#what if traffic life players but in mafia

[audriandae]

Disclaimer: this is written based on the Traffic Life Series as well as the Life SMP Mafia 1 and 2: electric boogaloo. Enjoy

~~~~~

Tango came into the game already distraught through recognising the world they were in. Jimmy was there. He hadn't seen Jimmy since he'd died in limited life. And the time before that, they'd been ranchers together. They'd shared a bond. Tango had felt every single bruise and cut Jimmy had gotten, and Jimmy had felt the same. They’d shared the same goat horn, using it joyously although all the other players wouldn’t respond to it. It was their shared Rancher horn. Hearing it meant coming home.

They’d met each other at spawn for the first time after Tango had been blown up by a creeper. He’d felt such a strong sense of guilt from having killed his partner. Other players told him that being linked to Jimmy was a “curse”, but Tango didn’t care. He enjoyed Jimmy's presence, and some time later, had gotten reliant on it. they'd split up to get things done. They still had plans. It wasn't supposed to end so soon.

The pain had come in waves. Tango had desperately held his shield up in the middle of an empty path in the daytime. It didn't help. He ate desperately, trying to heal himself and his rancher. It didn't help. I killed him once, he’s bound to have his turn. His words to Scott rang in his ears as his knees buckled and he fell to the ground. It wasn't supposed to end like this.

SolidarityGaming was killed by Enderman

Tango died of heartbreak

The next time he saw Jimmy, it had only been from a distance. He barely interacted with Jimmy before he’d run out of time. The sinking horror in his gut had been the only thing he could feel when he saw the death message. They were supposed to have had more time. Tango would've given up hours of his time to keep Jimmy alive. But it was too late. He couldn't change the past, he could only have hope for the future.

SolidarityGaming fell from a high place

He’d woken up back in Hermitcraft. His hair and eyes were blue. No trace of the red that he had seen reflected in the water in those games. He’d moved on, hoping to all hopes that there would be even the slightest chance of seeing Jimmy again. He dedicated himself to Decked Out, keeping himself so busy that he wouldn't have the time to grieve or even think of Jimmy.

Then the rift. The sight of a massive gaping portal cutting through stone. Purple. There was a significance to the color purple, but Tango didn't know what it was. He’d seen the rift, but remembered being back in Decked Out soon after. He remembered the hours of work and grinding that he’d put into it. He remembered opening night and the sheer glee in Scar’s voice when he’d seen the doors. He remembered the relief that flooded him as the Hermits eagerly queued to play. Decked Out 2 Phase One had been a success. Tango had been doing maintenance during Phase Two when he made a wrong turn in the bowels of Decked Out.

The wrong turn that brought him to the ruins of Third Life. Being back there made all the memories he’d shut away come flooding back. Everything about Jimmy, about his beloved rancher, about his deaths and his “curse”. Other memories popped into his brain as well, ones he had never seen before. Those memories were odd. They featured him from a third person point of view. “He” was called BigB. He wasn’t BigB. And he kept calling Cleo ‘Jimmy’, and Gem ‘Etho’, and False ‘Tango’ for some reason. Only a handful of the 23 players were strange to him like that. Only a handful would appear to be someone else from the corner of his eye.

Tango remembered Jimmy– the real Jimmy– and could have cried in relief. He had been underground, caving with a group. He thought he had had more time. When they’d surfaced and he split off to make a base (more like a chest in a hole), and get some of his old gear back, he wondered about the possibility of Jimmy not remembering.

Gem hadn’t remembered anything of Hermitcraft. False didn’t remember anything at all. What if Jimmy didn't remember him? What if Jimmy and Scott remembered each other and pledged to love each other and then–

His memories were jumbling up. He’d had an odd time in Gem’s house, seeing Jimmy instead of Cleo and Etho instead of Gem. He’d laid down to rest for a while. He was supposed to have more time.

The fateful message came over comms in the morning. The group gathered at spawn, some still half asleep and un-geared. Tango had no armor on, having thought that just maybe he wouldn't need it. Sausage was missing. Sausage was gone.

MythicalSausage was doomed to fall by ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ リᔑ∷∷ᔑℸ ̣ ╎⍊ᒷ

The realisation was followed by a moment of dread, a flash of cold down his spine as Tango realised that something was wrong. And the bolt of lightning that crashed down from the sky in the middle of a perfectly clear day. The lightning that struck the spot Jimmy stood, leaving nothing but a crater. No remains. Not even a body to bury. Then Scott, clutching his heart and falling to his knees, collapsing on the ground. Jimmy, Tango's rancher, had been linked with someone else.

SolidarityGaming was struck by lightning

Smajor1995 died of heartbreak

Tango didn't feel the scream that ripped out from his throat. He didn't hear the words of the other players. Gem's voice cut through the haze clouding his mind. Tango.. are you alright?

He wasn't. He wouldn't be. Not without his rancher. He was supposed to have more time. He ran out of time. There wasn't enough time. Never enough time.

Tango didn't feel much afterwards. He moved through the rest of the day in a daze, keeping himself busy to stave off the inevitable emotional breakdown he would have. Build graves for the dead. Move on. Prepare. Build. Plan. The less time he had to think, the faster he would forget and move on. The moment Tango felt his thoughts drift back to Jimmy, tears would prick the corners of his eyes, and he would have to do something– anything– to distract himself.

~~~~~

I am so incredibly unwell about the life smp mafia 2 group. so incredibly unwell.

#lifesmpmafia #mafia peeps #writing #mcyt #traffic life series #but different #i love the life smp mafia gang #we're so feral over these folks #what if traffic life players but in mafia #that's the premise #send me an ask if you want to know more #warning: ​i will not shut up about them

[justanotherstarlightmonger]

Helsinki Chapter 3: Twelve Baby Steps

Helsinki syndrome is a term sometimes used incorrectly in place of Stockholm syndrome. It’s use in literature is often ironic and deliberate and literally means when a captive refuses to cooperate with their captor.

Summary: A war of wits does have some rules too. But if one party refuses to acknowledge the sacred rule of leaving family out of it, the other must retaliate stronger to quell any such advances for the future… Or at least that’s what Min Yoongi told himself when he abducted Kim Namjoon’s younger sister. That was before he realized that this elaborate game of chess didn’t have just two players and before he had promised Namjoon he’d keep her safe, But also before he realized that one month was enough to leave his whole life in chaos.

Genre: MAFIA AU, slight yandere themes, smut, a happy sprinkling of fluff/comfort, and a truckload of ANGST.

WARNINGS: OC cries. Yeah that's it!

Pairing: Main pairing: Mafia!MIN YOONGI X READER

Others include: Collegeboyfriend!Hosoek x reader + Mafia!Taehyung x reader + Kidnapper!Seokjin x reader.

Word count: 2.3 k words

Previous II Ch 3 II next

Helsinki Navigation

Author's Masterlist

Feedback is always appreciated. Leave a comment, or let's talk in reblogs!

Taglist: @bebejungkook @rosquilleta @minniesvenus @parkdatjimin @themochiverse @sugasbultornebae17 @gaeguuliii @darkafterhours13

TAGLIST OPEN

P.S: I might do a double update in this week for Helsinki 😊🌼

.

The BMW sped through streets which you’d never been on. How were they so empty? Where was the Seoul traffic?

His eyebrow quirked.

You had the sense to deduce you were heading out of the city, and your heart was speeding even faster.

There were tall trees on each side and as far as you could tell, there were open fields behind them.

Finally, plucking up enough courage to look at him, you cleared your throat.

“Where are you taking me?”

He tilted his head, towards you, still not glancing at you.

“What makes you think I’ll tell you?”

“Human decency maybe. But then again, you don’t have that I can tell.”

The ghost of a smile flashed across his face, but he remained silent, indicating the end of whatever variation of a conversation you were having.

Soon enough though, your answer appeared in front of you. The trees disappeared to make an entrance to an open road, and right in front of you, some distance off, stood a jet. Your eyes widened and and you felt sick.

People claim when you’re about to die, you see your life flash before your eyes. So were you about to die, because your entire life had flashed before you. Tears formed involuntarily as you hugged yourself, not knowing what to do about the impending doom you were speeding towards.

Something clicked in your head. Of course he wouldn’t stay here. Not when your brother would send hounds straight from hell after him. But somehow you had innocently hoped that he wouldn’t leave. But ofcourse he would. He would fly you... out of the country?

Soon enough, the car stopped and Yoongi gave you an expectant look. Of course he noticed how scared you looked. How the hostile expression you had worn had waned to morph into something so primitively sincere. The perfect prey.

“Do we have a problem?”

“Could you just tell me where you’re taking me?” you pleaded.

“Is it customary to tell hostages where they’re being taken nowadays? Because call me old fashioned but I’d rather not.”

You were tempted to punch him in that smug face. But you knew well enough that punching Min Yoongi wouldn’t come without consequences, and you weren’t sure you could handle that kind of consequences in your state of mind.

You rolled your eyes, wordlessly opening the door and stepping out. But he had already caught you.

Yoongi stepped out too, victorious smirk set on his face.

.

You were also met by two bodyguards who were tall, bulked up, extremely intimidating individuals that regarded you as if you were a little fly. And truth be told, you felt like one in front of them.

The jet was something else.

Not that you had been in many jets before this. But you imagined this was top class luxury even among them.

Apparently Yoongi had a thing for mute leather interiors that screamed wealth.

Trying to make your existence as non-existent as possible, you shuffled to one of the individual seats beside the window and sat on the edge, wondering what Namjoon would be doing this instant.

You had always thought your brother’s clenched jaw and fiery eyes were the most scary thing you had ever seen.

But the unconcerned, expressionless face of the man who came and sat opposite you was quickly becoming the owner of that title.

The jet took off soundlessly and smoothly, and you had to pace your heart rate with deep breaths. At this point, you were absolutely sure the only thing holding you together was the liquid fear that was running in your bloodstream and nothing else.

That’s when you realized your cell phone was also in the handbag you had left in Namjoon’s car. Perfect.

After about half an hour of flying, you found yourself reclining in the seat, your eyes still glued to the sky outside to avoid any and all eye contact with the man in front of you, who was busily typing away on his laptop. You realized the sky was slowly turning into shades of orange and pink. The sun was setting under the canopy of clouds, over the world of the clueless. Passing an expanse of pretty pink, you were inevitably reminded of Hoseok’s nickname for you. ‘Sunshine’ he’d call you.

You shook your head and crossed your arms in front of you, looking out the window, wondering where in tarnation you were.

You felt as if a vice had gripped your heart and as his bright smile flashed in front of your eyes, suddenly everything got blurry and you lost the war to the tears that had been standing on high alert.

Believe it or not, you had debated on whether you wanted to go to the bathroom to hide your tears from Yoongi. But why should you care? It’s not like he would care. If he cared at all, he wouldn’t be flying you off somewhere you had no idea about. You wouldn’t be in this jet, headed to hell, but rather at home, in your own bed, scrolling through Instagram.

Yoongi stared at the miserable creature that hugged her knees to her chest and tucked her face into them, her body shaking as she tried to cry silently. He was uncomfortable about this whole situation.

The Mafia had a strong rule. No matter what happened, you never hurt women or children.

He hadn’t hurt you though. He didn’t plan to. He simply wanted to give the Seoul PD a fright, a couple days on a wild goose chase, and then he’d let you go. He only wanted to break Namjoon’s will to get him off his tail.

So why were you crying?

He signaled the waiter to come over and told him to pour you some water and get Yoongi some whiskey. The waiter nodded and rushed off as Yoongi sighed, running a hand through his hair exasperatedly and leaning back in the chair.

Yoongi would never hurt you, his principles were too strong for a heinous act as that.

Yes, he had scared you with that whole pulling-a-gun-on-you situation earlier but that had been a necessity to speed things along.

Was the whole shock of the situation crashing on you now?

And more importantly, should he say something to you, or would that just make everything worse?

One look to his watch and he figured Shanghai was still a good hour long flight away. This might just be the longest hour of his life.

After a good long cry, your heart felt much lighter and your eyes were swollen and heavy. You peeked from where you were hiding in your knees, at your captor who had put his laptop to the side and was examining something on his phone. Your throat felt raw and you noticed the glass of cool water that sat on the table in front of you, presumably for you.

He had the audacity to pretend he cared about you like that?

And because you couldn’t throw the glass of water in his face, you decided it was a better idea to simply cry some more. And so you did.

“Oh for the love of god...” Yoongi mumbled, half done at the pathetic show of emotions and half intrigued. He shook his head, leaving you be as he stood and changed his seat.

You didn’t know when you had dozed off, head resting on your knees in front of you. You only realized when a gentle hand nudged your shoulder and you jolted awake looking at the face of the butler who had welcomed Yoongi on the plane.

“Madam...” he began, but you had already jumped up tossing away the blanket someone had draped onto you.

“Where are we?” you asked him.

“Mr. Min will tell you, he asked me to escort you to the car. May I?” his voice was monotone and expressionless. Were all these people robots?

You nodded as he extended his hand, pointing you towards the exit. You stepped out into the fresh air. It was very windy wherever this was and your hair flew into your eyes and mouth. You closed your eyes involuntarily against the dust blowing.

The butler recognized your state of distress and gently placed a hand on your arm, “There are stairs, would you like me to guide you down?”

“Yes please.” you said meekly, still hiding your eyes behind your hands.

When you finally reached the pseudo shelter of the car, the butler opened the door for you and before stepping in, you made sure to thank him for his help. To which he smiled kindly.

Yoongi saw the whole exchange from inside the car, scoffing silently. You were clearly out of your mind. Had he bitten off more than he could chew?

No.

You were just a pampered little brat who was in for the biggest reality check of her life.

As the door slammed shut and silence welcomed you again, you were well aware that you were once again under Yoongi’s gaze. But this time you made eye contact with him.

But before you could open your mouth, his low voice greeted you, “Welcome to Shanghai.”

There were a thousand questions in your mind. And now that his gun was out of sight, suddenly you weren’t as scared of him.

Shanghai?

YOU WERE IN CHINA?

“It’s only for a few days.” Why he reassured you like that, even he wasn’t sure. But that did stop you for a minute. You looked out of the window, at the fast approaching metropolitan city with it’s majestic sky scrapers and hustle that matched Seoul’s.

.

Soon enough, the car entered the city and you couldn’t help but wonder at the marvelous sights.

“You flew me out of the country?” you asked, flabbergasted.

“You’ll probably make a fuss about this won’t you?” Yoongi’s voice broke your chain of thought.

“Huh?”

And Yoongi couldn’t help but marvel at the sight of you. Turned completely towards the window, you beheld the lit up city with child-like wonder. Yoongi wondered if you remembered where you were, and under what circumstances. But even if you didn’t, you were quiet, and that’s more than enough for him for now.

“Wear this blindfold.”

“What? No!”

“Ugh, I knew you’d say that.”

You rolled your eyes. “What exactly do you want to hide from me? I don’t know the first thing about this city.”

“Fine, just close your eyes when I tell you to.”

You frowned but nodded. The conversation was done and the mask of empty emotion was back on his face. But you continued looking at him.

Yoongi bit the inside of his cheek, giving you a glance of his thinking face. Something you’d never seen. It was unexpectedly soft.

“Haven’t your parents told you it’s rude to stare?” he snapped.

“Haven’t your parents taught you it’s rude to kidnap girls and illegally fly them to another country?” you retorted, your sharp tongue acting on it’s own accord.

Yoongi’s eyes widened a fraction, as he looked at you shocked. “That’s it, on goes the blindfold.” he announced, forcefully clasping your hands as he tied a piece of black cloth around your eyes single handedly.

.

You felt the car stop, and heard a door open. The door next to you had opened.

“Step out.” That was Yoongi’s voice.

“I can’t see shit.”

An exasperated sigh. “That’s the whole point.”

You struggled slightly, holding onto the car door for dear life, and stepped out. You felt gravel under your feet. You were probably on a driveway.

“Twelve steps ahead of you, there are three stairs. Mind them as you walk.” the same annoying voice reminded you.

So he really wasn’t going to help? The butler’s face swam in your vision as you huffed in anger and took slow, counted steps forwards.

After twelve steps, you instinctively took a higher step, only to have your foot slam down on flat gravel.

“MIN!” you screamed instinctively.

Strong arms were around your waist instantly. The most annoying gruff voice sounded so close to your ears, you felt you’d pass out, “God damn it, why did you do that, the stairs aren’t here yet.”

“You said TWELVE steps!” you pushed him away from you.

“Twelve regular steps, not the baby steps you’ve been taking.”

“You’re impossible, I swear.”

“Says the woman who was about to fall by walking on flat ground. Just take my hand.” he sounded pissed. As if he had the right to be.

You raised your hand, not feeling anything in the vicinity. Then his hand had found yours, and he held on tightly. This was one hell of an unexpected day.

Safely inside, Yoongi stopped at the foot of the flight of stairs as the room he had made ready for you was upstairs. He turned back to look at you, standing there, looking dumb. He rolled his eyes.

You screamed as you felt an arm brace behind your knees and you were swept off your feet.

“GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!” You slapped the chest you were held against. “PUT ME DOWN MIN!”

“Shut up.” he growled.

“I’ll shut up when you put me down!”

He didn’t grace you with an answer and simply started ascending.

“Hey!” you protested, only to be met with silence.

Yoongi pushed open the door with his foot, and placed you on a soft rug. As you still steadied yourself, he had ripped the blindfold off your eyes and tossed it to the ground. Your eyes widened, getting used to the nicely lit room, and before you could say a word to him, he was out the door, slamming and locking the door behind him.

#min yoongi fic #bts suga #yoongi #mafia yoongi #yoongi fanfic #min yoongi fanfic #mafia taehyung #mafia jin #kim taehyung #kim seokjin #bts smut #min yoongi smut #min yoongi angst #kim namjoon #jung hosoek #mafia x reader #bts fluff #bts x y/n #fic:helsinki

[pixiemage]

12 & 17

[Ask Game]

12. Are there any tropes you used to dislike but have grown on you?

Honestly? Angst and Hurt/Comfort. I used to avoid anything painful like the plague because I can't stand anything that doesn't have a happy ending. But in the past five years or so I've come to really appreciate a good bit of angst. There has to be balance, of course, but when it is balanced it makes the hurt hit harder and the comfort so much sweeter.

I still have a hard time with bad endings and permanent character death, because I still need that positive closure at the end of a journey, but - well. For anyone who's read my stories, you all know I've definitely taken a liking to emotional turmoil, haven't I? xD Just know my fics will ALWAYS have a happy ending! I'm incapable of writing any other way! <3

(Also some of the more animal-based traits that a lot of MCYT characters have. I used to think that kind of thing was weird when I was younger, but I've read so many stories since then with non-human characters that the hybrid players of the MCYT 'verses are basically normal to me. Give me birb boys and moss creatures any day of the week!)

17. What highly specific AU do you want to read or write even though you might be the only person to appreciate it?

Buckle up, because there are two and I'm a wordy bitch when I get excited about a story idea. One of them is Marvel, which might not be your cup of tea, but I'm rambling about it anyway. (If you want to skip it, there's also MCYT rambles below this one lol.)

Stark Boys AU | This one scratches the ol' Iron Dad itch that I don't think I'll ever get rid of. A Marvel buddy of mine and I created this entire AU over the course of a few months last year(?), in which Tony happens to meet the Parkers not long after the events of IM1. Peter is still just Peter instead of Spider-Man because he's so young at this point. He's a genius of a kid who's still processing the loss of his parents. For multiple reasons, Tony and the Parkers end up keeping in touch, and as the years go by Tony becomes a father figure for Peter. (Because of this he ends up taking better care of himself sooner and a lot of things change a little in the timeline, but that's beside the point.) When he meets Harley Keener in IM3, Tony figures out that the kid's practically an orphan. After having Peter in his life for so long the logical next step - of course - is to adopt this Harley kid who's got the same spark of genius Peter has and is close to Peter in age. They two end up growing up as something akin to brothers, with Peter living with the Parkers and Harley living with the Starks and both of them spending weekends together at one home or the other. This means both boys (and May and Ben) are part of the story through all the Avengers films, which changes things in a lot of interesting ways. Peter shows up in Siberia in Civil War, Harley starts work on his own suit like Tony's, there's this running joke that they claim they're twins when they're not. Harley crushes on, dates, breaks up with, then forges a lifelong rivalry with Harry Osborn, which lasts all the way through college. There's a whole thing with Peter coming back after the snap and the blip as a kid instead of a teen, which is just - my favorite thing. This AU also inspired a bunch of SPINOFF AU's - SB Mafia AU, a Parent Trap AU where Harley and Peter are actually twins, an SB Hogwarts AU with Flash as a rival-turned-friend, a Supernatural AU where Richard Parker and the Starks were Men of Letters and where May and Ben run a roadhouse for Hunters - so this, uh. This story and its extensions live rent free in my head. I've never listened to The Pheonix by Fall Out Boy without thinking of it.

BUT BACK TO MCYT

2. Traffic Life Witch & Familiar AU | I've talked in depth about this one over on this post, but I freaking adore this concept. Witches and Familiars is a trope I love in every universe. I think I found it first through Supernatural (and started writing a fic for but never finished, oop) and the whole idea is soooo good. And with the concept of witch/familiar bonds that I've seen in numerous works, it parallels so well with the soulbond mechanic from Double Life. If people want it I'd gladly write it, it just wouldn't be in a chapter-fic form and it probably would be at the bottom of the list until some of my other MCYT fics are finished xD Lord knows I have a lot I'm working on already!

3. (And here, a secret third thing, but spoilers for recent DSMP lore: I made a joke post about it the other day, but remember how I mentioned in another ask that I love the Hermit!Tommyinnit trope? Well forget the old “Tommy somehow ends up on Hermitcraft during exile” trope, how about “Tommy somehow ends up on Hermitcraft after the DSMP gets nuked but everyone is still trapped on Empires so it’s sort of a ghost town except for like five people and one (1) traumatized and potion addicted teen”? Like - it would be an absolute catastrophe and I love it. The only people left on Hermitcraft right now are, to my knowledge, Hypno, XB, Beef, and Wels. Etho is somewhere and Mumbo is still on hiatus, so Tommy just - appearing in a near-empty server with four people who would have no idea how to deal with a traumatized and chaotic teen? Absolutely glorious. And then Mumbo would come back and be the most capable man in the room because he deals with Grian on a daily basis, and that's a stretch. Hypno would be the only one present with admin status. So Xisuma and Grian and the rest come back and the server is just on fire because nobody knows what to do about the new intruder who probably just really needs sleep and a hug, and - glorious, glorious chaos. <3)

OH AND SOMEONE SHOULD DO AN EMPIRES AND HERMITCRAFT SWAP where the Hermits each have their own Empire and the Empires crew are the ones who live in a chaotic world of RP shenanigans. Or maybe like, a partial cast swap because lord knows there are so many more Hermits by comparison. Nether Prince Tangoooo my beloved.

#Ask the Mage #Fic Writer Ask Game

[hidden-otaku-stuff]

MASTERLIST - 1

🌑 The New Moon (NSFW Masterlist) 🌑

Star Charts by school

Series

Different but the Same (Iwaizumi x fem!Reader, Ushijima x fem!Reader) 

Summary: An unexpected encounter at the Inter-High tournament tossed you into a whirlwind. Being tugged between two males, two different packs, who will reign supreme in this battle for your heart?

*Omegaverse*

Lockscreens (Bokuto x fem!Reader, Kuroo x fem!Reader) 

Summary: Nearly four years ago, Bokuto left the love of his life for volleyball. Despite all the time, he’s still very much in love with her. He comes home to a major surprise leaving him wondering…What happened while he was gone?

The INKED Collection (one-shot collection) [Soulmate AU]

A series of full-length one-shots detailing the stories of various Haikyuu boys, soulmate marks, and tattoo cover-ups. 

Hidden Corner (one-shot collection) [Cafe AU]

A series of fluffy, full-length one-shots detailing the lives of the employees who work at Hidden Corner featuring the various Haikyuu boys.

*Note: All one-shots take place in the same universe with the same characters.

One-shots

Key: 💫: angst, 🌕: fluff

Falling (Kuroo T.) 💫

Summary: Saying goodbye is hard. But so is losing your love.

Inspired by: Love is Gone by SLANDER

Reunion (Terushima Y.) 🌕

Summary: Where you’re a Karasuno manager and run into someone you knew from childhood

Pre-game Rituals (Kita S.) 🌕

Summary: Just any other game, but with a plot twist.

On a Run (Ushijima W.) 🌕

Summary: Where you go on a run with your dog and run into some trouble

Complementary (Kuroo T.) 💫

Summary: Your tattoo has dictated your fate from what Clan you would support, to what training you would do. A simple cover-up has changed your life much more than you originally anticipated. But what else can you expect from the fickle warlord you call a close friend?

*The INKED Collection*

Fall Changes (Sawamura D.) 🌕

Summary: Where you’re on your first date with Daichi and it’s a little too chilly. 

*HaikyuuCreations August 2020 Monthly Event*

Unexpected (Oikawa T.) 🌕

Summary: Where Oikawa was surprised by what type of dog you owned.

Knowledge and Ambition (Kuroo T.) 🌕

Summary: A chance meeting in the library puts Ravenclaw Kuroo face-to-face with the Slytherin Cold Princess. 

Connection (Sawamura D.)  🌕

Summary: When Daichi moves to a new city, he stops by the animal shelter looking for some company. 

Recommendations (Akaashi K.)  🌕 

Summary: After getting tired of his usual black coffee, Akaashi checks out the cafe down the street which is home to some of the more unorthodox and unique drinks. Needless to say, he takes all the help that he can get.

 *Hidden Corner series*

A Foodie’s Second Chance (Miya O.) 🌕

Summary: After moving to the States for university, you finally move back to Japan for work. Attending the Sapporo Autumn Festival with your coworker puts you face-to-face with your first love. 

*HaikyuuCreations September 2020 Monthly Event*

A Winged Wingman (Bokuto K.)  🌕

Summary: A themed night at the MSBY Stadium leads to some quality time with a pretty raptor-keeper. 

Sanctuary (Terushima Y.)  🌕

Summary: Kicked out multiple times by bad roommates, Izanami takes pity on her classmate and hires him to work for her cafe overnight. But little does Terushima know, he’s getting more than just a job out of this.

*Hidden Corner series*

Don’t Give (Bokuto K.) 💫 🌕

Summary: After Kuroo breaks your heart, you decide to do a complete glow-up with the help of a certain volleyball player.

*Skye’s 400 song-fic request*

Obligations (Oikawa T.)  💫 🌕

Pairing: Mafia-boss!Oikawa x fem!rival reader

Genre: Mafia soulmate AU

Summary: A debt to repay, family obligations, and a quest for revenge leads you down an interesting path. Fate really has a way of messing with you, doesn’t it?

*The INKED Collection series*

You’re Not Alone (Iwaizumi H.) 💫 🌕

Summary: Iwaizumi has had to watch Oikawa treat you poorly throughout your relationship. What happens when he becomes your go-to?

You’re a What? (Miya A.) 💫 🌕

Summary: After his girlfriend starts disappearing, Atsumu needs to figure out what exactly went wrong with his relationship.

Universal 🌕 (Miya O.)

Summary: One early morning on his way to work, Osamu walks past a café. The lights are on, and there’s no other sign of life anywhere else. Popping in, he discovers some of the best baked goods he’s ever tasted. But can you really fall in love with someone based on how their food tastes?

*Hidden Corner series*

Cornerstone 💫 🌕 (Miya O.)

Summary: Everywhere he goes, Osamu sees you after you left him.

*Skye’s 400 song-fic request*

Superstitious 🌕 (Nishinoya Y.)

Summary: When his S/O starts telling him a bunch of superstitions, bad things just keep happening!

Jump Scares 🌕 (Miya A.) 

Summary: Where Atsumu really wants to see what makes his S/O scared!

A babythots collab

To All The Boys - The Fuckboy  🌕💫 (Terushima Y.) 

Pairings: Terushima Yuuji x reader

Summary: Everybody in the school has liked Terushima at least once in their lifetime, you are no exception to that. But it wasn’t a serious crush, just infatuation. He knows you hate him though, he knows how bad you want to shove a spider down his throat and he knows how much you want him out of your sight. So when you write the letter and it gets sent to him, he somehow makes a big deal out of it even when re: it wasn’t a serious crush. It just served an ego boost and now he won’t stop pestering you about it, and god, he’s so annoying

babythots collab | Mini-series

Brokenhearts Club - Same Room 💫 (Iwaizumi H.) 

Summary: After a long relationship, you unexpectedly broke-up with Iwaizumi. Now, he can’t seem to get you out of his mind nor can he stand to be in the same room as you.

a babythotshq collab

Drabbles/Scenarios

The Haikyuu Captains and How They Comfort Their S/O 🌕

Little Glances  🌕 (Suna R.)

Summary: Other students’ dumb comments bring you and Suna together.

Second Chance  💫🌕 (Oikawa T.)

Summary: In which you and your boyfriend had broken up and are meeting up to talk about getting back together.

Escape from a Blind Date  🌕 (Kuroo T.)

Summary: Where Kuroo rescues you from a terrible blind date

Headcanons

Your Ex Hits You Up for Pics ft. Kuroo, Daichi and Iwaizumi  🌕 

The Haikyuu Captains and Anger Languages 💫   

The Haikyuu Captains and Late Night Car Drives 🌕

The Haikyuu Setters and Anger Languages 💫

The Haikyuu Aces and Anger Languages 💫

Fake Dating your Family Friend (Semi E.) 🌕 

SMAUS

Terushima fake-bf texts 🌕 

Requests

Helping a female reader through anxiety (Kuroo T.) 🌕

“You said to be honest, stop hitting me!” (Oikawa T.) 🌕

“That was kind of hot” (Todoroki S.) 🌕

“I just wanted to tell you that I think you’re beautiful” (Alpha Bokuto K.) 🌕 [Omegaverse]

A:“Have you seen my hoodie?” B:“Noo.” A: “You’re wearing it, aren’t you?” (Alpha Bokuto K.) 🌕 [Omegaverse]

Helping a gn!reader with insecurities (Kuroo T.)  🌕

“If you don’t hug me right now I think I might fall apart” (Akaashi K.)  🌕

Tsukishima, Kuroo, Osamu saving their S/O from traffic 🌕

"That’s how you know you love (them)” (Miya A.)  🌕

Suga, Atsumu, Akaashi, and Sakusa saving their S/O from traffic  🌕

Friends to lovers (Iwaizumi H.- headcanons) 🌕

Bokuto, Tsukishima, and Iwaizumi surprising their S/O after a bad day 🌕

Tendou, Iwaizumi, Ushijima comforting a mute reader (HCs) 🌕

Protective (Alpha Sawamura D.)  🌕 [Omegaverse]

Home (Alpha Kyotani K.)  🌕 [Omegaverse]

Alpha to the Rescue! (Alpha Kuroo T.) 🌕 [Omegaverse]

The Return (Alpha Iwaizumi H.) 💫 [Omegaverse]

(polyship) Alpha Daichi & Suga with Pregnant Omega Reader 🌕 [Omegaverse]

“I’ll make you my mate, no matter what. So be prepared.”  (Alpha Ushijima W.) 🌕 💫 [Omegaverse]

Semi Finds You Reading Angst 🌕

#masterlist #hidden-otaku-stuff

[seize-the-droid]

Endless List of OC Playlists ☆ Keira & Jason [ Featuring an old graphic I made on Polyvore before they shut down the site without warning ]

1) STAND BY ME // Bootstraps

❝Oh, I won't be afraid / just as long as you stand, stand by me❞

[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmVnGQSlw3k ]

I had to include this song or else I don’t think it would have been a Power Rangers playlist. This version absolutely KILLS me. This song was included in the Power Rangers 2017 soundtrack and it hits hard. This song not only represents Keira and Jason’s relationship but their relationship with the other rangers. What makes the Rangers, ‘the Rangers’ is how they are willing to do anything for each other, some rangers are willing to go further than others. For Keira and Jason, this song means that even through the darkest times, they will stand by each other no matter what.

2) WHEREVER YOU WILL GO // Charlene Soraia

❝If I could, then I would / I'll go wherever you will go / way up high or down low / I'll go wherever you will go❞

[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DChHEf0lpEE ]

Out of all of the songs I picked for this playlist, I think this is the song that screams Keira and Jason to me. The way Charlene Soraia’s voice strikes a chord and makes my heart ache makes me feel like this is the perfect song for the two of them. With the two of them living more dangerous lives as Rangers, they didn’t know if they would make it past tomorrow. They would follow each other to the ends of the earth and if something were to happen (and some things have), neither of them would be able to move on. (side note: this is one of my favorite songs on this playlist and in general. Everyone should listen to this cover)

3) FALLING IN // Lifehouse

❝But it's over, without you I'm just lost, incomplete / yeah you feel like home, home to me.❞

[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBtd1rOMOCE ]

This is another song that screams Keira and Jason to me. While Wherever You Will Go is a much slower (and sad) song revolving around the possibility of loss, Falling In expresses the emotions of that initial feeling of falling in love. I could totally see Jason sprinting to Keira’s house the moment he realizes that he’s in love with her. There wouldn’t be any warning. He would be laying on his bed, finishing up some homework when it would just hit him. When he figures it out, he wouldn’t be able to keep it in for very long. When he shows up at Keira’s front door, he realizes how crazy he must seem and how frightening it is to be in love with someone (especially for the first time), but screw it. He loves her and (hopefully) she loves him.

4) ONE AND ONLY // Adele

❝I don't know why I'm scared / I've been here before / every feeling, every word / I've imagined it all.❞

[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLla9PYtcoc ]

Everyone has that moment when they have feelings for someone, played out the entire situation in their head but still doesn’t know how to express those feelings. During the duration of Jason and Keira’s friendship before they started dating, she knew something was different between the two of them. She wasn’t oblivious to the fact that Jason had made many advances towards her, but she was still confused as to why she’s hesitant to ask him for his love after having rehearsed it in her head a million times before. It’s a common symptom of love blossoming between close friends – having been around him for so long yet experiencing a loss for words when wanting to move forward in a relationship.

5) TRUE COLORS // Justin Timberlake

❝This world makes you crazy / And you've taken all you can bear / Just, call me up / 'Cause I will always be there.❞

[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECO3ARGisF8 ]

Both Jason and Keira have their insecurities. Jason thinks everything he touches gets screwed up, while Keira has a habit of keeping things bottled up. Sometimes they think that the world is against them. And the both of them have their break down moments. Most of the time it results in one calling the other and lying in silence all night just holding each other. When you break down, I’ll be there. That’s what this song represents, those moments when they’ve taken all they can and just let it all go.

6) YOU MATTER TO ME // Drew Gehling & Jessie Mueller

❝Come out of hiding, I'm right here beside you / and I'll stay there as long as you'll let me / because you matter to me.❞

[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=js8lCNubzdY ] 

Keira is a very introverted person and the idea of being in a relationship with anyone, let alone Angel Grove’s fallen Golden Boy scared the crap out of her. This song is about a woman who has been abused and afraid to love, but a handsome stranger comes along, convinces her to come out of hiding and let him love her. The lyrics really hit hard because everyone wants to matter to someone even if they are scared. Keira was that person. She was scared to love someone, but Jason let her know that she mattered to him and he wasn’t going anywhere.

7) DON’T YOU WORRY CHILD // Swedish House Mafia

❝Don't you worry, don't you worry, child / see heaven's got a plan for you.❞

[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fytp6BkJwDU ]

Everyone worries about how their life is going to turn out or if they’re messing the whole thing up. This song is about accepting your life how it is, there is a plan for you and you’re right on track. With everything that is/was going on in both Keira and Jason’s lives, they have their doubts about whether or not they’re doing it right. But there’s a reason for everything and a plan in place.

8) AS LONG AS YOU LOVE ME // Sleeping At Last

❝I don't care who you are / where you're from / what you did / as long as you love me.❞

[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxQE5GcyIqc ]

This song talks revolves around the idea that it doesn’t matter the background, as long as you love them, nothing else matters.  Jason was the Golden Boy quarterback who fricked up real badly. And it’s painfully obvious that he beats himself up about it. Luckily for Jason, Keira couldn’t give two sh.its about Jason’s reputation. She didn’t like him for the fact that he was the football player at their high school and she didn’t care that he messed the whole thing up (she cared that he almost killed himself in the process of escaping from the cops, but that’s a different story). She knew that he didn’t like the whole football gig anyway, his dad just wanted him to be a football star. Keira loves him for who he is as a person. Jason is a kind, passionate and loving person, his life shouldn’t revolve around something he doesn’t love.

9) FALLING SLOWLY // Arthur Darvill

❝You have suffered enough / And warred with yourself / It's time that you won.❞

[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqB_ozuCjRw ]

This is the title song for this playlist. I think this is a good song to describe Jason and Keira pre-relationship. Even though they have known each other since elementary school, it wasn’t until high school when the feelings started. They knew of each other but didn’t really know each other. The moment that he walked away from Keira after hitting her in the face with a football, he knew that he wanted to know all about her. He wasn’t exactly sure what to do about the situation and the things he felt. After the awkwardness passed and they became friends, he realized he was slowly falling for her. She made him feel like no one else had. Keira had a tough time and battled with letting herself love Jason. But slowly, she learned to love him and discovered that what they felt was real. That’s what this song is about, getting to know someone and slowly but surely loving them with all you have.

10) SUNDAY MORNING // Maroon 5

❝Back and forth we sway like branches in a storm / change the weather, still together when it ends.❞

[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXdlHueax2U ]

Jason and Keira’s relationship has its ups and its downs. Much like many any other relationship. But, when times get a little better and ‘skies look clear’ they’ll be together in the end. Through the difficult times, they’ll still stick together. That’s one of the reasons this song represents the two of them. Another reason is just the lazy morning factor of it. Just waking up on a Sunday morning, probably dead tired from training all night and just basking in each other's company. They don’t have to be intimate. It’s just a moment where they can just relax and not think about all the crazy stuff going on, just focusing on each other.

11) WHAT THE HECK I GOTTA DO / Anthony Ramos & Original Cast of 21 Chump Street

❝What the heck I gotta do to be with you?❞

[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxZ_rixvzZU ]

This is one of those kinda funny songs. It’s all about a guy trying to convince a girl to go out with him (in which she dodges his advances). It’s a more modern take on liking someone in high school and how teens usually go about it. It makes me chuckle when I think about Jason trying his best to get Keira to go out with him, but she is just not having it (she had a hard time at first, but the more he persisted the more she secretly loved it). Eventually, she just says, “I’ll think about it.”

12) CAN’T STOP THE FEELING // Justin Timberlake

❝I got that sunshine in my pocket / got that good soul in my feet.❞

[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lz2lLTlUcxQ ]

This song is Keira and Jason’s go to jam. They enjoy going on car rides and road trips, it’s one of their favorite things to do together. Keira is usually in charge of the music and whenever this song comes on, the volume goes up and the ugly singing comes out. By the time the song is over they’re both laughing so hard that Jason almost swerves into oncoming traffic (he’s not the best driver).

13) IRIS // Boyz Ⅱ Men

❝No one knows me quite the way you know me / and I'd be lonely without you beside me.❞

[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGfe26GyYjU ]

I love this version of this song. The harmonies give me goosebumps. But anyways, this song reminds me of Jason and Keira’s relationship. It’s all about being afraid to show who you really are and the two of them are like that. Even though they are close to the other Rangers, there’s just something about their relationship that gives them the courage to share everything with each other. With the two of them becoming so close, no one else really knows who they are deep down except for each other. They put on a face, try their best to please others and be something that they’re not. But both of them know that they could trust each other with who they really are. And that’s special.

14) I GET TO LOVE YOU // Ruelle

❝One look at you, my whole life falls in line.❞

[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGAzVbQC-18 ]

This song is about just looking at the person you love and realizing how lucky you are to love them. Jason and Keira have a habit of staring at each other when the other isn’t looking. Classic in love, admiration eyes. When they look at each other, they know everything is okay and organized. They understand why they’re here. They would put each other’s happiness over their own. They’ll forever love each other and don’t need anyone else.

#ocappreciation #my ocs #ship: keira x jason #oc: keira briggs #fd: power rangers #fd: power rangers 2017 #series: endless list of oc playlists #my edit

[ginmayo]

Tag game:)

Tagged by @casually-inlove and @zajeliminazwy, thank you!🖤

Did you go to college/university (if yes, what major)?

Illustration.

Do you believe in aliens?

Yeah, with the sheer size of the universe probability is high we’re not the only life-forms out here. I doubt we’ll ever meet them tho.

Deserted island - 3 items you’ll bring (that’s not in a survival kit)? 

An automatic helicopter, a pop-up house and a bag of stuff for documenting my stay there (drawing stuff/camera) (is this cheating?)

When did you first start reading 19 days? Who is the character, that you’d want to be real the most?

About one and a half year ago. The second question doesn’t make much sense to me – for a fictional character isn’t completely transportable into reality without its fictional context (not to mention the gradient of abstract appearance) nor would it serve any purpose other than gawking at a piece of what? Or, let’s say if this is about translating the fundamentals of a character into a real person: I wouldn’t really want a bunch of mafia associates, killers and kids with a tragic life story to be real. If this was a “choose or die” question I would choose the character with the “safest” backstory like the old school nurse. If this is about what character I’d like to know the looks of as a real human being, well, I always wondered what a 2 meter tall Chinese man with white hair and eyes would look like, but I sure wouldn’t want him running around killing people and breaking every possible traffic rule – nicest thing about fiction still is that it’s only an abstraction of reality 😉 That’s all the charm to me.

Where is your dream home? 

In a chill part of a nice vivid, culturally rich city, with nature just a short footwalk away, with mountains and forest and big meadows, mediterranesque landcape and climate, the coast in sight

Preferred way of getting around town?

Subway or by foot

Favorite... 

- Type of animal? The bizarre and majestic

- Holiday destination? A barely tourist infested Mediterranean region

- Way to spend a Friday/Saturday night? Either going out drinking with friends, watching a movie/ufc fight night or playing old Nintendo games 2 player mode with a glass of wine or tea and snacks at home and/or burying myself deep into whatever creative project it is I’m working on currently.

- Item of clothing? Dark blue socks with the head of a snarling leopard on each side.

- Alcoholic drink? dry red wine, gin tonic, mojito, white wine spritzer or a good wheat beer

- Mythical creature? Uhm…. Golem? Djinn? Witches/Wizards? Ah, hell, I don’t have a favorite - myths are full of creatures with interesting origin that offer breeding ground for fantastical transcription👀🌒   

- Superhero? Darkwing Duck or Superduck (I’ve never really been into superhero stuff)

Tagging: @figlasagna, @tsundere-baby-mo, @lemonysharkbait, @1154lizz , feel free to ignore!

#tag game

[yoongitalks]

the seven stars (m)

pairing: bangtan x reader

genre: angst, smut

summary: In this 7 part story, you’ll meet the deadliest jopok or organised crime gang in the whole of South Korea. Being responsible for ¾ of all incoming drugs and artillery into the country, BTS is also made out of high ranking politicians and powerful business owners. Their path has since become the exact opposite than that of the previous jopok that run the country. Instead of earning money through protection fees, they now protect the high elite of Korea, trading with different countries and earning themselves the spot of the most powerful gang to exist in the land.

warnings: Psychologically disturbing, sex, drugs, alcohol, violence and dark themes.

chapter 0 - get to know the members of BTS

Namjoon’s the chairman of the chaebol RM, a company conglomerate with multiple enterprises under the hold of his closest friends, responsible for over 15% of South Korea’s GDP, and a symbolic star tattoo peaking from underneath his white crisp shirt, across his heart. On the outskirts of Seoul, an empty abandoned looking warehouse stands tall on the deserted area. And in between shelves of bulky old spines, various rich liquor bottles and a vast artillery, they’re jopok or BTS, a mafia with heavy influence on the capital’s underground and illicit scene.

Yoongi’s the CEO of a producing studio in charge of the hits on Billboard’s top 10. He’s also the one who deals with the logistics, trade negotiations and traffic of both drugs, arms and information. But beyond, Yoongi is Namjoon’s right arm, best friend, half brother and greatest ally. Coming from a poor household in the Jung District, getting caught in the streets by kkangpae, small street gangs, wasn’t a surprise. But growing a voice inside of it, getting space to run on his own, made him a name to be heard through mouths - and that was a surprise. It didn’t take much for him to move to Seoul and get in contact with Namjoon. Over 10 years later, he was a grown man with a vast property under his surname, watching the street lights from the windows ceiling high of his penthouse while a tingling sensation comes from the star symbol inked on the inside of his forearm.

Seokjin is the oldest, owner and chef at the very famous rooftop restaurant in the middle of Gangnam. He’s the one dealing with the entrance of products, both arms, drugs and dealers inside South Korea through the port or airplanes. He’s the wisemen, the efficient calculative cold men who everyone goes to for sharp decision making. You see, Jin’s the one who used to get beat up by his dad before he made the one way 3 second decision to leave everything behind to wander off along roads instead of living that life. He’s good with rapid one way outs, so the boys responsible for the groundwork would see him as a mentor, even if he had never shot a single man, because that star tattoo on his ankle still classifies him as such.

Hoseok is the loudest and most sagacious of them all. He owns a luxury glamorous packed full club in the richest side of Gangnam, filled with celebrities, actors and idols. Other than that, he’s responsible for the distribution of drugs on the streets, from party ones like weed and LSD to harsh like heroine to the underground. Hoseok was always the one dealing snacks during break at kinder garden, the tests’ answers during high school, pre-made projects during university. He’s fast, quick, intelligent enough to never get caught. On the back of the club with the right men, Hoseok was strict and serious - different than the cheeky grin plastered on his face while dancers half naked moved around underneath the black light that reflected the black ink of the star on the back of his neck.

Jimin is the brave fresh pair of eyes to Busan’s politics. He ascended from the Growth Strategy Headquarters at the Mayor’s office and in less than a year, had risen to the position of Vice Mayor for Economic Affairs, controlling all decisions made from ports logistics, employment rates to industry growth. Apart from that, he’s also the one responsible for the money laundering through construction and fisheries, which has become incredibly easy with his current position. He’s been the one calling the shots in the second largest city in South Korea, being the pair of eyes for the jopok in the south, which his star tattoo on the back of his calf can attest for.

Taehyung, a new advanced technology company’s CEO that’s responsible for coding and hiding the business’ secrets in the deep web is also the main sniper, the one who has most deaths hanging on his shoulders, with the star tattoo digging in between his shoulder blades. He was caught by Namjoon in the deep underground, but no one knows what he did beforehand or what he was rescued from. With a happy go lucky boxy smile, Taehyung’s cold when it comes to murder - switching like on and off whenever his fingers are closed against the barrel of a gun.

Jungkook, owner of a luxe business hotel chain where the biggest company owners come to stay. He’s the youngest of them all, but also the quickest and quietest. Responsible for collecting information and trading deals in between the jopok and other businesses, he has to be hard to read but fast with his glance. With an introvert mannerism, Namjoon caught him from the shadows amongst professional poker players. With such a young face and a way with shotguns, he was a perfect fit. A newbie on the business, he was still being watched with scrutiny and analyzed over and over. But somehow, was still unreadable, even if the star tattoo on his biceps made him an open book.

And hiding on top of glass skyscrapers, inside choppers that sped through the skies, underneath silk sheets, behind closed sandalwood doors, while sipping Macallan 1946, BTS continued on illegality, making deals overseas and shipping containers filled with arms and drugs over the Pacific - all the while owning the biggest companies responsible for the economic growth of South Korea.

next: made of glass - jungkook (m)

author’s note: welcome back, i guess? this is a plot i developed a long time ago and found recently. i want to thank @pepiygs for the help with this idea. this story is very lightly inspired by the real ‘the seven stars’, a gang that still exists in south korea to this day (mainly the name & m.o.). i hope you guys enjoy this idea. don’t forget to let me know through my messages, reblogs or anywhere you’d like :-)

#bts #bts series #bts smut #bts angst #bts gang au #gang!au #gang!bts #bts scenario #bts scenarios #namjoon smut #namjoon angst #namjoon scenario #yoongi smut #yoongi angst #yoongi scenario #namjoon x reader #bts x reader #yoongi x reader #seokjin smut #seokjin angst #seokjin scenario #seokjin x reader #hoseok smut #hoseok angst #hoseok scenario #hoseok x reader #jimin angst #jimin smut #jimin scenario #jimin x reader

[atomangora15]

The Essentials Of Online Poker Games

Many poker players, horrifying than used in order to one of them, play too fairly quickly. You must give yourself time believe and study what is on the table exactly what possible hands there are against you'll. If you are new to mafia wars then this is especially true. You will be provided with an adequate time in the exchange or betting . Another debate that people are playing online poker is which just love playing cards. Even if they do not win anything, they like to play poker to practice their poker playing skills and understand game. Type of players are usually playing online with free streaming or in fun method. This way cash is not very important and you'll just enjoy playing poker and learn the game. They can spend a whole afternoon playing poker his or her leisure point. These people do not play poker a lot or are basically trying the actual websites to see which they like the most helpful.

Part in the reason consumers are wanting to Play online poker will it be better ease of access. Generate the traffic . do is sign up for a new account at an on-line poker net site then download their software program program. There are even a few web sites that not one of them any download. You simply play a Java based version of their poker software online. And also sites offer you with free french fries. So even if you have never played help of poker in your life, you can study for free when you play online poker. Even though you decide generate a cash deposit to Play online poker, you will see there are a lot of different levels at which you'll play. You can play games that offer stakes any where from .05 cents to $1,000 or great deal.

There will inevitably be an event when playing where you've got a great give. To built up the pot, you should keep other players amongst people. But, as we all know, this is poker presently there are occasions when it wont go to plan.

There is very little time reduction. Whenever you are free, you may play it anytime you want, even at labour! Just don't get caught by your employer. You can also play recreation as long as you like or as short as you want. Playing Poker online is a very simple price. Provided you exactly what you are doing. The first and vital thing to remember is that running barefoot is still a bet on skill, and unless you follow some basic rules and guidelines, you're able end up losing many of money very soon. So, how would you go onto it? First of all, exploration . homework. A person's are new at poker, read high on it. After all, poker is not only one generic game a person simply need learn. There are several variations, many games, and differences in rules and betting and methods. Make sure you know what is what before determine to dabble. Are these poker online sites trying to obtain your business enterprise? While most poker website will offer 100% on top your your initial cover. So for example if you deposit $50 they will give basically bonus $50, you deposit $150 they'll deposit $150 - energy works a great deal as $500. However there is a way to get yourself free money on the market online poker websites and never having to deposit 1 cent. The goal is several combination made using five invitations. There will be two hole cards for each player and five community cards that everyone can bring into play. There will be a button that will be passed on clockwise notice the betting order. They will be distributed clockwise as well during the very first deal. However, the last action end up being determined from dealer through the whole span of the wagering.

#poker online #game poker

[gameingnow]

GTA: San Andreas Review

Grand Theft Auto, a crime simulation created by Rockstar Games in 1997 that did not participate in water, turned many phenomena in the game world upside down, as well as changed many things in my life. At that time, I thought that the PC was used for strategy and FPS games, I spent most of my time with such games, I did not prefer action games. I would rule the characters who were in favor of righteousness, as if I were going to ensure the order of the world, and try to be the angel of good of the city. On one of the days when the Games began to repeat each other and become boring, I received a strange phone call from my best friend: "brother, you must see that the game has come out..." My friend's house was close, but I wasn't very enthusiastic as I was bored playing the same games. When I got to my friend in half an hour, I once again understood the importance of the phrase "raw chicken is eaten for memory". Because in front of me, the one who flips and shakes all the rules of the game. I came across a production that turned each of the usual taboos upside down. Grand Theft Auto threw away all the facts that had to be done in an action game, giving a person Unlimited Freedom. After about an hour or so of watching my friend steal cars and drive crazy, crash right and left, crush people, tear down the streets, I couldn't wait for it to be my turn. When I got my hands on the controls (thanks to the basic needs of people, my friend had to take a break for 1-2 minutes.) I felt I was more free than I had ever been in a game before. It was incredibly enjoyable to stand on the side of the street and dive into the first passing car, throw the driver aside and hit the roads at full speed. Among the vehicles on the street, we chose a red and extremely fast car that was our favorite. We did all the tasks with it, and when we got too much damage, we replaced it with a new one. If my mom called and said, " Son, we wondered what time it was."if he hadn't said," I think I'd never have gotten off that screen. Before I go home, I have one last task to do: find a way to take your friend's cd home... Additional package that reverses everything There is no doubt that Grand Theft Auto ended one era, started another, and acquired itself an incredibly large fan base. But he soon got into trouble with countless cases. Due to the fact that the game is a crime simulation with a full meaning, the claim that it encourages people to commit a crime and contains a lot of profanity, many environments were disturbed, and even the distribution of the game was banned for a short time. It was not long before the game was re-released as a result of great pressure. Many game magazines even lined up to deliver a short demo to their readers. When Grand Theft Auto started chewing gum in the mouth of many game lovers, for those who are skilled, there was no longer an unsolved puzzle, an incomplete task, and a mystery that was not found. People were now waiting for the second version. But instead of upgrading the game to a higher version, Rockstar Games released an additional package that will distract people in the short term. This additional package, which took us to the streets of London in 1969, contained almost nothing, unlike the first game. It was only because the game was in England that traffic was running backwards. Of course, the map design and missions were brand new, but none of them were enough to satisfy the taste of the new future game. Although a big cut didn't like Grand Theft Auto: London 1969, the sales figures and play rates completely denied it. It's time for Game Two. About 2 years have passed since the bomb Rockstar Games sent to the game world, which announced its expected game. GTA 2... This time, I had the honor of playing GTA 2 for the first time, acting faster than my friend. (Thanks to my then monster system, Pentium II 400 and 32 MB of Ram, was a great help in this regard.) My friend's system can not run the game in full sense, so this time we did the GTA morning at our house. One night, the more the mystery of the game could be solved, the deeper we went and realized that the game, which at first glance seemed the same, was actually quite overhauled. From this date, the name GTA has now become a brand, the new game has started to take advantage of the blessings of graphics cards, especially slowly. Although our view of the screen was still a bird's-eye camera, the difference between day and night made the game visually quite different. The maps were larger, the missions were larger, and the inter-gang balances that we would be involved in made GTA 2 extremely playable. A lot of things were developed in the name of freedom. Although there is no equivalent for hours, I still remember how we used buses, lowered and boarded passengers at stops. Second revolution in the gaming world My friend and I were dreaming in our own way while we were playing until GTA 2 came out of the water. You may not believe it, but what we were thinking was, "I wonder how this game could be three-dimensional." In fact, we were so carried away that it would remain a dream that "no, they can't make such a game three-dimensional."he says," Think about it, if they do it, it's like real life."we were thinking. It is not known whether it was known to me and my friend, about two years after we dreamed these dreams, our biggest dream, three-dimensional Grand Theft Auto, that is, GTA III, was released. GTA III, which said hello to the world with the PlayStation 2 version in 2001, also brought countless firsts. Aside from the fact that the game first appeared on the console, it created a revolution again with its incredibly advanced technical infrastructure and numerous opportunities to roam freely in the city. GTA III, which even bought a PlayStation 2 for a person like me who was thinking about investing his money in his computer, deserved much more than simple praise. It is impossible to believe whether a game develops so much or changes so much. Because now we have a city that lives in its own state. In the heart of a crime-ridden city, we played a simple man trying to get into gangs that had a higher priority than the law. Typical GTA logic; " play the vehicle you encounter, walk around as you wish."apart from its logic, many mini-missions were added to the game. When we got into the vehicles, the radio that was playing fascinated almost everyone. We turned on the radio you wanted and listened to songs with a total length of hours. Each radio had its own DJ, as well as a musical style. Each of these features attributed the name GTA to being the most innovative production among all the games released to date. Additional tasks that greatly extended the playing time of GTA III in a way allowed it to not be left out of hand for many years. If you were tired of doing consecutive tasks, if you just wanted to tour sokata, you could go and steal a taxi, drive a taxi to make money. If you want to do something in the public interest (which is the degree of public interest is debated.) this time you could also be a fireman, an ambulance driver, or a cop. As much as Grand Theft Auto hit the market in 1997 and confused the market, it had the same effect on the innovations it brought to GTA III. About 6 months after the PlayStation 2, GTA III, which met players with the PC version, technically did not offer much innovation, but with the logic of being on the computer, it became a multi-player mode and various visual additional modes. Thanks to the GTA III modes, which are still being developed today, we can replace the vehicles on the street with models such as the Eagle, Sparrow, which are one of the immutable cars of our country. Additional package without additional package It has not been a full year since the GTA III madness; Rockstar Games has once again appeared with a new game; GTA: Vice City. People who are still playing GTA III like crazy, "where did this come from?", "So how does this differ from GTA III?"the game, which led us to ask such questions, took us to the universe where Brain De Palma's unforgettable masterpiece Scarface (Scarface) took place. On the streets of Miami, where crime, drugs and smuggling went wild, we led a man who started from scratch and went on his way to becoming a mafia emperor, just like in the script of Scarface. With our character Tommy Vercetti, everything we could do in GTA III continues, we were trying to become the new name of crime in a more colorful, larger and more interactive universe.GTA: Vice City looked to the eyes like a modified version of the previous version, just like Grand Theft Auto: London 1969. The game, which technically uses the same structure, seemed to be made up and re-released with a couple of graphical updates and various interaction settings added. But the beauty of it was that the game was not dependent on the first version and was playable alone. Offering new vehicles, new weapons and usable buildings, Vice City GTA III had the structure to close whatever was missing. Now we could jump from vehicles while cruising, use motorcycles and helicopters. The helicopter, which has always been at hand for those who want to travel around the game map in a short time, was one of Vice City's most important vehicles. After nearly a year of delays on the PlayStation 2, the logic of releasing the PC version was now an unchangeable rule in the GTA series. GTA III and Vice City first came out on the PlayStation 2 platform and then came out on the PC, whether you want it or not, it brought with it a lot of development. Just like GTA III, Vice City had graphical improvements and various additions using the PC infrastructure. Silence broken Every time Rockstar Games is buried in silence, it's a firm that comes back with big and bomb news. Just as in the past 2 years, programmers who we think are in the making of a new game have given the news that will drown PlayStation 2 users with joy and announced GTA: San Andreas. The game, which debuted at the E3 show last year, promised so much innovation that it made not only PlayStation 2 users but all other game enthusiasts drool. Our character would now have a certain personality, and the game map would become tremendously large. With newly added weapons, vehicles and quests, the game would take on a whole new dimension. While all these claims do not seem to exceed the rumour size, what happened happened and GTA San Andreas was first released on the PlayStation 2 platform. All that was promised, expected and desired was now in San Andreas. A huge main map, many new weapons and vehicles were in front of us. Above all, our character now had a personality and dignity. We had to go through certain stages to get to the top level among the gang members. As the physical appearance of our character changed, getting girlfriends, and many details that I couldn't count were included in the game, the days of grief began for players who couldn't own the PlayStation 2. As someone who curses that I sold my PlayStation 1.5 years ago, I started waiting for San Andreas like crazy. The praise he received from my friends was proof of how good the game was, but since I still couldn't even touch the game, it was increasing in value to me. Rumors that it would be released for the PC in June sprinkled water on my heart, but the days did not pass. The PC version of San Andreas was officially launched when the dates were June 7. No one can hold me anymore, wait, I'm coming to the streets of San Andreas... Here we go Our adventure on the islands of San Andreas, which contains three cities, includes the 90s as a period. The map of San Andreas is a huge island consisting of three cities in total. A tiny formula is available to visualize the size of the space you can walk around, imagine the total size of GTA: Vice City and multiply it by four. Here's the dimension of the San Andreas universe. It is divided into many districts to provide easier access to such a large map. Each district has its own style, structure and appearance. The city of Los Santos, where we started the game, is located south of the map and is usually run by small gangs. The other city, called San Fierro, is an area with more developed buildings. The gangs here have more opportunities and have more say. Las Venturas, the last city, resembles Las Vegas, both with its feature that comes with being built on desert land and with the casinos it contains. Of course, management here is provided by mobs who appeal to large audiences. If you, like me, are one of those who first met San Andreas on PC, you may want to listen to the topic a little. Carl Johnson (or CJ for short), our main character in San Andreas, is a teenager who grew up in the suburbs. After getting into trouble with the gangs in the area, Carl, who prefers to run away and leaves the city to never return, decides to return to the city where he was born and raised, after a long time. But when Carl is gone, his family, which he left behind, is disturbed by the area's gangs. Carl's brother, unaware that he is making the situation worse, decides to start his own gang and everything goes wrong. A family that has now made serious enemies is suddenly attacked one night, and Carl's mother does not survive this attack. Feeling guilty about his mother, Carl returns to the city where he spent his childhood, and the city he left years ago is no longer the same. His brother has been one of the heads of the new gang and is in trouble with gangs whose heads are bigger than theirs. As soon as CJ returns to the city, we understand how much crime the city has turned into when he was briefly detained by the police and thrown into the middle of the street after his money was taken. In this way, we take the first step on an endless adventure with CJ, who is trying to stay afloat in a city where there is no cop to trust. Stereotypes aside It is necessary to admit that this landscape and scenario that we encounter when we start the game are a little cliché. But when it comes to GTA, the main story is thrown aside a little. Because the real beauty of the game is hidden in its details and tasks. Believe me, there's no game on the market right now that can spill water on San Andreas ' hands about detail. As soon as we make our first entrance to San Andreas, of course, we get the graphics. Technically, although the Graphics Engine 4 years ago is still being used, quite a few improvements have been made. Especially in the PC version, the details increase a lot thanks to the high resolution. Later, what caught our attention was the city structure, which presented a picture of the majority of Negroes in terms of the overall structure. In a field full of Negroes, their distinctive slang and curses follow suit, whether they want to or not. In the first one or two missions, we witness how successful the conversations were. If we walk around our city a little bit, it is dominated by a more suburban part, and the view of the city, which is usually forgotten, does not escape attention. If you remember, as soon as we started Vice City, we saw the first development added to the game with a small motorcycle standing in front of us. In San Andreas, we see a bike at the same point where we start the game. As soon as we start driving, we realize that it's not much different from a motorcycle, but it's slower. Unlike previous GTA games, the distinction between day and night, which has progressed quite visually, is also shown. Day and night changes in our game are no longer happening at once, but gradually. So the shadows we see also change at every moment. It's not like innovation will end in San Andreas For those who have played the GTA series, San Andreas offers the same amount of innovation as everything was so different when Carl returned to the city where he was born and raised. Our new game has a map as big as all other GTA games combined, decorated and enhanced visuals with many details. As soon as we start counting, the most important of the list, which does not seem to end, is the personality of our character. Unlike other games in the series, in San Andreas, our character has his own personality, appearance and charisma. Just as we gain respect for gangs with our tasks, we can also change our appearance by doing some additional tasks. As soon as we first started the game, if we want to do tasks in a row, we also received the most basic information. For example, the game shows how to increase the degree of respect that is very important and how to control the basic needs graphics. If we Press The tab key on the condition that we are out of the vehicle at any point in the game, the needs chart appears on the screen, just like in The Sims game. There are degrees of respect, endurance, novelties, obesity and sex appeal. Respect determines the point of view of the gang we are involved in against us. In order to get advanced tasks, we need to have a high degree of respect. Thanks to endurance, we can swim and run longer. Those who know know that in previous GTA games, we also had a character that could last longer as we ran, but this time this power is shown graphically. As we increase our muscle strength, our body structure also takes shape Nov. Our health forces are increasing and the amount of damage we are receiving is decreasing. Just as obesity affects our appearance and respect, it changes the way gang members view us. Finally, our attraction to girls increases with the degree of sex appeal. We increase this level by going out to dinner with your girlfriends regularly and dancing. Look as you are or be as you look As with all GTA games, it pushes us to follow a certain scenario in San Andreas. We have to do the tasks that are lined up in a row, earn our reputation among gangs, and increase our assets. To do all this, we are offered eternal freedom. According to the general logic of the GTA, there are no time limits, so you can do these tasks immediately, if you want, you spend most of your time with empty jobs, you kill time. Here's the best part of GTA, the producers who have taken this free time or secret and additional missions a few steps away with the San Andreas version. Now, the years when we can spend time on our own and have fun have been greatly increased. At the very beginning of this comes to change the appearance of our character. If you are a character who cares about your appearance (which is a kind of necessity when you go to the management of gangs), you should regularly go to the barber shop and determine your hair and style. If you want to adopt herpes styles, it's even possible to have a body full of tattoos. Although it is easy for a person to have a beautiful hairstyle, his body, which he will use as a tual when he wants to fill his body with a tattoo, should also look a little pleasant to the eye, of course. If a fat person walks on the street topless, it becomes important to have a healthy and beautiful body, as the belly will hit you in the eye before you look at their tattoos. The way to improve your body, of course, is through gyms. If you play sports regularly, if you prefer to cross close-distance paths on foot, you will inevitably have an athletic structure. That's when you walk around topless increases your reputation again. O people! I can swim now, too We know that playing sports in San Andreas is extremely important in terms of maintaining our form. But what you can do to keep yourself in shape is not limited to a few such options. Just as you can go to gyms and work out, you can maintain your form by using a lot of bikes or walking a lot of jogging if you want. But thanks to an innovation that has come in San Andreas, one more of these sports that you can do is added; Now we can swim! Read the full article

[afterspark-podcast]

G1 Episode 41: Transcript

[This can also be found on AO3!]

[Stinger]

S: What's his face- the one that you said Rodimus would make out with-?

O: I like that! 

[Intro music]

O: Hello, and welcome to the Afterspark Podcast, an episode by episode recap of the Generation 1 Transformers cartoon! I'm Owls!

S: And I'm Specs.

O: And today we're going to be talking about episode number 41: Making Tracks. Let's talk about giant robots today, shall we?

S: Sure, let's do it. Once upon a time in New York City, something, something, cars being pretty-

O: So we open up with two punks in the background on a rather beat up pink car.

S: In the foreground we see a blue corvette stingray with a large winged Autobot logo on its hood.

O: ‘Cause it's a Tracks episode y'all! 

S: One of the punks says, “Those wheels are rude!”

O: Wait, wait is that- was that actual 80’s slang? I feel like I've never actually heard that used by, you know, a person.

S: Neither have I and I don't know- neither of us existed then, which I guess dates us rather.

O: We were but a twinkle in our fathers’ eyes. 

S: Apparently, Tracks is just what they've always wanted as the two punks pick his door locks and hop on in. 

O: One gets into the driver's seat and the other spots an expensive looking red boom box in the back seat.

S: They jam to some tunes on our buddy Blaster.

O: I'm really confused, why do they not just use Track’s stereo? 

S: Maybe they're listening to whatever cassette Blaster has got in his player.

O: Ah, yes, the soothing sounds of Eject. Please note: Eject does not actually appear in this episode.

S: Yep, he is Sir-not-appearing-in-this-film today.

O: Because Soundwave is allowed to have buddies but Blaster does not get any for a while, I swear.

S: They're on break. They're always on break.

O: They're always on break.

S: The two punks drive the new joy ride to a shady warehouse and meet an even shadier man.

O: Apparently Tracks is only worth $800.00, which is still too little- even adjusted for inflation at $2526.99. 

S: Oh, that's so accurate.

O: Thank you, inflation calculator. 

S: I would think that he'd be worth, you know, closer to $8000.00 in current, uh, US dollars but this is probably a chop shop and they're definitely not getting paid market value if we're here- for anything here.

O: I’d say they're getting ripped off, even.

S: Yeah.

O: So Tracks says nothing about this clear insult but transforms into robot mode, scattering all the humans.

S: One of the punks is still carrying Blaster, who transforms and picks up both the punks like two naughty little kittens. 

O: The shady chop shop guy makes it just outside the door before running headlong into Optimus and then he pulls a gun on Optimus and shoots at him.

S: And it's a laser gun, no less. How did this man get a laser gun?

O: Though the power of 80’s cartoons and they're not allowed to use real bullets.

S: Oh maybe this should have been our first, uh, hint about who our true enemies are on this episode. 

O: Perhaps, maybe.

S: The Autobots head on back to Sparkplug’s garage after, you know, finishing busting up that chop shop

O: Is this a new thing that Sparkplug’s acquired since getting chummy with the Autobots or has he had this this entire time?

S: He's the most interesting man in the world, I mean it could be either.

O: It really could, but to make this more confusing when they arrive back at the garage it really does look like an Autobot construction of some sort, not a man-made one.

S: It's even Autobot orange, how about that?

O: Hey, you know, do you- do you think they went shopping for just the right Earth paint color to match? Like they can- or did they have paint on the Ark? I-I have concerns, I have questions.

S: Someone probably went and got, you know, color swatches and compared them to the Ark.

O: They made Sunstreaker do it.

S: Oh, Sunstreaker, Tracks, and they went and, you know, got Carly because she had better color vision than Spike.

O: Obviously. So Tracks talks about how he likes New York and he could stay here forever.

S: His teammates poke fun at Tracks cosmopolitan preferences, even saying he'd rather hang out with humans than them.

O: Okay, so apparently Tracks is so attracted to humans even before meeting Raoul that the other Autobots regularly kink shame him about it.

S: Oh, he just cares about the culture. He's a man of culture-

O: [Laughter] Uh-huh, uh-huh. 

S: If you will.

O: Sure. 

S: Our current New York roster includes not only Optimus, Blaster, and Tracks, but also Powerglide, Cosmos, Seaspray, and Hoist and Huffer.

O: Yay, Cosmos!

S: It's gonna be a weird, weird day for New York.

O: Yeah, they must be used to it by now. Optimus sends these various Autobots out to patrol the area but Tracks walks off in a huff to go take a drive.

S: And apparently the state of New York City is so bad in the 80’s that immediately after getting on the road three dudes run out into the street and try to rob whomever they think is driving Tracks.

O: Those windows are either tented or these are the dumbest robbers in existence who are trying to rob an empty car.

S: They're opportunists. Dumb opportunists, because they are in fact the dumbest robbers in the world as they eventually realize that there is definitely no one in that damn car.

O: And they also have laser guns and shoot at Tracks.

S: One of the shots hits his tire and he goes careening into a convenient lamp post.

O: Obviously, Tracks is devastated by the cosmetic damage. 

S: He has discovered that New York is not all bright lights and fancy shit.

O: It's also men with laser guns. 

S: Tracks tries to transform but apparently getting dinged up like that was just too much damage.

O: A young man sees Tracks and is basically like, “Oh well, it's damaged but still a sports car. I'm going to take it home with me.”

S: What he actually says is: “Well, apparently nobody wants you so that makes you mine,” like, that is not how that works Raoul!

O: Haven’t you read fanfic? Of course that's how that works!

S: Well, considering some of the random accidental baby acquisition things that I've read-

O: What!? [laughter] Baby acquisition was the thing that got said to me today! I had to hear it now so do you, dear listeners.

S: Let's put it this way sometimes fanfic is very weird.

O: Indeed.

S: Accidental acquisition- accidental baby acquisition. ...Yeah, no, that is not how any of that stuff works. Tracks is currently unable to drive and the man enlists some people to help push him into an abandoned lot of some sort.

O: Of course, this young man, as we alluded to earlier, is Raoul and he, again, comments on whoever owned Tracks before, he owns him now.

S: Tracks replies, “Nobody owned me, I'm mine.” 

O: Raoul did not expect his new car to talk to him tonight.

S: Well, I think if I was Raoul i would have, uh, maybe taken a step back to-

O: Rethink my life choices?

S: Yeah, but so- yeah, Tracks asks Raoul to repair him and we find out that Raoul intends to sell him, presumably because he has promised a car to two dangerous characters named the Geddis brothers by midnight.

O: Raoul says, “The first time I try to steal a car and I get one with a big mouth.”

S: Track is being somewhat snooty about however Raoul got car parts at this time of night but Raoul's not in the mood to get, you know, a lecture from a car.

O: He pops open Tracks’s hood and comments on “What the hell is all this machinery?” only, you know, without the hell because we are talking about an 80’s cartoon, before snipping an innocent looking wire.

S: Cutting said innocent, delicate, little wire completely incapacitates Tracks.

O: Because, apparently, that's the main cable to his computer and that seems like quite a design flaw. I hope that doesn't become important in any way, shape, or form later in this episode!

S: [Laughter] Hint.

O: Hmmmmmm..

S: Sea spray is patrolling the river and is cranky about humans being litter bugs. 

O: While Powerglide and Cosmos report to Prime that they have not seen any Decepticons or Tracks.

S: Hoist complains about being stuck in traffic due to a car accident and hops out of Huffer to help.

O: Which is hilarious because Huffer is shorter than him in robot mode but Hoist apparently has no problem riding in him.

S: And when we say riding in him, we mean riding in his cab, not in his back seat or you know-

O: Whatever you want to take that as an innuendo for.

S: Well, that wasn't what I was thinking- I was just- he's not riding in like a pickup truck bed or something.

O: Oh, yeah, okay I get ya. Huffer laments that they can't all just fly like Tracks before we cut back to Tracks and Raoul.

S: Tracks is looking much better as this front end has been hammered out and, you know, fixed up and Raoul is in the process of polishing him.

O: Which I'm sure Tracks is appreciating. 

S: Mm-hm. Two large, adult men have apparently stopped by to shake this teenage boy down.

O: These are the Geddis brothers and they want their car and even call Raoul a bad little boy.

S: Yeah, that's, um, well I mean that's incredibly creepy, by which I mean it's the creepiest thing they could have possibly said.

O: In this exact scenario, yes. Raoul’s in immediate danger! Cut to commercial.

S: Or Shockwave modeling, you know, striking a pose. 

O: And after we're done with that, uh, we're back and, uh, these guys insinuate they're going to give Raoull his own set of cement shoes.

S: Well I guess they're part of the mafia or something?

O: I don't know what they are but yeah they're like, “Uh, can't give us a car? Murder.”

S: Yeah, and then Tracks comes to the- well, comes to the rescue by driving up and transforming and putting the intimidation on and because, you know, and the guy's grand plan to get away from the giant metal man is to chuck Raoul at him.

O: Who is, obviously, caught gently in Tracks’s hands and is totally fine.

S: Tracks is a very careful fellow.

O: Yes, I would hope so.

S: So the two Geddis brothers hop in their car and speed off. 

O: Cue a not so high-speed car chase as Tracks transforms and chases after them with Raoul in tow.

S: Passing by such renowned New York locations as the Casablanca Abba Cafe.

O: Don't forget about the Appliance Store and Bar or, quite possibly, the Store and Bra. We can't tell. 

S: It's unclear. Also the Fashion Forker.

O: Because I don't know what was going on with these names but, boy, are they a joy to read. Raoul thinks that they have lost the Geddis brothers but Tracks says, “Hardly,” and takes to the air.

S: And it is at this point that, uh, rap- Tracks finally introduces himself to Raoul.

O: Yeah, Raoul's basically just been calling him ‘car’ this entire time, I think.

S: I'd rather suspect Tracks has been pouting over that. 

O: Probably. Uh, Raoul and Tracks do lose sight of the guys near the docks and head back to the empty lot from before.

S: Tracks has reached the conclusion that the Geddis brothers are working with the Decepticons.

O: Which, you'd think, if you were working closely with either the Autobots or the Decepticons, you'd take the time to learn their damn badge colors so you don't accidentally ruin your entire plans by mouthing off to the wrong bot, because I don't remember what the Geddis brother said to Tracks but they were, like, “Wait? What are you doing here?” or something, I think, to Tracks.

S: Yeah, something like that and, I mean, it's an 80’s cartoon. Nobody's getting points for intelligence here, except maybe Perceptor.

O: Because Percy always gets intelligence points. Tracks asks Raoul to take him to where the brothers are storing the stolen cars and Tracks says he's going undercover... as a stolen car.

S: Again!

O: You know, because that's what you just spent all night doing.

S: He knows what he is. He knows he wants- he knows he has to be the damsel in distress here. They arrive down at the docks and see a parade of cars on a bridge crossing the Hudson into Jersey.

O: I regret to inform you that at this time we are legally obligated to make a New Jersey joke. A-hem! Of course the Decepticons are in [New] Jersey! 

S: Ah, the Geddis brothers crossed the bridge and Tracks and Raoul will follow.

O: Back with Powerglide, he reports spotting Starscream to Optimus. 

S: Starscream realizes pretty quickly that he's being followed and tries to lose Powerglide but is shot at by Cosmos who wishes him a terrible day.

O: You know, considering the last time they met, I can hardly blame Cosmos for not liking him.

S: Neither can I because, yeah.

O: That whole idol thing? It just didn't go over super well, you know. 

S: Yeah. Starscream lands and transforms, running into a shopping mall that somehow- somehow scale to fit them. Roughly.

O: And somehow still open. Like Tracks, earlier, kind of insinuated it was rather late at night, but whatever! Cosmos and Powerglide follow him in but Starscream opens fire on both of them and the smattering of humans in this huge- again- very empty mall.

S: Yep. Powerglide and Cosmos repeatedly lose sight of Starscream, who really should still be in their line of sight.

O: Because he's like one floor up from them! That's how this is going, essentially and so I'm just like, “Do you two need your optics checked?” 

S: Maybe!

O: Ratchet, it's time for an eye exam!

S: Yeah, time to check out their sensors. Starscream gets the drop on them again and knocks them off a higher level of the mall before escaping via smashing through the ceiling.

O: Because nobody can use a fucking door.

S: Yeah, no one can really use a door here. Powerglide and Cosmos report into Optimus who, based on Starstream's escape direction, concludes the Decepticons are in New Jersey and most likely the Pine Barrens.

O: Pine Barrens!? I am now massively disappointed by the lack of Jersey Devil in this episode.

S: I don't think they have the budget for the Jersey Devil.

O: I mean, if you've seen the Jersey Devil- I- Honestly, I am devastated, devastated! I did not get to see great Transformers’ animation for this demonic beast, because I want it so bad.

S: Maybe the Jersey Devil will appear in some other iteration of Transformers at some point. 

O: But will he be-

S: Just imagine it.

O: But will it be bad 80’s animation, Specs? 

S: Well, someone could do, um, Transformers versus American cryptids and potentially do it with bad 80’s animation.

O: That sounds like a delight.  However, speaking of the Pine Barrens, the Geddis brothers drop off all the cars and then they send all the drivers back to the city on a bus.

S: Of course, the camera pans over to the right and we see Megatron who was apparently in, uh, plain sight this entire time or showed up extremely stealthily in the last five seconds.

O: The Geddis brothers having delivered the shit ton of cars, asked Megatron where their million dollars is. Megatron being Megatron just aims his fusion cannon at them and says, “Right here.”

S: They shoot at Megatron with their teeny little peashooter laser guns which is just as ineffective against him as they've been against all the other giant robots that have been shot at in this episode.

O: The two humans manage to dodge the fusion cannon blast and presumably run off into the woods.

S: Tracks and Raoul are in the trees nearby and Tracks only just now attempts to contact Optimus but is unable to due to a broken radio.

O: Soundwave and Rumble are loading cars into a giant conveyor belt as Tracks gets closer to investigate.

S: Tracks is really pulling a Daphne this episode, it feels like.

O: [Laughter] It really is. 

S: As the cars are pulled into the building Scrapper is waiting just inside with a giant sword- I keep wanting to say laser sword but I don't remember- and he hits them with the sword. Tracks is not happy about possibly becoming robot sushi and the wire repair from earlier conveniently chooses that moment to fall to pieces.

O: Raoul used electrical tape, or at least it certainly looks like electrical tape, and speaking from experience- electrical tape does not just fall apart like that!

S: It's plot. 

O: [Laughter] I know it's plot but they should have used, I don't know, like masking tape or something that doesn't stick very well.

S: It’s plot. 

O: [Laughter] Oh, right, right, right, right- switching my brain to off.

S: Raoul notices that Tracks isn't moving and whisper-shouts at him to get out of there. 

O: Tracks is immortal danger, time for a commercial break.

S: Raoul runs out and yells at the nearby Cons that they'd better not touch his car.

O: Megatron gives him a look that can only be described as “Where the fuck did this one come from? We had gotten rid of the humans.”

S: Unfortunately, humans are a bit of an infestation, Megatron. 

O: Raoul-

S: They will turn up wherever.

O: They truly will, and then Raoul lies and says he had a bomb in his car.

S: Raoul goes big. 

O: Megatron then threatens him with his fusion cannon for a bit, uh, because he wants him to remove the non-existent bomb.

S: Starscream and Soundwave are just, you know, chilling nearby.

O: Rumble was just here. Is he on coffee break? 

S: Probably.

O: [Laughter] See, the Decepticons have legally mandated breaks is what I'm getting from this.

S: They stop at the conveyor belt and Raoul fixes Tracks, who quickly transforms and opens fire.

O: And then the two of them basically run away. 

S: Yep, and Ravage and Rumble follow on foot. 

O: So much for that coffee break, but now Tracks is running low on energy because he's kind of been all over the place tonight. 

S: He feels faint.

O: And he plans to make his last stand in robot mode.

S: Hey, you do what you got to do, I suppose. But Raoul runs off, trying to draw the cassettes away.

O: And Ravage nearly gets him before being tackled out of nowhere by Sideswipe.

S: Bee and Jazz arrive as well and the three of them chase off the Cassettes. 

O: Tracks and Raoul are brought back to the Autobot base or Sparkplugs’ garage anyway, and shortly after the missing cars which were modified by the Decepticons begin to enter the city. 

S: Optimus, Ratchet, and Blaster attempt to stop as many as possible on a bridge. I mean, good idea: natural choke point.

O: Right but then all the cars transform into robots and fire on the group of Autobots. 

S: Meanwhile Bee, Sideswipe, Inferno, and Tracks take on the cars that have already entered the city. 

O: Thankfully the cars are terrible shots and miss the Autobots. Unfortunately, they end up hitting a nearby skyscraper and it gets on fire now.

S: Inferno goes to play King Kong and climbs up to put it out and then Ironhide, Huffer, and Windcharger engage another group of cars.

O: I love that when these Decepticon cars transform all of their robot modes are the exact same red and yellow color scheme despite their vehicle modes all being different colors.

S: Um, the- the Decepticons got all of that, uh, got all that paint on discount or something.

O: [Laughter] Obviously.

S: On the bridge, Ratchet examines one of the downed cars and realizes they're being, you know, they're remote controlled.

O: So they broadcast a jamming signal and all the nearby cars, at least, stop.

S: The Autobots then head to the Pine Barrens to destroy the Decepticon base of the week that Tracks and Raoul found before.

O: Optimus yells, “We're putting your company into bankruptcy, Megatron!” Did Cybertron have bankruptcies?

S: Either that or the Autobots have been very well educated on Earth's financial systems which I would not put past, you know, Prowl insisting that they know.

O: Right my brain just went- obviously, Spike told them about this. Then they were educated about Earth financial institutions by a 14 year old boy mostly just because it's funnier. 

S: Oh and probably, uh, Sparkplug coming in and having to-

O: Correct him?

S: Re-educate them. 

O: [Laughter] Anyway bankruptcies aside, another firefight ensues.

S: Raoul has the power of a crowbar and God on his side and runs into the building to destroy the control panel but is quickly snatched up by Megatron.

O: So, wait, you're telling me that not only did Raoul just march off into that building, by himself, to wreck shit but also that Megatron was prescient enough to go inside and stop him despite being outside three seconds ago?

S: Yep.

O: Alright then.

S: Megatron walks back outside with Raoul and tells the Autobots they’d better stop firing.

O: Raoul, to his credit, is attempting to get out of Megatron's hand this entire time.

S: Tracks is threatening to turn Megatron into scrap metal, himself, if he harms Raoul.

O: Again, they've known each other for, like, a couple of hours, tops. They're, like, ride or die, it's great. 

S:Mm-hm. Unable to get out of Megatron's grasp, Raoul reaches into his coat and pulls out a can of spray paint, mashes a button on Megatron's torso, opens a panel and then sprays paint into it. 

O:This is apparently enough to completely incapacitate Megatron, who falls onto the ground. 

S: Soundwave and Rumble grab Megatron and fly off to the main Decepticon HQ.

O: And they're never seen again. Obviously not. But, uh, a well-placed shot from Tracks causes the entire building to go up in flames.

S: Well, that was, uh, incredibly badly built.

O: Are you insinuating that the Constructicons have shoddy workmanship?

S: Well, they may not have been the ones called in to do that this week.

O: I mean, fair. He has so many. Even the Constructicons need a break.

S: Back in New York all the Decepticon cars are parked in and around Sparkplug’s garage.

O: They plan to fix them all and return them to their actual owners but Sparkplug’s not sure if Ratchet and him can handle it, even with Wheeljack helping out. 

S: Raoul takes this as his cue to leave but Tracks walks over and picks him up and drops him next to a nearby car, apparently volunteering his labor. 

O: The two bicker good-naturedly as the episode ends. So they are a couple now, right? Right?

S: Mm-hmm.

O: Yes!!

S: Or at least ride or die buddies, who may eventually evolve into a couple.

O: For clarification they're not actually in a romantic relationship because this was the 80’s but there is some fanfic which we have for recommendations in a moment but join us next time for: The Autobot Run. In which the Autobots will do no running... because they will not have legs.

B: [Laughter]

S: Oh yeah. It's a race, dudes. So, Owls has, uh, our fanfic recommendations for today. If you would like to take it away? 

O: Uh, if you're not aware from my jokes during this episode, I actually really like Tracks and Raoul as a pairing so I just actually had these all ready, uh, which doesn't happen that often. Um, so our two picks for today are: “Danger, Sudden Swerve” by Chibibee or, uh, Rebecky_Mo in parentheses. It is G1 Cartoon, it is PG-13, it's slash, our pairing is Tracks and Raoul. Our characters are Tracks and Raoul, and in summary, “All it takes is one wrong turn to find yourself somewhere new and amazing.” Uh obviously this is based on this episode having Tracks in it and it is a collection of shorts.

O: And then our second fic for today is: “Following the Tracks” by LittleMissSweetgrass. Continuity is actually Transformers Prime for a change. It is rated T, it is slash again, characters and pairings are Tracks and Raoul although I do want to point out that there's actually a lot of characters from a lot of different continuities that get pulled into this one which makes it a lot of fun. So a lot of the human characters from IDW show up, um, as well as some Autobots that basically got humanized as human characters within the context of they were in relationships with some of the other human characters but, uh, it's really neat- it's nice to see some of these characters that have basically not popped up in anything for years like, uh, is it Asteria or Astoria? Uh, the one that's in love with Powerglide.

S: Yeah.

O: She pops up- 

S: I don’t actually remember her- I don't remember her name, I'm afraid. 

O: I bet- but her, the rich chick, uh, pops up. So does Chip. It's really nice, definitely recommend, uh, it is unfortunately ongoing so has not completed yet, so I'm, like, it's- it's very good and I read every single update, uh, but in summary, “At the start of Transformers Prime they mentioned that it's been three years since the last Decepticon attack but what if it was also the last time they lost a team member? Tracks was attacked and abandoned in New York City with no way to contact his fellow Autobots. It just so happens that he meets a young man that will help him survive amongst the humans until he can make it back to his team. But what if they can't make it back to them before they leave Earth?” And again it's a Tracks/Raoul  recommendation.

S: I know I need to read that one.

O: It's just- it's okay I have had the worst time keeping up with fics this year because 2020 is the gift that keeps on giving. I realize this will get posted in 2021 but we are recording it at the end of 2020.

S: Yeah, it's been a bad year, folks but I think you already know that.

O: Most people do anyway. So our, uh, [art] recommendation for today is Lantana, uh, they have a Tumblr and a Pixiv and their thing is chibis basically, uh, kind of, uh, that's a bit of an oversimplification but their colors are lovely and they have some very super-super-super-duper cute chibi robots. They're soft, they're colorful, I love them, and I want to give them all hugs. So, uh, some of the ones we're recommending: one of them is, uh, it's basically at least an IDW-esque Megatron but done up as a medic. That makes a lot more sense if you've read the comics, I'm sure, um, and then there's one where, uh, they decide- where his Decepticons decide to get him a birthday present. That birthday present is basically a, you know, a captured and tied up Optimus Prime in a giant present box.

S: Tied up with a big pink ribbon.

O: Of course. And then our other one is a Soundwave with a bunch of itty-bitty kitties and him feeding them. It is super cute.

S: Like, initially, I thought that this was a weird Polly Pocket situation where Soundwave had a Polly Pocket house for cats in his chest- it does not but-

O: That would be funny. They've also got a lot more stuff they've posted since I added them to our recommendation list, that is also gorgeous including some Shattered Glass stuff which, because, I love Shattered Glass and there's not a ton of stuff of it, so, uh, yeah, check out their work. It's lovely.

S: Yeah, it's really pretty. I really like the Soundwave and cats.

O: It's- it's just- it's so cute.

S: It is very cute and that about wraps it up for us today.  Remember to check us out on Tumblr or Pillowfort as Afterspark-Podcast for any additional information, show notes, or links we may have mentioned.  You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter at AftersparkPod (all one word) and various other locations by searching for Afterspark Podcast such as AO3, iTunes, Spotify, and Youtube, just to name a few.  And feel free to send us questions on Tumblr, Youtube, or AO3!  Till next time, I'm Specs.

O: I’m Owls.

S: Toodles.

[Outro Music]

#transcript #g1 episode 41 #afterspark podcast #afterspark

[aion-rsa]

Why Training Day’s King Kong Speech Is One of the Best Movie Monologues Ever

https://ift.tt/3rjGBM3

Training Day’s “King Kong” monologue stands tall among the great speeches of cinema. Denzel Washington elevates the iambic pentameter of Iago, the villain of William Shakespeare’s Othello, to syncopated street rhythms. It is on par with Marlon Brando’s reflections on the horrors of war as Col. Kurtz in Apocalypse Now, it is the inverse of Gregory Peck’s monologues as Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird, and it ranks with Joe Pesci’s “Do you think I’m funny?” scene in Goodfellas or Groucho Marx’s breakdown in the middle of reconciliation in Duck Soup. But the single line of dialogue which hits it home wasn’t in David Ayer’s screenplay. It was pure Denzel.

“King Kong ain’t got shit on me,” LAPD Det. Sgt. Alonzo Harris declares in the most memorable scene in Training Day. Washington improvised the line in the heat of the moment. He’d earlier improvised a scene where he rubbed two handguns together as a threat. This is expert foreshadowing to the character breakdown, allowing Washington to evoke Humphrey Bogart’s Capt. Queeg, who fiddled with ball-bearings under cross-examination in The Caine Mutiny.

Before this moment, Alonzo had an iron grip over the neighborhood he patrols. He hassled out-of-towners for free weed, smokes, and pipes, and had his breakfast tabs paid with cash to table. And in this scene, he’s just made a lifesaving score and some “disloyal bitch-ass fool” gang member shuts him down, siding with a white rookie cop.

Alonzo put 13 years into this job, and he’s got a total of 15,000 man years in sentences under his belt. Yet he’s also been marked for death by the Russian mob and time is running out when he invokes Hollywood’s giant ape. Washington wears these contradictions on his face, playing Alonzo like he’s been both ordained and earned his exalted position. He throws down challenges, pulls emotional punches, and keeps the other actors tightly involved in the scene.

Not all of Washington’s dynamics are limited to the craft of acting. Some of Alonzo’s lines come across like a Tom Morello guitar run in a Rage Against the Machine song. Denzel drives beautiful dissonances without a blue note. And he does the whole thing two feet from an imposing Terry Crews, who stands there like a giant Marshall amp ready to knock him off his feet.

The monologue is more than engaging, it is arresting. And it ends in an unexpected place, certainly not foreseen by the audience or the players when it begins. Alonzo is shouting for his life here. The stakes of “go to jail or go home” are just the opening ante of the cop’s wager of controlling his neighbors. And after the rousing wakeup call ends, the crowd’s reaction recalls the conclusion of Bruce Springsteen’s street anthem “Jungleland,” which reads “and they wind up wounded, not even dead.”

Training Day tells the story of a veteran police detective, undercover cop Alonzo, who babysits rookie narc cop Jake, played by Ethan Hawke, through his first day on the street. The role of Alonzo was the first villain Washington ever played. The actor had an onscreen reputation as an authentic hero. All his characters, even Pfc. Peterson in A Soldier’s Story, who shot a black sergeant and left him on the side of the road, had a code. There is a set of ethics and morals which the character stuck to, even in the face of a murder confession. By the ‘90s, Washington was a renowned role model in cinema.

For most of Training Day, he uses this reputation to his advantage. Denzel puts on his good guy voice and most charismatic smile, and Alonzo’s side glances are invitations. He’s got all the answers and knows how to impart wisdom. Even if you don’t want to hear it.

But it’s a beautiful ruse, and Washington has a ball playing the villain. Alonzo is a demon in a 1978 Monte Carlo lowrider. The devil’s got gold chains, black leather, and a badge. The road to hell is greased with bad intent. Alonzo doesn’t need a siren. He can stop traffic with a stare. He bends the law until it breaks, and is the guy you call to put in the fix. He rousts citizens for the cardio. Alonzo messes with people’s heads as a passing thought.

Meanwhile, Jake thinks the narco beat will put him on the fast track to detective grade. Alonzo is evaluating Jake to see if he’s got what it takes, and if he’ll take what he can get.

The grooming starts slowly. A couple of pulls on a marijuana pipe and a visit to an ex-cop whose pouring drinks for on-duty badges. Corruption is a slow process, especially with a hardheaded idealist. When Jake’s one “bad boy” story ends with an admission that he didn’t have sex with his “fine” training officer after a year in park because he’s “got a wife,” Denzel shoots back with “You got a dick.” And when Jake later confirms he’s not cool with killing and robbing drug dealers, his fate is sealed in Alonzo’s eyes: off-screen the older cop arranges it with a Mexican gang so Jake can take the fall.

Alonzo is on a deadline. He beat the wrong guy to death on a trip to Las Vegas, and the Russian mafia wants $1 million by the end of that day in payback. Alonzo had that money in a bag before Jake crashed in on his getaway, shooting him in the ass and leaving him stalled at the scene, which probably got Washington his Oscar.

Read more

Movies

The Dark Knight: Why Heath Ledger’s Joker is Still Scary Today

By David Crow

Movies

Seven: The Brilliance of David Fincher’s Chase Scene

By Ryan Lambie

Training Day is filled with memorable sequences: Snoop Dogg’s arrest is pure slapstick tragedy; Macy Gray sounds absolutely unearthly; who doesn’t have the urge to get high with Alonzo after watching him take the wheel so’s not to kill Jake’s buzz? But Alonzo kills it good when his life’s on the line.

When the gang leader Bone (Cle Sloan) sides with Jake during the film’s climactic moment, letting the rookie split with the cash he’ll use as evidence to bust Alonzo, it is a cultural divide. The white cop dissociates not only from the bad cop and from the Black community, but turns Alonzo’s defining declaration into some kind of psychotic breakdown. It is street legal, common sense on the block, now diluted for mass consumption. Alonzo is not wrong about anything except his partner. The motherfucker who just shot him in the ass.

Part of the reason the scene is so effective is because of the energy of where it was shot. Producers were warned the Imperial Courts housing project in Watts was too dangerous for production, but the neighborhood community wanted the film to be made. And they wanted it to be honest. Director Antoine Fuqua shot there anyway and cast neighborhood residents as extras or in small roles. It was the first time LA gangs allowed filmmaking on their turf, and Cle Shaheed Sloan, a former member of the Bloods who was the gang technical advisor, got cameos from real-life gang members, according to Fuqua on the DVD.

Washington is performing street theater in the round during his big speech, and he’s playing it to the most appreciative audience in the world. People are getting paid to be themselves and show their pain. It works like a chorus and it amplifies the tension. Alonzo is a tiger caught by the tail but with a lot of bite. To catch a wolf, you have to be a wolf, the narc cop believes. Spittle flies onto the pavement as Denzel forges himself into the eighth wonder of the world.

King Kong was the king of the jungle but met his death on city streets. “I run this place, you just live here,” Alonzo affirms with more truth than power allows. Undercover cops control the very concrete on the blocks they rule. Gangbangers operate at his discretion, with 23-hour lockdowns at Pelican Bay state prison as the collateral held against them. When the community turns away, it is both enfranchising and heartbreaking. The king is in exile but nothing will change. Alonzo knows this as he smokes his last cigarette. Someone else is coming in to take his place, and they will never be able to achieve what he believes he did, and only he can do. He goes out believing, affirming, and convinced he is winning. Redemption doesn’t even enter his mind. Washington saves his most diabolical laugh for himself. The wolf has been sheared.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

It isn’t beauty which kills this beast, but a lethal dose of vanity. Alonzo may very well have been able to go a few rounds against the champion of Skull Island only hours before this moment. But sadly, afterward, this Los Angeles King Kong became no match for the Russian mafia. 

The post Why Training Day’s King Kong Speech Is One of the Best Movie Monologues Ever appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3bivxsS

#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

[mafiabosstsuna]

Soulmate AU with Yamamoto, Mukuro and Squalo

Yamamoto

You were on the sidewalk, waiting for the traffic lights to go red so you could cross the street, when you saw someone familiar nearby. You frowned, trying your best to remember who he was when realization dawned on you.

Yamamoto Takeshi, the man you’d been a fan since you saw him playing baseball in a regional championship against your school. He was wearing a suit, tie, and was much different now, but you were certain that it was he.

You remember how amazing he looked while playing. You remember wanting to get an autograph from him one day. And you remember that you thought he would become a famous baseball player one day, since he was so skilled, but that never happened.

You never knew why he didn’t go on a baseball player career when he seemed to be so talented, but you knew one thing: You still wanted that autograph.

“Hey, are you by any chance Yamamoto Takeshi?” You said walking up to him with a smile on your lips.

“Oh? Yes… Do we know each other?” He asked with a look of confusion on his face.

Of course he would be confused as to who you were. You never spoke with him. That was mostly the reason you never got the autograph.

You proceeded to introduce yourself and explain that you were a fan of him when you were a teenager and wanted very much an autograph, but never got it. He laughed, finally understanding your reasons for approaching him.

“Ah, so that’s why.” He said pulling a pen from the pocket of his suit. “So, where do I sign?”

Realization dawned on you that you didn’t have any paper that he could use to sign the autograph. You left the office where you work at with only your wallet, going to buy a coffee from the nearby coffee shop. Inside it, you only had your documents and money. Unless he signed on a dollar bill, you didn’t have any other paper that could be used.

“Damn, I forgot my notebook in the office.” You muttered angry with yourself.

“No worries.” Yamamoto replied with a grin, taking your hand and signing on the back of it.

You were about to smack him playfully for writing on your skin without permission, but then froze. The words that where written on the back of your hand simply appeared on the back of his hand.

Yamamoto stared with wide eyes at the writing, and then you both locked eyes, knowing what that meant. You were soulmates.

“Ah… I…” You were struggling to find your words again, when Yamamoto finally recovered from the shock and smiled at you again.

“Well, on second thought… Why not, instead of just giving you my autograph, I offer you a dinner?”

**

Mukuro

You didn’t really know how this soulmates thing worked. Why on earth, with millions of people out there, your name had to end up written on his skin and his name on yours was beyond your comprehension.

Not that you were complaining about that. Getting over the initial denial from Mukuro’s part had been hard, but it was totally worth the effort now that you were in a relationship with him.

However, sometimes something happened and you were back to the start. You weren’t oblivious to Mukuro’s reasons for trying to push you away even if he wanted to stay with you. You could understand that he hated the mafia life and wanted to keep you out of it.

What you couldn’t understand was how he didn’t see that you weren’t afraid of it. That you wanted to be with him no matter what happened. Not even the murder attempt that you suffered yesterday managed to faze you, but Mukuro seemed to think differently.

He was ignoring you. You were on his bed, at his apartment and he was ignoring you.

He had brought you there for safety purposes last night. Said that you should stay with him until everything had calmed down but you knew what he was thinking now. He was regretting accepting you on his life, feeling guilty for putting you in danger.

As much as Mukuro tried to show that he didn’t care, he cared. You knew that.

You also knew that feigning reading a book to ignore you was not how someone was supposed to spend some quality time with their girlfriend. Ok, you could understand that he was tense because of the attack. That was the first time you saw your boyfriend being so frightening, after all. But it’s been months since you two spent some time alone, and you wanted so bad just to have that quality time. You couldn’t be blamed for that, could you?

You huffed. He didn’t show any sign of noticing it. You started humming then. He flipped another page of the book. That was it. You were done with his shit. You grabbed a pillow near you and threw with precision right on his face.

It hit him with a poof, and then fell on his lap.

“[Name]…” He said blankly staring at you.

“Don’t give me that look; I know what you’re thinking!” You replied crossing your arms and frowning.

“Oya? How could you possibly know? There’s no such things as mind reading.” A ghost of his usual smirk played on his lips, but didn’t quite reach his eyes.

You furiously lifted up your forearm and turned it for him to see his own name written on your skin. “In case you forgot, I am your soulmate, your asshole. The person that is most likely to understand you in this world, remember? But as much as I can understand your reasons, I think… I think you don’t even try to understand mine. Why can’t you just accept that I want to be with you?” You sounded upset. Damn you were more than upset. You were frustrated.

Your bottom lip trembled with the emotions that you were trying to hold back. You didn’t want to cry. Not now.

Mukuro got up from his chair, walked to the bed and sat down in front of you, making the mattress wave a bit. He lifted your chin up with two fingers, so he could look you better in the eyes. You could see the last letter of your name that was written on his chest peeking out of his shirt.

“If you can understand me, why are you still here?” He asked. His voice low, face close to yours. You blushed.

“Because contrary to popular belief I want to be here, Mukuro. I want to be with you.”

He leaned closer to you, making your foreheads touch, his hand going from your chin to the back of your neck. “Even after what happened yesterday?”

“Even if that happens again and again.” You replied with resolution.

“Then you will live a dangerous life.” He said sighing.

“That’s not a problem. I have you to protect me.” You said pulling back and smiling at him.

“And what if I’m not there?” He bowed his head, averting your gaze.

“You will be.” You replied cupping his cheek, making him look at you again. “Now give me attention. I demand attention. Who gives their girlfriend silence treatment after not seeing her for months anyway?”

He chuckled and finally smiled. Not the genuine smile that you wanted, but at least it was an improvement. You would call it a work in progress.

“[Name], I…” He started then closed his mouth, struggling with the words that he wanted to say.

“I know. I love you too.”

After all, how could you not love the other half of your own soul?

**

Squalo

Injuries that sent you frequently to the hospital, cuts suddenly appearing along your arms and chest, countless concussions, and you won’t even mention that time when your arm suddenly hurt so much that you thought that you had lost it. Whoever your soulmate were, you hoped they would stop getting into so much trouble, because you seriously needed a break.

Considering that your parents were in the mafia, and you knew about it since you were five, you reasoned that the chances of your soulmate being in the mafia too were high. That made the chances of you having a break low.

You could at least have been lucky enough to meet your soulmate and ask them what the fuck was wrong with their life. At this point, all you wanted was to yell at this person, tell them to be more careful since their pain hurt you too.

Well, considering your luck, even if your soulmate was in the mafia, the chances of meeting them were low. Damn, you had to admit that the chances of you living long enough to meet them were worrying.

You were about to apply to work as the new Varia’s secretary. Some people would call that a bad life choice but your skills in life choices were almost inexistent so you pushed that thought to the back of your mind. It was a job; it gave you money, what could go wrong?

Apparently, everything, because when you were nearing the office that the job interview would be taking place you could hear shouting and glass breaking. Seconds after, a man walked out of one of the doors. You could recognize him as Xanxus, the leader of the Varia. It was hard not to notice the scars.

The stare that he sent your way made your blood freeze, but he didn’t do or say anything, just turned his back to you and went on his way. You turned to the door from which he had just left, breathing easier after he had turned a corner, and noticed that it was where you were supposed to go. Squalo’s, Varia’s second in command, office.

“…Thinks I am his babysitter…” “… Not my fault if the other trashes bought low quality alcohol…”

You could hear muttering coming from inside, though it was louder than a mutter, more like a normal voice tone. Shrugging you knocked on the door twice.

“Voi! What now?” A yell came from inside and you took that as your clue to enter.

“I am here for the job interview. The guards at the entrance told me that I should look for Squalo.” You said putting your best ‘business’ face.

“Tch. Interview time is over for today. Come again another day, woman.” He replied.

You looked at the watch on your wrist and your eyebrow twitched. It was not over. You still had thirty minutes.

“Hey, I came in time. You can’t dismiss me with no reason.”

“Voi! Are you deaf? I said come again another day!”

“It’s kinda hard not to hear you with all this shouting.” You said without thinking.

“What did you just say?!”

“I said that you should at least give me a chance.” You corrected yourself. You reminded yourself that you were there to get a job, not to let your personality get the better of you and ruin your chance of getting money. The payment for that job was quite high for your standards.

“I said no, woman!” Squalo replied hitting his palm on the table. His hissing, a sound that you yourself echoed as a sharp sting struck your own palm, followed the loud sound of the hit.

You turned your palm up to see blood trickling down a small injury, as if someone had just poked a needle on your hand. Good timing soulmate.

You turned back to Squalo, ready to beg once more for another chance only to see him removing a pin from the palm of his hand, blood trickling down it. Of course, he would hurt himself on the table…

Your mind went blank for a second, and suddenly realization dawned on you. You both hurt the same hand. At the same time. On the same place. Holy shit.

“Hey!” You called his attention again.

“What part of no didn’t you understand?!” He snarled at you then his eyes fell on the injury at the palm of the hand that you lifted for him to see.

“You wouldn’t give a chance, not even to your soulmate?” You said with a smug grin.

Well, since you were unlucky enough to have Squalo as your soulmate, the least you could do was use it to your own advantage, right? The discovery made your motivation to get this job even stronger.

After all, if you managed to tag along with your soulmate, you would at least have the chance to try easing his suffering, and in return, finally ease your own.

[theteacherthepreacher-blog]

My Toxoplasmosis Blog, 2

So, Let’s skip to the middle of this story. I mean, why not? It’s my blog and I feel like it.

I am a musician, but the art of music has been fraught with frustration, for me. Time and again, I’ve turned my back on it, only to be drawn back in, because if your DNA is about making music, you can only escape it at a terrible cost. Since musicians don’t get paid anything decent, in the USA, unless they are rock-stars, I all but took a vow of poverty when I realized I just had to sing and play. It was during one of those periods that I re-discovered Yes, and in particular, Close to the Edge.

I knew Yes very well, in high school, and CTTE was a masterpiece that had captured my ear in sometimes terrible ways. Nowadays, it’s called an ear-worm; when I was a teenager, I found myself hearing Siberian Khatru playing in my head with such intensity that I couldn’t concentrate on my classes. My memory for music is quite remarkable, and I could play it back note for note in my head, but that often meant I forgot where I was going. I can still remember that- the juxtaposition of that toxic little guitar motif and the serene, majestic Berksheres, where I was attending Windsor Mountain school, a boarding school for budding pot-heads and artistic geniuses. They clashed, the glorious trees and the prog rock kick in the face. I loved Siberian Khatru, and was addicted to playing it as loud as possible. But the actual title track of CTTE was over my head (that’s a pun, if you know the songs on that album). 

30 years later, I illegally uploaded the whole album online, probably from Napster. Not a nice thing to do, but I was poor at a level below anything I’d ever experienced. I was getting divorced, my ex was making really good money and leaving me to go on Welfare and food-stamps, I was only able to eat because I was playing guitar and singing in the subways of NYC, and I was crushed to a point that I don’t think I’ve ever been crushed before. (But every time I say that, I can remember something worse. The last three years comes to mind. But anyway.....

It happened that I had used some of the very last bit of money from my ex to buy an MP3 player and I was walking up 6th Ave in a not-so-nice part of town, when the song Close to the Edge came on. It changed the direction of my life, and here’s how:

I’ll never forget that I was stunned, to the point that I actually pulled over, out of foot-traffic, because I realized I was barely walking, and I didn’t want to help people up (in Manhattan, we try to remember this, on the streets), and this was because the music was so shatteringly gorgeous, continually evolving into more and deeper beauty, and it actually brought tears to my eyes. I almost wept openly, on the street. Later, I realized that I had heard it as a kid, and it didn’t make sense to me, then, but when I heard it again, 30 years later, it all made sense - indeed, I had been waiting to hear it again. This is something about the way I process music; the first time I hear it, it doesn’t necessarily mean anything to me, but my subconscious arranges it in my mind so that, eventually, I hear it and realize it’s been in there the whole time. There are a lot of Moody Blues songs like that.

I floated home, through Chelsea, in shock. This happened every time I listened to it- in fact, I was listening to it on the way to visit a friend, and it was so mesmerizing that I missed my stop on the subway.

Eventually, within the course of a few days, I decided to see if Yes was still together, if the members of the band were still alive, but with some trepidation, because you never want to hear that someone who has virtually been a friend in your youth has passed. But I still had the computer my ex had left me, and I spent a great deal of time online, so I googled Yes. I read a lot of Wiki about the various members, learning all kinds of interesting things about them, and how they had worked together, what they had thought of eachother....and then I read that Jon Anderson, the lead singer, had been hospitalized with acute respiratory failure

It’s been said to me that singers are heard first and most keenly, over and above all other instruments, and being a singer myself, of course, it was Jon’s voice I had fixated on, as a teenager. But most people fixate on that voice- the unique quality of high, clean, lyric and the slight layer of smoke on the *perfect* pitch, the interesting and sensitive phrasing, the freshness, the sustained strength, the humor and vitality, the nimble beauty of it; his voice is truly inimitable. I sang along with him, in my teens, even though his range and mine are not comparable; I didn’t care. I loved his singing, I danced to his singing, I felt that he was there with me, in my tiny dorm-room. He *was* there with me, I felt I could embrace him- but I also felt he was a whole level of artistic that I would only ever dimly understand. I was 17, and studying classical voice; I wasn’t trying to be Jon Anderson, but I sure could treasure his work, and I did.

And now, I read, he was desperately ill! Oh no, I thought, I must find out where he is, so I can send him a card!! And so I started sleuthing, to find out where he was (I thought, he must be in England), and over the course of the next few days, the truth unfolded for me, to my horror: he had been dumped by Yes!!! I know how stupid rock musicians are; I know how spineless they can be, too. But this was a new level of rotten: they had dumped him while he was in the fucking hospital, leaving his wife to pick up the pieces, and worse: they had replaced him with someone who could imitate him, and worst of all, THEY HADN’T TOLD HIM. Oh no....all of them but one, the gallant and faithful Rick Wakeman, had left him to find out he’d been fired, by reading it in the trade papers. 

This upset me to the point that I walked around town in a rage, or in tears, for weeks. And the more I read, the more furious I was. Show business is hard, and people get fired, and sometimes, they get fired in terrible ways, but this is something I’ve never even imagined. And the more I read, the more I realized that it was Jon who was responsible for most of the lyrics. melodies and ideas of the great, inventive music I had revered. Close to the Edge was HIS FUCKING IDEA, AND THOSE BASTARDS THREW HIM AWAY like trash. I was so incensed by this that I went on Facebook (where I had a presence already) and searched for any groups that were about how terrible this was, and so I found some of the best friends I’ve ever had- even though I’ve only met a couple of them.

We were all united in our utter disgust about the way Jon had been treated, our grief over the way Yes had deviled into a tribute band, the terrible way specific members of the band had behaved, the absolute heroism of his beautiful and courageous wife Jane, his mutual love and supportive relationship with his adult children...the whole mythos was extremely compelling- on top of which, there really seemed to be some kind of mafia trying to undermine him, even as he had gotten back on his feet and gone on a solo tour, just him and his SIXTEEN INSTRUMENTS (the guy is too gifted; it’s kinda sick). We banded together to defend Jon in every place or manner that we perceived attacks on him, and there were plenty of them online, yes, even in Facebook. There really are some sick motherfuckers out there. I understand being jealous of him, but to try and take him down.....you might as well spit on Mozart. It’s pointless.....and disgusting.

Some of those friends of mine are still here, still overjoyed to see Jon succeed, to see him happily touring with the genius of his dear friends, Rick Wakeman and Trevor Rabin, performing masterpieces live onstage, and clearly having the best time of his life, even finally getting inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (which should have done this decades ago, but they suck and have shit for brains), one came to visit me so that we could see Jon perform with Jean-Luc Ponty; wow, that was a banquet!! And now she and I are true buddies- but we already were.

During this time, I had talked to my FB friends about the fact that I am legally blind, and that it is toxoplasmosis that damaged my vision. A few years ago, one of those friends, Kelly by name, sent me a link to an article about toxoplasmosis, and while I usually didn’t pay such close attention to scientific articles, I did, in this case. And I remember that moment like it was yesterday, because I suddenly realized that I was sick, had *been* sick for decades, and a great deal of what this scientist said was true. It was new science, but was gaining not just attention, but evidence in the UK: that toxo doesn’t ever really go into remission, as everybody thought, when Iw as growing up- and as I was always told. That it appears to become quiescent, but continues to subtly influence the character of the person infected. Oh, not in every case, but if you’re unlucky enough to catch it the way I did- in the womb- it has a perceptible, provable track-record for affecting you in ways that are really horrifying. 

Example: you may be unafraid of danger when you shouldn’t be; slow to react to danger when your reflexes should be quick; reckless. And I saw that in myself. It may cause a list of upper respiratory problems, all of which I recognized. It may cause migraines; I had chronic, debilitating migraines for years. The list goes on and on; I set there at my desk, feeling like I was going to fall out of my chair. I had already noticed some new symptoms that I didn’t understand, and now I was beginning to. If it hadn’t been for Kelly, I might never have understood what was going on. My vision was deteriorating, but worse (if you can call anything “worse” than that), I was getting sick almost constantly, with upper respiratory infections that morphed into deadly bronchitis; each one was worse than the last. I suddenly put it all together, because of that article. 

That my friend Kelly had sent me, because we were both devoted fans of Jon Anderson, Rick Wakeman, Trevor Rabin and Yes.

[chrisciovacco]

How Was The Collective Mood As Stocks Started A 19-Year Secular Bull Run In 1982?

Stocks Must Overcome 2017 Gloom

Even with the backdrop of numerous positive technical developments, it may be difficult to envision the stock market moving higher given skepticism has been lingering for several years. The tone of reporting from this week’s World Economic Forum has had a decidedly pessimistic slant. From the International Business Times:

DAVOS, Switzerland — Despite the usual trappings of revelry here in the Swiss Alps at the World Economic Forum, an unfamiliar mood grips the proceedings: gloom. World leaders and people in charge of money are nursing angst over the potentially perilous state of the global economy. They confront an overwhelming array of crises all at once — China’s economic slowdown, the collapse of energy prices, plunging stock markets, confusion over monetary policy, conflict in the Middle East, an attendant surge of refugees into Europe, and the ever-present threat of terrorist attacks.

What Can We Learn From History?

In this article, we will examine one question and one question only:

Is it possible for stocks to successfully hold a breakout from a long-term consolidation pattern when the social mood and news of the day have a pessimistic slant?

How Was The Mood Back In 1982?

If you followed the news back in 1982, it would have been difficult to imagine the S&P 500 had already started what eventually became an 18-year secular rise. As you scan the bullet points below from the Wikipedia 1982 page, try to imagine the physiological impact of weekly headlines that included wars, bankruptcies, plane crashes, high unemployment, geopolitical strife, a debt crisis, and acts of terror:

Unemployment in the United Kingdom increases by 129,918 to 3,070,621, a post-war record number.

Mark Thatcher, son of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, disappears in the Sahara during the Dakar Rally; he is rescued January 14.

Shortly after takeoff, Air Florida Flight 90 crashes into Washington, D.C.’s 14th Street Bridge and falls into the Potomac River, killing 78. On the same day, a Washington Metro train derails to the north, killing 3 (the system’s first fatal accident).

Four Northrop T-38 aircraft of the United States Air Force Thunderbirds Demonstration Squadron crash at Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field, Nevada, killing all 4 pilots.

The first computer virus, the Elk Cloner, written by 15-year old Rich Skrenta, is found. It infects Apple II computers via floppy disk.

The Hama massacre begins in Syria.

Syrian president Hafez al-Assad orders the army to purge the city of Harran of the Muslim Brotherhood.

London-based Laker Airways collapses, leaving 6,000 stranded passengers and debts of $270 million.

Japan Airlines Flight 350 crashes in Tokyo Bay due to thrust reversal on approach to Tokyo International Airport, killing 24 among the 174 people on board.

The oil platform Ocean Ranger sinks during a storm off the coast of Newfoundland, killing all 84 rig workers aboard.

The DeLorean Motor Company Car Factory in Belfast is put into receivership.

Atlanta murders of 1979–81: Wayne Williams is convicted of murdering 2 adult men and is sentenced to two consecutive life terms.

The United States places an embargo on Libyan oil imports, alleging Libyan support for terrorist groups.

In Newport, Rhode Island, Claus von Bülow is found guilty of the attempted murder of his wife.

The Falklands War begins: Argentina invades and occupies the Falkland Islands.

A blizzard unprecedented in size for April dumps 1–2 feet of snow on the northeastern United States, closing schools and businesses, and snarling traffic.

British troops retake South Georgia during Operation Paraquet.

The nuclear submarine HMS Conqueror sinks the Argentine cruiser General Belgrano, killing 323 sailors. Operation Algeciras, an attempt to destroy a Royal Navy warship in Gibraltar, fails.

HMS Sheffield is hit by an Exocet missile, and burns out of control; 20 sailors are killed. The ship sinks on May 10.

A Unabomber bomb explodes in the computer science department at Vanderbilt University; secretary Janet Smith is injured.

French-Canadian racing driver Gilles Villeneuve is killed during qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix.

Spanish priest Juan María Fernández y Krohn tries to stab Pope John Paul II with a bayonet during the latter’s pilgrimage to the shrine at Fátima.

Braniff International Airways is declared bankrupt and ceases all flights.

The British Special Air Service launches an operation to destroy three Argentinean Exocet missiles and five Super Étendard fighter-bombers in mainland Argentina. It fails when the Argentineans discover the plot.

British landings spark the Battle of San Carlos.

HMS Ardent is sunk by Argentine aircraft, killing 22 sailors.

HMS Antelope is lost.

Iranian troops retake Khorramshahr.

KGB head Yuri Andropov is appointed to the Secretariat of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

British ships HMS Coventry and SS Atlantic Conveyor are sunk during the Falklands War; Coventry by two A-4C Skyhawks and the latter sunk by an Exocet.

The 1982 Lebanon War begins: Forces under Israeli Defense Minister Ariel Sharon invade southern Lebanon in their “Operation Peace for the Galilee,” eventually reaching as far north as the capital Beirut.

The United Nations Security Council votes to demand that Israel withdraw its troops from Lebanon.

British ship RFA Sir Galahad is destroyed during the Bluff Cove Air Attacks.

VASP Flight 168, a Boeing 727 passenger jet, crashes into forest Fortaleza, killing 137.

The Nuclear Disarmament Rally, an event against nuclear weapon proliferation, draws 750,000 to New York City’s Central Park.

The body of “God’s Banker”, Roberto Calvi, chairman of Banco Ambrosiano, is found hanging beneath Blackfriars Bridge in London.

British Airways Flight 9 suffers a temporary four-engine flameout and damage to the exterior of the plane, after flying through the otherwise undetected ash plume from Indonesia’s Mount Galunggung.

ASLEF train drivers in the United Kingdom go on strike over hours of work.

Four Iranian diplomats are kidnapped upon Israel’s invasion of Lebanon.

Pan Am Flight 759 (Boeing 727) crashes in Kenner, Louisiana, killing all 146 on board and 8 on the ground.

Intruder Michael Fagan breaches Buckingham Palace security as far as into the bedroom of Elizabeth II.

Checker Motors Corporation ceases production of automobiles.

Geoffrey Prime, a GCHQ civil servant, is remanded in custody on charges under the Official Secrets Act 1911.

In New York City, the Reverend Sun Myung Moon is sentenced to 18 months in prison and fined $25,000 for tax fraud and conspiracy to obstruct justice.

William Whitelaw, Home Secretary, announces that Michael Trestrail (the Queen’s bodyguard) has resigned from the Metropolitan Police Service over a relationship with a male prostitute.

Hyde Park and Regent’s Park bombings: the Provisional IRA detonates 2 bombs in central London, killing 8 soldiers, wounding 47 people, and leading to the deaths of 7 horses.

A coroner’s jury returns a verdict of suicide on Roberto Calvi, who was found hanging under Blackfriars Bridge.

Torrential rain and mudslides in Nagasaki, Japan destroy bridges and kill 299.

On a movie set, the Twilight Zone actor Vic Morrow and 2 child actors die in a helicopter stunt accident.

In Beaune, France, 53 persons, 46 of them children, die in a highway accident (France’s worst).

Attempted coup against government of Daniel Arap Moi in Kenya.

The United Nations Security Council votes to censure Israel because its troops are still in Lebanon.

Italian Prime Minister Giovanni Spadolini resigns.

Mexico announces it is unable to pay its large foreign debt, triggering a debt crisis that quickly spreads throughout Latin America.

Lebanese Civil War: A multinational force lands in Beirut to oversee the PLO withdrawal from Lebanon. French troops arrive August 21, U.S. Marines August 25.

Italian general Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa is killed in a Mafia ambush.

Iowa paperboy Johnny Gosch is kidnapped.

Lebanese President-elect Bachir Gemayel is assassinated in Beirut.

A Lebanese Christian militia (the Phalange) kill thousands of Palestinians in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in West Beirut, the massacre is a response to the assassination of president-elect, Bachir Gemayel four days earlier.

The NFL Players Association calls a strike, the first in-season work stoppage in the National Football League’s 63-year history.

The Wimpy Operation, first act of armed resistance against Israeli troops in Beirut.

In Israel, 400,000 marchers demand the resignation of Prime Minister Menachem Begin.

The Chicago Tylenol murders occur when 7 people in the Chicago area die after ingesting capsules laced with potassium cyanide.

Helmut Kohl replaces Helmut Schmidt as Chancellor of Germany through a constructive vote of no confidence.

John DeLorean is arrested for selling cocaine to undercover FBI agents.

Luzhniki disaster: During the UEFA Cup match between FC Spartak Moscow and HFC Haarlem, 66 people are crushed to death.

A gasoline or petrol tanker explodes in the Salang Tunnel in Afghanistan, killing at least 176 people.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average surges 43.41 points, or 4.25%, to close at 1,065.49, its first all-time high in more than 9 years. It last hit a record on January 11, 1973, when the average closed at 1,051.70. The points gain is the biggest ever up to this point.

In Lebanon, the first Tyre headquarters bombing kills between 89 and 102 people.

The Minneapolis Thanksgiving Day fire destroys an entire city block of downtown Minneapolis, including the headquarters of Northwestern National Bank.

The first U.S. execution by lethal injection is carried out in Texas.

The December murders occur in Suriname.

The 6.0 Ms North Yemen earthquake shakes southwestern Yemen with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe), killing 2,800.

The United Freedom Front bombs an office of South African Airways in Elmont, NY and an IBM office in Harrison, NY.

Why 1982?

From Yahoo Finance:

In the last 81 years, there have been only two “outside years” before 2016: 1935 and 1982. Both of these years were followed by the S&P enjoying double-digit gains — +28% in 1936, and +17% in 1983 — which potentially sets the table for a monster rally into 2017.

There are several technical occurrences in the present day that are similar to the early 1980s. For example, the S&P 500 broke out of a consolidation box in 1982 by exceeding the high that was made nine years earlier in 1973. In 2013, the S&P 500 exceeded the highs from both 2000 and 2007, which represents a significant long-term breakout for equities. 2016 also represented a very rare “outside year”, an event that last occurred in 1982. The concept of an outside year was covered in detail on December 30.

More Recent History Also Features Consolidation

The concept of consolidation followed by a breakout or breakdown applies to all timeframes. The chart above shows a consolidation box that was in play between 1997 and 2013. A more recent view of the S&P 500 also features a consolidation box that dates back to 2014 on a monthly chart. Stocks are currently holding onto a bullish breakout from the 2014-2016 consolidation box.

How Vulnerable Is The 2017 Market?

This week’s stock market video looks at the longer-term health of the current rally in stocks. Are longer-term cracks starting to appear?

After you click play, use the button in the lower-right corner of the video player to view in full-screen mode. Hit Esc to exit full-screen mode.

The Broad Market Has Been Consolidating For 19 Years

Similar to the multiple-year consolidation that preceded the 1982 breakout in stocks, the present day market also features a consolidation box that started forming back in 1997. As of this writing, the NYSE Composite Stock Index is holding above the orange consolidation box shown below.

The View From 30,000 Feet

If we double back to the first chart in this article, it is easier to see how the concept of consolidation and breakouts may apply to 2017 and beyond. There were plenty of reasons to be pessimistic in 1982, and yet stocks were able to advance after breaking out.

2017 Is Significantly Different From 1982

Our purpose is not to say 2017 is 1982. In fact, 2017 is a unique year that will be different from every other year in human history. The same can be said for every year; they all follow a different fundamental and technical script.

History reminds us that the recent bullish breakouts from long-term stock market consolidation patterns do not necessarily need to be coupled with widespread optimism for stocks to advance over the next several years. Almost no one was expecting an 18-year secular bull run in stocks given the news of the day in 1982, and yet, that is exactly what happened.

Before a lot of energy is wasted on the differences between 1982 and 2017, keep in mind our purpose was to examine one question and one question only:

Is it possible for stocks to successfully hold a breakout from a long-term consolidation pattern when the social mood and news of the day have a pessimistic slant?

Notice the term “possible” is used above, meaning all bearish scenarios also remain in the realm of possibility. This exercise helps us remain open to all outcomes, not just the pessimistic outcomes often covered in the media. Time will tell.

#$SPY #$VOO #StockMarket #Investing