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callmebrycelee · 2 years ago

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9-1-1: LONE STAR REACTION

This reaction is for season 4, fifteenth episode "Donors" which originally aired on May 2, 2023. The episode was written by Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson and directed by Brenna Malloy. Spoilers ahead!

The 126 arrive on the scene of a car accident and find one of the vehicles on fire. The driver of the other vehicle reports that the other driver fled the scene and that there's someone trapped inside the burning car. Marjan puts out the fire and Mateo extracts the passenger from the backseat. Tommy, Nancy, and TK load the victim into the ambulance and rush him to the nearest hospital.

In the ambulance, Tommy examines the comatose victim and realizes his injuries were not sustained in the crash. She finds a scar on his belly and yells for Nancy to notify the hospital to have their transplant unit on standby. This man has recently undergone a kidney transplant and the reason he is unconscious is because he is still under anesthesia. They arrive at the hospital but the doctor with the transplant unit is at lunch. Tommy sends Nancy inside to locate the doctor on-call. Meanwhile, there's a clatter coming from inside the ambulance. Tommy goes to investigate and finds TK knocked out. Poor TK. It's a miracle this man doesn't have permanent brain damage based on the number of traumas he's endured over the last several seasons. Thankfully he's okay but he does have a black eye and a bruised ego to match.

Tommy talks to a detective regarding the missing kidney-transplant patient. Detective McGregor (Adam Baldwin) tells her that none of the hospitals in the area have performed a kidney transplant surgery. He suggests that the victim procured his kidney via a less than legal way. Tommy tells him that he needs to stop whatever underground organ harvesting operation is behind this. Detective McGregor says he doesn't have the resources or manpower to investigate something so large, especially for one patient. Tommy says she's less worried about the transplant patient and more concerned about whoever the kidney was taken from.

I should point out that this is a reunion of sorts for Gina Torres and Adam Baldwin. The two of them along with Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk and Ron Glass played on the much beloved series Firefly and its film sequel, Serenity. Now I don't know all that much about Mr. Baldwin but based on some things I read on his Wikipedia page, he had a LOT in common with the character he is playing in this episode. P.S., Detective McGregor was a huge dick the entire episode and I love how he got humbled at the end. More on that later.

A young woman named Lexi (Mychala Lee) regains consciousness in a tub filled with ice. She sees a phone and uses it to dial 9-1-1. She gets Grace on the line and Grace instructs her to get out of the tub. Lexi freaks out when she notices a scar on his stomach. She suspects someone has taken her kidney and starts to lose consciousness due to severe bloodlost. Thankfully the paramedics arrive at the hotel room just in the nick of time. Grace goes to visit Lexi in the hospital and learns that the only family she has left is her stepfather who she does not have a relationship with. Lexi blames herself for what's happened to her but Grace assures her that she is not to blame. Grace presses her for information and Lexi tells her she met a guy via a dating app called Bash. Lexi says the guy travels a lot for business and the two of them met at a bar near the airport. The guy's name is Mike. Lexi thinks she's going to jail because the officers who questioned her believe she sold her own kidney. Grace is horrified by this information.

Grace talks to Detective McGregor and tells him that the officers who interrogated Lexi treated her more like a suspect than a victim. Detective McGregor says she can be both. He tells Grace that it's likely she got involved with some shady people and got in over her head. Grace tells him about the man Lexi met on the dating app and he is super dismissive. It's so obvious he doesn't care about helping Lexi and one can't help but think it has everything to do with her being a young black woman. Detective McGregor tells Grace to leave the police work to him and to stick to answering the phone. What an asshole! Perfectly played, Mr. Baldwin!

Grace can't let this situation with Lexi go and stays up all night trying to find the guy Lexi met up with via the dating app. Judd finds her and tells her he's concerned she's using her real picture to lure a potential black market organ harvester. Judd reminds her about Charlie and tells her that he doesn't like that she's putting herself at risk. Grace reminds Judd that if Lexi was a white girl, her face would be plastered all over every news outlet which is so true. She tells Judd that she's doing this for Charlie because one day Charlie is going to become a young black woman and no one ever seems to be looking out for black and brown girls when bad stuff happens to them. I love that the show went there. I love how both 9-1-1 shows are very candid when it comes to the realities that black and brown people face in real life. Judd understands her motives but still doesn't like that she is putting herself in danger. Grace asks him what else choice does she have and Judd suggests she finds someone who cares just as much about Lexi as she does.

Grace meets up with Carlos and he introduces her to Detective Sarina Washington (Tamala Jones). Grace hands over the research she's done and Detective Washington reminds her that she handles missing person cases and Lexi is not missing. Carlos points out that Lexi's kidney is missing. I cracked up when Detective Washington told him that she typically doesn't look for people piece by piece. Grace reminds her that the guy who received Lexi's kidney is missing. Detective Washington seems invested in Lexi's case but tells Grace that she cannot help her because it's not her case. She then says that she and Carlos will need to talk to the detective who is in charge of the case.

The three of them meet with Detective McGregor and he is just as smug as ever. He hands over the case to Detective Washington and tells her he's too busy anyway. He then casually mentions that Lexi has died which devastates Grace.My heart broke for Grace at this moment because all she wanted to do was protect Lexi and help find the people responsible for what happened to her.

Grace, Carlos and Detective Washington go through a list of people on the kidney transplant waiting list in hopes of finding the patient who received Lexi's kidney. They enlist the help of Tommy and TK and both paramedics are able to ID the man who they rescued from the car accident. Carlos, Detective Washington, Tommy, and TK arrive at the home of a man named Clint (Peter Oldring). His wife lies and says he is out of town on business but Carlos doesn't buy it. Tommy tells the woman that her husband was the recent recipient of an illegal kidney transplant and that there's a strong chance his body is rejecting the kidney. If he doesn't get medical attention ASAP he will die. The wife lets them all in and they find Clint half-dead.

Carlos and Detective Washington go to see Clint in the hospital. He tells them he would rather face a few years in prison than provide the names of the individuals who gave him his new kidney. He says they will kill him. Detective Washington tells him it will be more than a few years but Clint has done his research. He says he knows the punishment for buying an organ which is a $50,000 fine and maximum five years in prison. Carlos asks him if he knows the punishment for being an accessory to murder. Clint is shocked to hear this. Carlos informs him about his donor Lexi. Clint is horrified by this news because he was assured that all donors were on the same page with those who were receiving the organs. He assumed everyone was safe. Carlos tells him that Lexi woke up in a hotel room with her kidney missing and $15,000 on the nightstand. He shows Clint a photo of Lexi and Clint says he never would have gone through with any of this if he knew what was really happening to the donors. Detective Washington tells him to prove it by giving them the names of the people running the operation.

Grace gets a call from Carlos and is told that Clint cracked and gave the names of the individuals running the trafficking ring. Carlos tells her they are waiting on a warrant so they can bust the people behind all of this. Grace is delighted to hear this news because it means Lexi's death will not have been in vain.

Carlos and Detective Washington are posted up outside of a dentist office where the trafficking ring is being ran. Detective Washington gets a text letting her know the warrant has been secured so she and Carlos exit their vehicle and go inside and bust the doctors transplanting the organs. They see that the doctors are preparing for another transplant but there's no victim.

Grace gets a message on Bash from a guy named Mike and she agrees to meet him at a bar near the airport. Grace reaches out to Carlos but his phone is not on him at the time of the call. She leaves a voicemail letting him know the guy who met up with Lexi has reached out to her. She then calls Detective McGregor and tells him to let Carlos and Detective Washington know she is meeting up with the guy who lured Lexi. McGregor tells her he strongly advises she doesn't go but Grace is worried that Lexi's killer is going to get away. She tells him to relay the message and please be at the bar.

Grace meets Mike at the bar and he smooth-talks her. The two share some witty banter and when Grace turns her back, he puts something in her drink. We see Grace sip her drink. Mike tries to get her to go somewhere else and Grace excuses herself to use the restroom. Grace goes into a stall and calls Carlos. She hears someone come into the restroom and lock the door. Mike attempts to get inside her stall and kicks the door in. Just as he is about to get at her, he passes out and hits the floor. Then Detective McGregor arrives and he is quite surprised to see Grace alive and Mike unconscious on the ground.

We learn that when Mike put something in Grace's drink, she took his drink instead which means he got the drink with drugs in it. Grace is a queen! The 126 paramedics show up and Nancy and TK tend to Mike who is throwing up profusely. Tommy tends to Grace who is alright. Not a scratch on her. Detective Washington and Carlos applaud her for breaking up an organ trafficking ring. Grace says she didn't do it alone.

Judd shows up and he is so happy to see his wife is alive and well. Judd sees Detective McGregor and tells him the next time Grace tells him something he needs to listen to her. McGregor eats a giant slice of humble pie and Judd continues to lay into him. Grace says that she listens for a living and that she believes listening is a skill that can be learned. I'm so proud of Grace. She truly kicked ass in this episode.

There's one minor plot I want to mention and it involves Owen Strand and his brother, Robert (Chad Lowe). Last season we got more of Owen's backstory and we learn his dad left after Owen's younger brother drowned. His dad went on to remarry and start a new family which includes Robert. Owen and Robert met the previous year and since TK is getting married, Owen thought it would be great to bring Robert into the fold. Robert seems very kind and brings items from their father to give to Owen and TK. Owen notices something's off about Robert when they are drinking wine later that evening and Robert tells him that he has Huntington's disease which is something that's hereditary. Oh, great! As if the Strand men haven't been through enough these last few years!

So, that was the episode. I really, really enjoyed this episode. I love how we got an emergency at the start of the episode which evolved into an even bigger emergency. I love that we got another team-up of Grace and Carlos. I like their relationship and I wish we got to see more of it. I love getting to see Carlos do things independent of TK because sometimes it feels like Carlos solely exists to be TK's partner. I also like that we got a frank discussion about something that was brought up in season 3 and seemingly never followed up on which is Carlos becoming a detective. Carlos admits he hasn't taken steps to become a detective because he believes he makes more of an impact patrolling. Detective Washington reminds him that not all bad guys can be caught from patrolling. There is a glimmer of hope that Carlos may pursue being a detective in the future but only time will tell.

I loved Grace especially in this episode because it reminded us of who she really is. She is someone who cares endlessly about people and who can be really stubborn when she has her mind set on something. I love that Judd never gets in her way even when he thinks she is doing something dangerous. I love that the only outcome she wanted was for the person who killed Lexi to be brought to justice. She never, not once, settled for anything less. She is a good person and it's clear why she is a good 9-1-1 dispatch.

Lastly, the scenes with Owen and Robert were truly heartbreaking. Owen has endured so much in his life. First he lost a brother and his dad only to gain a brother in his adult years. Now he is facing the prospect of losing Robert and there's a chance he and TK may suffer the same fate. It's really a lot to deal with so close to the Tarlos nuptials. It looks like next episode we will see him and TK dealing with this latest revelation. Until next time ...

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duckydae · 6 years ago

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I’m really dreading this season of Love Island, because I feel like the show is going in the opposite direction. Despite the public out-cry of lack of diversity throughout clearly haven’t seen prior seasons.

That said, when I say diversity I mean, body shapes. The show has a serious colourism problem particularly towards the girls.

Love Island is infamous for its skinny singles but the fact is, many of the ‘hottest’ contestants haven’t been. Season one is the best example of this. During season three, Jessica had curves and was damn proud of them despite this, was considered absolutely gorgeous - not to mention hilarious. Another season three example of this, though her time on the show was brief, Tyne-Lexy would be considered a plus-size model and opened up about her weight after the show.

During the 2016 run, there were plenty of girls with curves: Malin, Cara and Olivia to name a few and nobody seemed fussed, in fact I’d argue those girls nabbed the hottest guys of that season. These girls had stretch-marks, though hidden by their tan, they had bigger thighs and arms yet nobody cared!

Though, quite different, even in season four there was Alexandra representing the curvy girls.

Same goes for the boys, Jack is a prime example and even made it clear on the show but Dani still chose him, despite Adam showing interest in her from the start. Nathan and Scott are also worth noting, yes, were slightly better built than Jack but they both looked like normal guys you’d meet on a Friday-night.

Even to some extent Alex, who wasn’t coated in tan still got a shot on the show. Honestly, my opinion has since changed of his attitude but regardless I’m on the sun-sensitive-skin squad and I’d be just as fucked considering my skin is red to begin with.

They also, highlight the humble sides of the more masculine characters. I mean Chris & Kem are the real power-couple of the show, proving that it’s okay to be emotional with your best mate without having to exude ‘no-homo’ status. C’mon they were literally cuddling in bed before attempting to shave each-other’s initials on their dicks.

Say what you will about Hayley’s Brexit moment but Dani Dyer and Rosie Williams are great role-models in their attitudes towards the actions of other Islanders. Rosie taking down Adam for being a shitebag was great and Dani showed that no matter how much she liked Jack, he had to prove he loved her and that she wouldn’t let him just slide things under the rug.

Also, Montana and Cam, two amazing woman pushing for great causes. Cam made it clear she wanted to return to her job, helping to protect families and didn’t want to take advantage of the fame she’d been given. Or Montana, who is pushing a diverse swimsuit line - which by the way is great, highly recommend. I got the yellow one with the belt strap and can’t wait to wear it during my holiday. Can I just also comment, that nobody ever mocked Cam for being less-sexual and in fact the girls protected her and called-out Jonny’s shit. Like what he said about Tyla was fucking disgusting and none of the girls were having it.

Cam is a precious godess, is what I’m getting at here and the fact she never took her anger out on Tyla just proves what an angel she is. Though she’s not really Scottish, is she? They need to get someone in from Glasgow just to spice it up. For anyone that doesn’t know Glasgow’s type is similar to Newcastle’s.

Similarly, other than the initial return from Casa Amor, Dani was totally chill with Ellie and didn’t blame the other woman. So, say what you will but I think Dani and Jack - at least from what we saw were a good representation of what a relationship should be.

But after seeing the likes of Megan, Hayley, Laura, Zara and Georgia it’s hard to ignore Love Island’s shift in focus.

#love island uk #love island #jack and dani #montana brown

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localhummingbird · 7 years ago

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Combusto Apocalypse Ch. 2

Stink fumes, scolding, and sobbing!!

Before I went back to the Combusto lot, I loaded up a house to fill with zombies to make the neighborhood a bit more scary. I’m using a mod to make zombies more aggressive, but the neighborhood is completely empty for the most part, so I tore these young lovers apart by death and made them go on a zombie rampage. Sorry whoever you are! There is no justice in my game!

Per the rules, sims can’t get a job via the newspaper or computer yet, so for tier one restrictions the sims have to go to the community lot where they’ll be working at least once to get their job (and the job board is allowed, since times are so desperate).

I was thinking about skipping on this rule because I hate it, but the mods I downloaded to help me keep up with all of the other rules won’t let me. So to the tiny diner Cordelia goes!

Surprisingly (I think because of her degree) Cordelia gets a position pretty advanced in the Culinary career! Before I can do anything else, she runs over to the fridge and starts juggling.

Where’d you even get those? All the fresh water is supposed to be contaminated!

Back at the home lot, I’ve built Cordelia a nice little square shack. The restrictions don’t allow me to build outside of an 8x8 area, so I’m trying to utilize as much space as possible.

Also, since electricity hasn’t been restored yet, I’m limited to candles for lighting.

It’s all pretty humble - I also can’t buy anything fancy or expensive.

It’s kinda fun to decorate! I ended up moving the grill because yes, I am an idiot, and yes, it did immediately catch on fire.

Cordelia maxed out pretty much all of her skills in college except body, so she gets to working out so she can fight off all those post-apocalyptic zombies.

Which, speak of the devil, are already pounding down the door!! Well, kinda anyway. It’s the welcome wagon and walked off pretty quickly. I was a little worried people would walk right in since there’s only stairs, but no such luck.

Not that Cordelia can pay attention anyway, because she’s busy setting the house on fire.

10 cooking points my butt!! I trusted you!!

Thinking the main problem was that it was inside, I stuck the grill outside (which I’m pretty sure is allowed since it’s only one square) and she STILL set it on fire!! Grr. Hurry up and unlock Culinary.

Needing an aspiration boost, Cordelia invites over her betrothed, and he brings one of her other best friends too! (Inviting sims over is allowed as long as they are engaged/have red hearts)

What a dork. I love him.

That night, Cordelia finally gets promoted to the top!! We can now purchase stoves, prepare food more than once a day, and buy cakes! Hopelessness lifted, Culinary lifted, and permaplat all in one move!! You know what that means!

Cordelia got a negative memory from this for some reason. Probably because she’s a pleasure sim. I was actually going to reroll for her in college, but while I was looking up the rules to see if I needed to the prompt timed out and she stayed pleasure. Oh well!!

John ages up and he’s still a cutie!!

They get married super quickly (can’t throw parties, buy the wedding arch, or anything fun...) and John heads over to the hospital to get a job in medicine.

Technically there isn’t supposed to be anything growing but I’m too lazy to go into neighborhood view and individually delete all of the cactus I placed in a decorating frenzy.

John gets set up at level one in medicine, which was kind of bummer. His memories say he graduated with a degree and he has one in his inventory, but I have no idea in what. Probably nothing to do with medicine.

I rarely play with career rewards but they look like a lot of fun, so I plop the culinary reward down for some extra dough. Not like they need it though, Cordelia makes a ton of money and I can’t spend it on anything fun.

Pets keep wandering into the house!! Get out of here, military hasn’t been lifted yet!

I have to time Cordelia’s pregnancy right, because if she misses one day she loses her job and can’t go back. So they get to babymaking right before the weekend.

I haven’t been dealing with stink fumes too much yet because I have a sponge bath for all mod enabled for teen-elder (it was suggested in the rules!) but when the sink breaks, all hell breaks loose. Poor John got lectured by Cordelia for a full sim hour for breaking it after just washing his hands.

He looks out the window to cheer himself up, and the snow’s getting pretty bad. It’s probably going to stay bad too since all of the weather related restrictions aren’t until tier 3. I’m already sick of it.

“Top chef quality as usual, my dear!”

I think I might like Cordelia’s husband more than she does.

The family can only purchase either the restorable car or the military car if lvl 6 military has been reached, and since I plan on their first born to lift military they get to work on the restorable car. Gives a bit more job security in case anyone is running late (or pregnant).

Geez, that bump is so big it’s clipping through the shirt. There better not be twins in there.

Alas, it’s only one, and Cordelia gives birth to a son named Ash! (because there’s ash in the sky.. lmao)

Looks like he got all of his mom’s genetics, with the custom eyes, black hair, and same skintone.

While John was watching the birth of his son, this dumb idiot missed the carpool and was too late to drive so he lost his job in medicine. Because he was fired, he can’t reapply.

Now we’ll have to wait EVEN LONGER to unlock showers and tubs. Looks like it’s gonna be a stinky generation. At least he didn’t start at lvl one for military. Turd.

Aw, look at those finger pistols though. I can’t stay mad!

With the car done, Cordelia gets pregnant pretty quickly...

and in no time it’s Ash’s birthday!

Of course, the one toddler outfit I didn’t default replace. And it’s a little hard to see the whites of his eyes when he smiles, which is spooky. Whatever, he’s a fancy boy!

With a toddler and another baby on the way, only having one sink is beginning to take its toll...

Poor guy, all he wants is a bath. He’s a stinky boy through and through.

He’s pretty cute, but pretty much impossible to train. With hygiene always in the red, even with all of his other motives green he’s too fussy to learn anything.

He’s always too mad to be potty trained. John managed to teach him how to talk and walk, but just barely.

“Juggling is the only form of joy I can experience in this hellhouse”

Cordelia gives birth to their second child, Willow, and she’s so cute in her lil hat!!

Smelly boy in tow, Cordelia takes him to the birthday cake to age up.

Still can’t see the whites of his eyes, so he’s still pretty spooky. Cute though!

As soon as he aged up, Ash made a beeline for the sink. But no matter how much he scrubbed, he couldn’t get clean. I’m sorry dude! Blame your dad!

The next day it was time for willow to grow up too, who was surprisingly much easier to deal with as a baby than her brother.

A tux for you too, huh? Okay I guess.

John is climbing up the military ladder pretty steadily, but he keeps bringing dang zombies into the house! They want to eat you, dummy!

“I just thought we could all be friends :~)”

It was around this point I realized that I hadn’t been making any effort to adopt a stray yet and there’s one pet restriction with each tier. As soon as I realized this they stopped barging into the house, which was annoying.

20 bellyrubs later, and they always run off before I can adopt! It’s infuriating. I’m pretty sure this pup was too old to work anyway but it happens every time.

I didn’t take any pictures of Willow learning skills because it was boring and stinky. She was still easier to teach than her brother though and learned all 3 toddler skills. Future Education Minister maybe, hmm?

And she grows up into... the exact same outfit her brother is wearing. This family is really into hand-me-downs I guess.

So I was reading back on the rules and realized I accidentally broke one here - I thought it was allowed to invite sims over as long as they had a high relationship but that’s not until Military is lifted. I read the Intelligence restrictions and thought that applied to everything. Woops! But whatever, it wasn’t on purpose, and the damage was done. Lexie Love was invited over to get chummy with the heir for future nefarious purposes.

“I’m majoring in physics with a minor in math. I’m going to bring science back to the apocahood!”

“Pff, good luck. This thing is mapped out until the end. You’ll probably end up a politician or something.”

“Uhh, I’m not sure if I wanna move here...”

Sucks! You’re a future lawyer, I get to live vicariously through you!

Willow finds a cute dog outside, and he’s perfect!

And look at those chompers! Perfect for protecting the family from zombies! But the little jerk ran away right before I could adopt him. I think the neighborhood strays are plotting against me. Or maybe they just know I won’t be able to give them a bath yet.

Finally it’s time to leave the Green Stink Fumes™ behind and age up.

Are those the whites of your eyes I see? Improvement! Lexie didn’t care to stay for cake and immediately bailed. Ash rolled wealth with turn ons being custom hair and logic, and turn off being creativity. Whatever you say bud.

First order of business is a sponge bath and a full hygiene bar. Now he can stop whining and finally skill.

“Sorry kid, there’s just no sponge bath animation for kids. You’ll get there someday.”

FINALLY, the family is able to adopt a dog. This is Alegra, and she’s my ticket out of tier one.

Cordelia and co walk her over to one of the community lots to get her set up with a job (bless)

While they’re out, this little guy is on the edge of the lot! I thought that pets couldn’t appear on community lots but maybe one of the mods I have fixed that. I got lucky and he didn’t run away either!

I want to lift the service pets restriction early on since I can only imagine the havoc my elders will wreak with no control. So Tucker gets adopted and set up with a job as well!

Before you know it, it’s time for Willow to grow up too.

She’s very pretty! Following her brother’s example she also makes a beeline for the spongebath, stink fumes be damned.

She kinda looks like a trendsetter. Maybe it’s the hat. She rolled Knowledge, with her turn ons being gray hair and cologne, and turn off being zombies. Taking after her mama and into silver foxes, I see.

After Willow finished her cake she immediately went to the fridge and started playing in it. She has like 9 playful points, and I’d never seen this before. I thought she was glitching.

But nope, just being a playful teenager.

Damn kids. Get off the fridge!

Speaking of elders, I put off the inevitable and Cordelia aged up. Until both tier one and service pet is unlocked, I can’t control her at all, which will be rough.

Conveniently though, Tucker tops service pet pretty easily! Now I just have to unlock medical and military.

John’s running out of time and got a lucky chance card. He’s super close to becoming an elder and one promotion away from topping the military, but is taking forever to max out his body points!

“Would you like to play red hands for the 56th time today, sister?”

“*sigh* I guess”

Despite being senile, Cordelia has been really good about getting to work on time. She forgot how to bathe though.

And unfortunately, John ages up before he tops Military. He has all the skills he needs, now all I have to do is pray...

My BOY!!! Pullin through!! With Military restrictions lifted, sims may invite over other sims, walk to lots, and use the obstacle course.

And that’s as far as I’ve played for now! Ash just needs to top Medicine, and we’ll be golden. Or, bronze I guess, since it’s only the first tier. till next time :~)

#ts2 #sims 2 #apocalypse challenge #combusto apocalypse #sims 2 apocalypse challenge #long post

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imagine-loki · 7 years ago

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The Powers That Be

TITLE: The Powers That Be CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: Chapter Thirty Two

AUTHOR: wolfpawn ORIGINAL IMAGINE: Imagine Loki discovering a hidden mutant when he realises they are at risk of being found by S.H.I.E.L.D. who experiments on mutants, he is the one to help them.

RATING: Teen and Up

Thor returned to Midgard to assist the Avengers with another issue, leaving Alexia and Loki to deal with the less than pleased court that still felt as though she should be concerned with childbearing, however Odin seemed to have silenced any public voicing of opinions, and somehow managed to bite his own tongue on the subject also.

In the month since Thor's departure, Alexia ensured she never went a day without spending some time in Loki's company, the pair often speaking about nothing in particular if talking at all, but the silences were very much comfortable, both usually either reading or Loki giving Alexia some advice of how to merge elements. He even was present for many of her training sessions, watching silently as she excelled passed anything Diarmaid requested of her, earning a smug grin from the Aesir prince when she did so.

"I have to admit, of late, you are thriving wielder." The Light Elf praised.

"You are never going to call me by my name, are you?" She sighed in annoyance.

"Do not take it to heart Lexi; he calls no one by their name," Loki stated as he stood nearby.

"You were right," she smiled at him, causing his brow to rise. "About allowing the water to wet the earth, it is heavier, but they merge together better now," she explained.

"Yes, well, it made sense." He shrugged.

"You are relishing at being told you were right, don't deny it Lokes." she rolled her eyes.

"I told you not to call me that." He growled, but there was no malice or threat in his voice; in truth, he would not admit it, but to have someone wish to be around him and speak to him as she did felt good to the prince, long used to people tolerating him solely to be near Thor. To have someone wish to be around him for him was refreshing. Alexia simply smiled mischievously in response. "How is Roan?" He turned and asked Diarmaid, causing Alexia’s smile to falter.

"He has a bruised ego, but egos are not something well suited to Light Elves, so he required some humbling." The elf answered. "He was always popular on Alfheim, to say one as rare as you does not find interest in him is somewhat baffling to him." Diarmaid looked at Alexia as he spoke.

"Perhaps if he had not been so self-obsessed, I may have entertained even listening to him." She shrugged. "But I am not interested in such things at present, I have to get this all under control, I want to."

"I think it safe to suggest you do," Loki smiled, "It is the strengthening of them you seem to be doing now."

"Well, that to me is control." She shrugged. "I need to get cleaned up, so please excuse me." she turned and walked away without awaiting an answer from either being.

"You are very close." Diarmaid eyed Loki.

"More than most people would have thought possible." Loki agreed.

"Yourself included I would think, you are unused to such a feeling, one wishing to be your true ally."

"She is stuck for company." Loki dismissed.

"You and I both know that to be untrue."

"Are you not irked that your nephew was dismissed by her?"

"No," Loki looked the elf in the eye. "I would not wish such a thing on a female being, to be forced to carry a child solely to try and replicate her power, and of all beings, I know my nephew to not be a fit for her, she requires one that cares for her, who wants what is best for her, from what I have witnessed, it is something she has been lacking so far in her life." He explained.

"She will not find that here." Loki shook his head, knowing no one would want Alexia for herself and not her power.

"I think she may already have." The elf chuckled, causing Loki to look at him curiously. "I bid you good afternoon my prince." And with that, he turned and left, leaving Loki to his thoughts.

"So I was thinking..." Alexia commented as she toyed with a fountain from over fifty feet away on a balcony.

"Norns, this sounds terrifying." Loki joked as he watched her, Alexia stuck out her tongue at him, "That is mature."

"I am not even pretending to be." she laughed. "I was thinking about this banquet your father is holding next week, you know, the....what was the word for it."

"He is not my father, and it is the Mjötuðr feast," Loki replied in a bored tone. "A feast where the old fart gets to celebrate himself, what of it?"

"Really?"

"Yes, Mjötuðr means king, so it is a king’s festival."

"Wow, self-loving much?" She scoffed, "Well anyway I am not going to go."

Loki looked at her with interest. "You do not wish to go?"

"No, I know what is going to happen, I am going to be paraded around and stared at, so I am not going to go, I don't care if he throws a tantrum, I am not a prize exhibit."

"I beseech you; may I please be present when you tell him this? He will be so mad; he may actually go into Odinsleep." Loki asked wide-eyed, knowing there was no way his adoptive father would not demand her presence at his own trumpet blowing event.

"Do what you want." She shrugged. "I take it Thor will be for it?"

"Most definitely."

"And you will be avoiding it?"

"I think the phrase you Midgardian's use is 'like the plague'."

"Well, that makes two of us then." She stated, ceasing her toying with the fountain. "Will he blame you?"

"Most definitely."

"I'm sorry."

"You should not be, if you do not wish to do something you are not obliged to do it, so do not apologise if others wish something of you that you do not want to do."

"I've been spotted." Loki frowned at her. "Odin is glaring up at me, no wait, both of us."

Loki looked over the ledge of the balcony they were on and sure enough, a puce-faced Odin was indeed glaring at them. "He really is less than pleased at your demanding being allowed in my company, you are making no allies with such actions," Loki commented, turning away from the balcony and back to where he had been previously standing.

"You seldom sit, do you?"

"I think it an act of laziness."

"Fair enough. As for Odin not liking this, you were the only one to care enough to help me long enough, so he can take a running jump, I don't forget those who are good to me, and all the people that I speak to now are only after something, you have nothing to gain from my friendship and yet you are still here, so you are most worth being around."

"Sentiment," Loki scoffed, but there was no conviction in his words, not sure how to actually react to such words.

"You have got to stop reacting to compliments in such a way; you may actually trick someone into thinking you mean it." She clapped his shoulder. "I better go and deal with your Daddy Dearest."

"He is not my father." He growled, this time, his irritation blatant.

"Yeah, yeah, so you keep saying." She dismissed. "Later Lokes."

"Stop calling me that." He barked.

"Does it annoy you that much?" She smirked, walking backwards to look at him as she made to leave.

"You know it does, hence your doing it."

"It's fun, I confess. Later Lokes." She repeated, causing him to growl.

"You do not choose allies wisely," Odin commented as Alexia stood in front of him.

"I choose for myself, not to suit others."

"I thought you would have chosen better, you seem intelligent for your species."

"Yes, well, you putting your expectations on me is your own fault, not mine; it is not my duty to live up to them." She shrugged.

"I have been told Loki actually tried to kill your father."

"He put the staff that held the Mind Stone through his chest." She confirmed, causing Odin to stare at her with a wide eye. "I know what he did, I am not under any false pretences, but like you, I know he was under duress, and my father was in his way. Can I ask, when you went to that Frost realm, was there anyone in your way getting to or from that temple you found him in?" The Allfather shook his head. "If there was a guard there, would you have dealt with them accordingly?" Odin took a moment to think, he knew the answer, as did Alexia. "So, you cannot talk."

"You think differently to others, analytically, trying to see other angles."

"I would assume most think such a way."

"Not exactly."

"You mean, I actually take a moment to think what Loki could be thinking. Why do you always only see the bad in him?"

"There is nothing but bad left."

"You do not know that.'"

"He is the reason Frigga is dead." The king growled.

"And there we have it." She smiled smugly. "You want to blame him."

"It was his doing; he told the Kursed how to get to her." He countered.

"From what I have been told by Thor, he told that thing how to get out of the cells, not how to find his mother."

"She was not his mother."

"I think if she was here, she would slap you for that." Odin's lip twitched. "You know I am right, and that kills you because I bet you usually dismiss or roar at people when they call you up on your BS, and you know that if you do that with me, I could go and not be here to make you look good."

"You could be forced to be used against us if you went to another realm. Could you face Thor in a battlefield? Could you drown him? Bury him?"

"I would rather die than hurt my friends."

"The threat of death is one that makes people reconsider their options."

"I do not fear death, I have realised that there are things in this life that are far more terrifying."

"I have silenced their demands on that other matter," Odin responded.

"Yes, I have noticed, and for that, I thank you, genuinely; thank you." Odin was somewhat startled with her words, but gave a small nod, accepting the gesture. "I just want to be left live, but that seems somewhat difficult considering."

"You should not have been a wielder then."

Alexia gave a sharp laugh. "I would never have chosen this if I could have, I can assure you. It is what it is, I can only get on with it now."

"There is another request being made by many here with regards you." Odin seemed somewhat apprehensive at broaching the subject. Alexia gave him a look from the corner of her eye, not sure of what he was going to say.

#loki #other #submission #submitted fic #Wolfpawn #chapter 32 #the powers that be #s.h.i.e.l.d.#mutant #discovering #hidden #risk #experiment #help

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culbertsonhillsgr · 6 years ago

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How To Stink It Up Gracefully

Golf Digest

How To Stink It Up Gracefully

And 29 other tips for having the most fun you can while playing golf

By Guy Yocom

The hardest questions in golf are the ones that never seem to get asked. Take that cigar-chomping first-tee starter with a wad of cash in his pocket. You’re wondering, Is he as up for a bribe as he looks? If so, how do I solicit a magic-carpet ride to the first tee? Another one: When your opponent hits a hosel rocket into the trees, are you obligated to express sympathy, or can you obey your first instinct and just laugh? How do you ask that LPGA Tour player out on a date, anyway?

No guts, no glory. Here are 30 issues you might have pondered but haven’t quite had the temerity to query your friends about. You won’t find the advice we’ve assembled here in any golf etiquette guide, but it’ll make you more fun to play and hang with. And the starter you greased won’t be offended, either.

1. STINKING IT UP GRACEFULLY

Inside, you’re burning with frustration, despair and self-loathing. On the outside—the only side that matters in a social setting—your friends should see a person blessed with inhuman patience, dogged persistence and self-deprecating humor.

2. RATTLING YOUR OPPONENT (LIKE SEVE DID)

Stand between him and his golf bag so he has to walk around you to get to it. Cough, sniffle and sneeze during his swing, then blame it on allergies. Insinuate yourself into every rules situation involving his ball. Make him move his ball marker on the greens, even when it isn’t exactly on your line. Finally, chip in a lot.

3. HAVING A LITTLE SWAGGER LIKE ARNIE IN HIS PRIME

When you hit it close or jar a long putt, imagine throngs of people cheering wildly.

Tip your cap to these invisible fans. Bow your head humbly. Do not, however, light a cigarette unless you smoke. And only hitch your pants if your waist size is 36 or smaller.

4. DEALING WITH THE RANGER WHEN HE TELLS YOU TO PICK UP THE PACE

You’re dying to explain there’s a beginner in your foursome, you’ve just looked for three lost balls, and the group in front is slow. But just thank him, nod, and play faster.

5. TELLING YOUR OPPONENT HIS PUTT’S NOT GOOD

One day you’ll have an opponent look at his downhill, breaking two-footer for par and ask, “Is the rest of that good?” Your answer, with a smile: “It ain’t bad. That was a beautiful lag.”

6. SWEARING AFTER HITTING A BAD SHOT

Color the air blue without actually swearing. Incorporate the words “suck,” “idiot,” “garbage,” “stink” and “moron.” Don’t yell profanities. Hiss them. Tommy Bolt, the best swearer ever, never screamed.

7. DATING AN LPGA TOUR PLAYER

How do you, a stranger, pull this off without winding up on the receiving end of a restraining order? One way is to write a letter requesting her accompaniment to your prom—it worked for two young fellas who sought respective get-togethers with Lexi Thompson and Belen Mozo. Another way is to be independently wealthy enough to become a regular on the LPGA pro-am circuit. Make trusted friends around the LPGA Tour and the player’s hometown. When you do ask, suggest a multiple-couple group outing at a public venue—a concert, or maybe a bustling restaurant. Good luck, and may Cupid’s arrows find their mark.

8. HAVING THE MOST FUN IN YOUR GROUP

Make the round enjoyable for your friends, and the karma will boomerang. Ask them if they want to walk or ride.

If it’s ride, ask if they want to drive or ride shotgun. Show up with a joke. Be quick with praise and sympathy, slow to complain. Help your buddies. Rake their bunkers, offer yardages, bring over an extra club. They’ll treat you the same, and how fun is that?

9. FEIGNING SADNESS WHEN YOUR OPPONENT HITS A BAD SHOT

Never hint that you actually enjoyed watching him skitter one into the gunch, though enjoy it you surely did. Never feign sympathy, either—it indicates you don’t care who wins, a transparently phony attitude if ever there was one. Best to react like a courtroom judge: attentive, impartial and nonplussed.

10. TOTING A BEER, HOT DOG AND YOUR GOLF BAG

Drink the beer down a third of the way before you leave the window. With the hot dog, go very light on the ketchup or mustard, especially if you’re wearing a white shirt. If you can consume the hot dog in three large bites, it’ll be done and out of your way before you reach the 150-yard marker.

11. TELLING YOUR BUDDY TO STOP HELPING YOU

When swing advice from this wannabe Butch Harmon doesn’t stop, nod attentively, then hand him your 3-iron, toss a ball into a cuppy lie and say: “Show me.” If he happens to hit that shot 220 yards with a high draw, give up. He might be onto something.

12. GETTING GOOD BOUNCES

Call us superstitious, but if you make a habit of whining at the golf gods for bad bounces, the deities will conduct a closed-door meeting and conspire to make things worse. If you accept the occasional rotten bounce as the golf gods just doing their job, they’ll be more likely to open the gates of heaven at the right time, and give you a good bounce when you need it.

13. HITTING A SHOT YOU HAVE NO RIGHT HITTING

Have quick retorts ready for when you fail. “I didn’t win the Powerball last night, so I just had to give that shot a go.” They say the best-looking girls don’t get offers because nobody dares ask them out. Same rule applies here: You’ll never get at that tucked flagstick if you aim for the fat of the green.

14. TALKING TRASH TO YOUR BUDDIES

Address your pal John as if he were a child. Condescend: “Fellas, don’t you think Johnnycakes is improving?” Assign reputations they don’t yet have: “The staff might think you’re a lousy tipper, but I’ll say this: Your swing is looking good.”

15. BUYING A USED CLUB ON EBAY

The “buy it now” button on eBay can be a portal to used-club heaven or junk-club hell. A list of musts as you proceed through a listing: sharp photos (the more the better), all the specs (shaft flex and length, loft and lie), reasonable shipping, decent seller feedback and a hassle-free return policy. The idea is to remove any possibility of surprise when the club arrives.

16. PLAYING WELL WHEN YOU’RE HUNGOVER

You brought this on yourself, so don’t even think of complaining. Chug water like a parched horse. Take one more ibuprofen than usual. Choke down a burger if you can find one: Hall of Famer Tom Weiskopf used to say the combination of bread and grease does a body good.

17. HUMILIATING YOUR BOSS (AND STILL GETTING A RAISE)

If you sense your boss expects you to lose on purpose, find another job. If you feel he’ll tolerate your winning but might take it personally, start updating your résumé. If you sense he wants your best effort because it demonstrates moxy and honesty, oblige. Then wrap him in gold, for he is a rare and beautiful creature.

18. GREASING THE STARTER

Slip him stuff rather than cash. A sleeve of premium balls, with an innocuous, “Have you tried these?” Or a couple of ball markers from your trip to the U.S. Open. He’ll understand. Don’t make a habit of it—just enough to make him remember you.

19. WINNING A BET ON THE FIRST TEE

Most golf is four-ball match play, so come to the first tee knowing who the best player is, and snag him as your partner. Follow that quickly with the bet you want to make. If you’re answering to the other team’s proposition, you’re already on the defensive. Also, be mindful of the serious edge to be had on side bets—the “junk.” If you and your partner are better ball-strikers than your foes, propose larger payoffs for birdies and greenies.

20. KEEPING UP WITH THE BIG HITTERS

After you’ve squeezed every morsel of distance you can by normal means—practice, lessons and tweaking your equipment—there’s one trick left. That’s to swing the club faster and a little more recklessly than you’re comfortable doing. Golf is a sport in which physicality and some aggression can pay off.

21. SURVIVING A NIGHTMARE ROUND

When you’ve hit a gazillion bad shots and nothing is working, reset. If you’re a teetotaler, summon the beverage cart. If you’re not a music person, kick on the tunes. Ask your buddy if you can try his driver. Go left-hand-low. Play a hole barefoot. Anything to get you to the parking lot with a smile.

22. HITTING A GOOD DRIVE WITHOUT WARMING UP

Make a couple of practice swings with drowsy slowness, then tee your ball a shade higher than usual. Swing at 75 percent of your power, concentrating only on making the center of the clubface meet the ball. Regardless of where the shot goes, keep in mind that you aren’t warmed up for your second shot, either: Stretch everything out as you walk to your ball.

23. THROWING A KILLER MASTERS PARTY

Serve pimento-cheese sandwiches. (Recipes are all over the Internet.) During commercials, challenge your guests to say, “Hello, friends” in the manner of Jim Nantz. Conduct an eagle pool—$10 to enter, players chosen by blind draw. Have two TV rooms: one for people who yack through the telecast, the other for serious viewers.

24. CONSOLING YOUR PARTNER WHEN HE’S PLAYING LIKE A DOG

Ever see Ryder Cup partners roll their eyes at each other or give the silent treatment? Of course not, except for Tiger and Phil in 2004. The lesson: Never admonish, scold or cold-shoulder your partner. When he’s hitting it wild, a squeeze on the shoulder or pat on the butt might get him striping it again.

25. TELLING A GOLF TALE THAT’S ACTUALLY INTERESTING

Here’s the outline of a first-person golf story. Read and learn.

Stan got bit by a rattlesnake during our golf trip in Arizona. It was on the fourth hole at Screaming Cactus Country Club. He snaps one into the desert and goes after it. Doesn’t even scream. He just runs back to the fairway, takes a drop and hits. The bites are pinholes. One of the snake’s broken fangs is sticking out of one of them. But Stan wants to finish the hole. Another guy in our foursome calls 911. The paramedics meet us at the clubhouse—after we finish the round. Stan didn’t play any more that trip, but he’s fine. Still has the fang and keeps it in his bag for good luck.

See what we did? The story was told backward, punch line first, and kept in the present tense, as though it’s happening now. And blessedly, it was over in less than two minutes.

26. PLAYING 18 IN UNDER 3 HOURS

You’re going to need an open course, a good set of lungs and people as up for this as you are. Tee to green, ditch the range finder, don’t take practice swings, and remember that when you’re not hitting, you should be walking. On the greens, if you crouch to read a putt, you’re too slow. Don’t mark your ball, and be generous with concessions.

27. PRACTICING CHIP SHOTS WITHOUT HURTING ANY BYSTANDERS

You know those “no chipping” signs by the practice green? How they were allegedly put there to protect the turf? The course operators are playing you. They want to prevent 16-handicappers from trying Phil Mickelson’s greenside flop shot and blading one into the shin of the guy practicing four-footers. Use common sense. Never try to carry the ball more than two feet or aim at a target farther than 10 feet away. And for all that’s holy, don’t try to be like Phil and see if you can hit one left-handed.

28. WINNING YOUR OFFICE POOL

Check out recent form and how the player has fared at a venue. Near home, he’ll have extra fans—and extra incentive. Nothing beats being comfortable.

29. BREAKING THE ICE WHEN YOU’RE A SINGLE JOINING A THREESOME

Start with: “You guys look easy—want to play for a hundred each?” Just kidding. Be polite and deferential, like a party guest. Keep the conversation light, at least at first. Three keepers: Will Tiger play in the Masters? Ever been to one? When did you get that new driver? It’s gorgeous.

30. GETTING YOUR WIFE TO CARE LESS IF YOU PLAY SATURDAY

The real trick is pulling it off Saturday and Sunday, but because we’re starting small, here’s a primer: 1. Arrive home 30 minutes earlier than you promised, and never be late; 2. When you walk through the door, head to the kitchen and start doing the dishes; 3. Press the $40 you won into her hand and say, “I won this because you make me a happy golfer.”

Originally Published on Golf Digest

golfdigest.com/story/30-tips-for-having-fun-playing-golf

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