#give em different heights. make one bigger than the other. win.

[springlock-suits]

Be the change you wish to see in the world (make more fat William)

Why are there barely any fat William designs out there, esp considering its canon (in the books at least) like genuine question

[tobesoadores]

Chicago

In which Derek is arrested for crimes he didn’t commit and his girlfriend, Lennon, learns about his past

Masterlist: x

Derek and his girlfriend, Lennon, were sitting on the sofa after dinner. His mother went above and beyond with the meal, regardless of the fact that it was her birthday. Derek wanted the most important women in his life to meet and that’s why bringing his girlfriend along on the home visit worked out so well. His sisters were coming back, too. They all loved her. No one expected Derek to find someone who would be the complete opposite of him yet remain ever so amazing. The man adored the way in which they interacted, it felt easy, practically natural for them to bond. He couldn’t have asked for a better experience. They dined and conversed and it tired everyone out. Sarah and Desiree hit the bed quite early on, both of them being fairly exhausted from not only travelling but also from previously working full days at their jobs. Fran, their mother, was overjoyed by the company she had and celebrating tired her out. That left the lovebirds alone with each other.

“You were right,” she told him after a while of simply gazing at his side profile. The stern jaw, smooth skin, perfectly curled ear and narrow nose, always managed to make her get lost in her own world. Morgan was used to it, he loved it, in fact. He noticed her staring but didn’t mention it as he watched the TV with a beer in his right hand, his left resting on her knee. She pulled her legs to her chest as she sat with her feet tucked under his left thigh. Derek faced the television and she faced the cabinet on the right.

Turning to face her, he hummed, “Yeah? About what?”

“Your family,” she smiled sheepishly, making him grin even bigger. At first, she had her doubts, genuine insecurity nipping at her insides when Derek brought the topic up between them. Although the two had been dating for almost six months now, she still found it to be early to meet the parents. Then again, much like Morgan, she never had a proper relationship before him. They were both new to this, so, their approaches to milestones like this were going to be different to what she’d heard. With that being said, she felt this meeting went wonderfully, so much better than her mind could’ve ever imagined it.

“Wanna tell me how you came to that conclusion?” he raised his eyebrow, hooking his finger under hers until they linked and he gave it a gentle squeeze.

“They’re amazing which I didn’t doubt but you know how unsure I was about their opinion on me,” Lennon admitted, even though Derek knew this and tried to change her mind on multiple occasions. No matter how many times he’d mention that his sisters and mother were ecstatic to meet her, it didn’t change anything. He knew it wouldn’t, not until they actually met. “I think they like me.”

“See?” he chuckled, placing his left arm over her legs, the underside of his arm on her stomach as he leaned closer. “I told you, baby. Not one thing to dislike about you.”

“I’m sure there’s plenty,” she rolled her eyes, finding his compliment to be a little blown out of the park.

“Nah-ah, none of that,” he denied. Reaching his arm out, he could cup her chin to bring her face closer, connecting their lips in a soft kiss that made her sigh against him. Morgan couldn’t hold his smile back, breaking the gesture almost immediately. Her little sounds drove him crazy and if they weren’t in his mother’s home, tangled on her couch, he would’ve made sure to listen to his girlfriend all night long. “You’re everything, you hear me? Funny. Loving. Kind. Smart. Compassionate. A little crazy,” he broke a smile and she blushed. Whenever he’d tell her these things—and it happened often—she didn’t know how to take it so she sat there, cheeks burning, ears prickling, and let him tell her. She liked the sound of those words from his mouth, they were powerful coming from him, seeing as he truly meant each and every one of them. “But that’s how I like ‘em,” he added, making her chuckle.

This time, she initiated the kiss. Moving around, Derek settled between her legs and she wrapped them around his waist. He hoisted them upwards and encouraged her, simply because he enjoyed their closeness, the warmth and weight of her against his body. Pushing his hands under her, he held her as she connected her arms around his neck. Their mouths linked until he swept his tongue across her bottom lip, inviting a gentle sigh out of her throat that allowed him to deepen the kiss. She moaned into his mouth as their tongues touched, tangled and hot, yet still innocent and soft. Neither of them was looking for sex, it was a pure moment between them, where kissing meant more than anything else in that moment.

Derek broke apart to catch his breath, his eyes already set on his girl. He couldn’t even look away from her for longer than needed, much more preferring his attention focused on her than anyone or anything else. He loved the way her eyes fluttered open, oh so innocent to what they may find once fully aware of her surroundings. The earthy, brown buttons felt like dark holes at times, a path to get lost in forever. He loved her eyes because they watched him and loved him, where her words couldn’t possibly explain her feelings for him, they did the job.

He pulled his right hand from under her and traced his index finger down the bridge of her nose. Intently, she watched him, never taking her pretty eyes off of him. Derek swam in the attention, the care that those irises radiated.

“Derek?”

“Sounds like music to my ears,” he flirted with her because he knew she’d giggle and feel flustered, then proceed to try and play off the way his words made her feel. Six months and he knew her better than she knew herself. Granted, the fact that he read people and their behaviour for a living played into his pocket, he was sure he could’ve done well without that advantage, too.

“Stop it, I’m trying to be romantic,” she swatted at his chest then placed her soft hand on the side of his neck. Derek rolled his lips in his mouth, wetting both of them soon after. “You no longer need to win me over. I’m yours, aren’t I?”

“What’you talking about, woman?” he laughed. “Of course, I gotta win you over. Just because we’re together, doesn’t mean I stop being a gentleman.”

“Okay, whatever,” she sighed.

He leaned down and kissed her lips. “What were you going to say?”

“Huh?” she furrowed her brows.

“Before. You said my name. What’s next?”

“Oh, right,” she smiled, making him lose his breath and his heart miss a beat. God damn it, baby. He thought. Still giving me the butterflies. “I just wanted to say that—,” much to his dismay, she stopped midsentence. Interrupted by loud knocks on the front door, they both whipped their heads in that direction. “Who’s that?”

“Sarah probably ordered some food,” he sighed, getting off of his girl as he pushed his weight into his left arm, pressing himself up by using the back of the couch. “There’s this milkshake place, they do delivery all night.”

“Oh,” she breathed. Then feet padding against the steps could be heard, rushing, before Derek and Lennon saw Sarah slide across the floor in her socks, planting her hands on the door. All three of them laughing, the woman looked in the peep hole but even without saying much, it was easy to tell her milkshake wasn’t on the other side of the door.

“What’s wrong?” Derek asked his sister as he got up properly, his girl going right after him.

“Why is the, um, police here?” she asked, gulping as she furrowed her brows while her brother stepped beside her.

“Huh?” he looked at her confused, looking through the tiny glass. “What the hell?”

His girlfriend stepped closer to Sarah to see, only to be welcomed by four men, two dressed in police uniform, the other two casually. One of them was on the bulkier side, no tie and loose shirt worn under a brown blazer, the other skinny, slightly smaller in height and bald. He wore a tie, tightened till he couldn’t breathe, black blazer and matching trousers. His hands were on his waist, a scowl on everyone’s face.

“Gordinski?” Derek asked with one hand on the door handle still. He was confused, Lennon could tell, and it made her nervous. If he had no idea why the police were here, then it couldn’t have been good. She knew Derek used to work for the Chicago Police Department, but that was more focused on bomb squad than anything else. To her knowledge, anyway.

“You armed?” the bald man asked, almost expecting an answer but never making it clear. He seemed sure of himself and it made Lennon worried. She wasn’t sure why they asked that because it wasn’t like Derek was a threat to anyone.

“Excuse me?” Morgan asked as though he didn’t hear it right.

With an attitude, the bigger man asked, “Are you wearing a gun?”

“What’s going on?” Lennon asked at last, not being able to stand the situation anymore. Derek didn’t take his eyes off of the police but he reached backwards and grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently as his way of reassuring her.

“No,” he gave the answer. Then added, “Not right now.”

That was all it took for the bald man—she didn’t know his name and she wasn’t too bothered by this—to reach for his handcuffs while he said, “Then turn around,” in a sure, authoritative tone, the metal clinking as he grasped it in his hand. Lennon was about to say something when Sarah took a hold of her other hand, making her look at the sister and she shook her head.

Derek scoffed, looking from one of the officers to the other as he eventually pressed, “This ‘some kinda sick joke, right?”

“Don’t make us get physical,” the bigger man said in a cocky tone and Lennon wanted to speak up. Who were these men trying to arrest her boyfriend? He barely made it back home to celebrate his mother’s birthday and on the night of, the police show up? This had to be a joke. “It’ll only make it worse for your family.”

The last sentence made him look back at his mother, his sisters, his girlfriend. In the process, somehow, he let go of Lennon’s hand and he didn’t manage to notice it. Rubbing his ring finger against his thumb, his lips slightly parted, he felt his heartbeat increase as his eyes met hers. She was worried about him and he knew but there wasn’t anything he could do.

“You’re under arrest, Derek.”

/

Lennon paced. Up and down. Up and down. She didn’t know what happened. Well, she did—the police came, cuffed Derek and they drove off. Most likely to the police station. The man he addressed as Gordinski seemed rather proud of himself for getting that done, only making her blood pressure rise and her hands ball into tight fists.

That was last night. It was the morning now but nothing has changed. Derek was still not back.

“Hey, sit,” Desiree called to her when she couldn’t take Len’s moving anymore. She was stressed and angry and nervous and nothing was going to help her calm down. Derek was arrested and he stated he didn’t want anyone going to the station after them. It pissed Lennon off, it made her feel like he was hiding something and she hated the thought. Derek never lied to her, not to her knowledge, anyway, and she would’ve preferred if he didn’t start doing that now.

“I don’t get it,” she shook her head, searching through her thoughts as though she’d be able to find an explanation for what was happening. “What did he do?”

“Lennon, I’m sure it’s a misunderstanding,” Sarah sighed as she sat down at the table. The girlfriend furrowed her brows, now officially confused. Who arrests someone based on a misunderstanding? “Gordinski always had it out for my brother. Anything he can pin on him, he will.”

Before she could’ve answered, there was a knock at the door and Fran was the first to reach it. Opening it, Lennon found out a little later, it revealed the same bald man from before and two familiar faces. Spencer Reid and the new addition to the team, Emily Prentiss. She sighed, feeling slightly more relieved, knowing that his colleagues were here, hopefully to get this shit sorted. If Lennon had to go there herself and sort that detective out—it shocked her to find out the man’s position within the department—then it wasn’t going to go down pretty or quietly.

“Spencer, is he okay?” she asked immediately, without any welcoming or catching up. She had to know.

“Yeah, he is being interrogated right now, or was, when we left,” he responded honestly. While she knew Derek could handle questions thrown at him because he was much harsher when he was in position of power, it didn’t make her feel better to know he was cornered and blamed for something, whatever it was, he didn’t do.

“He wouldn’t let us go there with him,” his mother added, shaking her head as she sat on the chair, Desiree standing behind her, hands on her shoulders. They were all worried for him.

“He’s fine. Our boss is with him,” Emily added in a reassuring tone, glancing at everyone in order to make sure she was heard. If Aaron Hotchner was with him, he had to be in good hands. He would do everything in his power to get Morgan out of there, she knew it.

Then, in a very annoyed tone, knowing that the bald man was there to hear, Sarah directed her words at Emily and Spencer, “Did he tell you Gordinski’s been harassing him since he was a kid?”

“Why’s that?” Spencer questioned, intrigued. Lennon noticed the bald man’s posture change at that, rubbing his eyebrows with his hand. He disagreed with Sarah’s comment.

“Well, you’d have to ask that bastard,” Sarah said, making Lennon scoff. She had a couple of ideas as to why he had it out for her boyfriend.

“Oh, Sarah,” Fran said in an alerted, surprised tone since an official was standing in the room. Multiple officials, but the man with CPD threw the mother off more.

Standing up for her sister, Desiree said, “It’s true, mum.”

“Sure, it is,” the man behind Emily said, fingers on his lip while the other rested on his waist. Lennon scowled, though expected him to defend his boss.

Before Lennon could have said anything—she had too much she wanted to put out there—Sarah interrupted, “What are you even doing in my mother’s house?”

“They asked me.”

“Not really,” Spencer added, making Len chuckle under her breath as their eyes met for a short second. The two of them got along well.

Emily then spoke to the man and told him to cool off. It was better that way, than if Lennon had to interfere. All those built up emotions she stuffed down inside of her were begging to show but she couldn’t go crazy in front of Derek’s family and colleagues. It wouldn’t have been appropriate, no matter how much she hated the situation.

“I don’t understand how they could think he did this,” Fran spoke, putting one of Len’s thoughts into words. Truth be told, she was busy setting the man in the suit on fire in her brain. He was the one to cuff Derek last night and had almost a smirk on his face while doing so.

The rage she felt inside of her was getting to her head. She no longer participated in the conversation between the sisters, mother and FBI agents. She could not focus on what was being said. The only thing that made sense to her was to get up and go to the station. Why didn’t Derek want them there? She wanted to be there. She needed to be there to support him. Waiting around all day was not going to do it for her.

/

“Where is he?” she barely caught her breath before her eyes found JJ, a phone pressed to her ear. The blonde woman turned around in an instant and Lennon, standing under the arch of the main room inside the station, repeated her question. “Where is Derek?”

“Lennon,” she called her name, excusing herself from the call right after. She pressed a button and slid the phone in her pocket. “He’s fine. Come, sit.”

“Where is he?” she questioned again, ignoring what she told her. She didn’t want to sit down. She didn’t want to know if he was fine. Of course, he was fine! Derek was always fine.

“He’s not here,” JJ answered eventually.

“What?” she spat, looking around frantically. She only saw local police officers, no one else. Spencer was still at the house, Emily was gone when she left, Aaron must’ve been off somewhere else and she assumed that Jason was with him. That left JJ here alone. “What do you mean he’s not here?”

“The door was left unlocked and no one kept an eye on him. He found the opportunity and snuck out.”

“Did he say where he was going? Is he on his way home?” she asked.

“No one knew he left until an officer checked on the room,” JJ told her and that��s when Lennon decided to sit down. Burying her face in her hands, she couldn’t believe this was happening. She didn’t sleep the whole night because she had no idea what was happening with her boyfriend and now that she was here and ready to see him, he was gone. She’d never been to Chicago and it was never a topic between them that Derek talked about in detail, so she had no idea where he could’ve gone.

“Derek snuck out and no one noticed,” she repeated the words, laughing at the end because that was the most ridiculous thing she’d ever heard. A 6 feet tall man managed to sneak out of a police station. The past however many hours have been the most hilarious to ever have happened to her. She was sure of it.

JJ’s phone rang. She excused herself as she said ‘Hotch’ but the rest was unclear. Lennon prayed it was about her boyfriend as she sat on the chair, elbow rested on the table. Her chin sat in the palm of her hand, fingers over her mouth and touching her nose. Her right leg bounced up and down which she didn’t even notice until she stopped. Curling her fingers inwards, she bit down on her nails, watching as the blonde agent walked back to her.

“Hotch—Aaron, is on his way here to pick you up. They found Derek.”

“How does he know I’m here? And where is he? Is he okay?” Lennon asked immediately. The phrase ‘they found Derek’ could mean a lot of things and the worst of those came to her mind.

“All you need to know is that you’ll see him soon and he’s fine,” she repeated with reassuring eyes and a gentle touch to her shoulder. JJ wanted nothing more than to soothe the woman because she knew she loved Derek. That was precisely why she knew Lennon wouldn’t stop asking around and stressing until the two were together. “Let’s go.”

Stepping outside, the familiar black SUV stopped just as the door closed behind her. The window rolled down, revealing Aaron, who told both women to get inside. JJ declined and said she needed to take care of paperwork and she’ll gather their belongings so they’re ready to leave when everything is settled. None of that mattered to Lennon. She wanted to be there, wherever they were going, already. Jason asked if she was okay and if she needed anything but she only responded with one worded answers, a yes then a no. The two agents at the front glanced at each other and left it at that.

The journey to the location was fast and quiet. Lennon focused on the cars passing, the trees melting, the lights blurring together. Almost there. She knew Derek would be okay but she couldn’t be sure. Her heart couldn’t be sure until she held him.

When the SUV stopped, she threw the door open. She saw police cars outside and officers standing by. Locals. They watched, observed what was going on. It was the youth centre, she realised, the one that Fran spoke about before Emily left. It only came back to her in short flashes, she didn’t remember the exact conversation just a man’s name—Carl. Carl and him helping Morgan in the past.

“Ma’am, you cannot go in there,” the officer stepped in front of her, making her settle back into reality. All shaken up by what was happening, she lived inside her head, barely speaking. To her, it made sense to want to burst in there and drag Derek out so they could go back home.

“Why? What is going on?” she asked the only question she could but like before, she never got an answer that fulfilled her expectations. Feeling stupid for repeating the same damn sentence all day, she couldn’t help it.

Aaron and Jason walked up to her, asking the same question. The officer explained that Detective Gordinski and Detective Dennison—so that was the bald man’s name—were in there already, waiting for a confession from Carl Buford regarding the murders of all those innocent boys. Lennon gasped, suddenly realising what was happening. They framed Derek for murders when the person who committed these crimes was someone who people trusted and looked up to. She listened in on Hotch and Gideon’s conversation from time to time on the way, she knew bits and pieces but nothing specific.

“Come on,” Aaron nodded towards the door, urging Lennon to follow him. Jason stepped behind her to keep her going. She could hear people arguing—Derek, was arguing with someone. Lennon gasped and stopped in her tracks, afraid of what she might find. “You okay?”

“I—,” she began but stopped, when Morgan’s broken voice filled the air. Loud.

“They’re not lies! You did the same thing to me,” he shouted in a hoarse voice, so deeply filled with emotion that his girlfriend couldn’t stop the tears that prickled at her eyes. She felt them burn and her lips parted at the realisation.

“I did nothing to you. Or James,” another man spoke, his words carried out in a deep tone.

“One by one, they’re going to pile up, until there’s so many accusations you can’t say that they’re all lies!”

“Do you have any idea, how many kids I’ve helped get out of this neighbourhood, hm? How many lives I’ve provided?” the man, whom she believed to be Carl Buford, tried to make a point, but began to get and sound upset once he realised Derek wasn’t seeing it his way. “Look at you… you’d probably be dead by now.”

Then, not expecting it to happen again, she heard her boyfriend speak, pain shooting through each of his words as he asked, “Yeah, well, it wasn’t for free, was it?”

“I pulled you out of the gutter.”

“I’ve pulled myself out of the gutter! All the way to the FBI. I did that!” Derek exclaimed.

“You’re saying I had nothing to do with making you who you are?”

“No, Carl… actually, I’m saying you have everything to do with making me who I am,” Lennon wasn’t sure when she let her tears flow free but from one moment to another, they began wetting her cheeks and she wasn’t sure if it was from the pain that Derek’s voice carried that nipped at her heart or from the relief that he was standing up for himself and he was physically fine. “Because of you, I’m somebody who gets to spend the rest of his life making sure guys like you go down.”

“Look… Derek… I never hurt you. You could’ve said no.”

That. That comment was the one that set her off. She gasped and stumbled back. She didn’t know why it hit her so hard and she didn’t care. Her heart was aching and it was aching bad.

“You’re under arrest, Carl,” said Gordinski. That let Lennon know that maybe, he was capable of doing his job and arresting the people he should be arresting.

“I’ve helped a lot of kids,” he tried to argue.

“Let’s go.”

“The neighbourhood won’t be the same without me. It’s gonna be worse—without the centre.”

So then, Derek said, “Somebody will keep this centre running. The neighbourhood will. I will.”

“Wait… wait,” Carl struggled, trying to shake the hands of the detectives off of him. “Derek, isn’t there something you can do for me?”

“You go to hell,” he spat, watching as they took him away. His eyes locked back onto Gordinski, who said nothing to him. Their eye contact remained until the man was out of the room and that’s when Lennon pushed past Aaron.

“Derek,” she called for him, arms reaching to the front with tears down her cheeks.

“Baby,” he breathed, bringing her close to him and hugging her like his life depended on it. Hiding her face in the crook of his neck, she sobbed, and he tightened his arms around her body. One of his hands crawled into her hair, holding the back of her head as the other one remained on her waist. Being surrounded by his warmth and smell, Lennon’s heart could finally rest. “Sh, sh, sh, it’s okay. I’m okay.”

“I’m sorry… god, I’m so sorry. I’m sorry,” she repeated as she clung to him, refusing to let go or loosen her hold. Almost a whole day without him, not knowing what was happening, yet it felt like weeks she could barely get through.

“Lennon, baby girl, look at me,” he tried to pry her off of him but it turned out to be a struggle. He chuckled under his breath but he finally got her to look at him. Raising his hands, he wiped her cheeks and caressed them with his thumbs. Derek sniffled as the tears in her eyes made him get a little emotional. “There’s nothing for you to be sorry for. Nothing.”

“You didn’t deserve that, any of it.”

“I know, baby. But it’s over. It’s done. He’s never gonna hurt anyone, ever again,” he reassured her and it made her feel guilty because she should’ve been the one to say that. She did the only thing she could do in that moment. Rolling onto her tiptoes, she held his face and kissed him. Lennon didn’t care who saw. She needed to kiss him for herself and for him. She needed to be close to him.

“I love you,” she told him, interrupting the kiss to whisper the words onto his lips. Derek nudged his nose against hers, feeling her tears still. “That’s what I wanted to tell you last night. I love you, Derek Morgan.”

“I love you more, baby,” he said with closed eyes and their foreheads touching. He brought her closer for one more hug, wanting to feel her against him. “Let’s get out of here, hm?”

Lennon nodded, sniffling as she let go of him, only to grasp his hand, her fingers slotting between his. Gideon and Hotch were no longer in the doorway which surprised Lennon but she was glad they didn’t witness that moment between them.

She was exhausted, emotionally and mentally, and all she wanted was a bed and her man in it to hold and kiss goodnight. Yeah. That sounded like the most perfect dream.

[jbbuckybarnes]

Zerfall - 9/14

Pairing: Bucky x named!Reader (Agent Andromeda) Summary: After Hydra drops virus bombs in 7 major American cities in the height of summer, the team is locked in their emergency bunker for weeks. The virus commonly called the Summer Poison successfully brought the infrastructure to a halt in all big cities. When the virus slowly starts burning itself out SHIELD Agents and Avengers are sent out to bring back order into the cities and the international relationships. Not without hurdles. Warnings for this chapter: Pandemic, crime, canon typical violence, flirting, angst. Not beta read. **Image credit goes to Ubisoft.

Zerfall Masterlist || M a s t e r l i s t

The day after your little movie night was spent with taking down bases in the Central Park Zoo and the Bethesda Fountain. Being on equal ground with the enemies was making it a little bit harder but the civilians actually were pretty good at that after patrolling for weeks now. Some of the animals were roaming free in the zoo, some were still happily in their areas and some starved to death. The moment you personally lost it was when you found a wild cat that was shot to death. “God, what does an almost extinct animal have to do with fucking humanity going down the drain. Bastards!” You growled before sitting down in front of it, petting the poor soul. “Eda? Can you send Helen a message asking what to do with this one? Burying or freezing for DNA?” You mumbled into the watch. “And find out its name.” Bucky said behind you before squatting next to you, watching your sad expression at the poor animal. “Her name was Sophia.” Came back after a short search of the device. “Hope you took some of them with you into the death, Sophia,” you said feeling the soft fur. “Dr. Cho answered with burying.” Eda answered to the earlier question. “Need my help moving the poor thing?” Captain Davis called out moving towards you two. “Yeah.” you mumbled. “‘cmere. Gonna give her a nice goodbye.” Bucky told you softly while helping you up again. Fueled by the hate of this incident you walked to the second base, taking it down and coming back to spend the rest of the day burying animals and decontaminating areas of the zoo.

With more than 5 places in the hands of the civilians, the liberation phase was finished. The civilian militia started planning their own missions without you and started taking over the Upper East Side themselves, followed by Yorkville. They were so fueled by the many wins since you showed up. The settlement even got a food update. They could finally grow their own food on the roofs of the surrounding areas. Their next goal was to get electricity going from the tower to the settlement and they were working day and night to secure Park Avenue. That night you come to the tower earlier than usual. The plan for the next day was to push forward through East Harlem to get to Randalls Island as you had planned with the others. You spend the evening playing Uno and Scrabble. The amount of common 40s words you learned from him that evening was insane. Some of them sounded so dumb that you didn’t believe him until he explained you scenarios to use them in. “C’mon, that’s just- That sounds ridiculous. How did nobody laugh at that?” You giggled. “Well, those were different times, darling.” He grinned at you over the table. “They surely were. Tony would love that word.” You shook your head. What you didn’t expect after falling asleep on the couch with him next to you was the mission to go wrong. Not completely south, but south enough for you to get hurt. You were about to jump to another cover with him right behind you when you were shot right into the outside of your thigh. Bullet going through. “Shit.” You groaned dragging yourself the rest of the way to the cover. “Stay right there, Ann.” You heard behind you before you saw his shadow get bigger and bullets hitting his arm. You turned yourself around to see him shoot with a frown and determination in his face. With your full trust into him you got off your backpack, got out antiseptic and a bandage. While you were pouring the fluid over the wound with a sharp inhale and a bite into the glove in your mouth, he squatted down next to you. “How bad is it?” He asked laying his metal hand onto your lower leg. “Hurts like a motherfucker.” You groaned. “Let me help you.” He held out his hand for the bandage and you looked at him surprised. “C’mon. Gimme the bandage,” He said in a soft voice and you obeyed. “Glad it wasn’t the big artery,” you said pained while he pressed the bandage around your thigh. In the back, you could hear the civilians cheering, looting and setting up their stations. “You had me worried there for a second, Meda,” he said with a little frown at the work of his hands. “I’m fine, James.” You smiled before inhaling deeply at the pressure again. “Well, you’re half fine. I’ll carry you back to the tower.” He smirked at your inability to admit that you were worse than you actually were. After putting your pants over the thigh again and packing your backpack, you were helped up by him. With ease he picked you up, putting you around his neck like you are a pillow. “That’s not medical best practice.” You giggled. “Well, medical best practice would be an ambulance, but here we are,” he japed back. “Please don’t make ambulance sounds,” you said, sensing what he was about to ask. “Too bad,” he said squeezing your healthy leg. “Doctor Cho. What the hell do I do with this gunshot wound?” You asked, recording the leg with EADA. “Get into my laboratory, the med-tech one,” she ordered you and Bucky immediately picked you up to bring you a few floors downstairs. He laid you down on the metal table and followed the instructions Helen gave over the hologram call. “Type the green button on the machine. And type it again when it beeps twice after scanning her body,” she told him and he did as he was told with an interested expression. “Is that the fake tissue thing you created a while back?” You asked. “Yeah. I have better ways developed but this is all you have and that should be enough. You’ll need to rest 2-4 days though,” she added. You grumbled, “Fine.” Bucky sent you a chuckle and a shit-eating grin, “Can’t stand still.”

You walked into the kitchen the next day, leg sore from rebuilding muscle and skin still a little irritated after the procedure. “Are you wearing my clothes?” Bucky asked with his brow raised after watching you enter the room. “C’mon. It’s comfy. I feel bad, give a girl a break.” You whined. “No no no, it’s fine. You look cute in ‘em.” He grinned before biting into his second breakfast bar that morning. “Do I really?” You held out your arms and looked down on you. The black hoodie was way too big for you and you had sweater paws. His sweatpants were more comfortable with the freshly healed thigh. “You look like the small person you are.” He chuckled. “Hey.” You looked at him pouting. “I won’t take that back, you’re small.” “Compared to YOU.” You crossed your arms. With a head shake he stood up and walked over to you for a bear hug, “You feelin’ better?” “Yeah, thanks for all the help, partner.” You looked up at him, he really was quite a bit taller than you. “Of course, always.” “Maybe not ALWAYS.” You frowned and he mirrored the expression in concern. “Why? What do you mean?” He asked. “Maybe don’t shield me from explosions or stuff like that. I don’t need the survivors guilt more than I already have it.” Your frown deepened. “What happened?” He immediately asked, cursing himself for not being as calming as he wanted to sound. “My old partner from before all of this and all of the SAID extra training and being with the Avengers. We were on a mission involving A.I.M. and…” You stopped yourself. “Go on, it’s okay.” His hand went over your back soothingly. “...well, if you’re aware of what the Centipede program was, you know that people injected with that stuff explode after not being stabilized for a while. One of them did and my partner shielded me. I was the only person to come out alive, my partner burned to death because he saved my life.” His right hand got rid of your tears that had started spilling, “You won’t keep me from protecting you but I can keep you away from exploding humans and objects as best as possible,” A soft smile was right in front of you. “Mhm.” You nodded your head slightly before being pulled into an even closer hug. “Good.” His face landed in your hair and he closed his eyes while swaying you a little.

The rest of the day was spent in the tower, eating some of the candy that was still left in perfect shape and watching a good show. The three other rest days were days you spent mostly alone while Bucky went out and helped the civilians to reinforce Park Avenue and went on a few smaller missions with Captain Davis. It was almost domestic how you cooked every evening when he was coming back to the tower and the way you both fell asleep on the big couch instead of the two bedrooms you occupied. There was a familiarity that you both couldn’t describe. Doing all of this made you feel like family. You were each other’s ride or die.

[paper-stars-and-fireflies]

Opening Night

The first story in the Grimm Omens series! The cast is mostly OCs, Magnolia, Ruya, and Kali are each mine, and Omen belongs to the wonderful @splanoot​. Thanks for reading!       Thursday night found Husker working behind his begrudgingly-beloved bar, same as most other nights. As usual, business was slow. Most of the hotel guests weren’t allowed drinks, and the few that were rarely stopped by. His only patron tonight was one of his few regulars, and his reputation was enough to make sure no one else stopped by.       “Little early to be starting the weekend, eh?” Husk asked, taking a swig from the bottle. Omen nodded, a quiet smile playing across the exposed slice of his face. Between the smoked visor cracked just wide enough to drink and the shadows of the dim bar, his face stayed hidden, not that it bothered either man. It was just part of their normal. 

     “Lighter workload this week.” Omen offered, lifting his glass in a mock toast. It was true, he’d had less tasks this week, but he wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about it. It was the third week in a row with less work than normal, in fact, and three weeks is a pattern. He pushed it away, taking a bigger sip from his drink than he meant to. Lilith was probably just busy with the extermination coming up, that was all, he told himself. It was fine, he told himself. Husk filled his glass without being asked, and the men continued to kill their bottles in silence, giving too much thought to the things they were trying to forget.      Their drunken epiphanies were pushed off a little longer when the hotel’s front door swung open and slammed shut, a cluster of figures stumbling in. One, a short, plump fox, helped another, a grey-skinned demon almost twice her height. The third, a shadowy figure, dissolved at the threshold, not following the women in.       “Take it easy now, Magnolia,” the fox instructed, steering her companion to a bar stool. The woman helped herself up, groaning slightly as she settled. The fox, Ruya, was a new resident at the hotel, and gestured to Husk for a glass. She patted the woman’s leg. “I’ll come and fetch ya later lassie. Ring me if you need me sooner.” She waved hello to both of the men before scurrying off, having to take her time on the stairs. Magnolia groaned again, slumping over the bar before Husk pushed at her shoulder, making her sit up so he could set a glass in front of her.       “You look terrible, Maggie. You just get back?” He waited for her to take a sip before asking, eyeing her. There were bloodstains and tears all across her outfit, and bruises, dark purple and blue bloomed across her grey skin, pink and red scratches puckering just above her collar. She swirled the class before answering, tapping her nails on the glass softly.       “Few minutes ago. Bad hunt.” She set the glass down and rested her face on her palm, her elbow on the bar. “I had to get bailed out. How long’s it been since that happened?” Her laugh was bitter and short, and she finished the drink before she continued. She glanced over, looking over the smooth contours of the helmet Omen wore, taking in the smoked visor, the jacket, the boots.      “I assume that’s your bike outside?” She ventured, turning to face her companion more. If she had something else on her mind, or if she recognized the name on his back, or the faintly glimmering revolver strapped to his hip, she didn’t let on. He nodded, slow, watching her. She shrugged, unbothered.       “It’s beautiful. Sure it rides great, too. Husk, can I get a couple shots for now? This hurts like all Hell.” She rubbed her neck as she spoke, picking at a scab absent-mindedly. Husk obliged, setting a pair in front of her. She stayed facing Omen, moving to hold her hand out to him before realizing her mistake and dropping it to her lap, wrapping her fingers around the sheath resting on her thigh.       “I’m Magnolia Grimm, I’m a hunter. I’m a friend of Ruya’s.” She offered a smile, nervous about her own bad manners. “Do you stay at the hotel?”      Omen took his time answering, watching her carefully. “Sometimes,” he said, pausing to drink. She averted her eyes. “Ruya’s a good kid.” He added. She nodded, taking one of her shots. She set the glass back down on a napkin, but didn’t reach for the other. She regarded him curiously, opened her mouth to say something, but then faltered and turned away, leaving Husk to pick up the pieces of the conversation. He dragged them both back into conversation, asking Omen about his last few jobs. Magnolia put in comments here and there, but was mostly content to stay quiet, feeling out how much of what she knew about the other guest was legend and what was truth. Today had been awful, so at least this could be interesting. She took her second shot, setting it next to the other for Husk to refill. He did when the conversation lulled. She took one slower, sighing at the taste. It didn’t burn as bad as when she was human, and truth be told, she missed it.       “Looks like Kali’s on his way to becoming an Overlord,” she offered up finally. “I’ll probably have to put off looking for Haw until someone handles him. Pretty sure it was one of his toys I ran into today.” She scratched at the scabs again, rubbing her hands together afterwards. Husk glanced at her fingers, noted her missing gloves. She pushed both of the shot glasses back to him just to distract him. He filled both and slid them back. She swallowed hard and fixed on her most winning smile - or least, it had been, before she had grown fangs.        “I don’t suppose you’d sell me a couple bullets.” she asked her companion, lifting one of the shots at him. There wasn’t any real hope in her request, but she offered it like a joke, an ice-breaker for their kind. His hand drifted to his holster, and she read the set in his shoulders as a no. With an unbothered shrug, she swallowed her drink and flipped the glass upside down. She slid off the stool, leaving the other untouched.        “ ‘m gonna go for a smoke real quick, Husk, watch that.” She muttered, digging in her pocket for a cigarette that wasn’t bent or cut. She snapped her fingers as she headed for the door, sparking a tiny flame for herself. Husk waited for the door to shut, watching her silhouette through the dark glass. With a harrumph, he turned to his long-time friend.       “Been a while since ya been this quiet. Cuzza the kid?” He asked, organizing the bottles for something to do. One didn’t stare at Omen. “Ya scared of a girl?” he teased.       “Not scared, just don’t know her.” He took a sip of his drink, “And don’t take kindly to someone asking for bullets.”      “Lay off, she was makin’ nice. Wouldn’ta took ‘em if ya gave them to her. That one don’t take help.” Omen just nodded. He could get the feeling, but had seen a lot of good men die from it.       “She’s lookin’ for her brother, so you know. Died before her and she hasn’t seen him since. Been lookin from the day she dropped in. ‘S goin’ on four years now.”       “She want him dead?” Omen ventured. That definitely wasn’t worth a bullet.      “Nah, they’re good. The one she’s try’nta kill is this lowlife from her past life. Fucker probably did her in, and now she’s convinced he’s going after overlords.” Husk tapped his claws on the bar, weighing just how much to say. Her hunting methods for one. Who had bailed her out, for the other. Fuck it, Omen had eyes. If he hadn’t caught on yet, he would soon enough.      “Should sort itself out then, yeah?” Omen shrugged, knowing first hand what Overlords were made out of.       “Not the way she tells it,” Husker mutters under his breath. “She’s a good kid, most nights, so don’t be a dick, okay? She comes by ‘bout as often as you. Same line of work, different jobs.” Omen nodded, one hand still resting on his leg by the holster. The men went quiet as Magnolia trailed back up to the bar, making small talk about the friends they had in common. She took her last drink, but didn’t sit back down yet, preoccupied by something on her hellphone.      “Hey, Husk,” She cut in when the men had paused. “Does that jukebox still work?” She gestured towards the machine, pushed against the wall between a pair of sofas and an impromptu dance floor. The lights on it swirled different shades of red, the rest of the machine done up in dark wood and gunmetal mesh screens. The glass panel over the CD changer had a crack, but all the buttons were lit up and useable.       “Don’t touch it, kid. That’s Alastor’s. He ain’t a fan of people messin’ with his stuff.”       “It’s fiiine, Husk, he won’t kill me over a couple songs.” she called, heading over. There was an extra sway to her walk that made Husk wonder if she was up to something, or if it was time to cut her off.  She took her time, poking through the catalogue and queueing up a list of songs, but true to her word, Alastor didn’t bother her. In the middle of a slower, jazzy piece, she came back to the bar, leaning both arms on the counter.       “Hey Husker, come dance with me.” She grinned again, looking more alive than she had before.       “I’m workin’, kid, dance by yourself.”      “Aww, that’s no fun, and it’s just the three of us. C’mon. One song. I’ll get another drink, we’ll be even. Sound like a deal?” She held up her palm and he glared at it, then eyed her, unimpressed. She snickered and put her hand back down, tucked into her other elbow.       “Fine, fine, pussycat. One more drink though, something sweet.” Husk grumbled, turning away to make her drink. She turned her smile to the legendary mercenary. She kept her hand down.       “What about you, handsome? You dance?”

[jeebsy]

Titanfall 2 Titan Guide Part 2

I’m back again with Part 2 of my Titan Guide. This part will focus on the Stryder Chassis Titans ‘Northstar’ and ‘Ronin’.

This is a somewhat extensive overview of each Titan & how to use them against other players. Again I am not the best player out there but I’ve played enough and have a good understanding of each titan. Hopefully at least some of you will find this guide useful. See you on the frontier pilots!

Feel free to add your own tips or correct me if you think I’ve made a mistake.

Below the cut because this is long.

First I’ll say there is no be all end all way to play the titans. Most if not all titan kits are useful in certain situations and as such you should experiment with each to find what works for you. I’ll be giving my recommendations for kits and explaining my choices at the end of each titans segment.

I’ve split each Titan up into 6 sections, going over (in order):

"Titan Name:" Quick overview & what to learn first with that Titan to get good.

Using them Against Pilots

Using them Against Titans.

Their Core.

General Tips/Tricks

My recommended Titan Kit.

Northstar: This is the one of the most straight forward Titans in the game, but the hardest to use. Reason being, every fiber of her being is designed around the 'Plasma Railgun'. First off, you will want to get the basics of charging it down, which is simple. Pay attention to the damage done when charging it, each blip is an additional 300 damage past the first which deals 550 damage. Thus it deals 550 -> 850 -> 1150 -> 1450 -> 1750 -> 2050 damage. You need 5 or 6 blips in order to deal over a bar of damage on a crit (and thus vaporize a doomed titan). Always attempt to max charge it against Titans whenever possible. The full charge has a push back effect against titans, keeping you at a distance from potential threats while doing a lot of damage.

Against Pilots: Learn how to peg em with your 'Railgun'. It will be hard at first & you will probably die... A lot. BUT, after a while, you will learn the travel time of the weapon & where to aim to snipe them. Use her speed to your advantage as her melee will one shot just like every other Titan, so get in close on pilots & beat some skulls in to prevent damage. Her 'Cluster Missile' is amazing against pilots. Use it to limit their space, or just pop one on top of a pilot & get some easy kills. You can get a bunch of kills as well if they are stacked together, or held up in a room. You can also use it to "Scratch your back" If a pilot is stealing your battery & you have no smoke, or want a faster option. Just aim at a wall Titan height, turn around & feel the back scratch go to work! It will damage you though, so be warned.

Against Titans: IMO, she is the hardest to properly use. First off, SPACE IS NOT YOUR BEST FRIEND! COVER IS YOUR BEST FRIEND! SPACE IS YOUR SECOND BEST FRIEND! Always be next to walls!!! I cannot stress this enough, as too many Northstars will stand in fields taking shots, or be wide out in the open trying to hit their enemy, completely neglecting the fact that they are wide open & have 3 health bars. Bad. Walls are the key. Use them for cover to dash out from & take pot shots. Now if an enemy is 3 feet from you, a wall isn't going to do jack, hence why space is still your second bestie. Keep that space, as you are weak & need to keep your distance to survive. 'VTOL Hover' is a great tool to get unexpected angles on your enemy & pop shots on them. Don't use it when you are being chased though, it will simply throw you in the air & make you a bigger target for all. 'Cluster Missiles' + 'Tether Traps' work wonders on denying enemy movement. I personally use 'Tether Traps' in an aggressive manner to pin my enemies down & then lay the damage on with a 'Cluster Missile'. That way they are stuck either focusing on the 'Tether Trap' & taking damage from my shots, or they are focused on me & taking damage from the 'Cluster Missile'. Win win. I recommend using these 2 abilities in conjunction. However, both are good separate, it just takes time learning how to use them against Titans.

'Flight Core' is one of the harder cores to master. It puts you up in the sky with big damage output capabilities, but again, you are a weak little girl. Close the distance to use this ability, it is easily dodged from far away. Use it to surprise your opponent, that way you throw them off & stay alive while tearing them up (Pop out of cover as they approach, Use it on the flank of a Titan, etc.). It also works wonders when you have an opponent trapped in your 'Tether Trap', and they are unable to escape. Pop it then, & watch them helplessly squirm under your wrath :D

General Tips:

Don't always feel as though you need to hit max charge on Railgun! Spice up your pokes and defensive ability battles with partial charge shots, the damage adds up quick and the unpredictability will keep opponents on their toes.

It isn't a bad idea to use VTOL Hover on Northstar as a retreat option, especially if you have Viper Thrusters. It allows you to create gap while charging Railgun, and as always makes you immune to ground-based attacks such as Arc Wave.

You can use VTOL Hover to reduce your height when popping Flight Core. Just activate VTOL Hover and then Flight Core and you will stop rising into the air. This can surprise opponents, as well as allow you to get into areas where a full height Flight Core could actually hinder movement.

Be unpredictable with your peeking shots. Try starting VTOL Hover around a corner and start charging a shot. Then as you start to fall move round the corner and shoot... Many opponents won’t be expecting you to already be in the air.

Kit Recommendations:

Titan Kit: Nuclear Ejection.

Northstar is the ONLY Titan I recommend Nuclear Ejection on. When doomed you pop your tether traps and then eject. Most opponents will not be able to get away in time. You will most likely destroy their Titan and maybe the Pilot and gain a bunch of build meter towards your next Titan.

Northstar Kit: Twin Traps or Viper Thrusters.

Twin Traps makes it so you throw out two tethers when using the ability. Making it easier to trap an opponent or multiple opponents. This is my preferred pick.

Viper Thrusters increases mobility when using VTOL Hover. More mobility is great to reposition in battle.

Titanfall Kit: Drop Shield.

Only two choices for this and it’s more a preference thing. Drop Shield gives you a nice safety area to retreat to if you need it.

Ronin: He is hard to learn, simply put. First things first, you have 3 bars of health to work with, BUT that can be easily mitigated with his 'Sword Block'. This ability is amazing & one of the best in game, it can keep you alive long after you should've died like a cat with 9 lives. You can dash & 'Phase Dash' with it up, but you can't attack. So use it when you cover distance against an already attacking Titan to save health + when retreating to refresh your abilities & reload 'Leadwall.'

Against Pilots: Ronin is easily one of the best anti-pilot Titans in the game. His 'Leadwall' will one shot any pilot if you aim for center mass, but it does have limited range. His melee is not like everyone else's though. Instead, it is his 'Broadsword'. This has extended range compared to regular melee's, & will make quick work of pilots. Don't just spam melee against pilots though, as you are stuck in the animation & can't block any incoming attacks. You still need to be close even with the extended range, So rely on 'Leadwall' first, then use melee if you are close enough. 

Against Titans: Ronin is a hit & run, mind games based machine. If you are attacking from the front, try to get to the sides before using 'Leadwall'. You don't want to take any damage, so getting different angles on your opponent is crucial. A good strategy is to use 'Arc Wave' as you dash to the side of a titan, slowing their movement speed while you unleash 'Leadwall' into their side. Then make a quick escape to reload 'Leadwall'. DONT SPAM MELEE!!! Yes it does more damage than a regular melee, but you are simply asking to die! Remember, you are stuck in your swinging animation & can't block, so any damage you take is going directly to your 3 bars of health, & a dead weaboo is an ineffective weaboo. You can also use phase dash to 'phase' through your enemy & surprise him from the other side. You can pop Electric Smoke during a 'Phase Dash' as well, making for an amazing disorienting attack. YOU WILL DIE IF YOU PHASE INTO THE ENEMY TITAN UNLESS YOU ARE HOLDING SWORD BLOCK. If you are attacking from the back, there are multiple ways to approach this. First off, I recommend you shoot into your opponents back once or twice, & as they are turning around, use 'Arc Wave' + 'Phase Dash' through them to disorient them & confuse them. As they slowly turn to face where you were, you will be behind them, again, With a meaty 'Leadwall'. You can also just unleash all your damage at their back & run away, if that's more your style.

'Sword Core' is basically Ronin at maximum power. But even a maxed out Ronin can be stopped, so be weary. Your 'Arc Wave' will deal massive damage, so use that to stun your enemies as you lay into them with your newly beefed up Sword. Because your dashes recharge much faster, try to dash side to side while swinging to prevent the opponent from having a lock on you & hurting you. Again, you are vulnerable while swinging, so keep that in mind. His 'Sword Block' is enhanced even more now, & can take a full salvo core without loosing a full bar of health. So use that when approaching &/or escaping.

General Tips:

If an enemy pilot boards you & is stealing your battery, you can phase dash THE MOMENT they remove it from you to mitigate all damage + kill the enemy pilot for a free battery!

A great tactic to disorient opponents is to ‘Phase Dash’ through enemy Titans and whilst Phase Dashing you pop your Electric Smoke Countermeasure. This can cause a lot of confusion as enemies try to spot you and all the while they are taking damage from the smoke.

Kit Recommendations:

Titan Kit: Counter Ready.

This kit allows you to have double Electric Smokes which means you can use them as a more offensive option which is a common Ronin tactic.

Ronin Kit: Temporal Anomaly or Highlander.

Ronin is all about speed and mobility and Temporal Anomaly reduces your Phase Dash cooldown allowing you to roam around the map with ease. This is my personal pick.

Highlander refills your sword core meter with each Titan kill allowing you to go on massive sprees. This is more of a high risk/reward option as being a stryder chassis you can easily be shut down by a coordinated group.

Titanfall Kit: Drop Shield.

Only two choices for this and it’s more a preference thing. Drop Shield gives you a nice safety area to retreat to if you need it.

[anonbaph]

This is my Secret Santa for Rowan @lithuanias​ for @yoisecretsanta18​ !! [if I didn’t messed the names here]

I planned this drawing since day 1 -- but when I came to draw it I needed context... then for a stupid thing I did I needed even more context... so the fic was born!!

You can read it on Ao3 or here after the read more. This drawing is on Twitter too.

1

Yuuri has always loved dragons.

Since he was a child he’d grown accustomed to dragons, a friend’s parents were dragon trainers. He spent most of his time after the afternoon lessons in the trainers’ grounds, playing with both of his friends there. He loved it when the adults let him ride a dragon, and he even began to learn how to perform to participate in local competitions.

That was the reason the trainers invited him to watch a performance in another city. He was very excited as presentation was being held with renowned personalities who had won high places in international competitions. They were doing a world wide tour to show the best of the sport. Then, it happened and his life was never the same.

Yuuri was twelve when he met them. The beautiful boy and his majestic dragon. There were older riders performing who were more experienced than the boy, but Yuuri was enthralled by their program. Their amazing display of grace and harmony, showed their compatibility and training achieved even at the rider’s young age.

After that he threw himself into practice, all the free time he got was used to train. The adults happy to get a student who was really invested in the training. It wasn’t really their job, but they tried to give him all the opportunities they could offer. He soon asked his parents for his own dragon. He really, really wanted to have a dragon so precious like her, with that elegant figure and pretty scales, clearly well taken care of too.

His parents considered it. Unfortunately, they couldn’t afford to have the same kind that he was asking for, as they had no room nor income to maintain such large dragon, but they saw the sparkle in their son’s eyes. They got him a dragon.

The dragon was still a baby; the same height as their son. They knew when it grew up it could easily reach double the height of a tall adult, and that was just speaking about the height!! Dragons were huge, you know? And from what they were told, it looked just like the other dragon, just with scales a bit more darker than its original inspiration.

They saw the raw happiness radiate from their child as he named the dragon after his idol.

2

As a young adult Yuuri kept going to exhibitions to perform, even more than just the local ones he used to participate in when he was a kid. But with his current level he couldn’t make enough to provide all the expenses needed. As much as his family wasn’t short of money and a dragon were really tough when facing any issue, but they were still high maintenance.

So he kept flying and learning new acrobatics, but as soon as he could he got a job to help with his parent’s bills. Not everyone owns a dragon, so he used that to his benefit. Mail by horse was still the forte of local provincial communications, but if someone wanted to get a faster service they opted for dragon mail. Giving his local knowledge and history as a rider, he got hired quickly.

He also took advantage of his new work. When he got to go to faraway places he could spend a couple of days there and join some neighbourhood’s acrobatic performances or competitions. This wasn’t going to really give him a “name” in the field, but he could get experience, easy money and even a few contacts if he decided to step into the professional world. Ah, how much he hoped.

Maybe after saving for a while he could just take a long break from working to join a troupe of sign up to a bigger competition. He still needed to improve first, then he could show their skill to the world. One day he could even fly wing-to-wing with them! Only imagine it, competing at the same level, a new performance that would show how proud of himself he was. Imagine getting praises from <em>him</em>, or even an invitation to play a program together.

3

The first time Viktor saw the boy in a competition.

The competition was not a big one nor one where he was participating. And again, he didn't even watched the boy compete there. They met after it was over.

Frequently he used part of his spare time to check new faces in the sport, so he watched smaller competitions and shows. Usually the ones ending in higher standings would continue training and get to be big names in the future.

As he became more famous he tended to make himself invisible to the public for not being recognized, melting with the mass of people. Not wearing his flamboyant clothes and covering his distinctive hair. Entering and leaving the arena when no one watched.

It happened one time he was already leaving. Then he saw it, a dragon similar to his. Confused for a second as his mind reminded she was still far into the mountain and noticed the discrepancies. His dragon was smaller yet its color slightly different.

While he was busy thinking, a boy appeared from behind the creature. The boy was checking the straps of the saddle and some bags attached to it. The stranger’s clothes were extravagant, like the costume a participant could wear. But unknown. He didn't see him in the arena before.

He didn't remember a dragon of this breed neither, but again, he didn't get to watch all the competition. Later, he went to the information stand and learnt that indeed there was a participant like that. He decided to check the next time he saw his name.

And, woah, what a good decision it was. There weren't many occasions, but each time he could watch the boy and his dragon fly, was a delight. Such artistic programs, if not for a small lack of technique, surely could win a big deal of events.

Each time he watched them fly he got more and more attached. If the reason was they beautiful movements on the air or the beautiful looks of the riding boy, he didn’t mind too much anymore.

4

Over the exhibitions Viktor watched, he noticed how the boy grew confident with their performances improved their technique. The boy, Yuuri, still lacks some skills last time he saw, but nothing that fitting training could not fix. What if they talked? He could teach Yuuri what he was lacking! Which of them could win then?

He really wants for they to chat now. It seems like a good timing too, as he looks the official list of riders for the current contest. ‘Yuuri Katsuki’ is written between the names of his rivals this time. There still time before the competition begins, so he concludes he could try his luck checking the stables. Elated, he goes to the next building, but when he arrives the place is empty except for the dragons.

Walking resigned around the room he realizes there is a free box stall. Approaching it he reads the name tag of the box and smiles, then approaches to his dragon prepare her to go outside. He wonders what could Makkachin think if he manages to get them a new dragon friend. Together with its human friend, clearly.

They can’t be too far, as the opening is soon. He concludes to take a few minutes of searching could not be wrong and leaves riding. Outside he notices a deep rumble, almost like a heavy purr, like when he grooms the scales of his dragon’s neck. They follow the sound and… there is he. Viktor pauses to breath for a few seconds, then asks Makka to move again.

“Hi!!”

Yuuri jolts when he hears the voice ringing in the room. He was pretty sure he could be alone with Vicchan for a while before the competitions begins, but it seems someone decided to get rid of his chance. He didn’t even notice someone was near them, the fool! He turns his head around and this time he almost falls in surprise when recognizes <em>who</em> stole his chance.

There, just a few meters away from them, is Viktor Nikiforov.

5

He has no idea how. Really, he has no idea! But, right now Viktor Nikiforov - The Viktor Nikiforov just asked him if he wanted go for a ride on Makkachin. With Viktor. Viktor Nikiforov. He even knew his name!!! This means he’s surely delirious, right? His brain must be thinking he’s asleep. Did he slip from Vicchan while flying? Is he dead?

Still awestruck, he nods to the offer and stands up in the saddle. Nervously takes the open hand extended in front of him and tries to step on Makkachin’s stirrup without falling. He sat down and looks how Viktor is giggling to himself. What is so amusing? He can’t think, he is too busy looking at how gorgeous Viktor looks with that pretty outfit.

As he keeps looking, not like he’s staring!, the giggles morfes to an amazed laugh. And, Goodness!, he loves that laugh. But Yuuri doesn’t get what’s wrong yet.

“I know you need only one of us to command Makka, Yuuri. But still both of us should be looking forward. It’s… safer that way, don’t you think?” Viktor says, still snickeringa little.

Then he does notice what is wrong. He curses in his mind as he notices the terrible amateur mistake he made. The idiot just got onto the saddle backward.

“S-sorry!” Ashamed, he stands up quickly turns on the saddle and sits again, babbling incoherent apologies while Viktor just laughs louder and dismisses them telling it’s not serious matter.

Then, they take to the skies with Vicchan following them. He’s already calmed down after five minutes or so, when Viktor cuts the silence speaking again.

“You know, I laughed but it’s not too bad, Yuuri! Actually, everyone made a mistake or two from time to time. You’re aware of that, surely.”

“That doesn’t mean they are idiotic mistakes like this. I doubt it,” he says, stubborn as no one else could be. He knows it. Viktor chuckles.

“Oh well, if you really think it, this only give me the opportunity to extend my offer.” They land and he feels a gentle pat on his back. He looks over his shoulder as Viktor continues talking. “Since a while ago I’ve planned to propose sharing training information with you.”

Yuuri just keeps looking speechless. Is this really not a dream? Viktor grins at his expression.

“What do you say? Want to train with me?”

‘Like a dream come true’

He smiles and nods.

[rubyleaf]

#YunoAsuWeek Day 7: The Wall, the Ball, and the Greatest of All

And now, with one day’s delay due to the Leipzig Book Fair, the last day of the @yunoasuweek ​. Enjoy!

Prompt: AU

A tall, tall wall looms up in front of me.

Some people can look over it. Some people can see its other side when they jump. Some people just need to stand on their tip-toes. But not me. I’m not as tall as them. I can’t jump high enough to reach over its edge yet.

I can’t wait to see what’s waiting for me on the other side.

---

I’m too short for volleyball. Yeah, they all say that.

Some people also say I’m not just too short for volleyball. I’m also too short for my age, or just plain short, or whatever. But guess what, short players can make it too. There’s been one. You know him. He’s called the Small Giant, and he was barely taller than me.

How he made it? Well, he could just jump super high!

So I can do that too. If I work really really hard, I’m gonna jump that high too. And then I’m gonna become the next Small Giant. Screw height! You tall jerks think you’re better than me, but I’m gonna beat all of you and show you!

That’s why I practiced. Every day, every day, ever since grade school. Even though my middle school didn’t have a boys’ volleyball club. Sometimes I practiced with the girls. Sometimes with the neighborhood ladies. Sometimes even by myself. So what if was no club! I wasn’t gonna give up till I could form one and enter a tournament!

And then, in my third year of middle school, I finally did.

We were finally enough people. We were finally at a tournament. We could finally make some memories and show what we were made of! Maybe we’d make it into the second round. Maybe even further. You know, if we worked really really hard, maybe we’d even make it to the nationals!

But in the very first round we faced off against the powerhouse of the prefecture.

I don’t remember their name anymore. I don’t remember their faces. All I remember is one guy. Their strongest guy. The guy I lost to.

Their setter. Yuno. His name was Yuno.

I have to admit, he’s scary good. And tall. And also a huge jerk, even to his teammates. He doesn’t even yell at them or anything. He just tells them off with this blank face and tries to make them do whatever he wants! Like, who does he think he is? I know they call him the King of the Court ‘cause he’s so good, but that’s just too much!

So I’m gonna defeat him. I’m gonna get into the same school as the Small Giant and defeat him. He’s my rival now.

Just you wait, Yuno!

---

That’s what I think when I finally, finally come running into the gym of the high school of my dreams. The same place where the Small Giant used to play. I can’t wait to be the first at practice today and—

Hold on. I’m not the first. Somebody’s already there.

And someone really good, too. I can tell just from the way he’s playing. Man, I hope I get to play together with him sometime and—

Then I spot his face and stop short.

Wait. Waitwaitwaitwaitwait. Are you kidding me?

“Yuno?!”

The guy stops playing and turns. I can’t believe it. It actually is him! What the hell is he doing here?

“Yuno!” I yell at him, running into the gym. “What are you doing here? Get outta my high school, you jerk!”

He doesn’t even get mad at me or anything. He just blinks, like he’s confused. “Not a chance,” he says. “This is my high school too.”

“It can’t be your high school, it’s my high school!” I shoot back. “Shouldn’t you be playing for some fancy powerhouse or something?”

Yuno says nothing. I can’t tell what he’s thinking. His stupid, handsome face stays blank.

Wait. Does he even remember me?

“In case you’re wondering,” I declare. “I’m Asta! And I’m your rival, Yuno!”

Yuno still doesn’t bat an eye. “You’re that loud guy from the first round, right?”

Now I’m the one who’s confused. “You remember me?”

“You're pretty easy to remember.” Yuno doesn’t blink. “You totally sucked.”

“Excuse you! That doesn’t mean I’m not gonna beat you!”

“Not a chance.”

“Oh yeah? I’m gonna prove it! Play against me! Play me right now!”

I’m not expecting him to actually say yes, because it’s obvious that he thinks he’s too good for me, but Yuno actually shrugs and nods. “Sure,” he says. “Show me what you’re made of.”

How can this guy be so calm? It’s irritating!

“Okay!” I shout, taking on a fighting stance. “Bring it on, Yuno!”

---

Ten minutes later we’re both kicked out the door.

“And you’re not coming back in,” Captain Yami says as he shoves our club signup forms at our faces, “till you get along. You’ve fucked up enough already.”

Then the door shuts with a clang, and we’re left outside.

“Hey!” I shout and bang on it. “Captain Yami, I’m sorry! Please let us back in! I promise we’re not gonna pick any fights anymore! Or blow the wig off the vice-principal’s head! It was just one time, okay?”

Silence. If Captain Yami and the other upperclassmen can hear us, they’re ignoring us.

“Jerk,” I say to Yuno. “This is your fault.”

Yuno stares back, and finally he shows some irritation in his blank face. “You started it.”

“Yeah, and who slammed that stupid ball so hard it bounced and hit the vice-principal? You go back in and apologize!”

“Not a chance.”

“Hey! I dunno ‘bout you, but I’d like to stay in this club and not get kicked out! They’re not gonna listen to us till we get along, so—”

Wait a sec. I think I just had an idea.

“Hold up,” I say. “I have a plan.”

A moment later we knock on the door together. It opens a crack, and Captain Yami’s eye peers out at us. Yuno and I exchange a look.

“One, two, three,” I whisper.

“We’re very sorry for fighting!” we both say in sync... okay, more in sync-ish, but it’s the thought that counts, right? “We promise we won’t fight anymore so please let us back in!”

“I heard them counting,” Magna remarks from behind Yami’s back.

“And they were still out of sync,” Luck pipes in.

“And glaring daggers at each other,” says Finral.

Captain Yami just gives us a dark look. “You’re not making a fool outta me,” he says. “I can see through your bullshit. Come back when you can do better.”

“Wait!”

Yuno’s foot stops the door before it closes. “We’ll play together,” he says. “Against any of you guys. And if we win, you let us back on the team.”

---

And that’s how we ended up at the gym at five in the morning, racing each other to the door and both trying to be the first one in.

“Just move already,” Yuno says as he tries to push me aside. “I won the race anyway.”

“Like hell you did! It was a draw!” I push back. “I would’ve won if you hadn’t grabbed my shirt and pulled me back, anyway!”

“I didn’t do that.”

“Liar, liar, pants on fire!”

“Guys,” Finral’s voice pops up from behind us. “Is it really that important when the door’s big enough for both of you?”

So we start practice. Our match will be three on three, we agreed with Captain Yami. Magna’s on our team officially. Finral’s helping us not so officially. That’s all good. There’s just one itty, bitty, tiny problem.

“What the hell are those tosses?” I shout after missing the millionth one in a row. “Nobody can hit ‘em that fast! Toss normally, dammit!”

“You couldn’t even hit a normal toss at the tournament,” Yuno replies.

“That was back then, now is now! Are you trying to win this or not?”

“I’m trying. You’re not trying.”

“At least I’m trying to cooperate with my teammates!”

“Doesn’t look like it to me.”

“Oh yeah? Just you watch me!” I pick up the ball and shove it against Yuno’s chest. “I’m not gonna give up till I can hit your spikes!”

Something in Yuno’s expression changes, but I can’t put my finger on it.

---

“I’ve been thinking.”

I look up with my meat bun still in my mouth. “Hm?”

“About how to win,” Yuno says, staring up at the night sky. We’ve been practicing at the park until now and are about to head home. “You can run fast and jump high, but your timing with spikes sucks.”

I choke on my food. “Hey—”

“So I want to try something,” Yuno goes on. “Just jump and hit how it fits you. I’ll get the ball to your hand.”

---

Ka-boom.

I open my eyes. For a moment I’m still floating in midair, the net stretched out below me, the other side of the court beyond. The ball bounces off the floor and rolls across the gym. My hand tingles.

“I hit it!” I shout. “I hit it, Yuno!”

“Of course you did,” Yuno answers. “I made sure you would.”

But he looks pretty impressed himself, and there’s a small smile on his face. I grin back.

“One more! One more!”

---

Blocked again.

I’m out of breath. My arms and legs hurt. It’s been going so well until now, but Luck is scary. He’s not even that tall, but he can reach anything. Everything.

“One more,” I say, but I’m losing energy. Dammit. We were leading just a minute ago. Now we’re about to fall behind.

Yuno sends me the next toss, and the next, and the next. Blocked. Blocked. Blocked. Luck is everywhere I am. I can’t match up against him.

“One... more.”

I run and jump again, but this time Yuno doesn’t toss to me. He tosses to Magna instead, and he scores at once. Luck’s still been marking me.

Dammit.

The next tosses go to Magna too. I wonder if I should even still jump. Sometimes Yuno looks at me like he wonders that too. So I keep jumping and jumping anyway. Out of spite.

Then, suddenly, Yuno looks at me as he jumps for the ball. Really looks at me. And I just know.

I run. I jump. Then I close my eyes.

The ball against my hand. Luck’s hands are still in front of me. He’s bigger than me, taller. Faster too, probably.

But I’m not alone. I’ve got Yuno.

With all my strength I send the ball over the net.

I wait for the slam as it’s blocked yet again, but this time the sound is different. It hits against Luck’s hands. But when it lands on the ground, the sound comes from the other side of the net.

I open my eyes.

The ball has bounced straight through Luck’s block and hit the floor. I scored. No, we scored. Luck’s taller than me, but that didn’t stop me this time.

The other side of the wall... is that what it looks like?

When I land on the ground Yuno and I are both grinning. Then we both get tackled by Magna and almost knocked into the net.

This guy is still my rival, but I guess he’s not half bad. Not just as a player... as a teammate too.

I tap a fist against his chest. “One more like that, Yuno!” I say. “Let’s win this!”

Yuno smiles and returns the gesture. “You don’t have to tell me.”

---

A tall, tall wall looms in front of me.

But with my new teammate, I think I’m still a bit taller.

[enterinit]

Gears 5 and other games coming to Xbox One this week

Gears 5 and other games coming to Xbox One this week. Torchlight II (September 03, 2019) The award-winning action RPG is back, bigger and better than ever! Torchlight II takes you back into the quirky, fast-paced world of bloodthirsty monsters, bountiful treasures, and sinister secrets - and, once again, the fate of the world is in your hands. Torchlight II is fast, fun, and filled to the brim with action and loot. Adventure solo or form a party online with your friends. Features: 4 player co-op online. Experiment with hero synergies and take on the fiercest opponents together, for the world’s most awesome loot.Create and customize characters from one of four distinct classes. Each class can be played as male or female, and robust skillsets and equipment variety give tons of opportunity for unique builds.Explore vast overland areas and multiple hub towns. Fight through rain and snow, day and night. Level randomization ensures fresh new layouts, paths, loot, and monsters every time you play.Choose how to empower your pet with special transforming consumables. Your pet can fight by your side or make a run to town to sell loot so you don’t have to.Once you've beaten Torchlight II's primary campaign, you can start again with the same character for a significantly greater challenge. You'll keep all of the skills, gold, and gear. Final Fantasy VIII Remastered (August 03, 2019) It is a time of war. The Republic of Galbadia, under the influence of the sorceress Edea, mobilises its great armies against the other nations of the world. Squall and other members of SeeD, an elite mercenary force, join hands with Rinoa, a resistance fighter, to fight against Galbadia's tyrannical rule and to prevent Edea from fulfilling her ultimate goal. This product is a remaster of FINAL FANTASY VIII, featuring multiple enhancements including additional options to customise your gameplay experience and difficulty, such as: Battle assist options (HP, ATB gauge, and Limit Break boosts)Game speed boost (x3)No random encounters Gaijin Charenji 1: Kiss or Kill (September 04, 2019) A punk narrative shoot-them-up where you not only shoot to kill, exterminate, and destroy but you can also kiss your enemies to make a more loving world. Originally designed for the Dreamcast in 1998 by Yoshihiro Takahashi, Kiss or Kill has completed it 21 years later by his son Yosuke Takahashi. Post War Dreams (September 04, 2019) POST-WAR DREAMS is a 2.5D Story-Rich, Side Scrolling Action Game, set in the wasteland of USA, plagued with constant war. Following the collapse of the economy, government, and society, you must brave heavily armed militia, lawless gangs, dangerous streets, desolate buildings and underground bunkers on your quest to escape this post-apocalyptic wasteland alive. The road to a new life is paved with danger, hope and constant reminders of everything that’s been lost. You will engage in combating the gangs and militia in order to survive and may choose to help other survivors who are full of their own personal misery, hopes and dreams, where everyone is trying to see the next sunrise in this chaotic wasteland. SUMMARY The United States has broken, and violence fills the streets. Freedom and patriotism have disintegrated, replaced with war and famine, and life is only a reminder of what’s been lost. If Garrett Mitchell hopes to survive this new world, he’ll have to fight his way through dangerous militia soldiers and members of the ruthless gang The Remnants while deciding whether or not to help his fellow survivors. Following years of mounting tensions within the United States, civil unrest caused Washington DC to shut its doors and borders to the rest of the world six short months ago. As lawlessness took over the Midwest, spreading from coast-to-coast, the financial system crashed and soon DC and the surrounding cities became a fortress for the privileged with the rest of the country left to fend for itself. Now, the streets run red with the blood of innocents as militia, gangs and rogue soldiers use lethal means to secure food, water and supplies that will allow their societies to keep going. For those civilians caught in the middle, each day is a fight for survival. As supplies dry up, these neutrals flee from the cities in hopes of starting over somewhere new. Holding onto a shred of hope, all the civilians have left are the clothes on their back and their post-war dreams. Players are introduced to Garrett, their mysterious vehicle through the wastelands of the United States. In the months since society’s collapse Garrett has done all he can to survive, dodging soldiers, gangs and other civilians, but with food, water and other survival resources scarce, he must find his way out of the city if he wants to live another day. Just as Garrett believes he can exit the city scot-free he’s waylaid by enemies and rescued by Kara, a former EMT (emergency medical technician), who is trying to lead her own group outside the city limits to probable safety. Her group is made up friends, neighbors, co-workers as well as strangers she’s encountered along the way. While Kara has medical training and cunning, which have allowed she and her group to survive the weeks since the war began, they lack combat skills and Garrett is a logical choice to help ensure everyone’s survival. The player may choose to help Kara and her friends or go it alone, with the impacts of the decision coming into view as the first few levels progress. Whatever the course, the player will ultimately end up a part of Kara’s caravan whether reluctantly or by choice. While Garrett’s fellow travelers will be excited to learn more about their new compatriot, the player may choose to not be as friendly or forthcoming. As the levels continue on and Garrett is exposed to different backstories, his successes or failures may also lead to the deaths of those he finds himself growing closer to. Himmo (September 04, 2019) Himno is a non-violent, no death platformer. Use wall-jumps, slides & dashes to reach new heights in randomly generated maps! Using intuitive and easy to learn controls, parkour through each map to overcome platforming challenges to reach new districts. Level up as new heights are reached, bringing vibrant lights as torches are ignited and the music begins to change. Rescue wisps to light up the darkness around you, while temporarily upgrading abilities that allow you to move further to other disctricts. Features: Your actions in the world trigger emotional soundtracks and vibrant visualsPlay at your own pace without pressureWatch bright wisps dance around youEnjoyable by a wide variety of player skill Monochrome Order (September 04, 2019) The world must forever make choices. The Arbiters' mission is to use the ancient magic known as “Judgment” to follow their own justice and guide the world to a better place. A newly-appointed Arbiter, is assigned to a desolate country where he will have to make various Judgments. However, not everyone will agree with his idea of justice. When faced with two extreme choices, which will he choose? Your Judgments will greatly affect the story and your character's role in both good and evil paths. As there are multiple endings, explore different routes to guide the world toward the right direction! Get up to 18 allies from your Judgments to try various formations and overcome challenges with each character's unique skills! Features: Guide the world toward the right direction through Judgments in a fantasy RPG with multiple endings!Your Judgments will greatly affect the story and your character's role in both good and evil paths.As there are multiple endings, explore different routes to guide the world toward the right direction!Get up to 18 allies from your Judgments to try various formations and overcome challenges with each character's unique skills! Throne Quest Deluxe (September 05, 2019) Throne Quest Deluxe is a seem-less open-world Action Role Playing Game (ARPG). Delve into an adventurous world full of dungeons and crypts, fighting many types of vicious monsters and search for huge amounts of loot. Change between 11 classes throwing your axes, fire, harps and even a djenty-guitar in fast-paced combat whilst gulping potions and collecting drops to level-up and become a champion. Explore your way through the dangers of the lands on an epic quest to reach the central castle- to claim the Throne held by a demon boss. Features: Seamless Open-world Fast-action-RPG150+ Items90+ Monsters11 Classes River City Girls ( September 05, 2019 ) "There's trouble once again on the mean streets of River City, but this time the boys are in over their heads! In this all-new entry in the legendary beat-'em-up series, hot-blooded heroes Kuni and Riki have been captured, leaving it to their hard-hitting girlfriends, Kyoko and Misako, to serve up some payback. As you punch and kick your way across town - either solo or with a friend in local co-op - you'll gain new skills, chow down on power-ups, wield an assortment of weapons, and unleash an arsenal of combos, throws, and special attacks that will leave the bad guys crying for mama - all in outrageous 16-bit style! The awesome action is punctuated by manga story panels, anime cutscenes, and an epic synth-pop soundtrack. It’s an old-school rumble for a new generation! Features: Wild beat-'em-up action for one or two players!Glorious pixel-art graphics plus anime and manga cutscenes!Fantastic soundtrack featuring Chipzel, Christina Vee, and NateWantsToBattle!Six large city regions to fight through, complete with shops and side quests!Loads of weapons, items, and abilities to power-up your heroines!Guest appearances by classic River City characters!

Gears 5 Ultimate Edition (September 06, 2019)

Campaign: The world is crumbling. The Swarm has corrupted the Coalition’s robot army and is descending upon human cities. With danger closing in, Kait Diaz breaks away to uncover her connection to the enemy and discovers the true danger to Sera – herself. Escape: Outrun the bomb, outsmart the Swarm, and escape the Hive! Escape is a new, aggressive, high-stakes co-op mode featuring a three-player suicide squad that must work together to take out enemy hives from within. Versus: May the best team win! Rack up points and trade up for superior weapons in Arcade, a frenetic playlist built for jump-in, over-the-top fun. With ten other game types plus new and classic maps, Versus rewards every competitive style, from casual to pro. Horde: Can you and four friends endure waves of ever-stronger enemies and bosses? Survive using new hero abilities, building defenses, collecting power, leveling up your skills and working as a team. Map Builder: Create custom Escape hive maps and experiences to share with and challenge your friends. Features: Three-player Campaign Co-op: Battle alongside your friends in three-player online or split-screen co-op.Tours of Duty: Rank up from new recruit to four-star general in Gears Tours of Duty. Take on new and exciting challenges, earn awesome rewards, and show off your loot.Boot Camp: New to Gears or just a little rusty? Bootcamp is a fun way to learn the ropes, from the basics to advanced combat techniques.Play as Jack: Play as Jack, your personal flying support bot that can protect allies and damage enemies - perfect for players new to Gears.Visual Showcase: Play every mode in 4K and HDR at a smooth 60 frames per second on Xbox One X. Accessibility: Customize your gaming experience with updated accessibility features, including: full controller remapping, single stick movement, Adaptive Controller support, narrated UI and menus, improved subtitles and more. *Some modes including Escape, Versus and Horde, and online multiplayer require Xbox Live Gold on console, membership sold separately. Monster Hunter: World – Iceborne (September 06, 2019) Let your hunting instinct take you further than ever! "Iceborne" is a massive expansion that picks up after the ending of Monster Hunter: World and opens up the new "master rank!" New quests, monsters, weapons, armor, and story await to take your hunting to the next level! Creature in the Well (September 06, 2019) Creature in the Well is a top-down, pinball-inspired, hack-and-slash dungeon crawler. As the last remaining BOT-C unit, venture deep into a desert mountain to restore power to an ancient facility, haunted by a desperate Creature. Uncover and upgrade powerful gear in order to free the city of Mirage from a deadly sandstorm. Pinball with swords: Charge up energy orbs, then bounce and ricochet them to reactivate dormant machinery and stop the sandstorm.Defeat the Creature: Escape the many challenges set by the Creature and confront it in intricate, skillful battles.Dungeon-crawler: Delve deeper into the mountain as you unlock eight hand-crafted dungeons, each filled with unique gameplay themes, unlockables, and secrets to uncover.Over 20 unique items: Customize your playstyle with upgradeable weapons and clothing that change how you play the game. NBA 2K20 (September 06, 2019) NBA 2K has evolved into much more than a basketball simulation. 2K continues to redefine what’s possible in sports gaming with NBA 2K20, featuring best in class graphics & gameplay, ground breaking game modes, and unparalleled player control and customization. Plus, with its immersive open-world Neighborhood, NBA 2K20 is a platform for gamers and ballers to come together and create what’s next in basketball culture. Restless Hero (September 06, 2019) You are about to be a part of an adventure of the Dark Age. Follow Rick in his damned path of vengeance and help him to redeem his soul. The life of your beloved is in danger. Hurry up and make a wise choice. Along the way complete challenging platforming levels and upgrade your powers. Unfold the story by reading dialogs and finding crucial items on the levels. Items are key to the puzzle of the story. There are a variety of obstacles for you that can be destroyed with the help of power. Castle has 3 floors with its set of enemies and obstacles. Find a key to defeat each enemy. Explore the castle and find all of the hidden chests! Read the full article

[partytwinjess]

Jess x Blake for 50 OPT things ♥

I am so sorry this is a late reply @tcntfsquad. I had to take my laptop to geek squad and this was a bit tricky to answer on mobile. But thank you! I love Jess x Blake

1. Who is the early bird/ Who is the night owl?

I would say that Blake would tend to be an early bird, however he works on the ships restaurant for lunch and dinner..sooo I would say they both are night owls lately. 

2. Who is the big spoon/ Who is the little spoon?

Blake is the big spoon and Jess is the little spoon.

3. Who hogs the cover/ Who loves to cuddle?

Jess hogs the covers obnoxiously, and I feel like Blake loves to cuddle but feels weird simply asking or initiating cuddling so Jess would initiate.

4. Who wakes the other one up with kisses?

Depends on who is up first, because otherwise they both do ^_^. But I do feel like Blake typically wakes up before Jess on their days off. So mostly Blake!

5. Who usually has nightmares?

I think Blake would. He really worries about his parents and typically worries more than Jess does anyway. I feel like his nightmares would consist of his father dying and him not being able to be there by his side no matter how hard he tries. 

6. Who would have really deep emotional thoughts at the middle of the night/ Who would have them in the middle of the day? 

Jess would talk about the univeres and why we exist late at night keeping Blake up and Blake would nonstop talk about different recipes/what meals would pair with the best wines during the day.

7. Who sweats the small stuff?

BLAKE!!! 

8. Who sleeps in their underwear (or naked)/ Who sleeps in their pajamas?

Jess typically sleeps naked and due to that I feel like Blake would find himself naked too. ;) But I guess Blake typically sleeps in PJs otherwise. 

9. Who makes the coffee (or tea)?

Blake would. :) They are more coffee people I feel too. Actually I think Jess like coffee more, while Blake could go either way. 

10. Who likes sweet/ Who likes sour?

Blake likes sweeter candies and Jess likes more sour candies.

11. Who likes horror movies/ Who likes romance movies?

Jess LOVES horror movies, while Blake doesn’t understand the appeal. He would lean more towards romance movies. 

12. Who is smol/ Who is tol?

Jess is smol and Blake is tol. 

13. Who is considered the scaredy cat?

Heh, Blake for sure. I think Jess would even scare/prank him on occasion to get a rise out of him. Gotta keep ‘em on their toes, ya know?

14. Who kills the spiders?

Blake, but only after Jess tells him “he’s the guy, this is his job.” XD (He hates this job).

15. Who is scared of the dark?

I mean niether really. Maybe Blake would be more uncomfortable in the dark, but mainly just because he wishes he could see what’s infront of him? He really doesn’t want to stub his toe, haha.

16. Who is scared of thunderstorms?

Blake finds thunderstorms oddly comforting while Jess hates the loud noise. 

17. Who works/ Who stays at home?

Blake works and Jess would be more likely to stay at home. But I think Blake is good at encouraging Jess to figure out what she wants to do in life career wise. Jess really looks up to him. 

18. Who is a cat person/ Who is a dog person?

Jess is a dog person, while Blake likes cats more (but he likes dogs too). 

19. Who loves to call the other one cute names?

Jess likes to play around with names until she annoys him. “Hows my little sugar plum hunny bun today?” “Whatchya up to, poopsie?” “Hey, Monkey Tush, have you seen my cell phone?” 

“Jess, stop.”

Because of this, Blake is firmly against pet names.

20. Who is dominant/ Who is submissive?

Jess loves being more dominant sometimes, but I feel like Blake would be more dominant in bed. Which would make Jess more submissive. 

21. Who has an obsession (over anything)?

Blake loves and obsesses over his job, while Jess obsesses over clothes. 

22. Who goes all out for Valentine’s Day?

Blake would go all out with the flowers and candy. The petals leading to the bed surrounded by candles. The champagne. The fancy restaurant. Maybe even a limo ride out on the town with a show. Jess would be blown away because she typically falls for the douchebag and not someone who actually wants to make her happy. 

23. Who asks who out on the first date?

I think we are all witnessing this now if you chose Blake. (We had to tell him three times already that we liked him). So I’m calling it. Jess will ask Blake out first. Boy can’t take a hint!

24. Who is the talker/ Who is the listener? 

Jess is super outgoing and talkative, while Blake loves listening to her. 

25. Who wears the other ones clothes?

Jess. She would wearing his button up shirt he laid out the night before that he was going to wear to work and nothing else underneath right when Blake is looking for it. Just to find her in it. She’s evil, he’s pretty sure. Or she gets a real rise out of messing with him. 

26. Who likes to eat healthy/ Who loves junk food?

Blake is big on healthy foods and Jess loves her junk food. 

27. Who takes a long shower/ Who sings in the shower?

Jess would take longer showers and also sing the whole way through. It’s a good thing she’s decent at singing or Blake would need to find some quality ear muffs. 

28. Who is the book worm?

Blake. He loves reading up on his craft. However, Jess can be spotted with a romance novel or two from time to time.

29. Who is the better cook?

Blake. 

30. Who likes long walks on the beach?

Jess would love it, but I feel Blake would love it just as much. Actually anything they do together is a blast. 

31. Who is more affectionate?

Both can be. :)

32. Who likes to have really long (deep) conversation?

Jess loves those long, thought provoking conversations. 

33. Who would wear “not guilty” t-shirt/ Who would wear “sin” t-shirt?.

This is hilarious. Jess is “sin” and Blake is “not guilty.”

34. Who would wear “if lost return to…” t-shirt/ Who would wear “I am…” t-shirt?

Blake would wear “If lost return to…,” while Jess would wear “I am…” Only because Jess tends to wander off a bit more and get distracted. 

35. Who goes overboard on the holidays?

Jess. She loves decorating and shopping for gifts. She especially loves throwing parties for these holidays. 

36. Who is the social media addict?

Jess. She loves taking and posting pictures. Blake will forget he even has a social media for a few months there. 

37. Height difference or age difference?

I think Jess, (and Nicole for that matter), would be around 5′5″ and Blake would be around 5′11″. I feel like Jess, (and again Nicole), is in her early twenties. Maybe between the ages of 22-24. I think Blake is knocking on thirties door. He’s maybe between the ages of 27-29. 

38. Who likes to star gaze?

Jess loves to stargaze.

39. Who buys cereal for the prize inside?

Jess would totally do this. She’s a child at heart. 

40. Who is the fun parent/ Who is the responsible parent?

Is this even a question? Jess would be the fun parent while Blake is the responsible parent.

41. Who cries during sad movies? 

Jess. She loves a good sob story. 

42. Who is the neat freak?

Blake. I could see them getting into it a few times because Jess didn’t clean up after herself.

43. Who wins the stuffed animals at the carnival for the other one?

Blake would attempt to, but would find out he has a really bad aim. So Jess would take the reins and give Blake all the stuffed animals she won. 

44. Who is active/ Who is lazy?

Blake does work out and Jess works out on the dance floor. She tends to be more lazy. 

45. Who is more likely to get drunk?

Jess, oh my god. That’s her favorite past time. 

46. Who has the longer food order?

Jess. Her eyes are bigger than her stomach. 

47. Who has the more complex coffee order?

Blake. He tries to order healthier stuff like soy instead of milk. 

48. Who loses stuff?

Jess. All. The. Time. She can’t pick up after herself and tends to lose things in the mess. 

49. Who is the driver/ Who is the passenger?

Blake drives more than Jess does. 

50. Who is the hopeless romantic?

Jess is a huge hopeless romantic. 

Ask me Top 50 for any choices couple!

🌸

[romancevsreality-blog]

the bachelorette, season thirteen, episode four: we are fearless spellers who love scary words

WELCOME BACK.

How was your weekend? Did you watch that team from whatever city win sportsball last week and take away from our precious Bachelorette time? How rude.

Rachel’s hanging out with Jonathan, who still just looks like a mannequin, and not in the Robb(ie) kind of way. I wonder if Jonathan only comes to life when Rachel is around. I preferred this plot when it was Andrew McCarthy and Kim Cattrall1. Meanwhile, Eric is still yelling about Lee talking shit. Lee’s loving hating on everyone, and doesn’t care about the other guys.

Lee isn’t here to make friends. I’m so mad he gets to be the one to use the obligatory line of the season.

Because Lee is just awful, he goes over and interrupts Rachel and Kenny’s one on one time. Kenny holds down, of course, because he’s great, and asks for one more minute, to which Lee literally counts on his fingers while drunkenly ambling about during their private time. Rightfully, Kenny is like, “yo, that shit was wack,” when Lee interrupts them again. We get a shot of Dean and oh my god, Brady? Braden? Jayden? I don’t know, one of those white people names that’s just vowels fighting with each other, and they’re talking about how they think Lee is an idiot. I don’t know, guys. I’m falling for Dean and his beautiful soul. He looked STUPID hot sitting there on that couch in his cute suit.

Lee gives Rachel a piece of wood with “enchanting” engraved on it, and I wish she would fling it into a nearby fire. Is it bad that that’s what I would do?

Guys, this is why I’m not The First Black Bachelorette. I love vengeance.

And then we get my favorite time: White Guys Avoid Talking About Racism Without Saying The Word Racism. We return to Dean, and -Yden, who have now been joined by JACK STONE. Dean thinks Lee “likes to get under people’s skin, and the people’s skin he likes to get under are… my friends, the people I respect.”2 -Yden says he’s from a different background 3 and that everyone’s different4 and everyone has their own… quirks5. The best part of this is that the guys say “quirks” over and over again like the seagulls in Finding Nemo6 and then we learn that JACK STONE thinks quirks and corks are the same thing. Which, in the John Grisham JACK STONE novel series, will be his quirk. His quirk is that he thinks corks are quirks. Word avalanches are my favorite7. Lee only fights with people he’s not used to seeing on a daily basis from a “cultural perspective”8.

The closest we get to hearing someone flat out say Lee is being racist is a producer asking Dean what he means when he says a “cultural perspective”, and Dean saying that we know what he means.

Read: he’s racist as fuck. Dean says he’s “intolerant”, a word that people only equate with lactose in modern day but has a weight that Dean uses with purpose and intent9.

Kenny goes over and sits down with Alex - WHO IS WEARING THE BEST PURPLE ZEBRA PRINT JACKET I HAVE EVER SEEN - and a few other guys, and they’re all pissed because Lee got two times with Rachel and interrupted Kenny in order to do so. Kenny’s gonna go try to have a normal, sensible conversation with Lee. Nah. Lee’s probably gonna do something terrible like always.

Bryan and his cheekbones are talking to Rachel about how he wants her to be vulnerable with him, and she’s nervous because of how charming he is. Ladies: do not truuuuust the charming dude. Do not. Trust me, and trust 18-year-old Amanda. Thighs should be smooth like peanut butter, not a man. He wants to be strong for her when she’s weak, and vice versa. Ugh. He says all the right things, but I don’t trust him OR his cheekbones.

Meanwhile, Lee and Kenny have taken their time aside, and Kenny’s trying to be rational about all of this. Honey, there is no time to be rational with racists. Punch Nazis in the face, call racism out for what it is, and if people are uncomfortable, that’s on them. This country has never made black people’s comfort, it is not ours to make them comfortable, either. Let’s be real: Lee was cast to be fucking racist and to stir shit. Rachel overhears their argument and basically Jim Halperts the camera, like “really?”

Rachel is straight up over the drama and the beef that’s going on. She’s upset with the fact that the party sucked, the food sucked, the entertainment sucked, and now she has to keep a racist around for another week. She talks about the pressure she’s under being a black woman and the expectations…

Y’all.

I had to pause for a minute because I was crying for her. I joke a lot about being The First Black Bachelorette and all that, but for real - it’s a major job, huge exposure, and it will change her life. But not only that, she’s under scrutiny from everyone - her family, the production, A-fucking-merica to make the right decision and the right choice. What has happened to her is bigger than her, and bigger than some black women in America will ever get to experience. I’ve talked about representation before and how important it is, but I’ll reiterate: representation is fucking important. I was lucky to have Whitney and Janet and Serena and Beyonce to inspire me. Hell, I’m lucky to have Rachel on my television weekly to inspire me, even if it is on this garbage show. I want my children to have more options than I did, and my mother wanted more options for me.

Ya gotta put all kinds of people on your televisions, in your writers rooms, in the director’s chairs, on the big screen. You never know what seeing that will do for people. You really don’t.

Rachel is crying in this gorgeous gown, and refuses to finish her talking head session because she’s so emotional. Chris Harrison, the Truman Burbank to my… whatever Ed Harris’ character in The Truman Show’s name is, tells Rachel that basically she can do whatever she wants and he can tell the dudes to fuck off if she really wants to. Chris Harrison goes to tell the guys that Rachel’s not going to come say something before the Rose Ceremony, they’re just heading straight in.

Will, Dean, Jonathan (WHY?), Peter, Adam (WHO?), Bryan, Matt (WHO? x2), Josiah, JACK STONE, Iggy, Kenny (YAAS), and… Lee. Rachel looks physically pained at having to give Lee that last rose. You know there was a producer with a knife being like “Raaachel...” behind the camera.

Bye, Bryce, Brady/-yden and Diggy. Or as I call them, 2 guys We Barely Knew, and Diggy. Diggy, I hope you fill the holein your heart with shoes like your feet... fill shoes.

WE’RE AT HILTON HEAD ISLAND. I would like to go to Hilton Head. We see Rachel auditioning for her future Ted Baker ad on a fucking boat and a gorgeous khaki jacket and… blah blah blah, great place to find love. The guys are staying at the Sonesta Resort, and, oh shit...

THERE’S A DATE CARD!!!

Bryan wants it. Kenny wants it.

Naturally, it goes to my new favorite, Dean. Yay, Dean.

Rachel arrives to pick Dean up in the room, because the producers love salting wounds. They drive a Jeep out to a field, and pop a bottle of champagne. Rachel literally looks the best she’s looked all season, and she’s just wearing a grey tank top. Why am I not her? Why? OH SHIT THEY GET TO GO ON A BLIMP10. Rachel was apparently fascinated with blimps as a child. I was fascinated with dirt. Dean’s afraid of heights, I’d be more afraid of a Hindenburg disaster situation, and I’m TERRIFIED of heights. My anxieties have a ranking order. They take turns “piloting” on the blimp, and then they talk about how they’re both people who like to do things that scare them when they feel comfortable.

LOL, then they fly the blimp over the resort where the guys are staying and the chyron says “RACHEL AND DEAN FOREVER”.

The guys take the time to mention that Dean is 25 going on 26, and Rachel is 31 going on 32 - that kind of age difference means that Dean better step his game up and prove he’s mature. OH.

And there’s a date card.

Alex, Anthony, Peter, Bryan, Jonathan, Adam, Matt, Kenny, Lee, Iggy, Eric, Will and Josiah are all on the group date card, meaning JACK STONE automatically gets the next one-on-one, something he’s pumped about until Lee pees all over his fire. He passive aggressively is like, “one-on-ones are a lot of pressure, there’s no shame if you go home on a one-on-one.” He’s trying to incite shit, he’s trying to spark something, and it’s wrong. He’s so fucked up, and the fact that he’s like, “I want to win” - not, “I want to spend my life with Rachel” or anything having to do with Rachel, really - is the most disgusting part.

A racist man is competing for a prize, and that “prize” is a black woman. EVERYONE SEES WHAT’S WRONG HERE, RIGHT? RIGHT??????11

At dinner after their date, Rachel and Dean have the good conversations to have when you’re developing a relationship with a person - what was your upbringing like? Rachel was raised in a religious household but her parents still let her be herself. I was raised somehow both by two married parents and a single mother at the same time, and I’m the only girl with two older brothers who are far enough older than me where it felt like we were raised in different households, and I’m also the shortest member of my family by ONE AND A HALF FUCKING INCHES12. Dean lost his mother to breast cancer at fifteen after a six-year struggle. Y’all I am not crying. He talks about this with such pride and such sadness. He calls losing his mother “an experience”, which… shatters my heart. His family grew apart after the loss of his mother, and he’s never really discussed it. I can’t, y’all. Losing a parent defines your world more than anything else. Hearing my mother talk about hers, hearing my boyfriend talk about his father - it is a sentiment I’m going to feel someday, and I can’t imagine having to deal with that during your formative years, let alone in your 50s and 60s13.

Y’ALL I HAVE NOT STOPPED CRYING DURING THIS EPISODE I CAN’T WITH THE EMOTIONS.

Of course Dean gets a rose. I’m thrilled for him. They make out, and of course they go to some random concert for some band I’ve neve heard of and make out in front of a crowd. I LITERALLY walked away from this scene while they were still making out at the table because I knew the obligatory “make out in front of a planted concert crowd” was coming. I didn’t even need to fast forward.

The next day, Rachel meets the guys at the docks for a yacht party. Rachel took a note from Amanda Never-Shoulders and is wearing an off-the-shoulder top, and the guys are drinking fruity cocktails with bendy straws. There’s literally a dance-off, and.. Yeah, all the guys dance the way you would expect them to. Josiah is basically whipping his dick around and is the first guy to take his shirt off. He literally does that pec-flexing thing I thought was reserved for 90s douchebags. Josiah does push-ups with Rachel on his back, claims he can do 30, but only does 20. Josiah tries too hard. He’s extra af.

Kenny raps, impressively. Peter raps... actually impressively. I like his rhythm work, even if he could work on his delivery.

The guys leave the yacht and head to a stage where they’re greeted by Chris Harrison. Rachel’s objectified these dudes enough, now it’s time to see what their brains are like. The guys are SHOOK.

It’s the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling BEEEEEEEEE. 14

No, really, it’s the 1st Annual Bachelor Nation SPELLING BEEEEEEEEEEEE.

Rachel wants to make sure these guys are both hot and smart. I hope this becomes a recurring thing on this show. MAKE SURE THESE PEOPLE CAN SPELL. The guys get sensual words~. Peter calls Anthony a “secret genius” - he has a Fullbright nbd - but apparently the guys in the house are literary as fuck. Kenny’s the first to go to “detention” after he spells Champagne incorrectly, and then Peter mispells “coitus”. COME ON, Peter. Josiah remains extra, and Anthony fucks up on “boutonniere,” a word I had to try to spell 3 times, and still got it wrong. Will misspells physiological, and Josiah spells “polyamorous” and takes 10000 years in order to do so.

He wins.

Barf.

He humble brags about himself for a while, and then during the after-after-after party, drinks out of his trophy. Which is the only thing he’s done I’ve liked.

Peter and Rachel talk about the possiblity of him leaving Wisconsin and coming to Texas, or even the two of them settling down in other place. And then Rachel drops the bomb that oh, she’s licensed to practice law in Wisconsin. I love her. Eric and Rachel really don’t have much chemistry, but she seems to enjoy talking to him.

Meanwhile, Iggy’s starting shit. Again. He’s picked Josiah as his target, and is like, “I don’t want to start drama, but…” Which in this franchise is like when someone starts a sentence like, “I don’t mean to be racist, but…” THERE’S DRAMA A’COMIN’. Iggy claims that Josiah isolates himself from the others and puts on a false sense of confidence when Rachel’s around. I mean, he’s not wrong, but it’s not his place to tell Rachel this, and Iggy’s just trying it. Iggy then tries to throw Rachel under the bus and claim that she was asking where the source of tension in the house was from, and if it was from Josiah. Iggy tries to be like, “yeah, I told her about it, but it was for her benefit!” SHUT UP IGGY.

We get an amazing aside where Josiah’s like, “Iggy does drugs. He shoots steroids into his nuts, he told us.” I cackled because that’s probably true, if what Reddit tells me.

Meanwhile, no one was being awful enough, so Lee steps up to the plate! He and Rachel spend their alone time talking about what happened with Kenny at the cocktail party, and Lee decides that portraying a black man as violent and aggressive is the path he’d like to take. It is fucking horrifying and IRRESPONSIBLE AS FUCKING HELL, ABC. Lee even does an Alyssa Edwards-esque tongue pop and someone needs to hold my earrings because I am going to beat Lee the fuck down. Lee portrays himself as a victim and Kenny as a violent monster. I hate him. I hate him so much.

He calls Kenny a 220-pound ballerina. Well, Lee, you’re a 160-pound SONG AND DANCE BOY, YOU FUCKING RACIST GARBAGE MONSTER.

Rachel and Kenny get their private time, and he starts by rapping because he has no idea that Lee just talked mad shit about him for 20 minutes to her. She wants to keep it 100 with him and wants to get down to the source of Kenny’s yelling at Lee. Kenny admits to yelling at Lee, but because Lee riled him up. He’s correct. He’s upset that he even let Lee get to him like that, and admits to handling the situation poorly, because he’s an adult man with logic and sense and not a rat monster from planet White Supremacy. Kenny basically says Lee’s a liar becasue they came clean to each other.

There’s a scene of Peter and Alex listening to Lee talk about how he could talk so much shit about them but he doesn’t because he’s better than that. They’re visibly uncomfortable - you can tell with Alex because his muscles are fucking enormous but he literally has the stature of a brick wall when Lee is talking to them like he’s not a monster and everything he’s doing is okay. Kenny is devastated because he feels like he was already isolated from Rachel and nothing he could say would have an effect on what she was thinking.

Another metaphor for racism: “Lee lives in alternative facts.”

Lee is of the “If I say it by your face but I also would say that to your face, it’s not talking shit, it’s being honest.” Kenny comes back to the house and takes Lee aside. Kenny doesn’t like Lee, and Lee loves that Kenny doesn’t like him. All the guys walk to the windows because they know shit might go down.

Next Week: KENNY WITH A FUCKING BLOODY EYE. Kenny crying. Lee and Kenny get the two-on-one and I can’t believe ABC is playing racism as rivalry. It’s a two night Bachelorette event. God damn it. Lee better go the fuck home. I swear to god. Random Assessments from the Desk of Amanda:

In case you weren’t listening to my podcast yet, we’re doing a special bonus episode this week wherein we discuss the Paradise issues. I almost wrote “shenanigans”, but that implies humor and… yeah. I wanted to say it out loud because anything I write would take 750 words. So check it out if you want to hear me unpack that situation.

I am so sorry I thought Dean was a fuckboy.

Paradise is back. That’s the last thing I suspected to happen. Oh god.

This episode was messy af in terms of... you know, representation.

Y’all we as a culture are DUE a new Pygmalion story. RIP, Selfie. Your awful title didn’t give you the chance to live. John Cho will have his time in the Romantic Comedy Male Lead sun someday. ↩︎

Read: he’s racist. ↩︎

Read: he’s racist. ↩︎

Read: he’s racist. ↩︎

Yes, they just implied that racism is a quirk, like me crying on planes or my mom’s love for U2. ↩︎

I have never seen the beginning of Finding Nemo all the way through (that shit is too sad for me, yo i just pretend the mom was on vacation the entire movie instead) but those seagulls are funny af. ↩︎

Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo. ↩︎

Read: he’s A BIG FUCKING FAT OL FUCKIN racist under the guise of being “southern”. ↩︎

When I was in middle school, my brother taught me that it is worse to be seen as ignorant than as to be seen as stupid, and to this day, it is one of the most important lessons I’ve ever been taught and something I try to pass on. “Stupid” is ableist and comes with its own baggage, but it doesn’t mean you’re not willing to learn. “Ignorant” implies that you, at your very core, are unwilling to change or unwilling to adapt. It’s much more harmful because it’s an attack to you and your being. ↩︎

Get that promo, Goodyear! ↩︎

Why do I feel like Lee got the producer that really pet his ego and was like, “Who cares about her, it’s about you, man!” ↩︎

What I lack in height, I make up for in personality. ↩︎

I love you, momz. I’m gonna have you cryogenically frozen instead of you dying, okay? Like in Futurama! See you in 100 years! ↩︎

Y’all up until just now I thought Josh Gad won a Tony for this musical but no, that’s Dan Fogler, Josh Gad was his replacement and LITERALLY NO ONE BUT ME CARES ABOUT THIS FOOTNOTE. ↩︎

[colonelkepler]

kevin and ray holt for 50 otp things for anon!!!

1. Who is the early bird/ Who is the night owl?

ray is definitely the early bird, always getting up super early for work, waking kevin up (who’s a LITTLE less of a morning person). kevin’s so much more of a night owl, he works through the night a lot, coming to bed when ray forces him

2. Who is the big spoon/ Who is the little spoon?

UHHH i think kevin’s taller and that’s just funny to imagine so yea kevin’s the big spoon

3. Who hogs the cover/ Who loves to cuddle?

look they are respectful, logical men, who obviously share the cover all the time, and BOTH of them are willing to lean against each other and cuddle up and read. how dare you

4. Who wakes the other one up with kisses?

ray, again cus kevin’s less of a morning person, and it’s wonderful and kevin always smorches him back

5. Who usually has nightmares?

ray ... not often though. when he does, he inches a little closer to kevin, and if kevin’s not in a deep sleep he’ll put his arm around ray and it’ll be wonderful

6. Who would have really deep emotional thoughts at the middle of the night/ Who would have them in the middle of the day? 

ray is a night thinker and he’ll get kevin up to start a deep philosophical chat with him, and kevin is READY for that shite

7. Who sweats the small stuff?

kevin and . like . listen. ray gives massages. they are GOOD massages. he massages kevin.

8. Who sleeps in their underwear (or naked)/ Who sleeps in their pajamas?

BOTH OF THEM HAVE PAJAMAS, U FOOL. THEY ARE WONDERFUL AND COMFY AND FANCY AS HELL

9. Who makes the coffee (or tea)?

kevin <33 ray makes a lot of the breakfasts so kevin always likes to make tea for ray. they have a billion different varieties

10. Who likes sweet/ Who likes sour?

kevin has a guilty sweet tooth while ray is into all things sour

11. Who likes horror movies/ Who likes romance movies?

uhhh both of them are waaaaay bigger romance fans but they need movies with that mf statistical analysis

12. Who is smol/ Who is tol?

ray always seemed smol to me and kevin always seemed tol

13. Who is considered the scaredy cat?

kevin considers ray the scared one bc he’s “way more emotional” but ray’s like wtf. no. i’m the one who gets rid of all the spiders, kevin. kevin, please

14. Who kills the spiders?

AHAHAHAH i didn’t notice this while i was answering the last one. ray does!!!

15. Who is scared of the dark?

neither of them bc they are Rational Adults and they are proud of it

16. Who is scared of thunderstorms?

ok kevin kind of hates thunderstorms. refuses to say he’s scared of them, but he dislikes them.

17. Who works/ Who stays at home?

both of ‘em work but ray’s at home more bc kevin’s out way later doing his professor gig.

18. Who is a cat person/ Who is a dog person?

kevin’s so into cats but ray is lowkey a dog person 👀👀👀

19. Who loves to call the other one cute names?

they both do but literally no one but them finds the names cute

20. Who is dominant/ Who is submissive?

ERM. I WOULD FEEL WEIRD ANSWERING THIS (ftr i think ray would top but ANYWAY)

21. Who has an obsession (over anything)?

look kevin has very deep interests in his field and ray has very deep interests in HIS field. but kevin’s more obsessed with his stuff than ray. some things, like squash, they’re equally obsessed with

22. Who goes all out for Valentine’s Day?

kevin!!! remember that bigass bouquet he sent ray he so loves valentine’s day stuff even if he’ll complain abt how consumerist it has become

23. Who asks who out on the first date?

errrm i think ray would ask kevin out first. ^-^

24. Who is the talker/ Who is the listener? 

kevin likes to talk a lot abt his interests and ray loves to listen but honestly both of them chat for ages and ages

25. Who wears the other ones clothes?

nreither of them they have Boundaries

26. Who likes to eat healthy/ Who loves junk food?

THEY ARE BOTH EXTREMELY HEALTHY PEOPLE EXCUSE YOU

27. Who takes a long shower/ Who sings in the shower?

kevin takes a long shower and ray always jokingly gets on his back about it. kevin will also hum in the shower but never properly sing

28. Who is the book worm?

KEVIN FOR DEFINITE

29. Who is the better cook?

kevin, even though ray tries to make breakfasts more. kevin’s just got a gift with it and ray is good but he doesn’t have that Magic Touch

30. Who likes long walks on the beach?

ohhhhhhhh kevin would love it more so than ray i think

31. Who is more affectionate?

they’re both equally affectionate and it’s the best thing ever

32. Who likes to have really long (deep) conversation?

both!!!!! they’ll bring up deep stuff whenever, wherever, and talk it out for ages

33. Who would wear “not guilty” t-shirt/ Who would wear “sin” t-shirt?

DRFTYGHUJKL kevin wears the sin t-shirt

34. Who would wear “if lost return to…” t-shirt/ Who would wear “I am…” t-shirt?

they both see this concept at the same time and both get “i am___” shirts and they just see each other like oh dear. oh jeez. made a mistake

35. Who goes overboard on the holidays?

both of ‘em looooooove spoiling each other when it comes to holidays

36. Who is the social media addict?

kevin says ray is the social media addict even though he’s on it like a fraction more than kevin. they both barely use it

37. Height difference or age difference?

ERRRRM I’M NOT SURE. I ALWAYS SEE RAY AS A BIT MORE THAN A LIL SHORTER THAN KEVIN but i see him as very slightly older than kevin. rly not by much. like a couple years

38. Who likes to star gaze?

kevin and ray will always quietly join him ^-^

39. Who buys cereal for the prize inside?

jhgfdsefhtgrew kevin he says he collects them

40. Who is the fun parent/ Who is the responsible parent?

both are pretty darn responsible but ray considers himself the fun parent

41. Who cries during sad movies? 

both but they have a weird idea of sad ie STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

42. Who is the neat freak?

.........................yeah both.

43. Who wins the stuffed animals at the carnival for the other one?

ray wins a ton of them for kevin who always laughs and says he’s too old for that but he lovs it

44. Who is active/ Who is lazy?

kevin? ray? lazy?

45. Who is more likely to get drunk?

ray lbr he drinks to forget dumb things he does

46. Who has the longer food order?

ummmm kevin does. he gets particular

47. Who has the more complex coffee order?

agani, kevin, he’s a VERY particular dude

48. Who loses stuff?

neither of them their house is the neatest place ever

49. Who is the driver/ Who is the passenger?

ray drives, kevin is more often the passenger

50. Who is the hopeless romantic? 

lowkey................both

[im-no-jedi]

alrighty so I’ve been wanting to talk about my Guardians for a while now, and I started filling out some of those OC questions that I did for Fae and Ty a while back, but I keep forgetting to finish them, so I’m just gonna fill out a basic character profile for each of them that I reblogged a thousand years ago

let’s start with my Hunter:

Character Basics

Character Name: What is your characters name? - Matt. he doesn’t remember his last name. also, he has the standard male Guardian voice, which is Matt Mercer.

Alias(es): Does your character have any aliases s/he goes by? - nope, he’s just Matt LOL

Gender: Is your character female? Male? Gender-fluid? Non-Gender? - male

Age: What is your characters physical age? - he’s not sure, but he’s in his 30s

Sexuality: Is your character heterosexual? Homosexual? Asexual? - hetero

Ethnicity: Is your character of a specific ethnicity? - nah he’s just white :P

Race: Is your character of a different race? Or are they just human? - “just human” LOL. he literally looks exactly like Matt Mercer so... XD

Birthday:  When was your character born? - June 29

Birthplace: Where were they born? - he has no idea

Location: Where do they live now? - the Last City

Horoscope: Do you know your characters horoscope? Is it the western, Chinese, or an original? - ....I’m ignoring this one for both of them

Character Physical Appearance

Eyes: What color are their eyes? - brown

Hair: And what about their hair? - dark brown

Height: How tall are they? - 6 feet even

Build: What is their body-type? - stereotypical hero’s build LOL

Complexion: What is your characters skin tone? - he’s got a bit of a tan from being out in the wilds so much

Tattoo(s): Do they have tattoos? - nope

Piercing(s): Any piercings? - nope

Special Feature(s): Does your character have a peg leg or any other kind of special characteristics? - nope, he’s pretty much perfect XD

Clothing Style: Does your character prefer dresses to pants? - he wears his hunter cloak kinda sideways cause he likes the way it feels draped over his shoulder. he never goes anywhere without wearing the lucky pants Cayde gave him. he prefers strong, metal chestpieces as opposed to cloth ones. AKA he dresses like McCree I mean a cowboy all the time :P

Character Personality

Character Traits: Using adjectives, list a few words to describe your character. - kind, helpful, likeable, skilled, VERY nerdy

Extensive Personality: Write a paragraph or two describing your character’s personality - Matt is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet in your life. people have a hard time believing he’s a Hunter because he’s so approachable and nice.

Flaws: What imperfections does your character’s personality have? - he spends a lot of time making sure other people are ok, which means he doesn’t spend a lot of time on himself. he’s pushed himself too far one too many times, which has earned him many scoldings from his Ghost. also he... tends to run into bad luck more often than not. Rocky swears that he was cursed by a Hive Wizard at some point because of how many unfortunate things have happened to him over time LOL

Ambitions & Dreams: Does your character have any hopes or dreams? - he’s extremely hopeful for the future and wants to make it a safe and happy place for everyone to live in (which is why he’s hardcore New Monarchy LOL)

Fears: Everyone is afraid of something. What’s your character afraid of? - not being able to save the people he cares most about

Hobbies: What does your character do in their spare time? - he collects stuff. mainly action figures and other collectibles related to his interests. he has a whole bunch of junk that he’s gotten from his excursions that he claims are really “valuable” but is actually just a bunch of junk that he keeps for sentimental reasons :P

Likes: Does your character have something specific they like or love? - he just really loves spending time with people and helping out in any way that he can, seriously this guy is so far from the stereotypical Hunter, Cayde swears the Traveler is just trolling with him LOL

Dislikes: What does your character hate? - INJUSTICE

Favorite food: This can go in likes, but if you want to split it up you can. - he’s a BIG coffee drinker. Cayde always wants to take him to bars and stuff, but he’d much rather have a cup o’ joe than alcohol hahaha

Least favorite food: Same goes for this. - he doesn’t like the Spicy Ramen. Cayde is disgusted :P

Motivation: What is driving your character through this story? - the same thing I wrote for his ambitions and dreams really, he’s trying to make the world a safe place for people to live in

Character General

Family: Does your character have any family or are they an orphan?  Do they belong to a tribe? - he doesn’t remember if he had a family before being reborn as a Guardian. he considers the Vanguard and his fireteam the closest thing to his family now :3

Relationship(s): Do they have a partner? A close friend? - Rocky is his best friend, and he knows Cayde pretty well too, of course. he also has a huuuuuuuuuge crush on Hawthorne hehe

Pet(s): Does your character have a companion? What’s their name? - just his Ghost. he’s a bit more serious than Matt and doesn’t really understand why Matt is so interested in all the junk he collects, but whatever. as long as Matt doesn’t bring anything living back with him, his Ghost is fine with it. he sounds like Travis Willingham.

Job: Does your character work or is he jobless? - he’s one of Cayde’s top favorite Hunters, so I’d say he’s pretty busy LOL

Weapon(s): Does your character use any weapons? What type? Do those weapons have names? - he uses scout rifles, snipers, hand cannons, and the occasional rocket launcher. his signature weapon is the Sunshot.

Magical Abilitie(s): Any special abilities? Telekinetic? Fireballs? Mind-reading? - he uses solar energy, so his special ability is the Golden Gun.

Vehicle(s): Does your character have a car? An airplane? - he goes back and forth between Sparrows, but his ship is the Symmetry Flight

Theme Song: This is for funsies, but sometimes it helps to think of a song that encompasses your character - “Kill Em With Kindness” by Selena Gomez hahaha

Character Biography

Take the time to write a few paragraphs of your characters past. You can make it as long or short as you want, it’s just to give you an idea of who your character is and where they come from. - when Matt first came to the City, he wasn’t sure if he’d make a good Guardian or not. all he knew is that he wanted to help. he saw the chaos outside of the City and knew he had to do something about it. and he was willing to do whatever he had to do to protect the City. that’s why he was one of the Guardians chosen to take out Crota, Oryx, the House of Wolves, and all the other threats that popped up leading to the Red War. that’s why he survived losing his Light. and that’s why he still fights to this day \o/

and now here’s my Titan:

Character Basics

Character Name: What is your characters name? - Roq-5. he sounds like Dwayne Johnson.

Alias(es): Does your character have any aliases s/he goes by? - pretty much everybody just calls him Rocky. 

Gender: Is your character female? Male? Gender-fluid? Non-Gender? - male

Age: What is your characters physical age? - same as Matt, in his 30s

Sexuality: Is your character heterosexual? Homosexual? Asexual? - *shrugs*

Ethnicity: Is your character of a specific ethnicity? - he’s an Exo with mainly blue paint with black accents.

Race: Is your character of a different race? Or are they just human? - like I said before, he’s an Exo. a BIG Exo LOL

Birthday:  When was your character born? - May 2

Birthplace: Where were they born? - he doesn’t remember his human life, he just knows that he was remade as an Exo at the same place as everybody else during the Golden Age

Location: Where do they live now? - the Last City

Horoscope: Do you know your characters horoscope? Is it the western, Chinese, or an original? - ignoring again...

Character Physical Appearance

Eyes: What color are their eyes? - bright blue

Hair: And what about their hair? - no hair, just a big black metal strip across the top of his head, kinda like a very short mohawk

Height: How tall are they? - 6′5

Build: What is their body-type? - extremely well-built and muscular, like the robot equivalent of a wrestler

Complexion: What is your characters skin tone? - he’s got all kind of knicks and scratches on his body

Tattoo(s): Do they have tattoos? - sort of... he got some marks on his arms that resemble tattoos, but not of anything in particular

Piercing(s): Any piercings? - nope

Special Feature(s): Does your character have a peg leg or any other kind of special characteristics? - aside from what I’ve already mentioned? nope

Clothing Style: Does your character prefer dresses to pants? - he likes big, clunky Titan armor that makes him look even bigger than he already is. he tries to embody Saint-14 as much as possible really LOL

Character Personality

Character Traits: Using adjectives, list a few words to describe your character. - loud, brash, fearless, tough, self-absorbed 

Extensive Personality: Write a paragraph or two describing your character’s personality - Rocky is the closest thing to a stereotypical jock that you can get in a Guardian. he’s always showing off and trying to make himself look good and win the adoration of everyone around him. but despite all that, he’s still dependable and willing to help out with whatever Zavala needs him to do (with a lot of grumbling and eye rolling of course).

Flaws: What imperfections does your character’s personality have? - like I said before, he’s pretty self-absorbed. he’s also kinda reckless and has been scolded by Zavala many times for breaking or knocking down something unnecessarily :P

Ambitions & Dreams: Does your character have any hopes or dreams? - to be as well-known and beloved as Saint-14 someday

Fears: Everyone is afraid of something. What’s your character afraid of? - being forgotten

Hobbies: What does your character do in their spare time? - the Crucible. O. M. G. this guy is pretty much always in the Crucible on his down time. he’s one of Shaxx’s favorites LOL

Likes: Does your character have something specific they like or love? - adoring fans~

Dislikes: What does your character hate? - being ignored

Favorite food: This can go in likes, but if you want to split it up you can. - he eats... pretty much anything, he’s not that picky LOL

Least favorite food: Same goes for this. - healthy foods haha

Motivation: What is driving your character through this story? - he never got to meet Saint-14, but he’s Rocky’s main inspiration to being the best Titan he can possibly be. he looks up to Shaxx and Zavala too of course, but if he could one day be on the same level as Saint-14 was? he’d have it made, man...

Character General

Family: Does your character have any family or are they an orphan?  Do they belong to a tribe? - like Matt, the Vanguard and his fireteam is his family. but he’d never admit that :P

Relationship(s): Do they have a partner? A close friend? - Matt is his best friend ever. he’s also really good buddies with Lord Shaxx due to all his time in the crucible.

Pet(s): Does your character have a companion? What’s their name? - again, like Matt, he just has his Ghost. she’s spunky, fun-loving, and always supportive of Rocky’s antics. she tries to keep him grounded when needed as well. she sounds like Auli’i Cravalho.

Job: Does your character work or is he jobless? - he’s one of Zavala’s best Titans, and a favorite of Lord Shaxx in the Crucible, so yeah, he’s pretty busy

Weapon(s): Does your character use any weapons? What type? Do those weapons have names? - I haven’t created his file in D2 yet, so I have no idea what weapons he’s going to use! I’ll have to come back to fill this out once I’ve played through his file.

Magical Abilitie(s): Any special abilities? Telekinetic? Fireballs? Mind-reading? - he uses Arc energy, so he’s a Striker. big surprise :P

Vehicle(s): Does your character have a car? An airplane? - this falls into the same category as the weapons. I’ll fill this out once I’ve played through his file!

Theme Song: This is for funsies, but sometimes it helps to think of a song that encompasses your character - “You’re Welcome” from Moana ROFL (seriously I inadvertently made him as much like Maui as possible so yeah xP)

Character Biography

Take the time to write a few paragraphs of your characters past. You can make it as long or short as you want, it’s just to give you an idea of who your character is and where they come from. - Rocky came to the City unsure of what he wanted. he was told he had to be a Guardian and protect the City, but he wasn’t really feelin’ it. he refused to do anything for a long time, much to the dismay of Zavala and the rest of the Vanguard. but then... he saw the Crucible. he met Lord Shaxx. he heard stories of all the Guardians who fought valiantly and performed daring feats with their Light. he heard about Saint-14, the greatest Guardian who ever lived, an Exo Titan just like Rocky himself. and after that... Rocky knew what he had to do. he had to outdo them all. but what started out as a selfish endeavor turned into a real passion for protecting the City. despite what he might say, Rocky has no problem doing whatever needs to be done to protect the City. and he’ll do it in the most Extra™ way he possibly can LOL.

[hellotechsgeeksfan]

Post today’s launch and amidst multiple hands-on videos, the 2019 Moto Razr could easily be this year’s most desirable phone… which is a pretty remarkable achievement considering the lukewarm response flexible-display phones have been getting on an average. The phone capitalizes on its history of being the coolest phone of the 2000s, along with the fact that it has a flexible folding screen. The 2019 Razr hits the shelves in January 2020 with a price-tag of $1500 and my guess is it just might be a runaway success. Here ar some things Motorola completely nailed, leading to such a stimulating piece of school.

1. Phone first, tech later

Here’s probably the biggest reason why the Moto Razr is such a win. Motorola didn’t force its technology onto the smartphone. It saw the technology, noticed associate degree application, so proceeded forward… not like Samsung, Huawei, and Royole, who designed their phones specifically FOR the flexible screen. Motorola simply got the temporal arrangement completely right, and also the incontrovertible fact that that they had the Razr complete to revamp. Samsung’s “develop the technology and force it onto a smartphone” perspective is perhaps precisely why it isn’t as appealing because the Razr, that simply already has that swagger.

2. The clamshell format and its perfect size

The clamshell format has historically always worked better than that mini-book format from Nokia’s Communicator series. Besides, a clamshell phone always results in a smaller phone when closed, whereas all of Nokia’s Communicator phones, just like the Galaxy Fold, remain pretty large even when closed. If you look at the 2019 Razr, it’s conveniently small when closed, and when opened, is just about the same height as the original Razr, albeit with a nice, long portrait display. Moreover, it still FITS IN ONE HAND (learn a lesson, different companies). Motorola’s understanding of sizes, ratios, and formats just gives Razr the upper edge.

3. a extended show is best than a ‘bigger’ show

Given that almost all of our mobile-based content depends on scrolling upwards and downwards, even so much so that content is now being created in portrait mode more than ever (proof = TikTok), we don’t really NEED bigger squarish displays, to be honest. The sq. show additionally doesn’t do anyone any favors. You’re still left with pretty large black boxes on the top and bottom of the videos you’re watching, and the only perceivable advantage of the large display is the ability to multi-task, which personally, hasn’t really caught on yet. Besides, a phone with a hinge on the longer edge ends up in a extended and additional visible ‘crease’. Motorola cleverly made a phone that puts its hinge along the phone’s width, resulting in a crease no doubt, but a relatively much shorter one.

4. No technical snags like the Samsung Galaxy Fold (Plus, they nailed that hinge)

Take a glance at however Motorola designed the screen to fold inwards while not associate degree air-gap like within the Samsung Galaxy and you’ll understand however Motorola did it right. Admittedly, it’s been just a few hours since the release, but not a single reviewer has complained about dead pixels, bumps, and faults in the Moto Razr, especially given how quickly and carelessly people close that clamshell hinge. Samsung’s Galaxy Fold, on the other hand, required being extremely careful, and even despite that, almost every early reviewer ended up destroying that flexible display. Call it nice engineering on Motorola’s half, or just shoddy engineering on everyone else’s part, but hot damn, that phone’s had an absolutely track record so far.

5. That sweet retro app

Possibly one in every of my favorite elements of the 2019 Razr is that the retro app, that gives the phone its classic old-timey interface, complete with that edgy Tron-esque keyboard. Motorola recognized the ability of longing, and I’m pretty sure people will be bootlegging this app onto their Pixels and iPhones just for the nostalgia-factor! Good job, Motorola!

6. The price tag

Here’s why i believe the Moto Razr won’t simply be common, but will also be a commercial success. It has associate degree implausibly low barrier of entry, with a price of $1500, which is considerably lower than the Huawei Mate X which retails for $2600 and the Samsung Galaxy Fold, which retails for $1980. The fact that it’s better, cheaper, and more desirable than its competition in the folding phone market just means that Motorola’s taken the time and energy to get absolutely everything right, from the phone’s design to its tech, engineering and price… and Motorola knows it has a winner on its hands. I mean, even the theme music in the video above has the lyrics “they don’t make ’em like me no more”.

This article’s just about a hat-tip to the fellows at Motorola for completely nailing this beauty, and a love-letter of sorts to the company from a complete tech enthusiast and someone who’s done his justifiable share to make the promotion for the smartphone *wink wink*. Hey Motorola, if you’re feeling generous, and want to reach out to me with a small token of appreciation, feel free to hit me up via email!

[torentialtribute]

Jo Konta is on fire as the British number one prepares to take on third seed Karolina Pliskova

. Jo Jota prepares for the Czech top in the US Open fourth round she was awarded the highest score by the biggest player of all to come out of that country.

Martina Navratilova described the British number of her performance in defeating Zhuai Shang of China on Friday night as & # 39; A- plus & # 39 ;, marking her as a danger to all others who have remained in the draw.

Konta will now tackle number three seed Karolina Pliskova, whose ownership of excellent service has not stopped her from working under the title of best player never to have won the Grand Slam.

Jo Konta finds her best form at the right moment when the US Open enters the second week in

Konta has just dropped a set in the last major of the year, in the first round

On her ramp nth way, Konta delivers to the majors again, and Navratilova is quite impressed and told Amazon Prime: & It seems that she is now playing more on instinct, she knows what she wants to do and doesn't have to think about it . That's why I think she took away the casual mistakes. & # 39;

This week was only emphasized because the 28-year-old in Battersea has become the prominent player of both sexes in Britain.

Andy Murray lost to a challenger in the third round and showed how much ground he still has to make up for before it can be said that he will again become a top player. Kyle Edmund and Cam Norrie suffered losses here in the first round of the marathon, while Dan Evans played two good games until she met an inspired Roger Federer.

Harriet Dart fought hard to make the main table but was not happy with her welcome. With the career of Heather Watson plat and Katie Boulter now missed all summer with a stress fracture in her back, Konta plows on in glorious isolation.

Konta again flies the British flag while Kyle Edmund and Heather Watson fight for form

JO KONTA & # 39; S 2019

Brisbane: Second Round

Sydney: Second Qualifying Round

Australian Open: Second Round

Acapulco: Quarter-Finals

Indian Wells: Third Round

Miami: Second Round

Rabat: Final

Madrid: Second Round

Rome: Final

French Open: Semi-Final

Birmingham: Second Round

Eastbo urn: Third Round

Wimbledon: Quarter-Finals

Toronto: First Round

Cincinnati: First Round

She has now completed at least the fourth round or better in three of the four Grand Slams this year.

She can feel deep inside, and with some justification, a sense of underestimation for what she continues to achieve in this individual and most globally competitive women's sport.

As she reflected earlier in the week, she seemed to attract more public attention when she was involved in a spit with a reporter in Wimbledon this summer than when she reached the semi-finals at SW19 two years ago.

Not that she often leaves her torturing cautiously public expressions, in which she endeavors not to give away too much.

One thing is clear, however, that the philosophy of her quietly spoken French coach Dimitri Zavialoff asked her to be more self-reliant in court seems to pay dividends.

& # 39; I enjoy everything a little more, & # 39; said Konta, compared to two years ago, when she last played at this level. & # 39; I think it is because I am more attuned and more invested, more aware of everything I do. I have become self-sufficient in the decisions I make, also outside the court. & # 39;

Karolina Pliskova represents a quality improvement – she also left only one set fall so far

Konta has revived so strong this season that she is the eleventh best artist on tour in 2019, and in pursuit to make the field for the eight-woman WTA Finals event at the end of the year.

Her position for that would be further strengthened if she could disrupt Pliskova, this summer's Eastbourne champion, who again disappoints in Wimbledon.

Her recent form is stable rather than spectacular, and she just passed Tunisia Ons Jabeur to make today's encounter.

Standing at 6 & 39, 1 & # 39 ;, her main strength is her serve, although her second delivery was stuck in the previous round, when she could only win one on three points.

But on a normal day it might be the best after Serena Williams's: & I think Serena is probably serving a little faster, a little bigger. Karolina is incredibly accurate. I don't know if there really is a huge difference between the two, & Konta commented.

Novak Djokovic passed in the third round despite the painful left shoulder injury

On the man's side, Novak Djokovic faces a tough test on Monday evening when he is confronted with Stan Wawrinka, who defeated him in the 2016 final and was critical of the Serb maneuvers in the turbulent off -court world of tennis politics

Djokovic arrived late on Friday at his site for his third round against Denis Kudla, speculating that his painful left shoulder would prevent em from playing.

Then he easily defeated the American Denis. Kudla in straight sets. As can sometimes be the case with Djokovic, it is difficult to judge to what extent any injury is real, or something made up in his complicated mind.

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[cynthiajayusa]

Sugarland’s Frontwoman Talks New Gay-Inclusive Video

Just before releasing a hotly anticipated new album with Sugarland bandmate Kristian Bush, duo frontwoman Jennifer Nettles summed up her history of progressive politics and queer advocacy and love for chicken with one defiant tweet: “Steals recipe for world’s best chicken sandwich and opens ‘Chic-fi-Gay.’ Serves EVERYBODY deliciousness and is open on Sundays. Wins world,” she wrote on May 15, her unfettered outspokenness still a rare but significant thing in country music.

“Or the spinoff of it: It can start as Chick-fil-Gay and then it could just turn into Chick-fil-Heyyy!, which would be super fun too,” she tells me with a robust guffaw.

Bigger, the band’s first release since their long-established country sound was cranked to arena-rock heights on 2010’s The Incredible Machine, reflects on our emotionally and politically strained modern world (their powerful lament, “Tuesday’s Broken,” addresses America’s gun problem and school shootings) with love, hope, unity and inclusiveness, themes near and dear to Sugarland since the release of their 2002 debut. “These are the days of the underdog, the counted out, the ones you don’t see coming; times of the left-behinds…,” Nettles sings on “Not the Only,” counting herself among us. “Silent voices I’ve never heard, all waiting to say the words, held up and kept inside, but we don’t have to hide.”

Here, Nettles wins the world by phoning to talk about Sugarland’s mission to shine a light on the unseen, being political post-Dixie Chicks, and why it’s important for people (see: homophobes) to not get it twisted: that “Mother” lyric is most definitely referring to a gay couple in love.

Did recent world tragedies and the country’s overall divisiveness have anything to do with you getting back to your Sugarland roots?

Yeah. I had been feeling the urges to get back and do something and see what that would feel like again. At first it seemed to be a matter of the calendar, and then we started writing and then when we looked at this collection and what was coming out of us we realized, “Whoa, we have a lot to say, and this is actually the reason for the timing” – that these messages that we have are, well, no pun intended, bigger than what, initially, this reconvening was going to be. It was very much a bigger message for the world.

I hear myself and my community’s struggles represented in some of these songs, and I feel emboldened by them. To what extent was the queer community on your mind while creating this album?

It was on our minds significantly. You hear those messages poke through within the music: messages of unity and inclusion, and of not only tolerance – sometimes tolerance to me is such a… ack!… it’s not even the right word anymore. We need to move beyond just tolerance. And it even needs to move beyond acceptance. It needs to move into celebration and just outright humanism.

I don’t think any person wants to just be tolerated.

Tolerated, no – I don’t even know where that word came from. It’s clear that whoever started throwing that term around was already coming from a defensive standpoint. So that being said, I think you hear those messages celebrated in songs like “Tuesday’s Broken,” “Mother” and “Not the Only,” and even in songs like “Bigger.” But you hear it much more clearly and outright on “Mother,” where it says, “She’s got a ring to give to you she hopes you’ll give away. She don’t care who you give it to, where they’re from, if they pray like you…”

And “first thing she taught you is love is love.”

Yeah, that love is love, right? So you hear it very distinctly and you hear it in the messages of heartaches in “Tuesday’s Broken.” Even in the second verse you don’t know why the teenage girl is on the bed and why she is possibly considering self-harming because of not feeling love and not feeling celebrated and not feeling a part of her community and being online, dear God help us all. So you hear those messages, for sure, throughout.

And for me, obviously always being a champion of the marginalized, always being a champion of those who are being oppressed – and all of these really horribly divisive tones that we hear now in our culture and in our community that have always been there but we’re hearing them now in a way that is super ugly – when you hear those messages of self-love and of inclusion on this record, absolutely the LGBTQA community was on our minds when we were writing this.

In the lyric video for “Mother,” two gay men are seen holding hands. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a gay couple featured in a major, mainstream country music video. Is that precisely why you chose to include them?

Yes! I mean, not to say like, “Hey! We’re the first ones in country music to feature a gay couple visually!” But to be able to say, “Just so you know, what you hear in this and what you might be assuming is absolutely visually and literally true. Like, if you might be toiling around with the idea of what this might be about, let’s go ahead and show you.”

It feels bold, but in 2018, I feel like it shouldn’t feel that way.

No, you’re right, it should not feel bold. But the interesting thing is the reason many times it feels bold within the country music community is because everyone talks about the Dixie Chicks syndrome of what we saw all those years ago. I think times are different. I think it is time for people within all of the music community, but especially in the country music community, where we have such a beautifully diverse audience – we are not preaching to the choir here. We are offering messages. We are offering them to hopefully inspire people to be open and think differently for those who may not already.

Did you learn that love is love from your mom?

Absolutely. I have a mother who’s beautifully open and unconditionally loving, not only to myself but to the world and, yeah, she definitely taught me very, very early on.

How have you passed that same sentiment onto your own son?

Magnus is 5, so certain concepts feel abstract in terms of “let me teach you a lesson.” What I do is show him through life. The gay community is a big part of our lives in terms of people. My manager is gay and my personal assistant is gay, and these are people who are family to me. My PA was my roommate all four years of college. You know what I’m saying? It’s a family.

So, it’s in life, it’s just a matter of fact. And if questions arise, as children many times will have, I will be very open and celebratory in that way. But children live what you show them, and if you show them love and if you show them openness, that is what they will enjoy. If you keep them closed off, and you show them hate, that is what they will reflect. So, he reflects my values in that way.

When confronted with backlash from conservative country fans, how do you stay motivated to keep letting your voice be heard in a genre that once sought to quiet artists like, for instance, the Dixie Chicks?

I believe that times are different and social media is an echo chamber. People shout their hate and other people shout hate back. So, I try to be mindful. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to keep people in check. But really, at the end of the day, that’s just noise. The importance is the message that I am putting out there. And if somebody fires back and they don’t like it on social media, who cares. And if people are going to judge someone’s art and someone’s music based on this really new concept of an artist being more personally connected, because now we do have immediate access through social media between fans and artist, then you know, don’t listen to the music, don’t buy it. To each his own. (Laughs)

There used to be a direct connection between the two that you couldn’t say too much because people wouldn’t buy your music and record labels would worry, but that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore.

No, I don’t think it can be because, especially now – again in the age of social media where you have a direct outlet to the world, not just to your fan base but to the world – I don’t think that dynamic exists anymore. The publicists and labels can’t worry about that in the same way because it’s like, look, you’re going to be who you are.

Especially once you’ve opened the floodgates. And you’ve opened the floodgates.

Yes, yes. (Laughs)

But some artists choose not to use their platform for political reasons. For instance, your collaborator on “Babe,” Taylor Swift, isn’t known for making political statements and she gets a lot of flak for that.

Really?

Yeah, she isn’t as politically outspoken as you, for example. Do you think artists have a responsibility to use their platform to speak out on matters of concern?

I think human beings have a responsibility. I definitely feel a calling within myself to speak my truth. I’m very outspoken in my own personal life as well so it bears to reason that I would be that authentic in my public life. Some people aren’t very outspoken, even in their private lives.

Have you prepared for the country conservatives who may have an issue with you broaching gun policy on “Tuesday’s Broken”?

Yes, but I feel really confident, Chris, in the sense that, look, what happens is everyone on the far margins scream and are terribly afraid that suddenly each of their rights are going to be completely obliterated by comprising at all. If you give anyone an inch, they’re gonna take a mile and pull you to the opposite pole – I don’t believe that. I believe that sensible gun control is possible. I believe we are in a challenging time right now with lobbyists and the NRA and different money powers, and I believe the waters are convoluted. I believe there needs to be tort reform within our congress and within the ways we vote on all of these issues.

Those are huge, broad issues, but at the end of the day, I believe it’s absolutely possible for us to do anything we want to. We can change the rules, we can remake the rules. We wrote ’em the first time. It’s possible to fix this. It’s possible to look at gun laws, it’s possible to look at mental health, and it’s possible to look at all of these pieces. We just have to be willing to do it and to elect the people who are going to do it.

Have you thought about how this album could bridge gaps between people who think like you and your conservative fanbase?

Look, art has many purposes. Sometimes it’s to entertain, sometimes it’s to inspire and sometimes it is even to provoke, and all of those are valid. What I hope we are able to do in Sugarland and in all of my music is to be able to inspire dialogue and to invite conversation. Rather than pressing the buttons, I want to sit in a corner, point a subversive finger and say, “What do you think about this over here? How could we make it better?”

To ask you a lighter question that’s tour related: Do you have a favorite Christian Siriano dress that you can’t wait to wear?

(Excitedly) Mmmm! There are several pieces I cannot wait to wear! I mean, he really did his thing on this, and we had such fun in this collaboration just because it already had a theme to it. So, he was able to then just take that and really have fun with it because the theme for the tour, visually and aesthetically, is this beautifully, other-world vintage circus-y look, so we had a lot of fun doing research for that.

How will the healing vibes of the album translate to the stage?

We try to make it feel transportive so when you leave you feel like you have been offered an escape and some asylum and some refugee, and that you leave feeling seen.

Sugarland is known for sneaking cover songs into the shows. Have you considered any cover songs that may fit the healing vibes of the album?

The fun part about the live shows is that over the course of the tour they will continue to evolve. We’ve got some cover choices and a remix situation that’s super, super funky and fun, and we also have a sort of an all-skate that we like to do at the end with all of our openers to come on and join us, and that’s usually a big, fun party.

I am sure that within that we will be able to figure out messages of unity; the potential is ripe for all of those messages. (Laughs) Right now, we’re leaning toward the fun party side, but that’s not to say that isn’t about unity too.

What do you hope your queer fans take away from this album?

I would harken back to our conversation regarding the tour: to feel seen. I think it’s such an interesting time where we are supposedly more technologically, in terms of ideas, connected than ever. But at the same time – the last song on the album, “Not the Only,” especially speaks to this – a lot of us still feel very alone and very unseen, and I hope that within the queer community, within the gay community, the trans community – the LGBTQA! All the letters! I hope that everyone feels seen, and let’s say again: celebrated.

source https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2018/07/26/sugarlands-frontwoman-talks-new-gay-inclusive-video/ from Hot Spots Magazine https://hotspotsmagazin.blogspot.com/2018/07/sugarlands-frontwoman-talks-new-gay.html

[demitgibbs]

Sugarland’s Frontwoman Talks New Gay-Inclusive Video

Just before releasing a hotly anticipated new album with Sugarland bandmate Kristian Bush, duo frontwoman Jennifer Nettles summed up her history of progressive politics and queer advocacy and love for chicken with one defiant tweet: “Steals recipe for world’s best chicken sandwich and opens ‘Chic-fi-Gay.’ Serves EVERYBODY deliciousness and is open on Sundays. Wins world,” she wrote on May 15, her unfettered outspokenness still a rare but significant thing in country music.

“Or the spinoff of it: It can start as Chick-fil-Gay and then it could just turn into Chick-fil-Heyyy!, which would be super fun too,” she tells me with a robust guffaw.

Bigger, the band’s first release since their long-established country sound was cranked to arena-rock heights on 2010’s The Incredible Machine, reflects on our emotionally and politically strained modern world (their powerful lament, “Tuesday’s Broken,” addresses America’s gun problem and school shootings) with love, hope, unity and inclusiveness, themes near and dear to Sugarland since the release of their 2002 debut. “These are the days of the underdog, the counted out, the ones you don’t see coming; times of the left-behinds…,” Nettles sings on “Not the Only,” counting herself among us. “Silent voices I’ve never heard, all waiting to say the words, held up and kept inside, but we don’t have to hide.”

Here, Nettles wins the world by phoning to talk about Sugarland’s mission to shine a light on the unseen, being political post-Dixie Chicks, and why it’s important for people (see: homophobes) to not get it twisted: that “Mother” lyric is most definitely referring to a gay couple in love.

Did recent world tragedies and the country’s overall divisiveness have anything to do with you getting back to your Sugarland roots?

Yeah. I had been feeling the urges to get back and do something and see what that would feel like again. At first it seemed to be a matter of the calendar, and then we started writing and then when we looked at this collection and what was coming out of us we realized, “Whoa, we have a lot to say, and this is actually the reason for the timing” – that these messages that we have are, well, no pun intended, bigger than what, initially, this reconvening was going to be. It was very much a bigger message for the world.

I hear myself and my community’s struggles represented in some of these songs, and I feel emboldened by them. To what extent was the queer community on your mind while creating this album?

It was on our minds significantly. You hear those messages poke through within the music: messages of unity and inclusion, and of not only tolerance – sometimes tolerance to me is such a… ack!… it’s not even the right word anymore. We need to move beyond just tolerance. And it even needs to move beyond acceptance. It needs to move into celebration and just outright humanism.

I don’t think any person wants to just be tolerated.

Tolerated, no – I don’t even know where that word came from. It’s clear that whoever started throwing that term around was already coming from a defensive standpoint. So that being said, I think you hear those messages celebrated in songs like “Tuesday’s Broken,” “Mother” and “Not the Only,” and even in songs like “Bigger.” But you hear it much more clearly and outright on “Mother,” where it says, “She’s got a ring to give to you she hopes you’ll give away. She don’t care who you give it to, where they’re from, if they pray like you…”

And “first thing she taught you is love is love.”

Yeah, that love is love, right? So you hear it very distinctly and you hear it in the messages of heartaches in “Tuesday’s Broken.” Even in the second verse you don’t know why the teenage girl is on the bed and why she is possibly considering self-harming because of not feeling love and not feeling celebrated and not feeling a part of her community and being online, dear God help us all. So you hear those messages, for sure, throughout.

And for me, obviously always being a champion of the marginalized, always being a champion of those who are being oppressed – and all of these really horribly divisive tones that we hear now in our culture and in our community that have always been there but we’re hearing them now in a way that is super ugly – when you hear those messages of self-love and of inclusion on this record, absolutely the LGBTQA community was on our minds when we were writing this.

In the lyric video for “Mother,” two gay men are seen holding hands. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a gay couple featured in a major, mainstream country music video. Is that precisely why you chose to include them?

Yes! I mean, not to say like, “Hey! We’re the first ones in country music to feature a gay couple visually!” But to be able to say, “Just so you know, what you hear in this and what you might be assuming is absolutely visually and literally true. Like, if you might be toiling around with the idea of what this might be about, let’s go ahead and show you.”

It feels bold, but in 2018, I feel like it shouldn’t feel that way.

No, you’re right, it should not feel bold. But the interesting thing is the reason many times it feels bold within the country music community is because everyone talks about the Dixie Chicks syndrome of what we saw all those years ago. I think times are different. I think it is time for people within all of the music community, but especially in the country music community, where we have such a beautifully diverse audience – we are not preaching to the choir here. We are offering messages. We are offering them to hopefully inspire people to be open and think differently for those who may not already.

Did you learn that love is love from your mom?

Absolutely. I have a mother who’s beautifully open and unconditionally loving, not only to myself but to the world and, yeah, she definitely taught me very, very early on.

How have you passed that same sentiment onto your own son?

Magnus is 5, so certain concepts feel abstract in terms of “let me teach you a lesson.” What I do is show him through life. The gay community is a big part of our lives in terms of people. My manager is gay and my personal assistant is gay, and these are people who are family to me. My PA was my roommate all four years of college. You know what I’m saying? It’s a family.

So, it’s in life, it’s just a matter of fact. And if questions arise, as children many times will have, I will be very open and celebratory in that way. But children live what you show them, and if you show them love and if you show them openness, that is what they will enjoy. If you keep them closed off, and you show them hate, that is what they will reflect. So, he reflects my values in that way.

When confronted with backlash from conservative country fans, how do you stay motivated to keep letting your voice be heard in a genre that once sought to quiet artists like, for instance, the Dixie Chicks?

I believe that times are different and social media is an echo chamber. People shout their hate and other people shout hate back. So, I try to be mindful. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to keep people in check. But really, at the end of the day, that’s just noise. The importance is the message that I am putting out there. And if somebody fires back and they don’t like it on social media, who cares. And if people are going to judge someone’s art and someone’s music based on this really new concept of an artist being more personally connected, because now we do have immediate access through social media between fans and artist, then you know, don’t listen to the music, don’t buy it. To each his own. (Laughs)

There used to be a direct connection between the two that you couldn’t say too much because people wouldn’t buy your music and record labels would worry, but that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore.

No, I don’t think it can be because, especially now – again in the age of social media where you have a direct outlet to the world, not just to your fan base but to the world – I don’t think that dynamic exists anymore. The publicists and labels can’t worry about that in the same way because it’s like, look, you’re going to be who you are.

Especially once you’ve opened the floodgates. And you’ve opened the floodgates.

Yes, yes. (Laughs)

But some artists choose not to use their platform for political reasons. For instance, your collaborator on “Babe,” Taylor Swift, isn’t known for making political statements and she gets a lot of flak for that.

Really?

Yeah, she isn’t as politically outspoken as you, for example. Do you think artists have a responsibility to use their platform to speak out on matters of concern?

I think human beings have a responsibility. I definitely feel a calling within myself to speak my truth. I’m very outspoken in my own personal life as well so it bears to reason that I would be that authentic in my public life. Some people aren’t very outspoken, even in their private lives.

Have you prepared for the country conservatives who may have an issue with you broaching gun policy on “Tuesday’s Broken”?

Yes, but I feel really confident, Chris, in the sense that, look, what happens is everyone on the far margins scream and are terribly afraid that suddenly each of their rights are going to be completely obliterated by comprising at all. If you give anyone an inch, they’re gonna take a mile and pull you to the opposite pole – I don’t believe that. I believe that sensible gun control is possible. I believe we are in a challenging time right now with lobbyists and the NRA and different money powers, and I believe the waters are convoluted. I believe there needs to be tort reform within our congress and within the ways we vote on all of these issues.

Those are huge, broad issues, but at the end of the day, I believe it’s absolutely possible for us to do anything we want to. We can change the rules, we can remake the rules. We wrote ’em the first time. It’s possible to fix this. It’s possible to look at gun laws, it’s possible to look at mental health, and it’s possible to look at all of these pieces. We just have to be willing to do it and to elect the people who are going to do it.

Have you thought about how this album could bridge gaps between people who think like you and your conservative fanbase?

Look, art has many purposes. Sometimes it’s to entertain, sometimes it’s to inspire and sometimes it is even to provoke, and all of those are valid. What I hope we are able to do in Sugarland and in all of my music is to be able to inspire dialogue and to invite conversation. Rather than pressing the buttons, I want to sit in a corner, point a subversive finger and say, “What do you think about this over here? How could we make it better?”

To ask you a lighter question that’s tour related: Do you have a favorite Christian Siriano dress that you can’t wait to wear?

(Excitedly) Mmmm! There are several pieces I cannot wait to wear! I mean, he really did his thing on this, and we had such fun in this collaboration just because it already had a theme to it. So, he was able to then just take that and really have fun with it because the theme for the tour, visually and aesthetically, is this beautifully, other-world vintage circus-y look, so we had a lot of fun doing research for that.

How will the healing vibes of the album translate to the stage?

We try to make it feel transportive so when you leave you feel like you have been offered an escape and some asylum and some refugee, and that you leave feeling seen.

Sugarland is known for sneaking cover songs into the shows. Have you considered any cover songs that may fit the healing vibes of the album?

The fun part about the live shows is that over the course of the tour they will continue to evolve. We’ve got some cover choices and a remix situation that’s super, super funky and fun, and we also have a sort of an all-skate that we like to do at the end with all of our openers to come on and join us, and that’s usually a big, fun party.

I am sure that within that we will be able to figure out messages of unity; the potential is ripe for all of those messages. (Laughs) Right now, we’re leaning toward the fun party side, but that’s not to say that isn’t about unity too.

What do you hope your queer fans take away from this album?

I would harken back to our conversation regarding the tour: to feel seen. I think it’s such an interesting time where we are supposedly more technologically, in terms of ideas, connected than ever. But at the same time – the last song on the album, “Not the Only,” especially speaks to this – a lot of us still feel very alone and very unseen, and I hope that within the queer community, within the gay community, the trans community – the LGBTQA! All the letters! I hope that everyone feels seen, and let’s say again: celebrated.

from Hotspots! Magazine https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2018/07/26/sugarlands-frontwoman-talks-new-gay-inclusive-video/ from Hot Spots Magazine https://hotspotsmagazine.tumblr.com/post/176301585895