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netherworldpost · 5 months

Note

I NEED to know about this CMS / Project Management that actually works. But mermaids are also very good.

Combining your asks, and no worries. It works because the dryad is married to a mermaid ;)

So the big issue is I do... a lot of stuff.

Which is both why Netherworld Post hasn't launched yet, but is also why we haven't gone bankrupt even though we are "behind" schedule.

I'm putting "behind" in quotes because I am the singular wallet behind this + I am the one who set the schedule -- so it matters, but, also, it'll be fine

(probably)

It's a big traffic system. I historically name all of my tech after Scooby-Doo because delight is necessary.

Project 01: Do this, then this, and then this.

If Project 01 is delayed because Project 01 : Question 01 arrises, then move to Project 02.

Project 02 : Section 01 is painting a canvas in preparation for Project 02 : Section 05. Base prep time is estimated to be 1 hour including buffer.

Does today have 1 hour available? If so, do Project 02 : Section 01 and prepare Project 02 : Section 02 as 'on deck' for when it is ready.

Does today have 1 hour available? If not, reschedule Project 02 : Section 01 - 05. Move to Project 03 : Section 01, which should take 20 minutes. Unless Project 01 : Question 01 gets answered, then revert back to Project 01 to complete because from start to finish it should take 3 hours and has only one section.

etc.

On one hand it seems very intense. It's not. I don't work 24/7. I work very reasonable hours, but I'm also experimenting with a lot of things at once, so hobby time and work time blends a lot.

My comments about making a Super Mario Brothers chapbook of poetry are lighthearted but accurate (I don't know how to write poetry) (yet ;)

I used to paint a million years ago but haven't in years and years, so I'm relearning painting with acrylic on paper, acrylic on models, and watercolor on paper

Illustrations for products and comics

Writing comics, stories, web content, brushing up on current marketing trends, tinkering with programming for the systems in place...

Animating. That's a whole thing.

Dealing with printers and web hosts

-- and and and and and and and and --

Plus back office client work which is lots of research and writing and designing and production brokering. There are a lot of feedback loops -- "I found PRODUCTION THING for a client, I can use that to reduce costs for Netherworld Post"

and/or

"Hey client I'm writing a story about mermaids, you expressed interest in MERMAID CULTURE THING, here is a sales pitch for you to fund it. I get THIS PART and you get THAT PART."

When I was consulting, I called it the rocket ship fuel problem.

To launch a rocket into space, you need fuel -- the heavier the rocket, the more fuel you need -- but within the equation to figure out how much fuel you need, you also must accommodate the weight of the fuel you use to launch the rocket.

I should rename it "wind sail fan problem" for this post maybe.

I could scale up Netherworld Post's back office (client-facing)

This would allow me to more tightly focus on singular aspects -- maybe instead of re-learning how to animate + becoming acquainted with modern animation software, I hire freelancers to handle this.

HOWEVER

I would have to scale up our back office income enough to ensure the Post could invest in animation experiments and partnerships. It is a huge unknown if silly little commercials will help the Post grow or if it'll be a cash-sink (albeit a fun one). So that investment may be worth it! Or not!

So everything has to be really carefully balanced.

The Big Goals are to decrease dependency on any single social media platform (in progress)

to have a lot of fun (daily achievement)

to make a lot of stuff (I am, most of it is private, in time it'll be half-and-half public/private)

I am not built, as a person, to be an influencer. So all cash has to come from products sold and/or back office clients, which is fine, I'm not concerned about this.

What I am concerned about is we are watching Twitter or X or whatever it is called now implode. I'm not up on their latest style guide and I've grown repulsed by the program.

We're watching Automattic say "...hm."

We're watching Meta... be... Meta.

Various content curators who call themselves content creators say "this is mine now" and just outright steal content.

In an environment with rapidly rising interest rates (good, bad, and/or indifferent) making business-cash aggressively more expensive today than it was just a few years ago.

Which is going to add more and more pressure on social media networks to make a profit (or a larger profit)

The conceivable arc in the next 5+ years is launch the shop, continue making small experimental things to help it become known, and if cash rolls in, use that to make larger experimental things to help the shop become known.

It is a tight balance.

It is an amazing amount of fun.

If the shop launches and never makes a penny, it'll still be worth it.

Thank you. I recognize this is maybe more than you were looking for, but by your excitement, I think there is a 50% chance it's close to what you're looking for?

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spideyanakin · 2 years

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Reunited

Zuko x Fire nation!Reader

Synopsis - Working at the boiling rock, you didn't think you would meet prince Zuko again there

Masterlist🧚🏻‍♀️

Zuko Masterlist 🌻

All you mostly did was the same boring routine.

Wake up, shower, eat, try to prevent fights (whether it was between inmates and other inmates or between guard and inmates), eat, watch for fights again, eat and sleep.

Over and over.

Every day like an infernal loop of the same events. The same sun rising over the boiling rock. Just like the same moon passing through the sky at night.

Ever since Prince Zuko was exiled, your life had done a 180. You went from sticking to his side every minute of everyday. To spending early breakfast, to training together with him. Rumours of a potential future royal wedding even flying around the nation as the days went by and the friendship you had built only strengthened. He was your other half, as the poets would say.

And every single day was a painful remember that you weren’t able to follow him when he was exiled.

"Zuko wait!" As he was about to head towards his boat - ready to leave you for ever, you ran to him. You couldn't live with yourself if you never told him, or didn't hold him in your arms one more time.

He didn't have time to respond before he was met with your body crashing into his. He dropped what he was carrying to hug you back, wrapping his arms around your waist for the last time.

You pulled away from the hug, trying to remember every single one of his traits.

"Zuko-" You whispered as you took a mental picture of him. You couldn't even form a sentence, not trusting your own voice to form a proper sentence. You placed your hands around his neck before pulling him into a kiss.

At first you were afraid you had taken a step too far. But when he kissed you back, wrapping his arms around you a little tighter - the ache of him leaving started to hurt a little more.

"I love you." You whispered.

"Y/n/n, I love you too"

He liked you back. After all these years of wondering if he did.

But that was a faint memory. He was gone.

You weren't friends with Azula so it was pointless to stay around the castle. Your afternoons became empty and meaningless.

You had focused on your training. Trying to get a stable job after you had finished school. One where you could potentially use your fire-bending for good.

You thought that the answer would have been the boiling rock. Using your power to keep mega dangerous criminals from hurting anymore harmless citizens... oh you were wrong.

The boiling rock was a place for bullies. More so in the guards section than in the inmates.

You opened the door to a cell, managing to balance the key and the extra bowl of rice you were carrying.

"Hey Y/n."

"How are you today, Suki?" You smiled at the inmate. You had seen her be tormented by some of your co-workers, and ever since the two of you had formed some kind of unspoken friendship. "I brought you an extra" You winked as you placed the food tray, sneaking the second portion on it.

"Thank you." She nodded with a grateful smile.

"I have to go - but I'll see you around." You smiled before closing the door again, sighing when you realized you'd have to go back to yet another boring task.

In the mean time Zuko and Sokka were on their flight towards Boiling rock, in hopes to find Sokka's captured father.

"Really? You haven't left behind anyone you cared about?" Sokka wondered and Zuko found himself looking back to the clouds, shacking his head no.

"Really? Not even a girl? I'm sure you must be quite the ladies man, as the prince and all?" The water tribe boy raised an eyebrow, and all Zuko could think about was you.

"Well, there is this girl"

"Heyyyyy, see? What about her?"

"I didn't have a chance to find her." He sighed. "I left her behind back when I was exiled - haven't seen her since..."

"Oh"

"Yeah." Zuko sighed. "Azula was trying to force me into dating Mai- so she did everything in her power to prevent anyone telling me where she is. How about you?"

"Well my first girlfriend turned into the moon"

"That's rough buddy."

"There's a scuffle in the yard!" One cheered and you rolled your eyes at the thought.

You pushed through the prisoners until you placed yourself with the line of guards already watching the scene.

"Not again." You said to yourself but it had seem to catch the attention of the two guards next you. You turned your head around when you felt their stares.

You were met with two helmeted heads and bright eyes staring back at you. You gazed at them intently not recognising them at all.

"Hey I've never seen you around?" You folded your eyes for a moment, being oblivious to the way both of the guards heartbeats at stopped at your words. "You must be new!"

Zuko knew that voice. He thought to himself. He knew the origin of that soft voice that rang through his ears like his favorite music. It was you.

"Nice to meet you." You smiled. "I'm Y/n," his breath caught in his throat.

Y/n.

That’s where you had been hiding.

That’s why you weren’t at the capital. You were working at the boiling rock.

"Sok- Um Sojan" One of them stuttered out his name and handed you his hand.

"Nice to meet you. And you?" You looked at the other guard through the eyes of his mask but he seemed to be frozen. Not able to speak a single word. You waited for him to say something, from a proper sentence, but instead, he was gaping at you like a fish, big eyes trying to make sense of something. "Alright- I'll take the silence as a nice to meet you," you awkwardly chuckled before bringing your stare back to the scuffle.

You watched in horror as the guard fire bended straight into the prisoner, making im obliged to fire bend for his safety.

"Fire bending is prohibited. You're going in the cooler." The man snickered and you stepped into the circle in outrage. This couldn’t be happening, again.

"He didn't do anything! This isn't fair!"

"Yes he used fire bending. We both know it's again't the rules."

"He had to protect himself! You started it! He doesn't deserve the cooler."

"I'll watch your mouth little brat. I could get you fired you know?" Your face twisted in disgust.

"You should be the one to get fired."

"Face it little girl. They're inmates, not your classmates. You two!" The man turned to the new guards. "Help me take him in."

Zuko felt himself unable to move, he was still staring at you, trying to pick up everything he could about you from the little he was seeing of you. You definitely hadn’t changed character wise still as fisty as he remembered, he thought before getting punched out of trance by Sokka.

"Hey- what's happened to you all the sudden?" Sokka whispered as they dragged the prisoner towards the coolers.

"It's her," was all he could mumble.

"Huh? Who? What?"

"It's her. Y/n." He could barely make a sentence.

"You mean that's the girl you told me about?" Sokka couldn't help but smile.

"Will you two shut up. I don't like people whispering." the guard who was leading the way growled and the two boys found themselves mouth shut for the rest of the way.

As Zuko stepped into the cafeteria he felt all his air being taken away from his lungs.

There you were - helmet off, peacefully eating your lunch.

You hadn't changed a bit. You still had the same features, same smile he loved so much. The same spark in your eyes. Your hair had gotten longer then he remembered and of course your traits matured too, you weren’t the kid Zuko had left behind, but in all truths he wasn’t either.

The second Zuko saw you smile again, he realized how much he had missed you.

"Hey new guy!" You lifted your head up at the sound, wondering what was going on. "I know it's the rule to have your helmet on at all times" You eyed the new guy and realized he did indeed have his helmet on, which made you smile a little. Being new was always awkward and odd and you could understand him.

Tuning out the rest of their conversation you tried to wonder where you'd seen the new guard's eyes before. You could swear there was a familiarity to him. You looked back to your food, trying to process where you could have seen that boy before.

"May I sit here?" You choked on your food when a voice you knew all too well rang in your ears. "Hey you, ok?" No?? You thought to yourself as yet again, the same voice was talking to you. Loudly coughing and alternating between sips of water as you tried to calm yourself down.

You hadn't lifted your gaze to see who was talking but you knew very well who that voice belonged too.

Zuko.

How? What? Here? Didn’t he leave with the avatar? What in the world was he doing here out of all places?

A thousand questions bursted into your mind at the same time. Once you had finally calmed down, you lifted your head up and of course you were met with his familiar eyes, half hidden by his helmet.

"Zuko?" You asked, barely above a whisper. He sat down and lifted a finger to his lips as if to tell you to be quiet about his name.

You nodded—eyes on the verge of tears. So many questions flooded you.

"What are you doing here?" You blurted first. Why didn’t you come back for me? Your mind was screaming you to say.

"It's a long story, Y/n—I'm so happy to see you," he reached his hand to take yours but you pulled away.

"You came back," you stated when you saw the confusion on his face. "You came back to the fire nation and you didn't come to see me—you stayed what? Weeks? I've had colleagues who bragged because they got a picture of you on their holiday to Ember Island," you rambled and his gaze softened when realized you were hurt.

How could you not be? You knew he was back but had heard nothing of him. "How they saw you with your apparently new girlfriend?" Your voice fell quieter "Rumors fly Zuko. Im happy for you—I am" you sighed, still trying to compose herself. "But- I was waiting for you." You blinked back some tears. "I thought you'd come to me if you ever came back."

"Y/n/n-"

You knew you couldn't hold back your tears so instead of saying anything more and letting him say more, letting him dig himself a bigger hole as he blurted out what ever excuse he had up his sleeve, you stood up and left. Leaving a dumbfound Zuko behind.

Sticking your helmet back on you roamed the corridors, trying to figure out what Zuko could possibly be doing here. You didn't think he was coming to see you. After all he had weeks of being fire nation prince again, how hard would it have been to just visit?

You leaned on the railing of your favorite spot - pretending you were keeping guard by watching the court yard from high up. In all truths, you were just trying to keep your anger down, trying to get some fresh air in a spot where you could also get a glimpse of the outside world.

"Hey um, I saw you in the courtyard didn't I?" The guy who was with Zuko back at the scuffle arrived, leaning on the railing next to you. You nodded before he continued his sentence. "I had a question for you."

"Shoot"

"You know how this prison holds the most dangerous prisoners?"

"Yeah?"

"What about war prisoners?"

"Something tells me you're not here just to work new guy," you smirked, making him freeze in place. "Relax." You laughed. "I'll help you. I'm sick of this hell hole, anyways. I'll join on what ever you're doing. Just as long as I don’t get paired with your asshole of a friend."

Sokka stayed dumb at your words and laughed at your nickname for Zuko.

"Who are you searching for? Sojan." You highlighted his name—and Sokka hesitated before talking again.

"I'm searching for my father." He sighed. "Hakoda of the southern water tribe. And my name is Sokka."

"Oh-" Your face frowned. "We don't have any water tribe prisoners. I'm sorry."

"What?" His face fell. "But-"

"Hey um, fellow guards." Zuko entered the balcony, awkwardly waiving.

"Are you following me or something?" You exclaimed.

"Zuko! It’s me!" Sokka removed his helmet and Zuko’s shoulders relaxed.

"SHHHH," He looked awkwardly between you and the water tribe boy. "What are you doing here?"

"Getting information." Sokka smiled and bumped an elbow into your side. "Your girlfriend here is very useful.

"She's not my girlfriend." "I'm not his girlfriend." You both said in unison, making both of you huff in annoyance.

"Yeah yeah." Sokka smiled, waving the two of you's comments off. "Well apparently we've done everything for nothing!" Sokka dropped his arms in frustration. "My dad's not here."

"Oh." Zuko looked at Sokka with a sudden compassion in his eyes. "I'm sorry."

The three of you fell into a short silence as Sokka tried to figure out something.

"Look Sokka-" Zuko tried to speak but the water tribe boy cut his sentence, as his face suddenly lit up.

"Wait maybe we haven't failed!"

"That's the spirit."

"No look! It's Suki!"

"You know Suki?" You turned to him.

"How do you know Suki?" He replied, eyes wide.

"I work here dumb dumb. She's one of the prisoners I take care of." He stayed dumbfounded, which left you time to figure out what you were going to say next. "Well." You stepped closer. "If you were originally going to break your father out, then I can help you break Suki out." You smiled. "I told you - I want to leave this hell hole anyways."

"Suki?" You smiled as you entered the room, Sokka following behind.

"Y/n!" Her face lit up at your sight, but she was quick to raise an eyebrow. "You got a visitor." You nodded to Sokka before leaving and closing the door behind you.

"Why are you smiling?" Zuko wondered making you realize you indeed were smiling.

"Oh- It's nothing" You shook your head. "Suki told me a lot about Sokka - I didn't know I'd ever get to reunite them."

"Oh-" Zuko wanted to say something more but a guard called you.

"Y/n- can you take care of prisoner 24601? The warden called me and I've got to take 24601 to the cooler."

"Of course!" You nodded before fiddling with the key ring on your belt. "I have to go. Make sure no one comes in." You nodded. "I won't be long."

You sighed as you closed the door of the cooler. Why was Zuko acting like he cared? You knew he had forgotten you, but why was he acting like he hadn't done anything wrong? That just made you angrier.

You made your way back to Suki's cell, surprised when you were met with Sokka holding onto Zuko as though he was a prisoner.

"little help over here." Sokka nudged towards you and you stood beside him, and another female guard grumbling as she walked.

"What happened?"

"This guard is an imposter." She grumbled and you nodded.

Soon enough Zuko was locked up in a cell, and the warden was arriving straight towards him. You opened the door for him, giving Sokka a warning look not to say anything.

You kept a sharp ear as you stood again't the wall outside of the cell.

"Well, well, well - I never thought I'd find you in here. Prince Zuko."

"How did you know who I am?"

"How could I not? You’re the one who refused my niece's advances." The words brought question back into your mind.

"You're Mai's uncle?" He looked away. "I never meant to give her false hope i-"

"Quiet... You're my special prisoner now."

You tuned out the rest of their conversation, too confused to think. You knew the rumors were between the Warden's niece; Mai and Zuko. Then what were they saying? We’re they even ever in a relationship?

You waited a good hour in front of his cell. Pretending you were keeping guard in case the new prisoner was rioting. Once you knew the coast was clear, you opened the door and closed It back behind you.

"I'm ready to talk to you." You removed your helmet and leaned again't the door.

Zuko was taken by surprise, suddenly standing up from his spot on the floor.

"Y/n-"

"Can you please spare us the pain and answer this question." You looked away. "Why didn't you come and find me?"

"Y/n I wanted too. Everyday I was away I thought of you, and everyday when I came back I tried to find you." He took a step closer. "I wanted to know where you were. Be with you again after so long of being away." He was barely a step away from you, reaching out with his hand to cup your cheek.

"But Azula made sure I was busy. Every time I would ask about you she’d make sure they wouldn’t answer me."

"What?" You said in surprise.

"I couldn’t get the answer out of anyone." You looked into his eyes and somehow knew they were telling the truth. You let yourself nuzzle into his palm, an overwhelming feeling of love brushing over you.

"How about Mai?" You didn’t trust your voice.

"Azula was trying to push us together. I never liked her." He wiped a tear away from your cheek. "I think you heard it from the warden" He managed a chuckle.

"So you didn’t forget me?" You felt yourself lean closer and he did too.

"How could I?" He smiled. "Y/n i never stopped thinking about you- I love you. So much" before he could say anything else, he felt your lips on his. Immediately falling back into the kiss.

He pushed you a little further against the wall, snaking his arms around you. You smiled Into the kiss when you realized you were kissing Zuko. The one you had thought abandoned you, the one who haunted your dreams for years. The you thought you’d never see ever again.

But he was holding you, kissing you. Even if it was in a dodgy cell at your shitty workplace—Zuko was here, reunited with you.

"Im never leaving you again." He mumbled against your lips with a smile.

"Never again."

#zuko fan fiction #prince zuko #zuko imagine #zuko x reader #zuko x you #zuko #avatar #avatar the last airbender fan fiction #avatar the last airbender #atla #atla zuko #zuko x y/n #avatar the last airbender imagine

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joy-returns-in-the-morning · 2 years

Note

hey friend! if you're feeling up to it, can you answer #2 from each section of the ask game? ^-^

Thanks for asking! ^_^

A2) Favorite game(s)?

For the longest time it was Yakuza 0, but lately Yakuza 7 has been a real strong contender. Yakuza 0 is always going to be the nostalgic fave for me, but Yakuza 7 is just a really solid game too. It's so expansive and fun. I think the story is a little more coherent too, but maybe that's just because I haven't had enough time to knitpick yet. 😅😅 Out of the Kiryu saga though, it's definetely 0, then 5, then 3. And I'll give Yakuza 5 a special shoutout too because despite its bizarre and somewhat confusing plotline I really do have a deep fondness for it. It can't say it's my favourite because I'm not convinced it's THE BEST by any means, but it's just so wacky, I love it. Plus it's the one with Okudera. That's gotta count for something. 😅😅😘

B2) What's a scene that never fails to make you cry?

There's just something about the last scene in Yakuza 5! I dunno, the combination of the music and the fighting just really gets to me.

C2) Which game had the worst plotline?

Hmmm how to put this delicately. They are all bad in their own way. 😅😅 I do think that the plotlines in Yakuza 0 and Yakuza 7 are FAR more coherent and engaging than the rest, which is why I rank them highest. But there are definetely many issues in these games too, and the more I think about them the less sense they make. Like is that whole counterfeiting thing in Yakuza 7 REALLY the only way to keep the peace? Instead of lining the polices pockets, why not put it into social services that will render criminal organizations useless? idk. And did Kazama REALLY mastermind the whole plot of Yakuza 0? How can you predict all that? What made Majima so special that they'd dedicate a group of people to surveilling him 24/7? WHY IN THE WORLD is there a secret underground fightclub beneath the river? How did they install that? It's all just so weird. 😩 And these are the games that actually made sense!! The plotlines only get messier from here. But I suppose I have to say the worst is Yakuza 6, if only for the fact it's actually the only one I never managed to finish. I watched about half of it, then skipped to the end to see if it got any better and then completely gave up. Maybe at that point I was just getting yakuza fatigue. But I found the premise so fundamentally flawed that I was just too frustrated to watch any more. Why would Kiryu and Haruka leave the other kids? It never should have happened! At this point, I've basically just erased this game from my memory. They are all living happily together in Okinawa….

D2) Who's the most underrated character?

Hmm I'm always suprised that Ryo Aoki (from yakuza 7) isn't more popular. He seems like the kind of character that Tumblr would absolutely love. He is a poor little meow meow. A terrible awful pathetic sort of man. <3 Maybe it's because Yakuza 7 seems to get less content in general. But hey, Zhao gets lots of art! And to be fair, Zhao is cool. But I don't think it's an overstatement to say that Aoki is far more narratively important. Like is no one else seeing this?? He's such a great antagonist to Ichiban! They are equals, but not equals. They are the same, but different. The symmetry! The duality! The shifting power imbalances! The devotion! The contempt! AAGGHH

E2) Haruka Sawamura, T-set, or Dream Line?

Dream Line! I loved their single, so sad that they broke up. 😢 I think it's such a lost opportunity because I would have loved to see Haruka and T-Set interact more as friends. I think there should have been a scene where T-Set visits Kiryu in the hospital with Haruka - it would be funny because they'd probably also run into Saejima and Majima and like, what would they do? I want to see the looks on their face as these hapless girls run into one yakuza legend after another. 😂😂😂

F2) Which restaurant would you like to try? Would you treat anyone to a meal?

Hmm there's this one restaurant in Sotenburi that I was always sort of sad we couldn't go into: HUNGRY TOM. I'm like Yeah! I'm hungry! I want to go in HUNGRY TOM! But we couldn't 😔

However, I can't overstate how much I love eating food. I want to go to all of the restaurants. I would not treat anyone to a meal; I'd collapse in front of them like that one hungry girl from yakuza 5 and make them pay for me lol.

---

Yakuza ask meme by @kulemii (do I tag you in this? do you get notified if I answer your ask? idk how it works. Anyway thanks for writing all these great questions!! 😊)

#yakuza ask meme

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af1899 · 3 years

Text

FEH - af1899 summons for Scion Julia

Finally! After the trailer was revealed I was excitedly looking forward to summon on this banner, so how did it go? Here are the results... Originally, I was going to share a video of my summons done yesterday, after finishing the video itself today, but my PC suddenly has "decided" to break again, the first time was over a year ago because the processor and motherboard short circuited between one night and the morning of the next day, even though it wasn't plugged to the power outlet... weird, some months have passed before it could finally be repaired. This time, it turns on, the PC can turn on whenever I press the power button, the processor fan works and all but nothing appears on the screen, plus there's a red LED lighting up constantly, which seems unusual.

I'm just commenting on my issue for context but feel free to ignore it or provide suggestions on what else I could try for diagnosing/repairing. I'm currently investigating and trying different suggestions available on internet.

But if I manage to get it working again or at least, recover all of my files, then I'll finish the video and share it in another post.

Anyway, here's details of my summons for Scion Julia.

So, I've started with the total of 212 [Orbs]... and it was a good beginning, with these off-focus units appearing shortly after a few summons without even raising the rate:

Alm just likes to show up, this is probably my third or fourth copy so far, Idk...

And the Morgan is welcome, someone will eat really well at a later time...

Uhhh... nice, but I'll need to think to who I fodder her to... at least with her [Dragonflowers (I)] and those of the Morgan I can finally fully boost Sonya.

Some time after, I get her:

It's so nice to have a merge for her! 🥰

And after getting to 3.5%, she appears... for the second time ever:

Honestly, I have no idea what do I do with her, I'll keep her around in case but most likely going to fodder to whoever needs either of her skills first... Ideally I'd like both, but Legendary Ryoma is still somehow the only source of [Kestrel Stance 2], and this is in 2021. 🤨

After this, things just have been getting worse, as it seems to be customary of red hell seasonal summoning, I was getting to a rate of 4.5% and had to do a couple of [Chain Challenges] to raise 20+ [Orbs] before pulling, at some point, I got 4 rounds with no single red in a row, that's the worst that can happen when you're desperately trying to gather up [Orbs] and can't whale/dolphin... but a miracle finally took place:

In the same circle, I finally got Julia, and since I had a rate of 4.25%, I pulled on the rest of the round which eadly had no colorless but all the other colors, didn't get anything other than just my second Hinoka.

Aftermath

Well, after getting Julia I was really happy, yet feeling also sad and frustrated because things went so ruinously.

I spent some time looking for the skills I would like for Julia and came up with this build:

Sadly, there's not much I can give her, but she got two rare skills there, which of course she deserves.

I haven't exactly decided how I want to build her but this'll do for now, [Mystic Boost] is there for the healing but I know both it and [Light and Dark] have the adaptive damage disabler.

"Ouch, and how much did you spend?"

Well, after looking at my recordings (before my PC stopped working because I moved all the recordings to there), it was a total of... 244 [Orbs], I had to gather [Orbs] until 20+ a total of 6 times so that I could append their matching recordings to the main video and get over with summoning.

"Do you plan to summon as you said? Emptying your [Orb] savings over weeks?"

I'm well aware I've mentioned that she'd drain my [Orbs] for weeks when she was announced, but this "luck" has been not so good and made me get some of my emergency savings from the [Main Story] section, which I want to keep as intact as possible.

But this experience reminded me to not to be so haphazard when it comes to planning (specially amidst hype), it also drained my willpower to keep pulling so I will at least save, I'm interested in getting Duo Deirdre+Sigurd and/or Soiree Ishtar, but I'll plan accordingly once the calendar rolls out (and I'm aware that red seasonal hell across two banners with so little to spare is a bad idea but I appreciate those guys a lot, so I feel like at least pulling on first circle), for now, I'm saving again.

Resume of obtained 5★s and their destinies

«The fates in each of these Heroes has been carved in stone ever since their first days walking into the World of Zenith.»

Fallen Male Morgan (+hp/-att): fodder, TBA recipient.

Alm (+spd/-hp): fodder, TBA recipient.

Lysithea (+res/-att): fodder, TBA recipient.

YouTube Olivia (+def/-res): merged into neutral unmerged copy, now +1 with neutral IVs.

Say'ri (+res/-hp): likely fodder.

Scion Julia (+hp/-def): IVs are all right but she's guaranteed merge project. Completes Julia themed team.

Hinoka (+def/-res): Scion Julia gets [Hone Fliers].

Complete themed team

And with that, I've completed the themed team:

...well, at least I have all the versions, but sadly none fully merged.

Yet I adore her too much, so she deserves her own team anyway. 💜🥺

#fe heroes #FEH #fire emblem heroes #fe julia

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ahsxual · 4 years

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Drum Lover

Pairing: Patrick Verona x Fem!Reader

Genre: Fluff, some angst

Summary: You recently learned how to play drums and you decided to show your skills to your boyfriend Patrick.

Warnings: doubtful and insecure Pat

Word Count: 2,2k

A/N: Last week I learned how to play drums with a friend and I'm so excited and proud of myself! I love music, so this was really important to me, and I couldn't help myself from writing something about it with my handsome <33

You always had a strong innate obsession for music: it was your escape from reality, your comfort, your passion, your own world. Because of this, you practically loved all musical instruments, deeply admiring the sounds and melodies of every single one. However, there's one that stands out from the others: the drums.

One of your friends knew how to play drums, so you asked him if he could teach you some beats. He gladly accepted your request, knowing how much it means for you to play this incredible instrument. Once you sat in front of it with the drumsticks in your hand, you could already feel the good vibes flowing through your body, instantly provoking goosebumps all over your skin. He was very patient with you, playing first so you could understand better which sounds and moves you should do.

You were a fast learner, so in little time you managed to do beats with just a few mistakes, which impressed your friend. The feeling of getting the chance to play drums was incomparable to any other: you instantly felt a sensation of freedom and happiness, like you were naturally born to make music. You were so proud of yourself, being utterly thankful for your friend to provide you such an amazing and unique experience.

"Wow, good job girl! I have to admit I wasn't expecting you to learn so fast!" he praised you, sincerely.

"I'm impressed too! You know, when you love something so much, it's so easy to learn and be dedicated to it." you answered, meaning every word.

"Yeah, I can clearly see that." he smiled at you, the proudness radiating from his body directly into yours. "You know what you can do since you already now how to play the basics?"

"Uh... learn more from now on? Getting classes? Yeah, I definitely should do that." you immediately got excited at the idea.

"Uh... sure. I mean, I was not thinking about that, but yeah, you should to that too."

"So...what is it?" you curiously asked, since you had no idea what he was going to say.

"Well, I think you should show your skills to your boyfriend." he naturally suggested, like it was the simplest thing to do.

"I what? You want me to show it to Patrick??" you were surprised by his suggestion: you just learned how to play drums, and he wants you to make a show to your boyfriend already? "No, no, forget it, I-I can't do it."

"Hey hey, where's that insecurity coming from? I'm sure he's gonna be proud of you, you know how he is. Even if you were the worst drummer player in the world, he would still love you more than you love music!" he said confidently, both of you knowing he was right. But what if you embarrass yourself in front of Pat? What if he makes a joke about it and even with your great sense of humor, you would still take it seriously since this is so meaningful to you? What if your friend wasn't right...? No, no, you know that is out of question.

"I don't know, I guess my insecurities are getting the best of me..." you were sad by your sudden change of mood. But at the same time, when you rethought about your friend's idea, maybe you should show Patrick what you have learned. "Unless..." suddenly an idea surged to your mind, being so obvious that you couldn't believe why you didn't thought about it before.

"Unless...?" your friend knew he was starting to convince you to leave your unnecessary anxious thoughts from aside.

"Unless I practice with you! Then I will be more confident to show him! But it will take time, I have to learn as much as I can to really impress him." you slowly started to get your initial mood back by thinking of Patrick's reaction. Your love for music, mainly for drums, isn't unknown by your boyfriend. He perfectly knows that one of your dreams is play to it, and he would be so amazed and proud to see you playing it.

"Yes, sure! You don't have to give a show to Patrick, not now. Like everyone, you need practice. Luckily, you have the advantage for being a fast learner, so it would take half of the time for you to learn comparatively to any other person." by his words, you started to think that maybe this is actually a great idea.

"Thank you, really, this means a lot to me." you then hugged your supportive friend.

"Let's make it this way: whenever you have free time, call me. If I'm available too, you come to my house and I'll teach you a few more things. Sounds good to you?"

"Sounds perfect! I owe you one!" you answered, making your way to your friend's front door.

"I'll think about what I need, then. See ya!" he playfully said, accompanying you to the front door.

Once you arrived to your home, Patrick was on the sofa eating popcorn while watching a comedy movie. He had his own house, however he secretly hated to be alone, so he would always come to yours just to be with you.

"Oh, you just got on time, the movie had just started!" he said once he saw you. Because of school, he didn't have much time for you as he liked to, so this moments together are very special for him, just like they are for you.

"Ohh, I'm so glad you made popcorn! I'm dying to eat sweets." you admitted, jumping slightly on the sofa and making your way to your lover's lap.

"You can always eat me, pretty girl." he winked at you, already showing his sassy side towards you, something you always loved since you met him.

"Who said I won't?" you playfully raised your eyebrow at him, earning a laugh and a passionate kiss from him right after. You started to kiss slowly, yet passionately until you decided that was better to stop, unless you wanted to miss the movie.

After that evening, you started to go out almost every day with your friend just to practice and learn something new. Patrick started to get suspicious about your suddenly lack of time and he even confronted you about it, only for you to reassure him that everything was fine, that you still loved him and you didn't want to leave him, not ever. He seemed to be convinced by your words, however you knew that he was starting to miss you even more and eventually getting sad and feeling lonely. That's when you thought you had learned enough to be able to play for him and didn't have to make him suffer much longer with your unavailability.

"Babe!" you called him once you arrived home from your friend's house.

"Hey." he simply said, not bothering to look at you. He was only with a black t-shirt and his black boxers, sitting in your bed while watching some random channel on the tv.

"Uh... is everything ok?" you started to worry by his indifference. He never acted like that before towards you and that concerned you to no end.

"I don't know, you tell me." he finally looked at you after turning the tv off, hurt and disappointment written on his face. He then got up from the bed, walking slowly in your direction with his arms crossed. "Is there something you want to tell me, huh?"

"Actually yes. I-I wanted to take you to a place to show you something." you tried to lighten up the mood, but it seemed useless.

"Oh, so now you have time for me? How wonderful." he was ready to get back to your bed, only for you to stop him on his way by grabbing his arm firmly.

"Pat, listen to me. I know I've been going out a lot more lately, but that's exactly what I'm trying to explain to you."

"Ok then, I'm listening." he crossed his arms once again: you knew this wasn't going to be easy, but you wouldn't give up.

"Can you just come with me, please? I promise I will explain everything to you." you tried to convince him one more time. There was a long pause, the silence and his deep stare into yours starting to make you feel even more nervous.

"Ok." he answered, obviously still being mad. "You better give me a good reason for all of this." you simply nodded, perfectly knowing you haven't been fair with him, but your intentions were good and you just didn't want to screw up your surprise. He started to dress himself, putting black leather jeans and black boots. The silence was making you nauseous, but you couldn't let that affect you. Not now that your moment to shine in front of your boyfriend was close to finally happen. "Let's go." he said in a serious tone, both of you leading to his car.

"Can I drive?" he looked surprised at you, yet he let you do what you wanted. This was your opportunity to make it up for him. You drove to a music shop from your city, where you could play and buy various instruments freely. It was the perfect place to show him what you have learned this past few weeks and what you were capable of.

"Seriously? A music shop?" he was confused, but you ignored his comment. You got out of the car, Patrick following you right behind, and you both entered the shop. You went to a room where was the drums section, seeing one that was similar to your friend's: the perfect chosen one.

"What are you doing? You really want to learn how to play drums knowing that we have to-" once you got in the right position to play, you didn't even let him finish, playing immediately to show your surprise for him and end the tense mood that was implanted since you left your house. Ironically, because he was grumpy with you, you tried to only focused on what you were playing, missing his speechless, impressed and amazed face. He wasn't expecting this at all: he knew you didn't know how to play drums yet, however you showed him the opposite, taking the words out of his mouth. You were so concentrated in what you were doing, that not even one note was played incorrectly: yup, you definitely were enjoying yourself... just not as much as he was. He didn't dare to interrupt you, listening to the outstanding melody played by his talented girlfriend: saying he was proud of you wasn't enough, and being as smart as he was, he immediately knew that your lack of availability was caused by your "drum classes".

"What do you think? Did you like it?" you asked nervously once you finished your little show in front of Patrick. He approached you slowly, not taking his eyes away from you, and you could tell by the bright in his eyes and his little smirk that he really, really liked it.

"If I liked it? Damn girl, you should see yourself playing that thing, you were absolutely incredible... and sexy." he admitted, making you laugh and kiss him after. When you broke the kiss, you hugged him hard, the guilty feeling consuming your big heart once again. "I'm so proud of you, Y/n." he genuinely praised you while caressing your hair and giving you quick, yet sweet kisses on your shoulder. How is it possible for him to make you blush and feel your stomach filled with unquiet butterflies with just a few words and glances you didn't know, but it was definitely possible and real.

"I'm so sorry for not telling you about this and for leaving you wonder the wrong things, I just wanted to surprise you..." you felt your eyes watering, tears wanting desperately to come out at the thought of losing your stupendous and exceptional lover. You surely love drums, but that love isn't even comparable to the one you feel for your Pat.

"Yeah, you should have said something. I have to tell you that I was going crazy. Even when I knew it wasn’t true, I thought the worst, sugar." he sadly spoke, letting his accumulated emotions to finally come out. "But now that I saw the show you gave me... it was totally worth it." he smiled, relaxing you instantly: and that is his innate gift, making you feel safe and calm by just one look or smile.

"You know that I love you so, so much, and that I would never leave you, don't you Patrick?" you said in a loving tone, staring deeply into his beautiful eyes while caressing his left cheek with your thumb.

"Hmm I don't know, maybe you have to prove me that again." he joked, both you laughing and kissing, not getting tired of your playful and romantic side. "You know that I love you too, baby." he gladly confessed.

Now you know: next time, he will learn to play instruments with you as well, and who knows... maybe one day you two will have your own music band.

#heath ledger #patrick verona #10 things i hate about you #drumfam #patrick verona fanfic #patrick verona imagine #patrick verona x y/n #patrick verona x reader #10 things i hate about you fanfic #heath ledger x reader #fluff fanfic #fluff imagine #music love life #music lovers #music fandom #imagines #fanfic #fanfiction #music fic

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just-anka · 5 years

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Ladybower trail marathon - 08/06/2019

Race day morning

My best friend from home, her 5yo daughter and J got here Thursday evening so the morning was a bit more chaotic than it usually would've been. The weather forecast for Saturday had been getting progressively worse in the days leading up to it and we woke up to pouring rain, but at that point I had kind of accepted getting soaked as inevitable :'D had the same breakfast I always eat before long runs, then drove the 20 mins out to ladybower.

The start

This was by far the tiniest race I've ever run - just under 100 starters and it didn't have the feel of a race, it looked more like a bunch of trail runners getting together for a group run in the mud and rain. I liked the atmosphere a lot, the only thing I was (stupidly) worried about was coming last - I knew I wouldn't be running a fast time but the idea of actually coming dead last somehow made me feel like I had to start out faster. I still did my best to take it slow, especially because we started out on roads which makes it even more tempting to start out too fast.

Km 1-8

It took me a while to get settled, constantly trying to slow down but not too much, and not be tempted to chase other runners, but I eventually found my pace. This first part was all gentle uphill on country roads, with great views of the reservoir. It wasn't really raining, just drizzling slightly, my legs felt fresh and I was just really enjoying myself. It's a fantastic feeling to finally start a race you've been training for for so long I think. After 8 km, we reached the first aid station where I filled my waterbottles, it was a cupless race with only 4 aid stations so I had my pack with me.

Km 9-21

After the first aid station there weren't really any runners around me anymore so I decided to put in my headphones. The following miles until the halfway point were by far the best of the whole race. Roads turned into bridleway, then single track trail with some more technical sections and some easier ones. The views were amazing and even though it was raining the whole time, it wasn't too windy or cold so I barely noticed it. I cruised up and down the rolling hills, flowing effortlessly and I just couldn't believe how good I felt. Around 10 miles I saw my friends who had walked towards me from the start "backwards" along the course. Got a high five from the kid and they all ran with me for a bit, I was so happy to see them :') my best friends dog went crazy when they stopped, he loves running with me and clearly wasn't happy to be left behind haha. A group of women running a little ahead commented on how cute he is and I ended up running with one of them for a while and we had a really nice chat - she was doing the marathon (which was her 18th o.o) as training for her first 50 miler and was so so nice. At the next aid station she stopped to wait for her friends while I went on. I reached the halfway point around 2h 13min, which was wayyy faster than planned, but I felt too good to really worry about it.

Km 22-28

The next aid station was around 22 km followed by the only actual uphill of the race. I didn't look at the race map all that much beforehand so i didn't know how long or steep it would be, just that it was the only one :'D it turned out to be only about 150m of elevation gain but it was really freaking steep. I walked the whole thing but still passed several people on it, so apparently all the hill running is sort of paying off. Once I got to the top the rain started to pick up and I was greeted by gusts of wind blowing along the edge. The view was fantastic but I didn't get much of an opportunity to take it all in because I was just sooo cold. Luckily the descent started after about a mile and the wind lessened a bit. The second half of the descent was really steep and technical and I again passed like 5 people - I'm really proud of that because when I was running with the group in the fall, my friends routinely ditched me on the downhills because I was so slow on them, and I worked on them a lot. It was also super fun.

Km 29-34

This is when it started to get hard. The last ~13 km were the same as the first, so the downhill was followed by another 8 km of roads. Not fun after so many miles already :'D I had to walk a few times but was mostly keeping it together, telling myself to just focus on the next km (I had "run the mile you're in" written on my hand which is always a good reminder).

Km 34 to the finish

After the last aid station I started to really crash. I was so so tired, freezing cold from the rain and wind and started to feel really sick as well. After a small uphill that I had to walk I finally gave in and stopped to put on my rain jacket - I hate running in them because I always feel like I sweat more than I'd get wet from the rain, but at that point I was just too cold. It helped a bit and I spent the next few miles alternating between running and walking. This part is a blur in my mind, I really just remember being in pain and thinking if there was any way I could quit I'd do it. There wasn't though, so I just kept going. 2 km from the finish I suddenly saw J walking towards me. I was so happy to see him I started tearing up. By then I was feeling so sick I could barely run but having him next to me helped a bit. The last km was all downhill and I somehow managed to run all of it and 'sprint' across the finish line in the pouring rain. And then I started to cry, just like after every half marathon race I've done so far 🤦‍♀️

After the race

After recovering enough to walk and receiving my medal, I hobbled back to the parking lot with J where I changed into dry clothes in the bathroom. It took me forever because my hands were so cold I couldn't feel my fingers and I was just soaked to the bone 😂 but being dry was the best feeling in the world. So was the hot shower once we got home, and the pizza we had for lunch, and hugging my friends. I was so grateful to have them around for this ❤

It's a few days later now and I still can't believe I did this. I haven't run yet but I feel.. recovered? I guess so I'll try a short and slow one tomorrow or so. I'm glad I picked the race I did even though it deffs wasn't an easy one, and most people I saw or talked to were wearing ultra shirts, training for ultras, doing this as their 20th marathon etc etc :'D but despite the horrible weather it was a great experience and even while finishing and feeling like I never want to take another step I thought "I'd do this again in a heartbeat". I love running.

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grapsandclaps · 6 years

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GRAPS AND CLAPS REVIEWS - PCW 7TH ANNIVERSARY 'STAIRWAY TO SEVEN'.

Like any movie trilogy, there has got to be an end and here we are folks for Part 3 of PCW's 7th Anniversary weekender which ended on the evening of Saturday 18th August in front of a good sized crowd, which was promising given that Futureshock and ROH were all running big events that night plus Preston vs Stoke was on and also the big concerts involving Liam Gallagher, Britney Spears and Feeder all in the local proximity.

As I left you last time we had just finished the afternoon show on the Flag Market and was looking for somewhere to pass time for an hour, so we embarked to visit a couple of local drinking establishments that is forever growing in Preston by the month. First off was The Guild Ale House's sister pub - The Orchard which is located on Preston all-new indoor market, which for ever in you re in Preston I recommend visiting as it looks like somewhere you could easily spend a few hours.

Anyways, The Orchard even though it is relatively small, it does offer up to 10 keg lines plus 2 cask options with drinks served mainly in Schooners and costing anything upwards from £3.50, but still giving you a great taste of some of the more exotic drinks at an affordable price unlike Port Street Beer House the day before.

After having a much needed 2 half's in The Orchard whilst watching if Hemel Hempstead would score to see my Both Teams to Score bet come in (I cashed out for £27), we moved on elsewhere with the final sight of a swarm of fly's getting half cut of a 1/2 of a fruity drink in a Tiny Rebel glass - you never see stuff like this on Attenborough. Next pub was another of the new pub's to the scene 'Plug and Taps' located near to the old Corn Exchange building in the city.

As good as this pub is for it's selection of beer on tap and takeouts, you can get a bit hot and sweaty when there are a few people in there especially on a warmish Saturday afternoon as it was on this day. I had in here a 2/3rd of a Liquat sour beer costing £6 and another 2/3rds of a Outstanding Strawberry Witbier which was around the £4 range, that considered this is well worth a trip to when on your travels in Preston.

Venturing into Evoque, we took our spots in the usual position that I have taken up in the last 3 years (no not holding up the bar, before you say anything) ha! So let's get into the night's action which started at 6:10 pm with what was to be expected a raft of early matches for wrestlers who had to get elsewhere on there travels down the M6/M62.

First up was our boy Ashton Smith who is due someday to face Charlie Sterling in PCW, as they did start a feud in February, but have only had a couple of altercations since then, the last being in April/May. Ashton's opponent for this evening was Adam Brooks who has become a bit of a Marmite figure among BritWres fans some thinking he is only average and then you have some like me who has not seen him have a bad match yet, we really are a divisive bunch.

As ever the Ashton singing section was in full voice as the match began, in what was a really good 12 minute or so opener it was Ashton who picked up a much needed win after his earlier loss to Sheikh El-Sham on the flag market, by finishing off Brooks with a modified 'Roll of the Dice' DDT to get the 3 count and off up the road to go and Futureshock Heavyweight Title against Cyanide (You can read all about that on Andrew Gibney's review that he did for me from Saturday night on The Indy Corner - cracking read as well).

Next up we had a hotly contested PCW Women's Title match with the new Champion Nightshade taking on Viper who picked up a huge win in the afternoon show against Rhio. Surprisingly with this match, it was a comprehensive victory for Nightshade as she hit a match-winning spear to Viper to retain her title and as stated on the Blackpool review hopefully on to a new batch of challengers instead of Rhio and Viper.

Tag Team action next with the Masked Duo of Suicide and Planet Bolton's own Arcadian taking on the World-Travelled Desmond Xavier and Zachary Wentz - 'The Rascals'. As expected this was a sight of high flying action, with the bulk of the match spilling to the outside and in this writer's opinion it was good to Arcadian get an opportunity to test himself against someone like Des and Zachary. Sadly for Arcadian it wasn't to be a fairy tale ending as Desmond and Zachary hit the push moonsault and Wentz covered Arcadian for the 3 fall. This was really good fun!!

Up next was the eagerly anticipated confrontation between 'The Face of the Case' Tel Banham vs Magnificent Matthew Brooks in a 'Fans bring the musical instruments' match and on inspection there was a lot of guitars in the crowd, god knows which shop they found in Preston/Blackpool to buy anything musical given our failed attempt in the morning. Early doors the musical instruments came into play as Brooks climbed a top of Banham on the ropes to use a triangle symbol to deafen Banham given that Brooks can't now use his voice to do the same thing. Brooks then set a keyboard up on the outside across two chairs which he was about to put Banham through, but as ran to do said thing, he was hip-tossed by Banham through the keyboard which sounded faintly like one of the ones PROGRESS use nowadays to make its entrance themes.

Back in the ring, with Brooks suffering from the keyboard fall, Banham tried to take the opportunity to add further misery to Brooks but Brooks managed to wriggle free to grab a didgeridoo of all things from the outside to whack Banham around the back and neck, with Brooks in control he neutralised the threat of BIG T as well, plus it has to be noted Joanna Rose got involved in Banham's business due to a confrontation at the last show when Rose was marched off to a local medical facility at the hands of Banham. With all that said , Brooks finally finished off Banham with the 'High Note' legdrop for the victory. This was everything I was expecting from the match and more to end what has been the main highlight of PCW in the past year - credit to Matthew Brooks and Tel Banham for that, take a bow lads.

Up next we had a battle of World of Sport Alumni with Iestyn Rees taking on Doug Williams who is currently in his what some have called his Retirement tour as he begins to wind down what has been a successful career which will culminate in a Wembley Arena match defending his ATLAS title against Trent Seven for PROGRESS. Rees who has been on a bit of down slope since losing his PCW Title and also Rhio in the process was looking to get back on course with a victory here against Doug, which he duly did in a hard fought contest that ended up being better than I expected it to be on paper. After the match, Doug received a standing ovation for his efforts which was well deserved!

A -ONE-TWO-THREE-FOUR SUGAR DO DO DO DO!! Yes it was Archies time once again in Evoque as Sugar Dunkerton entered the building for a 6-way contest against James Finn, Rhio, Drew Parker, Dave Birch and the mystery opponent who turned out to be none other than the Former Cruiserweight and #Boom Champion Dave Rayne strutting out to the Basement Jaxx Classic 'Get Me Off'. The start of the match played host to Sugar trying to get everyone to dance along with him, but Drew was not having any of it as he jumped Sugar to get the match going, This match was similar to the 6-way the night before with the action spilling to the floor outside, but in a stroke of good fortune it was our boy Sugar who picked up the victory to send the PCW crowd into another singing session of 'Sugar Sugar', I can say that my voice was shot from singing at this stage - ouch!!

We were treated then with an appearance by Sheikh El-Sham all suited and booted coming out to gloat about the two big victories he had picked up over the weekend on Joey Hayes and Ashton Smith respectively. In this segment, El-Sham called out PCW Owner Steven Fludder for a talk about possibly offering Fludder all of his Middle-Eastern Millions to buy the company from him and take PCW to the next level, sadly for El-Sham, Fludder wasn't of the same thinking as he politely declined Sham's offer leaving 'The Prince of Panache' seething saying that Steve will regret he ever did this. One thing I do say, PCW have done excellently to build El-Sham as the next big bad guy in the company - keep an eye on this for the next year I am guessing.

PCW Tag Team Title action next with the Champions 'The Kinky Party' Sha Samuels and Jack Jester due to take on Team Single, Rampage Brown and T-Bone, but sadly due to Rampage still being on the shelf due to a shoulder injury that he picked up in a match against Josh Alexander for Tidal, PCW Matchmaker Greg Lambert had to search for an opponent and in he found one in the form of - 'SUGAR DO DO DO DO'. Yes it was our boy Sugar once again to form the tandem of 'T & Sugar' to see if they could rest the tag belts away from The Kinky Party, well at one stage all looked on course for T & Sugar until Sheikh El-Sham made an unwelcome appearance to attack T-Bone to cause the DQ victory for T & Sugar BOOOOOOO!! So it looks like we will be getting Sheikh vs T-Bone match in the future at an upcoming PCW show this year.

Greg Lambert was out again next to introduce the next match which was a battle of two men from British Wrestling folklore and two men that Greg Lambert was familiar back in the heyday of the FWA with Jody Fleisch taking on 'The Wonderkid' Jonny Storm, I have to say this was a classy touch by the promotion and it made you feel invested straight away in this contest.

What followed was a great exhibition match between Storm and Fleisch who haven't missed a step, especially Jody who looks in amazing shape with his physique and it was Jody who picked the victory here over Storm in around 10 minutes to a great ovation from the crowd. It didn't end there as Doug Williams came out to congratulate both men on the match and to say to them to continue to carry the torch of the old brigade when he retires next month, this was great to listen to and even elicited a shout of 'FWA FWA FWA' from a couple members of the audience who shall remain nameless ha!

FWA FWA FWA FWA!! - YOU CAN DO TWO THINGS ABOUT IT - THAT'S NOTHING AND LIKE IT!!

With that out of the way, it was time now for your Main Event of the evening with Dean Allmark cashing in his No.1 Contenders shot which he earned by winning the Road To Glory Tournament in February and his opponent was the Champion, Lionheart who won the title in May by defeating T-Bone. After a talking segment where Lionheart mentioned about Allmark's finisher being a version of the Styles Clash which broke Lionheart's neck a few years ago on a fateful night in Evoque, this provoked some ill-advised comments from some of the local delinquents to some right head shaking from myself.

That said, the Main Event itself was a good end to proceedings but I always had the thought in my head that once Dean Allmark wins, which he did with the Smiles Clash to win the PCW Championship that a certain Mr. Tel Banham would come out to cash in his briefcase to challenge for both titles that Deano held and low and behold, the prediction what I have been shouting ever since Dean won the Road To Glory Tournament and since Banham has had the case - finally happened as Banham snuck up from behind a prone Dean to cash in his suitcase to hit two USHI-GO-RUSHI'S to get the 3-count and your NEW PCW Cruiserweight & Heavyweight Champion - Tel Banham and in this writer's opinion a well deserved one as well.

Pictured: Your New Double Champion Tel Banham (Credit to PCW for the top picture).

In the process now for Banham, you have two ready made challengers for the belts in Dean Allmark and Matthew Brooks which should keep him busy for the next 6 months.

So there you have it, the end of the PCW's 3-show weekender that provided lots of matches and entertainment to make the punters go home happy into the Preston night. One thing though I wish there would have been was a break in the action once again tonight, 8/9 matches in a row live can be a bit wearing on the mind but that's only one small thing. I hope you have enjoyed reading about this weekend and if it has enticed you enough, go and give PCW a try at any of there upcoming shows in Blackpool and Leeds in Early October and also there Fright Night show on October 27th with the return of Billy Gunn and X-Pac.

Next review from myself will be from NXT UK in Birmingham this coming Sunday to give you a flavour of something that you might see sometime soon on the WWE Network once they get there act together.

After that I am off to Germany for the WXW/PROGRESS show in Hamburg at the end of August and seeing as my podcast debut got good reviews, my voice will be back in September to give you a preview of some of the shows going on in the North West and Yorkshire in September including GPW/TIDAL and Futureshock Wrestling. Untll then BYE!.

#grapsandclaps

@oggypart3

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lizzybeth1986 · 6 years

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Hana's Group Scenes: Book 2

(I will be updating this essay as and when group diamond scenes appear in a chapter)

(ETA: COMPLETED)

Bathhouse

Technically, one can spend time with Hana with or without the diamond option, as this scene is more focused on Liam, Drake and Maxwell. The bathhouse is techinically co-od, so the MC and Hana can crash if they want to. Much of the friendly/romantic conversation happens before the diamond option unfolds, and the MC has an option of either calling Hana her best friend or telling her she wants to kiss her. Both options make her happy: the second for obvious reasons, the first because she was once a lonely child who never had many friends to begin with, much less a best friend.

Hana doesn't feature much in the diamond option, except to appear unfazed by the overabundance of abs in the male section of the bathhouse, and later to make the succint (and very correct) observation that Maxwell's hippo tattoo has a very personal story behind it.

Fondue Party

While most of the group scenes in TRR revolve around a particular event/attempt to take a breather, this scene is of thematic importance to Hana herself. Like the yacht scene, it focusses on her fear of failure and her doubts whether any of her skills are valuable if they don't bag her a suitor. In the follow-up to this scene, Madeleine plays on exactly this flaw of hers and exploits it to the point where Hana does almost fall apart (especially given that immediately after Madeleine's comments, chocolate falls on Hana's gown, driving her to almost scream in frustration).

We have noticed, all through the books, that whenever the MC points out Hana's strengths, the encouragement backfires because it further feeds Hana's negative thoughts. Usually, she answers compliments like these with a response like: "then why am I not getting suitable matches?" (the latest example of this being the hot chocolate scene in the MC's bedroom, where Hana compares herself to Liam).

But by instead focussing on their mistakes, the group helps Hana understand that she isn't alone, that mistakes are natural and human and common to everyone. She already sees the MC, Maxwell and Drake (and now Olivia) as perfect in their own ways (an example of this would be her surprise if the MC chooses her in the island question at Truth and Dare, stating that she won't be a good choice becahse she isn't as "sarcastic as Drake" or "funny like Maxwell"). So to hear them talk so casually about times when they have messed up puts her "mistake" into perspective. This is something she does know, deep down, but in personally sharing aspects of their lives with her, they help her see them as flawed, and grant her the reassurance that a few mistakes don't take away her value as a person.

Camping Scene

While Drake is in charge of the trip, Liam offers help in building the tents and Maxwell (of course) entertains everyone, Hana is shown to take charge when it comes to keeping everyone well-fed. As I have mentioned in the Patisserie essay, Hana is a naturally nurturant person, and this shows in her desire to feed everyone and keep them happy. This nurturant aspect of her also emerges when she is petting the stray lizard, as it reacts differently to her than it does to either Drake or Maxwell (the lizard bites both).

But that is not all. Hana also shows a healthy dose of independence in this scene when it comes to building her own tent. Liam offers to help her, but she declines, stating that "it's kind of like a puzzle, isn't it? I think I can figure it out". And figure it out she does. For all her nervousness that she might not fare very well outside of court, Hana seems very determined to push her limits and do well on her own.

Hana doesn't have a camping story like Liam or Drake do, since she doesn't have much experience doing it. This is why she reacts with fear and worry, wondering if she will be attacked by animals in the middle of the night. Being with the MC makes her feel safer and more secure. While she is happy trying new things, it still naturally frightens her to an extent, and the MC's presence in her tent is reassurance enough.

Panda Reserve

Hana does not feature very strongly either in this scene or the one in the Night Market, but outside of this scene at least she gets a personal childhood story about her, related by Xinghai. This scene also, in some small ways, features her creativity and ingenuity with whatever materials are available.

Given that it is a panda reserve surrounded by bamboo, it is amazing to see Hana place a crown made entirely of the shoots on Yang Yang's head. She is disappointed, however, when Yang Yang finishes off her handiwork in a single bite, only to be comforted by Maxwell about how - coming from a panda - that would be a compliment. She is seen later playing with Yue Yue and Yang Yang, with a ball she made, also out of bamboo.

Perhaps the most heartwarming part of this is the non-diamond scene that follows, where Xinghai tells us why the panda reserve was such an emotional investment to him, citing how excited little Hana was to see a newborn panda. This story highlights how deep and complex Hana's bond with Xinghai really is, and that underneath the sky high expectations and incessant demands to fit in, Hana's father really does love Hana and genuinely want the best for her. It is important that this sequence is shown in the chapter before the tea ceremony, because it gives us a glimpse of the personal history Hana is leaving behind. It also helps us understand why she might return to her parents - which I am sure will happen at some point in Book 3, given that we haven't seen Hana's mother yet, or fully explored her own background and childhood in Shanghai very thoroughly.

Shanghai Night Market

This scene is interesting, because while it is not centered around Hana she still manages to shine in it. The buildup to this scene is entirely on her, and gives us a very good glimpse of her skills of perception: she correctly guesses (even though she was hardly part of the Savannah drama) that Drake and Maxwell need to air their issues out and rebuild their friendship, and is also able to see Olivia grow to become an important part of their group.

In this scene, she is friend, guide and translator. Hana is truly at her element here, giving food recommendations and ordering such Chinese street delicacies as rou jia mo, shansi leng mian and xiao long bao in fluent Mandarin.

Her parting line about how food creates bonds is a particularly Hana thing to say, given that she is well known for her skills in cooking and baking, and is seen on more than one occasion using food and drink to gain alliances. The MC may scoff at the "cementing political alliances" portion of Hana's statement, but we must remember that it is Hana's suggestion of bringing Regina/Adeleide a religeuse/champagne bottle that helps the MC win their favour more easily.

Coney Island

The trip to Coney Island allows the group to celebrate the MC's newfound freedom from the scandal that has followed her since the Coronation, and allows them to experience the fun and thrill of being in a theme park. Each LI gets their fortune told, a go at the high striker, a chance to spend time with the MC on the ferris wheel and be gifted a soft toy.

Hana's fortune stands out as a beacon of hope given the uncertainty of her current circumstances, and allows her to feel a little better about her future. At this point, whether she is the MC's LI or not, Hana is at the precipice of something new and terrifying, something she knows she wants but has always been afraid to reach out for. From here, the only way she can go is up.

Hana comes out the dark house in the high striker competition, surpassing Drake, Liam and even Maxwell (whose puck almost hits the goal, but not quite). She is written as "studying the spot where the lever strikes the puck" and achieving a perfect aim in doing so. While it seems to be largely a show of strength, it is Hana's show of wits that help her win in the end.

At the ferris wheel, Hana cannot resist taking in the sights and marvelling at the way the stars reflect in the water. She is amazed at the "carefree, indulgent" vibe of the place, exclaiming that "it's like a whole other planet". This is an environment that is completely new to her, as she explains at the beginning of their trip, and she revels in it, and in her own newfound freedom.

On being gifted a soft toy by the MC, she treats it with a particular tenderness that could only come from someone who rarely had much by way of friendships, and who probably had to make do with with inanimate objects and imaginary friends. Back in Book 1, Hana did tell us about pretend tea parties with make-believe friends - since she couldn't have toys - and admitted to finding solace in a lake as a child. In the library scene, she speaks of how she drew whiskers on rocks to create a replica of Templeton, the mouse from Charlotte's Web. This is possibly the first time she has ever had a toy to call her own. Here, she treats it like a real flesh-and-blood being, insisting on spending time with it so she can figure out the perfect name.

Beer Garden

This group scene - the last of its kind for Book 2 - gives everyone small, fun moments doing different things: drinking, chatting, dancing atop a table. However, Hana in this scene gets a few moments to shine.

Liam points out to us how truly talented Hana is, when he recognizes the dance form that Hana is doing on the table as the Cordonia Harvest Dance. Upon hearing this observation, she shows us the extent of the preparations done by both Hana and her parents when she tells him - with a completely straight face - that she learned all 26 of the traditional Cordonian dances, because she wasn't sure which ones were still in fashion at court.

But the real highlight of this scene comes with Hana's confrontation of Neville, and her very public rejection of him. Unlike her tumultous exchange with Xinghai back in China, this outburst acts as a clear stressbuster for her - similar to the effect that telling Olivia how she felt at the Coronation had back in Book 1. The exchange at Shanghai leaves her drained, but this particular bold move makes her feel much better, perhaps because she has no emotional attachment to the person she is arguing with in this scene. She has been stating her disinterest for him clearly multiple times, but this is the first time she allows herself the space to actually say so.

Hana's breaking point with Neville emerges the moment he speaks condescendingly of commoners, and given that this was a dig aimed at Drake for taking away their table, it makes complete sense for Hana to feel protective. She does not mince her words here: stating he is far too stuck-up and boring for her taste, that she will never be interested in him, finishing her diatribe with a particularly cutting remark about his questionable fashion choices.

However, there is still a little part of Hana that is not completely used to taking charge like this, which is why she expresses doubt about whether she did the right thing almost immediately after.Perhaps the most interesting reaction to this question comes from the support she gets from Olivia. Olivia: the person who had jokingly claimed that Hana had "finally grown a backbone" when the latter argued with her father in Shanghai. Here, she is more encouraging and sees Hana as a stronger person.

To me this highlights an unlikely friendship between two very different women, that comes full-circle. Hana's first independent outburst (in that it was the first time she made the decision to speak up to someone who had belittled her, without encouragement) was against Olivia herself, where she called the duchess out on her awful behaviour towards her, ending it nonchalantly and with little regret (Good night, Lady Olivia. It turns out I don't care what you think). It is Hana herself who reaches out to Olivia and offers to include her in the group, who points out that the latter is slowly becoming a part of them. This sequence is the first time Olivia - a highly guarded, "prickly", wary woman - encourages Hana and applauds her for the same courage Hana had once displayed, in front of her.

The beer garden episode may mean different things to different characters in this diamond scene, but for Hana it is another step in the new direction her life has now taken.

#the royal romance #hana x mc #trr hana #hana lee #hana: diamond scenes #fondue party scene #italy #camping scene #paris #panda reserve scene #shanghai night market scene #shanghai #coney island #new york #beer garden scene #cordonia

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