#i mean it was a train and not a pyramid and it was the company that trapped them not any of the loved ones | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

senditcolton · 1 year

Text

we were supposed to be just friends

an introduction to Abigail Lenox and Matt Martin's tumble from friendship into something more.

series masterlist | title inspo | word count: 2.6k a/n: it's a double drop day! told you all I still loved Marty. this story is courtesy of all of you who planted this idea of friends to lovers Matt Martin in my head and that's where it stayed. this is one of the many reasons why I love you guys. warnings: none! Disclaimer: Reading/creating content for married players isn’t for everyone. Please don’t read if you don’t vibe with it, but don’t attack me or others!

The rumble of the train beneath Abigail Lenox was a welcome sensation after a grueling rehearsal, the muscles in her legs still tight after the hours spent balancing on her toes.

Many of her co-workers thought that she was crazy to make the commute from Greenwich to New York City every day, adding an hour-long commute to her already hectic schedule. But she didn’t mind it. The travel gave her time to relax and decompress. It also reminded her how far she had come; the only daughter of a single mom who clawed her way up the pyramid to become one of the principal dancers of the American Ballet Theater.

She snaps herself back to the present before she gets lost in the memories of her mom’s sacrifice, this train route, and the feeling of excitement bubbling up at the opportunity presented to her all those years ago. With a sigh, Abigail sinks down onto one of the unoccupied seats, removing her phone from her duffel bag and quickly swipes to her contact list. She doesn’t have to scroll far down the list of names before her best friend’s number is pulled up and the call button is pressed.

As she holds up the cell phone to her ear, she listens to the line ring one, twice, three times before a cheerful voice falls through the speaker.

“Hey Abby,” Matt Martin speaks and Abigail can’t help the grin that breaks out her face at the sound of his deep timbre along with the chatter of others in the background.

“Hey Matt. Are you still at practice?”

“It’s over but I’m still in the locker room with a few of the guys. Hey, say ‘hi’ to Abby.”

The grin on Abigail’s face widens as she hears a chorus of other male voices call through the phone to her. She cheerfully replies back although she is pretty sure they can’t hear her, a thought that is only confirmed when she hears Matt chuckle reverberating through the speaker.

“How was rehearsal?”

“Exhausting like always, but everyone is really excited considering opening night is only a few days away,” she replies. And, much like it always did, her mind instinctually jumps through whatever choreography was tripping her up. It was an exhausting role for more than one reason and Abigail knew the nerves would not be settled until she was out on that stage, performing in front of an audience. “Speaking of which, I wanted to check that you got your tickets. If you forgot, I still have one from the family and friends’ allowance that the company gives us.”

“Abby, I got my ticket as soon as I knew I could make it. Like I always do.”

“Oh, always?” she asks, her voice taking on a teasing tone. “So that one time I had to scrounge up a ticket last minute for you to see Giselle doesn’t count?”

“I can’t believe you still bring that up,” Matt sighs, his own words matching her tone to indicate that it was in jest rather than actual exasperation.

“Like I’m going to forget the time you almost forgot to see my American Ballet debut.”

“That was back when I was a twenty-something-year-old who couldn’t keep track of a schedule. I am much more mature now.”

“Sure, if you say so,” she sing-songs in reply, her eyes darting outside the window as she watches the suburbs of New York pass her by.

“If you keep being mean to me, I’m going to tell the boys to return their tickets.”

The off-handed threat Matt attached to the ending of his teasing sentence has Abigail eyes darting away from the window, her body perking up in the leather train seat.

“What do you mean ‘the boys’?” she asks, the rhythm of her heart increasing in excitement and anticipation of his next words.

“I convinced a few of the guys to come along with me to see you opening night,” Matt explains, his voice ever so casual but Abigail can hear the smile coming through his voice.

“Really?”

“Yeah, you’re going to have five hockey boys cheering you on from the audience. Plus two wives.”

“How’d you manage that?” Abigail asks, a light-laugh falling from her lips. “Don’t you always tell me the boys make fun of you for going to the ballet?”

“Eh, I can be convincing when I need to be.”

“Matt.”

“Okay, so I might have bribed them a little but I know they’ll love it. Anyways, you always say that seeing a performance changes people’s opinions about dance and so, I’m making them see a performance.”

“Yeah, I don’t want it them to be dragged to it,” Abigail whines. What Matt said was true: she loved her job and wanted everyone to understand the hours of work and dedication that went into this craft instead of just seeing it as a career filled with sparkles and hoity-toity people who thought themselves too good for anyone else. But she also knew forcing those people to sit down in a theatre for three hours would not be the way to change their opinion.

“I promise, it’ll be fine. They’re cool with it. I really only managed to convince the guys who were already at least a little interested anyway.”

“Oh, so you’re not as convincing as you think you are.”

“Just let me have my moment,” Matt playfully scoffs, pulling a giggle from Abigail’s lips at his voice.

“Alright, you win,” she concedes with a sigh. “So, who’s coming?”

“Well, me – obviously – and then Casey, Brock, Anders and Grace, and finally Cal and Cassie. But they might have to bow out if they can’t find a babysitter. Although I think his girls would love to go to the ballet.”

“Um,” Abigail hums, extending the tone. “Maybe don’t have Cal bring his daughters to this ballet.”

“Wait” Matt says and Abigail can hear a door closing, the voices from the locker room silencing, indicating Matt’s departure from the rink. She doesn’t have a lot of time to focus on his movements when his voice sounds again. “What do you mean?”

“Well,” she replies, once again lengthening the syllables as she undoes her hair, the long brunette strands falling over her shoulders. “It’s not exactly a, um… a PG rated show.”

“Abigail, what the fuck are you dancing in?”

“I swear I’ve told you about the show.”

“Maybe but you definitely didn’t elaborate that it wasn’t family-friendly.”

“Well, considering I didn’t know that any families were attending, it didn’t seem relevant until now,” she playfully quips back and she can hear the sigh and closing car door echo through the other end of the line. There is a small moment before Matt speaks again.

“Fine, fair point, but can you tell me now?”

“Okay. But I’m not going to spoil the plot for you. And I swear, if you look it up, I’m going to murder you. You’ve seen me prep my pointe shoes before. I can use the same methods on you.”

“I promise,” Matt replies, the hint of laughter in his voice at her threat, knowing full well the stark difference between her slight frame and his bulking figure.

“Okay, so the ballet is titled Mayerling and it follows the Crown Prince of Austria-Hungary, Prince Rudolph, and certain events in his life. And … let’s just say… Rudolph is not someone to be admired and the ballet really shows that.”

“I am both intrigued and terrified,” Matt says. “So, who do you play in all of this? His wife? His mother?”

“I’m his mistress,” she confesses, her out of context declaration earning a questioning glance from a passenger sitting across the aisle. Abigial thinks about adding the context but Matt’s incredulous tone pulls her back to the original conversation.

“What?”

“I told you, it’s not a family-friendly show. If Cal can’t make it and wants to bring his kids next time, I’ll get him tickets for The Nutcracker or something.”

“I’m never going to look at ballet the same way after this, am I?”

“Probably not. But hey, it’s a great story and a fantastic show for some of the other guys to see. Maybe then they’ll realize ballet isn’t all silk ribbons and sparkly tutus.”

“I think I’d prefer you in silk ribbons and sparkly tutus,” Abigal hear Matt mutter and she lets out a laugh at his grumble, sounding so much like all the brothers she encountered in her upbringing; the ones that were clearly dragged to their sister’s recitals when they’d much rather be doing anything else.

“Well, I think you’re going to end up liking this one anyway,” she remarks. “Just please don’t be scandalized by the pas de deux at the end of Act II.”

“Okay, what the fuck aren’t you telling me?”

Matt’s outburst only causes another raucous laugh to escape Abigail, her joy echoing through the train car and down the end of the line. Her heart sings, not only in delight at the banter she can share with her best friend but at the knowledge that she can count on him for so many things.

One: that he will always be there to support her.

Two: that he is one of the few people who can make her laugh so freely.

*~*~*~*~*

Matt Martin was in big trouble.

He had always commended himself on being level-headed, on only acting out of emotion when necessary. It was a good skill to have – applicable both on and off the ice. It stopped himself from getting into messy complicated situations that could lead to plenty of negative outcomes: a penalty kill, a game suspension, injury, hurt feelings, and bruised hearts.

But now, sitting in a luxurious theater that always made him feel a little out of place and listening to the refrains of an orchestra, Matt knew his composure was dissolving. Because he was watching Abigail, the girl he had known for 10 years and one of his closest friends, dance.

And yes, while he had seen her dance plenty of times before, he had never seen her dance like this.

She had warned him as much a week ago when she advised against Cal bringing his daughters to watch the show. But no warning in the world could have prepared Matt for some of the scenes that had already unfolded and no warning could’ve prepared him for this, the final scene of Act II.

Matt watches, enraptured as his best friend moves across the stage, watches as she wraps herself around her co-star’s body, watches her facial expressions shift from teasing to pure ecstasy.

So many people would probably just say that her dancing was beautiful. And it was – it always was. But Abigail told him one night after a few too many margaritas that she hated that compliment.

‘Saying that ballet is beautiful is like saying hockey is fast. Like, duh, of course it is. But if you’re using that as a compliment, it’s superficial. It just tells me you’re only paying attention to the surface and not the substance, not the work that we put into it to make it beautiful. Think of a different adjective and then I might take it as a compliment.’

Right now, though, she was more than beautiful. The way her body moved, the strength and precision of every muscle in her body, the shapes that she could make, the positions she could twist herself into, all the while making it look like the most elegant, natural movement.

But if Matt had to attach a descriptor to what he was watching unfold on stage a few dozen feet in front of him, there was only one word echoing through his mind; Abigail’s dancing was erotic.

And that left Matt stunned. Because it was a side of his friend that he had never seen before. Or perhaps he had, but it was one that he never bothered to acknowledge.

He was being forced to acknowledge it now as he continued to watch Abigail move across the stage, being lifted, spun, and kissed by her scene partner. Watching as she plays the coy almost dangerous character with an ease that Matt still needed to wrap his head around. She was so settled into her body in a way that Matt hadn’t seen before.

It surprised him. It intrigued him.

He is snapped out of the spell-like trance that Abigial casted by the sound of the audience applauding and with a shake of his head, he shortly joined in, his eyes returning to Abigial’s frame, noticing the heave of her chest, the spark in her eyes. His eyes don’t leave her until the heavy red curtain falls, hiding her from view.

The lights turn back on for intermission but Matt’s gaze stays glued to the spot where Abigail once was before a playful nudge to his side turns his attention to Casey sitting next to him.

“You might have gotten more of the boys to come if you told them that ballet was like this,” Casey jokes, his own blue eyes glinting in amusement.

“Yeah, well, to be fair, I didn’t know that’s what this ballet was,” Matt says, trying to keep his voice light as his gaze returns to the stage.

“Really? Abigial didn’t tell you?”

“She just mentioned that it wasn’t exactly family-friendly,” Matt explains pulling a scoff of laughter from Casey.

“Well, she was right about that,” he chuckles.

There is a small pause and Matt can almost feel Casey’s eyes return to him and soon feels his friend’s gaze almost dissecting him. Eventually, the tense silence becomes too much for Matt.

“What?” he asks, his own voice doing nothing to hide his tense apprehension.

“What?”

“What do you want Casey?”

“Nothing. Just wondering how you’re doing,” his teammate elaborates and Matt hates that he can feel the weight of Casey’s stare. That, coupled with Casey’s question has Matt worried that the man sitting next to him can see the impure thoughts running through his head. Thoughts about his best friend.

“I’m fine,” he mutters out from behind gritted teeth.

“Really?”

“Casey. What do you want me to say?”

“Nothing.”

“Bullshit.”

“No, no, it’s – it’s nothing,” Casey says, his voice dismissive and Matt almost relaxes, thinking that his friends probing is finished. But then Casey speaks again. “It’s just that you had this look in your eyes while watching Abby dance. Just wondering how you’re doing – seeing her like that.”

“I’m fine. She’s just a… really good dancer.”

“Yeah, she is,” Casey trails off, finally letting the conversation go.

Matt watches out of the corner of his eye as he turns towards Cal and Cassie and it’s only then does Matt let out the deep breath he didn’t know he was holding, Casey’s piercing gaze no longer on him. Although Matt can tell from the thickness of the atmosphere that still hovered over him that there was an entirely separate tension that had no relation to his friend’s questions.

Matt tires to shake off his teammate’s words, chalking up the ‘look’ that Casey observed as nothing more than surprise and admiration for his best friend. Who he had known for years. Who always supported him. Who understood the demand of his career because hers was so similar. Who made him smile. Who was kind and talented and beautiful.

So beautiful in so many ways. An amazing woman that Matt wanted to keep in his life.

As a friend. Nothing more than that. It was just friendship. Nothing else.

Perhaps if he said it enough, it would return to being the truth.

#nicole writes #two fics in one day? who is she?#matt martin fic #matt martin imagine #matt martin fluff #new york islanders fic #new york islanders imagine #nhl fic #nhl imagine #hockey fic #hockey imagine

39 notes · View notes

kangseluigi · 9 months

Text

Elon Musk pisses me off so much, because he wants to save the world, as long as he gets credit for it, but doesn't do anything productive!!! If I had his kinda wealth, it would be SO EASY to do it!

First of all, for climate change:

I'd just buy a goddamn piece of land in the desert, the bigger, the better, and FILL it with solar panels. A land the size of a small country, cool, lay lines to a nearby city, boom, whole city gets switched to solar, every person is charged cents per year for electricity, companies a little more. I can use that money to a) keep the panels, lines etc intact, clean and whatnot, and b) to install more panels elsewhere. Go to Vegas and cover every tall building and hotel from top to bottom with solar panel windows and will power itself AND its entire neighbourhood. Rinse and repeat in all kinds of places. Add wind turbines by the sea and in the middle of roads. Boom. Fixed. (obv we add batteries for it all, idk why anti-solar people always forget that, it's been obvious in the 90's when I was a CHILD)

All workers put out of a job because coal mines, power plants etc are closing? Whoever can retire pls do that, the rest, we offer as many as possible to be re-trained for installing and maintaining our stuff, the panels, the turbines, the lines, etc. Others can be put into re-foresting areas like were coal mines were with appropriate plants for the region, balance the ecosystem.

Improve public transport in those places, have Tesla work on GOOD public transport methods, improved subways/trains and buses, also with solar and wind power, thing that don't fucking break in the car wash or rain, and through that, have it be free! I promise every country can afford the drivers' wages and minor maintenance when you don't have to substitute 43829019384 cars and fix roads all the time, and there is 0 gasoline or electricity to be paid for, ultimately.

THEN!

I'd pester every single museum in the world. Remember the fire in the Brazilian Museum that destroyed plenty of things in it? Let's not have that happen again! Everybody give me your stuff for 3 seconds, so I can do super high quality 3D renders of it all and preserve it for all eternity, maybe in Zuckerberg's weird bunker idk, and have all museums access all scans in there through their own network, so that a) IF disaster strikes again, we won't lose as much. Even if the original may be destroyed, we still have some form of access to it. b) if some artifacts and objects can't be shipped around, you can still include them through screens or projections, or even have a goddamn VR glasses exhibition of old temples in life size! Imagine! You can only import so many Egyptian artifacts for your exhibition, it will never be truly complete, but you can include a screen that allows visitors to scroll through all the related things and view them closely. You can project the pyramids into an empty space in the room and have them digitally disassemble the thing, piece by piece, to show exactly how they were built and how the corridors inside run, what someone could expect. You can project the pyramid's corridors AROUND visitors to give them a taste of it. You can have them go into the VR room and have them walk the hallways digitally, or have them stand in the Colosseum or ancient temples, the way they looked 2000 years ago, filled with life! Maybe I would "accidentally" ship all objects back to their original owners and leave most european museums with the 3d printed copies but that's not relevant right now

With that, we could also open up websites where all objects in the catalogue can be VIEWED by anyone in the world, with a little texty-text from experts, which means more accessibility, for people across the globe who'll never get to that specific location, people who can't necessarily leave the house for whatever reason, people who simply cannot enter some museums, etc etc. It means students can more easily find in depth, high quality information. It means all people regardless of income can theorise and discuss these things. Imagine how fun Covid would have been, had we had access to all that information. If everyone had been able to make posts about how "I found this fun detail on this object/art piece and nobody seems to have talked about it EVER?!" and "So, I couldn't sleep and I was looking through the catalogue and came across this thing, and then fell down a rabbit hole. A thread 1/127" !!!!

Maybe (!?) we could also, additionally, do it similarly to archive.org and let people rent digitally, but also rent/sell non-commercial (!) licenses for the 3d renders. Eg. if someone wants to 3d print something just for their own hobby, or to let their blind relative feel the objects they cannot see, and of course wouldn't be able to touch in the real museum. Additionally, it may allow the gift shops to 3D print or otherwise model mini-versions/copies of some of the artifacts for purchase cause ??!?!? who wouldn't want a copy of whichever crown!

The same with paintings etc.

It would make history, art, and knowledge SO accessible!! It would allow anyone to really learn, to draw inspiration, to theorise! To FEEL the art, the heavy strokes of Van Gogh's paintings, build something, to understand humanity as a whole in a new light! To spark new conversations and understanding between us all.

It could be SO easy.

But no, he has to play stupid games to bring down the price of twitter, then be forced into buying it, and fuck everything up, instead ruining a source of information, just like he bought Tesla and ruined it!

#fuck Elon Musk #Elon Musk #art #history #3d printing #technology #I may be insane #and MAYBE someone will come along and say none of this would work #but you know what?#this is still better and smarter than anything musk has ever done #Loui thoughts

5 notes · View notes

ambiguouspuzuma · 2 years

Note

F and M for the alphabet soup!

Thank you for asking! I'm going to go for Archipelago for both of these (I just checked and I think its has POV characters of all but a few letters, and they probably aren't the ones you'd think).

F is for Florin

Florin is a fisherman by trade, which means that he sits in a tower overlooking the Stem, playing word games his younger brother Jax, and collects the letters and parcels that come sailing down the zipwires between the stepping-stone cities of Bluebow, Stonebank and Lakebridge.

It's usually fairly mind-numbing work - but when scanning the horizon during a particularly testing game of I-spy, they are the first to notice the signs of an approaching danger.

The long hours up in the tower could drive a man crazy, so much that regulations required them to work in pairs, and the presence of his brother didn’t do much to prevent that. By the end of his shift, Florin was always looking forward to doing his rounds: to be back not only on the solid ground, but also amongst some more sensible company.

M is for Maresa

Maresa is a self-taught sawbones, a surgeon lacking the usual formal training in the Pillar of Blood, but blessed with exceptionally gifted hands. In another life, she might have learnt another trade - been an artificer or an artist, a tailor of the finest robes - but in this one she uses her skills to cut and sew skin instead. She can’t even read, except for the way her fingers can read a wound and write it a conclusion.

She has built a reputation for herself in the pyramid city of Victory, ascending through its social strata on a ladder built of sickbeds, but when a real war breaks out she finds her true calling on the battlefield.

She knew little of fevers and poxes and parasites, but when one of the city’s champions needed a cut patching up, they came to Maresa to do it. Her stiches were the most delicate, the quickest to heal, and left the least trace: except for when they wanted a small, fashionable scar, in which case she was able to do that as well. When it came to matters of the flesh, Victory’s luminaries eschewed their trained mavens to call for the common girl with the magic touch.

#Archipelago

3 notes · View notes

news-timess · 4 years

Text

Is Prosperity Of Life A Scam?

I’m sure you’ve heard of Prosperity Of Life. Maybe you’re wondering if it’s one of those pyramid schemes or not. Or is Prosperity Of Life a scam or is it legit? Well, you came to the right place because I’m just going to shoot straight with you. I don’t want your money and I don’t want to waste your time with nonsense.

I simply want to give you my honest opinion of this program and let you decide for yourself, if it’s something that you would want to try.

There’s a lot to learn about this company so let’s get to it.

What Is Prosperity of Life?

Prosperity of Life (formerly known as Polaris Global) is a network marketing company that was founded by Shane and Rachel Krider. They sell personal development and wealth building events and if you want to make money with this program you have to recruit people to attend these events and ultimately get them to join the company.

Here’s the kicker though…. these events are very, very expensive so good luck finding people to join in. That makes it pretty similar to a pyramid scheme to me. That’s just my opinion. But let’s keep digging and find out more.

There’s red flags all over the place when I read up on this company. The main focus of these events is to get the attendees to join as a monthly member.

On top of these live events and conferences they also sell digital products that consist of personal development workshops and online training modules that actually just promote Prosperity of Life.

Products

One thing I do like about this program so far is that all the products are high-commision-products meaning you can make anywhere from $1,000 on up per sale! With that being said, these high-ticket products will be difficult to sell as not everyone has a couple grand lying around to join a make-money-online business that may or may not make you any money.

The products and services they offer are called “Master Of Destinies” and they are pricey!

Product #1 – M-1: Master of Destinies – Home Study: This is a home-study course where you can watch previously recorded seminars that will supposedly transform you into a perpetual individual. Seminars include: Foundation Live, Sovereignty Live, and Influence Live.

Price: $2,855

Potential Commission per Sale: $1,828

Product #2 – M-7: Includes 4 more recorded seminars from Sovereignty Live and Influence Live.

Cost: $5,740

Potential Commission per Sale: $3,672

Product #3 – M7 Fast Track: This is a combo pack that includes M-1 and M-7.

Cost: $7,820

Potential Commission per Sale: $5,000

Product #4 – M2 Sovereignty Live: This is a 5-day live event that covers all kinds of important topics like how to invest your money, asset allocation, tax minimization, and much more.

Cost: $9,940

Potential Commission per Sale: $5,000

Product #5 – M3 Influence Live: Learn about personal development and leadership strategies. Find out how to create a life that you desire that doesn’t go against your personal beliefs and values.

Cost: $16,190

Potential Commission per Sale: $8,000

So, as you can see it’s pretty expensive just to get started. The least expensive product will cost you $2,855 bucks! But it may be worth it if you can make some sales and get some of those high-ticket commissions.

Is Prosperity Of Life A Scam

No, I don’t think it’s necessarily a scam but I just couldn’t see myself spending all that money knowing that there’s a chance I may not even be able to break even.

Plus there are some Red Flags I should mention to you…

Shane Krider got into some trouble with his last network marketing program, Liberty League. He took more than $5 million in a pyramid scheme. I understand that people can learn from there mistakes and perhaps he has changed for the better.

The bottom line here is that Prosperity Of Life is a MLM (Multi-Level Marketing) Scheme meaning you will have to work your tale off recruiting people and selling all these expensive products. It’s very similar to a Pyramid Scheme.

Betty Anderson

1 note · View note

natesafety · 8 months

Text

Happy New Year!

I want to take this opportunity to wish all NATE member companies a Happy New Year! Let's all hope 2024 is a safe, healthy, and prosperous year for the Association’s member companies and employees.

ANSI/ASSP A10.48-2023 Standard

The cover story of this edition of Tower Times features a Planning Advisory Notice article titled Overview of the ANSI/ASSP A10.48 and the ANSI/TIA 322 and how they improve communication, quality, efficiency, and safety.

The feature is timely as the article in part details the important updates included in the revised ANSI/ASSP A10.48-2023 Standard – Criteria for Safety Practices with the Construction, Demolition, Modification, and Maintenance of Communications Structures document.

The updated ANSI/ASSP A10.48- 2023 Standard, effective on January 1, 2024, covers the latest safety practices and training recommendations for the construction, demolition, modification, and maintenance of communication structures.

The Association is selling the revised version of the standard and encourages our member companies to order the standard directly through NATE at the following website link: https://natehome.com/regulations-standards/ standards/ansi-assp-a10-482023-standard/.

NATE UNITE 2024

The new year means that the Association’s Super Bowl, NATE UNITE, is right around the corner. The Association is excited about what is in store for NATE UNITE 2024, slated for February 19-22 at the Renasant Convention Center in Memphis, Tennessee. This year’s conference is shaping up to be the largest with the most diverse array of speakers, educational sessions, luncheons, networking sessions, workshops, and events that NATE has ever hosted in one location!

Individuals interested in attending NATE UNITE 2024 and companies interested in sponsorship and exhibiting opportunities are encouraged to visit NATE’s website today (natehome.com).

With iconic tourist locations such as Graceland, the National Civil Rights Museum, Beale Street, the Bass Pro Shop at the Memphis Pyramid, and Sun Studios, among the famous destinations, Memphis will be a unique and exciting host city for NATE UNITE 2024. So, channel your inner Elvis Presley, put on those blue suede shoes, and join us in Memphis this February!

All In, Always!

Todd Schlekeway is the President & CEO of NATE. He can be reached at 605-882-5865 or [email protected]

#towertimes #natesafety #elevatewireless #5g #executiveinsights

0 notes

beatnikchick · 9 months

Text

Commercialism Manifesto

Defying age has nothing to do with denying age. It has more to do with denouncing the concept of the chronological progression arbitrarily implemented by a system that benefits from us dying. 50 was meant to make you feel old, they benefited from selling “age defying” formulas. They benefited from you dying before you could collect social security; ergo, if 50 is old you would feel ancient by 62.

It’s the same with the food pyramid. They wanted to sell more food so you need four food groups, and 1400-2000 calories a day; when, historically through thousands of years this was never true. We are consumers, we are their marks. Nothing we have been taught is for our benefit. It is to sell something. Don’t randomly eat or snack because society says to eat three meals, and two snacks a day. Eat when you’re hungry, and stop when you aren’t.

All shampoos are essentially made with the same garbage, stop searching for the one that’s going to fix your hair, it doesn’t exist. Your hair is that way because you are trained to pay top dollar for chemical treatments that destroy your scalp and hair. Your mother did it, and your grandmother did it but your great grandmother couldn’t afford it nor did she have the time, and her hair did look better. Blondes don’t have more fun but it sure cost a small fortune to find that out, and that’s what they are counting on.

Stop buying diamond rings that cost 6 times your rent to prove that you love someone. The way traditional diamonds are ascertained is inhumane anyway. But besides that they have vaults and vaults full of them. They are not rare gems. They are overpriced rocks that literally have only the value De Beers company (do not ignore the blood on their hands, it’s criminal what they are responsible for) taught to see in them.

This is the post World War 2 conditioning that the American government took from Hitler. Basically that we are their consumerist monkeys that weren’t being utilized to their full potential. This is why you feel suffocated by consumerism. This is why they price gouge everything because they know we will eventually adapt, and pay.

Stop adapting. Reject the system. Unlearn what you’ve learned from two generations of people who were guinea pigs pitted against each other to “keep up with the Joneses”.

Who are you before they told you who to be, and what has value? What has value to you that doesn’t have a price tag? Don’t just say what you were taught to say. Even that, kith and kin, family and friends. That goes without saying. We were taught to say it in defense of all your monetary expenditures. “Of course I like my things but my family comes first”. How many times have you heard that. Paging Captain Obvious.

What is important to you? Let’s assume it’s already family and friends. Do you value nature, do you value a quiet evening reading, do you value art and music? Try to find things that you value that don’t come with a price tag. Another one is, “well I like to spend money”. Do you though, do you like being in debt? Do you love that second mortgage? Do you love getting divorced because your husband or wife doesn’t want to work until they’re dead to pay for your lifestyle, and love of spending money? That high you get is you filling a void that you were conditioned to fill.

You were introduced to commercials at a vulnerable age. You were taught that when you were sad (remember the kid was always sad before getting the toy or food) that when you got this shiny thing you would feel happy. Just like a good guinea pig you were conditioned as the perfect specimen to buy the shiny things, and work until you’re dead to pay for them.

You were not born to work, pay bills, and die. You feel that there is something unnatural about this existence because there is. Exist for yourself, for your friends and family, for experiences. That does not mean there is not responsibility. The chores still need to get done, and yes, money is a part of the system that we are all unfortunately prey to, so working is required. However, work to pay for your needs, and value your time over your preconceived wants.

Your time is something they value. It’s really the only thing they value aside from their God, money. They need you more than you need them. Without you they wouldn’t be flying around in jets, and eating at restaurants with food that cost as much as your rent or mortgage. Make your time invaluable. Make it the most precious thing in your life because it is. It’s the only thing that is truly yours.

You would argue that your body is. I would argue that the fact that you are subjected to god only knows what since the FDA lowered their standards in the 90s by a good 40K, and steadily have been cutting out the rest of the requirements. The fact that the air we breathe, and the water we drink are polluted that our bodies are not our own.

But our time, and our attention is. Take it back, make it yours again. Not for me, I don’t know you. I don’t benefit from this. You do what you want. But isn’t that kind of the point here. Do what YOU want not what they have taught you that you want.

I guarantee you though if you stop going to the hair salon to fix your hair (it was never broken), stop stockpiling your kitchen with thousands of dollars in groceries you end up throwing away at the end of two weeks, stop buying fancy overpriced jewelry (buy a unique piece from a local artist, you’ll get way more compliments anyway, if that’s what you value), stop buying 250-700 dollar Christmas trees, just stop buying Christmas presents altogether. Teach your children that time together is the gift. I’m not saying don’t buy the kids anything just do it throughout the year. Surprising them when they aren’t expecting it is more fun anyway.

Whatever you decide to do, make it your decision. Be aware of what they are selling you. Be aware of how you are constantly being barraged. You can’t even watch something, read an article etc. without them selling you something. Next time you go to a store see if you can walk out with nothing. Make yourself immune to their bullshit.

The economy won’t crumble, it will change, and we will adapt. We will adapt, and be happier. Mortgage’s will go down in price, groceries will, prices in general will drop. The scare tactic implanted by economists is that it’s not how the economy works. It absolutely is, we control the economic trends. Our money talks even when our mouths are closed. If you think economists aren’t paid to scare you into spending well I don’t know what to tell you because everyone in our current socioeconomic climate can be bought.

#commercialism #consumerism #overspending #money #manifesto #rant

0 notes

moneyonliness · 4 years

Text

Is Prosperity Of Life A Scam?

I simply want to give you my honest opinion of this program and let you decide for yourself, if it’s something that you would want to try.

There’s a lot to learn about this company so let’s get to it.

What Is Prosperity of Life?

There’s red flags all over the place when I read up on this company. The main focus of these events is to get the attendees to join as a monthly member.

On top of these live events and conferences they also sell digital products that consist of personal development workshops and online training modules that actually just promote Prosperity of Life.

Products

The products and services they offer are called “Master Of Destinies” and they are pricey!

Price: $2,855

Potential Commission per Sale: $1,828

Product #2 – M-7: Includes 4 more recorded seminars from Sovereignty Live and Influence Live.

Cost: $5,740

Potential Commission per Sale: $3,672

Product #3 – M7 Fast Track: This is a combo pack that includes M-1 and M-7.

Cost: $7,820

Potential Commission per Sale: $5,000

Product #4 – M2 Sovereignty Live: This is a 5-day live event that covers all kinds of important topics like how to invest your money, asset allocation, tax minimization, and much more.

Cost: $9,940

Potential Commission per Sale: $5,000

Product #5 – M3 Influence Live: Learn about personal development and leadership strategies. Find out how to create a life that you desire that doesn’t go against your personal beliefs and values.

Cost: $16,190

Potential Commission per Sale: $8,000

Is Prosperity Of Life A Scam

No, I don’t think it’s necessarily a scam but I just couldn’t see myself spending all that money knowing that there’s a chance I may not even be able to break even.

Plus there are some Red Flags I should mention to you…

Rodrick Hawk

1 note · View note

earnonlineincome · 4 years

Text

Is Prosperity Of Life A Scam?

I simply want to give you my honest opinion of this program and let you decide for yourself, if it’s something that you would want to try.

There’s a lot to learn about this company so let’s get to it.

What Is Prosperity of Life?

There’s red flags all over the place when I read up on this company. The main focus of these events is to get the attendees to join as a monthly member.

On top of these live events and conferences they also sell digital products that consist of personal development workshops and online training modules that actually just promote Prosperity of Life.

Products

The products and services they offer are called “Master Of Destinies” and they are pricey!

Price: $2,855

Potential Commission per Sale: $1,828

Product #2 – M-7: Includes 4 more recorded seminars from Sovereignty Live and Influence Live.

Cost: $5,740

Potential Commission per Sale: $3,672

Product #3 – M7 Fast Track: This is a combo pack that includes M-1 and M-7.

Cost: $7,820

Potential Commission per Sale: $5,000

Product #4 – M2 Sovereignty Live: This is a 5-day live event that covers all kinds of important topics like how to invest your money, asset allocation, tax minimization, and much more.

Cost: $9,940

Potential Commission per Sale: $5,000

Product #5 – M3 Influence Live: Learn about personal development and leadership strategies. Find out how to create a life that you desire that doesn’t go against your personal beliefs and values.

Cost: $16,190

Potential Commission per Sale: $8,000

Is Prosperity Of Life A Scam

No, I don’t think it’s necessarily a scam but I just couldn’t see myself spending all that money knowing that there’s a chance I may not even be able to break even.

Plus there are some Red Flags I should mention to you…

Justin Blair

1 note · View note

qualiaofthreedots · 1 year

Text

Up is down, down is up

After travelling the beautiful region of lombardy in Italy and going to marvellous and in history buried cities...I was in a desperate need for a hike.

So I convinced my roommate to get on an early train from Melzo to a side of lago di Garlate . We got of at Calolziocorte Olginate and started to hike up, town where we got of was empty, like walking through a ghost town, but nonetheless we kept walking up and up and up, with a few wondering cars passing us by - we were on their road and their road was on our path but our path was in the forest, so the trees should be the only ones wondering why all of us are here just going up and up and up.

My roommate took of infront of me, she was almost a century ahead of me. I was admiring the view, the further we went the more mountains surrounded us. How beautiful are the marks in the stone of where water used to be. How intricate are the vines that take over the once man built fences, completely devouring them. On the cliffs that kept me company on my way up, I could see markings from boulders that came from the up wanting to explore the down.

I wonder if I had kidnapped a pebble that got stuck in the sole of my shoe from the bottom and taken in up to where it came from by accident. Up is down , down is up.

We reached the town of Erve in around 2h , I honestly think my friend did it in half the time.

The town was an absolute dream. Small people made out of flowerpots greated you on every corner. Smiling faces on also the people who weren't made out of clay. And of course the stream that glistened with the rays of sun, the Gallavesa stream that went through the whole town and down to the lake - up is down.

We followed the stream and it lead us to Gelato. When I tell you that it's the best gelato I have had in my entire life, I mean it. I even managed to make the owner laugh by accidentally mixing up two words in Italian - one meaning "cup" the other "ass" . Apparently by responding in " where would you like your Gelato " I had made this mans day. I blame my trip to Milan two years ago where the only words me and my friends knew where "culo" and " tette", but that's a story for another time.

With the most delicious gelato in my hand, despite my previous request, we found ourselves by the stream. We hopped across a few rocks, took off our shoes, and layed in it. Accompanied by my morning sandwich and Apricot juice in a Coca-Cola bottle, I had my lunch in the middle of the stream cooling down my inner demons, hunger and the red face I managed to paint while hiking up.

We stayed in the stream for 2h and I managed to build three rock pyramids and my roommate a whole bridge. Feels good to just play with rocks and flow with the stream. I like to think that it brought us up and then took us down aswell, as if I was one of it's pebbles that got brought up in the sole of my shoes and then flowed down to the lake.

On our way back down I stumbled upon a woman who was making bracelets, I got a beautiful blue one that she picked out for me. Now it rests on my left arm and I'm reminded of the stream, the people, my brilliant Italian language skills - I'm reminded of the magic.

Up is down, down is up - I wish for me to be the type of person in which shoes a pebble from a stream want to get stuck in... or maybe I want to be the pebble. I have time to figure that out, but what about you...

#italy #hiking #lombardia #lake como #adventure #stories

0 notes

passiveincomenews · 2 years

Text

Prosperity of Life Review – Scam or Legit MLM? Exposed!

Are you considering joining Prosperity of Life? It’s important to be aware that network marketing companies, like Prosperity of Life, have both advantages and disadvantages.

Each company is unique, but it is possible to make money through them. However, some have a reputation for causing financial harm to their members.

Many people learn about Prosperity of Life through a trusted internet friend or influencer.

It’s easy to see why so many people speak positively about the company – having a source of income outside of a traditional 9-to-5 job can be life-changing.

Multi-level marketing (MLM) is a business model where you pay a company to sell their products. The quality of these products may vary, and some may be overpriced.

The main way to make money with MLM is by recruiting others to join and purchase products regularly.

As an experienced Internet entrepreneur, I’m in a good position to share with you everything I know about the program. Over the years, I’ve reviewed hundreds of MLM companies.

As a disclaimer, I’m not affiliated with Prosperity of Life. It means I’m not paid to write this review. So you can rest assured that you will get an honest and unbiased review from me.

At the end of this article, I’ll also tell you a better way to make money online.

Key Takeaways: Prosperity of Life Review

Name: Prosperity of Life Founders: Shane Krider, Rachel Krider, Greg Strom Date Founded: April 10, 2010 Company Address: Fountain Hills, Arizona, U.S.A. Telephone No.: (855 )617 5432 Email Address: [email protected] Overall Rating: 1/5 Pros: Products can be sold for a profit; flexible working hours Cons: Lack of transparency; a pyramid scheme in disguise; expensive membership fee Verdict: It’s an MLM program you should avoid.

What is Prosperity of Life?

Prosperity of Life, an MLM company that was previously known as Polaris Global, has recently changed its name to reflect a more optimistic business outlook. The company was founded by Shane Krider and his wife Rachel.

It’s so annoying that Prosperity of Life (you know, like a lot of other multi-level marketing companies) keeps changing its name all the time.

I mean, first, it was Polaris Media Group, then it became Prosperity of Life and The Prosperity of Life Network.

But I guess they’re still around and doing their thing. I mean, they’re still doing all the usual stuff like training, customer service, resource management, and support.

But all their courses, materials, and products are now under the Prosperity of Life brand. I guess that’s their new public face and the company that’s in charge of their intellectual property.

The company’s website states that they sell tools to improve one’s life and generate income. Essentially, you can earn money by promoting the company’s products.

When you join the program, you will have access to systems for promotion, products to sell, training on how to sell better, and mentoring to help guide you along the way.

1 note · View note

aletalks210 · 2 years

Text

Multi-Level Marketing VS Pyramid Schemes

I see a lot of posts on the internet about MLM being branded as a scam by victims or by people who think that both mean the same.

I did my research and found the difference between the two on the website of the South Dakota Office of the Attorney General Consumer Protection.

Multi-level Marketing (MLM) or network marketing is defined as individuals selling products to the public - often by word of mouth or direct/indirect sales. The main idea behind the MLM strategy is to promote a maximum number of distributors for the product and exponentially increase the sales force. The promoters get a commission on the sale of the product as well as compensation for sales their recruits make, thus, the compensation plan in multi-level marketing is structured such that commission is paid to individuals at multiple levels when a single sale is made and the commission depends on the total volume of sales generated.

Pyramid scheming, however, fraudulent scheme, disguised as an MLM strategy. The difference between a pyramid scheme and a lawful MLM program is that there is NO REAL PRODUCT that is sold in a pyramid scheme. Participants attempt to make money solely by recruiting new participants into the program. The hallmark of these schemes is the promise of sky-high returns in a short period of time for doing nothing other than handing over your money and getting others to do the same.

How do you know which is which?

According to Jeffrey A. Babener, an attorney in the law firm of Babener and Associates, here are some ways in which you can investigate an MLM company.;

✔ Check to see if it is a member of any industry associations, like the DSA or DSWA.

✔ Call your state's attorney general's office or consumer protection division. Most countries regulate direct selling companies through these agencies.

✔ Check with the Better Business Bureau.

✔ Check the company's financial information (especially if they are publicly traded - corporate reports are available from online services) by assessing a credit reporting service, like Dun and Bradstreet.

✔ Ask your sponsor (or potential sponsors) for the names and numbers of some other distributors.

✔ Attend one of the company’s training seminars to see how the company operates firsthand.

✔ Check industry trade publications for any information on the company, like Entrepreneur magazine.

✔ Many times the company’s products will be regulated by government agencies, like the FDA. You can check the credibility of the products in some cases by contacting such government agencies.

✔ Do some digging: gather as much information from the company itself, like the number of years they’ve been in business, the number of distributors they have, what countries they operate in, etc. This information will give you an idea of the company’s credibility.

And if you are wondering how to make sure that the direct selling company that you’re starting is not an unintentional pyramid scheme, be sure to contact the nearest attorney general's office for legal consultation.

Many scams request you to pay fees in advance of receiving goods, services, or a prize. It's illegal for a company to ask you to pay a fee upfront before they'll give you a loan.

Don't allow present-day scammers to prevent you from grabbing the opportunity to earn online.

0 notes

ixglobal3 · 2 years

Text

What exactly is iX Global?

youtube

The DEBT Box

Your iX Global Business is a Self Development/Improvement Education Platform NETWORK MARKETING that offers self improvement education, mixed with area and group helping. In addition to that affiliates are also able to earn addition money by participating in that company’s MLM method and referring people to the company as well as its programs. But undertake they really have just what it take to make it easier to become the very best most people that you can be. Let’s find out what the iX Global Company offers in this iX Universal review. iX World wide Review - The organization

The DEBT Box

Unlike a lot of agencies that we review, this iX Global business does tell on the website who their own company CEO in addition to Founder is. This Name is Man Martinez.

In addition to Later on Martinez, the iX Global company also offers two other company founders that are possibly not listed on the supplier website for some reason. And they're Anita David that's the COO (Chief Operating Officer), along with Helen Boyle who will be the company’s CCO (Chief Compliance Officer).

I am not sure exactly why they are not mentioned on the ixglobal. people website when they can be top leadership inside company.

In addition to that previous to Founding the iX Global company May well Martinez promoted a service called Kuvera International. However in the not distent past the Kuvera Global company comes with fell apart a lot more times than they wish to admit. And now they have perhaps renamed the company and they are rebooting themselves for the reason that iGenius.

You can study my review over the iGenius Company with the very near future.

iX Global Review - The Products

. The iX Global companyoffers together with promotes an app-based personal development base. And below is usually what the iX Global company may need to say about it around statements taken from your ixglobal. us site:

“iX has created your platform that will help you innovate and transform your way of life. ”

“Our software utilizes some of today’s latest trends thereafter we weave all those trends together with excellent old-fashioned principle based development (in each and every or any location you are looking to develop). ”

Now the non-public development niche is actually huge. And it is already gaining more terrain as the days pass by. People are interested in starting to be the best version associated with themselves that they can come to be..

So for a someone to gain access to a iX Global company’s self development stage there are the following subscriptions available to get you commenced:

1 - $124. 99 a month with regard to Basic 2 - $145 a month meant for Pro 3 - $174. 99 monthly for Premium (affiliate membership option)

In addition to these monthly subscriptions can purchased quarterly as well. Addons - ixglobal. us Overview

In addition to that the iX Global company provides some other addons which you can purchase. And here is a list of that available addons:

1 - a managed account for $19. 99 a month 2 - a hosted profile plus iX Warns for $39. 99 a month 3 - Alerts Pro to get $19. 99 per month

However I ended up being unable find much more information on these add-ons. For example what will the hosting addon provide? Can you employ a website hosted in that respect there? Because if you can, designed for $19. 99 30 days, the pricing is quite competitive with WP Engine. Which is a wonderful WordPress based website hosting. And it’s fast.

However I experienced a YouTube Training video pointing to that undeniable fact that all three for the memberships are online based. Which means that you need to pay money so that you can play. IX Overseas no retail goods and services

And this is an item they will most likely prefer to change. Because depending on the FTC, network marketing businesses must have more retail store sales than affiliate sites.

Which would put this iX Global corporation in a pyramid system situation if there is zero option for retail industry customers to buy ones own products or services without being an affiliate first.

Good now let’s proceed right along and then judge what the iX Global company provides its affiliates to be a compensation plan within just our iXGlobal. usa review.

1 note · View note

mostlysignssomeportents · 4 years

Text

Call center workers pay for the privilege

If you only learn one technical term from labor economics, make it "chickenization" - Christopher Leonard's term for the way that the Big Three poultry processors have structured the chicken-farming industry (I learned it from Zephyr Teachout). https://pluralistic.net/2020/07/29/break-em-up/#break-em-up Here's chickenization: you're a chicken farmer. There is only one company that can buy your birds, thanks to market concentration. They tell you how to design and maintain your coop. They sell you the chicks. They tell you which feed to use, how much and when. They tell you when the lights go on and when they go off. They tell you how which vet to use, and which medicines they can use. They bind you to secrecy through nondisclosure and strip you of the right to sue through arbitration. They experiment on you. Your barn is filled with sensors that they monitor, and they tell you to vary feed, lighting, medicine and other variables to see if your birds get bigger. They are the only buyer in your region, so they know how each farmer's birds are thriving. But if the "independent" farmers ever tried to compare notes, they'd be violating their nondisclosure agreements and could be sued. Farmers who complain to regulators are barred from the market. Once your birds are grown, you bring them to the processor, who exploits their information asymmetry to figure out how to pay you JUST ENOUGH to go back to things, but not enough to get ahead. Since chickenization, poultry farmers have faced a wave of suicides. Once you know about chickenization, you see it everywhere: crop farmers are chickenized by seed companies, and Uber drivers are chickenized by their apps. The contours of chickenization are impossible to miss: it's a shifting of all the risk from the employer's side of the balance sheet to the workers', using the fiction of independent contractorship, the data-gathering capabilities of digital work, and monopolies. Today, I learned about the worst chickenization scheme I've ever encountered: a giant, global company that has chickenized a vast workforce, but maintains total secrecy, even as it services massive blue-chip companies from Airbnb to Disney. That company is Arise, and Propublica and Planet Money just blew the roof off its ghastly charnel house of a chicken farm by, as Ken Armstrong, Justin Elliott and Ariana Tobin reported out leaks, arbitration reports, and whistleblower accounts. https://www.propublica.org/article/meet-the-customer-service-reps-for-disney-and-airbnb-who-have-to-pay-to-talk-to-you#1001065 Here's chickenization, Arise style: the company is a outsource phone support system. Workers have to pay to work for Arise (they're "independent contractors"): buy a dedicated PC, internet connection and other equipment. They have to do weeks of unpaid "training" just to get started, and then they have to pay more to get specific training for every one of Arise's giant corporate clients, from AT&T to Carnival Cruises to Comcast to Disney to Airbnb to Intuit to Barnes and Noble to Ebay. After passing random, invasive, in-home inspections, after shelling out thousands of dollars and doing weeks - if not months - of unpaid training, they are finally eligible to sign up for shifts. These shifts come in 30 minute slices, widely spaced, and turning them down gets you blacklisted. It's impossible to hold down another job while you're an Arise chicken-farmer. But you don't get paid for 30-minute shifts. You just get paid for the time that you're talking to customers. The whole time you talk to a customer, an algorithm is ready to penalize you: i.e., if it takes too long to deal with queries, or if there're too many pauses. Meanwhile, the client's outsource managers randomly (or not-randomly) listen in on your calls, and they can penalize you too. The main penalty is being "deskilled" - barred from working for that client, after paying (in cash and time) to get trained to be their phone rep. Workers are barred from hanging up on abusive customers. Women report high levels of sexual harassment, which they have to patiently endure, because they risk getting fired if they hang up on their abusers. And all workers are expected to tolerate unlimited abuse from callers. 64% of Arise's workers are people of color. 89% of them are women. Arise's recruiting ads target Black women in particular. There *is* a way to get ahead in Arise: recruit other workers. Because, in addition to everything else, it's a pyramid scheme, and the business is riddled with people who've been previously convicted of wire fraud. Nearly every person in the Arise structure is chickenized:. The following jobs are all performed by "independent contractors":

Client Support Professionals

Quality Assurance Performance Facilitators

Chat Performance Facilitators

Escalation Performance Facilitators

Not only do you have to pay to work for Arise - you have to pay (a "contract termination fee") to stop working for them. Arise binds workers to arbitration, meaning they can't sue. The right of workers to join class actions in spite of arbitration waivers went to the Supreme Court in '18, where the illegitimate justice Neal Gorsuch wrote the majority opinion, ruling against workers. Arise honors Juneteenth with a day off for all employees. But all those Black women it has chickenized are independent businesses and are still expected to show up for work. Arise's founder is Richard Cherry, a Canadian "serial entrepreneur" who started off writing scammy get-rich-quick and lose-weight-quick books before moving to Florida and getting heavily involved with the Home Shopping Network. Today, the company is a division of a giant private equity fund, Warburg Pincus.

#pluralistic

2K notes · View notes

chika-the-terrible · 3 years

Text

New Pokemon Fanfic Idea

Disclaimer: While this is a 2-story AU fanfic idea, it is also going to have lots of speculation in it on the part of the latter story, as it is going to be based heavily in the world of the unreleased Pokemon Legends: Arceus game.

Also will have information from the anime, but I’ve only watch up to the beginning of the Kalos adventures and it’s been a while since I’ve watched the Sinnoh anime (or any of the anime, really), so I apologize for getting details wrong.

-------------------------------------------------

Here’s the idea: Basically, this is based on some artwork I did some weeks ago on DeviantArt of the Turtwig line, but recolored with purples, to reflect Paul’s color scheme, which came to mind after I finished BDSP.

Which then made me think of Paul somehow transforming into a Turtwig and filling the place of Ash’s Turtwig during Ash’s journey through Sinnoh. But he’s not there right away, just finds himself in the same place Turtwig was in the anime and kinda lost, until Pikachu comes around and Paul recognizes Pikachu. He tells Pikachu what he knows (not knowing how he got sent back in time or how he transformed into a Turtwig) and Pikachu suggests that Paul come with him and Ash so they can figure it out together. So, since he has no idea how to be a pokemon and really needs the help, Paul goes with Ash and Pikachu. He also refuses to stay in his pokeball so he travels out like Pikachu and Ash doesn’t mind.

The story after that follows Ash’s journey, but because Paul is now a ‘weirdly-colored Shiny’ and not Ash’s rival, either Ash isn’t really pushed like he was before or Barry comes in earlier to fill in that space. Which makes Paul concerned, because he should have been involved since the beginning, but his other self never shows up. And he doesn’t understand why until they get to Veilstone and meet Reggie.

Brock once again asks Reggie about the missing symbol (I believe that’s what happened in the anime) and Reggie kinda grows quiet and sad. Brock tries to backpedal, realizing that he may have made a misstep, but Reggie says it’s fine and explains so that they understand. Back when he was completing the Battle Frontier, Paul was a new trainer and travelling with him. It was while they were trying to find the Battle Pyramid that there was an accident and Paul was killed, so Reggie never took on Brandon because of the grief and just went home.

And just, Paul is in shock. He was dead? And he runs off to process this, followed by Pikachu to keep him company. Of course, this soon gets derailed when Team Galactic show up to get the meteors and Paul has to push away his feelings to deal with this. And when Galactic is driven off, he and Pikachu return to Ash, but he’s still confused and kinda depressed about his fate in this alternate timeline, so he doesn’t know if he wants to keep travelling with Ash or just stay with Reggie. At least, until Turtwig shows up.

Turtwig (The AU Paul’s Turtwig) recognizes him immediately. The pokemon ends up confused and crying too, until Paul explains his side of the story. And Turtwig understands what has to be done. Because, as much as this is Paul, it’s not his Paul. Paul was made into a Turtwig for a reason and he wasn’t going to get answers staying with Reggie, no matter how comforting it might be. So he urges Paul to keep going with Ash, because going out into the world on an adventure would give him better answers than just staying in Veilsone. And as much as Paul doesn’t want to, he follows Turtwig’s advice and stays with the group.

They continue travelling, following the anime story for the most part, and Paul eventually evolves into a Grotle, then Torterra (also continuing to refuse to be confined to a pokeball even as he gets slower and bigger). As he travels with the gang, Paul also begins to learn things, not just getting answers on his predicament. He learns what it means to be a pokemon, wanting to fight for your trainer instead of being ordered around like he was doing, and that Ash’s training style had merit, just like his own. Ash’s pokemon may not have been able to match Paul’s in pure power, but their belief in their trainer and Ash’s belief in them was what made the pokemon strong enough to eventually topple Paul’s team. And these new ideals help Paul change a bit. He’s still standoffish and a bit cold, but he’s thawed out a lot and now is more willing to ask for help and help others. Which, y’know, surprises him when he realizes the changes.

But his attitude isn’t the only thing that changes. Because he’s a pokemon, he also understands other pokemon and becomes friends with Ash’s team, and he learns just how much pain a pokemon can take before they can’t fight anymore. It makes him empathetic for his own team, and then saddened, because he doesn’t know if he’ll ever see them again. On their journey, he and Pikachu have looked and looked but have been unable to find any kind of answer to what happened to Paul. Until they meet Brandon in Snowpoint.

Pikachu gets the idea to ask the Regis if they have any idea of how to help Paul, since they’re old beings and all, but they have to go through the whole thing with Hunter J and Regigigas first. And after he first met Hunter J and her Salamence, Paul is holding a grudge, so he takes on Salamence by himself after goading it into attacking. It’s a really rough fight, especially since Paul is at a double disadvantage with typing and Salamence’s flamethrower, but he pushes through with some help and eventually gets the upper hand against Salamence before J flees (also might evolve to Torterra during the fight instead of in Sunyshore like canon).

Now that that’s over with, Pikachu and Paul ask the Regis. To their surprise, it’s Regigigas who has the answer, which is Arceus. And Paul has no idea how he managed to incur the wrath of the Alpha Pokemon, so he asks why. Regigigas then answers that it could just as easily be the efforts of Dialga and Palkia working together, being as they control time and space respectively, but they hate each other and neither can turn a human into a pokemon, so Arceus is the likely culprit. As for why this happened, Regigigas has no answer. The only way to know is to ask Arceus itself.

So they keep journeying until Arceus and the Jewel of Life happens. Paul sees this as their chance to ask why...until Arceus starts going on a rampage. So they go through the events of the movie and save Arceus, but because the Alpha Pokemon doesn’t believe in the words ‘stop and smell the roses,’ it leaves right after giving thanks to the humans in present day. And that leaves Paul angry. After all this time, he had the chance to ask, but then it was stolen from him because Arceus decided not to stand around. So Paul kinda has to vent at the forest for a bit after with his moves and is still kinda bitter throughout the rest of the journey, until they get to the Pokemon League Conference.

Paul panics, because he knows that Ash is going to switch out most of his pokemon for the upcoming battles and Paul doesn’t want to be one of them. So at first he asks Pikachu to ask Ash to keep Paul, then realizes Ash might not understand the request and tries running away. It’s not easy as a purple Torterra, but he manages. And when Ash and the gang finally catch up to Paul and figure out what’s going on, Ash lets Paul stay. That’s when Paul learns another lesson: Pokemon who love their trainers REALLY don’t want to be separated from them, and it makes Paul take a major introspection of himself. Was he losing himself because he had stayed a pokemon so long? Why did he want to stay with Ash if they weren’t going to keep looking for Arceus after the League? Why was he so afraid to be forced to leave Ash? And Paul doesn’t know how to answer these questions. But he pushes them into the back of his mind as the League starts and tries sorting them out in his own time with a little help from Pikachu and the other pokemon (who don’t know Paul’s secret like Pikachu does but they do their best to cheer up their friend).

Eventually, Paul ends up being Ash’s final pokemon in his major second-to-last fight, which is up against Barry, and they win, and Paul doesn’t know how to feel with them being so close to ending the League. But then they go up against Tobias and Paul manages to help take out Darkrai but it’s not enough and they still lose but Paul’s not mad about it. He’s been enjoying battling, even though he dislikes the pain that comes with it, but he gets it. You have to give blood, sweat, and tears before you win, don’t you? And Ash has help him achieve it, so he’s not mad. What he’s worried about, though, is what happens next. He knows Ash is going to go back to Kanto now, leaving Arceus and Sinnoh behind and Paul doesn’t know what he wants. Does he still want to travel with Ash, even if it means he’ll never be human again? Or does he want to go looking by himself and risk being caught and sold by people like Team Rocket or Hunter J? Ash answers that for him: They’ll look for Arceus.

Which, Paul is REALLY surprised at, because how did Ash know??? Paul was pretty sure Ash couldn’t understand him, until Ash explains that Pikachu told him everything, because Pikachu was his first partner. And it clicks with Paul, how things make total sense now. Typically people couldn’t understand pokemon, it just wasn’t possible. There were the few that said they could, and then there was the ‘First Pokemon Phenomena.’ It was a thing that typically happened with Trainers and the first pokemon they were partnered with, usually the starters, where the trainer would learn to understand what their partner said but couldn’t with other pokemon. So having Pikachu as Ash’s first pokemon, not just his favorite, it made more sense now. So after saying goodbye to Dawn and Brock, Paul, Ash, and Pikachu return to Michina Town to find another way to ask Arceus for help.

After Ash and Damos helped save Arceus, the Alpha Pokemon is more kind to people than before, and Ash thinks that Michina Town, since that was where they last saw Arceus, would give them to best shot of calling for the Alpha Pokemon. And it works. Arceus shows up, listens to their plea, and offers to take Paul back to his own universe and timeline, though it has no idea why he’s here in the first place. And then Paul says goodbye to Ash and Pikachu, tears in his eyes because he can’t thank them enough for how much they’ve changed and helped him, and blacks out.

When he wakes up, he’s Paul again, but he’s sore. And he’s not at home. He’s- At the hospital? And Reggie’s there, and explains what Paul’s memory is missing, which is that he had gone out to train not far from Veilstone, on Route 210, but something happened and his team ended up bringing a badly injured Paul home, where he’s been in a coma for MONTHS. Torterra’s also in the room despite the rules and leans on the bed so Paul doesn’t have to stretch too far to rub his head and nearly collapses the bed but that’s okay because Paul’s okay and Torterra is happy. Paul takes some moments to sort through the information and sees Reggie’s crying face and he just, he breaks down a bit. He never thought he’d be human again and he knows not to take his brother for granted so they hug and Reggie’s surprised but then they’re both crying and hugging and so no one comments on it.

But then, when they’re done with the sobfest, Reggie mentions that Ash is here, having just finished the Manalo Conference and learned what happened, and came for support. But he hasn’t left since which, y’know, means a bit more than it looks like. And Paul’s not sure how to take his rival showing up for support like this. But he’s stuck in the hospital for a while longer so he has lots of time to sort through things, and he ends up going outside one night to talk with his pokemon and tell them what happened and it helps them understand why he’s being so gentle now and that’s when Paul realizes that he’s got a holdover from his time as a Torterra: He can now understand all pokemon. And then he notices that Ash was around and heard everything, but he doesn’t react and lets him approach.

Ash doesn’t say anything for a while, just standing with Paul and the pokemon, then says that he was a pokemon too, for a short while. Paul asks, Ash answers about his adventure as a Pikachu for a week, and Paul laughs because, if you don’t have to fight or anything, you could enjoy the experience like Ash did. But he wasn’t so lucky, yet he got a better perspective than Ash did about their lives. And Ash laughs too because yeah, he was kind of a silly Pikachu, even if he couldn’t understand other pokemon like Paul could. And they talk a little more about their pokemon experiences, until Ash asks about why Paul’s being so nice and loose and Paul is still prideful enough not to admit it’s because of Ash’s influence and the friendship of the pokemon and so asks him to drop it, and Ash does.

Paul eventually has to go back to his room, but while he’s stuck in the hospital, he explains it all to Reggie and Ash visits more often and then Paul asks at one point if he could see Infernape again and apologize and Ash does. Infernape’s not sure how to take the apology from Paul, of all people, but he does accept the apology and Paul feels better about it, because the whole thing with Chimchar kinda ate him up inside as he grew as a person in the other world. And Ash did get a Chimchar like Paul, it was the same one actually, but Ash saved Chimchar from the Zangoose instead of what Paul did so, yeah.

And when Paul is finally allowed to leave, he stays a while with Reggie and Ash...doesn’t leave. So Paul takes the opportunity to ask to travel with Ash, and Ash agrees. But that’s just the end of the first story.

-------------------------------------------------

Second story: Ash and Paul have been exploring Galar for a while with Goh, but then come across Arceus (different than when Arceus appears in canon), who is going on a rampage and they don’t know why but it triggers something in Paul and he remembers what happened to him in the previous story, that resulted in his injuries and the pokemon adventure: Arceus attacked out of nowhere on a rampage and the only reason he didn’t die was because the Creation Trio showed up and drove Arceus away. And it’s happening again and Paul is left traumatized by the previous experience and can’t do anything, but Ash takes the initiative and tries to help Arceus.

They both get blasted and disappear with Pikachu and Torterra, only to end up in old Sinnoh (Hisui) and have to make their way through this new world as they try to figure out how to get back to their own time, what was going on with Arceus then, and what is happening in the region now because something’s up. And because they’ve been travelling together and have to work together to find a way home, Ash and Paul grow closer and it becomes Comashipping because that’s always been the endgame.

They help the Galaxy Team create the Pokedex (and only Ash accepts one of the starters, probably Cyndaquil because it reminds Ash of his own Cyndaquil/Quilava and because he helped it for some reason) and travel Hisui and they discover all sorts of new things. The crafting pokeballs reminds Ash of the GS Ball and it makes him wonder again what was stuck inside it while Paul actually bonds with the pokemon around the region and experiences the history he’s only every heard about in books.

Eventually they encounter Arceus again at the end of the story after finding out that Arceus has been infected by something that makes it rage out-of-control (that can spread to other pokemon, found out by poor Torterra, and it isn’t Pokérus) and then they save Arceus, who promises to send them back if they’ll cure him again, as the only cure can be made from plants in Hisui who have gone extinct in modern Sinnoh. Which then leads to cultivation in the present of seeds stolen away from that time so this doesn’t happen again and Ash and Paul continue travelling together and leaving Goh confused because, this time, there was no timeskip and so they just appeared in the same place where they left with no time change. And of course they don’t say anything, as nobody would believe them (even Reggie had a hard time believing Paul’s pokemon adventure, so they kinda don’t mention it to him).

AND THAT’S IT.

-------------------------------------------------

Update: I am now writing a drabble-ish series based on this idea on Tumblr. Here’s the first part.

21 notes · View notes

firefly-in-darkness · 4 years

Text

Misconceptions - 12/12.

Misconceptions - 12/12

Characters: Y/N, Bucky Barnes, Avengers

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Series Summary: Bucky Barnes overhears a conversation that he shouldn’t have…

Word Count: 1.7k

Warnings: Fluff, all of the fluff. a little bit of drama.

Beta: The always lovely, Stacey - @princessmisery666 - honestly she’s amazing // all mistakes are my own.

A/N: Well, it is finally here, the end of this series - I didn’t expect the amount of beautiful feedback I have received. I hope you enjoy the ending to this instalment. Thank you for sticking with me!

Catch up with the series here: Misconceptions Series List

Return to Firefly’s Library & Masterlist

Y/N sat in the back of the car whilst Bucky joined Steve up front, the conversation faded as they drove further away from the apartment and towards the quinjet. She glanced out the window, her mind clouded with her feelings for Bucky once more.

She thought about what happened in the kitchen; the warmth and laughter, Bucky’s lips on hers. Subconsciously, her index finger dragged across her bottom lip, a small smile growing at the thought of what it could have led to. She hoped that he’d pulled away because of Steve, that he had closed himself off as soon as their bodies untangled.

They drove up the ramp of the quinjet, the jolt knocking Y/N’s head against the window with a slight thud. She rubbed at the sore spot and unbuckled her seatbelt, before she reached for the door handle, it was opened by Bucky. Y/N slipped her hand into his outstretched hand and climbed out of the car. As she glanced up at him, his soft blue eyes held her gaze, she was lost in his touch and bright eyes.

Steve’s fake cough had them both turning to him, “Come on, we need to get back and, Y/N, we need to talk.”

Y/N’s stomach dropped at Steve’s words; she knew she wasn’t in trouble, but she didn’t need a guess to figure out what it was about. She could have compromised the mission, and that was not a good situation for any agent, let alone amongst the Avengers. She dropped her gaze from his and her stomach fluttered painfully, the nerves slowly gripping a hold of her chest, as she followed Steve.

With the door closed behind her, she followed Captain America to the desk he had leant on instead of sitting behind. She took a seat and with an intake of breath began recounting the events that led to Bucky’s rescue. As she spoke of Davenport, her stomach lurched at her stupidity for being caught up in her own head.

“Fury will put you on recruit training, you know, that right?”

“Yeah, I know, I'm not daft.” Y/N scoffed and shook her head, “It’s for the best, I could have compromised the mission, and someone could have gotten hurt, or worse.”

The facade of Captain America disappeared as he sat in the chair beside hers, giving her shoulder a squeeze and a light smile. Y/N relished in his reassurance and support.

Steve’s smile widened, “Let’s go up front, I’m sure Bucky will like the company.”

The compound was alive as Y/N, Bucky and Steve walked through the doors of the common room. Pizza boxes were being opened; beers passed around. Movie night. Y/N’s heart sunk as she realised there wasn’t going to be a way for her to escape and talk to Bucky if they entered the event.

Y/N turned to Bucky, ready to say or drop a hint to get out of there but without warning, Wanda had grabbed her hand and began dragging her further into the room. She glanced back to Bucky, but he’d disappeared. Her stomach flipped and her anxiousness about not being able to talk to him seeped to the front of her mind.

“Are you okay?” Wanda whispered and perched on the bean bag in front of the spot Y/N occupied on the couch.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just-” Y/N’s thoughts flashed to Bucky, the uncertainty of where she stood with him, it was gnawing at the edge of her enjoyment of their moment in the kitchen.

Y/N’s heart dropped at Wanda’s blush, fear of being outed by her telepathy had Y/N stammering out her words “Oh gosh, Wanda. Please don’t-”

Wanda shook her head as she grabbed a slice of pizza, “It’s okay, I’m sorry, I wasn’t prepared to block it. But you know, I keep other people’s thoughts to themselves.”

“Oh, baby girl, whatcha thinking about?” Sam teased sitting on the armrest and pulled her into a side hug. He kissed the top of Y/N’s head then joined Nat on the corner sofa opposite.

Y/N shook her head, changing the subject, “So what disaster of a movie are we watching?”

“It’s my choice doll, and it’s not going to be a disaster.” Bucky sat beside her with a bowl of toffee popcorn resting in his lap.

“It better be good Barnes,” She smirked at him, taking a slice of pizza from Wanda’s box and munching away. She hoped Bucky couldn’t hear her heartbeat quickening at his closeness.

The opening sequence of The Mummy began; Pyramids and statues of Anubis coming into view as the camera panned and the Medjai Chieftain began narrating the story of Imhotep and Anck Su Namun.

Y/N’s head snapped to Bucky’s; he’d picked one of her favourite films. One she had mentioned in passing many months ago. Y/N’s cheeks ached from the grin she gave him before nestling deeper into the cushions.

Soft giggles and lip bites were exchanged over the bowl of popcorn each time their hands brushed whilst diving for a handful of the sweet treat. Bucky pulled a blanket over their legs, inching closer to Y/N, his thigh resting against her own, the warmth radiating between them and calm washing over them at the slight touch.

Y/N was glued to the television as Evelyn read out the words from the Book of the dead. She jumped as the mummified corpse of Imhotep was awoken and screamed. Subconsciously she grabbed Bucky’s hand tightly, her eyes widened at the absentminded reaction. She glanced between their joined hands and Bucky’s face. His soft smile and gentle squeeze of her hand was enough to settle the panic that had begun to rise.

Bucky raised her hand to his face, pressing his lips softly against her skin. She almost shivered from the connection, his ocean eyes swimming with adoration and a hint of teasing. If Y/N and Bucky had been aware of anything outside of their bubble, they would have noticed the side glances from their teammates.

They would have noticed them gradually leaving, and by the end of the film, they were alone. Well, almost alone, unbeknownst to them, the team had set themselves up in the surveillance room. They had a perfect view and sound of the two shy friends snuggled up together.

“This isn’t right,” Steve shook his head and gestured to the screen, “we shouldn’t be spying on them.

Nat raised her brow at him as she curled up on the sofa, “You joined in on the bet, Rogers!”

Sam’s laugh echoed around the room, “Steve, you can’t back out of this now. It’s gone on for too long and they need this little push!”

Steve sat beside them with a sigh, handing them a beer from the cooler they’d prepared earlier, “I guess all we have to do is wait.”

Y/N leant forward, body tense as she watched Beni being surrounded by the scarab beetles whilst Evelyn, Rick and Jonathan escaped the collapsing temple. As Rick pulled Evelyn into a kiss, riding on a camel and off into the sunset, Y/N couldn’t help but compare them to her and Bucky. Dancing around their feelings but being there for the other when it mattered most. She remembered the tingle of Bucky’s lips against hers and she wanted, more than anything, to do it again.

The credits rolled, she stretched out her legs and glanced around the room, realising it was empty. She’d been so engrossed in the movie and Bucky’s touch that she had no idea how long they had been alone for.

“When did-” She started.

“About half an hour into the film.” He chuckled, “They tried to be subtle.”

Y/N turned to him fully, hand still in his, a slight frown, “What do you mean?”

“I think they’re waiting for something to happen between us.” Bucky’s thumb rubbed the back of her hand. She watched the way it glided across her skin, hands that could be brutal, hands that killed, but now, they were so tender, it brought a blush to her cheeks.

Bucky stood up, pulling her with him, her body moulding to his. His beard grazed her cheek as he leant to whisper in her ear, “I think they’re watching, the cameras moved earlier. They might have bugged the place too.”

Y/N gasped, from the warmth of breath that curled around her neck, it wasn’t just the audacity of her friends. She pulled back slightly and looked up at Bucky, “And I can easily guess who’s involved; Sam and Nat.”

Bucky chuckled softly, his arms wrapping tighter around her waist, “Steve is most definitely involved, the punk doesn’t know when to keep his nose out of other people’s business.”

Y/N’s mind whirled at the thought of them spying on her and Bucky. At least now, she thought she knew where she stood with Bucky; his film choice, the hand holding, his unreserved mention of something happening between them, and now, the way his Vibranium hand caressed the small of her back and the other gripped her hip.

She looked up at him, almost losing herself in the warmth that filled her chest at the sight before her. His happy smile swelled confidence in her and she smirked, “Wanna give them a show?”

His grin blinded her, “What are you thinking?”

She bit her lip, “Maybe something a little dramatic?”

Bucky dipped her down, his lips hovering above hers, “How dramatic? Just a little or are you all in, doll?”

“I’m all in.” She grinned back at him as his lips descended onto hers.

Sam charged down the hallway, “This is not happening! I forbid it.”

He was followed by an equally angry Natasha, “I cannot believe them. What on earth are they thinking?”

Steve was a few steps behind with a disappointed look on his face as they pushed through the doors and into the scene that they’d seen unfold before them; Y/N stood with her left hand in Bucky’s, the other clasped around her mouth, and Bucky kneeling before her.

Sam glared at them, arms flailing around, “You are not getting married.”

Everything Taglist: @reann-loves-sebstan / @aroyaldarknessblr / @thefridgeismybestie

Marvel Taglist: @natasha-danvers

Misconceptions Taglist: @supraveng / @iheartsebastianstan / @jessyballet / @likeit-or-leaveit / @insposcollective / @ladifrickinda / @wintersoldierissucharide / @michelehansel / @danietoww04 / @booboobella01 / @thefandomimagines / @justreadingfics / @socalgem1124 / @a--1--1--3 / @notyourtypicalrose / @winterboobear11 / @justlovelifeblog / @polireader / @hailmary-yramliah / @rainbowkisses31 / @gooddaykate / @moonybarnes / @samthemarvelfan / @unlikelygalaxygiver / @youaremyfiveever / @hennessy0274-blog / @hola-mishamigos-its-marvel-time / @babydollofbarnes / @bonkywobble / @weird-mumbling / @mela-nichen / @beardburnsupersoldiers / @chubby-dumplin / @chewymoustachio / @supernaturalwintersoldier / @marveloust-dog / @runaway-escape / @berenilion / @peaceinourtime82 / @buchanansebba / @awkwardbisexualsworld / @auskitty / @amythedvdhoarder / @kitkatd7 / @bitchacho25

#Bucky Barnes x Reader #Bucky Barnes Series #Bucky Barnes Fic #Bucky Barnes Fluff #Bucky Barnes #Bucky Barnes Angst #Bucky Barnes Fic Series #Bucky Barnes Fanfic #Bucky Barnes Fanficition #Bucky x Reader #Bucky Fic #Bucky Fic Series #Bucky Series #Bucky Fanfic #Bucky Fanfiction

568 notes · View notes