#do you like how neither are centered because I didn’t flip the canvas

[i-can-not-art]

Another sketch dump (at goddamn 10 pm), I haven’t actually finished any pieces today, just done a lot of sketches 💀

Changed version of a sketch from the last dump

Nezha going to stab someone, a offering to the writer gods to give my boy ONE WIN

[khtrinityftw]

The Good, The Bad, and the Cards - A Brief Look Back at KH: Chain of Memories

It’s been 15 years since Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories was released, and while I adore this game, I want to look back and highlight 7 specific elements worthy of praise that still hold up to this day and 7 specific elements that aren’t so good and helped derail the KH franchise going forward, the “Franchise Original Sins” as it were. So without further ado, here they are:

Positive: The Card Map System - I really love the usage of cards when it comes to exploring each world. Through the different cards, you get to create your own customized dungeon to crawl through, and the incentive to battle in order to collect cards you need to progress further in the level is a good one.

Negative: The Card Battle System - Unfortunately, using cards in combat isn’t done nearly as smoothly, and they complicate battles way more than they should. This is especially bad in the original GBA version of the game, where the cards are hard to make out on the small screen and the tiny, cramped arenas that you fight in make it all too easy to get backed into a corner while trying to shuffle through or reload your deck. This game could’ve done better.

Positive: Sora’s Story - The main scenario of the game is superbly written by Daisuke Watanabe. Like I said in my video review, he took what he was given, which was virtually nothing, and turned it into something. Sora’s character has never been explored in as much depth as it is here, with all of his raw strengths and weaknesses on full display. His bond of friendship with Donald and Goofy, his strong romantic interest in Kairi, his tortured clashing with “Riku”, his animosity toward Organization XIII, and the interactions he has with Namine toward the end are all handled perfectly. It really reminds you of just why you love this guy.

Negative: Riku’s Story - Reverse/Rebirth, otoh, doesn’t hold up so well. It tries its best to give Riku good character development, but too much of it is focused on practically everyone but Riku, the lack of anything occurring in the Disney worlds means that the story feels too light on content, and the conclusion Riku’s character is ultimately brought to contradicts what was established in the original KH and only creates further problems down the line. What’s more, this was the start of forcing Riku down our throats as the deuteragonist of the series, which is a role he was never suited for and that he only gets worse in overtime. So yeah, not a fan.

Positive: Organization XIII - Primarily the members introduced in Sora’s story; Lexaeus and Zexion are more useful as plot devices than as characters. Not only are Axel, Larxene, Vexen and Marluxia all excellent villains in their own ways, but the villainous arc they are part of is the best-written one in any KH game. Watching them work off each other and against each other in this dark but easy to follow political intrigue plot is one of the game’s highest points.

Negative: The Riku Replica - Don’t get me wrong, this was a decent character with a decent arc, but the execution was way too over-the-top and overstayed its welcome. Between Sora and Riku’s story, you have to fight this asshole six times! That’s just ridiculous for any boss in any game! And then there’s what the whole “replica” concept he introduced was used for in subsequent games, since Nomura just loves taking the simple and making it convoluted.

Positive: The GBA Graphics - This is one of the best-looking GBA games ever, hands-down. The fact that full cutscenes with PS2-style graphics were actually able to fit on the cartridge is simply incredible, and Square should really be commended for pushing the system to its absolute limits.

Negative: Console Spread - COM marked the first time that a KH game was put on an entirely different console than before, being a GBA game released and set in between two PS2 games. This wasn’t too much of a problem back then, since COM was only needed to fully understand the purposefully confusing prologue of KH2 and it ended up getting a PS2 remake anyway. But after a while, the sheer amount of consoles that KH spin-off games that are necessary to understand KH3′s story with became ridiculous. At this point, the only way you can actually get the full KH series is to own a PS4. If you don’t, then you’re out of luck.

Positive: Disney Expansion - Because this game re-uses Disney characters and worlds from the original KH, Daisuke Watanabe got to expand on things that weren’t really delved into in that game. We get more on Aladdin’s character, more on Alice’s character, more on Peter Pan and Wendy’s characters, more on Belle and the Beast’s characters and relationship…and perhaps most notable of all, more on Jiminy Cricket’s character. The Disney worlds and characters that we saw in KH are all enriched by their memory-based appearances.

Negative: An Influx of OCs - The original KH only had four original characters: Sora, Riku, Kairi and Ansem (five if you are counting Xemnas from Final Mix). COM introduced nine new ones: Namine, Axel, Larxene, Marluxia, Vexen, Lexaeus, Zexion, Riku Replica, and DiZ. Again, this wasn’t a problem with the game back then, especially seeing as two-thirds of those characters get axed before the game is through. But it started the trend of Nomura introducing way too much OCs that come to overshadow all the Disney and FF characters. Worse still, he refuses to truly let any of them go, as all six of those dead characters end up coming back to life later on, as do the two who went on to perish in KH2. This results in an overly cluttered canvas by KH3, to the point where no FF characters can appear.

Positive: Set-up for KH2 - This game’s existence did for KH2 what the later Dream Drop Distance should have done for KH3 but didn’t: it effectively set the stage for the following game. It gave all of the necessary foreshadowing for things like Nobodies, the Organization’s true goal, Xemnas, Roxas, Twilight Town, Namine being Kairi’s Nobody, and DiZ being the true Ansem while the Ansem we knew being an impostor. It also removed five members of the Organization from the board, with the sixth slated for removal in KH2′s prologue, which left the villain roster at a much more manageable number for the game’s main scenario. COM truly feels like the middle installment of a trilogy: the shit that happens in it actually matters.

Negative: Too Much Rehash from KH1 - There is so much from the original KH that is on repeat in COM. Beyond the same Disney worlds and characters being re-used, the stories in those worlds and with those characters match the original KH’s beat for beat, except with themes of memory inserted in and all context to the larger narrative removed so that they feel like filler. Both recycling from the first KH and Disney world visits being filler were not so bad in this game, but when it kept happening throughout the rest of the series, players grew sick of it. Furthermore, beats from the first KH still transpire in the main storyline of the game: Namine is in a role like Kairi’s, the Riku Replica is in a role like Riku’s, Marlxuia is in a role like both Maleficent and Ansem while Ansem himself comes back for more fun darkness times in Riku’s story, and we get sequences of Sora being separated from Donald and Goofy (this time it’s flipped and he’s the one who turns on them), the trio making an “All for One, One for All” promise as they put their hands on one another, and Sora making a promise with Namine that has Kairi’s good luck charm at the center of it. It’s all a little too much familiarity.

Positive: Atmosphere - As much as this game rehashes the previous one, it has a markedly different tone. It’s darker, more foreboding, more eerie, more psychological and uncertain. The white walls of Castle Oblivion and the creepy music playing as you go through them floor by floor really helps to sell this, as does a lot of the dialogue, memory-based insights into the characters’ hearts, and twisted machinations of the villains. It makes COM, well, memorable.

Negative: Convoluted Writing - That’s right, it all starts here. The writing for the original KH was smart enough to not actively dwell on the more ponderous elements of its story, keeping the narrative to a simple presentation while leaving the deeper lore as stuff for the player to think and speculate about it on their own. But in this game, it starts getting pushed to the forefront. Memory and darkness are the central themes of Sora and Riku’s story respectively, and yet neither of them quite make sense the way they’re explored. Memory is repeatedly said to be an aspect of the heart, to the point where removing it altogether would shatter a person’s heart completely. Except that this is not only confusing to basic logic that says memory is an aspect of the mind, but it gets contradicted by the following game, KH2, where it states that Nobodies that have no hearts act upon the memories of when they had hearts. Then we have Namine’s powers and how it relates to memories, which is nebulously defined here and ends up ballooning to ludicrous godlike degrees in order to make certain plot turns happen in later games, and you end up retroactively questioning why she didn’t just fuck with the Organization’s memories and shatter them in order to escape captivity all by herself.

Meanwhile, darkness is completely rewritten so that it can be a good thing if Riku isn’t afraid of it and uses it for a good cause...except that this is literally what he did in the first KH and it corrupted him. Darkness was unambiguously bad and something that should not be used in that game, but now it’s being revamped just to make Riku into a special snowflake with uber-awesome darkness powers. Future games continue going back and forth on darkness on whether it’s good, bad or neutral, whether it’s a natural force that needs to co-exist with light or whether it’s the source of all evil in the universe. And I again must remind you that this is only the start of how convoluted the series gets with its stories! By KH3, the series has become an absolute clusterfuck where nothing really makes sense or amounts to anything. There’s no real depth anymore, just pretentious nonsense that Nomura confuses for depth.

[jacksonxschuester]

Overboard || Beau/Jackson

Date: January 19th, 2020 Tagging: @thatbeauadams @kirinrhodes (Referenced in the starter)  Summary: Jackson and Beau go out sailing on Sunday afternoon. They entertain the idea of running away, but everything changes when Tropical Storm Sue hits full force while they’re on the water. As inexperienced sailors, the boat flips and they have to make it to shore and somehow survive.  Content Warnings: Darker themes, open water, life threatening situation, injury, hypothermia 

This was quite possibly the worst idea Jackson had ever had. But ever since Beau had agreed to it, and further fuelled the idea, Jackson had been doing tons of research and watching lots of sailing videos. Luckily the island was equipped with a few small sailboats. They had asked for permission to use one, of course, they weren't stupid enough to try and steal it from the dock. They just... may not plan on returning it. Feeding into each other's desire to run away was probably not a good idea for either of them, but Jackson was quite honestly just relieved to have a friend who wanted to do this with him. He'd never be brave enough alone, especially on a sailboat when he's never even been on a watercraft his entire life. They had happened to run into Kirin on the dock, and the Dom had happily assisted them with getting started, giving them a crash course in how to push off the dock and get going since he had sailing experience. They thanked him for his help and as they began to set sail Jackson was already forgetting the names of the parts of the boat, but he had a vague idea of the steps still.  "No- Wait! We need to um... tie the um... I can't remember what it's called. That thingy!" He pointed. "Tie it to um.... that other thing." He pointed to something else.(edited)

It was stupid. Beau knew it was stupid. Neither of them were sailing experts, and they would probably be found out before long, but hell, it was nice to entertain the idea for a while, that they could get away. Maybe they had enough recently acquired knowledge and dumb luck to actually pull this plan off. Maybe they could both run away from their problems and make it happen. Beau snorted, wrestling with one of the ropes from the sail to try and tie it to one of the hooks like he'd seen on videos. "Like this, right? To get the sail open or something?" he asked, grunting with effort as he struggled to tighten the knot.

Jackson nodded. "Yes! Exactly like that. See? We're pros already." He stepped forward to help Beau finish tightening the knot. "There... What's next? Do you remember?" Jackson asked, suddenly second guessing himself. He had definitely over-researched and was now overthinking the whole thing. He was nervous, of course. He'd never done anything like this before. He was not typically an impulsive or adventurous type. He was trying hard to keep a brave face and pretend like he knew what he was doing for Beau's sake. He hadn't told the sub anything about what had happened before the trip yet. He wasn't sure he could, or even wanted to, talk about it.

Beau chuckled and stood, stretching his arms a bit. even though he would never admit it, there was a flutter of nerves in his belly. What if they actually did manage to pull this off? Shaking his head, he banished those thoughts, looking back to Jackson. "Uh... I think one of us needs to be here," he said, patting the end of the sail that they could shift to control the direction. "But other than that I think we're okay for now? Sail's open, we're moving... and I have the map thing on my phone to get us to the nearest island that isn't Sue's."

"Okay... right. Let's take shifts. You wanna go first?" Jackson offered. He took a seat, taking a deep breath. The smell of the ocean air was intense, but in a way, Jackson found it calming. Maybe it was years of buying  "ocean breeze" scented candles, which smelled exactly like this, minus the stench of fish. "Should we just stay at that island?" He wondered out loud. "If its not populated already, the laws can't touch us. We can live out our lives there and we won't even have to worry about finding a claim." He shrugged.(edited)

Beau nodded, making himself comfortable on the seat near the... thing he needed to hold. "Sounds good to me. Maybe? If there's no one there, we can go total Survivor mode and just hang there. Even if it is populated, I'm sure there's a way we can get like... a black market claim or something. After that we don't have to adhere to marks or anything. We can just make a life together, you know? I think you and I could find a way to be happy in each other's company," he admitted, looking down at his lap. "Not romantically or anything. Just as friends. Non-traditional life partners. That kind of thing."

"I get what you're saying. We could definitely make a good life. I'm not sure I want to know what a black market claim looks like though. Maybe if that island is populated, we should just get back on the boat and find the next island?" Jackson looked back at the island they'd just departed. He had a feeling of simultaneously never wanting to see it again, and wishing he could return to find everything had changed. Realistically, he was nothing more than live bait in a survival situation. But it was nice to pretend he felt confident that they'd survive.

He chuckled. "I mean like... one where we don't have to prove how into our marks we are. Just someone to give us official paperwork and shit without all the pomp and circumstance," he clarified. "But maybe. As long as whatever deserted island we find has some kind of resources, I think we could figure out the survival thing." Sure it would suck most likely never having sex again, but it had only brought problems into his life.

"Ohh. That makes sense. That's gotta be expensive though, right? I didn't bring any money. I guess we'll just play things by ear and go with the flow?" He shrugged. He looked up. The sky was starting to get darker. "Do you know what time it is?" He hadn't thought it was that late when they started sailing, and he'd left his phone behind because he didn't want anyone using the GPS to trace them.

"I can find a way to access my accounts without alerting anyone. They're all under my name and I have a decent amount squared away from the pod." And his fans would be disappointed, but honestly... he didn't know how much longer he could go seeing Ryder and Archer all fucking loved up and feeling like a constant afterthought. His nose wrinkled, and he looked at his phone with a frown. "It's only like... three? It definitely shouldn't be getting this dark...."

Jackson tried to dispel the feeling of unease the darkening sky gave him. "Maybe it'll rain?" He said, not really liking the idea of rain on this voyage. He'd only just learned to sail, he didn't need rain on top of it. "So, how much do you make off that podcast anyway?" He asked, curious.

“Maybe? I... it kinda looks like it,” he agreed, his stomach flipping nervously. Beau made a minor adjustment to the sail, clearing his throat to center himself. “Uh, about 3 grand a month now? Between sponsors and patrons. It’s a pretty sweet gig.”

Jackson blinked in surprise. "Oh... wow. That's... really impressive. Good for you." He said. "I keep thinking I want to try selling my art, but I'm so nervous about putting it out there."

Beau flashed him a soft smile. “Just gotta take the dive, my friend. You won’t know until you try.” He glanced to the horizon, realizing with a gulp that the sky was getting darker.

Jackson supposed Beau was right, but he still had his doubts. "Do you think we should turn  back?" He asked, the island they'd departed from was starting to look a little small, but it was still present on the horizon, if a bit shrouded in fog now... where had that come from?

He looked back as well, his heart thudding a little bit when he noticed that the island looked a lot farther away now thanks to the fog. A distant rumble of thunder grumbled. "I... probably. This looks a little gnarly and definitely not something we're prepared for. Fuck," he muttered, going to the - rudder, maybe? - to try and shift the direction of the sail.

Almost too suddenly, the water had begun to act up. It hadn't been as noticable when they were traveling in just one direction, but now that they were trying to turn every wave they hit was obvious. As the boat rocked Jackson  gripped the side. "Um... keep turning?" He suggested. He wrongly figured the faster they turned around the easier it would be to head back.

Everything seemed to suddenly be moving too fast. The wind picked up without warning, making it difficult for Beau to turn the sail. "I'm... trying," he grunted out, struggling. "Come help me? The wind is getting too strong for just me," Beau pointed out.

Jackson stood, and had to use various things around the boat to stabilize himself as it was difficult to walk normally. He made it over to Beau and helped push. They managed to get the sail to turn just as it started to rain. And then a guest of wind amd a wave came and rocked the boat wildly. "Beau, hang on!!" Jackson yelled, clinging to the boat. Luckily, the boat stay upright, but in this position they wouldn't have that kind of luck for long. They need to angle the boat so the stern was perpendicular to the waves, not parallel like it was now. But the sail was suddenly out of reach... how did that happen?

"Shit!" Beau stumbled as he tried to keep hold of the lever, rain streaming down his face. He tried to muscle the sail into the proper place, to try and turn the small boat, but the wind kept jerking the canvas back, making the boat rock even more crazily. "Jackson, where are you?" he called, the rain getting even heavier, making it difficult to see even the few feet.

"Here!" He yelled,  he forced his way back to Beau to help with the sail, but the wind was too strong for them both now. Another large wave pushed the boat causing Jackson to lose balance and fall against the side. The wave kept growing, pushing the boat up high and almost entirely on its side. Jacksom was disoriented, he had no idea how close they were to the island now, but he was pretty sure this boat was not going to make it there. "Beau!! Hold on to something!" He called.

His heart was thudding in his chest, the sound of it almost drowned out by the sound of the rain and waves. He held on as tight as he could, one hand on the rope, one hand on the handle as he struggled to stay on the deck. "Jackson!" He twisted his head around to see where the switch was, finally able to make out the shape of him on the boat. "Jackson, don't let go!" Out of everything - Beau knew he couldn't lose Jackson in this. They would get out together, get safe together - because he had a feeling this boat wouldn't be staying afloat much longer, the waves thrashing more wildly around them.

Jackson felt helpless as the boat thrashed about, at this point there was nothing he could do to stop it as the unforgiving sea pushed again with all its might, and the boat overturned. Jackson felt his body enter the cold water and the air left his lungs just as quick. His first thought was that this is how he was going to die, but maybe that was okay. He struggled to draw breath to call out to Beau, but he clung to the overturned vessel with all his might. It would sink eventually, he knew that. But until then he had to hang on. At least until he knew Beau was okay. Once he knew that Beau was okay, he wouldn't worry so much about hanging on. Finally, after many attempts, he weakly called out, "Beau!!! Beau are you okay??"

The feeling of dread that pulsed through him when the boat flipped wad even more chilling than the thrashing waves. Beau spluttered and fought to break through the surface of the water, miraculously still hanging on to a length of rope from the boat by the time he burst through the waves. Jackson. He had to get Jackson. "Jackson, where are you?" he called, clinging onto the boat, working  his way around it until he bumped into something decidedly softer. Jackson. "Fuck... come here, we h-have to stay together," he said through chattering teeth, looping the rope around Jackson's waist first, clumsily tying a knot as tight as he could before doing the same to himself, his hands rubbed raw on the rough rope.

The rope was smart. Beau was the smartest person Jackson knew, sometimes. The waves were still going strong, tossing them and the boat around as they both clung to it. "W-what do we d-do now?" He asked, fairly positive there was no way this could end happily.

Beau swallowed hard, trying to think through the mind-numbing cold and the thrash of the waves around them. The boat was going fast, and he knew enough that even a small boat would try to drag them under. "We... we h-have to try to get back to shore," he decided, looking toward the horizon, the island barely visible in the distance through the rain and wind. "I don't know how but we have to try."

Jackson sputtered as water splashed right over his head. He looked in the direction of the island, getting to shore was surely an impossible task. "I... I'm n-not a g-good s-swimmer." He said. "A-Are you s-sure?"

He swallowed hard and nodded. “The boat’s going down - we have to try to get back. Just... hang on to the rope, I’ll work on getting us in.” Beau had no idea if he would be able to get them to shore, but he would try, Damn it. Swallowing down his panic, he looked to Jackson and nodded before beginning to swim, his muscles almost instantly beginning to ache.

Jackson felt a surge of panic course through his chest as Beau let go of the boat. The switch held on for a moment longer, scared to face the unknown. But he had to let go... he released the boat and began to follow Beau as best he could. He wasn't  a swimmer, but a certain amount if Instinct kicked in and told him he had to keep his arms and legs moving. It was extremely difficult, especially with the way the water kept moving and thrashing them about. Jackson was struggling to keep his head above water, but he could still feel Beau on the other end of the rope. That's all that mattered right now.

Beau did his best to keep swimming in the direction he thought the shore was. The waves were forcing him under more often than not, and the rain made it hard to see. He didn't know how long he'd been working at swimming when he looked up again, noticing that the shadow of the island seemed larger than before-  closer. "Come on, Jackson, we're getting there!" he called, his voice raspy. With renewed strength - or something like it - he kicked harder, a rush of waves forcing them forward beyond his control. He had a split second to see what they were going to hit before it happened, and he turned his body, trying to make sure he took the brunt of the impact against the rocks and not the switch attached to him.

Jackson could hear Beau yelling, but he wasn't sure what the sub was saying. He was exhausted. He was freezing cold. He  didn't want to keep going... a wave picked them up and pushed them forward and Jackson had only milliseconds to react when a large rock appeared in their path. Jackson saw Beau turn but there was nothing he could do. The sub hit the rock, and Jackson hit Beau... he luckily had the presence of mind to wrap his arms around Beau and roll his own body so they would continue to be carried by the waves instead of stuck pressed against the rock. "Beau! Are you okay??"

He pressed his lips together to prevent the shout that wanted to come out when the rock slammed against his back, scraping his skin even through his sopping shirt. Fuck. He swallowed hard, holding onto Jackson and nodding. "I'm fine, just... shit, there's more," he hissed out, the waves carrying them closer to shore but closer to shore meant more rocks in their way. He did his best to take most of the impact as he could, every part of his body seemingly taking a hit until, by some miracle, he felt his feet brush the ocean floor while his head was above water. "We're almost there!"

Jackson tried his best to keep them away from the rocks, but they were both at the mercy of the cruel ocean waters. Jackson's limbs were numb by this point. He was having trouble staying focused. He felt his body collide with rocks once or twice, but it seemed like Beau was taking the brunt of the force. Jackson had long given up hope by the time Beau felt the ocean floor. Jackson couldn't feel anything. He was so cold... "G-Go a-a-ahead....." He told Beau. "I c-can't g-go f-further." He was pretty confident now Beau would make it to shore, but he didn't need to keep weighing the other boy down.

Beau looked to Jackson and shook his head. Adrenaline was still pumping through him, though his muscles burned with the effort he was putting in to trying to get them to shore. "Like hell am I leaving you," he replied in a fierce growl, unaware that his eyes had watered. "Come on. We're getting there together, or we're not getting there at all!" He wrapped one arm around Jackson, his legs screaming in protest as he started walking towards shore, spluttering as waves and rain pelted his face relentlessly.

Jackson tried, to his credit. But he was finding it difficult to move his limbs at all. Somehow, though, Beau managed to keep going. The closer they got to shore the farther away it seemed to Jackson. They'd never make it... how could they? Jackson kept stumbling here and there, but through some force of will he managed to stay upright until they were almost fully out of the water. The cold air on his cold, wet skin was making him shiver uncontrollably. He couldn't stop, and his legs wouldn't work anymore. He fell against Beau, trying his best to not collapse completely.

He felt like he was just breathing in water, the cold air burning like salt water on his abused throat. Beau grunted when he felt Jackson's weight collapse against him but somehow, he managed to get them both across the beach, under a copse of trees where it was slightly less rainy. Only then did he let his legs give out, collapsing onto his back and crying out as he put pressure on the many scrapes covering his skin. His head was spinning - had he hit that too? "Jackson?"

Jackson blinked, and suddenly he was on land again. Were those... trees? He heard someone say his name. Beau. It was Beau. They were both on the ground, still soaking wet... Jackson still couldn't stop shivering. "Wh-What n-now?" He asked, trying to stay with it.

He shifted as much as he could to the other man, some part of him thinking that body heat would be important. They had to warm up somehow. “Someone’s gotta be looking... they’ll find us,” he said, tugging lightly at Jackson. “C’mere. Fuck -“ he hissed as his shirt dragged over one of many cuts. “Have to... try to be warm...”

Jackson moved closer to Beau at the gentle tugging. Warm was a concept he couldn't even imagine right now. Beau's skin felt cold too, but at least it was better than the cold air. Jackson was slowly becoming aware of things like sand and blood sticking to his skin. "Y-you're hurt..." he observed, trying to brush some sand off his arms.

He winced as he moved one arm to wrap around Jackson. It wasn't much - but he could try. Beau shook his head, vaguely aware of a warm trickle by his temple - he'd hit his head harder than he thought. "I'll be fine. Been through worse." He let out a slow breath, closing his eyes. "I know this might be hard for you right now, but just breathe and stay close. They'll find us soon. Breathe - breathe with me," he muttered.

Jackson wasn't sure how things could get much worse than this, but that was a conversation for another day. He tried to breathe, like Beau said, but his lungs were weak and tired and he still couldn't stop shivering. 

[deepdisireslonging]

Family Found Part 48: WrestleMania

The road is at an end. And for one wrestler, so is their career. But first, the rest of the roster get their chances to reach for glory. Titles are destined to change hands, but which ones?

Warnings/Promises: wrestling violence, tiny Sheamus x reader fluff, angst

Word Count: 3830

Note: The ‘Monday’ chapter is also coming out this weekend too, so look for that. And then there will only be one more chapter that is guaranteed to rip your hearts out. Please let me know how you’ve been enjoying, or not, this series with comments, reblogs, or messages on/off anon. Thanks for sticking around this long!

Part 1: Welcome to the Team

Part 47: Resigning

WrestleMania – April 7, 2019 – Brooklyn, NY

“We have finally arrived at the end of the road. Tonight is WrestleMania!” The crowd was abuzz. Chants for favorites, and the usual random ones, sounded off every few minutes. Most of the seats were filled already because no one wanted to miss a second of the show of the year.

The announce team was preparing for interviews when Charly focused on listening closely to her headset. “Um, guys, we need to break to something going on backstage.”

Camera crew members hurried to catch up to the chaos erupting backstage. Tamina had caught Sarah Logan alone. Pinned into a corner, Sarah had nowhere to go and nothing to do except to receive the attack. Referees rushed onto the scene to break them apart. Just as Tamina was made to walk away, another fight broke out further down the hall.

This time it was Alicia Fox taking her skills to Liv Morgan, who was being held back by Ruby Riott. “Let me go,” Alicia shouted. “I’m not done with her! Viva la Alicia and Mickie!” She was still being dragged away when the cameras flipped back to the pre-show table.

Newly arrived, Bayley and Sasha Banks were snickering at the destruction. David Otunga was flabbergasted. “You don’t seem surprised to see all this. Care to explain?”

Sasha giggled and shared a look with her tag partner. “Of course we aren’t surprised. If anything, that was the plan. Our title match tonight is an open challenge. But we,” she motioned between herself and Bayley, “won’t know who it is until the bell rings. Anybody could challenge us up to that moment.”

“You see,” Bayley added, “it’s no secret that Sasha and I haven’t always gotten along. All this year we have done our best to rip each other to shreds to find out who is the better woman. We put that aside so we could win the first ever Raw Women’s Tag Team Championships, and we’re not letting them go until the rest of the locker room shows us what, or who, they’re willing to rip apart to take these from us.”

With a nod, Sasha agreed. Sorta. “Not that it’s going to happen tonight, or any time soon. If any of those ladies think they can take our championships away on the grandest stage of them all, they’ve got another thing coming.”

The champions left, leaving the announce team to hurry and get their pre-show opinions in order.

***

The first official match was the Andre the Giant Battle Royal. All of the participating wrestlers were in the ring, and at the bell, they each found an opponent. Several men flipped over the ropes, and a couple under them. It took about forty-five minutes to make it down to the final five. It was Mojo Rawley, EC3, Jeff Hardy, R-Truth, and Cesaro.

After a few more minutes, it was down to Mojo and Cesaro. The Swiss Cyborg was just going over the ropes when the missing wrestlers appeared from under the ring. The rough hype came to a standstill as he recognized his old partner and the man with the longest losing streak. Zack Ryder kept a close eye on him as Curt Hawkins followed him into the ring. It was two versus one, but Mojo succeeded in throwing both of them off. He tossed Hawkins through the ropes and set to tipping Ryder over the top. Struggling, Ryder was able to wriggle onto the apron.

Curt rolled backing into the ring, restarting the fight. It was Mojo who ended up going over the topes, but he took Ryder with him, despite Curt’s death-grip on his friend’s wrist. Mojo had a grip around Ryder’s waist. If Ryder fell, he fell. And Hawkins was the only lifeline. The duo started to slip backward, Hawkins’s grip failing. Zack smiled. “It’s all you, man.” Then he let go.

The bell rang. Rawley and Rider had been eliminated, and Curt Hawkins had won the battle royal. And, he had ended his streak.

***

Behind you on a screen, Ryder was celebrating with Hawkins in the ring. You were too busy arguing with a flurry of women to watch it. “Ladies, enough! There isn’t time to add another preshow match. As much as I hate that you are fighting backstage, I can’t give you a tornado tag match. Bayley and Sasha’s opponents will just have to bide their time and strike when they can. Whoever they are. Now please, I’ve got things to do.”

Begrudgingly, the women left your office. You were rubbing your temples when there was a hesitant knock at your door. “I thought I made myself clear- oh.” Large hands gripped your shoulders, working out the stressed kinks. “You’re going to get us in trouble.”

“Only if we get caught,” Sheamus chuckled. He succeeded in wrapping his arms around you before kissing the top of your head. It was enough to help you release a long, deep breath. Suddenly his touch was gone.

“Can I have a moment with my cousin?” Dean asked, calmly staring Sheamus down from the doorway. After your red-head gave you a reassuring pat between your shoulder blades, the men sidestepped each other.

Hey, Dean,” you whispered.

He stepped in rubbing the back of his head. “Hey, Ladybug. I know you’re busy, but I need to get something off my chest.”

“Go for it.” Easy to say. The tightness of your chest claimed otherwise.

He nodded. “I get it. I understand. And I’m sorry for the ride through hell to get there.” His hand shot up to stop you from putting yourself down again. “It was an impossible choice. Either Roman and I were going to lose Seth again, or I was going to have to give up… everything. I mean, we just got him back. And I just got you back… and there was nothing you could do.” Dean set his shoulders, but his eyes couldn’t meet yours. “I should have been willing to listen. Then maybe we could have found a way to avoid all this.”

You were on the verge of tears. He booped your nose, forcing you to smile. “Roman keeps telling me I have nothing to worry about.” You wiped away a tear. “And I have complete faith in both of you-“

“But?”

“But Brock is dangerous. Past the stupid stipulations. He’s… just about everybody ends up bloody or worse-“

“And I’m prepared for that.” He rested his hand lightly on your shoulder. “I’ve been preparing for a lot of things, actually.” His voice dropped out. Neither of you wanted to point out the two worst case scenarios again. “That was all I needed to say. Keep up the managing thing. You’re good at it… and I couldn’t be prouder of you.” He let you catch him in a tight hug, stroking the top of your head. Then he wrenched himself free and rushed out of your office.

***

The women’s battle royal was just as dramatic, if not more so, than the guys’. Of the final five, two women took the center of the ring. Zelina Vega, Asuka, and Nikki Cross huddled in corners, waiting to see what would happen. Natalya and Rhonda stared each other down. Not six months ago they were the best of friends, battling for the same goals but with handshakes after every altercation. Now they were cold. Unmoved by each other’s goals or aspirations.

They set to punches and head blows that rocked the ring. Unfortunately, in their haste and determination to eliminate one another, both women ended up landing on the apron after twisting over the ropes. Then the other three women sprang into action. It took all of them to launch the women off onto the floor. Thus, eliminating them both. Then Nikki and Asuka set on knocking each other out of the match. Zelina came bouncing off the ropes, succeeding in twisting Nikki over the top.

Now it was down to two. Zelina rushed not to lose her momentum. Bu Asuka wasn’t going to make it easy. Twice, three times one of them would stumble through the ropes. The Empress of tomorrow did everything she could to take the victory today. They both ended up on the apron. Taking a risk, Zelina jumped and grabbed hold of Asuka’s head, dropping with it. Asuka’s face bounced off the edge, and her body followed. Zelina fell back into the ring, running her hands through her hair. She’d won. After the referee raised her hand, she left the ring and stood by the trophy. Her trophy.

***

Roman marched down to the ring. He paced from ropes to rope like a caged lion, ignoring the continued mixed welcome from the crowd. When the lights finally dimmed for Dr. M’s entrance, he kneeled in one corner with his back against the turnbuckles. Dr. M grinned and eventually met him, standing toe to toe. Even though Roman towered over him, the trepidation in Roman’s eyes made the doctor smug. And gave him an edge.

Not waiting for the bell, Dr. M rushed forward. He caught Roman unawares, knocking him to the canvas. The rain of punches and kicks didn’t stop until Dr. M stepped back. He laughed. “You aren’t ready to defend yourself. How could you ever think you could keep me from healing the WWE? From healing Y/N?” His smile flickered away as Roman struggled to his feet.

They went at it again. Dr. M still had the upper hand, despite Roman’s mostly effective offense. His prior attacks had created several openings for future hits. Roman’s ribs and throat were easy targets. If he couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t fight. And he wouldn’t win. But Dr. M had forgotten one very important thing.

No one messes with his family.

“You know, Roman,” Dr. M said into his ear while controlling him with a headlock, “Y/N really is such a perfect puppet for Hunter and Stephanie. Maybe they won’t mind if Sister Abigail borrows her vessel for a while, hmm. And why not bring Dean into the family too? I’d hate to break them apart again. Though I would have to break through their fevers by any means necessary.”

With a roar, Roman broke free and headbutted Dr. M. The man staggered back, fighting to shake free the blurriness in his vision. By the time it was back, so was Roman with a spear. Dr. M groaned and gasped as Roman walked away and gripped the top rope. The tape whined under his grip, and the referee took several steps back. Dr. M was eventually back on his feet. He dodged the first spear, but the second after Roman bounced off the far ropes. One, two, and three seconds later Dr. M was nowhere close to getting back up. Roman gave him an extra series of kicks to get him out of the ring, then swayed on his feet. He left the arena as the rest of WrestleMania started.

***

***

“Ladies and gentlemen, Elias.”

Inside the circle of light, Elias strummed his guitar. The crowd was deathly silent until he finished, then they started the ‘walk with Elias’ chant. He smiled at them. “It’s great to finally be recognized at the greatest concert of them all. Even if the arena is filled with disgusting rabble like you.” He waited for their shift in mood to die down a little before playing his song. It was dedicated to the dirt people of Brooklyn, punctuated with the occasional jab at Drew McIntyre. He was met with thunderous applause as he finished. “Finally. No interruptions.” He strummed to start another song, but he’d spoken too soon.

Soon enough, Drew was in the ring, dark and foreboding. He handed the Intercontinental title to the referee, glaring at Elias while the title match was announced.  Elias only let go of his guitar long enough to get rid of his mic and his scarves. Once the bell rang, the instrument whistled through the air, just barely missing Drew’s head. The champion slid out of the ring to quickly arm himself. Steel chairs, tables, and another guitar hidden in the bell box (after the first one was broken) came into play. The ring was littered with bamboo strips and fractured tables. Still, both men eluded the count.

A third guitar came out from under the ring. “How many guitars does Elias have?” Corey asked, flabbergasted. No matter how many more were hidden under the ring, it was the last one Elias needed. He scaled a turnbuckle and jumped. Drew turned just in time to catch the hit on his shoulder, collapsing as it splintered. Elias pinned him, even with chunks of wood jabbing into his own body. It had taken almost a year, but Elias was finally the Intercontinental champion once again.

***

It was time to see who won the backstage battle to face Bayley and Sasha Banks for the Raw Women’s Tag Titles. Renee had kept up with the results better than anyone else. “The last people we saw standing were Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan of the Riott Squad. Right before Roman’s match against Dr. M, they had gotten the jump on Natalya and Rhonda.”

Corey shrugged. “I don’t think any of us really thought that team was going to face the champions. They had quite a moment during the women’s battle royal. And it cost them.”

“But now it’s Boss and Hug time,” Cole said as the champions came down the ramp. The women waited patiently in the ring to see who their opponents were going to be. They bumped each other’s shoulders as the aforementioned team came out to the stage. Sarah and Liv cackled, proud of themselves for having won the moment. They were just about to take a step forward when they were hit from behind. Not waiting for them to get up, Alicia Fox and Mickie James rushed down the ramp. If they could make it to the ring and survive until the bell, the match was theirs. They made it, jumping and hugging one another while Sasha and Bayley stood back and golf-clapped.

The partying didn’t last long. It was time for the match. And it was a showstopper. Alicia and Mickie had years of experience on their side, years of being glossed over, years of waiting to step up only to be stepped over. Sasha and Bayley had the legacy NXT’s four horsewomen behind them and the rebuilt strength of their friendship. They had the championship buffer as well. That helped a lot when Mickie knocked Sasha out of the ring. She was willing to wait for the count, taking her time to roll around, but Alicia raced around the ring and shoved the champion back into the ring. Caught off-guard, Mickie was too busy mocking Bayley to sense the danger behind her.

Bayley ran across the ring to spear Alicia off the apron so Mickie could be pinned. Their titles retained, they stood together, ushering the new era of women’s wrestling.

***

The guys’ tag match didn’t go as smoothly for the champions. At first, it looked like they had everything under control. Rezar started the match against Sami Zayn. Behind him, Akam shouted what to do, and when to move away from the ropes when it looked like Kevin Owens was about to try something. Eventually, the tags switched and the process was the same. But as the match progressed, battle lines were drawn. Akam took a particularly teasing hit from Sami, who was good at dodging his grasp. Kevin was able to keep up with Rezar and keep him on his toes. The fight extended to ringside, and that’s when things got… broken.

No limbs, thankfully. But things definitely fell apart. Rezar was ringside meeting Owens blow for blow, toss for toss, and was mid-roar after throwing Owens into a barricade when Sami came running by. Akam was quick on his heels, but the champions zigged when they should have zagged. The two massive bodies colliding sent both men flying back the way they came. Sami and Kevin had recovered, and it took both to toss Akam back into the ring. With Rezar still reeling and unable to help, Sami made the pin. The victors met in the center of the ring, falling to their knees and accepting their new tag championship. They met again at the top of the massive ramp and held their titles high.

***

The last singles match of the night was for the Raw Women’s Championship between Ruby Riott and Alexa Bliss. As hostess, Alexa directed the biggest entrance of the night worthy of her talent, and arguably her ego. Ruby took a simpler entrance. Not that she needed anything bigger. Having the championship around her waist, and then on her shoulder, was stunning enough.

Alexa brought out all the stops. An unspoken goal had been for her team to hold all the Raw women’s titles. But with Mickie and Alicia coming up short, it was up to her to take up the slack. Ruby was similarly in mood. Her tag-mates had been denied their match. If she could retain, the Riott Squad had hope to rise again. Ruby accepted Alexa’s attack, then rerouted it for her own mission. A Twisted Bliss was narrowly avoided, and the stunned Alexa was easy to catch in a submission while Ruby caught her breath. Several more dives from the top ropes happened, but it was a Riot Kick to one of Alexa’s leaps that finished the match. Ruby retained, screaming into the night air with her title in her hands.

***

Now was the main event.

“This match is a Universal Championship triple-threat match set for one fall. The competitor who is pinned will have to leave the WWE forever.”

Dean nervously looked between Seth and Brock Lesnar. And the title. He bit back the urge to look towards the ramp as if you were there. Backstage, you were just as nervous. Roman was hovering by the tv too, but from a distance, so he could run to the ring as soon as the match was over. Sheamus stood right behind you, holding the hand you had resting on your shoulder.

At the bell, Seth and Dean instantly rushed to attack Lesnar in one swoop. He was laughing before they reached him. With his two large hands, he caught each around the throat. First, Lesnar tossed Seth one way and between the ropes. He threw Dean back towards the center of the ring, then caught him with the first suplex of the match. Seth pulled Dean to the floor and slid in, starting the attack he planned. His quick movements kept confusing the Beast. And they were wearing him down. A well-placed Frog-Splash caught Lesnar in the ribs, but he twisted Seth into a submission. Dean rushed back in to break it up before his brother had to tap out.

Seth remained huddled in the corner, nursing his arm while Dean and Lesnar faced off again. This time Dean was successful in dodging the harder blows and the attempted suplexes. He managed to drop him with a Dirty Deeds and instantly tried for a pin. Which instantly failed. Dean knew he couldn’t let up on the attack, but Lesnar’s low laugh was unnerving.

“I don’t care which one of you I pin,” he chuckled. “It’s all the same to me. No, what will matter after this match, is how your little cousin survives with me as champion.” They both rose to their feet, circling each other. “Maybe I do care. If my reign is going to be a bit more hands-on, I’d rather not have you in the way.” Behind them on the floor, Paul Heyman nodded, grinning ear to ear. Seth heard too and used the ropes to get back to his feet.

Lesnar was flanked on both sides. E wasn’t bothered by that until the timing of brothers kicked in. If he thought keeping up with Rollins or stomping down Ambrose was hard, it was nigh impossible to keep tabs on both. Dean was wildest of the two. The threat was enough to send him boarder-lining on several mistakes. Those close calls got him suplexed across the ring, several of which sent him hurtling to the floor. Still, it distracted the Beast enough from Seth’s darting attacks. Alone, the plan might have worked. With both of them working against Lesnar? It was becoming a sure match.

Then Lesnar fell out of the ring, just as Dean and Seth found themselves on opposite sides of it.

Backstage, you shook your head. “No.” You whispered. “Don’t do it guys.”

They looked at one another, and to where Brock was out of sight. Seth launched half a second before Dean did, catching him in the chest and taking him to the canvas. The referee was just swooping in to count when Seth jolted back. The price came to mind. And it was too high. With another shared look, they rolled through the ropes and set on bringing Lesnar back onto the canvas. With both of them then leaning on his chest, the referee kneeled to count. Dean backed away before he started, watching as all three seconds went by.

The screen erupted with the cheers of the crowd, but you were frozen. Sheamus shook your shoulders. “What’s wrong? They won.”

“If this had been the original contract, Dean would have just given up his career… of his own free will.”

Roman was already gone. You hurried out the door to follow him. By the time you made it to the ramp, Dean was already enveloped in a Roman-sized bear hug. You took over, hugging Dean with all your strength. Seth was still in the ring, showing off his retained Universal title at each ring post. Brock Lesnar and his advocate came up the ramp, both of them panting. Dean’s back was still turned to them. Unaware of the danger. You pushed him and Roman back and stood between them and the advancing party. Lensar paused, amused that you thought he’d give an effort now that he was done with the company. He was long gone by the time Seth caught up.

The brothers in arms shared a victory hug. One that you watched from a distance. You couldn’t hear what they were saying to one another, but that was okay. It wasn’t for you to hear. When the huddle broke, Dean caught you around the shoulders the same way Roman caught his, and they led you backstage.

Seth Rollins looked out over the crowd. A sold-out arena all shouting ‘slay the beast’. Because he had. With the biggest smile on his face in a long time, he lifted the red and gold belt above his head. It was theirs; he’d won it for them. And he’d defend it for them, no matter what it took.

Part 49: Wrapped Up

Series Masterlist 

Masterlist 

Forever Tags: @blondekel77 @hallemichelles @laochbaineann @ramblingsofabourbondrinker @savmontreal @southsidebucky @tinyelfperson @chwehansol98

WWE/Series Tags: @a-home-for-stray-stories @crossfitjesusismysavior @top-1-percent @mother-forker @neversatisfiedgirlfics @racheo91 @roman-reigns-princess @secretagentfangirl @thetherianthropydaily @scuzmunkie @cait-kae @ramsaypants @sony-undead18 @brianaraydean @st4yingstrong @dopeybubbles @crystallizeme @jessica91073 @denise8691 @stalelight @kenyadakblalock @1dluver13xx @lauren-novak @lunatic-desert-child @littledeadrottinghood @livelifewondering 

[reddieloserz]

This Old Dog - Part 6 Preview

IT 2017 - Reddie - 31,324 words - WIP

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind AU

Sorry that I haven’t updated in a while, guys! Things have been so chaotic with work and my mental health that I simply haven’t been in the right place to finish this. It just brings up such intense emotions for me.

As a big sorry for being on hiatus, and a big thank you for waiting up for me, here is a preview of Part 6 that is coming out later this week! Second to last part until the story is over. Hope you enjoy.

This was the first time Eddie had painted Richie.

Eddie is laying on his stomach on his living room floor. Richie is above him on the couch, completely naked and in a delicate pose. Richie lays on his side, head turned away from Eddie so that he can see Richie’s profile. A white sheet is draped across the couch and it beautifully contrasts Richie’s dark curls.

It was almost an hour ago now that Richie had finally agreed to be painted by Eddie. They had created art together a dozen times before, but Eddie just sitting and painting Richie was something intimate and intimidating that neither of them had agreed to do yet- until now. While they bickered for the first twenty minutes, Richie constantly either fidgeting, changing positions, or cracking some stupid remark. Eddie was getting pissed while Richie was reveling in the negative attention. It was only when Eddie was frustrated to near tears, telling Richie to forget about the whole thing, that he finally settled down and held a pose for Eddie to recreate.

Eddie did not consider himself to be the most creative person alive, despite how artistically inclined he knew he was. He was always looking for specific references, colors, poses. He could never quite get the image he was wanting to create out of his head. Because of this setback to his imagination, Eddie always settled with still life or realism.

It was only when Eddie met Richie (of course after he graduated from all of his art studies classes) that true inspiration sparked within him. He wanted to do nothing else besides illustrate each one of Richie’s thousand expressions. Wanted to get the two crooked teeth in his mouth just right. Tried his best to put each freckle right where they belonged. Eddie continued to work silently, his eyes occasionally lingering on the side of Richie’s face for far longer than necessary. Richie tried his best to stifle a grin every time he felt Eddie’s gaze on his bare body. Richie loved the attention, being allowed to speak or not, he was getting what he wanted.

This was also, officially, their first comfortable silence. There was almost always some sort of noise filling their silence, whether it be the record player or Richie’s own mouth, but today was different. Eddie had forgotten to turn on music when he finally got to working on his piece. Once Richie finally got comfortable enough to stay still for a pose, he found that he didn’t have anything clever enough to say to break Eddie’s concentration. All that was heard was soft rain drops kissing the glass of the window. It was all so intimate and fragile, this moment. They both didn’t say a word, just trusted the other with helping create this piece of art.

Eddie was finished with his painting now, but enjoyed the perfectly still beauty that was Richie’s body. While he was thin, nearly skeletal despite his lean muscle, he had the paleness and grace of a Michelangelo sculpture. All Richie’s angles were sharp and masculine. His pecs were softly outlined by the light from the side table lamp, and his dark hair began at his belly button and thickened around his flaccid cock.

Something warm stirred in Eddie’s belly as he admired, but it died back down when he finally looked up to Richie’s face and was surprised to see Richie was already looking back at him. His dark eyes bore back into Eddie’s skull and he felt a warm blush spread across his face and chest.

Richie had noticed that Eddie was done painting and chanced a look at him. What Richie found was a wide-eyed artist, basking in his first ever muse. Richie almost had the decency to feel embarrassed, all exposed and vulnerable in front of Eddie’s hungry eyes, but he didn’t look away from the man’s gaze. Richie gazed right back.

“I’m, uh… I’m finished with it.” Eddie said lamely, finally shying away from Richie’s stare. Here he was, fully clothed and protected, but he still felt completely naked and open under Richie’s powerful eyes. It wasn’t fair. Richie still managed to be dominant and intimidating, despite Eddie knowing just how much of a dork he actually was. Richie was filled with so many layers and Eddie didn’t think he would ever be able to get to the center of him. A mystery of a man that Eddie was destined to forever try to solve.

“Will you show it to me?” Richie asked, voice slightly hoarse from being unused for the better part of an hour.Eddie shyly flipped the canvas around so that Richie could see his finished work. Eddie looked up at Richie through his long eyelashes. Richie’s dick twitched at the sight.

The small canvas was packed full of stippling and delicate lines. Richie’s curls held so much detail you could nearly count each singular strand of hair. Eddie’s attention span was something that Richie always admired, but he had no idea just how much information Eddie’s eyes actually retained. Richie felt his breath leave his lungs and he was stuck there, completely shell shocked and in awe.

The painting was exceptionally gorgeous, bursting with passion and love for its subject. Even Richie could feel its enormous and impactful message: Eddie thought he was beautiful. The most beautiful man that could be painted, freckles and crooked teeth and acne scars and all. Eddie didn’t think he would ever be able to do him justice.

“Thank you,” Richie said, and all of a sudden he felt wetness fall on to his cheeks. He didn’t notice that he had not only been shocked into silence, but tears as well. “Thank you, Spaghetti.”

Eddie looked troubled and crawled the foot or two to the couch where Richie sat. He wiped the tears off of Richie’s face and stared at him with an equally hard and tender expression, eyebrows knitted together.

“What is it, Rich? What is making you cry?” He whispered. Eddie had never seen Richie like this.

“I’m just really happy. This is really beautiful. You made me beautiful, somehow.” Richie says through a few cracks in his voice, all joking and tease completely vacant from his inflections. He was very serious.

“I just tried to recreate what was in front of me, Richie. I didn’t make you up in my head. You’re just that beautiful.” Eddie says, staring up into Richie’s wet eyes.

Richie cracks a huge crooked-toothed smile, and it makes one last tear fall from his eyes.

“Wow, Spaghetti Man, you really just made a grown man cry with a painting. That had never happened to me before.” Richie begins, and Eddie finds himself falling in love with this man, totally infatuated, head over heels. That feeling is only reinforced when Richie finished what he was saying, making him groan in annoyance

“I guess I’m just that good of a model, amirite?” Richie says, letting an obnoxious cackled escape his mouth as he crawls onto the floor next to Eddie.

They share a kiss. The sound of rain is the only thing that fills the room once again.

Delete

[undertrash-jes]

Another Medium- Chapter 1: Final Preparations

Another Medium

Chapter 1

Final Preparations

*The Gaster Home*

"M-mom! Mom! Mom, it's okay. I think I can handle it from here."

"I know. I know, sweetie. Just let me get this last thing right here."

"Mom, please this is embarrassing! If she shows up now . . ."

"Then you will be the most handsome and the most presentable young monster she has ever seen."

"Mom . . ."

Nyala laughed as she straightened her son's bright orange bowtie after just having tied it for him. It wasn't quite right . . . so she undid the knot and started over.  

Corbel let out a little bit of a groan, resigning himself to stand still just a bit longer while his mother helped him.  

He tried not to let it bother him, but having lost a few fingers when he was a child, it was sometimes difficult to accomplish little things which required fine motor skills. Even when his father, renowned Royal Scientist Dr. W.D. Gaster (it was a mouthful and a little tiring to say the entire thing), fashioned him prosthetic fingers, Corbel found that they were troublesome to use and a bit awkward in the way that he couldn't get them to do exactly what he wanted them to . . . even with magic.

So, that sometimes came down to the boy begrudgingly asking his mom for help with things, securing buttons and snaps, untangling cords and headphones, folding summer prep applications, and even tying this damned tie!

"What I don't understand is why you aren't going to her to pick her up?" His mother sighed, continuing in her work, "Things sure have changed. When I was young, it was the gentleman's responsibility to escort his date through every aspect of the evening. He was never to leave her side and it was his job to make sure she got home safely."

"It's not a 'date,' Mom." Corbel corrected, We're just going to the dance together, that's all. And we're doing it this way because neither of us have dates. And it's more of a group thing anyway. We'll be meeting up with the Blooks there and we'll all be together. Besides, do you honestly think she needs anyone to escort her around?"

"You do have a point there, Son." Nyala giggled, pulling on the final end of the tie, making sure everything was symmetrical.

"There. We. Go!" She cheered, stepping away from her fifteen-year-old to look at the end result of his preparations.

"Perfect!" She mused, "You look wonderful! The spitting image of your father when he took me out for the first time!"

Corbel hummed at the thought, trying to let his slight irritation with the comment remain unseen, "Is that so? Interesting."

Nyala tilted her head in a way that made Corbel realize he'd been caught. "Corbel, honey?" She questioned softly, "Are you —"

There was a sharp, insistent, and relentless knocking at the door, sounding off like rapid gunfire. The boisterous call of "Hey! Gasters!! Anyone home!?" Let the two inside know exactly who it was at the door.

"I should get that!" Corbel answered, dodging the unasked question and slipping away to greet their guest.

He pulled away from his mother's studying eyes and stepped out of the way to get to the door. As soon as he opened the door, a blue-scaled monster made for his neck, looking to throw an arm around him. Expertly, Corbel dodged the "attack" slipping under the arm and letting the momentum of the swing propel the monster inside the home. He entered after her and closed the door again behind him.

The new monster stumbled as she righted herself with a bright grin and a loud laugh as she nearly ran face-to-gut with Nyala. "Hey, Mrs. G!" She greeted, "It's been a while. How've you been?"

"I'm fine, thank you. Good to see you again, Undyne." Nyala smiled back, taking in the blue monster's outfit. Undyne was sporting a neatly tailored suit much like Corbel's with long coat tails and a long red neck tie. It matched the shoulder-length ponytail she wore almost perfectly. Contrasting with the rest of her outfit, she wore comfortable-looking canvas shoes for ease of movement. Nyala couldn't help but think again on how much had changed since she was a teenager. If she could have gotten away with wearing something so stylish at that time . . . She let her smile spread, "You look as if you're ready to have fun!"  

"You know it!" Undyne cheered, pumping her fist into the air, "That party won't know what hit it!! Heh, we should get going soon, though. You know how Meta gets when we're late."  

With a quick turn on her toes, something she picked up in her ROTC class, no doubt, she spun to find Corbel with his hands in his pockets, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. "Sup, Puff!? Just as agile as ever, I see!" She scoffed, "You dodged me easily enough!"

Corbel shrugged, letting the tiniest smirk pull at the corner of his mouth, "Years of practice." He answered.

Undyne had been Corbel's best and closest friend since before either one of them started school. She'd been the only person to stay by his side even after Corbel had gotten sick and started falling apart right in front of her eyes. She'd always kept him smiling and looking on the brighter side of things even when it seemed like there was nothing to smile about anymore. She kept him going, pushing him even when he felt he was ready to give up.  

She was the only person Corbel allowed to call him "Puffball" or any variant of the name. Where the other children had used it to make fun of him while he'd been sick, Undyne had turned it into his encouragement. Using the name as motivation and as a drive to keep fighting to recover. From her and only her, Corbel found it to be a sense of solidarity.

"So, how'ya doin', Red?" Corbel greeted, using his own childhood nickname for her, "Looking good."

"Right back at you!" Undyne grinned widely. She swept bright red bangs out of her eyes and tucked them behind her ear fins. "Ready to hit it?"

"Ready as I'll ever be!" He answered already reaching behind him for the doorknob once again.

"Wait! Wait!" Nyala interjected, "Let me get a picture of the two of you! My baby's first school dance! And of course your father will want to see!"

Corbel tried not to make his smile look too forced. The resulting "Tch . . . " was involuntary. "Do we really have to? We're late enough as it is."

"Aw, c'mon!" Undyne winked, "What's one picture? Besides everyone knows it's not a party until we get there anyway! Let your mom get a shot! It'll make her happy."

" . . . Fine."  

"Haha!! There you have it!" Undyne cheered, finally succeeding in throwing an arm around Corbel's shoulders. "C'mon, Mrs. G! Before this one changes his mind!"

Nyala was there in a moment flat with her camera as if she'd had it ready and prepped in her pocket all night. She focused through the viewfinder and centered the photo, ready to snap.

Before she could, however, she couldn't help but notice the stark difference in energy between the two friends.

Where Undyne was energetic and seemed to be genuinely excited about the photo, there was something off with her son . . . something that seemed to be distracting him . . . irritating him. It was as if a switch had been flipped and made his mood instantly sour.  

Corbel kept his gaze turned away and his smile seemed somewhat forced. She wished she knew more about what was going on in that skull of his. What was bothering her baby so much that it was getting in the way of him having fun with his friends?

"Over here, sweetie!" She called.

"C'mon, Puff!!" Undyne joined in, "You gotta smile! It's for your mom's album!"

That seemed to do something, Corbel almost immediately fell out of his previous thought trail and smiled brightly at the camera with Undyne as if he'd only just noticed the device.  

After the photos were taken, and every pose and angle had been tried, Nyala finally lowered her camera, thanking both of the teens for their patience while she tried to find the best way to preserve the moment.  

"All right! All right!!" Undyne called again, "That concludes today's impromptu photoshoot! Now, we really should get going before we miss the dance all together! Thanks for everything, Mrs. G! C'mon, Corbel!"

"Yeah."

"One last thing before you go!" Nyala called a final time, "Let's do a quick run-through of the checklist. Now, how are your cuffs? Fully charged?"  

To appease his mother, Corbel stood forward, facing her as he pushed the sleeves of his shirt slightly up over his wrists. Around each of his wrists was a thick band secured tightly. Those bands were what allowed Corbel to control his prosthetic fingers using his magic. On their best days, Corbel barely even noticed they were there and he could use his hands normally. But he was still, understandably self-conscious about them, so he often kept them covered with long sleeves.

Corbel wiggled his fingers, showing his mother the full range of motion. "Check."

"And your inhaler?"

Corbel reached into his pocket, fishing the little tube from his pocket. That little tube saved him countless times when he had been suffering with coughing attacks and his bones began to crumble. He had been coughing up so much bone dust that it drew the attention of his peers. He had been nicknamed "Puffball" ever since then.  

Now, whenever he had a coughing attack, that inhaler had been his salvation. It soothed him and cooled the fires in his throat and chest. It dampened his dry passages and fortified his brittle bones.  

He held the little tube in his fingers, proving its presence, "Check."

Nyala nodded with a smile. "I know it's frustrating, having me ask all the time. But I just want you to have everything you need . . . if something were to happen and you didn't have your inhaler and I wasn't there . . . I don't even want to think about that . . ."

Corbel stilled for a moment, watching as his mom did her best not to let her latent emotion get the better of her.  

"Hey, Mom." Corbel said softly. After a moment, he took her in his arms, wrapping himself around her in appreciation, "It's okay. I'm fine. I have my inhaler and my cuffs are working fine. I'm going with friends. We're gonna have fun and we're gonna dance. I'll tell you all about it when we get back, okay?"

Nyala, in turn, took her son in her arms, holding him tightly and securely. She nodded wordlessly, taking in several deep breaths. She couldn't help it. Every once in a while, she remembered a night or two when she was sure that Corbel's coughing was going to get the better of him. There were a few really close calls and she had been terrified that she was going to lose her son. She was constantly grateful that his inhaler was so helpful for him. She saw it as a sort of a lifeline for her baby and as long as he had it, at least a tiny part of her worry was lifted.  

After another moment or two, she pulled away with a smile. "Goodness, look at me. I'm sorry! I'm supposed to send you off with more poise than this! Have fun, you two! Tell the Blook boys I said hello!"

"Will do!" Undyne assured, "And don't worry, I'll keep an eye on this one too! I won't let him get too rowdy!"

"I'll be counting on you then, Undyne! Take care of my Corbel! And Corbel?"

"Hm?"

"I love you."

"I love you too, Mom." Corbel answered with a hesitant but genuine smile and a slight nod. From there, he turned away from his mom to lead Undyne out of the house. He firmly shut the door behind him and headed off with his best friend to his first school dance.  

[oneworldproductions]

Sister Abigail © vs Syn - World Championship

The past four weeks has been full of mind games, taunting, surprises, and everything in the book that could shape a ground breaking feud. And this match promised to do the same as, for the first time ever, Abigail and Syn would face off, one on one, with the biggest prize in One World on the line. The mind games look to continue as Syn goes for a tie up, Abigail teasing, before ducking under and walking off, shaking her head. Syn felt like a joke to her, and she didn’t feel a need to put in much more effort than she already did leading up to tonight. Syn looks on, anger building in his eyes, before calling for another tie up. When Abigail ducks him again, Syn whips around and says, “Are you scared of me, Abby? I knew it…” She raises an eyebrow before stepping forward, and contact is made for the first time in a collar and elbow tie up. After a short battle, testing the waters, each other’s strength, Abigail turns it into a hammerlock, which allows her to take Syn to the mat and turn it into a headlock. Syn tries to push her off before eventually turning it into a loosely applied headscissors, which Abigail escapes easily. Another tie up ensues. This time neither are able to get the advantage, but Abigail pushes them up against the ropes. The referee demands a clean break, and, after a moment, Abigail actually allows it. Slowly breaking off before patting Syn on the chest, smirking, and beckoning him to actually bring it. A thought forms in Syn’s head as he begins to smirk as well. He lowers and puts his weight into his lower body, leaning his hips forward and making grabbing motions with his hands. The “come ooooon!” is heard clear as day throughout the arena, and sets a fire unlike any we’ve ever seen before light up in Abigail’s eyes! We’ve see Abigail use Shinsuke’s moves before; either as a homage, or a taunt, she’s never said; but this was the first time anyone’s ever used something of her mentor’s against her, and for the first time, Syn’s managed to get under her skin. Relaxed approach aside she charges, and eats a dropkick that sends her all the way out of the ring. Syn doesn’t hesitate before running the ropes and launching himself over the top with a picture perfect TOPE CON HILO! WHAT HEIGHT! The much larger man comes crashing down onto Abigail full force and with plenty of speed behind it, and he’s able to pop right up. A moment’s spared to celebrate with the fans before Syn returns to the champion and begins lifting her up, most likely attempting to get them back into the ring. Abigail has something else, something much more devastating, in mind, and she nails a few well placed elbows to the midsection to prevent them from going back to the squared circle just yet. A forearm pops Syn’s jaw and he’s staggered back, but Abigail keeps him close enough to attempt a suplex. She’s going to lift the big man up! Or, at least she tries, a Syn kicks out a leg out from under her, allowing him to reverse it into a release X Plex — that lands on the apron, the hardest part of the ring! A cry is heard from the champ as pain radiates up her spine, back arching and hands grabbing for it. Between the back and the possibly injured leg, she could be in trouble as Syn rolls them to the center of the ring and covers.

One — Kickout!

The shoulder’s up despite the pain Abigail’s feeling, and Syn’s shocked at how easily she was able to kick out, but he knows he can’t let it phase him. Not if he wants to win. So Syn stands and steps back, lining Abigail up before charging, going for a running shooting star — but she moves! Syn’s large frame hits the mat dead on, and he holds onto his midsection, sucking in deep breaths to regain the air that’d been knocked out of him from the impact. Both get back to their feet, but Abigail’s just a beat faster, and attempts to scoop him up for a tombstone. Syn blocks it, attempting to go for one of his own. A stalemate ensues, neither getting the upper hand until Abigail rains down on him with sharp elbows. Syn releases the hold he has on her waist, and Abigail tries setting him up for the piledriver — but her knee buckles under the weight! She shoves him off and adjusts her knee pad, but Syn doesn’t give her more time than that before landing a forearm to the jaw. Abigail retaliates with one of her own, and a slugfest ensues! They lay into each other with shot after shot, moving faster than the speed of light, until Abigail lands a particularly nasty one that sends Syn backwards. Abigail lands a knee to the gut and a kick to the chest. A back elbow lands square on the temple, and he’s sent to the mat with a kick to the back of the knee. Abigail takes a couple steps back and connects with a running knee! Abigail sizes him up as Syn struggles to get back to a vertical base, clearly dazed from the series of hard hitting shots. But once he does, Abigail charged — and gets caught with a drop toe hold! Abigail lands on her face! Syn is quick to the attack, hasty and impactful movements as to not allow the Matriarch to regain the upper hand. He knows how dangerous she is, and that she could end this match in a heartbeat with any of her her high impact moves. So he grand ahold of the knee and connects with a kneebreaker, bouncing the shin right off the canvas, before turning her over and locking in a figure four! Abigail screams out in sheer agony as the submission applies tremendous amounts of pressure to the injured knee, twisting it in the most uncomfortable way. For a long few moments, Abigail does nothing but grip at her half red locks, eyes squeezed shut, and attempt to fight through the pain, as Syn tries to convince her to give up already. Abigail’s never tapped out before, and she doesn’t plan to start tonight, instead trying to roll them the other way and reverse it. Syn does his best to stop it from happening, but it’s not enough as Abigail flips them over, and over again, until she’s able to shoot her arm out and grab the bottom rope!

Syn breaks the submission instantly and steps off, allowing Abigail time to haul herself to her feet with assistance from the ropes. Once she does, Syn’s right there to scoop her up onto his shoulders with an electric chair, holding her up there for a second before switching it around, going for a powerbomb — but Abigail reverses into a hurricanrana! An uncharacteristic move from the champion sends Syn into the corner, and Abigail uses the adrenaline to push her through the pain; charging forward and connecting with a big boot right across his face! She prevents him from falling, pinning him against the turnbuckles before switching their positions and propping herself up on the top turnbuckle. Arm hooked around his throat as she pulls Syn up, legs dangling as he’s choked out with a hanging dragon sleeper! She keeps it in until the referee’s count of four, releasing it and watching Syn drop to the mat like a sack of large potatoes. She attempts a dive, but before she can even leap out of the corner, the challenger is moving away to the other side of the ring, and completely to the outside, putting as much distance as possible as he tries to regain his stolen breath. Abigail simply stares for a second before climbing down, no hesitation in her step as she charges, grabbing onto the top rope and twisting mid-air, connecting with a BEAUTIFUL SPRINGBOARD MOONSAULT! Abigail isn’t the renowned high-flyer like her opponent, but she still gets incredible height and a perfect curve on it. And most importantly, it does its job of wiping out Syn. It’s bittersweet for Abigail, because her challenger is down and out, but because /her challenger is down and out/ and her knee hit hard on the landing, ruining the ligaments even further. Nevertheless, she manages to lift the larger man up, attempting to get him in the ring, but can’t quite do it. Her struggling allowed Syn to regain some energy, and he attempts to send her into the steel steps. Abigail doesn’t let it happen. Instead she shoves Syn away, and sends him down with a big boot when he charges back at her. Abigail scowls down at him as she hobbles on her one good leg, head shaking before rolling back in the ring. The referee checks on her, then Syn, and finally begins his count.

One!

Two!

Three!

Four!

Five! Syn begins to stir! Head shaking to and fro to clear the cobwebs, eyes blinking rapidly at the light.

Six!

Seven! Like other independent companies, One World has a 20 count, but even still, Syn moves with urgency to get back inside the ring. He uses the apron curtain for assistance.

Eight!

Nine!

Syn is back in the ring! The count breaks, and Abigail scowls from where she’s been seated against the ropes. Standing, she rushes over to Syn and stomps on his back, digging the heel of her boot into his back, before moving it and beginning to wrap her arms around his waist. It takes more effort than usual, but somehow, Abigail’s starting to deadlift Syn! The Plague Doctor reverses it and fights out before any damage can be done, throwing Abigail off of him easily. Syn goes for the Thunderbastard knee, but Abigail dodges and takes him out with a German Suplex! Syn’s dazed as he rolls back to a seated position. Abigail runs the ropes and sends him face first to the canvas with a sliding flatliner! Both legs are hooked for the pin!

One…

Two…

Kickout!

The self-named Devil Herself knew that wouldn’t be enough, but she still huffs as Syn gets the shoulder up. Gloved fingers make their way through Syn’s spiked hair, dragging him up to his knees. Her eyes dark as she grips his life, squeezing hard as she stares into his eyes. A nasty frown is on her purple stained lips as she begins to softly speak to him, voice so low the microphones can’t pick up what she’s saying. Whatever it was, it’s enough to enrage Syn, causing him to snap back to life and shove her off. He’s on his feet in a flash and hits her with a big roundhouse to the side of the head, nearly knocking her out cold. He catches her before she falls, getting wrist control and going for the ripcord knee — but Abigail ducks and reverses it into a Rainmaker! Syn was laid out flat on the mat, and Abigail maintained wrist control, pulling Syn up into a seated position. Abigail ran off the ropes and went for a seated dropkick, but Syn quickly laid back flat, dodging her boots, before rolling to the side and pulling himself up to a knee. Abigail ran back at him again, looking for a boot to the face, but Syn caught her leg, standing back up, forcing Abigail to hop on one foot to remain upright. Syn put the leg up onto his shoulder, and scooped up her other leg, lifting her up and planting her into the mat with a powerbomb! Syn flipped her over, so that Abigail was on her knees, before blasting her in the face with a stiff knee strike! Abigail’s head snapped back from the impact! Syn grabbed her again, this time lifting her up and spiking her into the mat, head first, with a sitout piledriver! Syn made the cover!

1…2… Kickout!

Syn pulled himself up to a knee and ran a hand through his hair while he tried to catch his breath. It had been a long, grueling battle, and it wasn’t over yet. Syn stood up and grabbed a handful of Abigail’s hair, pulling her up to her feet, and up onto his shoulders for a Fireman’s Carry. Syn began climbing the turnbuckles, obviously having some evil intentions as he did. As he climbed up to the second rope, Abigail began to squirm, and nail him in the head with elbows. This caused Syn to come to a seated position on the top rope, Abigail stood there for a moment, making sure she had her balance on the top rope, before jumping backward and hooking her legs under Syn’s arms, driving Syn into the mat with a Victory Star Drop! Syn landed on the back of his neck and Abigail didn’t land much better! Both of them were out from such a devastating move, and a devastating landing!

Abigail got her bearings first and began to crawl over to Syn’s limp body, only being able to lay across him for the cover.

1….2….. Foot on the rope!

Syn got his foot on the rope to save this match and his chance at the belt! Abigail fell backward and stared up at the lights, shocked that such a devastating move didn’t end this match. Abigail shook her head and rolled out of the ring, seemingly to try and get some breath back in her lungs. She sat on the apron, adjusting her knee brace, before standing up and heading for the top rope. Abigail stood on the top rope, and waited for Syn to get up, and when he did, she leaped off and tried for a Frankensteiner, but Syn caught her! Abigail was caught, dangling upside down! Syn adjusted her a bit, before dropping her with the Kawada Driver! Abigail landed right on the top of her head! Syn picked her back up, and lifted her onto his shoulders, before planting her with a CorpseGrinder! His fireman’s carry stunner! Abigail popped back to her feet in a daze after that one, and Syn ran off the ropes, before nailing her with a brutal looking Thunderbastard! The impact spun Abigail all the way around, before Syn grabbed her again, and this time drilled her with a Ripcord Thunderbastard! Abigail, completely woozy at this point, dropped to her knees, blood trickling out of her mouth. Syn looked down at her, before beginning to nail her in the head with rapid fire knee strikes! Abigail looked more and more unconcious with each knee! Abigail’s entire body went limp, and she fell into a heap, resting back against the bottom rope with a far away look in her eyes. Syn takes a moment to catch his breath, before running off the ropes again, building momentum before landing another Thunderbastard to Abigail, as she laid against the bottom rope!

Syn pulled Abigail away from the ropes, and lifted her up, setting her up for the Tombstone, before changing his hands around to Gotch-Style clutch, planting her with a leaping, spinning Dead Meat Driver! Syn didn’t go for the cover though! He wanting to go for the double tap, making sure this bitch was down for good!

The entire Walter Pyramid was on its feet, as Syn stood up and began to signal for the Black Mirror! He started a slow clap that the audience kept going, and stalked Abigail, waiting for her to get up. Syn measured her as she pulled herself up to a knee, and once she finally got back to her vertical base, he springboarded off the ropes, and nailed Abigail with the Black Mirror! Abigail was out!

Syn quickly maneuvered into the cover, and hooked both legs!

1…..

2…….

KICKOUT!

Syn’s face lit up with shock and the entire arena let out a gasp! The Black Mirror had NEVER been kicked out of before! It had put down the likes of Kazuchicka Okada, Kenny Omega, AJ Styles, and other wrestling greats! It only ever took one shot, and Abigail had just kicked out! Syn checked with the ref, who insisted it was only 2. Syn’s face dropped to his hands, unable to believe what had just happened. He had no idea what to do next, he’d never experienced this before. He never had a Plan B after the Black Mirror failed, he’d never needed one.

Syn pulled himself up to his feet as Abigail did the same in the corner. Syn ran at her and went for a body splash, but Abigail shoved him away before the impact. Syn rolled backwards and landed on his feet, before charging Abigail again, this time going for a twisting forearm smash, which he hit, but Abigail appeared to shrug it off! It only stumbled her! Syn got back to his feet, and Abigail was still standing, still unmoved by his offense. Syn began to nail her with forearm shot after forearm shot, none of it even staggering her or giving her any sort of pause. Abigail hadn’t even bothered defending herself. She was practically laughing at him. Syn decided enough was enough and ran off the ropes again, looking for another Thunderbastard, but when his knee made contact with the side of her head, she still didn’t budge! Abigail stood strong and tall, legs only wobbling slightly! Syn was quick to get back to his feet and try it again, the second Thunderbastard not dropping her, but at least showing a chink in the armor as she stumbled backward from it. Syn grabbed her and nailed her with a Ripcord Thunderbastard, and that finally dropped Abigail to a knee! Albeit she was smirking, blood staining her teeth. Syn took this as his chance, and he sprung off the ropes again, going for a second Black Mirror out of desperation!…

But Abigail caught him! Abigail speared him right out of midair! Syn was driven to the mat with an amazing amount of force!

Abigail quickly got up to her feet and grabbed Syn by the wrist to pull his limp body up as well, and once she had him standing, she hooked his arms, twisted him, and planted him with the Baptism By Fire! Abigail covered!

1….2….3!

“Here is your winner, and STILL 1WPW World Champion, Sister Abigail!”

The thudding music of the retaining, defending, world champion plays throughout a shocked, silent arena. The onslaught of offense and the first Black Mirror should have ended her, yet Abigail powered out of it, a feat no one’s done before, and refused to go down after. Months and months of Syn’s promises to put her in the ground, betraying his own friends for this opportunity, have all been for nothing. A different, feral, more powerful side of Abigail came out tonight, and she’s walking out victorious.

Abigail slithers back against the turnbuckles, eyes ablaze with triumph as she’s handed her championship. Gloved fingers wrap around leather and gold, resting it against her shoulder. Tonight was just a preview of the future, and the shoulder of Sister Abigail is our world championship’s new home.

This is the Era of Abigail, and she is forever.

Goodnight, everybody.

[alengthyread]

Here Comes the Rain Again, Falling on my Head like a Memory?

The weather seem to be the problem, because you can’t go out in your flip flops any longer. How do you stay warm, obviously with socks n’ shoes now? But you just have to find another way to enjoy it. I screwed my Muskoka chair together, and it’s literally just for summer use, I mean I would still sit on it, but again, it’s not the same.  Your bum kinda’ freezes after two minutes. So it’s safe to say that summer is gone. I was at the falls the other, and it was good seeing its nature, it was fun using my phone to camera the thing. The music didn’t hurt neither, some of these music I don’t even know, but then the beat would pick up, and I’d be like, “Hmm, not that bad.” I’ve taken a lot of trips to Sun Rise, and I like some of the things I bought. But it’s just boring now. The McGregor fight is this evening, and it looks like he’s gonna roast Khabib, so it’s not gonna be a good evening... I think McGregor is more dangerous this time, one thing with failure is that you keep thinking why it happened, and what is the main thing to escape it for reoccurring again, he’s even willing to fight Mayweather again. There’s all these bouts the next few weeks, I really wanna see a Mayweather-Pacquiao rematch, I really wanna see if Mayweather can stay undefeated. But it seem boxing is switching to heavy weight, hopefully eventually it’ll be a Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder fight. Tyson Fury has the right approach for Wilder, but Wilder’s agility is so fast that there’s no time to play defense. Fury is looking to win by points system, but when Wilder come out with those helicopter shots, you die on the canvas. That’s just t.v. for you, or obviously YouTube, the prowess of social media. I guess it’s just music for me now, I saw Nas’ symphony at the Kennedy Center in Washington, but then YouTube was audacious enough that they had to take it down, so now my plan is to really get it in Amazon, because I thought it was an amazing performance, it was the whole album of Illmatic which debuted in the early nineties. But I thought it was the greatest thing I ever saw, you see Jay-Z do his thing, you see him do “You Don’t Know”, but when Illmatic come out with a tux... And guys from the nineties are really doing well now, money is at the billion dollar state now, and they act like they can make another billion. Those things don’t really fuss me, what I want is the music, and the business itself. Because I’ve learned that these guys are gonna work long hours regardless how framed the nine figure cheque is. Lil’ Wayne does this, now Young Thug does this, you see this in the sports arena also. But these guys are workaholic that the craft become so listenable (or watchable.) My plan was to write book reports with some of these things I have, but I didn’t know reading could be so hard after a while. I do find this WordPerfect fun, but it’s one of those things that are not enough.  So I really don’t know what to do.  StarCraft is still fun, but a lot of people are good now, and games are very challenging now.