#so to put someone like charlotte who in the grand scheme of things is just some citizen who got dragged into it by corrin

[sieglinde-freud]

think it’d be kinda cool if charlotte had a support conversation with ryoma because i was thinking about that one scene in birthright where silas exposition dumps on ryoma about how nohrs going through a famine or something and ryoma just. he just didnt fucking know that. and i think that moment does a lot for ryoma in terms of how he views nohr, but in rev, instead of hearing it from a nobleman, i think it’d be interesting for him to hear that from someone whos probably suffering the worst of it, at least relative to the rest of the army which is mostly royalty, royal retainers/nobility, or generally outside the nohrshido conflict. and i think charlottes past, while obviously a big part of who she is, goes generally underlooked to play up her fake persona thing. which is totally fine and makes sense for who she is and what she wants, but idk if im her and i see the next king of the nation thats the reason i slept for dinner last night im throwing hands on sight. she’d probably have more restraint than that but shes been shown to break pretty easily if you press the right buttons and idk. i think ryoma could do that without trying because what do you mean you dont know?!

[rumin8ing-boy]

august 21, 2024

So this is the actual first post, despite a "hello world" I chucked into the mix like a true ditzy developer.

I don't know how Tumblr works, I haven't used it seriously since like 2018. And even then, it was mostly for the scanty images of men Instagram wouldn't let users post. But I'm here now, I suppose, and I don't know what I aim to get out of this. It's definitely not an audience. Social media sites are oversaturated and no one's really looking, they're just waiting their turn in the spotlight. I think I want to externalise what I'm thinking. To put out my words into the world, despite their absolute insignificance, and feel it sitting on a corporate overlord's server. I want to bathe in the delusion of feeling meaningful.

Just in case I'm not the only person who will be subjected to this word vomit, I want to set some ground rules for this space. I like to think of myself as an intellectual. But I know this means I know nothing in the grand scheme of things. That doesn't mean I'm not constantly existing in a state of hubris and utter humiliation at thinking I know anything. This will, unfortunately, be reflected here.

A few more things. I hate shellfish and avocado and will use this platform to degrade those abominations accordingly. Also, unrelated, I am a boy who happens to like boys too. Of course, though. I'm AMAB and I'm on Tumblr writing a blog. I think I'm Carrie in the friend group but really, I'm kind of a mix between Samantha and Charlotte. I live with three chronic mental and physical ailments, only one of them slightly life-threatening and the other two just being mildly annoying. And, as I am typing this, I just told off someone who misunderstood a TikTok video of mine for not having comprehension skills.

I'll cut this off here now. I think I've real Cady-style word-vomited. I hope I can get the catharsis my heart wants from this project before my ADHD decides it's not worth it anymore. Have a good one, reader.

[thepictureofsdr-archive]

ok i KNOW this isn't just me, you cannot convince me that charlotte and gideon would care about alastair spreading the rumour at ALL. the kids seem so offended on behalf of their parents, parents who probably wouldn’t give two shits about this. 

charlotte is the woman who had to deal with young will, gideon, gabriel, and jessamine, so what alastair did isnt exactly world shaking to her and now she’s literally the consul. she saved the world from pure evil while still young. if thomas and matthew complained to her about alastair spreading the rumour (especially if they mention they were still school children at the time) she’d probably tell them to go away and come back with a real problem or at least something worse than what their parents did at that age. she had to deal with such bullshit while head of the institute let alone consul that playground bullying is literally the least of her worries especially when the bully has done a complete 180.

same goes for gideon, jem actively disliked him when they were young which is all the information you need as to what kind of person gideon was, and he also had to fight genuine evil while still young. he’d probably hear about the rumour spreading and ask what else alastair did because “there’s no way in hell these kids are THIS pissed about someone simply spreading a rumour in school” gideon also knows just how important allowing people to grow is, so he’d probably be pissed at the kids for still shitting on alastair despite how much effort he’s put into changing. 

they’re literally grown adults and they know how rumours work. alastair wasn’t the source of the rumour and he didn’t change it to be worse, he simply told people, just like everyone else in that school because that’s what kids do. that rumour 100% originated from an adult in the clave, elias and sona really don’t seem like the type to gossip to their kids, so alastair probably wasn’t even the first person to talk about it in the school. yeah he told matthew in a dickish way but im not sure why matthew was expecting any kindness considering before being told the rumour, he insulted alastairs hair and told alastair his family didnt love him. matthew would’ve found out anyway, so do they hate alastair simply because he was the one to tell matthew? that would be stupid bc what if a friend told him? even if alastair was a prick you can’t exactly hate someone that much just for informing you of a rumour. this insane hatred they have towards him alone makes no sense whatsoever, why don’t they actively hate everyone else from the school? i don’t think we see them interact with old schoolmates but they seem to place all the blame for the rumour on alastair. matthew seems to blame alastair for the unborn baby situation (which makes no sense, no one forced matthew to do what he did but i understand how that would influence his opinion) but the other thieves don’t even know about that, so they just despise alastair because of playground bullying and the rumour? alastair was a shit bully anyway. i have a theory that he tried to be as nice as possible with the bullying bc he could’ve easily called james “demon eyes” but no he went for “goat eyes” 

i understand why they dislike him, but this level of hatred they have towards him is completely baseless, even more so now considering alastair has completely changed and especially in the grand scheme of things. i genuinely cannot comprehend why they blame so much of the rumour on him alone. charlotte and gideon would see that in seconds and i wouldn’t be surprised if they apologized to alastair for the stupidity of their children.

yes the rumour was horrific especially considering the time period, but do we really expect these two grown adults who’ve faced genuine evil to care about a literal child spreading the rumour, a child who’s apologized and genuinely changed? there’s far more important things to worry about and its kind of worrying that they’re putting this much effort into shitting on one person.

tl;dr the thieves blaming alastair alone for the rumour is dumb as shit and charlotte and gideon would not give a damn about alastair spreading it years ago while still a child especially considering how much he’s grown since then

[bookwrm99]

Preferred Music- OM! Brothers

Not that anyone asked me, but I was in the mood to write and I’ve gotten back into Obey Me! after a super-long hiatus.. so these are my thoughts on what the brothers listen to in terms of music. I’ve only finished S1, so forgive me if these don’t make sense in context of the later seasons T_T

Lucifer:

It’s established in canon that Lucifer loves listening to classical music and has an extensive record collection- the more cursed the better

I headcanon though that he also likes to listen to big band music, like the Glenn Miller Orchestra

I can imagine him putting one of his vintage Glenn Miller records on his grammy and asking his s/o to dance with him one night if he was feeling especially romantic. The song he’d initiate on would be Twilight Interlude, Moonlight Serenade, or Starlit Hour.

I also headcanon that Lucifer listens to crooners, like Nat King Cole or Frank Sinatra

If MC can play an instrument, especially if it’s the piano, Lucifer might lurk in the hallway for a while if he hears them playing music by composers like Beethoven, Mozart, or Chopin. He doesn’t know how or why, but he thinks their works sound best whenever MC plays them

I think Lucifer’s guilty pleasure is 50′s/60′s decade music, but only listens to them when certain conditions are met: he’s in an exceptionally good mood, his privacy is guaranteed for at least an hour, and it’s just him in his bedroom. He feels that artists like The Beach Boys, Elvis, and The Beatles don’t fit with his polished, high-class image, hence the secrecy around listening to them

You’ll know he trusts you when he allows you into his space while one of these artists’ records is on the gramophone

Doesn’t change MC’s ringtone in his phone, because one: he’s an old man and hardly uses the thing for anything besides communication anyway, and two: he wants to be the only brother who wasn’t prompted by Mammon’s ringtone change

Probably changes their ringtone after a few weeks, when his brothers have forgotten all about it

 Mammon:

The Black Crowes. Next-

It’s canon that Mammon likes R&B music

Mammon strikes me as a classic/90′s alternative rock kind of guy too, though. Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, U2, Deep Purple, The Black Crowes, Pearl Jam- that kind of vibe

If he’s feeling something a little more hard, he’d probably dip into Nirvana, Van Halen, AC/DC, or another band along those lines

“Money” by Pink Floyd is DEFINITELY his ringtone

If he’s trying to really focus to come up with a scheme to make Grimm, or is just in the mood for something really chill, he might pull up a lofi hip hop playlist/station to listen to in the background

If he and MC happen to be chilling in his room, though, he’d probably play whatever they’re into- not because he likes them and wants to learn more about them or anything, noooooo sir, definitely doesn’t want to know their favorite artists so he can maybe take them to a concert one day either

Probably starts listening to MC’s favorite bands and genres too as their relationship develops

I headcanon that as soon as he finds out whatever MC’s favorite song is, he sets it as their ringtone in his phone so he can distinguish them from modeling agencies and his brothers

Leviathan:

It’s canon that Levi LOVES anime music, which like- I 110% subscribe to

I think he’d also really like video game music as well. Especially if it’s a game he loves and their soundtracks are *chef’s kiss*

If the Devildom has an equivalent to K-pop, I could see him being into that too. BTS, EXO, SUPER JUNIOR, Girl’s Generation, and SEVENTEEN all give me Levi vibes

Because he used to play so many different instruments, I also headcanon that sometimes he gets in the mood to listen to some of the music he used to play

He might get started on a classical music kick for a couple hours, then be satisfied for a week or two until the craving comes up again

Like Mammon, he might try listening to MC’s favorite music to get to know them better- but if he’s too averse to it, he’ll just go back to listening to his usual music

As their relationship develops, he might change MC’s ringtone in his phone to the theme of an anime they’ve both watched together and loved, or to the theme of his favorite anime- not to be outdone by Mammon, of course

Satan:

It’s canon that Satan also enjoys classical music, especially symphonies

I headcanon though that Satan might resent this similarity to Lucifer, so listens to classical music in secret- or abstains from it until he cracks and binges for a few hours

I could also see Satan listening to music very loudly in his room to piss Lucifer off if he’s in a particularly vindictive mood, especially if it’s hard rock or metal

Three Days Grace, Shinedown, Breaking Benjamin, Disturbed, The Veer Union, Gojira, Beartooth, Steel Panther- and if he’s really mad at Lu, he’d pull out the stops and listen to some death metal

Lowkey kind of likes some of it, even though he started listening to it exclusively with the intent of making the eldest tear his hair out in frustration

For casual listening, though, I headcanon that he has soft indie playlists and stations that he’s favorited/subscribed to

I could also see him as the type to have a playlist built with all his favorite songs from his favorite Broadway plays (looking at you, Les Misérables and Cats)

When he catches wind that Mammon and Levi changed their ringtones for MC, he didn’t hop on the train to outdo them- he just thought it was a good idea. He changes it to a soft indie song that reminds him of MC in some way, whether the lyrics are explicitly about someone similar to them or the sound of the song gives them MC vibes

Asmodeus:

Asmo listens to healing music in canon

But I also imagine him listening to dance/EDM music, because it gets him pumped up for The Fall and reminds him of the good times he’s had there

I headcanon that Asmo listens to healing music when he’s pampering himself or doing spa sessions with MC, and dance/EDM when he’s getting primped up to go to the club

Asmo is DEFINITELY the type to put soft music on when he’s about to get it on with somebody to set the mood, but it’s not something he listens to on his own- he feels ambivalent about romantic music in general

With MC, though, if their relationship buds into something more than friendship- you can bet your ass that he custom makes the perfect playlist for spicy situations with them, and his opinion on romantic music changes into a more positive one

I also see him listening to Queens like Ariana Grande, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Beyoncé- really powerful women vocalists

Asmo might have an easy listening pop playlist/station subscribed on his app of choice, but probably has to be in the mood for it to put it on

Definitely changes MC’s ringtone to something cheeky at first, like “Sexual Healing”, but trades it for a romantic song that reminds him of them later as they get closer

Beelzebub:

The RAD newspaper reports that Beel likes the song in the “Hell’s Burger” commercial

But I headcanon that when the newspaper club asked him that question, he just didn’t know how to respond because he listens to so many different genres, so he blurted out the first thing on his mind (so of course it would be food-related)

Beel doesn’t strike me as the type to like one genre in particular to the exclusion of most others- he seems more like he’d have playlists of all different genres to switch between depending on the situation and his mood

He’d definitely have a workout playlist full of songs to hype him up, like “Eye of the Tiger”, “Welcome to the Jungle”,  “Seven Nation Army”, “Thunder”, etc.

Probably has upwards of thirty playlists/stations he’s subscribed to because of his broad tastes, but the ones I see him frequently playing are pop, indie, alternative, and punk rock

Because he shares a room with Belphie, he’s grown accustomed to listening to chill, soft piano music at night when the both of them are first falling asleep- so much so, he has a hard time falling asleep without it, so he always brings earphones with him when traveling so he can still listen to it

MC’s ringtone in his phone is the “Hell’s Burger” commercial song- the only other contact that shares the ringtone is Belphie. Hearing his favorite song helps him distinguish his favorite people from everyone else calling his phone, even if hearing the song makes him hungry and drool a little bit before he picks up

Belphegor:

Belphie likes chill piano music in canon

Makes sense to me, since he’s sleeping 99.999999% of the time

But I headcanon that he also likes punk rock, like Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, blink-182, Good Charlotte, All Time Low, Panic! At The Disco, Bring Me The Horizon, and more

He only listens to it if he has to stay awake for a long period of time- listening to piano music makes him sleepy, so that’s out of the question, even though he needs music to be able to focus

Belphie is another brother who will stick around if he hears MC playing the piano- he’s less covert about it than the eldest brother, though

He’ll straight up trudge into the music room, sit on the bench with them and lean his head against their shoulder as they play

Hope you weren’t planning on stopping anytime soon, MC

Belphie also seems like the type to have subscriptions to ASMR or soft storytelling podcasts/stations/playlists, for the times he finds he’s having a hard time falling asleep

Like Lucifer, is one of the last to hop on the ringtone train, and honestly didn’t really give a shit about it until he really thought about it. What if MC was in trouble and tried to call him while he was asleep? His normal ringtone wouldn’t wake him up in that scenario, which could end up being really bad

Changes it to something really loud and obnoxious at first, like “What Is Love” (the animal cover)

Eventually changes it to something more romantic as he and MC get closer in their relationship, like “Check Yes, Juliet”

~~

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them. <3

BTW, this is the ringtone I HC’d for Belphie lmfao: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mx5-aOGphII&t=53s

It’s my morning alarm and my family hates it, but I’m an extremely heavy sleeper sooooooo guess I’ll just keep being a menace to society

[bscully]

About Griffith, Mozgus and Dreams

The remarkable thing about Griffith is that his take about dreams actually is agreeable. Who doesn't wanna pursue something great & have goals? But there is a red flag to it. His willingness to walk over the dreams & bodies of others to achieve his own is extremely concerning. He says men's savagery is a tool that can be used for something.

Charlotte here says how all his friends are attracted to his charme but Griffith just calls them troops and comrades. Then goes on to say that a real friend to him is someone with a dream (presumably someone who'd walk over bodies like he does for it too).

To me that always seems like a sign that while Griffith saw value in the Hawks for achieving his goals, he did not see any social, friendship value in them. His comments during this scene did not show that he actually saw the Hawks AS PEOPLE. I think that's why Guts was special to him. He was hard to recruit because he had no dream, so he was "immune" to Griffith's grand vision. He was independent & had the skills. But that's for another time... Griffith is not shedding blood for someone else or his loved ones (contrasting Guts who is fighting for Casca) or even for a good cause (e.g. improving humanity as whole). His actions always aimed to get that castle in the sky, to achieve more power & might.

If one dream is being pursuit at the expense of others, for the benefit of one, what goodness does it serve to a community, or even all of humanity...? That's the reason why after reading the Fountain Speech, I knew Griffith one day would turn against his own if given the chance So I guess we can say that Griffith had some agreeable views, but the fact he has a complete lack of regard for other people's well-being & lives is very concerning. The interesting part is that Miura did something similar with Mozgus!!! Mozgus' Speech towards Farnese is interesting. Having faith & trust in God can be perceived as a good thing. At the same time, he knows that he is bringing pain onto others and also hurts himself as a result (just like Farnese abused Serpico when she was at her lowest)

Mozgus is not only embracing the fact he has hurt others, but is also dwelling in it, actively participating in it. He isn't even doing it to help people. He puts God's will above everything else, uses the scriptures as his standard to judge others.

Also interesting he speaks of wounds as evidence of his faith. Didn't Casca accumulate wounds for Griffith, and Guts for Casca later on...? Because we have seen him deal with the starving refugees trying to get food and save their children at first (torturing her for trying to save her baby, what the fuck?) we know that he is just a religious fanatic capable of atrocities just like the heretics he's fighting against...

For Mozgus, it was all right and just because he was doing it for his faith, for God. It was all in God's grand scheme anyway and his feeble mind wouldn't God's comprehend divine plans anyways. Why even try be a better person? Humans are meant to savages, right?!

But Farnese started to think for herself. Was instantly shot down by Mozgus too. This is fascinating because Farnese is questioning his ways because of the hurt&harm he is causing. Consider that we established Griffith would walk over bodies (cause harm) to achieve his own dream

Farnese's concerns were countered with this story of a holy woman who was trying to help people, but got turned down by an old man. As if implying man has always been suffering & there is no point in changing that.

This is a (loose) parallel to the fountain speech here, actually. It's like the discussion with Mozgus here was Farnese's personal Fountain Speech that gave her space for further change If anyone knows about religious fanatism & its dangers, it's definitely Farnese. This is quite interesting constellation considering her FAMILY has close ties with the church & the goddamn pope.......

Now Guts on the other hand, instead of embracing his inner savagery he is using it to save someone (Casca) Farnese saw him do that. He also NEVER harmed Farnese when he took her hostage. Guts draw the line at harming others needlessly. It had her wondering! If Mozgus' driving force was his faith, what are Guts' intentions...?

I mean, Guts, he also not only saves Casca a couple of times, but also his companions. He made sure they arrived in Elfhelm ALIVE and WELL. The direct opposite of what Mozgus and Griffith have been doing. By actively resisting the Berserker Armor, Guts is not only fighting himself but also the God Hand by extension (IoE included, if you will, if we consider IoE = collective consciousness). Guts is changing the world by resisting his own inner savagery & starting with himself. The inner world reflects the outer world! Perhaps, if enough people do it, great change may happen through collective consciousness. Maybe that is the note Berserk will end in the finale... Either way I hope you enjoyed reading!

[luciferloveschloe]

s5 thoughts

okay, holy crap. so this is probably going to be long and rambly, and i’m writing it without having seen a single gif set or reaction from the fandom – scary. anyway, more below the cut! also spoilers, obviously.

first of all, asjsdklasjsjsjajkfds – i loved it so freaking much. canon deckerstar, fucking finally???? that sweet kiss in ep5? them not immediately breaking up again and instead working together on the issues they’re facing!? omg. it had so many amazing moments, and so many great stories for our characters, and so many little weird things that have always defined this show, and i am so so happy with it!!!

have some thoughts on every ep! i’ve only seen it once so this is far from elaborate meta, but i have to scream into the void somewhere before i dive into the madness of my dashboard. a little cautionary: there’ll be a bit negativity, but I’ll always put it in brackets so you can skip it easily.

5x01: really sad devil guy

i guessed mr. said out bitch would turn up in hell, and it was such a cool episode! i loved how they interwove it and showed lucifer ruling hell and them solving the case at the same time. and how michael showed up? they almost had me fooled there that it was actually lucifer. well done!

(the thought that it has already been thousands of years for lucifer again is so incredibly sad, like i really can’t think about it for long. an old otp of mine was separated for 20 years and i’ve always found it unbelievably cruel, so thousands of years is just… i don’t care that he’s used to greater spans of time, i really can’t think about it for long. and i don’t like that everybody just accepted that he’s gone now. that there was no rescue plan or anything like that.)

5x02: lucifer! lucifer! lucifer!

friggin’ michael, seriously. amazing scene with the wings though! and chloe bringing burgers and fries to the penthouse, omg. and that ending with her shooting him?? and that she knew something was wrong since their first kiss? i screamed. you go girl!! i was getting kinda worried through the episode but this ending was perfect. and a nice little nugget of knowledge regarding what they’re thinking about lucifer in heaven. very curious what michael’s grand plan turns out to be and what god’ll have to say to all of that!

(maze though. i get she’s going through a lot and i do emphatize with her but the constant scheming… i don’t know if i’ll ever really warm up to her.)

5x03: diablo!

the clowns in the hell loop, lmao. and their actual reunion and lucifer’s soft smile and chloe immediately embracing him again and them holding hands – someone hold me. of bloody course everything went to shit right after, but this was so very sweet! and lucifer bonding with dan, amazing. and the meta of course, lmao. their confrontation at the end ripped my heart out, but it hurt so good.

(the michael/lucifer fight wasn’t as spectacular as i’d hoped, but whatever!)

5x04: it never ends well for the chicken

unexpected, but totally awesome! such a fun ep, and i love that we finally know the backstory for his ring! and step-satan, yay!

(trixie kinda playing lucifer for maze felt a little icky, though, and i’d have loved it if they confirmed that she actually believes in him being the devil.)

5x05: detective amenadiel

again, lucifer and dan bonding, amazing! the case was pretty fun too, but amenadiel’s revelation was the best by far. i’ve never exactly thought of the whole miracle/immunity situation like that, but it’s such a great interpretation. it’s not that lucifer finally has a challenge in chloe, it’s that she’s the only human with a chance to see him and love him for who he really is, and… damn. if that isn’t some big romantic shit. and i bloody loved the kiss at the piano!!

5x06: blueballz

these little loved up idiots holding hands and flirting on the case?! aiaiaiai can you tell i’m still smiling from ear to ear??! lucifer being jealous and tribe night and the guys collectively trying to calm charlie down… amazeballs. also dan reveal? did not see that coming, not at all, but it was a nice punch to the gut after they finally got along again and lucifer even wore his stupid bracelet. and new devil face, again! this one’s actually a little bit scarier than the last one. and the deckerstar sex scene, for real, without interruption? loved it, loved that chloe was apparently on top and his awed little “incredible…” – be still my heart!!

(i mean i’m greedy and it could have been longer or more explicit but i get that filming these scenes sucks and that’s what fanfic is for, anyway.)

5x07: our mojo

i melted at the morning after scene!! and did not see the mojo storyline coming at all, but it was fun, and they’re such a great team together! dan’s scene at charlotte’s grave was so powerful. and the scene in the flower shop, I could only think of @thewolffgang’s fic! chloe hyping lucifer up was so sweet, but then it was so scary seeing him paralyzed like that. that sweet penthouse balcony scene, and then dan trying to ruin the evening. i don’t know what it means that he’s not vulnerable around her anymore (and i don’t necessarily like it) but i hope they’ll resolve it together in the second half of the season.

5x08: spoiler alert

just, holy crap. these last episodes really had me at the edge of my seat. watching lucifer realize chloe’s been kidnapped?? painful, but good shit, good good shit. him thinking they’re too late and chloe is already dead? god, no. that little “detective?” broke my heart. but him doing all the detective work? amazing. i was so bummed for ella though!! i really thought pete was a good guy, but oh well. so creepy, omg. i’m so grateful that there was no cliffhanger with chloe’s rescue. i really, really liked how god showed up at the last second. can i have the next episodes now, pretty please??

(what was the point of charlie’s flu, though? and wtf does michael think he’s doing? and maze, really, with the questionable alliances?)

overall i feel like s4 felt a little tighter or more coherent, but i don’t care because deckerstar is finally canon and there’s a ton of great potential for the next half and i’m so deliriously happy because of that. yay! going to check my dashboard now, wish me luck!

[mimicofmodes]

Sanditon, episode 1 part i

I’m having a lot of thoughts about Sanditon, both plot and costumes, so I thought I might as well share them here.

So, Austen’s original MS for Sanditon is very short - it’s often referred to as an “unfinished novel”, but it’s really just the beginning of the story and a rough draft at that. This gives someone who wants to finish it license to make the plot go in any direction they like, which Andrew Davies has definitely taken full advantage of at his Andrew Davies-est.

Our first view of the heroine, Charlotte Heywood, is as she’s lying in the grass to shoot a rabbit, her hair down and not covered with a bonnet, which gives us the visual cue that this is Not Your Mother’s Austen Story.

In the original text, Mr Heywood happens to be out in the fields and approaches the scene of the accident, bringing the Parkers to his home, where they’re met by “two or three genteel-looking young women”. Davies instead makes Charlotte the center of the adventure by having her see the accident (while looking entirely non-genteel) and dash off to help. It’s hard to know where exactly the Heywoods are supposed to sit on the social scale in this adaptation: they’ve done a thing like P&P05 where rusticity is emphasized by making people untidy and dressed in browns, but it also makes them seem a lot poorer than the original text. There was a huge social and financial gulf between gentlemen with country estates that produced food and the actual yeoman or tenant farmer classes, though. Presumably they are in the “country estate” range, though, since the Parkers take Charlotte with them to Sanditon as a friend rather than some kind of paid companion.

Ever since Outlander started, it’s become really popular for costumers to put women in anachronistic knitwear. This knitted spencer is very clever, but also very inaccurate. (So is the hair. I’m going to have lots of opportunities to say this, but hair should not be down in the Regency. Even girls too young to get married wore their hair up at this time - the flowing, half-up look doesn’t become a standard young-girl hairstyle until well into the Victorian era.)

Trafalgar House, on the most elevated spot on the down, was a light, elegant building, standing in a small lawn with a very young plantation round it, about a hundred yards from the brow of a steep but not very lofty cliff, and the nearest to it of every building, excepting one short row of smart-looking houses called the Terrace, with a broad walk in front, aspiring to be the Mall of the place. In this row were the best milliner's shop and the library a little detached from it, the hotel and billiard room. Here began the descent to the beach and to the bathing machines.

In another departure from the text, the very pleasant and elegant new area of Sanditon that’s being prepared for tourists is turned into what looks more like an industrial town. This is probably because we tend to see narratives about change in this period as going hand-in-hand with the changes of the Industrial Revolution. But it doesn’t really look like a new town that’s being built to cater to invalids and fashionable people ...

Our first look at Lady Denham, the Catherine de Bourgh of Sanditon. This outfit isn’t terrible; it’s kind of ca. 1795. However, that’s roughly twenty years out of date for this setting, and Lady Denham is supposed to care about status and appearances, so she should be dressing like a normal fashionable older woman. Another visual cliché that’s become standard!

In the original text, Charlotte is a lot like Catherine Morland of Northanger Abbey, an ordinary young woman, while Lady Denham’s distant relation Clara Brereton is “the most perfect representation of whatever heroine might be most beautiful and bewitching” due to her physical attractions and her backstory: Lady Denham went to stay with some poorer relations, planning to take one of their daughters back to Sanditon with her, but instead took their poor relation. (Nice parallel with Charlotte’s situation.) Ironically, in the show Charlotte has the qualities we associate with heroines - she’s breezily free in her speech and hair - while Clara isn’t shown as interesting at all at first.

The younger Denhams, Sir Edward and his (step-)sister. In the original, the narrator explains pretty quickly that Sir Edward is a dope who likes exciting novels and wants to be a seductive rogue like their villains, so he’s fixing to carry off and seduce (read: rape) Clara for his own fun. But here, it’s clear that Sir Edward actually succeeds in flirting with Charlotte (if a bit slimily), and we eavesdrop on the Denhams’ conversation to learn about their motivations: his sister wants him to “focus on the task in hand” as the camera focuses on Clara, so it’s clear that there is a more purposeful scheme afoot. Just as in the text, though, Lady Denham makes it clear to Charlotte that he’s got to marry money.

For some reason, Lady Denham is dressed for Downton Abbey in this scene. Miss Denham’s spencer/pelisse is perfectly all right, but her hat is ... I don’t even know when her hat dates to. I suspect it’s based on this style of hat, but its sharpness and trimness make it read more modern.

The next introductions, following the MS’s order if not its timeline, are siblings of Charlotte’s host, Diana and Arthur Parker. Some much-needed comic relief! Davies has left out the second sister, though, as well as their busybody-ness, so they’re really nothing but hypochondriacs. Diana’s pelisse looks to be the one worn recently by Elle Fanning in the Mary Shelley movie, and by Anna Maxwell Martin in Death Comes to Pemberley.

The show then departs from the text by sending the group to the seaside. (Which seems like a obvious place to go, but it actually takes more than a week before the text even mentions going in the water.) Charlotte and Clara get in a bathing machine and change into clothes for swimming! We get a nice look at their period-appropriate corsetry as they get undressed. (The men strip down on the beach itself and go off into the waves. What’s slightly confusing to me is that Mrs. Parker and the Parker children were also there, but didn’t get into a bathing machine, so ... did they just watch the Parker brothers and Sir Edward walk around naked?)

Kudos to the costumer for leaning into the ugliness of Georgian swimwear. Charlotte has even put her hair up into the cap!

I’ve been neglecting the main Parkers, because there’s not much to say about them. They’re nice, enthusiastic people. The interior of their house does a good job or communicating Mr. Parker’s grand plans for Sanditon - he’s stretching to have his own grandiose Neoclassical stately home, and it’s not really working. It’s poorly-lit and whatever prints or inlay he has all over the walls makes that worse.

Charlotte is in a brown jumper dress over a collared habit shirt, something which I’d note appears on Keira Knightley’s Elizabeth in P&P05. Not the same specific costume, but the same family, and I doubt that’s a coincidence, given how much this production seems to be taking from that in terms of grittyness.

Mrs. Parker apologizes to Charlotte for her husband’s irritation over his other brother, Sidney, not having arrived yet, and then the two go into a shop to buy some fancy blue half-boots that I don’t really think are suitable for a ball. Reminder: this is supposed to be a clean, new seaside resort town.

Charlotte gets handed off to Miss Denham, who is once again in all black. Her sleeves have a kind of slashed-and-puffed effect, highly appropriate to the period as fashion inspiration in the 1810s moved away from the Neoclassical and into the medieval and Renaissance. Miss Denham comes off as very poisonous, complaining about Lady Denham (mean and miserly), Clara (sitting in the lap of luxury), Mr. Parker (going to ruin his family, obsessed with improving Sanditon), Arthur (a buffoon), and Sidney (unsavory and unreliable). I’m not really sure what the deal is with this conversation - it feels like Davies just wanted an excuse to make them talk together so we can see how bitchy Miss Denham is.

(cont’d)

[bthump]

do you think that griffith actually likes charlotte as a person/companion (not in a romantic way ofc) or does he simply think of her as a tool?

Actually yeah I think he does like Charlotte just fine as a person, and inasmuch as he has feelings about her, I think they’re positive.

Though now that I’ve answered I’m trying to come up with a way to justify that answer and I’m drawing blanks lol.

Like I don’t really think Griffith going to Charlotte after Guts left was a sign that he likes her even just as a person, I think it was partly because she’s basically representative of the dream, and partly because she admires the persona he’s carefully constructed and he wanted to hide in that persona - similar to how after his breakdown in the river with Casca he smiled and put his hand on her shoulder as a way of repressing his own feelings, seducing Charlotte is also a way of repressing his feelings by hiding behind an image.

Though on another level he’s still probably got an element of just seeking comfort, so it’s at least a sign that he doesn’t dislike her lol.

Hm, the fact that he got carried away during the Promrose Hall speech and nearly forgot he was talking to her might indicate that he feels comfortable with her?

Charlotte helping organize the rescue mission and then taking a poison dart for him is a good reason for him to genuinely like and appreciate her, but we only got like a day with post torture Griffith so that doesn’t really mean much in the grand scheme of things.

I guess my answer is partly headcanon, and partly because I don’t think Griffith views anyone as a tool. I think he really, really wishes he could, and he tells himself he does, but a large factor in his characterization is that he sees people as individuals and feels guilty when uses them to further his goals. Like, to the point where Griffith’s inability not to care is actually a character flaw in a way, and largely what leads to him making the sacrifice. Like, Guts sees people as tools to be used more than Griffith does.

Guts is way better at not giving a fuck about people who get in his way than Griffith is. Griffith even feels guilty over the people he kills in battle, during a war, as evidenced by how they’re part of his Eclipse guilt trip.

No one else in canon cares at all about the enemies they kill (give or take Guts killing monster children and feeling kind of bad about that), but Griffith does.

So I definitely don’t think Griffith sees her only as a tool, at least not while he’s a human, even while he is using her (tho imo it’s pretty likely that he tells himself she’s just a tool, especially when, say, burying his guilt over the deaths of several of her family members lol.)

Whether he likes her or not is another story, and I guess the reason I’m saying he does is because

a) I like to imagine happy AUs where they’re chill friends in a sham marriage dating Guts and Anna or Casca respectively.

b) Griffith’s been planning to marry Midland’s princess for a good chunk of his life presumably, way before he even met Charlotte, so I can’t help but assume that her reticent yet sweet personality would come as a relief, and he’d probably like her by default because he could’ve gotten stuck spending his life with someone awful.

c) I can see them just getting along, yk? They’re both polite and respectful, Charlotte’s a good listener, she’s kind and would probably support Griffith’s liberal agenda even without being in love with him lol, and I think Griffith has a lot of patience for that kind of naivete she has, especially as she demonstrates willingness to grow past it.

[beyblaiddyd]

A Guide on Writing Niles (FE14): 

The way Niles often gets written in this fandom tends to exaggerate a lot of his characteristics and he’s frequently treated as a very cruel, merciless pervert, which is an amplification of a tone of insensitive stereotypes that went into his writing. So today, we’ll be going through discussing his character, most importantly his selective sadism and his selective flirtation, referencing his various supports (Character, Letter), to give authors in the fandom a better foundation for understanding him. 

Selective Sadism: 

It’s no secret that Niles can be a little rude and that he enjoys teasing other people. 

In talking to Corrin, he starts their conversation by teasing them about biting, not trusting them, and their frivolous nature (Corrin, C). 

In his supports with Mozu, he’s kind of flippant about Mozu’s desire to find her town treasures and her interest in preserving anything from her village (Mozu, C-B). 

He tells Camilla she fixates on helping the weak because she leads a pathetic existence (Camilla, C). 

When Effie is giving him a hard time, he gently teases her for her friendship with Elise before moving on quite quickly (Effie, B). 

Niles’ supports with Arthur are the 2nd best example of this. He mentions that he’s never gone out of his way to meet Arthur before because he hates a“smug little goody-goody,” calls him a failure, and offers to insult him more (Arthur, C). When Arthur comes to him with accusations that Niles is involved in a planned heist, Niles mocks him thoroughly (Arthur, B). When Arthur eventually expresses regret for his behavior and enthusiastically expresses admiration for him, Niles asks if they can go back to being enemies (Arthur, A). 

When Nyx comes to him and tells him to clean up his language, he continues to tease and swear/insult her until she casts a hex on him (Nyx, C-B).  

When he realizes Charlotte is putting up a front, he doesn’t feel like listening to her orders, he goes out of his way to give her a hard time in public 

Setsuna’s general carefree attitude and the fact that she’s gained her position despite it result in Niles mildly teasing/insulting her a couple of times (Setsuna, C-B). 

Niles supports with Subaki are probably the peak example. Niles starts off his conversation with Subaki by teasingly call him Mr. Perfect and telling him he has a punchable face, then going on to say he’ll keep tormenting him and threatening to stab him (Subaki, C). He later legitimately attempts to sneak up and stab Subaki in the back, and notes that Subaki saying his childhood was perfect makes him hate him more (Subaki, B). 

So now that we’ve addressed the kind of teasing or outright insulting Niles actually does, it’s very important to address who he targets this insulting and cruelty at and what motivates him to do it. Additionally, it’s important to note when and why he chooses not to do it. 

Starting back at the beginning, when Niles talks to Corrin, he states that he doesn’t trust them yet, and that’s part of why his attitude is so barbed. He goes on to suggest that Corrin had a blessed childhood (Corrin, C). When he realizes that not to be true, his tone ends up changing a bit. Though he still does his gentle teasing, he shares information about himself and attempts to build trust with Corrin (Corrin, B). Eventually, he brushes off the facade that he’s just trying to tease them and admits that he just wants to get to know them as a person (Corrin, A). 

In his supports with Azura, he avoids rudeness entirely. He states quite clearly, “It left me with a low tolerance for people who lack compassion. I cannot stand shallow people! I try to avoid them at all costs” as well as saying that his efforts to agitate others are done mostly to drive people away, so he doesn’t have to put up with these ‘shallow people’ he despises (Azura, B). Niles hates people who refuse to demonstrate sympathy and who aren’t careful about the feelings of others. He doesn’t go out of his way to make just anyone uncomfortable for no reason. 

In his late supports with Felicia (which we’ll discuss in more detail later), he apologizes for calling Felicia frivolous. He says, “Life wasn't easy for me growing up, either. So I take great satisfaction in messing with people who had life handed to them. But in your case, I made a mistake. You weren't raised in any warm, loving arms” (Felicia, A). What’s the important takeaway here? Niles makes it obvious that he only likes making fun of people who are privileged, who he perceives as not having known any suffering. When he realizes he was wrong in this assumption, he feels bad for mocking the person. 

Despite his initial rudeness, when Niles realizes just how much the treasure meant to Mozu, he goes out of his way to cash in a favor in order to return the orb to her (Mozu, A). 

The point raised in the Felicia supports is bolstered by his Camilla supports. Camilla explains her childhood and how she had very little parental affection and Niles immediately apologizes and feels awful, even going so far as (to perhaps exaggeratedly/jokingly) suggest that she should smack him for this great offense (Camilla, A). Later, Camilla says that this is the fifth time Niles has apologized, demonstrating that he so deeply regrets his mistake that he won’t stop saying sorry even after Camilla has asserted four previous times that they’re alright (Camilla, S). 

Elise’s supports with Niles are perhaps the best demonstration of his capacity for compassion. When he catches her skipping on war council, he convinces her to go (Elise, C). When she comes back to him later sobbing about being kicked from the meeting, Niles responds by apologizing for convincing her to do something that caused her pain, then offering her both support and advice, telling her that it is okay to cry as much as she needs to (Elise, B). At no point in these supports does he exploit or enjoy her suffering and he seeks merely to help and to better her. 

In his supports with Peri, he states right off the bat that he regrets that his reputation is one of cruelty and insults and that he only “insults people who deserve it” (Peri, C). (This is a small note, but he also frequently reacts with surprise and concern to Peri’s violent tendencies in both their A and S supports.)

In his supports with Selena, he distrusts her and is suspicious about her intents and origins, but mostly avoids insulting her other than to point out her spending habits and how other people can’t buy so much (Selena, C-B). In their later supports, he points out some of her negative attributes, but he does so alongside positive ones, as part of an examination of her character, and decides that he trusts her and would also like to be her friend (Selena, A). It’s also important to note in that support that he states that he’s worse at dishing out compliments than insults, so that is an important thing to consider for his writing- he is awkward at delivering praise (Selena, A). 

There’s a lot of interest that happens in his supports with Beruka, though it’s harder to put into words, so they’re worth giving a watch/read. The bigger point to make here is that he doesn’t do much in the way of teasing or insulting her and is merely trying to figure out what she’s doing, probably because they’re both from similar origins and are on a similar playing field. 

In his supports with Odin, Niles doesn’t do much insulting besides calling Odin’s weapon names bad (which, to be fair, is very insulting from Odin’s perception, but I’m talking in the grand scheme of things), and Odin quickly returns the favor (Odin, B). In the next support, he apologizes for digging into Odin’s past and even suggests that they should be friends (Odin, A). 

In his supports with Effie, it turned out that he wasn’t making an effort to mock her much at all and was instead attempting to indirectly get her advice on how to help Elise shop for Leo’s birthday present (Effie, A). 

After Nyx removes her hex, Niles apologizes, saying that if he knew who she was, he never would’ve insulted and teased her as he did. He says, “I came up rough. When I see people who are happy, who've lived charmed lives...I can't resist bringing them down, making them feel filthy, like me. But you've been through your own hell, and worse, it was your own doing.” When Nyx asks if he’ll rein in how he treats people in general, he agrees (Nyx, A). This again strengthens the idea that he only mocks people he believes to lead great lives, wanting to knock them down a peg, and that he regrets insulting people who have already suffered. 

In talking to Setsuna, he says, “I've never seen anyone who looked as content as you always seem to. Whenever I see someone looking happy, I just want to wipe that smile off their face. [...] And yet, I don't feel that way when I see you smiling. I can't even picture how your face would look if you were in pain” (Setsuna, A). This implies that even his usual urge to insult people who have it good and live charmed lives can have exceptions. 

Even at the end of his supports with Subaki, Niles ends up demonstrating some compassion, offering to listen to Subaki while he vents and giving him advice on how to unload some of the burden (Subaki, A). 

So what have we learned about Niles’ sadism? Yes, he can be mean and often likes to make jokes at the expense of others. However, he does his primarily as a defense mechanism or to keep away people who he perceives as lacking compassion. He wants to knock those who had better lives than him or feel they’re above him down a peg. However, he doesn’t extend this same mockery or viciousness to people who are of a similar class to him, feels great regret when he makes a wrong assumption about someone’s life, and is even willing to demonstrate compassion to people he typically dislikes if they’re having a difficult day. 

Now on to another part of Niles’ characterization. 

Selective Flirtation: 

Niles is a bit of a flirt and this is a very obvious fact throughout his supports. However, this is another subject of his personality that has a bit more nuance than it is typically given when people attempt to handle his character. Let’s start first with going through when he does flirt. 

In conversations with Corrin, he jokingly meows and bites them (Corrin, C). Later, he suggests that they should oil wrestle and makes cracks about having ‘stimulating conversation’ (Corrin, A). After proposing, he jokes about how he’s not going to act so reserved (Corrin, S). In various quotes when engaging with Corrin elsewhere, he can also be very flirty. When given the towel, he says, “Ooh, kinky! Shall I go put it on right now?“ When invited over as friends, he has lines like, “Are you ready to play a little game? I promise...I won't bite."

When talking to Felicia, he flirts with her quite a bit, mostly making reference to the fact that she’s spilled something on him (Felicia, C). He continues this habit, doing it quite a bit, because she just isn’t catching on to his flirtation, no matter how obvious he is. At one point, he believes she’s admitting to have put up on innocent act, before realizing she’s still not catching on (Felicia, B). 

When Mozu mentions being hung up on the passing of her village, Niles says that he’d rather live in the pleasures of the moment and offers to demonstrate, playing into the fact that he was inconsiderate of her feelings (Mozu, B). 

After telling Beruka he was tailing her, he makes a joke about it being a pleasant view (Beruka, C). 

In talking to Arthur, he says, “Heh. You're already speechless? How cute. How about I say something REALLY offensive? Blow those cute right ears off your head?” (Arthur, C). 

When talking to Oboro, he starts off with a great bit of flirting, saying things about her “smoldering gaze penetrating deep into his core” and wanting to “plumb the depths” of their relationship (Oboro, C-B). 

So we can see that he flirts pretty frequently and pretty openly. But when does he not flirt? What puts a stop to his usual flirty habits? 

After Corrin expresses interest in merely talking, Niles puts a stop to the flirting (though he quickly runs out of conversation topics without it!). He states in this support that he isn’t really used to the whole “human connection” thing (Corrin, A). 

Azura states that Niles has a reputation for being inappropriate, and Niles acknowledges that this is true, but promises he’s going to keep his tongue under tight rein, saying he’s not going to expose her to his flirtatious attitude- his explanation is his latter assertion that he hates people without compassion (Azura, C-B). Niles isn’t flirtatious with people who don’t want him to be. 

Though slightly off topic, this is still relevant. When the flirtation is flipped back around on him, Niles becomes very flustered. Camilla calling him cute immediately throws him off, though he bounces back fairly quickly. Further, when she says she likes his flirtation, he responds, “Come over here. I'll whisper more of these naughty, little words in your ear.” When she reacts with shock, he asks if that was too much (Camilla, S). This again proves he takes into consideration whether he went too far when flirting with others. 

The way he flirts with people in his S supports can often be goofy, as he tries to dance around his feelings often. Using his support with Peri as an example, he states that he wants “another chance to steal her away.” It takes him until towards the end of the support to reveal that he means marriage. 

His supports with Selena demonstrate no flirtation, showing that when he’s suspicious of someone, or is otherwise is focused on some goal while talking to them, he doesn’t tend to flirt with them (Selena, C-A).  

In his S-support with Effie, he’s unintentionally dirty, using such phrases as “Effie, you have filled me with a burning desire—” and “Trying to imagine what you've got under all that armor...” when attempting to express that he’s in love with her and wants to become familiar with her heart. 

He doesn’t flirt with Arthur when Arthur makes accusations of thievery, implying that when he’s thoroughly agitated with someone or when his reputation is called into question, he doesn’t flirt (Arthur, B-A). 

When talking to Nyx, he says, “I'd never be that crude to someone I loved,” unless, of course, they asked him to (which she later does) (Nyx, S). 

His supports with Oboro give the best insight into Niles’ flirtation. When Oboro points out that the way he phrases things is her problem with him, he promises to dial back. However, he misjudges what counts as appropriate phrasing and says, “Now that that's out of the way... I say we have some "us time" until there's not a single thing between us” and attempts to correct himself when Oboro is not pleased with it, seeming frustrated and saddened when the conversation comes to a close (Oboro, B). In their next conversation, Niles decides he would rather be silent than continue to accidentally offend Oboro. The next thing he states is very important; “I was never trying to—it just comes out that way. I try to make normal conversation, and it always sounds like shameless flirting. So I'm trying other things to get on your good side while keeping my mouth shut” (Oboro, A). So while some of his flirting is doubtlessly intentional (we’ve seen him do it a whole lot of times), some of the innuendo he uses is unintentional. Referring back to his conversation with Corrin, it’s fully possible that because of his lack of understanding of “human connection,” and because of the barbs he’s built, he really doesn’t know how to navigate conversations without resorting to flirtation, even when he doesn’t want to. 

So now let’s go back over what we’ve learned about Niles? He loves to flirt, yes, and he will do it a lot, making flirtatious cracks when possible. However, when people are uncomfortable with it, he will not continue to flirt on purpose and will attempt to tone it down for their benefit. This does not always mean he’ll be successful, and flirtation may slip through, but he is respectful of boundaries and would rather remain silent entirely than make someone uncomfortable with his flirting.  

Some random additional notes: 

EDIT: A very important one that I missed is something his Arthur supports also tell us- “After I dropped them off at the jail, I saw you sneaking in the back entrance. I thought you must have been coming to break them out... So, I stuck around to see what would happen. And I heard every word that you said to them. You were trying to help them turn their lives around” (Arthur, A). Despite the jokes Niles makes in the prison, when ACTUALLY confronted with prisoners, he is not cruel and does not mistreat them and is instead dedicated to HELPING THEM BETTER THEMSELVES. His assertion that the “feeling of power is simply delicious” is part of his edgy facade and not something he acts on. 

“Evil? Hardly. I have my flaws, I admit. But at least I'm up front about them” (Subaki, B). Niles is well aware of his flaws and will openly acknowledge them. 

His memories of his childhood are incredibly vague, but not pleasant. He discusses a few of these vague memories with Leo (Leo, C). 

Niles has “connections” and often uses them to find information that he wants. 

He’s very dedicated and would often do anything for the people he cares about. 

“Even if my motives, to keep you safe from the war, were good... The emotional damage I did wasn't worth it” (Nina, A). Niles regrets putting Nina in the deeprealms. In his child interaction quotes, he says, “I want to be the sort of father that I never had.” 

There’s evidence that Niles has nightmares frequently. In his Japanese skinship quotes, he says, “Even now, I see this dream... A painful and agonizing dream... from when I was a child. But... if I were to wake up and see you beside me..., I’ll be okay. Please stay by my side. And when I sleep... please hold my hand and never let go.” 

Now that we’ve covered all this, you can go forward and write a well considered characterization of Niles, bitterness, flirtation, and compassion included! 

[theaurorfileshq]

F R A N C I S   B A R N E S  /  A U R O R   C O R PO R A L

AGE:  Thirty-Six

BADGE NUMBER: J71T38

BLOODSTATUS: Halfblood (No-Maj Born Mother)

GENDER/PRONOUNS: Cisgender Male, He/Him

IDENTIFYING FEATURES: Missing half of left pinkie finger, Midwestern accent and demeanor, lavender flower tattoo along outside of right forearm.

STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES:

(+): Herbology, alchemy, strong social skills, observant  

(-):  Dueling, forgetful, overtrusting, dark magic

BACKGROUND:

tw: mentions of murder and violence 

The life of an auror was never one Frank dreamed of as a child, far from it actually. He did not deal well with confrontation of any kind, which hindered his abilities in both dueling and defense the dark arts while in school, two subjects tied heavily to what would one day be his lively hood. Instead he found his niche in the vibrant and calming surroundings of the school’s greenhouse, much preferring to help create life than learning about how to destroy it. During his time at Ilvermorny he soaked up every bit of knowledge that he could about the subject area, hoping to one day open up his own apothecary or herbalist shop. He was teased about his ambitions often, mostly by his little sister Charlotte, but never let any of it hinder his dream, even after his one bad run-in with a fanged gernanium that left him nearly pinkyless on his left hand. 

As his final year at Ilvermorny drew to a close, it would seem as if Frank was well on his way to achieving his dream, finding an apprenticeship out of a small apothecary in St. Louis. But then something happened that would change him for the rest of his life- Charlotte went missing. It was only a week after school had let out, and summer was in full swing. It wasn’t unknown for the thirteen year old girl to be gone all day, and so when she hadn’t came home at four like she said, the Barnes weren’t too worried, figuring the young girl had lost time at the local swimming hole. But then four turned to five, and then to six, and still no sign of her, finally when it was seven they sent Frank out, instructing him to go find her before she “caught her death in the cold” as his mother put it. For three hours Frank would look, eventually getting the help of his father as time wore on. 

Their search would continue until finally Frank found his sister in the late hours of the night, her limp body hastily wrapped in a sheet under a pile of dried leaves. Nothing would ever be the same after that, how could it really. Once someone who would turn away from such violence, he was suddenly thrown face to face with the most ugliest of kinds. Fortunately, the search for his sister’s killer was not a long one though, the local aurors had made it their top priority, focusing all of their efforts on the case until the man was finally behind bars. A month after Frank had found his sister, he found himself sitting in a courtroom, watching the man who had ripped her away him being read his charges. Six months later, after the trial had deemed him guilty, the man would meet his end in MACUSA’s death cell. 

After everything that had happened, Frank couldn’t bear the thought of following through with his apprenticeship. Suddenly it all seemed so meaningless in the grand scheme of things, after all how could he waste his life tending to plants when there was so many other things he could do to truly make a difference. And so after the final verdict was delivered, and the judgement passed down, Frank walked himself to the nearest auror office, and sent in his application for the aurors. It was the best and only thanks he could think to give the wixes who had worked so tirelessly to make sure his sister would have justice. 

After two years in the New Orleans Auror Academy, Frank would return to Missouri, and obtain a job in the Kansas City division. There he would spend the next sixteen years honing his craft, the tattoo on his arm (his sister’s favorite flower) reminding him of who brought him there in the first place. After a handful of promotions, Frank’s big break came in the form of a case much similar to the very one that brought him there in the first place. Fortunately this time around, when he found the missing girl she was still very much alive, thanks in part to his speedy work on the case. It would be this same work that would catch the eyes of Chief Allen Snow. Hesitant at first, Frank would initially decline Snow’s offer, preferring to work out of his homestate then move to the eastern seaboard. His mind would eventually be changed during a visit from the man himself, and after a good bit of persuading, and the promise of how much more he could do in a federal division than a local one. Two weeks later, Frank moved out of his small rural farmhouse, and into an even smaller apartment in New York City, still unsure of the move, but ready to see just what more lay out there for him. 

[theliterateape]

Interview With The Nine Year-Old Part II

by Brian Sweeney

This is another in-depth interview with my girlfriend's nine year-old daughter, Charlotte. I asked her random questions I found on the internet that are supposed to make you get to really know the person. 

This is 100% real.

What did you think of your last interview? Do you think that it gave an accurate picture of who you are?

Mmm, not at all, but it was funny. The only thing it said about me is that I'm funny, sometimes I'm clueless and, just, I don't know what I'm saying.

What are your secret skills?

I don't have any. I'm a normal person. (whispers) I'm worthless.

Would you like a servant when you grow up?

Of course. Why do I have to do all the freakin' work? What? It's America! Freedom! Why can't I have the freedom to do what I want without anyone telling me no? Why can't I have the freedom to have a servant and not me do the stupid work?

But the person you're making do the work isn't free.

Well, I guess women is coming over- I don't know- Women is like fighting back so I guess they're kind of overpowering men a little bit, so-

So because you'll be a woman you can just make men your servants.

No, what I'm saying is it's America. We have freedom and then we have a girl that's named Charlotte that's forcing a man to do her work because she's too lazy to do anything.

So there should be a special law passed for Charlotte so Charlotte will always be taken care of and pampered.

Yeah! Why do I have to close my door? Why? Why? Why can't mom or whoever actually cares, just shut it! 

What was your favorite childhood toy?

I don't remember anything about toys when I was little. The only thing I remember that's close to toys is this giant red box, this trunk, you just open it and there's billions of toys!

Wait, you had a giant red trunk with billions of toys in it?

Yes, and it was in the room over there and now it's in mom's room and it's filled with yarn.

Why do we dream?

Because our brains are too lazy to do work so they're just like "commercial break, yeah, there's a panda on my head. Yeah, a panda's holding balloons and it's like gotta go to a party and then it ends up raining at the party and all of a sudden a unicorn comes out and kills everyone.

When was the last time you cried and why?

I don't remember the last time I cried at all.

Really?

Really. Really.

When was the last time you remember crying and why?

I don't remember. I know I cried in my life but I just don't remember anything.

Why are there so many people who are lonely?

Because they're too shy to finally find someone. They're just like, oh there are many people and that person looks like, that they could be my friend- Uhp! Well, I'm lonely! That's an excuse to not go out and see people. If the police just came up to a man, or a woman, I'm just gonna go with a man, that's lonely and he's like, "Sir, why do you have no friends?" The only excuse you could think of is "I'm lonely."

So you think the police should start getting involved because the lonely person is bumming everyone out and ruining everyone's day?

Yes. And this man over here called [the police] because you're too quiet and lonely. 

So maybe the police can put him in jail with a bunch of other people and they would stop being lonely. 

Then once he made like, five friends, he could finally get out. 

But then he would be leaving his friends.

No. Here's how it is: so they say "Hey, who wants to volunteer to help a poor man who's too lonely?" Then they take five people, and then, um-

But why would they have to do this in a jail?

I don't knoooowww. You made the idea that he goes to jail!

No! You said that a police officer comes up to him and says, "stop being so lonely."

Yeah, but then you said he goes to jail. I didn't want that to happen at all!

But why is it so hard for people to make a connection with other people?

Because some people, I don't know how to pronounce it, but they're interverts [sic], that's the best I can get it, and that means that they have trouble interacting with people, and there's other ones, I'm gonna try to pronounce it as close as I can, extroverts, and when you're an extrovert that means that you're good at interacting with people and if you just put a stranger and you in a room, you could just like meet him straight away.

Do you just learn all this stuff from YouTube?

Mmmhmm! YouTube is my school.

Do aliens exist?

Heck no! No. No. No. I don't believe in that. I think that's a stupid question! I mean scientists already proven-

No they haven't.

-proven, PROVEN that you can't have life on Venus, Jupiter and Mars! There's no such thing as aliens!

Nowhere? You think Earth is it? You know that the universe just keeps going and going and-

Yes I do! We are just a speck in the grand schemes of things. We're a tiny little speck!

What's one thing about love that scares you?

Two things: conversations and divorces.

Conversations?

Like, um, I don't know, like, sometimes if you like someone and you want to talk to them, you know them, and you're interested in them and you want to talk to them more, it's a little difficult, to me at least, because I'm like "how do I come off not creepy but explain my feelings in a nice, clean way?"

So it doesn't really matter about introvert and extrovert in this case because you are having these anxieties of "what if I come off bad" and "what if they don't like me". So why do you think that is? Why is it so hard for people to get over that?

Because what happens is, like for example, ghosts aren't real. If you just say, "ghosts aren't real. Ghosts aren't real. They're not real. Not real. Not real." That will just make your mind think, "oh, maybe they are real" and that just makes you more scared. And then it's a cycle loop. And that's an example, but instead of "ghosts aren't real", it's "I hope I didn't come off creepy," and that just makes anxiety straight out of the roof!

When you say "divorce" do you mean breaking up in general?

Yes. [sad voice] But I loved you!

Who inspires you? Who do you aspire to be like?

Like a role model?

Yeah. A person you've seen or read about like Martin Luther King or even a fake person like Wonder Woman.

It's an actual person. And that person is Mom!

Why mom?

I don't know. She's just the best. Her hard work and being nice, tell the truth and learn how to cook!

So if you grew up to be like your mom, you'd feel like a success and you've done it right?

Yes.

What belief do you have that most people disagree with?

That scientists actually found fossils that unicorns did exist.

What's something you hope you grow out of?

Biting my freakin' nails and toenails!

Would you want to know how you were going to die beforehand or die suddenly without warning?

I would take I know how I'm gonna die so I don't do it. Let's just say someone says "you're gonna die from a chainsaw."

As a kid, you probably think chainsaw deaths are pretty common. 

Don't trust anyone. I just hate that it's a surprise. You can actually call the police. 

What if it's the police who do it?

Maybe, since I know ahead of time, I won't go to that place that apparently the police chainsaw me!

You're so difficult.

I know!

What would be the perfect boyfriend or girlfriend?

I'm not gay.

Okay. Then what would be the perfect boyfriend?

Well, apparently I just want him to always tell the truth because if he lies and he's cheating on me then I hate him!

Is there a meaning to life?

Yes, it's to have fun with your family or actually stay alive. It's like a can you survive game. 

What's one thing you would change about the world if you could?

That brothers could be not so annoying to sisters. And end world hunger for once!

[dirkthedork-blog]

Writing Tag!!

I got tagged in this thing twice!!

Rules: answer the 10/11 questions given to you by the person who tagged you, and then write your own 10/11 questions and tag 10/11 people to answer them.

For my first set of questions, I was tagged by @isaac-lacey

1: Do you listen to music while writing?

Yup, I generally put a playlist on or put all my music on shuffle, I’ll generally listen to some classics, or some real feel-good music and songs I really enjoy or haven’t heard for a while.

2: your favorite character from any of your work?

Probably Delian//Nolan (I’m rewriting and the names have all been changed). He’s very….. interesting. Either that or Tysh//Delilah she’s just sort of awesome to write about, plus I relate to her with dysphoria and trans issues and etc.

3: Eat anything while writing?

Eh. I don’t really eat much any time? So no.

4: Drink anything while writing?

LOTS AND LOTS OF COFEE (generally made by the cute bakery boy next door)

5: do you multi-task while writing?

Not really. I mean sometimes I’ll use it as like a break from assignments when I’m really busy, and sort of write a bit every time I finish a part of whatever I’m doing.

6: outlining or no?

Oh man, I used to do like a really basic outline. Like, really basic. I had a piece of paper with dot points on it that vaguely outlined the plot and I’d just go from there. But with my last two WIP I started doing chapter outlines and detailed character profiles and etc, and for the one I’m working on now, my outlining is so thorough and detailed that I didn’t actually start writing for a month or two since I started planning it. I actually did proper research and got betas and stuff this time, and although it was frustrating because I just wanted to start writing, it’s made my writing better.

7: your current MC’s favorite song?

Grace (//Zalla in the original) really like Africa by Toto, but she also loves Sweet Child O’ Mine, Don’t Stop Believing, and a lot of Bon Jovi. But she also really loves stuff like Taylor Swift and Katy Perry and stuff, her music taste is kind of all over the place, but her favorite song would probably definitely be Africa.

8: Do you write in 3rd or 1st person?

I vary, but I like both of them. First person is good when you’re focusing specifically on one character, and you want the audience to see the story through that characters eyes, but third person is really great when you want to focus on more than one character and give an overall perspective.

9: how old is your current MC?

Grace is 17.

10: would your current MC brutally torture and murder someone if it would save their best friend?

Sadly, no (that’d be fun to write). Grace just wouldn’t be able to handle it, I mean the poor girl was abused for a year and a half by her boyfriend. Her confidence was stripped away but Ash, and even when she started to get better she still can’t handle violence very well.

11: if you met your MC what would you say first?

I’d probably hug her and tell her it’s okay, Ash will soon be brutally murdered by an unknown attacker and you will get pretty magic powers :)))

OKAY!! Thank you Isaac for those questions!!

Now for the questions from @toboldlywrite

1: Do any of your OC’s enjoy nature documentaries?

Ooooh I feel like Nolan would probably enjoy those a fair bit, and possibly Smith too.

2: when you come up with something, what comes first; the world, a character, or the plot?

The plot, or at least a vague idea of it. Then I figure out which sort of characters I’d need (as in, their basic responsibility in the plot), and then give them names and start filling out the plot and the characters, and generally I’ll figure out the setting/worldbuilding after that.

3: Are your OC’s any good at any arts and crafts?

Delilah is a makeup artist and can paint, Farah sketches, Grace can sort of sing but not very well but she’s a really good hair stylist, Smith plays guitar, Ash is a writer, Nolan plays bass guitar, and Aalia isn’t really artsy but is amazing at sports.

4: Which OC is the best at math?

Grace and Aalia I’d say.

5: Which OC would rather die than take a math class again?

Probably Delilah or Ash.

6: If you did the text post meme for your favorite characters, do you have a particular one you’d apply to your MC?

Either “I just want to say from the bottom of my heart I didn’t sign up for this shit” or “everyone on the internet is like ‘I don’t give a fuck’ and like that’s so not me I give such a fuck like the fuck I give is colossal it’s like a galaxy sized fuck’

7: Is your MC a cat person, a dog person, a bird person or a reptile person?

Grace and her sister Delilah have a cat called ‘Ginger Bastard’, and Grace really likes cats.

8: Was your MC a dinosaur kid or a space kid?

I wanna say space because /aesthetic/ but tbh she was probably a dinosaur kid

9: What did your MC want to be when they grew up? Did they end up choosing that path?

Grace wanted to be a teacher, a zookeeper, a dancer or a hairdresser, and she has a part-time job helping out at a hair salon, doing stuff like cleaning and etc and occasionally helping out with dyeing hair + stuff and learning from the hairdressers.

10: You find a magic cupboard that transports you away into one of your wips. Which would you rather>

Well the original was set in some weird country I can’t remember the name of and everyone had magic powers and it was weird, but the rewrite is just set in like a fairly big rural town/micro city in Australia in the modern day so I mean it wouldn’t be much different from my life now except that some of the people have magic powers and there’s a few murderers on the loose (nothing out of the ordinary lmao).

Thanks for the questions!

Here are my questions:

1: Did you write a lot when you were a kid?

2: Who/what do you think is the biggest inspiration for your wip, or writing in general?

3: favorite children’s book?

4: favorite book now?

5: favorite fictional character?

6: Do you think your MC is a good person in the grand scheme of things? What are their flaws?

7: How many WIPs have you got at the moment?

8: How do you come up with titles? Is it relatively easy or really hard?

9: What are some of your favorite names? Have you used them in your work?

10: Do you enjoy killing off lots of characters or do you prefer to give them all happy endings?

11(for the version I got tagged in that had eleven questions): How diverse do you usually make your characters? Heaps of lgbt/poc/disabled/neurodivergent characters, just a few, or none at all?

Okay so I’m going to tag my 11 people here: Jimmy @toomanyskeletons Harvey @bailheart // @wordsatbailspeed Max @koalamuffins Gloria @glorious74 Charlotte @keyboardofrejection Justin @xcorruptedapostlex Vlad @vladthedino Kirk @baguettes-save-lives Holly @theduckie-quackquack (I know you’re not a writeblr but I know you write stuff so) And also @brynwrites // @brynprocrastinates and @catandwrite (I can’t think of any other writeblrs that aren’t either on here or the people i was tagged by I’m sorry I have a terrible memory).

[fortheheavenssake]

PG MM Anon Interpretation Collection - 22

💜💜💜🙏🏻🙏🏻🎄PG INTERPRETATION OF MM ANON🎄🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜💜

146: Dec 18

MM ANON …… The Christmas Royal choreography ……… Homeless hope……… “not just for Christmas”…… quiet compassions ……… Brits rage at nutmeg……… “ it’s Harry Jim,But not as we knew him”……… “ what’s the answer Spock?”……… EST…… “ eat your vegetables!!”……… “ but mummy, that’s sooooo unfair” ……… “no veg, no pony!!”……… “well from a PR standpoint, it’s an annual thing now”………… “ front and centre ma’am”……… “quite agree!!” ……… “Philip ??” ……… “people identify old thing”……… “ The Sandringham songbirds”

💜💜💜🙏🏻🙏🏻🎄THANK YOUR MM ANON🎄🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜💜

I am feeling bit better, still yucky but l found this! I had not realized the previous day was a riddle! My days are all mixed up now!

This is December 17/2019 riddle

For me RIDDLE #146

December 18/2019 0500 hrs CST.

Sorry it’s so late, l will take each day as it finds me. Thanks and gratitude for all the thoughts and prayers and cute photos music, wonderful things for me💜🙏🏻🎄🙏🏻💜

The Christmas Royal choreography

As with many families and step- families this time of year coordinating who goes where when, who goes to church Sunday school Christmas programs, school Christmas programs, although those are all but gone, thank God my niece send her three to private Catholic school where the full message of the Season is celebrated! If we think OUR lives are busy, whoa, just imagine HMTQ!! And that’s in a good year with no major issues! I congratulate her staff and LG for their continuing loyalty and service to HMTQ! It truly takes a choreographer to coordinate all of the Christmas events, oth family and public!

Homeless hope……… “not just for Christmas”

Homelessness is a growing problem, in the part of the country l live in, people often found frozen to death. This should be and is a goal many have been working on and continuing to work on, all over the globe!

quiet compassions

I wonder if unpublicly known donations and support has been given to many places. I am certain there is because we all do it in our private lives thusly l am certain the entire royal family with their massive wealth do also.

Brits rage at nutmeg

There still is no love lost regarding madam. She puts out the occasional Instagram post or does she?? Just what will the Christmas card be, stick drawings?? Undoubtedly in black and white, from behind, her hand flipping the bird at everything from behind her back or maybe archficial stick drawing will be doing it. She’s teaching him early! Bite the hand that feeds and clothes you, they like it!!

“ it’s Harry Jim,But not as we knew him”……… “ what’s the answer Spock?”……… EST

This is an obvious reference to the classic Star Trek MM ANON loves so well, as do l, none of tis new giddy daddy stuff! Doctor-aka Bones is speaking to Jim, aka Captain Kirk, about Harry referencing an incident that happened with Spock, l think on one of the films? EST Electric Shock Therapy might be referring to ECT, as it is called here. When l was working this was often used as treatment of choice for patients severely depressed, non-responsive to medication, or starving themselves etc. I am getting the feeling when we do finally see Harry again he will have come out of this a completely changed man. Our Harry has been through several Hells with madam, treatment to rid her him of her effects. There will be changes that come with this as comes with personal grew all gain through trauma, death of loved ones etc etc.

“ eat your vegetables!!”……… “ but mummy, that’s sooooo unfair” ……… “no veg, no pony!!”

We’ll be her a princess o matter, eating your vegetables is a non negotiable! Of course parents who enforce this are terribly criel🙄🙄🤣🤣😂😂, nevertheless it must be done. Oh the threats come out next! No pony!! That’s too cruel! Thumbs up 👍😁😁

“well from a PR standpoint, it’s an annual thing now”………… “ front and centre ma’am”……… “quite agree!!” ……… “Philip ??” ……… “people identify old thing”

LG, HMTQ and PP discussing the awesome success that was the Mary Berry Special with the Cambridges and highlighting charities and those who work over Christmas. I want you to rant a minute here about that Cather jerking from William garbage, WATCH THE SHOW, she moved simultaneously as he touched her, no divorce pending, no trauma! Good gracious some people just wait to jump!! Anyhow Mary Berry, my she’s a national and international treasure! I am certain the ratings are through the roof only making the public love them. Ore. Wait till Christmas Day with George and Charlotte walking to church!! They will be inundated with presents!

Sounds like a yearly family Christmas special is in the offing, keeping them from and centre, where they should be, as the future of the Monarchy! LG agrees, HMTQ checks with PP who quite agrees saying people can identify with them!! That’s extremely important to keep the monarchy strong. Remember when Queen Victoria had drawing made and the someone printed them and sold copies and she was aghast until she learned how the family life picture are what people could relate best to and loved her all the more!

“ The Sandringham songbirds”

I wonder not that most of the grandchildren and great grand children are of a certain age, might there be plans for them to sing a little song or two at Sandringham Christmas?? That would be cherubic!

HMTQ is is patron of Songbird Survival. Here is a cut and paste sorry, l am tired. It’s from the Telegraph 2008 March 26

The Queen has given money from her private income to a charity that believes in exterminating magpies, grey squirrels and feral cats to stop the decline of Britain’s songbirds.

The charity, Songbird Survival, has been consistently critical of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, of which the Queen is patron.

“The Norfolk-based charity was among the 17 animal charities the Queen gave an undisclosed sum to last year.

The RSPB denies that predators are responsible for the decline over the past 30 years of the lesser redpoll (90 per cent decline), tree sparrow, (80 per cent), skylark (75 per cent), song thrush (53 per cent) or bullfinch (over 50 per cent).

Songbird Survival, which is understood to have emerged out of an alliance between landowners and pigeon fanciers, believes that the growth in numbers of predators, including mink, crows and sparrowhawks, is likely to be a factor in the songbirds’ decline.

It argues that habitat improvements in the countryside in the past 10 years from the planting of hedges, green farming schemes and more organic farming and the reduction in the use of pesticides have not brought about the turnaround in the fortunes of songbirds that might have been expected if the RSPB’s explanation for the declines was correct.

Therefore, the charity argues on its website, other factors such as the decline in predator control by gamekeepers and the relentless growth in the populations of introduced species such as grey squirrels must be to blame.

Last year Songbird Survival published a study by Prof Roy Brown which said that the grey squirrel was the greatest predator of native songbirds - an even bigger killer than domestic cats.

An article on its website by Richard Coke, a Norfolk landowner who owns woodland close to Sandringham, argues for the “elimination” of the grey squirrel to save songbirds, protect the native red squirrel and save native woodlands.

The website also gives advice on how to set Larsen traps for magpies and says some landowners kill 100 magpies a year, to the benefit of songbirds which lose fewer eggs from their nests as a result.

A spokesman for Songbird Survival said: “We can confirm that the Queen has made a donation to the charity from the Privy Purse Charitable Trust.

“The charity represents many UK bird lovers who are concerned at the dramatic decline in songbird numbers in recent years.”

He said that the charity was currently raising funds for two major pieces of research, one with British Trust for Ornithology and the University of St Andrews examining the effect of bird predators on 30 prey species of farm and garden birds, which will report this year.

Another, with Reading university, would be looking at the effects of all bird and mammal predators on all prey species. It started last November and could take two years.

André Farrar, of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, said: “Songbird Survival is an interesting outfit. Having started out being negative and consistently critical about what the RSPB says, rather than looking at the rationale behind it, their editorial content has become more sophisticated. We welcome their recent move to commission some high quality science from highly rated sources. What they do with it we will see.

"We don’t believe magpies are as much of a problem as they do. We don’t agree with magpie control, but as long as they do it within the law, it is up to them to justify their actions.”

A spokesman for Buckingham Palace said the Queen gave £301,709 to 346 charities last year.

“There is no significance in the donation,” she added.”

0530 hrs CST. GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦

Thank you PG. This was unexpected as you are sick. Forever loyal, struggling to get it done for us. It is much appreciated….interesting stuff going on…🙏🏻💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

Skippy submission

—————-

147: Dec 18

MM ANON ……… 🎼tis’ the season’ ……… 🎼……… “Tighter than ones ducks @ss under water ma’am”…… “indubitably LG, send the letters!!”……… “ Netty has it stitched!!”……… I think they were spotted on Elba……… someone saw them in Calvi ……… “Hmmmm, the historical significance doesn’t escape me”……… “ what say you Philip?”……” who gives a sh**, fancy a drinky

💜💜💜🙏🏻🙏🏻🎄THANK YOU MM ANON🎄🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜💜

DECEMBER 18/2019

RIDDLE #146. 1515 hrs CST

MM

🎼tis’ the season’ ……… 🎼

HMTQ leaves the hustle and bustle of London life behind and off to Christmas at Sandringham! One pesky return to London next week for the opening of Parliament, short helicopter ride for HMTQ! Christmas lunch was today and it’s officially time to relax and celebrate!

“Tighter than ones ducks @ss under water ma’am”…… “indubitably LG, send the letters!!”……… “ Netty has it stitched!!”

This awesome! LG informing HMTQ the case against both madam and her PR SS, is extremely secure with all i dotted and t crossed. A solid case legally!! Letters to be sent, subpoenas to follow and let the storms begin!! Again dear Netty, who we all know now, Lord Maldon, Chief Justice of England and Wales has been incredibly helpful throughout this whole ordeal!! MADAM IS DONE FOR , COMPLETELY OFFICIALLY DONE FOR!!!

I think they were spotted on Elba……… someone saw them in Calvi

Both places in Italy, have we got ‘sightings’ of the Sussexes?? LONG WAY FROM THOSE PLACES, BELIEVE ME!!!! Calvi, is a hairy toity Corsican island yet a French District! When l first read this the first thing came to my mind was Idris Elba mmmmmmmm handsome man!!😁

“Hmmmm, the historical significance doesn’t escape me”……… “ what say you Philip?”……” who gives a sh**, fancy a drinky

Well HMTQ and PP finally together. The fire is roaring, the lunch is digesting, satisfaction, of a sort has set in! Great rest and legal processes have been formally approved by HMTQ!! This will be historical, a ‘royal’ wife, with a not of the body baby, blackmailing, allegedly, her way into the family, messing with Harry’s fragile emotions. Justice scales ⚖️ WILL BE SERVED. YOU KNOW, AS THE SAYING GOES, REVENGE IS BEST SERVED COLD, JUSTICE WILL BE SERVED IN THE COLD OF WINTER. RACHEL YOU SHOULD BE MORE SCARED NOW THAN YOU HAVE EVER BEEN IN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE! THE FULL POWER OF THE CROWN IS ABOUT TO DESCEND ON YOU!!!

As always, PL certainly knows how to turn a phrase doesn’t he! Your Majesty, Your Royal Highness, please allow me to get your drinks, Ma’am, gin and DuBonnet, sir, Boddingtons. CHEERS TO YOU BOTH! HAVE A HAPPY HAPPY CHRISTMAS!🎄!

1530 hrs CST

GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦🎄🇬🇧

This is wonderful! Thank you PG! We pray this is what we have been waiting for! Great job, much appreciated!😊💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

Ask Skippy

—————-

148: Dec 20

MM ANON …… Kate’s Christmas present to nutmeg …… Wrinkle cream!!😱😱…… new year getaway W&K……The Firm views pre-recorded QS. ……… A Royal decade, the 20,20s. …… “ up a gear ma’am”…… “ Keep calm and ostracise LG”…… 🎬it’s a wonderful life 🎬…… “ FROZEN mummy!!!”………”STAR WARS daddy!!”……… OMG ‘ it’s her Christmas card ……… “ we never received one” …… “ bloody lucky you!! “…… 🎼bye bye miss American pie🎼……… Kate’s tabloid cull…… “ what’s your 20?”

Oh 💜💜💜🙏🏻🙏🏻🎄THANK YOU MM ANON🎄🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜🐼

THIS NEW IPAD UPDATE WILL NO WAY DO HOW LET ME DO RIDDLES AS I NORMALLY CUT AND PASTE EACH CLUE FOR YOU. I HAD DONE IT MANUALLY AND IT JUST VANISHED 😫😫😫😫😫.

45 minutes in and l haven’t even started the interpretation!

DECEMBER 20/2019 RIDDLE POSTED DECEMBER19/2019

RIDDLE #147

0125 hrs CST

RIDDLE #147 Sorry kids l can no longer cut and paste the way l have been doing the IOS IPAD Update won’t allow cut and paste as far as l can figure and l have spent an hour now at it!

December 20/2019 riddle posted DECEMBER 19/2019

0125 hrs CST

Catherine, let me back up. The Royal family LOVE giving gag gifts at Christmas. Catherine has been reading the blog and taken a cue from me and given madam wrinkle cream😩🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂. She needs vanishing cream at this point! THANK YOU MM ANON, MY SECOND SHOUT OUT IN A RIDDLE😁😁😁😁😁😁 I AM CHUFFED!!😁😁😁😁😁😁

Sounding like William and Catherine are going for a baby moon, just themselves. If you’re not familiar, a baby moon is when a couple goes on holiday before their new baby arrives just to have time to relax and enjoy one another! Well deserved you two! Announce it already! Another girl please💜💜💜🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜

HMTQ Christmas Day speech has been recorded, she is now at Sandringham and l for one wish her well deserved away and family time! I can hardly wait to watch it!!

The 20, 20s royal decade

The 1920′s was called the Roaring 20′s until the stock market crashed and brought on the dirty 30′s. 2020 will bring a many changes in the family. Madam will be gone, ⚖️ will be served. Backers will be brought from the shadows to face justice. Likely we will have announcements of new babies, Catherine Zara, Eugenie. Beatrice and Edo will wed. PA will find his justice . HMTQ will announce a Regency. William and Catherine will continue to soar in public love and popularity and another baby will bring it ever more! If that is even possible!😁🤣🤣🤣😂😂. Last but not least, our beloved Harry will re-emerge, resume duties, a changed man but loved even more than before! I have full confidence in that!

up a gear😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣

HMTQ chauffeur cannot get HMTQ to Sandringham fast enough, she wants away from London and all the stress badly and he is well in tune with HMTQ needs!

Keep calm and ostracize LG

Keep calm yes but ostracize LG? Ostracize means to shun, leave out, stigmatize. Who would do that? Madam and her PR and quite likely her legal team.

It’s a Wonderful Life, it’s the classic Jimmy Stewart film, George Bailey, consistently gives up her personal wishes to do the right thing for his family and townspeople. Classic film, the Cambridge children jonesing to see FROZEN II or STAR WARS! I will let you decide who wants to see what film!🤣🤣🤣😂😂

HMTQ and PP joking about madams Christmas card, actual think this might have been the conversation at the a Christmas luncheon, l know PP wasn’t there, indulge me. , l haven’t seen it, l do not know if it is out yet publicly. They are joking saying be glad you didn’t get one🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😫😂.

🎼 bye bye….🎼 Madams fate is all but sealed, the Treason law bring revamped, that’s no coincidence! She should be terrified! The full weight, l know l said this yesterday, indulge me, l am stressed doing the riddle in a way l don’t feel is adequate with my iPad not cooperating!, the full weight of the Crown and Justice nipping at her filthy, dirty too big stiletto heels!!

To cull means to organize and sort the what you need, donate, get rid of what you no longer want. Catherine, has been in and on the cover of countless print magazines, newspapers, and immeasurable online versions. Has KP staff been clearing the lies off the internet? Scrubbing as the word is? I just cannot see Catherine saving magazines etc of herself sorting they them, that’s just not her style. I think it’s getting rid of madams PR lies. It’s the continuation of ridding remnants of madam!!

My dad was a ham radio operator and both my parents were big time into CB radio. It was HUGE in the 80′s. We had visitors from all over visiting us! Today’s equivalent is online l guess. Anyhow 10-100 is bathroom🤣🤣🤣😂😂. If you ask someone what’s your 20, you’re asking them where are they? So Rachel whats YORUR 20? LG KNOWS, INTERPOL KNOWS😁😁😁😁😁😁

0240 hrs CST

I AM GOING TO HAVE TO SERIOUSLY FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO RIDDLES NOW WITH THIS CHANGE IN IOS. AND THE RIDDLES ONLY SHOWING UP AS 1. The first two times posted it. She had to reblog it for me twice!

0240 hrs CST

GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦

Thank you PG. It seems updates always play havoc on our devices…thank you for persevering to get the riddle done. Looks great!😊💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

Ask Skippy submission

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149: Dec 20

MM ANON ………an unwelcome intrusion ……… “ and it was all going so well” …… “ sweeping the the whole bloody house!! “…… fun and games ……… C&G play charades …… Def-Con 4……… “150 million expected ma’am”…… “ my little Pony”…… mini scrambler,🏍Wow!!…… “grouse for the grown-ups”…… “dial it back ma’am?”……” what happens in Sandringham, stays in Sandringham”…… “Charles, see to the RPOs”…… “ night before Christmas,and all round the house “………… Great Expectations

💜💜💜🙏🏻🙏🏻🎄THANK YOU MM ANON🎄🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜💜

ALL THINGS BACK TO NORMAL ON MY IPAD TODAY, IT MUST HAVE BEEN TUMBLER

DECEMBER 20/2019

RIDDLE #148

1255 hrs CST

an unwelcome intrusion …“ and it was all going so well” …“ sweeping the the whole bloody house!! “

This is EXTREMELY CONCERNING!! Through out the riddle security concerns! Has a bug or some device been found? Has some video/audio/surveillance been found? Kids remember, the backers who planned these multi-pronged attacks on our beloved royal family, play in the big leagues! The RPO’S will be sweeping the whole house, meaning in security terms, checking for bugs, listening devices, video etc etc etc be something has been found to raise the threat level! This is not housecleaning for dust bunnies sweeping!!

PP has been fairly well except for that bad chest cold he had a few weeks ago. They say this hospitalization was planned, however , it does change things when he was coming along. He also had recovered from the MVA earlier this year, no more driving though! Passenger yes, driver no.He did walk into hospital, so that was a positive sign. Definitely was not what the family wanted, nor him. No disrespect intended, but grumpy patients, nurses trade off, boy do l know that! Let’s 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 he is out of hospital for🙏🏻🙏🏻🎄🙏🏻🙏🏻🎄🙏🏻🙏🏻🎄🙏🏻🙏🏻.

fun and games ……… C&G play charades

Christmas/ the Holiday seasons brings a change in routine in all aspects. I know one of the Royal families fav games is playing charades. Seems George and Charlotte are learning it and having fun. I am certain besides seeing a movie, lots of playing and merry making! Love children at Christmas, so magical!

Def-Con 4……… “

This in America is one of the levels of security, which l think after 9/11 changes were made so security risks were changed to colours. This is also a movie or video game. I think the Cambridge children are too young, perhaps all the adult cousins on their snap-chat app, l think that’s what it’s called on their PMC’s, play video games. It’s hugely popular how many adults spend hours at this, professionally even, it’s a huge industry with famous actors doing the voices and bands doing the music.

I wonder seriously, with HMTQ having given the go ahead to send the letters as we were told a few days ago by MM ANON, if this brought says higher security risk, hence added security and raising the actual security level for the BRF🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻.

“150 million expected ma’am”

LG telling HMTQ the expected viewership that will watch her annual Christmas speech and l, and my sister most definitely will be!!

“ my little Pony”…… mini scrambler,🏍Wow!!

My little pony is back again! I wonder if the Cambridge children wrote letters to Santa asking for these treasures! Charlotte seems to have sort of moved a wee bit from the 🦄unicorn phase to live ponies, sniffle sniffle sneeze sneeze, bubby by doze is stuffed up (translation, mummy my nose is stuffed up)🤣🤣🤣🤣😂🤣🤣. I am sure she knows exactly which my little pony she wants and all the accessories too! Meanwhile over with George, he is jonesing for a vroom vroom. The family photo shows a classic on their Christmas card. We know William, as most love their life sized motorized toys!! Louis will want in on the action this year. He is so cute!! This will be his first Christmas 🎄where he is independently mobile and oh my l bet he is a going/growing concern😁😁😁😁!

“grouse for the grown-ups”

Christmas dinner menu, traditional . However Boxing Day , the annual pheasant /grouse hunt. Will be the toys /games played by the adults!!

“dial it back ma’am?”……” what happens in Sandringham, stays in Sandringham”

HMTQ is asking for little information to be released about PP . She is also seeking privacy about PA and Harry. They, l am 10 000% sure will be there but little/no public information on this. As far as madam goes, BOJO could announce at any moment a separation, annulment or divorce, hopefully before Christmas. This date in 1995, HMTQ announce she asked PC and Diana to divorce and end their marriage. The PM, at the time, John Major, made the announcement in Parliament!

So whoever attends Christmas at Sandringham, it will be kept private. No intrusion on their first real family Christmas in two years sans madam horrific presence!

Was it not great, wonderful and marvellous love letter, of a sort, to see our Harry on the video as Santa talking to grieving children, he can absolutely understand the impact of it!

“Charles, see to the RPOs”

There is a lot of security outside King Edward VII hospital where PP has been admitted for a planned admission, hope for a few days only. I so hope he can be home for Christmas 🎄. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻. In the photos, outside the host here are police officers and standing near the door are two well dressed gentlemen who l assume are RPO’S or perhaps MI5. HMTQ has asked PC to ensure security is well in hand.l truly believe this prolonged, multifaceted attack on the BRF has resulted in extra security! I for one, am very glad of it and thankful!🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

“ night before Christmas,and all round the house “

Security, all around. I am getting that strongly MM ANON. The line actually says all through the house. So this is all round the house, outside!

Great Expectations

Fantastic Dickens novel about a young orphan named Pip making his May in a dark and dangerous world. My mind went immediately to Archie, l know he is being well cared for, but that child, when he is older and learns of his parentage, the issues it shall bring him🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻.

I also believe dear MM ANON is referring to 2020 and the great expectations for the year as l wrote in the previous riddle. EXPECTATIONS =PREGNANCIES!! More than one royal baby is coming!! You all know since a November 9/2019 l have been saying Catherine is pregnant, who else? As l said previously, Zara? Eugenie?? All three? It’s marvellous!

I think 2020 is a year for Harry to shine, l am most certain he has goals and life changes, MAJOR changes coming=annulment/divorce! As for madam, l see a very bleak 2020!

1355 hrs CST

GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦🎄🇬🇧

Fantastic job once again dear PG! Thank you so much. I should say, does seem like security is on high alert at this point in time. Almost like the mention of changing the “treason laws” could be the reason. Thank you, much appreciate you always being here for us, no matter whether well or not. 🙏🏻💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

Ask Skippy submission

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150: Dec 21

MM ANON ……… “ it’s a tad cautionary ma’am”……… visiting hours only!!! ……… “ no bloody fuss, piss off” ……… “ and SYDNEY!! no drinks !!!”……… she’s here until January …… Diplomatic immunity…… one way in, one way out!!……… Full cover’ face recognition and sleeper van. ……… “ 🎼the kids are alright!!👀🎼”……… “ to start with’ it’s a 50cc Yam.”……… “ a pony has more torque” ……… “stop worrying Catherine!!”…… “It’s His Decision”……… “ I’ll meet, just say when!! “.

💜💜💜🙏🏻🙏🏻🎄THANK YOU MM ANON🎄🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜💜

DECEMBER 21/2019

RIDDLE #149

1610 hrs CST

… “ it’s a tad cautionary ma’am”……… visiting hours only!!! ……… “ no bloody fuss, piss off” ……… “ and SYDNEY!! no drinks !!!”…

The doctor is discussing PP’s health status with HMTQ. Just cautionary, meaning he needs monitoring for something and better safe than sorry and stay in hospital. Limited visitors, he needs rest, l am guessing he has pneumonia and a bladder infection. I say this based on reports of his recent chest cold, his age, his history of bladder infections. Older people with bladder infections can develop a delirium, where they act bizarrely, it’s very scary to watch for the family. Obviously PP is excited about being in hospital being clucked over by nurses and doctors…NOT!!!🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 HMTQ giving Sydney, PP ‘man’/valet STRICT INSTRUCTIONS NO BODDINGTONS, NO ALCOHOL. Alcohol is contraindicated with many antibiotics, meaning it lessens their effects and can add to the difficulties which led to his hospitalization. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 for you Sir!

…… she’s here until January …… Diplomatic immunity…… one way in, one way out!!………

Madam is using as her ploy is to use diplomatic immunity due to her royal status. Let me back up, diplomatic immunity is for foreign nationals who live and work at a foreign embassy or some official capacity are immune to prosecution. Case right now, Harry Dunn killed on his motorbike by an American woman, who was driving on the wrong side of the road and killed him head on. She fled back to America. Yesterday, charges were filed and the CROWN PROSECUTORS Service/CPS will seek extradition. Interestingly as an aside/sidebar, the woman’s husband is an intelligence agent, the way the law is, HE doesn’t have diplomat immunity but his wife and family do. I know it’s odd.

Anyhow back to madam, she will try the ploy/plot of claiming she has diplomatic immunity as a royal🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣. Good luck Rachel, go have a wee blether with Prince Andrew 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬.

Where is “here till January” ? Did she swoop into Canada and hiding in the woods with MA in a camper van? Most certainly the facial recognition would have captured her at the border! One way in, one way out, passport!! She needs a VISA to stay in the U.K. l have no doubt she has not thought of that.

I highly doubt she is in Canada but l do think she has a male with her. Is it the rogue RPO?!? She cannot enter/leave the U.K. without going through customs if she wants Canada or America or any non EU country at this time.

No matter where she is, she is on the run hiding, going to use DI, and MI5 is tracking her and they have eyes on 24/7!! KIDS THIS IS GETTING REAL! HMTQ DROPPED THE HAMMER SENDING THE LETTERS!! I AM ANTICIPATING WITH BATED BREATH NEWS OF A ANNULMENT AND FOLLOWED BY AN ARREST/FORMAL CHARGES!!! LORD BURNETT HAS SEEN TO THAT END OF IT! THIS MAY END UP BEING A WHIZ BANG IF A CHRISTMAS PRESENT😁😁😁😁😁😁😁

Full cover’ face recognition and sleeper van. “ 🎼the kids are alright!!👀🎼”

Lots of shock and talk about the cheesy Santa suit that ‘HARRY’ was wearing in the video released, against a blank wall. Like something out of a cheap film,, it on Sussex Instagram. Just not right. MI5 analyzed that video fully, fricking facial recognition software confirmed the man’s identity. He is the ‘fake’ Harry that madam has been using for who knows how long. Remember the lunch at the pub? Is she with this guy in a van on the run?? Just adds more charges to an already long list!

Song by The Who. Guy doesn’t mind his gal being with other guys and leaving the kids they’re all right. Side eye!!! Obviously madam is with a man, perhaps Lady A aka MA also, whose looking after Archificial?? Interpol or MI5 has confirmed its them usual facial recognition software. There are CCTV’s EVERYWHERE!! THERE IS NO HIDING UNLESS YOU’RE IN A CAVE RACHEL!! WOW A CAMPER VAN, YOU’RE LIVING LARGE AND IN CHARGE NOW RACHEL!! YOU’RE ON THE RUN WITH NOWHERE NO GO!!! GOD HELP YOU MADAM, YOU TOO LADY A!!!FOR THE THIRD DAY IN A ROW I WILL REPEAT, YOU MESSED(I WANT BADLY TO USE ANOTHER WORD RHYMING WITH TRUCK, BUT I WON’T, YES I KNOW IT’S ALL CAPS BUT LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME! FOR THE THIRD TIME THE FULL WEIGHT OF THE CROWN IS GOING TO COME DOWN ON YOU RACHEL REACH OUT TO GOD FOR YOUR MORTAL SOUL, JUSTICE ⚖️IS COMING!!!

“ to start with’ it’s a 50cc Yam.”……… “ a pony has more torque” ……… “stop worrying Catherine!!”

Oh the dynamics of the Cambridge household! Oh to be a fly on the wall, God bless them🤣🤣🤣😂😂. William, as most men loves fast man toys ie 🏍 etc etc. He is trying to convince Catherine to get a bike for George. That was in yesterday’s riddle George wanting the scrambler 🏍. William is trying to say it’s just a wee bike lass🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂🤣🤣. His logic for Catherine relenting

giving a pony to Charlotte , that the pony runs faster ie has more torque🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂😂😂! He , l am bursting out laughing as l am interpreting this and typing🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂. Sorry Catherine, 😂😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣 but he is right and being the amazing mum you are, you do worry!M ESPECIALLY WITH BABY NUMBER FOUR ON THE WAY😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁! Can you please announce it already so people can stop calling me crazy?😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣.

“It’s His Decision”……… “ I’ll meet, just say when!! “.

Rumours have been rampant since almost their engagement, Harry and madam, that Williams strongly encouraged Harry to not marry her. The rift that has allegedly occurred between the brothers has been very concerning, if true. Harry did acknowledge they were on different paths in the AITV interview. Wow that’s breaking news NOT!! Their birth order dictated they were to be on different paths. I read this as either this is William speaking about Harry or Harry speaking about William. Either way, it is seeming, that to some degree there are definitely issues. Harry’s booty call has caused a tremendous, no adjective fits other than swearing, so insert your word yourself, to the Royal family especially HMTQ and PP!!They need to meet and sort this out and reunite for the sake of HMTQ and Harry’s future role!!!!

1700 hrs CST

GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦

Oh me oh my, things are heating up…..MM it’s not looking good for ya! Great job……yeah that is not Harry in that video…excellent! Thank you dear PG!😊💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

Ask Skippy submission

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151: Dec 22

150 TH RIDDLE INTERPRETATION! MM ANON I CANNOT FATHOM THE HOURS I HAVE SPENT INSIDE YOUR HEAD TRUNG TO INTERPRET YOUR RIDDLES. THIS IS SUCH A GREAT HONIUR FIR ME! THANK YOU BEYOND MEASURE💜💜💜💜🎄🎄🎄🎄🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜💜💜🇨🇦🇬🇧

MM ANON

George in the mix. …… a royal blackout …… pensive at the Forth Bridge …… “ Royal Bostic sir”…… “ unity ma’am!!”……… Done and Dusted ……… No Card???……… Christmas IG word salad and virtue massage …… …… rapidly dissolving PR……… “ when in doubt use mental health” ……… “we need a distraction ma’am”……… it’s a win, win !!……… “that’s a silly jumper William”

💜💜💜🙏🏻🙏🏻🎄THANK YOU MM ANON🎄🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜💜

DECEMBER 22/2019

RIDDLE #150 MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR ME I AM SO INCREDIBLY HONOURED AND GREATFULL 😊😊😊😊

1120 hrs CST

George in the mix.

WE THREE KINGS IS A CLASSIC CHRISTMAS CAROL. YESTERDAY SOME GORGEOUS AND HISTORICAL PHOTOS WERE RELEASED SHOWING HMTQ, WITH HER EVER PRESENT BLACK HANDBAG, PRINCE CHARLES, PRINCE WILLIAM AND PRINCE GEORGE. THE TABLE BEFORE THEM WAS FULL OF BOWLS AND ALL THE LOVELY INGREDIENTS FOR MAKING CHRISTMAS PUDDING. GEORGE WAS STIRRING THE THICK INGREDIENTS IN THE BIG BOWL WITH THE OTHERS SMILING, ENJOYING THE MOMENTS!!! CHRISTMAS PUDDINGS IS AN ANNUAL TRADITIONAL GIFT HMTQ GIFTS HERE QUOTE EXACTLY FROM INSTAGRAM .

Four generations of the Royal Family 🎄 together at Christmas.

New photos of The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and Prince George have been released as part of the launch of the @RoyalBritishLegion’s ‘Together at Christmas’ initiative.

The initiative is designed to provide extra support to the Armed Forces and veteran communities at annual festive ‘get togethers’ across the charity’s network of outreach centres.

The four generations of the Royal Family are pictured here preparing special Christmas puddings — with the four representing a cross-section of those supported by the Legion, from the children of service personnel, to Second World War veterans.

The puddings will become the centrepieces of 2020’s get togethers, and form part of 99 puddings distributed across the charity’s network in the UK and the Commonwealth - also marking The Royal British Legion’s 99th year.

a royal blackout…

BLACKOUT MEANS NO ELECTRICITY. THIS IS NOT THAT. THIS IS REGARDING INFORMATION AND THE ROYAL FAMILY. THINGS WILL BE EXTREMELY EXTREME IN TERMS OF NO PUBLIC INFORMATION WHO IS WHERE REGARDING ROYAL FAMILY MEMBERS. WHO IS WHERE WITH WHOM, WHAT THEY ARE DOING, ARE THEY TRAVELLING, ARE THEY ATTENDING SANDRINGHAM FOR CHRISTMAS ETC ETC ETC. THIS LEVEL OF SECURITY HAS BEEN MARKEDLY INCREASED SINCE HMTQ GAVE THE OFFICIAL GO AHEAD TO ‘SEND THE LETTER” WE KNOW SOMETHING WAS FOUND IN TERMS OF A VIDEO CAMERA , BUG, WHATEVER DEVICE PLANTED TO GATHER DATA ABOUT THE ROYAL FAMILY, OLD SCHOOL WORDS TO BE SURE,BUT YOU GET MY MEANING. THERE HAS DEFINITELY BEEN SOMETHING THAT HAS OCCURRED THAT HAS RESULTED IN THIS RESPONSE. WE DO KNOW THERE HAS BEEN LOTS GOING ON IN THE BACKGROUND FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW AND WE WILL LIKELY NEVER BE INFORMED OF ALL THE CLASSIFIED INFORMATION.

pensive at the Forth Bridge

WE KNOW THIS IS THE CODE NAME FOR PP. IS HIS HEALTH CONDITION DETERIORATING??? PENSIVE MEANS TO BE ENGAGED IN, INVOLVED, PONDERING A SERIOUS DECISION OR SITUATION. MIGHT THIS BE THE CURRENT TREATMENT MODALITIES ARE NOT EFFECTIVE, OTHER CONSULTANTS BROUGHT IN, MORE TESTS??? THIS IS VERY CONCERNING TO ME, THINGS WITH PNEUMONIA, BREATHING ISSUES ETC AT THIS ADVANCED AGE CAN GO TO CRITICAL VERY QUICKLY. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 FOR PP.

“ Royal Bostic sir”

BOSTIC IS AN ACRONYM…. Bristol and Oxford Surgical Trials Intervention Course (BOSTiC) . MEDICAL STAFF EXPLAINING PROCEDURE THE CONSULTANT WANTS TO TRY TO SEE IF IT WILL BE EFFECTIVE FOR PP. KIDS, I THINK THINGS ARE CRITICAL, IF YOU’RE INCLINED TO PRAY, THIS IS ESSENTIAL NOW! ROYAL BOSTIC MEANS OBVIOUSLY, INVOLVING PO.🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

“ unity ma’am!!”……… Done and Dusted ……… No Card???

LG STRESSING THE IMPORTANCE THAT THE ROYAL FAMILY SHOW UNITY ESPECIALLY AT THIS TIME AND THAT DECISIONS MADE BY HMTQ WERE DONE AT THE CORRECT CRITICAL TIME. THE CHRISTMAS WALK TO ST MARY MAGDALENE CHAPEL ON CHRISTMAS MORNING WILL BE VERY TELLING INDEED. DONE AND DUSTED SIMPLY MEAN, THE GAME IS OVER, TAKE YOUR TOYS HOME OR TO PRISON. MADAM’S FATE IS SEALED. NO SUSSEX CHRISTMAS CARD AS YET, LOTS AND LOTS OF CHATTER ABOUT THIS, WHY IS IS NOT OUT YET? WHERE ARE THEY? WHERE IS ARCHFICIAL??.

Christmas IG word salad and virtue massage …… …… rapidly dissolving PR

WHAT IS VIRTUE MASSAGE, NEVER HEARD OF IT, I FOUND THIS ON AN AUSTRALIAN WEBSITE…

Virtue Massage specializes in massages taking its roots from across the world in order to cater to diverse clientele needs and desires. The house special Thai Massage which uses no oil works its spell from ancient principles, yoga postures, and acupressure. Likewise, Deep Tissue Massage aims to work on deeper layers of muscle tissue in order to release chronic patterns of tension in the body. And the famous reflexology massage involves applying pressure to certain points on foot depending upon the desired outcome whether it is to boost blood circulation or eliminate toxins. Virtue Massage features a wide range of treatments that can fit people across the spectrum of society.

IS MADAM DOING THIS FOR $$$$$$££££££€€€€???

NONSENSE ON THE SUSSEX INSTAGRAM, ABSOLUTELY NO CURRENT PHOTOS, NOT EVRN THE USUAL HORRIBLE PHOTOSHOPS ONES MADAM TENDS TO POST. HER PR HAS FALLEN APART, AS HAS SHE….RUNNING OR HAS RUN OUT OF FINANCIAL RESOURCES. HER “JEWELRY”IS ALL FAKE, SHE CANNOT SELL ANY OF THAT. RACHEL RACHEL RACHEL, PUT UP YOUR HANDS, TURN AROUND, LET THE CUFFS GO ON, THIS TIME NOT FIR PLEASURE NOR MONEY BUT FOR ARREST, THE END IS NIGH!! 🚔 👮 ⚖️.

“ when in doubt use mental health” ……… “

YEP, DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY AS MENTIONED IN YESTERDAYS RIDDLE WILL NOT WORK, SO SHE IS GOING TO TRY FAKING INSANITY. THIS WILL DEFINITELY NOT WORK BECAUSE LG HAS PREVIOUSLY HAD HER MENTAL HEALTH ASSESSED IN A FOR ED PSYCHIATRIC HOLD.

“we need a distraction ma’am”……… it’s a win, win !!……… “

THERE HAS OBVIOUSLY BEEN A MASSIVE INCREASE IN SECURITY, WE SAW THAT DURING HMTQ TRAVEL TO THE TRAIN AND THE ROAD STOPPAGES. /CHECK POINTS THIS MORNING AS HMTQ WENT TO MORNING CHURCH SERVICES!!

I WONDER IF THE DISTRACTION WILL BE ANNOUNCEMENT OF CATHERINE’S PREGNANCY AND POSSIBLY OTHERS! NOW THAT WOULD BE A DISTRACTION! I THINK SOMETHING INVOLVING THE CAMBRIDGE CHILDREN WOULD BE A HUGE DISTRACTION AS WELL!! EITHER WAY, ITS A WIN WIN, MADAM GETS DEALT WITH ALONG WITH HER BACKERS AND WE GET TO ENJOY PHOTOS OR VIDEOS OF THE CAMBRIDGE FAMILY!

“that’s a silly jumper William”

I SHOULD MENTION/EXPLAIN SAY, TO THOSE UNFAMILIAR , A JUMPER IS A SWEATER. UGLY JUMPER/SWEATER CONTESTS AT CHRISTMAS TIME 🎄🎄🎄🎄, HAVE BECOME VERY POPULAR FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW AND CAN BE VERY COMPETITIVE!!! I WONDER WHAT HE CHOSE TO WEAR, AND OBVTHE OPINION IS NEGATIVE!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣ALTHOUGH NEGATIVE IS GOOD BECAUSE THE UGLIER AND TACKIER THE SWEATER IS, YOU HAVE MORE CHANCE TO WIN THE FUN COMPETITION!! 🎅🏻

1210 hrs CST

GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦🎄

Thank you dear PG! Congrats 150…..amazing! Prayers for PP. We pray for him and HM! Great job…much appreciated. Thank you🙏🏻💜💜💜💜💜💜

Ask Skippy submission

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152: Dec 24

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE AND LOVE AND 🙏🏻TO ALL

MM Anon

MM ANON …… yesterday’s riddle?? ……… Christmas Eve prayer’s …… 2.09 pm in England …… not on my watch. ………… Father Christmas 🎄 comes to Sandringham …… nutmegs not here 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳…… Mike incognito ……… Lost in Space ………” Yes , but dress them warm”. ……… A long wait for the faithful …… everyone is vetted and counted. …… it begins for little royals……” Andrew!!!”…… “Bloody hell’ I’m here you know!!” ……… “Ahhhh, Lobster 🦞 Bisque!!” ……… “Overtired!!”

💜💜💜🙏🏻🙏🏻🎄THANK YOU MM ANON🎄🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜💜

DECEMBER 24/2019. RIDDLE #151

1234 hrs CST

yesterday’s riddle??

I don’t think a riddle was posted yesterday due to the emergency yesterday with Sheldon.🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 l didn’t see it and l wouldn’t have been able to anyway. Today’s short and sweet family coming very soon!

Christmas Eve prayer’s …… 2.09 pm in England …… not on my watch

Many attend midnight mass. I wonder if Christmas Eve prayers are for Harry, as he is allegedly not there. I trust nothing, that Christmas card was the worst photoshop to date. Archies head was so massive, just an obvious photoshop, along with all the things others have pointed out. Was 2:09 the time PP was discharged from hospital?? Nope paper says 0849 departed hospital via chopper. He was not going to miss family Christmas ESPECIALLY now with madam go, no way, no how! Is there prayers at 1409 hrs?? Sorry l have almost no time to do this today. Sounds like ?William will make sure something doesn’t happen, perhaps madam trying to crash the gathering??

Father Christmas 🎄 comes to Sandringham …… nutmegs not here 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳…… Mike incognito

Is Mike, Zara’s husband dressing up as Santa? The family is going to have a great Christmas celebrating the season without madam being present.

Lost in Space

The ever so woke madam , decided to electronically send their chr cards and hard copy to family and friends, hence poorer quality. So some never got their? Are theirs lost is space as in cyberspace???

” Yes , but dress them warm”. … A long wait for the faithful …… everyone is vetted and counted. …… it begins for little royals……” Andrew!!!”…… “Bloody hell’ I’m here you know!!” ……… “Ahhhh, Lobster 🦞 Bisque!!” ……… “Overtired!!”

Sounds like approval given for George and Charlotte to do the walk to chapel St Mary Magdalene on Christmas morning, but to dress them warm! Hey we walk here when it’s -30C kids walk to school, they will be great and be loaded with presents from the public! Been a long LONG wait the faithful family has had since they could be together without Satan’s presence in their midst! What a marve time they will have! Andrew,!! As if someone is surprised and delighted to see him mixed with shock, he says of course l am here, it’s Christmas and you’re my family!! PP happy to see the bisque, better than hospital food!! Feeling better just very tired!!

I APOLOGIZE FOR THE SHORT FAST INTERPRETATION ITS ALL THE TIME I HAVE

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE💜💜💜💜💜🎄🎄🎄🎄🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🎄🎄💜💜💜🎄🎄🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

1300 hrs CST. GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦

Thank you PG…💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

Ask Skippy submission

—————-

153: Dec 25

🎄🎄🎄MM ANON, I DONT EVRN GET CHRISTMAS OFF , CATHERINE’S SIDEEYE 👀🤣🤣🤣🤣😂

MM ANON …… Lottie kills it with pink flamingo … 🥳🥳absent madam🥳…absentee ginger …… K&W now it’s a new monarchy!! …… happy Christmas to all our readers …… UK migrant terrorist alert …… PA on silent running …… skippy breaking news about Lottie on Christmas walk way back……… right here, right now!! ……… DM follows skippy …… dogs behind.

💜💜🙏🏻🙏🏻🎄THANK YOU MM ANO🎄🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜

🎄🎄🎄MERRY CHRISTMAS MM ANON🎄🎄🎄🎄

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

DECEMBER 25/2019. RIDDLE #153

0918 hrs CST

Lottie kills it with pink flamingo … 🥳🥳absent madam🥳…absentee ginger …… K&W now it’s a new monarchy!!

Was it not MARVELLOUS TO SEE MOST OF OUR BELOVED CAMBRIDGE FAMILY THIS MORNING? TALK ANOUT A SPECIAL GIFT TO US, ALTHOUGH BEING A BIT GREEDY I AM STILL AWAITING A WEE ANNOUNCEMENT 🍼!! THE PINK FLAMINGO GIVEN TO PRINCE CHARLOTTE WAS ALMOST HER SIZE😁😁😁😁 A MADAM FREE CHRISTMAS PRAISE GOD!!HARRY WAS NOT AT CHURCH, BUT WHO KNOWS IF HE IS AT SANDRINGHAM???

ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT, GEORGE IS STEPPING UP, GROWING UP, IT IS A STRONG FUTURE AGEAD WITH THE CAMBRIDGES IN THE LINEUP TO BE MONARCHS! I COULD NOT BE MORE DELIGHTED!!

happy Christmas to all our readers

Merry Christmas to you MM ANON, ALLEGEDLY ANON, NANNY ANON, QUOTE ANON , ALL WHO READ AND COMMENT, THOSE WHO READ , EVERYONE.🎄🎄🎄🎄

UK migrant terrorist alert

There have been raised terror alerts in chr markets in Europe within the last week. We have seen a marked elevation in security especially evident when HMTQ took the train up to Sandringham. We saw it again on full display today, HMTQ always surrounded. I can’t find any threats posted but kids we all know major stuff is going on behind this scenes and this is the result, massive increase in usual security!!,🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

PA on silent running

PA attended church, however no comments. The princesses were both there with their partners. Marvellous that both Princesses partners were invited to attend Sandringham Christmas!!

skippy breaking news about Lottie on Christmas walk way back……… right here, right now!! ……… DM follows skippy …… dogs behind.

Again as happens with regularity information discussed here or shared here appears in the papers! Confirmation YET AGAIN THE MEDIA AKA DM AKA DAILY MAIL READS THIS BLOG. THE MEDIA AS A PUPPY, LAGS BEHIND!!! MM ANON YOU WROTE IT IN A RIDDLE AGES BACK AND NANNY ANON SAID IT AS WELL THAT GEORGE AND CHARLOTTE WOULD BE WALKING TO CHURCH, I AND OTHER JUST INTERPRETED YOUR RIDDLE CORRECTLY😁😁😁. 0945 hrsCST. 🎄🎄MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE 🎄🎄🎄. Thank you so much…..great job! Much appreciated this Christmas Day!💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

[fashiontrendin-blog]

Game-Changing 'Westworld' Brain Capsule Reveal Is Only The Beginning

http://fashion-trendin.com/game-changing-westworld-brain-capsule-reveal-is-only-the-beginning/

Game-Changing 'Westworld' Brain Capsule Reveal Is Only The Beginning

“Doesn’t Look Like Anything To Leigh… And Bill” is HuffPost’s weekly “Westworld” recap in which we break down the craziest thing you might have missed. This week: Season 2, Episode 4, “The Riddle of the Sphinx.” 

We sphinx you better sit down for this, “Westworld” fans, because holy moly here comes the Man in Black. 

Viewers have been wondering whether there was a secret value to the Westworld and Westworld-adjacent parks since Season 1, and Sunday night’s episode, “The Riddle of the Sphinx,” finally gave us some answers.

It turns out William/the Man in Black (Jimmi Simpson/Ed Harris) and his company Delos have been developing a way to extend human life, and their test subject is none other than the late founder, James Delos (Peter Mullan). 

The research on putting human consciousness into robots apparently started soon after the Delos company took over the park. In a scene from Season 2, Episode 2, that takes place in the past, William tells a sick and retiring James Delos vaguely that “things are progressing” but that James needs to have more patience.

Now, in present time, Android James, who has the consciousness of the long-dead human James in his brain capsule, is holed up in an underground facility. It’s a similar one to ― if not the same one as ― the facility that Delos executive director Charlotte Hale (Tessa Thompson) showed Bernard Lowe (Jeffrey Wright) in the Season 2 premiere. 

Over the last 30 years or so, James’ son-in-law William, along with a team of Delos engineers, have been monitoring Android James while he’s in captivity. Each day, Android James completes the same mundane tasks ― exercising, showering, preparing his coffee. But throughout Episode 4, we watch as iteration after iteration of this robot malfunctions for various reasons, forcing the team to reconstruct the droid again and again. William, who ages from Jimmi Simpson to Ed Harris during this trial period, visits sporadically, “testing” whether Android James is ready for the outside world. He never is. 

“It goes right in line with human error kind of snowballing into a catastrophe,” Simpson told HuffPost. “It’s clearly what was not set out to be done, but that’s what ended up happening. It could be considered a selling point at one point and it ends up torturing the idea of this man’s soul for his entire life. So yeah, it doesn’t surprise me that things went bad and got confusing.”

Of course, if and when the new technology is successful, Charlotte and company will have cheated death, giving (very rich) people the chance to live forever. This is perhaps why the company wanted to get the android Peter Abernathy (Louis Herthum) safely out of the park: He might contain the DNA or consciousness of the real James Delos. (Read all about that here.)

But wait, there’s more. Bernard, an android who’s dealing with his own mental deficiencies in the present timeline, comes to realize he’d previously been working in the same lab where Android James Delos has been. But Bernard was working on another human-android ― whose identity is still a mystery.

Other revelations from the episode included the return of Elsie (Shannon Woodward). Bernard, under the control of the park’s co-creator Dr. Robert Ford (Anthony Hopkins), had apparently attacked her and kept her prisoner in a cave this whole time.

Oh, and Grace (Katja Herbers), whom we met in Season 2, Episode 3, when she escapes a robot tiger sometime in the period after the park’s android hosts revolted, is actually the Man in Black’s daughter. Actor Clifton Collins Jr., who plays the host Lawrence, told HuffPost that this particular reveal signified one of the more relatable moments on the show.

“I think we’ve all had that friend where we’re like, ‘Oh, I just found out I had a kid.’ I think it’s one of those moments,” Collins said with a laugh. “I have my own daughter too, don’t forget, so there’s the heaviness of that too. So it’s the beautiful balance of comedy and tragedy. Whether it’s on the surface or deep below the line or previous scenes leading up to it, the table’s certainly set for that kind of stuff.”

On whether we’ll see more of William’s relationship with his daughter, Simpson stayed mum but teased, “There’s more information coming, definitely.”

As wild as this episode was, even bigger reveals appear to be on the way.

In Season 2, Episode 2, the Man in Black told Lawrence, “Dead isn’t what it used to be.” It’s a line that’s had fans speculating about the characters we thought were dead (Ford, for example) or the hosts we saw floating in a mysterious body of water in Season 2, Episode 1 (e.g., Teddy).

“For the show, obviously, [that line] is talking about the endless options we now have to extend life, whether it’s biological or artificial,” Simpson said, with Collins calling the phrase “a juicy one.” 

“My mind goes to so many different places. I guess you’re going to have to wait and see, pal. … It’ll be probably more than likely Episode 8.”

With all this in mind, here are some questions we expect to be answered in future episodes:

Are the supposedly dead hosts coming back to life? 

Robots don’t stay “dead” for long in Westworld. So, the fact that we see Teddy (James Marsden) and an army of droids floating in what appears to be a lake in the Season 2 premiere means little if anything in the grand scheme of things. This moment comes around two weeks after the hosts initially revolted, and much of the season so far appears to be leading us to discover how this happened.

It seems possible that these bots will wake up and take down the rest of Delos’ team, with the help of lead schemer Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood), of course. 

“They could be in a pool of stasis with ‘Cocoon’-like energy-giving gel running through it. Maybe Wilford Brimley [who stars in the 1985 sci-fi movie ‘Cocoon’] is one of those people and he’s about to come out and kick ass,” Simpson joked. “Each thing they [creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy] reveal you know there’s something to the reason why they were doing it, you just don’t know why yet. You feel the importance.”

Is anyone who we think they are?

The answer to this question is, meh, probably not.

You can never be too sure about someone’s identity on “Westworld,” but after the scenes featuring Android James Delos, it’s clear brain capsules can be transplanted into any robot body you want.

One theory suggests that the Bernard we saw on the beach in the Season 2 premiere is actually Teddy in a Bernard body.

We saw multiple Bernard robots in the trailer; Bernard’s scar where he shot himself in Season 1 seems to vanish and reappear at various times; and in the “Westworld” Rickroll video from the creators, we got a glimpse of Bernard riding on the train, much like Teddy would.  

 Are Ford or Arnold alive?

We know another humanoid robot is likely making an appearance, so who could it be?

Viewers watched Ford die in the Season 1 finale, but rumor has it that’s not the last we’ll see of him. It’s possible the new human-android that Bernard is working on is a robot Anthony Hopkins.

Let’s face it, given all the messages Ford seems to get through to William via hosts, it already seems like he’s alive in some capacity. Why can’t he come back as robot Ford?

Arnold Weber, the human inspiration for Bernard, is another option.

In the trailer for Season 2, we saw multiple Bernard robots, which could be multiple Arnolds if you think about it. Maybe it’s Arnold who’s set to come back to life using this new brain capsule development. 

“We’ll give you the answers and you’ll go, ‘Oh my God it’s even better than I thought!’” Simpson said. 

Dead isn’t what it used to be after all.

Want more? Read all of HuffPost’s “Westworld” coverage.

[flauntpage]

The Outlet Pass: Superstar Kemba, God Mode Horford, and the New Look Knicks

The first couple weeks of the 2017-18 NBA season have been more fun, unpredictable, and mind-boggling than anyone could've guessed. After Gordon Hayward's injury, the Boston Celtics look like they'll never lose again, Aaron Gordon appears to be a budding All-Star, and Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman should probably consider blowing everything up and starting all over (kidding!).

Seriously, though, the season is quickly shaping into an entertaining adventure nobody saw coming: an ongoing drama between belief and skepticism. Between the Little Engine That Could and Small Sample Size Mountain. Let's take a closer look.

1. Chandler Parsons Looks (Relatively) Phenomenal

Heading into this season, expectations surrounding Chandler Parsons—at 29, post-several significant knee surgeries, after a year in which no player in the entire league (except, um, his own teammate Andrew Harrison) shot the ball worse—were lower than they will be for Netflix's inevitable rollout of Stranger Things 7. But instead of hobbling around as a $23 million ball mover, Parsons is one of the most efficient players in the entire league—last night's 0-for-4 outing against the Orlando Magic notwithstanding—and possesses its lowest defensive rating.

(When he's on the court, Memphis performs like a 79-win team! When he's off, only 29.)

Parsons isn't blowing by defenders (unless they're named "Frank Kaminsky"), but has finally rediscovered some confidence in his shot after starting the season with a petrified look on his face every time someone passed him the ball. He's averaging more points per 36 minutes than ever, and has spent nearly all his time at the four (a smart, new development that's partly due to JaMychal Green's ankle injury).

Parsons recorded two dunks in his first 100 minutes after a grand total of three in 674 minutes last season. On one play against the Charlotte Hornets, he grabbed a defensive rebound, leisurely dribbled to the top of the arc, and launched an open three. It clanged off the front iron, but that's still an encouraging level of comfort to see from a guy who was booed by his own fanbase a couple weeks ago.

What does all this mean for the Memphis Grizzlies? Parsons has only logged 19 minutes beside Mike Conley and Marc Gasol, and in that time they were outscored by 14.2 points per 100 possessions. But if they can gel some on an upcoming five-game road trip, and Parsons is able to sustain some of his efficiency in a larger role without suffering any health-related setbacks, there's a very good chance this team can not only qualify for the playoffs, but make some genuine noise once they're there.

2. Big Men and Closeouts

This might seem obvious, but with even more traditional centers stepping behind the three-point line this year, the guys asked to stop them are also drifting towards the perimeter more than they used to. The following qualifies as anecdotal evidence within a small sample size, but according to NBA.com Dwight Howard is contesting 2.7 threes per game this season, up from 1.5 last year. Marc Gasol is at 3.7 three-point contests, and last year he averaged 1.8. Steven Adams contested 2.7 threes last year and now he's at 3.6.

Again, these numbers are circumstantial—reliant on minutes, opponents, and scheme in a tiny sample size—and should be read with a grain of salt. Some centers (like Rudy Gobert and DeMarcus Cousins) haven't seen any uptick at all. But what matters here is the reminder that as NBA offenses continue to evolve, individual defenders are being forced to need to sharpen tools they barely used to need.

Centers who bite at Joel Embiid's pump fake, or wildly race out at Brook Lopez with no plan other than to run him off the line, put pressure on help defenders who're forced to either foul, take a very painful charge, or desert their own assignment and surrender an open look elsewhere.

Sprinting to a dead stop and then trying to laterally stick with a ball-handler is incredibly difficult, but in today's NBA this is what once-plodding seven-footers have to do if they want to stay on the floor.

3. Apologies to Jakob Poeltl

I don't think my opinion on a prospect has ever shifted faster than it has with Jakob Poeltl. It was unclear watching him last year how a seven-footer who can't shoot and doesn't possess leap-off-the-screen athleticism could carve out a meaningful role on a winning team.

This opinion was bad. Poeltl is awesome. Not only is he a putback monster who can control the offensive glass against the right matchup (Toronto's offensive rebound rate is 9.3 percent higher with him in the game), but the 22-year-old has also proven to be an agile pick-and-roll finisher, with touch and strength around the rim. His defense is phenomenal, too, particularly when switching out on the perimeter. Poeltl keeps one hand high to bother the shooter's vision, swivels his hips, and slides step for step.

This is valuable, but thanks to Jonas Valanciunas and Bebe Nogueira, Poeltl's playing time isn't as high as his skills suggest it should be.

4. Philly's Expanding Playbook

It's oh so very early, but according to Synergy Sports, the Philadelphia 76ers boast the NBA's most efficient offense after a timeout. This is a massive leap from last year, when, well, they came in dead last, averaging a measly 0.819 points per possession. Some of this is thanks to Brett Brown's willingness to experiment with the most talented and complementary roster he's ever had, and some is just because said talent is able to savage defenses that aren't as focused as they should be.

Ben Simmons is as perceptive as he is physically imposing; the 21-year-old has already figured out how to make opponents pay when they don't execute as tightly as they should (or when they're simply unable to squeeze the ball out of his hands).

After an Iverson cut towards the left wing, Simmons attacks away from the screen once he notices that Dallas Mavericks big Dwight Powell is hugged up on Amir Johnson instead of in position to ice the pick-and-roll.

The next play starts the same, with Simmons once again opening things up by cutting across the elbow. But instead of Johnson setting a screen, Joel Embiid posts up on the left block while three other Sixers (who're all respectable outside threats) clear out to the weakside. Trevor Ariza isn't in position to force Simmons towards the sideline, so the phenom behaves like a phenom and instead plows into the middle towards an open lane.

These two positive results come off action that isn't especially creative. But Brown is smart enough to realize that sometimes all he has to do is get out of the way. Wind up your franchise player, point him towards a simple two-man action, then let him wreak some havoc. Simmons's ability to read and react at warp speed is one of the many unteachable gifts he already has, and the scheme that can slow him down might not currently exist.

5. Is Ricky Rubio Finally Evolving?

Watch what happens when a defense goes out of its way to prevent Rubio from shooting the ball.

As he spins middle off Gobert's screen, Brandon Ingram leaves Joe Ingles (you know, the guy who made 44.1 percent of his threes last season and is even more accurate this year) to stunt and force a pass. The ball is eventually swung to the opposite corner, where Rodney Hood drills an open look.

This is probably more due to an antsy 20-year-old trying to make a play than a tactical decision from Lakers head coach Luke Walton, but it hints at a reality many thought we'd never see. Rubio is making shots. What's even more impressive than him making 38 percent of his threes (and a completely unsustainable 54 percent of his long twos) is a newfound bravery attached to his shot selection.

Rubio's three-point rate is currently 16.7 percent higher than his career average. Above-the-break treys are still all over the place and he still can't finish at the rim, but a willingness to fire away could change how defenses treat him over the course of the season. Off reputation alone, Rubio's gravity won't ever sniff most of his contemporaries, but an ability to make defenders pay every now and again is significant.

(Also, he has the best hair in the league.)

On Wednesday, Rubio finished with 30 points (three short of his career high) on 17 shots. For just one moment, imagine an alternate reality where these developments are taking place on a Jazz roster that also has a healthy Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors nearly back to the borderline-All-Star plane where he ascended before injuries weakened his antithetical impact. Is that the second or third-best team in the Western Conference? Does a Rubio, Hood, Hayward, Favors, Gobert lineup make the Warriors sweat?

6. Reminder: Giannis is Huge!

The sight never gets old. In the opening few minutes of Milwaukee's blowout loss against Oklahoma City on Tuesday night, Giannis glided around the floor as a taller, stronger, longer, version of all the various wing defenders employed by the Thunder. It was funny, watching OKC's fundamental identity and nightly advantage look so delicate standing beside the NBA's very own Cloverfield. On the same court as Giannis, Paul George, Andre Roberson, and Jerami Grant looked like raptors flailing around in Jurassic Park's final scene.

7. Reminder: De'Aaron Fox is Fast!

Keep an eye on the shot clock.

8. Is 2017-18 Kemba Walker About to Become 2016-17 Isaiah Thomas?

Meaning, are we in store for a second unexpected leap from a spunky Eastern Conference point guard, one season after it felt like they already spilled out all they had to offer? Earlier this week, Walker ranked third in fourth-quarter scoring (he's now at 10th, with a number that would be top five last season), has never been more efficient from inside or outside the arc, and has damn near doubled his free-throw rate.

Walker has been fantastic inside the paint, and the Charlotte Hornets look deprived of all five senses when he's off the court. This is somewhat due to the fact that they don't currently have a backup point guard, but Charlotte is still an unbelievable 33.6 points per 100 possessions better when he's in there.

There's a jumpy, unpredictability to Walker's game right now. On one recent possession against the Memphis Grizzlies, Walker pushed the ball in transition and nearly penetrated beneath the basket before he decided to pump the brakes and dribble back out to set up the offense. But once he realized no Grizzlies were nearby to escort him to the perimeter, he curled baseline and knocked down a wide open jumper. Splash.

With more pressure to shoulder a heavier load after Nicolas Batum went down in the preseason, Walker is playing with an unseen self-belief that's steadily elevating his game even higher than last year's All-Star campaign showed it could go. Taming a tiger is less complicated than corralling him off a high screen right now. He's a virtual lock to make his second-straight All-Star team.

9. The New York Knicks are Rebounding the Shit out of the Ball

Photo by Wendell Cruz - USA TODAY Sports

Remember when the Knicks were mocked for constructing a roster that essentially barred Kristaps Porzingis from spending any time at center (only three percent of his minutes have been at that position this year, down from 21 percent last year)? Well, even after three-straight wins against the Brooklyn Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Denver Nuggets that took place before they were slapped back to Earth by the Houston Rockets, these personnel decisions probably still weren't the way to go.

But what those personnel choices have done is help New York formulate a fun, possibly sustainable (?) Porzingis + Putbacks identity. With Carmelo Anthony out of the picture, Porzingis has spent the opening chapter of his third season mushrooming into an unguardable beanstock. Only Giannis, Boogie, and Steph Curry are averaging more points than Porzingis. Zero players have a higher usage rate.

Instead of spacing issues caused by the likes of Enes Kanter and Kyle O'Quinn, those two have butchered teams on the glass. The Knicks rank second in offensive rebound rate and third in total rebound rate. While almost every other team around the league is downsizing, New York has firmly positioned their 7'3" franchise player at the four. And, relative to some depressing expectations, it's working!

10. I Can't Wait for the Atlanta Hawks to be Good

If you've happened to catch any recent Hawks game at Philips Arena, you might remember sideline reporter Andre Aldridge posted up at a brand new bar that just opened along the court's baseline. It looks like the most amazing place on Earth.

The team is horrible, but have openly cuddled up beside a full-on rebuild that should (if all goes according to plan) make Philips Arena one of the NBA's most lively atmospheres a few years down the road. Until then, Dominique Wilkins and Bob Rathbun need to broadcast every home game games directly from the bar.

11. Let's Trade Jamal Murray for Kyle Lowry

The likeliness of a trade involving these two players is microscopic—the idea disintegrates if the Toronto Raptors and Denver Nuggets both look like solid playoff teams in late January (Lowry can't be dealt until that month)—so I won't spend too much time rationalizing why I think it should happen.

But it sorta makes sense! Big picture, Toronto has a rapidly progressing core simmering beneath its veteran, All-Star-caliber contributors. The aforementioned Poeltl, rookie OG Anunoby, recently signed Norm Powell, and intriguing rotation players like Delon Wright and Pascal Siakam have the future looking solid.

They're successfully rebuilding on the fly while Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, and Serge Ibaka begin to decline on big-money contracts. Trading (at least) one of those three for valuable assets would punt meaningful playoff contention from 2018-2020, but allow continuity to accelerate within a new, modernized offensive system.

If they can somehow land someone with Murray's upside and turn him into their new franchise player, the Raptors would seamlessly glide from a stagnant also-ran to a promising up-and-comer. Dwane Casey has already relented a bit, playing lineups that feature four or five young pups at the same time.

The main holdup here, besides contractual issues that make matching money a little difficult with these two teams, is Denver's cooperation. Why the hell would they give up on a 20-year-old who defends his position and may own the most invaluable offensive trait in basketball: an ability to knock down pull-up threes at a reliable rate?

Denver is almost an inverse of the Raptors. Both teams are operating on two timelines, but the Nuggets are more clearly loaded to do damage five years from now. Nikola Jokic is 22, Gary Harris just turned 23, and Emmanuel Mudiay (who's made 45.5 percent of his threes this year!) is 21. Common sense says "wait." But Paul Millsap's decision to climb aboard turns maximizing the present into a conversation.

Lowry has been pretty bad this year, but he's still one of the five or six most effective all-around players at his position. Imagine how he'd look next to Jokic and Millsap. How much better would Denver be if he's there this season and next?

Again, a trade like this is extremely complicated and would dramatically shift the direction of two franchises that seem to be content with where they are. But the word impossible doesn't exist in today's NBA.

12. Can Rashad Vaughn Maybe Become a Thing?

Vaughn (who recently said "that's what we lived for" in reference to the McGriddle sandwich) entered his third season with one foot in the league and the other on a banana peel. He logged a grand total of four and a half minutes in Milwaukee's first four games (during which he was trade bait) before draining four threes in an 11-point win against the Hawks.

On Halloween, the team decided not to pick up his fourth-year option, making Vaughn an unrestricted free agent this summer. For a team that has little financial flexibility going forward, completely whiffing on a first-round pick can have painful consequences. Giannis is clearly ready to win now, and the Eastern Conference is begging someone to usurp the Cavaliers.

As Malcolm Brogdon, Jabari Parker, and Khris Middleton each become eligible for a significant pay raise in the next couple summers, the pressure will be on Milwaukee's front office to complement their franchise megastar with a championship-caliber supporting cast before he can flee as a free agent.

On paper, Vaughn is an ideal puzzle piece: a 6'6" three-point threat who may one day be able to reliably knock down threes, make plays when the ball is swung his way, and threaten defenses by pulling up off a dribble hand-off or initiating his own pick-and-roll. Maybe the Bucks believe waiting to see if Vaughn pans out is a waste of everybody's time, especially now that Tony Snell already fills the role he was meant for.

But money issues constrict ways in which Milwaukee can improve from the outside. Internal improvement is key. Vaughn's team option feels negligible now, but giving up on him so soon may come back to haunt this team in one way or another.

13. The Spurs are Perfect Even When They're Not

Even though Patty Mills' game-tying three didn't fall, San Antonio's execution of this elevators action at the end of a recent loss against the Indiana Pacers exemplified why they're the coolest cucumbers around.

Everything about this is ideal...until the ball leaves his fingertips.

14. Jordan Clarkson's Usage Rate is Higher than Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, and Just About Everybody Else

To suggest Clarkson has made the most of his reduced playing time is to suggest that Kendrick Lamar sometimes steals the spotlight when he's on other people's songs. In ten fewer minutes than he averaged last year, Clarkson is averaging the same amount of points, knocking down threes at a more accurate clip, posting the highest assist rate of his career, and, generally standing out as a quality contributor off Los Angeles' bench. (He launched six threes in 14 freaking minutes against the Toronto Raptors!)

He's efficient for the very first time despite his usage percentage soaring into the rarified air normally reserved for All-Stars. Some of this is because he's the only shot creator on the floor, often paired with the likes of Corey Brewer, Kyle Kuzma, and Josh Hart. And some of it's because he's been instructed to attack. It's too early to speculate whether this is a breakout campaign or just an early-season surge, but Clarkson's production is flying under the radar in a city that thinks Lonzo Ball is the only player who ever lived.

15. Al Horford is Playing Better Defense Than Everybody Else

The Boston Celtics have the best defense in the NBA because Al Horford is playing like its best defender. When he's off the floor they guard like a bottom-10 unit, but when he's out there, nailed down as a human lighthouse guiding Boston's young pack of swarming athletes everywhere they should go, the Celtics are well-choreographed misery.

Individually, the overwhelming talent Horford has had to corral is beyond impressive: Giannis (twice), Ben Simmons, LaMarcus Aldridge, Kristaps Porzingis, and Kevin Love. All opponents are shooting just 56.2 percent at the rim when Horford is on the floor. When he rests, that number spikes all the way up to 74.6 percent. The difference ranks in the 98th percentile among players at his position, according to Cleaning the Glass).

For the fleeting minority that still scoffs at Horford's occasional humdrum box score, and are fed up with the Ambien-akin side-effects commonly linked to what happens after repeated exposure to negated entry passes, crisp high screens, and perfect execution of myriad pick-and-roll coverages, Horford remains an overpaid waste. Nearly a dozen years of evidence proves they're wrong, and this year he's definitively worth every penny.

Using priceless instincts, flawless habits, and a wingspan that allows him to cover more ground than anyone his size should (only seven players contest more shots every game, per NBA.com), Horford has glued himself inside the all-too-early Defensive Player of the Year (pseudo-MVP?) conversation. He shouldn't leave it anytime soon.

16. Tristan Thompson is a Black Eye on Cleveland's Bloody Face

The Cavaliers have dropped five of their last six games, with all five losses coming up against teams few, if anybody, projected to make the playoffs. Life is rough. But on a team with defensive woes that are as much due to mental indifference as they are physical fragility, Thompson's struggles across the board are particularly worrisome.

Two years ago, the Cavaliers allowed 101.7 points per 100 possessions with Thompson on the floor. This season, his defensive rating is 111.2. His minutes are down, his confidence is low, and his offensive role is non-existent. It's obviously possible for the Cavaliers to bounce back after Isaiah Thomas returns and LeBron James starts to feel like a superhero.

But up until he suffered a calf injury against the Indiana Pacers that will sideline him about a month, Thompson was a non-threat off the ball who launched more long twos than he ever should. If James leaves in free agency this summer, the $36 million Thompson is owed over the next two years turn that contract into one of the league's roughest (from Cleveland's perspective!) agreements.

To be fair, once he's healthy, Thompson's numbers should stabilize once Cleveland works an actual point guard into their rotation. Teams were able to switch James-Thompson pick-and-rolls, and the sliver of opportunity born from that action mainly arrived after a mistake. Here's an example, as miscommunication between Jrue Holiday and Dante Cunningham leads to an easy dunk.

17. Dillon Brooks is Found Money

I wonder how a lucky a front office feels whenever they draft someone 45th overall and then immediately watch him flourish in consequential ways. Is this like finding a $20 bill in your back pocket or hearing your train approach the second you descend onto a subway platform?

The Memphis Grizzlies have had their fair share of first-round blunders, but scoring with guys like Brooks has helped keep this organization afloat, stiff-arming a rebuild further out than it probably should be.

I don't have much to say about Brooks. He seems to be a cagey one-on-one defender, someone who's relentless and difficult to screen. That's nice. He's also committed a bunch of rookie mistakes and isn't really making his threes. But the fact that he's averaging 30 minutes per game on one of the league's most pleasant surprises is telling.

The value of a second-round pick is never more clear than in transcendent figures like Manu Ginobili or Draymond Green, but they still feel like an undervalued commodity. Think about how different the Los Angeles Clippers might look today if they drafted someone like Brooks a few years ago?

Plucking a helpful contributor in the second round takes quite a bit of luck, but some teams have an ability to carve their own more often than others.

18. Your Weekly Reminder that the Golden State Warriors are Unfair

Kevin Durant is shooting 49 percent from behind the three-point line, and his three-point rate has never been higher.

The Outlet Pass: Superstar Kemba, God Mode Horford, and the New Look Knicks published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

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The Outlet Pass: Superstar Kemba, God Mode Horford, and the New Look Knicks

The first couple weeks of the 2017-18 NBA season have been more fun, unpredictable, and mind-boggling than anyone could’ve guessed. After Gordon Hayward’s injury, the Boston Celtics look like they’ll never lose again, Aaron Gordon appears to be a budding All-Star, and Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman should probably consider blowing everything up and starting all over (kidding!).

Seriously, though, the season is quickly shaping into an entertaining adventure nobody saw coming: an ongoing drama between belief and skepticism. Between the Little Engine That Could and Small Sample Size Mountain. Let’s take a closer look.

1. Chandler Parsons Looks (Relatively) Phenomenal

Heading into this season, expectations surrounding Chandler Parsons—at 29, post-several significant knee surgeries, after a year in which no player in the entire league (except, um, his own teammate Andrew Harrison) shot the ball worse—were lower than they will be for Netflix’s inevitable rollout of Stranger Things 7. But instead of hobbling around as a $23 million ball mover, Parsons is one of the most efficient players in the entire league—last night’s 0-for-4 outing against the Orlando Magic notwithstanding—and possesses its lowest defensive rating.

(When he’s on the court, Memphis performs like a 79-win team! When he’s off, only 29.)

Parsons isn’t blowing by defenders (unless they’re named “Frank Kaminsky”), but has finally rediscovered some confidence in his shot after starting the season with a petrified look on his face every time someone passed him the ball. He’s averaging more points per 36 minutes than ever, and has spent nearly all his time at the four (a smart, new development that’s partly due to JaMychal Green’s ankle injury).

Parsons recorded two dunks in his first 100 minutes after a grand total of three in 674 minutes last season. On one play against the Charlotte Hornets, he grabbed a defensive rebound, leisurely dribbled to the top of the arc, and launched an open three. It clanged off the front iron, but that’s still an encouraging level of comfort to see from a guy who was booed by his own fanbase a couple weeks ago.

What does all this mean for the Memphis Grizzlies? Parsons has only logged 19 minutes beside Mike Conley and Marc Gasol, and in that time they were outscored by 14.2 points per 100 possessions. But if they can gel some on an upcoming five-game road trip, and Parsons is able to sustain some of his efficiency in a larger role without suffering any health-related setbacks, there’s a very good chance this team can not only qualify for the playoffs, but make some genuine noise once they’re there.

2. Big Men and Closeouts

This might seem obvious, but with even more traditional centers stepping behind the three-point line this year, the guys asked to stop them are also drifting towards the perimeter more than they used to. The following qualifies as anecdotal evidence within a small sample size, but according to NBA.com Dwight Howard is contesting 2.7 threes per game this season, up from 1.5 last year. Marc Gasol is at 3.7 three-point contests, and last year he averaged 1.8. Steven Adams contested 2.7 threes last year and now he’s at 3.6.

Again, these numbers are circumstantial—reliant on minutes, opponents, and scheme in a tiny sample size—and should be read with a grain of salt. Some centers (like Rudy Gobert and DeMarcus Cousins) haven’t seen any uptick at all. But what matters here is the reminder that as NBA offenses continue to evolve, individual defenders are being forced to need to sharpen tools they barely used to need.

Centers who bite at Joel Embiid’s pump fake, or wildly race out at Brook Lopez with no plan other than to run him off the line, put pressure on help defenders who’re forced to either foul, take a very painful charge, or desert their own assignment and surrender an open look elsewhere.

Sprinting to a dead stop and then trying to laterally stick with a ball-handler is incredibly difficult, but in today’s NBA this is what once-plodding seven-footers have to do if they want to stay on the floor.

3. Apologies to Jakob Poeltl

I don’t think my opinion on a prospect has ever shifted faster than it has with Jakob Poeltl. It was unclear watching him last year how a seven-footer who can’t shoot and doesn’t possess leap-off-the-screen athleticism could carve out a meaningful role on a winning team.

This opinion was bad. Poeltl is awesome. Not only is he a putback monster who can control the offensive glass against the right matchup (Toronto’s offensive rebound rate is 9.3 percent higher with him in the game), but the 22-year-old has also proven to be an agile pick-and-roll finisher, with touch and strength around the rim. His defense is phenomenal, too, particularly when switching out on the perimeter. Poeltl keeps one hand high to bother the shooter’s vision, swivels his hips, and slides step for step.

This is valuable, but thanks to Jonas Valanciunas and Bebe Nogueira, Poeltl’s playing time isn’t as high as his skills suggest it should be.

4. Philly’s Expanding Playbook

It’s oh so very early, but according to Synergy Sports, the Philadelphia 76ers boast the NBA’s most efficient offense after a timeout. This is a massive leap from last year, when, well, they came in dead last, averaging a measly 0.819 points per possession. Some of this is thanks to Brett Brown’s willingness to experiment with the most talented and complementary roster he’s ever had, and some is just because said talent is able to savage defenses that aren’t as focused as they should be.

Ben Simmons is as perceptive as he is physically imposing; the 21-year-old has already figured out how to make opponents pay when they don’t execute as tightly as they should (or when they’re simply unable to squeeze the ball out of his hands).

After an Iverson cut towards the left wing, Simmons attacks away from the screen once he notices that Dallas Mavericks big Dwight Powell is hugged up on Amir Johnson instead of in position to ice the pick-and-roll.

The next play starts the same, with Simmons once again opening things up by cutting across the elbow. But instead of Johnson setting a screen, Joel Embiid posts up on the left block while three other Sixers (who’re all respectable outside threats) clear out to the weakside. Trevor Ariza isn’t in position to force Simmons towards the sideline, so the phenom behaves like a phenom and instead plows into the middle towards an open lane.

These two positive results come off action that isn’t especially creative. But Brown is smart enough to realize that sometimes all he has to do is get out of the way. Wind up your franchise player, point him towards a simple two-man action, then let him wreak some havoc. Simmons’s ability to read and react at warp speed is one of the many unteachable gifts he already has, and the scheme that can slow him down might not currently exist.

5. Is Ricky Rubio Finally Evolving?

Watch what happens when a defense goes out of its way to prevent Rubio from shooting the ball.

As he spins middle off Gobert’s screen, Brandon Ingram leaves Joe Ingles (you know, the guy who made 44.1 percent of his threes last season and is even more accurate this year) to stunt and force a pass. The ball is eventually swung to the opposite corner, where Rodney Hood drills an open look.

This is probably more due to an antsy 20-year-old trying to make a play than a tactical decision from Lakers head coach Luke Walton, but it hints at a reality many thought we’d never see. Rubio is making shots. What’s even more impressive than him making 38 percent of his threes (and a completely unsustainable 54 percent of his long twos) is a newfound bravery attached to his shot selection.

Rubio’s three-point rate is currently 16.7 percent higher than his career average. Above-the-break treys are still all over the place and he still can’t finish at the rim, but a willingness to fire away could change how defenses treat him over the course of the season. Off reputation alone, Rubio’s gravity won’t ever sniff most of his contemporaries, but an ability to make defenders pay every now and again is significant.

(Also, he has the best hair in the league.)

On Wednesday, Rubio finished with 30 points (three short of his career high) on 17 shots. For just one moment, imagine an alternate reality where these developments are taking place on a Jazz roster that also has a healthy Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors nearly back to the borderline-All-Star plane where he ascended before injuries weakened his antithetical impact. Is that the second or third-best team in the Western Conference? Does a Rubio, Hood, Hayward, Favors, Gobert lineup make the Warriors sweat?

6. Reminder: Giannis is Huge!

The sight never gets old. In the opening few minutes of Milwaukee’s blowout loss against Oklahoma City on Tuesday night, Giannis glided around the floor as a taller, stronger, longer, version of all the various wing defenders employed by the Thunder. It was funny, watching OKC’s fundamental identity and nightly advantage look so delicate standing beside the NBA’s very own Cloverfield. On the same court as Giannis, Paul George, Andre Roberson, and Jerami Grant looked like raptors flailing around in Jurassic Park‘s final scene.

7. Reminder: De’Aaron Fox is Fast!

Keep an eye on the shot clock.

8. Is 2017-18 Kemba Walker About to Become 2016-17 Isaiah Thomas?

Meaning, are we in store for a second unexpected leap from a spunky Eastern Conference point guard, one season after it felt like they already spilled out all they had to offer? Earlier this week, Walker ranked third in fourth-quarter scoring (he’s now at 10th, with a number that would be top five last season), has never been more efficient from inside or outside the arc, and has damn near doubled his free-throw rate.

Walker has been fantastic inside the paint, and the Charlotte Hornets look deprived of all five senses when he’s off the court. This is somewhat due to the fact that they don’t currently have a backup point guard, but Charlotte is still an unbelievable 33.6 points per 100 possessions better when he’s in there.

There’s a jumpy, unpredictability to Walker’s game right now. On one recent possession against the Memphis Grizzlies, Walker pushed the ball in transition and nearly penetrated beneath the basket before he decided to pump the brakes and dribble back out to set up the offense. But once he realized no Grizzlies were nearby to escort him to the perimeter, he curled baseline and knocked down a wide open jumper. Splash.

With more pressure to shoulder a heavier load after Nicolas Batum went down in the preseason, Walker is playing with an unseen self-belief that’s steadily elevating his game even higher than last year’s All-Star campaign showed it could go. Taming a tiger is less complicated than corralling him off a high screen right now. He’s a virtual lock to make his second-straight All-Star team.

9. The New York Knicks are Rebounding the Shit out of the Ball

Photo by Wendell Cruz – USA TODAY Sports

Remember when the Knicks were mocked for constructing a roster that essentially barred Kristaps Porzingis from spending any time at center (only three percent of his minutes have been at that position this year, down from 21 percent last year)? Well, even after three-straight wins against the Brooklyn Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Denver Nuggets that took place before they were slapped back to Earth by the Houston Rockets, these personnel decisions probably still weren’t the way to go.

But what those personnel choices have done is help New York formulate a fun, possibly sustainable (?) Porzingis + Putbacks identity. With Carmelo Anthony out of the picture, Porzingis has spent the opening chapter of his third season mushrooming into an unguardable beanstock. Only Giannis, Boogie, and Steph Curry are averaging more points than Porzingis. Zero players have a higher usage rate.

Instead of spacing issues caused by the likes of Enes Kanter and Kyle O’Quinn, those two have butchered teams on the glass. The Knicks rank second in offensive rebound rate and third in total rebound rate. While almost every other team around the league is downsizing, New York has firmly positioned their 7’3″ franchise player at the four. And, relative to some depressing expectations, it’s working!

10. I Can’t Wait for the Atlanta Hawks to be Good

If you’ve happened to catch any recent Hawks game at Philips Arena, you might remember sideline reporter Andre Aldridge posted up at a brand new bar that just opened along the court’s baseline. It looks like the most amazing place on Earth.

The team is horrible, but have openly cuddled up beside a full-on rebuild that should (if all goes according to plan) make Philips Arena one of the NBA’s most lively atmospheres a few years down the road. Until then, Dominique Wilkins and Bob Rathbun need to broadcast every home game games directly from the bar.

11. Let’s Trade Jamal Murray for Kyle Lowry

The likeliness of a trade involving these two players is microscopic—the idea disintegrates if the Toronto Raptors and Denver Nuggets both look like solid playoff teams in late January (Lowry can’t be dealt until that month)—so I won’t spend too much time rationalizing why I think it should happen.

But it sorta makes sense! Big picture, Toronto has a rapidly progressing core simmering beneath its veteran, All-Star-caliber contributors. The aforementioned Poeltl, rookie OG Anunoby, recently signed Norm Powell, and intriguing rotation players like Delon Wright and Pascal Siakam have the future looking solid.

They’re successfully rebuilding on the fly while Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, and Serge Ibaka begin to decline on big-money contracts. Trading (at least) one of those three for valuable assets would punt meaningful playoff contention from 2018-2020, but allow continuity to accelerate within a new, modernized offensive system.

If they can somehow land someone with Murray’s upside and turn him into their new franchise player, the Raptors would seamlessly glide from a stagnant also-ran to a promising up-and-comer. Dwane Casey has already relented a bit, playing lineups that feature four or five young pups at the same time.

The main holdup here, besides contractual issues that make matching money a little difficult with these two teams, is Denver’s cooperation. Why the hell would they give up on a 20-year-old who defends his position and may own the most invaluable offensive trait in basketball: an ability to knock down pull-up threes at a reliable rate?

Denver is almost an inverse of the Raptors. Both teams are operating on two timelines, but the Nuggets are more clearly loaded to do damage five years from now. Nikola Jokic is 22, Gary Harris just turned 23, and Emmanuel Mudiay (who’s made 45.5 percent of his threes this year!) is 21. Common sense says “wait.” But Paul Millsap’s decision to climb aboard turns maximizing the present into a conversation.

Lowry has been pretty bad this year, but he’s still one of the five or six most effective all-around players at his position. Imagine how he’d look next to Jokic and Millsap. How much better would Denver be if he’s there this season and next?

Again, a trade like this is extremely complicated and would dramatically shift the direction of two franchises that seem to be content with where they are. But the word impossible doesn’t exist in today’s NBA.

12. Can Rashad Vaughn Maybe Become a Thing?

Vaughn (who recently said “that’s what we lived for” in reference to the McGriddle sandwich) entered his third season with one foot in the league and the other on a banana peel. He logged a grand total of four and a half minutes in Milwaukee’s first four games (during which he was trade bait) before draining four threes in an 11-point win against the Hawks.

On Halloween, the team decided not to pick up his fourth-year option, making Vaughn an unrestricted free agent this summer. For a team that has little financial flexibility going forward, completely whiffing on a first-round pick can have painful consequences. Giannis is clearly ready to win now, and the Eastern Conference is begging someone to usurp the Cavaliers.

As Malcolm Brogdon, Jabari Parker, and Khris Middleton each become eligible for a significant pay raise in the next couple summers, the pressure will be on Milwaukee’s front office to complement their franchise megastar with a championship-caliber supporting cast before he can flee as a free agent.

On paper, Vaughn is an ideal puzzle piece: a 6’6″ three-point threat who may one day be able to reliably knock down threes, make plays when the ball is swung his way, and threaten defenses by pulling up off a dribble hand-off or initiating his own pick-and-roll. Maybe the Bucks believe waiting to see if Vaughn pans out is a waste of everybody’s time, especially now that Tony Snell already fills the role he was meant for.

But money issues constrict ways in which Milwaukee can improve from the outside. Internal improvement is key. Vaughn’s team option feels negligible now, but giving up on him so soon may come back to haunt this team in one way or another.

13. The Spurs are Perfect Even When They’re Not

Even though Patty Mills’ game-tying three didn’t fall, San Antonio’s execution of this elevators action at the end of a recent loss against the Indiana Pacers exemplified why they’re the coolest cucumbers around.

Everything about this is ideal…until the ball leaves his fingertips.

14. Jordan Clarkson’s Usage Rate is Higher than Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, and Just About Everybody Else

To suggest Clarkson has made the most of his reduced playing time is to suggest that Kendrick Lamar sometimes steals the spotlight when he’s on other people’s songs. In ten fewer minutes than he averaged last year, Clarkson is averaging the same amount of points, knocking down threes at a more accurate clip, posting the highest assist rate of his career, and, generally standing out as a quality contributor off Los Angeles’ bench. (He launched six threes in 14 freaking minutes against the Toronto Raptors!)

He’s efficient for the very first time despite his usage percentage soaring into the rarified air normally reserved for All-Stars. Some of this is because he’s the only shot creator on the floor, often paired with the likes of Corey Brewer, Kyle Kuzma, and Josh Hart. And some of it’s because he’s been instructed to attack. It’s too early to speculate whether this is a breakout campaign or just an early-season surge, but Clarkson’s production is flying under the radar in a city that thinks Lonzo Ball is the only player who ever lived.

15. Al Horford is Playing Better Defense Than Everybody Else

The Boston Celtics have the best defense in the NBA because Al Horford is playing like its best defender. When he’s off the floor they guard like a bottom-10 unit, but when he’s out there, nailed down as a human lighthouse guiding Boston’s young pack of swarming athletes everywhere they should go, the Celtics are well-choreographed misery.

Individually, the overwhelming talent Horford has had to corral is beyond impressive: Giannis (twice), Ben Simmons, LaMarcus Aldridge, Kristaps Porzingis, and Kevin Love. All opponents are shooting just 56.2 percent at the rim when Horford is on the floor. When he rests, that number spikes all the way up to 74.6 percent. The difference ranks in the 98th percentile among players at his position, according to Cleaning the Glass).

For the fleeting minority that still scoffs at Horford’s occasional humdrum box score, and are fed up with the Ambien-akin side-effects commonly linked to what happens after repeated exposure to negated entry passes, crisp high screens, and perfect execution of more pick-and-roll coverages, Horford remains an overpaid waste. Nearly a dozen years of evidence proves they’re wrong, and this year he’s definitively worth every penny.

Using priceless instincts, flawless habits, and a wingspan that allows him to cover more ground than anyone his size should (only seven players contest more shots every game, per NBA.com), Horford has glued himself inside the all-too-early Defensive Player of the Year (pseudo-MVP?) conversation. He shouldn’t leave it anytime soon.

16. Tristan Thompson is a Black Eye on Cleveland’s Bloody Face

The Cavaliers have dropped five of their last six games, with all five losses coming up against teams few, if anybody, projected to make the playoffs. Life is rough. But on a team with defensive woes that are as much due to mental indifference as they are physical fragility, Thompson’s struggles across the board are particularly worrisome.

Two years ago, the Cavaliers allowed 101.7 points per 100 possessions with Thompson on the floor. This season, his defensive rating is 111.2. His minutes are down, his confidence is low, and his offensive role is non-existent. It’s obviously possible for the Cavaliers to bounce back after Isaiah Thomas returns and LeBron James starts to feel like a superhero.

But up until he suffered a calf injury against the Indiana Pacers that will sideline him about a month, Thompson was a non-threat off the ball who launched more long twos than he ever should. If James leaves in free agency this summer, the $36 million Thompson is owed over the next two years turn that contract into one of the league’s roughest (from Cleveland’s perspective!) agreements.

To be fair, once he’s healthy, Thompson’s numbers should stabilize once Cleveland works an actual point guard into their rotation. Teams were able to switch James-Thompson pick-and-rolls, and the sliver of opportunity born from that action mainly arrived after a mistake. Here’s an example, as miscommunication between Jrue Holiday and Dante Cunningham leads to an easy dunk.

17. Dillon Brooks is Found Money

I wonder how a lucky a front office feels whenever they draft someone 45th overall and then immediately watch him flourish in consequential ways. Is this like finding a $20 bill in your back pocket or hearing your train approach the second you descend onto a subway platform?

The Memphis Grizzlies have had their fair share of first-round blunders, but scoring with guys like Brooks has helped keep this organization afloat, stiff-arming a rebuild further out than it probably should be.

I don’t have much to say about Brooks. He seems to be a cagey one-on-one defender, someone who’s relentless and difficult to screen. That’s nice. He’s also committed a bunch of rookie mistakes and isn’t really making his threes. But the fact that he’s averaging 30 minutes per game on one of the league’s most pleasant surprises is telling.

The value of a second-round pick is never more clear than in transcendent figures like Manu Ginobili or Draymond Green, but they still feel like an undervalued commodity. Think about how different the Los Angeles Clippers might look today if they drafted someone like Brooks a few years ago?

Plucking a helpful contributor in the second round takes quite a bit of luck, but some teams have an ability to carve their own more often than others.

18. Your Weekly Reminder that the Golden State Warriors are Unfair

Kevin Durant is shooting 49 percent from behind the three-point line, and his three-point rate has never been higher.

The Outlet Pass: Superstar Kemba, God Mode Horford, and the New Look Knicks syndicated from http://ift.tt/2ug2Ns6