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morally-grey-girlbosses · 1 year ago

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Bracket is up! Matchups are in text form under the cut. Reminder that all of these matchups were chosen randomly, and that this bracket will be run in a double elimination style, so a character failing out in round one does NOT prevent them from proceeding into the tournament.

Ursula Boulton (Merge Mansion) vs. Betty Grof (Adventure Time)

Evelyn Wang (Everything Everywhere All At Once) vs. The Coin / Boss (Blaseball)

Morgan Le Fay (Fate) vs. Edelgard Von Hresvelg (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)

IMOGEN (Stellar Firma) vs. Amalexia (Elder Scrolls)

Maeby Funke (Arrested Development) vs. Manon Blackbeak (Throne of Glass)

Taylor Hebert / Skitter (Worm) vs. GLaDOS / Caroline (Portal)

Cleo DeNile (Monster High) vs. Nico Robin (One Piece)

Helen Richardson / The Distortion (The Magnus Archives) vs. Calanthe (The Witcher)

Irving Braxiatel (Thieves & Tardises) vs. Nefera DeNile (Monster High)

Alina Starkov (Shadow & Bone) vs. Lady Barbrey Dustin (A Song Of Ice & Fire)

Eclipsa Butterfly (Star vs. the Forces of Evil) vs. Jennifer Check (Jennifer’s Body)

Moira O’Deorain (Overwatch) vs. Captain Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Carribbean)

Iron Maiden Jeanne (Shaman King) vs. Artemis (Greek Myth)

Tomie Kawakami (Tomie) vs. Dame Obsidian (Murdle)

Rachel (Animorphs) vs. Juri Han (Street Fighter)

Shego (Kim Possible) vs. Asajj Ventress (Star Wars)

Tabitha Scarlet (Scarlet Hollow) vs. Morte Asherah (Sands of Destruction)

Theresa (Fable) vs. Morgana Pendragon/Le Fey (BBC Merlin)

Nailgun Sue (IRL) vs. The Witch (Into the Woods)

Chara / The Fallen Human (Undertale) vs. Nimona (Nimona)

Klaasje Amandou (Disco Elysium) vs. Margot “gottiewrites” Garcia (An Unauthorized Fan Treatise)

Prince Ianthe Naberius the First, the Lyctor Prince, the Saint of Awe, previously known as Ianthe Tridentarius, the Princess of Ida, heir to the House of the Third, Mouth of the Emperor, the Procession, House of the Shining Dead (The Locked Tomb) vs. Baru Cormorant (The Masquerade Series)

Anna Croft (Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint) vs. Sailor Galaxia (Sailor Moon)

Ms. Pauling (Team Fortress 2) vs. Lady Alcina Dimitrescu (Resident Evil)

Charlie Magne/Morningstar (Hazbin Hotel) vs. Vriska Serket (Homestuck)

Willie Jack (Reservation Dogs) vs. Gretchen Klein (The Wilds)

Rachel (Tower of God) vs. Galadriel (Lord of the Rings)

Charlie (Don’t Starve) vs. Pomegranate Cookie (Cookie Run)

Rose Quartz / Pink Diamond (Steven Universe) vs. Filo (Shield Hero)

Tokiko Shigure (Ai: The Somnium Files) vs. Sandy (TokiDoki Cactus Friends)

Shion Sonozaki (Higurashi When They Cry) vs. Banica Conchita (Evillious Chronicles)

Mima (Touhou) vs. Yūko Ichihara (xxxHolic)

Yuno Gasai (Future Diary) vs. Laerynn Coramar-Seelie (Critical Role)

Riza Hawkeye (Fullmetal Alchemist) vs. Granny Weatherwax (Discworld)

Catherine Earnshaw (Wuthering Heights) vs. Susie Haltmann (Kirby: Planet Robobot)

Lae’Zel (Baldur’s Gate 3) vs. Starlight Glimmer (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Rocky Horror Picture Show) vs. Angela (Library of Ruina)

Miranda Vanderbilt (Monster Prom) vs. Jinx (Arcane / League of Legends)

Rose Thorburn Jr. (Pact) vs. Eva (Umineko When They Cry)

Empress Phillipa Georgiou (Star Trek) vs. Shiv Roy (Succession)

Paige Duplass (The Silt Verses) vs. Akua Sahelian (A Practical Guide to Evil)

Poison Ivy (DCEU) vs. Nickel (IDW Transformers)

Joyce Messier (Disco Elysium) vs. Reagan Ridley (Inside Job)

Kalina (Fantasy High) vs. MegaGirl (Starship)

Sloane Parker (Eidolon Playtest) vs. Power (Chainsaw Man)

Marcille Donato (Dungeon Meshi) vs. Raiden Ei / Beelzebul (Genshin)

Patty Bladell (Insatiable) vs. Remy “Thirteen” Hadley (House MD)

Tanya von Degurechaff (The Saga of Tanya the Evil) vs. Fang Runin (The Poppy War)

Nomi Malone (Showgirls) vs. Han Sooyoung (Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint)

Wu Zetian (The Iron Widow) vs. Lariska (Bionicle)

Teresa Agnes (Maze Runner) vs. Emma Perkins (Hatchetfield Series)

Lucrecia Mux / Maligula (Psychonauts) vs. Nadja of Antipaxos (What We Do In The Shadows)

Akako Koizumi (Magic Kaito) vs. Junko Enoshima (Danganronpa)

Blackberry (Chicory: A Colorful Tale) vs. Malva (Pokemon)

Vermouth (Detective Conan) vs. Kumoko / Shiraori (So I’m a Spider So What)

Eleanor (Do Revenge) vs. Bryony Halbech (Red Valley)

Asuka Langley Soryu (Neon Genesis Evangelion) vs. Terezi Pyrope (Homestuck)

Leliana (Dragon Age) vs. Archbishop Rhea/Seiros (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)

Grimora (Inscryption) vs. Anthy Himemiya (Revolutionary Girl Utena)

Audrey Redheart (Wandersong) vs. Kyoko Sakura (Puella Magi Madoka Magic)

Fujiko Mine (Lupin III) vs. O-Ren Ishii (Kill Bill)

Anne (WOE.BEGONE) vs. Gwendolyn Poole (Marvel Comics)

Lappland Saluzzo (Arknights) vs. Avrana Kern (Children of Time)

Harley Quinn (DCEU) vs. Cassandra Jones (Rise of the TMNT)

Faith Lehane (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) vs. Rosalyne-Kruzchka Lohefalte / La Signora (Genshin Impact)

Revan (Star Wars) vs Rue Kuroha / Princess Kraehe (Princess Tutu)

Eve (The Bible) vs. Prospera Mercury (Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury)

May Angelica Jones Goodwin (It Takes Two) vs. Elle Williams (The Last of Us)

Marina (Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas) vs. Naksu / Mudeok (Alchemy of Souls)

Patrick Bateman (American Psycho) vs. Sucre (OFF)

SHODAN (System Shock) vs. Cocolia (Honkai: Star Rail)

Alana Bloom (NBC Hannibal) vs. Halea Haumea (Phantomarine)

Delirium of the Endless (The Sandman) vs. Arcee (IDW Transformers)

Morganthe (Wizard 101) vs. Wu Zetian (History)

Jude Duarte (Folk of the Air) vs. Miranda Pryce (Wolf 359)

Perihelion/ART (The Murderbot Diaries) vs. Kanamori Sayaka (Keep your Hands off Eizouken!)

Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum (Adventure Time) vs. Anais Watterson (The Amazing World of Gumball)

Croix Meridies (Little Witch Academia) vs. Lady Macbeth (Macbeth)

Harrowhark Nonagesmius (The Locked Tomb) vs. Big Mama (Rise of the TMNT)

Katherine Pierce (The Vampire Diaries) vs. White Gladys the Orca (IRL)

Doctor Carmilla (Doctor Carmilla & the Mechanisms) vs. The Handler (Umbrella Academy)

Catra (She-Ra & The Princesses of Power) vs. Liliana Vess (Magic: The Gathering)

Jasnah Kholin (Stormlight Archive) vs. Liraz (Daughter of Smoke & Bone)

Lilith Clawthorne (TOH) vs. Medea (Greek Myth)

Odin (The Bifrost Incident) vs. Enma Ai (Jigoku Shoujo)

Mordred (Fate) vs. Nana Daiba (Revue Starlight)

Beatrice (Umineko When They Cry) vs. Hester Shaw (Mortal Engines)

Balalaika (Black Lagoon) vs. Any Female Praying Mantis (IRL)

Veronica Sawyer (Heathers) vs. W (Arknights)

Angelica Pickles (Rugrats/All Grown Up) vs. Eleanor Guthry (Black Sails)

Asha Rahiro (Kubera One Last God) vs. Willow Rosenberg (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

The Administrator (Team Fortress 2) vs. Shadowheart (Baldur’s Gate 3)

Noi (Dorohedro) vs. Leopardstar (Warrior Cats)

Sue Miley (Your Turn to Die) vs. Beatrix Kiddo (Kill Bill)

Juliette Cai (These Violent Delights) vs. Rat God (Mad Rat Dead)

Petra Solano (Jane the Virgin) vs. Kycilia Zabi (Mobile Suit Gundam)

Franziska Von Karma (Ace Attorney) vs. Monika (Doki Doki Literature Club)

Anne Boleyn (History) vs. Cinder Fall (RWBY)

Kokomi Teruhashi (Disastrous life of Saiki K) vs. Major Margaret Houlihan (M*A*S*H)

Mrs. Lovett (Sweeney Todd) vs. Enyo (Granblue Fantasy)

Claudia (Interview with the Vampire) vs. Essun/Syenite/Damaya (Broken Earth Trilogy)

Lady Eboshi (Princess Mononoke) vs. Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower (Bloodborne)

Entrapta (She-Ra & The Princesses of Power) vs. Ilsa Faust (Mission: Impossible)

Princess Azula (Avatar: The Last Airbender) vs. Dahlia Hawthorne (Ace Attorney)

Samantha Groves / Root (Person of Interest) vs. Charlotte “Lottie” Matthews (Yellowjackets)

Shanoa (Castlevania) vs. Sally Reed (Barry)

Evil Lynn (He-Man) vs. Makima (Chainsaw Man)

Mabel Pines (Gravity Falls) vs. Raphaella La Coginzi (Doctor Carmilla & The Mechanisms)

Edalyn Clawthorne (The Owl House) vs. Yennefer of Vengerberg (The Witcher)

Toriel Dreemurr (Undertale) vs. Monaco (Hetalia: Axis Powers)

Elizabeth Swann (Pirates of the Carribbean) vs. Vala Mal Doran (Stargate)

Wanda Maximoff (MCU) vs. Adelina Amouteru (Young Elites)

Mapleshade (Warrior Cats) vs. Amy Dunne (Gone Girl)

Gertrude Robinson (The Magnus Archives) vs. Hornet (Hollow Knight)

Homura Akemi (Puella Magi Madoka Magica) vs. PearlescentMoon (Double Life SMP)

Lady Bone Demon (Lego Monkie Kid) vs. Annabeth Chase (Percy Jackson Series)

Jung Sun Ah (Devil Judge) vs. Muu Kusonoski (Milgram)

Romanadvoratrelundar (Doctor Who) vs. Electra (Starlight Express)

Rouge the Bat (Sonic the Hedgehog) vs. Akane Kurashiki (Zero Escape)

Wen Qing (The Untamed) vs. Yubel (Yu-Gi-Oh)

Ponyo (Ponyo) vs. Renata Glasc (League of Legends)

Aubrey (OMORI) vs. Menou (The Executioner and Her Way of Life)

Olivia Octavius (Into the Spiderverse) vs. Anna Limon (Mabel)

HG Wells (Warehouse 13) vs. The Shapeshifter (Odd Squad)

Miles “Tails” Prowler (Sonic the Hedgehog) vs. Isabella (Promised Neverland)

Riley Grace Davis / Bonesaw (Worm) vs. The Fairy Godmother (Shrek 2)

Misty Quigley (Yellowjackets) vs. Nami (One Piece)

Olivier Mira Armstrong (Fullmetal Alchemist) vs. Lucretia (The Adventure Zone: Balance)

#poll #tournament poll

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yeahprobablyamimic · 2 years ago

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tbh i’m scared to post my super sad dndads hc SO here’s a mildly (?) happy one? its one of the happier ones i’ve written, but i just absolutely LOVE ron and tj’s relationship okay anyways bye TJ has only seen Ron cry a few times. When ron proposed to Samantha and she said yes, when terry called him dad for the first time, facing willy, and when they got him a dog for fathers day. So when Terry Jr. told Ron he was marrying a woman named Veronica who had a daughter named Theresa, Terry did not expect Ron to absolutely BURST into tears. Sobbing "You're gonna be such a good dad kid

#dndads #dungeons and daddies #dungeons and daddies (podcast)#terry jr stampler #ron stampler #samantha stampler

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sflow-er · 1 year ago

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After reading The Magic Trick You Didn't See, the essay by @ariaste, I've got some thoughts on Maggie and Nina (well, mostly Maggie) that I kind of want to write down to make sense of them. I'm putting them under the cut to spare anyone who isn't interested in GO2 or hasn't seen it yet and doesn't want to be spoiled.

[Before I start rambling, I want to stress that I haven't really been active enough in the GO tag to know if a similar theory has already been presented. Also, I realise I could be way off the mark here, this is pure speculation!]

So to recap the basic premise of the essay mentioned above, much of what we see in GO2 could have been altered by the Metatron using the Book of Life, aka. the Chekov's gun that never went off. I'm not sure if I subscribe to every aspect of that theory (for example, I do think that wee Morag really died, and that it's possible Aziraphale only started drinking alcohol in the 1900s, although I'll admit some of the bits where he turns it down are harder to explain than others).

What I do fully agree on is that Maggie often feels more like a character than a real person in this fictional world. Something about her just feels off. The essay cites many great examples, such as her abrupt mood swings and her uncanny valley reactions (especially her line at the ball, about how suddenly knowing the steps is "just what we do", and her zoning out right before the demons attack and then suddenly starting to antagonise them).

Anyway, this got me thinking. If Maggie was a character written by the Metatron, why and when would he have started writing her in the first place?

Well, what if there was cleanup to be done after Adam fixed things at the end of GO1? All the events of that week were altered, but what about everything that happened before? Because that's the thing that jumps out to me about his line to the Devil: "You're not my father, and you never were." Meaning he also altered the past.

Which begs the question, if Adam was never the Antichrist, what became of The Chattering Order of St Beryl? Did it ever exist at all? Did Hastur still destroy the convent and kill most of the nuns? After all, the book says their sole purpose in existing was to deliver the Antichrist - who never was, as of the end of GO1.

Keep in mind that the burning of the convent happened eleven years before the events of GO1. I assume there would be a lot more paperwork involved in bringing to life people who already moved on from the earthly plain over a decade ago. They wouldn't even have a life to come back to, which is where the Book of Life could come in.

Now, I know Neil has said that Maggie and Nina are not the same people as Sister Theresa and (Sister) Mary in GO1...but that would still hold true even if they were just altered versions of themselves.

I'm not sure about Mary/Nina. It's possible that Adam himself changed her, as she was still alive at the time of the shift. Maybe her parents didn't raise her as Satanist after all (as they did in the book), or they didn't give her a biblical name like Mary, or she changed it. Or perhaps Nina was always her real name, but she became Mary when she took her vows and kept it when she became Mary Hodges. Perhaps this is what her life would have looked like if she never joined the Order.

It's also just as possible that she really is a different person who simply looks the same, much like Beelzebub is the same person who simply looks different. Either way, she remains a real human person.

As for Theresa/Maggie... Well, we don't know how she was raised, or if Theresa was her real name, or anything else really. I don't think that matters as much either, because the main point is that she already died 11 years ago.

It's mentioned time and again that people can't just be resurrected willy-nilly, and it's left quite unclear how Adam's powers worked, exactly. Perhaps God told the Metatron to smooth over the ripples (after all, the whole thing was part of Her plan all along, and She usually leaves it to the angels to implement Her plans). The Metatron then decided it was easier to make up new characters based on the people who died years ago than to truly bring them back to life, much like the angels in the Job minisode figured that giving him seven new children was even better than resurrecting the old three.

And since the Metatron was creating Maggie anyway and had the power to write her a completely different life, why not take the chance to also place her close to Aziraphale? The Metatron plays a much more intricate game than most of the angels, and he's extremely committed to seeing the plans through. Surely it would occur to him to keep tabs on the dangerous rebel who consorted with a demon and played a big part in stopping the first part of Armageddon, in case the two of them tried to meddle in the second part as well.

So, by a few strokes of the Metatron's heavenly pen (or keyboard), Aziraphale is suddenly Maggie's landlord in GO2. Of course, it's normal for shows to introduce new characters by making existing ones act like they were there all along...but if we accept the premise that Maggie isn't actually real, Aziraphale never even mentioning his tenant when the bookshop burned down and the world was about to end in GO1 definitely works in our favour.

Anyway. I'm not sure how serious I even am about this theory - it only just came to me this morning, and I wanted to write it down to get it out of my head. So if you disagree or think it's too farfetched, that's totally fair!

#good omens #good omens theory #good omens spoilers #good omens season 2 #good omens season 2 spoilers #good omens 2 #good omens 2 spoilers #maggie good omens #metatron good omens #nina good omens #not yr

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uchicagoscrc · 1 year ago

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Holding space: The Archive and Blues Tradition at the University of Chicago

Performance spaces like the Checkerboard Lounge, Theresa’s, Buddy Guy’s Legends, Club DeLisa, Pepper’s Lounge, Gerri’s Palm Tavern, and the Parkway Lounge have, historically, made the City of Chicago synonymous with the Blues. They were critical neighborhood institutions that also helped to forge local community ties and pathways for global connections. However, extant narratives of the history of Chicago Blues are absent of the part that The University of Chicago has played in that formation. So much so, in 2003, journalist Celeste Garrett wrote that the University was “known more for generating Nobel Prize winners than for being a source of the Blues.” This is true. At present, in fact, there are 97 Nobel Prize winners who are or have been associated with the University. However, what is little known about the institution, as the archive reveals, is that The University of Chicago played a small, but crucial, role in fashioning a space and place for the presence and preservation of Chicago Blues history and culture.

Perchance, the University’s manifold attractions and interests and distractions, along with its perceived distance to African American history and lifeworld’s, we tend to disassociate it with such diasporic cultural attractions and productions such as Blues. Contrary to popular belief, the University, equal to the institutions listed above, held space for the blues, its traditions, and celebrated and prepared for its thriving futurity.

In the 1940s, the campus hosted its first blue’s performance. Then, in 1952, the first major concert was produced, with performances by Chick Heston, Preston Jackson, John Henly, William “King” Colax, Ernest Crawford, and Mammy Yancy, headlined by Mahalia Jackson, and sponsored by the “Student Cultural Clubs.” On campus Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters were among the most favored performers and personalities. Howlin’ Wolf first performed at UC in 1960 and at the end of the decade an advertisement in the classifieds of the Daily Maroon read, “Who the hell wants to go to Washington when Howlin’ Wolf is playing right here on campus, tomorrow nite [sic] for only $1.50 (sure beats $25).” And, in 1962, the Salisbury House hosted a dinner for Muddy Waters, engaging him on the blues, his life story, his artistry and aesthetics and philosophy. These events seemed to cement the Blue’s in the cultural landscape of the institution that no one seemed to be aware of in spite of the festivals that grew up there, including the annual Folk Festival organized by the Folk Society, the Blues and Ribs festival that came later, and the Logan Center Bluesfest and the other concerts that were promoted by Enterprise Productions, the Alumni Association, and the Inter Fraternity Council. Though concerts were put on at Mandel Hall, other spaces around campus were (or became) places for the Blues, including Bartlett Gymnasium, Ida Noyes Hall, and, much later, the Logan Center for the Arts.

The concerts were not exclusively to student or UC associates; the invites were extended to all interested in the music. Many came to the University for those performances to be baptized and delivered in the holy sonic waters of such artists like Chester Burnett, Big Bill Broonzy, Buddy Guy, James Cotton, Elvin Bishop’s Big Fun Trio, Jimmy Johnson, Eddy Clearwater, Corky Siegel, Lil’ Ed, and Melody Angel, Willie Dixon, Elizabeth Cotten, “Mississippi” John Hurt, Roscoe Holcomb, the Stanley Brothers, Paul Butterfield, Louis Killen, Koko Taylor, and Billy Branch, among many others. As with the blues performances scattered about the city, reverberating the blues houses near and far, the clientele that patronized the university concerts, came to lay down the quotidian, the stuff that invented the blues, what Houston Baker surmised as the “world of transience, instability, hard luck, brutalizing work, lost love, minimal security, and enduring human wit and resourcefulness in the face of disaster.”

What’s more, the University of Chicago offered to help preserve the culture of the blues in the city by keeping the Checkerboard Lounge open (that closed in 2003, but reopened in Hyde Park in 2005), while many of the other clubs that helped to place Chicago Blue’s on the map have closed. During the early negotiations of this transition, former UC Vice President for Community and Government Affairs, referring to these historical neighborhood institutions, most notably the Checkerboard, argued for this rescue plan saying, “It’s an important place in history in a city where it’s important to preserve it.” He was right.

The University of Chicago’s influence doesn’t end there: the institution has been acknowledged for its impact on the Nobel Prize winning blues instrumentalist Henry Threadgill, who learned avant-garde classical music attending performances of the Contemporary Chamber Players at the University of Chicago growing up. As well as Elvin Bishop, another Chicago native, of the Elvin Bishop Group, who also attended classes at the University of Chicago, who made the Southside and West Side digs his classroom as well. And there are others, not to mention, Paul Butterfield whose band, as Paul Eisenberg reported earlier this year, The Butterfield Blues Band was formed out of the many activities surrounding the blues festival that was organized at the University of Chicago. The band went on to become a major influence abroad spreading the Chicago-style blues abroad, furthering the legacy of the many blues artists who descended upon the city many years prior.

This dive here is but a brief one; perhaps the start of an archival project to investigate the overall impact that the University has had on the Blues community in Chicago, and, more specifically, the African American community throughout the Southside who favored the institution as their scene for blues performances and have recollections regarding it as a site of memory. Howard Reich noted in 2005 that “. . . Chicago blues are everywhere in this town – if you know how to listen.” It appears that the sonic resonances of the blues are everywhere in the University’s archives. By listening to the archive available at the University, then, where it intersects with the Blue’s scene across the city and, most notably, within the Black community, researchers might find other profound socially based reverberations and hidden histories of the blue’s, reflecting and fomenting other realities and pathways for understanding the past and present conditions of Chicago’s communities.

Literary scholar Steve Tracy reminds us that “. . . the blues provides ‘a structured but expansive place for the individual to relate to and express the community, and for artists to touch home base but still express themselves individually.” We are uniquely positioned to expand with deeper dives into the library’s digitized collections (including the Campus Publications and the Photographic Archives) and University Archives, to discover and institute pathways for transformative community building and public history projects.

Images Top to Bottom:

Audience enjoying a Blues concert, circa 1990s. Photograph by Adam Lisberg, Chicago Maroon. UChicago Photographic Archive apf7-03946.

Three young women enjoy barbecued ribs at the Blues and Ribs festival in the University of Chicago's Ida Noyes Hall, October 1997. Photograph by Melody Weinstein, Chicago Maroon. UChicago Photographic Archive apf7-05986-001.

Buddy Guy plays a concert with his band in Mandel Hall at the University of Chicago, January 24, 1992. Photograph by Richard Kornylak, Chicago Maroon. UChicago Photographic Archive apf7-03949-002.

#black music month #black music history month #uchicago history #black music matters

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perfectpaperbluebirds · 2 years ago

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🥶+🌡+🤧 for the Tenbusch family, please!Preferably at big holiday family gathering, though your choice who is sick!

- @fever-comfort

CW: Internalized homophobia.

Title: The Last Christmas

Words: 3311

Prompts:

🥶 shivers

🌡 fevery cuddles

🤧 sick for the holidays

Hello, anon, and sorry this took so long to get out. I was wanting these things to be simple drabbles, but the muse demanded plotty angst intead. I hope you love the Tenbusch's, because this might be more than you bargained for. However, I really really love how it came out, and I love how much depth this adds to the characters. And it is angst with a happy ending, I promise.

As I said above, there is quite a bit of homophobia in this, but it's important to the overall story of this family. But as always, read at your own risk and stay safe.

"I'm really worried about JB. He's getting worse, not better. His fever just keeps climbing."

This was how Thad announced his arrival in the kitchen the morning of Christmas Eve. Theo, Audra, Thalia, and Mrs. Theresa Tenbusch had been sitting around the table eating breakfast, and most of them jumped at his intrusion. Had Thad taken a moment to observe them, he would have seen Thalia wolfing down her food in her haste to escape the room, her face like a storm cloud as the anger and tension from the previous evening continued to linger, while Theo and Audra ate in awkward silence. Thad did not notice any of this however, and didn't bother to greet any of them but instead went right to the medicine cupboard, rummaging around.

"I'm going to give him some Tylenol. I have a bad feeling he picked up something nasty on the way here." The worry in his voice was evident as he sorted through the available collection of medications.

Mrs. Tenbusch set down her spoon with a sigh, dabbing at her mouth daintily before she spoke, choosing her words with care. "Perhaps if your friend is under the weather he should go home. I wouldn't want him to risk getting anyone else sick."

Thad's back stiffened. "And how do you propose he go home when I was the one who drove him here, mother?" he said icily.

"Well surely someone can come and get him and bring him back to his house."

"No. They can't." Thad slammed the cupboard door shut with a snap, turning to level a stare at their mother. "We're five hours away from home. No one could come get him."

"Well I just think if he's so sick then he shouldn't be here. His parents or someone should come get him."

Thad's eyes narrowed to a glare. "Let me make this very clear: If JB leaves, I will be leaving with him."

"Oh but Thaddeus you can't leave! We're going to have a lovely FAMILY Christmas!"

"So JB can leave, but not me. Thank you for explaining so fully," Thad said quietly.

"And what about Audra? If JB should go, shouldn't Audra go as well, for our FAMILY Christmas?" Theo chimed in.

"Oh no no no. Audra IS family," Mrs. Tenbusch said, patting Audra's hand fondly.

Audra quickly pulled her hand away, her face reddening.

Theresa did not acknowledge this. "It's only because Thaddeus's friend is sick. I just don't want him getting anyone else sick."

"And what about Bella?" Thalia said quietly, her knuckles white on the edge of the table.

Mrs. Tenbusch didn't reply, but returned to her cereal, which was all the reply anyone needed. Thad stormed out of the kitchen and stomped upstairs, clutching the Tylenol bottle in a clenched fist.

He slammed the door to his bedroom open a moment later, waking JB from his latest fever nap with a jump. Thad yanked their suitcases over and began throwing all their belongings in willy-nilly.

"We're packing up and leaving, babe. I won't stay under the same roof as that homophobic bitch another minute," Thad spat.

JB struggled to sit up, coughing as he did. "Wait, Thad. Don't do anything you'll regret. I feel like running away isn't the best option here."

His voice was hoarse and strained, nothing like his usual lovely baritone, and Thad couldn't help but go to his side to kiss his hot forehead in sympathy, handing him the Tylenol. "Well what do you suggest?" Thad asked. "She essentially said she doesn't want you and Bella here. Again. I refuse to stay where we're not welcome, Christmas be damned."

JB swallowed a few pills, then leaned his head against Thad's side. "She's still your mother. I would rather you try to reconcile with her this weekend, if nothing else for the sake of the season." Here he had to stop to cough, rubbing his chest. "But more than that, I feel like absolute shit and I don't want to spend five hours in the car on Christmas Eve. There's a warm bed right here, and at this moment that's all I have the capacity to care about."

"Ever the pragmatist," Thad chuckled, which turned into a soft cough of his own.

"Which is one of the reasons you love me," JB murmured around a yawn.

"Keep telling yourself that," Thad said, pressing his lips to the other man's hair. "But if you're really feeling that bad, I guess we can stick it out. As long as I don't have to be in the same room with her for very long."

"Nope. And we'll never come back here again if you don't want to," JB mumbled, drifting toward sleep again.

"Thank gods," Thad said emphatically, which turned into another barking cough.

JB cracked an eye open, frowning. "You better not be getting sick too. Then we'll really be in trouble."

Thad waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry about me." He kicked off his shoes and slid into bed beside his partner, wrapping him in his arms as JB had begun to visibly shiver. "You just worry about getting better."

The pair spent much of the day in bed together napping on and off. Thad only left the room when JB required medications or water. The eldest Tenbusch sibling was only reluctantly coaxed out of the room later that evening by the other two for the most sacred of holiday traditions: the decorating of the family Christmas tree.

Theo and Thalia were waiting with their parents in strained silence when a headachey Thad arrived, scrubbing at his face and yawning, having just woken from another nap.

"Where's Bella and Audra?" Thad rasped, glancing around at the assembled company.

"Bella chose not to join us. She didn't want to interrupt the FAMILY tradition," Thalia said, shooting a glare over to her parents.

"Audra felt the same way," Theo said quietly, staring at the ground.

Theresa smiled, pretending she hadn't heard. "Now that we're all here, we can get started! Thom dear, fetch the angel. Oh I'm so happy we're all together this year!"

The siblings elected not to reply, keeping the peace for the time being. They fell into the familiar rhythm of decorating the tree together, not speaking much. Thad had developed a nasty cough over the course of the day, eerily similar to the one JB had had the night before, and at first everyone tried to ignore that, too. Finally, compassionate Theo couldn't take it any longer.

"Are you okay, Thad? You don't sound so good," he quietly said after Thad had turned away to cough for the dozenth time.

"I've definitely been better," Thad said thickly.

"Oh this is just perfect," Thomas Tenbusch said, throwing his hands in the air. "Now he's gone and gotten Thaddeus sick for the holidays. He shouldn't have come with you."

"Who exactly is 'he'?" Thad asked, turning to level a black stare at his father.

"You know who I mean," Mr. Tenbusch grumbled, jerking his head toward the ceiling. "Him. Upstairs."

"You wouldn't be referring to JB would you? My partner, my boyfriend, the man I'm going to marry someday? Because if you were talking about him, I would hope you would use his name." Thad's voice was deadly quiet, daring his father to continue.

"Don't say that. He's your roommate and nothing more," sniffed Mr. Tenbusch.

"And why exactly shouldn't I say it if it's true?" Thad said.

"Because– because if you're going to marry a man, it would be better if you were never born!"

A shocked silence hung over the room, with everyone frozen in place. Thad glared at his father for a long moment. Then, with slow deliberation, he released the hold on the ornament he was holding, one of their mother's favorite blown glass bulbs, and let it fall to the ground, never breaking his father's gaze. Mrs. Tenbusch gasped as the glass shattered into thousands of shards. Thad then turned and left the room without another word.

He stormed up to his bedroom just as he has that morning. The suitcases were where he'd left them, half packed. He knelt in front of them again and resumed packing, even as tears rolled down his face.

"Thad? Wuz wrong? Wuz happ'ni'g?" JB croaked, startled awake once again.

"We're leaving. Now. I'll get your stuff together for you." A painful, stabbing coughing fit prevented him from elaborating further.

JB slowly sat up, trying to shake off sleep, and thoroughly confused by the sense of deja vu from that morning. "Thought you said we could stay?"

"Not anymore. They made their choice."

The dangerous intensity in Thad's voice told JB there was no point in protesting. The sick man slid to the edge of the bed and carefully stood, gripping the headboard for support during the initial rush of dizziness. Once his head cleared, he slowly began to collect his clothes and pull on extra layers, preparing to go to the car without question. Thad shot him a grateful look, but didn't slow, trying to pack as quickly as possible.

Just as the pair was almost finished with their preparations, Theo, Audra, Thalia and Bella appeared in the doorway of their bedroom. Thad forced himself to look at them, tears still streaming down his face. Thalia pushed past the others and ran to him, falling to her knees and crushing him into a hug, her own tears starting to flow. Thad hugged her back just as fiercely.

"Jesus, Thad, you're a furnace right now," she laughed through her tears as he buried his face in her neck.

"I know, I'm sorry. You should probably be keeping your distance, Lee. I'm gonna get you sick," he mumbled, half-heatedly pulling away.

"Like I give a f*ck," she shot back, hugging him all the tighter.

"I'm so sorry, Thad," Theo said softly. "I'm so sorry they said that."

"You're not the one who needs to apologize. And even if they apologized, I wouldn't forgive them." He gently pulled away from Thalia and stood with a chesty cough, hefting both suitcases with a glance at JB, who sat huddled on the foot of the bed in a feverish daze. "We're leaving right now, and we're never coming back. We'll drive home through the night. JB is too sick to be anywhere besides home."

"I don't know if you should be leaving right now with how feverish you look, though," Theo said hesitantly. "Are you sure your mind is clear–"

"Bella and I are leaving right now, too," Thalia said sharply.

"We're ALL leaving right now," Audra cut in, leveling a glare at her husband before turning back to Thad. "You're our brother. And they've proved that they no longer want to be your parents. So we're sticking with you."

Thad's eyes filled with tears again. "That's not necessary–"

"Yes, it is," Audra interrupted. "They made their choice. We're ALL leaving tonight."

Her unknowingly repeating Thad's own words convinced Thad that they meant what they said. Thad heaved a tiny sigh. "Okay. If you're sure."

"... We'll just need a few minutes to pack, then," Theo said with a small sigh. "Would you be okay waiting until we're all ready to leave? That way we can stay mostly together."

Thad nodded. "It'll take us a few minutes to get settled anyway. We'll wait." He turned again to his sick partner. "Sit there for a bit, love, while I get the car warm for you. I'll be right back to help you downstairs."

JB nodded, arms clenched around himself as he coughed and shivered miserably.

Thad stepped past everyone carefully, still carrying both suitcases. As he emerged from the dim bedroom into the light of the hallway, Audra surveyed him and frowned at what she saw.

"Are you really sure you're okay to drive, Thad? I can see you shaking."

Thad tried to smile. " Don't worry about me. I already slept most of the day. I'll be fine."

Theo and Audra gave each other a quick look as he turned away, but let it rest for the time being.

True to their word, the others immediately began to pack as Thad loaded up the car and got JB settled in the backseat, bundled under three blankets. He didn't see his parents as he went in and out. He heard them in the living room, apparently still decorating the tree.

In no time the others also began to emerge from the house and load up their cars. Once they were ready, Thalia and Theo went to Thad's window. He rolled it down, coughing harshly at the breath of cold, dry air.

"Do we want to meet at our usual gas station just outside Chicago to regroup in case we get separated?" Theo asked.

Thad raised an eyebrow. "I didn't realize we were staying in a group.

"Why wouldn't we? We're all going to roughly the same place," Theo said.

"I mean not really. But okay, if that's what you want to do," Thad said, too tired and crummy-feeling to argue.

"Good. Rendezvous there in about three hours, then."

"Over and out," Thalia said, turning on her heel and getting into Bella's car. The pair started off immediately.

Theo lingered a moment longer. "You're sure you're able to drive all night? I'm really worried about how tired you're looking."

"I'll be fine. I've driven further feeling worse. We'll get there. I'll get a hotel if it's too much, I promise."

"You better," Theo said, stepping away from the car at last.

With a firm nod, Thad rolled up the window and put the car into drive, rolling out of the driveway of his childhood home without a backward glance, though he couldn't keep a few last stray tears from falling.

~~~

Around midnight, the trio of cars arrived at their predetermined meeting place to fill up, stretch their legs, and regroup. Thad pulled up next to a gas pump and staggered out of the car in a weary haze, struggling to get the gas pumping due to the shaking in his hands. JB didn't stir when they stopped, and remained sleeping against the car door, his fever-hot face making a halo of condensation on the window.

Lost in his own misery, Thad jumped in surprise when Theo and Audra appeared at his side.

"How are you holding up?" Audra asked tenderly.

Thad shrugged. "I'm surviving." The nasty cough that followed his statement belied it however, as did the wracking shudder that followed the cough. Seeing all this transpire, Theo and Audra exchanged a brief nod, then Theo intervened. He grasped the pump handle and forced his brother to relinquish his grip on it.

"Get back in the car, Thad. I'm driving you guys the rest of the way," said the professor gently, zipping his coat up higher against the cold night air. "You're in no state to do anything except sleep."

Thad sputtered in protest. "I'm– I'm okay. I can drive. You don't have to… you should stay with Audra."

"Audra is perfectly capable of driving the last few hours on her own."

"I prefer driving on my own if I'm being honest," she laughed. "Then I can listen to MY music. Besides, I'm not the one running a fever."

Thad still hesitated, though exhaustion was clear in every inch of his frame. "You of all people shouldn't be driving us, Theo. You're going to get sick."

"I was probably going to anyway after you coughed all over everyone while we decorated the tree. Might as well speed up the process. The sooner I get it, the sooner I get over it."

Thad shook his head, a tiny smile creeping across his face. "You're an idiot. But I don't know what I'd do without you." He gave his brother an awkward, one-armed hug, then shuffled to the back door opposite of JB, climbing in and immediately cuddling against his partner, heaping blankets over both of them. JB stirred with a soft whimper but didn't wake. Soon Thad was snoring against him.

The pair didn't move from their pile of fevery cuddles for the rest of the trip. In fact, they had to be shaken awake when Theo pulled into the driveway of their condo, closely followed by Audra and Thalia and Bella. Thad was quite disoriented upon waking up to find everyone in his driveway, unloading bags and talking and laughing merrily.

"What's goin' on?" he croaked, trying to rub the sleep from his eyes. "Why is everyone here?"

"You didn't think we were going to just drop you off and leave, did you?" Theo asked, popping the truck and unbuckling his seatbelt with a yawn and a stretch. "It's still Christmas and we're still family. We're gonna spend today and the rest of the weekend together, just like we planned."

Thad ran a hand through his hair wearily. "We don't have any food or anything, though," he mumbled. "We didn't even decorate. And there's not enough guest rooms–"

"Thad. It doesn't matter. We're going to make it a great Christmas no matter what."

Thad could only reply with an exhausted smile before Theo hopped out of the car, coughing in the dry air, and began to unload his brothers' bags.

The next hour or so was rather chaotic as the six of them got themselves and all their bags into the small condo and decided what to do for food and sleeping space. Since he hadn't had any medicine in hours, poor JB was too feverish to be of much help, groggy and sluggish as he was. They found him medicine right away and got him set up on the couch with plenty of blankets, where he tried to be helpful by feebly directing traffic, though he dozed off immediately anytime there was a moment of silence.

After weighing the pros and cons of all the options for sleeping arrangements, it was decided that they would have a giant sibling sleepover in the living room, at least for the first night. They pooled together every blanket and pillow they could find, changed into pajamas, made hot chocolate and popcorn, put on a Christmas movie, and settled in for the night. JB and Thad claimed the couch while the remaining four spread out on the floor cheerfully. They didn't talk much beyond coordinating everything, but they didn't need to. Everyone was exhausted or sick or emotionally wrung out or all of the above, so no one minded the lack of conversation.

Though he was physically miserable, Thad couldn't help but smile as he looked at the faces surrounding him in the candlelit room. JB sleeping in his arms, roastingly warm the touch, yet somehow still shivering; Theo propped up against the couch, already coughing and sniffling more than Thad liked and Audra leaning against her husband's shoulder and rubbing his back; Thalia and Bella reclining against a stack of pillows, their limbs tangled around each other. This was it. These were his people. Tonight clearly marked the end of one era of their lives and the beginning of another. He knew they would always think of this as the last Christmas, for better or for worse.

And for better or for worse, the lovely weirdos surrounding him had chosen to stick with him, to have his back. Gratitude was too small a word for what he was feeling. Whatever else happened going forward, he still had a family. Tonight, that was all that mattered.

Thad shifted JB slightly so his arm was less pinched, sighing in contentment. They would be sick for Christmas Day, and before the weekend was out, they probably wouldn't be the only ones sick, yet he realized that didn't matter much this year. It had still started off so far to be one of the best Christmases ever.

#cottageversity AU #thad and jb #theo and audra #thalia #cw homophobia #angst with a happy ending #plotty stuff #I really hope you guys like this. It wasn't what I expected #but it was what I needed

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ministerforpeas · 4 months ago

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Results

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Damn Theresa May got 5 kills! I would rather be killed by her than creepy crawly Kenneth Baker... funny thing is he killed Clarke who had more kills!

Anyways, next up is the FOREIGN SEC FRACA!

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nokzeit · 2 months ago

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Mudau feiert 35. Laurentiusmarkt

Mudau feiert 35. Laurentiusmarkt (Foto: Liane Merkle) Mudau. (lm) „Ich wünsche mir, dass wir den Zirkus um Kleinigkeiten beenden und uns um die ‚Großigkeiten‘ kümmern. Den Schutz unserer Demokratie, Zusammenhalt, Nächstenliebe, Frieden und Gleichberechtigung!“, mit diesem Wunsch sprach die Vorsitzende des BDS Mudau, Theresa Matz-Ritter, nicht nur den Ehrengästen der Markteröffnung aus der Seele, sondern beschrieb gleichzeitig den Charakter des mittlerweile 35. Laurentiusmarktes. Denn auch dabei geht es um das Gemeinsame - ganz klar „zusammen schafft man mehr“ – und auch das ist die Seele des beliebten Marktes, bei dem gekauft und verkauft, aber auch zusammen gegessen, getrunken, gefeiert, gelacht und sich ausgetauscht wird. Das bestätigten in ihren Grußworten auch Schirmherr und Bürgermeister Dr. Norbert Rippberger, Landrat und Präsident des Deutschen Landkreistages Dr. Achim Brötel sowie Stefan Galm als neuer Ortsvorsteher Mudaus. Zustimmend nickten Vorständin Karin Fleischer und Bereichsleiterin Heike Kohler-Mackert von der Volksbank Franken, Sparkassengeschäftsstellenleiter Rolf Mechler und Direktor Gerd Weiß sowie Dekan Johannes Balbach, Gemeindereferentin Alexandra Blaschek und die Pfarrerin Rebecca Stober. Abonnieren Sie kostenlos unseren NOKZEIT-KANAL auf Whatsapp. Mit großem Dank wandte sich Theresa Matz-Ritter an die Wegbereiter des erfolgreichen Marktes, die Ehrenmarktmeister Willi Müller und Helmut Maier, die es 30 Jahre lang nicht nur geschafft hatten, die unterschiedlichsten Branchen des BDS Mudau zu einen, sondern den Laurentiusmarkt mit Hilfe der Vereine, vieler treuer und immer wieder auch neuer Schausteller sowie zahlreichen Attraktionen zu einer charmanten, familiären Einkaufs- und Erlebniszone zu gestalten, in der Langeweile eine unbekannte Größe ist. Darüber hinaus sei es den beiden gelungen, ihren reichen Erfahrungsschatz an das neue BDS-Vorstandsteam und die Marktleiter Matthias Hemberger und Moritz Sacher, unterstützt von Kim Hiller-Schlär weiterzugeben und sie selbst sei dankbar für dieses tolle Team und den Zusammenhalt im Mudauer Bund der Selbständigen. Darüber hinaus habe man sich für diesen halbrunden Geburtstag des Marktes einige Besonderheiten einfallen lassen, so bereicherte die Eröffnungsfeierlichkeiten neben dem Standkonzert der Mudauer Trachtenkapelle unter Stabführung von Jürgen Schmid und dem Anstich des Distelhäuser Festbieres durch Bürgermeister Dr. Rippberger und Ortsvorsteher Stefan Galm auch ein mitreißender Cowboy-Flashmob der KaGeMuWa-Schautanzgruppe unter Choreografie von Jasmin Mechler. Außerdem konnte die Vorsitzende den lang gehegten Wunsch von Helmut Maier nach einem Kinderkarussell beim Laurentiusmarkt glücklich als erfüllt bestätigen. Mit Brauchtumsvorführungen, umfangreichen gastronomischen Angeboten, Einkaufsmöglichkeiten, Handwerk, Kunst, Kulinarik, Partystimmung und Kinderattraktionen und der Rettungshundestaffel des DRK war ein buntes Programm geboten. Mit einem dicken Dank an alle, die zum Gelingen des 35. Laurentiusmarktes beitragen, neben den Marktbeschickern die Sponsoren, die Mitarbeiter von Gemeindeverwaltung und Bauhof sowie dem BDS-Team und Marco Scheiwein und der Wertschätzung „Ohne Euch und Euren ehrenamtlichen Einsatz könnte dieser Markt nicht stattfinden“ leitete Theresa Matz-Ritter zu den Grußworten der Ehrengäste und dem geübten Fassanstich durch Dr. Rippberger über, der nach den Klängen des Badnerlieds den 35. Laurentiusmarkt für eröffnet erklärte und die „Bühne“ für die begeisternde Schautanzgruppe freigab. Zahlreiche Ehrengäste waren zum Fassanstich gekommen. (Foto: Liane Merkle) Lesen Sie den ganzen Artikel

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theultimatefan · 2 years ago

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Higashioka, Showalter, Nimmo, Sörenstam to be honored at 43rd Annual Thurman Munson Awards Dinner Feb. 7

The 43rd annual Thurman Munson Awards Dinner will benefit AHRC New York City Foundation on Tuesday night, February 7th at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers (23rd Street at West Side Highway) in New York City, and the honorees have been announced today: New York Yankees catcher and ’21 Roberto Clemente Award nominee Kyle Higashioka; New York Mets centerfielder Brandon Nimmo; New York Mets manager and four-time Manager of the Year Buck Showalter; and LPGA champion & World Golf Hall of Famer Annika Sörenstam will all receive Thurman Munson Awards in the “Class of 2023.”

The “Thurmans” are presented to individuals for on-field excellence, community outreach, and betterment of their sport. The AHRC NYC benefit has helped to keep the memory of the legendary Yankees catcher and captain Thurman Munson alive since his untimely passing 43 years ago, while raising more than $19 million for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to lead richer, more productive lives.

Thurman's widow Diana Munson is an honorary chair who has supported AHRC NYC and its fund-raising efforts through the Thurman Munson Awards for four decades, and will be in attendance.

For media inquiries contact John Cirillo/Cirillo World by email at [email protected] or text 914-260-7436.

For tickets call 212-249-6188 or email [email protected]. Tickets may be purchased online at www.ahrcnycfoundation.org/munson2023

The co-Masters of Ceremonies will be FOX 5 lead sports anchor and Sports Extra host Tina Cervasio and Michael Kay, the Voice of the Yankees on YES Network and host of the Michael Kay Show on ESPN NY Radio.

Special guests for the evening will include previous Thurman Award honorees: Radio Hall of Famer and WFAN Yankees analyst Suzyn Waldman (previous Media Hero recipient), Football Giants Super Bowl champions Harry Carson, Chris Canty and Karl Nelson; as well as Thurman's teammate and two-time Yankees World Series Champion Roy White, Giants Super Bowl champ Howard Cross, YES Network personality Nancy Newman, former women’s featherweight boxing champion Heather Hardy, popular New York Radio/TV personality Sweeny Murti, WFAN Radio golf and tennis reporter Ann Liguori, and former Mets pitcher Nelson Figueroa with others to be announced.

The list of previous Thurman Munson Award recipients reads like a “Who’s Who” of sports stars for the ages including: Muhammad Ali, Arthur Ashe, Yogi Berra, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, Joe Torre, Bernie Williams, Tom Seaver, Mike Piazza, Gary Carter, David Wright, Willis Reed, Patrick Ewing, Julius Erving, Jim Brown, Harry Carson, Aly Raisman, Nancy Lieberman, Theresa Weatherspoon, and Mark Messier, just to name a few.

Kyle Higashioka was a seventh-round selection by the Yankees in the 2008 MLB Draft. After battling a series of injuries early in his minor league career, Kyle made his major league debut for the Yankees in 2018 when Gary Sánchez was sidelined. After starting his major league career 0-for-22, the longest hitless streak to start a Yankee career of any position player ever, he had his first major league hit, a home run, on July 1 against the Boston Red Sox. His next two hits, on July 3 and July 4 against the Atlanta Braves, were also circuit blasts, making him the ninth MLB player since 1920 to have three home runs as his first three hits. On September 16, 2020, Higashioka hit three home runs in a game against the Toronto Blue Jays to became the 24th Yankee to hit three HR in a game. On May 19, 2021, Higashioka caught Corey Kluber's no-hitter against the Texas Rangers, the first Yankees to catch a no-hitter since Joe Girardi caught David Cone's perfect game in 1999.

Higashioka was the Yankees 2021 nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award which embodies representing the game of baseball through extraordinary character and community involvement, both on and off the field. In 2006, MLB opened its first Urban Youth Academy in Compton, CA. Among the athletes who attended the inaugural camp was Higashioka. He grew up roughly 25 miles away in Huntington Beach, looking for any and every opportunity to achieve his goal of playing professional baseball. He never forgot the impact the MLB Youth Academy had on him and the trajectory of his career. He spent numerous offseasons volunteering his time to support the social reach of the program. The academy focuses on Inner City youth, and assists after-school programs, preparing kids for any type of life, whether it's professional baseball or getting in the workforce. Kyle has embraced the causes of the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, which ensures complete post-secondary educational support and additional educational opportunities for eligible surviving children of fallen Special Operations Personnel and children of all Medal of Honor Recipients; and provides immediate financial assistance to severely wounded, ill, and injured Special Operations Personnel.

Four-time Manager of the Year Buck Showalter, in his first season at the helm of the Mets last season, led the team to a 101-win campaign en route to the best skipper trophy. During a 30-year managerial career, Showalter has amassed 1,652 victories managing the Yankees, Diamondbacks, Rangers, Orioles, and Mets. Like Thurman, Showalter was drafted by the Bronx Bombers, and is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League Hall of Fame. (Thurman led the Chatham A's to their first league title with a .420 batting average, while Showalter, playing for the Hyannis Mets, won the league batting title with a .434 average). Showalter was an All-American and set the Mississippi State record for batting average in a season by hitting .459 during the 1977 season.

Showalter participated in the Amazin’ Mets Foundation’s second annual Homeruns & Highballs fundraiser last July, the team’s largest fundraising event of the season. AMF is committed to providing needed services and opportunities to children, families and underserved groups in neighborhoods and communities to inspire change and make a lasting impact on and off the field. On the 21st anniversary of 9/11, Showalter and the team paid tribute to the first responders during the game against the Marlins. While managing Baltimore, Buck supported the LUNGevity Foundation, a charity inspired by the Orioles late public relations director Monica Pence Barlow.

The homegrown smiling, starting centerfielder Brandon Nimmo was a first round pick by New York in the 2011 MLB draft, and made his big league debut for the Mets in 2016. The seven-year veteran enjoyed his finest season last year, recording 159 hits, 30 doubles, and 64 RBI with 580 at bats in 151 games, all career highs. His 16 home runs fell one short of equaling his lifetime best of 17 circuit blasts. During the off season, the Cheyanne, Wyoming native signed a nine-year contract with the Mets. Nimmo played for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic in 2017.

During the off season, Nimmo dressed as an elf at the Mets annual holiday party. Last season, Nimmo held a special sandlot baseball game for local Little Leaguers at Flushing’s Hinton Park on July 8 with two dozen Little Leaguers taking part. Following a pre-game pep talk, Nimmo spent much of the game pitching to the kids, playing the outfield, and giving players fist bumps when they made a good play. Nimmo has also taken part in the fundraiser Call of Duty: Warzone Charity Royale to support veterans with teammate Pete Alonso. Nimmo was named the Mets recipient of the 2022 Heart and Hustle Award, awarded to players who demonstrate a passion for the game of baseball and best embodies the values, spirit and traditions of the game, by the MLB Players Alumni Association.

Annika Sörenstam is the most celebrated and winningest female professional golfer in history as a three-time Women’s U.S. Open champion, three-time PGA champion and member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. In 2003, she achieved a career Grand Slam, winning at least once in her career each of the four tournaments recognized as major championships. She tops the LPGA’s all-time money list with earnings in excess of $22 million. In all, the native of Sweden has captured 72 official LPGA tournaments and has been named Player of the Year a record eight times.

Annika created the ANNIKA Foundation (www.annikafoundation.org) to provide opportunities in women’s golf at the junior, collegiate and professional levels while teaching young people the importance of living a healthy, active lifestyle through fitness and nutrition. It annually conducts six major golf events for aspiring junior girls throughout the world. And with the support of the Haskins Commission, the Foundation created the ANNIKA Award presented by Stifel, which is given annually to the best collegiate female golfer. Since 2014, the Foundation has also annually hosted the ANNIKA Intercollegiate presented by 3M, a college tournament featuring 12 top Division I schools. Each year, the Foundation also conducts several “Share My Passion” grass roots clinics designed to introduce kids to the game.

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