#but so far the hope has gone unproven

[blorbologist]

Its stupid stupid stupid STUPID how emotional im getting over these fictional characters having a baby

After all she went through - unwanted daughter unproven ally - bastard daughter. lost her mother. lost her brother. frosty with her father. her sister is far away. flirting and friendly smiles to keep people at a distance to keep her safe to use as tools - selfish and cruel - labeled greedy and mean for using the only means she can to find security. Greedy greedy greedy to keep it all close, except her heart was not her own and it was terrifying and she could not speak truth to the terrifying weakness until he was dead and almost gone and somehow he came back. Always half of a pair - did not go far from him - always together and now broken in half for his loss, his loss because he saved her, because he loved her. How she is secure in her achievements and busy because she wants to be because shes skilled because she loves it because she has the luxury of freedom, did I mention she can fly? She can fly! How family was her mother (gone) was her twin (gone) and now she gets to build a new one and they're safe and loved and her child is not a bastard not a scorned halfbreed not *not enough* like she was, her child is not, her child is not motherless like she was, her child will have a host of siblings and her child will have that family, whole and at ease, or so help her.

After all he went through - smoke and fire and iron and bullets and bullets and bullets - orphan coward a lit fuse looking only to take them down with me signed his own death certificate and that of thousands more and being *fine with it* so long as he worked down his list and checked off vengeance for each. How it mattered but did not but did because it all was a dream. How he achieved it and was saved and had to live with what he had done and nearly not, nearly not - he was ready to go he was fine with going but lo and behold, behold, against all expectations her heart was his?! - and build a new legacy. How in the end he tried, tried, tried to sign this new future away for a friend, a brother, a man who deserved better - last words indignant and irritated - and he could not. He could not fix it. Faced with the loss and the death and the mourning and finally, finally, finally finding time to grieve and heal and grow. And he can put away his weapons and make clocks to tell time and watch it advance and not worry for what it brings. How his family tree was so neatly pruned - so many names - but two. And three when she said yes. And now four, then six, seven, eight, nine, perhaps?

And.

Her.

she's his sister and her mother and only one middle name, starting off simple, her daughter is super cute, his daughter is adorable, their daughter is the future that almost slipped through their fingers or bled out or was left unsaid a hundred times over. And she was carried (because morning sickness was after the end of the world and an adventure and not much time at all) through death and through the Feywild and through the belly of a dragon and a bird in her father's pocket and she survived, against the odds she survived and she thrived and she's loved so completely by hearts that never thought they could. Selfish and cruel, tal'doreis terrible tinkerer, and they made this, and there has to be more good to them than they thought. They have to have made it out (when he didnt when he didn't at his expense even) for a reason.

(And somehow the vampires did not find her, the last de rolos they said, saying nothing of his sister of their baby and she Knew and she kept quiet and she died hoping he would get help and their baby would be safe and perhaps seeing her mother, her mother, gone too soon, and knowing she could not do that to her daughter)

Yes im listening to dalens closet and had to pause and tear up 5 minutes in why you ask

#critical role #percival de rolo #vex'ahlia #vesper elaina de rolo #dalen's closet #campaign 1 #vox machina #perc'ahlia #percahlia

[john-smiths-jawline]

The Making Of Canon

Summary: The news behind the Making of Sherlock Series 5, and what happens once it came out.

The Making of Canon

---2023---

“Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat have just confirmed the release of Sherlock series 5…” (BBC Sounds, 2023)

“Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman have since talked about reprising their roles as Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson…” (Radio Times, 2023)

“Reports have just arisen of a fifth season of BBC’s Sherlock, and we have reason to believe them true…” (CNN, 2023)

“Sherlock Season 5 Has Been Confirmed!

[Picture of Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman and John Watson in promotional photos for BBC Sherlock Season 1]

We’ve all been waiting for it since 2017! After six years, we have results! Here’s what we know so far:

-Benedict, Martin, Mark, and Andrew will all be reprising their roles!

-The show will not re-cast Mrs. Hudson following Una Stubbs’ death. How exactly the show will handle her death is currently unknown.

-There are unproven rumors that this will be a “re-do” of season 4, instead of a continuation. We can only hope!” (NPR, 2023)

---2025---

“…the BBC proudly stands with the LGTBQ+ community, and series 5 of Sherlock is only part of our mission to create shows that proudly reflect the diversity that exists both in the world and in the BBC itself…” (BBC), 2025

“In a show of solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community of London, the BBC has made one of their biggest couples—finally a couple.” (CNN), 2025

“In a stunningly beautiful scene, the BBC shows that is accepts everyone—no matter whether you’re Sherlock or John.” (New York Times), 2025

Mrs. Hudson’s Funeral (Sherlock S5E1, The Third Stain) by BBC on YouTube:

“Somber violin music plays in the background, one of Sherlock’s own compositions, as a closed casket makes its way into the ground. Sherlock, John, Mycroft, Greg, and Molly are standing there, all dressed in black. John’s arm has wrapped around Sherlock’s waist as a means to keep him upright. He himself is looking on with a soldier’s determination, but he’s clearly barely holding it together. Mycroft and Greg are standing closer together than necessary, sharing Mycroft’s umbrella even though it’s not raining.

Later, once everyone else is gone, Sherlock and John stand alone, loosely holding hands. The camera is positioned to make it reminiscent of John’s graveyard scene from The Reichenbach Fall.

“Sorry for being the worst tenants ever,” they said simultaneously, voices clearly strained and close to tears. Their hands squeeze together as they look at the cold stone. This is the start of something.”

John and Sherlock Confess (Sherlock S5E3, The Three Garridebs) by BBC on YouTube:

“John and Sherlock are running across rooftops. John starts lagging behind and Sherlock grabs his hand to help him keep up. A slight blush crosses both of their faces, barely visible in the dark London sky. The criminal they are chasing, a serial killer named Mr. Asmium, is cornered, and, seeing the silver flash of John’s Sig Sauer, shoots. The bullet hits John in the leg, and he goes down, dragging Sherlock with him. Sherlock takes John’s gun and shoots Asmium in the shoulder, snarling at him, before letting the gun clatter to the ground and dropping to John’s side, supporting his head as he uses his navy blue scarf to stop as much bleeding as he can. John’s eyes flutter open again, and relief floods through Sherlock so extremely that his thoughts disappear and he leans his head forward and kisses John. It’s messy, and John is in pain and bleeding, but it’s perfect. John slowly manages to take the control away from Sherlock, surging up and having Sherlock move his hands to support his head again, as the blood loss forced John to lay back as Sherlock broke the kiss, gasping for breath.

“I love you, John. I’ve loved you for so long.”

“I love you, Sherlock. I’ve loved you for so long.””

here’s the ao3:

#bees fanfic #johnlock #tjlc #original posting date: 2/5/23

[deviantartdramahub]

To the one who is answering my posts, will you stop! You don't know anything about Pro! He was a cool person, and thanks to that user known as Gellygirl and her pathetic friends over on DeviantArtDramaNow, he's gone! I personally on the other hand don't care what they claim about me, but I do care a lot more for him! Now I've lost my greastest ever friend, all you and the rest of you can do is try and protect scum like Gellygirl! I hope every one of you burn in hell!

I'm not sure if you mean the mods or if someone is commenting on your posts.

If by "answering your posts" you mean like the words you're reading right now, that's a necessary circumstance of the submission process. Rest assured, I don't agree with the so-far unproven claims about him, and we do not protect those who smear, we have more than enough to show for this. You might be thinking of the Tumblr group DeviantArtDramaNow which has a similar name.

I cannot speak for him about why it happened, but I heard about his death, if he is dead. Sorry for your loss. It's nice he had some who cared for him.

[thiswasinevitableid]

82, Sternclay, NSFW if possible? Ty so much for all your great fics <3 -☀️

You’re welcome! I hope you enjoy the fill. It’s NSFW, and involves mating cycles, because my A03 stats suggest a lot of y’all like that.

82. you knock on my door at 2 in the morning because your very white cat got out and you need help trying to find them in the three feet of snow we have

He has no one but himself to blame. 

Stern is always so careful about shutting the doors in this cabin, as the old hinges and worn frames can send them swinging open when coupled with a strong wind. He thought he had that same care when he came in with more firewood from the basement, which can only be accessed through by going out of the house and then down to the locked door. 

Apparently not. At one, he went to check on Yeti and found the back door open and the faintest shape of feline paws leading into the darkness. 

They’ve got two feet of snow on the ground, with another foot forecasted to fall by morning. And Yeti is sleek and snow-white.

He’s wandered the perimeter of the house, left her favorite blanket out on the covered porch, and tried in vain to follow the tracks, filled in by the falling snow. He’s been outside for an hour now, with no sign of her. Not even the jingle of her collar in the cold air. He’s shivering, but he can’t stop the search; Yeti is out here, cold and scared and it’s all his fault. 

As he’s crunching through the snow, warm light spills onto the trees. His neighbors  (a loose term out here) house. He couldn’t stand waking Barclay up to help him, but if he’s already awake…

Stern raps on the door, and four seconds later it opens, his neighbor looking like a lumberjack centerfold given life, even in his sweatpants and brown sweater. 

“Joe? Is something wrong?”

“It’s Yeti, she got out without me noticing and I can’t find her, I’ve been out here an hour and there’s no sign. I, um, I know it’s a stretch but can you help me look for her? We can cover more ground that way.”

Barclay gives a small, worried smile as he nods, “Yeah, of course, lemme get enough on so that I don’t freeze and I’ll join you.” 

He waves Stern inside, passes him a box of tissues before disappearing upstairs. Here he’d hoped the tears from his brief panic and self-blame spiral hadn’t left evidence. He’s good in a crisis, has handled much more stressful incidents with grace and calm. But for some reason every time he musters up those emotions, gult rips them to shreds. Yeti is his to look after, he’s supposed to keep her safe, and one careless move has her out in the woods, in freezing weather, with predators, or thin ice, or, or, or-

His brain is excellent at generating contingency plans on the fly, but tonight it directs that ability to making him think about all the bad things his error could cause. 

“Okay, got my headlamp so I can keep my hands free. You got a light?”

Joe holds up his flashlight.

“C’mon, let’s go find the Yeti.” They set off side by side in the snow, “where do you want to look?”

“Fan out near the creek, I think. The snow isn’t as deep there, so she might have gone that way because it was easier to move.”

“She’s a climber, right? So how about this; we go on either side of the creek, you look on the ground and I’ll look in the trees?”

“That makes sense.” 

It’s slow going, both of them being meticulous, shining their lights on every branch or under every bush. Stern’s always appreciated how careful Barclay is; he assumes it comes with a profession where being messy slows you down, but the first time he saw his well-organized kitchen his heart did a little dance of delight. 

In the month and a half he’s lived here, the cook invites him over at least twice a week to try out a recipe. He works at Amnesty Lodge in the nearby town of Kepler, and spends some of his nights there. Still, he’s at his cabin often enough that Stern’s been able to invite him over some evenings. Though it’s odd he’s up so late on a work night.

“Do you not have to go in tomorrow?”

“Yeah, I’m taking this week off. I have some vacation time and when I get back it’ll be the holiday break rush until New Years. I got caught up in the latest Agent X novel and didn’t see how late it was until you knocked. How about you, staying up researching again?”

“Yes. I was trying to keep the fire going because it’s nice to work in that little living room but, um, going out to get the wood is how she got out. If I’d just gone to bed-”

“Whoah, hey, none of that.” Barclay stops, turning to face him, “shit happens, even when you’re careful. This isn’t your fault, Joe.”

“I know. It still feels that way.” He starts forward again, feet freezing in spite of his snowboots (chosen for optimal weight to insulation ratio). Part of him wants to keep talking, because Barclay is interesting to talk to, his years playing “Lodge dad” giving him endless anecdotes and the ability to be honest without being cruel. 

It helps that his baritone voice makes Stern think of brown sugar; rich, complex, just the right kind of sweet. 

After a solid hour of searching, Stern is so cold he’s having trouble getting words out. Barclay sets a big hand on his shoulder, guiding them towards Sterns cabin.

“Joe, you’ve gotta take a break. Worried your lips are gonna go as blue as your eyes, and then tonight will really suck.”

“But I haven’t found her.”

“And you won’t if you freeze to death or get so chilled you can’t think straight. At least sleep for a few hours.”

Stern’s about to protest as they reach the door, but then his knees buckle and he slumps against a broad chest.

“I’ll do one more spin into the deeper woods on my way home, and leave some blankets out on the porch in case she makes her way to me. She’s smart, just like her owner; I think she’ll get home okay.”

“Right. Okay. We’ll be okay.” 

Barclay hesitates mid motion, then pulls Stern into a hug. Stern is not small, and at Six feet zero inches he’s used to being the tallest person in a room. Barclay always feels like he’s dwarfing him, though right now that’s the most comforting sensation in the world. 

“I’ll check by in the morning.”

“Thank you, for everything.” He mumbles into Barclay’s scarf.

“Any time, Joe.”

----------------------------------------

Barclay waits until Joe is inside and the upstairs light switches on to leave the back porch. God, it’s so fucking cold tonight. He doesn’t blame Yeti for getting curious, but she could’ve picked a less awful time to do it.

He’s glad the other man came to him for help; he hates the idea of Joe out here alone and stressed, searching carefully and kicking himself the whole time. He’s glad Joe took the suggestion to sleep. 

He’s glad the other man came to be his neighbor. 

Ironically, they’d met when Joe came over and asked to borrow a cup of sugar. The dark-haired man was short on what he needed to cook, and Barclay was happy to supply it. It’s not everyday a cute guy asked him for some sugar. 

They ran across each other in town, and Joe even came to eat at the Lodge, usually at off hours where Barclay had a chance to talk. That’s how he learned Joe was here to research a recent Bigfoot sighting. 

“I used to be in the FBI, investigating the same thing. Then I got so frustrated, no one really believed in the possibility of unknown creatures, and the few who did saw them as having some sort of use to the department of defense. Great idea, find something so rare it’s existence is unproven, and then lock it away or blow it up.” The sip of coffee is more aggressive than usual. 

“Won’t they get mad if you spill their secrets?” It was only half a joke. 

“I doubt it. They weren’t too interested in my theories when I worked there; odds are they’ll keep an eye on me a little while and then ignore me. Unless I find Bigfoot, of course, in which case they may want me back. I’m not interested, from now on I monster hunt in the name of science.”

Barclay hopes Stern never finds Bigfoot and stays in his cabin, writing and researching and consulting and coming over to Barclay’s for dinner twice a week. He has a whole menu in his mind titled, “foods for seducing Joe” that he’s going to whip out in the next few weeks, he swears it. 

He’s been swearing it for two weeks. 

Joe is sophisticated, smart, has really good taste in books and food, and Barclay feels so listened to when they talk. Barclay starts blushing whenever Joe smiles at him, which would be embarrassing except Joe does the same thing whenever Barclay drops his voice a little. Besides, he likes it when Joe smiles. 

Barclay would give anything to make Joe smile tonight. Which is why he’s tromping into the spot where they lost the last of Yeti’s footprints. He stands, listening for any sign of human life. 

Then he slips the woven bracelet off his hand, and his foot-prints almost double in size. 

It’s a bad idea, he’s not all that far from other houses or the road, but in this form his sense of smell is twice as strong and his night-vision a bit sharper. It’s also the reason he’s taking this week off work. Yes, he likes to rest up before the winter rush; but his heat, which comes ever fourteen years, is due in the next few days. He’s actually a little worried turning into his Sylph self will make his brain fuzzy enough to forget his mission. So he reminds himself, as he tromps through the growing blizzard, that he is doing this for the person he’d most like to impress in this world, and that does the trick. 

A whiff of the same, non-human scent he stole a noseful of when hugging Joe catches his attention. He follows it to a disused burrow, gets down on his belly, and finds reflective eyes blinking back at him. 

The animal hisses. 

“Man, please be Yeti and not a bobcat. Duck’s gonna fucking kill me if I harass the wildlife.” He reaches into the burrow and hears a telltale jingle. Yeti, surrendering to her fate, goes limp in his hold. When he puts her against his chest she chirps, curiously sniffing him. As soon as the bracelet is on she blinks once, then purrs as he bundles her into his coat. She’s cold and damp, but she’s in one piece. 

“C’mon cousin, let’s get you home.”

The lights are all still one, and the front door is wedged open the exact amount a cat would need to get inside. He steps in, kicks the wedge free and shuts the door. The fire is low, and there’s no sound of anyone moving around. 

“Joe? Whoa, careful Yeti, I know you wanna get warm but we should show him your okay.”

“Mew!” Yeti bites the fringe of his scarf. 

He tries again, “Joe, you still up? Got someone for you?”

A scuff and groan from the kitchen, “Huh? Oh, shit, I fell asleep, one second”

Yeti shifts her focus while Barclay is distracted. In one graceful leap she rips his bracelet away, lands, and bounds to the kitchen.

“Yeti! Thank the lord, there you are my little cryptid, I was so worried about you, don’t ever do that again, thank god you’re okay.” Joe’s voice goes muffled, as if he’s holding the cat to his face and talking into her fur. Barclay is frozen, not wanting to be seen but even less wanting to have Joe spot Bigfoot dashing into the trees. 

“What do you have--Yeti, it’s rude to take things from the man who saved you from being-” Joe rounds the corner, cat in his arms, and gasps. Yeti, uninterested in the unfolding drama, tumps to the floor and scampers upstairs. Joe’s hands fly over his mouth the instant she’s no longer in them. 

“Hey” Barclay waves.

“What the fuck?”

“I’m, uh, I’m Bigfoot.”

“What the fuck?” Joe isn’t moving, and Barclay decides now is his best chance. 

“I’m just, uh, gonna go get my bracelet back.”

“No, you’re going to explain everything.” 

“I really, really can’t, some of it isn’t mine to explain. I mean, uh, I can explain some bits later-” He creeps toward the stairs. Joe steps in front of him. 

“Barclay, this can’t wait. You, you’ve been him the whole time, my entire world view is simultaneously being proven and flipped over, would you please just talk to me?”

“Mew?” Yeti is halfway down the stairs, watching them with the bracelet still in her mouth. Without breaking eye contact, Joe reaches up and out, plucking it from her teeth.

“You’re not getting this back until you explain.”

“Babe, please, I promise we’ll talk about it tomorrow.”

“No, wait, what did you call me?”

“Uhhhh” Barclay lunges for the bracelet instead of answering. Stern twists out of the way, sprinting for the kitchen. Barclay gets an arm around his waist and yanks backwards, sending them both over the back of the couch. Joe elbows him and scrambles up. Barclay only just manages to block him from going up the stairs, stalks him back onto the rug and tackles him. It succeeds in bringing the man down and keeping him pinned. 

It also sends the bracelet flying onto the floor, where Yeti snatches it up and disappears up the staircase. 

Barclay realizes he’s growling, stops so that he won’t frighten Joe, only for it to start up again as a reflex.

“Barclay, I swear, if you hurt my cat-”

“I won’t, I, that’s what not that noise is for. Or, uh, I mean I’m pissed you played keep-away with something I need, but I also have some bad news about Sy--uh, Bigfoot biology. Uh, so, first thing: I have a heat, which is why I was trying to stay away from people. Second thing: my kind uses a very intense game of, uh, chase as part of courtship.”

Stern shifts his thigh, “That explains what I’m feeling.”

“Fuck, I’m sorry. Look, can you go get the bracelet and then we can, like, have some tea and talk about this? I’m sorry, I feel so bad for making you deal with this.” The growl rumbles up again. He gears up another apology when he notices Joe’s blue eyes getting wider.

“Is this, um, only because of your heat? I mean, if you tackled some passerby, would the same thing be happening?”

“No.” Barclay squeaks. 

“Then I’m not seeing how this is a bad thing, big guy.” He grinds his thigh up, making Barclay yip and pin him to the rug while touching as little of him as possible. 

“Joe, this doesn’t make me like, mindless or anything, but if you say you want this you are signing up for several days of as much fucking as I can manage.”

“I don’t have any deadlines.” Joe’s eyes remain fixed on Barclays crotch. 

“I’m serious, if you say stop I will, but if you don’t you won’t be able to get out of bed for days. And, uh, I can put my disguise back on, you don’t have to fuck me like this, I know it’s weird.”

“Barclay, I built my life’s work on weird.” Joe pets his arm.

“Yeah but not on fucking it.”

“How do you know? Lots of my time with the UP is classified.”

“Joe…” it’s a warning, the heat in  his brain suggesting a dozen things to do so the human can’t be touched by another cryptid ever again.

“I want you, Barclay. In both forms. As long as you promise we’ll talk after, I’m okay with doing this first.”

“I promise”

“Good, because otherwise I was going out to see if there’s another bigfoot in the area who was interested.” Joe smiles, moves to pull off his shirt. He doesn’t get to; Barclay snarls possessively and drops onto him, biting his neck and ripping his clothing into a flurry of fabric scraps. The human moans, gasps when Barclay makes short work of his own pants and reveals what’s waiting beneath. Barclay doesn’t give him time to process, shoves his legs as far apart as they’ll go, and finally sinks into him.

“JesusfuckingCHRIST, ohfuck, ohmyfuckinggodAH!”

His cock is more thick than long, splitting the human open while bottoming out on every thrust. Joe’s fingers knot into the rug, his words morph into sharp, ecstatic sounds. Every creature in the forest can probably hear him. 

Barclay clamps his hand down over the humans mouth, “shut up babe, don’t want anyone else in the woods getting any ideas about how good a fuck you are. You’re fucking mine.”

A muffled moan and, when he pulls his hand back, “Y-you really think I, fuck, I can keep quiet when you fuck me like this?”

“Thought they taught FBI agents discipline” he drags his claws across Joe’s chest, relishing the shaky, happy noise that gets him. 

“There’s discipline and, AAHnnn, there’s inhuman restraint.”

Barclay slams the hand down again and growls, pleased, when Joe’s posture turns submissive.

“Here’s the deal; you keep quiet and take it like a good mate, and after I cum in you, can be as loud as you fucking want, because anyone who gets near you’ll know belong to me. I mean” he jerks his hips, “they’ll be able to tell that from the fact I’m balls-deep in you too, babe.”

Joe nods, replaces Barclays hand with his own as the Sylph hooks his knees over his shoulders. The next minute goes in a heat haze, his brain and body united in the desire to cum in Joe, to claim him,  while the human stifles his screams and grows slicker with each thrust. 

He tips his head back with a howlgrowlpurr as he cums, leaving faint clawmarks in Joe’s legs as he holds them open to make sure he takes every bit.

“Lord almighty” Joe’s hand falls to the floor, “that, that was amazing, why on earth were you acting like this isn’t something I’d waaAAAAAntohgod.” He whimpers as Barclay starts up again, fucking his cum up into him.

“Shoulda known you’d like it; you’re perfect, Joe.”

A blush and a shy moan, and he leans down to kiss him gently.

“You are. You’re the perfect man, the perfect mate, and we are gonna have so much fucking fun together.”

“And fun fucking?” He looks pleased with the wordplay.

He snorts, “Glad to know that sense of humor sticks around when I’m filling you up, oh, ohfuckyeah” another orgasm hits, milder this time. 

“Are they near constant when you’re in heat?” Joe eyes the trail of cum sliding back down Barclay’s cock.

“No, just easy to have. So” he flips the human over, squeezing his ass appreciatively, “let’s try it from  behind this time; wanna find out how it feels to cum in you while I get you off.” He slips his hand over Joe’s thigh and between his legs, “and you better fucking do it too, of I’ll drag you outside and fuck you against a tree so anyone passing by can see how fucking eager you are for me.”

“Please, we’ve spent so much time outside tonight.”

He thinks as kisses along Joe’s shoulders, “You’re right. I’ll fuck you against the door instead.”

-------------------------------------

When Stern wakes up, snow is falling in the grey light and his clock reads 2:30 P.M. Downstairs there’s a homey clink of pots and pans, and the smell of coffee winds it’s way to him. 

He fell asleep around five, he thinks, when the cumulative exhaustion of his day overpowered the thrill of being with Barclay. Honestly, he’d have kept going, but Barclay was adamant he rest. So they finished with him fucking Stern’s slack, sleepy mouth, before the cryptid bundled him into bed and snuggled up to him with those deep, rumbling purrs that Stern now loves.

The bracelet is gone from the nightstand (Yeti didn’t eat it, thank god), so the chef must be making breakfast in his human form. Now would be a good time to go down and talk. 

“Mew” A weight lands on his chest as Yeti kneads the blankets, purring when he reaches you and rubs her head.

“You know, little monster, this almost makes the heart attack you gave me worth it.”

“Mew?” The cat stares hopefully out the windows. 

“Not a chance. I can’t take that stress again. Besides” he scoops her up, “we need to unbox that new toy I ordered. Barclay and I need some time to ourselves today.”

#agent stern/barclay #sternclay #winter fills #taz amnesty

[masterthespianduchovny]

why is it so important people to prove that David and Gillian hate (or don't) each other? Or that they were (or not) a couple? real question.

Anon, here’s my thorough input about your ask:

I’m not sure if you’ve watched the x files or not, which is important to understand some peoples very strong emotions about this topic. 😅

I reckon most people don’t care about David and Gillian’s relationship, which may include yourself if you’ve seen the show, but if not:

The x files was a groundbreaking show and had introduced a new male-female dynamic, but largely the show was built off of the backs of the two leads David and Gillian. If these two didn’t click, the show wouldn’t have worked. From day one, these two had insane chemistry. Typically, if they didn’t spend enough time together in an ep, people would complain. When the show’s quality began to decline, people tuned in for Mulder and Scully.

Based off of how magical these two were together on screen and that they never missed a beat, you’d never imagine they didn’t get along at times. But, the friction between them was notable on some occasions via interviews and certain non show clips. Sometimes they spoke highly of one another and other times, it was obvious that they weren’t in the best of places.

On the flip side, during this same time, there was also the media who were fascinated with them. Because, when David and Gillian got along IRL, they’re a sight to see. They’re way more animated and giggly around one other. On several occasions, the media has flat out asked them if they were a thing, if they ever would be, and are they interested in each other. At times, their answers and behavior is very fascinating even literal decades later.

I honestly do think that fans and the media can differentiate between acting and real life. There is something about their interactions that makes think people they were involved or some hope they are/were/will be.

You also have certain situations that doesn’t help matter, such as in 1997 David agreed to go as Gillian’s date as support to the golden globes and they looked like a couple (she was going through a divorce and this was how he supported her). A mag accidentally called him her boyfriend. Lol. Gillian has confirmed that she was interested in David and he appeared to interested until she said she wasn’t from New York. They threw a lot of sexually charged jokes at each other even tho they were said to hate one another. David asking if Gillian came became she moaned a certain way and Gillian saying she wanted to suck David’s dick. In the first x files movies, they asked to make out for fun in character knowing full well it wasn’t going to be in the movie.

So there are some sus things that happened that, even people who don’t care, start to think, “hmm...what’s going on between them?”

There’s this famous jimmy kimmel interview in 2016 where he flat out asks this because they were all giggly and flirty. And none of this includes the moments when they flirt, specifically Gillian, to have fun with fans. Gillian also gets flustered when asked questions about David and he gets defensive.

Basically, this relationship has had more interest and intrigue than (their) actual relationships. LOL.

Now, the vocal naysayers are a different case. People who don’t believe they were ever a thing usually say their piece and walk away. But, the vocal detractors are a different story. Some believe that people who are pro Gillian and David (which doesn’t necessarily mean them being involved) can’t separate reality from fiction. Tbh, they are conspiracists about the two, so there’s that. But, these people get upset at those who even dare believe that David and Gillian are friends.

If you’ve ever seen an interview between the two, you’d understand why many would want them to be friends. They’re gold together. Why would anyone want to believe that is acting???

Those who froth at the mouth about this is typically because they hate David. Why? Well, that’s their business and they’re allowed to feel that way. But, since they hate David that means Gillian hates David. Because David and Gillian didn’t get along at times, this proves how David is the worst. Gillian has always had loyal, staunch fans, some of which, have taken on her problems and/or issues with David as their own. It’s a lot of things, really. I don’t mean this in a snarky way at all, but they worship her and thinks she a goddess. (I’m not referring to most or all of her fans getting this defensive and whatnot).

Since they have these deeply intense feelings of hatred towards David and see themselves as her defender/protector, the mere idea that they could be friends is an insult to her and them.

Which means that they’ll flat out ignore interviews and quotes where Gillian denies hating David, says they’re friends, the things she likes about him, and that David wasn’t the only who misbehaved back in the day. They’ll bring up completely unrelated things as “evidence” as to why Gillian hates David. They’ll accuse him of unproven things that actually makes Gillian look bad as well. But, as long as they get to shit on David, it doesn’t matter.

They’ve gone as far as misconstruing a statement Gillian made years ago to mean, “David was like an abusive partner.”

So, pro David and Gillian people either want them to be friends/involved because we’d like to believe their dynamic based on their insane chemistry is real. And we don’t want to believe that they hate each other in real life because it doesn’t vibe with their face to face and paper interviews.

Where as anti people: 1. A fraction of them hate the idea that just because they had chemistry means something was/is going on (these people aren’t against them being friends) 2. Anti David people who adore Gillian and think of him as an abusive partner she needs to be protected from. These are the most vocal critics. Most of the anon hate I receive are literally people complaining about David and why they hate him. And the posts I’ve made don’t even say they’re together or were, many of them are about David and Gillian being friends. Lol

They assume that anyone who doesn’t hate David thinks he can do no wrong and they must rectify this mistaken belief.

And, don’t get me wrong, I think it’s adorable how much some fans love and gush over Gillian (and David, he has fans too. Lol). But, some fans take it too far and are taking on these actors (alleged) grievances as if it’s their own or that they know intimate details that they’d have no knowledge of.

In the grand scheme of things, it’s not “important.” But, when you’re invested in the actors on some level, more times than not, you’re invested in their relationships: romantic, friendships, familial, and professional.

There’s a lot of shit I don’t know, forgot, and didn’t touch on that much, but that’s the gist of it. 😂 this has been an ongoing thing since the 90s and, apparently, will never die.

One last note: if you pay attention to pop culture and celebrity relationships and rumors, the intrigue around them is insane. Many couples who are/were bigger celebrities than them don’t get this much attention. I don’t know if it’s because the question still exists as to whether or not they’re telling the truth or what, but this has been going on for over 27 years.

Celebrities pay top dollar to get the type of attention they get FOR FREE. Their are superstar singers who’ve had PR relationships that people don’t care for or have forgotten about, where as David and Gillian constantly have people curious as if the two have ever be a thing or will. Like, even when these two have been married and in relationships, interviewers STILL will bring up the possibility of them being together.

If you follow celebrity couples, you’ll know how rare and unusual this is. When celebs have questions like this, it’s because they were a huge couple (think Brad and Jen). Like, I’ll probably make another post and go in-depth about it because this post is already super long (😩), but the media usually doesn’t keep being up romance questions for two celebs who have emphatically denied being involved for literal decades and there aren’t rumors connecting them. Even the media has let go of rooting for Kate and Leo to get together, yet David and Gillian still get questions. 😅

:)

#david duchovny #gillian anderson

[mhdiaries]

Haunted – Student Spirits Kiyomi Haunterly Diary

30/04

I had one of those dreams last night where I was running like I was a solid. It was so liberating to feel the grass on my toes and the hard surface of the ground with each step I took. The clouds were so far above me that I could not touch them, and I had to go around obstacles instead of over or through them. Then the dream changed, and I was standing in a big room with many other solids, and there was music and dancing and beautiful party dresses, and I woke up. I must have been dream flying, because I was hovering above our house. I floated back down to my bedroom and tried to go back to sleep in hopes of rejoining the party in my dream, but I could not. I just floated there, staring at the ceiling, trying to remember every detail. I liked the feeling of being in the middle of the party instead of quietly watching from the sidelines. I suppose I must have been trying harder than I realized to reconnect to the dream world, because something unexpected and remarkable happened. A tiny hole opened above me – not in the roof – but in the air. Light from another world poured into my room like reality had sprung a leak. Had I just opened a portal into the dream world? I gasped, lost concentration, and it was gone. I do not know what happened or how, but I must find out.

01/05

Today as I was passing through the halls and trying to avoid breaking one of Principal Revenant’s many rules, I heard a voice above me say, “Hey Kiyomi, why so blue?” I looked up to see Porter floating on his back, balancing a spray can of ghost paint on one finger. I can never tell if Porter is teasing or being serious, but I glanced down at my hands, and they were indeed the color of a blue funk; although they were quickly taking on a purplish tinge as scarlet embarrassment washed over me. Porter floated down and passed down the hall next to me. “You’ve really been stuck on cerulean lately – what’s up with that?” How could I tell him that I was sad because of a dream? So instead I told him that I was surprised he even noticed me at all. He laughed and said, “I’m an artist and you have colorful personalities – why wouldn’t I notice you?” I am afraid I blushed again, but Porter pretended not to notice as he turned and painted a mustache on a poster of Principal Revenant. I asked if he was afraid of getting in trouble. “Nah, it’ll disappear before she sees it, although boo knows – she might like it.” I cannot tell why I felt at that moment that I could trust him – but I did – so I asked if he ever wanted to be something other than what he was. I thought he might laugh at me, but he got a serious look on his face instead. “Sometimes I think unlife would be easier if I was just a regular ghost, if there really is such a thing. But if I was just a regular ghost I wouldn’t be able to do this.” Then Porter rose to the ceiling, and using a can of paint in each hand, wrote:

A quiet presence

Kiyomi Haunterly ghost

In colors beauty speaks

It was the nicest thing any ghost has ever done for me, and I stood there looking up at it until the ghost paint faded away. I could hear Porter laughing as he disappeared through a wall. “That’s a lovely shade of blush you have on.” Well, at least there wasn’t enough blue left to turn it purple.

03/05

Tonight I successfully opened another portal. This time I was able to hold it open a little longer, but instead of light shining through I heard the sound of laughter. It was not the mocking laughter of someone who is happy at your misfortune, but the genuine laughter of friends. I wanted to look through to see who was making such a joyful noise. Unfortunately, my kaiju woke up and roared like he needed to go out, so I lost concentration and the portal closed again. I must learn more about this ability, though I dare not tell or risk asking any ghost. I shall go tomorrow to the library and find out what there is to know, if there is something to know.

04/05

Oh my ghost. I copied this page on portals from a reference book in the library:

There are only three known ways to travel between the ghost world and the world of solids. The first – and it all practicality, only way – available to the majority of ghosts is to secure passage on one of the reaper vessels that navigate the currents of light, which in certain places link the two worlds. This is by far the most reliable method, although final reservations must be made at least a day in advance, as float-up passengers are always turned away.

The second way is also via reaper, as their scythes have the power to slice through the unseen barrier that separates the two worlds. Reapers do not, however, make outward-bound trips with passengers.

The third and final way is a power seemingly unique to the infamous “Red Lady.” Although she never elaborated how her powers work, it is theorized that she had the ability to open a portal to any place in the solid world by simply willing it. This theory remains unproven mainly because, when asked how she did it, the Red Lady’s reply was, “Wouldn’t boo like to know?”

I haven’t been opening portals to the dream world – I’ve been opening them to the solid world. What do I do now? Will I become the next Red Lady?

06/05

It has not taken long for curiosity to sweep aside any haunting worries of becoming the next Red Lady. I am not her, I am me. So now, after many hours of practice, I can open a portal large enough to see through, and can keep it open even if I become distracted. I have been watching a group of monster ghouls who seem to be very close, and for whom friendship plays a large role in their unlives. I am most fascinated by a vampire ghoul called Draculaura. I think her fashion sense is… totes adorbs… and her vocabulary, while strange to my ears, is simply put… fun. I have even started using little bits of it in my everyday speech, and I have made several of my school mates genuinely laugh out loud. This is strange to me, and I believe to them as well, as they have remarked, “Kiyomi, we had no idea you were so funny – where do you come up with this stuff?” I simply tell them that I have a good teacher, and then leave them wondering who that might be.

08/05

I opened a portal today and what – or rather who – I saw caused me to break out in ghost bumps. It happened like this: Draculaura was showing off a new pair of shoes. I was fascinated by their design, so much so that I did not pay attention to anyone or anything else around me. That is when I heard Draculaura say, “Spectra! Check out my new purchase. Aren’t they just to un-die for?” Spectra Vondergeist! She and I had been beast friends before she left the ghost world for the solid. I quickly closed the portal hoping she had not seen me. Perhaps I am being selfish, but I do not wish any ghost or solid to know about my newfound ability. It is my secret alone, at least for now.

10/05

I have taken much courage from haunting out with my “friend” Draculaura. I have already begun to use some of her words, and now I think I should like to imitate her style. That is why I journeyed to the phantom island of Hy Brasil today in order to shop at the fashion markets there, which are… totes off the chain. My family is friends with the captain of a ghost yacht, and since he was taking his own family over, I asked if I might go along. The island was already scary busy by the time we arrived, and I was orange with expectation. I promised to meet everyone back at the yacht by sundown and then faded into the crowd. The first thing I did was head straight to where the fashion vendors were selling their wares. There were fabrics in more colors than even I could feel! I felt unalive in a way that I never had before, and for the first time in my unlife, being anonymous didn’t make me shy. It made me bold. I even bargained with some of the sellers to get a better price. Before I would buy anything, though, I would duck into a dressing room and haunt in on Draculaura and the ghouls to try and match the fashions they were wearing. I only saw one other ghost that I knew, and that was River Styxx, but I saw her on the other side of a crowded square, and I was able to vanish from sight before she saw me again. I like River, she has always been very kind to me, but I wanted this to be my day. Maybe that was selfish of me, but it was how I felt at that moment. The day ended too soon, and before I knew it we were casting off and motoring out of the harbor. On the way to Hy Brasil I stayed in my cabin. On the way back I stood on the bow. As the wind blew through my hair, I knew I was going to do something bold with my unlife. I cannot wait to begin.  

#monster high #monster high diary #kiyomi haunterly #haunted

[corporationsarepeople]

Small groups of protesters egged on by the president, along with governors in redder states, are eager to “reopen” America — as if you can turn off a pandemic by inviting people back into Hooters. But if Republicans actually want to get Americans back to work, what they have to do is simple: Get rid of Donald Trump now.

While it’s almost science fiction to imagine the Republican Party and its billionaire backers growing something resembling a spine and compelling Trump to resign or, at least, not seek reelection in 2020, it’s at least a scientific possibility, unlike any hope of having a fully tested vaccine in the next few months.

Lyndon Johnson decided to not run for president when the failure of the Vietnam War became undeniable. More Americans have died of COVID-19 in the last three months than perished in that war, which lasted most of two decades. And since life has decided to turn into science fiction, why shouldn’t we entertain the possibility that there is enough sense on the right to get rid of the one human being standing in the way of any hope of returning to normalcy soon?

His own interests are the priorities

More than anything, we are where we are now because Trump prioritized his own interests above the well-being of the United States. And our response will always be limited by his addictions to adulation and political gain.

We’ll never know what 2020 would have looked like if the most powerful man on earth hadn’t spent the beginning of this year echoing Chinese government propaganda and downplaying the threat of COVID-19.

In seeming hopes of cultivating the trade deal he so desperately wanted and preserving the stock market gains he was relying on for reelection, Trump on Feb. 10 was still spreading Chinese President Xi Jinping's fiction the heat could kill off the virus. The next day, Trump attacked his own Federal Reserve chair for warning about the potential economic impact of the novel coronavirus. And later that month he raged at his own expert at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for saying that a COVID-19 outbreak in the United States was likely and could lead to a “disruption to everyday life.”

The stock market, shocked by the sudden break in happy talk from the administration, lost nearly 2,000 points in two days. And instead of heeding the CDC warning, which echoed reports that had been in Trump’s intelligence briefings for weeks, the president and his advisers engaged in a “cover-up” for five days at the key moment of this crisis.

Two epidemiologists estimated that 90% of U.S. deaths in the first wave of the COVID-19 epidemic might have been prevented if social distancing policies had gone into effect March 2, instead of March 16.

When he could have been taking action that might have saved tens of thousands of lives, Trump was busy tweeting, holding rallies, golfing, partying at Mar-A-Lago and silencing the CDC.

The American public, however, has demonstrated the patience and foresight our president and the protesters lack.

Polls have found wide support for preventive measures such as social distancing and staying at home. In an ABC News/Ipsos poll, for instance, 86% called them “responsible” policies. Remarkably, about 80% said that if these restrictions were lifted tomorrow, they would be unlikely to go out into public places where people assemble.

Despite the economic hurt slamming the most vulnerable today, the horror of dying alone on a ventilator has been far more convincing than Trump’s sick tweets encouraging his fans to “liberate” their states.

Trump never gets better, only worse

Taiwan, South Korea, New Zealand, Iceland and Germany have already moved to reopen their economies, aided by strategic and effective testing. Trump, however, has taken almost every opportunity to make this crisis worse.

Rather than using the federal government’s massive power to alleviate a testing shortage that has lasted long after he said “anyone” could get a test, Trump has targeted medical equipment for political purposes. Rather than reassuring and consoling a suffering nation, he’s distracted us with his time-share salesman takes on unproven drugs and experimental treatments that may be encouraging Americans to inject bleach.

Of course, all this talk about “reopening” is just code for forcing low-paid workers to choose between their lives and their paycheck. The right is happy to go along with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s goal of using this crisis to bankrupt the states and rob teachers, firefighters and police officers of their pensions.

As long as Trump is punishing their enemies and propping up the stock market, his agenda is still the Republican agenda. That's why we can't imagine the party turning against him.

But you can only fool the Dow Jones for so long, as this president learned in late February. The horror of tens of millions out of work and the U.S. death toll heading toward six figures by summer is likely only to get worse, especially if Americans are forced back to work.

Then, at some point, even a right-wing billionaire’s conscience may force him to consider why he didn’t do anything to prevent what is now the only predictable thing left in this life: Trump getting worse.

#maga #donald trump #us politics #republicans #conservatives #coronavirus #trump

[spoadicdeviance]

Division in Gaming: The Mislabeling of Skyward Sword

People describe The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword as “divisive”. They say that the game has the opinions of gamers split down the middle and no one can come to a consensus as to whether or not Skyward Sword is objectively a good game.

I say that the game is not as divisive as certain gaming journalists and internet personalities would have you believe, but rather the game has a minority of detractors that were loud enough to confuse the general public in terms of their perception of how Skyward Sword is received amongst gamers.

To prove my assessment, I show you user scores online from those who have actually played the game, specifically Google user scores and Metacritic user scores.

As you can see, the user scores for Skyward Sword skew towards the positive, with the vast majority of people liking the game overall.

Some of you reading may interject with a, “So what? Online user scores are flooded by fanboys who praise their favorite games to no end. This doesn‘t prove that the majority of people like Skyward Sword.”

While you’re partially correct, I would also add that it would just as open for users who spam “thumbs down” or user scores of 0, which is why I think the Metacritic user score for Skyward Sword is as low as 8.1 out of 10.

However just showing the user score for only Skyward Sword is not enough. I would also have to show user scores for other games that could be described as divisive or even universally panned.

How about the relatively recent Fallout 76?

As you can see, both user scores for the games are significantly lower than the user scores for Skyward Sword.

You might be saying “But Fallout 76 was hated by the majority of people. It’s not a fair comparison.”

Okay then. Let’s see the user scores for Mass Effect Andromeda, the game whose hilarious animations made the title infamous.

Or it’s predecessor Mass Effect 3, with its “multiple” endings that failed to satisfy anyone.

For both games, a relatively high Google user score, and middling to low Metacritic user score. Seems like a divide amongst fans to me.

Want some more examples? Okay! Let’s look at Pokémon Sword and Shield.

The game has been criticized for changing aspects of franchise that fans wanted Game Freak to maintain while simultaneously not changing the aspects that were seen as making the series stale. The backlash against the eighth generation of Pokémon seems more severe compared to the hate Skyward Sword got from “the majority of Zelda fans”.

What about Far Cry 2? That game decided to go all in on game mechanics that some players felt to be “too cumbersome” for them to enjoy the game.

While the game has retroactively been appraised as ahead of it’s time and a somewhat overlooked gem of the past decade, the initial fan reception of Far Cry 2 led to Ubisoft dialing back on the “divisive” mechanics of Far Cry 2 for a follow up designed with a broader audience in mind. 

Sounds similar to what happened to Skyward Sword, right? Even so both user scores for Far Cry 2 (especially the Metacritic user score) are lower compared to Skyward Sword.

The there’s Destiny and Destiny 2.

Years of hype and promises that weren‘t delivered led to a franchise that only the Bungie faithful have stuck around with.

The user scores for both games bear more resemblance to Mass Effect Andromeda and Mass Effect 3 than to Skyward Sword.

Then there’s Deadly Premonition.

The game was not viewed in a favorable light by professional critics and it initially confused gamers. The general public did not know what to make of the game. However, as time passed, the game through its eclectic charms developed a following. It’s even got an anticipated sequel in the works. Deadly Premonition is now described as a “cult game” rather than divisive. 

For the opposite end of the spectrum, look at Gone Home

While professional critics praised the game, general audiences didn‘t find the appeal and the title is considered, by some, to be the gaming equivalent of “Oscar bait”. Both of the user scores for Gone Home are lower than Skyward Sword’s user scores.

Silent Hill Homecoming got a lot of flack before release partially due to Team Silent not being the developing team. The initial release proved to be sort of rocky for the game.

Ask two Silent Hill fans what they think of Homecoming, and you’ll get two diverging assessments of the game. Once again, lower user scores than Skyward Sword.

And there’s Deus Ex Invisible War. The game was derided by Deus Ex fans for being a “consoleized” version of a Deus Ex game. Opinions of gaming journalists varied from Gamepro saying the game was superior to the original Deus Ex to eToychest calling the game mediocrity personified.

The game is the go to example for divisive games amongst PC gamers. Compare its user score to Skyward Sword’s. See the pattern here?

Even other Zelda games have received similar user scores and initial backlash that Skyward Sword received yet they are still considered classics.

Remember when Wind Waker’s art style sparked off so much rage and the game was considered “too kiddy” for everyone’s liking in 2003.

The majority of gamers now agree that the anger from fans over the art style was an overreaction and Wind Waker’s cel shaded look is part of the game’s appeal. For some reason, some of those same gamers are hesitant to give Skyward Sword’s motion controls the same reappraisal.

Then there’s Breath of the Wild. It’s wasn’t too long ago that certain Zelda fans were not sold on the idea of Zelda being open world. They claimed that doing so made the series lose what made it unique.

I remember the Metacritic user score for Breath of the Wild being much lower than 8.6 out of 10 during the first few months of the game’s release, and I think you all remember that as well.

Since there’s only a 2 percent difference in Google user score and a 0.5 point difference in Metacritic user score, shouldn‘t Breath of the Wild be given the same “divisive” label that Skyward Sword gets.

I know what some of you are saying; “But the 8.6 Metacritic user score Breath of the Wild got was due to troll accounts that spammed 0 out of 10 user scores in order to artificially lower the score.”

And you’re right. There were spam accounts created for the sole purpose of giving Breath of the Wild a low user score. Here’s the thing, Skyward Sword experienced that as well.

Go to the user score page for both games. You’ll see 2′s, 1′s, and 0′s from users who have either only given one review, or just spam low scores on all of their reviews.

Yet since Breath of the Wild used an already proven formula (that being open-world game design) to experiment with while Skyward Sword wanted to do it’s own thing with the then unproven motion controls (regardless if gamers wanted motion controls in their Zelda games or not), people label the 0 out of 10 reviews for Breath of the Wild as “troll reviews” while the 0 out of 10′s for Skyward Sword are generally considered legit.

Great double standards, everyone!

The point with this post is that the detractors of Skyward Sword are in the minority here, whether they realize it (or want to admit that) or not. I’ve shown you all the fan reception of games that actually are divisive, as well as games that are panned by the majority. I’ve even shown you user scores of other Zelda games that got a similar initial fan reaction to what Skyward Sword got and how hypocritical people were for dismissing the unjust criticisms of Wind Waker and Breath of the Wild while accepting the similarly unjustified criticism towards Skyward Sword as fact.

Now be honest with yourselves, after looking at all those games and their user scores; does Skyward Sword actually look like a divisive game, or do you simply want the game to be considered divisive?

Those that dislike Skyward Sword are too eager to call Skyward Sword “divisive” because its easier to convince someone else that their critical assessment is legit if it looks like more people share that same opinion. So they exaggerate the hatred thrown Skyward Sword’s way in hopes that other people are deceived into thinking that what they are saying is credible and not the overreaction of a fan who hates the idea of their favorite game series changing its formula. They hated that Skyward Sword was centered on motion controls and so they were determined to convince everyone that Skyward Sword failed as a game, regardless of if their claims were credible or not.

If you don‘t like Skyward Sword, that’s fine. Just stop perpetuating the myth of Skyward Sword being a divisive game because the game isn‘t divisive. Much like Far Cry 2, The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword is a game that is liked by the majority of those who actually played it and despised by those who couldn‘t be bothered to understand how the game works.

#the legend of zelda #skyward sword #breath of the wild #wind waker #ocarina of time #majora's mask #twilight princess #far cry 2 #deadly premonition #silent hill #silent hill homecoming #mass effect #destiny #fallout #fallout 76 #deus ex #pokemon #pokemon sword and shield

[notmyatari]

On “Intellivision Amico,” from a friend

This was just posted on the AtariAge forum, where Tommy Tallarico has been holding court for the past year. I thought it would be smart to preserve it here. 

Yes, yes, official "hater," here.

I have certainly not made any secret of my dislike of what Tallerico has brought to our forum (cronyism, white knighting, a lack of critical thinking). That's probably not entirely fair... some of the Amico enthusiasm I'm sure is pure and genuine, but it really seems anything but the most mild criticism is met with insults, dogma and blinded thinking. I have stopped subscribing because of it (perhaps I'll go back to subscribing when some of this silliness dies down; I obviously still use and mostly enjoy the site). I have stopped trusting certain AA staff because of it. My block list is much larger than it used to be. I know perfectly well that a certain CEO has gone after me at least a couple of times (I'm really not sure why as I haven't done anything in his "official" thread and have limited most of my negative comments to YouTube... and even then, it's generally been light snark, never anything as personal as some around here have become). I've never been banned or reprimanded on this (or any) forum.

I truly hope some of you can put that, all of that aside for a second. I want to appeal to your critical thinking caps for a bit.

I always said that I did like the idea of family friendly, casual gaming. I have too many video games to even list (I'm one of those dorks with literally thousands of games), and hardly any time to play them... so fun, small pick up and play experiences and multiplayer experiences that my significant other and I can enjoy are important to me.

I have also been consistent in my view that an Amico was unnecessary to have those experiences.

I don't know that I'm a huge fan of any company or brand. I certainly have my expectations of certain companies, certain brands. When Nintendo releases a compilation of budget mini games, I have an expectation that they will be (for the most part) well thought out, buttoned up tightly and be mostly good value for money.

I don't need to become a walking infomercial for the Switch. You probably already know if one is good for you and your family or whatever. I will say this... at this point, if you can't see that Switch (really any console, but let's put aside the really heavy hitters that cost a ton for a second) provides literally everything Tallerico has promised you so far... RIGHT NOW, then you are either not looking carefully enough or you've been blinded by the "science" of talking to Tommy. I get it; I thought it was super cool when he first joined the forum, too! I legitimately love some of his contributions to gaming. My thoughts of happiness curdled slowly at first and then more quickly as I saw how he conducted himself here and elsewhere. All too often criticism became a reason to personally attack others. All along, there seemed to be a burning desire to have the last word, which, in and of itself is obnoxious, but doubly so when he preaches "let's agree to disagree" one time and then goes after physical appearances, relationships, mental states and other assorted nasty things on the other.

Putting aside my criticism of his behavior here for a moment, let's talk about the product he is trying to bring to market.

Most of the skepticism in regards to the Amico has been, all along, that it wasn't bringing enough DIFFERENCE to the table, particularly when Switch exists. Certainly, as the price of the console crept (continues to creep?) upward, the idea of a budget conscious console has all but flown out the window. "But what about the cost of games?" I hear some of you say. Well, sure, first party Nintendo games tend to be fifty or sixty(!) bucks... but how many wonderful indie titles come in under the 10 dollar mark? Hell, even the five dollar mark? "But the shop is too difficult to navigate; my mom can't do it!" I dunno... if you are that concerned about your mom's gaming habits, you help her with it? Just a thought. "But porn!" Sigh. You want to go after Nintendo (or any of the big guys) for charging an arm and a leg for controllers and peripherals... well sure, that's absolutely true... they gouge us! But when Amico costs right under what Switch costs already... I don't know how long you can hang onto that lifeline.

I think that the release of that trailer for 51 Worldwide Games today absolutely puts paid to the Amico and even the concept of it. You have 51 games, coming in at roughly forty bucks (what's that... 80 cents a game? even if a third of them suck, you'd still be looking at over thirty games)... and almost everything on that comp is something that Amico has touted for themselves (and no, I don't believe Nintendo is releasing this to undercut Amico somehow. This kind of dominance of casual gaming is WHAT NINTENDO DOES) as being an experience you can only have thru their machine. It just simply isn't the case. You can prosthelytize about the revolutionary controller and couch co-op and everything else you want... but my biggest problem all along has been that rhetoric.

Couch co-op already exists. On every game platform.

Fun, pick up and play family games exist. On every platform.

Easy to use controls? I guess that one is debatable, but I feel like that's more down to developers. I'm certainly not convinced that the Amico controller is some kind of paradigm-shifting wonder peripheral, anymore than I was about the Wiimote. The argument of "you have to hold one to see" simply doesn't work unless you're mailing one to those three billion people for a week so they can all give it the ol' college try.

Another red flag has been the insistence that Amico "isn't for us" (us meaning people who care enough about games to hang out on a board, I guess)... and yet, Tallerico spends a great deal of time here, preaching to the converted, and then making sure that every YouTube channel, big and small gets a personal checkup from him (or the faithful) if the word "Amico" is uttered. It's not for "us," but why is the drum being hit so hard on places that have "us." Do you see the disconnect, there? This weird, grassroots marketing appeal loses a lot of it's attractiveness when Tallerico has flat out stated that getting YouTube "influencers" onside was part of his strategy... and then suddenly skeptics have phone calls and interviews and free stuff. What are we supposed to think? What is anybody supposed to think? I can't help but think of the part in the Wayne's World movie where suddenly it's Wayne and Garth shilling Nike and Motrin for five minutes. I get wanting to go after 3 billion casual gamers who just play freeimum games on their phone... but I honestly and truly believe that if Tallerico and his team wanted to do that, they should have developed a suite of unmissable, killer software for phones, Steam, Switch, PSN, Live Marketplace (or whatever it's called these days), etc. under the Intellivision banner. Instead, they have gone this all but baffling route, designing an underpowered console from the ground up, couching it as some kind of budget solution and then watching as the price slowly grew. What is the end goal here? The stated goals of bringing back family gaming and so forth sound great... but they simply do not hold up to the light of scrutiny. Families never stopped gaming. Cheap, small games are within reach. I don't like the proliferation of huge budget AAA FPS titles with lootboxes and all of the other perils of modern gaming either... but nor do I pretend that that's all there is to gaming in this time.

Despite all of this, I don't wish Tallerico or Amico ill. He saw his shot, and I guess he took it. I don't think the Amico has much of a chance commercially, even being sold at non traditional retail channels. Very few will ever know about it; it will most likely be a blip on the radar. I do wish the never ending infomercial here at Atari Age would end. I do wish that some of you would realize that when you white knight for Amico, when you "stan" for it (as the kids allegedly say), you make the whole operation look bad. When you bash others for not liking an unproven, untried product... who are you actually doing harm to? The targets of your ire? I realize that this will kick up some stink, and I'm not particularly looking forward to it or looking for a fight. In fact, I won't. I've stated my issues, reservations and concerns. I particularly expect anything to change. I already know who this message will resonate with and who will take it as a personal attack. I just wanted to get some of this off of my chest, particularly in light of that Worldwide games trailer. Let me get it out of the way; my name is Justin, I'm married and have no kids and the Amico isn't for me and I have too many games and I'm  a manchild with toys on a shelf and etc. I'm a "hater," remember. But the last thing I am is a bandwagon jumper.

I really hope that some of you don't take this as some hate-filled screed... rather it's an appeal. An appeal to not let yourselves get so caught up in something that criticism of that thing hurts you like you were attacked. An appeal to look below the surface, even slightly when a new product is announced. If there are things you want, your family wants... don't be fooled by hype. Don't fall in love with the IDEA of something to the exclusion of all else. Instead, look around to see if your needs can be met by other means. Do you need the better mousetrap? Will that better mousetrap actually BE any better? Please think critically.

#intellivision #amico #tommytallarico

[bonnie-barstow-of-flag]

The Not So LoneSome Knight: Part 12

Parts 1 X, 2 X , 3 X , 4 X, 5 X , 6 X , 7 X, 8 X, 9 X 10 X, 11 X

The three-hour ride back to the motel was full of lively chatter regarding the findings of the case thus far. The strange circumstances surrounding the five-hundred-dollar deposit drew a myriad of speculations that perplexed all three agents. Each one offered up their own untested and unproven theories. Each new theory puzzling the agents more than the last.

With each forward churning of the wheels towards the motel, the shades of dusk deepen in the skies around them. When they finally arrived at the motel, the hour was hedging towards midnight. Exiting the cabin, Bonnie and Michael stretch out their limbs.

“Ya know somethin’ Bons? I gotta a feelin’ I’m gonna sleep clear till mornin’. I’m exhausted.” Michael remarks, barely biting back a yawn.

Bonnie sheepishly smiles knowing exactly what he meant. The past twenty-four hours had felt elongated as if, it stretched on far longer than any period ought to. “Same here.” She readily agrees as they traverse the pavement together.

“I’m gonna make sure you get settled and then I’ll check to see if they have my room ready,” Michael casually remarks, sensing her unease about his following her to the room.

Just as they rounded the corner to the room they shared last night, Kitt calls over Michael’s comlink. But he doesn’t have to say anything for at that very moment, Bonnie and Michael found themselves face to face with the cause of Kitt’s alarm. The door leading to the room they had shared last night had been splintered down.

“Someone has broken into your room.” Spilled Kitt’s Bostonian twang.

“Yeah. We see it, Kitt. Tell us somethin’ we don’t already know.” Michael grimly states.

Michael edges forward, placing himself between Bonnie’s slender figure and the wide-open room. His gun is extracted from the holster effortlessly and he slowly breaches the entryway, mindful that the person who ransacked the room could have lingered in the hopes of landing an ambush. It was highly unlikely that someone would do something so foolish in a public place but he wasn’t about to take that risk. Especially, not while Bonnie was with him. 

The pulse of adrenaline collectively teases at their eardrums. All traces of sleepiness between Bonnie and Michael had seemingly evaporated in light of the new circumstances. The room was obviously not in the state they had left it in. The sheets lay in tangles on the floor, the mattress hung lopsided off the frame with the evidence that it had been flipped, the phone took up residence on the floor it’s connective cables severed and frayed by way of a knife.

“The responsible party is already gone.” Kitt assesses skillfully having done a thorough scan of the tossed room.

Bonnie slips past Michael to check on where she left her bags and shouts, “Michael!”

With one hurried stride, the poodle-permed agent finds his way to her side, his hand coming to rest on her shoulder as she peers into an empty corner. His own gaze locks on the same spot. At first, confusion mars his countenance. It hardly seemed like anything to get worked up over until he recollected what had been there in the first place.  

“They are... my bags.... they’re gone!” Bonnie frantically states. “Why would someone take my clothes?” She spins to face him, a hair away from turning hysterical and not in the comedic sense. A static sensation ripples down every vertebrae of her spine as she considers the fact that the intruder could have been after more than her fresh laundry. Thankfully, she had taken her notebook containing Foundation codes and all her forms of identification with her to Grace’s house. Otherwise, those documents and her badges might have been absconded with. 

Michael wished he had an answer for her but he doesn’t. Was this a simple robbery? The inner police detective cast that line of thought into doubt. If it had been a simple robbery, why had the television, radio, and phone been left behind? Surely, those things would have more value than Bonnie’s bags. Right? If it wasn’t a simple robbery there were more frightening possibilities. One of them being that someone knew where they were staying. He quickly runs down a mental list of the people who had been told of their accommodations. He quickly rules out the Foundation staff he trusts- Devon, Rc3, Kitt, and a few others. Then he moves to the broader spectrum. There were a select few who had been gifted that information and all of them, unfortunately, had motives to see the FLAG agents come to harm. Whose toes had they stepped on? Where had they trampled them? Why? And how? The investigation seemed to be turning up more inquiries. Were they closer to the answers they sought than they originally thought? Damned if he knew.

One thing was certain, neither of them could stay in this room for the night. Especially, since the door was inoperable. “Maybe, while we’re at the front desk getting our rooms changed, I can take a look at the security cameras.” He offers, in an effort to settle Bonnie’s nervousness.

“Good idea.” Bonnie agrees. She didn’t want to stick around the scene of the crime a moment longer than she had to. Bonnie only hoped the staff at the front desk of the motel would be more helpful than they had previously been.

#the Not So Lonesome Knight fan fic #The Not So Lonesome Knight part 12 #the Not So Lonesome Knight fanfic #Knight Rider 1982 #my fan fic #bonniebarstowofflag

[izzy-b-hands]

Fictober 2019, Oct. 12th, “What If I Don’t See It?”

Fanfiction

Fandom: Mr. Robot  

Pairings: None

Rating: G

Warnings: None

429 words

My only synopsis is that Mr. Robot ending has made me sad (though I’m glad it’s ending at a good logical point for the creator and as the creator intended) so I wrote this monologue sort of thing for Elliot.

Hello, friend.

 It hasn't been this empty, this quiet, in awhile.  I don't know if I remember the last time it felt like just you and me. It's nice, in an echo chamber sort of way. I need to talk to someone, tell someone this. May as well be you. 

 Lately, it's been like... Seeing the end of a road, far out on the horizon, knowing that eventually you'll reach it and have to either turn around, or find a way to forge ahead on an unpaved, unproven, path.I can feel it approaching; I'm sure of it. The end of... something. 

How many times have I questioned all of this? Done and tried to undo things that leave marks you can't remove. Now I question the end. Because I can feel it just fine. 

But what if I don't see it? 

How do you plan for a road you can't see, an unpaved path in an unmarked field that you can't find on the horizon? I don't know. And I guess I'm hoping somehow, you would. Even if you are only in my head, as limited as I am in knowledge.

It's a strangely helpful futility. Like the patient with an incurable, rapidly deteriorating cancer, telling friends and family about the diagnosis. Everyone knows there's no answer, no solution. 

But there is comfort in disclosure.

 Maybe that's why I'm telling you all this. Locked in my head, in my room, in my apartment, as far away from anyone else as I can get, while I deal with the creeping feeling of an end. Is this preparation? Of the simplest and least effective kind, maybe.

And because...maybe you won't be here anymore. I can't explain it, this itch in me that says you'll be gone and He'll be gone and... I don't know what to do with that. Despite any admittedly small efforts to the contrary on my part, you are a true friend now. You've been along for everything. I don't want to say I'm enjoying the voyeuristic aspect of it or something but... I don't want to be alone. Alone seems too open,too empty.

It's stupid, but it makes me think of program updates. Somewhat inevitable, but the average person will put them off as long as possible, never do them at all if they can. Just like putting off any other change. Or an ending. 

I hope, at the end of this unseen road, you're waiting on the horizon for me, friend. In the meantime, a toast in silence and tears. To the beginning of the end. 

#text post #LeeH writes #fictober19 #Mr Robot fic

[xentricity]

#02 - KOTOHIKO MAIZONO, SHSL TABLOID AUTHOR

Kotohiko Maizono is the head writer and publisher of several tabloids spread all over Japan. Each has its own focus that manages to appeal to a wide range of readers, ensuring that everyone can enjoy at least one of the tabloid series he publishes. The most notable ones are STAR☆DUST, SHOOT FOR THE STARS, and HOPE AMONG US- tabloids focusing on celebrities, sports, and Hope’s Peak respectively. It’s rumoured that Kotohiko has been caught in some legal disputes with famous celebrities, but so far these claims have gone unproven. 

#kotohiko maizono #fanganronpa #fangan ronpa #dangan ronpa: rewound despair #danganronpa oc #my ocs #my art #my edits #reblogs > likes #traditional #digital #coloured #official resources #dr:rd

[thefailuregroup]

Introduction

We are doing a thought project.  This is advice given from a company who’s “business” is to make others fail. This first post is designed to give a brief introduction.  Enjoy!

Definitions and understanding:

Terrible – adjective – Extremely bad, serious, unpleasant or disagreeable. Extremely incompetent or unskillful.  Extremely unwell or troubled.

             The word “terrible” is often used to describe scenes of horror and is used to express that something should never have happened. This definition is very appropriate for our uses in that the advice we will be giving is … quite terrible.

Advice – noun – Guidance or recommendations concerning prudent future action, typically given by someone regarded as knowledgeable or authoritative.

             Advice is given by many sources.  In the definition, it claims that it comes from “someone regarded as knowledgeable or authoritative”. The problem is... many of us give far too much authority to people and sources who do not deserve it. We also assume, quite incorrectly, that because a source appears smart or has quite a bit to say, that the advice is therefore “good”. People often assume that just because the advice sounds good, it should always be taken.  And, as humorous as this may sound, once someone takes good advice – they assume it will always and forever remain a “good idea”.

             Oh, how many times have we succeeded in convincing business people to take advice from so many varied “reliable” sources that it’s difficult to keep count.  Unverified and unproven blog posts.  Convincing YouTube videos.  Well-meaning family members.  Good natured friends. Internet sources. Facebook conversations. Well crafted books written by honest, but incorrect authors. Some of you (yes.. I’m looking at you) have even gone to such extreme lengths as to pay for a weekend “seminar” where they give you just enough information to sound appealing – but you need to sign up for this additional, quite costly course, to find out the rest.

             So… who are “we”?  Fantastic question… You may consider us simply a “force” or “spirit” if you will.  On occasion we have been portrayed as a small devil or angel on the shoulder of some unwitting human on television.  The devil gives out “bad” advice and the angel counters with “good” advice. What’s most entertaining is – we are both the devil and the angel.  The advice we give can sound harsh or mean when it serves us “Isn’t Kathy is such a jerk? She shows up early just to get on the good side of the boss.”  It can also come disguised as nice sayings like “I know it’s her 5th time to be late, but she’ll get better!” or “I’m sure he’s just tired – let’s give him his 39th do-over.  Firing people sucks anyways.” To be completely transparent with you, our main objective is to see people fail in the world of business.  You see, as “forces” or “spirits” – we don’t eat fast food for nourishment (But you should… just have a diet soda to keep down the calories!). For us, we feed on failure. Business failure could be considered a type of delicacy for us. Someone running in circles accomplishing nothing is a high form of entertainment.  How long can we get a business to follow the wrong path?  We have a running leader board for this… and I’m quite happy to say that my team has won this particular contest on multiple occasions.

             Why would we want these things?  What could we possibly gain by giving out such terrible advice to so many people?  Good questions.  We cannot deny the simple pleasure and humor that failure gives us.  However, we thrive off the failure of businesses and cannot stand even simple successes.  We believe that the more others fail, the more we thrive. Causing failure is our “business” so to speak. We are in every organization in the world, from the smallest “mom and pop” shop to the largest multi-national corporation.  We sell our advice to the entry level employee as well as the executive… and business has been GOOD.  We want to always be heard, but seriously thought about.  If people really sat down and thought through our advice, our entire business would… fail.  That’s not the type of failure we really want.

             We’ve decided to give some of you a quick peak into our operations.  I think we have reached the point where a little bragging couldn’t hurt. Specifically, we are going to allow you to read some of the emails sent to and from one of our senior operatives, Mr. Smith.  He has been working for us for some time and is quite good at his job.  He did struggle a little bit in the “digital age” but, with so many new sources of “advice”, he has been able to reach many of the goals we set for him.  He has been my understudy for decades, though never quite reaching my personal level of success.  His struggle to adapt to the so called “digital revolution” showed that even we are sometimes susceptible to the terrible advice of “doing things the same way we have always done them.” However, I believe that in this exciting age of social media, internet videos, and constant contact with smartphones provides the most promising opportunities we have ever seen. I hope you enjoy.  Sincerely,

Executive #42

#thefailuregroup terribleadvice

[mhdiaries]

Diary of Kiyomi Haunterly

Reading my diary without permission would not be honorable. 

30/04

I had one of those dreams last night where I was running like I was a solid. It was so liberating to feel the grass on my toes and the hard surface of the ground with each step I took. The clouds were so far above me that I could not touch them, and I had to go around obstacles instead of over or through them. Then the dream changed, and I was standing in a big room with many other solids, and there was music and dancing and beautiful party dresses, and I woke up. I must have been dream flying, because I was hovering above our house. I floated back down to my bedroom and tried to go back to sleep in hopes of rejoining the party in my dream, but I could not. I just floated there, staring at the ceiling, trying to remember every detail. I liked the feeling of being in the middle of the party instead of quietly watching from the sidelines. I suppose I must have been trying harder than I realized to reconnect to the dream world, because something unexpected and remarkable happened. A tiny hole opened above me – not in the roof – but in the air. Light from another world poured into my room like reality had sprung a leak. Had I just opened a portal into the dream world? I gasped, lost concentration, and it was gone. I do not know what happened or how, but I must find out.

01/05

Today as I was passing through the halls and trying to avoid breaking one of Principal Revenant’s many rules, I heard a voice above me say, “Hey Kiyomi, why so blue?” I looked up to see Porter floating on his back, balancing a spray can of ghost paint on one finger. I can never tell if Porter is teasing or being serious, but I glanced down at my hands, and they were indeed the color of a blue funk; although they were quickly taking on a purplish tinge as scarlet embarrassment washed over me. Porter floated down and passed down the hall next to me. “You’ve really been stuck on cerulean lately – what’s up with that?” How could I tell him that I was sad because of a dream? So instead I told him that I was surprised he even noticed me at all. He laughed and said, “I’m an artist and you have colorful personalities – why wouldn’t I notice you?” I am afraid I blushed again, but Porter pretended not to notice as he turned and painted a mustache on a poster of Principal Revenant. I asked if he was afraid of getting in trouble. “Nah, it’ll disappear before she sees it, although boo knows – she might like it.” I cannot tell why I felt at that moment that I could trust him – but I did – so I asked if he ever wanted to be something other than what he was. I thought he might laugh at me, but he got a serious look on his face instead. “Sometimes I think unlife would be easier if I was just a regular ghost, if there really is such a thing. But if I was just a regular ghost I wouldn’t be able to do this.” Then Porter rose to the ceiling, and using a can of paint in each hand, wrote:

A quiet presence

Kiyomi Haunterly ghost

In colors beauty speaks

It was the nicest thing any ghost has ever done for me, and I stood there looking up at it until the ghost paint faded away. I could hear Porter laughing as he disappeared through a wall. “That’s a lovely shade of blush you have on.” Well, at least there wasn’t enough blue left to turn it purple.

03/05

Tonight I successfully opened another portal. This time I was able to hold it open a little longer, but instead of light shining through I heard the sound of laughter. It was not the mocking laughter of someone who is happy at your misfortune, but the genuine laughter of friends. I wanted to look through to see who was making such a joyful noise. Unfortunately, my kaiju woke up and roared like he needed to go out, so I lost concentration and the portal closed again. I must learn more about this ability, though I dare not tell or risk asking any ghost. I shall go tomorrow to the library and find out what there is to know, if there is something to know.

04/05

Oh my ghost. I copied this page on portals from a reference book in the library:

There are only three known ways to travel between the ghost world and the world of solids. The first – and it all practicality, only way – available to the majority of ghosts is to secure passage on one of the reaper vessels that navigate the currents of light, which in certain places link the two worlds. This is by far the most reliable method, although final reservations must be made at least a day in advance, as float-up passengers are always turned away.

The second way is also via reaper, as their scythes have the power to slice through the unseen barrier that separates the two worlds. Reapers do not, however, make outward-bound trips with passengers.

The third and final way is a power seemingly unique to the infamous “Red Lady.” Although she never elaborated how her powers work, it is theorized that she had the ability to open a portal to any place in the solid world by simply willing it. This theory remains unproven mainly because, when asked how she did it, the Red Lady’s reply was, “Wouldn’t boo like to know?”

I haven’t been opening portals to the dream world – I’ve been opening them to the solid world. What do I do now? Will I become the next Red Lady?

06/05

It has not taken long for curiosity to sweep aside any haunting worries of becoming the next Red Lady. I am not her, I am me. So now, after many hours of practice, I can open a portal large enough to see through, and can keep it open even if I become distracted. I have been watching a group of monster ghouls who seem to be very close, and for whom friendship plays a large role in their unlives. I am most fascinated by a vampire ghoul called Draculaura. I think her fashion sense is… totes adorbs… and her vocabulary, while strange to my ears, is simply put… fun. I have even started using little bits of it in my everyday speech, and I have made several of my school mates genuinely laugh out loud. This is strange to me, and I believe to them as well, as they have remarked, “Kiyomi, we had no idea you were so funny – where do you come up with this stuff?” I simply tell them that I have a good teacher, and then leave them wondering who that might be.

08/05

I opened a portal today and what – or rather who – I saw caused me to break out in ghost bumps. It happened like this: Draculaura was showing off a new pair of shoes. I was fascinated by their design, so much so that I did not pay attention to anyone or anything else around me. That is when I heard Draculaura say, “Spectra! Check out my new purchase. Aren’t they just to un-die for?” Spectra Vondergeist! She and I had been beast friends before she left the ghost world for the solid. I quickly closed the portal hoping she had not seen me. Perhaps I am being selfish, but I do not wish any ghost or solid to know about my newfound ability. It is my secret alone, at least for now.

10/05

I have taken much courage from haunting out with my “friend” Draculaura. I have already begun to use some of her words, and now I think I should like to imitate her style. That is why I journeyed to the phantom island of Hy Brasil today in order to shop at the fashion markets there, which are… totes off the chain. My family is friends with the captain of a ghost yacht, and since he was taking his own family over, I asked if I might go along. The island was already scary busy by the time we arrived, and I was orange with expectation. I promised to meet everyone back at the yacht by sundown and then faded into the crowd. The first thing I did was head straight to where the fashion vendors were selling their wares. There were fabrics in more colors than even I could feel! I felt unalive in a way that I never had before, and for the first time in my unlife, being anonymous didn’t make me shy. It made me bold. I even bargained with some of the sellers to get a better price. Before I would buy anything, though, I would duck into a dressing room and haunt in on Draculaura and the ghouls to try and match the fashions they were wearing. I only saw one other ghost that I knew, and that was River Styxx, but I saw her on the other side of a crowded square, and I was able to vanish from sight before she saw me again. I like River, she has always been very kind to me, but I wanted this to be my day. Maybe that was selfish of me, but it was how I felt at that moment. The day ended too soon, and before I knew it we were casting off and motoring out of the harbor. On the way to Hy Brasil I stayed in my cabin. On the way back I stood on the bow. As the wind blew through my hair, I knew I was going to do something bold with my unlife. I cannot wait to begin.  

#monster high #monster high diary #kiyomi haunterly #haunted #text post

[thefootballlife]

End of a Decade - Rangers’ title win heralds change everywhere in Scotland

It was, of course, inevitable that things would eventually change in Scottish football. This past weekend, it finally did. The ghosts of 2011 and 2012 were exorcised as Rangers finally ascended to the top of Scottish football. That it happened without drama, without Rangers’ hands even being in the result, didn’t impact on the celebration of Rangers’ fans. The title may have been mathematically secured courtesy of a sterile 0-0 draw between Celtic and Dundee United, but the fat lady had been warming up her lungs for many weeks.

And while plenty of column inches have been devoted to the scenes of celebration that trashed parts of central Glasgow and resulted in the advocation of water cannons filled with disinfectant being shot at fans on Radio Scotland. This article isn’t about that.

I mean, it could be. Rangers blaming the Scottish Government for not engaging in a discussion that, essentially, should consist of the words “No, of course you can’t celebrate, it’s a lock down, no-one can gather, don’t be stupid” to try to deflect blame from the very illegal gatherings that happened across the nation last weekend. There has been hysteria, a hysteria that shows the very real contempt many people hold football in, but I have little to add to the roster of condemnation. Football has been able to carry on due to the permission of the Scottish government and any action that gives reason for such permission - a permission many activities have not been able to be allowed - to be taken away deserves nothing but condemnation.

No. This piece isn’t about that stuff. It’s about the other stuff. The stuff that isn’t a short-term headline grabber that will dominate a couple of news cycles. It’s about the stuff that’s going to have a long-term real impact on the game in Scotland. Rangers’ well-deserved title victory is, many will hope, the start of a new era of dominance - that is still to be decided. I would land on a very different interpretation - Rangers’ win marks the end of a decade, the end of the 2010s, a decade that lingered on past the calendar date in Scottish football into this year but a decade that has, in the past couple of weeks, been killed off.

There are three key elements to that that make such a pronunciation so obvious, but one could really drag as many into it as you like. I’ll be focusing on Derek McInnes leaving Aberdeen, Celtic’s poor season and Rangers’ excellent one, but you could draw as many into it as you like. You could talk about Dundee United’s return to prominence being the end of an era in the wilderness - in a few weeks, you could talk about Hearts’ return to the top flight marking an end to an era where the Championship was able to call on marquee names or Partick Thistle’s likely stay in League One as a return to the wilderness for them after a decade of prominence.

You could thread in whatever story you like, the fact is that 2021 just sort of feels important. It feels like a turning point and there doesn’t really have to be a reason why. Where the past decade has been a build of footballing plotlines across individual and multiple seasons, this feels like the season finale. Football is a sport that will carry on long into the future and it carries on without any true finality but this season just sort of feels final.

In truth, this will probably feel like multiple pieces in one such are the threads combining to turn this season into what it is. There is likely no better place to start than at the champions.

Rangers’ title win isn’t just well deserved, it’s the pay-off for three years of planning. Where Celtic opted for short-term results through Rodgers and giving Neil Lennon the job in the showers, Rangers played the long game and built a team. That they were able to do so was because Steven Gerrard was building on foundations of failure - the pressure was off and as long as progress was being made, demands of silverware were made in hope rather than in expectation. There is, of course, a very different psychological dimension between being the hunter and the hunted and, while Rangers fell foul of it in 2019/20, no such errors came this season. Unlike last season, where Rangers eventually crumbled under what was constant pressure from Celtic, this time no such pressure has existed. The side are unbeaten and potentially set for an unbeaten season and few sides have really laid a glove on them - they are organised, efficient and effective. One will no doubt wonder going into next season whether, if Celtic had beaten them at Ibrox or a result somewhere had gone against them, their victory is as much a result of the failings of others as it is the mental strength of themselves. This has, after all, been perhaps more an asterisk year than the one cut short twelve months ago - with clubs shorn of income and transfer policies ripped up on short notice, the competition outside of Glasgow has surely never been as comparatively weak as it has been this season.

Rangers’ fans can hardly be begrudged a bit of happiness, even if how their happiness was shown was a bit over-exuberant in these times of pandemic. For years, their club have wallowed in debt and made predictions of future success that looked, frankly, fanciful at best, and then they go and prove everyone wrong by going and actually delivering on them. The club is far from out of the woods on the balance sheet, but having achieved success on the current budget, there should at least be little cause to increase it much and, instead, to try to maintain success rather than go for broke. It may be that the title win ends their own little era - should Jurgen Klopp end up leaving Liverpool due to their poor form this season, Steven Gerrard will likely be the emotional favourite for the job. Many will argue winning with Rangers proves nothing but Gerrard is now considerably more accomplished than Frank Lampard was when receiving the Chelsea job and, for Rangers, the backroom set up is designed to be bigger than any one manager. A title has been won but, for certain, the challenges of next season will test the club more than the challenges of this.

One person who won’t be around to see how that pans out is Derek McInnes. His eight year long association with Aberdeen - an association that saw Aberdeen consistently get close to taking that one last step into history - is over. A run of form that saw Aberdeen both assemble a formidable roster of strikers and then also see precisely none of them score was the final straw for a board who has, over the past three seasons, seen the Dons slowly fade into the background of Scottish football as Rangers became Scotland’s second best side and Aberdeen discovered that holding on to being Scotland’s third best side was far harder than it ever was to keep being its second best.

McInnes’ head rolling has been the result of at least 18 months of a realignment of perspective for Aberdeen. Fourth last season could be attributed to the weirdness of last season and Aberdeen’s record was broadly similar to those around them. This season, such justifications for position no longer exist as McInnes’ welcome wore out at a point where he was being asked to put together perhaps his third generation side - a side where many old names - the Logans, the Considines and the McGinns along with others - were reaching the end of their practical usefulness at the club. With the sales of Scott McKenna and Sam Cosgrove keeping the club ticking over but depriving McInnes of effective young leaders, the Dons became a side that huffed and puffed even more than usual and, ujnlike last season, their bare stats reflect that - Hibs in third have scored 9 more than them, Livi have scored 5 more than them in spite of most of their points coming only in one short sharp burst. With Kingsofrd on hiatus and the background of the club essentially in a holding pattern, something had to be done to put some energy into a club that was rapidly becoming moribund.

That could only have meant the departure of Derek McInnes. Though rarely uncompetitive across his eight years in charge, Aberdeen maybe spent only about six months of that actually being an entertaining watch. As time has gone on, Aberdeen have become more sterile and less incisive - while their current run of one goal in nine games is a pretty extreme example of their blunted attack, it isn’t exactly a surprise that a run of form that would force Aberdeen’s hand on the future of their manager would happen sooner or later.

Whoever takes over from McInnes has a job on - while there are good players there, particularly in central midfield, the defence is a mix of injury-prone and aging. The same applies to certain high earners on the wings and, up front, there’s a reason Aberdeen haven’t scored for ages. It is a team that needs a pretty big refit as the foundations of the teams that came close a few years ago remain at the club, but have begun to rot. Stephen Glass is currently favourite for the role - a choice that would at least be someone who knows the club but one that is also unproven at this level. It may well be that if Aberdeen are going to bring in someone with a modern coaching profile from modern facilities like Glass from Atlanta, Shaun Maloney associated with Belgium or Enzo Maresca from Man City that the role of manager is only part of a larger fitting up of their footballing operations. When one sees a line-up of links with backgrounds and philosophies as disparate as those in the reckoning at Pittodrie, it suggests the club right now aren’t entirely sure what they want. They will need to work that one out fairly quickly given this decision is about the entire direction the club want to go in.

Celtic, at least, seem to have some sort of direction of travel they want to go in and, interestingly, it seems to be the direction of travel they wanted to go in with Ronny Deila - a more modern backroom line-up with a proper sporting director and a proper head coach rather that the “manager” model that is now relatively archaic at clubs of Celtic’s stature.

Celtic have, of course, had a season that can best be described as weird. A failed Champions League campaign was at least given a bit of a veneer by Ferencvaros’ follow up exploits vs Dinamo Zagreb and in the group stage. A failed Autumn was given some shine by a quadruple treble. However, Neil Lennon’s side spent the autumn forever finding clouds in what should have been silver linings. And, when Europe and last season’s cup were out of the way, there were no more silver linings to grab on to. A winter of discontent led to an inevitable call - Neil Lennon leaving the club. Following him in a couple of months will be Peter Lawwell as Celtic enter a brave new future under the CEO-ship of the SRU’s Dominic McKay, someone who has at least recognised that there needs to be more separation between the pitch and the boardroom as Celtic do appear to be going down that sporting director route.

It’s a route I’m a fan of, something unlikely to really surprise anyone. The footballing staff have a large part to play in recruitment, but clubs need consistency in philosophy. Rodgers was similar to Deila, Lennon wasn’t similar to Rodgers. That’s why one transition worked spectacularly and one transition, well, ran out of steam. And, with the greatest respect to John Kennedy, he can only be an interim manager at this point in his career and would need to depart at the end of the season to ensure a clean break - it would be hard for any manager to come in with the shadow of the previous three still lingering in the background.

In fact, perhaps the Deila model is what should be returned to now but, rather than the model that saw Ronny as the man in charge, the original plan for Deila - to come in as assistant to a more senior manager, learn the club, learn the ropes and then take over once the system is fully embedded. The name that I’m thinking of as the Ronny is Simon Rozman, the former Rijeka manager and highly regarded coach who, if nothing else, has the happy tendency of dragging improvement out of individuals. I’d rightly be laughed at were I to suggest he be Celtic manager right now, but as an assistant to someone like Eddie Howe or the like, someone with similar footballing principles who can take on the heavy lifting of a rebuild before Rozman takes over to be the first true head coach - someone with just a role to coach and send a team out to play well rather than getting involved in the business kind of stuff.

Alternatively, throwing a large pot of money at Nenad Bjelica would be a likely guarantee of success given his exemplary record in Croatia and in Europe.

The second thing Celtic have to do is, similarly to Aberdeen, embark on a massive rebuild and, like Rangers three seasons ago, need to embark on it while providing a pressure-free environment for a team to actually grow. You don’t throw the hors d’oeuvres in the pressure cooker, you wait for the main course and you can’t throw what will be an embryonic project at Celtic into the full on madness of an Glaswegian ding-dong title race, you let it grow. Barring Rangers undermining themselves, Celtic aren’t winning the title next year - progress and patience must be the watchword, not expectation and bluster.

And much of that is because of the long, long list of decisions that a new regime will be asked on day one. Here’s a quick bullet point list of them…

Is Barkas salvageable?

If not, who takes the goalkeeping gloves

Can Kristoffer Ajer be convinced to a new contract?

If not, how much can Celtic get for him?

Who actually lines up in the centre of defence given Duffy won’t be at the club (and is Duffy) and Ajer probably will be?

Is Greg Taylor staying as left back?

Who plays right back given that Celtic basically don’t have any next season on the books?

What’s Scott Brown doing?

What’s Ryan Christie’s future? Oh, and Tom Rogic?

Given Elyounoussi is a loan and Mikey Johnston’s injury record is lenghty, who plays left wing?

With Edouard almost certain to leave, Leigh Griffiths hitting 31, and Ajeti and Klimala seemingly not having reached the standard Celtic want, who plays up front and are either Ajeti or Klimala salvageable?

That probably isn’t an exhaustive list of the job list to start off with but it’s certainly a decent account of the big ones. Possibly the biggest challenge there is one that isn’t listed - it all has to be done in a reasonably affordable fashion. Celtic need to spend big overall but it’s highly unlikely to be big on any one single player - with the right sporting director and recruitment team in place, that’s very possible. Rekindling interest in the likes of Kristijan Lovric (an obvious left wing solution) and others from smaller markets is perhaps the best wat to go. It’s a dilemma Celtic will have to prepare for and act on pretty quickly.

But Celtic’s decade is over. The reign of Lennon and Lawwell and the Celtic men is over as crisis is dragging the club into putting into place a more modern set up. Aberdeen’s decade is over as a new generation of a side needs to come in. Rangers’ decade of, well, whatever you’d like to describe it as is over as their fans would say the natural order of Glasgow’s football has been restored.

Everything has changed. Everything is about to change.

[billion-heartbeats]

mic Is this the beginning of the end of the pandemic in India?                     This was an organism unknown to science five months ago. Today it is the subject of study on an unprecedented scale. Antiviral drug trials have been launched. Some 150 vaccine trials are on the anvil! ICUs have been strengthened. Schools closed. To put it simply the World was in a lockdown. This may not be the end! But certainly, the beginning of the End! This is a public-health emergency, and only public health is going to get us out of this. It doesn’t matter how much virus is out there, if people aren’t susceptible to getting it, then the virus will go away. 2021 looks like it will be much better than 2020. India inches closer to the beginning of the end of COVID-19 pandemic. A timely response mitigates the effects of a disaster and India has been spot-on in this regard. The leadership role that India has assumed in dealing with this crisis is now being appreciated across the globe. India has shown the world that it can handle this crisis upfront.   The most tenuous moment is over: The scientific uncertainty at the heart of COVID-19 vaccines is resolved. Vaccines work. And for that, we can breathe a collective sigh of relief. “It makes it now clear that vaccines will be our way out of this pandemic,” The invention of vaccines against a virus identified only 10 months ago is an extraordinary scientific achievement. These are the fastest vaccines ever developed. The coronavirus continued to rip through the country and daily counts of new infections rose to record heights, the seemingly impossible occurred: good news- the beginning of the end of corona virus disease. Following India’s assiduous fight against the rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic since the past six months, the country finally sees signs of green shoots with the faster recoveries and sharp decline of new cases. R0 for India is slowly going down to 1.55 from 1.63 in last 20 days. Current R value is at 0.92. Containment zones in the city of Bangalore is down from a whopping 40,000 to Two in the last three months! The recovery rate has gone up to 93%. A year from now, India is likely to be in the midst of a massive vaccination initiative. If I’m getting your hopes up, then there’s good reason. We may be finally turning a corner on a pandemic after a year in which over 1.3 million have already died globally. On 9 November, Pfizer and BioNTech announced that their ribonucleic acid - RNA-based vaccine was 90% successful in preventing symptomatic covid-19. Overview of the corona pandemic The disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus is known as coronavirus disease 2019 – or COVID-19. Coronaviruses are a large family of enveloped, non-segmented, single-stranded, positive-sense RNA viruses that derive their name from their electron microscopic image, which resembles a crown – or corona. There have been 58.7 Million cases of COVID19 world wide with1.39 million deaths. India was home to 9.14 million cases with 134000 deaths. The decline has come in spite of release of lockdowns and other restrictions. 70% of the people with COVID have stopped transmitting the disease. The current India corona numbers are 45209 a day and there is a progressive decline! As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves around the world, it passes through several phases, raising distinct questions and challenges in each Phase 1 An unknown virus emerges 2 A pandemic unfolds 3 The pandemic accelerates 4 State of decline India has carried out 13 crore corona tests so far. This was the sixth consecutive week of falling coronavirus-related deaths in India. The highest deaths from the virus were recorded during the September 14-20 week, when 8,175 people had succumbed to the infection. The current week's toll, at 3,600, is a 56% fall from the peak. Fresh Covid-19 cases continued to fall for the seventh straight week in the country Transcending geographical boundaries — and every socio-economic and political demarcation — the COVID-19 outbreak has caused huge disruptions globally. It has substantially punctured mankind’s vanity. The scourge of nature is far more serious a threat than man-made wars. It is in this context that I see India’s role as exemplary. Among the world leaders, Prime Minister Modi seems to be particularly perspicacious — not only did he ascertain the real nature of the crisis, but he helped to prepare a graded response to it. It is important to step back and think about the monumental achievement of creating effective vaccines that work for a never-before-seen virus causing a disease in under a year. This rapid pace has been due to the technological advances in the last few years and also due to the rational approach used to design the front runner vaccines. Pfizer and Moderna have separately released preliminary data that suggest their vaccines are both more than 90 percent effective, far more than many scientists expected. Neither company has publicly shared the full scope of their data, but independent clinical-trial monitoring boards have reviewed the results, and the FDA will soon scrutinize the vaccines for emergency use authorization. Initial doses of vaccine should be available in December Pfizer and Moderna - they both bet on a new and hitherto unproven idea of using mRNA, which has the long-promised advantage of speed. This idea has now survived a trial by pandemic and emerged likely triumphant. If mRNA vaccines help end the pandemic and restore normal life, they may also usher in a new era for vaccine development. Several COVID-19 vaccines may soon cross the finish line. To vaccinate billions of people across the globe and bring the pandemic to a timely end, we will need all the vaccines we can get. When the Pandemic emerged with murky origins in late 2019 and found naive, unwitting hosts in the human body. science began to unravel many of the virus’s mysteries — how it spreads, how it tricks its way into cells, how it kills? How the body would react? How dangerous was it to life? How would it infect others etc. A fundamental unknown about vaccines hung over the pandemic and our collective human fate: Vaccines can stop many, but not all, viruses. Could they stop this one? The answer, we now know, is yes. A resounding yes. The day Chinese scientists shared the genetic sequence of a new coronavirus in January, researchers began designing vaccines that might train the immune system to recognize the still-unnamed virus. They needed to identify a suitable piece of the virus to turn into a vaccine, and one promising target was the spike-shaped proteins that decorates the new virus’s outer shell. Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines both rely on the spike protein. Human immune system and the Vaccines! The human immune system is awesome in its power, but an untrained one does not know how to aim its fire. That’s where vaccines come in. Vaccines present a harmless snapshot of a pathogen, that primes the immune system to recognize the real virus when it comes along. Traditionally, this snapshot could be in the form of a weakened virus or an inactivated virus or a particularly distinctive viral molecule. But those approaches take time and expertise. Both are lacking during a pandemic caused by a novel virus. mRNA vaccines offer a clever shortcut. We humans don’t need to intellectually work out how to make viruses; our bodies are already very, very good at incubating them. When the coronavirus infects us, it hijacks our cellular machinery, turning our cells into miniature factories that churn out infectious viruses. The mRNA vaccine makes this vulnerability into a strength. What if we can trick our own cells into making just one individually harmless, though very recognizable, viral protein? The coronavirus’s spike protein fits this description, and the instructions for making it can be encoded into genetic material called mRNA. Several more vaccines using the spike protein are in clinical trials too. They rely on a suite of different vaccine technologies, including weakened viruses, inactivated viruses, viral proteins, and another fairly new concept called DNA vaccines. Never before have companies tested so many different types of vaccines against the same virus, which might end up revealing something new about vaccines in general. The next few months will be a test of one potential downside of mRNA vaccines: their extreme fragility. mRNA is an inherently unstable molecule, which is why it needs that protective bubble of fat, called a lipid nanoparticle. But the lipid nanoparticle itself is exquisitely sensitive to temperature. For longer-term storage, Pfizer/BioNTech’s vaccine has to be stored at –70 degrees Celsius and Moderna’s at –20 Celsius, though they can be kept at higher temperatures for a shorter amount of time. Pfizer/Bio-NTech and Moderna have said they can collectively supply enough doses for 22.5 million people in the United States by the end of the year. The good news is that while we wait, new treatment options for covid-19 are also becoming available. Just last week the first monoclonal antibody (created by Eli Lilly) received emergency use authorization in the US for the treatment of early stage covid-19. There are other monoclonal antibodies which may be approved in the coming days. All of us are united in the hope for a Great Vaccine. But as they say, hope is not a strategy. Prudence demands that decision-makers of all hues have actionable and cost-effective plans to achieve resilience even in the face of a Protracted Covid. People should receive the vaccine on a war footing. It’s a public good and to be treated as such. But the end of the pandemic does not necessarily mean the eradication of COVID-19. The closing act of this public health calamity is likely to be a gradual return to a new normal, with infections, restrictions, and public health fears falling away one by one rather than all at once. Getting there will not be as simple as getting a shot, but with effective vaccines, robust distribution plans, widespread testing, and continued social distancing through the winter — all possible but hardly assured — our exit from the pandemic could come much sooner than many dared hopes. Testing, isolation and contact tracing, however, are all essentially a backup plan for fighting an infectious virus like SARS-CoV-2. The only way to ensure that the virus won’t burn through a global population again is to build a better defence. And the most impenetrable fortress against a virus is immunity by getting vaccinated. The virus is not likely to go away, maybe ever, but certainly not for a long time. “But that said, we’re not going to be living like this forever, and in fact, I expect by springtime that things will start really getting much, much better. And then it’ll continue to get better. And at some point, we will no longer feel like we’re living now. Dr N Prabhudev Former Director Sri Jayadeva institute of Cardiology Former VC of Bangalore university Former Chairman Karnataka state Health Commission [email protected]