road with Braun and Bray.

Remote Control; Braun Strowman/Reader/Bray Wyatt, Smut/Explicit, 1775 words

An evening out with Braun and Bray.

Let the Right One In; Smut, 2305 words

In the Funhouse with Bray and then the Fiend.

Brock Lesnar

Arrangement; Smut, 3730 words

Brock gets dommed and pegged, basically.

Buddy Murphy

Distraction; Fluff, 840 words

Buddy is the best kind of distraction.

Candice LeRae

Next Somebody, Johnny Gargano/Reader/Candice LeRae; smut, 760 words

Johnny and Candice aren’t who they used to be.

Cesaro

New Attitude part 1 part 2; Cesaro/Reader/Sheamus, Smut/Explicit, 2165 words

You’re not sure about Cesaro’s new attitude, but he and Sheamus convince you.

No Substitute; Smut/Fluff, 710 words

Cesaro’s mouth injury leaves him frustrated.

Corey Graves

Nothing Sweet About Me; Smut/Explicit, 2380 words

Corey and cupcakes.

Damian Priest

The Archer; Smut with feelings, 555 words

It’s just a backstage thing, or maybe not.

State of Grace; Smut, 1590 words

Damian is a demon, you’re an angel.

Nemesis Mine, Damian Priest/Reader/Dominik Dijakovic; Smut, 2275 words

Damian and Dominik seem to want to fight over you, but you have a better idea.

Into This Night; Smut, 1995 words

You’re the one Damian chooses.

Come As You Are; Fluff and smut, 2065 words

After Damian wins the North American championship.

Dean Ambrose

Believe In Me, Dean Ambrose/Reader/Seth Rollins; Angst with some smut, 745 words

You knew Seth would come back.

Where We’re Meant to Be, Dean Ambrose/Reader/Seth Rollins; Fluff and smut,  3615 words

Dean’s injury isn’t easy for any of you, but you make it work.

Sometime, Anytime; Fluff, 2355 words

Dean has some hidden talents.

Stand By You; Fluff but with angsty overtones, 415 words

Dean has a decision to make.

Heated, The Shield/Reader; Smut, 3500 words

A/B/O with you as the Shield’s omega.

Dominik Dijakovic

Nemesis Mine, Damian Priest/Reader/Dominik Dijakovic; Smut, 2275 words

Damian and Dominik seem to want to fight over you, but you have a better idea.

Drake Maverick

Motivate Me, part 1, part 2; Smut, 3455 words

Drake thinks the AoP need some extra motivation.

Drew Gulak

Crimes of Passion; Fluff with gender-neutral reader, 1700 words

Drew needs your help, but Breezango have other plans.

Lover, Not a Fighter; Fluff with a bit of smut, 930 words

Drew is dressed for a street fight.

Naughty But Nice; Smutty fluff, 1080 words

Drew in his elf costume.

The Only Truth; Angst with a touch of smut, 1420 words

After Drew joined in the beatdown on Tony.

Coming Up Roses; Fluff, 610 words

The flowers are for the new GM, not you.

Bring Me Out; Angst with some smut, 2420 words

You only want to bring out the best in Drew.

Wild Horses; Fluff with a bit of smut, 665 words

Drew and his cowboy hat.

Three Sided, Drew Gulak/Reader/Jack Gallagher; Fluff with a little smut, 1140 words

Drew wants you to talk to Humberto, Jack plays peacemaker.

Executive Affairs; Smut/fluff, 2230 words

You’re Jack’s assistant, but you’re always happy to help Drew. Office AU.

Drew McIntyre

Swoon; Fluff with a touch of smut, 950 words

Drew in his ring gear is a problem.

Born to Rule; Fluff with a little smut, 780 words

After Drew loses his King of the Ring round.

Set to Sail; Fluffy-ish but implied darker themes, 1150 words

Historical AU and pirate AU with Captain McIntyre.

Duality; Fluff, 600 words

The Scottish Psychopath is still there somewhere, maybe.

At Your Mercy; Smut, 660 words

Drew in that black tank top.

Elias 

Sing It Out; Fluff with implied smut, 645 words

Elias hits on you via song.

Bound Up In You, Smut/Explicit; 560 words

You can’t get enough of Elias.

Dirty Jeans, Fluff with a hint of smut; 525 words

Elias has new jeans.

And After All; Fluff, 1815 words

Elias declares his love via Wonderwall.

Fandango

Untitled, Breezango/Reader; Fluff, 1380 words

Talking to uggos is a serious crime.

Finn Balor

Twisted Round My Heart; Smut/Explicit, 1850 words

Finn is jealous.

Wedding Night Rites; Pre-smut, 795 words

It’s your first time with him.

Gran Metalik

Everything You See; Smut, 480 words

Lucha House Party threesome and the masks stay on

Hideo Itami

Earned, Not Given; Implied smut, 360 words

It’s all about respect.

Humberto Carrillo

The Prince and the Duke, Angel Garza/Reader/Humberto Carrillo; Fluff and smut, 6760 words

Historical AU with arranged marriage and poly.

Jack Gallagher

Three Sided, Drew Gulak/Reader/Jack Gallagher; Fluff with a little smut, 1140 words

Drew wants you to talk to Humberto, Jack plays peacemaker.

Jeff Hardy

Somebody to Have, Somebody to Hold; smut and fluff, 755 words

Mornings with Jeff.

Jinder Mahal

Physical, Smut/Explicit; 1660 words

Post-workout sex.

Joe Coffey

follow, without pride; Smut, 946 words

Joe knows what you need.

Johnny Gargano

Taken Over; Angst with smut, 1575 words

Set after Johnny’s loss to Tommaso at Takeover.

Not Myself Tonight; Angst with smut, 2005 words

Johnny’s at your door in the middle of the night.

Gods and Monsters, Tommaso Ciampa/Reader, Johnny Gargano/Reader, implied Tommaso/Johnny feelings; Angst and smut, 5880 words

Demon AU. You’re called by the belt and the man it belongs to.

Down All Your Darkest Roads; smut and angst, 955 words

Johnny won’t let go of the past.

Next Somebody, Johnny Gargano/Reader/Candice Lerae; smut, 760 words

Johnny and Candice aren’t who they used to be.

Kalisto

Everything You See; Smut, 480 words

Lucha House Party threesome and the masks stay on

Kassius Ohno

Right Here, Smut/Explicit, 2085 words

You get your first match in NXT, Kassius wants to celebrate.

The Shape of You, Smut/Explicit, 1425 words

You love the way Kassius looks, but you have a question.

Kevin Owens

Devil in the Details, part 1, part 2, Kevin/Reader and Sami/Reader; Smut and angst, 4320 words

“Did you ever fuck Sami?” Kevin asks.

Kyle O’Reilly

All the More, Reader/Adam Cole & Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish & Roderick Strong; Smut, 2385 words

Roddy joins the four of you for the first time.

Lince Dorado

Everything You See; Smut, 480 words

Lucha House Party threesome and the masks stay on

Luke Harper

One Step Forward; Smut/Explicit, 4300 words

Luke needs a new start.

Matt Riddle

Thirst; Smut, 1310 words

Vampire AU

Full Bro, Matt Riddle/Reader/Pete Dunne; fluff with smut build up, 760 words

Matt knows what Pete needs.

Mark Andrews

All Along; Fluff, 580 words

Mark’s your best friend, of course you don’t fancy him.

Mike Rome

The Dark Knight; Fluff with a touch of smut, 560 words

Mike likes to cosplay.

Neville - Pac

Nothing But Different; Neville/Reader/TJ Perkins, Smut/Explicit, 1965 words

You have a casual arrangement with Neville, but he has a suprise.

Over My Head; Smut/Explicit, 700 words

You know you should end things with him.

To Please the King; Fluff/Smut, Drabble

After the No Mercy PPV, the King has needs.

Dusk Till Dawn; Part 1 Part 2; Smut/Explicit, 13,090 words

The King exercises his right to a bride on her wedding night. Medieval AU, droit du seigneur.

Never Let Me Down, Reader/Eita, Reader/Pac; Smut, 3380 words

You’re Eita’s girl, but the champion has needs.

Pete Dunne

The Game Part 1 Part 2; Trent Seven/Reader/Pete Dunne/Tyler Bate, Smut/Explicit, 6025 words

Trent likes to have the lads over to watch the game, but you’re also part of the entertainment.

Party for Two; Smut/Explicit, Drabble

Pete wants to celebrate his championship win.

Stuck On You; Semi-smutty fluff, 3200 words

Pete’s the most annoying guy you’ve ever met, until he’s not.

Full Bro, Matt Riddle/Reader/Pete Dunne; fluff with smut build up, 760 words

Matt knows what Pete needs.

Rezar

Motivate Me, part 1, part 2; Smut, 3455 words

Drake thinks the AoP need some extra motivation.

Kill This Love, Seth Rollins/Reader/AOP; Angst and smut, 615 words

Seth’s changed, and he knows what he wants.

Roman Reigns

Flesh and Blood; Smut/Explicit, 7160 words

Vampire AU, Arranged Marriage AU, Historical AU

Heated, The Shield/Reader; Smut, 3500 words

A/B/O with you as the Shield’s omega.

Blood Rules; Smut, 1620 words

Everyone says Roman’s changed, but you don’t believe it. (Vampire Roman.)

Roderick Strong

You Belong to Me; Smut/Explicit, 2280 words

Roddy and you have been friends forever, but things change.

All the More, Reader/Adam Cole & Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish & Roderick Strong; Smut, 2385 words

Roddy joins the four of you for the first time.

Sami Zayn

Magic; Fluff (with vague smut), Drabble

Sami has magic hands.

Devil in the Details, part 1, part 2, Kevin/Reader and Sami/Reader; Smut and angst, 4320 words

“Did you ever fuck Sami?” Kevin asks.

Samir Singh

Queen for the Night; Smut, 2370 words

A threesome with the SIngh Brothers.

Samoa Joe

Breathe In, Breathe Out; Smut/Explicit, 1755 words

Joe wants something very specific. Warning for some pretty full-on breathplay.

In My Head, (also features non-explicit Roman Reigns/Reader); Smut, 2000 words

Joe sees you, and he knows what he wants.

Whatever You Ask For; Smut (with daddy kink), 1240 words

Joe knows what you want to call him.

King of My Heart; Fluff with build up to smut, 880 words

After Joe’s US Championship win.

Untitled; Smut, drabble

Joe rolls up his sleeves.

Santos Escobar

Empty Your Hands; Smut, 1155 words 

Santos likes to show you off.

Scott Dawson

Make It Better; Smut/Explicit, 1705 words

Scott is recovering from his bicep surgery. You’re here to help.

Seth Rollins

Believe In Me, Dean Ambrose/Reader/Seth Rollins; Angst with some smut, 745 words

You knew Seth would come back.

Where We’re Meant to Be, Dean Ambrose/Reader/Seth Rollins; Fluff and smut,  3615 words

Dean’s injury isn’t easy for any of you, but you make it work.

Kill This Love, Seth Rollins/Reader/AOP; Angst and smut, 615 words

Seth’s changed, and he knows what he wants.

Heated, The Shield/Reader; Smut, 3500 words

A/B/O with you as the Shield’s omega.

Shayna Baszler

Reign Over Me; Smut, 1560 words

Backstage with Shayna.

Sheamus

New Attitude part 1 part 2; Cesaro/Reader/Sheamus, Smut/Explicit, 2165 words

You’re not sure about Cesaro’s new attitude, but he and Sheamus convince you.

Never Knew You; Fluff with an angsty build-up, 3890 words

Sheamus is your best friend, but it seems he likes someone new.

Get Loud; Fluffy smut, 1015 words

Sheamus is surprisingly quiet in bed.

Shinsuke Nakamura

Rise; Fluff, Drabble

Shinsuke teaches you to surf.

Appetite; Fluff with smut, 805 words

You’re not so sure about the new Shinsuke.

Stephanie McMahon

In Your Room, Stephanie/Reader/Hunter; Smut/Explicit, 4470 words

Getting caught masturbating in your boss’ bed isn’t the smartest thing you’ve ever done.

Sunil Singh

Queen for the Night; Smut, 2370 words

A threesome with the SIngh Brothers.

Tommaso Ciampa

Bad Blood; Angst, 680 words

Tommaso gets busted open.

Subject, Object; Smut, 755 words

Tommaso and his belt.

Gods and Monsters, Tommaso Ciampa/Reader, Johnny Gargano/Reader, implied Tommaso/Johnny feelings; Angst and smut, 5880 words

Demon AU. You’re called by the belt and the man it belongs to.

Tony Nese

All The Reasons Why; Fluff/smut, 795 words

Tony’s changed since becoming champion.

TJ Perkins

Nothing But Different; Neville/Reader/TJ Perkins, Smut/Explicit, 1965 words

You have a casual arrangement with Neville, but he has a suprise.

Trent Seven

The Game Part 1 Part 2; Trent Seven/Reader/Pete Dunne/Tyler Bate, Smut/Explicit, 6025 words

Trent likes to have the lads over to watch the game, but you’re also part of the entertainment.

Come Close; Smut/Explicit, Drabble

Trent watches you.

Triple H

Lose Yourself; Smut/Explicit, 2600 words

Hunter likes to be in control.

In Your Room, Stephanie/Reader/Hunter; Smut/Explicit, 4470 words

Getting caught masturbating in your boss’ bed isn’t the smartest thing you’ve ever done.

Tyler Bate

The Game Part 1 Part 2; Trent Seven/Reader/Pete Dunne/Tyler Bate, Smut/Explicit, 6025 words

Trent likes to have the lads over to watch the game, but you’re also part of the entertainment.

Beauty To My Eyes; Smut/Explicit, 3220 words

Tyler comes to your rescue, in more ways than one.

Tyler Breeze

Untitled, Breezango/Reader; Fluff, 1380 words

Talking to uggos is a serious crime.

the Undertaker

Dead Man’s Night; Smut/Explicit, 1370 words

He comes to you at night.

Velveteen Dream

Say His Name, part 1, part 2; Velveteen Dream/Reader, Aleister Black/Reader, implied Velveteen Dream/Aleister Black, Smut/Angst, 3735 words

Both you and Dream want Aleister’s attention.

Clarity; Smut, 2480 words

The Dream knows how to make things clear.

Walter

Change Your Mind; Smut, 2440 words

Walter isn’t what you were expecting.

William Regal

Anything You Had In Mind; Smut/Explicit, 2850 words

Mr. Regal sees your potential.

Zelina Vega

Don’t Call It Chemistry; Andrade Cien Almas/Reader/Zelina Vega, Smut, 2035 words

Zelina thinks a professional will make things less complicated. (Reader is a sex worker.)

[scrawnydutchman]

Why Craig McCracken is a Genius

Anybody who follows my work as well as my most frequent postings and discussions knows that I LOVE animation. I sincerely and confidently say it is the greatest art form in the world, simply because in one way or another it’s every art form combined. It’s drawing, painting, acting, film making, special effects, literature and music all at the same time, and while cartoons get the unfortunate shove as being nothing more then non-intellectual “kid’s stuff”, the field has produced some of the finest achievements in art of the 20th century as well as the 21st so far. But much like any art form, the field is only as great as it’s artists and what they bring to the table. There are many great animators and animation directors that any enthusiast can point to for inspiration like Rebecca Sugar, Lauren Faust, Genndy Tartakovsky, Don Bluth, Tex Avery, Chuck Jones, Hayao Miyazaki, Sitoshi Kun, and of course the most obvious answer Walt Disney. While I have great admiration and nothing but respect for the artists above, I’d like to take a moment to appreciate the genius of the man behind the shows I bring with me throughout my childhood and even adult life. The creator of such shows as Powerpuff Girls (which incidentally he collaborated with Faust and Tartakovsky on), Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends and Wander Over Yonder, Craig McCracken.

Make no mistake; there is a reason this man is so heavily respected and regarded in the current landscape of western animation, and you know a McCracken cartoon when you see them. But what exactly makes his work stand out? What is it about the cartoons McCracken has produced and directed that makes it so accessible to such a wide audience of kids and to an extent adults? How is it that whenever I put on an episode of Fosters or Wander Over Yonder I’m immediately put in a good mood and am enthusiastic about life? Well, after watching and studying his work I think I can boil it down to a few elements which, incidentally I’ve mentioned in previous blog posts before.

1. Beautifully Simple Character Design

Aesthetically speaking, what do the Powerpuff Girls, Bloo from Fosters Home and Wander all have in common? The answer of course is that they are deceptively simple designs that all take a very minimalist approach. So many household names from cartoons are memorable but their designs can often be so complex that if one were to try and draw them from memory, even as a skilled cartoonist, they’d have just enough trouble that they may forget a few key aspects of the design. With McCracken’s designs you can draw them likely in less then 2 minutes, especially ol’ Bloo from Fosters Home. You just draw a little pac man ghost with little flipper arms, circular eyes, a grin and a straight line at the bottom and you’re done. One might think these designs are very limited because of how minimalist they are with how you can express them, and if you’re feeling particularly like a snobby Jackass you might call it lazy. But in truth these design choices are the most practical you can get as they give you all the essentials of the character with nothing superfluous. First, because of how quickly you can draw them by that very nature they are also SEVERAL times easier to animate, and with the added aid of glorious modern day technology (when it’s not crashing that is) producing high quality entertainment quickly has never been easier. Second, all the essential parts of the character are there. Each character in a show is a distinctive shape not replicated by any other character, meaning that if you were to put them in a silhouette you could easily recognize who is who. Also, the whole art of animation is expressing character and personality through motion, which is where the acting part of the field comes in. Just by mannerisms, typical distinctive poses and even the very nature of their walk cycles we know exactly what kind of person each character from these shows is. We know the Powerpuff Girls are only innocent on the surface level and in truth are actually quite violent and gruesome (unless you’re watching the new horrendous show that completely misses the point of what makes the original so great), we know Bloo from Foster’s Home is a mischievous egotistical little trickster who is always causing trouble and we know Wander is a happy go lucky optimist who only seeks to bring happiness to all. Sometimes the best way to go is to not think too hard about it and let the main points of the character come through with no additions holding them down or distracting from the point.

2. Creative Yet Broad Show Premises

*This is my new favorite Gif*

I have to imagine each one of these shows had beautifully smooth pitches to get them funded (except maybe Powerpuff Girls because of the violence) because they have such imaginative and original premises that can be summed up so quickly to anyone who wants to watch and they leave themselves open to so many different types of stories.

*A boy visits his Imaginary Friend at a Foster Home where he and many other Imaginary Friends go on all sorts of hijinx or adventures, along the way saying goodbye to imaginary friends who find a new home*

or

*a superhero parody where a bunch of seemingly innocent and adorable little girls are actually quite violent and aggressive, and the show plays off of superhero stereotypes while also challenging typical gender roles*

Done. Great simple premise with unique concept not explored before. Take my money.

I’ve said before that it’s important for a show to have an easy to grasp premise, especially for children, because the easier it is to understand the more accessible it is to a larger audience. Plus because of the broad nature of the summary you can tell any kind of story you want between episodes. Premises like these  have story ideas that just write themselves; it’s why the family sitcom of middle class family with idiot father and hot overcompensating wife exist, because everyone can relate to having a family and the dichotomy of a couple where one is the straight man putting up with the ceaseless antics of the other. Wander Over Yonder is a  particularly good example of this because quite honestly all you need to know is “A couple of do-gooders wander the galaxy making new friends and incidentally run into an incompetent arch enemy a lot”. It’s basically just Road Runner but it takes place on a new planet every episode. 

3. Color!!!!

Craig McCracken KNOWS how to use color. It gives all of his shows such a warm inviting feeling because it’s all so bright and either blends nicely or makes decent contrast. This may seem like a minor point, but You’d be amazed how quickly a bad color palette can ruin a show for an audience. the color choices of these shows immediately attract the attention of the viewer with it’s positive vibes and satisfying placement. Plus each character has a color scheme appropriate to their personality (or more accurately they contrast, appropriating a common theme in McCracken’s work; polar opposites hanging out with each other). The goodhearted reasonable and well behaved Mac is red, but his mischievous trouble making fun loving imaginary friend Bloo is, well . . . . blue. The happy-go-lucky Wander is orange, but his logical and pragmatic best friend and steed Sylvia is blue. The leader Blossom is pink, the innocent Bubbles is baby blue and the tough tomboy Buttercup is green. They remain consistent with these choices and much like the contrast of these characters physical appearance it makes it all the more apparent that the characters themselves contrast too.I don’t know what else to say about it, but just TELL me you don’t watch the intro to Fosters Home and get all hyped up in the process!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZiB_S9VpiU

4. Surrealist Humor

One thing you’ll notice about these shows is that they aren’t afraid to be weird, Fosters especially. They take every chance they can get to have something surreal happen only to play it off moments later like it never happened. I think that’s always been a great strength of McCracken’s shows. A huge part of comedy is playing with expectations: nobody ever gets a laugh out of something predictable. But another great and common aspect of comedy is stark, jarring contrast. I once read a WONDERFUL book called The Humor Code by Joel Warner and Peter McGraw, that was all about studying what makes people laugh, and they brought up a theory in the book that comedy is all about violation + benign. Something is jarring to our senses but we quickly find out it’s actually nothing to be afraid of. Hence why being tickled by someone we love makes us laugh: it’s a violation of our personal space, but we know our loved one wouldn’t actually hurt us. But it wouldn’t be funny if we tickled ourselves because it’s not a violation, and it isn’t funny with someone you don’t trust tickles you because the violation isn’t benign. This can also happen in reverse: something that initially lowers our defences turns out to actually be harmful or annoying or bother us in some way. I’m not necessarily saying this is the be all and end all of comedy as it’s only a theory, but I think you could apply it to McCracken’s work. His cartoons are littered with moments where a character does something strange or random or out of the ordinary and nobody bats an eye, or maybe it’ll shift in perspective about how large the situation at hand is. An immediate example that comes to my mind is the episode of Wander where a planet is attacked on a huge scale by a destroyer of planets called “Buster” . . .which actually when you zoom out it turns out it’s an adorable little puppy just playing with a ball. Humor is largely subjective, but if you ask me . . that shit is funny.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ5QRrAosQo

Conclusion

McCracken

 has been making numerous contributions to the field of animation throughout his career and has gained notoriety for the shows under his belt . . and rightfully so. He understands pure and simple what cartoons are all about: simple, down to earth, easy to access entertainment that’s fun and leaves you in a good mood. Some television can be considered junk food like reality tv shows (cheap to produce, quick to make, advertised well but loaded with garbage), and others can be considered fruits and veggies like Breaking Bad or The Simpsons (they make you a better person and challenge your sensibilities), but sometimes all you really need is a light simple snack. One that’s colorful, sweet, and maybe even a little nutritious. McCracken delivers in his work with original premises, accessible characters, bright inviting colors and a delightfully weird sense of humor. God bless ya, Mr. McCracken!

[breeeliss]

[Miraculous Ladybug]: It’s a Match!

one more chapter left after this :)

continuation of my secret santa gift for @neverbetheexpectation​ 

--

[Chapter 1]  [Chapter 2] [Chapter 3]

Link to Archive of Our Own: [AO3]

--

Title: It’s a Match!

Summary: “Oh my God, I just matched with Adrien Agreste, oh my freaking God! Chat!! Chat, come come come! Look look!”

But Chat Noir wasn’t paying her any mind. Because the moment she started screaming about her new match, Chat Noir tried to quickly exit out of his matches page so that he wouldn’t see who popped up. But it was far too late, because right when he blinked, his phone buzzed with an excited message about his new match.

He was not expecting it to be Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

Chapter 4: Date

Adrien realized after the first five minutes of their walk that he sort of forgot what you were supposed to do during a date.

He only ever really went on one date. It was with another model from a photoshoot he did a few months back, and it was only because the girl was being so insistent. She decided on every single location they went to, she clung to him throughout the entire evening, was gushing about three dates in the future, and she almost pulled him into a kiss at the end of the date before Adrien ducked away from it and hurried down the block. Nino assured him that’s not how dates were supposed to go — they were supposed to be fun, no-pressure chances to hang out with someone you liked. If kissing and handholding happened to fall into that, then so be it. It all depended on the person.

Sure that sounded reasonable, but Adrien was trying to figure out how romance was supposed to fit into this. Talking wasn’t a problem for the two of them. Thankfully, Marinette and Adrien were at the very least able to keep a light conversation. Adrien was trying to sneak chocolates away from Marinette and Marinette was running up the block away from him and stuffing as many in her cheeks as she could. It was how they always interacted when they hung out with their friends. But this was a date. Was he allowed to hold her hand? Were chocolates too romantic to bring? Not romantic enough? Should he even be trying to be romantic? Was it alright to kiss her? Adrien thought of taking his cue from her, but so far everything felt normal sans the fact that they dressed up a little more than usual and that they had an itinerary for just the two of them. Not that he minded that, but….he wanted this to be just a little different. He wanted it to feel different. He wanted Marinette to notice the difference.

Adrien tried to remember what Nino told him after an enthusiastic Alya had hung up to go rant to Marinette. “Don’t force things, dude. If something’s meant to happen, it’ll happen. Just make sure you both have fun. That’s what matters.”

He took a huge gulp of air. Nino was right. Just show her a good time. Everything else will fall into place.

They were in the middle of a heated debate about white chocolate — Adrien insisting that it was delicious, and Marinette insisting that it wasn’t even chocolate to begin with — that Marinette didn’t even notice that they stopped in front of a huge building in the middle of the block. She turned around, stared up at the sign at the top of the door, and gaped. “No you didn’t….”

Adrien held the door open for her. “After you, Mademoiselle.”

The arcade he took her to was one that Adrien used to run away to when he was annoyed with his father and asked Chloe to cover for him and tell no one where he went. It was perfect because he could always use his allowance to buy as many tokens as he wanted, win thousands of tickets, and always go home with one of the more expensive prizes, which always left him feeling a bit better. He’d need it since he always came home to a lecture. But as often as he and Marinette bonded over video games, he never ever thought to take the two of them here. Based on the way she was gawking at all of the games, noise, and excitement, Adrien figured this was a long time coming. He nudged her in the arm and grinned. “Down for a little competition?”

Marinette snorted. “You are playing with fire there, buddy.”

Adrien pulled out a few notes of money and waved them in front of her face. “We’ll see.”

He went to the purchase counter and dramatically gave Marinette a bag of fifty tokens a moment later. Her eyes widened at the weight as she hugged them to her chest. “This is so many! Are you trying to blast a whole day here?”

He pointed above her head to the high priced prizes hanging above the counter. “Eh, I’m sort of eyeing that huge Ladybug plush. It’s 120,000 tickets. I think 100 tokens is enough to get that, huh?”

Marinette scoffed. “And what makes you think I’m going to help you get that?”

“Alright, how about this?” Adrien countered. “We both pool together our tickets to get the plush. But the one who wins the most tickets gets to keep it.”

“Okay, I’ll take that bet,” Marinette grinned.

“As an additional challenge though!” he quickly interrupted. “A DDR contest to win additional bragging rights.”

“Well that’s a mistake. You’re going to lose that one. Or are you forgetting the last time the three of you came to my house?”

“Um, I’ve changed since then, Marinette . I have a dance machine in my room, for heaven’s sake.”

She leaned an elbow against the glass counter. “You make it sound as if that’s going to help you.”

“I’ve grown a lot since our last battle,” Adrien replied sagely. “I’ve improved. I’ve been practicing. Waiting .”

“Yeah, you’re still losing.”

“I’ll take that bet.”

“You shouldn’t.”

“Too late.”

“Your funeral.”

Turns out, Adrien wasn’t as good at Dance Dance Revolution as he thought. Oh he broke his high score alright, and for a while the two of them were looking pretty good together. But once Marinette cranked up the difficulty he was a goner. Eventually, he had to stop in the middle of the song, lean back against the bars, and just watch her decimate him with the kind of accuracy that only someone like Ladybug could ever display. He didn’t even feel that bad when she grabbed all of her tickets and waved them in his face with a victorious little smile on her face. Instead he did a gracious bow, chivalrously admitted defeat, and smirked deviously when he jutted his chin toward the old-fashioned arcade games in the corner. “Pac Man. Centipede. Galaga. In that order. Let’s go.”

After an hour, Adrien decided that, no matter what happened between them, he and Marinette were definitely coming back here. She seemed really peeved off that he was beating her scores times three in all of the old arcade games tucked away in the corner. He insisted it was because he had the machines in his room and on the days when he was grounded and bored with watching television, he would play those games for hours at a time, but Marinette would hear none of it. Instead she swore that she would beat him at all of these machines one day and dragged them over to the Mecha Strike game where she knew they would rack up the most tickets.

He didn’t know why, but there was something really charming about seeing her run around the arcade, switching to different games, acting so determined, competitive, and passionate about the little wager Adrien presented her with. A really self indulgent part of him hoped that would be the case because it just made him want to laugh. He’d look at her leaning over a game, her tongue poking out from the corner of her mouth in concentration, and suddenly feel so elated that he didn’t know what else to do with all of the feelings. It got to a point where he sort of forgot he was supposed to be playing games and trying to beat Marinette’s count. Sometimes, when she was really absorbed, he’d just lean against the edge of the machine and watch her play, not seeing a reason to rip his eyes from the sight.

After two and a half hours, the two of them ran up to the counter and slammed their tangled piles of tickets atop the counter. Their eyes were both glued to the ticket counter that the employee was feeding their winnings into, and Marinette immediately jumped up into the air and screamed in victory when Adrien’s count came up 200 short of hers.

She reached up and poked him in the cheeks. “Bragging rights~!”

“Fine, fine,” he grinned. “You win. Bragging rights for the month.”

Marinette winked. “Thank you.”

He bit his lip and felt his face grow warm, but he ignored it in favor of turning back to the counter. “What’s our count?”

“130,000,” the employee responded. “Grab whatever you want.”

Adrien pointed to the Ladybug plush hanging just above their heads. “I believe you won that fair and square.”

Marinette smiled at him as she took the doll from the employee and hugged it to her chest. “Good game, sir,” she teased.

“Makes more sense for you to have it,” Adrien decided. “You scream Ladybug more than I do.”

She raised her brows at the comment, allowing Adrien to meet the stare, but she decided to skim over the comment. “You don’t seem too peeved off that you lost.”

“Why would I be?”

“Wouldn’t anyone?”

“I’m not much of a sore loser.”

“So why make a bet like that if you didn’t care about winning?”

Adrien looked down for a moment, drummed his fingers on the inside of his pocket, and took up her hand in his. “You really underestimate the honor of losing to a lovely lady such as yourself.” He winked before he pressed a kiss to her knuckles, holding her hand there until her face was so flushed it crawled all the way up to her ears.

It may have been a little heavy handed, something that he might have only tried if he were Chat Noir and knew that his theatrics would only be seen as that, but the moment seemed too right. Besides, it wasn’t as if he was acting opposed to himself. This was still him, despite how few opportunities he had to act like this in front of Marinette. He wanted to push things just a little bit, show Marinette the bits and pieces of himself shining through in new and exciting ways in the hopes that she would put two and two together into a gradual realization. He let her hand drop and bit on his lips, suddenly feeling some of her own embarrassment wash over him. Adrien watched as her eyes raked over him quickly, taking in all parts of him as if he had finally done something to make her reevaluate what was in front of her.

Marinette looked like she’d wanted to say something, had suddenly furrowed her brows and bit on the insides of her cheeks, pondering something that Adrien couldn’t guess. He wished he had the courage to just pull her into a quiet corner and just explain everything, but he knew she’d kill him for daring to tell her something to casually, no matter how desperately he wanted her to know. All he could do was stand there, watching the gears begin to creak and move in her head, until he stared at the clock on the far wall and jumped in shock. “Oh, crap. We’re gonna be late!”

“Late?” Marinette asked. She watched him as he stuffed his wallet back into his pocket and grabbed Marinette’s wrist, rushing her to the exit of the arcade. “Wait, we’re going somewhere else?”

“Yup!” Adrien laughed. “We’ve gotta jump on the metro now if we’re gonna catch it before it leaves.”

Marinette was sputtering behind him as they ran through the crowds outside. “Before what leaves?!”

“Don’t worry about it!”

“ Adrien!”

They only just managed to catch the train when it rolled into the station closest to the arcade, and Adrien spent most of the ride laughing through all of Marinette’s guesses for where he was taking her next, refuting one outlandish suggestion after another. It was rather funny because he knew how much both Ladybug and Marinette hated being left out of the loop and not having control of the situation. The only thing he could do was assure her that is was nothing bad, that she was definitely enjoy it, and that she’d just have to patient.

Adrien kept staring down at his watch while they rushed out the station and made their way to the part of the Seine that was right at the base of the Eiffel Tower. It was when they were heading closer to the bank and heading towards where the Bateaux Parisiens boats were docked that Marinette’s mouth fell open and she tapped on Adrien’s shoulder. “Are we going on the boat tours?!”

He turned over his shoulder excitedly and nodded. “Cool, huh?”

After they defeated Le Dessinateur, the topic of boat rides and dates came up during their next patrol. He was telling Ladybug in detail about the date that Le Dessinateur set up for Marinette, and of course it only made sense to him now why it seemed like he was telling her a story that she had heard already before. But either way, Chat Noir was going on and on about how much that akuma must have been in love with her to pull out such a romantic date like that. He’d never been on a boat tour himself, but he heard so many stories of tourists hailing them as romantic hot spots and couples constantly getting engaged on the dinner cruises. Ladybug merely shrugged her shoulders and said that she’d never been on one of the boat tours either, but that if she ever did decide to go on one, she’d be sure to tell him whether all the hype was accurate. What better time to find out then now?

They managed to make it just two minutes before the boat was supposed to leave. Adrien flashed their two tickets and sighed in relief when they were able to board the boat and lean against the rails on the side. It wasn’t long before the bridge to board the boat was removed, and the long ship started gliding along the water. Thankfully, it was still really early in the year and there weren’t too many tourists to crowd the boats, which meant that it was easy for the two of them to get some peace and quiet during the ride.

Marinette pouted as they both leaned their elbows on the rails and looked down at the water. “You didn’t tell me you were going to pay for this much.”

“I mean, it’s honestly no trouble,” Adrien promised. “I save up my allowances and never really get the chance to splurge. This is nothing, I promise.”

“Still,” Marinette sighed. “I don’t want to make you think like you have to cover everything. If you had told me, I would’ve paid for a ticket.”

The wind was picking up and blowing strands of hair out of Marinette’s bun, and he carefully reached up to tuck them back in. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I really just wanted to surprise you. I didn’t mean to be weird.”

She shook her head. “No, it’s not weird, it’s just…” She pursed her lips and hummed. “I guess….I was sort of shocked you’d go through this much trouble. It’s a little surprising is all. A good surprise! I appreciate it, honest I do. But….well, anyway.”

“I get what you mean don’t worry,” Adrien replied. “I just wanted to show you a good time is all. I guess I didn’t really put any thought into all of this being overkill. I was just thinking of making it all fun, you know?”

Marinette nodded. “I understand. And this is fun! I’ve never been on one of these boat tours before. Just….one of those touristy things you never do because you live here and all that.”

Adrien bit his lip and hoped he wasn’t being too obvious. “I heard these things are supposed to be really romantic. You know, people get engaged here all the time and people have their anniversaries here too. I mean, I’ve never been on one of these sightseeing boats before, but I guess I get it.”

“That’s funny,” Marinette chuckled, staring at him from the corner of her eyes. “A good friend of mine said the same thing.”

He tried to make his smile not seem too wide. “Really? What did you tell him?”

Marinette turned his body to face Adrien’s. “That on the off chance I ever wound up on one I’d tell him if it was romantic or not.”

Adrien raised a brow and looked around him. “Well, this seems like as good a time as any.”

“This is true. Although….” She swallowed when he dared take a step closer to her. “I-I, uh….don’t really know what counts as romantic on one of these things. Especially since we know the city so well.”

“Well,” Adrien sighed. “I’ll admit. We’re delving out of my comfort zone. But if the lady wants a romantic boat ride, then the lady will certainly get one.”

Marinette giggled. “How chivalrous of you.”

He made a show of drumming his fingertips against his chin in thought, leaving Marinette a smiling mess beside him. “Got it! Releasing a thousand and one rose petals into the wind right at sunset, standing at the bow of the boat, and letting the smell of the breeze and roses sweep you away into a dashing evening of romance.”

Marinette nodded in approval. “Oh yes, that sounds wonderful. I assume you have the rose petals ready.”

Adrien scoffed. “Of course. They’re merely waiting for my cue.”

“And what else do you have planned?” Marinette teased.

He pointed to the water. “Three dolphins will come jumping right out of the water! They’ll make heart-shaped arcs of water and blow kisses before they dive back down.”

Marinette placed a hand against her heart. “ Dolphins! ” she gasped. “Surely you purchased them on your own?”

“Ah but of course,” Adrien said, turning his nose up. “Trained them myself.”

“And I suppose you have a singing troupe ready to go too.”

“Ah, I almost forgot about the singing troupe! But you’re right! They’re below deck waiting for the right signal.”

Marinette whistled. “My, my. This sounds mighty romantic. You truly are an expert.”

Adrien shrugged. “Just doing my best. But there’s more, you know.”

“Let me guess,” Marinette smirked. “A pair of violinists will come out from the crowd and start playing a song just for the two of us as we stare out at the river, sighing over the sights, and smiling for the future.”

Adrien dipped his head and was feeling his chest ache from all the chortling he was doing, but right when he was about to quip back with another response, he felt someone tap him on his shoulder. An old man with a violin in his hands kindly tipped his hat to Adrien and Marinette and gestured behind him to four other musicians who were leaning against the rails, smiling into their hands and waving at Adrien and Marinette. Adrien raised a brow and tentatively waved back as the older man spoke up. “Apologies, son,” he said. “A few of us couldn’t help but overhear. You wouldn’t mind terribly if we offered a little ambiance? It’d be our pleasure. We could use the practice.”

Adrien furrowed his brows and blinked. “U-Um….I don’t….I mean — ”

The man chuckled and leaned in close to Adrien. “Indulge us a little, eh? You two are a darling couple. Plus what better way to impress a sweet girl like that?”

There wasn’t any time for Adrien to even fashion an intelligible response before the man stepped back, lifted his instrument, and played a high, warbling note before his companions joined in and harmonized with the melody he carried. Two women behind him were still smiling up to their ears at the sight of the two embarrassed teens in front of them, and the old man sent one last wink at Adrien before he turned around to face the crowd that was beginning to form around them. It was a song that Adrien recognized, but couldn’t remember the words to, but it was a calm, light, slow number that warmed him down to his bones. He turned back to Marinette who was looking up at him in shock. She finally let the corner of her mouth quirk up as she moved close enough for the skirt of her dress to brush against his knees, keeping the doll she’d won earlier tucked carefully under her arm. “Did you plan that ?” she asked.

Adrien hesitated before sighing and holding his arms out helplessly. “Cost me a fortune.”

Marinette dipped her head and laughed behind her bangs. She surprised him by taking both his hands in both of hers, swinging them gently back and forth, and staring up at him shyly. “Thanks for this,” she told him. “This was really sweet of you. I’m having fun.”

He swore he could have melted on the spot right there and died happy because that was all he really wanted to hear. Adrien adjusted his grip and rubbed his thumbs on the backs of her knuckles. “You don’t know how much of a relief it is to hear you say that.”

“Why?”

“Are you kidding me?” Adrien said. “I was nervous as heck. I’ve been up for hours just thinking about this. I….well, I don’t go on dates often. Never really planned one before. I wanted to make sure it went well.”

“You shouldn’t worry so much,” Marinette assured him. “Honestly. I really really like the boat ride.”

Adrien grinned hopefully. “Romantic enough?”

“Jury’s still out, but I’m optimistic.”

“I have a feeling your friend will be happy to hear that.”

“Yeah,” Marinette said slowly. “I’m sure he would.”

The rest of the time on their boat was something Adrien could have plucked out of a picture book. They eventually started playing little spying games that lasted for ages and pointing out random passerby to see who could come up with the most elaborate story to fit the person. Eventually, Marinette was leaning her cheek against his shoulder, laughing through his dramatic stories of espionage and tumultuous romance based purely off of a simple flower shopkeeper. Adrien even convinced her into a long string of selfies with the buildings and river as the backdrop because they owed their friends and her parents pictures. Every now and again, the group of musicians would stop and start playing more songs during the ride, letting the music lilt gently in the background and make Adrien feel this strange lethargic sense of contentment that he supposed could only really come from staring out at a river, only an hour before sunset, listening to beautiful music, and letting a beautiful girl lean her head on his shoulder. It was strangely addicting, so much so that he wished rather belatedly that he’d bought off five more tickets so that they could just keep going up and down the river for hours, long after the sun went down, long after the rest of the passengers had left for their homes.

He initially had every intentions to take Marinette home once they reached the end of the route, but he realized that when they got off the boat a couple of hours later, they were right on the bank that he and Ladybug used to frequent a lot whenever they decided to skip rocks across the river. It was an intimate little pastime the two of them indulged in, a time where they screamed frustrations out at each other, rambled on and on about worries and fears until there was nothing left to say, leaving them in nothing but the sounds of stones skipping across the water and finally dipping down deep with a final thlunk. Adrien didn’t want to go home just yet, so he asked Marinette if she was a fan of skipping rocks, and was relieved when she answered yes.

They stopped by a park a couple of blocks away and walked along the path, trying to find flat stones that were good for skipping. All the while Adrien was making a show of jumping behind bushes and rolling under benches to try to find what he quoted as “the perfect skipping stones.” He left Marinette practically suffocating from hysterics as she held her Ladybug doll to her face and tried to muffle her laughter. He was sure they looked like a strange sight — two teenagers with literal armfuls of stones walking towards the river — but it seemed to Adrien at least that they were running off with their own little inside joke and it made him giddy that Marinette was willing to indulge him.

They stood at the very edge of the river where a few people were still sitting and dangling their legs over the water. The two of them left their things a few feet away from them right along the edge of the walkway as they piled their stones at their feet. Just like he figured, Marinette was much better at it than he was. He kept betting silly things like all the notes in his wallet, his entire collection of Japanese films, all the Gabriel suits in his closet, and a month of his servitude that he would be able to skip his rock farther than hers, but as long as it kept Marinette happy Adrien didn’t mind making himself look like a fool.

“You keep throwing the stones weird,” she finally told him, wiping away hysterical tears from her eyes. “Like you flick your wrist all strange.”

“Really?” Adrien pouted. “Thought for sure I was getting better….”

Marinette scratched her head. “No, I mean, it’s funny you….you throw it just like a friend of mine does. You do it at a weird angle so your stone just sinks the moment you throw it.”

“Huh,” Adrien thought, trying to keep a knowing smile off his face. “Common mistake I guess.”

“You would think,” Marinette snorted. She turned a stone in her hand and mimed a throw. “Hold it just like this. And don’t flick it so hard.”

Adrien sucked on his bottom lip and stared out at the river. He stared at Marinette’s hands one more time, waited until she nodded in approval at his hand positioning and tried his best to flick it just a little more gently than he had been doing before. He got excited when it skipped three times, but then it promptly sunk deep into the river and disappeared.

“Agh,” Adrien complained. “Well. One more than last time.”

Marinette nudged him with her elbow. “You’re kinda bad at this.”

“I’ll get better eventually,” he promised. “As often as I’m here doing this, I have to eventually get really good. That’s how practice works.”

Marinette cast out another stone, making Adrien whistle when it skipped six times. “Didn’t know you come here a lot.”

“I have a friend that’s really good at it,” Adrien explained. “She took me here one time when we were bored and I guess it’s just sort of become a habit between the two of us. It’s really fun at night. There’s usually no one around and we can be as loud as we want, say what what we want.”

Adrien eyed Marinette carefully when she answered him. “....sounds nice. I can definitely see why that’s relaxing.”

“It is!” Adrien agreed. “She was actually the one that got me into it. Wasn’t a huge fan of it at first.”

Marinette tapped her flat stone against the palm of her hand and glanced at him warily. “Why’s that?”

“I guess I just thought it was really boring when I first tried it,” he began to explain. “I’m always used to being busy and using my free time to do something productive like study and plan the rest of my week. So I guess doing something so aimless felt really silly at first, even if it was meant to be relaxing. But, the way she explained it to me made a lot of sense.”

She was turned completely towards him now, paying more attention to his story than the stones at her feet. “What was that?”

Adrien squinted at the river, threw another stone, and watched it skip four times. He pumped his fist and grinned. “I guess that….that it’s okay to take breaks and do something mindless once in awhile. Not everything has to have a use, a purpose, or an explanation. Sometimes things like….I dunno….like a DDR contest or skipping rocks at sunset only ever has to be that. Or sometimes you don’t have to think for hours about all the implications and consequences of asking someone out. Maybe you just do it because you want to and because it feels right. Simplicity can be its own kind of excitement you know?”

There was silence between the two of them after he finished, and Adrien was too scared to see the look on Marinette’s face. He could tell that she was frozen, her eyes still on him as he skipped more rocks by himself, but there was no way he was willing to look at her face and see her expression just yet. The air felt too tense and Adrien sort of wanted to apologize just to fill up the space. But Marinette beat him by clearing her throat, drumming her nails against the stone in her hands, and saying quietly, “....I told you that.”

Adrien tried to sound casual. “What?”

“Simplicity can be its own kind of excitement. It’s okay to do something mindless. Not everything has to have meaning,” Marinette repeated. “ I told you all that. Remember?”

Adrien clenched his teeth to keep himself from smiling, and inhaled deeply to try and sober up his expression. He finally turned his head to look at her, and she was staring up at him imploringly, almost as if she were begging him for an answer, as if that answer was more important than anything that had happened today. He shook his head, though, and said, “When?”

“A-A few weeks ago,” she began tentatively. “It was over lunch. You were complaining about your father cramming your schedule full again for the year. It was when we were reminding you to break your routine and take breaks from it for a while. And then I….” Marinette sighed out and frowned. “I told you all of that. Because I-I….I was worried about you. You remember that, don’t you?”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Right, right,” he finally decided. “I remember it now. That was the day I went to my father and lightened my load a little. Because you suggested it to me.”

Marinette nodded. “Exactly.”

“Sorry, I guess I remembered it wrong for a minute,” Adrien apologized. “It’s really easy to mix you and my other friend together in my head I guess. You both sound really alike.”

Marinette breathed in sharply, but said nothing in response. There was no way to know what was going on in her head, and Marinette didn’t seem like she wanted to share. Chat Noir always knew when Ladybug was pondering something serious when she stayed quiet for extremely long stretches of time, mouthing things to herself, and staying in her own head until she’d come to a decision or was sure about what she wanted to say. Adrien could tell Marinette was doing the same exact thing, scowling at herself and muttering very quiet things under her breath as she finally released the stone she’d been holding. He wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad sign — if it meant she was annoyed he’d forgotten, if she figured something out, if she finally knew, or if she was very close to knowing. There wasn’t any of the unbelievable and outlandish shock that Adrien had been expecting, and if anything this made him even more anxious. He didn’t know how he was supposed to act now, didn’t know where to push their conversation to save the mood of the day.

Adrien looked down and saw they only had a handful of stones left. “Want to finish throwing these and head home? It’s starting to get late.”

“O-Oh, yeah,” Marinette assured, still looking distracted. “I’ll text Maman that we’re on our way.”

The metro back to Marinette’s house was quiet. They caught two seats next to each other towards the back of the car, and the moment they sat down Marinette leaned her head on Adrien’s shoulder and dozed off for the entire ride. Adrien was on his phone, sorting through all of the photos they’d taken on the boat, reminding himself to text them to her when he had the chance. He stopped on his favorite — one where the lighting was just right, with Marinette’s arms wrapped around his waist, her cheek pressed against his — and made it his background.

Luckily, the station was only a couple of short blocks from the bakery. Marinette was clinging to his arm, leaving Adrien amused. “Tired?”

She hummed into the fabric of his shirt. “I usually nap on the weekends and catch up on sleep. I’m tired….”

“Don’t worry, I can see the the bakery right now. You can sleep until noon tomorrow just like you want.”

When they got closer to the door of the bakery — all the lights shut off for the evening — Marinette didn’t let go of his arm. Instead she turned around and pulled him with her until her back was pressed against the door and Adrien was standing incredibly closer and looking down at her. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Marinette said. “Just don’t want to say bye yet.”

Adrien bit his lip when her hands settled on the crooks of his elbows. He clenched his fingers before slowly moving his hands towards her hips, letting his hands grip the fabric of the dress. “Your parents are expecting you.”

“Just five minutes.”

He snorted and figured that he might as well follow her lead. Marinette’s hands were creeping up his arms, resting on his shoulders, before they wrapped gently around his neck. Adrien dared to take a step closer to her until their noses were only several centimeters apart. It felt like the right time to do something — to close the space or drag his hands elsewhere or move his gaze — but he had no idea what he should’ve been trying. Instead he swallowed audibly. “Are you alright, by the way? You were quiet on the way home.”

She nodded. “I’m fine. Just….thinking.”

“About what?”

“Lots of things.”

“Nothing bad I hope,” he muttered in the space between their lips.

“No,” Marinette whispered. “They’re confusing things, is all. I’m not sure what to do with it all.”

“Confusing?”

“Mmhm,” she hummed, feeling her fingers brush along the skin on the back of his neck. “You confuse me.”

Adrien moved his hands to curl around her waist. “Why?”

“Because I don’t know what you’re thinking. It feels like there’s something you want to say, but I’m not quite sure what it is. I only have guesses.”

A part of him really wanted to ask her what sort of guesses she had, and what sort of questions and confusions she was trying to answer, but he was far too wound up and nervous to dare ask the question outright. “I don’t know what I mean either,” he answered honestly. “I’m good with words, not with saying what I mean.”

Marinette smirked. “I had a feeling that was the case.”

“Why?”

“No reason. Just a feeling.”

Adrien suddenly felt his heart start to pound faster, either do to nerves, excitement, or their sheer proximity. “I guess I have to get better about that. I’m pretty sure you don’t want to end a date and leave the other person confused.”

“Everything was perfect, don’t worry,” she assured him. “I’m happy. It was a wonderful date. 10/10.”

“The raving review is appreciated.”

Marinette flicked him in the nose and left him beaming. She licked her lips for a moment, let her eyes dart to his mouth, and quickly pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Thank you.”

Adrien felt his cheek warm right where her lips used to be and took a few seconds to find his voice again. “It was my pleasure.”

When Marinette pulled away from the kiss, it left their mouths just a little bit closer. Adrien wasn’t sure what the decorum was about kisses on the first date, but they were already here, Marinette wasn’t moving away, and it would really be so simple to just lean in a touch and indulge in the small pleasure. He desperately wanted to do it. He could feel Marinette curling her fingers into the hair on the back of his neck, pulling herself up gently on her toes, pulling him in with a sort of urgency that he knew meant she wouldn’t mind if he did decide to do it. Adrien exhaled, and Marinette mimicked him, his warm breath furling across his skin. He was so close to leaning in and closing the distance, Marinette’s fingers already curling tighter into his hair out of anticipation, but a ringtone sounded loudly in the silence and shocked them apart.

Adrien felt like he’d suddenly been submerged in cold water as Marinette fiddled around in her purse and silenced her cell phone. She pursed her lips. “It’s Maman. I should probably go upstairs.”

“Y-Yeah,” Adrien said. “That sounds like a good idea.”

He took a reluctant four steps away from her and clapped his hands together. “Well. I guess, I’ll just head home then.”

“Oh wait,” Marinette said. “Share your location with me? So that I know you get home alright.”

“I’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

“I know. But my parents will no doubt ask, and I’d rather show them proof.”

Adrien chuckled, pulled out his phone, and tapped around a bit until Marinette got a notification on her phone. “Alright, there you go. I’ll even text you when I get home, okay?”

“Okay.” She picked up her arcade prize from the ground and hugged it to her chest. “Good night, Adrien,” she told him. “Get home safe.”

Adrien grinned, and decided to go for one last Hail Mary as bent down into a gentlemanly bow. “Good night, my Lady.”

He didn’t wait around to see Marinette’s expression or to hear her response. He quickly turned around and made his way down the block towards his own house, refusing to speed up until he heard the sound of the bakery door shutting behind him in the distance.