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shy-magpie · 4 years

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RQG 152

Poor Alex, there was no way to know and changing the story would be more of a breach of the implied contract than going forward. Plus side this warning implies we'll get more info on how the biology of the infection works before RSB actually explodes. To be clear I am all for warnings, I just imagine this was one heck of an awkward position for Alex & co to find themselves in. Well one would think they wanted to get through the intros as fast as physically possible! Seriously bless em for sticking with the structure instead of saying screw it and diving right in. Must be frustrating but it really helps me get in the right space to listen. Yeah it was a bit of an altruism run. That Ben physically ill at the prospect of characters talking? Yuck it up, I was specifically promised three (3) distinct topics would be addressed including both coping mechanisms and back stories. Poor Azu. If someone doesn't hold her while she has a proper cry I will be an unhappy Magpie. Are the new kids going to be invited to the conversations that are totally for sure not going to be put off for a month? Retcon: Barnes and Carter actually fought well it. I guess they were just down to the tricky ones. Theatrical much? Cel is great, have I said that enough? Well obviously not it should be declared at least hourly: "2 o' clock and Cel is great". But right after last episode instead of backing down (and IDK implying Wilde told the new kids their pronouns), Cel is immediately introducing themself with them and emphasizing their importance. Hamid right in there with the leadership, telling the duo that the party needs to go into isolation. I know having Zolf around must have took some weight off his shoulders but the man has grown since season one or even since Prague. He didn't lose that just because he cheers up when not solely responsible for leading the party. Note there is a messy negotiation with Zolf about who is in charge coming up and it is a mark of my trust in this show that I'm not dreading it. Am curious if it will be explicit enough for the white picket fence kids to pick up on, I know I have a thing about rank but some people seem to miss that aspect entirely. OK point Zolf but even with his charisma score there has to be a better way to put it than "do that and you are responsible for infecting Jasper and the village". Wow I guess that is the case isn't it. Thank you leader!Hamid coming in again. Getting Cel the kind of updates on home Hamid was denied in quarantine is fairly low risk for great gains in Cel's comfort with the whole thing. Point of clarity: as much as I hate to admit it, once the quarantine began they couldn't really keep Hamid in the loop since Ishaq was in the care of the Harlequins. Its been implied even without simply escaping an infected person could have means of communication that work in am anti magic cell. The village however is public info. Zolf, I want that again in small words! Are we talking black death or infrastructure problems? Because a few targeted infections could take out the government but not directly kill the citizens. Cel is doing the forced cheer again. What the hell have they been through that they default to words of affirmation for gory violence? Like most characters acknowledge the gore or that it was helpful, not both. Barnes is more reserved outside of the fight. Issues? Trauma? Oh Helen spelling it out, he's my type, crap. "Emotionally unavailable pirate" is a lot of people's type TBF. No wonder I made a warding gesture on hearing Zolf's description and didn't warm up till Dover. These characters wear the red flag as a cape and I'm surprised when my heart gets broken every time. Eh Zolf came back and is doing well enough, maybe Barnes will turn out to just not be chatty vs heart rending. And Hamid in there with the initiative casting Detect Magic so they don't have to face all the risks implied with not checking over the bodies. Barnes and Carter are glowing "like a fireworks factory where things have gone wrong". Only Water Breathing on the mooks. Speaking of emotionally unavailable pirates, Zolf sounds resigned as hell. I know he's working on it but the situation would depress anyone and he's been having a time of it, what with the puzzles and all. Shutting down isn't actually coping better than being shouty just more convenient. Have I already mentioned I want someone to comfort Azu on screen so she can put herself first for once? Remember how bright she shone in Cairo? If she doesn't process soon she's going to echo Zolf's arc. Carter is trying to looking at the bright side. Thank you Ben and Alex, not only a mood lightener but one that reminds us that Zolf asks direct questions now. And Zolf just moved as clearly as possible to protect Azu after Carter lashed out in response to her. I know they have a ways to get to where Grizzop & Azu were but I think they are at least proper team mates. Maybe having Zolf on this side of the bars this time will ease anything Azu is carrying from their introduction. Cel is a delight. Did they just suggest hamster balls? I love how Alex jokes about his own set design. Ah there is Ben's Minecraft joke. I think that's what you call environmental story telling. I love the mental image of them making their entrance crashing the mine cart into the ambush, like half way between a roller-coaster and sledding. Ah its been so long Zolf can't apply his memories of mining. They are officially out! Azu and Zolf are finally breathing right. Hey Zolf broke the weather machine! Cel takes a look see. Plumes of smoke from Shoin's? Wreckage from all the storms. Zolf joins Cel and USES HIS WORDS! I am so proud of him. Like not kidding learning to proactively offer praise & comfort instead of only offering concrete assistance in reaction is a huge step. Oh Cel! Getting yourself killed fighting alone would not have been better than defending your patch. And Zolf is right there, god remember Paris? Remember Prague? Now look at him. And there is the reality check. Not as jarring as it could have been. Azu is face down on the ground near Hamid! No more putting on her game face and slogging through it! Yes, process all you need darlin, no reason to rush. Hamid checks in! Azu takes his hand and explicitly talks about how scary it was when he was missing. Hamid talks about putting on a brave face for Skraak! RQG really just said "we're giving the fandom everything they want" in an episode recorded before we had a chance to ask. Azu checks in with Hamid! Oh Hamid its ok not to be ok. Oh hat Azu! Hamid call your family 18mumble is a go! Alex I will scream if he gets another delaying tactic. Cross your fingers we might get Ishaq and Saira! Azu assures him it would OK. Timing Zolf Horses! Topaz! Barnes: right Well that's a fair reaction to a celestial camel, he doesn't even know what the T stands for. Azu hugs Topaz Thank you Alex for making judgmental celestial camel canon. How GMs don't all go insane with power from the moment it hits they can rewrite their world on a whim is beyond me. A Shetland for Hamid, a standard sounding horse for Cel, a cart horse for Azu, and another Shetland for Zolf. Carter can't get the question out before Zolf shuts him down. He is sticking to his word to Skraak, the island belongs to the Kobolds. Hamid calls en route! Bryn remembers to roll for it! Ishaq is a great kid, such a good sign he sounds like a kid too. Yes the kids are all together in the country house! Dad is at a redacted location, thank you Alex! Mom is alright! Saira is busy and the biggest problem with Ismail is that he is now taller than Ishaq! Ismail is good at magic too. Family bonding time. Einstein is working. Emeka & Veseek are helping things. Ed is with the family. Zolf is not happy about the call. Fair Zolf but none of us are regretting that call. Eh it being a one time thing is fair. Have I mentioned I like how Hamid & Zolf bicker? Its not like with Grizzop. They assume good faith and argue about the issue not score points. Part of why I shipped them in the beginning honestly: charismatic as Hamid is he probably impressioned like a duck on the first person to care more about what he was saying than how he said it. They joke about how hard nonverbal shots are in a podcast. Yes Alex we really do respect your craft. Might have been reassuring Ben. Helen is on the audience's side as always and tells him to pay up on the promised coping mechanisms talk. And Alex makes them roll a perception check. Do not talk block. Carter has been trying to eavesdrop. Azu tells him he isn't invited and Zolf tosses something at his head. Carter slinks back off. Zolf is still not good with words but he is resisting the urge to take it back. That counts damn it! Azu: your not good at talking for someone who says we need to talk. Yes Azu, and thats what makes it special. He is willing to put himself out there and do things he is bad at for the sake of the team. I like how Helen plays Azu getting over her issues with Zolf rather than just leaping to "Hamid vouched for you so we're besties". I need a clip of this, Zolf is offering to listen and be there while respecting boundaries and citing his own experience. Helen is great, Azu jumps right into the 18 months by asking about his relationship with Poseidon. Which again makes sense, as Azu is still working on "we met after you drugged, trapped, and imprisoned me". Which I get but seriously couldn't it have been in the stew or something? Drugging a woman's drink has connotations. Azu backstory(ish) oh thank Alex her cult is still doing the good work. Zolf tells Azu this, and offers her an out? Hamid & Zolf offer reassurance. Yes Hamid specifically tells her it isn't her fault. Zolf assures her that she isn't responsible for Sasha's decisions. Cel and Carter are chatting about what they've seen on the island. Barnes tells them to keep the volume down and does Zolf's thing of bouncing something off Carter's head when he's loud again. Hamid moves to check in with Cel. Cel calls him on it. Hamid asks what Cel plans to do after quarantine! Thank you Bryn! Cel doesn't know, ow. Cel feels obligated to be more proactive. Hamid reassures and points out that they were able to do it as a team so its not on Cel for not acting alone. Cel what is your backstory, afraid of being the monster. Thank you, I could wrap myself in this episode like a blanket. Cel how do you know that about being friends with mercs? Hamid would do it again but wants them to have a choice. Cel: When I call you little buddy I m not referring to the size of your heart. And that was veering saccharine so Ben swoops in with the Harrison Campbell joke. Do not make me get into why Hamid might be using snobbery as a cover for continuing to care more about what people might think than what he wants. Its a cheap shot for what could equally be he's that age and still has some flaws to work through. Thank you Alex for being realistic about horse pace without turning it into a word problem. Wilde! Cel points out the inn keeper could be infected, the boys explain the system of watching one another. Zolf is not letting Wilde get cute with his team again. Wilde wants them "fully supervised" in the bath. I feared that Alex, Wilde turned himself off again. Zolf calls him on it, kinda. They skim past the bath, thank you that could have been problematic. Thank goodness they are leaving the cell door open but locking the trap door. The new kids are in quarantine with them. Fair, going to be fun, but fair.

#live blog thingy #Rusty Quill Gaming #RQG spoilers #RQG season 4 #RQG 152 #long post

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tayylormclaren · 4 years

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Strengths And Weaknesses

My story:

Throughout my whole life, my mom was a single mom of twins. My mom, my sister, and I lived in a two-bedroom apartment. My mom had a boyfriend, and they have been dating for years. My mom found out she was a couple of months pregnant. Her boyfriend ended up leaving since he didn't want the kid. Our mom told us the news, and we weren't happy since we didn't have enough room in the apartment. Anyways my mom ended up having the baby. My sister and I ended up loving our brother. But my mom ended up having postpartum depression for two and a half years. My mom stopped working. Every day after school, I went to work to help pay for bills. While my twin sister helped around the house and with my brother. At home, it got stressful that my sister needed to move out. She ended up living at my auntie's house. I told my mom I love her, but I needed to leave. I had alot of stress on my plate. I didn't want to live with my sister at my auntie since my sister and I needed space apart. I went with living on my own. Living on my own had some excellent experience and bad experiences, but it made me stronger.

Financial Planning:

From living on my own for a year, I then moved into my auntie's house for two years. I've done well to save the money I've earned. Working three jobs wasn't easy, but I had a goal to keep a certain amount for my dental program. Also, Seeing my mom struggle with money and how my friends spend money makes me more aware of spending my money. Throughout living at my auntie, I lived off only one paycheque. My other two jobs, cheques, always went right into my savings. By the time I was ready to go off to college, I had enough to pay for my dental program and a decent leftover. I made a bank appointment to talk about investments, RRSPs, etc. I wanted to speak to them about my business goal and other things down the road like owning a house, having children, marriage.

Sales/Negotiation:

In starting a new business, I feel like I will do well in sales. In one of my current positions, I do well at suggestive selling and advising for different products. Customers will ask my preference, or if I have one, and usually follow my guidance. Many customers will try new things simply on my suggestion. I feel like I have great strength in colours and coordination of such.

An example of this is my style. When I decide to purge my closet per say, my friends/family will choose/pick out things they’d like to buy from me and ask what I think would go with it. I would point something out or show what I wore with these items, and they usually take that item. Now I do have a weakness in negotiation skills, as I’ve never had to do this. If I sell personal items, I always get what I ask and have never bartered or went back and forth with price offerings. I would benefit from some price/product searches and internet browsing to see what products are being valued and selling for.

People Management:

I am working multiply jobs. The jobs that I work at are all the following: at a grocery store part-time, a factory in London, a merchandiser with a company called Counter Intelligence, and at an orthodontist place. Now having these jobs, I come in contact with a lot of people. I love being around people. Now every job, you have to be professional how you communicate with others.

First, working at a grocery, you see regular customers come in or once a week customers. I have made lots of casual acquaintances.

Secondly, I work at a factory in London to coronavirus screening for truck drivers before entering the building. Now it can be hard sometimes since customers hate filling out the forms. But I always remain calm and try to make conversation with them. The customer typically mood changes into a cheerful attitude.

Next, My other job, I am a merchandiser. I am an independent contractor. This job is relaxing. They give you dates your services are supposed to complete. You can go whatever day during the week that works best for you. I only communicate to the receiver in the back of the store if I can't find the product for a specific service or if we still can't find it, I might have to speak with the store manager.

Finally, Working at the orthodontist place, I see regular patients coming in for their appointment. Since the coronavirus virus is happening, we have to communicate with the parents more since they aren't coming in the children. We have to walk the patient out and tell their parents what we did at his/her appointment. I find it a bit nerve-racking at first from time to depending on the parenting tone when you first walk their child out. When this coronavirus first started, I messed up talking to parents. But the more you do something over and over, and it gets better.

In the end, I get along with all my co-workers, and most people I come in contact with the practices from my jobs down the road and have right now. In my opinion, I feel like I am a follower more than a leader as of right now. I tend to find myself observing my boss and co-workers communicating with people and use what I learn from them to speak to other people.

I know I have excellent communication skills to lead me in coming to a leader. However, starting you my own business in home decor will help me push my self more into becoming a leader, which I am excited.

The one thing I need to improve on is my communication through emails. I don't get a lot of practice in this since I come in contact with people face to face.

#Strengths And Weaknesses #mylife #blogpost

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straykidsupdate · 5 years

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Stray Kids Is Your Next K-Pop Obsession — Here’s Why

Just a little over a year after exploding onto the K-pop scene, the young nine-member boy band Stay Kids stands onstage thousands of miles away from their home in Seoul. The New Jersey Performing Arts Center is packed with thousands of fans, called STAY. The majority female audience — strikingly diverse in ethnicity and age — is shouting the opening “na-na”s of “My Pace,” the band’s gritty breakout hit about trusting in your own path and not comparing yourself to others. It’s one thing to hear it on the track, but another entirely to hear it thundering from nearly 3,500 young people in a cavernous space. It’s an empowering, rollicking battle cry.

K-pop has often been likened to a “factory” by the media — a “machine” that pumps out bands on a conveyor belt and hands them hollow, algorithmic pop songs to lip-sync as they move in perfect synchronization. The new generation of South Korean pop groups proves that stereotype resoundingly false. And few subvert it more than Stray Kids — with members Bang Chan, Woojin, Seungmin, Hyunjin, Changbin, HAN, Lee Know, Felix, and I.N — whose inventive mix of EDM, rap, and rock rebel against the norm, and whose sincere, self-penned lyrics are inspiring the rising generation to speak up, because they have something to say.

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“We want to be remembered as a team that not only makes good music, but makes the kind of music that really influences and helps people,” fox-faced vocalist and youngest member I.N tells Refinery29 ahead of the second the band’s two sold out shows in Newark, the first stop on the on the U.S. leg of their “UNVEIL Tour 'I am…' world tour. “That's one of our biggest dreams.”

“I don't think it's fair for anyone to say K-pop is a machine. It’s a stereotype." BANG CHAN

Ingrained in Stray Kids’ DNA is their creative agency. Bang Chan, Changbin, and HAN — known as 3racha — have written and produced the majority of the group's discography, but all nine members have had writing credits on their work, which isn't often seen from young bands in the industry. This ownership has allowed them to experiment and play with their sound, and even their videos — many of their visuals are of them singing and goofing off, filmed on GoPros (as one does when not questioning your entire existence). It’s also allowed them to showcase each member’s versatility. While many K-pop group members usually have defined roles within a group, there’s a joke within the fandom that Stray Kids sometimes feels like it has nine rappers and nine vocalists — whether it’s vocalist Lee Know dishing a scorching opening rap in “District 9,” or rapper Hyunjin letting his gentle tenor shine in “불면증 (Insomnia).”

It’s also this personal, hands-on approach that not only allows them to tell their stories as authentically as possible, but has allowed them to speak even more directly to their fans. This line of communication to the generation they speak for is the most vital to their success thus far, so the perception that their work could be anything but personal is ill-conceived.

“I don't think it's fair for anyone to say K-pop is a machine. It’s a stereotype,” says Bang Chan, turning contemplative. “But I think the reason why people might think that is because the way K-pop is built is very well-organized, and performance-wise everything is precise and well-crafted. What some people probably don’t understand is that we think of it as a gateway that allows artists to reach out to their fans.”

Stray Kids discography weaves a narrative that begins with the fictional dystopia of District 9, in which they are prisoners of a suffocating system that tries to define them. They then explored their own identities throughout the group’s I Am… trilogy as they grappled with questions that plague both them and their fans, who are growing up along with them.

“The question that we always come back to, that everyone asks themselves, that I ask myself is, 'Who am I?'” says 21-year-old Australia-raised leader Bang Chan. “I think I've been thinking about that from a really young age. Honestly right now I haven't found out who I am, and I'm still trying to figure that out. Through our music we wanted to express that and reach out to those who feel the same way, so we can have a connection with one another.”

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In March, they released a new, more confident chapter of their story, Clé 1: Miroh, led by the massive, boisterous single “Miroh.” Pulsing with brassy beats and lion’s roars, the song, according to rapid-fire rapper Changbin is about “gaining the confidence to face new challenges.” The visual, set in a Hunger Games-esque world, finds the members organizing a rebellion and literally grabbing the mic from the elite class in charge.

If anything, this is the machine that Stray Kids actively fight against — societal expectations and unmanageable pressure put on young people today. And while songs on Clé 1: Miroh such as “Victory Song” and “Boxer” share the same dauntless spirit, the group still leave room for vulnerability. “19” is a haunting, echoing song written by HAN about his fears as he teeters on the cusp of adulthood.

“When I was 19 [Koreans calculate age differently], going into my twenties, I was excited to become an adult,” says HAN. “But as the time actually came closer, I had so many emotions and thoughts running through my head. I was scared, but I wanted to express my feelings to my fans who are going through the same thing through this song.”

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Before Stray Kids debuted as a group, they were on a self-titled musical competition TV series. Felix and Lee Know were cut from the group, to the devastation of the other members, but were later added again after proving themselves once more. This emotional rollercoaster that the members endured is partially to thank for their close bond, and why the group treat each other and their STAYs like family. That and the examples set by their own families growing up.

“When we were young, whenever we went through hard times, my mom would always try to cheer me and my sisters up,” says Australian-Korean Felix, whose deep bass tone is in striking contrast to his lithe stature. “This example of loving and supporting one another is something I carry with me constantly. She inspired me to want to help other people, make others feel better by surprising or comforting them.”

“I'm so thankful to my mom for giving me unconditional love,” adds honey-voiced eldest member Woojin. “I learned a lot from her — she takes so much care in how she interacts with other people and keeps good, healthy relationships with the people around her as well.”

This all helped build the foundation of what Stray Kids is today — a group of young people who, by acknowledging their fears and faults, want nothing more than to unite with those who understand them across language and geographic borders, using the tools at their disposal. And even with only a year under their belts, it looks as if their message is already resonating.

“Each and every one of you have your own special story, right?,” Bang Chan said as the Newark show neared its close, and after fans finished a vibrant “We love you!” chant to the nine young men on stage. “[...] So I feel like today is not just STAY and people being in this beautiful venue: it’s a thousand stories all inside this really big space. I’m just glad that through music — and through the music that we make — we can gather all these stories and relate to each other. I think that’s really fantastic.”

Article Source: here

#stray kids #190524 #era: clé 1 miroh #t: article #refinery29

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pendragonfics · 6 years

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Lost Time: Part One | Part Two

Paring: Conner Kent/Reader

Tags: female reader, Poor Reader, high school, Conner Kent has feelings, angst, fluff.

Summary: You're just a poor kid, living out of her parent's caravan in Happy Harbour. Little do you know when a new kid, Conner, arrives at school, your life will never be the same again.

Word Count: 2,531

Current Date: 2018-04-15

Nobody really liked High School. It was, for everyone, an awkward phase in which you were trying to get through unscathed, and you weren’t very good at that. While everyone else was working on being a great cheerleader, a nerdy enough geek, a good jock, or a skilled student. But after school, you didn’t want to burn out in a caravan to be forever forgotten in Happy Harbour, no. You wanted to be an artist, and, while there were the cliques of all sorts, you didn’t fit into the categories.

Thus, you, ________, were a freak.

It was okay, back in freshmen year. But now as a junior, the end in reach, you felt like all the eyes in the school were always on you and your binder full of doodles. It wasn’t helpful, either, that you had a habit of being a little flustered around the popular crowd; it wasn’t your fault you were shy. It made for many pranks, and no matter what you did, they never lessened off.

You were staying in after school, waiting for the photography club to meet on the school athletic field. They usually started at four thirty, but for some reason, the cheer squad were on the track. Sitting in the bleachers, drawing pad in hand, you worked a little sketch of the people you saw. While you usually drew faces in profile, it was a little harder to the side, and so removed. You tried to get a good sketch of Wendy Harris, but it just wasn’t working for you. After a few tries, you took your eraser to the page.

But that’s when you hear a thwomp! and suddenly the boy who had been accompanying the recruit to the Bumblebees has fallen from the bottom step to the bleachers, and face first to the ground. He’s wearing a black tee, jeans, and army boots, and with a face full of dirt and messed-up hair, you pause, breath held.

You sit there, frozen where you’ve sat upon the bleachers, watching as the cheerleaders laugh at him, calling him names. It’s then when something in your chest tightens, and your breath comes out slowly, lips ajar. Oh no, you think, he’s cute.

Later, when the cheer team have cleared the area, and the photography club gather around with their gear that you catch up with a fellow stranger to the common ground of friends and the game of popularity. Marvin White. But when you mention the guy to him, he shrugs, pulling the strap of his camera around his neck.

“Uh, I don’t know, ________,” he says, taking the lens cap off, “He and his friend Megan started today. They’re in our year.”

From your backpack, you took out your little flip phone, and opened the camera function. “Cool, White. Does he have a name, or just Megan…?” you ask.

He shrugs. “I don’t know, Cameron? Conner? Why do you care, ________?”

“I don’t know, Marvin.” you shake your head, and before you go off to meet with the club leader, you turn to him, and whisper, “Just don’t tell anyone, okay? Or I’ll do something drastic.”

“Who knew freak wallflowers could be so scary?” Marvin grins, going to ruffle your hair. At the last minute, you shift away, and instead, he laces an arm around your shoulder as if you’re old friends. “Okay, ________,” he promises, “your secret’s safe with me.”

---

While you don’t mind history class, Mr. Carr doesn’t like it when people draw in the margins of his pop quiz papers. Which makes it your least-liked class of all. Too many times have you argued with him about it, too many times have you gotten detention for it, and too many times have your fellow classmates snickered behind your back about it. So today, instead of doodling to your imagination’s content upon the page, you take a biro to your skin.

“Ahem, ________,” Mr. Carr intones, narrowing his eyes at you. “If you were paying attention, you’d know that you’re paired with Mr. Kent for the group assignment.” He looks between you, and Conner, who sits three rows behind you, and groans. “Now, as everyone else had done, Miss ________, move beside your partner.”

There are giggles from classmates, and quietly with a roaring heat across your face and neck, you pack up your things into your arms and lug in three rows behind to Conner. He gives you a small nod, and wordlessly, passes a sheet of paper with the word assignment brief written in a computerised font.

“I’m ________,” you tell him quietly.

The whispers increase, as does the shade of embarrassment upon your face. In daydreams, you had thought of any other scenario than this to introducing yourself. Where you’d appear to be a cool kid. Maybe slightly popular. Edgy? No, that wasn’t you. You were just…you. ________ ________, the kid whose parents on welfare couldn’t afford to buy you shoes in fourth grade, ________, who had outdated textbooks and reused everything.

He gives you a small smile. “I’m Conner.” He says, and looking past you, glares at a bully, “Are they bothering you?”

You shake your head, not wanting to cause a scene. “Please, let’s just – uh, focus on the assignment.” You read over the typeface, and say, “It says it’s for out of classroom time. Maybe we could meet at your place –,”

Conner shakes his head. “Can’t. My – uh, family don’t like friends over.”

You nod understandingly. “Yeah, same. Maybe we could meet at the library?” you suggest, and add quickly, “Are you free Saturday, after the football game?”

“Sure,” He says, making a note of it, just as the bell rings. “See you Saturday, ________.”

But, you did not see him Saturday. The other days of the week dragged on and on, your classes a hellish nightmare to get through, and yet, when Saturday arrived, and you waited for two hours after the football game out the front of the public library until the librarians came out and told you it was time to leave, you couldn’t help yourself. Deflated, in both expectation and pride, you made the walk home from the library to the caravan park, knowing what rumours would be made by Monday.

You kicked a rock as you walked, hands in your pockets, head low. You’d thought Conner Kent was different than the other kids. That he was an outcast, like you.

You were wrong.

---

Come Monday, you barely find the energy to pull yourself out of bed, but you do. It might be halfway through the first term, sure, but if there was one thing about you, it was that you weren’t a quitter. And so, you hitched a ride into town with your neighbour, Bob, and strode into the gates of the school like you had nothing to lose. You walked into homeroom, and then into first period history, and kept your eyes ahead when he entered the room.

“________,” he says, walking by your desk. Your eyes are to your page, where your pen, instead of drawing the doodle of the day, is taking notes from your textbook. “Hey, ________, I’m sorry about what happened. I had a family thing come up.”

“A family thing?” you glance to Conner, unsure. “So, you weren’t doing it to make fun of me?” you ask, having to get it out in the air.

He shakes his head. “We had a…reunion. In Metropolis. They’re big into last minute stuff, and I didn’t have your phone number to text –,”

You nod. “I get it.”

Conner frowns. “You’re not mad, are you? I get it, if you are.”

You hesitate, taking a breath, and then, instead of using the words you had intended with that breath, you breathe out. “I –,”

“Mr. Kent, Miss ________,” Mr. Carr enunciates your names as if you’re in trouble. You can just hear him tearing off a detention slip already, and you sit further in your chair. But instead, he says, “…talking about the group assignment?”

Conner nods, arms crossed. “Yes sir,” he declares.

Mr. Carr smiles, turning to the blackboard with a thin stick of chalk. “Don’t chat too long, class is about to start.” He glances over his shoulder to you, and adds, “It’s good to see you’re participating, ________,” he says, kindly. “If you keep this up, you’re on track for a B!”

Before he leaves to his desk, Conner passes you a folded note.

In block letters, you read, LET ME MAKE IT UP TO YOU. CAFETERIA, LUNCH. MY TABLE.

When lunch rolls around, you’re hesitant; last time there was an invitation to sit with people, it ended with your food through your hair, your sketchbook stolen, and humiliation. But tray in hand, you see Conner at the back of the room, sitting with a girl with red hair. She looks a bit like the reruns of your Mom’s favourite show, Hello, Megan! – in fact, come to think of it, she’s the new cheerleader. Before you can turn away and walk to your usual lunchtime haunt, they see you, and wave.

“Hey, ________,” Conner calls out.

Megan waves. “Oh, you’re ________? Conner’s told me so much about you!” She grins, waving you over to sit opposite her. “I’m Megan Morse.” She introduces. You frown, thinking back to when Marvin said they were friends. She’s literally the American dream girl, and here you are, wearing dorky second-hand clothes. “I better catch up with Wendy, we’ve got cheer practice this afternoon.” She gives you both a wide smile, and ruffles Conner’s hair. “Don’t wait up, I’ll get Uncle John to get me.”

Once Megan’s gone to the cheerleader’s table, you take the assignment brief from your bag. “I was thinking of splitting the work sort of fifty-fifty…” you begin, pointing out your notes. “…that way we get more covered. Is that okay?”

He nods. “Sure.”

---

Five years pass like agony. But the real pain is that in your entire body – you can’t quite remember what made you come back to your hometown but laying in the rubble of what used to be the third floor of the old steel factory, you’re trying not to cry. Your leg trapped, fire breaking out somewhere nearby you know this is the end. You came from a home of nothing, and just like any other background character, would always go back to nothing. In the morning, the papers would report you along with the others who had been in the building’s hourly tour as numbers dead, and not names.

“There’s still more people in there!”

Your breathing quickens, blinking. There’s people looking for survivors? Of course, there are. You live in a world with Batman, and Green Arrow, and the rest of the Justice League. You go to shout, to alert the person looking for you to your location, but your throat is dry, and all that comes out is a squawk. You almost expect it to be someone from the fire department, but, when you feel a pressure releasing from your leg, it’s not a firefighter.

“Conner?” you say, bleary.

You get a look at the person scooping you into his arms; he has the same dark hair, the same face. Except, you notice, before your eyes grow heavy, he’s wearing an S on his chest like the Blue Boy-Scout of Metropolis.

“Hold on, ________,” your hero says, moving to escape the crumbling building.

“Superboy,” you whisper, trying to stay awake. “Thank y-you.” But it’s no use, and, it’s all dark.

When you come to, you’re not in your dingy hotel room, or in afterlife. It looks like a government facility, or something underground hollowed out to be a place habitable by humans. It’s a bedroom, you come to realise; you’re on a bed, wearing a black t-shirt that isn’t yours.

You blink.

“Hello…?” you call out.

It’s then you remember the accident. You’ve been spending your days interning for the Daily Planet newspaper, trying to chase stories to keep the rent paid and your electricity on. It’s not easy living on it, but when you pieced together a mystery that lead back home to Happy Harbour’s own old steel works factory, you thought you had the gold. Not a death wish. There had been a flash of light, and a laugh, and diving out of the way, you had narrowly escaped a bomb – just not the rubble.

“Hello?” you call out again. You go to move off the bed, but it’s then you realise your leg that had been trapped is discoloured with an array of bruises. “Ah,” you groan.

The door opens.

You thought it had been a dream, but no, it’s real – it’s Conner Kent, the boy you had a crush on in junior year of high school, and senior year too. He’s wearing the same shirt he wore when you saw him in the steel works building, and a soft frown.

“What are you doing up? You need rest.” He says.

You harrumph. “Still blunt as always, Conner.” You note, obeying his instruction. Not that you could do anything else. “So…have you always been a superhero?” you ask.

“Yes,” He nods sharply, and, taking a seat beside the bed, adds, “Can I get you anything?”

“Answers? Glass of water?” You shrug. “You were the only friend I really had, you know. They called me a freak.”

“They called me a freak too,” Conner ruminates, and gesturing to the side table, you see a mug of water. “But I am, I’m an experiment made from Superman’s DNA.” He gives you a wan smile, and says, “I haven’t seen you since graduation, what are you up to?”

“Not superhero stuff,” you reply.

He raises a brow.

“I’m a junior reporter for the Daily Planet,” you explain. “…but mostly a gopher. I thought if I chased the story, I’d get the attention I deserved in my workplace.”

Conner frowns, “It’s never that easy.” He blinks, “what about your art? You used to have a doodle pad, didn’t you?”

“No, I don’t really draw much these days. I’m a people-watcher.” You say, sipping your water. Your eyes widen, realising your notebook is nowhere to be seen. You run a hand into your hairline, defeated. “Oh no, my notebook!”

He shifts where he sits, pulling out a familiar faux leather-bound A5 notebook. “I checked out your notes, ________.” He turns the pages and shows you what he’s been looking at. You feel a blush take over your face – it’s a sketch of Superboy, from the first time you saw him on the TV nightly news. Conner flips more pages, more pictures of himself. “You’re really good, ________,” he says, voice small.

“Thank you, Conner,” you whisper.

A beat passes between the two of you, and he asks, “uh, could I take you out for lunch sometime? To make up for you being hurt.”

You giggle at the absurdity, “But – but you saved me!” you protest. “You don’t have to make up anything to me!”

He shrugs, “How about for lost time?” He says, getting out of his seat, to sit beside you on the bed.

“Sounds great, Superboy.”

#conner kent #conner kent/reader #conner kent x reader #superboy #superboy x reader #superboy/reader #kon-el #kon-el x reader #kon-el/reader #dc comics x reader #dc comics fanfic #young justice x reader #chaotic--lovely #pendragonfics #Female reader

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krustywhore · 6 years

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i love you guys so...

here are some of what were originally supposed to be headcannons but turned into basically a whole ass fic

so in the first newsies thing i ever wrote, i headcannoned that smalls would replace spot after he stopped working as a newsie, but when i wrote it i forgot about the fact that it did not make any sense at all since she was from the bronx, so i thought i would come up with a way to make it work

so i present to you, some headcannons, smalls & spot edition:

as in the cannon verse, smalls is from the bronx

however,,she grew up in brooklyn with her single mom until she passed away when smalls was seven

when she would go walking around town with her mom, they would always buy a newspaper from one of the many kids around town selling them

so smalls knew exactly what she wanted to do

she wasn’t particularly scared to be on her own

but she loved her mom and she just wanted her to be proud of however she ended up taking care of herself

so she went to the brooklyn lodging house and met spot conlon

honestly, she didn’t get the hype

and spot seemed to take a liking to her too

but he sadly told her that there were too many kids staying at the lodging house already from the recent outbreak of diseases and factory accidents making many orphaned children in the city

but he helped her get on her feat with a couple quarters in her pocket and dropped her off in the bronx

there she did pretty well

she met some kids that were nice to her and she became one of the best sellers they ever had, but she would still come visit in brooklyn when she had the chance

besides, everyone there seemed to love her

she was tough enough to hold her own roughhousing with the brooklyn kids and they all knew messing with her would mean a soaking from spot so she was welcome

not that he’d ever tell anyone, but smalls would bring spot messages from the bronx’s leader and they would just chat in his room for hours

until one day he was teaching smalls how to play chess when a lanky boy with unruly blonde curls burst in the door

spot freaked out

he frantically tried to get the kid to go but smalls was quite curious

she knew he wasn’t a brooklyn kid and that meant spot conlon had a secret

so she pretended he wasn’t even there and changed the subject of her and spot’s conversation

she told him all about this new girl in the bronx named sniper that she was teaching how to sell

spot’s expression changed a little, relaxing slightly as his mysterious friend joined the two on spot’s bed

and smalls was still all like ‘she’s so cool!’ ‘plus she has cool hair now that she let me cut it!’ ‘and she taught me how to aim the slingshot you gave me!’

so spot decides to take a chance because (not that he’d ever admit it) he sees a lot of his younger self in her

‘do you like her, kid?’

smalls pretends to act confused

‘well of course I like her! she’s like my best friend now!’

and spot’s slightly relieved for her safety

until...

‘but sometimes she looks really pretty like when she started wearing her hat backwards! and then sometimes I hold her hand and it feels nice!’

and spot just looks horrified

not because of what she’s saying, but because he fully understands it and doesn’t want to see her get hurt

so he turned to the boy next to him who nodded shyly with a sad smile and spot put his hand on the girl’s shoulder

‘hey, listen up kid. I’m real happy for you, okay? make sure you remember that, but you need to be very careful. I don’t wanna see you get hurt so listen up. people don’t like that kind of thing. we don’t care, you can be whoever you want around me, but I need you and that girl to be careful. make sure when you get older you don’t let anybody outside of the house to see.’

smalls definitely wasn’t expecting that

what could she do? she was only twelve now and just barely figuring out how the whole girls and boys thing worked, but what he was saying made sense

so she nodded and hugged him tightly

the boy beside him chuckled softly as spot awkwardly patted her back and ruffled her hair

until she pulled away and looked right at the other boy

‘what spotty was talking about, that’s what you are right?’

his face went bright red and now it was spot’s turn to laugh

he pulled smalls onto his lap as the curly haired boy shifted nervously

‘this is racetrack. racer, this is smalls and...yeah, he is kiddo.’

she was pretty sure she’d never seen anyone smile so wide in her life

smalls decides she likes this guy

‘hey kid, you ever play poker?’

smalls shakes her head and casts away the chess board as race pulls out a deck of playing cards

that night smalls went back to the bronx with race’s spare deck and got a few dollars richer by the next morning

so she and sniper start joining the brooklyn kids for poker night on thursdays

she’s the only one that gives race a run for his money and spot has never been more proud

mostly because he’s shit at poker and both of them refuse to teach him their secrets

but he’s proud nonetheless

smalls is like a little sister to him and frankly, the only person he would trust to run the bronx so when she comes running one day with tears in her eyes that the old leader was just replaced he’s mad as all hell

smalls tells him that the new leader doesn’t want any girls out selling and he has half a mind to go right over and kill the bastard but he’s been working on not doing that so instead he takes smalls up to his room and they start training

as tradition follows, the leader of each borough will remain leader until challenged and defeated, unless the current leader is unable to serve in which their second in command automatically takes over

whoever defeats the previous leader takes their position without question and that was what they were about to do

spot taught her all of his tricks from the best work outs to jog routes and even snuck her some extra rations when he could so she could keep her strength up

his girl was going to take down that asshole and he was going to make sure it wasn’t even a close fight

until one night there was a fight outside the lodging house and smalls, knowing she had a better chance than most, stepped in to protect her friends

she walked away with a broken wrist and a sinking feeling that she wouldn’t be able to get by without selling much longer

so she did what she knew she had to do

she packed up her things, checked out of the bronx’s lodging house, and took up the spare cot in spot’s room that was usually reserved for any visitors (aka race and smalls) who stayed late and couldn’t walk back home

he was happy to take her, making sure her wrist was treated and all that before they settled into a pretty steady routine

they made good roommates and smalls even went to stay in the bronx with sniper every few days when spot had, um, arrangements with a certain manhattan boy

but eventually, as all newsies eventually did, spot realized he was getting a bit old to still be selling

hell, even race had moved on months ago and he was younger than spot was

but spot never really considered it since no one had ever dared to challenge the king of brooklyn

so when the time came, he had a plan

brooklyn hadn’t been on good terms with the bronx ever since their new leader was appointed, but spot knew what he was doing

smalls moved back into the bronx’s lodging house and, with help from race and a couple other manhattan kids, an inter-borough fight was staged

race and a couple of manhattan’s newsies snuck over to brooklyn looking to pick a fight with spot who, only after being given permission, made it work

a few good blows to their faces were exchanged for a few days in brooklyn’s top selling spots and they were set

the kids of brooklyn looked on in anticipation as smalls, just as they’d planned, challenged the great spot conlon in front of everyone

there were laughs, mostly because she was a scrawny little girl with long sleeves covering the strength she had gained during her time with spot, but also just because no one had ever dared to do what she was about to do

so spot played it cool and made it look like he would have no problem fending for himself, but after a few good blows each, smalls went for their choreographed move right for the boy’s temple and spot was out like a light

or so everyone thought

race’s snickering from the back of the crowd almost gave away their plan, but the kids of brooklyn erupted into cheers and welcomed their new queen with open arms

besides, none of them cared who she was if she could take down spot conlon

in all honesty, the boy knew she probably could’ve, but like she was to him, spot was the closest thing to a brother she’d ever known and as he left the lodging house that night, he tipped his cap to her and never looked back

nah, actually he visited all the time in secret, but smalls was great with brooklyn

they gained allies in three other boroughs within the first month and the sales had never been higher

so yeah, they were proud of each other

smalls knew leaving the only place he’d ever known was tough for spot, especially when he didn’t necessarily have anything but race to fall back on, but he did it and he went out valiantly, so she was proud of him

and spot to smalls because she never once backed down from the reputations had and simply raised brooklyn up

he was proud of his home and his little sister

#feat. background ships #sprace #smallsper #spot #smalls #they are an iconic duo and i love them #race #racetrack higgins #race higgins #spot conlon #etc #newsies #newsies live #newsies headcannons #my headcannons

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trendingnewsb · 7 years

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How One Tiny Change Completely Ruined The Wizard Of Oz

For all of the surreal horror in The Wizard Of Oz, the darkest part is a little bit of symbolism that pretty much everybody misses. What makes it even darker is that the creators didn’t even mean to put it there — it just oozed out of their subconscious.

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