#cape town stadium

[thepastisalreadywritten]

[dream-world-universe]

Table mountain & Stadium, Cape town, South Aferica: Table Mountain is a flat-topped mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Town in South Africa. It is a significant tourist attraction, with many visitors using the cableway or hiking to the top. Wikipedia

[afrotumble]

[bysisandamgedezi]

Rugby players warming up before the game. DHL Cape Town Stadium 01-03-2023.

[world-of-wales]

Table Mountain and Cape Town Stadium lit up in honour of the 2024 Earthshot Prize Awards in Cape Town, South Africa || 4 NOVEMBER 2024

[kvetchlandia]

Peter Hujar Poet Anne Waldman c.1975

That all these dyings may be life in death”

I was living in San Francisco

My heart was in Manhattan

It made no sense, no reference point

Hearing the sad horns at night,

fragile evocations of female stuff

The 3 tones (the last most resonant)

were like warnings, haiku-muezzins at dawn

The call came in the afternoon

“Frank, is that really you?”

I'd awake chilled at dawn

in the wooden house like an old ship

Stay bundled through the day

sitting on the stoop to catch the sun

I lived near the park whose deep green

over my shoulder made life cooler

Was my spirit faltering, grown duller?

I want to be free of poetry's ornaments,

its duty, free of constant irritation,

me in it, what was grander reason

for being? Do it, why? (Why, Frank?)

To make the energies dance etc.

My coat a cape of horrors

I'd walk through town or

impending earthquake. Was that it?

Ominous days. Street shiny with

hallucinatory light on sad dogs,

too many religious people, or a woman

startled me by her look of indecision

near the empty stadium

I walked back spooked by

my own darkness

Then Frank called to say

“What? Not done complaining yet?

Can't you smell the eucalyptus,

have you never neared the Pacific?

‘While frank and free/call for

musick while your veins swell’”

he sang, quoting a metaphysician

"Don't you know the secret, how to

wake up and see you don't exist, but

that does, don't you see phenomena

is so much more important than this?

I always love that.”

“Always?” I cried, wanting to believe him

“Yes.” “But say more! How can you if

it's sad & dead?” “But that's just it!

If! It isn't. It doesn't want to be

Do you want to be?” He was warming to his song

“Of course I don't have to put up with as

much as you do these days. These years.

But I do miss the color, the architecture,

the talk. You know, it was the life!

And dying is such an insult. After all

I was in love with breath and I loved

embracing those others, the lovers,

with my body.” He sighed & laughed

He wasn't quite as I'd remembered him

Not less generous, but more abstract

Did he even have a voice now, I wondered

or did I think it up in the middle

of this long day, phone in hand now

dialing Manhattan

-- Anne Waldman, "A Phonecall from Frank O'Hara"

[sunflowervoltwentyeight]

Hello! This is a fic rec of my all-time favorite fics. These fics have really stuck with me over the years, and I've read many of them multiple times. This is an ongoing fic rec, that I will continue to update. These fics are organized by word count from longest to shortest. You can view my other fic recs here. Enjoy!

Of Mates and Men by bananaheathen / @bananaheathen (630k)

In which, Louis and Harry meet as best men for their best friends' wedding... well... sort of.

Or, the one where Harry's just moved back from New York and Louis doesn't believe in romance.

Or, I guess... the one where Zayn and Liam are getting married.

Hiding Place by orphan_account (365k)

Louis never wanted a soulmate, didn’t really care for the whole Bonding thing at all, really. Enter Harry Styles, who’s wanted to be Bonded for as long as he could remember. With one fateful meeting in an X Factor bathroom, Louis gets a dagger on his arm and the realization that just because Harry is his soulmate doesn’t mean it’s mutual.

From the X Factor house to Madison Square Garden, from the Fountain Studios stage to stadiums across the world, Louis has to learn to love without losing himself completely, because someday his best friend will Bond to someone and replace Louis as the center of his universe. Meanwhile, Harry begins to think that maybe fate doesn’t actually know what it’s doing after all, because his other half has clearly been right in front of him the whole time. All he has to do now is convince Louis to give them a chance.

Or, the canon compliant Harry and Louis love story from the very beginning, where the only difference is that the love between them is literally written on their skin, and there’s only so much they can hide.

You Can Hear It In The Silence by imogenelee / @imogenleefic (234k)

When Harry Styles was accepted into a post-grad degree, he knew he could no longer afford his flat, leaving him with three options: 1) Move back into student halls. 2) Become homeless. 3) Move in with his best (and only) friend, Niall, and three of Niall's other mates. He went with the third option. But it was a close race. Shame one of his roommates reminded him why he only has one friend. If there is one thing Louis Tomlinson can't stand, it's pretentious tossers, having grown up around enough of them. If there is one thing he can't live without, it would be his friends. So he was proper thrilled to move in with his best mates and a couple of other lads. That was until he discovered one of them was the archetype for a pretentious tosser.

In the interest of seeing out the twelve-month lease without killing each other, they both try (debatable) to get along despite believing they are opposite in almost every conceivable way, each having the communication skills of a cucumber, and secrets that have no business be kept secret.

One More Time Again by orphan_account (232k)

Harry looks down to where Louis is cradling his hand between his own. Louis' hands are slender, the bones delicate, the nails bitten short. The 2-8 on the backs of his fingers is gone, but the faded scar from a skateboarding mishap in Year 7 is still there.

Harry's hand is awkward, knobby-boned and naked, no rings, no tattoos. It's too big for his wrist and his wrist too big for his arm. Yet it still somehow fits in Louis' in the painfully perfect way it always did.

He blinks back the sting in his eyes.

On the morning of his second sold-out performance at Madison Square Garden, Harry wakes up to find that he's sixteen years old, on The X Factor, and that he has a chance to make things right.

A canon-compliant fix-it fic (sort of).

Stranger Stars by shaylea (212k)

Five years ago, Africa offered a grieving Louis Tomlinson an escape from an England he couldn't tolerate. Now it's become home as he leads overland tours across the continent with his best friend and driver Zayn Malik. What's meant to be just another ordinary six-week trip from Cape Town to Nairobi turns into anything but, when future lawyer/current photographer and songwriter Harry Styles and his friends join Louis' latest set of passengers.

Given A Chance by fabby / @fabby1d (173k)

Five years after One Direction took their last tour, the last thing Louis Tomlinson ever expected to happen while on a tea run at the local Piggly Wiggly was to run into his ex-boyfriend and ex-bandmate Harry Styles.

The odds of them ever running into each other again had to be super slim, right?

Wrong.

What happens when you mix ex-boyfriends with a large serving of Small Town America? Will Louis and Harry be able to set aside their differences, or will Louis be able to stay breezy as fuck in the wake of Harry’s arrival?

(or, the one where Louis and Harry run into each other five years after One Direction ends and learn how to love each other again. Featuring: Reggie as the overweight labrador, Niall as Louis’ last grip on reality, and Nowheresville, North Carolina as the setting for Louis’ worst nightmare to come true.)

The Wonderlands by stylinsoncity /  @aliensingucci (150k)

"Somewhere between chaos and control — these are the wonderlands."

Harry's daughter, Andy, is signed to Louis' girl band. Her path to success is marked by competition, chaos, and for Harry, a love affair.

As You Are by Zarah5 (139k)

AU. Five years after The X Factor launched his career as a radio host and songwriter, Louis Tomlinson returns as a judge. Falling for a contestant is the last thing he needs. It's also against his contract.

The only reason Harry auditions for The X Factor is because his best mate signed the two of them up as some kind of joke. Harry doesn't get the big deal—not until he's faced with this season's judges and realises that one of them used to be his desperate, impossible teenage crush.

Unbelievers by isthatyoularry / @isthatyoularry (136k)

It’s Louis’ senior year, and he’s dead set on doing it right. However, along with his pair of cleats, a healthy dose of sarcasm and his ridiculous best friend, he’s also got a complicated family, a terrifyingly uncertain future, and a mortal enemy making his life just that much worse. Mortal enemies “with benefits” was not exactly the plan.

Or: The one where Louis and Harry definitely aren’t friends, and football is everything.

Empty Skies  by green_feelings / @greenfeelings (134k)

For three years, Harry has been running from his past. Now, he is moving to London and pledges to fulfil his only dream – making it big in the music industry. Not everyone has a place, though, and the competition is tough. As is his past catching up on him.Louis is part of the biggest boy band of the world, and getting there had meant a lot of hard work, as well as sacrificing parts of his heart and soul. He’s still happy. Maybe not as happy as he could be, but who is he to complain?

Let's Fall in Love in a Place You Want to Stay by embro (134k)

A George of the Jungle / Tarzan AU where Louis is a model who meets Wild Man Harry in the Congo. He was raised by apes and barely speaks a word of English and turns Louis' life upside down.

Love Is A Rebellious Bird by 100percentsassy, Gloria_Andrews / @gloriaandrews (134k)

AU in which the boys still make music. Louis is the concertmaster of the London Symphony Orchestra, Harry is the New! and Exciting! interim conductor/ex-cello prodigy who "has made Mozart cool again" according to Esquire Magazine (Louis hates him immediately, which is definitely why he internet stalked him in his dark bedroom late at night that one time), and Niall is the best. Zayn and Liam are around too.

Don't hum Bolero.

Oxford AU Series by stylinsoncity / @aliensingucci (130k)

Come As You Are  (77k) “I think it could be like this all the time,” Harry says. “I know it doesn’t make sense but I think you should consider it. I could make you happy if you let me.” louis is a professor of literature at oxford and harry is his newest and most eager protege. both are caught in a story about forbidden love, loss and second chances, in which one is on the brink of heartbreak and the other comes along when he's needed most. Overwhelmingly You (47k) more reflections post-oxford. Notes on Oxford (5k) glimpses at life before, during and beyond oxford, in no particular order

Wild Love bypurpledaisy / @harrydaisy (130k)

“Good,” Julia says, clearly pleased to have them both uncomfortable and unable to look at each other. “Now, I only have one more question before you can go. What are you planning to do when this experiment ruins your friendship?”

“We said we’d stay friends no matter what,” Harry says smoothly, his chin lifting in defense.

“That was our one thing going into it,” Louis agrees. “Stay friends no matter what.”

Julia raises a perfectly manicured brow, “That’s all fine and good. But I hope you realize your emotions aren’t going to realize this is an experiment in the end. If one of you falls for the other and finds out those feelings are not reciprocated, you’re not going to be able to laugh it off as a social experiment. I’m not saying you shouldn’t do this, I’m just hoping you’ve considered all of the possible outcomes.”

- AU: Two best friends try to date each other for forty days. It’s supposed to be fun until emotions make it complicated.

After All These Years byLifeInAColorWheel (127k)

It’s been seven years since One Direction went on hiatus and it’s been eight years since Louis and Harry broke up. They’ve been strangers to one another since then.

But, over the course of a weeklong boys’ trip, history between Harry and Louis resurfaces.

Or,

The one when Louis and Harry don’t talk, connect again years later, and reflect on why their love collapsed.

Wild and Unruly by 100percentsassy, Gloria_Andrews / @gloriaandrews (123k)

Harry is a cowboy sitting on the biggest oil reservoir in Wyoming, and Louis is the paralegal assigned to pressure him into selling his land.

I'll Fly Away by juliusschmidt / @juliusschmidt (122k)

Harry and Louis grew up together in Lake County, Harry with his mom and stepdad in a tiny cottage on Edward’s Lake and Louis in his family’s farmhouse a few minutes down the road. But after high school, Louis stuck around and Harry did not; Harry went to Chicago where he found a boyfriend and couple of college degrees. Six years later, Harry ends up back in Edwardsville for the summer and he and Louis fall into old patterns and discover new ones.

ft. One Direction, the local boyband; Horan’s Bar and Grill; families, most especially children and babies; Officer Liam Payne; many local festivals and fireworks displays; and Anne Cox, PFLAG President.

Bitter Tangerine by purpledaisy / @daisyharry (119k)

Maybe it’s Niall, he reasons to calm his storming heart. Maybe he’s not actually gone for the holidays yet, maybe Harry got the dates confused. Slowly, he holds his breath and pushes the kitchen door open. The first thing he sees make him jump, a wooden spoon held out like a sword. Once his brain processes the sight in front of him, it’s less the sword that gets him than who is attached to the wooden spoon.

“Harry,” the swordsmen speaks before Harry can, his voice low and steady though confusion laces each word.

Harry’s breath catches. Every string around his heart, all the protection he spent nine months building, rips out and tears open all at once as he says, “Hi Louis.”

-

AU: Nine months after they break up, a twist of fate brings Harry and Louis back together at Christmas.

Never Be by cherrystreet / @cherrystreet (117k)

Monica: You've got to see her again.Ross: And why do you care so much?Monica: Because! You could get to live out my fantasy!Ross: You had fantasies about Emily?Monica: No! Y’know, the fantasy! Meet someone from a strange land, fall madly in love, and spend the rest of your lives together.  

The one where Harry Styles moves to Connecticut from England for nine months as a part of a study abroad program, and he just so happens to move in with Louis Tomlinson and family.

Burn to Ash by bethaboo (116k)

Harry is sitting there, so fucking casual, and Louis realizes in a split second he was not ready. When Harry walked out in Detroit and never looked back, he was a boy verging on a man, still only twenty years old, but there's a man in his place now. Hard and resolute, yes, but still, for the first time in a long time, Louis can kind of see the old Harry in him. The soft, directness of his gaze, the hesitant smile he gives to Lou, the way he wrings his ridiculously large hands in his lap.

He's a little bit the eager sixteen year old puppy dog again, his innocence and sweetness resurrected miraculously, and Louis freezes in place. He was prepared to face the asshole Harry. He was prepared to meet a whole new Harry.

Louis is not prepared to meet one of the old incarnations of Harry, and it absolutely tears him up.

Or the fic where Harry spirals out of control, the band breaks up, and then he shows back up, five years later.

Mine Would Be You by crinkle-eyed-boo / @crinkle-eyed-boo (114k)

Louis blinks his eyes open, his eyelids fluttering as the room swims around him. He takes several gulps of beer once he confirms that he’s definitely not hallucinating, that the very first portrait Harry Styles ever painted of him is hanging on that wall.

Louis stares at the wall, his heart jackrabbiting in his chest as he realizes that there’s not just one painting of him, there’s five, the portraits lined up like they’re some sort of storyboard depicting the rise and fall of his deepest love. His greatest heartache. A pain that cut him so deep that he left the fucking country, severing all ties with his life in New York, now suddenly surrounding him as if he’d never left.

Fucking shit motherfucker fuck.

Louis returns to New York City five years after he left it – and the love of his life – behind. He didn’t intend to see Harry again, but fate has a funny way of pulling them together, whether they like it or not. After making a begrudging truce, they both start to wonder: Would it be so bad if history repeated itself?

Tired Tired Sea by mediawhore / @mediawhorefics (113k)

As a B&B owner on the most remote of all the British Isles, Louis Tomlinson is used to spending the coldest half of the year in complete isolation, with his dog and the sea as sole companions. Until, one day, a mysterious stranger on a quest to rebuild himself rents a room for the winter.

Babydoll Blues by devilinmybrain / @thedevilinmybrain (111k)

Louis is a high profile, filthy rich label executive who has the world at his feet - a music god.. Harry is the sugar baby trying to make a name for himself singing in shady bars and hanging off the arm of Louis' biggest rival. What Louis wants, Louis gets. But what if the game gets too hot and hits a little too close to the heart?

To Haunt a Heart by etherealbliss / @givesuethemoon (110k)

A high-profile double homicide in the quiet, small town of Ashford, WA sends shockwaves through the public. Louis, the lead detective assigned to the case, is headstrong, earnest, and desperate to prove himself. Harry, the widow of one of the victims, is insufferably rich, wears far too many vintage dressing gowns, and is desperate to prove he’s not guilty.

Their desperation unexpectedly blossoms into something beautiful behind closed doors, amidst the ticking time bomb of a slowly unravelling mystery that the two soon find themselves deeply entwined in.

The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by kingsofeverything / @kingsofeverything (103k)

Louis’ life is steady and calm, moored by his marriage, and tied to his hometown, but after a chance encounter with another man, it’ll never be the same.

Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose by certainsadness (103k)

“There’s something so great about watching you interact with art,” Harry said quietly. “Like, when you were giving the tour, you were just so you, and so happy and excited and funny and engrossing. But then when you’re looking at the art, when it’s, like, just for you, you get so quiet and observant.” He pressed a kiss to Louis’s shoulder. “But you still seem so you, and so happy. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen you as happy as you’ve been tonight.” He kissed his shoulder again. “As you are right now.” A shiver went up Louis’s back. “I’m happy when I’m with you,” he said.

Or, Louis loved art and Harry was a masterpiece.

Emperor's New Clothes by sunsetmog / @magicalrocketships (92K)

The fact that Louis’s most precious belonging was a cat with a face like thunder and an uncanny ability to cover every single inch of Louis’s clothing with cat hair was something that Louis chose not to think about too much.

or: Harry’s a pop star and Louis isn’t, and there’s a non-disclosure agreement where there used to be a relationship.

Behavioural Ecology by turtlekz / @turtlekz (81k)

Louis Tomlinson is a primatologist working with the Jane Goodall Institute for primate conservation; and Harry Styles is the photojournalist sent from National Geographic to write a piece promoting awareness about the endangered species. They meet, and love is never, ever simple, as we know.

Featuring Eli the chimpanzee, bickering humans, storytelling, and five men who come to gain an understanding of what it means to be human; all stationed in the Republic of the Congo.

Do Not Go Gentle by afirethatcannotdie / @afirethatcannotdie (70k)

“This is all a game to you, isn’t it? Well, it’s not for me. This is a real life or death situation,” Louis says, spitting the words at him. “And I just don’t think you’re cut out for it.”

For a moment, they stare at each other in complete silence. Harry can feel his blood thrumming between his ears, can see Louis glaring at him, feels red-hot anger. And then all he feels, oppressively and desperately, is lust.

Suddenly Louis is surging up to him to press his lips against Harry’s. Harry walks the two of them backwards, pressing Louis back against the door. Louis oomphs in surprise and brings his hands under Harry’s scrub top, scratching at his lower back.

“Lock — oh — lock the… fucking door,” Louis mutters.

When Harry Styles starts his first day as a surgical intern, he expects a lot of things: to treat patients, to observe a surgery, to feel a bit overwhelmed. What he definitely doesn't expect, however, is that the handsome guy he kicked out of his bed this morning is also an intern.

A Grey’s Anatomy AU where tensions are high, Harry and Louis are hooking up in secret, and no one has time for love. Or do they?

To the Ends of the Earth by stylinsoncity / @aliensingucci (68k)

During a yearlong hiatus, Louis visits Harry at his cabin in Idaho, where long-buried feelings ignite like the fire keeping them warm.

A Yuzu Grows in Brooklyn by stylinsoncity / @aliensingucci (66k)

Harry is a recent implant in new york and a young chef opening a restaurant called yuzu. louis, a music teacher and broadway lover, has been around the block for a while. in a city that's so fast-paced, they're slow to catch on to each other.

The Dark and the Dentist by sunshiner / @theprizeofcoolness (66k)

“I know this song,” Louis whispers, and Harry has to lean his ear toward him to pick up what he’s saying. “It was written for people to dance to it. We should be dancing.” We can’t, Harry almost spits, but it’d be stupid of him. Louis knows they can’t. Even if he looks like any regular Parisian in their twenties, and Harry looks like any hipster Parisian in their twenties, they can’t anyway. To be fair, they probably wouldn’t do it even if they were out. But if they were two uni students, both in Paris for an exchange, meeting over fallen books at the library, or because of mutual friends, or watching Monet’s Water Lilies? “How would we dance?” Harry murmurs, mouth almost pressed to Louis’ cheek, so close he can feel his warmth. What a picture they must make, two millionaires freezing in a park and dreaming of a different life.

An account of the events of November 2014. Canon-compliant.

Time Passed by coffinofachimera (66k)

Louis struggles with their relationship as Harry grows into his identity.

Outwit, Outplay, Outlast by dancesongsoul, lookatyourchoices (60k)

“Tommo and Harry are gonna do it. I don’t know when, but they’re gonna do it. They’ve got the mattress, the pillows, everything’s in place, and they’re gonna do it. I really wish those two the best of luck.” –Taylor Swift, "Chapera"

Or a Survivor All-Stars AU in which Harry and Louis are just in this game to win the million dollars, but they end up with something better.

Featuring Harry's yellow swim shorts, Louis in snapbacks, and OT5 shenanigans.

No One Does It Better by nodibs (49k)

Harry’s an alcoholic and Louis is a bartender. The first time they meet isn’t the first time they’ve met.

Sail Away With Me by star_henderson / @star-henderson (47k)

“It’s inhumane putting four blokes in one cabin.” Louis stripped off and climbed up into his top bunk. “And why did we get the smelliest twat on the whole ship and bore of the century?”

Harry shrugged. “We clearly pissed someone off along the way.”

Louis snorted softly. “Who do I have to bend over for to get us an upgrade?”

Harry barked out a laugh. “If only it were that simple.” He rolled his eyes wistfully at Louis.

“The only way I’m going to get a two berth is to throw Payno overboard and be next in line for the deputy cruise director's job.” Louis leaned up on one elbow to look over at Harry. “Would you help me weigh his body down so I don’t go to jail?”

“Only If I can share your cabin.” Harry shuffled about, tucking the duvet between his legs, sweeping his hair up into a bun and securing it in a band. “I’m not being an accessory to murder and then still having to share with them two, no fucking way.”

Or

Louis and Harry are part of the entertainment team on board a luxury cruise liner. They hate sharing their four berth cabin with two other guys and would do anything to get a cabin of their own. One drunken night the solution was simple. They'd just get married...

Be My Little Good Luck Charm by 100percentsassy (34k)

In which Harry is a promising amateur golfer making his debut at the PGA Championship, and Louis is a Sky Sports anchor who would really rather be commentating on footie.

The other boys are around too: caddy!Niall provides victory pints, Liam is Louis's Very Serious co-anchor, and poor Zayn just gets his face drawn on.

Have You Coming Back Again by whoknows (31k)

It’s five o’clock in the morning. Louis has a lecture at half eight. He could be using this time to study or to do his readings or to go to the gym, but - well. He doesn’t have any exams coming up, he’s not going to his seminar today anyway and he hates the gym.

Instead he’s using this time to fuck with Harry Styles’ poor little brain.

Louis jogs across the street and jabs the key into the car door. It opens easily, not that he was expecting anything else. He copied the key for a reason, after all.

He’s got Harry’s schedule memorized, more because the guy keeps following him around than anything, so he doesn’t bother looking around before climbing behind the wheel and setting his bag on the passenger seat. It’s a Monday, which means that Harry doesn’t even get out of bed before noon unless he’s planning on harassing Louis.

Loved By Your Mother by superglass / @gaymoustache (31k)

Harry stretches out like Venus with her lover, growing sleepy in the late afternoon light with a baby growing inside her. Perhaps not literally, not physically. Not exactly.

or

Harry struggles to come to terms with wanting to have children, and what that means for their relationship. Canon compliant, set a few years into the future

[firedragon1321]

Note- This post is edited. Reason is at the end. Please reblog the edited version as the original is unintentionally albiest.

I joke and laugh about Leon Pokemon being a dummy idiot (affectionate). He can't even find his way to the largest building in a city without assistance. But. Like. I started thinking about all the ways Chairman Rose took advantage of that over the years. Telling Leon what to say. How to act. Who to be. To say nothing of the sponsors on his cape. How much power do they have over Leon's persona? Where does he end and they begin?

And THEN I thought about how the League works in Galar. It's just...a much bigger thing than elsewhere in the Pokemon world. Simple gym battles take place in massive stadiums. How many of these battles occur per week, let alone per day? They are part of every person's life, even if they are just a spectator. And the sponsors/League controls the entire circus. Rose's intentions weren't fantastic. You expect me to trust the nameless corporations?

Also, how many Pokemon were scooped out of the Wild Area to train for glory, for a sponsor, for money, for power? How many were thrown away, unable to measure up to the standards of an extraordinarily complicated and demanding League? How many Trainers only care about being as strong as Leon, not caring about the well-being of their Pokemon?

We saw Hop do this. Admittedly, he is not malicious and Bede was crawling under his skin. But there are malicious Trainers out there. If not for the fact you need a sponsorship to participate in the League- this bottlenecking how many Trainers can participate- Galar's ecosystem would be in fucking shambles.

And speaking of Bede, his entire identity revolved around victory and power thanks to- surprise surprise- Chairman Rose. Only when he met Opal did he finally reach his potential...and even that involved shifting from Psychic types to Fairy types. Meaning his Duosion and Gothorita had to be either released or retired.

And I didn't forget about Piers the Rat Man and Spikemuth. Rose told Piers to move to a far away location with a Power Spot to enable flashy Dynamax battles. Piers told him to fuck off. Thus his gym is in backwater nowhere where few Trainers dare to dread and the whole town has been swallowed by crime and poverty. Did I mention Piers blames himself for Spikemuth's current state? Meanwhile, this is- once again- Rose and the League/sponsors having more power than anyone has the right to possess.

Combining these factors, you get a society in which the Trainer and Pokemon- provided they are strong enough- are a product. A commodity. Something to wow audiences and nothing more. Trainers like Hop are left in the shadows of the greats. But the greats are decaying giants, dangling from slowly snapping puppet strings.

This system doesn't go away because Rose is gone. In fact, Leon takes over as League Chairman. But how much of the new leadership is really Leon? Outside of battle, the man has his struggles. I can see the Battle Tower and Galarian Star Tournament being his ideas. But there's more to running the League than that. How many people- including his sponsors- are vying for power in the background?

If I didn't sell you on Galar being a dystopian nightmare yet, there is so much pollution the local Corsola are effectively zombies. Much of it probably comes from the stadiums- powering the screens, keeping the lights on at night, possibly energy from Dynamaxing. Electric-type Pokemon could debatably cut down on the pollution but like- how many Pikachu do you need?

It's a shame there was so much sleeping on SwSh because there's so much insidiously good shit bubbling just under the surface. I think if it was canonically explored people would like Gen 8 more (even if it ended with a reinforcement of status quo like Gen 5). But GameFreak had been afraid to make digs at its own formula since Black and White. The League does exist in other regions, albeit it's not as secretly dark as this. Addressing the Galar League could put a foot in the door to question the entire series.

EDIT- It has been brought to my attention that Leon is smarter than he looks, refusing to cooperate with the Darkest Day plot. More importantly to this edit, he may also be interpreted as disabled, making parts of this post unintentionally come off as albiest. As an autistic person, I apologize for this. However- as it's been reblogged a few times and Leon having a disability is not proved by canon- I chose to leave the text as-is- save for eliminating one joke that went too far- and attached a tw for albiesm. I am deeply sorry.

[melancholicstation]

The Socially Active Secretary: Chapter Three

pairing: robert francis kennedy female ❤︎ original character charlotte agapov (secretary!reader)

author's note: a little impromptu diner date ... well why not

synopsis: charlotte agapov, a divorcee whom recently moved back to the states after a disastrous lovers quarrel, assumes the secretarial position to the most important man in America, but it is not he who has captured her attention, no. instead, it's his meek younger brother, the runt of the kennedy pack, bobby francis kennedy.

[ 1640 words ]

taglist: @kennediva @absurdlyvintage @bloxholden35 @astro-vibes-bro @h-l-vlovesvintage @kimcrystal123 @krazyforkennedy @fortheloveofjos @remotewatch

chapter one, two, three

masterlist, charlotte moodboard, rfk moodboard

Chapter Three

May 3rd, 1962

Charlotte started off her evening with a plate of boiled eggs and butter, and steaming coffee on the hotplate. Dressed in a cotton voile nightgown with a smocking along the neckline, that was constricting in a pleasant manner. Since her aunt had gone into town to visit one of her, despite her genuine personality, many toffee-nosed, haughty friends in Plymouth Charlotte was left to her own devices. A state of being that Charlotte would come to know was entirely dangerous.

This loneliness of Charlotte had birthed a new idea of hers that she should re-engage with the nightlife that she had so recklessly abandoned in her early twenties. Charlotte felt that those nights were the only ones in which she truly felt like the woman she had been forced to push down.

The nineteen year-old version of Charlotte seemed to be football stadium sized gulfs away from the 29 year old woman she had morphed into. Nineteen year old Charlotte was free, and accompanied by a girlish charm of ambivalence and whimsy. In all her glory dressed in her jumpsuit and chainmail balaclava, eating steak tartare and drinking whiskey sours at Harry Cipriani every night. This nose-dove into nostalgia turned into Charlotte, through the assistance of a very rickety very unstable wicker chair, finding old photo albums kept in the attic of her aunt that her mom had stored years ago. Some were of Charlotte departing in and out of restaurants with a big, bright grin on her face, others of her with some friends from boarding school. They were all pictured posing very dramatically on top of each other in such a way that instantly gave way to the fact that they all had done theatre as adolescents.

As a result of this Charlotte decided that she was going to make the most out of this getaway and book a four course tasting for one at Cuvée at Chatham Inn. How decedent!, she thought. She could feel her excitement churning up inside her, what a silly thing to get excited to spend dinner along Charlotte thought, teasing herself. But the predicament of what she was going to wear however, was less exhilarating for the young woman.

She had now been staring down the mate-shift closet she had made in the interim period of her stay in the cape for almost an hour, searching for something to fit the opulence of the Curvée that wasn't in the dull muted tones that Charlotte had dressed herself in lately. Most items were textured mohair, cotton, or suede in organised colours of military green, cloudy brown, and porcelain. Certainly not fit for the Chatham Inn that's for sure. That was, until Charlotte in her almost manic manhunt for the perfect outfit came across her equivalent of the green light in the Gatsby novel; a strapless satin minidresses gathered at the hem in light khaki.

The best option of a bad bunch sure, but it would have to do. She opted for a pair of wedges in patent leather and a hand-painted shoulder bag given to Charlotte by her esoterically inclined grandmother from her dad's side. After applying rouge and lipstick all in shades reminiscent of smoked salmon, she gathered her hair in a half-up half-down style that she had remembered dog-earing in the April issue of Women's Weekly. And with that, she pranced out the door.

Cervée wasn't a quick walk so Charlotte called a car to drive her to the Inn. Charlotte should really look into the mindfulness her mother had been just raving about in their most recent call, because it appeared that Charlotte had zoned out for the entirety of the 20 minute car ride and only been broken from the trance at the prompt of the driver asking for a 20% tip, which she would then politely give.

As she entered the Inn, and was promptly escorted to the private dining space of the restaurant by a man donned in black dress pants, Charlotte was greeted by the aroma of cinnamon and patchouli filling all her fourth sense.

The room seemed calmly bare with only one person at the bar, and another elderly couple seated by the bay window facing the coastline.

The first course, Hamachi was delectable and paired with an equally excellent wine pairing. However Charlotte was temporarily distracted by the voice of the person ordering a second Mai Tai cocktail, a voice so familiar that Charlotte was sure she had heard it before. But just as Charlotte's curiosity could get the best of her the second course was brought out.

The second course was sea scallops, with a side of celery root, grapefruit and fennel. It was of Charlotte's opinion that the food got better at each course. Throughout the interim of her second course Charlotte had willed this familiar stranger to turn his head, either to confirm that yes, he was the man she had run into in the lighthouse, or that her persistent loneliness had finally caught up to Charlotte and she had begun going into delirium. Charlotte's misery was cut short as the mystery man suddenly turned his head, his penetrating blue eyes framed by mousy blond tendrils circling in on the sat figure that was Charlotte from across the room. So that is Bobby, she thought.

Oh no, the poor man must think I'm some crazed stalker following him around the cape, I wouldn't be all that surprised if he got up and left right this instance, Charlotte mused inwardly. However these thoughts were put to rest as Robert made his way across the floor, with the beauty and grace of a seasoned Juilliard trained ballerina.

"Funny place to find you Charlotte, I mused you as more of a diner girl, I guess I thought wrong now didn't I?" He chuckles in a self-conscious way designed to defuse the unmarked tension between the pair.

"Oh how wrong you were Bobby, how very wrong" Charlotte admonishes in jest, giggling in her delivery. Charlotte could practically hear the voice of her mother urging that such a sound should not come from a dignified woman over the age of twenty. But she couldn't find much in herself to care at the moment, not when the man in front of her brought out feelings that Charlotte couldn't yet assign a name to.

"Would you mine me sitting down a moment, I'm afraid I've been on my feet since 4am"

"Four am?" Charlotte nearly spills her drink in her dumbfounded delivering--"What on earth kind of employer has you filling in those kinds of hours?"

"Working for my brother that's who" Bobby states with a reverent look of pride in his eyes.

"Oh your brother, would I know him by chance?"

"Maybe-maybe not" Bobby remarks in a tone not dissimilar to a school boy who had just set up a prank for his teacher. Despite this Charlotte finds charm in it.

As the third course is brought out the pair continue talking about trivial things, while Bobby shovels small amounts of parmesan into his mouth while effortlessly keeping up conversation.

To the unbeknownst eye, or to bypasses at the Inn, the pair looked as though they had been lovers for as long as they had been alive.

But evidently they had not, and so the questions begun

"Now what's an girl with a ring on talking to a guy like me for" he states, while motioning his hand towards the sapphire oval ring set in 18-karat white gold glimmering on Charlottes fourth finger of her left hand.

Shoot, Charlotte thought. Her daily routine of putting on her wedding ring had stuck, even after the divorce. "It's not what you think, I promise. I've recently got divorced and y'know old habits die hard I guess." She says while chuckling nervously, bracing herself for Bobby to be completely turned away by her awkward and rambling justification.

But instead he simply smiles in a manner so disarming that it seems to immediately regulate her nervous system. "Not a problem with me at all. I have certainly had my fix of lovers quarrels Charlotte, I'll tell you that".

"Oh really? do tell Bobby please it's only fair" Charlotte pleads.

Bobby immediately concedes and goes into a particularly hilarious tale of him trying to ask a girl to homecoming, only to find out she had already been asked out by two of his own brothers.

This prompts Charlotte to ask about his luck in love after high school, to which his whole demeanour seems to shift as he quickly rushes out that he fell in love with a girl who then, as it turns out, fell in love with her ski instructor instead, leaving him at the altar of nineteen fifty.

At this revelation Charlotte decides to back off and move onto lighter topics. Here she learns of Bobby's two dogs that he fathers; a Newfoundland named "brumes" and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named "freckles".

By the fourth course, steelhead trout and coconut lime sage, Bobby and Charlotte's chairs are now paralleled with each other and increasingly close. As Charlotte looks up to somewhere other than the man in front of her for the first time in what she could imagine could've easily been two hours, she sees that the time is bordering on 8pm. Bobby catches on, and draws his eyes to the clock.

"I guess we should head out before they kick us out huh, Wouldn't want to be banned from Carvée now would we?" Robert remarks.

"Oh the horrors it would be!" Charlotte laughs.

As the pair reaches the driveway of the Inn, a tense silence falls upon the two. No, not a silence born out of boredom but of yearning.

"So--shall we go back to my place?"

End of Chapter Three

[eregyrn-falls-art]

Yesterday, a birthday day-trip up to Maine!

Lobster rolls at The Clam Shack in Kennebunkport (to which I'd never been); definitely in the running for "best lobster rolls in Maine", I tell you. Then, a photo of a cool model tall ship hanging over the entrance to The Stadium Gallery, in Kennebunkport's quaint little town square. I really should have ducked in there to ask about the sign's history; I blithely assumed I could look it up online later, but haven't managed to find any info on it yet. (The shop itself is relatively new, and carries sports memorabilia.)

Then, to the beach! We tried out Goose Rocks Beach, a little to the north of Kennebunkeport, and it was a real winner! Not crowded at all (to say the least), and we were there at low tide, so the expanse of beach was simply enormous. The water really wasn't terribly cold; there seems to be a really enormous stretch of very shallow water that goes out a ways, and it's shallow enough that the sun warmed it up a lot. The waves coming in were tiny and gentle. (The eponymous Goose Rocks offshore were taking the brunt of the ocean breakers.)

We walked along the beach, me in the water and my friends (who hadn't dressed for it) staying on the shore. As we approached the northern end, I realized that a river seemed to be flowing into the ocean at that point. There was a long sand-bar there, and I was able to walk out along it for quite a ways. Really fun to be that far from shore (20 or 30 yards, I guess?) and have the water depth still be only just over the top of my feet. I've included some screenshots from Google maps to show what the lay of the land was.

On the way back south, we stopped at Cape Porpoise, as I'd read that you can see Goat Island Lighthouse offshore from there. We went down to where the Cape Pier Chowderhouse is marked, and yeah, you SURE COULD see it! It was a lot closer than I had expected.

Then, home after a stop at the Maine Diner for blueberry ice cream, and pie. Very fun day exploring some bits of the coast I hadn't been to before. Weather couldn't have been more gorgeous -- a lovely break before the massive heat-wave that's supposed to descend on us tomorrow.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

The Prince of Wales Attends The Earthshot Prize Awards Ceremony 2024 In South Africa

(L-R) American rapper and singer Tobe Nwigwe, Britain's Prince William, Nina Dobrev, Winnie Harlow, Heidi Klum, and South African retired rugby union player Tendai Mtawarira during the 2024 Earthshot Prize awards ceremony on 6 November 2024 in Cape Town, South Africa.

During his visit, The Prince of Wales attended the fourth annual Earthshot Prize Awards and engaged in various environmental initiatives and participated in events held in Cape Town as part of 'Earthshot Week'.

📸: Ian Vogler-Pool / John Snelling / Getty Images

[chojrak-making-things]

In 2019 I found on the exchange a nice world which takes place at mountains. It’s called Amador City and really reminds me of Great Bear or Cape Garner Islands. It has that “woodsy” vibe. It’s rather small cozy town than big city, and require World Adventures, Ambitions, Late Night and Rivervier (for city hall rabbit hole).

What I really like about this map, is space. You can feel it between those mountains. It’s all so large and makes you and your sims so small in this perspective. It’s probably one of premade maps, painted in automatic way, but it doesn’t matter at this point cause effect looks great.

When it comes to buildings, some are from Riverview, maybe few from Sunset Valley too. But most of it I don’t recognize. Some of them are a little bit empty or have ugly EA’s swatches, but it’s not that common to be overhelming, and can be really fast changed if you want. Some more pictures under the cut.

Despite not big, this town has few apartments too.

The gray one looks like this inside.

Architecture is really diverse here what I like. The urban planning is not cliché either. Not like central park and cetral alley, but everything is quite scattered. Though I would add maybe one larger park or lot to use as community center.

There’s even this little chapel.

A little bit outside of main district, you can find stadium. I don’t remember if glass thing was regular house or public lot though.

Of course, there could not be missed trailor park too :)

But building that really stands out, is this midcentury modern house in middle of nowhere. Looks like a good place of you like really loud parties... or better not, cause you’ll scare deers. 🦌

Somewhere in forest you’ll find a place to spent a good time on fresh air with your sims. This world was made really long ago, so more activities could be added now.

But it seems the best view in town has the deceased ones. Cemetery with such a view looks really majestic, even with not many graves.

[thommi-tomate]

Thomas Müller

Argentina vs Germany

(World Cup quarter finals, Green Point Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa, July 3, 2010)

[digitaldetoxworld]

Cricketing Giants Collide: Notable ODI encounters between South Africa and West Indies Analyzing Face-Offs

 The cricketing competition among  Notable ODI encounters between South Africa and the West Indies is one characterized by way of exhilarating suits, dramatic moments, and the display of extremely good expertise. Both groups have wealthy histories and have contributed notably to the game, every bringing their particular patterns and flair to the sport. This contention, even though not as longstanding as a few others in cricket, has furnished lovers with numerous memorable encounters.

Historical Context

South Africa and West Indies historical cricket rivalry The West Indies, a group representing a group of Caribbean international locations, commenced making their mark on global cricket within the early 1900s, but it become inside the Seventies and Eighties that they definitely ruled the sport. Their group, beneath the captaincy of Clive Lloyd and later Vivian Richards, changed into acknowledged for its aggressive batting, speedy bowling assault, and typical dominance in world cricket. During this period, the West Indies had been in reality unbeatable, showcasing a number of the quality skills the sport has ever visible.

South Africa’s tour of West Indies 2024 itinerary cricketing adventure, then again, turned into marked with the aid of a long duration of isolation due to the apartheid regime. The country was banned from international cricket from 1970 to 1991. After rejoining the cricketing fold in 1991, South Africa speedy hooked up itself as a major pressure in international cricket. With players like Allan Donald, Hansie Cronje, and later, Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers, South Africa brought a brand new degree of competitiveness to the game.

Early Encounters

The first Test fit between South Africa and the West Indies occurred in 1992, shortly after South Africa's return to international cricket. The series was considerable as it marked South Africa’s reentry into the worldwide cricketing area. The West Indies, led by way of their bold group, had been a robust test for the newly reintegrated South Africans.

In that series, South Africa won the primary Test suit at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, putting the tone for a competitive series. The West Indies bounced again in the 2d Test, demonstrating their resilience. The collection ended in a 2-1 victory for the West Indies, with the fits showcasing the excessive degree of ability and competitive spirit that would define future encounters among the two teams.

Key Players and Performances

Over the years, each groups have been domestic to some of the finest cricketers inside the world. For the West Indies, players like Brian Lara, who holds the document for the highest individual score in Test cricket (four hundred not out), were crucial. Lara's performances towards South Africa had been frequently sport-changers, as he might consistently score massive runs and positioned the opposition below pressure.

Similarly, for South Africa, gamers like Jacques Kallis and Dale Steyn were instrumental of their cricketing achievement. Kallis, one of the greatest all-rounders within the history of cricket, has been a key figure in severa fits towards the West Indies, contributing with each bat and ball. Dale Steyn, recognized for his competitive speedy bowling, has often been the spearhead of South Africa's attack, supplying crucial breakthroughs and dismantling opposition batting line-ups.

Notable Matches

Several memorable suits have described the South Africa-West Indies rivalry. One such sport became the Test suit in Cape Town in 1999. South Africa, led through their captain Hansie Cronje, chased down a challenging target of 369 runs set by the West Indies. The suit is remembered for its dramatic end and the resilience proven by way of the South African crew.

In the One Day International (ODI) layout, the 2003 Cricket World Cup encounter among South Africa and the West Indies is in particular great. The healthy, held at Newlands in Cape Town, saw South Africa secure a win with the aid of a margin of 3 wickets. This victory changed into essential for South Africa, because it showcased their capacity to carry out beneath pressure in excessive-stakes games.

Another iconic fit turned into the T20 World Cup game in 2009, where the West Indies, led with the aid of their captain Darren Sammy, controlled to steady a win in opposition to South Africa. This in shape changed into sizeable as it highlighted the West Indies' prowess within the T20 layout, in the end leading them to win the event.

The Modern Era

In latest years, the contention has persevered to be aggressive, although the nature of the contests has evolved with modifications in the game. South Africa has remained a strong force in international cricket, whilst the West Indies have skilled a extra fluctuating period. Despite this, encounters between the 2 groups are always predicted with exhilaration.

The evolution of the sport, consisting of the upward push of T20 leagues like the IPL and CPL, has added a new measurement to the rivalry. Players from both teams now frequently compete towards every other in these leagues, adding a layer of intrigue to their international encounters. The affect of these leagues has delivered a new fashion of play, blending aggressive batting with modern strategies, which regularly reflects inside the worldwide video games.

Impact and Legacy

The South Africa-West Indies  cricket live streaming options contention has had a considerable effect on the game of cricket. It has contributed to the development of the game by using showcasing numerous kinds of play and introducing fanatics to tremendous cricket. The matches among these  teams have regularly been a show of skill, method, and sportsmanship.

Both groups have a rich legacy of manufacturing cricketing legends and providing enthusiasts with thrilling matches. Their encounters continue to be a spotlight of international cricket, celebrated for their competitive spirit and the excessive level of performance.

[caniaskyouabouttoday]

Fire Fly With Me

“I was the color red in a world full of black and white.”

RIP Windham Rotunda “Bray Wyatt” 1987-2023

This has been a tragic week for wrestling. Yesterday, Terry Funk, a 79 year old second generation legend died. Funk had a 52 year career spanning practically every promotion and continent. A first ballot Hall of Famer in every sense of the word, who even had a little sideline in Hollywood; Terry Funk was an old man who had done everything you can possibly do in wrestling and then much more. He accomplished his goals.

Today, a third generation wrestler, the son of Mike Rotunda, grandson of Blackjack Mulligan, and nephew of Barry Windham; Bray Wyatt passed away. After an electric return last fall it felt like there was either an unclear plan for his run or a creative difference between the performer and management. Following a match that was a neon splattered gimmicky promotion to sell Mountain Dew at the January Royal Rumble; Bray Wyatt once again took his leave. Rumors swirled that there were creative differences, Bray having personal issues, and even one of a prolonged illness. Today Bray Wyatt passed away of a heart attack caused by COVID-19 exacerbating existing heart problems.

Bray Wyatt, and another legacy talent - the son of Mr. Perfect, Joe Hennig made their WWE debut with the very unfortunate and puzzling ring names of “Husky Harris” and “Michael McGillicutty” respectively. The pair floundered after debuting in a big angle and returned to the developmental territories for repackaging.

Rotunda created the character Bray Wyatt, a sort of backwoods cultist who harkened to the character Max Cady in Cape Fear; portrayed by both Robert Mitchum and Robert DeNiro on screen. Wyatt also paid homage in his presentation to another Mitchum character, Reverend Harry Powell from Night of the Hunter. The character was awash in cinema; with his followers reminded attentive fans of The Last House on the Left and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Despite some fans initially heckling the repackaging with chants of “Husky Harris” when he debuted; Wyatt made a splash quickly and very soon erased the perception left by his failed first WWE tenure. Before he even had spent a year in the organization he was poised as the next generation’s supernatural, eerie badass - an elder millennial replacement to the aging, semi-retired Undertaker.

His first Wrestlemania match could not have been bigger for the character. One on one with John Cena at the 30th WrestleMania he was poised to go to the next level. Everything pointed to a Wyatt victory; after defeating The Rock at the most bought WrestleMania ever the previous year it was clear Cena was winding down and leaving his prime. He had one foot out the door for a film and television career and many fans who had grown up cheering his white meat kid friendly act had outgrown Cena.

WrestleMania 30 was held in New Orleans, clearly a town that has more in common with Wyatt than Cena. After an epic entrance with a band of plague doctors playing him to the ring as the crowd held their phone flashlights high the audience sang “He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands” cheering Wyatt to victory. Inexplicably, Cena defeated the rising star clean in the middle of the ring. This did nothing for Cena’s already sky high profile but did not seem to take all the wind out of Wyatt’s sails.

Wyatt’s popularity persisted and he marched towards a WrestleMania match with The Undertaker the next year. The Undertaker’s WrestleMania win streak had ended the year prior and if there ever was a moment for a changing of the guard it was their match at WrestleMania 31. Instead of holding that torch aloft, Bray looked up at the lights of Levi’s Stadium as The Undertaker pinned him with his signature Tombstone piledriver.

This was not the final resting place of the Wyatt character though, he captured the WWE title in 2017. This unfortunately led to a series of comically awful matches with Randy Orton and a baffling feud and then pairing with Matt Hardy.

It was clear that the character had been derailed by 2018. Wyatt was taken off TV for a prolonged absence; but soon vignettes featuring a corrupted children’s television show of evil puppets began to air. These led to Wyatt returning in a brilliant dual character; the sweater clad children’s entertainer Bray Wyatt; who hosted his Firefly Fun House; an homage to Mr Rogers’s Neighborhood, Blues Clues, and especially Pee Wee’s Playhouse (eerily hosted by the recently passed Paul Reubens.) The show would feature the puppets being sadistic to each other, Bray barely containing his rage and bitterness beneath the calm, sweater-clad veneer he put forth. Bray would work through his personal issues via bizarre skits with his cast of demented puppets. Huskus the Pig Boy was an effigy to his resentments about his debut; Mercy the Buzzard was a sly homage to Dan Spivey’s short lived Waylon Mercy character who was an antecedent of Wyatt. A devil horned muppet version of WWE chairman Vince McMahon would guest on the show.

The sweater barely strait jacked his other personality, The Fiend. A psychopath in a human flesh mask bent on torture and cruelty who could not be stopped inside the ring. The Fiend adopted Mankind’s Mandible Claw as a finisher, itself a reference to killer Samuel Sheppard.

Wyatt’s new character was unstoppable and took the WWE by storm capturing the title and minting money for the company on their merchandise site. Wyatt was back and living up to the promise of his debut. He was headed towards the Undertaker level.

Then in February 2020, in a widely derided decision, The Fiend was soundly beaten by ancient, creaky Goldberg to build to a later canceled match against Roman Reigns that was violently rejected by fans.

In March 2020 the world shut down due to the pandemic. Fans could not attend WrestleMania and we were in for a bizarre and surreal show in an empty soundstage. Wyatt was set for a rematch with John Cena for the show initially set for a football stadium in sunny Tampa Bay. If ever there was a moment for the kind of wrestler that has guitar playing plague doctors set the stage for his entrance, it was now.

The match with Cena was to be a “Firefly Fun House” match. Nobody knew what this entailed. What we were about to witness, is in my opinion, the greatest match of the 2020s. The Firefly Fun House is a beautiful expression of a “post wrestling” era we live in. By 2020 most fans who have been following wrestling for decades pay cursory attention to the modern performers and their storylines and matches in the ring. Backstage drama, old timers sniping at each other on podcasts, fan nostalgia and review shows, and twitter beefs had supplanted modern wrestling to most fans.

In a cinematic match, a new wrestling format that would become a trope of the pandemic era, Bray and the WWE created a surrealist nightmare that had more in common with a David Lynch film than a grappling bout.

Bray had an axe to grind with Cena for his disappointment when Cena poured water on his burning hot career six years earlier in New Orleans. Ever the psychological sadist, Bray crafted a dream logic nightmare for Cena to enter that makes him confront his failures, insecurities, and disappointments just like Wyatt had for Cena-related setbacks going back all the way to 2010.

It also takes us on a tour of wrestling history; using beloved totems of different generations like the “Big Blue” cage and the Smackdown fist to play mind games with us, the fans about why we love this stuff and why we care.

Cena’s iconic theme plays before the empty soundstage to an eerie and uncomfortable silence that does not belong with it. It feels so alien and wrong without explosive dueling boos and cheers. Cena walks out on the stage as a broken montage of WrestleMania 1 clips cut to Bray inside the Firefly Fun House, giving a Rod Serling introduction to the insecurities made manifest within.

“You’re about to face your most dangerous opponent yet, yourself,” Wyatt threatens with unseemly glee. Wyatt departs and Rambling Rabbit points Cena towards Wyatt’s whereabouts.

Cena enters a black room and looks around briefly until a puppet McMahon lays down a gauntlet similar to what he did for Cena way back in 2002. Cena begins on an A Christmas Carol like visit of the ghost of Cena’s past. Wyatt stages a reenactment of Cena’s debut loss to Kurt Angle; which a much older Cena responds to in his rookie ring gear. In keeping with the dream logic Cena is unable to hit Wyatt as he mocks him with a cartoon soundboard and a series of verbal potshots.

Cut to the iconic introduction of Saturday Night’s Main Event in its heyday complete with the classic “Obsession” by Animotion. Wyatt cuts a standard shouting 80s promo behind the big blue cage, introducing Cena as “Johnny Largemeat” - Cena cannot stop curling dumbells and starts maniacally thrashing them until he loses control of his arms.

We then flash to Cena reprising his early freestyle rapper character, who is cursed with a strange form of mutism where he can only speak in raps. Cena attempts to turn the tables on Wyatt verbally; but Wyatt quickly rebuttals him and changes the narrative to remind Cena of those he stepped on climbing the ranks and that it’s lonely at the top. Cena still cannot physically attack Wyatt, and his attempt gets him knocked out.

Cut to a sermonizing Wyatt, regressing to his 2014 form, revisiting the heartbreak of WrestleMania 30.

Wyatt taunts Cena to hit him with a chair, he’s unable to.

Cut to Cena and Wyatt in nWo t shirts and black jeans, a visual even more bizarre than Cena’s grand WrestleMania entrance on an empty soundstage. Cena can finally attack Wyatt and tackles him and brutalizes him with punches, until Wyatt is replaced with the Huskus puppet.

The Fiend appears in the ring, materializing behind Cena to deliver the mandible claw. The Fiend pins Cena as we show sweater Bray gleefully counting the pinfall, Did Bray right his wrong? Was Cena swayed to some sort of dark side - there are moments where it feels like Cena has become the alternate Dale Coopers from Twin Peaks The Return with character flourishes akin to the evil “Coop” and the strange, simple “Dougie.”

There is so much packed into the editing and storytelling of this match that I could not possibly do it justice. When everything has been done that you can do in a wrestling match - what’s next? Instead of a wrestling match where you wrestle, hold a “wrestling match” about wrestling.

Elvis Costello once quipped that writing about music was like dancing about architecture. I assume he doesn’t own any 33 1/3 books.

A wrestling match that replaces contesting wrestling with being about wrestling was perfect for the turn of this new decade and many years of fan ennui. At a time where fans are more curious about all the things that happen outside of the squared circle that lead to the action inside it, it fulfilled a need we didn’t know we had. I recommend giving this, alongside the excellent Wyatt Family vs The Shield bout from Elimination Chamber 2014 where you also see Wyatt’s partner Luke Harper, aka Brodie Lee in action. Wyatt is pre deceased by Harper.

Sadly, that was about the peak of The Fiend character. An ill fated partnership with Alexa Bliss that never quite struck the right tone was a miss during the empty arena era. At WrestleMania 37, the first show in a year before live fans, The Fiend lost to Randy Orton in a match that was widely panned. The two third generation stars had a toxic anti-chemistry with each other and WWE kept returning to the pairing for reasons that feel like sabotage in hindsight. Wyatt was off TV for several months and shockingly released outright in the summer of that year.

After a prolonged absence and various hints at a comeback; Wyatt returned last fall at Extreme Rules in a thrilling segment to an explosive response. Sadly, the creative direction for Wyatt never found its legs. Behind the scenes it’s unclear if there was a creative struggle before Wyatt fell ill.

Bray was supposed to be the next Undertaker, and he wasn’t. He was the first, the only, and the inimitable Bray Wyatt. A backwoods preacher of doom and mayhem, a sadistic Ed Gein type killer, and a smiling, laughing, but unhinged children’s TV host. Already having demonstrated a knack for reinvention, Bray could have been many more things. He will have to be those in the imagination of the fans now.

What he did leave was important and memorable. I believe he had a Hall of Fame career, and though that claim may be controversial and contentious; that is the nature of the Wyatt character. He may have been polarizing, but everyone had an opinion on him, and not indifference; and I know wrestling fans universally feel like wrestling is suffering a tremendous loss. Even if he didn’t do something that connected with your tastes, he had something in his bag of tricks that would some day.

So smash your flashlight button one last time for Bray Wyatt and hold it up high. As the Undertaker himself would say, Rest In Peace.

[igettalk]

The Bafana Bafana of South Africa destroyed South Sudan's defense after beating the team 3-0 in the final game of AFCON qualifiers on Tuesday's evening at the DHL Cape Town Stadium. This win for South Africa helps the squad to finish as leader of the Group K table after racking 14 points from six games. The South Africa team remained unbeaten since the qualifying tournament began after it won four games and made two draws. The South Africa football management hired a Belgian coach to help the team beat their opponents as they set their eyes on winning the next AFCON title in Morocco next year.  The team showed consistency from all their home and away games, completing the campaign without losing a match in the qualifying tournament. With this perfect run, South Africa will not aim to carry this energy into the next year's tournament, with their unbeaten record giving them enough morale to play on. The Belgian-born coach, Hugo Broos, explains the reason while the Bafana side must not lose focus as they prepare to battle with tougher opponents across Africa's continent. Read the full article