#please do try for WTA

[rolandkaros]

WTA 9 - 12 AS LYRICS FROM SONGS I HAVE SAVED [1 - 4] [5 - 8] [INSP]

MARIA SAKKARI [GRE] -> GAVE YOU EVERYTHING [THE INTERRUPTERS] JEĻENA OSTAPENKO [LAT] -> SO WHAT [P!NK] KAROLÍNA MUCHOVÁ [CZE] -> A BEGINNING SONG [THE DECEMBERISTS] DARIA KASATKINA [RUS] -> LIGHT MY LOVE [GRETA VAN FLEET]

[nightingaletrash]

I feel bad for Elton, he's trying so hard to be the grown up in this pack even though he's spend three years lost in grief over the deaths of his wife and friends, and what's his reward? Being called a nerd and having his idiot friends break into his apartment to steal his french fries

[theamazinglilskate]

guys I actually did it (faith seed pro-tennis au)

before you hateful bitches come at me I have no idea how to do digital art so please be nice. (I haven't done fanart in 7 years and I'm like really scared)

P.S I have no clue if the height is correct I just made it up as like a headcannon so her height is not cannon I repeat not cannon.

[mekanikaltrifle]

Statement on WoD art

So, because of the whole PDX/art theft/DMCAs situation, I'm going to be officially pausing on publicly posting any more WoD art for affected book lines (HtR/VtM mostly, tho I will steer clear of WtA as well for now). I will still make art as I see fit, but until this situation is resolved and I am sure my work is no longer being lifted without my permission, I'm going to avoid putting myself in the position to have to file any more DMCA requests.

I'll be posting some Chronicles of Darkness ocs in the meantime, and can also post Mage: the Ascension characters as there is not currently a PDX book line for Mage out. On top of that I'll happily draw/post completely original stuff of my own making, and do feel free to enjoy this work in the meantime!

I do intend to engage with my WoD characters again as soon as I can, but in the interest of peace of mind it will have to wait. Thanks for supporting me through this weird time, and if you do WoD art yourself, please do take care and let me know how this has affected you cause man it has not been pleasant! I'm glad the community is hearing and responding. You're all doing great, and thanks for your time thus far. Here's to trying to get a better time of 2024 from here! :D

[serve-cunt]

HELLO HOW DO I GET INTO TENNIS HOW DOES IT WORK

context: i read your landoscar tennis fic and thought “oh. OH. This is GREAT. now i wanna get into tennis but oh fuck, new interest scary.” and now im conflicted because i have been scrolling through your blog and this seems like a very fun and sexy sport to be a fan of but also How the Fuck does it work? like what’s the main objective, what’s everyone trying to do? im already a huge f1 fan, and i know the point there is to win grand prix’s and eventually a world championship, but is there a tennis equivalent to that? is it to win Wimbledon? or the Australian Open? Or the US open? WHAT EVEN IS A OPEN. I AM LOSING MY MIND. and like how do you play tennis? how to be a good tennis player, what are the defining characteristics? what the fuck is a drop shot and why is a man named jannik not allowed to do them or else you will get a heart attack? speaking of which, jannik sinner has floofy hair and baby girl vibes and a friendship with slightly homosexual undertones with Carlos altracatz and i WANT to know more about them but like AAAA and i also feel like tennis is harder to understand because it’s not as easily categorised as f1? idk if it makes sense but there’s only 20 f1 drivers and one championship and one aim, but i feel like tennis is SO much wider and there are so many levels and it’s HARD TO UNDERSTAND…… so if someone could give me a basic breakdown of how tennis works and how to be a tennis fan? that would be great? or like… point me in the direction of something that will explain it? because i can feel a new obsession coming on but also AAA CONFUSION?.?. PLEASE I AM BEGGING SOMEONE HELP, please explain the basics. i am so sorry about the rant. have a good day <3. i am in tears of confusion

ANON my GOD I think this is the best ask I've ever received ... you have SO many questions and I have SO many thoughts, thank you so much for trusting me with this I will do my best & then I'll link some tennis blogs

"What's everyone trying to do"

LMAOOO okay this is actually such a fun question and multi-layered

— so if you asked a tennis player I think most of them would give a small-ish goal (relative to their experience. lol)  like some of them are sooOOOoo boring and would just say "I take it one match at a time" blah blah, some players (ons jabeur my beloved) are transparent about wanting to win big tournaments, some players are close enough to being number one in the world that they are allowed to say "I want to be number one in the world" lmao. Being #1 is determined by ranking points btw!! which you earn by winning matches at tournaments on the ATP (men's) or WTA (women's) tour. Each round at a tournament earns you more points, i.e. if you get to the semi-finals you earn more ranking points than if you only get to the round of 16.

— wow that was too many words for a bullet point but basically: if you're good enough, you want to be #1 in the world by ranking points. There are also other goals like: win all majors in a single year (a "grand slam"), win the MOST majors compared to anyone else (djokovic holds the record currently at 24), etc.

"okay so what is a major??"

(sorry slightly rephrasing your q: what is an open — we'll get there — also sorry it's getting jargony)

— ATP/WTA tournaments happen at different levels, which affects how many ranking points are earned and how much money you get in prizes. At an ATP 250 you win 250 points for winning the final, at an ATP 500 you get 500, etc. At the Grand Slam tournaments you get 2000 (!!) points and, like, SOOooooo much money for winning. 

— There are four Grand Slam tournaments: in chronological order you've got the Australian Open (January), the French Open (also called Roland-Garros, it happens in May/June), Wimbledon (July), and the US Open (August/September). 

— "Open" means that the competition is open to professionals and amateurs, so a lot of the tournaments are called [name of city] open or [name of sponsor] open

AO and USO happen on hard court

Wimbledon is on grass

French is on clay

okay that's all boring facts but here's where it gets fun (2 meeee)

^ Wimbledon is ✨ SACRED✨. it has a bunch of strange/archaic rules that are taken very seriously (players have to wear white, silence during play is ENFORCED in capital letters, etc) and its history is vaunted & special ! as a result there is a lot of weight to winning wimbledon for a lot of people, like wimbledon is special even amongst tennis players. it's the only grass major and the grass season is SHORT so you have to find your feet real damn fast. of course there's some backlash to the weird mystical atmosphere of wimbledon which is also fun to watch .. kyrgios being an smarmy asshole about it and (maybe?) getting fined for example .. but honestly it's rightfully criticised for being a stick in the proverbial mud,,  speaking of mud ... 

^ the French Open is ✨BEAUTIFUL✨. it's a clay tournament, which means play is slower, and just .. the look of clay ... idk it punches me in the chest tbh not sure why. players slide around and get dirty and it's all so fun & lovely & GORG . clay season is my personal favorite season

^ the US Open is ✨FUN✨. it's in New York City (ayyyyyyooo) and the crowd is ROWDY in a way that is truly unparalleled, you can't beat the atmosphere for party-esque but some players (a lot of players) haaaaaAAaate it. Some people love it tho, Serena always loved it, Coco fricken adored it (helps if you're american LOL)

^ the Australian Open is .. uh, hm. Happy? tbh I miss most of the AO every year because it's in an exactly opposite time zone from me. it's like a warm-up slam. LOL SORRY. somebody can correct me if they feel strongly ... >.>  it's also called the happy slam, it has a huge turn out every year so it must be fun!! play is very quick. jannik won this year :)))))))))))

"What's a drop shot"

— SooooOOO now we're getting into actual play jargon ... basically different shots have different names, forehand is when you hit a ball with the palm of your dominant hand facing forward, backhand is when your palm faces your chest ... I won't describe every shot because probs a video is more helpful for that? but:

— a drop shot is a ball hit so that it drops very close to the net on your opponent's side. basically if your opponent is waaaaay at the back of the court (maybe you've been rallying for a while and they got comfy) you can try and hit a ball short so that they can't get to it before it bounces twice. it's risky!!! if you attempt a drop shot you're probably pretty close to the net: if your opponent DOES get to it and hit it back, they're probably going to hit it behind you, and you won't have time to run behind it to get a racket under it.

"what are the defining characteristics of a good player"

— WOOF. okay. speed, for sure. but fast-twitch speed: can you get to the ball quickly? can you react to where it lands on the court and how it pops up? once you've hit it, can you get back into position before it comes back to you two seconds later? if you're up close to the net because you attempted a drop shot and your opponent gets to the ball & hits it behind you, can you back up real fast and attempt a "tweener" (when you hit a ball backwards through your legs) ? etc. You have to do a lot of movement around a small-ish space quickly, tennis players do a lot of short, high-intensity practices to prepare — athleticism!! tennis is an all-body sport:  do you have the lungs to keep running for a three hour match? do you have the leg strength to keep you jumping around that long? do you have the shoulders for a strong serve, arms for big ground-strokes?  (tennis players are fucking HOT lmao)

— creativity ! you can have the best arms ever and still lose because you play the same shot over and over and over and over and over and your opponent learns this and hits something that throws you off your rhythm. The best players (and most interesting to watch) can play far from or close to the net, are trying new things, are HAVING FUN (carlos alcaraz e.g.) 

— elegance ... idk some players just float .. they do all of the above but make it look so EASY

"there are only 20 drivers in f1 and there are so many tennis players HOW"

— no, valid. basically this tumblr post about how every so often there's a new tennis guy and I'm like "wait, who?" . I think everyone on tennisblr picks their faves and follows them closely, and then depending on your level of interest you pick up other faves along the way??  I got into tennis in the federer/nadal era so I'm a federer girl, in the WTA I'm smitten for serena (who isn't) with almost equal soft spots for Naomi Osaka and Ash Barty. Nowadays I follow jannik sinner like i'm a dog who's found a weird lanky carrot-flavored bone. i follow alcaraz because he's beautiful to watch, truuuuuly beautiful. i follow daniil medvedev because he's inSANE and a cunt but fun about it. I follow iga sviatek (my love) and coco gauff (my love [american]) because they're incredible and fun, ostapenko because she's ridic, muchova because she hits so pretty, daria because I want her to marry me <3 

^ one more obligatory jannik picture lol

— just on the subject of relating things to f1: the one thing that I really miss in tennis now that I've been following f1 for a bit is how the idea of a "team" just doesn't really exist. tennis players play doubles sometimes but even on a doubles team you're really playing for yourself, you don't get team support, that's not really a thing?? if you're a really good singles player you prioritize singles play, and often you play across the net from your doubles partner and obviously in that case you want them to lose??? like to a greater extent than f1 drivers want their teammate to lose, because tennis is truly zero-sum in a way that f1 isn't, quite.  this makes all tennis players feel kinda lonely and anti-social LOL and uhhh sometimes they actually are I think, like a lot of tennis players are super introverted and strange. i'm sure you see this in other sports this is just me comparing my two obsessions

woof ok idk if you're still reading but if you are!! some tennis blogs i can recommend off the absolute top of my head are: @sincaraz @tennis-shenanigans @mythicalpoolnoodle @scarletwitch1918 @fritzes @zhengqinwen @mayor-amor @vilebodiess @advantage-sinner (sorry this will catapult you into sinner tumblr) and they can probs rec more !! they can also correct me if i got something wrong!

as for basics, I think just watching some matches to start ! with commentary on so you know what's happening, also if you ever feel like sliding into my DMs ... they are SO open (heh) for new tennis fans :))

[waterloo-to-anywhere]

hi, i absolutely love your masterpost about waterloo to anywhere! so thank you so much for that! do you know if there are similar things done with babyshambles songs or have you done this with romance at short notice? i know there aren't as much references, but still some

Hey anon!

First of all, thanks for reading this silly blog :') I definitely do see song analysis posts every so often, but they're hard to go back and find because tumblr search really reaaaally sucks. (if I see any I'll try to reblog them here) However, if you're relatively new to this fandom like I am, these posts by @missoneminute are required reading:

peter+carl+lyrics+demos lyrics+love notes (and honestly even this joke post helped me learn a lot)

Please do note that Marta has said she wrote these quite a while back though, so doesn't stand by absolutely everything in them anymore, but I think they still hold up pretty freaking well.

& there's no reason not to do your own theorising!! that's half the fun. I think it does help however, to keep in mind that Carl podcast quote re: "we spent years writing little bits in songs to take a dig at each other, or to say that we love each other", and know that a lot of the time a song isn't going to be solely about each other, and might just have one specific bit that's a hidden message or reference. (er the podcast is somewhere, I'll dig it up at some point)

As for me, I'm not sure I could do this specific format for any other album tbh. The reason I picked WtA is because, whilst they're always writing about each other, I've just never seen it in such a high concentration like it is on here. I mean, this is (more than) every second song if you're delusional. Crazy stuff!! However, if you're looking specifically at Romance at Short Notice, I'd direct your attention to: Faultlines, Blood On My Shoes, Kicks or Consumption, and Plastic Hearts (hear me out: the "cold cold hearts" line here is directly echoed by Glasgow Coma Scale Blues, the "are you listening?" is very killamangiro, and "why can't I move on" is self explanatory...)

I'll more-than-likely keep posting lyrics/lyric parallels that I think are about them though, it'll just be in a less organised format.

[cozyaliensuperstar7]

Beautiful People 👑

essence:

Daddy’s COMING HOME

The thoughts we have running through our head, just take us all to the water. This is our confession, we licked the screen. Forgive us.

Want to jump in? This cover is available ONLY to subscribers. Click the subscribers link in the bio to grab your copy.

In case you thought we were letting up, we’re not! @Usher for #ESSENCE is the only thing on the internet today.

Now, please excuse us while we look for a straw. For some reason we just became indescribably thirsty.

Roll the Credits: Talent: @usher

Writer: @ghostwritervic

Photographer: @adrienneraquel

Stylist: @yashuasimmons

Barber/Groomer: @shizz215x

Makeup: @jennartist

Nails: @noirmensgrooming

SetDesign: @codycr

Location: @thebeverlyestate

Production: @themorrisongroup SpecialThanks: @lermitagebh @shortstorieshotels ESSENCE,SVP,Creative: @coreytstokes ESSENCE,SeniorContentDirector: @itsnandibby

ESSENCE,VisualDirector: @_mq______ ESSENCE,DesignDirector: @anthonybones_

essence:

Everybody Loves Usher Raymond We call him U-S-H-E-R-R-A-Y-M-O-N-D. Also known as ESSENCE Sexiest Man of the Moment! Usher Raymond has always been at the center of culture. So, let’s set the tone like a vocal coach — because we are currently screaming out falsettos. The quiet yet obvious giant fills the room with his calm, magnetic energy, and overwhelmingly good looks, but he’s not just a heartthrob; he’s an artist with the music catalog and acumen to back it up. After 30-plus years in the industry, the singer is busier—and hotter—than ever, solidifying his legacy as a family man and the R&B king. His resume is as long as CVS receipts. Just in the last year, he sold out his high-profile residency show in Las Vegas, released his acclaimed album ‘COMING HOME’ and curated the most-watched Super Bowl Halftime Show ever. And he doesn’t show signs of slowing up! Brimming with natural charisma and an ability to be authentically present in every role he takes on, our final ESSENCE Sexiest Man of the Moment cover star still has our hearts, and it’s his to keep! Read the full May/ June cover story at and buy our Men’s Issue on newsstands 4/23. Roll the Credits: Talent: Writer: Photographer: Stylist: Barber/Groomer: Makeup: Nails: SetDesign: Location: Production: SpecialThanks: ESSENCE,SVP,Creative: ESSENCE,SeniorContentDirector: ESSENCE,VisualDirector: ESSENCE,DesignDirector:

chloeadvocate:

chloe for @fendi ✨

#chloebailey #chloe #chloexhalle #explore #dreads #locs #chlovers #sirens #parkwoodentertainment #fendi

zillafatu:

🩸 👎🏽

alycia.parks:

@wta 😉🤳🏾📸

serenawilliams:

Nike On Air Event 2024 - Paris, France 🇫🇷 on my way! #NikeOnAir

biancabelairwwe:

wrESTleMania XL GEAR!\nGEAR: MADE BY ME!!!

This gear whooped me, because I didn’t really have a drawing or any idea of what I wanted to do. I just had fabric, scissors, needle, and thread. 2 weeks in and I had sewn and cut up everything I created just to start over… I was overthinking it. Once, I relaxed and let go I was able to create! I’m proud of this moment! I keep pushing myself more and more and more to try new things!#ESTofWWE

#wrESTleMania #wrESTleManiaXL

I’ll post the gear making video another day! Because the details on this thing are crazy.

Makeup: @beautybyjett

And shoutout to @beynevolence for helping me figure this futuristic look out. Your creations really helped get my mind rolling with the ideas to create this gear!

rihverce:

Rihanna for Vogue+ China April 2024 İssue 📸

[emma-radfemcanu]

I think Johnny Depp is still at the top of my ‘Please Die’ list but Nick Kyrgios is also up there

For anyone who doesn’t know, not too long ago he was charged with common assault against his ex girlfriend (she’s also previously talked about this and posted screenshots of horrible texts he sent her), the other day it was the court case about it and he got off... despite admitting to it and pleading guilty? Apparently that isn’t that uncommon in Australia (idk if that’s true or not) for a first offence, I can’t get my head around it at all- if he literally pled guilty to assault then why did he not face any consequences?

What seems to have happened is that they were arguing, he tried to get in the car to leave, she stood in the way of the door so he couldn’t, then he pushed her onto the pavement and injured her doing so. Ok maybe that wasn’t a very sensible thing for her to do, but in no way does it justify assault- except apparently it does, the amount of people openly saying that it was her own fault genuinely shocked me. We all know that men don’t care about women, but some at least try to hide it- I can’t imagine defending someone who literally admitted to assault, and straight up saying that she deserved it?

But no, it’s no big deal, a waste of police and court time etc etc. Women are always criticised for not reporting abuse, and then Chiara did and is being criticised for that too. Apparently because she didn’t report it until about 10 months after it happened, just after their relationship ended- apparently this makes her a ‘bitter bitch’ who is ‘out to ruin his life’, yeah because there is absolutely no other reason a woman might not report abuse until after she is no longer with the guy...

He is a truly repulsive human being. Admitting to assault and blaming it on mental health, appalling behaviour on court (spitting at audiences, being verbally abusive to opponents/ballkids/line judges and umpires), and it’s always the nice ones he picks on- he has completely one sided beef with Casper Ruud, and made fun of Russian player Karen Khachanov’s English (there’s nothing wrong with Karen’s English, and even if there was a native speaker making fun of someone for that is a really low blow even for him)

And granted I am a bit biased because I adore Stef so much, but the way NK behaves towards him really is vile. Maybe this is a reach idk but people have often wondered why there aren’t any out gay male players (whereas there a quite a few lesbians in the WTA), and I think you only have to look at the way Stef is treated to find the answer- you see how NK and his obnoxious dudebro friends behave towards someone they view as too soft and too sensitive... yeah, cannot think why someone might not feel comfortable coming out :/

Anyway fuck Nick Kyrgios

[butterflyintochains]

Best With Three: Part Three

Gabriella ''Ella'' Lemieux is a 23 year old tennis star from Montreal. A devoted cat mom, lover of the hard courts, and tennis history nerd to her atoms. Best friends with just about everyone, she courts no controversy. Beloved and admired for her elegance on court, as well as her charity work off court. One of the icons of the young Canadian King Cup Team. With her besties, Leylah and Bianca, at her side, she's unstoppable.

That is, however, until a wild Christmas in Vancouver while visiting family out west before going to Australia. When she meets two local hockey stars.

TW: some sexism, social media au, press being stupid, and allusion to bigotry.

part one / part two

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gabriella.Lemieux

liked by: _eliaspettersson, _quinnhughes, leylahannietennis, and 30k others.

Gabriella.Lemieux: Hola, Madrid! Good to be back on clay, not my best surface, but I hope that can change soon! Had a nice couple of weeks off in Vancouver with my boyfriends. But, the work begins again! 🍁💖

replies:

MapleFam: You had a couple of weeks off with the boys, and didn't show us anything?

Gabriella.Lemieux: Social media detox.

_quinnhughes: Can't wait to catch your highlights, flower!

Gabriella.Lemieux: Go and show Nashville who's boss, honey! And, tell our boyfriend to stop being so hard on himself all the time for me? _quinnhughes: It's easier to get blood from a stone, but I'll try. _eliaspettersson: Why are my boyfriend and girlfriend vaguing about me on insta? Gabriella.Lemieux: Because, sweetheart, you're a martyr for no reason.

leylahannietennis: Love seeing the three of you loving on each other in your feed, angel.

Gabriella.Lemieux: Oh, I know, this is probably the happiest I've ever been. 🥰

bboeser: Finally met your cats! So cool of you to get them moved in early.

danielnestor1: Let's get this title for you, kiddo.

felixaliassime: Team Canada dinner tonight?

biancaandreescu: You bet! leylahannietennis: 👍 denis.shapovalov: Count me in, Felix! Gabriella.Lemieux: I'll be there.

BelieveInBlue: Are you Canadian WTA number one yet, Ella?

Gabriella.Lemieux: Not quite, Leylah is still quite a bit ahead of me, but we're closing the gap. (the friendship is more than safe, though)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_eliaspettersson

liked by: _quinnhughes, Gabriella.Lemieux, bboeser, and 70k others.

_eliaspettersson: Our four adorable companions while mommy plays tennis. They miss their mom so much, and hope that she wins this tournament. Top left: Arwen. Top right: Atticus. Bottom left: Legolas. Bottom right: Daenerys.

replies:

_quinnhughes: Normally a dog person, but these four own me now.

Gabriella.Lemieux: Oh, my children! Stop making me miss the six of you more than I already do. As soon as I'm done at Wimbledon, and moved in properly, we're getting you guys your dog.

NuckForEver: Ooh, good time for an origin story on the Lemieux Cats, Ella!!

Gabriella.Lemieux: Atticus is my first cat, I rescued him from a box in the alley behind my apartment building a couple of years ago. Some idiot just abandoned him. I got Arwen a couple of months later. From a shelter in Sorel. Someone told me to get Atticus a friend. Gabriella.Lemieux: Legolas was also adopted from that same shelter. Daenerys is the baby, I got her from a family who had a surprise litter. Now, I'm a mom of four cats!

BelieveInBlue: Oof, Atticus does not look pleased about something!

_eliaspettersson: I think that was when Brock brought his dogs over one day! _quinnhughes: Milo and Coolie were super well behaved, though. bboeser: Sorry, Atticus.

leylahannietennis: God, I miss the Lemieux Cats!

MapleFam: The Whistler Trio are about to have a zoo! Four cats and a dog! Wow! 🐾

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

@/WTA_updates:

That's an early exit in Madrid for the Canadian number two. A straight set loss to Yulia Putintseva 6-2, 6-2. With a nice chat at the net, Lemieux's Madrid campaign comes to an end. In her post match presser, Ella said: ''I've always struggled on clay, so I'm proud of the last few days. I didn't expect to make it this far, so, in a way, I surprised myself.'' 1/3

@/WTA_updates: Gabriella said that she doesn't feel as though the time off upset her game, more just her opponent coming out swinging. 2/3 @/WTA_updates: Lemieux also said she was optimistic for Rome since the clay there is a bit more forgiving to play on. 3/3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Whistler Trio gc 🤍💚💙

AngelElla: I know this is gonna sound super strange, but I'm proud of myself for that run in Madrid. Caldersson: So you should be, clay has always been your weakest surface. So, even a third round is good. HuggyBear: What's next for you then? Roland Garros? AngelElla: Rome, then Roland Garros. AngelElla: Glad the press have been leaving me alone at last. Caldersson: Same, it's been so annoying for us too. Sports media should probably just stick to the sports. HuggyBear: Could not agree more, as a captain, it's just fucking annoying to deal with when I'm already dealing with enough. AngelElla: If I could do my job without talking to press, that'd be literal paradise.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

canucks

liked by: NHL, WTA, Gabriella.Lemieux and 900k others.

canucks: All Together, All In! With our 6 game victory over the Nashville Predators, we are second round bound. Up next: Edmonton. 💙💚🤍🏒

replies:

Gabriella.Lemieux: That's my guys! Bring this cup home for us! Also, love seeing my boyfriends doing well. 💖

_eliaspettersson: Let's get this, boys! 💪

_quinnhughes: All Together, All In 🐬

bboeser: Just you wait, Edmonton, we're coming for you!

tdemko30: Wish I could actually play these games rn 🙁

j.tmiller9: You'll be back, Demmer.

wta: Here's to a cup, boys!

conor.garland8: Wait, since when did the WTA follow us on insta? Gabriella.Lemieux: You're welcome!

BelieveInBlue: Can't believe we're actually experiencing this again! It's been so long.

MapleFam: Ikr? And, with Ella's amazing season, the Whistler Trio are flourishing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gabriella.Lemieux

liked by: canucks, _eliaspettersson, _quinnhughes, and 40k others.

Gabriella.Lemieux: Ciao, Roma!! Ready to get going in Rome, I always miss Rome when I'm away, there's something very inspiring about this city to me. Hope someday we can all be here, but never at the expense of the playoffs. BTW, Go, Canucks, Go!! 🍁

replies:

leylahannietennis: Can't wait to see the draw this time.

Gabriella.Lemieux: Tell me about it, same half for four events this season? Cruel and unusual punishment, sunny. cocogauff: All of us were in the same section in Melbourne, I smell a fix tbh. leylahannietennis: They said 'we can't have three pretty besties succeed can we?' and did... that. 🙄

danielnestor1: Training was super good today, Ella, you are coming on leaps and bounds on clay. Only a matter of time now.

Gabriella.Lemieux: Thank you, Danny!

felixaliassime: I still can't believe you're a Canucks fan now.

Gabriella.Lemieux: Neither can I, Feli! But... Quinn and Elias are there, y'know?

denis.shapovalov: You mean; 'Go, Leafs, go'?

Gabriella.Lemieux: Nope, your sister is a Canucks girlie now, DJ. 😉 biancaandreescu: We can suffer together, Deni.

MapleFam: Not the Canada Family arguing about hockey on main! 🤣

Gabriella.Lemieux: Yeah... we may be pro tennis players, but we're still Canadians. 😄 The only one who doesn't follow hockey is Leylah (but, she really likes Mitch Marner)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

@/WTA:

Easy as you like it! Gabriella Lemieux claims a dominant start to her Italian Open campaign with a 7-6, 6-1 win over France's Clara Burel. The Dubai champion will face nineteenth seed Marta Kostyuk in the second round.

@/EllaLemieux: Happy to get going in Rome at last!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gabriella.Lemieux

liked by: leylahannietennis, _quinnhughes, _eliaspettersson, and 15k others.

Gabriella.Lemieux: Big win over Marta Kostyuk today, no sets dropped yet! Very pleased with my play so far! Had a quiet evening, chilling out with a book. And, some of you may have noticed this, but: new nails! 💅

replies:

MapleFam: So that's what that was? All I saw was the blue!

leylahannietennis: Love the nails, angel! Will you keep them for the rest of the season?

Gabriella.Lemieux: If I win, and if the guys win, I might just. Good idea, sunny!

denis.shapovalov: felixalissime, you've lost her, bro, she's gone over to the dark side.

felixaliassime: I know, 😥 Who's gonna suffer through the Habs rebuild with me now? Gabriella.Lemieux: Uncle Toni? felixaliassime: His eyes glaze over when I talk about hockey, Ella.

canucks: Love them, Gabriella! - HS and DS

Gabriella.Lemieux: Thank you, Mr and Mr Sedin!! #alltogetherallin

_eliaspettersson: You got Canucks nails?

_quinnhughes: And, didn't tell us about it? Gabriella.Lemieux: Surprise? _eliaspettersson: We love you so much, Ella. 🤍💚💙 Gabriella.Lemieux: I love you guys too. 💖

BelieveInBlue: I love how much a part of the family Ella is already, it's so sweet.🥰

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@/Canada_Family:

Am I the only one so nervous for Ella and Dasha's match today? The literal only openly poly tennis player in history and one of few lgbt players on the tour? Idk, I just hope there's no bigotry from anywhere after all is said and done.

@/MapleFam: Omg, same... like, I love Ella so much, and Dasha is an icon. I just am praying that no one is weird about this match. @/BelieveInBlue: I know, I hope no one sends hate to the boys or Dasha's girlfriend. @/WhistlerTrio_Beloveds: Is Ella the first openly poly tennis player? @/Canada_Family: As far as we know, yes.

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Gabriella.Lemieux

liked by: canucks, _eliaspettersson, _quinnhughes, and 30k others.

Gabriella.Lemieux: A solid win over Dasha today! Still no sets dropped, very happy with myself. Such an amazing week so far, and I hope it doesn't end here. Looking forward to the fourth round, and can't believe I'm actually going this far on clay of all surfaces. I'd also like to shoutout the crowd who was so supportive of two women with lives some may deem unorthodox. 🍁

replies:

canucks: Congrats, Gabriella!! - PA

Gabriella.Lemieux: Thank you so much, Mr Allvin.

bboeser: Making the difficult look easy, 💪

j.tmiller9: The boys were gushing about your highlights in the dressing room, Ella!

Gabriella.Lemieux: Love to hear that, Millsy! I'm officially caught up with your games now too!

_eliaspettersson: Keep it up, darling! 💙

Gabriella.Lemieux: Right back at you, sweetheart! 🤍

_quinnhughes: So proud of you, flower! 💚

Gabriella.Lemieux: I'm proud of you both too, honey! 🤍

_tylermyers_: Never liked tennis until this year, this sport is crazy. 🎾🏒

tdemko30: Right? We'll have to go to Wimbledon now! This sport is insane! conor.garland8: Boys' trip to Wimbledon? Count me in!

MapleFam: Wimbledon is about to be invaded by the whole Canucks roster, omg. 🤣

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@/WTA:

And, the Cinderella run ends in the fourth round. Gabriella Lemieux falling in straight sets to China's Qinwen Zheng, who won the match 6-2, 6-4. Next stop for the Canadian Number two: Roland Garros.

@/BelieveInBlue: Oof, that gap to Leylah is miniscule now. They're within hundreds of points of each other! When will Ella take over? @/MapleFam: Earliest possible is week two of Roland Garros, or week one of the grass season. Latest is week one of Wimbledon. Let's see! @/BelieveInBlue: Will this affect their friendship any? @/Canada_Family: Nope! Ella and Leylah have been friends since they were kids, they adore each other.

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_quinnhughes

liked by: _eliaspettersson, Gabriella.Lemieux, bboeser, and 600k others.

_quinnhughes: So many memories from this season, so little time. First as captain, first real playoffs for us, first nomination or the Norris. Found the two loves of my life at last, got to skate with one, now we support our lady through the summer! Can't wait for next year already, well done, Edmonton!

replies:

_eliaspettersson: Glad to see I'm still your favourite teammate, Q.

_quinnhughes: Well, I'm not dating the others, am I? Gabriella.Lemieux: I'm your favourite tennis player, right? _quinnhughes: Obviously, flower.

Gabriella.Lemieux: Only came into this season halfway through, but I would never have followed any other team. I love you both so much, and hope you get that cup next year.

tdemko30: Rude, no pics w/me in this post...

_quinnhughes: Sorry, Demmer, but my boyfriend is so pretty, y'know?😍 bboeser: Glad to see you're still down bad for him, Huggy.

conor.garland8: We'll get them next time, captain.

j.tmiller9: So proud of this team #gocanucksgo

canucks: An honour to have you as a captain, Quinn.

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@/MapleFam:

Oh, my God. Can they stop putting the besties in the same damn draw section when there's a fight for Canadian Number One! We want a final to decide that, not some lame fourth round or something!

@/BelieveInBlue: They did it again?! What?! @/MapleFam: They did it again! Gabriella and Leylah are in the same section again. @/WhistlerTrio_Beloveds: They hate to see two pretty besties winning, ffs. @/Canada_Family: This smells like a fix imho... 🤔 @/BelieveInBlue: Could not agree more.

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Gabriella.Lemieux

liked by: _quinnhughes, _eliaspettersson, leylahannietennis, and 50k others.

Gabriella.Lemieux: Bonjour, Paris!! My ancestral home, I'm so incredibly honoured to be here again! This city is easily one of the best in the world. Ready to fight for this title, ready to rock. Also, Edmonton Oilers - it's on sight. And, yes, there's a fight for National number one, but Leylah and I are more than secure together. 🍁🥰

replies:

wta: Ella, don't go threatening an entire hockey team on your main account, please.😨

Gabriella.Lemieux: They beat my boys, but, okay... leylahannietennis: You tell them, angel! biancaandreescu: Edmonton - you've just pissed off a tennis player, how d'you feel?

canucks: Thank you for the support, Ella 😁😂 - PA

Gabriella.Lemieux: Happy to be of service, Mr Allvin! The Oilers are such a boring team anyway. #alltogetherallin

WhistlerTrio: Girlie's media training went out the window as soon as Quinn and Elias lost, huh? #iconic

Gabriella.Lemieux: Mess with my boyfriends, mess with me. Gabriella.Lemieux: Also... love that everyone's calling us the Whistler Trio.

danielnestor1: Ella, please don't antagonise the Oilers. We've got a title to win, kiddo.

Gabriella.Lemieux: Sorry, Danny. 💕 MapleFam: As soon as Daniel gets involved, Ella just folds lol!

_eliaspettersson: We'll be with you in a couple of days, darling!

_quinnhughes: Then, I'm off to Vegas for the awards! Gabriella.Lemieux: Can't wait! I've missed you guys so much!

leylahannietennis: Same section again, fork found in kitchen, I guess. 🙄

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@/WTA:

The battle for Canadian Number One begins in style! Leylah Fernandez beating local Jessika Ponchet 6-2, 6-0 to advance to round 2. And, Gabriella Lemieux claiming a maiden French Open match win against Tatjana Maria 6-2, 6-3.

@/BelieveInBlue: I'm new here, what do our scenarios look like? @/MapleFam: Ella needs to make it two rounds further than Leylah. So, if Leylah loses in the next round, and Ella wins her fourth round, the ranking switches hands. @/NucksForever: What if they both make the fourth round? @/Canada_Family: Then, Ella has to win and make the semi finals. If Leylah wins at all, she keeps it.

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Gabriella.Lemieux

liked by: bboeser, _eliaspettersson, _quinnhughes, leylahannietennis, and 80k others.

Gabriella.Lemieux: Into the second round, and my boys are finally here!! So happy to have my boyfriends come to see me for the first time.💖 Hope I can give them a good show against Ostapenko! Gonna be interesting🍁🍁🍁

replies:

WhistlerTrio: Oh, my God, stay calm! Stay calm! It's finally happening! Someone sedate me!!

BelieveInBlue: Ella's on Chatrier!! Elias and Quinn will be in her box! On Chatrier!

Canada_Family: Hey, can you guys adopt me? I love you three so much!

felixaliassime: So cool to finally meet you guys properly, you're the coolest!

denis.shapovalov: Just, take care of our Ella, plz. _eliaspettersson: Cool meeting you guys too, even cooler getting to see you guys train. _quinnhughes: We'll take care of her, don't worry.

rolandgarros: Bienvenue, Elias et Quinn!

_quinnhughes: Merci!

leylahannietennis: Happy to finally put names to faces, angel, you are so lucky. 💖

Gabriella.Lemieux: I know, it's great!😍 biancaandreescu: Not a Canucks girl, but they're my favourite non-Leafs for sure!

danielnestor1: Glad to have you here, boys, just don't put Ella off her tennis too much, okay?

_eliaspettersson: Got ya, coach. 👍 _quinnhughes: We're just her habs this week, don't worry.

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@/WTA_updates:

Oh, there they are!! This is real life, people!! The first ever poly tennis player has both of her boyfriends sitting with her coach! Quinn is in a simple polo shirt and jeans, Elias is dressed much the same, too hot for a hoodie methinks. Daniel is seemingly teaching them about how the match is gonna look. 1/7

@/WTA_updates: And, the players take to the court for their match! A huge roar of cheers for the 2017 champion, and an equal roar for the Canadian number two. Lemieux has opted to serve first 2/7 @/WTA_updates: Oof! Big first set here, we're all square at six games all, and heading into a tiebreak. Elias and Quinn are cheering encouragement for their girlfriend, they look so proud of her! 3/7 @/WTA_updates: Gutsy tennis from Gabriella in this tiebreak, she takes the set 7-6(7/4), Ostapenko looks unsettled. Lemieux, however, smiles up to her box, and takes her sit down break. 4/7 @/WTA_updates: Ostapenko reels it in to take the second set 6-4! We're going to a decider on Chatrier! Quinn and Elias seem to be deep in conversation during the break, they're clearly as crazy for each other as they are for Gabriella. 5/7 @/WTA_updates: Lemieux breaks to love! 5-3, and she will serve for the match! Can she get this done? The crowd are going nuts for her! 6/7 @/WTA_updates: Eight points in a row! With a comfortable hold to love, Gabriella Lemieux is in the third round against Sofia Kenin. Her boyfriends are in tears, and so is she. 7/7

@/MapleFam:

Best Roland Garros women's match I've ever seen, holy hell!

@/BelieveInBlue: I know! I was biting my nails like crazy! @/Canada_Family: The comms were so funny too! Kept on having to correct themselves over the relationship between the Whistler Trio! Like; ''Her boyfriend, Elias Pettersson.'' ''Oh, no, her boyfriends, plural: Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes.'' @/MapleFam: I had that too! ''They're hers and each other's, Mats.'' ''Oh, okay, interesting.''

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Gabriella.Lemieux

liked by: leylahannietennis, _quinnhughes, _eliaspettersson, and 15k others.

Gabriella.Lemieux: Movie night with my boys! Thank you, Jelena, for that epic match, my first against you, and first on Chatrier! Here's to many more in the future. I still can't believe I'm only 190 points off of Canadian Number One. Two more matches to win, and I've achieved one of my dreams. 🍁🍁🍁

replies:

_eliaspettersson: Keep on pushing, darling!

_quinnhughes: I was blown away watching you, you're incredible! Gabriella.Lemieux: So happy to have you both here!

leylahannietennis: Here's to our fourth round (I hope)

biancaandreescu: Only right that we all have the position at some point, huh?

felixaliassime: So cool having two hockey icons at our tournament still! 🤩

denis.shapovalov: Will we have the rest at Wimbledon?

_eliaspettersson: Maybe...

bboeser: Just caught your highlights in Minny, and... wow!

tdemko30: So excited for the rest of the tournament already if Ella's playing like this!

conor.garland8: Her forehand to win the tiebreak, oh my God! 🤩

_quinnhughes: Ikr? I swear, I felt it in my bones! _eliaspettersson: My fave was her backhand passing shot to win the match!

danielnestor1: Can't wait for the next one already, easily your best match of the year, kiddo.

Gabriella.Lemieux: Thank you, Danny! 🥰

canucks: Keep it going, Ella!! #alltogetherallin - RT

bboeser: Coach?? Gabriella.Lemieux: Thank you, Mr Tocchet.

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@/WTA:

One match win left to secure her Nation's number one WTA spot! With Fernandez's straight set loss to Ons Jabeur and Lemieux's 6-2, 7-5 win over Sofia Kenin, a quarter final will see the ranking change hands.

@/MapleFam: Exciting times, people! @/BelieveInBlue: Can't believe it's so close already! Just one more match win, and it's hers. @/WhistlerTrio_Beloveds: Wonder how Ella's feeling right now?

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Gabriella.Lemieux

liked by: bboeser, _eliaspettersson, _quinnhughes, leylahannietennis, and 60k others.

Gabriella.Lemieux: Thank you for the great match, Sofia! Always a pleasure to face you, babes! Some pics of the city I took on day one as well! I currently am one match win away from achieving one of the many dreams I've had since I first picked up a racquet at age five. I am so thankful to be here, with the two men who I love so much, and the best coach in the world. 🍁💖

replies:

leylahannietennis: You deserve it after the amazing first half of the year you've had, angel!

Gabriella.Lemieux: Thank you, sunny!

danielnestor1: One match left, kiddo, let's get this done!

Gabriella.Lemieux: Could not agree more, coach!

_eliaspettersson: We're with you, alskling, every step of the way! 💙

_quinnhughes: And, there's nowhere we'd rather be! 💚 Gabriella.Lemieux: I love you both so much. 🤍

felixaliassime: Let's go, Ella!

denis.shapovalov: Rooting for you, sister!!

biancaandreescu: You've got this, Ella!

mirjambjorklund: So proud of you already, Ella!

canucks: Keep it going, Gabriella! - JR

bboeser: Let's do this, Ella!!!

tdemko30: Lexie, Dawson, and Delilah are rooting for you, Ella!

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@/WTA

The ranking race is on hold for now, as Jabeur takes down Lemieux 6-4, 6-4 to advance to the quarter finals! With a short hug at the net, Lemieux's clay season comes to an end. Next match for Jabeur: Gauff. Next stop for Lemieux: Rosmalen.

@/BelieveInBlue: How many matches are needed there, then? @/MapleFam: A quarter final maximum. But, I think she might just do better than that.

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Gabriella.Lemieux

liked by: _quinnhughes, _eliaspettersson, canucks, and 90k others.

Gabriella.Lemieux: Not the result I was after, but so happy with my progress on clay and in the rankings. It's been a long road so far, and it's only getting started. Rosmalen is next, and I can't wait for the grass season. 💖🍁

replies:

_eliaspettersson: We're proud of you, and we can't wait to see you on grass after all the good things Danny has told us.

_quinnhughes: You'll win the next one, flower! Gabriella.Lemieux: Here's hoping!

leylahannietennis: Onwards and upwards, angel!

felixaliassime: Hated seeing you cry like that on court, hope the boys are holding you extra close tonight. 🥺

Gabriella.Lemieux: They are, I'm just... angry at myself.

danielnestor1: We'll get there, kiddo, promise. 💕

liked by Gabriella.Lemieux

_quinnhughes: I've never cried at a sports thing like that, seeing our girlfriend so close to her dream, and not getting it. 😥

_eliaspettersson: Yeah... sucks. And, Ella sobbing her way off court, and we couldn't be there for her until after press. 😭

MapleFam: Most painful tennis match I've ever watched, and Ons acting like she'd won the title pissed me off.

canucks: Rest up, Gabriella! - JR

Gabriella.Lemieux: I'll try, Mr Rutherford.💙💚🤍

denis.shapovalov: Hate seeing my sister upset like that, but, I know you've got Rosmalen in the bag.🙏

biancaandreescu: You so deserved better this week, angel. A straight set loss like that doesn't represent the warrior you've become.💖

cocogauff: I'll avenge you, angel! Don't worry!

Gabriella.Lemieux: Thanks, cookie. I'm just so angry at myself.

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@/WTA_updates:

Just ran into the Whistler Trio at the hotel! Got to chat with them for a bit. They are all so sweet and kind! Quinn is so funny, Elias is such an intent listener. Gabriella wasn't up for much talking, but she is just the nicest person ever. She remembered me from Australia and everything!! A match made in heaven, istg.

@/MapleFam: I know, right? I met her in Montreal last year when she was out with that burnout, she was out on a run in the park and let me join her! @/Canada_Family: Perfect future world number one material, it'll come, I can feel it. @/BelieveInBlue: I'm so glad she has them through that heartbreaking loss yesterday.

@/EllaLemieux:

Hi, all! Long time since I used my twitter. But, I just wanna thank everyone for their support! The best is yet to come, and I'm far from done yet this season. There's so much I wanna get done, and I hope you're all on the ride with me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay, part three finally done!! This has been such a fun story to work on so far! I don't know how many parts this will end up having, but that's fine for now. Very pleased with how things are going.

As for the Whistler Trio: They're all dating each other. No idea if Gabriella is the first ever poly tennis player, but she is probably the first openly poly tennis player, for story purposes at least.

Enjoy!!

[rolandkaros]

please god i am begging you guys do not believe anything you see about elena that does not come directly from her, the wta, or from the kazakh tennis federation. yes there are a lot of people trying to spread fake news (as a joke or for clout) so please please please anything you see ignore it. not even if you think the source is reputable. if she, the wta, or the federation haven't said anything then you should assume its fake.

[videcoeur]

hey im serious come get yall free adopts. I have still about 25 designs open and all you have to do if you don’t mave mons, points or characters to trades is to write me a para or two about why you want them and i’ll most likely give it to you for free.

I just want these designs gone at this point :) I’m gonna post the available ones under the cut and if one of these interests you, just HMU my good dude and we can dealio something!

Also if you have adopts yourself you want to get rid off, lets trade maybe? I’m also open to anthro (furry) characters but I def prefer fantrolls.

Still available adopts under the cut!

og artist @sagigo-cicada​

Comes with old art and a mix-and-match talksprite set

And now all the single ladies

And of course the custom grubs, there are still 5 available :*

Customs obviously won’t be Write To Adopt unless you want the grub as is lmao

[sebastianshaw]

Hello everyone, it’s Munday, which means I make one big OOC post so I don’t clog the rest of the week with ‘em! It’s just rando things that pop in my head or that’s happening in my life, basically. Not necessary reading, really a big Facebook post. 

- I’ve really been missing cuddling Dart, so I’ve taken to holding the bison plushy that I got right after he died, as the other rodents aren’t snugglers like he was. - A box of new toys arrived for the ratties, and their new cage should be coming too! - Speaking of that, apologies there aren’t more photos of Maia and Sugar, they are VERY squiggly!! -  When I had my Phantom of the Opera phase (as many nerd girls do) my favorite character was, of course, the Phantom, like every other nerd girl who watched it and latched on to the lonely outcast side regardless of the whole. . . stalking and manipulation and murder thing. Now, as an adult, my favorites are Carlotta, Piangi, the Persian, and the Ratcatcher. You know what that is? Growth. -  Think of rats Think of rats fatly Portly and divine Please feed them Once in awhile Just promise me you'll try! - Confession: There is just something weird about how Dauterman draws faces, to me at least. He’s not a bad artist, everything else he does is lovely, nor does his work seem in any way problematic/objectifying/etc, just the faces look really stiff and odd to me.  -  Ratsquerade! Rodent faces on parade! -  Whenever I see vampires in media that are more resistant to sunlight than the rest of their ilk in that same piece, the general rule is that the vampire is older and thus stronger (as strength and age typically go hand in hand in vampire media). For instance, exposing Akasha and Enkil to the sun in The Vampire Chronicles didn't kill them or even really hurt him much, and the Master survived direct sunlight in The Strain tv series even if it was painful to them, while in both series younger vampires would go up in flames instantly. But I like the idea of younger vampires being more resistant to the light and older vampires being more vulnerable to it despite their greater powers. It kinda makes more sense in my head. - One of the things I love about WtA (Werewolf: The Apocalpyse) is that werewolves and other fera (wereanimals) have a purpose. There’s a Big Bad (The Wyrm) and its agents to fight in what seems a neverending struggle, and they were each created to serve or defend Gaia in a different way. The idea of werewolves having a concrete objective REASON to exist is something I’ve never seen in any other werewolf media, and it forms the basis for much of their culture in this setting as well as giving them a USAGE for all their cool gifts, and foes against which those gifts aren’t necessarily always enough. It’s like, congrats, you are an eight foot tall furry killing machine with magical powers but guess what---you have to use them in the service of a greater being, against greater foes. I just really like it, not to mention that the fantasy of being an eco-terrorist who is largely unfettered by care for human life appeals to a part of me. No, I would never ever want to actually hurt anyone in real life, not even the most heartless polluter CEO or big game poacher or sadistic dog fight ringleader, but playing a beast in fantasy that isn’t human and doesn’t have much of a care for human life in most cases sounds like a fun release. Which, speaking of that, I also like how detached from humanity they are. Some individuals or groups may have strong opinions, like the Red Talons wanting to do away with all humanity, but by and large they’re indifferent to us, and their love or hatred of humanity isn’t what defines them as good or bad, which I like. I love supernatural creatures that AREN’T written with a human-centric perspective. - And one of the things I like about the “Bloodlines” Vampire the Masquerade PC game is how much people love it, to the point they make huge fan-made mods that not only fix problems with it (it was released REALLY buggy and glitchy) but expand it. There are mod packs you can get that add entirely new quests and characters, meaning they got people to not only make new skins but do voice acting for these new characters, all as a labor of love for this game. It’s really a cult classic because, again, it’s a mess in a lot of technical regards, but the writing, story, and characters are so great that countless people (including me) just fell in love with it. I just love the passion projects people made for it.  - Speaking of werewolves and vampires and such, I really want to get my muse back for supernatural-type RP boards. Those used to be my jam but now all I write is X-men. I tried to write at a friend’s Sailor Moon board but I just couldn’t keep it up. I’ve been watching this one place for months. I’m just not sure I wouldn’t crap out again. There’s also another X-Men board that I’ve wanted to join for months and they *want* a Shaw there, but they would also require six posts a month from him. And I don’t know if I can manage that with all my other commitments too, especially since I’m running an event at one of the other X-Men boards that I’m at, and plan to run more since I’m writing Shaw as an active villain there. - Also dfjdjsg I’m glad I’m doing this Rattober thing because it is the ONLY art I can seem to get done right now.

[duhragonball]

Dragon Ball Z 228

Last time, Gohan “””fought””” Dabura, until Dabura suddenly took a powder and left.    Vegeta was already pissed about Gohan’s lackluster performance, but now he’s extra furious because he had to watch that turkey of the fight and it didn’t even accomplish anything.  

I know I already complained about Gohan vs. Dabura, but just to recap why the fight sucks:

Dabura made them wait three episodes before showing up to fight.

Everyone complained the entire time the fight was going on.

Nobody won.

So now we’re right back where we were five episodes ago, when Goku killed Yakon.

So tensions are running high in Stage 3 of Babidi’s ship, because they’ve been stuck there this whole time, unable to proceed with the mission.  So Vegeta takes out his frustration on Gohan, because who else is he going to yell at?   The Supreme Kai is God, basically, and Goku will kick his ass and he knows it. 

 Vegeta makes this a Saiyan thing, telling Gohan that he should have gone for the jugular in his fight with Dabura, and let nothing stop him from killing his opponent.  

“You’re right, Vegeta, I should have finished him off as quickly as possible.   Just like you did when you killed Cell.    Oh, wait, you didn’t kill Cell, did you?    You screwed around with him for twenty minutes, and then you let him become perfect because you were bored,” is what Gohan would say in the Sassy Gohan AU that I just made up.

Then Vegeta starts ranting about how dumb it is the way Gohan and the others fight for “justice”.   

Then he goes on about survival of the fittest, which is pretty cliche, even for Vegeta.  It’s almost like he’s auditioning for someone...   “You know, it’s a good thing I’m on your team.   If I was on Babidi’s side, I wouldn’t hesitate to kill you all, and none of you would be able to stop me!     But that would never happen... unless...”

The only point Vegeta makes that really leaves an impression on Gohan is that he was fighting for the lives of Piccolo and Krillin.    Remember, they came here to kill Dabura, becaue that’s the only way to undo the magic that turned them into stone statues.   If Gohan had tried a little harder, if he had trained more diligently over the past seven years, they might be back to normal by now.

Goku sticks up for Gohan, but kind of half-heartedly, like he knows Vegeta has a point, at least to some extent.    But Vegeta won’t have it.   All he cares about is fighting Goku, and all he’s been doing is farting around on this dumbass spaceship because everyone’s too scared to blow it up.   

The Supreme Kai (once again) tells him not to do that, because if they accidentally break Majin Buu’s seal, he could destroy the whole earth, even at partial strength.   Vegeta flat out tells him he doesn’t care about the Earth or anyone on it.   

Finally, Goku steps in and tells him to knock it off, and Vegeta backs off.    I’ve never really understood this scene, but now I think I finally get it.    In the past, Vegeta wouldn’t just talk about blowing up the ship; he would just do it, in spite of anyone’s protestations.    Remember when he wanted to fight 17 and 18?   Everyone told him it was a terrible idea, but he refused to listen, and no one could stop him, so he did it, to hell with the consequences.  

But in the Babidi Saga, he’s repeatedly suggested that Majin Buu probably isn’t that big a deal, and that they could settle this quickly by dispensing with the games and just blowing up the whole ship, and the Supreme Kai tells him not to, and he just backs off.    This is like the third time they’ve had this argument.  Don’t tell me Vegeta defers to the Supreme Kai, because I don’t buy it.   

I think what we’re seeing here is some of the maturity Vegeta has learned since he first started living on Earth.   He still wants to take the direct approach, and to shout down anyone who says otherwise, but deep down, he knows that’s unwise.  It bit him in the ass against Android 18 and Cell, and on some level he knows it could work against him here.    That’s why he threatens to blow up the ship, but he never actually follows through.   He’s waiting for Goku to stop him.

Meanwhile, Dabura has returned to Babidi with the idea of turning Vegeta against the others.   Babidi’s been watching them in his crystal ball, and he likes what he’s seen.    Vegeta’s not like the others, and it’ll be easy to control him, and it’ll save him from having to risk Dabura’s life in battle.  

On Stage 3, the Supreme Kai starts to suspect that this is what the bad guys are up to, but it’s too late.    Babidi casts his spell and Vegeta starts grabbing his head and crying out in pain.    Also he poses like a complete diva, because he’s still Vegeta, after all.

Vegeta turns Super Saiyan for some reason, and the Kai tells him what’s going on.   Babidi’s trying to exploit the wickedness in his heart, so he should empty his mind and not think of anything.    Not even the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man?

Now, later, Vegeta will claim to have fallen under Babidi’s spell intentionally, but it seems kind of at odds with this scene, where he appears to be resisting Babidi.  

But Babidi seems confident that he’s already won.    Kind of weird how he says Vegeta is “ours” now.  Who else is he referring to?   Dabura?   The rest of his crew?  They’re all mind-controlled slaves just like Vegeta.   But Babidi seems to be rather cordial toward his henchmen, treating them almost like friends.   I suppose he would enjoy their company, seeing how they wait on him hand and foot and cooperate with him in everything he does.  

Having secured Vegeta’s mind (I guess?), Babidi starts amplifying his power.    Remember, Yamu and Spopovitch were much stronger as Babidi’s minions than they were before, so this is apparently a side effect of the spell.   

But Vegeta was already one of the strongest guys on this whole show.   If Babidi can make him even stronger... hoo-boy.

And when the whole process is finished, Vegeta ends up with an “M” symbol on his forehead.   In the dub, they actually call it an “M”, I think, and Shin explains that it’s Babidi’s symbol.   The Japanese version doesn’t bother with this, probably because by this point we’ve already seen the “M” on all of Babidi’s stuff.   All his henchmen have it, it’s on his belt.   It’s printed on the hull of his spaceship, on all the doors, and on all of his equipment. 

Fans call this incarnation of Vegeta “Majin Vegeta”, although I’m pretty sure that’s not official.   “Majin” is a term for Buu specifically, because he’s an evil djinn.    Evil = “Ma”, “Ma” + “Djinn” = “Majin.”

As far as the symbol goes, I’m pretty sure it’s intended to stand for “Madoshi”, which is Babidi’s title.   But this never gets spelled out in the source material, perhaps because Babidi’s from outer space, and it wouldn’t make much sense for him to use the Latin Alphabet for his monogram.     In-universe, it’s probably just an alien glyph that just happens to look like a stylized “M”.   

The other thing is that you rarely ever see anyone refer to any of the others as “Majin”.   No one talks about “Majin Puipui” for instance.    I did see that once on an ad for a DBZ wall scroll, which featured all of Babidi’s gang.    for some reason, the ad copy listed them all as “Majin Buu, Majin Vegeta, Majin Dabura, Majin Puipu, Majin Yakon, Majin Yamu, and Majin Spopovitch.”   It’s like they were getting paid by the letter.   But that’s about the only time I’ve seen that.  

The Supreme Kai is all upset because he never expected this to happen.    There’s a lot you didn’t expect, Shin.   You kind of blew this whole mission.

Then Babidi teleports them all to the Tenkaichi Budokai stadium.    I’m not sure how he even knew about this place, unless he read Vegeta’s mind or something, but this is convenient, since the show has been switching back and forth between these two sets of characters.   Mr. Satan is in the middle of celebrating his second world championship victory, and the crowd is going nuts.   

Chi-Chi is pleased about this, because she thinks that if Goku beats the shit out of Mr. Satan right now, in front of everyone, then he’ll have a valid claim to the prize money.   Yamcha’s pretty sure it doesn’t work that way, but Chi-Chi’s pretty sure this is C-Z-fuckin’-W.    She wants Goku to drop Mr. Satan through a table covered in light poles.

The World Tournament Announcer is confused, but he sees Goku and just walks past Vegeta while he explains that the tournament’s already over, and that’s what sets Vegeta off.   Okay, so that’s brilliant, because he’s literally standing there, glowing yellow, and all WTA can think about is chatting with Goku.     That’s just Vegeta’s frustration in a nutshell.   

So Vegeta powers up, and his aura is so intense that WTA and Mr. Satan get pushed aside.

Satan crashes into the retaining wall, and I feel like that’s the second or third time this has happened to him today.

So Babidi’s all set to take this dude for a test drive.    First order: Beat up Goku, Gohan, and the Supreme Kai and take their energy for Majin Buu.

Vegeta’s reply: Fuck you sideways, Babidi.   All he wants to do is fight Goku.   Period.  

Babidi’s shocked, because this has never happened before.   Vegeta isn’t entirely under his control, but he figures that he can still work with this.  

Meanwhile, Mr. Satan finally realizes that these are the guys from the Cell Games.    You’d think he would have caught on before now, but Toriyama did a pretty careful job of keeping Mr. Satan away from the other tournament participants until the Z-Fighters left the stadium.    He only knew Goten and Trunks had super powers, but he didn’t realize that his opponents in the adult division tournament were part of the same group.   But with Vegeta in full on Super Saiyan mode, there’s no mistaking it. 

Just so there’s no confusion about Vegeta’s priorities, he points at Goku...

Then fires an energy blast at him.   Maybe this is Big Bang Attack?    I don’t know.    Goku blocks it...

But he can’t stop it from hitting the stands.

And it blows right through the crowd, and through several buildings along the way.  

Fortunately, Goku’s pals are in a different part of the stadium, although Bulma might wish it were otherwise.    She’s so horrified by Vegeta’s actions...

... that she faints.   

So yeah, there’s no room for interpretation here.   It’s about to go down.  

[theonyxpath]

Fall is in the air, and it is time for the aroma of pumpkin spice to waft around us wherever we go. And yet, somewhere beneath and behind that ubiquitous scent, is there another crueler tang? Perhaps a tinge of pumpkin guts, that suggestion of orange lives given up for our autumnal habit?

Naaaaaaah.

But the idea that there are darker things beneath the surface is surely imprinted on our thinking as gamers, and it features in pretty much all of our games – and quite a few other Tabletop RPGs that we enjoy even if we’ve never worked on them. Secret knowledge, buried secrets, layers of conspiracy (and lairs of conspiracy, and liars of conspiracy, but those are different things); these are all part of the draw for our gaming. At its simplest level, winnowing out those secrets gives us the story we’re playing.

From time to time, as fans, we can even see conspiracies in the mundane world of the business side of our hobby. I guess it’s natural, but it is odd, when you know the folks involved, to ascribe these complicated schemes to folks you know are just acting from mundane motives like increasing their profit margin. Which might be handled in a less than nice way, but it’s still a pretty non-complicated thing.

Plus, we have the human need to be important – every game designer I know has had a “confidential” conversation with someone who games where the designer has the complex plots of the creators and publishers explained to them concerning a project they were deeply involved with. I just saw someone start explaining to Justin Achilli how Vampire: The Requiem sold so poorly that it never outsold anything from the old WoD. Justin, pithy as ever replied: “Man what. Requiem was the biggest autoship in White Wolf history.”

    Trinity Continuum Core art by Bryan Syme

    Also, we do love our myths, we gamers. Whether the epic tales of gods and demi-gods, or that story about company X was a tax dodge so they let your favorite game tank in order to get a write-off, we do love stories.

Anyway, I bring this up because the occasion of White Wolf‘s CEO leaving the company last week has caused all sorts of pet theories to pop up as to the causes and effects. Well, I think you could easily just look at how these corporate things go and see that the reason Tobias gave, differences in the direction of how to manage WW, are exactly the sorts of things that happen in upper management.

As for how this affects Onyx Path? It hasn’t. Maybe it will, and I liked working with Tobias so I’ll miss him, but that’s not something we’re worried about here. That isn’t blissful ignorance speaking, it’s just that we’ve been riding the waves of this license for seven years now. Somehow, knock on Mirthful Mike Chaney’s wooden leg, we have managed to keep on making gorgeous and excellent projects for WoD, CofD, and Exalted.

Thanks to all of your support, we have been able to do so much with not only the WW game lines, but with our other licenses and our own games. We’re organized better than we’ve ever been in terms of being able to adapt to changing situations, and we’re even looking at getting out Kickstarter rewards a year to several months in advance of estimate for our next couple of ship-outs.

      VtR2 Guide to the Night art by Felipe Gaona

    So, I’m taking the time to give you these thoughts as a “so you know” sort of thing, should any of you need a bit of the reality of where we are right now. Plus, I don’t really want to always be chatting about business stuff here, and that’s all this is, so let’s get on to Monday Meeting talk:

1- We talked about the Dystopia Rising: Evolution Kickstarter, and while we had hoped for more buy-in from our respective communities, the consensus is that like Cavaliers of Mars, the KS gave us a good idea of our “early adopters” audience and a great start to put together the first projects of the line. This will let us see how things grow as we get into sales in stores and on DriveThru.

2- Related to the above, we’re slating in Dystopia Rising: Evolution demo games at Mid-Winter Con in Milwaukee in January. Also, Fetch Quest, Prince’s Gambit, and early testing of a couple of games I’ll confirm in the months to come. Some of these will be special “secret” sessions, and some out in the main gaming areas, but one that definitely will be out where other folks can see and hear the fun is They Came From Beneath the Sea!. All of the demos and playtests for this have shown us just how much players laugh when they play this, and we want people to see that!

Eddy and I will be at Save Against Fear in a couple of weeks as noted below along with a few of the other cons our gang are headed off to soon, and a whole slew of the Onyx Path crew will be at Pax Unplugged in November. A lot of our talk about these cons is Might Matt McElroy making arrangements, and since we’ve doubled our booth size and demos for PaxU, there’s a fair bit of logistics to check and double-check.

3- Our next Kickstarter is for V5 Chicago By Night and we’re going to give it a start date of “October” right now. A large part of what we need to do is get as complete text for the whole book as we can, and for that we need to work with WW – and they have been heads-down over the Camarilla and Anarchs books, so we want our stuff signed off on and that will take the time it takes.

4- Thanks to all of you for your support of last week’s VtM/WtA/MtA PDFs sale on DriveThru! Your efforts in trying to buy everything DTRPG had up are greatly appreciated! The Vampire: The Requiem/Werewolf: The Forsaken/Mage: The Awakening PDF sale is running for the rest of this week, and we hope you’ll check it out too!

5- Last Friday’s Onyx Pathcast interview with Satyr Phil Brucato, Mage: The Ascension Meisterburger, was discussed at our meeting today, as the M20 Book of the Fallen has the potential to be one of, if not the, darkest books ever put out for WoD in terms of the evil nature of the subject matter. Satyr Phil’s interview with Matthew does an amazing, if sometimes deeply personal and potentially disturbing, job of explaining why such a book is important from Satyr Phil’s point of view, and why we can’t ignore evil. Well worth seeing beyond the logistics of making a book like this and into the creative maelstrom.

You can hear it here, or at your favorite podcast venue: https://onyxpathcast.podbean.com/ 

This Friday, Dixie tells me they talk about ” …various pop culture things that influence us or that are good inspiration for our games, mostly movies, shows, and books. We also completely fail to mention Dracula. Or like six other obvious ones.”

    Trinity Continuum Core art by Marco Gonzales

    Finally, next week I’m starting a little project that isn’t directly related to any of Onyx Path‘s game lines, but does speak to the drive all of us here have to create, even beyond those parts of projects here we contribute to. In my case, it is often a battle to juggle the business stuff I have to do with the creative side of things.

So I’m joining those artists who create an ink drawing a day throughout October, or as this project is known: Inktober. There is an official “prompt” for each day of the month that gives the artist a theme word to work off of, and I’ll be using that. My plan is to create and post a character a day, and while technique and materials may – hell, will – vary from day to day, and I’m not revealing yet what I’m drawing these characters from, there is an overall method to this madness.

I expect to post on both my Twitter and FB accounts, and Impish Ian will probably retweet from our Onyx Path account, so if you’re interested, you should be able to catch them day by day. Let me know what you think!

And now I return you to your regularly scheduled notice that we at Onyx Path create:

Many Worlds, One Path!

  BLURBS!

KICKSTARTER:

With the finish of the Dystopia Rising: Evolution Kickstarter last week, we now turn our eyes towards the darkness that lies like a pall over Chicago. The V5 Chicago By Night Kickstarter arises in October!

    ELECTRONIC GAMING:

      As we find ways to enable our community to more easily play our games, the Onyx Dice Rolling App is now live! Our dev team has been doing updates since we launched based on the excellent use-case comments by our community, and this thing is both rolling and rocking!

Here are the links for the Apple and Android versions:

http://theappstore.site/app/1296692067/onyx-dice

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.onyxpathpublishing.onyxdice&hl=en

Three different screenshots, above.

And our latest, the dice for Werewolf: The Forsaken 2e:

  ON AMAZON AND BARNES & NOBLE:

You can now read our fiction from the comfort and convenience of your Kindle (from Amazon) and Nook (from Barnes & Noble).

If you enjoy these or any other of our books, please help us by writing reviews on the site of the sales venue you bought it from. Reviews really, really help us with getting folks interested in our amazing fiction!

Our selection includes these fiction books:

Vampire: The Masquerade: The Endless Ages Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

Werewolf: The Apocalypse: Rites of Renown: When Will You Rage II (Kindle, Nook)

Mage: The Ascension: Truth Beyond Paradox (Kindle, Nook)

Chronicles of Darkness: The God-Machine Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

Mummy: The Curse: Curse of the Blue Nile (Kindle, Nook)

Beast: The Primordial: The Primordial Feast Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

Vampire: The Masquerade: Of Predators and Prey: The Hunters Hunted II Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

Werewolf: The Apocalypse: The Poison Tree (Kindle, Nook)

Werewolf: The Apocalypse: Songs of the Sun and Moon: Tales of the Changing Breeds (Kindle, Nook)

Vampire: The Requiem: The Strix Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

Werewolf: The Forsaken: The Idigam Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

Mage: The Awakening: The Fallen World Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

Vampire: The Masquerade: The Beast Within Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

Werewolf: The Apocalypse: W20 Cookbook (Kindle, Nook)

Exalted: Tales from the Age of Sorrows (Kindle, Nook)

Chronicles of Darkness: Tales of the Dark Eras (Kindle, Nook)

Promethean: The Created: The Firestorm Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

Demon: The Descent: Demon: Interface (Kindle, Nook)

Scarred Lands: Death in the Walled Warren (Kindle, Nook)

V20 Dark Ages: Cainite Conspiracies (Kindle, Nook)

Chronicles of Darkness: Strangeness in the Proportion (Kindle, Nook)

Vampire: The Requiem: Silent Knife (Kindle, Nook)

Mummy: The Curse: Dawn of Heresies (Kindle, Nook)

  OUR SALES PARTNERS:

We’re working with Studio2 to get Pugmire out into stores, as well as to individuals through their online store. You can pick up the traditionally printed main book, the Screen, and the official Pugmire dice through our friends there!

https://studio2publishing.com/search?q=pugmire

    Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books? Try this link! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Onyx-Path-Publishing/

Here’s the link to the press release we put out about how Onyx Path is now selling through Indie Press Revolution: http://theonyxpath.com/press-release-onyx-path-limited-editions-now-available-through-indie-press-revolution/

And you can now order Pugmire: the book, the screen, and the dice! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/manufacturers.php?manufacturerid=296

    DRIVETHRURPG.COM:

Ending this coming Friday! DTRPG presents the 75% off sale on all Vampire: The Requiem, Werewolf: The Forsaken, and Mage: The Awakening PDFs!

    This Wednesday we offer our Monthly PDF additions to Hundred Devils Night Parade and Adversaries of the Righteous for Exalted 3rd – only on DriveThrough RPG.com!

    CONVENTIONS!

From Fast Eddy Webb, we have these:

Eddy will be speaking at SIEGE in Atlanta to talk about Kickstarters. His panel is Oct 6 at 2pm. Info on the show is here: https://siegecon.net/

Eddy will also be a featured guest (and RichT will be there at some point, too) at Save Against Fear (October 12-14) in Harrisburg, PA. He’ll be running some Pugmire games, be available for autographs, and will sometimes accept free drinks. http://www.thebodhanagroup.org/about-the-convention

Monica Valentinelli will be a professional guest at Great Falls Gaming Convention in Montana the first week of October. http://gfgr.org/guests-of-honor/

Dixie Cochran will be at High Level Games Con in Atlantic City October 12-14, running a Women in Game Design panel, Eddy’s RPG Developer Bootcamp, and possibly making a surprise appearance at another event!

  And now, the new project status updates!

DEVELOPMENT STATUS FROM FAST EDDY WEBB (projects in bold have changed status since last week):

First Draft (The first phase of a project that is about the work being done by writers, not dev prep)

C20 Novel (Jackie Cassada) (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

M20 The Technocracy Reloaded (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

M20 Victorian Mage (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

Tales of Excellent Cats (Monarchies of Mau)

Scion Companion: Mysteries of the World (Scion 2nd Edition)

City of the Towered Tombs (Cavaliers of Mars)

Heirs to the Shogunate (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Witch-Queen of the Shadowed Citadel (Cavaliers of Mars)

Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition core rulebook (Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition)

Scion Ready Made Characters (Scion 2nd Edition)

Scion Jumpstart (Scion 2nd Edition)

Geist2e Fiction Anthology (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition)

  Redlines

Deviant: The Renegades (Deviant: The Renegades)

Night Horrors: Nameless and Accursed (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)

  Second Draft

Tales of Good Dogs – Pugmire Fiction Anthology (Pugmire)

Oak, Ash, and Thorn: Changeling: The Lost 2nd Companion (Changeling: The Lost 2nd)

CofD Dark Eras 2 (Chronicles of Darkness)

V5 Chicago By Night (Vampire: The Masquerade)

Trinity Continuum: Aberrant core (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

  Development

Hunter: the Vigil 2e core (Hunter: the Vigil 2nd Edition)

CofD Contagion Chronicle (Chronicles of Darkness)

Dystopia Rising: Evolution (Dystopia Rising: Evolution)

Night Horrors: Shunned by the Moon (Werewolf: The Forsaken 2nd Edition)

Adventures for Curious Cats (Monarchies of Mau)

M20 Book of the Fallen (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

Lunars: Fangs at the Gate (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Spilled Blood (Vampire: The Requiem 2nd Edition)

In Media Res (Trinity Continuum: Core)

Aeon Aexpansion (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

WoD Ghost Hunters (World of Darkness)

C20 Players’ Guide (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

Wr20 Book of Oblivion (Wraith: The Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition)

  Manuscript Approval:

  Editing:

Dog and Cat Ready Made Characters (Monarchies of Mau) (With Eddy)

Changeling: The Lost 2nd Jumpstart (Changeling: The Lost 2nd)

Signs of Sorcery (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)

  Post-Editing Development:

Trinity Continuum Core Rulebook (The Trinity Continuum)

Trinity Continuum: Aeon Rulebook (The Trinity Continuum)

Ex Novel 2 (Aaron Rosenberg) (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Exalted 3rd Novel by Matt Forbeck (Exalted 3rd Edition)

They Came From Beneath the Sea! Rulebook (TCFBtS!)

  Indexing:

Changeling: The Lost 2e

    ART DIRECTION FROM MIRTHFUL MIKE:

  In Art Direction

Dystopia Rising: Evolution – KS is wrapped up.

M20: Gods and Monsters – AD’d and Contracted.

Geist 2e

The Realm

Trinity Continuum (Aeon and Core) – AD’d and Contracted.

Ex3 Monthly Stuff

Ex3 Dragon Blooded – Finals with WW for approval.

Chicago By Night – KS art sketches and finals coming in.

Pugmire Roll of Good Dogs and Cats

  Marketing Stuff

  In Layout

Trinity Core

Trinity Aeon

  Proofing

Scion Hero – Need Neal’s 2nd proof changes.

PTC: Night Horrors: The Tormented – Corrections over to KT.

Scion Origin – Doing Neall’s errata changes, and swapping out the font.

VtR: Guide to the Night

Fetch Quest – Package design done

Requiem Clan Journals – At WW for approval

  At Press

Monarchies of Mau – Printing. Dice and buttons printing.

Cavaliers of Mars – At Studio2. PoD proofs coming.

Wraith 20th – Prepping the Deluxe files.

Monarchies of Mau Screen – At Studio2.

Cavaliers of Mars Screen – At Studio2.

Wraith 20 Screen – Printing.

Scion Dice – At Studio2.

Cav Talent cards – PoD proof coming.

Lost 2e Screen – At WW for approval

Prince’s Gambit core deck and booster PoD – PoD proof coming.

  TODAY’S REASON TO CELEBRATE: It was yesterday that it started, but it’s still the start of Fall. Or Autumn, if you prefer. Anyway you say it, this is my favorite season here in the US, and even more-so in the Northeastern US where the colors of the trees have a vibrancy we just never saw in Hotlanta. Crisp air, finally, and cool breezes. Aaaah. Also all that pumpkin spice hype, but that’s OK (and it’s the constant hype that is the gadfly, not that you personally enjoy the flavor). And it all leads to Halloween and Thanksgiving!

[wsmith215]

NCAA tennis champion Estela Perez-Somarriba has unfinished business at Miami

Across the NCAA, seniors were left asking “What if?” in March, after the coronavirus pandemic canceled the remaining winter and spring sporting events. Here are the stories that show the sudden, complicated, controversial and emotional endings athletes have been coming to grips with over the past few weeks.

On the morning after the NCAA announced it would allow seniors playing spring sports to return for an additional year following the cancellation of the remainder of the season due to the coronavirus pandemic, Estela Perez-Somarriba woke up in her apartment in Coral Gables, Florida, and knew what she wanted to do. She was going to return home to Spain, self-isolate with her family and prepare for the start of her professional tennis career.

But by that afternoon, after a few hours to let the weight of her decision sink in, Perez-Somarriba had changed her mind. As the defending NCAA singles champion, she thought she had unfinished business to take care of. She loved her time at Miami and wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye to the team or the school.

She was going to stay. Perez-Somarriba became the school’s first athlete to announce her decision to return with a letter on the athletic department website. She hasn’t second-guessed the decision since.

2 Related

“It was a challenging decision, but I’m really attached to UM, and finishing my college career the way I always dreamt of is important to me,” she said. “There’s still so much I want to give to this program. I think only student-athletes could relate to this, but when you spend so much time with your coaches and your teammates and representing the university, it means so much and is just so special.

“I was also concerned about all of the uncertainty [at the professional level] right now, and there are so many questions about tournaments, traveling, sponsorships and my own family being quarantined in Madrid. I realized it was going to take quite a while to go back to normal. So I thought, I’ll use this time to get better, to keep practicing and keep improving. I’m pretty sure I made the right decision and am excited about next year.”

Now the 21-year-old will have one more year to expand upon her prolific collegiate career, which has already cemented her in Hurricanes lore. Perez-Somarriba became the second Miami player to win an NCAA title last spring (Audra Cohen in 2007 was the other), and with a 141-23 record in singles play, she has the most wins in school history (a record she broke in January). She’s a two-time ACC Player of the Year, a four-time All-American and the 2019 recipient of the prestigious Honda Award.

While she says she tries not to get too wrapped up in accolades, she does hope to repeat as NCAA champion next season and admits that she feels some motivation when she knows a record is on the line.

Head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews knew Perez-Somarriba was a gifted tennis player when she first arrived on campus as a freshman, but the coach admittedly didn’t think Perez-Somarriba was capable of being the best in the country. Yaroshuk-Tews had some concerns about Perez-Somarriba’s fitness but was immediately impressed by her work ethic and willingness to improve.

“I remember when she first came in, we had the whole team line up at the Watsco Center to run sprints,” Yaroshuk-Tews said. “And she made it back to the line and didn’t look very good. She was gassed, and her face was so pale, I was just about to tell our strength coach to let her sit the next one out. But then he blew the whistle, and she just took off. She went from looking like she was about to pass out to sprinting past everyone. We still joke about it, but that’s [the] thing with her. Once the whistle blows, she’s ready to go, no matter what.”

Estela Perez-Somarriba is the second player from Miami to win the NCAA women’s singles title. Manuela Davies/USTA

That drive and never-quit attitude have been the hallmarks of Perez-Somarriba’s time at Miami, and she has tried to soak up everything she can from the school. She is lauded by the coaching staff for her tireless efforts, on and off the court, and for doing whatever she can to improve her game. With Perez-Somarriba one of two seniors on a team otherwise entirely made up of freshmen, Yaroshuk-Tews asked her to step up as a leader. In typical fashion, she more than responded to the request.

“For the past three years, she’s understandably been focused on herself, but she was able to step out of that box and develop herself as a leader and become one of the better leaders that I’ve ever coached,” Yaroshuk-Tews said. “The girls really respect her and listen to her, and her personality started to rub off on them in an amazing way. It will be fun to see her get another year with them.”

Like most schools across the country, Miami closed its campus, including athletic facilities, and switched completely to online distance learning in March. Perez-Somarriba stayed at her apartment off campus, where she has been the past two months. She completed her bachelor’s degree in economics (with a 3.928 grade point average) and will graduate at the school’s delayed ceremony in December. She has been staying in shape with frequent runs and by using a stationary bike and some dumbbells she bought for her apartment.

She has been reading, cooking, Facetiming with her family in Madrid, finding new plants for her apartment and indulging her curious nature by researching anything she finds interesting online. A self-professed homebody, she hasn’t minded the downtime or being on her own. Yaroshuk-Tews says it’s Perez-Somarriba’s maturity and focus that have allowed her to continue to thrive, despite the unprecedented circumstances.

“She is the only kid that is asking during the pandemic to get into the equipment room to get some kettlebells and is setting up a personal gym in the living room of her apartment,” Yaroshuk-Tews said. “She is not the most talented of all the kids I’ve coached in terms of athleticism, but her work ethic and her approach to her practices is honestly like nothing I’ve ever seen in my life. I don’t think I’ll see anything like it again, either. You typically don’t see players that are as successful as she is but that are as humble and grateful for every single thing that’s given to them. When you mix that with her level of work ethic, the results are exceptional.”

Although the tennis courts on campus remain closed, a public court nearby has opened up as Florida eases its restrictions, and Perez-Somarriba and two of her teammates have been using it several mornings a week. The team has stayed in contact with frequent Zoom meetings, and Yaroshuk-Tews knows she can count on Perez-Somarriba to keep everyone’s spirits high with her positive attitude (and is appreciative that there is guaranteed to be at least one student-athlete on the call who didn’t just roll out of bed.)

Although so much remains in flux, Perez-Somarriba is determined to carry on as usual and is viewing her fifth year as the perfect opportunity for transition. She will look to defend her NCAA title (and break a few ACC records on the way) and complete a master’s degree in sports administration, but she also hopes to play in some professional events in the summer and fall, if and when the season resumes, to bolster her ranking and give her much-needed match experience against a higher level of competition.

As most of the players on the WTA tour skipped the collegiate level to turn professional as teenagers, Perez-Somarriba knows her résumé will be slightly different than those of many of her peers, but she has watched other college-stars-turned-pros, such as Danielle Collins, Nicole Gibbs and Kristie Ahn, succeed in recent years, and they have provided her a blueprint of what’s next. Still, she has modest goals to begin her career.

“I would like to make it to the top 100,” Perez-Somarriba said. “I just want to work hard every single day and just know that I gave it a shot, and I tried my best, and I did it the right way. If it works, great. If not, it doesn’t work. I just want to know I did everything the best I could to make my dreams come true.”

Perez-Somarriba got a taste of that dream when she played teenage phenomenon Coco Gauff at a sold-out homecoming exhibition match in February in Delray Beach, Florida. Gauff, then 15, was weeks removed from her fourth-round run at the Australian Open, in which she knocked off defending champion Naomi Osaka, and Perez-Somarriba was thrilled about the opportunity to play her.

Perez-Somarriba was coming off a win with her team at Georgia Tech, and her teammates and many of her friends were in the crowd to cheer her on against Gauff. She says she wasn’t intimidated by the moment and was excited to have the chance to gauge her skills against someone such as Gauff. Perez-Somarriba lost 6-3, 6-3 in 75 minutes, but she was pleased with her performance, and it fueled her belief that she could play at the next level.

“This is going to sound crazy, but I learned from that match that I could play against anybody,” she said. “Coco is such a great player, and she’s so young, and she has so much potential, but the fact that I was playing against her and kept it pretty tight, and I never felt as if I didn’t belong there. I actually felt comfortable and relaxed in that scenario and environment, and that has motivated me a lot. It gave me a lot of confidence, as well as exposing some of my weaknesses, so I left knowing some things to work on, and I’m still trying to improve [in those areas].”

For Yaroshuk-Tews, who watched proudly, the match was an incredible reminder of how much Perez-Somarriba has improved in her four years at the school.

“I just sat in the stands and took it all in. I just kept thinking, ‘Here’s a kid that came to the University of Miami, and I thought she, at best, would maybe be a No. 3 player for us, and now is out there playing Coco Gauff in front of a sellout crowd.’ The environment was unbelievable, and Stela more than held her own. It was just amazing to see how far she’s come.”

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Lauren Davis rallies past Sofia Kenin into Citi Open quarterfinals

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Lauren Davis showcases her highly effective backhand in motion in opposition to Sofia Kenin throughout their Citi Open match on Wednesday afternoon at Rock Creek Park Tennis Heart. (Erik S Lesser/EPA-EFE/REX) The grandstand crowd at Rock Creek Park Tennis Heart waited practically three hours for launch, and as Lauren Davis closed in on a spot within the Citi Open quarterfinals Wednesday afternoon, the gang was prepared for the second. “Come on, Lauren!” got here a yell. “Right here we go, LD!” got here one other. When Davis lastly sealed the match, finishing a 5-7, 6-Three, 6-Four win over fellow American Sofia Kenin, the gang went to its ft and roared. Davis, a 25-year-old American, knocked out the best remaining seed within the ladies’s draw. Kenin, a 20-year-old Russian native with American citizenship, is having fun with her most interesting 12 months as knowledgeable, together with a third-round win over Serena Williams in June on the French Open. However she grew to become the third high seed to fall, solely a day after No. 1 seed Sloane Stephens and second-seeded Madison Keys — and 15-year-old sensation Coco Gauff — exited the WTA draw. [Doubles tennis, often pushed to the side, takes center stage at Citi Open] Regardless of successful the primary set, Kenin was not sharp Wednesday in opposition to Davis, a participant who reached a career-high rank of 26th (Could 2017) and at the moment checks in at 75th on the planet. All through the match Davis remained calm whereas Kenin kicked a ball, hit one towards the facet and shook her head after unforced errors. “I performed properly. I’m glad to be doing it and having fun with the tennis,” Davis stated. “I simply had a recreation plan and I executed it. At instances it wasn’t the prettiest, however I competed rather well. Simply pleased with the way in which I fought.” Davis stated she and Kenin have educated collectively in Delray Seashore, Fla., and she or he knew exactly how Kenin desires to play. Davis dismantled the speedster by staying aggressive together with her backhand and exhibiting quickness within the midafternoon humidity. Neither participant is imposing. Davis stands 5-foot-2, Kenin 5-7. However every struck the ball properly and performed with energy. At age 17, Kenin reached the third spherical of the 2017 U.S. Open. Then she selected to forgo a university scholarship provide from Miami and switch professional. She is coached by her father, Alex, who sat within the entrance row on Wednesday. He grew annoyed because the match wore on. He clenched his fists when his daughter misplaced some extent, then shook his head after Davis whipped a forehand by Kenin. [Svrluga: Andy Murray is not longer fighting his body, but he’s asking how far it can go] Throughout a break within the third set — when Kenin confronted a 5-2 deficit — Alex stood close to his daughter on the courtroom. She had hit a number of balls straight into the online. Minutes later, he threw a wrapper to the bottom. As soon as the match ended, he berated one of many line judges. Davis knew Kenin likes to dictate the purpose and countered her opponent’s method with a easy mind-set: “I simply tried to not hit it proper at her,” Davis stated. Davis advances to Thursday’s quarterfinal in opposition to American Jessica Pegula, whom Davis misplaced to earlier this season. “I’m feeling extra assured than I used to be to start with of the 12 months,” Davis stated. “Simply acquired some matches beneath my belt. Trying ahead to a superb problem, yeah. I’m excited.” Ava Wallace contributed to this report. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

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