#he lost bigly

[msbrooklynfanfic]

NY Post: Florida man makes announcement, story on page 26.

[weird-unlimited-ramblings]

Personally I think some of ya’ll got over Yeet Bigly’s skateboard flop too quickly and it shows.

Not me though, I’m never moving on

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Sign of the Day... in Greenwich Village...

(Mary Elaine LeBey)

* * * *

Kamala Harris meets the moment!

September 11, 2024

Robert B. Hubbell

Kamala Harris’s debate performance exceeded the unfair and asymmetrical expectations imposed on her by the press and pundits. She was terrific—in command of the facts, unfazed by Trump's bluster, personable, sincere, and likable but strong. That is a difficult mix to maintain in the face of a torrent of lies shouted by a bully who could not be controlled by the moderators. For those who were worried about the possibility that Kamala Harris would somehow stumble and harm her electoral prospects, put those worries aside. The reverse happened. She soared while Trump collapsed into his hollow shell.

Kamala Harris was confident and at ease. Trump sputtered and dodged in a futile effort to avoid answering the moderators’ questions.

I was struck by judgments delivered during the debate by two preeminent historians. I follow both Heather Cox Richardson and Michael Beschloss on Twitter. Near the end of the debate, the historians posted the following comments, which encapsulated the debate for me:

Heather Cox Richardson: “Trump is proving world leaders like him by citing Viktor Orban. Dear heavens. She is walking him like a poodle.” Michael Beschlossos: “From start to end, Kamala Harris has just delivered what is easily one of the most successful Presidential debate performances in all of American history.”

First, I hope HCR writes a book or starts a rock band with the name, “Walking Him Like a Poodle.” HCR’s comment gets to the pith of the debate: Kamala Harris was in charge, leading Trump into traps he knew were traps but could not avoid. In the instance cited by HCR, VP Harris chided Trump, saying that world leaders laugh at him and military leaders believe he is a “disgrace.” Trump responded by citing Viktor Orbán as a leader who respects him. As HCR said, “Dear heavens.” Trump was outmatched and outclassed—bigly.

Michael Beschloss’s comment is significant because it ranks Harris’s performance in the historical context of presidential debates. The precise ranking of her performance matters less than the fact it will be near the top, according to one of the nation’s preeminent historians.

There is too much to cover in tonight’s newsletter, so I will focus on the major newsworthy positions revealed in the debate. I will return later in the week to additional subjects when transcripts and analyses are available. Of note:

Harris presented herself as a candidate offering “generational change.”

Harris advocated for the middle class and small businesses.

Harris promised to sign a bill enacting the protections of Roe v. Wade.

Harris promised to sign the border bill that Trump convinced Republicans to kill.

Harris promised to reinstitute the child tax credit and institute a $6,000 credit for families with newborns

Trump refused to acknowledge that he lost the 2020 election.

Trump refused to express any regret for anything he did or failed to do regarding the January 6 insurrection.

Trump refused to say whether he would veto a national abortion ban.

Trump repeatedly claimed that Democrats advocate for the execution of babies after birth.

Trump refused to say why he urged Republicans to defeat the border bill.

Trump claimed that tariffs are “taxes on foreign nations.”

Trump refused to say whether he hoped Ukraine would defeat Russia war of aggression.

Trump said he didn’t have a plan for healthcare after nine years but has only “concepts for a plan.”

Trump repeated a racist slur that Haitian migrants are stealing and eating pets them in Springfield, Ohio.

No one who watched the debate could believe anything other than the fact that Kamala Harris is smart, capable, and up to the challenge of serving as president and commander-in-chief. Moreover, the debate served as a hyper-charged “media interview”—complete with hostile questions and an obnoxious heckler.

One of the first commentators to publish a review of the debate is David Frum in The Atlantic, How Harris Roped a Dope | She stayed human when Trump went feral. Per Frum,

Vice President Kamala Harris walked onto the ABC News debate stage with a mission: trigger a Trump meltdown. She succeeded. Former President Donald Trump had a mission too: control yourself. He failed. Trump lost his cool over and over. Goaded by predictable provocations, he succumbed again and again. Trump was pushed into broken-sentence monologues—and even an all-out attack on the 2020 election outcome. He repeated crazy stories about immigrants eating cats and dogs, and was backward-looking, personal, emotional, defensive, and frequently incomprehensible.

One final note: During the debate, I received outraged emails from readers about the moderators' failure to control Trump or treat Kamala Harris fairly. While true, let’s not make the debate about the moderators. That is what Republicans are doing tonight—to avoid talking about Trump's meltdown. Let’s focus on Kamala Harris’s ability to show Americans that she is up to the job of being president. That’s the story; let’s not bury the lead.

[Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter]

[kingoftheu]

These Democrats, they come to Minnesota see, they come to Minnesota, and they steal our politicians, yes they steal them. I know, I know, very rude. They steal our politicians and make them Vice President, a position with very little power. Little power, very weak. They steal our politicians and make them weak? Hubert Humphrey? What did they do to him? Lyndon ruined him. Just terrible. Walter Mondale, great guy Walter, Fighting Fritz I call him. But what did Jimmy Carter do, he made him Vice President? And then he lost, bigly, he lost bigly and we were the only ones who voted for him. DC doesn't count, not a real state, no not a real state. And now Kamala Harris, I call her laughing Kamala or crazy Kamala, I can't decide because she's so weird...that's right she's the weird one, not us. Very normal, me and JD Vance, we're the normal ones. Now she is coming to Minnesota and stealing our governor. She is stealing our governor! Very bad.

[ponchusjbonchus]

mega thread of every drawing of tion i have ever made

will update as i draw more which means the most recent stuff is at the bottom 🔥

the first ever image of him,,,blegh . i forgot his shoulder things

same doodle from before

tion’s first ever full ref now with his scarf

gf asked me to draw him eating a burger

iz-style ref . i forgot that irkens only had 2 hands

INACCURATE tion. he shouldn’t have his scarf yet since he just landed

scribbles of him from school

gif of him in a storm

whiteboardfox thing from irken empire rest in peace

him + a sona i made for my gf

tion’s destroyed sir unit

him and his sir

him and his big ass forehead (probably missed some between this and the last one)

tion in the advertisement for invaderplaza .first sighting of his apron and the point where his eye colors flipped around

death pose .without his pak

wawa tion

this really ugly animated gif i made during the invaderplaza pixel fad

bigly tion! first instance of me trying to skew away from the iz style (actually 2nd but the first one is lost)

disturbed tion

tion no and tion yes

trying to fix the colors on him

his human design + arachs human design

trying to draw him emoting

scribble for a discussion in invaderplaza

trying to figure him out

tion as gwimbly

iz-style ish ref 2! most recent at time of writing

[a-world-of-whimsy-5]

Can I please get a Daemon and your daughter from "a princess is born" in which to her father's pride and her mother's utter despair, she claims a wild dragon? (just a Dad!Daemon with some fluffy and maybe kinda funny)

I hope this satisfies!

A dragon is not a slave

Pairing: Daemon x Fem. Reader (Summer Isles wifey) x Baela (their daughter.)

Summary: Baela, yours and Daemon’s child, has reached a point in her life where she can finally claim a dragon. However, it is not the type of dragon everyone would have expected her to claim.

Warnings: Aegon being a loathsome cad (bigly, I might add) | Drinking | Drunkenness

Themes: Some minor angst | Soft | Fluff

Author’s notes: I’ve used Gods of the freehold for deities in this story, not the Seven. Also, in this entire line of stories, Aemond never lost his eye to Lucerys, but there is constant conflict between him and his brother Aegon, and unlike their father and uncle, there is no love between them.

Word count: 4.2K words

Want to be tagged? Want to know the reader request rules? Read all here

If you like this, please consider giving it a reblog.

It began as all such tales begin.

With a stormy night and a story.

Viserys, king of all Westeros, visited Dragonstone, to spend time with his daughter, his brother, and their families.

The king was frail now, close to meeting his makers. Viserys had to be taken about in a special wheel chair, and the journey to Dragonstone tired him. Still, he insisted on it, as everyone believed he would not live for long and he wanted to spend time with his brother and daughter before Balerion claimed the king’s soul for his own.

It was after supper, and the children all asked their grandsire to talk to them about the dragons, and how they were finally moved to the Stepstones.

"It was the Maesters, you see," Viserys said, as the rest gathered around in a circle and listened. "They came up with the idea of the dragon pits, as the dragons would grow weak and stunted when denied unfettered freedom. They wanted to weaken our family, to rid Westeros of magic and--"

Joff cut his grandfather off with, "But why would they want to do that? Rid the realm of magic?"

"Because magic eludes them, refuses to heed their calls," said Daemon, on his brother’s behalf. "They envy our dragon riders and our dragon dreamers, they envy the Northerners for their green seers and wargs. They claim to seek magic, but they don’t respect it, and as such, magic always eludes their grasp."

You were content to sit next to Daemon on the sofa. "Is this why you moved the dragons to the Stepstones?"

"Yes, good sister," Viserys said, taking a careful sip of his drink, which contained herbs to relieve his pain. "After the last hatchling grew no bigger than a misshapen dog, I had my spies dig around and find out what the Maesters were upto. All the eggs and the remaining dragons were moved to the Stepstones, and now, the keepers tell me, they are all thriving."

"What about the wild dragons, uncle?" asked Baela. "Are they still here?"

"Still here and keeping to themselves, thank the Gods," said Viserys. "Well, sheep stealer and grey ghost no one would mind, but Cannibal…"

Rhaenyra had to stop Joff and Visenya from throwing grapes at each other. "He turned fifty, didn’t he?"

"And killed twelve would-be dragon riders during those fifty years," Viserys mumbled. "Twelve victims. Brave souls all of them, thinking they could subdue the beast. And your father," he turned to Baela, "Would have been thirteenth because of m--"

"My recklessness to prove myself to the others," Daemon cut him off quickly.

Viserys turned to him, his eyes glistening. "You shouldn’t have to do it," he said, still ashamed that his recklessness nearly ended his brother’s life.

Daemon held no malice or anger for what happened. It was a decision he’d gladly make again, for anyone he loved. "I want to. Let us leave it at that, eh?"

The rest looked at them both, thoroughly confused. You held your tongue, for it was not your tale to tell. No one besides you knew the truth of what happened, how Viserys went looking for Cannibal, how Daemon had to pull him out of the way before being burned himself. You promised to let Daemon take this secret to the grave, in order to protect his brother.

Baela came over to her father, making herself comfortable on the armrest next to him.  "But why won’t Cannibal yield, aba? They say he was born in the pits before flying off after trying to kill his first rider, so why won’t he accept one?"

Daemon brushed back his daughter’s hair. "Zaldrīzes buzdari iksos daor. And besides, sometimes a dragon will wait till they find a rider worthy of them. At least, that’s how some of the stories go."

"Which is why they must be treated with the utmost respect, yes?" Viserys looked into the eyes of everyone who had gathered. "Dragons are not lap dogs, is that understood?"

A grape flew in a perfect arc and hit Laenor neatly on the nose. "My boys are all grown men," he said, rolling his eyes when Joff looked at him and giggled. "And with families of their own, yet they still insist on acting like children."

"What are children for, papa, but to test their parents?" Jacaerys said with a mischievous grin.

"Gods save us," Laenor said as he stood up and clapped his hands. "Right. It’s late, and we all need to rest. Big day tomorrow."

You and Daemon looked at Baela and smiled. On the morrow, she would turn thirteen, and after that, she would be allowed to claim a dragon for her own.

…………

Baela opened her eyes long before the sun had risen.

She carefully dressed herself and tiptoed her way to the kitchens.

Baela looked around to make sure no one was up and about. The cooks and maids were rubbing the sleep out of their eyes and had all sat down to their breakfast. Their attention was elsewhere, and Baela took her chance.

She scurried over to the butcher’s larder, and carefully picked out a few cuts of meat that were kept aside for the dragons. Even dragons, despite their fearful nature, liked their treats, and their riders would often indulge them with the castoffs.

Baela chucked everything into a large bag before tiptoeing again, this time out of the fortress.

The island was shrouded in mist, and cold. So very cold. Baela, determined as ever, pulled her cloak tight and walked to the far side of the island, where the wild dragons nested. The Dragon Mound.

After listening to her uncle’s tales, Baela was curious to see if she could claim a wild dragon for herself, instead of waiting for years for a tame dragon to form a proper bond with her. She had to be careful, for while her father might tolerate such a scheme, her mother, on the other hand, would not.

She couldn’t blame you, as you had grown up on tales of the freehold and what happened when Valyrians tried to claim wild dragons that refused to yield. Still, she was determined to see this through. After all, she was your daughter as well as her father's. She would not let either side down by giving in so easily. Baela fought back her growing fear and exhaustion and pushed on. 

The hike was hard, and the climb down to the caves was just as hard. Baela took great care to avoid cutting herself and giving the game away. The bag grew heavy and started to smell. Baela still pressed on until she found a cave that had bones scattered all over the entrance.

They were all too charred and burned to be distinguished as human or beast. It could not be human, she decided, as the keepers would have warned the others if people started to go missing. This must be the cave of Sheep Steeler, or the shy Grey Ghost. Baela, relieved, set her bag down, upending it and emptying it of all contents. She then walked backward and turned away from the entrance.

At first, she heard nothing, felt nothing. The minutes passed, and the sun started to rise. Baela would have to leave soon, before her absence was noticed and someone came looking for her.

The seconds ticked away, and then there was a deep thump.

Then, another deep thump.

The air grew warmer, and she heard a deep huff. Baela gulped and kept perfectly still. She heard gravel crunching, of bones splintering and shattering. She heard another huff, a snarl, this time in her direction. She gulped again, but kept perfectly still, not wanting to startle the beast with sudden movements.

The air suddenly grew cool again, and when Baela turned, she saw that her offering of meat had been accepted. Gingerly, she tiptoed her way to the cave entrance. There was nothing there, but she was sure a dragon was deep within the cave, watching her while shrouded in darkness. Not wanting to test her luck, Baela picked up her bag and walked away again.

When she did, a pair of large eyes flew open from within the cave and gleamed wickedly in the darkness.

…………

The feast went ahead as planned.

The mood was somewhat dampened, of course, when Viserys’ children turned up. Sweet-natured Helaena was always welcomed, and her brothers—well, that was another prospect altogether.

Aemond was always angry with his brother, and Aegon reciprocated his brother’s feelings. The two of them could never be left alone for long before they started to tear chunks out of each other. Still, everyone tried to keep the brothers apart for this day, for Baela’s sake.

While Baela and her cousins tried to be nice to Aemond, Aegon was another prospect altogether, and the others made it a point to keep her and Visenya well away from him. For once, however, Aegon behaved, but everyone kept a watchful eye on him.

That night’s revelry went ahead without incident, although Aegon was determined to drink himself into a stupor. You leaned over to Daemon and whispered in the language of your people, "Do you think we should cut him off?"

And Daemon, who had become fluent in your people's language after learning it, replied, "You'll have an easier time bonding with Vermithor than any of us would in stopping the future king. Leave him be, darling. Perhaps if he drinks enough, he won’t be a bother to anyone."

You sighed but accepted your husband’s counsel. And Daemon was right. You’d have an easier time bonding with the Bronze Fury than getting Aegon to stop drinking.

Daemon and you both gave toasts in honour of your daughter’s thirteenth birthday. "To the next dragon rider!" Daemon said cheerfully, and the rest roared in approval.

Laenor looked up from his meal. "Have you decided yet on what dragon to claim?"

Baela kept her tone perfectly neutral. She wanted no one to find out she was trying to claim a wild dragon. "I haven’t yet, uncle." She turned to her food, her hands trembling when she remembered the long trek, the bones crunching, and the beast sniffing at her back. "To be honest, I cannot actually make up my mind."

Five healthy dragons have hatched, and two more were waiting for riders. "You have plenty of time, sweetheart," you said over your wine. "Take all the time you need to decide."

Baela speared a new potato and smiled like anything. She had already decided, but she was certain no one was going to like it once the truth came out. Aegon replied by burping loudly and falling back into his chair, his mouth half open in an ugly snore. "And the green will yield to the purple,” Helaena mumbled to no one in particular.

Aegon nearly fell out of his chair and had to be physically carried to bed, but at least he was out and not creating a scene. Everyone relaxed, and conversation flowed more freely.  

"I hear you are to wed, uncle?" Visenya addressed her uncle. "Who is the lucky woman?"

"A Baratheon," mumbled Aemond. "Her name is Alys."

You arched a brow. "This does not make you happy?"

"No, princess y/n," Aemond moderated his tone after catching his uncle's warning glare. "She is not what I would have chosen for a bride, but alas, everyone else insists. I must wed the lady before the moon is out."

"I hear Alys is very nice." Baela and Visenya had been debating what to have for dessert. Candied almonds or sugar plums? In the end, they settled on a little bit of both. "Like Helaena," added Visenya. "So she can’t be all that bad."

Aemond snorted. "I doubt it."

Baela exchanged a look with her cousin but chose not to respond. You leaned over to Daemon, switching to your native language again. "What was that all about?"

Daemon had already formed some suspicions over the years, and Alicent's insisting her second son marry and leave the nest served to strengthen them. "I’ll tell you when we're in bed."

You nodded and listened as Laenor changed the subject. The rest of the feast went on pleasantly for everyone.

…………

Baela woke up the next morning, as early as the day before, and got started on her new ritual.

She would sneak off into the kitchens, and then sneak out again with cast-off cuts of cooked meat. She would make the trek to the other side of the island, carefully making her way down to the caves, not stopping until she found the one she was looking for. Baela would take a few steps back and turn away from the cave, leaving the meat where it was the day before.

And like yesterday, she would hear one deep thump, then another. The air would grow warm. Something would sniff at the meat, then eat it. That same something would then sniff and snarl at her.

And so it went on, day after day after day, until Baela walked out of the kitchens one morning, certain that no one would notice, only to run into her father.

Daemon simply stood there, arms across his chest. "And what, pray tell, are you up to?"

"I…" Baela dropped the bag, embarrassed with herself for getting caught. "I’m off for a walk, aba."

"Hmmph." Daemon went over to her bag and opened it. His nose crinkled a little at the smell, and his eyes went wide when he recognized what the contents were. "Treats for dragons, yes?" He gave her a questioning look. "But you don't have a dragon, at least not yet. And all the unclaimed dragons are on the Stepstones. So, why would you need this meat?"

Baela gulped, tried to come up with an excuse. "I…. I…"

Daemon’s lips quirked up, his eyes lighting up with wicked humour. "Offerings to the old gods?"

"I… I..."

"You do know the Gods of Valyria demand live sacrifices, yes?"

Baela sputtered.

"Preferably unblemished sheep, or goat. Even chicken would do in a pinch." Daemon tried hard to look serious. "But I suppose day-old cooked beef would do."

Baela groaned in defeat.

"Sheep Steeler?"

She shook her head, but refused to raise it. Daemon curled a finger under his daughter’s chin and tilted it up. "Grey Ghost then?"

Baela managed a meek yes, much to her father’s relief. "Alright. I won’t tell your mother about this. But you must come to me if you want to go further than feeding Grey Ghost. Do you understand me?"

"I will." Baela threw her arms around her father in gratitude. "Thank you, aba."

Daemon chuckled, but waited till his daughter had walked far enough before following her. He kept out of sight, impressed by the paths his child took, how she carefully climbed down to the caves. He tried to peer over the stones, but the dragon, whatever it was, was hidden by surrounding boulders. Daemon wouldn’t budge until Baela picked up her bag to leave.

And one fine day, she heard no low snarl.

She would only hear the dragon take a deep sniff, and huff in her direction. She’d try talking to it, all while keeping her back to it. Baela swore it listened.

Once, she thought she heard what sounded like a gentle purr. She rushed back home, to talk to her father about it.

Daemon, having heard it himself after having followed her yet again, was wondering how long it would take for this to happen. "He likes you," he said, pleased as punch. If everything went according to plan, his child would be the first in their family’s entire history to claim a wild dragon. "Dragons only purr if they’re attached to one person, bonded to them, and if a wild dragon does that, then it means—"

"It means what?"

Daemon quickly stood up. "Sweetheart," he said as you stood there, eyes wide and mouth half open in surprise. "We…"

"Are talking about a wild dragon, yes?" you turned to your daughter, who in turn had looked away. "Really, bee? A wild dragon?" You turn on Daemon next. "How could you?"

Daemon tried to reason with you. "Sweetheart, we--"

"A wild dragon, husband!" you said in despair. "How can you even encourage such a thing?"

Daemon gestured for Baela to leave, and she did, wasting no time to quit the room.

"Sweetheart," Daemon guided you to a chair, urged you to sit. "Please, listen to me. Baela has been careful."

"I--" Daemon held up a hand to cut you off.

"Our daughter knows what she's doing," he said as he crouched in front of you, taking your hands in his. "I’ve been following her, and I think she may have successfully formed a bond with Grey Ghost. He’s purring. I’ve heard it. That’s a very good sign."

You still thought it was a very bad idea. "She’s our child," you sniffled as tears pooled around your eyes. "Our baby, and if anything happens to her, I…"

"Sweetheart, Baela, is tougher and smarter than the both of us." Daemon wiped your eyes, not wanting to show that he too was secretly worried. "She will be fine, I’m sure of it. No harm has come to her so far. She will be fine. Our daughter will be fine."

You managed a smile for him, your heart feeling like it was being squeezed the entire time.

And as for Baela, she went for a walk with her cousin to clear her head and to try and stamp out the guilt she was feeling, for going against your wishes to not bond with a wild dragon.

They had been talking of Visenya’s own plans for her sixteenth birthday, when Aegon came upon them near a cliff on the far side of the island, close to the Dragon Mound, and the caves beneath it. He was surly this morning, and bored. He looked at them as if they were fresh prey. And his feared uncle was nowhere in sight.

"Ladies," he crooned cloyingly sweet. "How are we this morning?"

"Fine, my prince," Baela mumbled as she and Visenya dipped to curtsy. "And how are you? Are you enjoying life on the island so far?"

Aegon was bored out of his wits, and he said so. Dragonstone was dreary, even though it was his seat as crown prince. The air was always cold and damp and salty, the company wanting. And there were no pleasure houses in sight. "Have either of you been? To a pleasure house, I mean?"

Visenya slipped her hand into her cousin’s, wondering if someone would hear if one of them screamed. "No, my prince," she said. "I’ve heard my brother’s talk, but that was from a time before they were wed."

"Yes," Aegon sneered. "Your mother raised three bores for sons. Perhaps I should take the both of you, when you next visit the Red Keep."

Baela stiffened. "That is not necessary, my prince. Besides," she swallowed, her eyes darting towards the fortress. "It would be most improper, for ladies to visit a pleasure house."

"Scandalous, yes?" Aegon sneered again, only this time in a way that made both girls very uncomfortable. "But you needn’t worry. I will take you. The both of you."

"You cannot."

"I am the crown prince! I can do what I like.!Now come. I could do with some company."

"Actually," both Baela and Visenya hesitated. They remembered the warnings, to not be alone around the crown prince. "We would stay here, my prince." Baela could feel fear burning a hole in her gut. She cursed herself, for not asking Jace or Luke to accompany them.

When Aegon took a step towards them, the girls took a step back. "Come with me," he hissed at them, his eyes blazing with fury. "That’s an order."

Visenya shook her head. "No, your grace."

"Come with me, you pathetic chits!" Aegon took another step toward them. "Now!"

Thump.

The cliff face shook, as if something big was scaling it. Aegon blanched. "What fuck is going on?"

Thump.

This time, they all jumped, and backed away from the edge of the cliff. There was a snarl, followed by something rumbling. The cliff face kept shaking, as whatever it was that snarled was making its way closer to them. The air warmed up like a warm summer day. It grew warmer and warmer, and the source of all of it made its presence known.

Gods be good, thought Baela, as she pulled her cousin back with her. It’s him.

A body that was as black as the darkest pits and green eyes that seemed to spit fire appeared before them. The beast opened its terrifying maw, its roar threatening to break the very earth they stood on. It unfurled its wings and roared again, making them shrink from it. Its hot breath felt like a furnace, and they huddled in fear, cowering before it. And then, the beast went silent and inched forward, sniffing at the air around them.

It snarled around Aegon, as if in warning. It then turned its head toward the girls, sniffing and sniffing. Visenya it ignored, and Baela?

She was rewarded with a soft huff, something that almost sounded like a purr. Visenya’s eyes went wide in awe. "He likes you," she whispered. "Cannibal actually likes you."

And he was the one she had been feeding all this time, not Grey Ghost. Oh, her mother was going to lose it, Baela was certain.

But there was nothing you or anyone could have done, at any rate. A bond had already been formed, and if the tales were true, a bond could never be broken, not until the dragon or rider died. "You must ride." Visenya pushed her cousin forward. "Do it. The first flight seals the bond."

Baela looked at her cousin like she had sprouted a thousand eyes all at once. "Do it," Visenya urged, when they heard raised voices. Others were rushing towards them. "Claim him, or you might never get another chance if he flies off again."

Baela took a deep breath and said the first command that came to mind. Cannibal had once heard commands in the pit, but will he heed them after so many decades of running wild? "Māzīs," she said, inching forward.

The dragon tilted his head, as if listening. This time, Baela put steel in her voice. Dragons could smell fear and disrespect and would never respond to either. "Māzīs," she said more firmly.

This time, the dragon inched his way towards her, lowering his head as if to show he was no threat. When voices grew louder, he turned to the keepers rushing towards him and roared, forcing them back.

"Lykirī," Baela said sharply, and Cannibal turned his attention back to her. "Dohaerās, Cannibal."

Cannibal looked at her, studying her. What he did next shocked everyone. He lowered a shoulder to the ground, painfully and uncomfortably low for him, but low enough so Baela could climb him easily. When she struggled to reach his neck, he rolled his shoulders to push her up. She had to hold on with a squeal. Baela then came up with the next command. "Sōvētēs."

He took one fast step after another, building momentum. Baela had to grab onto one of his neck horns for more support. The edge of the cliff neared, and when his wings unfurled, she closed her eyes, thinking that this was the end.

Only it was not.

Daemon reached the cliff edge, a smile tugging at his lips, his chest filling with pride as dragon and rider soared overhead. Cannibal circled the fortress once, then twice, then dipped to the harbour, causing terrified workers and sailors to duck in fright when his shadow loomed over their ships. He took off into the clouds next, and Baela was sorely tempted to let go, to see if she could touch one. The lack of a proper saddle and reins stopped her from doing it.

Her thighs ached and her palms bled from holding so tight. Still she endured, believing the price was worth it. When they came back to the cliffs, Baela had been both laughing and crying at the same time, so overawed was she by the experience. When Cannibal landed, he lowered his shoulder to the earth again, so she could get off. "You've ruined horses for me,” she mumbled as she tried to catch her breath. “Did you know that?"

The dragon’s chest rumbled, as if he understood.

Baela gulped when her father walked towards her, and she steeled herself for the inevitable scolding. Oh, Daemon was nothing but fiercely proud, but he still had to chide his daughter for giving him such a fright. And as for you?

You lectured your daughter thoroughly for her recklessness, but secretly, you were proud too. Of course, you wanted your daughter to stew a little before you finally admitted to it. Daemon told his brother, and Viserys broke out into the biggest smile he had ever seen. "So he has finally come back to us," Viserys was as proud as his brother. "And it took your daughter to make it happen."  

Translations:

Māzīs – Come

Lykirī :Calm

Dohaerās: Serve

Sōvētēs – Fly

[1americanconservative]

They say Trump knowingly lost the Election and tried to convince Pence he had the power to overturn the results. They say Trump couldn’t accept the loss and called lawyers and when he called the Scumbag in Georgia he was ordering him to find the votes. Now let’s check reality. If you ran for office and you were campaigning while selling out Stadiums with thousands outside because they weren’t fortunate enough to get inside and your opponent had 8 people standing on circles, another time your opponent couldn’t fill a gymnasium while your supporters camped out overnight just to get inside your venue, would you question the outcome if you lost? If you were Trump and went state to state and there were miles of cars there just to get a chance to see your car pass and your opponent drove on the same road which was empty, then pulled up to his own venue with only 8 cars waiting, would you question the outcome if you lost? If you went on multiple news Networks, appeared and they had their highest ratings from your appearance and your morbid opponent em who rarely went on TV but when he did, nobody watched, would you question the outcome if you lost? Trump knows the fix was in. The ever so Corrupt Dems knew the fix was in. The media knows the fix was in. Joe and Obama knew the fix was in. Nothing in History has ever been so obvious, nothing ever so blatant. Yet these corrupt lawmakers want to say Trump TRULY doesn’t believe the election was rigged. They say he wanted to illegally change the outcome of the Election. They left out the part, Trump left his office peacefully on his last day, Jan20 without incident. Now Dems are starting to worry they went overboard. Now they worry they are losing the American people. Even Obama had his people leak a conversation he had with Biden, warning him that Trump is a strong and formidable opponent. Even Obama is trying to get ahead of the Avalanche that will rain on the entire Fucking Democrat Party. Believe me this shit is going to get very real and this will be the beginning of the end for many of them. Even those ugly yentas on the view are worried. These pigs on wigs who wish the worse on Trump and his family now say, just make him a deal if he doesn’t run for office, drop all the charges. A soft spot on their heart for Trump? We know better. They all want out of this mess because the shit will hit the fan. BIGLY! And they can feel the majority of the Country is starting to understand what REALLY is going on. and how Dirty the Dems really are. Even the calmness in Trump’s voice speaks volumes. He knows his redemption is coming and they all know they are fucked with no place to hide. Believe folks. Trump got this. We got this. God Bless.

[springcatalyst]

so i may have rewatched murder on D street. again. abandon all hope ye who enter here

all the major characters foil fukiya in a really nice way. for a movie that claims to be a detective story, the murderer is really the focal point.

I guess since it's a ""detective"" story I'll start with akechi. he is obsessive and he goes through a period of uncertainty, where he doesnt know who he wants to be or what to do. in the last scene he is directly compared to fukiya when he says "some men cant live without being consumed by something," and the cop hes working with says outright that that's awfully similar to how akechi functions. akechi only catches fukiya BECAUSE of this obsessive, meticulous method. and fukiya is nothing if not meticulous in his work. both of them work-obsessed, both of them consumed by it, both of them detail oriented and the best at what they do, it's hard to not see those similarities. but where fukiya derails and spirals, akechi pulls himself out of that depressive uncertainty with his work. he finds a purpose and a goal in his work, he can safely place his identity within the work he does because not only is it socially acceptable (as opposed to art forgery and gender expression), but its rewarded. fukiya cannot find the same stability in his work by its hidden nature, even if the outside factors at play werent there.

tokiko is also of note: her and fukiya share a certain vanity, a certain pride, and an easily damaged ego. tokiko knows this of fukiya very early on, using his pride ("tell me now if you cant do it"/"surely a man of your skill would have no trouble") to get him to agree to work for her. but it's there in her, too. in how she feels betrayed, double-crossed, lied to, when she figures out he referenced himself for the akegarasu works. in how she shows him the pictures of her as the original model, in how she preens under the gaze of the men she shows the paintings to, because thats her. and then, of course, his own pride takes THAT information- that she was the ORIGINAL original- and leaves him feelimg betrayed, like he lost something, like something was taken from him. and he kills her to reestablish the value that he thought he had and so quickly came to need. HE needed to be the original. he rested his understanding of himself on it.

saito isnt so much a parallel to fukiya as he is an opposite. saito is emotional, passionate, hedonistic. he knows what he wants and what he likes and he pursues it: the most obvious example is through sex, but I did notice that when he recognizes akechi's name, he pursues that: he gets a drink with him, likely having to lure that depressed bitch out from his room to the cafe, but he did it because he knew of his work and wanted a conversation with the man responsible for it. he met a celebrity, basically, and weaseled his way into dinner with him. saito knows what he wants and he gets it, not by manipulation or violence, but just by chasing it with a certain sincerity that fukiya always lacks. fukiya is meticulous and careful in a way that either stems from his work or drew him to the work that suits it, but either way its present in his personal life as it is in his work. he moves and speaks deliberately, with measured emotion, none of the genuine reaction that saito expresses. he rarely does things for the fun of it, and while it's obvious he finds satisfaction, pride, expression, in his work and his art, it is so meticulous, theres none of the hedonism that we see in saito. fukiya finds lying very easy, so much so that he cheats a psych test, where saito is so genuine that his looks incredibly suspicious just because he reacts bigly. and also, of course, its impossible to not mention the distinct sexlessness of fukiya's character, especially compared with saito, who is having lots of sex all the time. fukiya is averse and avoidant of sex, uncomfortable with it, uneasy. when faced with it, it is something he fights and then resigns to, a far cry from the almost gratuitous pursuit of sex that saito does. additionally, in the scenes where sex comes into play, saito is in control of his, literally the dom with his partners, where fukiya is very much out of control of his situation, not given much choice, and not really an active participant. the fact that these two are the two main suspects for the murder, then, is a great, jarring contrast. saito has every reason to look guilty, and he does, but the fact is that he is innocent.

even the minor characters have some fascinating roles. the couple across the bookshop, the way they arent involved with anything, just witnesses. saito runs into the street yelling about murder and we dont see him, we see the couple, watching through the windows. theyre voyuers, an audience, an outside eye. somebody to perform for. the nature of both fukiya's work and his life is that it is heavily scrutinized- his restorations have to be perfect, his forgeries even more so (or are all his restorations just forgeries passed as originals?...) his life must find a balance between being what he wants, and being something more broadly acceptable, something that fits within the world around him. its only natural that some of it ends up being a sort of performance.

i dont really have a satisfying conclusion i just think that all the characters are used to their absolute most potential and the end result is an impeccable exploration of what the fuck is wrong with fukiya. and i enjoy it immensely. thank u for coming to my ted talk

the student/assistant of akechi's is a clearer version of what's going on with fukiya. we're not given enough time with the character to know the nuances of their situation, but at baseline they're a girl passing herself as a boy for whatever reason to work with akechi. at the end, we see them put on the dress, the lipstick, look in the mirror, same as fukiya. that outward performance dissolves and we see something closer to the truth- it drives home the broad strokes of fukiya's situation with a less nuanced one- look at these two characters, what do they share? its a visual shorthand, as well as a continuous cycle, echoing that fukiya is not uniquely different, not totally isolated. (even if HE is isolated, its because of him, not because of this)

mayumi (the model) is similar to saito in how her sexuality highlights fukiya's lack of one. in the scenes where he's painting her, it gradually becomes clear that she's into it. she's having a great time; he's just painting. he's getting more and more frustrated which leads to rougher movements and more intensity but it is, again, strikingly sexless. she either doesn't pick up on this or doesnt care, and thinks the natural conclusion is to have sex, even when he obviously doesn't want to.

the girl saito is fucking (i dont think shes ever named?? if so i missed it OOPS) plays a kind of one-two parallel and contrast. her affair is a secret for obvious reasons, some kind of deeper desire that is kept hidden for her's and other's benefits, even as its pursued nonetheless. this mirrors fukiya's own queerness (in whatever sense of the word you think fits) in a pretty one-to-one way. but the way they go about it, or what it is in the first place, is vastly different- again, her open demonstration of sexuality and comfort in sexuality, of desire, makes his own lack of both of those things all the more obvious.

[dhaaruni]

Every day, progressives on Twitter do “gender roles but woke” it’s so cringe lol. This faux-logical “methodology” is simply another way for them to justify being just as emotionally reactionary about candidates they like as the KHive is about Kamala Harris.

MGP can’t be a “dad” Democrat because she’s a mom, and a very conventionally feminine one at that who happens to work with cars and oppose an assault weapons ban. McAuliffe lost a lay-up election because he gaffed bigly, not because he’s a “mom” Democrat.

If you’re looking for another way to classify candidates that’s not embarrassingly gender essentialist, try the Pointy vs. Round test. Pointies include: Barack Obama, Abigail Spanberger, Ron DeSantis Rounds include: Michelle Obama, John Fetterman, Mitt Romney

[thecoddaughter]

DNDads characters as Maisie Peters' 'The Good Witch'

HONEY, I'M HOME!

Guys, I'm back with DNDads as Songs thanks to this album. I tried to stay canon compliant with these, but you all know how my brain is.

The Good Witch - Sparrow 

I cannot see anything that says Armageddon and not say its Sparrow "Still wants to politely and properly warn you, this is Armageddon" "When all I do is think about the past" "I still argue like my mother and suppress stuff like my dad"

Coming of Age - Cassandra

As much as I like the concept of Cassie and Nick being married and then she was brainwashed into thinking they got divorced, I also like the idea that they were a bunch of flings or friends with benefits.  "Was it a love affair or just a lot of late nights" "If it was a first kiss, how come it felt like a snakebite" "I’m quarrying new ground and I’m burning all your CDs" "I know I made you the big star" "I wish I could’ve seen it"

Watch - Grant

So I make Yeet Bigly a bigger part of Grant’s life in my head than he probably was to Grant but whatever… If the first person I came out to and liked very politely turned me down, I don’t know if I would ever get over that. But I never let go of anything… I like to think they have to have run into each other since if the Kiddads have traveled back and forth.  "You took a road trip into the mountains. I feel like all of my exes have done that." "You’re still there. You look better. I fought it but I saw it and it sawed my right in half. You still get to me, but I still let you. You’re being a superstar and all I got are victim cards…" "You have a camcorder out of the 90s." "Everybody pretends that they’re great, but what if you actually might be." "Cause you broke my heart and my self-esteem"

Body Better - Darryl 

DON'T QUESTION ME... I will never get off the train of Darryl and Carol needed to get divorced! 

Want You Back - Morgan

I think once Morgan found out that Glenn lost Nick in that court case, even though it wasn’t really his fault, she would have very complicated thoughts… They do eventually get back together because obviously. But also she had to have felt like things with Jodie where just wrong, they never were meant to happen.  About Glenn: "’Til you caught a teacher’s daughter with a dangerous text. I read it like a bible and I wore it like a bulletproof vest." "Found myself a lover that made everything rhyme." "So I know you did bad" "You left like an assassin, maybe that’s for the best." "The issue is I know of this and I still want you back." "I must go out with a stranger. I must kiss him to get stronger." About Jodie: "So I know you did bad" "Yeah I know it didn’t last and what was cheap to you, to me was all I had." "Found yourself a lover, I bet she doesn’t sing." "So you got to be a coward and I salvaged a little self-respect." "It wasn’t real, it was for me but you know that."

The Band & I - the Dads

The entire vibe, not specific lyrics.

You’re Just A Boy - Normal and Hermie 

This song is both of them at each other, because those two don’t communicate clearly and everything is just a mess.  Both "You’re kinda awful but you’re not awful on purpose" "I’m on a one way trip to take over the world. You could’ve come but your head’s in the sand." "You were my best friend, my shoulder to lean on" Hermie "Gave a two word response, when I was having a breakdown. Oh Mr. Bruce Wayne, where is that cape now?" "But you just a boy and I’m kinda the man" Normal "Don’t you see that you’re losing this, I’m bout to be gone!" "Maybe your lost and just can’t see what you have" "Goodbye from your biggest fan. Goodbye from the bigger man." 

Lost the Breakup - Veronica 

Because she very clearly won the breakup with her and Scary’s dad. “I’m the greatest love that you waste,” come on! That is so Ronnie-coded. 

Wendy - Scary

I struggled with this one… While this song is about a romantic relationship, I think it is Scary’s view of men (the boys, Willy, Terry) impacted by her dad.  Her brain "Behind every lost boy, is always a Wendy" "If I’m not careful I’ll wake up and we’ll be married and I’ll still flinch at the sound of a door." "Lose the world that you live in, pretend that it’s what you wanted" Normal "I know the girl that you want and it scares me" Link "And you’re pretty like a girl ’til you’re vicious like a man" Taylor "Yeah you give up like a ghost, leaving halfway through the band" Willy "And you’re evasive on the phone ’til you’re sorry on the floor" "You’ll throw your rocks and you’ll scream that you hate me" Terry "Wait until he gets bored and wanders back to the forest"  "It’s a life, I could have, I know."

Run - Hero

I feel like Hero is in her advice giving era and would probably have talked to the other girls, Normal, and Scary about this at some point. I feel like she has some bad past relationships due to her family’s complicated romantic entanglements… (also lyrics all say man but we know that aint true from some of these folk) "I’ve been lied to, I’ve been cut and deleted. I’ve her some things that I will leave unrepeated. I’ve seen some flags but the reddest one is:" To the Girls: "If a man says that he wants you in his life forever, run! To Normal: "If he calls you up, says he so in love and it’s been one week you better run!" To Scary: "If you heart says ‘broke’ and your friends say ‘don’t,’ it’s and RIP you better run! As fast as you can, take a quick, sharp turn at the sight of the man and make it done." How she thinks: "If he says he’s real, he’s not" "He likes a promise if he don’t have to keep it. He hates a sentence when he has to mean it."

Two Weeks Ago - Glenn

A song cannot be sad and mention cars and me not think of Glenn and Morgan. This song is not about grief but god knows I will make it about grief! (I was crying thinking about them, even tho she’s alive now…) "When we said goodbye, wish I hadn’t let go and I wish it was two weeks ago." "You were driving fast, I was holding back and I loved you babe, but I bet you knew that." "And the song was true and the sky was black." "I wish when we went to the beach that day, we’d taken more pictures, I’d been more brave." "The song was true now it’s all I have… Now this song’s for you and it’s all we have."

BSC - Lark

Lark in the wake of the complicated relationship that is his life toward Rebecca. Listen to this one cause it didn’t write all the lines applied to him because the sone is an acronym for a reason…  "We don’t speak cause its too tricky, but if I’m tricky, why’d you kiss me?" "If you don’t love me, why’d you’d act it? Love’s a verb and not a bandage." "I kept it in but it wrecked my organs." "If you don’t love me, what was April?" "You played a game but I run the table. Mr.-I-Don't-Want-A-Lable" "I am unhinged. I am scaling all these walls, I’ve gone within. "

Therapy - Veronica

This one might be cruel… Veronica after Terry died (but that isn’t confirmed yet… He’s just been shot! But it was all I could think about… Don’t hate me!)

There It Goes - Cassandra

Cassie again because I couldn’t think of anyone else. Except every time she talks positively about her new man I cringe remember she currently dating Willy. SO THIS IS WHEN SHE JUST GOT “DIVORCED”.  "I’m reading novels, I’m dating but just dating for sport." "I’m doing better, I made it to September" "I feel it changing, I’m young but I am aging and I need you less than I did." "The girls and I do yoga. I wake up and it’s October, the loss is yours."

History of Man - Scary

This is Scary about her view of love and her parents.  Her mom: "She stays up, he’s sleeping like a lamb. She begs him, he says he doesn’t understand. She loves him more than anyone ever has." Her dad: "I couldn’t believe it, how you could just stop wanting me." "You didn’t even falter. Didn’t look back once, did you?" "He stole her youth and promised heaven."  Herself: "I’ve pleaded with the powers and their plans." "Hear my lyrics, taste my venom." Link (I am a gothcleats shipper, sorry): "I stay up, you’re sleeping like a lamb. I beg you and you don’t understand. I hold on, I try to hold your hand. I save you a seat and then you say you wanna stand. So you’ll lose me, the best you’ll ever have."

[oldguy56-world]

Holding Out For a Hero

The dictionary defines hero as 'a person of distinguished courage or ability admired for their brave deeds and noble qualities.' Why am I looking at this? Because I am hearing that word being thrown around way too often these days. I know we crave heroes but let's make sure that it is bestowed on those that truly deserve it. Is a person a hero just because they can throw, catch, hit, dribble or anything athletic? I think not. There should be more to them than that to elevate them to hero status. There is a news network that celebrates heroes every year but some of them fall into the category of being nice people that are helping someone else. This is not heroic but it is a very admirable thing to be doing. Create another title for them that honors them properly.

Given the definition we also have to recognize there is a fine line between bravery and stupidity. Take the example of those people who when a hurricane strikes decide to stay at their home to protect it. Brave? No. Stupid? Highly, the same as the husband who tells his wife 'No dear it is not the pants that make your butt look big.' I guess there is stupid and there is suicidal.

Everyday people can be heroic. Here are some examples for your perusal.

The parent who volunteers to change their 2 year old's diaper after their first meal at Macdonald's. If you have been there you know what I am talking about.

Walking through small town Alabama with a t-shirt that says 'Yep he lost'. For added measure on the back it says 'BIGLY'. This could be deemed stupid if most of them could read.

Taking your wife to your high school reunion where stories best left untold could be told.

Dining at a restaurant where all the entrees are just called Meat.

Going to that restaurant when you have a two hour drive home.

Yelling at people in small town Quebec because they don't speak English.

People who go for a 'Brazilian.' When I go for a flu shot I scream like a little girl when I have to remove the Bandaid from my hairy arm.

Volunteering to drive a car load of teenage girls somewhere and not wearing ear plugs. There are things you don't want to hear especially coming from one of your daughters.

My wife for surviving her time with me all of these years. There has to be a medal in this for her.

THOUGHT OF THE WEEK: There is nothing wrong with having a hero. Just make sure it is for the right reason.

[joshuaboakley]

Trump Lies & Whines After Disastrous Debate, Swift for Kamala & Do Pro-Lifers Know the Female Body?

https://www.youtube.com/watch/Ez6phBoRvpc Trump Lies & Whines After Disastrous Debate, Swift for Kamala & Do Pro-Lifers Know the Female Body? We are all still buzzing after the debate last night, the only person who seems to think Trump did a good job is Donald Trump, even Fox News thought he lost bigly, Trump keeps walking around making stuff up, he is terrified to debate VP Kamala Harris again,…

[yourreddancer]

We are all still buzzing after the debate last night, the only person who seems to think Trump did a good job is Donald Trump, even Fox News thought he lost bigly, Trump keeps walking around making stuff up, he is terrified to debate VP Kamala Harris again, Taylor Swift announced her endorsement of Kamala and Tim Walz, Elon Musk weighed in on her endorsement in the creepiest way possible, JD Vance can’t stop spreading lies about Haitians eating pets in Ohio, Trump, JD Vance, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were in lower Manhattan today for a 9/11 memorial ceremony, Trump has had a “concept of a plan” for healthcare for a very long time, and we head deep into the heart of Texas to find out what pro-lifers know about female anatomy.

[wrasslin-lps]

Smackdown! vs Raw: Part 2 - LuLu's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Month

LuLu, having recently kidnapped that woman, is minding his business in his locker room, reading his book, when some chump called Charlie Hass walks in and randomly talks shit about him genuinely entirely unprompted and challenges him to a submission match.

LuLu offered a calm and reasoned response.

Following the beating, Charlie Hass aka Crippled Charlie (That is MY nickname and MY IP and I WILL pursue legal action if used without my permission) has been softened up, but he uh cheated and cheated bigly. You literally wouldn't believe me if I told you the amount of cheating that occurred so I'll skim over it.

At next weeks show, LuLu is literally hobbling to work because Hass crippled him that badly, when he's ambushed by Bubba Ray Dudley, who had been incensed by LuLu's dishonour.

It leads to a clear violation of employee safety laws when we start brawling backstage, and I don't care a referee is here, this is clearly a crime!! Of course, calling the Whyte cops would probably backfire for LuLu, but nonetheless!!!

Anyway, despite throwing Bubba into a fucking fuse box, Bubba Ray's fat must have absorbed the shock, and he won that one as well.

Whyte people will really just absorb electricity to keep the black man down...

The way I got my ass kicked really impressed Smackdown GM Kurt Angle, and he talks about finally lifting a black man up.

The next week, Rey Mysterio talks about how cool it was when I got 7 shades of shit kicked out of me in a Submission Match and in the Backstage Brawl, but says you need to able to defy gravity and face your fear if you want to really make it in this industry.

And best of all, the briefcase has a week's worth of pay. Given that I desperately need to buy EXP, this really gets me psyched up to-

Oh.

Ah. Fortunately for me, and unfortunately for LuLu, Charlie Hass and Bubba Ray really want Rey Mysterio to lose his money and forces LuLu into the ladder match. Can't wait to hit Rey Mysterio with a mallet 70 times!

It's okay he has it coming

Despite fucking crippling him, I lost. Again. This is not LuLu's fucking month... Rey Mysterio is at least a good sport about winning.

He really, really had that beating coming.

Kurt Angle reveals what the main event he had talked to LuLu about earlier. He enjoyed the way LuLu got his fucking ass kicked over and over, now he wants to watch it happen all over again all at once in a Battle Royale at Vengance!!

Vengeance... LuLu's last chance to make something out of this shitty month.

My plan was to avoid the chaos and snipe at chumps after they hit each other. This plan failed because they all ganged up on LuLu and beat the ever loving shit out of him for a few minutes before LuLu lucked, or hue hue hue luckstared, into Bully Ray hitting Rey Mysterio and was finally able to get some breathing room. A few minutes of madness later, LuLu was able to eliminate Billy Hass! One down, three to go!

Hass was eliminated at the exact moment Rey-Rey hit Bubba with a 619, which feels fitting for luck LuLu has had this month.

Bubba survived the 619, and brawled with Rey-Rey long enough to narrowly pin him as well while LuLu spammed taunts to charge up his finishing move and removed turnbuckle pads. And then there were just two...

You think your special...

You do...

Bubba was pretty damn terrifying. He had shrugged off a finisher, and had far more health than LuLu. Fortunately, LuLu had a devastating flurry prepared. His finisher, the diamond dust required someone gets thrown into the corner of the ring - which LuLu had made more dangerous by removing the turnbuckle pads. Bubba Ray was thrown into the corner, and even as he writhed in agony, was granted no reprieve. LuLu sprinted towards, used his diamond dust finisher. With such a devastating combo, Bubba Ray had no choice but to kick out of the pin very easily like LuLu had done functionally nothing.

Fuck

Even after all of this, Bubba still had far more health - he also had a higher finisher bar. But there still remained a seed of hope for LuLu - underneath the finisher bar, you can see a CLEAN (and in the case of LuLu) DIRTY bar. This is the Face/Heel bar, which measures how Facish-Heelish the wrestler is acting. With the crowd being all Crackkkers, LuLu isn't interested in being any kind of face. Doing top rope moves, kicking out at 2, and taunting after delivering a brutal blow raises the CLEAN bar, while removing turnbuckles, complaining to the referee and using weapons raises the DIRTY bar. When the CLEAN bar is full, the wrestler is invincible for thirty seconds. But when the DIRTY bar is full, the wrestler gets access to a devastating cheating move. It was a tight call, but LuLu barely managed to raise his DIRTY bar high enough to get the cheating move!

I don't know why the camera went blurry when I unlocked it

LuLu unleashed the heinous, devastating "beg for mercy and then hit him in the balls" attack - brutal, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

It took everything LuLu had - he used brutality and cunning, and by hook and by crook, he lost anyway Bubba Ray kicked out quite easily and won.

Oh fuck off

[magpiejay1234]

Looks like I will be going through all of GX S2 once again.

Anyway, we sort of mentioned, though I found it rather odd that Edo was eventually paired up with Sora for Z-ARC Duel (other than Asuka being put on a bus due to Yuzu being shoved back inside Ray). My initialy assumption was that writers wanted to parallel Edo's destiny plot with Sora's loyalty to Academia, since ARC-V Edo's character is pretty much based off that, but I guess the intended meta-parallel was second Edo vs. Judai Duel, since that is about Edo finding fun in Dueling once more, which ties more directly with Sora's arc.

As we sort of gleamed before, his ties to Yugo is not that complicated though. Aside from Yugo pun with Clock Tower Prison's Japanese name (Yuugoko no Tokeito), which is probably the main reason, Edo is basically deuteragonist of latter half of GX S2, replacing Manjoume who in turn replaced Edo as Saio's main enforcer (which Saio intended Judai to be originally be), and Yugo is the deuteragonist of ARC-V S2 replacing Yuzu, so...

****

Anyway, let's go over Edo vs. Judai 1 a bit. I may have alluded to this before, but I distinctly remember back in GX's airing it was a common talking point about how Judai wasn't all great of a Duelist, thus a weak protagonist, since not only he lost to Edo, but he lost to him badly. I'm pretty sure you can find the posts in archives.

Though S2 later did a very harsh course correction that lasted until Yuma's inconclusive but sure to lose Duel against Kaito, DM sort of established the cool Duelist protagonist that rarely loses trope with Atem, and really smart Duelist protagonist that wins bigly with big strategies for end-game regular Yugi. Well, Judai was neither, and most of his S1 victories were due to his friends, and spirits supporting him.

Similar course correction seems to have happened with Yusaku after Yuya's loss to Jack, though to be fair to Yusaku, he kept losing stuff except Duels, since his character arc was about losing his hatred, and learning to like people.

While there are inherent problems with YGO protagonists having actual realistic growth arcs when it comes to Dueling (less so with other stuff, though that also comes up), and not being unbeatable nerds taking revenge on bullies, fandom response (which in itself somewhat justified due to card sales aspect of the franchise) is kind of the bigger elephant in the room among them.

Anyway, back to GX, Judai's loss to Edo starts a decently long arc that ends with Judai finding Neo-Spacians, though Judai will go similar depression arcs in later Seasons (he also went through a somewhat similar, but different arc with Daitokuji-Fubuki plot in S1 though that is a different topic).

[worldofwardcraft]

Why it's not an even-money matchup.

February 29, 2024

The national news media are doing everything they can to convince us that this year's presidential contest is going to be a down-to-the-wire nail-biter. Here's NBC: "The only conclusive takeaway from all of the recent polling is that a hypothetical Biden vs. Trump race remains super-close." And ABC: "All of the data we currently have points to another close race." And, of course, the ever-reliable New York Times: "Can the Race Really Be That Close? Yes, Biden and Trump Are Tied."

Hyping a neck-and-neck race is how they sell papers, score clicks and keep you tuned in. But there's plenty of evidence that Joe Biden could be the winner not by a nose, but by a furlong. Even months from the polls opening, there are signs of 2024 being a landslide year for the Dems.

For one, Democrats are already winning elections all over the place. Here's Roll Call on last November's off-year results:

Democrats amassed big electoral wins around the country on Tuesday. From winning the marquee race for governor in Kentucky and a key ballot measure in Ohio to securing majorities in Virginia's state legislature, Democrats prevailed, with access to abortion front and center.

One important reason for this success was the Blue Team's overwhelming enthusiasm and high voter turnout. Recent special elections have seen that fervor continue unabated, with Democrats flipping a New York congressional seat as well as a number of state legislative ones in Louisiana, Florida and Ohio.

Meanwhile, Republicans in Congress waste time naming post offices and investigating Hunter Biden. Moreover, with the economy ticking along, crime down and their anti-woman crusade deeply unpopular, the "open" border is the only issue GOPers have left to run on. But they've abandoned it by blocking the bi-partisan border security bill on Donald Trump's orders.

Finally, their increasingly demented and criminally indicted presidential nominee-to-be is an even weaker candidate now than he was when he lost bigly to Biden in 2020. Trump’s woeful performance in recent primaries — he got only 67% of the vote in Michigan, even though the entire GOP establishment was behind him — shows there's a shockingly large number of Republicans unwilling to vote for him.

But Trump's clearly not trying to win over new supporters. Instead, he keeps giving the same tedious, incoherent, whiny speeches. Says Los Angeles Times columnist Jackie Calmes, “These aren’t rallies anymore. They’re pity parties.” So, feel free to pity Trump all you want. But if you're in a wagering mood, place your bet on Joe Biden to win going away.