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zukadiary · 5 years

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Ocean’s 11 ~ Cosmos Troupe 2019

Ocean’s was great! I loved it so much! I thought the previous two versions were fine, but never cared for either enough to go back and watch them again. Turns out if you adore every single person in the troupe putting it on, the ensemble cast makes it a home run.

If I remember correctly, there are some noticeable differences between the Hoshigumi and Hanagumi versions. This was a slightly tweaked and polished Hanagumi version. The show does a great job of featuring a lot of people; nearly everyone gets something fun to do (it’s consequently not the best taidan for Akkii or Riku, but if it wasn’t their last I’d really say it’s good for everybody). The scenes change quickly (and flow a lot better than I remember), so even if a given person’s appearances are short they’re typically fairly frequent. I’m not terribly pleased that the prolific use of projections seems to be a continuing theme in Takarazuka, but Ocean’s actually used them WELL, and with all the hacking/security/surveillance going on, and the flashing lights and artificiality of Las Vegas, it actually makes sense.

There are three (3!) major ad lib scenes that are different every day, something I didn’t realize ahead of time having only seen the previous versions on DVD:

Tess walking in on Benedict and his lackeys trying to physically threaten the Evergreen people into handing over the rights to their non-profit and Benedict having to lie about what they were doing

Saul giving everyone a pre-caper “acting lesson” in which Susshii says something ridiculous and the rest of the eleven have to remember it and mimic her in unison

Rusty pretending to be “Dr. Johnson” to cart Saul off after the fake heart attack that serves as a distraction during the actual heist (for those who can read Japanese, one brave twitter user is keeping track of all the Dr. Johnson ad libs)

...and these made me really look forward to seeing the show again and again. I probably could have gone every day and been thoroughly entertained.

Danny Ocean is the most boring vanilla blank canvas of a character and requires the actress playing him to really bring everything herself. Fortunately, Makaze and her devastatingly attractive body could have stood in the corner in those open-necked suits without saying a word for 3 hours and I’d still have given it a 10/10. On top of that though, I thought she played him perfectly. Her sort of low-key coolness that for me has come off a bit stiff at times with some of her other top star stuff was spot on for Danny, who I fully believed was chill, aloof, and sexy enough to both pull off such an impossible robbery without a moment’s anxiety, AND stalk the woman trying to divorce him such that she was not only NOT immediately put off completely but also ultimately able to fall back in love with him. In the dream sequence that opens Act 2, when Makaze changes from serpent to prince and leaves the bouquet of flowers on Tess’s bed for her to accept whenever she’s ready, my heart clenched so bad I accidentally groaned audibly the first time I saw it. She also sang the best I’ve ever heard her sing.

Madoka is a beautiful Tess, and above all else I was THRILLED that they finally let her have such a grown up role and that she slayed it. I had absolutely no doubt that she’d slay it; she’s a fantastic actress who as far as I can tell is only battling her round little face and height difference with Makaze when it comes to getting mature roles. But they styled her flawlessly and her dresses were to die for and she looked so fantastic I hope all concerned parties got the hint that this is fine. I want to see the two of them do something sizzling hot together (although I have to admit, dude chasing after his wife who wants so badly to divorce him IS a fun dynamic that we never really get to see in Takarazuka, unless they’re doing Ocean’s).

I love Kiki more and more every time I see her, and while it’s hard not to be annoyed that she’s not a top star already, I will be so furious if they take her away from Soragumi; I absolutely love what they bring out of her. I think she and Makaze have a great dynamic together, and she was both cool and funny enough to make Rusty very enjoyable to watch. There wasn’t a single Dr. Johnson scene I saw that didn’t have me laughing out loud and wishing I had another ticket. One day I sat in B-seki with a group of students on a class trip, and one of them gasped すごい when she finished her finale-opening solo. Here’s a funny story from Makaze’s ochakai that I read on twitter: there is a duet between Danny and Rusty during which Rusty lights a cigarette, and apparently Koike wanted to modernize Ocean’s by giving him an IQOS instead. Makaze convinced him that was the worst idea ever and wants all Kiki fans to thank her personally.

MVP: Zun as Benedict. I suspect her interpretation might be polarizing once the world at large gets to see Ocean’s, but I loooooved it. Once upon a time there was a Japanese meme going around about what kind of date various prominent otokoyaku would bring you on, and Zun was pegged as a young, sweet, filthy rich kid who would reserve the entirety of Disneyland and then take you there. Her Benedict was like the evil version of that. I appreciated so much that she went a different direction than Beni and Daimon and played him as just a rich sleazy horrible asshole without the over-the-top comical bits—and she was STILL very funny, just as the straight man to everyone else’s ridiculous antics. She was so dark, so angry, and had such a scary glint in her eyes for such a cute little muffin; so impressively gross it was weird to see her smiling genuinely in the finale. And she’s a DAMN GOOD STAGE KISSER, astonishingly so for someone who’s yet to have a romantic lead outside of shinko and Bow Hall. I very much enjoyed her team as well—mostly Mitsuki Haruka as Taylor, Aishiro Moa as Beth, and Hoshizuki Rio as Charles, keeping things funny and chaotic. Kihou Kanata/Manase Mira were even hilarious as the bodyguards (Wakato Ritsu was a fine Bruiser, but IMO it’s pretty hard to beat Taso... and I felt a gaping hole where Fuuma Kakeru should have been).

Seiko could have carried this show by herself. For whatever reason—and I rewatched the Hanagumi version recently—I didn’t think Queen Diana, outside of being sassy, was as good of a role as it was (does the DVD fail to show a lot of her antics? Maybe. Was I doing a lousy job paying attention? Possibly). But no, Seiko was all over it, convincingly the biggest force in Vegas (and this cast). I am going to miss her so so so much. Akkii and Riku ended up with the more senior but less meaty roles of Frank and Basher respectively. While Frank is on the quieter side during most of the scenes with all the 11 except for his opening solo and arrest, I personally, for probably biased reasons, really enjoyed watching Akkii and Sora in the background, where Frank is very frequently trying to coerce Linus into getting over himself and just doing the thing already. I don’t know if this has been especially tough on Riku, but her eye bags have eye bags :( As much as I’m going to miss her, I hope she gets through this and takes a nice long rest. The Soragumi landscape is going to be so weird and different without these three. They come down for the parade together with Seiko in the middle and I got choked up every single time.

I’m thrilled that Sora got Linus mostly from a rank standpoint; they announced Ocean’s before Aichan’s transfer to Senka and I was positive she was going to be Livingston. The role itself kind of unfortunately emphasized how tiny and behind she is in this troupe, but at the same time she was SO grumpy and SO cute. I feel bad taking pleasure in her angst but boy was she cute. She talked about how interesting it was to play someone who was struggling to overcome his own roadblocks, both as the only upperclassman to ever play this role, and also having just turned ken-10, where otokoyaku are supposed to “come of age” so to speak. And the frustration and uncertainty she put into the role was extremely palpable. As I’m used to her being a disembodied arm or a blurry image over someone’s shoulder on most DVDs, I couldn’t be happier that she finally has a whole solid handful of her very own scenes that I might actually be able to see not only in the theater. She’s closer to the middle when the otokoyaku dance too, AND she moved up a parade spot. I most definitely teared up when she came down the stairs featured between Rara and Mineri.

Moeko was SO CUTE as Livingston, and the scene where Rusty busts into Livingston’s place pretending to be an FBI agent was one of my favorites, along with the one where Danny comes to get the Malloy brothers and they mess with his face on the security camera. I’m so enamored with both Kotti and Yuuki Shion (Yuuki Shion dangerously so, YIKES; she’s like the awkward baby Sora I fell in love with reincarnated, plus she can do Komu-esque things with her legs and jump so astonishingly high). I will forever be obsessed with Susshii and how much joy and passion she pours into playing even the most crotchety old men. I don’t know what it IS about Rinkira that screams old man to the producers (other than that maybe they just need someone to do it), but I even liked her as Reuben, and Akine Hikaru as Yen a surprising amount. I always thought of Yen as a scary role that you don’t want your girl to get stuck with, and for someone prominent I guess it would be a bummer, but I don’t think I’ve ever noticed Akine Hikaru do much of anything before, so I was mostly just wide eyed at how acrobatic and good with a yo-yo she is.

The finale is REAL good; Makaze is hot and a little sweaty and her hair is styled to make her look even sweatier. The top-star-in-a-harem-of-musumeyaku number is done in one of my favorite aesthetics, where the musumeyaku let their hair down (literally) no matter how intricately they were styled up to that point, and you can see the creases from their former pins and braids and it’s a little messy and loose and sexy which are all things I wish they’d let musumeyaku be more often, and Makaze is in the middle just like doing illegal things with her mouth and all that jazz. The otokoyaku dance is good too, and the duet dance is cute as shit (there’s a part where Makaze like boops Madoka’s nose and then Madoka pushes her like ~stop that~ and ugh).

And speaking of ugh, the end of Act 1 where all 11 of them turn around and saunter toward the back of their stage after formulating their flawless plan put my stomach in knots, both for the sheer swagger and the overflowing love I feel for this lineup of this troupe. I know I’ve been saying this for like two years and it STILL hasn’t happened on the scale I’ve been expecting, but I can feel the transfers coming and I’m scared.

#takarazuka #reviews #ocean's 11 soragumi 19 #am i 東宝組 now 19

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fountainpenguin · 4 years

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L X and Y

L: What’s the weirdest AU you’ve ever come up with?

ZoneSwap AU!

I love the concept of a Danny Phantom/ChalkZone AU where Danny, guardian of the Ghost Zone, tries to protect the Ghost Zone from humans who might exploit or destroy it (and protect its people from the dangers of the outside world, such as fading from reality if they spend more than a few hours outside). Rudy guardian of ChalkZone, has the ability to “go chalk” the way Danny goes ghost (a power he utilizes to actively fight monsters that have been erased into ChalkZone).

I have a ZoneSwap AU tag on my blog if you’re interested in reading my concepts for it. THIS is the main post that outlines my thoughts. The idea was “ChalkZone but it’s darker and more action-y and Danny Phantom but cuter and with extreme levels of worldbuilding.” In this AU, Zone guardian powers are flipped: Danny’s ghost powers now only work in the Ghost Zone while Rudy gains the ability to use magic chalk in the real world.

Reggie the Red was my favorite part of this, with him taking Valerie’s role as dangerous rival whose motivations overlap the hero’s on occasion, but not often since he usually has his own agenda.

“I am perfectly able to do things on my own!”

The red chalk has the same malicious intent in ZoneSwap that it does in ChalkZone canon, overwhelming Reggie quickly and turning him into a puppet if he tries to use this form for long. ZS!Reggie has become so corrupted from repeated exposure that white chalk won’t respond to him, so any time he wants to use magic chalk he has no choice but to use red.

Like canon Rudy, ZS!Rudy swore off drawing living things when he realized he couldn’t handle the responsibility. Reggie has no problem creating masses of minions, so it makes for interesting fights.

You don’t understand how much I love Reggie.

Tucker is also dead in ZoneSwap AU and is for Danny what Snap is to Rudy in ChalkZone: a guide and friend. He’s friends with Technus, who loathes letting Tucker out of his sight.

There’s a lot of fun stuff to this world and if I wasn’t already neck-deep in Fairly OddParents, I’d love to revisit this idea. I’ve actually planned to introduce my little brother to ChalkZone this coming week, so maybe you’ll see more chalk on my blog these next few months.

X: A character you enjoy making suffer.

Mmm… I have to say Cosmo.

Foop goes through a lot in my fanfics, but I don’t think he sees his life as suffering (He’s the opposite of Poof in that he doesn’t think his trials are that big of a deal). Poof faces a lot of struggles, but I wouldn’t say I enjoy it. Poof’s one of the characters I prefer writing in the downtime between drama; he’s laid back and fun. I prefer watching him juggle his baggage to the moments he receives said baggage in the first place.

I like watching H.P. and Anti-Cosmo overcome their struggles, but “suffer” is a harsh word. H.P.’s entire story revolves around him thinking his life is worse than it is, and his wealthy, high-status entitlement is obvious when he’s placed beside Anti-Cosmo… He’s not suffering as much as he could be. Anti-Cosmo is energized by suffering in an “I can’t wait to conquer this obstacle; this is exciting!” sort of way. Conflict is a pleasurable learning experience in his mind (Unless he’s in a depressive mood swing and withdraws… though I don’t enjoy throwing things at him while he’s at his lowest either).

Cosmo is… special. I enjoy knocking him down. I think it’s because he feels things so deeply AND interprets his suffering in a heartbreaking way, so he’s refreshingly different compared to the other characters I normally write. It was important to me to utilize both “Cosmo wrote an astrophysics textbook” and “Cosmo is forgetful and can’t read very well” canon so I, uh… I did.

“Author of distinction?” Yes, that was canon. Once upon a time, a long time ago. I really put him through the wringer in Frayed Knots. While Anti-Cosmo is having the time of his life wielding power and swooning over Anti-Wanda, Cosmo… is battling his inner demons. There’s a reason I can’t post “Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Pixies” for another year or two… Can’t have Cosmo sharing his pain with Poof just yet!

That said, while I do like knocking Cosmo down, I love seeing his high points too because, again, he feels so deeply. It’s funny… in my files I have his postpartum depression ‘fic right next to his hygge ‘fic. Whenever I write scenes where he’s suffering, I add more lines to his self-care story because he and I both need that mental break. I do him wrong, but I treat him right.

Y: A character you want to protect.

Youngblood (Danny Phantom). He deserves the world. If you guys have recommendations of nice ‘fics he appears in and does NOT die a horrible second death on top of already being a ghost child, I’m all ears. I wish I could find the time and motivation to finish my own ‘fic about him, but ALAS!

You didn’t ask for Question Z, but the “character whose death I can’t tolerate in ‘fic” is absolutely Youngblood. He doesn’t appear in many to begin with [going off what I was reading two years ago], yet I’ve read like five that unexpectedly kill him off in the end. Maybe my explorations into DP ‘fic were limited, but I never came across any other ghost being killed off. Only this one child who never enjoyed a happy ending. What’s up with that?

Fanfic Ask Meme

#asks #Anon #Rudys got the chalk!#Literal garbage boy #Main Phantom trio #Uncle Fleshgloves #Dragonfly parents #YOUNGBLOOD!#apparently art #ridwriting #Going ghost!#ZoneSwap AU

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constablewrites · 5 years

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Anatomy of a Scene: The Shining’s Hedge Animals

Many storytelling techniques and tropes transcend medium. But when it comes to horror, visual media like movies and video games has tools at its disposal that fiction just doesn’t. Unsettling images in the background and creepy music can be extremely effective at provoking a visceral reaction of fear. How can one replicate that feeling with only words?

I’ve read a fair amount of horror in my day, especially in my Stephen King phase that is apparently standard-issue for preteen girls. And among all the weird and creepy stuff, there’s only one scene that’s ever genuinely terrified me. The funny thing is, whenever I say that to people, without any further explanation I usually get a single response:

“Oh, you mean the topiaries in The Shining.”

It’s an element that’s not in the Kubrick film (which has only superficial resemblances to the book). They appear a couple of times, but their first appearance is particularly worth examining. While Wendy and Danny make one last trip into town, Jack goes out to trim the hedge animals near the playground. He trims one, then heads over to explore the playground, lingering there for reasons he can’t explain. When he finally returns his attention to them, they’ve moved. The animals are perfectly still while he’s watching them, but the ones he can’t see keep advancing on him, boxing him in. Finally he just covers his eyes, and when he opens them, everything has returned to the way it was.

So what makes this scene stand out?

First, you have to consider where the scene fits structurally. The first half of the book is a slow burn. Danny’s premonitions provide an undercurrent of dread as all three Torrances desperately try to reaffirm their family bonds. Jack in particular clings hard to his conception of himself as a good person, even as his self-control starts to slip and old bad habits crop back up. The attack of the topiaries serves as the last warning for them to turn back before tragedy becomes inevitable, a warning which goes unheeded. Immediately after that scene, the snow begins to fall, and the next chapter sees Danny meet the dead woman in room 217 and the family’s trust in each other start to crumble. So the topiary scene is the culmination of a long build-up of the knowledge that this is all going to end very, very badly.

The idea of a threat that only moves when you can’t see it is a very primal one, tied to the way ambush predators hunt. It’s a fear that plays particularly into the paranoia of the novel, the idea that you just know something is going on but are denied the concrete proof of visible motion. Further, it gives you just enough agency to feel really helpless: you could hold the monsters at bay, if only you were able to watch them all at once.

Jack’s reaction is a big part of the effect of the scene. Up until now, he’s been rationalizing the strangeness (the wasps, Danny’s powers, his drunken tics returning despite the lack of liquor). But in the face of this, he doesn’t try to explain it away, doesn’t do anything but react with pure, childlike terror, down to the decision to simply cover his eyes and hope that the threat passes. It’s a reaction much more similar to how Danny’s been treating his visions, tying him closer to the boy’s certainty that the Overlook is a dangerous place.

From a technique standpoint, the scene echoes the book as a whole in that it really takes its time. Jack starts trimming the animals, then impulsively stops and goes into the playground. He keeps telling himself he should get back to the task, and keeps doing other unsatisfying things instead, delaying for no particular reason. Even when he hears the noise behind him, it takes a full page of him looking around and grappling with his inexplicable physical fear reaction before he finally puts it together. If the animals had simply come to life and attacked, it would be freaky but wouldn’t give Jack (and the reader) the time to get good and worked up over it. The slow realization that this is really happening and there’s nothing you can do about it is what puts the scene over the top.

Ultimately, it’s fairly easy to startle or disturb or freak out an audience. The Shining in general, and the topiaries in particular, show that if you want to truly terrify them, you want to stretch that anticipation until it snaps.

#the shining #horror #movie #book #adaptation #writing #writing techniques #writing advice #writing lesson wednesdays #am writing #writeblr

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icarianrise · 5 years

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— BASICS.

▸ IS YOUR MUSE TALL / SHORT / AVERAGE ?

Average. 5′7″ babey !

▸ ARE THEY OKAY WITH THEIR HEIGHT ?

Yes --- it’s a good height for wearing kitten heels for a little boost or full heels for extra help commanding attention.

▸ WHAT’S THEIR HAIR LIKE ?

Dark brown, naturally a little wavy. She doesn’t like when it grows past her shoulders and always does it so that it’s in soft waves and pinned off her face. Her preferred style is reminiscent of Rita Hayworth, but shorter. [ x ] [ x ] for reference.

▸ DO THEY SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON THEIR HAIR / GROOMING ?

Yes --- she has an entire morning routine for getting ready and it’s part of the reason why she likes waking up early. She’ll wash up, do her makeup ( as much as is possible given limited resources but she makes do ) and then make sure her hair looks nice and is pinned in place. She always lays her clothes out the night before and pins/ties her hair up so it’ll be wavy the next day. The last thing she does in the morning is apply her lipstick. It’s the final step that makes her feel ready to face the day.

▸ DOES YOUR MUSE CARE ABOUT THEIR APPEARANCE / WHAT OTHERS THINK ?

Yes --- it’s not so much an issue of vanity, though, as much as it is personal pride. She likes the routine of it, taking time for herself in the morning to put herself together. It also gives her a feeling of control. She has control over the way she looks, presents herself, is seen by others. Considering the lack of control she’s had in her life as of late it’s honestly a comfort to sit down with an old-world indulgence and if people think it’s silly or vain for her to worry about appearances when survival is on the line, she honestly doesn’t give a damn.

— PREFERENCES.

▸ INDOORS OR OUTDOORS ?

Indoors --- but not opposed to outdoors. She likes being outside just fine and will enjoy some fresh air and sunshine when she can but most days her only ventures outside are to travel, which is dangerous.

▸ RAIN OR SUNSHINE ?

Rain --- she loves sitting inside and listening to the rain on a stormy day.

▸ FOREST OR BEACH ?

Beach --- granted, she’s not out lounging in her two piece ( it’s the Commonwealth’s loss ) these days and the smells of many rotting things sort of ruin the experience. But if she can find a clear spot to sit with a good book she’s happy.

▸ PRECIOUS METALS OR GEMS ?

Precious metals --- diamonds may be a girl’s best friend but they look best when inlaid on gold. That being said she has very little by way of jewelry besides two gold rings tucked into a lock box.

▸ FLOWERS OR PERFUMES ?

Flowers --- she preferred light, floral perfumes anyway. Besides, heavy perfumes are more likely to attracted unwanted attention at the worst possible times.

▸ PERSONALITY OR APPEARANCE ?

Personality --- looks are just frills around the important things.

▸ BEING ALONE OR BEING IN A CROWD ?

Alone --- although it wasn’t until coming out of the vault that she ever felt lonely. She prefers solitude and privacy just fine, crowds make her anxious.

▸ ORDER OR ANARCHY ?

Order --- that is, in fact, her driving focus.

▸ PAINFUL TRUTHS OR WHITE LIES ?

White lies --- for others. She would rather be told a harsh truth than a white lie, rather tell a white lie than a harsh truth. She almost always avoids full-blown dishonesty or deception but especially in personal matters she will always answer with something that is, as best, half true.

▸ SCIENCE OR MAGIC ?

Science --- she doesn’t have the luxury of dealing in fantasy these days.

▸ PEACE OR CONFLICT ?

Peace --- whenever possible. In the Commonwealth Effie finds that it takes a bit more effort but always with that much more reward.

▸ NIGHT OR DAY ?

Night --- it’s when she the most personal time.

▸ DUSK OR DAWN ?

Dawn --- it’s quiet, full of promise. She wakes up as early as possible just to sit and relax.

▸ WARMTH OR COLD ?

Warmth --- she doesn’t like being cold.

▸ MANY ACQUAINTANCES OR A FEW CLOSE FRIENDS ?

Both --- she has a few close friends, but a network of acquaintances is useful in its own regard.

▸ READING OR PLAYING A GAME ?

Reading --- its what she does with most of her free time, assuming she has a book on hand.

— QUESTIONNAIRE.

▸ WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR MUSE’S BAD HABITS ?

Smoking, especially when stressed. Overworking, getting a bit controlling with others even if her intentions are good. Lying is a big one, or at the very least deflecting questions to the point where you realize that you’ve learned nothing after a full conversation with her.

▸ HAS YOUR MUSE LOST ANYONE CLOSE TO THEM ? HOW HAS IT AFFECTED THEM ?

Nate, obviously. Knowing he died protecting Shaun was the only thing that got her out of Vault 111 in the first place, honestly. It gave her a purpose which just barely kept her from being fully consumed by her grief. Shaun, to a more complicated extent, was also lost to her. She’ll never see Father or the synth child as her son. Besides that, I mean, literally anyone she ever knew before the war. She tries not to think about it but she knows her parents couldn’t have survived the bombs and she’s seen the remains of her neighbors. She tries to put those feelings in a little box and not think about them, because it would only hold her back and distract from the very real present. She treats her life before the war as someone else’s life, whether or not that’s a healthy way to cope ( it’s not ).

▸ WHAT ARE SOME FOND MEMORIES YOUR MUSE HAS ?

From before the war she has plenty of big events --- her wedding, graduating from law school, Shaun’s birth. Since leaving the vault the types of memories change a little. Piper’s dramatic lie to get her into Diamond City will always stick with her, the grin and wink Piper gave as she tormented poor Danny Sullivan. The first time she helped a group of settlers and they agreed to join the Minutemen ( the fondness is part pride in her accomplishments, part seeing the smile on Preston’s face that could rival the sun ).

▸ IS IT EASY FOR YOUR MUSE TO KILL ?

No --- even if it’s a firefight against raiders, it stays with her for a bit afterward. She won’t show it though.

▸ WHAT’S IT LIKE WHEN YOUR MUSE BREAKS DOWN ?

Effie Calvet does not break down. Effie Calvet has not, in fact, ever broken down in her entire life. She is an emotional rock, a fixed point for those around her. ( It’s happened twice. Once, when she first left her cryopod and saw Nate’s body. Then, again, when she finally returned from her first visit to the Institute. Her entire body shakes, she cries but it’s silent save for sudden gasps and sniffling. She curls in on herself and can’t move and all she feels is a gaping hollow in her gut. It’s paralyzing. She can’t sleep, can’t eat, can hardly breathe. It’s already unbearable but if anyone ever saw her like that it would make it a hundred times worse. The only thing that ever really pulls her out of it is some purpose to keep her moving forward. The first time it was finding Shaun, the second time it was rebuilding the entire Commonwealth. )

▸ IS YOUR MUSE CAPABLE OF TRUSTING SOMEONE WITH THEIR LIFE ?

Yes --- to a degree. As long as her and her companion have a common goal she trusts that they will help keep her alive in order to achieve it. She trusts that she can make herself worth more alive to someone than dead, basically. Other than that she never expects anyone to put her well-being above their own for purely selfless reasons.

▸ WHAT’S YOUR MUSE LIKE WHEN THEY’RE IN LOVE ?

Effie doesn’t fall in love easily so when she does, she’s committed. She’s extremely attentive to her partner and delights in doing little things to brighten their day or make their lives easier. You never need to tell her your favorites for anything, she already knows and she will provide in plenty --- like a favorite snack always on hand when they visit, something small but thoughtful. She really just wants to do things with her partner. Go places, experience things, and while the Commonwealth doesn’t exactly provide ideal date spots in abundance she still likes going out and finding something for them to share. She is much more open with her partner and will confide in them if she’s upset or needs to vent, which is huge deal for Effie and not something she takes lightly. Not too much PDA but in private there’s plenty of hand holding, being physical and touchy when in her partner’s space even if it’s just putting her legs over them while they’re sitting together. Naturally there will be red lipstick kisses peppered everywhere to the point where her partner probably has some that they didn’t even realize until someone else brings it up.

TAGGED : by the wonderful @nvalcntine !!

TAGGING : @nezhnosts @vndicate @maskedsin @riverdivined anyone who wants to do this !!

#* here comes the general ! / effie.#* here comes the general ! / hc.#uhhhhhhh what tags does this need??#i'll do some general like #it talks about shaun/nate so #death //#pregnancy //#ask to tag otherwise #i ended up sticking most of it under a read more bc it got so long omg #i have a lot to say about effie and i will not be stopped!!!!!!#there are probably a lot of typos but i'm too lazy to reread everything

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xkavonimex · 7 years

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What if?

Okay, he could do this. I mean, this wasn't something he did everyday but how could it really compare to saving the world? Scratch that, saving the galaxy. So yeah, he could do this. This really wasn't the √−1, that is to say impossible, but then that wasn't true, it was imaginary not impossible and while those words could sometimes be used interchangeably (like when mentioning the chances of pigs flying - but then that too - okay. This really wasn't helping. Sam needed to calm down and stop pacing - when did he start pacing? That doesn't matter. He picked up his backpack and moved to the door, taking another breath as he grabbed his helmet. His new life starts today, he should be way more excited. Pacing and procrastinating was not how he planned to spend the morning. Still, he had a short flight to the SHIELD helicarrier to clear his head, well short for someone with his abilities anyway. He found himself hovering in front of a metal door not twenty minutes later. The door itself was obviously no issue - he'd gotten the clearance earlier (even without it though he'd like to think he had a good chance against the thin metal). Instead, the problem was his racing mind as he prepared himself to meet his new team. This was it, his big defining moment. There was only one chance to form a first impression, just a matter of seconds really - unless they got amnesia but it was extremely unlikely that the whole team would - stop Sam, stop. All he had to do was go in, introduce himself and keep up his new persona, how hard could that be? Apparently, it was considerably harder than he thought. When he entered the room, all eyes turned on him. The other 3 people in the room - the rest of his team, were in the middle of some conversation but it trailed off with little complaint. The one closest to him spoke first, the only girl in the room. “You're Nova, aren't you?” She spoke as though it was a question but she hardly needed any confirmation, judging by what SHIELD had shown him of his soon-to-be teammates. He mentally listed what he knew about her: she was great at hand to hand combat; while in costume she had sharp claws and quick reflexes, making her a capable fighter; her intelligence was reasonably high both on and off the - oh she was waiting for an answer… oops. “Yeah,” he inwardly cringed at how loud that came out - that was something to get used to (though judging by their faces, they were also surprised and displeased in varying amounts). White tiger looked the most annoyed (by a considerable margin), but then she seemed like the serious type. “I'm White Tiger, or Ava Ayala, this is Luke Cage” - she gestured to the boy to her right who gave a small nod and a smile. He was well built, especially for a teen, and (from what he'd seen on the SHIELD files and from a bit of research - it was the smart thing to do) he had exceptional strength and impermeable skin. That in itself was rather interesting, those traits were clearly not just achieved through training so he had to have acquired them somehow, but there were so many possibilities. Did he get them from some sort of mutation? Or maybe it was passed on from a not-too-human parent or ancestor? Maybe this was the result of some interesting genetic engineering or - “and this is Iron Fist or Danny Rand” - she gestured to the boy to her left, drawing Sam's attention back from where he was probably staring. The boy in question offered a small bow of his head - wasn't that awkward?, and a greeting Sam was not listening to (in favour of mentally listing the facts he knew). Danny had the power to concentrate immense amounts of energy on his fist(s? He'd have to look into that). H was also incredibly skilled at some form of martial arts - whose name Sam couldn't catch from the rooftop he was perched on, and (confusingly) a pacifist? Sam's rambling was cut short this time by everyone's eyes on him, they'd probably asked a question? Naturally, he responded with the most intellectual response he could manage: “Uhh?” It was monosyllabic, a filler word (if it could be called any) and drawled in such a way that said ‘I probably only have half a dozen brain cells - at most’. Perfect. “What's your name?” Luke was somewhat louder this time, louder at least than whoever had spoken before. (Probably Ava seeing as she had been doing most of the talking and looked the most annoyed by his slowness, then again she had been the most annoyed by everything so far so she could just be short tempered? Maybe that was just her normal face and default tone? What was it that kid back in Arizona called it.. A bitch resting face! - Focus Sam.) “Oh, Sam,“ he paused for a moment before adding “Alexander”, because he could at least return the gesture of a full formal introduction. After the introductions were over, he learnt a few interesting titbits about the rest of his team and some intriguing rumors about SHIELD. Naturally, Sam continued to establish his new persona by being loud and slow - sometimes to the point that he would make the rest jump because of a sudden realisation. Sam was absolutely delighted to learn that they would be joined by another hero (and Spider-Man no less - not that he was a fan or anything). That feeling only grew when he found out they would be joining a school in the area. He had joked about making a new life for himself with this new persona, but this was something else. He'd be able to start school afresh as a complete idiot and try all the stuff he couldn't because of his suffocating reputation as a ‘smart and reasonable’ person. He couldn't wait. Okay, so Spidey wasn't as cool as Sam thought he would be; he was far, far better. His real name was Peter Parker, he was 16 like the rest of them and he was a total dork. He was smart and funny and, okay, maybe a little bit cute. More likely a lot. He was very cute. That had absolutely nothing to do with Spider-Man being one of his favourite Earth heroes - close even to Ms. Marvel on his (rather extensive) list, but the guy was just adorable. Obviously, he wasn't the only one on the team he found cute. Danny was somewhat adorable in a unique and strange way, like those small puppies who had lost a leg - Nope. Sam had heard that said before, but even when he thought it it sounded like an insult, maybe a backhanded compliment at best. Maybe he should apologise when he sees Danny next? That will probably confuse him but it should be fine, random apologies were hardly the weirdest thing the team put up with - mainly thanks to a certain spider and the slew of villains they had to put up with on a regular basis. Speaking of the spider, he does a lot of speaking, to himself. Obviously, Sam had no problem with it - he even found some of the spider’s more animated ‘conversations’ to be amusing, possibly even endearing. At first he had assumed that this was just the product of an overactive mind - a lot of smart people did talk to themselves at some point (unless you were Tony, then you built something else that you could talk to instead). However, full blown arguments with yourself fell into a slightly different category of overactivity that made him more than a little worried for Peter’s sanity. Thankfully, his ‘spidey sense’ as he liked to call it kept him out of any unforeseen danger (Sam was very interested in learning more about that). Sam had recently challenged himself to sneak up on Peter - it was proving to be far more of a challenge than he originally thought. Whenever he got close, Peter’s damned sixth sense would kick in and alert him of the incoming attack. So inconvenient. What made it worse was Sam had to very quickly start doing something ‘Sam-like’ to not blow his cover or just be caught being odd. Of course these were planned beforehand so he wasn't caught out but Peter may start wondering what's going on if this keeps up any longer. The problem, because for people like Sam a problem to overcome was always the solution to what you couldn't do. If he had problems, he had goals and solutions he could work towards. Most people seemed to like lists and organisation but Sam was happy if he knew what all the problems were. Then he could logically come to conclusions and solutions and - he really needed to focus just once. Anyway, the main problem was just a lack of confidence on his part. He always assumed that he would fail, causing him to stop short 9 times out of 10, but today was different; today he was going to do it. Sam took a slow breath when he saw the spider and began floating just a small distance above the floor - to mask his footsteps. Peter appeared to be fiddling with his web shooters, typical. He moved in slowly, keeping a consistent pace and trying not to grin. When he was close enough, Sam shot forward - his top speed was far too quick for any of Spider-Man’s legendary reflexes but that was hardly safe to attempt in doors and he didn't really have enough time or distance to accelerate. Instead, he chose to accelerate at a much slower rate slightly above Peter's head until he was almost above him. Now or never. Nova swooped down suddenly, grabbing Peter under his arms to carry him into the air. The spider gave a startled squawk and almost dropped his phone but that didn't deter him from contorting his body in a frighteningly dangerous looking way to land a solid kick in Sam's stomach, ouch. He was really, really glad he'd decided to sneak up in costume - if he hadn't, well he definitely would have broken a rib or two without the Nova force. “Chill Webs, it's me.” Thank whatever force up there that his voice came out evenly. Peter visibly calmed down once he realised what was going on, but he clearly wasn't happy about it. “Where are you taking me?” He sounded pissed, then again he seemed to hate the team by default - Sam put it down as an attempt to distance himself from the team and thus his secret identity from his crime fighting alter ego. Peter was easily one of the people who put the most effort into remaining unknown, most likely due to that overactive imagination and paranoia. Wait he asked a question, didn't he? “Sommewhere,” Sam drawled, putting extra emphasis on the draw out syllables. He hadn't actually decided where he would bring him, and he was still surprised this had worked. He was known for being a bit dumb and slow, and acting on impulse more times than not, but that wouldn't explain something like this. Everyone who passed was probably guessing his ‘ulterior motives’. For someone so smart, he really was stupid. As if reading his mind, the alarm sounded. Now Sam never really liked the phrase ‘saved by the bell’ - seeing as the bell signified the end of class, which meant corridors packed with students, or (far far worse) the end of the day. Granted he wasn't hated or even largely disliked, but he still had a number of people who would much rather see him moving at a more horizontal angle along the floor. Fun. Sadly, it appeared to just be one of the things that happened - you could only be so smart before the people you make feel stupid want to return the favour. Sam might have also had a few unfavourable habits that ended rather badly him and whatever personal belongings he had to hand (do not, I repeat do not correct an angry person period). Oh yeah, the alarm. It wasn't really a bell, which should have Sam feeling a lot more alarmed but instead he felt a bit relieved in his reminiscence, until he felt muscles tense beneath his hands (Wow.). It took little effort to reroute themselves, arriving at the control room just in time to hear Fury get real pissed - some idiot thought it would be a good idea to try attack the helicarrier. Needless to say, the heroes quickly set to work in disposing of the (somewhat pitiful) invading force - with the help of a couple dozen equally pissed SHIELD agents who had been ambushed on their lunch break (all the other agents just continued working unless directly inconvenienced). Peter seemed to have completely forgotten about the little act earlier, or assumed he'd known something that Peter hadn't. Sam definitely wasn't going to correct him or bring it up (he'd just file it away as a victory and leave it at that). Despite the somewhat rocky start to their friendship, it was hard to stop the group becoming friends with the large amount of time they spent together. Obviously, like all friendships, theirs went through many trials and tribulations - such as a nice extended stay at Peter's while the helicarrier was repaired, or rebuilt, or whatever they were doing (Sam really didn't care). While the flying fortress had been his home for quite an extended period of time, his own home - his real homes, were both only a short flight away (relatively speaking - the universe was vast). Since he currently had no desire to return to Arizona for the duration of the fix - just because he could make the flight didn't mean he'd want to, and he didn't want to go off planet for some unpredictable amount of time (what was time to galaxy travelling guardians?), finding alternative arrangements had been a must - and caused Sam ridiculous amounts of anxiety. But now? Now Sam was excited. He was going to be staying at his heroes house - even if he wasn't as cool as he originally thought and was, in fact, a massive dork. This meant he could observe him up close - for completely scientific, non-stalkery reasons that would benefit the team obviously. The excitement had been building from the second he learnt the plan, to the point that he couldn't hold back a grin and had to take a few laps of the town (to ‘patrol’) to help wear himself out. Would it be bad to wish the helicarrier was never fixed? By the time he arrived at Peter's house, Sam was the picture of annoyed nonchalance. This was the product of a good half hour in front of the mirror (in some random mcdonalds a few towns over), and a quick read on the difficulties that honeybees were facing (he'll plant some lavender and tulips when he gets the chance). Some of his still hidden excitement did die down when he realised just how cramped the house was going to be with the entire team there, but he'd be lying if he said that didn't interest him even slightly. Sam had been enjoying getting to know his team and all their little quirks and traits so being forced to spend even more time even closer to them wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Don't grin, don't grin. Peter had greeted the group at the door with an awkward smile and a few horrible jokes - it always amused Sam how he flitted between Peter Parker and Spider-Man whenever the team was involved. They were introduced briefly to his aunt before being given a tour of the house while Peter attempted to do his best at sounding authoritative - cute. Knowing Peter, he was probably being ridiculously detailed for the benefit of the group. He had also probably thought ahead about what everyone would want or need to know, so that he wouldn't be bombarded with questions later and to avoid some unsatisfactory situations. “And do not, I repeat do not, go in my aunt's room,” Peter turned back to face the group, giving a smile the said the tour was concluded, “any questions?” Now was probably not the time to admit that he hadn't been listening, like at all. Then again he could get a one-on-one tour with Peter (and find some new things to appreciate). Anyway, it was a very Sam-like thing to have not been listening. “Do you think you could repeat that end bit?” Sam saw Peter go to speak, probably about to ask for clarification on what Sam had not heard and/ or understood. “Oh and the first bit,” he gave a slight pause again as though inviting him to speak, “while you're at it, repeating everything that came between would be great.” Even he felt like slapping himself, so it was nice to see that the feeling was mutual for the majority of the team; Danny seemed to be the only one who didn't have a problem with this, but then again he seemed to be a Zen master (Sam made a note to try piss off Danny sometime, not that he didn't like the boy or anything, he just wanted to know if he could). “Did you listen to anything I said?” Part of being “somewhat intellectually challenged” (as his science teacher had written on his recent report - Rude), was that he pretended not to understand a great deal of content. To his team, he was always using the excuse of being out in space so unable to attend school - which they easily bought. The school seemed satisfied with hearing that his old school hadn't been so good. This did mean he made a few enemies in the teachers who got tired of explaining each topic in explicit detail only to have him fall at the first hurdle. Repeatedly. He honestly couldn't find himself minding when it meant he had significantly better relationships with the other students. Surprisingly, despite his constant low performance, he wasn't always the worst in the class - which was honestly slightly worrying, but those that were didn't hate him for doing better. Consistently bad test results did cause issues when it came to the nicer teachers, those who wanted to help him and were offering him all sorts of extra support. Fun. He did his best at playing the part of an annoyed teen, but they just kept thinking up new ways to help. Sam honestly hadn't counted on them trying to involve his friends. Peter, being the nerd he is, often happily went to extra sessions after school to help ‘further his knowledge’ - yeah right, he was already ahead in some subjects but he only ever revised those same few. Their physics teacher, being the butt he is, tried to use this to his advantage by trying to convince Sam to come along on the basis that his ‘best friend Peter’ is going to be there. It wasn't until Peter asked himself (and Sam managed to get him to agree to a game night afterwards) that he changed his mind on the matter. Physics always had been one of his strongest subjects. When they arrived, 10 minutes late - because their English teacher really didn't like Sam (one might even say they hate him, not Sam though, Sam preferred the word despised), they were met by a group of miserable faces and one strained smile. “Hello boys, glad you could make it,” the physics teacher (and the only one smiling) greeted, turning away from the students he'd been bothering (read: tutoring). “Do you have anything specific you wanted to work on?” Unsurprisingly, his smile seemed less strained at the prospect of abandoning these students (obviously, he would be reluctant to leave the students but he did have to help others as well). “Me and Peter are gonna work on-” Sam, seemingly randomly, grabbed one of the sheets that had been set out for the study session “-this.” As an afterthought, he grabbed one for Peter. Before Peter could interject, he had been dragged to a table near the back of the room. Sam did not want to spend the next hour listening to the teacher drone on about some of the most basic information, especially not if doing so meant suffering through his oversimplifications and models (just because it is slightly similar does not mean a student should base their understanding off it). Instead, he was going to spend his hour daydreaming and staring at Peter (definitely not daydreaming about Peter though), while pretending to not know what he's doing and making spectacular mistakes. What do you mean gravity isn't 23m/s^3? It is on that one planet. Peter was playing the part of the adorable nerd perfectly. Whenever he got stuck on a question or confused he would furrow his brow and sometimes seemingly squint at the words (Probably a habit from back when he needed glasses) but the smile that would take over when he worked it out was unmistakable. The little repeated pattern didn't help too much at working out what question he was on with all the indentations (Looking at you 4biii) and with the ridiculously simple ones that weren't worth his time (I wonder what gravity could possible be). Sam could almost see Peter roll his eyes as he moved through some of the simpler questions. He had really nice eyes as well and, thanks to the bite, very keen eyesight. With eyesight that keen, it was honestly a surprise his staring hadn't been noticed earlier - Spidey's peripheral vision was nothing to laugh at. He was probably too engrossed in his science. Obviously, Peter picked that moment to glance over at Sam. Great. Sam could feel his ears begin to burn and his mouth go dry (not that he wanted to speak anyway, he was far more likely to convince Peter he was part bird). Sam would swear he felt his heart skip a beat, would not could - he knew it was far more likely for your heart to give an extra beat than it was to miss one, but the frighteningly consistent rushing beats were thundering in his ears. Calm down, calm down, calm down! What was it Starlord had taught him? Reciting things from memory? (That obviously wasn't his first suggestion but it had been the only one Sam had deemed acceptable). That's simple enough, just pick a number. Sam took a deep breath. 1 . 7 7 Peter was still looking at him. 2 4 5 Thankfully, he only looked slightly confused. 3 8 5 0 His heartbeat was no longer in his ears; small victory but one nonetheless. 9 0 5 5 … “Um,” he attempted after what felt like forever (Probably only a couple of minutes since Peter was still looking at him). Sam cringed when he heard his voice crack on the single syllable; Peter raised an eyebrow. “I was just daydreaming.” Please buy it, please buy it- “Your supposed to be stopping yourself falling further behind,” Peter rolled his eyes and held out his hand, “Did you even try any of the questions?” “I'm ahead of Flash!” he countered as he handed over the sheet, inwardly smirking at the pigeon scrawl he had chosen to use. “Flash doesn't count,” Peter responded just as quickly, smiling slightly as he did. The smile didn't last long though, dropping off his face effortlessly as he looked at Sam's sheet, brow furrowed. Not good. After a few seconds of silence, Sam sighed dramatically. “C’mon Peter, it can't be that bad.” He was sure he only used the wrong constant, and the wrong formulas, and the wrong symbols, and the wrong numbers altogether… oh yeah - that might have been overkill. No wonder Peter looked so confused. “This is Spanish.” Though a statement, there was an unmistakable upward infection, showing Peter's uncertainty. Oops. “You're failing spanish.” Double oops. Sam shrugged. “I was cramming for the Spanish test next week.” That was clearly a totally acceptable answer as to why someone who struggled to say their own name in Spanish would manage a whole page, right? Peter did not look impressed. “I can't even tell if this is right or not Sam, I can't even understand half of it.” Peter squinted back at the homework sheet, as though expecting his now narrowed field of vision to somehow aid his Spanish translating (you really never know, he is Spider-Man so it wouldn't be odd if he had some weird, near-sighted translating powers there was, after all, no proof that spider's didn't have that ability) - it did not. Even if his focused squint was beginning to decode the horrid pigeon-scrawl, Sam didn't wait to find out. He effortlessly snatched the paper from a Peter (with his stickiness it was shear luck that it was being held so gently), before ripping it into a hard to assemble mess - not impossible but, in the circumstances, good enough. When he was satisfied with the physics confetti (which both had physics on them and obeyed the laws of physics - double physics!), he unceremoniously dumped the mess into the bin and grabbed another sheet. The look Peter gave him was (absolutely adorable) met with a small grin. “I was listening to those, uh, weekly language ones on YouTube while I went to sleep, so it is either not Spanish or my half asleep brain's poor excuse of it.” Sam laughed, and wow it sounded forced. Judging by Peter's skeptical look he hadn't really bought it either. What was he thinking? No reasonable human being would accept that excuse, Sam would have better chances saying he was trying to do his Spanish homework at the same time. He did have the Spanish sheet in his bag, but getting it out without Peter noticing would be somewhat difficult - maybe he can say that he kept sneaking glances at it? With his previous story, he was a lot less likely to believe this new one but- “Earth to Sam? Are you going to actually attempt the work or are you just going to daydream?” Peter's brow was furrowed yet again, and Sam swears he felt his heart rate increase this time (which is, in fact, entirely plausible). “I just can't focus here, it's too long and hot and boring and..” Sam paused his rambling, thinking up more lame excuses (no brain, saying you were experiencing vertigo was not a valid excuse but it might put a positive spin on things) “And I'm hungry, really hungry. You can't focus on an empty stomach!” Sam did his best attempt at whining - he was now a self-certified expert if he did say so himself (and he did, all the time, in his head and to mirrors), to help convey his point. Peter gave him an unimpressed look - so much for him buying it. “Why don't you tutor me?” He attempted, trying to stop the stare down. “You can make sure I pay attention and review the topics you've covered, it's win win!” Sam felt genuinely excited at his own proposal, he'd get to spend more time with Peter and if he does finally manage to bring his grades up the teachers will see they work well together. Win, win, win! (Not that higher grades counted as a win all things considered, but still). Peter, thankfully, also seemed to approve of the suggestion. “Okay, but I'm going to make sure you actually pay attention.” Sam nodded dutifully, knowing that he was hardly going to attempt to stay engaged - he knew all the stuff anyway so as long as he checked what Peter was teaching he could pretend to be struggling or have learnt something. “And you're going to do your homework!” He added as an afterthought, making Sam groan dramatically (another one of his specialities). Peter seemed satisfied with his responses, allowing Sam to leave the study session early as long as he agreed to study with Peter tomorrow. After a lot of, extremely weak, protests (he didn't want Peter to actually change the date), he agreed and made a show of running from the room. He was looking forward to the next few weeks. In maths, as they always did, they had a test, which, as it always was, was annoying. Sam, as he always didn't, tried a little bit harder than usual, which he expected to be met with praise for his improvements. Sam was wrong - as he always is when it comes to school (for very different reasons). When the teacher had handed out the results, Sam's had been kept on her desk with a ‘come see me after class’ - odd. When he did as instructed, he was asked why he cheated - Rude. Apparently, having done only slightly better than usual (he checked and it wasn't a drastic improvement), the teacher thought he had copied off someone else because, as she said ‘he was incapable of something of this ability’ - again rude. After a long discussion, because adults have discussions not arguments and Sam definitely didn't raise his voice or call her names (he did both simultaneously), he found himself with an hour long detention and having to redo the exam. Some small, petty part of him wanted to answer every question correctly just to see her come up with excuse after excuse on how he cheated this time. Maybe he used a pulley system of strings and mirrors to read the answers from the uncollected sheets of absent students? (That would be kind of cool) Instead, he sat grumbling at his desk writing dumb answers to dumb questions (most of which were incorrect, of course) and waiting until his detention was over. Fun. Upon leaving the room, he was surprised to find Peter waiting for him, until he remembered they had study - thank you universe. Sam greeted him with a grin before beginning his usual annoying and loud post-test complaints. Peter, ever the polite soul (or at least usually - his temper was impressive), let him ramble on, adding small responses and nods wherever possible or necessary. “Clearly she just hates me, I mean it's easily possible to improve that much between tests.” Sam, noticing immediately how not-extremely-retarded that sounded added on a “I mean C’mon, it's not rocket science”, perfect. Peter just shook his head, laughing slightly as he did so. He would have complained but damn if that laugh wasn't cute. It wasn't until they arrived at Peter's that he realised where they were going. After the complaints, they had moved on to talk about the recent episodes of The Flash and The Walking Dead - easily among some of the Earth's best attractions (at least half the things Sam found on this list were TV shows), so he was happily disoriented as he focused on the task at hand (babbling about cool things is a very important task, thank you very much). He almost didn't groan when Peter said it was time to study, almost. The study was tolerable enough anyway, when it dissolved into unabashed staring and blatant daydreaming while Peter excitably went off on tangents (because he just really, really loved chemistry - or so he said, about 8 times). That just gave Sam me time to appreciate what was in front of him. Peter was a really expressive person, this was even clear when he was thinking or talking to himself, and Sam loved it. He would bite his lip in thought or raise his eyebrows in surprise while working through problems on his own, each time having his mini revelations. The way his eyes would glance up in thought or he would mouth words when not speaking was (downright adorable) making Sam wonder how much he missed when his expressions were covered in red spandex. Obviously, the teen was just as expressive with his hands. Using them to count or mess with his hair as he worked things out. Just looking, it was clear that Peter was a tactile person - not that Sam was complaining (instead he was curious as to whether this was a changed caused by the spider's venom). It would make sense if this was a newfound change, as a spider's sense of touch is it's most valuable - judging by the amount the sense is used. Was Peter able to sense vibrations at all? He did have similar hairs along his skin, so it would definitely make sense for them to have the same functionality. Maybe? Peter and Sam both jumped. Granted Peter jumped first and Sam's own reaction was a result; they still both jumped. The cause of the sudden, spasm-like movement was caused by Sam touching Peter and shocking him out of his science-fueled trance, fuck. Sam's own reaction was slightly worse, the jump causing his heart rate to spike as he began to panic. 1 . 7 7 2 4 5 3 8 5 0.. Peter was calling his name, and possibly had been for a while. He'd been talking out loud, shit. “Yes?” He asked, grimacing as he heard his voice come out so weak and un-Samlike. Peter's brow furrowed in genuine concern. “Are you okay? You kinda scared me there, then you started saying random numbers, what was that?” Peter seemed to have completely forgotten about the science, or else elected to ignore it. This was two of his most endearing trait of his: putting friends first and worrying about others. He was too soft, Sam could only hope he never changed - or at least he would when he wasn't trying to talk his way out of this. “Um, er, root pi? Wait! Um, it's nothing, you just, you, you scared me and, and I, I was daydreaming and… and.. Just don't worry about it!” Sam slapped his hands over his mouth as he shouted the last few words, he never was particularly confident and he could almost feel his façade slipping. “I'm sorry,” he mumbled, once he deemed it safe to speak. Believe it or not - and it's hard not to, Peter still looked worried, though now there was a bit more confusion evident on his face. “Sam,” he began slowly, almost as though anything quicker would startle him (it wouldn't, probably), “What's root pi?” An intellectual, in the position Sam was in (how one would find themselves in that position is clearly an incredible combination of bad decisions, which seems far too shortsighted for one of that logical calibre), would not answer that question - or at least not correctly. Sam most clearly was not. “1.7724538-” he caught himself too late. “How?” Peter asked shaking his head, “Just how?” Peter showed his calculator, the number in question showing proudly on the black and white display. What followed could only be called the most one-sided game of cat and mouse. Every excuse Sam gave (from hearing Ava saying it to needing to learn it for a game - naturally all excuses were highly probable) was immediately shot down by Peter. To make matters worse, even the more likely reasons were simply disregarded because of the babbling that lead up to them from Sam's slight panic. He needed to calm down, take a breath and form a coherent lie. Sam did one better: he lay down. To perfect the action, it was completed with a brief thrust of his hands in a general upward direction and an ‘I give up’ - perfect. Now if only Peter will leave him alone so he can think of some sort of reasonable answer. Logically speaking, he should have defended one of the more plausible lies instead of backing down at the slightest resistance - not that it helped now. Of course this argument had to be against somebody as stubborn as Peter ‘I-Will-Do-Whatever-I-Want-Especially-If-You-Tell-Me-Not-To’ Parker. Even now, Sam was sure he was getting sent evil looks for not letting him get to his desired victory. Staring at the back of somebody's head seemed to eventually lose appeal, as Peter returned to his science - albeit with less vigor as Sam was reluctant to notice. The small gestures and mannerisms were unavoidable as he became more engrossed, allowing Sam to go back to watching him work through a small gap between his arms. It wasn't until Peter made a simple, yet easily noticeable (for someone of Sam's intellect anyway - which as noted earlier may be significantly lower than he originally believed) mistake that Sam spoke again. “Wrong!” He sing-songed, talking a bit more like his normal, softer tone than the one he had not so recently adopted. The look Peter gave him alone was enough to set of a round of giggles as he tried to work out the error. Obviously, Sam found out seconds after Peter spotted it - the widening of his eyes gave it away. “How did you know that, we haven't even been taught this in class yet and you're behind everyone else.” The statement was matter-o-fact, leaving no room for dumb lies or silly games. Peter's eyes were narrowed as he said this, and his tone even. All signs saying that he was done messing around and if he didn't start getting answers things were about to get stuck to walls - preferably (for Peter) Sam being stuck to a wall either until he gives the desired and/or accepted answer or until SHIELD arrive to find out what's really going on, not a very good outcome. Sam had a lot of explaining to do.

#Peter parker #Sam alexander #Spider-Man #nova #ultimate spider-man #marvel #mex writes #6k as well!#I'll proof this then put it on ao3 #I really like the style #at the start anyway #it was kinda gone at the end cause of the time gap #does the ending seem rushed?

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lunagalemaster · 7 years

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Dannymay Day 2: Ice

(I’m late and this was overboard. Is this going to be a theme?)

Setting: Master of Space AU once more, sort of. Astral is narrating. No specific time period.

Special thanks to @skyereminiscing and @ninjagorocksdealwithit for letting me use their Ice Sprite and Ice Prince Dannys!

With that, let’s begin!

There was a huge difference between Cores and cores.

In short, Cores referred to the Dannys. The infinite, unfortunately incredibly important Dannys. Each universe created a Core once in its way too long lifespan (with a minor glitch here and there creating either an odd knock off or amusingly, an actor playing Danny). It was a ridiculous cycle. A Core was born, they lived, and if everything went well, they died after a long eventful life.

Astral noted that things only went well half the time.

The other half either were Cores with boring lives, those who died early, or those who never died at all.

Cores were important for sustaining a universe. No matter what they did, as long as they did something, their deaths would, at the very least, extend the longevity of the universe by a great number of Earth years Astral never bothered figuring out.

(Clockwork probably told him a few times, but considering it sometimes felt like he blinked and missed an entire millennia, the actual number of years were lost to him).

Whatever the actual number of years, it didn’t particularly matter. A Danny lived, they died, and their energy helped to make a universe live longer. Since Clockwork’s and Astral’s goal was to make universes live as long as possible, it was usually in their best interest to make sure that a Core was born.

Not that they could do much to keep the Core alive once he was born, but that was another story for another day, and by another day, Astral meant never.

On the other hand, cores were (with a few exceptions here and there), the lifeline of a ghost. Like Cores helped power universes, ghost cores were the literal center of being for every ghost, holding their power, personality, and essentially their very existence.

Unless you were a halfa, of course, then it had half of your existence...sometimes. Other times cores were in the halfas literal heart, and that really made a mess in some of the universes where a ghost managed to dispose of a Core by destroying their core.

The weirdest thing about cores, in Astral’s opinion, were their elemental effects. For some reason, some cores had elements. Not all of them but some of them. Astral could never figure out why (well, there was always an in-universe reason, but they varied and were way too complicated for his tastes). Of all the abilities ghosts could have, those related to their elemental cores always felt different than other powers. They didn’t relate to a ghost’s past, nor did it particularly relate to ghosts in general. Elemental cores were just another power….for no reason except to have an additional power.

Don’t even get him started on those with “musical” and “adaptive” cores. He tried to wrap his mind around these variations, and he just came to the conclusion that they sounded cool and so the multiverse made it happen.

The Rule of Cool was a legitimate law, one that Astral himself indulged in quite often.

Generally, Cores tended to have ice cores….for some reason. Again, sometimes the sudden cryokinesis explained and other times, they just generally appear whenever the timeline demanded it. Astral tried to rational it all out, but by the time he found out that at least a fourth of the Common universes didn’t have cores, let alone ice cores, Astral realized that was a stupid thing to try to understand.

This, by itself, wouldn’t be too much of a big deal. Like ghost powers themselves, not every single universe had to have the same abilities. Fuck, the multiverse threw logic out the window as much as Astral did, which made sense when he thought about it. No, the reason why he was hung up on the stupid ice thing had nothing to do with lack of consistency or the consistent lack of consistency.

It was because for some damn reason, universes just loved to center ice as a Core’s main theme, even in Common universes.

If the ice theme was similar to the stars, Astral might have understood. Nearly every universe, with the exceptions of a handful had Core that either loved space or centered space around their universe. Space was loved by all of them in one form or another, and while the stars were simply a backdrop to him now, Astral distinctly remembered his pre-Master days and even his early days just staring out into the great infinity in wonder.

Ice on the other hand? Nothing. There was no reason. It was a theme and nothing less. The Cores didn’t have any attachment to ice, no memories, fuck, they usually hated the winter holiday. (Was this entire thing some great irony in the multiverse?) The only connection to ice they had was to their inconsistent occurrences in their ice core.

Clockwork said it was because the original universe had a Danny with an ice core. Astral preferred to think that the Rule of Cool had evolved into the Rule of Cold.

Whatever the case, it didn’t matter. Ice was a Core’s theme, and as a result, there were several universes dedicated to centralizing it to the point of extremity.

OoOoOoOoO

Phantom, king of ghosts, leaned leisurely on the armrest of his throne, face impassive, as he eyed the babbling ghost before him. Bright blue eyes, bored at this endless routine strayed to the walls of his palace. The walls, changed to match the reign of the new king, packed to the brim with solid snow to the point only the most powerful of fire cores could even hope to melt it. Icicles clung to the ceiling dangerous, the pointed ends like spikes ready to close down on the rest of the room. The floor was slick and shining. If he wanted, Phantom could see his reflection.

“M-m-m-my K-king?” A voice whispered.

Phantom’s eyes snapped to the ghost, who jumped away in fright. The poor thing was shivering, from fear or the temperature, the king could not say.

Phantom smiled softly, “Please continue. I was just distracted. Not harm done.”

The ghost hesitated a moment, before nodding and continuing on.

The smile dropped from the king’s face, and it was all he could do not to let out another sigh. He wrapped his cape closer to his body, the snowflake design glittering nicely with the rest of the room. If he could, Phantom would be anywhere else, trying to proactively find a way to improve his kingdom.

But no, he was here, listening to some councilman explain boring economic efforts that he’d just hand off to someone who knew what they were doing. It was a boring thing, but a necessary one. He just wished that it wasn’t.

Phantom huffed out a breath and watched it float through the air. Crystallizing, making patterns, before breaking away.

Sometimes being the Ghost King had a powerless quality to it.

OoOoOoOoO

Astral understood on some level.

On others he didn’t.

It was as much of a symbol as it was a mark of power.

However, for some, it was something new, but just a part of their lives just the same.

OoOoOoOoO

Danny frowned as the little wings fluttered behind him.

They felt...odd on his body, but at the same time, perfectly normal. Like an extra limb that had been asleep for who knew long, it at first was awkward almost painful, but now?

He turned his head to look at them, their fluttering stopping at the moment. Snowflakes trailed up and down the dragonfly esque design of the appendages. The base of the wings were a light blue, almost white, and probably would be if it weren't for the lighting. Even when they weren’t moving they seemed to be shimmering, twitching, ready to take off for a long flight.

Or maybe it was just him.

He shook his head and hopped off his bed. He headed towards his mirror to get a better look at himself again. The combination of morbid fascination mixed with a strange inner peace had him skitting his now, much brighter eyes toward any reflective surface he could find. Even if he jumped at the alien in the mirror (well, sprite), he couldn’t help but think that he looked...right for once.

Fueled by a desire to see his reflection, he felt himself floating off the floor in little hops, wings buzzing excitedly behind him. He couldn’t exactly understand flying just yet, but some deep instincts had him using his wings with whatever limited uses he could find.

He must have miscalculated his jumps because he found himself stumbling nearly on top of his vanity. Grumbling to himself, he gripped the edge and lowered his feet back on the ground.

Then he caught his reflection.

He looked like a Smurf. At least, that was always his first thought. Although, his skin wasn’t that deep of a blue, the shade of blue always closer to a light sky rather than deep blue of the little creatures, the deeper blue of his eyes and the dark blue spots of his freckles made it difficult not to make the comparison.

As he absently poked at his freckles, his eyes trailed over the rest of his face. More pointed features of his jaw with pointed ears to match. Yet his hair poofed more than usual. Maybe it was to give the effect of powdered snow, but after his transformation, his black hair turned snowy white and seemed to shine softly off his head.

Danny didn’t even realize he was leaning forward until he pressed his hands on the glass. Startled, he looked behind him only to find his wings fluttering up a storm and his body floating gently off the ground. Slightly panicking, he leaned forward towards the glass, and he found his breath creating trails of frost, the ice crawling intricate patterns on the mirror in a way he’d only seen in movies.

Despite his predicament, Danny couldn’t help but smile.

OoOoOoOoO

For others, ice was their very of life. Their identity was tied to the snow and freezing cold just as important to them, as the very air they breathed. It was their story, their beginning, their end. Astral couldn’t disconnect them if he tried.

Yet despite it all, there was a certain innocence when it came to ice, snow more specifically. It should have been mundane, yet as the Cores explored the vast snowy plains, their eyes glittered as they eyed the land

There was an innocence and beauty in watching these Cores love the world around them that Astral appreciated even if he didn’t particularly understand.

OoOoOoOoO

Phantom snuggled under the snow, keeping his breaths low. It was dark and more than a little cold, but that was alright. He knew what he was doing. Paja taught him how to keep warm when he was lost in the snow.

He wasn’t lost now. He didn’t even need to fly very far to go to the village, let alone see it. Yet, quietly, as he could, Phantom camouflaged himself under the light cover of snow. He was sort of cold, and he was pretty sure he had snow in some weird places, but unlike the time he jumped into a giant piles of it only to have his Paja needing to take icicles out of his frozen hair, this time it was different.

He waited, anticipation building, his core buzzing with excitement. He tried his best not to shift too much. To keep quiet. Hidden. Not visible even by the greatest of-

“Found you, Little One!” Suddenly, Phantom found himself being lifted in air by two strong, familiar paws. He screamed in surprise, before the sound turned into a wave of laughter and giggles, as he hugged the Far Frozen who surprised him.

“Paja! You found me!” Phantom exclaimed. He floated up to rest on Frostbite’s shoulders, legs dangling between his head, as his hands held on tightly to his horns. “How did you know I was there?”

“I am a master tracker!” Frostbite said with a chuckle. He started making his way back to the village.

“But how?”

Frostbite sounded amused, as he replied, “It’s not too difficult to find a wiggling pile of snow.”

“Ohhh,” Phantom muttered, pouting a bit, “I thought that I was still enough.”

A giant paw came up and ruffled his hair, causing Phantom to giggle under his breath. The Ice Prince could hear the pride in his Paja’s voice when he continued, “It was a nice start. If you had been farther out, I might not have had that easy a time finding you. But alas, your wiggling and the circumstances made it quite a bit easier on me than you. You’ll learn,” he said, after Phantom gave a little sigh, “But you also need practice, but for now, time to get you warmed up.”

“Wait!” Phantom called out, floating quickly off Frostbite.

He arched an eyebrow, “Oh, what is it, Young One?”

“I just…” He turned away from the village and looked back to the endless snow, “...Can we stay longer? Just the two of us?”

There was a small silence from his Paja, and it made Phantom’s heart hurt. Out here in the snow with no one else around, he was free. No duty, no other Far Frozen, just the Ice Prince and his kingdom, sharing the land with the creature he cared more than anyone else in the Zone.

He looked back at his Paja, eyes wide and pleading, but to Phantom’s despair, he had already closed his eyes, shaking his head no. “I’m sorry. But we must make our way back home. Now come along. I don’t want you to freeze yourself.”

‘You’re my home,’ Phantom thought. And so was Maja and the snowy beyond, but he couldn’t say this, he knew. He didn’t want his Paja to feel guilty for anything. His home was here, and he was happy with his life!

However, as he longed for the vast expanse of the unknown, he couldn’t help but think he could be happier too.

OoOoOoOoO

It was ridiculous. There was no one connection that ice had to the Cores. Yes, there was overlapping ones (how couldn’t there be), but over the many Cores and many universes, they attached themselves to their ice abilities in ways that baffled him. Some for beauty, some for practicality, some simply using them because they were there, and why not? It’s another power, isn’t it?

Astral knew he shouldn’t be harped on the idea of an ice theme or narratives being carried just by this theme of ice, but he has seen the same story so many times and yet the stories of ice could either be completely boring or jaw droppingly emotional.

It didn’t make sense.

But nothing made any sense really, and the multiverse enjoyed beating his sense of reality into little tiny pieces anyway, so why not just go with the flow and enjoy?

Astral supposed the ice thing was just one little problem out of many that represented his struggles as a whole.

If the Cores were enjoying their ice abilities, who was he to judge them?

OoOoOoOoO

It was midnight in the middle of December in what could have been the coldest nights of the year. Danny had zero sleep in the last two days, he failed his world geography test, and he was only one parental late night check-in away from getting grounded for all eternity.

Even so, he found himself floating down towards the lake at the edge of town, the decently sized body of water frozen over for the winter. Despite himself, Danny couldn’t help but smile, clutching the bag in his hand even tighter in his excitement.

Flying was amazing stress reliever, sure, but his favorite pastime was getting riskier by the day. With Valerie and his parents both after his hide, one moment he could be enjoying the rush of air as he rushed toward the ground and the next, he could be plummeting for entirely different reasons.

So, no, with the chaos of his life and his already high stress levels, he did not want to risk being shot at, thank you very much.

Danny gently landed, boots barely making a sound, as the ice gained his light weight. While he was sure it would hold him, just in case, he crouched down, and after shifting the bag, pressed his free hand on the ice. His eyes glowed blue, and there was a woosh of cold air that rose up and unsettled the sparing trees around him.

He got up and pressed his foot down, moving his foot side to side. Danny stepped his foot once or twice, and when he was done, he smiled in satisfaction, giving the ice a little nod. After doing his tests, he floated over to the edge of the lake, made himself an ice bench. He settled himself and his bag down with a plop, transforming back into Fenton.

From here, covered from head to toe with thick winter clothes, Danny opened the bag, revealing a pair of figure skates.

It started out as a way to practice his new ice powers. Some nights, he’d go out, freeze the lake a bit, and try to make some snowmen or something. It wasn’t too big of a deal, and while using his ice powers wasn’t as practical on non-moving objects, as other ghosts, the powers were new enough that anything was helpful.

Although, if Danny were to ever come clean and tell his friends, he will remember never to mention the number of squirrels he pissed off while looking for target practice, or so help him, Sam would fully kill him right then and there.

The reason he started skating was a bit embarrassing. One night he freezed the lake and started sliding around like a clumsy baby penguin. Fenton stubbornness kicked in, and he wouldn’t leave the lake until he could slide around on the ice without slipping. He got the brilliant idea to put skates on the bottom of his boots.

It worked out well for about three seconds before he fell flat on his face.

Normal people would have given up there. However, a combination of dread of coming home and the before mentioned Fenton genes had him huffing, getting back up again, and trying to skate once more. When he got back home, the first thing he did was look up how to make actual skates and, of course, how not to flat out on his face.

He eventually bought a pair of skates when he figured out putting blades on the bottom of his boots was not very effective.

Danny didn’t exactly know what it was supposed to be to him. He never saw himself as a skater. Even if the thought did ever cross his mind, he would have shoved it down, tear it up, and make sure it never did again, in fear of Dash finding out and bashing him in the face.

Good thing Danny stopped caring what Dash thought a long time ago.

If Tucker and Sam ever found out what he did some nights, he’d never hear the end of it. They wouldn’t get it, not exactly, and while they wouldn’t make fun of him (for long), he knew they wouldn’t see this like he did.

It was like flying, except a bit more accessible. Whenever he moved on the ice, the wind flowing, body bending, and twisting, he couldn’t help but feel like he was in a whole other world.

Danny finished tying up his skates. Carefully, he made his way towards the ice, smile wide on his face, as he started the now familiar motion of skating. He started slow, making sure he knew the motions. The wind picked up, as he went along, as he sashayed back and forth, marking his trail with the cut of his blades.

As time went on, he went faster, nothing too much, but he felt the air pick up around him, the cold holding him like a hug, and he closed his eyes so he could just feel the world turn into nothing but wind, ice, and freedom.

Hours later, Danny sat on the little ice bench once more. He was exhausted, face flushed pink, breath short, and sore from head to toe. He should have stayed home, slept, get some homework done.

Yet, as he stayed at the frozen lake and put away his skates, Danny couldn’t help but feel the happiest he’d been in a long time.

OoOoOoOoO

There may be a big difference between Cores and their cores, but considering their passion, not only with ice, but with the usual hope they had to continue on beyond what should be possible, Astral appreciated them nonetheless.

Ice was a staple of the multiverse. It wasn’t going away.

So why not just sit back, watch the show, and enjoy the winter wonderlands?

#danny phantom #dannymay #dannymay 2017 #day 2 #danny may day 2 #ice #master of space au #unedited #this took way too long #astral #very meta #meta #Now time for a short prompt to counter this monstrosity

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frontproofmedia · 5 years

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Eight-Division Champion Manny Pacquiao Meets Unbeaten Champion Keith Thurman in Welterweight World Championship Clash Live on Pay-Per-View

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Published: May 21, 2019

Pacquiao vs. Thurman Saturday, July 20 in a Premier Boxing Champions on FOX Sports Pay-Per-View Event from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT Plant vs. Lee Headlines FOX PBC Fight Night Preceding Pay-Per-View & Also from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

LAS VEGAS (May 21, 2019) – Boxing’s only eight-division world champion, Philippine Senator and regular WBA welterweight champion Manny “Pac Man” Pacquiao returns to face undefeated Super WBA Welterweight World Champion Keith “One Time” Thurman in a powerhouse 147-pound showdown live on Premier Boxing Champions on FOX Sports Pay-Per-View event on Saturday, July 20 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Preceding the pay-per-view is a FOX PBC Fight Night also taking place at MGM Grand that is headlined by undefeated IBF Super Middleweight World Champion Caleb “Sweet Hands’’ Plant making his first title defense against unbeaten contender Mike Lee. Possessing speed, power and tremendous boxing skills, Thurman represents the most dangerous challenger that the future Hall of Famer Pacquiao has faced in his recent ring appearances. This high-stakes match will firmly give the winner a claim for the top spot in one of boxing’s deepest and most talented divisions. Tickets for the event, which is promoted by MP Promotions, Mayweather Promotions and TGB Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased online through AXS.com, charge by phone at 866-740-7711 or in person at any MGM Resorts International box office. “Senator Pacquiao is thrilled to be back in 'Viva Las Vegas,' fighting at the best venue for boxing -- the MGM Grand Garden Arena. This is where the Pacquiao vs. Thurman world welterweight championship belongs,’’ said Sean Gibbons, President of MP Promotions. “We’re excited to be working with our partners at PBC, Mayweather Promotions and TGB Promotions. Manny is fighting in the biggest fights on a global scale and it doesn’t get any more global than FOX Sports Pay-Per-View. Fans have always enjoyed watching Pacquiao and Thurman compete in the ring and we are confident they will, once again, give boxing fans worldwide everything they’re expecting, and more. God bless Manny and Keith for stepping up to give us this fight!’’ “We’re looking forward to working with our partners in bringing yet another blockbuster back home to MGM Grand here in Las Vegas,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “This fight is a tremendous opportunity for both guys in terms of where they are in their respective careers. Pacquiao is currently the biggest name in the sport and Thurman is a young skilled undefeated fighter in the prime of his career, making for a compelling matchup. I know both fighters will be ready for the challenge that lies ahead of them come July 20, and I can’t wait to see this one go off.” “This will be a sensational matchup between two great fighters and we’re looking forward to hosting this championship event at MGM Grand in July,” said Richard Sturm, President of Las Vegas Live Entertainment and Sports. “Fans have always enjoyed watching Pacquiao and Thurman compete in the ring and we are confident they will, once again, give boxing fans worldwide everything they’re expecting, and more.” “FOX Sports is thrilled to present our second Premier Boxing Champions Pay-Per-View featuring one of boxing’s biggest stars, Pacquiao, facing the champion Thurman, who wowed nearly three-million viewers live on FOX in January with his latest title defense,” said Bill Wanger, FOX Sports EVP, Programming, Live Operations and Research. “This promises to be a can’t miss night of boxing with an unprecedented FOX Sports PBC doubleheader, as we open the evening with the FOX PBC Fight Night, headlined by newly crowned champion Plant defending his title against the undefeated Lee. Plant set the FS1 viewership record for a boxing show in January when he won his title, and we’re sure this match up will deliver even bigger audiences leading into the Pacquiao vs. Thurman Pay-Per-View.” A three-time Fighter of the Year and the Boxing Writers Association of America’s reigning Fighter of the Decade, Pacquiao (60-7-2, 39 KOs), who hails from Sarangani Province in the Philippines, is the only sitting Congressman and Senator to win a world title. After serving two terms as Congressman, Pacquiao was elected to a Philippine Senate seat in May 2016, capturing over 16 million votes nationally. Pacquiao’s boxing resume features victories over at least seven current and future Hall of Famers, including Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley and Juan Manuel Marquez. In his last match on January 19, Pacquiao put on a vintage performance against four-division champion Adrien Broner, scoring a 12-round unanimous decision in the 70th match of his illustrious career. It was his first time fighting in the U.S. in two years. Before that, he scored an impressive knockout over Lucas Matthysse to win his version of the WBA welterweight championship in Malaysia last July 15. “All my life I have confronted challenges -- in life, in politics, and inside the ring,” said Pacquiao. “Keith Thurman is the type of challenge I crave as a fighter. He is the biggest and best test. That is why I want to fight him. We are going to give boxing fans an exciting fight and a great night.” The 30-year-old Thurman (29-0, 22 KOs) is the longest reigning welterweight champion in boxing, having collected his WBA title with a stoppage victory over Diego Chaves in 2013. He has successfully defended that title eight times and became a unified welterweight champion when he defeated Danny Garcia by split decision to win the WBC title. Plagued by a litany of injuries, including bone chips in his right elbow that had to be surgically removed, Thurman was out of action for nearly two years before getting back into the ring with a hard fought victory against Josesito Lopez in January on FOX. Having taken up the sport when he was in grade school, the Clearwater, Florida native blossomed under the tutelage of his first trainer, Ben Getty, to become an outstanding amateur. Though Getty has passed away, Thurman still carries those boxing and life lessons with him whenever he steps into the ring with his current longtime trainer Dan Birmingham. His power punching earned him the nickname “One Time.’’ “I’m extremely excited for this opportunity to get a fight that I’ve wanted for a long time,’’ said Thurman. “The right circumstances have aligned for it to happen now and I’m grateful for that. Me and my team are looking forward to it. It’s going to be an honor to be in the ring with Manny Pacquiao. It’s going to be fun to go back to MGM Grand in my first pay-per-view with FOX Sports. I believe that Ben Getty would be very proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish. He said I’d be able to dominate the welterweight division and be a multi-million-dollar fighter and a star in the sport. “Manny Pacquiao is beatable. He’s been beaten before in his career. He’s a fan favorite and a legend. For me his boxing tactics are predictable. He fights in spurts and you have to take advantage of that. You have to be respectful of his power. But I believe my movement, athleticism and ring knowledge will be able to present him something he’s not seen in all his years of boxing.’’

(Featured Photo: Premier Boxing Champions)

#HF #Manny Pacquiao #Keith Thurman #Premier Boxing Champions

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surviveuk · 5 years

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New Post has been published on https://www.surviveuk.com/survival-blog/urban-survival-in-the-aftermath-of-a-natural-disaster/

Urban Survival in the Aftermath of a Natural Disaster

There are many different types of natural disaster all of which have, at some point in recent history, seriously affected a major urban area at some location around the world. Hurricanes, tsunamis and earthquakes appear all too often on news bulletins and they all result in loss of life in almost every case. The horrible truth is that when a disaster of such a magnitude strikes, loss of life is inevitable but the aftermath can be just as deadly to any survivor, unless they have taken the necessary steps to ensure their own survival.

All disasters, natural or otherwise, have one thing in common, they all highlight just how unprepared the vast majority of people are when in comes to living without the things that they take for granted, like clean drinking water, food, electricity, sanitation and safe shelter.

Take hurricane Katrina for example, even after the storm had finished there were still people needlessly dying from dehydration and other related issues. The vast majority of those that died were elderly, but that doesn’t mean that their deaths were unavoidable. If they had only acted upon the warnings that were given before the storm hit and had filled up containers with tap water, and put aside food that wouldn’t spoil they would have increased their chances of survival exponentially.

Although, in the case of Katrina, many of those that died were quite frail and would have needed help to prepare for such a natural disaster, help that was unfortunately not always on hand or didn’t arrive quick enough.

Katrina was one of the worst natural disasters to hit the US in living memory and one that should have provided a wake up call for many about the importance of being prepared for any crisis.

However, most people will never learn from the past or from mistakes that others have made by not prepping and will continue to put all their trust in the workings and structure of modern society.

Even after being informed about an impending disaster most city dwellers will still naively expect their utilities to continue working as per normal, and should they get cut off, they would thoroughly expect utilities to be back up and running very soon afterwards with minimal disruption to the normal way of life.

Many people also have a misguided notion that help will be quickly with them should they need it, all they’ll need to do is call for it! The truth is that help is very unlikely to be available for the first few days after a disaster type scenario, the emergency services will be simply too busy to help everybody.

Unfortunately, when a city is hit by a real SHTF disaster everything that makes life safe and comfortable will be gone. No water, no electricity, no law and order, and no immediate help of any kind.

If your city or town is threatened by a natural disaster and you can’t get out to a safe location then basic disaster prepping is the way to go and will greatly improve your chances of survival.

Urban Disaster Prepping – The Basics

First of all let ‘s start by saying that the information below is as basic as it gets and there is a lot more that can be learned about urban survival, this post is barely scratching the surface. However, regardless of how basic this info is, what you are about to read is still the most essential guide to urban survival and will undoubtedly save your life.

1. Water

Clean drinking water is essential for your survival and your general well being. The vast majority of people expect clean water to be pumped to our homes continuously, ready to drink whenever needed. These same people will also believe that their supply will be unaffected by a natural disaster and that in the unlikely event their supply should go off it will be reconnected very quickly; unfortunately, the likelihood of this actually being the case is practically nil.

Without water you will quickly dehydrate which can then lead to a number of medical issues ranging in seriousness from dizziness to heart issues, depending upon the level of dehydration.

Your body is losing fluids constantly, through sweating, breathing and the passing of bodily waste; these fluids will need to be replaced which means clean drinking water is absolutely vital. Drinks that contain sugars, alcohol or caffeine are not a good idea and should be avoided because drinking them will only exacerbate the problem of dehydration.

You may have noticed that I have been continually mentioning that your drinking water needs to be clean that’s because after a disaster, particularly flooding, water will often be contaminated with raw sewage and toxic chemicals. Drinking contaminated water is extremely dangerous as there is a high probability of catching a disease or a dangerous infection that will often result in diarrhoea and sickness. Sickness and diarrhoea will rapidly worsen dehydration and will lead ultimately to death, if not treated quickly.

All of the above needn’t concern you if you have a prepped correctly and have a store of clean drinking water. Normal tap water will be fine to store, and it is best to do so in strong plastic containers. You should add a couple of drops of chlorine bleach for each gallon of tap water stored, this will act to disinfect the water and stop any algae or bacterial build up.

You will need to store about a gallon of water per person per day and you will need to store at least three days worth of supply, although storing enough for two weeks would be much more prudent.

If for some reason you cannot access your stored drinking water and you have no option but to drink water that isn’t clean, or you are unsure about, then you have two options; boil the water before using it or, drinking the water through an emergency water filter of some kind.

2. Shelter

Unless you are extremely unlucky, your home will probably still be intact, it might be a bit damp, or a little beaten up, but it should still be habitable and provide you with much needed shelter.

However, if you have lost your home you will need a temporary shelter that is both safe and dry. It will be an absolute necessity especially in extremely cold or hot conditions, when hypothermia and heatstroke respectively can quickly become killers.

Your shelter could be a tent or just a simple tarpaulin, but anything that provides you with protection from the weather is suffice.

You might be in the position to choose the type of shelter you use but, to a large degree, choosing where to locate your shelter will be dictated to you by the type of disaster that has hit your locale.

Flooding will force you to set up shelter in an area of higher ground whereas you will need to look for open ground away from buildings and tall trees if your city has been hit by an earthquake.

3. Clothing

We’ve just covered the importance of having a shelter to protect you from the elements, but your first line of defence will always be your clothing or whatever else you can find and use to wrap around your person.

The correct choice of clothing is more important when combating the wet and the cold. It is better to wear several layers of clothing rather than one thick layer and always try to wear woollen clothing if possible as wool keeps you warm even when wet!

You will lose most of your heat from your head so make sure you have a hat or at least put something on your head even if it is only a thick paper bag.

Your hands and feet will be susceptible to the cold so have some gloves and woollen socks at the ready.

If it is cold there is also a good chance it will be wet too so your clothing needs to be waterproof, or you should at least have a good waterproof coat. If you find yourself without any form of waterproofed clothing, look for a large piece of plastic sheeting. You can then just cut a hole in the middle of it just big enough for your head to fit through and voila, you’ve got an instant wet weather poncho.

In hot weather it is all about staying out the sun. If you do have to venture out then light weight clothing is the order of the day and the lighter the colour the better too as it helps to reflect the sun’s rays, absorbing less heat.

You should try to keep out of the sun during the hottest parts of the day and when you do go out make sure you are always wearing a hat, preferably a wide brimmed one, and try to ensure the back of your neck is covered if you have short hair.

4. Food

Although your stomach might tell you otherwise, food is not going to be on your list of immediate priorities, well at least for the first few days anyway.

Being hungry is not the greatest feeling in the world but food is something that a healthy adult can survive without for up to three weeks with no adverse affects, unlike water!

That being said, there really is no need to struggle without food. Storing food couldn’t be easier. You can quickly stock up on long lasting foods such as canned meat and vegetables, powdered milk, and pre-wrapped nutrition bars, anything really that has a long shelf life, doesn’t require cooking and doesn’t need to be stored in a refrigerator.

Just remember that if you are storing canned products don’t forget to store a can opener with your stash of cans! To Conclude…

Surviving in a city in the aftermath of a natural disaster is never going to be a pleasant experience but by ensuring you have covered the basics for survival as outlined above you will be massively increasing your chances of getting through it unscathed.

Author Bio

Danny Major is is the owner of Alpha Survivalist a relatively new website about survival and emergency preparedness. He was formerly a soldier in HM Armed Forces many moons ago, apparently when the colour of the uniform was red according to my kids!

#Natural Disaster #Urban Survival in the Aftermath of a Natural Disaster

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cliffordsteblg · 7 years

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Advice On How To Overcome Cosmetic Surgery

Many individuals get cosmetic plastic surgery everyday. Simple procedures recreate people’s appearances daily. There are also stuff that will go wrong with plastic surgery that people tend not to think about. One bad move through your surgeon can leave you disfigured throughout your way of life. To stop this from happening in your, read this article for some sound advice.

Look at the plastic surgeon’s education out. In case you are considering any sort of cosmetic surgery, you will want to make sure it is done efficiently. It is best to research the education your physician has brought and make sure they are licensed prior to the decision to get them perform your surgery.

Get ready for a large range of questions from friends and family just before any type of surgical treatment. Many individuals don’t understand or respect the advantages a cosmetic procedure offer, and they could be initially judgmental. Remain patient with one of these people and enable them to gastric sleeve surgery in mexico to understand why you chose to do this.

Surgical treatment is just not something which should ever be taken lightly. Not only does it come up with a permanent switch to your system, in addition, it costs a lot. Generally, it contains all the perils of any other kind of surgery. This doesn’t signify it isn’t an excellent choice, but that it should always be carefully considered.

Every surgeon has a specialty. You must talk to the surgeon you are considering, to be sure that his specialty is what suits your requirements. While there are several doctors that do multiple kinds of procedures, it will be the best choice to get your surgery performed by someone who has expert knowledge because specific type.

Since you are going to be going beneath the knife, you are going to desire to make sure the body is just as healthy as it can be. You will get a bunch of antibiotics after your surgery. So assist those antibiotics, when you eat well, and taking vitamins which means that your body can heal fully.

Before going within the knife, always search for a board-certified plastic surgeon. It is imperative that you get acquainted with your surgeon. Ask about his qualifications, and certifications. Request both before and after photos. If possible, talk to former patients. An effective surgeon is going to be proud to show off his best work, and will always be forthcoming about qualifications.

You must prepare yourself to the chances of some pain and scarring whenever your surgical procedures are over. Cosmetic surgery also causes a lot of pain, which some people do not comprehend. You are able to heal faster should you be more prepared to handle the pain.

You should ask your surgeon what can happen had you been not satisfied with all the results. If something went wrong through the procedure. Your surgeon should be honest together with you. Tell you you could file claims for malpractice. In case your surgeon is not really honest with this topic, you need to head to another clinic.

Be sure to thoroughly look at the qualification of your respective prospective surgeon. You must research their background, education, qualifications, and disciplinary history. They must be licensed in the area. Furthermore, be wary of doctors seeking to do complex procedure and so are not surgeons. Which can be a really risky gamble with your life.

Discover from your doctor, which will be administering the anesthesia. It can either range from surgeon, a specially-trained nurse dependant upon the complexity of the procedure, or perhaps anesthesiologist. You have the straight to insist that a second person administer the anesthesia like a precaution, nevertheless it will likely cost more.

Discuss all the potential risks along with your doctor prior to deciding to invest in the method. Make certain that you understand and accept these terms. You must also discuss the various options available to you. Weigh out your benefits and risks to plan the most effective plan for what you want.

Before you decide to possess plastic cosmetic surgery done, try to have computer imaging done first. Possessing a computer determine what you will seem like after surgery, can aid you to choose how you need your nose, lips, or chin done. This will help to to stop a disaster, that you could be unable to have fixed.

Although plastic cosmetic surgery has become more usual, you can still find certain risks related to these procedures. As with all other surgery, anesthesia, which is often used to sedate, you throughout the procedure, poses an important risk. Do your homework ahead of your surgery to determine what sort of anesthesia will be used.

Mentioned previously before, cosmetic plastic surgery is actually a practice that takes place everyday. Relatively simple surgeries are carried out as a method of altering patients’ appearances. But, a straightforward mistake can be extremely dangerous for any individual, even just in the simplest of operations. By using the ideas with this piece you are able to mitigate the potential risks of cosmetic procedures.

Source:http://nikstarwashere.com/strategies-for-determining-if-plastic-cosmetic-surgery-is-a-superb-option-bariatric-surgery-in-tijuana-mexico/

from Danny Jobe NIKSTAR was here… https://dannyjobenikstarwashere.wordpress.com/2017/05/13/strategies-for-determining-if-plastic-cosmetic-surgery-is-a-superb-option-bariatric-surgery-in-tijuana-mexico/

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nofomoartworld · 7 years

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Hyperallergic: Critical Distance: Car Seat Headrest, Solange, Danny Brown, Christine and the Queens

As most adolescents across the nation sit in their bedrooms and agonize over the eternal question, what do boys/girls like, some of us have more unfortunate and inconsequential concerns: what do critics like? Immersive soundworlds are one answer, albums with distinct and possibly arbitrary aesthetics ready for induction into alternative canons. Distancing strategies are another, albums that avoid the obvious through either attenuation or throwing a firecracker over the listener’s shoulder and yelling “Look over there!” The four touchstones reviewed below earn their acclaim by participating in the above tendencies. The latter two earn my adoration.

Car Seat Headrest: Teens of Denial (Matador)

Every indie-rock sadboy has his own method of coping with existential depression, and Will Toledo’s involves scale — if marshalled guitar riffs, inspirational choruses, and rather long songs can fill an arena, surely they can crush all those residual negative feelings that drive one to music in the first place. This album is his attempt at epic, infused with the requisite pathos, jangle, and willingness to look silly while making big, serious gestures.

Theoretically the record is animated by the disparity between emotional hugeness and lo-fi sound. Toledo’s melodies are strong, grand, soaring, sincere, as they invite fist-pumping and radiate major-key triumphalism. When he revs his mumble into a yell and slams down with thin, crunchy shards of guitar static splintering every which way, the band rouses, especially on “Vincent,” whose echoey single-string intro sets up an increasingly frantic and jubilant song, and the latter half of “Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales,” when he goes overboard, pleasingly, with the moaning. Elsewhere the anthems fall flat; a roomful of sympathetic young people chanting along with “We are just, we are just, we are just teens of style” in a tune as nostalgically celebratory as this one, or for that matter, the ballad about the unforgiving world but she’s not an unforgiving girl, constitutes a ritual of resigned sentimentality that inadvertently self-congratulates. Corny songs remain so even when played on harsh electric instruments. Toledo’s voice is another problem, even in a genre where lead singers scorn technique — although it clears up when he yells (again, see “Killer Whales”), otherwise there’s a lumpy toad plopped in his throat or perhaps perched in his sinuses. It prevents him from projecting as the guitars deserve.

One could imagine Toledo cleaning/beefing up his sound if given enough label money, but that would corrupt his vision: creaky production, always threatening to crumble apart, is the doomed loser’s hallmark. A second option would be for the guitars to get spikier and angrier as snarl replaces soar. Don’t gulp, now—screeeeeeeeam!

Solange: A Seat at the Table (Saint/Columbia)

On her first release in four years and her first full-length album in eight, Solange Knowles strings a set of hushed neosoul exercises around nine spoken-word interludes. As befits her reputation as the subtle sibling, the resulting music is calm and unexciting, shot through with brief moments of intermittent beauty and prolonged moments of spacey drift.

Don’t think hers is a pop stance: texturally and especially vocally, Solange’s music follows a decade of atmospheric experimentation in R&B. Midtempo percussive clicks, jazzy piano chords, and assorted layers of synth burble produce a constantly percolating dreamscape as magical keyboard swirl flits through the mix and leaves sparkly traces. Her coos and sighs, plus whispery backup from many famous guest singers weaving the collective breathy tapestry, balloon to fill the music’s blank spaces, turning an airy vocal style into airy polyphony.

Individual songs are exquisite: “Where Do We Go” combines piano plodding and melodic swell to fraught effect, and the ostinato violin in the lead single “Cranes in the Sky” cuts through the smoothness and vocal flutter. As a whole the album floats aimlessly. One could speculate about her sister Beyoncé’s long shadow instilling in her a taste for quietude, for avoiding popstar exuberance with diffidence and a shrug. More likely the album’s slightness is calculated as a means to soulfulness. Only music this passively rapt could back the high soars and swoops of her singing, which evokes a free, dreamy, restless spirit in tune with nature while presenting beauty as an abstraction. A firmer set of hooks might present beauty as a concrete attribute.

Faint, sleepy, subtle to the point of indistinction, the album never materializes. Perhaps that’s the appeal; it’s forever receding into an imaginary horizon. Reticence can be its own fixation.

Danny Brown: Atrocity Exhibition (Warp)

Danny Brown’s childish yap and scrunchy, skronky beats have charmed before, but never so charmingly. Perhaps inspired/alarmed by his title’s dystopian resonance, the infamously silly Detroit rapper presents his most consistently thrilling album, rampaging through an imagined hedonistic-fantastical landscape with suitably hyperactive desperation.

Brown’s most delightful quality is transparently insincere remorse. Rappers who depict themselves drinking, fucking, etc., frequently provide disclaimers, likely intended to distinguish them from hordes of mere braggarts: these choices are dangerous, don’t be like me, and so on. Sure enough, in addition to the album title, the lead track announces he’s on a “downward spiral,” and throughout the album he continues making similarly gratuitous remarks about the excesses of his lifestyle. Naturally, he doesn’t mean a word, as the beats and his vocal mood indicate unsullied joy. Brown’s no braggart: where other rappers use hedonistic detail to assert superiority, he enjoys inventing scenarios whose details he finds amusing. “Lines and lines of coke” and the like become infinitely droller when delivered in his shrill cartoon bark, the voice of someone happy to dramatize, and for the record’s duration impersonate, one particular extreme mode of being. Ditto when recited over the twangy riffs, industrial crackles, ominous guitars, skewed piano echoes, percussive bells and looped clicks, obsessive basslines and random squeaks, jittery drum klatches and comic dissonances that drive the record, courtesy of producer Paul White, unified less by any coherent sonic signature than by a muscular spareness of method that elevates Brown’s music from shtick to vision.

Whoever said rappers had to take themselves seriously? Sometimes a giggle does the trick. Giggles can also substitute for middle fingers. Brown knows their adaptability well.

Christine and the Queens: Chaleur Humaine (RAK/123/Smokehouse)

Synthpop–what an excellent simulation of softcore erotica. Released two and a half years ago in France, the tweaked 2016 UK reissue of Christine aka Héloïse Letissier’s debut showcases the potential subtleties in popstar stance and an allegedly simplistic genre.

Whenever pop aesthetes assemble spritzy drum machines under chintzy keyboard hooks plus comforting softer washes of electronic texture to blur the edges and evoke light, one might ask whether the resulting music represents commercialism or eroticism. It’s a misleading question: one is rarely possible without the other. Shiny surfaces, upbeat in mood and extroverted in how they signal product, reveal private feelings and desires whose long shadows are thrown into massive relief by the spotlight’s dazzle. Christine eschews the cheer typically associated with perky electronic music for a caution that feels European partially because her flighty, assured, accented vocals switch off between French and English, partially because she’s committed to ironic modes that don’t negate feeling. Downtempo and fixated on slow, steady burn, her musical euphoria appears when she savors snaky lines of melody, when keyboard textures thwock and ping against your ear’s expectations, when rays of electronic light crisscross and leave the drum machine faintly shaded, when sonic contrast creates a hushed, fragile, hesitant mood. The highlight is “Paradis perdus,” which steals the chorus to Kanye West’s “Heartless” and makes it sound creepier, somehow, performed by a sincere, breathing, flesh-and-blood being over West’s Auto-Tuned original.

Time calls her “the voice of a different generation.” I’ll call her the bearer of a detached but not therefore otherized sensibility. She’s crafted a synthpop record whose obvious pleasures don’t obscure the attenuated ones.

The post Critical Distance: Car Seat Headrest, Solange, Danny Brown, Christine and the Queens appeared first on Hyperallergic.

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