#like I almost admire the hustle?? but like. at the same time. sometimes you gotta acknowledge it's your time to go

[slutforpringles]

oh they're truly shameless 🙃💀

via: Eurosport | Red Bull, drôle d'année

[axemetaphor]

@ the oc ask game thing do all of em for Adam. I Dare Ya

oh shit asdfghjk i already did 2 so i’ll exclude those, but, HERE WE GO

🌹 Where in the world does your OC feel most at home? Is there any reason why? If it’s not the place they were born, where were they born? Is there a certain somebody that makes them feel at home where ever they may be? What does home mean to them?

He doesn’t remember much of Scotland, but he likely has an idealized concept of it that he considers home. In his mind, if he lived in the rolling green hills he often hears described, everything would be fine! He’d finally be entirely at peace. But that’s not his home, and he knows it.

For him, home isn’t really a place. Technically he still considers his mom’s house “home” simply because he’s used to referring to it as such, but it doesn’t feel like home. What feels like home to him is being with Flint and Domino. What feels like home is the three of them working on a case together and bantering back-and-forth as they drive to and from wherever the hell they need to go. What feels like home is staying up ‘til absurdly late hours playing video games with Domino and Joey and sometimes Lotte. That’s home.

🍁 Where does your OC go when they need to have some time to themself? Would they ever have their own “comfort corner” filled with all the things they like? Do they have a favourite spot outside that feels like its theirs and theirs alone?

Hm that’s actually interestin to think about. He barely knows New York and his space in the apartment is the living room, so, he doesn’t have His Room or smth to go hide in... He strikes me as the sort to like stargazing/skygazing, though, so maybe the roof. If he needs to think about something or calm down, he might take a walk to clear his head. He’s prone to anxiety and walks really help with that, afaik! 

🍂 Does your OC enjoy hugs? What do they do as a show of affection for: their friends, their family, their significant other(s) or for strangers? Over all what are they like with receiving affection from others?

Adam probably loves hugs, but is a bit skittish about them, mainly because he’s mindful of other people’s boundaries ! He doesn’t tend to easily trust kindness from strangers, or even from friends and family honestly, but he’d like hugs. He gives very nice hugs, he’s a very fluffy lad.

🌻 What little things do they notice about people or the world around them that make them happy? What tiny little treasures do they find in the normal every day that makes the world seem a little brighter for them?

He likes birds! And nature in general! He just likes living green things a lot. He likely notices plants and wildlife the most. That being said, everything about New York City is probably very new to him, so for a while he’d be dazzled by all the hustle-and-bustle. Especially the concept of “the city that never sleeps,” the eternal Something Is Happening Someplace.

As for people around him, he likely notices their neutral expression the most, and can probably pick up on what their mood is quite easily. If someone else is happy, he’s likely going to be happy, too! Unfortunately, this sort of a skill is likely a defense mechanism-

🌾 Describe your OC through the eyes of someone absolutely head-over-heels in love with them

this one was kinda tough lkjhgfd He’s a gentle dog with the prettiest unnervingly-bright-blue eyes around, and even when he hasn’t combed his mess of hair it manages to flop over his eyes in just the most adorable way. He handles everything with a certain level of delicacy that’s genuinely admirable. He’s always honest, even if it’d hurt him, fiercely loyal, and incredibly resourceful & hardy. He’s a little dumb but his heart’s in the right place, and he’s selfless to an almost dangerous degree. 

💐 How does your OC handle being unwell or forced to rest in bed? Who cares for them and in what ways? Does your OC enjoy being doted on or are they a terrible patient? Reversed: is your OC good at taking care of others who are ill or in need?

Adam is extremely good at taking care of other people and probably not very good at being taken-care-of lolol... He isn’t a terrible patient, just not the greatest one. He won’t be downright awful because he’s too sweet but he doesn’t like being fussed-over and feels guilty. Domino and Flint are both equally likely to take care of him when he’s sick, but Flint would probably be a little bit better at it by virtue of being More Adult than either of them lmao. Domino would Try, though!

🌿 What way does your OC show that they care without using words? What way do others show your OC that they’re cared about without using speech?

He strikes me as the type to Gently Lean On Someone when he really trusts them. He’d be likely to hug Domino when they’re having a rough time. He’s the type to pay attention closely when he really cares about someone or something.

Flint is likely to just do nice stuff for both of his kids--he doesn’t seem to be the type to be good at being emotional via words, so he probably shows that he cares by just doing little nice things here and there. Domino is probably the same, though their main way of showing Adam they really do love and trust him is simply the fact they let him hug them lol. As for the other characters he interacts with ... I’m not sure! 

🌳 What is your OC’s favourite way to relax after a stressful day? Do they have a favourite book to curl up with? A hobby? Or do they have a nice bubble bath and have an early night to bed?

He likes to play video games ! His favourite to relax is probably Minecraft. It’s chill and also Domino is terrible at it, so it’s really funny for him to watch them get lost and die a lot-

He does strike me as the type to maybe like a calming bath, though. Maybe he’d just chill in silence, or maybe he’s listen to some soft music. 

🌲 How deeply does your OC feel? Are they typically empathetic or do they have a hard time connecting with others in this way? What are they like when offering support and comfort to someone they care for?

He’s a very empathetic doggo, but he has a tough time making it a two-way street. He doesn’t open up very easily, albeit less-obviously-so than Domino. He’s more likely to deflect others’ questions about his emotions and focus on the other person’s feelings more.

🌺 What does your OC do to calm down when they’re scared or after a nightmare? Do they have any special comfort items or need to be reassured by a specific person? How do they handle this if they’re alone?

When he wakes up after a nightmare, he usually hugs a pillow, or Domino if they’re awake. He just doesn’t want to be all alone again. Domino is the most-comforting person to him, with Flint maybe being second-place--or tied with Joey. 

🌸 What are some of their favourite things and why? List as many as you can think of!

He loves video games, snack foods, gentle rainstorms, green hills and the outdoors in general, that light-in-the-chest happy feeling he gets when he’s Genuinely Praised, the smell of coffee in the early morning, waking up next to his family, road trips, peanut butter (though he has to be mindful of Flint’s allergies--), hugging Domino, the stars at night in a smog-free sky...

🌼 Who are this characters friends and found family? How did they meet, how long have they been friends for, could they ever be something more than just friends? What do they look for in a friend or a romantic partner?

Adam’s only biological relative is his sibling Domino! The two were adopted by Flint Paper, who Adam sees as a father figure. He considers Joey (owned by @archielemon) his big sister, as Domino and Joey already sorta.. mutually adopted each other as siblings lolol. By extension he might also see Kathy, Joey’s girlfriend (also owned by @archielemon) as a big-sister-in-law (technically--they’re not married, but, yknow). He also sees Lotte (owned by @keenflapcowboytaco) as a younger sister. Adam doesn’t have many friends yet, but he admires Sam a fair amount. Max, however, scares the shit out of him. 

Adam doesn’t have any romantic interests at present, nor a canon sexuality, because his mother was so stifling he never got any sort of opportunity to figure himself out. He has no idea what he would want in a partner or if he would want one at all.

Questions for You!

💫What is your favourite fact about this character and why?

this is Another Really Hard question! I’d have to say ... my favourite fact is how he admires Sam but is scared of Max. Especially since Max just wants to be his friend kjhgfdsa. If Adam wants to talk to Sam he’s gotta brave talking to Max, too, poour guy--

☄️ Does this OC deserve better treatment from you? Do you make them suffer just a little bit too much? Be nice to them!

asdfghjkl all of my OCs suffer too much at my hands, i am Sorry, My Children,

🌠 On a scale of 1 - 10 how Baby is your OC? BONUS when asking this question rate the OC yourself as see if the reply matches up!!

100000/10 he is Pupy and he cannot change this. He is More Pupy than Domino is

💦 If you as the writer could erase one traumatic event from this OC’s life what would it be and why?

oh fuck LMAO there are. so many. hm. well. Even though it was better for Domino to leave, Adam really wishes they’d stuck around. If he had them there, maybe they could have left together, instead, and been stronger for it.

[kumkaniudaku]

Take Me Out

A/N: Happy Birthday to my girl @yaachtynoboat711. I hope this is to your liking. If not, we’ll give it another shot. 

Everyone has their own piece of Heaven on Earth. Your’s just happened to be baseball. While most people saw March as the first break of Spring, you considered March the beginning of the greatest sporting season on Earth. Since you were old enough to understand the wonder of baseball, you dreamed of seeing your beloved Washington Nationals in person. Unfortunately, childhood rapidly dissipated into the hustle and bustle of adulthood and the likelihood of fulfilling your wish seemed to wane.

Until he came along.

“Baby girl, should we wear the home or away jerseys today?”

Your face lit up as Chadwick held assorted jerseys to his chest for you to choose from, “Let’s do the home jersey. I like the white on your skin.”

He smirked at you, “Eh, I’d rather have on a Braves jersey but, if it makes you happy, I’ll do whatever.” Sliding the sleeves over his arms, he turned to the mirror to examine his outfit. The jersey remained unbuttoned, leaving his solid chest and torso open for your consumption. Your hands found their way to your neck, clutching your imaginary pearls as your breath hitched. The silence of the room exposed you, making your embarrassingly shaky breathing bounce off the walls louder than you intended. Chadwick turned to face you, tilting his head to the side curiously.  “You sure you wanna go out, Yaa? You look out of it and we haven’t went out in this Atlanta heat.”

“Y-yeah,” you stammered, trying to remember what the day’s purpose was. If he didn’t cover himself soon, you weren’t sure that you could keep your cool in the friendship.

Chadwick was everything you wanted in a partner and then some. Not only did he meet your physical wishes, he was smart, talented and a genuine person. 

You never intended for feelings to grow on your end. Heeding the warnings of your mother and friends, it was foolish to attach emotions to an artist on any level. Women threw themselves at him whenever they could, oftentimes ignoring your presence or interrupting conversations to speak and ultimately be declined. Chadwick’s time was valuable and adding a relationship to the mix at the height of his career would only complicate things for him.

But, you couldn’t help your feelings. 

Sometimes you wished that he wouldn’t hold doors open for you or spend time doting over you and your accomplishments so that you could detach from him and keep the relationship platonic. His constant attention and admiration made it difficult to separate friend Chadwick from the imaginary relationship you created in your head.

“Alright, it’s time to go,” He exclaimed, emerging from the bathroom of his downtown Atlanta hotel suite. “If we time it right, we can get to Suntrust early enough to get a drink before I show you your surprises.”

Your face scrunched in fake annoyance, “Chad, I done told you already that I don’t need any surprises. All I need is baseball and a beer.”

“Since when have I ever listened to you? Let me treat you to your first baseball game the way you’re supposed to enjoy it.” His eyebrows wiggled in excitement as he waited for your frown to transform into a smile. When you finally caved, he jokingly tickled your neck. “Ahh, there it is! Keep that smile on all day for me, okay?”

“Chadwiiiiick,” you whined, more from frustration with yourself than with his request.

“C’mon, Yaa, just loosen up. I promise it’ll be worth it once we get there.”

After some additional coaxing and an agreement to let you choose the breakfast spot the next morning, you agreed to let him handle all facets of night’s outing.

Your apprehension turned into childlike squirming in the front seat of his rental when the lights and sounds of SunTrust Park peeked over the Cobb County horizon. The smell of fresh barbecue from a restaurant inside The Battery teased your nose, connecting with your mouth to water in anticipation. The energy of all the baseball fans, young and old, seemed to bounce from their bodies to yours asChadwick tried his best to lead you through the crowd without being seen.

“Where are we going,” you asked once you passed what you assumed was the normal entrance for fan seating. If he was playing some type of prank, you wanted him to quit before the game started.

“I pulled some strings and got us VIP seating. There, I spoiled one surprise. Enjoy the rest of the evening with no questions.”

The stern look and finality to his request made you equal parts upset and turned on. Deciding to follow directions, you quickly emptied your brain of the six other questions you were carrying and followed his lead.

When your VIP seats came into view, your jaw dropped in shock. Chadwick had managed to secure seats that offered a near perfect view of the field. If you wanted to, you were sure you could call the players by name and get a response.

“You like it, Yaa,” Chadwick asked, a cheeky grin spread across his face while he gauged your reaction.

“I-I, I don’t know what to say.”

“Don’t say anything. Just enjoy yourself for me.”

His smile erased part of your anxiety. The whiskey neat he ordered for you did the rest of the job. By the top of the fifth, you were in full blown fan mode, abandoning your seat in favor of standing.

“Let’s go boys,” you hollered with your hands cupped to carry the sound. “Let’s get a fuckin’ run!”

Chadwick laughed at your obnoxious behavior before tugging on the hem of your jersey. “Sit down, Coach. They got it.”

“We need a win, dammit!” Sitting down, you took a sip of your whiskey and looked to Chadwick. “Am I doing too much?”

“No, you’re having a good time. That’s what you’re supposed to do.” His hand landed on your knee, gripping it lightly for reassurance. “Plus, the way these white people are looking at you know your shit is funny. So, keep going.”

Your hearty cackle rang out in the immediate area, drawing attention to the way your head was thrown back in laughter.

The sixth inning turned into more of the same, you standing to scream directions to the players and him reeling you back in. 

At the seventh inning stretch, he knew he needed to calm you down for his final surprise of the night.

“Alright, Yaa, have a seat. I got something to show you.”

“Wha-”

Your question was cut off by the announcer directing everyone’s attention to the scoreboard. Nothing could’ve prepared you for Chadwick’s face stretched across the large LED screen for everyone to see.

“Is it working,” he asked someone off camera. “Okay, cool. Uh, hey, Yaa. It’s probably weird seeing me up here in front of all these people.”

“Chad, what are you doing?” you hissed only to be ignored by your friend.

“We’ve been friends for a long time and, I’ve watched you grow into an amazing woman. You’re incredibly intelligent and caring. The way you are dedicated to helping everyone around you makes me want to be better. I’m not sure where I’m going with this so, I’ll try to wrap it up. In front of all these people and if you’ll have me, can we take this friendship to another level? I want you to be my lady.”

Your hands clamped over mouth in attempt to hold in your surprised scream.

“What do you say, Yaa,” the announcer asked.

To ratchet up the embarrassment, the ballpark camera panned to your exact location, highlighting the expectant faces of Chadwick and the people around you.

The longer you waited in shock, the more nervous energy you could feel radiating from him.

“If you not with it Yaa, we can just stop right here. I didn’t mean to put you on the spot,” He apologized, wringing his hands. “But, please, don’t zone out on me like that. Please.”

“Yes,” your answer was abrupt and almost unheard over the chatter around you.

“What? Did you j-”

“Yes, Chadwick. Hell yeah I’ll be your lady!”

Chadwick couldn’t open his arms fast enough to catch your body as you threw yourself into him. Had your wildest dream really come true? Were you really holding on to Chadwick in front of thousands of baseball fans as fireworks shot off in the background? You couldn’t have wrote a more fitting fairytale moment if you tried.

He buried his face in the crook off your neck, letting the vibrations of his relieved laughter rumble against your warm skin.

“Fuck, girl. You had me worried for a second.”

“I’m sorry, Chad. I just-are you sure? Me?”

Pulling back, he cupped your face with both hands to look into your eyes, “I’m sure. I will always be sure, Yaa.”

His forehead his dropped against yours as his hand traveled to grab the back of your head. Before you could refuse, his lips pressed against your set, gently at first to test the waters. When you didn’t refuse, he deepened the display of affection.

Time seemed to stop as your mouths danced in perfect sync, an expression of all the feelings both of you had concealed from each other. It took all your resolve to keep your tongue out of the mix, considering the headlines that would spawn from the Black Panther’s full blown makeout session during America’s past time.

“Baby,” he mumbled against your lips. “We gotta stop.”

“Huh? Why? What’s wrong?” You attempted to catch his bottom lip again, making him chuckle.

“Not here, Yaa.” Gripping your wrist to stop your hands from roaming, he kissed the inside of each one before getting close your ear. You could feel the scratch of his beard as whispered into your ear. “Save that energy for later, love. You gon’ need it.”

[missaureus]

ElyXiOn in Manila Pt. 2

I left home feeling unsure if I had some forgotten baggage from my less-than-an-hour-pack-up and drove away towards the east following the light of the streetlamps. But one thing was sure, I was leaving my academic-induced stresses. But, to have that sense of relief, I still brought a few reading materials with me, which were left unbothered throughout my secret trip.

Past 8 PM, the car was already swerving the road towards the airport from the highway. It was the boundary which felt that I was not home already. I was leaving home, temporarily. To be exact, less than 36 hours. I jumped off from the backseat and bid farewell to my family by the time we reached the entrance of the departure area, as if they were giving it to me as my well-deserved break from reality.

The airport was tranquil the moment I checked in, no hustle at all. No one was forming a line, so I directly went to the counter. I asked the staff in-charge if I can get into the flight prior to mine. My flight was still at 11:20 PM but I decided to be at the airport before 9 PM, gathering all my luck to be able to have a seat in my friends’ flight to Manila. Sadly, he turned me down and said that a few were also trying to get into early schedules but most of the passengers had checked in already. He gave me my ticket and directed me to the boarding area.

Honestly, I expected it to happen since flight fares at these times were super expensive, who would have ditch their flight schedule? I rode the escalator up and looked for my friends who were already waiting for their boarding time by past 9 PM. 

I have my two concert buddies, Anne and Alisha, who were also my companion last EXOrDium. I regretfully informed them that I was not able to have the chance of getting into their flight. I was not able to avail the same flight schedule beforehand since I had no concrete school schedule and just waited for the safe zone to get one. We just chatted for a few minutes and the next thing was, they were already on board. 

I waited in the first row while busily watching The Miracle We Met. Guess what? I failed to sense that the line forming in front of me was already my flight after an hour of watching, my bad! I hurriedly pulled out my earphones and stuffed my gadgets inside my sling bag. After picking up all of my stuff, I went to the back of the line. I was shocked that the boarding time was an hour earlier than what was indicated on my ticket!

 It did not feel any difference at all that it was my first air travel alone. Sometimes, being solitary is the best feeling in the world. It took an hour before the plane finally took off but I was already half asleep during that time. Imagine the energy I spent the whole day in school, what a suicide. My eyebags do not lie even.

Almost 1 AM, the plane arrived in Manila. I realized at that point while riding the bus to the arrival area that night travels are such a beauty. Peaceful. I fell in love with the idea. I walked together with the surge of people to the exit of the arrival area where lots of people were waiting and waving for their loved ones.

I am never familiar of the place but I trusted my instincts so much. I trusted on where my feet would bring me. Terminal 3 of the airport was ridiculously silent! I could not believe I missed CBX in there with just hours apart. How does it feel?  

I directly went to the Grab-Taxi lane. I was honestly nervous. I am a baby to this monstrous city. Despite the uncertainty, I acted stoic. But how crazy love would make you do. My first step in Manila 3 years ago was also due to an EXO concert. EXO did that to me, to act independent for a day. Away from my comfort zone. I was glad to fake an act of bravery. You will never know what to do in a difficult situation until that situation is right in front of you. 

A staff in the counter booked my driver and waited for him a few minutes. I was just quiet at the backseat trying to enjoy the city lights. I navigated with my Google Maps to arrive safely in my destination. I stayed with my other group of friends who were also concert goers since my concert buddies were staying somewhere else far from the airport. 

At almost 2 AM, my friends fetch me in the lobby of the condominium building but before getting into the unit we went to the nearest convenient store to buy some food and drinks. We directly went back to the residence.

My body was so beaten. I could hardly move. I placed my things on the corner and admired the aerial view for a second. I was conflicted if I would sleep right away or fix my mini-giveaways which I was not able to work on days ago. My housemates were already asleep but I decided to work on that thing. Even if I was tired, I was not sleepy yet. 

Past 3 AM I already rolled over my sleeping space. One of my housemates was playing her EXO playlist overnight. Wow. The last song I could recall before dozing off was She’s Dreaming. I can clearly remember.

I got little sleep. Three hours of it. But my body was hyped since I could not waste time on sleep. My housemates left me by 10 AM since they needed to post near the venue to distribute their prepared giveaways. They are admins of one of the fanbases under EXO Worldwide Union. Big responsibility, huh? I chose to stay in the unit since I was still waiting for Anne and Alisha to arrive.

 Almost 12 noon, we left the condo unit. I booked for our Grab driver which surprisingly knew how to speak Bisaya and that gave me relief! Undeniably, riding taxis is a horrifying experience unless you could assure that the driver is not taking any advantage of you! We chatted with him, like you gotta befriend people and gain their trust, haha. 

The air was crazily humid. If I am not mistaken, the temperature went up to 34 degrees C. I was afraid to walk around so much because, again, the pit was calling me! I tried so bad not to expend so much energy prior to the concert.  

The crowd was unbelievable also! It was the same situation last EXOluXion. There were shouting in every corner that would give you frequent heart attacks! You get afraid that they might see some of the members(?) while you miss that chance, haha! It was never like this around Araneta during EXOrDium. I swear it was so frustrating. Like every big buses that would pass by towards the backstage entrance, those crazy fangirls would run into for nothing. I chose to stay away from the arena. We eventually looked for the desk to have our VIP straps on and went to the mall area right away to look for vacant food stores. Most of it with nearer proximity to the arena were full, mostly on standby and meetups. We luckily found a resto with a vacant table with an outlet to recharge our phones! We were so happy to find an outlet lmao! Fully-charged phones is a must! So we decided not to let go of that post and stayed there until 3:30 PM. I met a few of my internet friends but sadly was not able to meet all since the temperature was pretty energy-draining and also the mobile network service was down. 

After freshening up, we went to our sequence line by past 3 PM. We were honestly disappointed with our sequence numbers, 230-232, since my friends had 66-67 last year! However, when we were following our line in the sequence, our numbers were right after those foreigners or those who availed the Global Package, which somehow gave us an assurance that 200 plus was still a good number to have better view in the pit. 

A few were wearing killer platforms and it made me regret on why I only added over 1 inch of my height, I could have worn higher ones! I stand 5 feet 4 inches plus 1.18 inches but I felt so smol! I was starting to get tired and rested near the railings. I refused to used my phone to preserve my battery. So, I just killed time on resting. There was also one thing that happened! The girl before us in the line started crying because her ticket went missing! Some staffs were roaming around announcing a lost ticket but only to find out it was not it. There was a moment of panic around  because OMG that was a huge problem! Eventually, she found it in some i-did-not-bother-to-know corner. Thank God! If it happened to me, I do not know what to do too but cry.

Almost 5 PM, we were already in front of the entrance of the arena. I still could not feel any tension! I was so numb at that moment. We went through the metal detector and our bags were checked as well as our tickets. I directly went straight to the line being held in front of W standing pit entrance, only to find out that my buddies were not behind me! I went back to the first entrance and my friend was being confined by the officer due to her instax camera. What were they so pressed for? It was not even a professional camera! A few moments later, he gave it back because it was not on the list of the prohibited things inside the arena. Sadly, a few people already overtook the lane and that made me so pissed off! On a brighter side, the number of people allowed to get inside the pit was grouped  which was good. What happened last year was that, the line from the outside to the pit was continuous and it was not being held by the staffs, thus, the fans had a chance to run inside the pit and overtake those with lesser sequences numbers. 

I was awed the moment I set foot in the pit! The first thing that came in my mind was questioning my past self on why I did not take standing tickets back then! The three of us were in chaos! We already strategized on where to run and stand when we get inside but yes, planned moments mostly never happen. My buddies wanted the barricade so bad in the left side. It is every fangirl’s dream: to hold that barricade. But we have a rule to follow too! Follow your bias, not your friends. Thou shall not break the rule. I had to think straight and fast and cut off my indecisive self. I went in the center part of the pit. 2-3 rows were already formed and mostly foreigners were still inside. I ran back to my friends saying firmly that I would stay in the center part! After acknowledging my decision, I went back to my post. I will never regret this spot. I assured myself. Come what may. The surge of fans was only minimal. Thank God there was no need to panic. 

A few minutes later, one of my buddies, who is also a Jongin stan, came to me and checked the area! She went back to the barricade and went back again to my post saying she also decided to stand in the center part with me! I was happy because we have studied the map of the whole setlist long ago and we, Kai stans, knew by heart on where he positions in a certain song! He is not put in the center part for no reason at all, Kai is the center. The center belongs to Kai! 

Eventually the arena was being filled with fans. I just observed the people around me. Most foreigner fans were quite aggressive and knew the pit game so well. They guarded their post as if they already mastered the dirty game. Diversity in language was an advantage for all! You get to talk with your co-nationality EXOLs on how to safeguard your position since some were really pain in the arse. They would push you so bad. Some would even swear at you. Stressful. I did not mind them and gave not a single cent of care. 

I had regrets in bringing my doll inside the arena. I just took a photo of my baby once and placed it back inside the bag. But eventually, it served its purpose well since I place my bag in front of me, it became a cushion from the people in front row. It was such a relief for me. 

Everyone waited patiently for an hour while singing along with the background music being played. Finally, the lights went off! My heart was banging against the rib cage. I cannot contain the fact that THIS IS IT! A year of waiting. I am going to see my artists again.

[d-noona]

AERO

SUMMARY: In a future of political, economic and moral collapse, a genetically enhanced superhuman prototype named Y/N escapes from military confines and dwells amidst the decadent underground street life of *Seoul* to avoid government agents who want to bring her back into the fold.

WORDS: 1377

Jeon Jungkook x Reader

M.List | CH. 04

CHAPTER 03 - WELCOME TO BIG HIT X-PRESS

As y/n pumps her bike through the streets of Seoul bustling with activity. A normal day in the city two decades from now. Things have changed by the year 2020, but in subtle ways. The skyline is the same, not transformed by gleaming megastructures. There are no Jetson flying vehicles glittering among the high-rises. It is a city frozen in time, stopped dead in the tracks of progress. But it is far from a deserted place, on the contrary, the streets are more alive than ever.

Y/n bunny hops a curb, side skids around a tight corner and barrels down a split lane between bunches of sluggishly moving cars, mostly older models from around the turn of the century, the last time people could afford to buy anything. Y/n breaks to a stop at a sand-bagged checkpoint. She flashes the plastic ID clipped to her vest to a young soldier, along with a too-big smile "Big Hit Messenger" she says. He smiles back and waves her through, checking her out as she goes "Have a good one" says the soldier as she drives away.

Y/n goes back to their head office Big Hit X-press. As she enters the facility, an overhead fluorescent flickers. She enters the nerve center of Big Hit X-press, Seoul's oldest messenger service, founded sometime in the early years of the 21st century. The crew of messengers, mostly in their 20's of various personalities, includes Kim Seokjin, Kim Namjoon, Park Jimin et al. They munch on junk food, drink sodas and half-watch an ancient TV hung from the ceiling while they wait for assignments. As Seokjin full-dressed, rises up to plead his case to a very pissed bossed Bang Si Hyuk. Jin known by many approaches Bang and says "Nobody was there to sign for it man. What's a brotha s'posed to do? Ride around all day with the package?" Jimin nods in approval laughing his ass off and responded "I'd probably do the same boss, give my boy a break."

Bang clearly pissed as day, turning all red and huffs responded "So you just decided to return it to the sender. Or, in this case, the sender's wife?" Namjoon being the air of wisdom among the crew came to his older hyung's aid. "Like the prophets say...Only the unrighteous husband sends expensive gift-wrapped panties to another woman."

Bang heads behind the shipping counter which is cluttered with packing slips, mailing tubes, etc. The exhausted boss, tired of it all responded whilst banging his fist on the table "Which is none of your business...or mine." Seokjin high fives his younger donsaengs, smirks and says "It only concerns God. But in this case, I was the instrument of the Most High."

The unfazed boss responded "Well around here, I'm the Most High. From now on, before you do anything, call in for instructions. With all the racket y/n smirked at the boys and gave Seokjin, Jimin and Namjoon a high five. Y/n enters the lounge ignoring the sign which clearly reads: YOUR BIKE IS TO RIDE, DO NOT BRING INSIDE. Bang's reaction as to seeing y/n suggests this is a habit of her and he has already given up trying to break her off. He shoves a package at Seokjin, Jimin and Namjoon to get rid of the rowdy boys. "This is a hot run, beat it" then he turns to y/n with a disdain look on his face "You're late again Missy."

Y/n turns around to see Bang up her grill, she looks at her handsome boss, too bad she thought. Bang was definitely a looker, if it weren't for that loud mouth and uptight personality "I was on call" y/n responded in her most monotonous voice. Bang turned red in anger "I want you on call here!" dog-tired of his employees attitudes. Her boss sends her off with a last hot run for the day. Y/n took the package since it was set to go to one of those high-rise buildings of the rich and famous. Before heading off she stopped by one of her home girls Julia. Dressed in leather, stiletto nails, ghetto fabulous, slams her locker shut, pissed off. Y/n regards her a beat with the most catlike grin knowing that something was up "Good morning, Sunshine" as she laughs.

"Caught some son-of-a-bitch stealing my bike. Used a car jack to blow out my U-lock and bent a bunch of spikes. So now I gotta get my wheels fixed." Whilst trying to fix the ridges of her bike. Y/n took the wheels off Julia's hands and fixed the ridges for her "Well, look on the bright side, at least he didn't swing with your ride."

"No, but I broke a nail giving him a cranium crack, and that just sort of wrecks your day, know what I'm saying?" She looks over as Seokjin, as a girl approaches him, she hands Seokjin a box of chocolates and cookies, looking all flustered and red. Seokjin gives the girl a quick peck on the cheek, says thank you and quickly walks off then approaches Jimin and Namjoon with a box of goodies given by one of his admirers. "Now why can't they find a bf like that? Brings you cookies, buys you lunch every day, legs from here to there."

Y/n laughs at her friend. Julia pouts and tilts her head, the boys approaches them both. Y/n and Julia exchange a knowing look then giggles. "Whats going on ladies?" says Jimin who was flirtatiously flipping his hair showing his beautiful forehead and his most dashing smile. As the normal chatter began amongst friends you all turned to the old TV hanging on the wall. The regular programming turns to snow, replaced after a moment by the pixilated image of the pirate cyber journalist known to the masses as the Informant Net. As someone cranks up the volume, Pan around the faces in the room who listen in rapt attention.

"Do not attempt to adjust your set. This is a video of Free Korea Bulletin. The cable hack will last exactly sixty seconds. It cannot be traced. It cannot be stopped, and it is the only free voice left in this city..."

Jimin turns at y/n with a confused look on his face that makes him look like a lost child "Is this guy even for real?" as the TV still continues with its cyber hack. "Who knows" Y/N shrugged being obvious that she was not paying attention to the cyber hack. Seokjin jumps in "He ever been wrong about anything?" Y/n looks at the TV screen once more with disdain on her face not trusting anything she sees "If you ask me, he's on the same hustle as everyone else."

Namjoon engrossed with the cyber hack shushes y/n. "Doesn't mean he's not telling the truth" Seokjin adds in, obviously believing the Informant Net. Jimin nodding the same, agreeing with both Seokjin and Namjoon. Namjoon being all hot and bothered responded "Just hope God's looking out for his ass, cause he's messing with the brimstone, brotha."

Y/n nodded in response to Namjoon's words of wisdom. He is right she thought. Whoever this guy is and whatever his deal is. He best better be careful. As Y/n was about to bid goodbye to Julia she almost choked holding out a laugh, she nudges her friend and gave her an eye to signal her to stop staring and drooling at Seokjin. She turned crimson red with this and smiled. But being the unpredictable y/n couldn't help but tease Julia.

"Alright, this fixation you have with Seokjin is tiring the shit out of me. I got you covered with your wheels. So we good? I've gotta run before Bang screams bloody murder on me again." y/n pushes her bike out of Big Hit X-press, as Julia sighs and shouts "See you later at the Crash biatch". Y/n turns her head and nods quickly driving off laughing as she sees Julia flipping her with her middle finger.

[junker-town]

The 9 dumbest mistakes from a surprisingly good QB Week 3, ranked

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

A lot of backups played this week, but it was the coaches who screwed up most, thanks to ill-advised draw plays and penalties taken (Bruce Arians) and timeouts not taken (Pete Carroll).

Week 3 in the NFL was all about the quarterback. That’s nothing new; almost every week in the NFL is about the quarterback. Yet on a day when Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson were trying to out-video game each other, it wasn’t the already established stars who stole the spotlight. Instead, this Sunday belonged to guys who began the season riding the bench (or in the Jets’ case, on the practice squad).

Six quarterbacks made their first start of the season on Sunday, some due to injury and some due to crappy play from the former QB1s. That seemed like the perfect recipe for a disastrous afternoon of silly goofs we could poke a little fun at on Monday morning.

Then — the nerve! — they went out and performed admirably. As a group, the new starters went 3-3, and the ones who lost couldn’t be blamed for their team’s defeat. Some were even the reason their team won (take a bow, Daniel Jones and, ugh, Dave Gettleman we guess).

Fear not, though. Sunday still provided us with enough dumb mistakes to laugh about the next day. In fact, here are nine of them:

9. Deshaun Watson threw the ball away ... backwards

Deshaun Watson is a great quarterback. But even great quarterbacks do some very dumb things. Even though he got the win this week, Watson’s blunder was pretty up there, when he fumbled the ball against the Chargers. It wasn’t just that he fumbled, though. It was how he fumbled.

With Joey Bosa bearing down on him on a second-and-7 from Houston’s 39-yard line, Watson looked to Duke Johnson for a screen pass behind the line of scrimmage. But Johnson had Desmond King coming at him with a full head of steam and, not wanting to put his running back or himself in unnecessary danger, he threw it away.

Problem is, he threw it away behind the line of scrimmage — and backwards.

from earlier today proof that even great quarterbacks can forget the rules of football pic.twitter.com/YUnkNJTew5

— James Brady (@JamesBradySBN) September 23, 2019

Yup, that’s always a fumble. This one was recovered and advanced by the Chargers, who took a 7-0 lead on the ensuing possession.

On one hand, Watson choosing to not take a sack AND to not put Johnson in line for a massive hit from King were good decisions. Too many quarterbacks dump the ball without looking at the position their potential receiver will be in once they’ve caught it. On the other hand, MAYBE throw it somewhere else next time.

8. Luke Falk threw a pass with a 0 percent success rate

The Jets still had a puncher’s chance in the third quarter of their game against the Patriots. Sure, they trailed 20-0, but Falk, making his first NFL start, still had the chance to instill hope in an otherwise miserable season in New York.

This did not happen. Instead, Falk treated the world to this image of Devin McCourty making an interception without a single Jet close enough to him to get picked up by CBS’ cameras:

Per NextGenStats, the nearest receiver was Robby Anderson ... who was 12 yards away. New England drove -2 yards on the ensuing drive and settled for a field goal to make it 23-0 in Foxborough.

7. The Patriots gave up their first touchdown in nearly 9 months in a very stupid way

New England played Super Bowl 53 and its first two games of 2019 without giving up a touchdown. That streak was still going strong late in the third quarter of Week 3 against the Jets ... until one muffed punt from an undrafted free agent gave Bill Belichick something to grumble about.

Shoutout @arthurmaulet_ for the hustle.#NYJvsNE | #TakeFlight pic.twitter.com/HAyT5FPqFP

— New York Jets (@nyjets) September 22, 2019

Gunner Olszewski’s botched return kept a 14-quarter TD-less streak from stretching to 15. Fortunately for the Patriots, they were still playing the Jets. New York added a fourth quarter touchdown when backup Jarrett Stidham threw a pick-six to Jamal Adams, but the New England defense failed to let an opposing offense into the end zone for the fourth straight game in a 30-14 victory. They’re the first team in the Super Bowl era to ever get through the first three weeks of the season without giving up a touchdown on defense.

6. The Broncos gave one of the league’s most dangerous passers a free play

There are two things Aaron Rodgers absolutely excels at: throwing deep bombs and taking advantage of a defense’s stupid mistakes. Green Bay’s first touchdown Sunday against the Broncos was a serendipitous combination of the two.

never, ever give Aaron Rodgers a free play pic.twitter.com/1DppKeAd8g

— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) September 22, 2019

A hard count lured the Broncos offside, but Denver’s biggest issue on second-and-6 may have been leaving Marquez Valdes-Scantling in single coverage. The young wideout easily got inside leverage and sprinted downfield on a play where Rodgers’ short and intermediate routes were never an option. One easy pitch-and-catch later, the Packers led 6-0.

And once again, a defense had to learn the hard way to never give Rodgers a free play.

5. The Browns went for it on fourth-and-9 ... and called a draw play

The Browns were always going to be a work-in-progress with a first-time head coach and skyrocket expectations, but Freddie Kitchens is catching some heat for a decision he made on Sunday Night Football.

Trailing by four points with nine minutes to go, the Browns were facing a fourth-and-9 at the Rams’ 40-yard line. They left the offense on the field, and the Rams gave them a lot of space. Everyone got a little excited about what Kitchens could call in that situation. What creative thing would he do?!

this was Freddie Kitchens' 4th-and-9 play. it was not very good pic.twitter.com/jzm3vbfeGr

— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) September 23, 2019

Oh. He ran a sad draw play that went nowhere. Nick Chubb even looked like he wasn’t sure which way he was supposed to go. Despite having playmakers like Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry, they went with that draw.

I get it — draws are relatively safe plays that teams run in long situations for their potential to catch a defense napping and convert the downs. But in the fourth quarter, against that Rams defense, you run a draw on FOURTH-AND-NINE, something no team has done in at least 12 years?!

At least Kitchens admitted (many times) after the 20-13 loss that it was a “bad call.”

Sometimes, you just gotta know when not to run it — and when to run it:

First and goal from the 4 with three timeouts. No touches to Chubb. No touches to OBJ. Football isn’t this hard.

— Dawgs By Nature (@DawgsByNature) September 23, 2019

4. The Eagles managed to blow it even more than the Lions

The Eagles were down three late, at home to the Lions. They had the ball at their own 22-yard line, facing fourth-and-8, and decide to go for it. Doug Pederson is notoriously ballsy with fourth downs, but they still had all three of their timeouts and the two-minute warning. And the play was a Carson Wentz scrambled that came up a couple yards short.

That should’ve sealed the game for the Lions, but remember, their offensive coordinator is Darrell Bevell. They ran three plays, gained zero yards, and took 39 seconds off the clock. At the very least, they could get a field goal, right?

Nope, the Eagles blocked that and returned it to the Detroit 40-yard line, though a block in the back moved that back 10 yards. Facing another fourth down, the Eagles threw it and Wentz completed it for a first down, only to see that get wiped out with a pass interference penalty.

One play later, Wentz’s final pass fell incomplete and the Eagles — a Super Bowl contender coming into the season — had to leave their home turf with a loss to the same team that blew an 18-point lead against the Cardinals two weeks prior.

3. The referees didn’t flag a near-decapitation

The good news is Miles Sanders is OK after getting his helmet spun around 180 degrees and popped off his head:

NO FLAG?!! Okay NFL refs... pic.twitter.com/21OB2tkr0T

— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) September 22, 2019

The bad news is this somehow didn’t lead to a penalty. In a year where seemingly every play goes off under a microscope and ticky-tack fouls are called more often than any other time in the past decade, this actually dangerous play went off unchallenged by the officials.

2. The Seahawks wasted a huge play by DK Metcalf by sitting on timeouts

When Seattle started a drive on its own 21-yard line with 29 seconds to go there were two ways to handle the situation:

Run out the remainder of the clock and go to halftime down, 20-7.

Try to drive into field goal range with the help of two timeouts.

The Seahawks went for neither strategy. The team threw a short pass into the middle of the field, but decided not to call timeout. That left only 10 seconds when the next play started and time in the half ran out when Russell Wilson found DK Metcalf for 54 yards.

this ludicrous play was ultimately meaningless because Pete Carroll left 2 timeouts in his pocket to end the first half pic.twitter.com/huR3QB8Q8n

— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) September 22, 2019

If the Seahawks planned on throwing and trying to score, they absolutely should’ve used a timeout after first down. Instead, Seattle cost itself a 33-yard field goal attempt.

1. The Bucs took a delay of game penalty and missed a game-winning FG

Tampa had the ball left with 13 seconds to go against the New York Giants. The Bucs were in field goal range after Jameis Winston connected with Mike Evans for a terrific 44-yard pass play.

Then head coach Bruce Arians inexplicably took a delay of game penalty to move the ball back five yards. Arians tried justifying it by saying he thought Matt Gay kicks better from longer distances?!

Video: Here’s Bruce Arians explaining that he took a delay of game penalty “on purpose” before final field goal to back up rookie Matt Gay, who had already missed one extra point and had another blocked in the same game. pic.twitter.com/h4WIwaVdq7

— Greg Auman (@gregauman) September 23, 2019

Yikes. Gay had already missed two extra point tries in a game the Bucs were trailing by one point. To the surprise of no one, his 34-yard potentially game-winning field goal sailed wide right as time expired.

Arians might be new to Tampa, but he should’ve known better. After all, the Bucs’ kicking game has been cursed for years.

[tobehonestonline-blog]

BREAKING INTO THE BOYS CLUB

Cardi B Makes her Impact on Hip Hop by Being One of Three Female Rappers Charting Solo Tracks in the Top 30 This Decade

Love & Hip Hop Alum, Cardi B, might be on her way to being a household name. Her first commercial single, Bodak Yellow, has been steadily climbing the charts since it’s debut June 16th, and now solidifying it’s place on BIllboard’s Top 15. She shares the rank with her male hip hop peers, French Montana, Dj Khaled, Post Malone, Kendrick Lamar.

Before Cardi played her cards as a burgeoning hip hop artist and reality show star, she made a name for herself through Instagram and Snapchat chronicling her days as a popular stripper in the South Bronx. Her distinct, raspy Bronx accent and unapologetic attitude towards her lifestyle made her popular amongst New York circles, catching the eye of Mona Scott Young. Cardi made her debut on Love & Hip Hop: New York in 2015, only to stay for one season. She has also made an appearance on show, Being Mary Jane in late 2016. Most recently, huge hip hop power players, Drake and Migos co-signed Cardi by inviting her up on stage during Veld Festival and OVO Festival this past week. A monumental moment for a dancer from the South Bronx. 

"With Cardi, we see the inception of a woman who uses her charm and personality in tandem with her sexuality."

As Cardi begins to reinvent herself as a major hip hop contender, the most striking observation is the disconnect between male and female hip hop artists in the industry, most obviously the support they receive from the community. Most often, the come-up for female rappers is toe-in-toe to a grassroots effort, much like a political campaign. We all generally see a star on the horizon and actively cultivate to see it’s full potential. Cardi was weaponized when she appeared on Love & Hip Hop: New York soon after making it clear she did not intend to stay on the show. The hustle mentality are the eyes and ears of hip hop along with female consumption taken from an aggressive male point of view. Miami rapper, Rick Ross has numerously teetered the line of consent in his lyrics and most recently in an interview with The Breakfast Club, Rick Ross states why he hasn’t signed any female rappers to his label MMG;

“You know, I never did [sign a female rapper] because I always thought that like I would end up fucking the female rapper [and then] fucking the business up,” Rozay said in the interview. “I’m so focused on my business. I gotta be honest with you. You know, she looking good and I’m spending so much money on the photoshoots…I gotta fuck a couple times.”

Although he eventually apologized for the comments, the sentiment remains the same within the music industry as a whole. Latent misogyny allows rappers like Rick Ross to say comments like that so freely. Almost all female rap artists in the last two decades have used their sexuality on one way or another to sell records. For almost a decade Nicki Minaj has been the only trailblazer as a female rapper. What Nicki Minaj does, sets a precedence to what other female rap artists do. The Standom culture has only divided viable competition who “compete with their fave”. Cardi B’s fast rise to fame has been an affect of public’s need for honesty and transparency among celeb culture. In a line in Bodak Yellow, she raps, "Got a bag & fixed my teeth, hope you hoes know it ain't cheap” is a simple line that is relatable to quite a large amount of people who admire her or her lifestyle. She doesn’t refrain from being problematic as she acknowledges her faults and takes responsibility for them. In her interview with The Fader, she states, 

“I do feel kind of guilty sometimes ’cause, like, I could buy myself a $5,000 dress or a $3,000 dress and I’m buying these things but I’m knowing that my cousin need money for the rent,” she says. “And then I gotta tell myself, Stop feeling guilty. You worked for this. When I was a stripper, I used to strip like six nights a week. I used to bust my ass. And I didn’t stop [working]. Until today I work just as hard as I did before.”

For a long time, Hip Hop has relied on features and remixes to gain public interest. Hard copy sells, streams and downloads is simply not enough in this current age of music. But for a new artist like Cardi, making a solo record on Billboard’s Top 15 a hard feat. As it remains today, she, Young MA and Nicki Minaj are the only female rap artists to break the number with a solo track in the past decade. With Cardi, we see the inception of a woman who uses her charm and personality in tandem with her sexuality. A vulnerability we haven’t quite seen in hip hop. Her comfort in honesty is what we love about her, and this is why I am a true Cardi believer.

[560am-blog]

a year like a day.

[ A Year Like a Day – 2LSON - soohyuna  ]

‘Yoboseyo?’ It comes out slow, muffled by the motions Soohyuk takes to fish for his keys and press the phone against his cheek. He’s mumbling a cute under his breath when Hyuna answers again. ‘Eo oppa?’ “Mm you just finished?” His steps are quick but not quick enough to bother his breathing, the night chill does a good job of that. He does he best to muffle the sounds of the door but the engine nearly tramples over her words. ‘Taking a break, you’re done?’ “On my way home.” He can almost hear the nod as he settles himself in the seat, seatbelt, Bluetooth and all before pulling out the parking space. “How long’s your break?” ‘Half an hour maybe?’ He ponders the words as he always does but the response is always. “Tell me about your day.” It’s almost a question but it’s such a routine at this point that it can easily become a statement. If not a statement it is very much so a request. He settles into the drive, hands falling into motion and mind falling into her words. It starts like this every night and like every night she begins with a small laugh and a gentle sigh.

Not much time passes or at least not by Soohyuk’s standards. Time seems to flow opposite to the traffic, opposite to the words in his ear and the music hollowed over the speakers. People always want to show Seoul as some hustle and bustle of life and he won’t deny that that’s what it can be not that that’s what it only is. Cars pass by. They zoom by, they cruise by, and the lights paint a picture of life rather than a generalized fantasy. This is a part of Seoul just as she is and just as he is.

“Mmm, isn’t it late for you?” It’s bordering on eleven, ten minutes until and the sun has long gone down. His voice lowers in octave, small enough for her to hear but loud enough to block the noise around him. Traffic blares outside the window but it barely breaks the atmosphere. He thinks. Is this the effect of her words taking up all the space he has around him, or is this simply the window blocking the noise like it should. It’s a little bit of both.

‘Ah oppa what are you talking about it’s never too late for me. I’m a night owl, always working, a busy bee. The queen bee.’ He hums to himself, a cover for the small smile on his lips. It hasn’t left since Hyuna started speaking around ten minutes ago and it won’t leave anytime soon. Small exhales like this remind him just how cold it is and he’s hardly dressed right for the weather. He’s got the jacket part down but he’s misplaced his scarf and driving with gloves tends to be uncomfortable these days. He prefers the cold nip on his knuckles where he grips the wheel. He doesn’t need to be woken up but he just likes a reminder that he is. He’s not tired but he was cruising through motions lately.

“Shouldn’t the queen bee get some sleep while her little workers run around and gather supplies? What happens when you exhaust yourself and can’t give proper orders?” The analogy stems from a little worry. It’s miniscule and not as abundant as it was in their early days. Early days as in days before Soohyuk knew the extent of an idol’s schedule. That was before he met Hyuna of course and by the time they became acquaintances he was well accustomed to the tiresome routine idols like herself subjected them to. It was eleven but she’d probably be up for a few more hours knowing her.

‘I can’t just rest while my workers do all the work what kind of leader would I be?’ He can almost see the mock indignation on her face, see her nose scrunching up as she leans into the phone. It’s almost too easy to imagine the actions taking place even in his absence. It could be a good thing though. It can be a sign of growth. Imagine that.

“Delegation dongsaeng, everyone’s got to sleep sometime.” It’s not a reprimand and he even says it with a small laugh because no matter how many times he scolds she’ll stay up. It’s wired into their bodies and it’s nearly wired itself into his. It’s not pointless worry or empty words because they come from a place of warmth and he hopes that’s what travels through the phone instead.

A short moue makes it ways through the phone and Soohyuk knows his words reach home. Hyuna’s words come out next and through pursed lips no doubt. ‘What about you? Shouldn’t you be sleeping right now? Late filming?’ He hears what sounds like her settling on the other line and if he thought the smile would fade he’s mistaken.

“Practice shots at the studio that’s all.” It had gone as smooth as it could have. He breezes through practice shots, perfectionism and all. There was no real agenda to today’s shots he spent it trying on new looks and going over open photoshoots that requested his presence. Simple and quick though he tends to stay longer than necessary. Tonight was an early night so he managed to pick up a few things on his way back. “Did you eat?”

‘Mhmmmm of course, what kind of question is that? I ate at around------ seven-ish?’ A pause. It’s different from the pause she takes to collect herself and it’s irrelevant save for the small frown on his lips.

“Four hours ago?” ‘Heh, I think I lost track of time?’ Since when has he gotten so good at predicting Hyuna’s movement. He can hear the shuffling around before it becomes apparent and knows she settling her hands in a makeshift apology he won’t be able to see. ‘Mianhae oppa, I’m a busy woman! I’m going to eat soon I promise!’ His scowl disappears as soon it comes because some nights people can hear it through a tone and that’s not what he’s aiming for. In fact he perks up at the thought adjusting in his seat with newfound confidence.

“Oh? We can’t have a queen low on energy? How will the colony thrive?” ‘They’re going to carry my legacy should I perish, I raised them strong! Wait we----- ah oppa have you finally transferred to my kingdom like you were always meant to? I knew you’d come. I kept a seat warm for you.’ He can hear her brightening with every word, the night old energy reviving as if she hadn’t been working non-stop for hours. It’s admirable. “In the court?” The car comes to a stop phone in one hand and contents in another as he steps out. ‘Secret!’ Soohyuk smiles and Hyuna laughs. It’s that simple. “Okay okay you tell me and I promise not to tell anyone else.” ‘Nope no way, a queen’s got to have some aces up her sleeve.’ “Is that what I am the ace?” He tries to close the door quietly but the alarm sets off when it locks. ‘Aniya you’re not getting it out of------ was that the car? Are you home now?’ “Heading to the door.” A small response and he finds his way around the double doors. ‘I should let you sleep right? What good’s a new recruit if he’s not ready for his first day of work in the kingdom.’ He walks through the corridors, passing past familiar markers and nighttime aids. “I should probably let you practice so you can sleep and eat too right?” ‘Aigoo. I promise I will eat after I do a couple more run through okay? Now you need to sleep you’ve had a long day too. Don’t worry about the queen worrying will give you wrinkles and what will your manager say?’ He tries not to laugh, keeps it down with the same smile as he comes to the door knocking lightly.

‘Okay okay I gotta go I think that’s my trainer, bye oppa sleep well! Sleep before midnight or your skin cells won’t grow back!’ He hears the word echo from the phone and from the room, the double effect almost succeeding in him breaking his cover but she opens the door first. Phone still in her hand, call still on and realization slowly settling in. It’s not too quick but Soohyuk thinks in the moment Hyuna planned to hang up she was leaving herself some space to breathe for the first time the whole day. For a moment he’s worried and in that moment her smile is soft and genuine instead.

‘Oh ya when’d you become this sneaky? Is that chicken?! Did you get me chicken? I was going to kick you out for not telling me you were coming because who knocks on practice room doors this late at night but you brought me chicken you’re seriously the best. If you didn’t have a seat in the court you have one now.’ He takes the words with a small raise of his shoulders but it’s the minute she reaches for the box that he lifts it to tap lightly atop her head.

“Yah, next time try not to spend so much time practicing you forget to eat for six hours.” There’s a whine, it comes with the aftermath of the hit he thinks but it also comes with him handing the box over to her with little problem. She does take the moment to mumble that it wasn’t even six hours but it’s quiet probably because it’s in between her reaching for the box. He turns away for a second, closing the door and slipping the jacket off his shoulders before she comes back into his view. There she is, two pieces of chicken in her hand and already dropped into a seating position on the floor, mid-bite and smiling up at him like he’s got a halo on his head.

Hyuna smiles, Soohyuk laughs and Seoul blends everything together as usual.

[coltabigail]

Character Development Questions: Hard Mode

1.      Does your character have siblings or family members in their age group? Which one are they closest with?

·         No, but she is closest to her younger brother, Mikey and the youngest, Alyssa.

2.      What is/was your character’s relationship with their mother like?

·         Her relationship with her mother was close, if anything, her saving grace.

3.      What is/was your character’s relationship with their father like?

·         Her relationship with her father was rocky. Between training and being gone on hunts, she didn’t know what kind of mood he would be in, but she loved him reguardless.

4.      Has your character ever witnessed something that fundamentally changed them? If so, does anyone else know?

·         Yes, the death of her family. The only people who know about it is her uncle Charlie, and the Winchesters post-YED.

5.      On an average day, what can be found in your character’s pockets?

·         Empty gum wrappers, a multi-tool like a Leatherman, lock-pick set, extra magazines for her pistol, and her pistol.

6.      Does your character have recurring themes in their dreams?

·         It’s sporadic, almost prophetic.

7.      Does your character have recurring themes in their nightmares?

·         Yes, her family and John’s death. The YED and mentions of Hell.

8.      Has your character ever fired a gun? If so, what was their first target?

·         Yes, she’s a hunter! Her first target was a handmade cutout of a werewolf done by her dad and John.

9.      Is your character’s current socioeconomic status different than it was when they were growing up?

·         Definitely. Abigail went from staying at home, protecting the kids to living a nomadic life in motels, differentiating for days to weeks at a time, and hustling pool/poker/darts to earn money (even though she has access to her parent’s money via her uncle).

10.  Does your character feel more comfortable with more clothing, or with less clothing?

·         It doesn’t matter. She goes with whatever feels comfortable to her. During the summer, it’s less, due to crappy air conditioning in the motels, during the winter, it’s more due to crappy heating.

11.  In what situation was your character the most afraid they’ve ever been?

·         One instance was watching her family die, and the most recent was when the YED possessed John, in turn, hurting her (and her unborn child) severely.

12.  In what situation was your character the most calm they’ve ever been?

·         When Sam was possessed by Meg.

13.  Is your character bothered by the sight of blood? If so, in what way?

·         No. She sees blood almost on a daily basis.

14.  Does your character remember names or faces easier?

·         Definitely faces.

15.  Is your character preoccupied with money or material possession? Why or why not?

·         Material, because several things she holds very close to her, such as her mother’s jewelry and her father’s car, as well as John’s machete.

16.  Which does your character idealize most: happiness or success?

·         Success. She learned from a young age that success came first before happiness, even though her daughter’s happiness is more important than hers.

17.  What was your character’s favorite toy as a child?

·         Abigail’s favorite toy as a child was a stuffed dog her parents had gotten her while they were on a hunt. It’s long been gone, but it holds a special place in her heart.

18.  Is your character more likely to admire wisdom, or ambition in others?

·         Wisdom, every time.

19.  What is your character’s biggest relationship flaw? Has this flaw destroyed relationships for them before?

·         I think one flaw of hers that she thinks ruins her past relationships is her views on herself. She has very low self-esteem while others around her (Sam and Dean) think otherwise. In past relationships, pre-being with Dean, it has. Several ex-boyfriends wound up cheating on her.

20.  In what ways does your character compare themselves to others? Do they do this for the sake of self-validation, or self-criticism?

·         Abigail is very humbling, coming back to her low self-esteem. She sees herself beneath everyone she comes to. She often doesn’t see what Dean or Sam sees in her, often being told by the people she helps on jobs on the way those two looked at her. She’s always surprised by what they say, and as always, has to make herself beneath them.

21.  If something tragic or negative happens to your character, do they believe they may have caused or deserved it, or are they quick to blame others?

·         She’s the first to take the blame if Dean isn’t around. John and her dad taught her well from the young age that if something fucks up, it’s her fault.

22.  What does your character like in other people?

·         Being a hunter, she sees horrible things on a near daily basis. She admires the naivety and simplicity of life that civilians have; go to work, eat, come home to their family, and start their day over again.

23.  What does your character dislike in other people?

·         At the same time of her admiration of the naivety and simplicity civilian life is, she dislikes it due to knowing the horrors of being a hunter. She knows what to look for when others don’t.

24.  How quick is your character to trust someone else?

·         It’s pretty difficult for her to trust someone with the lifestyle she has. When she does, she trusts them completely.

25.  How quick is your character to suspect someone else? Does this change if they are close with that person?

·         Very easy. It’s her job to suspect people as monsters and things that go bump in the night. She can pick out a liar like it’s a walk in the park.

26.  How does your character behave around children?

·         She’s totally different around children during a hunt. Being a mother, momma bear comes out. Rather than being harsh, demanding, and sometimes a total bitch to adults, she’s tender, patient, and understanding. Not to mention protective.

27.  How does your character normally deal with confrontation?

·         Ready for a knockdown drag-out.

28.  How quick or slow is your character to resort to physical violence in a confrontation?

·         In the blink of an eye if someone oversteps their boundaries or if someone/something becomes threatening.

29.  What did your character dream of being or doing as a child? Did that dream come true?

·         Abigail wanted to be a professional equestrian or singer. She got a full ride scholarship from Julliard in New York, but declined it due to the family business.

30.  What does your character find repulsive or disgusting?

·         Unexpected gore, like stepping in a pile of guts without noticing it, or putting her hand in a pile of shed skin from a Shapeshifter. She’s a neat freak and germaphobe at times. One thing she can’t stand is a witch.

31.  Describe a scenario in which your character feels most comfortable.

·         Relaxing with Sam, Dean, and her daughter Megan. It can be anywhere.

32.  Describe a scenario in which your character feels most uncomfortable.

·         When there’s potential danger with her daughter around.

33.  In the face of criticism, is your character defensive, self-deprecating, or willing to improve?

·         She’s pretty self-deprecating, but willing to improve on areas that need it.

34.  Is your character more likely to keep trying a solution/method that didn’t work the first time, or immediately move on to a different solution/method?

·         If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again.

35.  How does your character behave around people they like?

·         Relaxed, humorous, out-going.

36.  How does your character behave around people they dislike?

·         Standoffish, distant, suspicious.

37.  Is your character more concerned with defending their honor, or protecting their status?

·         Defending her honor. She doesn’t care about where she stands with people.

38.  Is your character more likely to remove a problem/threat, or remove themselves from a problem/threat?

·         Remove the problem/threat. She’s a hunter and a mother.

39.  Has your character ever been bitten by an animal? How were they affected (or unaffected)?

·         She’s been bitten, gouged, stabbed, poked, prodded, beaten, and slashed at by different entities that would borderline animals. She gets mended up and moves on.

40.  How does your character treat people in service jobs?

·         You respect her, she’ll respect you.

41.  Does your character feel that they deserve to have what they want, whether it be material or abstract, or do they feel they must earn it first?

·         She has to earn it. In her words, you gotta earn it to appreciate it.

42.  Has your character ever had a parental figure who was not related to them?

·         Yes, Bobby and John.

43.  Has your character ever had a dependent figure who was not related to them?

·         Yes, Sam.

44.  How easy or difficult is it for your character to say “I love you?” Can they say it without meaning it?

·         It really depends. With Dean, she could say it every day, but she knows how hard it is for him to say it to her, so in turn, it’s said in small quantities. With Sam, it’s a strictly platonic, brother/sister type thing. With Megan, she says it daily, from the time she wakes up till the time she goes to bed.

45.  What does your character believe will happen to them after they die? Does this belief scare them?

·         She hasn’t put much thought into what happens after she dies. It’s more a play it by ear, and she’s come to terms with her lifestyle. It’s dangerous and each day is not promised. So in short, no, she’s not scared of her beliefs.

[marcusssanderson]

100 Best Rap Quotes and Lyrics about Life, Love and Success

Our latest collection of rap quotes that will inspire the way you look at life and success.

The world loves rap. The most popular culture in the world is Hip-Hop.

Rap and Hip Hop are everywhere due to the music and cultures representation of confidence, boldness, and celebration of individuality.

Rap is defined as “a type of popular music recited rapidly and rhythmically over an instrumental backing.”

Although the rap music industry might have some questionable characters in the mix, there are a lot of rap artists who inspire us with truly spectacular lyrics and life lessons.

Rap quotes are powerful and enjoyable.

There is a lot of wisdom and inspiration to be found in the words of famous rappers.

Let’s look at some great rap quotes and rap lyrics about life, love, and success.

Best rap quotes and lyrics about life, love and success

1.) “Next time you see a brother down Stop and pick him up, Cause you might be the next one stuck.” – Grand Puba, Mind Your Business

2.) “Never become so involved with something that it blinds you. Never forget where you from; someone will remind you.” – DMX, “It’s On

3.) “Life without knowledge is death in disguise” Knowledge Of Self” – Talib Kweli

4.) “The purpose of life is a life with a purpose. So I’d rather die for a cause, than live a life that is worthless.” – Immortal Technique

5.) “You’ve got to realize that the world’s a test, You can only do your best and let Him do the rest. You’ve got your life, and got your health, So quit procrastinating and push it yourself.” – Cee-Lo, “In Due Time

6.) “My whole thing is to inspire, to better people, to better myself forever in this thing that we call rap, this thing that we call hip hop.” – Kendrick Lamar

7.) “Reality is wrong. Dreams are for real.” – Tupac Shakur

8.) “People can try to reinvent themselves. I don’t think you can really change who you are, though, because who you are is pretty much where you came from and what you’ve done up to now.” – Eminem

9.) “I’ve done a lot of work to get where I’m at, but I have to keep working.” –Wiz Khalifa

10.) “Living life is a choice. Making a difference in someone else’s isn’t.”– Kid Cudi

11.) “Every day is new. It’s just a new day. I look at six hours at a time.” – Wiz Khalifa

12.) “Everybody’s at war with different things…I’m at war with my own heart sometimes.” ― Tupac Shakur

13.) “Be careful what you say to someone today. Because tomorrow they might not be here, and you can’t take it back.”– Wiz Khalifa

14.) “Jump regardless of the consequence, cause even on the night of the apocalypse, everybody’s an optimist.”–Tonedeff, Optimist

15.) “I’d shoot for the moon but I’m too busy gazing at stars.”–Eminem, Not Afraid

16.) “Without order, nothing exists. Without chaos, nothing evolves.”–Jedi Mind Tricks, Heavy Metal Kings

Best rap quotes and lyrics about life

17.) “You know it’s funny when it rains it pours They got money for wars, but can’t feed the poor” – 2Pac

18.) “Rap is something you do Hip Hop is something you live.” – KRS-One

19.) “You know the type: loud as a motorbike but wouldn’t bust a grape in a fruit fight.”― Jay-Z

20.) “Don’t fall for fake people. They’re often disguised as people close to you.”― Big Les

21.) It’s only human to express the way you really feel, but that same humanity is my Achilles’ heel. A leopard can’t change his spots and never will; So I’m forever i’ll, now I can never chill. – Black Thought

22.) When you’re a little kid, you don’t see color, and the fact that my friends were black never crossed my mind. It never became an issue until I was a teenager and started trying to rap. -Eminem

23.) I’m also not going to explain something just because I said it in a rap. Take what you want from it. – Azealia Banks

24.) “You gotta be able to smile through the bullshit.” – Tupac

25.) No one can identify the uninformed until they voice their ignorance about a topic. Silence is a fool’s best friend. Sadly, he is often too foolish to realize it. – Carlos Wallace

26.) “Life is a wheel of fortune and it’s my turn to spin it.” – Tupac

27.) “Life is too short to live the same day twice. So each new day make sure you live your life.” – Machine Gun Kelly

28.) “Life without dreaming is a life without meaning.” – Wale

29.) “‘Cause whatever you love can be taken away, so live like it’s your dying day.” – Machine Gun Kelly

30.) “Living well eliminates the need for revenge.” – Kanye West

Best rap quotes and lyrics about love, family and relationships

31.) “Once in awhile, I’mma cheat and get dome, But best believe that I’mma always come home. Shorty, I luv you.”  – Meyhem Lauren, “Let’s Hold Hands

32.) “If you admire someone, you should go ahead and tell them. People never get the flowers while they can still smell them.” – Kanye West

33.) “The question isn’t do he love ya the question is, do ya love yourself? You give the best advice to your friends and not take it for yourself.” –Big Sean, Jump Out The Window

34.) “Last night I saw you in my dreams, now I can’t wait to go to sleep.”–Kanye West, Hey Mama

35.) “People will love you and support you when it’s beneficial.”– Nicki Minaj, Pills and Potions

36.) Love yourself and your expression, you can’t go wrong. – KRS-One

37.) “Forgive but don’t forget girl, keep ya head up. And when he tells you you ain’t nothing don’t believe him, and if he can’t learn to love you, you should leave him.” – Tupac

38.) “One day you’re gonna remember me and how much I love you�� then you’re gonna hate yourself for letting me go.” – Drake

39.) “Trust your own judgement, live with it and love it.” – Nas

40.) “Jealousy is just love and hate at the same time.” – Drake

Rap quotes about music and motivation

41.) Music just ain’t what it used to; We used to have songs that you could shoplift or boost to. – Jadakiss, “Hip-Hop (Remix)

42.) “You could name practically any problem in the hood and there’d be a rap song for you.”― Jay-Z, Decoded

43.) Sometimes I feel like rap music is almost the key to stopping racism. – Eminem

44.) Rap for me is like making movies, telling stories, and getting the emotions of the songs through in just as deep a way. – Jay-Z

45.) I would say that I’m more moved by melody, even though I love to rap. – Drake

46.) I love country music, but I also love gangster rap. – Anderson East

47.) I don’t even listen to rap. My apartment is too nice to listen to rap in. – Kanye West

48.) I am obsessed with rap music – it’s such a big part of my life. – Randall Park

49.) Although rap is about boasting, it’s also about honesty and expressing your emotions. – Keith Stanfield

50.) My girlfriend is rap. Music and albums and records and my kids. – Mystikal

51.) Rap music is the only vital form of music introduced since punk rock. – Kurt Cobain

52.) It’s bad poetry executed by people that can’t sing. That’s my definition of Rap. – Peter Steele

Best rap quotes and lyrics about friends

53.) “Me and my people break bread, sit and smoke The conversation rich, but that depend on what you consider broke” – Talib Kweli

54.) “It ain’t no fun if the homies can’t have none. ”― Snoop Dogg

55.) “Pay attention to whom your energy increases and decreases around. That’s the universe giving you a hint of who you should embrace and who you should keep away from.” – Diddy

56.) “I can see you’re sad even when you smile, even when you laugh I can see it in your eyes.”–Eminem, Mockingbird

57.) “Cherish these nights, cherish these people. Life is a movie, but there’ll never be a sequel.”–Nicki Minaj, All Things Go

58.) I’m on the pursuit of happiness. I know everything that shines ain’t always gold. I’ll be fine once I get it, I’ll be good. – Kid Cudi

59.) Forget yesterday, live for today. Tomorrow will take care of itself. – Rick Ross

60.) “You’ve got enemies? Good, that means you actually stood up for something.” – Eminem

Rap quotes and lyrics about respect

61.) “How far must you go to gain respect? Um… Well, it’s kind of simple: just remain your own. Or you’ll be crazy sad and alone.” – Q-Tip, “Check the Rhime

62.) “Only God can judge me.”― Tupac Shakur, The Rose That Grew from Concrete

63.) “No law’s gonna change us, we have to change us.”–Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Same Love

64.) “Kept breaking promises you said you would keep, so you can leave a message at the beep.” – Mac Miller

65.) “The sooner you realize things will never be the same, the sooner you can move on.” – Kid Cudi

66.) “I’m going to always rise above the doubt that may exist about me.” – T.I

67.) “Everyday is a new opportunity to reach that goal.” – Rick Ross

68.) “Never assume you know what’s going on in someone’s life unless you heard it straight form the source.” – Chris Brown

69.) “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation. Because your character is what you really are. While your reputation is what others merely think you are.” – Jay Z

70.) “I’ll be your best friend if you promise you’ll be mine.” – 50 Cent

Rap quotes and lyrics about fame

71.) “Some seek fame cause they need validation, Some say hating is confused admiration.” – Nas, “Stay”

72.) “‘I am happy’. That’s just the saddest lie.”–Kid Cudi, Soundtrack 2 My Life

73.) “Reach for the stars so if you fall you land on a cloud.” –Kanye West, Homecoming

74.) “Rappers wear diamonds to compensate for a lack of fashion sense.” – A$AP Rocky

75.) “They say a midget standing on a giant’s shoulders can see much further than the giant. So I got the whole rap world on my shoulders, they trying to see further than I am.” – Jay-Z

76.) “Why do we try so hard to fit in, when we were born to stand out?” – Machine Gun Kelly

77.) “Good things come in good time.” – Wiz Khalifa

78.) “What I wanna know is why I never fit in right, like a fat dude getting on a packed flight.” – Childish Gambino

79.) “Well, hip hop is what makes the world go round.” – Snoop Dogg

80.) “Even the genius asks his questions.” – Tupac

Rap quotes about money and hustle

81.) “Money will brainwash you and leave your ass mindless Snakes slither in the grass spineless” – Eminem

82.) “I’m a hustler, baby; I sell water to a well!”― Jay-Z

83.) “I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man!”― Jay-Z

84.) “Never stop fighting no matter what anyone says. If it’s in your gut, your soul, there’s nothing, no worldly possession that should come between you and your expression.” –Kanye West

85.) “Even though you’re fed up, you got to keep ya head up.”–2Pac, Keep Ya Head Up

86.) “I like when money makes a difference but don’t make you different.”–Drake, From Time

87.) “If people take anything from my music, it should be motivation to know that anything is possible as long as you keep working at it and don’t back down.” – Eminem

88.) “They’re gonna try to tell you no, shatter all your dreams. But you gotta get up and go and think of better things.” – Mac Miller

89.) “Take the first chance that you get, because you may never get another one.” – Lil Wayne

90.) “You might not have a car or big gold chain, stay true to yourself and things will change.” – Snoop Dogg

More rap quotes and lyrics

91.) “I don’t like thugs, I don’t like nerds, I don’t like myself and I hate bein’ disturbed.” – Sean Price, “Critically Acclaimed

92.) “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone After you who’s last, it’s Doom, he’s the worst known” – MF DOOM

93.) “I never sleep ‘cuz sleep is the cousin of death.” – Nas

94.) “Same kid’s went to Catholic school is dealers And same n_gga’s had no heart is now killers” – Ma$e

95.) “Telling my business to kids I don’t even know, You’re like a daytime talk show…and that’s low.” – Guru, “Take it Personal

96.) “We always ignore the ones who adore us, and adore the ones who ignore us.” – Drake

97.) “Never apologize for what you feel. It’s like apologizing for being real.” – Lil Wayne

98.) “Only God can judge me, so I’m gone, either love me or leave me alone.” – Jay Z

99.) “For every dark night, there’s a brighter day.” – Tupac

100.) “How many people you bless, is how you measure success.” – Rick Ross

Which Rap quotes were your favorites?

Despite all the funny characters that might exist in the rap music industry, there are plenty of rap artists who inspire with their powerful and enjoyable words and lyrics.

Hopefully, these rap quotes and lyrics have inspired the way you look at life and success.

Did you enjoy these rap quotes? Which of the quotes was your favorite? Tell us in the comment section below. We would love to hear all about it.

The post 100 Best Rap Quotes and Lyrics about Life, Love and Success appeared first on Everyday Power.

[d-noona]

AERO

Chapter 3: Welcome to JYPE Xpress

"My life?...if you can call it that. Has been challenging as fuck. Sometimes I wonder what I was like before the escape. Before Aero. Everything is just a blur. As much as I want to remember. They've been swiped clean. Oh well, life fucks us so hard nobody dies a virgin." - Seven

As Seven pumps her bike through the streets of Seoul bustling with activity. A normal day in the city two decades from now.

Things have changed by the year 2020, but in subtle ways. The skyline is the same, not transformed by gleaming megastructures. There are no Jetson flying vehicles glittering among the high-rises. It is a city frozen in time, stopped dead in the tracks of progress. But it is far from a deserted place, on the contrary, the streets are more alive than ever.

Seven bunny hops a curb, side skids around a tight corner and barrels down a split lane between bunches of sluggishly moving cars, mostly older models from around the turn of the century, the last time people could afford to buy anything. Seven breaks to a stop at a sand-bagged checkpoint.

She flashes the plastic ID clipped to her vest to a young soldier, along with a too-big smile "Jype Messenger" she says.

He smiles back and waves her through, checking her out as she goes "Have a good one" says the soldier as she drives away.

Seven goes back to their head office JYPE Xpress. As she enters the facility, an overhead fluorescent flickers. She enters the nerve center of JYPE Xpress, Seoul's oldest messenger service, founded sometime in the early years of the 21st century.

The crew of messengers, mostly in their 20's of various personalities, includes Jackson Wang, Mark Tuan, Choi Youngjae et al.

They munch on junk food, drink sodas and half-watch an ancient TV hung from the ceiling while they wait for assignments.

As Jackson full-dressed, rises up to plead his case to a very pissed bossed JYP. Jin "Old" known by many approaches JYP and says "Nobody was there to sign for it man. What's a brotha s'posed to do? Ride around all day with the package?" Youngjae nods in approval laughing his ass off and responded "I'd probably do the same boss, give my boy a break."

JYP clearly pissed as day, turning all red and huffs responded "So you just decided to return it to the sender. Or, in this case, the sender's wife?" Mark being the air of wisdom among the crew came to the younger man's aid. "Like the prophets say...Only the unrighteous husband sends expensive gift-wrapped panties to another woman."

JYP heads behind the shipping counter which is cluttered with packing slips, mailing tubes, etc. The exhausted boss, tired of it all responded whilst banging his fist on the table "Which is none of your business...or mine."

Jackson high fives his friends, smirks and says "It only concerns God. But in this case, I was the instrument of the Most High."

The unfazed boss responded "Well around here, I'm the Most High. From now on, before you do anything, call in for instructions."

With all the racket Seven smirked at the boys and gave Jackson, Youngjae and Mark a high five. She enters the lounge ignoring the sign which clearly reads: YOUR BIKE IS TO RIDE, DO NOT BRING INSIDE.

JYP's reaction as to seeing Seven suggests this is a habit of hers and he has already given up trying to break her off. He shoves a package at Jackson, Youngjae and Mark to get rid of the rowdy boys. "This is a hot run, beat it" then he turns to Seven with a disdain look on his face "You're late again Missy."

Seven turns around to see JYP up her ass, she looks at her boss. JYP was definitely not a looker, the fact that he nags and has loud mouth and uptight personality makes it worst.

"I was on call" she responded in her most monotonous voice.

JYP turned red in anger "I want you on call here!" dog-tired of his employees attitudes. Her boss sends her off with a last hot run for the day. Seven took the package since it was set to go to one of those high-rise buildings of the rich and famous. Before heading off she stopped by one of her home girls Summer. Dressed in leather, stiletto nails, ghetto fabulous, slams her locker shut, pissed off. Seven regards her a beat with the most catlike grin knowing that something was up "Good morning, Sunshine" as she laughs.

"Caught some son-of-a-bitch stealing my bike. Used a car jack to blow out my U-lock and bent a bunch of spikes. So now I gotta get my wheels fixed." Whilst trying to fix the ridges of her bike. Seven took the wheels off Summer's hands and fixed the ridges for her "Well, look on the bright side, at least he didn't swing with your ride."

"No, but I broke a nail giving him a cranium crack, and that just sort of wrecks your day, know what I'm saying?" She looks over at Jackson, as a girl approaches him, the girl hands Jackson a box of chocolates and cookies, looking all flustered and red.

Jackson gives the girl a quick peck on the cheek, says thank you and quickly walks off then approaches Youngjae and Mark with a box of goodies given by one of his admirers. "Now why can't I find a bf like that? I can bring him cookies, he buys me lunch every day, legs, muscle, abs from here to there."

Seven laughs at her friend. Summer pouts and tilts her head, the boys approaches them both. Seven and Summer exchange a knowing look then giggles.

"Whats going on ladies?" says Youngjae who was flirtatiously flipping his hair showing his beautiful forehead and his most dashing smile. As the normal chatter began among friends you all turned to the old TV hanging on the wall. The regular programming turns to snow, replaced after a moment by the pixilated image of the pirate cyber journalist known to the masses as the Informant Net. As someone cranks up the volume, pan around the faces in the room who listen in rapt attention.

"Do not attempt to adjust your set. This is a video of Free Korea Bulletin. The cable hack will last exactly sixty seconds. It cannot be traced. It cannot be stopped, and it is the only free voice left in this city..."

Youngjae turns at Seven with a confused look on his face that makes him look like a lost child "Is this guy even for real?" as the TV still continues with its cyber hack.

"Who knows" Seven shrugged being obvious that she was not paying attention to the cyber hack. Jackson jumps in "He ever been wrong about anything?"

Seven looks at the TV screen once more with disdain on her face not trusting anything she sees "If you ask me, he's on the same hustle as everyone else."

Mark engrossed with the cyber hack shushes Seven. "Doesn't mean he's not telling the truth" Jackson adds in, obviously believing the Informant Net. Youngjae nodding the same, agreeing with both Jackson and Mark.

Mark being all hot and bothered responded "Just hope God's looking out for his ass, cause he's messing with the brimstone, brotha."

Seven nodded in response to Mark's words of wisdom. He is right she thought. Whoever this guy is and whatever his deal is. He best better be careful. As Seven was about to bid goodbye to Summer she almost choked holding out a laugh, she nudges her friend and gave her an eye to signal her to stop staring and drooling at Jackson. She turned crimson red with this and smiled. But being the unpredictable Seven couldn't help but tease Summer.

"Alright, this fixation you have with Jackson is tiring the shit out of me. I got you covered with your wheels. So we good? I've gotta run before Jyp screams bloody murder on me again." She pushes her bike out of JYPE Xpress, as Summer sighs and shouts "See you later at the Crash bitch".

Seven turns her head and nods quickly driving off laughing as she sees Summer flipping her with her middle finger.

[marcusssanderson]

100 Best Rap Quotes and Lyrics about Life, Love and Success

Our latest collection of rap quotes on Everyday Power Blog.

Rap is defined as “a type of popular music of US black origin in which words are recited rapidly and rhythmically over an instrumental backing.”

Developed as part of hip-hop culture, Rap music is arguably one of the most popular music genres. It provides everything the younger generation desires and does it refreshingly.

Although the rap music industry might have some questionable characters in the mix, there are a lot of rap artists who inspire us with truly spectacular lyrics and life lessons.

Rap quotes are powerful and enjoyable. There is a lot of wisdom and inspiration to be found in the words of famous rappers. Let’s look at some great rap quotes about life, love, and success.

  Best rap quotes and lyrics about life, love and success

  1.) “Next time you see a brother down Stop and pick him up, Cause you might be the next one stuck.” – Grand Puba, Mind Your Business

  2.) “Never become so involved with something that it blinds you. Never forget where you from; someone will remind you.” – DMX, “It’s On

  3.) “Life without knowledge is death in disguise” Knowledge Of Self” – Talib Kweli

  4.) “The purpose of life is a life with a purpose. So I’d rather die for a cause, than live a life that is worthless.” – Immortal Technique

  5.) “You’ve got to realize that the world’s a test, You can only do your best and let Him do the rest. You’ve got your life, and got your health, So quit procrastinating and push it yourself.” – Cee-Lo, “In Due Time

  6.) “My whole thing is to inspire, to better people, to better myself forever in this thing that we call rap, this thing that we call hip hop.” – Kendrick Lamar

  7.) “Reality is wrong. Dreams are for real.” – Tupac Shakur

  8.) “People can try to reinvent themselves. I don’t think you can really change who you are, though, because who you are is pretty much where you came from and what you’ve done up to now.” – Eminem

  9.) “I’ve done a lot of work to get where I’m at, but I have to keep working.” –Wiz Khalifa

  10.) “Living life is a choice. Making a difference in someone else’s isn’t.”– Kid Cudi

  11.) “Every day is new. It’s just a new day. I look at six hours at a time.” – Wiz Khalifa

  12.) “Everybody’s at war with different things…I’m at war with my own heart sometimes.” ― Tupac Shakur

  13.) “Be careful what you say to someone today. Because tomorrow they might not be here, and you can’t take it back.”– Wiz Khalifa

  14.) “Jump regardless of the consequence, cause even on the night of the apocalypse, everybody’s an optimist.”–Tonedeff, Optimist

  15.) “I’d shoot for the moon but I’m too busy gazing at stars.”–Eminem, Not Afraid

  16.) “Without order, nothing exists. Without chaos, nothing evolves.”–Jedi Mind Tricks, Heavy Metal Kings

  Best rap quotes and lyrics about life

  17.) “You know it’s funny when it rains it pours They got money for wars, but can’t feed the poor” – 2Pac

  18.) “Rap is something you do Hip Hop is something you live.” – KRS-One

  19.) “You know the type: loud as a motorbike but wouldn’t bust a grape in a fruit fight.”― Jay-Z

  20.) “Don’t fall for fake people. They’re often disguised as people close to you.”― Big Les

  21.) It’s only human to express the way you really feel, but that same humanity is my Achilles’ heel. A leopard can’t change his spots and never will; So I’m forever i’ll, now I can never chill. – Black Thought

  22.) When you’re a little kid, you don’t see color, and the fact that my friends were black never crossed my mind. It never became an issue until I was a teenager and started trying to rap. -Eminem

  23.) I’m also not going to explain something just because I said it in a rap. Take what you want from it. – Azealia Banks

  24.) “You gotta be able to smile through the bullshit.” – Tupac

  25.) No one can identify the uninformed until they voice their ignorance about a topic. Silence is a fool’s best friend. Sadly, he is often too foolish to realize it. – Carlos Wallace

  26.) “Life is a wheel of fortune and it’s my turn to spin it.” – Tupac

  27.) “Life is too short to live the same day twice. So each new day make sure you live your life.” – Machine Gun Kelly

  28.) “Life without dreaming is a life without meaning.” – Wale

  29.) “‘Cause whatever you love can be taken away, so live like it’s your dying day.” – Machine Gun Kelly

  30.) “Living well eliminates the need for revenge.” – Kanye West

  Best rap quotes and lyrics about love, family and relationships

  31.) “Once in awhile, I’mma cheat and get dome, But best believe that I’mma always come home. Shorty, I luv you.”  – Meyhem Lauren, “Let’s Hold Hands

  32.) “If you admire someone, you should go ahead and tell them. People never get the flowers while they can still smell them.” – Kanye West

  33.) “The question isn’t do he love ya the question is, do ya love yourself? You give the best advice to your friends and not take it for yourself.” –Big Sean, Jump Out The Window

  34.) “Last night I saw you in my dreams, now I can’t wait to go to sleep.”–Kanye West, Hey Mama

  35.) “People will love you and support you when it’s beneficial.”– Nicki Minaj, Pills and Potions

  36.) Love yourself and your expression, you can’t go wrong. – KRS-One

  37.) “Forgive but don’t forget girl, keep ya head up. And when he tells you you ain’t nothing don’t believe him, and if he can’t learn to love you, you should leave him.” – Tupac

  38.) “One day you’re gonna remember me and how much I love you… then you’re gonna hate yourself for letting me go.” – Drake

  39.) “Trust your own judgement, live with it and love it.” – Nas

  40.) “Jealousy is just love and hate at the same time.” – Drake

  Rap quotes about music

  41.) Music just ain’t what it used to; We used to have songs that you could shoplift or boost to. – Jadakiss, “Hip-Hop (Remix)

  42.) “You could name practically any problem in the hood and there’d be a rap song for you.”― Jay-Z, Decoded

  43.) Sometimes I feel like rap music is almost the key to stopping racism. – Eminem

  44.) Rap for me is like making movies, telling stories, and getting the emotions of the songs through in just as deep a way. – Jay-Z

  45.) I would say that I’m more moved by melody, even though I love to rap. – Drake

  46.) I love country music, but I also love gangster rap. – Anderson East

  47.) I don’t even listen to rap. My apartment is too nice to listen to rap in. – Kanye West

  48.) I am obsessed with rap music – it’s such a big part of my life. – Randall Park

  49.) Although rap is about boasting, it’s also about honesty and expressing your emotions. – Keith Stanfield

  50.) My girlfriend is rap. Music and albums and records and my kids. – Mystikal

  51.) Rap music is the only vital form of music introduced since punk rock. – Kurt Cobain

  52.) It’s bad poetry executed by people that can’t sing. That’s my definition of Rap. – Peter Steele

  Best rap quotes and lyrics about friends

  53.) “Me and my people break bread, sit and smoke The conversation rich, but that depend on what you consider broke” – Talib Kweli

  54.) “It ain’t no fun if the homies can’t have none. ”― Snoop Dogg

  55.) “Pay attention to whom your energy increases and decreases around. That’s the universe giving you a hint of who you should embrace and who you should keep away from.” – DIddy

  56.) “I can see you’re sad even when you smile, even when you laugh I can see it in your eyes.”–Eminem, Mockingbird

  57.) “Cherish these nights, cherish these people. Life is a movie, but there’ll never be a sequel.”–Nicki Minaj, All Things Go

  58.) I’m on the pursuit of happiness. I know everything that shines ain’t always gold. I’ll be fine once I get it, I’ll be good. – Kid Cudi

  59.) Forget yesterday, live for today. Tomorrow will take care of itself. – Rick Ross

  60.) “You’ve got enemies? Good, that means you actually stood up for something.” – Eminem

  Rap quotes and lyrics about respect

  61.) How far must you go to gain respect? Um… Well, it’s kind of simple: just remain your own. Or you’ll be crazy sad and alone. – Q-Tip, “Check the Rhime

  62.) “Only God can judge me.”― Tupac Shakur, The Rose That Grew from Concrete

  63.) “No law’s gonna change us, we have to change us.”–Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Same Love

  64.) “Kept breaking promises you said you would keep, so you can leave a message at the beep.” – Mac Miller

  65.) “The sooner you realize things will never be the same, the sooner you can move on.” – Kid Cudi

  66.) “I’m going to always rise above the doubt that may exist about me.” – T.I

  67.) “Everyday is a new opportunity to reach that goal.” – Rick Ross

  68.) “Never assume you know what’s going on in someone’s life unless you heard it straight form the source.” – Chris Brown

  69.) “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation. Because your character is what you really are. While your reputation is what others merely think you are.” – Jay Z

  70.) “I’ll be your best friend if you promise you’ll be mine.” – 50 Cent

  Rap quotes and lyrics about fame

  71.) Some seek fame cause they need validation, Some say hating is confused admiration. – Nas, “Stay”

  72.) “‘I am happy’. That’s just the saddest lie.”–Kid Cudi, Soundtrack 2 My Life

  73.) “Reach for the stars so if you fall you land on a cloud.” –Kanye West, Homecoming

  74.) Rappers wear diamonds to compensate for a lack of fashion sense. – A$AP Rocky

  75.) They say a midget standing on a giant’s shoulders can see much further than the giant. So I got the whole rap world on my shoulders, they trying to see further than I am. – Jay-Z

  76.) “Why do we try so hard to fit in, when we were born to stand out?” – Machine Gun Kelly

  77.) “Good things come in good time.” – Wiz Khalifa

  78.) “What I wanna know is why I never fit in right, like a fat dude getting on a packed flight.” – Childish Gambino

  79.) “Well, hip hop is what makes the world go round.” – Snoop Dogg

  80.) “Even the genius asks his questions.” – Tupac

  Rap quotes about money and hustle

  81.) “Money will brainwash you and leave your ass mindless Snakes slither in the grass spineless” – Eminem

  82.) “I’m a hustler, baby; I sell water to a well!”― Jay-Z

  83.) “I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man!”― Jay-Z

  84.) “Never stop fighting no matter what anyone says. If it’s in your gut, your soul, there’s nothing, no worldly possession that should come between you and your expression.” –Kanye West

  85.) “Even though you’re fed up, you got to keep ya head up.”–2Pac, Keep Ya Head Up

  86.) “I like when money makes a difference but don’t make you different.”–Drake, From Time

  87.) If people take anything from my music, it should be motivation to know that anything is possible as long as you keep working at it and don’t back down. – Eminem

  88.) “They’re gonna try to tell you no, shatter all your dreams. But you gotta get up and go and think of better things.” – Mac Miller

  89.) Take the first chance that you get, because you may never get another one. – Lil Wayne

  90.) “You might not have a car or big gold chain, stay true to yourself and things will change.” – Snoop Dogg

  More rap quotes and lyrics

  91.) I don’t like thugs, I don’t like nerds, I don’t like myself and I hate bein’ disturbed. – Sean Price, “Critically Acclaimed

  92.) “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone After you who’s last, it’s Doom, he’s the worst known” – MF DOOM

  93.) I never sleep ‘cuz sleep is the cause of death. – Nas

  94.) “Same kid’s went to Catholic school is dealers And same n_gga’s had no heart is now killers” – Ma$e

  95.) Telling my business to kids I don’t even know, You’re like a daytime talk show…and that’s low. – Guru, “Take it Personal

  96.) We always ignore the ones who adore us, and adore the ones who ignore us. – Drake

  97.) Never apologize for what you feel. It’s like apologizing for being real. – Lil Wayne

  98.) Only God can judge me, so I’m gone, either love me or leave me alone. – Jay Z

  99.) For every dark night, there’s a brighter day. – Tupac

  100.) How many people you bless, is how you measure success. – Rick Ross

  Which Rap quotes were your favorites?

Despite all the funny characters that might exist in the rap music industry, there are plenty of rap artists who inspire with their powerful and enjoyable words andlyrics.

Hopefully, these rap quotes and lyrics have inspired the way you look at life and success.

Did you enjoy these rap quotes? Which of the quotes was your favorite? Tell us in the comment section below. We would love to hear all about it.

The post 100 Best Rap Quotes and Lyrics about Life, Love and Success appeared first on Everyday Power Blog.

[junker-town]

Myles Garrett isn't worth the No. 1 pick

The Texas A&M product is projected to be the first player off the board in the board in the 2017 NFL Draft. Retired NFL defensive end Stephen White sees a player who is good, not great.

Laremy Tunsil was not my number one offensive tackle of the ones that I did a draft profile on last year in large part due to his performance against Texas A & M. To be more precise, it was his performance against TAMU edge rusher Myles Garrett that had me a little spooked. Garrett didn't really get that many one-on-one pass rush opportunities against Tunsil, but he still embarrassed him twice. Both of those wins were decisive and really ugly for a guy who aspired to be the top tackle taken in the draft.

And then came the gas mask video leak right before the draft, and we know how that story ended.

The fact that Tunsil had played so well in every other game that I watched for his evaluation let me know that he was indeed a talented offensive tackle, regardless of his performance against Garrett. That game was one of the only times I got to see Tunsil go one-on-one against a guy who was from all appearances a pretty good pass rusher, and he didn't fair so well.

Considering the fact that our own staff here at SB Nation has put forth this kick ass mock draft presentation showing who looks to be going where in the draft, it’s clear that this guy I hadn't heard of before watching Tunsil's tape, Myles Garrett, seems to be a almost consensus pick to go number one, whether the Browns keep that pick or trade it.

I was really looking forward to watching his tape for my first breakdown and documenting how much he had progressed as an edge rusher in a year to the point where everyone was this impressed with him. .

Yeah, about that ...

*long exaggerated sigh*

*pinches bridge of nose*

*mutters "ah, fuck it"*

I was a bit underwhelmed.

Now, you gotta understand that after last year and all the hell I took behind my draft profile of Joey Bosa — yes, the same Joey Bosa who ended up winning Defensive Rookie Of The Year — I really wasn't trying to go down that road again. I stand by my assessment of Bosa's college tape too. While he did play very well his rookie season, my contention that whoever he was his rookie year is likely who he'll be for the rest of his career, based on the fact that he has already maxed out with his technique and his athleticism in my opinion.

That's ok because if Bosa puts up his rookie numbers for the next seven to ten years I don't think anybody will complain that he was drafted that high.

That the experience with Bosa inspired me to take an even closer look at Garrett's tape than usual after he didn't blow me away at first glance. I just wanted to make absolutely sure about my assessment of Garrett's skills before I wrote my draft profile of him and subject myself to the same kinda bullshit I got.

Since, I don't have access to all-22 for college football games, I use the next best thing for my draft profiles and go to Draft Breakdown where they the TV copy of a bunch of top prospects already cut up and ready to go. For the purposes of this breakdown I watched Garrett play against UCLA, Auburn, Tennessee, Alabama and LSU. Those represented the first, third, sixth, seventh and twelfth games on TAMU's schedule last season, respectively.

I ended up watching all five of those games at least four times and a few of them at least five. I even did a little bit of research this time, something I normally don't do because I like the film to speak for itself. I discovered something that really changed my opinion on how he played in one particular game. It turns out that Garrett hurt his lower leg in the game prior to the Tennessee game. I hadn't noticed his limp watching the first time, but rewatching the game, it was pretty noticeable. And so I went from feeling like he was loafing quite a bit, to actually admiring his hustle on a bad wheel on a few plays.

I've had a bad wheel a time or two as a defensive lineman, and let me tell you, it’s no fun at all trying to play through them. It usually involves a needle and lots of grit, word to PFT Commenter, so I really did come away impressed with some of the plays that Garrett was able to make in that game even though he was hobbled.

I just wanted to be as fair as possible to avoid any insinuation that I'm only criticizing him because I want to be contrary or get attention. Nothing could be further from the truth. Honestly, it'd be great if nobody asked to interview me at all after this column and that any tweets directed to me on the subject would be calm and reasoned.

Yeah right. Who am I kidding?

Athleticism and moves

At the end of the day I happen to believe those lying eyes of mine when it comes to Myles Garrett. And as Coach Tomlin would say, I'm not going to write in my fears.

What my lying eyes are telling me is that after all that watching and re-watching his tape is that Garrett appears to me to be a very good player, but not the kind of top-overall pick talent that I've been accustomed to seeing in my previous three years of doing draft profiles for SB Nation.

He is the first guy whose tape I'm watching for this particular draft class, so it could very well be that he is the best of this particular class. But there’s just something missing. Regardless of how fan boys take it, I'm not going to lie about what I see on tape.

That isn't to say that I didn't see anything that I liked about Garrett. Just like with Bosa, much to the contrary!

First of all, his athleticism is readily evident on tape. He also utilized a wide array of pass rush moves in five games, which is rarer than you probably think and something that definitely impressed me.

I've seen him use long arms.

I've seen him use bullrushes, quite effectively I might add.

The bull rush thing was a bit of a surprise to me simply because he isn't the biggest edge rusher you will see, but he had really good leverage and did a great job of staying low and exploding into offensive tackles at times.

He also had some decent inside moves.

I also saw him spinning and getting pressure.

I also saw him win with speed rushes.

And sometimes he did a combination of power and speed.

Although I must admit that I was expecting to see Garrett use his speed rushes a little more than I actually ended up seeing on tape from him.

But one of the tricky things about evaluating Garrett's film is that it left me wondering what his coaches were asking him to do on certain plays. On some plays that can make a huge difference in my evaluation of what Garrett actually did.

For instance:

If Myles Garrett was told to get upfield and disregard all other keys when he sees the quarterback and running back going through a read option mesh point, then I couldn't very well knock him for disregarding his keys and the kick out block from the backside guard or tight end on a trap play that has a read option mesh point look to it. However, if he wasn't coached to do that then he would pretty much get a zero from me in awareness on Madden.

In the former scenario Garrett is just doing as told and trying to make a play. In the latter scenario he is a blind dog in the meat house, and opposing offensive coordinators in the NFL will look to exploit him with all manner of trap plays on the next level.

See what I mean?

At the same time some of those plays can show me something whether I know what Garrett was coached to do or not. I don't have to know the defensive call if I see Garrett explode upfield and basically tackle both the running back and quarterback at the mesh point before the kick out block can get to him. That's impressive as hell, regardless.

And he did it more than once in the games that I watched.

I went that extra mile to try to get to the bottom of the mystery of whether Garrett was coached to get upfield all the time or not, and I turned up the volume while I watched the tape. I normally keep the volume off because I feel like announcers can influence how I see plays and players, whether I am conscious of it or not. This time I was just curious to see if they had anything to say about it, and sure enough during the Alabama game the broadcast team revealed that he was coached to get upfield to the mesh point on those plays, so I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt on it.

Effort questions

I do need to admit to one bias of mine that worked against Garrett when it comes to my assessment of him. I'm a stickler for effort. I don't have a problem with guys needing to get coached up on their technique because not everybody gets to have a great defensive line coach in college (or in the pros for that matter, but you ain't heard that from me), but nobody should need to get coached up on effort by the time they are ready to enter the league.

That's how I was coached in college and the NFL, and it’s what I continue to believe.

Garrett doesn't have the greatest motor in the world.

That's probably an understatement.

In all but one of the games that I watched, the Auburn game, Garrett didn't seem to always finish plays. In the UCLA game for instance, I had him with eight different plays where I thought his effort or finish on those plays was questionable. In the Alabama game I had him with five such plays. In the LSU game he had four such plays.

And look, Garrett was productive in most of the five games I used for his breakdown. In the UCLA game he had a sack, three pressures and two tackles for a loss. Garrett also had five tackles for a loss in the Bama game alone.

But let's not act like Garrett was doing a lot of his damage against really good offensive lines. I didn't watch Tennessee games, my alma mater, live for the last year and a half because I thought I was a jinx (don't ask), but I did watch most of their games very closely the day after on DVR. I know good and hell well that our offensive line was trash for most of the season. For a guy who is supposed to be the top pick overall in the draft, I would have expected him to dominate them, injury or no injury.

While Garrett was certainly productive in those games, his effort was so poor at times that it was hard to really get excited about some of the good things he did do, and at least some of his production was, for lack of a better term, practically gimmies.

Auburn and their whole offensive scheme was hot garbage for instance, so it wasn't surprising to see Garrett making a lot of plays in their backfield.

But then when you see Garrett just loafing his ass off of the very first play of overtime against UCLA, it’s hard to even remember any of those TFLs against Auburn.

That shit was embarrassing. I don't think any top player would want to have a play like that one on film where their defensive coordinator could literally just run it back and forth and back and forth, over and over again in front of the rest of the defense to give them a visual example of what is not acceptable effort from a dude who is supposed to be the best player in this spring's draft. I never wanted to be that negative example that a coach uses as a teaching tool to show my teammates what not to do back when I played and imagine I wasn't alone in feeling that way.

The only thing that saved Garrett from that play being shown on a loop before this draft is the fact that TAMU wound up winning that game. So while I know that he has a ton of ability after watching his film, Garrett's effort, or lack thereof at times, still kinda sours me on the kid a little bit.

And I have to say that if Jadeveon Clowney's effort on tape gave draft evaluators the vapors three years ago, I'd imagine Garrett has those some folks about ready to pull their hair out at times, too.

I'm just sayin’.

Effective against the run

I am willing to admit that, effort aside, Garrett was surprisingly effective against the run. I say surprisingly because these days when you have an edge rusher who isn't built like the Hulk and over 290 pounds, they aren't always the most sturdy guys when it comes to taking on blockers in the running game. Especially guys who are seen primarily as pass rushers.

Now, yeah, some of it was those plays when he just shot up the field without paying attention to his run keys, but I also saw him whupping LSU's tight end quite a few times on tape.

Hell, Garrett straight up slung a Tennessee tight end out of his way to get a tackle for a loss against us. So this notion that he is soft against the run?

I didn't really see it.

Garrett might be a lot of things, but he ain't scared.

So while Garrett did have effort issues on tape, he also was indeed a play maker both against the run and the pass. Hell, the guy had five TFLs against Alabama, and that isn't something you see every day.

What makes Garrett special?

Garrett definitely has the potential to be a good NFL player. That part is is undeniable.

What I didn't see on his tape were any special plays from Garrett, where I would potentially see him do something that very few players could do.

When I watched Clowney play he certainly had a lot of flaws, but he would do things that would just make me cuss under my breath when I saw them. Aaron Donald was the same way on film. And he had ridiculously good technique, but I knew his height would scare away evaluators. Khalil Mack did it, but some of it was against lower level competition. I wasn't sure about anything except how he gloriously dominated Ohio State from damn near everywhere on the defensive line. Leonard Williams and Vic Beasley flashed "special" ability on their tape.*

It kind of jumped off the screen at me from all of those players. I couldn’t have ignored it if I tried.

He had pretty good pass rushing technique and he also made a lot of plays in the backfield, but when it comes to “wow” plays, they were few and far between on the tape that I watched.

Garrett reminds me of Anthony Barr out of UCLA who has played well as a 4-3 linebacker in Minnesota the last three seasons, injuries aside. You can look at my draft profile of Barr and see they look similar in how they run and their mannerisms on the field. Roughly the same size too in college, too.

The major difference between the two in college is that while Barr played all over the place for UCLA, including with his hand in the dirt and also standing up, Garrett was at right edge rusher a majority of the time. He had a few plays here and there inside as a three technique, where he did very well I might add, and one measly play at left edge rusher in the games that I watched. All the other times you could find him as the right edge defender.

That makes it harder to discern how much scheme versatility he would have relative to Barr who made a successful transition to an off the ball 4-3 linebacker. Because they are so physically similar, I wouldn't put it past Garrett to be able to play well off the ball too if the team that drafts him wants to do that.

I usually would rather see a guy do it before making that assumption, however.

So to recap, I definitely see Myles Garrett as being a first-round pick. He will be a quality player for seven to 10 years, provided he stays healthy.

But his effort bothers me. I just don't see a player on tape who would be a hands down first pick in the draft in most years. There is a lot to like about the kid, but I just didn't see anything special when I watched his film. At the end of the day what caught my eye about him was still just two plays against Tunsil, and sometimes initial impressions are just flat out wrong.

I may well be wrong about Garrett. If I am, I'm sure y'all will waste no time in pointing it out to me. But that's what the tape is telling me about him, so that's what I'm telling you.

Sue me.

*I haven't yet watched Tennessee edge rusher Derek Barnett's tape for the purpose of doing a breakdown on him, but I have watched him enough to know that his bend around the corner is in fact "special." Garrett's is pretty good too, but I saw Barnett pass rush from all over the place.

That isn't to say that Barnett definitely should be drafted higher than Garrett ... just yet. But I know special when I see it, and in the games I've watched them Barnett has special abilities and Garrett, comparatively, does not. Also Barnett's technique is better, but, shhhhh, we’ll get to that later.