#and it’s fun to see how pepe will try and ‘win’ her over

[drink-tang-gang]

“I’ll touch your cheek / you’ll hold my hand / and only we will understand / not a word need be spoken/ in our language of love”

—-

One of my favorite commissions done for the lovely @LeCatProduction on twitter. I love any excuse to give these two some love. <3

#looney tunes #pepe le pew #penelope cat #still can’t believe I got PAID to draw these two #it makes me feel. idk i cant describe it. I just feel!!! 💓💓💓💗 #in reimagining their dynamic I want to keep them grossly romantic and in love with each other #pepe’s a flirt and a gentleman and toootally swoons over penelope #penelope’s a classy gal and likes being won over. she’s got sharp tastes #and it’s fun to see how pepe will try and ‘win’ her over #in quotations bc. they only have eyes for each other #but also pepe’s so emotional and gets swept up that penelope has to reel him in bfkf #like: they go to a tropical resort and pepe breaks into soliloquies abt how romantic and beautiful everything is #meanwhile penelope is a Bad Luck Magnet so she she tries to see the positives in pepe’s speeches even though #they JUST barely survived a dangerous shark chase AND survived a storm #again ​he’s not oblivious to the situation or of penelope’s feelings: he just gets caught up sometimes. prolly literally lololol #WAaaa i talk too much ok ramble over #✍️ scenery! where’s the scenery? ✍️

[ripperdaddy]

the viktor vector romance path + ending we deserve

Disclaimer: This is definitely something I came up with in my head. There will be a few instances that are solely made up so it can tie in with the “story.” This is purely fictional; something I wished happened if there was a possible Vik romance 🥰 This is based on my general knowledge of the game & Vik’s life. All gifs + images are from my own personal play through, but wouldn’t be possible without the help of the Appearance Menu Mod, found on Nexus Mods by the creators, MaximiliumM and CtrlAltDaz. And the shirtless Vik mod by the lovely samsnak ♡

It would start after completing the Paid In Full quest where you pay Vik back the eddies you owe him.

I feel like realistically, the general player would have to be at least halfway through the story to have collected enough eddies. I would say that a good point in the story where we can begin the romance is that you’ve already established a connection to Alt and have dealt with the VDB’s.

I think it would be a short side quest like River’s. Vik already plays a big part in the story overall on his own, so I don’t think it’s necessary to make his “side quest” too long. His romance would just be an addition to the ending.

And as much as I would love for him to be a bisexual option for both male/female V, if we’re sticking with the game’s standard with limiting partners to only one kind of partner, he would only be romance-able by a female V with a feminine voice.

V: Finally scrounged up enough eddies to pay you back in full.

Vik: Hold on to ‘em just in case - you need ‘em more than me.

V: I’m not taking them all the way to my grave, Vik. Here. And.. thanks again for doing so much work on me ‘thout ever seein’ an enny.

Vik: That’s what friends are for.

Then, there is an additional option for dialogue to trigger the romance path.

V: Friends? I think you’ve been in and out of my body more than anyone else I’ve hooked up with in Night City.

He laughs, with a coy smile. “Well, can’t argue with you there. Why don’t we take some of these eddies and grab a drink. You know, to celebrate. Catch up on old times. Haven’t seen you round here much lately, kid.”

You agree to meet at the El Coyote Cojo tomorrow evening.

You meet around 9 PM and you are welcomed by the sight of Pepe and Vik at the bar.

V: Nice choice of venue.

Vik: Thought you’d like it. Haven't been here since.. well, you know.

V: I miss him, Vik.

Vik: I know, V. Me too.

You immediately take a seat and tinker with a few dialogue options, where you can either have a sweet moment talking about Jackie or some surface questions to ask, like how he’s doing, what kind of drink he likes, etc. But it all winds down to Jackie anyway, where Vik confides in you about his past. Judging by how Vik was so affected by Jackie’s death, and V’s (if you chose the suicide ending), you can tell that he has lost a lot in his life, and keeps his circle very small.

You then achieve an even closer, more personal relationship with him. But, ultimately nothing happens other than the usual, wait 24 hours in game for a text/phone call from Vik to head into the next stage. At least now, you have established the foundation for a future romance.

Halfway through the 24 hour period, you get a text from Vik thanking you for the lovely evening. No reply needed, as he calls you once the 24 hour mark hits and invites you out for another date.

You meet at Tom’s Diner for coffee in the afternoon. It starts off with him apologizing for being emotional the previous night and asks if you’re open to hanging out again and going down to Pacifica to watch a fight with him.

Vik: Hey, V. I just wanted to apologize about last night. I didn’t mean to be such a downer.

V: It’s okay, Vik. We share the same grief.

Vik: I was going to head down to Pacifica and catch a real good match later on today. I was wondering if you’d like to come along, think it’d be great for the both of us, you know, as a distraction.

pssst even Johnny’s rooting for y’all ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Johnny: Hmm, interesting.

V: What?

Johnny: Never thought you'd be going out with this guy.

V: Vik's amazing. And I mean--we basically owe it to him since he practically saved our life.

Johnny: Don't tell me you're going out with him out of pity.

V: I'm not.

Johnny: I know, I can feel you get all mushy-gushy. It's almost repulsive. Just wanted to hear you admit it.

V: Eat a dick, Johnny.

You arrive before the GIM and blend into the crowd.

V: Nothin’ like watching guys beat the shit out of each other to get your blood pumpin’, huh?

Vik: This is a real good matchup, V. This kid’s fresh, young talent.

V: You miss it, don’t you?

Before the fight begins, Vik shares a story about his time in the ring and coming in second in the Watson Boxing Grand Prix.

There’s some extra fun options in the dialogue, you can bet some eddies on who’s gonna win, or side with him. The fight ends, and you two head outside.

Since you’re already out in Pacifica, you head over to the boardwalk (where you would ride the roller coaster with Johnny) and he starts telling you about the last days of his boxing career and how he transitioned from the sport to being a ripperdoc.

You both share a sweet moment with each other, reminiscing about old times and talking about V’s future with the relic. This is where I would see Vik confessing how he feels about you, mentioning how grateful he is for Jackie introducing you to him.

The evening ends and Vik asks you to give him some time to try and dig up some footage from his storage and have you come over to watch. You can kiss him then wait another 24 in game hours before the last quest. Halfway through, he texts you and asks you what you’d like for dinner. You can opt for pizza or chinese.

I haven’t seen or read anything about how or where Vik lives. If I overlooked something, please let me know! But for the sake of the story, let’s say he does actually have his own place that’s now introduced in the game. Personally, I think he has a typical bachelor pad, like a really nice apartment. Not too far from his clinic either. He looks like he would just walk to work. Vik definitely has a lot of money, but he’s so humble I doubt he would choose to live lavishly. As mentioned in the beginning, he typically just “sleeps nights” ever since he was over “being a legend” so I’m guessing his lifestyle is very routine. He goes to work, goes home, sleep. Seems unlikely he has a place like the Peralez’s. It would probably be just the same as V’s but decorated to his taste.

The evening comes and you are over at his place. He’s dressed in just a white undershirt, no exo-glove. You get to know more about his family, how he grew up — scanning things around his place. Then he plays some footage of one of his fights for you, while you two have a conversation and share a beer. As you two sit on the couch, you get close, then have an opportunity to kiss him.

then this is where da sex happen hihihi (ノ・ω・)ノ

The next morning you wake up and you two have a heartfelt conversation about where this is going. He already knows your situation, so I would assume he is very accepting and supportive. And with Vik, he seems like the kind of guy who would still want to be in your life and keep the friendship the same way despite no longer being together romantically. So it’s official. He’s your man 🥵 !!11!1!

Like how River gives you the “fuck the police” tank top after sleeping with him, I think Vik would give you his Night City Devils t-shirt that provides you with a significant amount of armor or some kind of cyberware upgrade that makes you invulnerable for a brief moment while using your hands to fight enemies.

Note: I was thinking of Vik giving V his boxing glove necklace, but because it's part of his character's appearance in the game, I don't think we would be able to essentially "take it" from him - unless he gives you a replica as a keepsake. Which I think would also work.

If you successfully romance, during the rooftop scene near the end of Nocturne OP55N1 (despite Vik’s disposition of him telling you to take matters in your own hands and being a little closed off), you still have an option to reach out to him when Johnny advises you to call a loved one.

V: Hey, Vik. I just wanted to say, thanks for hanging with me, until the end.

Vik: Quit talking like it is, V. Just do what you need to do.

V: I mean, think of it. It’s like I’m heading into the last round of this whole thing.

Vik: Well, in that case.. remember—keep your hands up, guarded at all times. It ain’t over just yet.

V: Heh.. I can feel it, just a few more punches.

Vik: Now look at you - the new welterweight champ of Night City.

V: Thanks, coach.

Vik: Last piece of advice from the coach's corner. Just.. be careful, kid. Remember, I’m with you.

Okayyyy, soooo I’m not the biggest fan of how CDPR gave us two of the same endings (Path of Glory). The only difference is that Rogue’s life is spared. I would have assumed that not only would we get to keep Rogue around, things should have played a bit more differently for V if we took the route of going solo against the corpos. So let’s tweak it.

This specific ending; it should be after getting through Don’t Fear The Reaper where you single-handedly manage to rip through Arasaka by yourself. Johnny goes back to Alt & Rogue is still alive. Yes nobody dies!!!

(honestly this ending can apply to any love interest you choose)

Vik and V are now living together in a lavish penthouse, entertaining an upcoming merc to do their work for them (which is now the current POV of the player.) You were recruited by Rogue at the Afterlife, who told you to visit this couple for a real, preem job.

They give you some vague details about the gig and go on for a brief moment about what you will be doing and what you should expect. Vik emphasizes to you that it’s important you get what they need because it’s for his wife, V, as her life depends on it.

As Never Gonna Fade Away is playing in the background, they tell you to break into Arasaka HQ.

Then the game officially ends.

#cyberpunk 2077 #viktor vector #v/vik #let us romance the ripperdoc you cowards

[kolbisneat]

MONTHLY MEDIA: February 2021

Whoa I know it’s exactly 4 weeks but February just flew by! Here’s how I spent those chilly days.

……….FILM……….

Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar (2021) Silly and sincere and just...a lot of fun. There is so much happening at all times that you’re bound to enjoy at least half of it. Maybe 2/3rds. Mileage will vary but watch the teaser trailer. Does that look like a movie you’d enjoy? If “yes” then go watch it.

Freaky (2020) Fun! And a couple solid laughs. If you’ve seen Happy Death Day then it’s similar in tone but I admit I think I liked that better than this. It delivers on the premise but almost feels like it has a tiny fourth act that...doesn’t really fit. Not bad, overall.

The Kid Detective (2020) Highly recommend. A good dark comedy with a wild third act and overall just a good time at the movies. I’m not sure if a trailer gives too much away so just picture Adam Brody as a washed up kid detective trying to solve a murder case.

Logan Lucky (2017) Pretty solid! It kinda drags after the heist (oh yeah, it’s a heist film...love it) but other than that it’s really rather fun! Worth checking out.

……….TELEVISION……….

WandaVision (Episode 1.01 to 1.08) While it’s starting to slot into the overall Marvel formula, I really appreciate that the superhero stuff is dabbling in weirder stuff. Between the illusion scene in Spider-Man 2 to this, I’m really rather hopeful that the movies will get more colourful and wacky and ever closer to the aesthetics of Speed Racer (also go watch Speed Racer).

The Bachelor (Episode 25.05 to 25.08) What. A. Mess. I mean I of course follow all the drama outside of the series and it really feels like 1 step forward highlighting the 2 steps back happening in tandem. Sure, Matt is bland and I really just want more of the goofy stuff that they show at the end of the episode, but those complaints are overshadowed by a really irresponsible casting and production that brings in super problematic contestants. It’s a bummer. But I DO think I’m winning my fantasy league! 

The Night Manager (Episode 1.01 to 1.04) Far less night managing than I expected, but what we ARE getting is a really solid spy mini series. Also I always think Tom Hiddleston is like...average to average-tall actor height (maybe 6 feet?) but he absolutely towers over most of the cast! It’s wild. Also a good show.

Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel (Episode 1.01 to 1.04) The first three episodes had me a little worried for how much they relied on youtubers and a community that feels...rather exploitative of a really tragic situation, but the end kinda redeems itself. I don’t think it holds them as accountable for the damage they’ve done and the problems they caused, but that’s just me.

……….READING……….

Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey (Complete) As a character study, it’s really really great. I wish I hadn’t read focusing on the murder mystery component because that side is...fine. I was looking for clues and misdirects and it was too late when I’d realized that was not the type of book I was reading. I won’t spoil anything. Instead I’ll suggest it as a good book to check out if you want to read about a very human detective working in a world that is not her own. In that, i wholly recommend.

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (Page 203 of 453) Gosh I’m loving this so far! The lead character is so fun to read and the whole premise (okay...1 necromancer and 1 swordsperson from 8 communities come together to sort out who will rule over them all in a techno gothic haunted mansion) is bonkers but grounded and it’s a really good time. There’s so much chemistry between each character and lots of skeleton minions so I really don’t know how else to sell this book.

House of X / Powers of X by Jonathan Hickman, Pepe Larraz, R.B. Silva, and Marte Gracia (Complete) Really great ideas and as I don’t read a lot of X-men, it feels like two things are crucial to every big story: conflict with humans and time travel/time jump stuff. When I finished reading it I admit I wondered “is that it?” as it really feels like an unfinished story...more like a setup to bigger things. Turns out that’s exactly what it is and now there are a million books to check out. So I don’t love that. I’d still recommend this and will likely go back to it, but just know that it leaves a lot of threads dangling.

Dragon Ball 3-in-1 Vol. 3 by Akira Toriyama (Complete) This is a series I’m rereading during the pandemic and a few things stand out: I love that you can see Goku aging in the comics, the Red Ribbon Army is blaaaaaaand (but the underwater cave stuff is fun), and I LOVE the old crone/fight the universal monsters storyline. So basically this volume is 50% fine and 50% fantastic.

……….AUDIO……….

Calypso by Harry Belafonte (1956) You know that viral video of the happy trotting dog? Well since then I’ve been listening to Harry Belafonte and...more hits than misses!

……….GAMING……….

Hades (Supergiant Games) Alright I’ve made it out of hell...3 times? Not enough to really share with any pride but I’m still knee-deep in this game. Fun and perfect for a few minutes or a couple hours and hot dang I love Greek mythology.

Neverland: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) The adventurers have been doing some mining and are now on their way to exchange their haul for a fallen star! Also the longer recap is on Reddit and is full of spoilers and more TTRPG details.

And that’s it! See you in March.

#Monthly Media #Kolbisneat #Andrew kolb

[alexlabhont]

I didn’t mean to fall in love with you

Chapter Eight.

Book: Queen B - Choices (Universe)

Pairing:  Poppy Min-Sinclair x Trans!Male MC (Beck Hughes)

Genre: Canon re-write (Because I can)

Rating: Anyone can read it, really

Tags: @dopeyouth @theymakemegayer @save-me-the-last-dance @poppysmc (If anyone want to be tagged in, just tell me)

This is me trying to write by and for the Trans community, specially FTM community, meaning, trans guys, but I actually took the liberty to use They/them pronouns for everyone out there who´s interested (Also, the name Beck was the most neutral one I could find, trying to use the cannon Bea Hughes)

If you have any comment, PLEASE BE RESPECTFULL and patient with me. This is also my first english fanfic and english is not my mother language, so... i’m sorry fo the grammar errors

CHAPTERS 

Chapter seven

ONE-SHOTS 

Just a dance (Zoey x MC)

—————————————————————— 

When Poppy told that guy to send a pic of her and Farmsville kissing to The T, she wasn't trying anything but to declare a message, to make clear to everyone in Belvoire, especially to that Wonder Warden Wade of theirs, one little thing: Beck was hers now.

But no.

As usual, things with Beck were completely out of her control, whenever Poppy did zig, somehow Beck always managed to do zag. And this time "Zag" were lots of photos where Beck was hanging out, laughing and even hugging Zoey Wade. Sharing classes, walking side by side. Being together.

Students were talking, The T was speculating. That girl’s happy face making fun of her right from inside the photos and that stupid threat of hers didn’t. Leave. Her. Mind! That New Money was winning, and there it was just one person to blame: Beck Hughes.

So when she finally saw them in the hallway, she was decided to tear them down for good, hiding behind her reputation, behind a failed plan, when she knew deep down herself that she was mad for something else… Sometime hurtful…

But it all went down to shit when what she saw a few seconds later was Beck’s back hitting hard against the wall, and that stupid animal grabbing them by the clothes. For a moment, she completely forgot how to breathe, a loud gasp taking all the air in her lungs, and the pain and rage clutched her heart with such a lightning force and speed that Poppy couldn’t understand; all she knew was she couldn't stop looking at the scene, wanting so badly to be in the middle just to kick his balls so hard that they'll stop working forever. The strawberry blonde really tried to end the fight sooner, but that bunch of assholes that Belvoire had as students started to stand around as disgusting moths, hungry for a fight, so the last thing Poppy saw of the attack for a moment were Beck’s smile and then the pain written all over their face.

And that was it.

She could feel her blood boiling, something weird taking over her body. She was familiar to this feeling, the blonde felt it each time Farmsville proved to be a pain in her ass… but this one's was stronger, deeper, and incontrollable. Her nails were eager to meet Carleton's face until nobody could recognize him ever again. But when she finally got there it was Beck who was doing her job, smashing their fists against his face over and over, growling each time. A quick twist.

Naturally, that bastard was expelled latter that day, everyone totally noticed it because… well… she had her ways. And although it was one less problem without him, that didn’t make up for Beck’s rib.

Yes, she literally dragged them to the hospital to get that X-ray, what was that I'm-Tough-I'm-fine shit? Who were them? Rambo? Beck had that stupid frown through all the way, like a spoiled baby, but it didn't matter, because now everyone was sure that Beck didn't have a broken rib. They were fine.

“Told you.”

“I don't fucking care, Hughes. Now hold that tongue of yours, would you?” The silence she asked for only lasted two seconds.

“You know I told you.”

“Oh, my god. What are you, five?” she rolled her eyes quickly. “Why are you so mad about it anyways? Of course I needed to know if you were ok!”

“I told you I was fine!”

“You’re not a fucking doctor!” Neither of them giving a shit about the driver hearing the conversation. “You don't have anything to prove when it comes to your health!”

She said, why it was not basic information? Why was it something so hard to swallow?

“Poppy?” God, this one just won't stop, right?

“What now?” The blonde didn't even bother to look at them, focusing her attention to what was outside the window.

“You’re right.” Wait what? “I shouldn't be upset about it. After all... You were just taking care of me, so… Thank you.”

Poppy will never admit it to anyone… but that weird but honest and beautiful smile she received made her tremble a little~ bit. Just a little bit. It was kind of like seeing them for the very first time, discover them, a fraction of their very own core shown to her…

But anyways

Right after that, just right after all she did, after that fucking day Poppy hadn't heard a word from that bastard.

So all Belvoire may be asking themselves: what was doing the great, the beautiful, the one and only queen Poppy Min-Sinclair walking through the campus with a fruit tree in hands? Obviously not her hands, an employee's hands, but whatever. Same thing.

Well, the answer was simple: Nobody, and that’s nobody…, could ignore her. No one. Poppy can and do ignore people, but be ignored? Hell, no. She hadn't seen Beck in school neither, no text messages, no social media updates, nor shit, so she was going to pay them a visit, giving them something that surely will make them to never forget about her.

So yeah, a fruit tree. That was an acceptable get well gift, right?

Poppy knocked at Beck's place, waiting, of course, for a quick answer… and waiting, and waiting… and waiting.

“Ms. Min-Sinclair…” shyly spoke that man whoever he was. “Can I put the tree down for a second?”

“No.” Maybe if it were any other time the guy could do it, but not today. Today, when she was going to deliver it personally. Today, when she was giving one of the very few gifts meant from her kind spot. Today, when she was getting angrier and angrier because she hated to wait.

She knocked again. Harder this time, but the results were just the same. And that's when something weird started to happen. Yes, she was still angry, but a stitch-like feeling started to grow inside her. She knew for a fact that Beck was in there, the doctor was clear: They needed to rest and there it was no absolutely way Zoey would let them do anything else. So they had to be there.

“Maybe they're taking a nap or something. Nothing weird, right?” She thought while her eyes wandered through the hall, searching for some magic and very hidden way to get inside the dorm. Because maybe… maybe… they weren’t sleeping.

“No. They’re fine! They’re just doing something stupid like playing the ukulele or whatever musicians do.” Her mind chuckled a little, if she could joke about it, then there it was nothing bad going on… But it didn't work quite well. She was starting to feel preoccupied.

“Er… excuse me?” Poppy turned, a deadly, cold, scary glare piercing that poor bastard's self so hard as the blonde knew she was capable of, making him tremble. It would've been funny if it wasn't for the situation.

“You have exactly two seconds to tell me why anything you have to say is relevant or I'll fire you. Starting now.”

“There’s some guy behind that corner watching us for quite a while now.” The employee said, the strawberry blonde followed the man's sight direction, what kind of creep were stalking them? Seriously, fucking weirdo.

To her fortune in at least this case, Poppy recognized that nerdy, greasy hair guy above a pair of glasses and a suspicious look behind them. Ew, Benji What’s-his-name. Well… desperate times call for desperate measures…

“Hey you!” Poppy called him as demanding as only someone like her could be. “Come closer.”

“W-why?” He asked, reserved.

“Because you’re last place and I basically command you. So stop talking and get your pimpled ass over here.” The guy walked towards them, looking hurt, angry maybe, but who cares? It wasn't her fault he was a looser that nobody cared about. Eat or be eaten, there’s people in this world with the potential to be a force of nature, and there it was people like Benji as well. They’re just there to be used. “I need you to open this door for me. ASAP.”

“What?! But that's against the dorm's ru…!”

“Excuse me, do I look like I care?” Poppy was pretty close to lose her patience completely, but she managed to behave a little, after all he was right. If they get caught, most likely the problems would arrive sooner than later. “Just do it and you're free to leave. Nobody’s gonna know.”

“God, they’re gonna know…” he whispered, playing with his own fingers, making then crack. “But let’s make this quick, ok?”

“That is so what I actually asked you to do, you dumbass.”

Benji looked around like if he was about to rob a bank or something, Poppy rolled her eyes at this, tapping her foot to try and give him pressure to do the job in that instant; the only “big move” he did was swiping his master key on the door, then nudged it open with his foot.

“See? It wasn’t that hard, wasn’t it?” Poppy said, not even looking at Benji. “Now disappear before someone see us talking.”

The strawberry blonde didn't even know if Benji did go away or not, she just went straight into Beck's bedroom, opening the door of the first room she saw.

Bingo.

Beck was sitting on their bed, their laptop over their lap; a pair of big, black professional headphones covering their ears and little Fran--- Pepes comfortably sleeping, snugging next to Beck’s feet. When they saw her, their eyes went wide, taking off the headphones completely surprised and confused, a what's going on written all over their face, especially when the employee came along with her gift.

“Poppy? What the…? How the hell did you…?”

“Shht.” She didn't let them finish, chuckled a little of the incredulous expression they had. The reality was that, now that she knew Beck was ok…, she was… weirdly relieved… and pissed, but that's something she could deal with latter. “I want you to place the tree over there… next to the window… perfect! That would be all. You're no longer required.”

The employee left the room almost immediately, the sound of the principal door closing was the only indication that both of them were completely alone.

“Well… are you going to tell me now what are you doing here or not?” Beck spoke.

“I was just passing by and suddenly I wanted to come. Why? Is there a problem?”

“And what's with the tree?”

“It’s a get-well gift from yours truly.” Poppy shooted a playful wink, receiving a flicker of their eyes, disbelieving.

“A tree?”

“It’s a fruit tree.”

“Right…” Beck said, sarcastic painting their voice as they put their headphones around their neck, placing their attention on the screen once again. Like… hello? Poppy was right there!

“I was knocking for a long time out there. Where are your manners? Did you leave them in the farm?” She joked trying to make them mad, while petting Pepes softly, who kept sleeping as if nothing happened right after opening one eye and closing it again.

“No, sorry. I didn’t hear you… How did you get in?”

“I have my ways.”

“Gosh, that’s so messed up…” Beck murmured, their gaze still on the laptop.

“Seriously? That’s it?”

Feeling like a fool, Poppy clenched her teeth. She was waiting for Beck to do something, to look at her again, to ask her to leave, anything! But no, they kept tapping and clicking while biting the insides of their cheeks.

“Jesus, Hughes!” tired, Poppy walked towards them and took drastically their notebook away...

“Hey!”

… and replaced it with herself, sitting over Beck’s lap trying not to hurt their rib. They were warm, pajamas still on, messy hair and even though the bed was made, you could tell they hadn’t gotten up from there in a while.

“Give me that back…” The determination was in their eyes, but Poppy knew better. She knew for a fact they didn’t want her to obey. Their hands around her waist, the whisper in which they were talking and that dork yet attractive smile on their lips were telling otherwise.

“No.” She said. “I came all~ the way here just to see you. The least thing you could do is give your full attention to me.” Poppy demanded.

“I thought you were just passing by.” Beck said, a mocking grin lighting up their face.

“Just shut up already.” She said, causing them to laugh a little.

“Make me.”  

Oh… that’s new.

But she was happy to oblige, so she kissed them. A spicy, hot kiss where her lips and her tongue played with theirs, trying to take control, to make them forget about the whole world, their own name, and focus on her taste, her touch on their neck, her fingers caressing their skin, traveling down, discovering Beck’s clavicles… but it was hard, because she wasn’t the only one trying to take over the other one… Beck was doing it so as well, so how could Poppy concentrate if she could feel the warm moves of the tip of their fingers tracing an intense map on her back, that she could almost feel as if it was on her bare skin? How can she prove herself superior when Beck’s slow bites in her mouth, savoring her, burned so good?  

“How are you feeling, Tushi-face?” Poppy murmured, ending the moment just before she completely loses control. This was still a plan, and the blonde always had to be the one who they can’t live without. She needed them to be hopelessly devoted to her to make it work, not the other way around. “I’m not hurting you, am I?”

“Nor a little bit.” Beck took a deep breath, regaining their lost air. But there it was: that lamb face. “I was just trying to pick a good song for an audition.”

“Audition? To what?”

“A metal band. You know, some… stuff.” Poppy frowned, why would them wanted to be on a band? Beck had recognition on their own, fans all over Belvoire and, she can surely bet, even New York. Beck didn’t need anyone else, that’s why she had choose him. Because she knew the potential they had alone. Together… they both would be the power couple of the entire school… and, with her guidance, even more than that.

“Why would you do that?” Poppy asked. Beck responded with a shrug.

“I don’t know. Sounds fun. Besides, there is going to be a battle of bands and I want so badly to show them who's the boss...”

That’s when Poppy saw it for the very first time. The spark on their eyes made of ambition, confidence… arrogance.

“I see…”

All this time, she thought Beck was one of those people that just were going with the flow. A diamond in the rough who couldn't see its real potential… But she was wrong all along… There were more on Beck than they show, and she just figured it out a little more. The music was the answer all this time. She should've seen it before.

“Uhm… Ok. Just pick a song that reminds you of me.” Beck cracked a chuckle, letting their mind wandering thought their music repertoire.

“Oh, I think I have one.” They suddenly said with a playful grin on their face. “I’m sour candy … so sweet then I get a little angry, yeah… Sour candy, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah…”

“Seriously, Hughes? Blackpink?” They didn't care, they even closed their eyes and kept on singing, dancing their arms in a funny, annoying way.

“I'm super psycho, make you crazy when I turn the lights low… sour candy… yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah…”

That was it. Two can play the game just fine.

“Ask me to be nice and then I’ll do it extra mean… tteutbakke pyojeong hanae neon danghwanghagetji...” Poppy sang suddenly, surprising Beck so hard that she couldn’t help but laugh a lot because of their face. “Oh, honey… let me close that for you.” The strawberry blonde used her hand to gentle taking their jaw up. God, how can they be so cute while being dumb?

“You speak Korean?!”

“What kinda question is that? Do you actually know what the Min on Min-Sinclair means?”

“I-I mean, yeah. I just didn't want to assume… what does it mean? That thing you sang?” The blonde raised an eyebrow.

“I thought you knew.” Beck shook his head, that surprised look still into their eyes, but now had a taste of interest and wonder… A chance that she didn't miss. “Well… it actually means this…” Slowly, like a panther hunting her prey, Poppy reach out for Beck's neck, pouring out sweet but dangerous kisses over their skin… Oh, their reactions… Beck sigh, shaking a little, their body was tense, but slowly begun to relax, enjoying the attentions.

Both of their hands started to touch Poppy's body, eager, needy, intensely. Beck's caressed burned more and more over her body to the point where the blonde couldn't take it anymore. She needed them to take her clothes off…

Beck kissed her lips hungrily, tasting her as if they were starving, gripping her hips while doing so. She grinded down on them, stealing a gasp from their lips in between the kisses, driving her mad. Poppy needed to touch them, to feel them, so she put her hands under their shirt, enjoying the burning skin of their actually hard abs… touching careful and slowly up, and up…

“No, Poppy, wait…” Beck suddenly said, nervous and sounding a little scared. Confused as fuck, Poppy moved a little away, shooting them a question-mark-look. What happened? She wanted so badly to ask, but the stupid door opened abruptly, an annoying voice right behind it.

“Beck, I'm home! I got you some soup…”

Zoey was literally in the house. The stupid look on her face when she realized what was happening make Poppy really angry.

“Fuck you, Wade. Don't you see we're in the middle of something?” Something clicked inside the girl, because her astonished expression chance in one second to an indignant one just before slapping the door.

“Shit…”

—-

Next

#poppy x mc #queen b choices #choices #trans #ftm #malemc #queen b benji #poppy min sinclair #bea hughes #Beck Hughes #choices stories you play #choices poppy #choices queen b #choices queen b mc #mc x poppy #queen b

[gloryride]

11, 12 & 15 for Vanessa, and 35, 36 & 37 for Virgile! 👀💕

Thank you for this ask !  💗 💗

Vanessa

11 - How competitive is your oc? Is every little task something that they can win, or are they just in competitions for the fun of it? Is there anyone they’re most competitive with?

Oh oh, she's VERY competitive … and she doesnt like losing ! It's a guilty pleasure to win and prove to others she's right and/or the best. No need to have gain, she just likes bets and others competitions. There are no small delight in life. Her favorite opponent? Jackie of course ! These two idiots played all the time and there was always one who sulked at the end, before reconciling over a drink. Otherwise, Pepe. Vanessa loves teasing him, proposes him some bets. He always refuses at first, but he's really competitive too so, he accepts !

12 - How skilled at lying is your oc? How frequently do they lie? For what reason? What situations would be the exception?

She's a really good liar, since her childhood. Nothing betrays her lies, she always does it with aplomb ! She only uses it when needed, during gigs or not to offend some people. Vanessa is a sincere girl, she doesn't lie to her close friends or family. She has always told the truth to her mother and to Padre, people she respects, as well as Mama Welles.

15 - If you had to choose a single object to act as a symbol for your oc, what would it be? Why? Tough question. Maybe a photo in her apartment. It was her 20th birthday party at El Coyote Cojo. Jackie organized everything, it was a perfect surprise for Vanessa. All her friends and some family was here, even her sick mother. On the photo, we can see Vanessa seat on the bar, between Jackie and her mother, Mama Welles, Pepe, Misty, Viktor, some childhood friends, everyone smiles and are happy.

This photo sums up Vanessa : those she considers her family, for whom she could die, this bar her HQ, Vanessa stunning in an expensive dress with a big smile. A perfect happiness moment, what she is still looking for today ...

Virgile 

35 - How easily does your oc get attached to things? Does everything have a sentimental value to them, or do they see nothing as more valuable than its practical use? What about with people/animals?

Virgile isn't materialistic (not like you, Vanessa!), he's a pretty practical guy. The only things he's attached to are his computer hardware, his motorbike, and his old nomad car, but the rest, he doesn't care.

For people, it's different. As a nomad, he grew up in a clan, his family, he needs people around him, even if he sometimes rejects them when he is not well. He has an sweetheart, he quickly becomes attached to people and gives himself totally, even if he does not always show it.

For animals, he's just adorable. Did you see his face? How could he not love animals?

36 - How stubborn is your oc? Are they easily convinced of the opposite opinion, do they not agree but let it happen anyways? Or do they cause conflicts with their inability to budge in their decisions?

Stubborn ? Weak word ! When he's certain about something, it's very difficult to change his mind, except with excellent points. Maybe he can be agree with you but don't try to push him or assaults him, he never listens to you. He likes listening others point of views and opinions, but not easy to convince him. Good luck !

37 - How much has your oc traveled? Why is this? Would they like to travel more? Or are they perfectly fine with staying home?

As a nomad, he traveled a lot with his clan, for jobs. I haven't decided where he was born yet, i need to read more wiki pages about NUSA and free states ! He saw many free states, like Texas, Nevada, Arizona ... and he loves that. No need a house with walls and windows, everywhere was his home, he wanted to see so much more ! But with his health condition, his travels stopped in California, Night City. He loves his new home, but sometimes, he would like to take his car and go far away. He has a travel plan with Judy, just want to be free !

It was so fun to think about them ! Thanks again  💗 💗

#oc ask #about : vanessa vergara #about : virgile sarto #thanks for asking ♥

[richincolor]

Group Discussion Post: Yes, No, Maybe So

With Super Tuesday just hours behind us (and I predict we won’t get full results for days) and an election with so much on the line, Aisha Saeed’s & Becky Albertalli’s “Yes, No, Maybe So,” is extremely timely. It follows two teens whose parents essentially “volunteer” them into canvassing for a local election, and through their experience become more politically aware while also falling in love at the same time. 

K. Imani: I really enjoyed this book. There were so many sweet moments, funny moments, frustrating moments, etc. It was such a timely novel and one that I truly loved. What did you all think of the book?

Jessica: I loved it! The book was sweet and inspiring and just so much fun to read all at once. It actually was the push I needed to sign up for some phone banking and community canvassing.

Crystal: I fell right into the story and loved it. There were humorous moments amid the serious times. Seeing the passion that could flare up in both Jamie and Maya around their ideals and beliefs gave me hope for the future. Young people often see things and don’t pay attention just like anyone else, but when they see an injustice that tugs at them, watch out.

Audrey: I really enjoyed it! I’ve never been involved in a political campaign, so seeing what it could be like from a teenager’s perspective was really interesting! It was a good reminder that campaigns need people of all ages and abilities to help them out.

Crystal: Audrey you reminded me of my own canvassing. I’ve been involved in several campaigns both calling and knocking on doors. I totally sympathized with Jamie because that is so incredibly uncomfortable for me. I have to be truly passionate about a candidate or a specific  election to actually be putting myself out there with strangers.

K. Imani: I really enjoyed how Maya and Jamie’s relationship developed slowly over time as they established a deep friendship first where they were able to openly share and trust each other. For example, Jamie’s misstep with buying Maya breakfast during Ramadan and after her correcting him, that he took what she said to heart and using it as an opportunity to learn. This was really sweet of him and allowed Maya to really begin to trust him. What did you all enjoy about their relationship?

Jessica: Agreed. I loved how Maya and Jamie learned from each other. I really appreciated that the book demonstrated how people can make mistakes and come to understand each other more -- and it doesn’t have to be a painful or shameful process. I also loved how Jamie was so inspired by Maya and vice versa. It’s truly the best part of a relationship -- making each other better. So heartwarming!

Audrey: Yeah, it was really nice to see these two fumble things but still come back around to apologizing and promising to do better. It was a great message--even when you’re on the same side, mistakes still happen! But it’s important to apologize and make corrections and then stop making the mistake. I loved the interplay between them and how they each inspired each other--it was a great relationship, both platonic and romantic.

Crystal: I loved that it felt so real. Their bumbles, apologies, and awkwardness all show that this isn’t some fairytale situation. It’s the everydayness that is lovely. Staying on the phone forever because they don’t want to say goodbye is super sweet, but also extremely believable. It’s not fancy romantic, but it’s romantic just the same.

K. Imani: The novel takes place in a Blue enclave within a Red state and really shows the stakes of what Progressives are fighting for. What stood out to you about Maya and Jamie’s experiences? For me, when they went to their State Representative’s offices to talk about the bill that would essentially ban hijabs and the gaslighting that happens in that meeting. I was so frustrated for them, but it reflected a frustration I have with our country right now and it felt like one of the realist moments in the novel.

Jessica: I definitely got the vibe that the book was set in a similar setting to Jon Ossoff’s run in Georgia several years ago, and that race was cited in the acknowledgements at the end of the book. For a lot of young people -- teens, college students, and young adults -- coming of age politically pre- and post-2016, what happens in government has direct (sometimes positive, sometimes very negative) impact on their lives, especially if they come from a marginalized background. What really stood out to me was actually how Maya and Jamie’s friends were portrayed -- how easy it is for people from privileged backgrounds to check out of current events and feel like it isn’t important. But ultimately, Maya and Jamie managed to inspire their friends to get invested and involved. It isn’t easy, but it’s possible! Love that note of hope.

Audrey: One of the things that stood out most to me was how often Maya or Jamie noted that self-described “nice” people will still cheerfully vote for people and policies that will directly harm their own family or friends or neighbors. Because, yeah--I definitely saw a lot of that. And it hurt every time they noticed it. I was relieved that they were able to get through to some of their friends, too. Especially since their focus was on getting out their base to vote rather than trying to win over moderates.

Crystal: That meeting with at the government office was extremely frustrating to behold. There were even more interactions with friends who just didn’t notice the issues or understand how something that affects one part of their community really affects them all.

K. Imani: This book is culturally relevant as it also explores White Supremacists trolls through the use of Fifi, the white poodle, as the Pepe frog, which both bothered me and intrigued me. I feel like including Fifi really captures the time period we are living in and can stand as an example of what life is in the Trump era.

Audrey: I was so happy that they came up with a way to counter Fifi! But what really stuck with me was how the vandalizer tried to downplay their actions--it’s just trolling, it’s just a joke, you shouldn’t get upset about this. We’d seen Maya and Jamie’s reactions to finding the stickers before and none of it was a joke to them.

Crystal: The Fifi does really feel current and all too familiar. This topic reminds me of Jamie’s grandma. You better watch out because when she rattles off a person’s entire name she means business. She made me smile many times and I’d love to see her Insta account. Grandparent relationships can be so awesome and it was nice to see a “grandma’s boy” in print.

K. Imani: With such an important election in front of us, what other political inspired YA are you looking forward to this year?

Jessica: Speaking of politics-related YA, I’m really, really, really looking forward to RUNNING by Natalia Sylvester. I have its release date marked on my calendar and everything.

Crystal: I’m definitely looking forward to Brandy Colbert’s The Voting Booth and This is My America by Kim Johnson. One I recently read that I’ll be putting into lots of hands is Stamped: Racism Antiracism and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi.  

Audrey: I’m looking forward to reading all of those!

And with that, our discussion comes to an end. We’d love to hear what you all thought of the book, so leave a comment below.

#group discussion #WeNeedDiverseBooks

[junker-town]

Maddy Freking and the history of girls at the Little League World Series

Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images

Maddy Freking is the latest in a long line of girls determined to play ball.

Media coverage of 12-year-old Minnesota pitcher and second baseman Maddy Freking at the Little League Worlds Series has been predictable, to say the least.

Freking claims the not-altogether-helpful distinction of being the “first girl in five years” to compete in the tournament. What has followed is a slew of well-intentioned but ultimately cliche stories that emphasize how unusual it is for a girl to be playing baseball — did you notice her long blonde hair sticking out from beneath her baseball cap?

Freking has though she’s fielded the repetitive questions with grace. “It’s an honor — I also think it’s really cool to be, out of however many boys have been here, only the 19th girl,” she told ESPN. Yes, 19 girls have played in the Little League World Series. Double digits. She’s the sixth girl to pitch, following Mo’ne Davis’ star turn in 2014.

No, girls don’t play every year, and yes, she’s the only girl currently competing. But her presence begs the question: when do we stop counting?

Girls and women have played baseball roughly since the sport’s genesis in the mid-19th century. Little League was founded in 1939, just four years before the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was organized (and eventually immortalized in A League Of Their Own). In 1950, then-13-year-old Kathryn “Kay” Johnston-Massar disguised herself as a boy to join her local Little League team in upstate New York; less then a year later, Little League explicitly forbade girls from playing in what became known as the Tubby Rule, dubbed for her gender-bending alias.

The Tubby Rule lasted until 1974 when, on the heels of Title IX, a coalition of girls around the country sued Little League for the right to play. New Jersey’s Maria Pepe, then 12, was the first, aided by the National Organization for Women. Little League came to face nearly 20 lawsuits from girls trying to get on the diamond, and eventually had no choice but to acquiesce.

This is an extremely brief and superficial history of girls in Little League, a small part of their rich history in baseball. Plenty of girls and women play the sport today. Maybe someday, if she keeps it up, Maddy Freking will join the wildly talented U.S. Women’s National Baseball Team, who compete internationally despite having next to no local support.

Below are the 18 girls who preceded Freking at the Little League World Series. This list will likely be out of date within a year or two, and hopefully can eventually stop being maintained at all.

Victoria Roche, Brussels, Belgium (1984)

Roche, 12, was a reserve outfielder for Brussels who played alongside her brother. Her team, the winners of the European championship, was eliminated early in the tournament. Her lack of production as a pinch-hitter (one walk, two hitless plate appearances) was studiously noted by the press, as was the attention her appearances received.

“Victoria is a very spirited girl,” team manager John Fader told the AP. “We’re happy to have her with us. Having a girl on our team has been no problem.”

Roche stayed at a motel in Williamsport away from her team since there were no Little League facilities for girls. “She’s no schlepper — she made it ahead of nine boys,” Fader added later.

“We were watching me on TV last night — it was pretty awful,” Roche told the AP. “I’d rather be just like the other boys.”

Photo from the Burlington Free Press, August 22, 1984

Victoria Brucker, San Pedro, California (1989)

The 12-year-old first baseman was the first American girl to reach the reach the Little League World Series, and entered the tournament as her team’s leading home run hitter despite the fact that she was taken last in the league’s regional draft.

Sexism followed her to the tournament, naturally. In a feature previewing her appearance, the Los Angeles Times described her as a “tall, attractive 12-year-old with darting brown eyes.” For her part, Brucker insisted over and over that she was “just one of the players.”

“When she first started playing, one parent, a man, told me to my face that I should take Victoria home and teach her to cook and clean,” her mother told the paper (she’s described as “a spirited woman”). “I told him, ‘She not only knows how to cook and clean, she can also crochet and play baseball better than your son.’”

“They just pitch her fastballs and she hits them out,” her teammate Anthony Pesusich told the AP. “They think, she’s a girl, so they just pitch fastballs.”

The same year, Betty Speziale became the first woman to umpire a Little League World Series game. The “firsts” piled up as Brucker got the first LLWS hit by a girl, eventually earning three runs (two off walks). But when Brucker’s team lost in the semifinals, her manager told the Times that the pressure and attention (Johnny Carson and Regis Philbin were among those asking for her to come on their shows) had “messed with her head.”

Photo from the Courier-Post, August 22, 1989

Kelly Craig, Trail, British Columbia (1990)

The third girl to play and the first girl to start a Little League World Series game as a pitcher, 12-year-old Craig was pulled in the first inning after three batters got on base. All of her individual errors were scrupulously documented by the national press, unlike those of her male teammates.

Photo from the Central New Jersey Home News, August 21, 1990

Giselle Hardy, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia (1991)

“She’s gutsy. She’d probably chew tobacco if you’d let her,” Hardy’s team manager Rich Hunter told USA Today. Otherwise, the 12-year-old’s team got more attention for playing shortly after U.S. troops established a base in Saudi Arabia than for her participation. Dhahran didn’t go far in the tournament, but Hardy did score a run.

Photo from the Hartford Courant, August 24, 1991

Krissy Wendell, Brooklyn Center, Minnesota (1994)

Wendell was her team’s catcher (the first girl to play in the Little League World Series at the position, are you sensing a pattern?), and the daughter of manager Larry Wendell. He would even let her call pitches, according to a piece from the Pioneer Press. “

She’s a little embarrassed by the attention of the boy-girl thing,” her father told the Washington Post. “I think she just wanted to play well and be part of the team.”

“Some players on other teams don’t think she can be good because she’s a girl,” an opposing pitcher told the Press. “Then they find out otherwise.”

Though coverage still dwelled on Wendell’s diminutive stature and “long blonde hair,” she made her ambitions clear. “I want to be the first female to play in the NHL,” she told the Press. “I like hockey because you’re always playing — there’s always action and there’s roughness.” Wendell became a marquee player on the U.S. women’s national hockey team, eventually becoming captain and leading the squad to its first gold medal at the women’s world championships, where she earned MVP.

Photo from the Philadelphia Inquirer, August 25, 1994

Sayaka Tsushima, Osaka, Japan (1998)

Centerfielder Tsushima was described the first girl to play in the Little League World Series from a “Far East” team (...), and became the first girl to make it to the World Series finals. Her team lost to Toms River East, New Jersey (and, as all the papers noted, she went 0-3).

“I just really want to do my best,” Tsushima told the New York Post through an interpreter. In her team’s first game against the defending champions from Mexico, she earned two runs off a single and a walk. “Being the first girl in a championship game here really doesn’t matter to me,” she continued. “I dream about being a major-league player. But there are a lot of limitations because of being a female.”

Alicia Hunolt, Ramstein Air Force Base, Germany (1999)

Hunolt’s team was eliminated early in the tournament, which might explain why there was little coverage related to how she was the only girl competing. She would later play softball for Auburn.

Tatiana Maltseva, Moscow, Russia (2001)

The reserve catcher was the first Russian player to compete in the LLWS, and, according to her coach, too shy to be interviewed at the time.

Photo from the Democrat and Chronicle, August 17, 2001

Sanoe Aina, Waipahu, Hawaii (2002)

“She’s just one of the guys,” Waipahu coach Delbert Macanas told the AP of Aina, who aspired to be the first girl to win a LLWS title. “The coaches selected her as a co-captain because of her leadership qualities. Sanoe is a great athlete who provides power in our lineup and has a big influence over the other players.”

Unfortunately, Aina’s team didn’t make it to the title game. “Baseball’s been fun,” she said at the time. “And now it’s time to play with the girls in softball.”

Merced Flores, Agana, Guam (2003)

“I have one more thing to say, and that is girls can play any sport they want,” first baseman Flores told the Pacific Daily News before heading to the LLWS, not long after she’d hit a grand slam at the Guam Little League district tournament. “They just need to work a bit harder to prove to guys that they can also hang,” she concluded. Her team went 0-3 at the World Series, but at least her performance wasn’t blamed or credited with the outcome.

“Guam’s Merced Flores didn’t homer in Williamsport — which was her goal — but it was nice to see her become the 10th girl to participate in the Little League World Series without becoming a sideshow,” Bill Griffith wrote in the Boston Globe.

Meghan Sims, Owensboro, Kentucky and Alexandra Bellini, Nepean, Ottawa (2004)

For the first time, two girls competed at the same Little League World Series in what was deemed the tournament’s “year of the woman” by the AP. Maria Pepe threw out the first pitch, and three women (including Krissy Wendell) were inducted into the Little League Hall of Excellence.

Sims was hitting .537 before the tournament started.

“Everyone knows of the human-interest side of the story: the girl playing the boys,” her coach, Vic Evans Jr., told the Courier-Journal. “What gets lost in that is just how good of a player she is. She was one of the five or 10 best players in Indianapolis. She’s a great baseball player, and she’s one of the guys.”

As for any smack talk that Bellini might have heard from opponents about being a girl, “they usually stop talking after she smokes a couple of pitches,” one of her teammates told the Ottawa Citizen.

Photo from the Courier-News, August 22, 2004

Brielle Meno, Yona, Guam (2008)

The outfielder’s appearance at the LLWS was met with little fanfare, though it was noted that she was the “first girl in four years” to compete at the tournament.

Katie Reyes, Vancouver, British Columbia and Bryn Stonehouse, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia (2009)

Reyes, a 13-year-old first baseman, drew national attention after hitting the winning runs in her squad’s final game — another “first” — as part of a 3-for-4, three-RBI performance. She and Stonehouse, whose appearance was overshadowed somewhat by Reyes’ offensive fireworks, were roommates at the tournament.

“She’s pretty confident in what she does,” Reyes’ mother told the Globe and Mail. “At one time, I thought she would be left out. As a mother of a girl, you think that way, because girls are underdogs. But in her case, the boys and coaches, the way they treat her, she’s not the girl to put on the sidelines. She’s the girl that delivers.”

Photo from USA Today, August 26, 2009

Eliska Stejskalova, South Moravia, Czech Republic (2013)

Stejskalova was on the first Czech team to win a Little League World Series game. “She is good, that is why she is here,” manager Pavel Chadim told ABC. “She has two brothers. One is her twin. He is not here and she is. It means she is very good.” That game was called by Cynthia Smith, the tournament’s fifth woman umpire.

Go Eliska!! RT @WNEP: Girl power at the Little League World Series http://t.co/VTtXlGzh9l

— Katie Couric (@katiecouric) August 19, 2013

Emma March, Vancouver, British Columbia and Mo’ne Davis, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2014)

“A Novelty No Longer,” the New York Times insisted as two girls participated in the LLWS, 30 years after Roche had marked that first “first.”

Nevertheless Mo’ne Davis, the first African-American girl to participate in the LLWS, would causes a nearly unmatched frenzy by becoming the first girl to pitch a winning game at the tournament. She did it with a shutout, pitching 70 miles per hour. Sports Illustrated made her its first Little League cover star of either gender. “I never thought that at age 13 I would be a role model,” Davis told the Times.

March, a pitcher and first baseman, didn’t receive the same kind of hype, but she was still cited as proof that the game had reached a turning point. Five years later, coverage has been dishearteningly the same.

Photo By: Howard Simmons/NY Daily News via Getty Images

[eunahfmdarchive]

thirty days of idol character development        all in one post, written over the course of a couple of weeks. written in the same style as minhee’s, as if by a fan with an informative blog for eunah, like the world’s biggest idol fun facts profile.

day one: introduce your muse. are they solo or in a group? what is their position in the group? consider this day the day for writing the basics.

kim eunah, known mononymously as eunah, is a member of the south korean girl group  ‘ trophy ’, stylised as  ‘ 7rophy ’, under dimensions entertainment. she is one of the group’s three lead vocals. 

day two: talk about your muse’s childhood. where did they grow up? did they have any dream jobs besides being an idol? when did they realize they wanted to be an idol?

eunah grew up in seattle, washington, usa, where she performed in many school and community musicals. originally, she wanted to be a musical theatre actress, but after a friend dared her to send an audition tape to dimensions, she decided to accept their offer and go to korea to train. 

day three: take us back to when your muse was either recruited or auditioned to become an idol. how did that go? how did they feel getting up on stage for recruiters? if your muse could give their younger selves advice before the audition, what would they say?

eunah sent an online video application to dimensions entertainment of her singing  ‘ on my own ’  from  les misérables  while accompanying herself on piano. she received an e - mail requesting an in - person evaluation during a rehearsal for her school’s production of  thoroughly modern millie,  in which she was playing the title role. for her in - person evaluation, she sang  ‘ home ’  from the broadway musical version of  beauty and the beast.

day four: remember the trainee days? what are some of your muse’s memories of being a trainee? how long were they a trainee? were they worried about potentially not making a debut? talk about any challenges they might have encountered.

eunah trained for a little under a year before debuting as 7rophy’s lead vocal. she didn’t expect to debut so soon, but she was thankful to go into idol life as fast as she did, as she found adjusting to life as a trainee and life in korea difficult in general. 

day five: recall your muse’s debut. what was the song they debuted with? how did it feel performing for the first time on stage as an idol? feel free to bring up their thoughts about the concept, choreography, lyrics, music video, or other components.

7rophy debuted on march 19 2015 with the title song  ‘ pepe ’  from the mini - album first love. eunah was comfortable in the sassy - cute concept, but she has admitted to wishing she got more lines. she was comfortable belting, so she wishes she got to sing some of the chorus. 

day six: what concept does your muse think they can pull off best? cutesy? manly? sexy? what concept do they have a hard time pulling off? what kind of concept would they want to do at some point?

eunah would like to go back to her theatrical roots and try a story - telling concept, where there’s an overarching story through several comebacks and music videos. she enjoys reading the types of theories fans of origin and lucid come up with for their music videos, and would like to see something similar happen with pepes and 7rophy. she enjoys their current girl crush, tough concept, but doesn’t think she would be good at at a one - hundred per cent sexy concept.

day seven: which era is your muse’s favorite in their career? why is it their favorite (think concept, promotions, choreography, etc.)? if your muse has recently debuted, talk about what they would want to do for their next comeback.

eunah’s favourite era so far is tied between  ‘ where are you? ’  and  ‘ hann ’  (  even if it’s not officially out yet  ). she likes the dreamy concept  &  qualities both of them have. the success of  ‘ hann ’  automatically nudges it just into first place over  ‘ where are you? ’  but the 80s vibes along with her center time  &  considerable chorus lines of the former keep it in the running.

day eight: talk about your muse’s strengths and weaknesses as an idol. feel free to discuss their own personal thoughts regarding these components. think of qualities such as vocals, dancing, visuals, acting skills, and variety show skills, for example.

eunah’s greatest strength is her voice, for which she is primarily known. pepes and casual fans also love her for cute, doll - like visuals. pepes also hotly anticipate her musical acting debut after seeing videos of eunah’s performances from her pre - debut days. eunah is also known for being a little bit socially awkward, which endears pepes to her, but she has been criticised for it. 

day nine: what is your muse’s fashion style? talk about what kind of clothes they love to wear. to them, what is the essential thing to have in their closet? what is their favorite outfit?

eunah’s personal style is simple, but girly. she likes to wear plain skirts and comfortable, wooly cardigans over a t - shirt or shirt with some kind of pattern on it, and on days off, she prefers to wear her glasses rather than put in her contact lenses. she likes soft pinks, creams, beiges, and greys and would like to try more lighter hair colours, like the blonde she had for hobgoblin and the pink she had for latata. 

day ten: talk about your muse’s three closest friends. how did they meet? how long have they known each other? what do they love most about their friends?

eunah’s closest friends include members of lucid who she trained with, members of wish who debuted in the same year as her, and of course, the other members of 7rophy, especially minzy. they're on the same wavelength as each other, and she trusts and connects with her in a way that she doesn’t with many people. they bring out the best in each other.

day eleven: has your muse had any scandals? how have these scandals affected your muse as an idol or as a person? if your muse has not had any scandals, talk about their views on scandals. is all publicity good publicity?

eunah has not had any significant personal scandals beyond things relating to her weight. from debut to no oh oh era, she was often lauded as the so - called skinniest idol, a point of praise and concern for many pepes. but after videos of her middle school performances were leaked, people called her an ex - piggy, among other things.

day twelve: if your muse is in a group, what are the fun things about promoting with other members? what do they love about being in a group? what do they love about their members?

eunah’s favourite thing about promoting with a group is the comradery. the collaborative aspect of the theatre was her favourite thing about performing pre - debut, and performing in a group remidns her of that. she enjoys singing and writing lyrics and melodies with her members.

day thirteen: for the muses in a group, what are the challenges of being one of several people in a group? have there been any troubles that have come along with being in a group environment and times they wish they were alone?

eunah is known for being an introvert, so sometimes living in a dorm and spending extended periods of time with the others for days on end is difficult for her. she spends most of her time in the dorms alone after long days of schedules.

day fourteen: if your muse is in a group, how do you think they would have fared had they had a solo career instead? what kind of concept would they have?

eunah would like to potentially try releasing and promoting solo music, but she doesn’t think she would like to be a solo artist full time, as she enjoys performing as part of a group too much. she thinks a good fit for her as a soloist would be a pop - musical concept, that tells a story. 

day fifteen: who does your muse look up to in the industry? why do they look up to this person?

eunah looks up to idol actors in the industry the most. she thinks it is very brave for idols to branch into acting despite the hate they receive for it, and it inspires her to want to still pursue theatre some day. 

day sixteen: if your muse could do a special stage with another artist or idol group, who would it be and why? what song would they perform?

eunah would like to do special stages as units of 7rophy. a duet for her and minzy where they could combine their talents to put their own spin on a classic like bee’s i’m so hot, aria’s my my or lipstick’s drama. she would also like a 7rophy vocal line sub - unit where they covered songs such as gold star soloist one’s you and i, silhouette’s you’re pitiful and gold star soloist two’s if you.

day seventeen: how would your muse fare in a variety show? if your muse could appear on any variety show, which variety would it be and why?

eunah is known for being awkward on variety shows, especially when hosts decide to measure her famously small waist for the show. eunah would like to go on king of the masked singer to try her luck and see if she could win, or any other singing based variety shows.

day eighteen: what entertainment agency is your muse a part of? what do they think of other groups and artists that are in the same agency as them? which labelmates do they get along with the most, excluding group members?

eunah is signed to dimensions entertainment. she enjoys the music of artists under dimensions, especially dimensions soloist one and lucid. she is close with some of the members of lucid that were trainees at the same time as her. 

day nineteen: is there anything besides idol activities that your muse would want to do? would they want to take their hand at hosting a variety show or act in a television show or drama? would they want to try out modeling or a musical?

eunah would like to return to the stage and act in musicals. she’s also expressed interest in modeling, but feels she’s too short to be considered for high fashion modeling.

day twenty: if your muse was able to be a part of a supergroup that comprised of current idols, who would they want to be in the same group and why? what kind of concept would this group have? how do you think the group would do in terms of popularity?

if eunah was to put together a supergroup, she would make a duo group from her and minzy. she thinks their own individual charms and creativity combined would help earn them popularity slowly, though not immediately. through this, she would also like to continue building on the versatile, chameleon concept that 7rophy have built over the years. 

day twenty - one: how does your muse feel about their fans? how do they feel about sasaeng fans? how would they handle a situation in which they were faced with obsessive fans that followed them or invaded their privacy? if they’ve had problems with sasaeng fans before, how did they feel about it?

eunah appreciates her fans, and is especially grateful for the chance to interact with them at fansigns. she’s better at interacting face to face than she is via sns, a fact made obvious by the few and far between posts to her instagram. sasaeng fans are not something eunah has ever had to deal with as of yet, but values her privacy greatly. 

day twenty - two: talk about your muse’s goals that they have for their group or themselves if they are a solo artist. where would they want to promote if given the chance? do they want to do a solo album at one point? this can be any sort of professional goal.

eunah would like to see 7rophy reach new heights with their new, self - produced music, which she would like to contribute more to than she currently is. she would also like to go on a world tour so she could bring her members to her home back in seattle. 

day twenty - three: what is your muse’s thoughts on being an idol and dating? are they against dating? have they ever been in a relationship after debuting? if so, talk about the challenges that have come along with dating. if they aren’t dating, would they want to date?

eunah has expressed that she is not interested in dating and would prefer to focus on her career for the time being. she says that she is much too busy for dating, and that she feels she wouldn’t be able to commit to someone as well as she they would deserve in a relationship. 

day twenty - four: who is your muse’s ideal type? why is this person their ideal type?

eunah’s ideal type is someone around her own age, either also a 1998 liner or a year to three years older. she would like someone who also enjoys musicals so they could listen to soundtracks together and would also like someone else who could also speak english so they could travel back to her home in america together. 

day twenty - five: what does your muse want to be remembered for in the idol world? do they want to be remembered for their vocal prowess? their image? their dancing skills? their scandals?

eunah would most like to be remembered for her vocal prowess as an idol. she would like the focus to be shifted away from the discourse surrounding her weight that pops up on the forums from time to time.

day twenty - six: does your muse ever regret becoming an idol? do they ever think about what they would be doing instead if they lived a normal life? if they could go back in time, would they do everything all over again? or would they end up doing something else?

eunah has never expressed total regret for becoming an idol, but some pepes speculate that she’s the least devoted to 7rophy out of the group, if only because she would prefer to have stayed in america to pursue a career in theatre instead. 

day twenty - seven: after working hard on promotions, your muse is given the chance to take a two week vacation anywhere in the world at any time they want, with nobody bothering them. where would they go and when? why would they want to take their vacation there? if they had the opportunity to bring three other people, who would they bring?

eunah would take her time off to go home to seattle for two weeks, to catch up with her sisters, parents and some of her old friends from her middle school drama club. she would bring three of her members with her, minzy and two others, to introduce them to her family and the city she calls home. 

day twenty - eight: talk about your muse’s low point in life. why was this a low point in their life? what kind of challenges did they face and how did they feel about this? were they able to overcome it? if it is still ongoing, are they working on overcoming these challenges?

eunah’s low point, according to many devoted pepes, was after hobgoblin era, when the videos of her from her pre - debut musical performances were uploaded online. although she received a lot of praise from netizens for her perfomance, eunah also received considerable negative comments about her high weight at the time of recording. pepes took note of eunah becoming less confident on stage. 

day twenty - nine: talk about your muse’s most meaningful moment as an idol. this is what they feel so far is the highest point in their life and where they’ve never been happier. recall the memory and describe it; what happened and how did they feel?

the most meaningful moment in eunah’s career so far has been when 7rophy received their first win for latata. rumours of disbandment have followed 7rophy around from their very first comeback, and their first win symbolised the end of that. 

day thirty: think about your muse’s life down the road. where would they be and what would they be doing? would they still be in the entertainment industry? would they settle down and have a family?

eunah would still like to be working in the entertainment industry, but she would like to have graduated from being an idol to act for the stage and write music fulltime. 

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off the rack #1230

Monday, October 1, 2018

 Surprise! I'm still kicking and writing. My announcement last week about off the rack possibly ending prompted Heather to tell me her plans for Comet Comics after the move to 1073 Bank Street which included asking if I wanted to continue to work for her. Do I like to go fishing? Of course I said yes. To all of you who sent me messages that you're going to miss off the rack, I say thee nay, I get to read on and ramble on.

 Catwoman #3 - Joelle Jones (writer) Joelle Jones (art pages 1-8, 14-22) Fernando Blanco (art pages 9-13) Laura Allred (colours pages 1-8, 14-22) John Kalisz (colours pages 9-13) Josh Reed (letters). My thanks to Amanda and Ryan for giving me permission to read their sub service copy, otherwise I would have missed this issue because it was sold out by the time I got back from vacation. Selina gets read the law of the land and you know how she feels about the letter of the law. This puts her in opposition to the family that runs her new home town but she's one tough cookie and is able to complete her personal mission. I want to see how this family reunion goes.

 Hey Kids! Comics #2 - Howard Chaykin (writer & art) Wil Quintana (colours) Ken Bruzenak (letters). See if you can recognise Stan the Man and Jack the King in this thinly veiled history of comic books.

 Old Man Hawkeye #9 - Ethan Sacks (writer) Marco Checchetto (art) Andres Mossa (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Eye for an Eye part 9. Bullseye finally catches up to Clint as Hawkeye is about to kill another old Thunderbolts member. Wounds are inflicted on both sides and someone earns redemption. The story continues next issue in the Great White North. I'll be there eh.

 Silencer #9 - Dan Abnett (writer) Patch Zircher (art) Mike Spicer (colours) Tom Napolitano (letters). Hell-iday Road part 2. Talia Al Ghul's only loyal department head uses her magic to switch Silencer and Quietus's bodies. Brain triumphs over brawn and Honor lives to fight another day. Her family is her main weakness and I hope somewhere along the way they are eliminated so we'll see her really let loose.

 Heroes in Crisis #1 - Tom King (writer) Clay Mann (art) Tomeu Morey (colours) Clayton Cowles (letters). I don't keep up with much going on in the DCU so I don't know if this is another Crisis on Infinite Earths deal where they try to clean up the universe a little, but there sure are a lot of dead super powered people in this first issue. I picked this off the rack to read because the art is sweet and it's written by one of my favourite writers right now. We start off the 9-issue story with Harley Quinn fighting Booster Gold and I'm rooting for Harley to finally rid the DCU of the time travelling doofus. A place called Sanctuary is introduced that seems to be a place where super heroes can go to get psychoanalyzed. Maybe there's a connection with Harley but it's not made clear here. The big three, Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman gather in Sanctuary and the mystery of why these dead super heroes are lying around all over the place is off to a flying start. This goes on to my "must read" list.

 Marvel 2-In-One #10/LGY #110 - Chip Zdarsky (writer) Ramon K. Perez (art) Frederico Blee (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). It's not quite a full reunion of Marvel's First Family but were getting closer as Ben and Johnny get their powers back to beat this world's villainous Fantastic Four.

 Stranger Things #1 - Jody Houser (writer) Stefano Martino (pencils) Keith Champagne (inks) Lauren Affe (colours) Nate Piekos (letters). Dark Horse Comics capitalizes on the popular Netflix show with this 4-issue mini following the adventures of Will Byers and his friends. I've never watched the show so I'm new to these characters and situation. The art is pretty good and the plight of young Will in another dimension is scary but nothing grabbed me here. I'm sure Stranger Things fans would be tickled to have their own comic book to collect.

 Justice League Odyssey #1 - Joshua Williamson (writer) Stjepan Sejic (art) Deron Bennett (letters). As soon as I flipped open the cover and saw the art I wanted to read about this new team. Plus I love how Stjepan draws Kory/Starfire. I didn't know who the big grey guy was but boy was I surprised to find out he's Darkseid. The big bad villain sure has slimmed down a lot or else it's Darkseid junior. Joining Starfire and Darkseid are Azrael, Cyborg and Green Lantern Jessica Cruz. They will be fighting evil in the galaxy according to the cover blurb so aliens beware.

 Amazing Spider-Man #6/LGY #807 - Nick Spencer (writer) Humberto Ramos (pencils) Victor Olazaba (inks) Edgar Delgado (colours) Steve Lieber (art pages 8-10) Rachelle Rosenberg (colours pages 8-10) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). A Trivial Pursuit part 1. I will pretend that Peter Parker and Spider-Man were never split in two during the last arc and catch you up with the present. Peter's new roommate is the super villain Boomerang. Talk about keeping your enemies close. This issue takes place in The Bar With No Name, a super villain hangout, and it's trivia night. The category is Spider-Man. Boomerang takes Peter to the bad guys bar and guess who wins? Meanwhile, Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin of Crime and current Mayor of New York City is not happy with his lackey Boomerang. Got all that? Looks like the old Parker luck will be rearing its ugly head again. I didn't like the jarring difference in art for the 3 pages where Spider-Man is spying on the Superior Foes of Spider-Man playing cards. It didn't feel like part of the story.

 Doomsday Clock #7 - Geoff Johns (writer) Gary Frank (art) Brad Anderson (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). The first page is super confusing as the narrator jumps back and forth in time but thankfully the second page carries on the story in a linear fashion and we finally see the appearance of Doctor Manhattan. There was a big deal made when Watchmen first hit the racks in 1986 about the full frontal nudity when Dave Gibbons drew the naked Doctor Manhattan and showed his penis. No problem penis this time because this issue was overshadowed by Batman: Damned where Lee Bermejo uncovered Bruce Wayne's penis in that book. Nudity is so controversial in North America whereas in Europe people don't get their knickers in a bunch over seeing so called private parts. I'm glad we've matured somewhat so that this comic book didn't stir up a big conservative backlash too.

 Domino Annual #1 - I've been enjoying the regular series and I recommend that you check out this $4.99 US anthology to see what fun Neena Thurman/Domino has. There are four short stories in this annual. All lettered by VC's Clayton Cowles.

 "Dead Drunk in Dry Gulch" by Gail Simone (writer), Victor Ibanez (art) and Jay David Ramos (colours) tells the story of how Domino and Diamondback meet Outlaw.

 "The Good Fight" by Fabian Nicieza (writer) Juan Gedeon (art) and Jesus Aburtov (colours) features Cable.

 "Rebound" by Dennis Hopeless (writer) Leonard Kirk (art) and Jesus Aburtov (colours) shows the gloomy Colossus wallowing after what happened between him and Kitty at their wedding.

 "Domino & The Rejex" by Leah Williams (writer) Natacha Bustos (art) and Jesus Aburtov (colours) looks in on a mutant support group that Neena and Nightcrawler put together.

 These are bookended by "Saturdays Are For The Body Count" by Leah Williams (writer) Michael Shelfer (art) and Jesus Aburtov (colours).

 Action Comics #1003 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Yanick Paquette (art) Nathan Fairbairn (colours) Josh Reed (letters). Invisible Mafia part 3. I missed Action Comics #1002 with Invisible Mafia part 2 while on vacation but I got the gist of what's going on no problem. Batman helps out when a Daily Planet reporter gets her hands on some Green Kryptonite. I would like to see a World's Finest comic book written by Brian Michael Bendis. We go to la la land with Lois Lane and Lex Luthor on the last page which made me wonder what's going on there?

 Extermination #3 - Ed Brisson (writer) Pepe Larraz (art) Marte Gracia (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). I'm getting a sense of where this story about the time displaced young X-Men is going. I think young Cable/Nathan is rescuing them from Ahab but we don't know why. I really like young Jean hanging with Domino and her X-Factor team. I will read on to see if I'm right about what's going to happen.

[male-emporium]

The Sunday Series Vol. 8

Happy Sunday! It’s been a while since we’ve shared our weekly favorites, having taking some time off for the holidays. We’re happy to be back this week, with a series of small inspirations and new finds that have caught our attention recently. Keep reading to see what we all loved discovering these past few weeks…

  Julia– We got home late on Thursday night and the first thing I wanted to do on Friday morning was check on the house progress that happened while we were away. We’re inching close to the finish line with our completion date at the end of next month, so all the fun stuff (like tiles, cabinetry, paint, fixtures…) are happening now. While we’re not decorating 100% of the house right away, we’ll have all of the rooms that we use on a daily basis mostly decorated, aside from layering details like art, books, small objects, etc. These are the pieces that I believe you can’t just buy, they are things that are slowly collected over time. And since we’re still young, we have many years ahead to layer them up to create a house that feels lived-in with stories and treasures. We have slowly started to buy art, but only pieces that we fall head over heels for, and we always know right away. A few weeks ago when my sister was in town, she wanted to stop by a local art gallery, Corrigan, so we tagged along with her. I immediately fell in love with a collection of pieces by Meg Page. We left and I couldn’t stop thinking about them, so later that day, Thomas surprised me and took me back to get them. I’m so excited to get them framed and hang them in our house (I’m thinking in our master bedroom). They are four original botanical watercolors (the watercolor is layered over and over, that’s why they don’t look like a typical watercolor). I love botanicals, and over Christmas, Thomas’s parents showed us a collection of antique Japanese botanical prints that his great grandfather had collected while in Japan years ago. They let us pick our favorites from the collection to hang in our house as well. They are so special and beautiful. Needless to say, I’ve been on a bit of a botanical kick. I recently found this Etsy site that has the loveliest (and affordable) botanical prints. My favorites are this set of roses, these camelias and these herbs, which would all make for a beautiful collection on a gallery wall.

  Thomas– With a bunch of holiday travel over the last couple of weeks, I had run out of pretty much every airplane movie that I’d wanted to see, so I turned my attention to podcasts. I first started listening to podcasts years ago when I was into home brewing beer, but I hadn’t started listening to them again until a few months ago. We started with Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History, which Julia and I both enjoyed a lot. But after we finished, I failed to find another podcast that I could listen to more than one episode. I stumbled on Freakonomics Radio and I was super excited to listen. I’d read their book, watched the documentary under the same name and I’d read another one of their books which was a compilation of their blogposts called When To Rob a Bank. Needless to say, I’m a fan of their work. They notice and cover topics that are out of the ordinary from everyday life by having conversations with experts, especially academics. They aren’t afraid to go against conventional wisdom or play devil’s advocate to even some of the most brilliant minds in the world. Below are five of my favorite episodes that serve as a great starting point for anyone interested.

  The Demonization of Gluten– Details the history of Gluten intolerance and the more current craze over Gluten-Free Diets.

Why Is My Life So Hard– As human beings we have lots of biases. This details our bias about how we feel about the obstacles that make our life harder and the aids we have that make our life easier.

Are We Running Out Of Ideas– Breakthrough innovations are becoming harder and harder to come by, costing more and more for each improvement.

The No-Tipping Point– Some restaurants are moving to a no-tipping policy as the current system of 15-20% tipping, rewards front of house restaurant staff instead of back of house staff, like cooks. This episode discusses the potential of no-tipping policy gaining wider acceptance.

Is America Ready for a “No-Lose Lottery”?– Americans waste billions of dollars every year with the dream of getting rich by winning the lottery. This episode details rewards based savings bank accounts which pay out the collective interest earned of all bank accounts held at a bank to a handful of winners. That way people have the thrill of playing the lottery while saving for the future.

  Laura– Happy New Year! I hope you had a great time with family over the holidays. I don’t know about you, but while the thought of a New Year can be so exciting, it’s a little overwhelming at the same time. On the first day of 2018, I experienced a mental and emotional imbalance as my gut was trying to tell me something. However, I couldn’t pinpoint what it was, and as a result, I had a minor anxiety attack late that evening. It was kind of scary and sent my body into a shock. After a full night’s sleep and some reflection, I was able to identify what those feelings were: one of them being fear of the unknown. This is the first year where I haven’t made a resolution. I’m such a planner (hello, type A personality) that I usually have a rough idea of what I want the first six months to look like based on my goals. To be honest, the reason I didn’t make any resolutions is because 2017 was a HUGE year for me – I crossed almost everything off my list. So I guess a part of me just feels content with where my life stands right now and perhaps I just went into a bit of shock that I didn’t have things mapped out per usual. A full year ahead, a clean slate, and for some reason I can’t mentally envision what life looks like past February. An Instagram follower recommended a great podcast for me to listen to, The Lively Show, and this episode in particular really resonated with me. One of the many realizations I had after listening to it is that I don’t have to start new goals just because of a new calendar year, and I should simply focus on making personal strides day-by-day, one month at a time to slow my mind down.

  To successfully do this, I came up with a personal exercise to do each weeknight. I’m calling it “word vomit.” At the end of each weeknight, I’ll pull up a new entry in my Evernote, and for one minute or less I will type out every feeling/thought/emotion that remains in my mind from that day. After one minute, I’ll return to the top of that list and assess each feeling as necessary confronting these emotions with the who, what, why, and how. I will ask myself what made me feel this way, how it affected me, and how did I can handle the feeling. I prefer typing this exercise vs. writing it because sometimes my mind is moving so fast that it’s not actually forming full sentences or I have trouble verbalizing what it is I’m feeling. Therefore, a word vomit approach to getting it all out there may work best for me. I’m hoping this exercise will put my mind at ease so I can actually destress, shutdown for the night and start fresh the next day. And if I’m able to pinpoint the root cause of these feelings then perhaps I’ll be able to make a sound decision or take a different approach when I encounter them again.

  Margaret– This Christmas and New Year, I visited my family in Atlanta. For those of you who haven’t explored the city beyond the airport, Atlanta boasts incredible shopping and an awesome ever-expanding restaurant scene. I thought I’d share a few of the places where I chose to either shop, eat, or enjoy, for those of you who plan to visit in the near future. My sister, mom, and I spent time shopping in the relatively new Westside Provisions District, making a point to stop in the Ann + Sid Mashburn shops to pick up one of Ann’s coveted shirts. The husband & wife designer team is inspiring and their story is a fun one to follow. We had fun sifting through the signature classic, yet modern styles of the newest collection. I also stopped in the creatively curated Warby Parker Atlanta store around the corner. We completed last minute Christmas shopping at Perimeter Mall & Phipps Plaza. My dad and I practically ran through these malls looking for the perfect gift for my sister. The Tavern at Phipps was a must-stop for dining before shopping. For brunch I always try to make it to West Egg Café in the Westside. It’s one of my favorite brunch spots in the city. After hearing great reviews, I was looking forward to trying St. Cecilia in Buckhead, and I loved the experience. I ordered their cacio e pepe and savored every minute of it.

  One of the highlights of my time in Atlanta was visiting the High Museum of Art in Midtown. The fashion works displayed were my favorite part of the showcased exhibit, Making Africa. A couple of fascinating supporting exhibits were Amy Elkins’ Black is the Day, Black is the Night, and the modern art collection. I loved spending quality time at these places with family and dear friends during the holidays. I’m proud to have grown up in Atlanta, and I’m excited to follow how the city evolves.

The post The Sunday Series Vol. 8 appeared first on Gal Meets Glam.

First found here: The Sunday Series Vol. 8

[murdergrey-blog]

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[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1153

Monday, February 27, 2017

 That was a fun opening number for the Oscars telecast last night but I went to bed right after that. I haven't watched an awards show live in years. I can catch up with any interesting bits as folks share them later. Being an old coot is a lot simpler these days.

 February is on its way out and March is coming in like a lion with another cold snap for us here in Ottawa. Did that movie win anything? It hit me that I have three and a half more months to wait before I can go fishing again. Poopypants.

 Elektra #1 - Matt Owens (writer) Juann Cabal (art) Antonio Fabela & Marcio Menyz (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). This one is called "Always Bet On Red" even though her new costume is mostly black. I love the new costume and the art is very nice. I see some similarities to Jamie McKelvie's and Kevin Maguire's styles and they are done well. The story is a little weak and those in the know will spot the villain right away. I'll read more as long as Juann draws it.

 Kamandi Challenge #2 - Peter J. Tomasi (writer) Neal Adams (art) Hi-Fi (colours) Clem Robins (letters). This one made me feel like I was back in the seventies again. The distinctive art will do that to you. If you remember last issue's cliffhanger you'll be surprised at how Peter solves the problem. The mention of New Gods gave a hint to how Kamandi was going to get out of this issue's tight spot and it's another cliffhanger on the last page. I don't know if I'm going to read the rest of this 12-issue Challenge because the situations are kind of silly. I am curious to see what other creative talents are lined up to do the rest though. I just have to wait and see as each issue hits the racks.

 The Old Guard #1 - Greg Rucka (writer) Leandro Fernandez (art) Daniela Miwa (colours) Jodi Wynne (letters). I have been enjoying Greg's work on Wonder Woman and he's got another wonderful woman in this new book named Andy. She leads a team of mercenaries but these battle tested warriors have a very handy advantage. There are hints to this advantage in the first few pages but it's still cool when you finally see what it is during their mission. This one gets added to my "must read" list.

 Uncanny Avengers #20 - Gerry Duggan (writer) Pepe Larraz (art) Dono Sanchez Almara with Protobunker (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). Mostly a Deadpool comic as he tries to fight the Red Skull who has control over his teammates. I think the Skull's ego will be his undoing.

 Wonder Woman #17 - Greg Rucka (writer) Liam Sharp (art) Laura Martin (colours) Jodi Wynne (letters). You don't want to miss part 2 of "The Truth" as transitions are happening with some major players. That weapon featured on the cover of The Old Guard #1 is called a labrys, a Greek battle axe.

 Starstruck: Old Proldiers Never Die #1 - Elaine Lee (writer) Michael Kaluta (art) Lee Moyer (colours) Todd Klein (letters). Weird futuristic comic books never die either. This creation first hit the racks in 1982 and me being a huge Kaluta fan I bought and read them. I couldn't really keep up with Elaine's stories but I didn't care because Mike's art was so pretty. 35 years later and this story still baffles me. I won't be reading the rest of this because it's too spacey, like far out man spacey. I got to admit though that the art is still beautiful.

 Scarlet Witch #15 - James Robinson (writer) Vanesa Del Rey (art) Jordie Bellaire (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). This is a book that would benefit from a more consistent look. There have been different artists on this title since it hit the racks and some have been more appealing than others. James's writing is some of his best work and Vanesa tells his story very well visually but I don't think a lot of fans would pick this up just from flipping through this issue checking out the art. It's too bad because this character has gone through some cool changes since this title started.

 Spider-Woman #16 - Dennis Hopeless (writer) Veronica Fish (art) Andy Fish (inking assistant) Rachelle Rosenberg (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). This is one of those super hero versus super villains fight where it looks like the bad guys are going to win. You wonder how the good guys will survive and you keep waiting for it to happen and you can go phew. Spoiler alert: no one dies.

 Detective Comics #951 - James Tynion IV (writer) Christian Duce (art) Alex Sinclair (colours) Sal Cipriano (letters). Part 1 of "League of Shadows" finds Batman framed for murder. I like this story's villain who we haven't seen for a while. There was a "what the?" moment when Batman gets shot fleeing the crime scene. I thought his costume could prevent bullets from penetrating. I guess they all don't.

 Champions #1.MU - Jeremy Whitley (writer) Ro Stein & Ted Brandt (art) Frank D'Armata (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). I have been picking and choosing which Monsters Unleashed tie-in books to read and I picked this one because I really like this new young team. Most of this issue is the team fighting a team of bad guys hired by Roxxon Oil to stop an environmental protest. The monsters only crash land near the end and the two teams team up to save the day. My favourite thing about the Champions is that they're young but have that sense of responsibility that makes them heroes. I would recommend reading this Monsters Unleashed tie-in.

 Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #15 - Robert Venditti (writer) Ethan Van Sciver (art) Jason Wright (colours) Dave Sharpe (letters). Very few artists wow me almost every time I open up one of their comic books and Ethan Van Sciver is one of them. The detail he puts into every panel is astounding. I tend not to read team books but the solo adventures are keeping me interested. I am looking forward to seeing Guy Gardner duke it out with one of the bad Yellow Lanterns next issue.

 Hulk #3 - Mariko Tamaki (writer) Nico Leon (art) Matt Milla (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). The tease continues with just one brief glimpse of She-Hulk. I like seeing this slow process of Jen's recovery and the building suspense of the mystery killer. The anticipation of her Hulking out and finding out what the connection is between the killer and one of Jen's clients keeps me reading.

 Action Comics #974 - Dan Jurgens (writer) Patch Zircher & Stephen Segovia (pencils) Patch Zircher & Art Thibert (inks) Ulises Arreola (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). Whoa, way to make the mystery Clark Kent creepy there Dan. We're talking crazy stalker guy. This story crosses over with the Superman book so we only have to wait a week to find out what happens next. I like that.

 Spider-Gwen #17 - Jason Latour (writer) Robbi Rodriguez (art) Rico Renzi (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). I had to read this for part 4 of "Sitting in a Tree" but I've got to admit that I like the way Jason handles these kids. Add a guest appearance by one of the Champions and it's a winner for me.

 Inhumans vs. X-Men #5 - Charles Soule & Jeff Lemire (writers) Javier Garron (art) David Curiel (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). One more issue to go. I just want to see how Charles and Jeff resolve this conflict. My guess is that Forge and Moon Girl will figure out a way to trap all of the Terrigen cloud and somehow keep it from killing all the mutants. That way nobody dies.

 Amazing Spider-Man #24 - Dan Slott & Christos Gage (writers) Giuseppe Camuncoli (pencils) Cam Smith (inks) Jason Keith (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). This is a "Clone Conspiracy" tie-in. Please make it stop. The world has been saved so I hope they scale things back a little because I am getting jaded about these big events.

 Infamous Iron Man #5 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Alex Maleev (art) Matt Hollingsworth (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). If this doesn't convince you that Victor Von Doom has gone good then nothing will. This reunion of mother and son was very interesting especially when you get to the last panel. I don't know how Brian keeps coming up with these "what the?" moments but I'm glad he does. It's just no fun waiting for the next issue when that happens.

 Spider-Man/Deadpool #14 - Joe Kelly (writer) Ed McGuinness (pencils) Mark Morales (inks) Jason Keith (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). Nightcrawler guest stars as Spider-Man has a crisis of conscience. He can't figure out how to beat the mash-up killer Itsy Bitsy except for going all Punisher on her. I don't know if I'll read issues #15 and #16 because they are going to be crossovers with Deadpool. Something to do with Wade's demon wife Shiklah. I'll try to remember to pick up #17 off the racks when the Itsy Bitsy story resumes.

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[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1145

Monday, January 2, 2017

 I'm a day late and a dollar short but Happy New Year everybody. I am hoping and wishing for the best to one and all. So far so good. We started off the year with friends and some lovely surprises that made the evening special. No big resolutions except to try to be a better person than I was last year. Do more things that I'm proud of rather than the opposite.

 Archie #15 - Mark Waid (writer) Joe Eisma (art) Andre Szymanowicz (colours) Jack Morelli (letters). I have one question: where did they get the money to pay for all the stuff for Archie's parents' anniversary party? The feud in Switzerland between Veronica and Cheryl will now move to Riverdale. There's a lot more nastiness in these new Archie comics then there used to be.

 Briggs Land #5 - Brian Wood (writer) Mack Chater (art) Lee Loughridge (colours) Nate Piekos (letters). One look at this issue's cover and you can see that this book doesn't shy away from controversy. Yes those are skinhead brown shirts with Nazi armbands. The menace and violence is not explicitly shown but it's palpable. It's sad to see that some readers have dropped this title, because I think it's a very gripping story.

 Doctor Strange #15 - Jason Aaron (writer) Chris Bachalo & Jorge Fornes (pencils) John Livesay, Tim Townsend, Al Vey, Victor Olazaba & Jorge Fornes (inks) Antonio Fabela (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Chapter 4 of "Blood in the Aether" finds Stephen being driven around in a cab by the Orb. It's really quite a trip. This all boils down to a bunch of super villains wanting to kill Doctor Strange. I hope Wong and Zelma can come to the rescue in time. I thought that the changing art styles between Chris and Jorge's pages would be annoying but they meshed very well.

 Avengers #2.1 - Mark Waid (writer) Barry Kitson (pencils) Mark Farmer (inks) Jordan Boyd (colours) Ferran Delgado (letters). One of the oddest super villains from the old days appears this issue.  I never really got what the Stranger wanted way back when but he sure was powerful. Having this foursome of Captain America, Hawkeye, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch making up the Avengers is quite humbling. I loved the scene on public transit.

 Amazing Spider-Man #22 - Dan Slott & Christos Gage (writer) Giuseppe Camuncoli (pencils) Cam Smith (inks) Jason Keith (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Now that the identity of the person behind the jackal mask has been revealed it's time to lay out that person's plans for all us fans. Will Peter succumb for his loved ones? The answer may be in Dead No More #4.

 Invincible Iron Man #2 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Stefano Caselli (art) Marte Gracia (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). Half of this issue is Riri fighting a bunch of Iron Mans while AI Tony tries to train her and the other half are flashbacks to expand on her past so we get a better understanding of why she wants to be a super hero. This is the reason Bendis books do it for me. He takes time to show us the human side of super humans.

 Thanos #2 - Jeff Lemire (writer) Mike Deodato (art) Frank Martin (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). Thanos's son Thane is assembling a team to kill his dad, who has a terminal disease. The Titan is dying anyways and according to his father the scientist, Thanos doesn't have long to live. There is no cure. Thanos even destroyed another whole civilisation to find one. I love Jeff's writing and Mike's art but here's what I see happening. Thanos will be cured by fighting Thane. Villains like Doc Ock, Victor Von Doom, Wilson Fisk and Thanos will never die.

 Occupy Avengers #2 - David F. Walker (writer) Carlos Pacheco (pencils) Rafael Fonteriz (inks) Sonia Oback (colours) Travis Lanham (letters). The two do gooders, Hawkeye and Red Wolf, team up to do some good. I think this book is going to be light reading even though they may tackle lofty ideals like trying to save a fresh water supply from greedy corporations. Remember the old Hulk TV show that had Bill Bixby wandering around the country as Bruce Banner and then Lou Ferrigno helping people as the Hulk? This might be just like that but with Clint Barton making things right as Hawkeye. I do like Hawkeye and David may not be Matt Fraction but his writing is acceptable so I will check out subsequent issues to see if I might read them.

 Moonshine #3 - Brian Azzarello (writer) Eduardo Risso (art) Eduardo Risso & Cristian Rossi (colours) Jared H. Fletcher (letters). This was a bloody fine issue from the cover to the last page. This story has more fluids flowing than just the homebrew hooch.

 Action Comics #970 - Dan Jurgens (writer) Patrick Zircher (art) Ulises Arreola (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). It's the Trial of Lex Luthor. Yes it's for crimes he's yet to commit and the only one defending him is Superman. The verdict is no surprise to anyone. Now we see if the sentence will be administered.

 Saga #41 - Brian K. Vaughn (writer) Fiona Staples (art) Fonografiks (letters). Many lives are on the line and someone does die. You have to read this issue to find out who.

 Hulk #1 - Mariko Tamaki (writer) Nico Leon (art) Matt Milla (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). They dropped the She prefix so I wouldn't blame She-Hulk fans for passing this by. Please don't do that because this is a really good reintroduction of Jennifer Walters to the rack. Jen may have recovered physically from her near death while fighting Thanos in Civil War II but she is still suffering psychological damage. Doc Samson hasn't shown up yet but somebody needs to help the lady lawyer cope with what happened to her. I like the way Nico draws Jen but there were some panels where she looked part Asian. That's a whole different take on the character than previously depicted. Jen doesn't Hulk out this issue but she is on the verge. I will be interested to see how much control Mariko gives Jen when she's green.

 Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #11 - Robert Venditti (writer) Rafa Sandoval (pencils) Jordi Tarragona (inks) Tomeu Morey (colours) Dave Sharpe (letters). Larfleeze is my least favourite character in this whole colour scheme. He's just a hoarder and the colour is a mix of red and yellow. He's not even a good villain because his avarice makes him stupid. I find the orange corps to be a bore.

 Mighty Thor #14 - Jason Aaron (writer) Steve Epting (art) Frank Martin (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). Yumpin yimminy that was another great issue. The League of Realms fights bravely against overwhelming odds as Malekith continues his campaign against the Ten Realms. He's just laid waste to Niffleheim so which one is next? If you like Steve's art in this book you should check out Velvet.

 Batgirl #6 - Hope Larson (writer) Rafael Albuquerque (art) Dave McCaig (colours) Deron Bennett (letters). Batgirl flies home after her Asian adventures and meets up with a surprise passenger. The guy being picked up at the airport was a surprise to me too. I'm sure he's going to make life interesting for Barbara Gordon.

 Uncanny Avengers #18 - Gerry Duggan (writer) Kevin Libranda (art) David Curiel (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). Avengers Mansion is now a Marvel super hero theme hotel? Get outta town. Well, aside from that bit of hoohaw I really liked this issue even though Gerry stonged me with a Rick Astley song brought on by the title to this issue. The Red Skull with Charles Xavier's powers is playing a lot of head games and I am looking forward to seeing how the good guys beat him. Kevin Libranda is a fine fill in for Pepe Larraz.

 Detective Comics #947 - James Tynion IV (writer) Alvaro Martinez (pencils) Raul Fernandez (inks) Brad Anderson (colours) Marilyn Patrizio (letters). The finale to the Victim Syndicate story ends with a back stabbing betrayal by one of the good guys. They couldn't be more obvious with one of the covers. It's understandable given the grief that character was going through. Speaking of Red Robin, who's the hooded guy in the last panel? This Batfan wants to know.

 Spider-Man/Deadpool #12 - Nick Giovannetti & Paul Scheer (writers) Todd Nauck (art) Rachelle Rosenberg (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). This would be a great way for kids to learn how Christmas evolved from the ancient Roman celebration of Saturnalia honouring the god Saturn but it's got way too much adult content for them to be casting their beady little eyes on. For us more mature readers it was a fun time.

 Wonder Woman #13 - Greg Rucka (writer) Renato Guedes (art) Romulo Fajardo Jr. (colours) Jodi Wynne (letters). This issue spotlights Steve Trevor, looking a lot like Oliver Queen, as he tries to keep a mind altered Diana from being captured by bad guys. I'm not a fan of Steve calling Diana Angel. It's too saccharine. Whatever happened to make Diana mentally handicapped still needs to be determined and a way to get her back to normal still needs to be found. Those mysteries will keep me reading.

 Civil War II #8 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) David Marquez (art) Justin Ponsor (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). It's over at last but not really. This story is merely a launching pad for changes in the Marvel U. Some have already hit the racks like the new Incredible Iron Man starring Riri Williams. Many are poised to start off 2017 with a plethora of new exciting (we hope) stories. There are a bunch of full page possible futures featured and I got to play my favourite game of "who's drew that?". Well, these folks did: Adam Kubert, Leinil Francis Yu, Daniel Acuna, Alan Davis & Mark Farmer, Marco Rudy, Mark Bagley & John Dell, and Esad Ribic. It was fun guessing.

 Justice League vs. Suicide Squad #2 - Joshua Williamson (writer) Tony S. Daniel (pencils) Sandu Florea (inks) Alex Sinclair (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). This answers the question of which team would win in a fight. The answer will surprise you. Meanwhile, the third team is about to embark on a mission in preparation for taking over the world. Once this super villain team is discovered I'm sure the Justice League and the Suicide Squad will team up to stop them.

 Black Widow #9 - Chris Samnee & Mark Waid (writers) Chris Samnee (art) Matthew Wilson (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Natasha teams up with Bucky to fight her mysterious stalker. I finally saw Captain America: Winter Soldier recently. That was a pretty good movie. Meanwhile back on the racks, we have the Weeping Lion plotting something nasty against the Black Widow to look forward to.

 Infamous Iron Man #3 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Alex Maleev (art) Matt Hollingsworth (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). I know this book isn't going to last but I am thoroughly enjoying it while it's on the stands. This issue explains what changed Victor Von Doom from being the super villain Doctor Doom to the super hero Iron Man. It's tied into Secret Wars where Doctor Doom was the god of all those universes smooshed together. I figger Victor will suffer another disfiguring accident and he'll revert to being a bad guy again. In the meantime, meet Mrs. Von Doom.

 Spider-Woman #14 - Dennis Hopeless (writer) Veronica Fish (art) Rachelle Rosenberg (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). My favourite thing about this book are the friendships that Jessica has. She is going to need a lot of help to get through this grieving period after the death of the Porcupine. But wait, who's this in the back of the book?

 Spider-Man #11 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Sara Pichelli (art) Gaetano Carlucci (ink assist) Marte Gracia (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). This issue is all about Jefferson Davis, agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. I don't mind that Miles is barely in this because it's so well written and I get to see Sara draw the Black Cat, even though I hate chunky soles on pumps. Just ignore the impractical footwear folks. The cover shows Spider-Man disintegrating but that just means that he's not going to be the major focus of this new story, his dad is.

 Star Wars #26 - Jason Aaron (writer) Salvador Larroca (art) Edgar Delgado (colours) Chris Eliopoulos (letters). He's Penny's favourite Star Wars hero. Luke may be prominently featured on the cover but the real star of this issue is Master Yoda. Still can't stand his inverted speech pattern though.

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