#as a kid i always had the biggest crush on alicia

[snixx]

the way alicia johns darrell rivers and sally hope were the first love triangle i ever encountered and nothing has beaten them since

#as a kid i always had the biggest crush on alicia #i think i always shipped darrell/alicia #but now i think I'm hardcore team darrell/sally #THEY ARE EVERYTHING TO ME #malory towers

[teadrop-12]

heehee thank you for giving me hcs of my blorbo :))) can I ask hcs for your favourite hedgehog Rudy?????? I wanna hear abt em :)))))

Hiii bella omg yeah ofc!! i have a lot of them locked n loaded omg

so i said before like my main hc of ejen ali is that rudy is a trans girl. and that still stands. she/her rudy but only with a few people she knows wont give her shit for it

again i know i draw and depict rudy as being femme but in actuality nothing really changes. shes the same exact person with the same blunt personality and spiky hair shes just a girl now

has a bunch of skills like sewing and baking. absolute dogshit at cooking though

shes bi, i've always had the hc she's bi, even before the tgirl hc came along. like the reaction she had to kim was the same she had to Ali i rest my case

i think she's got a guy pref tho? like she thought she was straight until she had her first crush on a girl

ALSO!! shes on the aro spectrum, specifically demiromantic.

really good with animals and kids, babysits on weekends sometimes

Roza is genuinely like her sister, like her cool older sister thats basically rodrick from the live action diary of a wimpy kid movie

she's not in a band but to blow off steam she plays the drums sometimes

theres a boxing bag in her room she uses that too rudy knows boxing

her and bulat are the besties of the agency. they met each other when bulat came to the academy and they have been each others ride or die since

while she was in the infirmary and her arm completely healed she would sneak into the kitchen and bake for the remaining agents anonymously

she thrifts and gets a lot of grundge and trad goth clothes, but she cannot be bothered to dress up unless shes with a date or at an event then she wears formal Baju Malayu (im so sorry if i got it wrong i just searched for malay formal wear and the one i saw her wear is just like that so i dunno)

like think hot topic, or gothic lolita clothes.

kinda clingy with people? i dunno how else to describe it but its like if shes with a friend or something and they abruptly get taken away for something else she'd be a tiny bit jealous or something

moons like her little sister i think, like theyre always bickering and stuff n tease each other but if anything happened to her she would be mad

she can't really take compliments well. like from anyone.

very indulgent hc, shes got a crush on Alicia.

audhd

im sorry these hcs are so boring

an actual menace to society, she should be put down/j. but srsly, she is a known prankster in canon before ali and alicia came and she became so much more tough

i think she would have had rabies. at least twice. one as a kid once recently

as a kid she actually had really long hair but she got it cut rlly short bc she wanted to style it like Djins

accidently called one of the mentors "mom" once but that mentor said it was fine and flattered

despite having a huge crush on alicia, she is also her biggest rival. Like luz and amity except theyre both amity except alicia amity is luz does this make sense

calls ali and khai cringe for liking a card game like WAUriors but in actuality she has a whole collection for herself.

ok here are some heavy hitters (TW su1c1de mention)

Remember that thing with my dos hcs? with dos being unknowingly cloned? that clone was rudy, but because she was a child, they couldn't wait for her to grow up so when they tried to terminate her, rudy caught wind of this and ran away, which is how she got homeless until she was around 2 or 3?

if thats not the case, I do think something more sinister happened in which MATA was involved with the fact she has no family left.

given the fact they hid ali's mother dying from him for about a year or two after he joined MATA, i dont doubt that they hid something about Rudy's origin.

I like to think when she first joined MATA she did know Aliya but she doesn't remember her so she can't put her finger on why Ali's so familliar to her

When she was younger she was kinda the older sister to the other kids there, like she would pickpocket some extras for them or find some sort of shelter and stay outside if there wasn't enough room for everyone.

Agent Geetha is the one she considers a mother bc shes the one that would actually primarily take care of her when she was a baby

When she grows up she actually goes through such a terrible incident on a mission that makes her lose her arm, but she refused to get a prosthetic bc she didn't want to look anything more like djin

like moon, she had strenuous nightmares for months and didn't sleep an entire night once after the incident in s2, and when they finally subsided, after season 3 it all started again

when she's older she actually quits being an agent, but doesn't leave MATA until shes much older, like around 30, and till then she's a CSI for them and still tags along on certain missions but not as common now.

I like to think Geetha adopted her after some years when they got much closer. Sometimes rudy would ask to sleep in her room when shes having a nightmare or something like that.

speaking of which, She calls her Ama or Ami (since Geethas desi in canon I want to think she prefers being called mom in Urdu)

rudy did kind of. like still not completely trust geetha even after she adopted her, but it got much better later when rudy would get really sick and geetha wouldn't stop helping her and she like wouldn't leave her side like she slept in a chair next to her as she was sick.

I do adore the hc we have of Geetha and dos being rudys moms, but i am also loving the hc of like. rudy finds out shes techinically Dos's "daughter" (bc of the whole clone thing) and her kind of realizing that geetha is so much more of a mother to her than dos can ever be and thats also what strengthens their bond.

After she saw alicia crying after Zain died, they always kept an eye on each other. like alicia and geetha are really the only ppl she'd cry in front of.

when she found out dos almost killed alicia she kind of cried there too. because what if she did actually die she wouldn't have met either of them.

after djin died she did actually attempt, but it didn't work and had to see a MATA specialized therapist.

ok i think thats all for now behn!!! super sorry for the boring hcs i didn't know anything new!! but pleaseee send me more hc asks i love them so much!!

#ejen rudy #ejen ali #ejen ali musim 3 #asks #ejen ali headcanon #headcanon #ejen rudy headcanon

[imperiuswrecked]

There's something deeply tragic and disturbing about the Johnny/Crystal/Pietro love triangle. Johnny and Crystal are the "kids" of their teams. They're more innocent and tend to be spoiled and protected by their friends. When they're together, they seem to love projected ideals more than each other. Johnny wants a pretty girl who has no trouble with his heroics, and Crystal was a guy who shows her the outside world. Conversely, Pietro matured quickly. (1/2)

Nobody protected Pietro, he was a protector. Nor did anyone reach to comfort him and give him space to show his vulnerability. When Pietro was thrown into the equation, he became protector and emotional caretaker for Crystal. Crystal became a source of peace and comfort he had never known before. Johnny and Crystal had fun, but their love wasn't as deep and natural like Reed and Sue or Ben and Alicia. Pietro and Crystal, though, complimented each other. (2/3) But of course, Crystal, give or take mind control from Maximus, ruined what she and Pietro had. It didn't help that Pietro was also mind controlled into mistreating her. Crystal will always crave that extra bit of fun and irresponsibility, even if it means betraying people who love her and might be waiting for her. She's kind and idealistic (at least intended to be), but she doesn't have her priorities straight. (3/4) And honestly, the biggest issue here is that writers don't know where to take Johnny and Crystal beyond being the token team kids. In-universe, neither of them face any pressure to mature and take responsibility either. Reed and Sue allow Johnny to drop out of school to pursue full-time celebrity, and the Inhuman Royals don't mind anything Crystal does as long as she does her Royal duties. Johnny laughs things off, Crystal plays helpless, lonely victim. (4/5) Opposite of Spidey's issues, writers keep trying to shove Johnny and Crystal together, even when they've proven they haven't worked and will not work out just because both of them are too naive, too prone to wishful thinking, and too in need of quick self-gratification. Pietro is the one who truly gets screwed over, because he came in looking for commitment and a place to belong, and he got sacrificed for Johnny and Crystal's drama. (5/5)

I don't think the writers should take Johnny/Crystal anywhere, at this point it just doesn't work imo. They were teen crushes at one point but I don't think there is really anything there to build upon. I just wanted to point out that Johnny does go to college so he did finish high school, but I think Johnny like many comic characters is stuck on a loop because marvel is too afraid of making long term changes to older characters. Even Spider-Man is stuck on a loop where he isn't allowed to progress any further.

I do think that Pietro fell in love with Crystal because she was kind to him but also because she took care of him when he was alone which would cause him to fall even harder in love with her, but I disagree that they were compatible, they were also too young and their personalities/backgrounds too unrelatable to be married. Pietro always wants to set down roots vs Crystal trying to break free from her royal trappings.

Pietro was 100% thrown in to break up Johnny/Crystal permanently so that the writers could be free to go back to the loveable bachelor Johnny who just can't catch a break with love. So yeah I do agree, it's tragic how Pietro was treated and his own story was shifted so that it could be a part of the Johnny/Crystal drama but I can't complain too much because without Pietro/Crystal then we wouldn't have Luna and I really love that Pietro is a father and has a daughter even though Marvel forgets her all the time.

#pietro maximoff #quicksilver #johnny storm #crystal amaquelin #imp answers

[blackleopardgirl]

it's supposed to be fun- turning 21.

I hate that I wasn’t able to make any friends after high school, like really? Nobody wants to be my friend. That really sucks. It especially kills when you see people on social media happy and with new people and you’re just not. So many people my age care about having dates and dating and worry about being single but my biggest thing has always been no friends ever. Even other people notice it, it sucks so much. 

I hate that i’m failing this Wednesday class, and I was doing so well before it too. Everyone I know tells me i’m great with kids, I just don’t know why I cant take another class instead? I don’t know. I hate the thought of giving up on a dream i’ve had since I was a child, and switching my major. 

i somewhat hate that I didn’t graduate on time, but who would care but me? And for how long? I had no friends in college and didn’t have a good time so it would’ve all been for nothing to show for.

I hate that I always have to be the one that has to walk away from the things I originally loved. That sucks. Everyone else (it seems) gets to keep the things they cherish and love deeply. never me, it breaks my spirit so much and makes me depressed like this. 

i hate that my family is dying right in front of me, like that one Alicia keys lyric goes, and now its raining, just to rub it in. I’m gonna be so miserable for a long time after this and i’m not ready for that kind of pain at all. 

I hate that you didn’t stay, and that even when you did get to know me, you claimed to love my personality and who I am but I was never and will never be enough for you to make me yours. It’s like i’m still not enough, you know wha that does to a person? Makes them like this. Cynical and nihilistic about their life. 

I hate that you know me really well now. You know that when I block you its because i’m really overwhelmed with my feelings for you and cant handle it so I do this and block people. But you’re still too clueless to tell that the other half of that story is that I do block because I can’t let the thing destroy me first.  Have to destroy it first. My first crush on a boy taught me that lesson the hard way. You’re too clueless to tell that I love you. 

I hate that everybody told me to attend therapy and after I did, I got nowhere and nothing ever happened. I hate that so much, I thought therapy was gonna make my life better and make me feel better. But therapists can’t make you have friends, an undergraduate degree, and a boyfriend who loves you. Therapy can’t make your life better, suppose. Therapy just made me feel worse about myself and my life. Every week she would ask me how I was doing, and if I was alright. I wasn’t. Never was, and my life didn’t ever get any better talking to her once a week. I found more peace in pretending. 

[guns-n-zeppelin]

Slash imagine: Hookup at a party

Anonymous: Hey I wanted to ask if you maybe could do an imagine with the older slash, where the reader throws a party or something like that and his son's are there because the reader and his son's are friends, and he comes to pick them up and the reader is super drunk and flirts with slash and they hook up (the reader and his son's are in there early 20's) I hope you know what I mean 😅 + Sry for my bad English

Words: 2,085

Warning: SMUT (kids go away pls)

A/N: It okay, friend, your English is great. Lmao i haven't written anything guns n roses related in ageees (sorry about that everyone heh), it's over 3am rn and i don't even know what i wrote, i barely reread it lol. Hope ye like it though. Comments about how shit this is are recommended hehe.

Not sure if i'm getting back at fanfics, if i get some requests which sound interesting i might try something quick if i have time.

People were dancing to the loud music all around you, pumping at you constantly and almost making you fall on the floor. You were carrying a half empty Jack Daniels with you and trying to walk straight. You knew you were super drunk right now and a complete mess.

You had thought it was a good idea to have a party at your house and invite all these people, but it would be really hard to get everyone leave and clean up this place after you’d recover from the worst hangover. Too late now anymore.

You walked to the kitchen, took a sip from the whiskey and put it on the table. Your friend Emilio was standing next to the fridge with couple of his friends and you started walking towards them, a large smile on your face.

”Emilio, there you are! My bestest best buddy!” you basically yelled and went to hug him tightly, burying your face on his chest.

”Y/N you’re so drunk,” he laughed, but he wasn’t completely sober himself either. For a while he looked like he would vomit, but it ended up being just a false alarm this time. ”I think i’ll call my dad to pick me up.” He took his phone and started calling his dad.

”Ohh yes, call him, that’s a good idea!” you slurred and laughed, but Emilio just ignored you and went to a quieter place.

The truth was, that you had had the biggest crush on Slash, Emilio’s dad, and you always got super awkward around him. All blushing and nervous. You almost had a breakdown if he would even smile at you and say hi. You knew he was your best friend’s dad, for god’s sake, but you couldn’t help your feelings.

It didn’t take long until Slash arrived with his car in front of your house, you and Emilio already standing and waiting outside, smoking cigarette. You looked towards Slash through the car’s window, he didn’t get off his car but waited Emilio come to the car by himself.

”Well, that’s my ride,” Emilio said, ”you sure you won’t need help to get all these people leave?”

You shook your head. ”Nah, Alicia, Sophie and Nick should be enough help with that. No worries.”

Emilio gave you a hug, until he started to walk to the car, barely keeping his balance anymore. You felt your head spinning a bit too.

You kept looking and adoring Slash’s dark figure, but quickly turned your head away and felt burning blush spreading on your cheeks. When you turned to look again, he still stared at you, but then Emilio blocked the view by going to sit in the car next to his dad, completely wasted.

You watched them drive away and let a sigh out of your mouth, still feeling your heart hammering in your chest, and returned inside. There was now less people dancing, it was quite late already, but it would still take time until people would leave.

About half an hour passed, you were talking with your good friend Sophie, until your phone rang and you had to excuse yourself elsewhere. Emilio was calling you.

”Hey, what’s up?” you answered, confused why he would call you already.

”Hey, Y/N. Emilio apparently forgot some of his stuff there at your place. Wallets and stuff i guess,” Slash sighed, sounding a bit irritated because of his son. ”I’m still heading to the centrum so i could quickly come pick them up. I know he’s in no state come tomorrow himself.”

Your eyes widened when you recognised Slash’s voice and suddenly you felt like your voice had suddenly completely disappeared and you couldn’t talk anymore.

”Y/N? If it’s not a good time, i –”

”No! No, no it’s. It’s uh, yea come. You can come get them now, it’s fine,” you stuttered.

When the call ended, you stared at the screen a bit too long and rushed inside. You went to look yourself from the mirror that you wouldn’t look like a complete mess in front of Slash. You were wearing a tight white top and a black skirt, which reached just above your knees. You saw Emilio’s bag next to the couch in living room and went to get it, almost stumbling on a guy who had passed out on the floor.

Soon Slash drove in front of your house again and you took a deep breath to calm yourself down a bit better. I can do this, you repeated in your head, don’t be a fucking fool again, you can do this.

Slash got out of his car and lighted a cigarette, while you were walking towards him.

”Uh, here’s his bag,” you muttered and he put it in the backseat.

”Thanks, Y/L. Emilio passed out immediately when we got home,” Slash told you and shook his head.

You let a laugh out of your mouth and started to giggle, soon almost not able to control it, for being so drunk.

”Yea, he was pretty drunk.”

You kept standing there in front of him just a bit longer and just looked at him. He looked back at you and blew smoke out of his mouth. You turned your head away again for a moment, but then turned back at him again, now trying to collect all your courage.

”How are you doing though?” you asked, coming a step closer him.

”I’m doing fine, thank you,” he answered and smiled, a bit confused why you were suddenly standing so close, but didn’t back off away from you.

”Are you having any … woman right now?” you asked, suddenly because of alcohol feeling extremely bold. You could smell his scent and twirled his curls between your fingers, biting your lip.

He looked a bit confused and furrowed his eyebrows, not sure what you were doing. ”Hm, no i don’t. Why are you asking that?” He threw his cigarette on the ground.

”You know, i’ve always found you incredibly hot,” you admitted and let your hand wander across his chest. ”I mean … wow.” You started to giggle again and Slash’s eyebrows shot near his hairline. ”Do you think i’m pretty?” you pouted and put your arms around his neck.

”Y/N …” Slash shook his head and your heart dropped. ”We shouldn’t … you’re drunk.”

”I knew it,” you said and backed off, feeling tears forming in your eyes. ”What’s wrong with me?” you asked, not sure if you were talking to him or more to yourself. ”I’m so stupid.”

Slash suddenly grabbed your wrist and forced you to look at him again. ”Hey, nothing’s wrong with you. You are … pretty. No, you are beautiful, Y/N. I just. It’s wrong.”

Your heart was beating faster again and you came back closer.

”What’s wrong?” you came stood just a few inches away from him and didn’t break the eye contact between the two of you anymore. You put your hands around his neck again.

”I’m too old for you and you’re my son’s friend,” Slash said. ”And you are very, very drunk.”

You just rolled your eyes. ”We don’t have to tell them,” you whispered and brought your face closer to his, cupping his cheeks with your hands. ”This can be our little secret.” You started to giggle again. Slash looked around the two of you, but there was nobody near.

”Y/L –”

”Come, i’ll show you something in the garage,” you said, thinking nobody must be there, since everybody were partying either in living room or kitchen, if not passed out in the bathroom. You took Slash’s hand in yours and started dragging him behind you to the garage. Surprisingly he followed you.

You closed the garage door and it was empty, just as you thought, only your own car standing there. You turned back to Slash and as he was just trying to say something, you slammed your lips against his, taking him into a deep kiss. He was a bit unsure at first, but still kissed you back. Eventually he broke the kiss.

”You’re drunk, Y/N.”

You shook your head. ”I know what i’m doing. I want you, Slash,” you said quietly and planted a few kisses on his neck. ”I need you.”

”Don’t say that,” Slash whispered, while looking into your eyes. You grabbed a hold on his dick, feeling through his pants his growing erection. Slash hissed between his teeth and a smile spread on your face.

You slided your hand now under his pants and took his dick entirely in your hand, starting to stroke him up and down.

”Y/N …”

”Shh,” you interrupted him, took his hand and slid it under your top on your breast. ”Don’t talk, just fuck me. I want you to fuck me, Slash, right now.”

You kissed Slash again and he immediately made the kiss deeper. You took your top off, leaving you only in your bra. You opened his belt and helped him get his pants off. You pulled also down his underwear and revealed his huge erection and only by looking at it, it made you even more wet. You stroke again his dick with your hand, making him groan, and looked at him into his eyes.

”You know … i’ve always wanted to try having sex in a car.” You glanced at your car next to you and then back at Slash. You took your underpants off and let them drop on the floor, then opening the door. Before he said anything, you kissed him again and felt his hands open your bra and taking them off. After you’d also took your skirt off, you were completely naked in front of him. He scanned your body for a while, until grabbed your waist and pulled you close against his body.

”God, you’re beautiful,” Slash said and roughly grabbed your ass, making you whimper. Your heart fluttered in your chest and he went to sit in the car seat, you following right behind him. You sat on his lap, burying his cock inside you, slowly, until he had filled you completely, all of his thick length disappeared inside your vagina.

You let out a deep moan out of your mouth, you hadn’t expected him to be so big. ”Oh gosh, Slash.” You were still for a while and Slash let you take your time, keeping his hands on your ass, grabbing them roughly.

And then you started to move, up and down on him, your chest and boobs just inches from his face. Slash helped you move by holding your ass and you fastened your pace as fast as you could. You tried to keep your head from pumping on the car ceiling, but it waa harder than you first had thought.

You moaned and whimpered each time his dick hit just the right spot inside you, but you tried to be as quiet as possible, still a bit afraid someone might hear and walk in. Slash moaned too and put his hand on the back of your neck, pulling you back into a deep kiss, forcing his tongue into your mouth.

”I’m so close, oh god, Slash,” you whimpered and he looked at you.

”Come for me,” he whispered. And then you came, orgasm running through your body, him right behind you. Both of you were just moaning messes.

You held his shoulders and tried to catch your breath for a while. You were still sitting on his lap and his hand came up to put a strand of your hair behind your ear. You smiled and giggled, him chuckling back at you.

The next morning you woke up from your own bed, the sun already up in the sky. You didn’t know how you’d gotten into your bed. Honestly, you didn’t remember much about the night in general and you had no idea what kind of mess was waiting for you downstairs. Though you just physically couldn’t think about it right now, due to your horrible hangover, so you put your head back on your pillow.

One thing you did remember though for sure. You would have thought it had been just a sex dream with the famous guitarist, but feeling how sore you were at the moment, you definitely knew it had actually happened and wasn’t just a fantasy in your mind.

You stared at the ceiling, deep in your thoughts, not sure at all how to face him next time you’d visit Emilio.

#guns n roses #slash #guns n roses fanfiction #slash guns n roses #slash hudson #imagine slash #slash imagine #slash fanfiction #guns n roses imagine #imagine guns n roses #gnr imagine #gnr smut #slash smut

[andrewdz]

Favorite Albums of 2019

2019 was a big year for me in music. According to my Last.FM stats, it’s the most music I’ve listened to in one year. That played a big role in why I have a top 50 albums list for the year. There was a lot of stuff I really enjoyed.  

I tried to find new bands this year because I’m over 30 now which they say is around the time you stop seeking new music and I want to prove that wrong. 14 out of my top 50 were brand new artists to me, which I wish was higher, but that’s a goal for next year now. 

I also reignited my love for some bands. I got really into the Go-Betweens in 2019. I bought a documentary about them, a book about the two founders of the band, and got a box set of their last three albums that is now one of most prized music possessions. I also found some Deerhunter records in Nashville that I listened to quite a bit. I also got to see them live this year which was a real treat. Other artists I got really into this year was Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Bombay Bicycle Club, Chris Isaak, Hightide Hotel, The Brave Little Abacus and Titus Andronicus (who I was already into, but got almost all of their albums on vinyl now).

It was another terrific year for live shows as well, as I got to see a lot of artists I loved as well as ones on my bucket list. Kacey Musgraves, Sharon Van Etten, Priests, mewithoutyou (2nd time), Tigers Jaw, Titus Andronicus (2nd Time), Angel Olsen (3rd Time), Deerhunter, Trampled by Turtles, and Miami Horror. The best month was late April to late May when I got to go to five amazing but very different shows. It was one of the most fun months of my life. I got to see the Drums (2nd Time), PUP, Ratboys, Doomsquad, Operators, Desire, Chromatics, and Passion Pit! All of them were some of the best shows I’ve ever been to.

Now enough about my music year, let’s get to the list. I only wrote things about the top 30 but wanted to highlight some other ones so expanded the list to 50. Like I mentioned earlier, it was a really great year of music. Not sure if I will release a list of favorite songs this year, but we’ll see. I’ve lately become more of an album fan instead of singles. Let me know what you checked out this year!

50. Chromatics – Closer to Grey  

49. Hatchie – Keepsake

48. Nilufer Yana – Miss Universe

47. Denzel Curry - ZUU

46. Pedro the Lion - Phoenix

45. Proper. - I Spent the Winter Writing Songs About Getting Better

44. Turnover – Altogether

43. Jay Som – Anak Ko

42. Big Thief – Two Hands

41. Jimmy Eat World - Surviving

40. Titus Andronicus – An Obelisk

39. The National – I Am Easy to Find

38. Priests – Seduction of Kansas

37. DIIV – Deceiver

36. Mildura - Mildura

35. Jamila Woods – LEGACY! LEGACY!

34. Doomsquad – Let Yourself Be Seen

33. Charly Bliss – Young Enough

32. Operators – Radiant Dawn

31. Black Marble – Bigger Than Life

30. The Get Up Kids – Problems

I was late on the Get Up Kids (I know, I know, I’ll turn in my emo card after this article), and I’ve been trying to catch-up these past couple years. And what perfect timing because it’s the first album in eight years (They also had a terrific EP in 2018). It’s a really good return album from them. They can still write amazing pop punk anthems, and few bands leave songs stuck in my head as often as the Get Up Kids do. It’s interesting that the early wave of emo are now elder statesmen of the scene and they touch on that a little in this album. Reflecting on the past and what it means to be a band in 2019. It’s always good to see a band not only not just rely on nostalgia to tour on, but still release relevant music that stands up with some of their best material.

Favorite Track: Satellite

29. Bon Iver – i,i

It’s interesting where Bon Iver has gone in the past decade. First bursting on the scene with the perfect story of going to a cabin and recording a heartbreaking breakup album. Since then he’s won some Grammys, been featured on Kanye West songs, and embraced the synthesizer. For some reason, however, this album reminds me more of “For Emma, Forever Go” than his previous couple albums despite still using the more electronic approach. It has that same raw honesty that his debut had. He’s not alone in the woods anymore. He’s commanding a large group of musicians now, creating this huge sound without losing any of his heart. He also sounds more assured in himself. It’s seems like the beginning of a new era for Justin Vernon and the last song “RABi” sounds like his “riding off into the sunset” moment. Awaiting the next adventure.

Favorite Track: Faith

28. Yola – Walk Through Fire

A really strong debut album from singer/songwriter Yola. It’s really soothing with a nice wall of sound production that just sweeps you away. It also helps that she has such an amazing voice. Songs like “Faraway Look” & “Lonely the Night” feel like songs I’ve known my entire life, but was just waiting for Yola to record them. Really excited to see what she does next.

Favorite Track: Lonely the Night

27. Prince Daddy & the Hyena – Cosmic Thrill Seekers

“Cosmic Thrill Seekers” is an ambitious album, like “The Monitor” level of ambitious. It’s written almost entirely by Kory Gregory about his cycles of struggling with mental health with allusions to Wizard of Oz. They take you on a journey on this album. The feelings of self-destruction, to wanting to escape from people who aren’t even your friends, and not quite fitting in with rest of the world while also playing the most anthemic guitar riffs and crashing cymbals.  I can only imaging what the experience is like seeing this album performed live. It would have to feel like a sonic tornado, and you would wonder what just happened after you’re walking away on the street. This album didn’t make it number one on any charts, but this album is going to mean so much to so many people. Also, the last track goes right back into the first one to begin the cycle again.

Favorite Track: Lauren (Track 2)

26. Strange Ranger – Remembering the Rockets

It’s amazing how much this album reminds me of 90’s indie rock. It is so easy to picture Strange Ranger playing this album in between sets of Mazzy Star and Teenage Fanclub. I had not really clicked with Strange Ranger’s earlier stuff, but this album just seemed to make sense to me. It sounds like a fully formed album with a band that is confident enough to be more adventurous. There are some incredibly poppy hooks, but also some interesting synth beat choices. Also the switch of singing songs about the end of the world to being excited to go on a date gives the album a little extra something. A good mixture of despair and hope.

Favorite Track: Leona

25. Lost Under Heaven – Love Hates What You’ve Become

I love when a band just says “F*** It! Let’s make songs meant to be heard in a stadium,” even though they will never get a chance to. This is one of those albums that is meant to be turned all the way up with you screaming along to every chorus in your car. They are definitely wearing their hearts on their sleeve on this one, encouraging you be the best version of ourselves so by the time the album reaches it’s colossal closer “For the Wild,” you are ready to take on the world. It’s fun when a band decides to be super sincere on an album. You actually feel like rock and roll will save us, just like you did when you were a teenager and first found music for yourself.

Favorite Track: For the Wild

24. Mark Ronson – Late Night Feelings

I think my favorite thing about a Mark Ronson record is how much they seem like an awesome compilation album, and this one lives up to its name and is a perfect soundtrack for late night out on the town. He’s got a great ear for collaborators creating the perfect songs to best suit their voices. Lykke Li, Angel Olsen, Alicia Keys, and even Miley Cyrus have some terrific showings on this record. There’s no super hit like “Uptown Funk” on this album, but it is a fun listening experience, and I cannot get enough of Angel Olsen’s “True Blue” on here (Which really should have ended the album. It’s a perfect end credits song).

Favorite Track: True Blue

23. The Drums – Brutalism

The Drums are a group that has had quite a decade. They’ve released four albums, and every member but Johnny has left the group. “Brutalism,” however, is still a strong album in one of the best indie rock discographies of the past 20 years. There are some throwback songs to the early Drums days (Body Chemistry), a rare acoustic ballad (Nervous), and one of the catchiest songs they’ve ever written (626 Bedford Ave). The Drums get overlooked, but they’ve quietly created an impressive catalogue that is just begging to be reevaluated with “Brutalism“ adding a lot to that conversation. Not many indie rock bands make it to five albums, let alone having songs on that fifth album that fit along their biggest hits.

Favorite Track: 626 Bedford Ave.

22. Brittany Howard – Jaime

When I first heard this album was coming out, I thought it meant that Alabama Shakes were done as a band and Brittany was going to be an exclusively solo artist now. However, after listening to this album, I understand why it was not an Alabama Shakes record. This is a very personal record that just wouldn’t sound right as a band collaboration. This is Brittany’s story. She’s singing about life on the road, her faith, first crushes, family, and making sense of what it’s like growing up in the south. This solo record also gave her a chance to explore some different sounds than she would have on an Alabama Shakes record. You can hear some Prince influence, especially on the final track “Run to Me.” Not sure if she plans to release more solo records, but I hope this isn’t the last.

Favorite Track: History Repeats

21. (Sandy) Alex G – House of Sugar

“House of Sugar” has probably got my favorite Side A of any record this year. It just gives a chance to showcase what I love about (Sandy) Alex G so much. You’ve got the psychedelic drone style and that fast almost folk-punk style. It’s just filled with this fun eclectic sound and his voice, while probably viewed as limited in sense of range, just captures so much emotion in the music. I found this record to be one that rewards you the most the more you listen to it. I feel like I’m always discovering something new with each listen. I always enjoy checking out the latest (Sandy) Alex G record because his albums are always adventurous, and “House of Sugar” is definitely that. I would have a tough time describing this album. It’s like when you’re in a dream and there are those moments that completely change the scenario and location, but for some reason it makes sense to you in a way you can’t explain. That’s what this album is like for me.

Favorite Track: Gretal

20. Angel Olsen – All Mirrors

If I had to describe this album, I would say it’s Angel Olsen’s “Nebraska” if she had Bauhaus as her backing band. This is a big sounding record, and it’s easy to let the emotional crescendos take you away. You feel every emotion she’s putting on this record, and it is a wild ride. It’s a breakup record, and this album does a good job of capturing that feeling fresh off a breakup that just feels like a tornado of feelings. It’s a storm of emotions, but sometimes there’s a beauty in a storm as well. She said there’s an acoustic version of this album that will come out next year, but I’m glad we got to hear this version first. We get to feel the real raw emotion on this, and then when more time has passed a chance to be softer with a more reflective look back.

Favorite track: All Mirrors

19. billy woods + kenny segal – Hiding Places

It really sounds like Woods is letting it all out on this album; frustrations with music, other people, the current state of things, and his intensity is only amplified by the beats from Kenny Segal. The samples on this album are not catchy, and they shouldn’t be. This is an album that wants you to reckon with what Woods is saying. That’s what makes the final album so impressive. It’s a perfect blend between Wood’s lyrics and Segal’s beats. Complimenting each other in frustration and uneasiness. I was not familiar with either artists before this album, but I’m definitely a fan now, and I hope they will collaborate again in the near future.

Favorite Track: Red Dust

18. Truth Club – Not an Exit

There is something very old school about Truth Club. They’ve got this post-punk nasty guitar riff energy that just make this an album a delight to hear. They sound like a band with something to prove, delivering exactly what you want from a post-punk record. Sweet riffs, monotone vocals, and done in less than a half-hour. Love it.

Favorite Track: Student Housing

17. Helado Negro – This is How You Smile

Sometimes records just feel like a dream as if you can just see the music and travel in it. That’s how I feel every time I listen to “This is How you Smile.” The mixture of electronic and folk makes such beautiful music and Roberto Carlos Lange’s voice is perfect on top of these amazing collections of sound. Apparently he invited a lot of different musicians to play on this record and it really sounds like a group of friends got together and had the perfect jam with Lange’s artistic vision taking the lead. Some songs tackle today’s issues with even some field recordings from an Abolish ICE March in Brooklyn and singing about being proud of being Latinx, but not being confrontational about it. It’s beautiful music with a message.

Favorite Track: Please Won’t Please

16. Deerhunter - Why Hasn't Everything Already Disappeared?

You’ve got to give credit to Deerhunter for continuing to make really interesting albums throughout all of the 2010s, and this one seems like a good one to end the decade with. When so many of their contemporaries have disbanded or walked away from music, Deerhunter has kept going. Not resting on their past success, but creating new sounds and challenging their audience to go somewhere new with them. They can still write an amazing hook and the lyrics are as sharp as any previous album. It’s an ode to a world that seems to be on the brink of destruction by its own design.

Favorite Track: Plains

15. Anderson Paak – Ventura

Anderson Paak is on quite a creative streak with this being his fourth album in five years and I think this one may be my favorite. He’s got some amazing guests singers on this album including Andre 3000, Brandy, and the legendary Smokey Robinson. It just sounds terrific too. The 70’s soul-funk inspiration makes for some of the best grooves I’ve heard this year, and it’s a perfect album for a night drive.

Favorite Track: Jet Black

14. PUP – Morbid Stuff

Few bands do “ANGER” as good as PUP, but Morbid Stuff is not the typical angry record either. It’s like “I’m angry. You’re angry. Let’s be angry together” kind of record which is perfect for the general attitude of 2019. PUP inspires a real passionate fan base, and on this record it’s easy to see why. They packed it with cathartic anthems for the disenfranchised. Not getting along with your family? Not quite over your ex? Feel like you missed that turn you were supposed to take in life about four years ago? Get over here and let all that anger out by singing along with us. This album is community even though you can’t be with this group in person. It also helps that this is a band that can PLAY. The musicianship is just fantastic which is probably helped because this is a band. These four guys have been PUP since the beginning and they sound better and better on each album. So let’s get angry!

Favorite Track: Kids

13. Raphael Saadiq – Jimmy Lee

It’s been eight years since the last Raphael Saadiq album, and it’s understandable because this album is dealing with a lot of heavy issues; addiction, incarceration, faith, and losing family. It’s also an album that Raphael Saadiq could have only made after being a bit older with some life wisdom to look back at. Sometimes it can be uncomfortable to listen to, but also necessary. It feels like a very personal album, and you can tell how much work must have been put into producing it. The album sounds terrific, which makes sense for how much experience he’s had producing other projects in-between albums. I also forget how talented of a singer he is. This album is a real showcase of his vocal skills. Some songs sound like he’s pouring his soul into it, and just somehow keeping his voice from breaking. You get swept up in that anger he feels. This album will make you really think about where the world has been, where it’s at today, and where it’s going. A powerful and necessary album for 2019.

Favorite Track: Rearview

12. Orville Peck – Pony

Orville Peck’s music is the kind of music that would sound just as perfect being performed on stage at the Grand Ole Opry as it would hearing it off a jukebox in a dive bar in the middle of nowhere. Peck’s really tapped into that timeless country sound that just seems to sounds good anywhere in any situation. Feeling sad? Perfect. Feeling that freedom you get from just hitting the road alone? Perfect. That baritone voice is so beautiful to listen to as well. It’s a new generations Roy Orbison or Chris Isaak. Beautiful but haunting, and it wouldn’t sound out of place in a David Lynch film. The storytelling in the lyrics are also astounding. I can picture the desert riding while listening to “Dead of Night.” It’s fascinating to know that this is Peck’s first album because it’s so well formed in terms of lyrics, vocals, and hooks. Makes me even more excited for what the next album will sound like.

Favorite Track: Dead of Night

11. Great Grandpa – Four of Arrows

“Four of Arrows” sounds like a level up album from Great Grandpa after their terrific debut “Plastic Cough.” It’s a great example of a band expanding their sound without losing the identity that made their first album special. The band sounds tighter, richer (especially with the addition of strings and synths on some songs), and more ambitious. It also helps to have the amazing Alex Menne vocals. She really conveys an energy that escalates these songs’ emotional payoffs. Especially on a song like “Digger” where she sings (almost screams) “That’s why I hate you,” “That’s why I love you” with almost the same energy. You may not know what each song is about, but you certainly know how it feels.

Favorite Track: Treat Jar

10. Holy Ghost! – Work

Sometimes all you need is great dance album in your life, and Holy Ghost! provided that for me this year.  They have a kind of style of dance music that has fallen out of critical favor by the end of this decade, but I still love to hear it. They continued the tradition of Daft Punk’s “Random Access Memories” of applying their flavor to 70’s dance music, and it’s terrific fun. This album is super catchy, has wonderfully danceable grooves, and features a 7-minute plus dance closer. A perfect dance record.

Favorite track: Do This

9. American Football - American Football (LP3)

With emo revival being a big topic of conversation this past decade in certain music critics’ world, it’s only fair that one of the greatest emo bands ends the decade with a terrific album. After reuniting a couple years ago for an okay album, I’m glad they went back to studio to create an album worthy of comparison to their first album that influenced so many amazing artists. The musicianship on this album is just stunning, with a rich tapestry of melancholy permeating throughout. They also happened to create possibly the best duet of the decade by having fellow emo legend Haley Williams join them for “Uncomfortably Numb.” Just beautiful. #defendemo

Favorite Track: Uncomfortably Numb

8. oso oso – Basking in the Glow

To be honest, I feel invested in oso oso. I remember a few years back he released “the yunahon mixtape” as a pay what you want on Bandcamp and planning to walk away from music. I checked it out, and loved it on first listen. Then the album got some nice shout-outs from critics and other artists and eventually found an audience. So to see not only oso oso stick with music, but to release this terrific follow up record as well, feels like a win for everyone. There is a common misconception that emo=sad music, but this album shows that is not the case. There’s a joy on this album that is super infectious. He wants you to feel a part of his joy. It’s an album of positivity that we needed in 2019, and it helps that so many of these songs are very catchy. This is the “dance around your bedroom” kind of album, and just let yourself go for a half-hour. I’m so happy that this album is getting recognized on so many year-end lists. It feels like a win for the entire emo scene that usually gets ignored. The fact that it happened to oso oso makes it all the better.

Favorite track: The View

7. Big Thief - U.F.O.F.

I always thought of Big Thief as a perfect band for fall. Something about their music feels like the end of something before dealing with something that will be tough but necessary. That they’re the ferryman taking us into the next stage in life, and the cost is you’re going to feel a little sad listening to some heartbreaking tales. U.F.O.F., their first album of 2019, can break you down. In the first track “Contact” we hear lead singer Adrianne Lenker let out these howling screams. Giving ua permission to let yourself go. Be your most pure self as this album takes you on a journey. I don’t mean to make this album sound depressing, because even though there’re numerous allusions to death it is quite hopeful. You get to LIVE because one day you will die. It makes life more important because it has an ending.  This album doesn’t have a lot of hooks on it, but it just makes it more important to listen to it as an album. It’s one big piece that feels so right together. It’s hard to imagine anyone having as creatively successful year as Big Thief did in 2019. Kind of apt they got it in right before the end of a decade. A necessary end, I think.

Favorite Track: Cattails

6. Mini Dresses – Heaven Sent

Listening to Mini Dresses’ “Heaven Sent” feels like I found some hidden album demo from the early 2000s that was secretly a masterpiece. I truly do not know why hardly anyone seems to be talking about this album. If it came out in 2008 it feels like it would have been huge on indie blogs. This album is so catchy and a style of indie rock that doesn’t seem to be big anymore, which is a shame because it’s too good to miss. This album reminds me of Blondie if they would have been part of the indie wave of the mid-2000s, which if that sounds cool to you, please check this album out.

Favorite Track: Rank and File

5. Better Oblivion Community Center – Better Oblivion Community Center

After hearing “Would You Rather” on Phoebe Bridgers’ phenomenal debut album “Stranger in the Alps,” I suppose we were all secretly hoping for more songs from Conor Oberst and Phoebe. There are few songwriters that can capture the feeling of loneliness and emptiness, but still have that sense of hope that it can somehow get better like these two can. “If you’re not feeling ready, there’s always tomorrow” on their last song “Dominos” really hits that point home. Their voices sound great together and the production on this album is fantastic. They’ve got the hooks, they’ve got the ballads, and they’re ready to make you cry, but they will be the first ones to help pick you back up. This album feels like an old friend that knows you get sad sometimes, but is always there for you when you need them.

Favorite Track: Dylan Thomas

4. glass beach – the first glass beach album

There’s nothing better than when a band just goes for it on an album. I haven’t listened to an album that has made me think of emo, Disney, Hellogoodbye, and Playstation video game soundtracks all before I’ve even made it to track 5. It’s like they threw everything on the wall and everything stuck. I would not be surprised to find out that this band is around my age. It sounds like an album that only someone who grew up in the 90’s and early 2000’s could make.  Just picking sounds from everything in that era and making an album out of it. It’s pure chaos, but somehow completely makes sense. This album is not for everybody, but if it clicks with you, it’s like it’s looking into your soul.

Favorite track:  cold weather

3. Slaughter Beach Dog – Safe and Also No Fear

I was a big fan of Modern Baseball, like all good emo revival fans should be, and was super sad to hear they were going on indefinite hiatus. When I heard Jake Ewald was starting a new project as Slaughter Beach Dog, I checked out some songs from his album “Birdie” but didn’t really connect with it. Probably because I wanted something more like Modern Baseball. Then when this album came out, it had some buzz from critics whose opinions on music closely line up with mine, and I checked out this album. Whatever opinion I had on the first album, this one was the exact opposite. I really connected with. Listening to it feels like those times where you visit your old hometown, driving around the old spots you used to hang out. Then you realize these spots don’t mean what they did to you anymore, and they never could. No matter how much old friends want you to be that old person again, you can’t go backwards and you’re fine with that. This is also a beautiful sounding record. It sounds like Jake let the other musicians have a bit more say in the sound, and it does sound like a band collaboration. It’s a sweet indie/folk/alternative sound that just pierces my soul. If we don’t get another Modern Baseball reunion, that’s fine. It sounds like Jake has moved on, and I’m ready to follow wherever his new music takes him.

Favorite Track: Black Oak

2. Sharon Van Etten – Remind Me Tomorrow

It’s always exciting to witness an artist make the album they were always meant to. All of her work has lead up to her masterpiece. You feel her soul on this record. Not one moment feels faked. She’s not hiding anything from the listener. Talking about letting go of your past self (I Told You Everything), making a new version of yourself (Comeback Kid), letting yourself love again (Jupiter 4), and what it’s like to be a mother (Stay). Also, on this record she embraces the synth and it makes for some tremendous production. The anthems have an extra kick to them. Not only is this a terrific album for 2019, but one of the standouts of the decade from an artist who already had an impressive discography these past ten years. I’m not sure where she will go next, but I’m hoping this is a sign of what to expect from her in the 2020s.

Favorite Track: Seventeen

1. Purple Mountains – Purple Mountains

This is my favorite album of 2019, and it’s not even close. I was not familiar with David Berman until I heard the first couple singles before the album came out. His name was one that I heard critics tweet about or referenced by other artists, but had never really checked out his music. However, after hearing “All My Happiness is Gone” and “Darkness and Cold” I could not get enough of this music. The melodies were incredibly catchy, I thought the lyrics were super memorable, and they just felt like they really connected with me. He sounded like a natural storyteller, and I was hooked on every word he said. I’m not usually a lyrics person, but I paid attention when I heard these songs. Then when the album came out, it was a treasure trove of an album that I could really dive into. This heartland country sound with a terrific backing band, Woods, complimenting David Berman’s unique voice. I loved it immediately. Then when the tragic news came out of David Berman’s passing, it hit me hard. It’s difficult to talk about this album without acknowledging David committed suicide shortly after it was released. However, I don’t think of this album as a suicide note. This really felt like an album about life. There are struggles, but there are the good moments too. Find the happiness where you can. Margaritas at the mall, that lovely connection of a child with their parent, and if the snow is falling and it’s looking bad, enjoy how warm it will be inside. Berman’s legacy will be everything he contributed to culture; his poetry, his wit, his dark humor, and especially the music. Every once in awhile now when I hear “All My Happiness is Gone” on the radio or if it comes up on a shuffled playlist, my eyes start to well up. Not because I’m sad, but because I’m happy David shared a piece of his soul with us. That’s the real power of music.

Favorite Track: All My Happiness is Gone

#music #new music #best of 2019 #albums of the year #albums of 2019 #Sharon Van Etten #purple mountains #anderson paak #priests #slaughter beach dog #mini dresses #glass beach #titus andronicus #deerhunter #billy woods #better oblivion community center #phoebe bridgers #conor oberst #orville peck #Big Thief

[ty-talks-comics]

Best of Marvel: Week of May 29th, 2019

Best of this Week: The Amazing Spider-Man #22 (Legacy #823) - Hunted pt. 6 - Nick Spencer, Humberto Ramos, Victor Olazaba, Edgar Delgado, Erick Arciniega and Joe Caramagna

Only the Spider can kill Kraven, so says his curse.

In order to regain the peace he's been craving since his return, Kraven has been pushing Spider-Man to his limits. He's kidnapped Black Cat and Billy Connors, set hunters loose to kill the animal themed supervillains, poisoned Spidey to see visions of futures that could happen if he failed to do what was necessary. He thought the final step would be to force Spider-Man to make a hard choice.

Spider-Man does and Kraven sets him free, ready for their final confrontation. Kraven goads him into finishing him, lambasting the Spider for being the worst of the animal themed people because the spider is the worlds most horrifying predator, the one that humanity fears on instinct alone. But Spider-Man chooses heroics over everything, bright colors and goodness.

Spider-Man almost falls prey to Kravens words. He was afraid that in releasing Doctor Connors, he'd sacrificed Kravens guards to die, only to find that they were murdered by Kraven himself. After handedly beating the Hunter, Spider-Man makes him watch The Lizard attacks Kravens son and savagely beats him, but relents after seeing his son alive.

Spider-Man's entire message to Kraven is that people weren't meant to hurt each other and even beasts like the Lizard can cut through their savagery and find the goodness in themselves. Kraven realizes that his mistake was actually becoming a beast himself and not something more as he had always claimed. He has a change of heart and vows to never hunt again, telling Arcade to shut everything down.

But the ending… as Kraven finally becomes a good guy, it almost makes me cry.

This story and all of the little tie-ins have been phenomenal. Not too many stories are worthy of being called sagas, but Hunted absolutely is. Not only does it mirror the first story in the Kraven/Spider-Man Saga, it makes it better by expanding on the idea of Kravens curse and ties a neat bow on his character while introducing a new and more savage threat for Spider-Man in the future.

Ramos absolutely smashes this final part with his art. Everything is beautiful, atmospheric and dark. Olzaba's skills as an inner shines amazingly as Kravens inner darkness is realized as he dons his Hunter clothing to fight Spider-Man, appearing from the shadows. Delgado's and Arciniega's colors make Spider-Man appear a shining light even in the black suit and as day rises on this nightmare of a night, there's a feeling of the jungle during an orange sunrise as pages are washed in an orange tint. Blows have weight and each tells a story of strength and sacrifice.

Nick Spencer was born to write Spider-Man and his run will no doubt go down in history as one of those Spectacular or Amazing stories in no small part to arcs like this one. I hope he goes on as long as Dan Slott did because he understands Spider-Man. The sacrifice, the humanity, the need to be a hero with the heart to match and never giving up even when things are bleak. This story is definitive of the hope that Spider-Man embodies.

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

Franklin and Valeria Richards are two of the most talented teenagers in the Marvel Universe. Franklin, at least before he started losing his powers, has the ability to create universes among other things. He's also as headstrong as his Uncle Johnny and stronger than his Uncle Ben Grimm. Valeria has the intellect and engineering skills to match or go above those of Doctor Doom or her own father, Reed Richards.

Runner Up: Fantastic Four #10 (Legacy #655) War of the Realms Tie-In - Dan Slott, Paco Medina, Kevin Libranda, Jesus Aburtov and Joe Caramagna

They've spent most of their lives surrounded by other kids as special as they are, as smart as them or as powerful as them. They're also used to the high life and adventure that being in the Fantastic Four brought them, so it's no surprise that normal life is the biggest struggle facing either of them.

No longer living in the Baxter Building, missing the cute aquatic prince she met in another universe and not having an intellectual match near her age has left Valeria hopelessly bored. Franklin has become angry and introverted ever since he found out that his powers were depleting and he's acting out because of it. Ben thinks he has just the right idea and makes Franklin help out at the local youth center

It helps a little until some Yancey street kids try to bully Franklin, who does his best not to throttle them into the next reality. Alicia Masters, frequent friend of the FF and now Ben's wife sees that the kids haven't really had time to adjust and Ben then suggests hosting a Yancey Street block party!

Things go well with Reed and Sue finally meeting their neighbors, Valeria meeting an equal in "Moon Girl" Lunella Lafeyette and Franklin maybe developing a crush on Lunella's older sister.

Things seem to go well enough until the War of the Realms reaches Yancey Street. The older FF does their best to save the people while Valeria and Lunella come up with a solution to get the Frost Giants away. When Franklin sees the regular people of the street fighting back, a fire is lit in his belly and he unloads on the Frost Giants even with his depleting power. Eventually Lunella and Valeria see that Valerias interdimensional cell tower is what's attracting the monsters and Franklin destroys it.

Franklin gets over himself and tells his family that Yancey Street will be safe with his sister, Moon Girl and himself while they solve the larger problem.

The FF has always been about family and for Franklin and Valeria, being apart from the Future Foundation kids was equivalent to losing that family. And with the constant adventure hopping, they haven't had a chance to establish a new family at home. Hopefully there will be more stories around these two in the future, especially with the upcoming Future Foundation book because they're both great kids and it'll be interesting to see how they continue to develop as characters.

#comics #marvel #marvel comics #spider man #kraven the hunter #hunted #nick spencer #humberto ramos #fantastic four #franklin richards #valeria richards #moon girl #war of the realms #dan slott #paco medina #kevin libranda

[peachiestwlw]

Lemon, vermilion, cadmium red and ruby?

Lemon, what is your favorite comfort food? Uhm... Cheeto puffs! I know they aren't cute, but I can eat an entire family-sized bag of them things in a second flat. Of course I reckon they aren't very "comfort" considering I always feel guilty after eating them, but honestly who cares they are so addictive and yummy.Vermilion, what's your favorite scent? I love vanilla, flowery smells, and smokey campfire kinda smells. My #1 though? Laundromat smell. Like idk how to describe it, but it's like warm and soapy and a little dusty? The apartment I lived in as a kid had a basement laundromat and it smelled so good? It's a very distinct scent I think, and not of clean laundry, but god damn laundromat.Cadmium red, do you have a “type” when it comes to a significant other? Well I've never had a significant other so I can't entirely say, but!! It differs between men and women. For men it's a mix between goofy guys and really masculine dudes. I think big ears are cute, along with big Adams apples, boney veiny big hands, and a strong jaw. As for women I tend to like more masculine or not overly femme women. Muscular woman are so, so gorgeous! Lucy Liu, Sandra Oh, and Alicia Napoleon are my biggest gay crushes. Though no matter gender I ALWAYS am attracted to super tall folk. Like... Man tall folk are just hot... Damn. Personality wise... Idk! I really have no idea, but I don't think I could be with someone overly sensitive, or who snores, or who smacks food. Ruby, what does your ideal date look like? I guess just walking around the city window shopping and chatting would be nice. Go get some food from a food truck or something, walk around the park, see if there is any local events going on. Nothing too complicated or needing a lot of money like a fancy meal or nothing. Something that would allow a lot of chatting without it being like a sit down conversation. Like, yeah, a stroll around downtown and such. I'm a simple gal lol!

#Thank you for sending an ask !! #I didn't mean to write a novel either lol

[tominicholland]

Time of Your Life

Pairing: Harry Holland x Protagonist (brief, planned), Tom Holland x Protagonist (main, planned) 

Synopsis: Jacob Batalon’s youngest cousin (Protagonist) is now -- as of August -- 18 years old. At the nearly-ripe age of 17, she accompanied her cousin to the Spider-Man: Homecoming premiere where she grows acquainted with the younger crowd of the star-studded cast and -- most importantly -- piques the interest of two Holland boys, Harry (who’s the same age) and Tom (who’s three years her senior). 

Author’s Note: There's some Tagalog in this fic because I’ve always wondered how in-touch Jacob is with his Filipinx roots. I saw a few of his instagram posts and watched a few interviews where he mentions some tidbits of family life, so that’s how I figured I would forge a connection between the protagonist and Tom, here. Don’t worry, though. There’re translations! 

Word Count: 1,077 (without translations)

Part I: Girl, Persuaded   In which the protagonist of this story – Maja – is persuaded by her older cousin, Jacob Batalon, to attend one of the biggest events of his life.

"I don't even know why you're thinking of taking me, kuya (older male cousin)" I complained. Mom and Dad were staring at me with disapproving eyes as my voice shifted from its natural pitch to something more irritating, like my ilong (nose). "Kuya, you know that I hate flying and you know I should be doing my summer reading by then. I'm still reeling from rejection and I don't think I'll have the composure, nor the spirit to go with you to the premiere."

"Aroooooyyy,” (interjection of shock) Mom whispered into Dad’s ear from across the living room. She was mumbling in Tagalog, but from the little snippets I heard, I could piece together her shock over me not taking my pinsan’s (cousin) offer.

“You’ve known that you were the one I wanted to take for the longest time,” Kuya stressed over the phone. “You and Ate Nicky’s husband were the only ones who knew from the beginning and you don’t want to go now?”

“Kuya, I—”

“I can’t take Kuya Jerome, he’s in the military!” normally, Jacob was the king of equanimity, but this was due. I was pulling bullshit on him, unapologetically. “It’s the same day as prom,” I murmured, with a melancholic drop in my voice. “I’m in ASB and Alicia’s on the prom committee. I helped review the finances for that, and it’s the first time we’re ever going to have prom Downtown. El Cortez.”

“You don’t even have a date, though, Ading! (younger female cousin)” There was a pause, and the crackling sound over the phone was enough to convey Jacob’s remorse for being so frustrated. He didn’t just insult me, he rubbed salt and lemon juice into a wound I was recovering from. Just two days ago, they boy I had a crush on tantalizingly allowed for a rumour to go around that he was going to ask me to prom, but then was caught chatting with his two football friends – Adam and Joey – about how annoying and embarrassing it would be to hang out with my friends.

“They’re all, like, weird.” My friend Sam had overheard their conversation in class and reported that Jake – the boy I liked – said that during lunch. After a few more minutes, I contemplated hanging up on Jacob. I figured that he was a hilarious actor and he told me about a few upcoming projects, so there would be more premieres to go to. However, he managed to persuade me right as my finger slid up to the “END” button.

“Ading  – Maja…” he said my name with such a tropical ease, and without the severity of the Tagalog tongue: “Mah-huhhhh,” and not “Mah-HAH.”

“What?” I snapped.

“You’ve already been Downtown loads of times. Comic-Con was there, and we went to a party at the El Cortez with Tom and Harrison and them,” he had a point. I had already experienced the El Cortez at its prime – there was an Entertainment Weekly after party there for the conclusion of SDCC. However, I wasn’t allowed on the balcony because I was (1) underage, and (2) not famous. Jacob hadn’t generated enough star-power to get me in yet, and it seemed like he was already intoxicated when I got to the shindig.

“Of course, Jacob. You enjoyed it, so I enjoyed it, too,” I wasn’t trying to be sardonic, I swear. I was just really irritated. “I didn’t even have a good time! You got me a pass for Sunday and you didn’t even let me see your panel!”

“Hey, hey, hey,” he protested. “Don’t be like that, don’t pull that shit. You mean a lot to me and I wanted you out of all people to accompany me. Not even my mom and sister. I know it’s prom night and all that, but c’mon. Weigh one unique opportunity over another. Do you wanna see that Jake kid dancing with some other person or do you wanna see this Jake kid on the big screen alongside some of the coolest people on the planet?”

“I-I…” the whole history of my cousins’ and my relationship flashed before me. We had way older siblings that could never relate to us, and since we were a mere three years apart, we ended up dragging each other on various escapades. Could I dare let him down during one of the biggest moments in his life, and one of the most formative periods of mine?

Not really. I remembered that Spider-Man: Homecoming was a coming-of-age movie and that I owed it to myself to conclude my adolescence with something ballsy and unexpected. After a few devastating blows – Jake being the most trivial, a few college rejections being the most brutal – I didn’t deserve to have a sucky time at Prom, where all I’d do is peer off the ledge and watch the cars drive by while everyone else was grinding on each other. No, I was going to Los Angeles as my movie star cousin’s date to the premiere of the summer’s hottest movie.

“Fair point, kuya,” I conceded. “Fine, I’ll go. You’re freakin’ lucky my dumbass legit thought Jake was going to fucking ask me and I bought a dress.”

“Helllllaaaaaa,” he was doing the shaka with his free hand, wherever he was calling from. “What color’s the dress? We’ll match.”

“White,” I said.

“Cool, that’ll match with anything. I’ll text you the details.”

And with that, Jacob and I said our goodbyes. My spatial recognition came back to me and I realized I’d made it from the living room downstairs to my bedroom upstairs. I chucked the phone on my bed and heard the “thud” as it hit my firm mattress. Thoughts and emotions meandered through my head and my heart, as the more I thought about how I would prepare myself, the more I could hear my heart beating and my hands shaking. I could’ve fainted.

Of all the things to think about, though, a prevailing and underlying memory flashed across my mind: famous people sort of already knew who I was, of my existence. There was a possibility that Jacob and them already talked about who they’d bring to the event, and since Jacob was meticulous and strategic about this, there was a high chance that the cast of the movie would anticipate my presence – well, at least the younger ones. Or they’d pay me no mind.  

#jacob batalon #tom holland #harrison osterfield #zendaya #harry holland #spiderman: homecoming #p: mine #p: fic

[secondhandstarchild]

andgrowingapart

replied to your chat“Tarot Asks”:

All!!

Of course you did, and of course I will. I had to save this for when I wasn’t in a super depressive low, though.

The Fool: Something you’ve always wanted to try

I’ve always wanted to try something with acrylic paint, it just seems like a lot of fun! I have some canvas around here, I’m just afraid of being bad at things, so I haven’t really tried. Yes, I realize the irony there.

The Magician: Something you’re very good at

I don’t consider myself really good at anything, honestly! I’m mediocre at a lot of things, or I supposed I’m decent at a lot of different things!  I do think I’m a good writer, just unmotivated.

The High Priestess: One thing you wish you knew

How to get my shit together, Karen! But, I guess more productively how to break through into the adult world properly! Everything seems so vague, and like, everything is jargon. I’m not even sure people actually do things, they just talk in circles!

The Empress: A woman you really admire

JK Rowling is the first answer that comes to mind. I feel akin to where she was in her early/mid twenties right now. No prospects, having done nothing of note, as homeless as you can be without actually being homeless she still pulled herself up by her boostraps and made something that millions of people love.

The Emperor: A man you really admire

Neil Gaimen (theme here) he was published by the time he was twenty-two and that was a goal of mine I still haven’t met, missed by four years so far actually. But he writes with such clarity and so vividly that he’s still my authorial inspiration.

The Hierophant: Something you believe in

I believe that people don’t really change, or won’t really change, they don’t want to. Which is pessimistic but I do believe it.

The Lovers: A person who makes you very happy

I think I may be the only person who truly makes me happy, the people in my immediate life have been constantly upsetting and the people I keep in contact with I can’t tell exactly whats wrong or why I’m feeling the way I’m feeling without feeling selfish, so my self preservation has been self care and picking up broken pieces everyday even when other parts are breaking.

The Chariot: A prize or award you’ve won

Eh, I stopped winning awards after I got out of sports as a kid, I haven’t really won anything recently, not even employee of the month and I’ve never called out or missed a day of work!

Strength: Something you struggle with

Self-esteem, definitely. It’s my biggest struggle, motivation as mentioned before, just a lot of things.

The Hermit: Favourite way to spend a day alone

Ooh, if I have the energy cleaning. I love to clean to clear my head,I just have to get motivated to do it first, but it’s cathartic. A spa day would be nice, though.

The Wheel Of Fortune: Something you wish you could change

I have a lot of things I want change: physically, my weight. Be better looking, more defined; mentally I wish I could just take a sponge and sop up the depression from my brain like too much water.

Justice: A decision you wish you could do over

Not finishing college, it really did set me spiraling. There are a few kisses I’d take that I didn’t have the courage to, as well. lol

The Hanged Man: A time when you wished someone would listen to you

I’m living in that time, bih! I don’t feel heard a great deal of the time, and its frustrating.

Death: Someone you really miss

That is a hard question, I miss a lot of old relationships with current people, but I don’t know if I miss anyone in particular. 

Temperance: Your ideal day

I wake up and feel good about myself/my appearance/whatever I’m wearing that day and that feeling stars with me all day. I go do something fun in the city that lasts till the sun goes down and I get home still feeling euphoric.

The Devil: Who you talk to when you’re dealing with big issues

*refers you to the hanged man question*

The Tower: Something that changed your life

Coming out, I think despite the bad if I hadn’t come out it would be so much worse if I hadn’t, I feel a sense of pride in that. 

The Star: Someone you consider perfect

I don’t consider anyone perfect, not anymore. I’m learning that your idols and the people you love and look up to will let you down, even your friends.

The Moon: Something you fear

Rejection comes to mind, making a fool of myself to the point of not putting myself out there, there’s probably a lot. lol

The Sun: Your happiest memory

Gosh, my happiest memory. My memory is bad, honestly, so bad. I remember feelings better than the actual memories, so anytime I was surrounded by a big group of friends. Summers filled with tentative crushes, lake trips, and late nights. My mid-teens were probably the happiest I had been, I think, but I try not to live in nostalgia.

Judgement: Your favourite song(s)

I can’t narrow down favorites! It changes frequently, but there are a few that stay the same. Death of A Bachelor by PaTD is a current but One of the Days by Whitney Houston, Fallin’ by Alicia Keys, Crazy by Gnarls Barkley.

The World: Your dream job

Oh, man, Disney just keeps picking me to voice characters in new movies and I never have to worry about my bills again. Or I do a lot of voice work in video games. Or I publish a book. Or I do all of the above you did say dream! 

Thanks, lovely! 😘😘

#asks #personal

[placetobenation]

July 3, 2017

From the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, AZ

Your hosts are Michael Cole, Corey Graves and Booker T

  We are shown a video package on the Big Cass/Enzo Amore feud.

  The live show starts with Enzo Amore coming down to the ring as Cole tells us he will beat his former partner, Big Cass, at the Great Balls of Fire PPV. Enzo tells us all of what he has been through this year and it happened when Cass had his back. He then accuses Cass of looking past him as Enzo talks about getting up every time he gets knocked down. Enzo then talks about not being the biggest, baddest, or strongest but is one of the toughest to step into the ring in a long, long time. He then tells Cass about not pretending who he is and that he is grateful for all of the kids wearing his merchandise as it helps him put food on the table, which is why he keeps getting up after being knocked down and that makes him believe in himself. Enzo then says Cass is nothing more than a “seven-foot catchphrase” that he (Enzo) wrote himself. Enzo then tells Cass not to get surprised when his next merchandise check reads “zero dimes” and will change when his shirt says “asshole.” Enzo’s music hits then he picks up the mic and says they were brothers but now that is dead due to Cass but that boot to his face gave him new life as Enzo calls himself an army of one and compares himself to Tupac Shakur because “all eyes are on me.” Cass is then shown watching backstage when Charly Caruso asks for his thoughts. Cass says he never heard someone talk for so long without actually saying anything then says he is where the money is and promise to beat him at Great Balls of Fire but Enzo attacks from behind until several officials break it up.

Enzo showed a lot of passion in his promo and as a result the crowd bought what he was saying and got behind him. Plus, it was nice to see Enzo get a bit of revenge against Cass by attacking him backstage. They’ve done a great job at humanizing Enzo since Cass turned on him and he has delivered on the mic. Right now, they have something with this feud. 

  Sasha Banks & Bayley vs. Nia Jax & Alexa Bliss

Nia overpowers Bayley to start. Bayley tries to fight her off then tags out. Sasha shoves Nia into the corner then dropkicks Nia outside. Nia shoves Bayley off of the apron into the barricade then hits a running knee smash as Sasha checks on her partner before the break. We return with Alexa working a chinlock on Sasha as Cole tells us that Bayley was taken backstage during the break and is now out of the match. Sasha fights back against both women but misses a double knee smash in the corner. Nia tags and hits a backbreaker then drops a pair of elbows as that gets two. Sasha gets out of a bearhug but gets tossed soon after that. Alexa is in and beats on Sasha. She yells how this is her division but misses a knee drop. Sasha fights back then kicks Nia off of the apron. Alexa attacks from behind and tries for a DDT but Sasha escapes and puts on the Banks Statement and Alexa taps out before Nia could make the save (10:11) *1/2.

Thoughts: This was not a good match. The action was clunky and it did nothing to make you want to see Alexa vs. Sasha this Sunday at Great Balls of Fire. The questionable handling of the Bayley character continued too, sadly, as if they are trying to rebuild her by heading down this path it will most likely fail.

  Kurt Angle is in his office on the phone. Braun Strowman tells Angle what will happen when Reigns is unable to compete in the ambulance match. Angle says he heard Reigns will be ready but Strowman tells him he is wrong then demands competition. Angle tells Strowman the matches are all set but Strowman tells him he will have competition by the end of the night.

  A video package of the Samoa Joe/Brock Lesnar feud is shown. It included promos from both men too. Great work here for a match that they have built up quite well. A match to look forward too this Sunday. Cole then tells us that both men are here tonight for an exclusive interview. Good stuff here.

  Cedric Alexander comes out to the ring. He feels like a broken record due to always telling Noam Dar & Alicia Fox that he is through with him. Cedric then wants Dar to come out so he can send him back to Fox with a “magic neckbrace.” Dar comes out as does Fox then we get a match.

  Cedric Alexander vs. Noam Dar w/ Alicia Fox

Cedric beats on Dar to start. He heads outside then Fox steps in front of him to protect her man. Dar blocks a satellite headscissors with a kick then goes to work on the arm. Fox gets on the apron to distract Cedric but that fails as Cedric hits Dar with the Lumbar Check and the win (2:10) 1/2*.

Thoughts: They really need to end this feud. Its been awful and the Dar & Fox pairing are doing nothing but dragging down the Cruiserweight Division.

  We are shown clips from last week’s Miz TV with the Ball Family which leads to another episode this week as Miz addresses what happened last week.

  Miz TV with Maryse and the Miztourage. Miz, sporting a cool white suit, talks about bringing the ratings last week then gets cheered by saying Lonzo Ball will be the biggest bust in NBA history then makes sure to get booed by dissing former Phoenix Sun Steve Nash. Miz then calls LaVar ball an embarrassment and a raving lunatic. He also cannot believe that LaVar wants Ambrose to represent the Big Baller Brand as Ambrose is nothing but wasted potential. Miz put over the promise he had when first arriving to the WWE, calling him the next Roddy Piper. However, we instead got “wacky” Ambrose as Miz keeps saying that Ambrose cannot handle success, stating he caves under pressure. He then says you can laugh all you want at the jokes but there is no bigger joke than Ambrose, who now comes out with a mic in his hand. He thought we’d never see Miz TV again after last week’s trainwreck but also said Miz was true in what he said. Ambrose also said he loves jokes and thinks it would be hilarious if they had a match right now. Heath Slater & Rhyno come out as Slater he was the last man to beat Miz in the ring and never had an Intercontinental Title opportunity in his eight years with WWE. Slater then talks about wanting to be able to provide for his kids. Miz tells Ambrose he will get a rematch when he says so before making fun of Slater for being a hick from West Virginia and is about to leave but Kurt Angle comes out. Angle tells Miz he decides who competes. Miz tells Angle to go discuss his personal problems with Graves then tells Angle he will put up the title Sunday and all he does is have to pick an opponent. Angle says both as he tells Miz he will have to face Slater now then Ambrose at the PPV this Sunday as Miz is in shock as we head to commercial.

I liked the segment here. Miz cut a good promo on Ambrose, ragging on him for not living up to his potential, then he got some comeuppance by being forced to defend the Intercontinental Title against Slater despite not being prepared to wrestle. 

  WWE Intercontinental Title Match: The Miz (c) w/ Maryse, Bo Dallas, and Curtis Axel vs. Heath Slater w/ Rhyno

Ambrose is on commentary. Slater gets two off of a rollup then they take it to the mat as Ambrose makes fun of the Miztourage. They trade headlocks then Slater gets two with a backslide. He gets two with another rollup before going back to the headlock. Miz catches Slater with a knee smash but Slater fights back in the corner. Slater yanks off Miz’s shirt then hits an inverted atomic drop for another nearfall as Miz regroups outside as we head to commercial. The action returns with Miz now in control as the back of his pants have split. They brawl on their knees until Miz spikes him with a DDT but that only gets two. Miz guillotines Slater before tossing him outside where Rhyno fends off the Miztourage. Ambrose is on commentary asking who came up with the Great Balls of Fire PPV name, saying its awful, as Miz gets another nearfall in the ring. Miz then uses the It kicks but Slater ducks the last kick and pancakes Miz as both men are down. Slater is up first and runs wild. Miz rams him in the corner but Slater escapes and rolls him up for two. Slater gets another nearfall as the crowd is into this match. Miz comes back with a clothesline in the corner then poses. He heads up top but Slater runs up and hits a powerslam as the crowd goes nuts. Axel distracts the ref from the apron as Rhyno yanks him off and they brawl with the Miztourage getting the upper hand then Miz hits Slater with the Skull Crushing Finale for the win (12:47) **1/2. After the match, Miz tosses Slater outside to get beat up by the Miztourage but Ambrose runs out for the save. Ambrose chases Miz away then the Miztourage attacks him. Miz is back inside and yells in Ambrose face before hitting him with the Skull Crushing Finale.

Thoughts: Solid match as the crowd got behind Slater at the end and even bought some of the nearfalls. This match also did a lot to try and establish Axel & Dallas as more than just goofs. They laid out everyone at the end and it makes the Miz act more dangerous. It also appears that the Miz/Maryse conflict is over for how as they were on the same page.

  Replay from last week when Strowman launched Reigns off of the stage and against the ambulance before putting him inside where Reigns is driven away.

  Apollo Crews is texting someone backstage when Titus O’Neill walks in and tells Apollo he has an opportunity to be a star tonight by facing Strowman. Titus tries to convince him that Strowman made Kalisto and to take the match, even coming up with a new “Crews can’t lose” catchphrase that both end up singing as the segment ends with Crews agreeing to face Strowman.

  Goldust is in the ring sitting in a director’s chair. He promises to show us his latest masterpiece titled the “Shattered Truth” before thanking us “little people.” Goldust then thanks R-Truth for being so naive as without that none of this would be possible. We then finally get to this film as its clips of Goldust jumping Truth before the bell last week but made up as a film trailer. The film ends and we see Truth eating popcorn in the ring behind Goldust before he beats him down. Goldust heads up the ramp after getting tossed outside as Truth is the one standing tall. I liked the segment. Goldust is showing off how his mic skills as they are slowly building up the feud between former partners. Although, you can say its overkill with two former partners currently feuding on the same show.

  Angle is in his office. Cesaro & Sheamus enter as Angle tells him during Sunday’s Tag Team Title match against the Hardy Boyz they will have a 30-Minute Iron Man Match. Both men are actually pleased with the stipulation and said since they are in peak condition they want some action. Angle suggests Cesaro face Strowman but he wants Balor due to what happened last week. Angle then makes the match. The big news here is that the RAW Tag Team Titles will be defended in an Iron Man Match.

  Before the match, Hawkins says he should be facing Strowman and giving him a run for his money. He then says last week’s crowd in Los Angeles did not believe in him and wants the “dummies” in Phoenix to get it right and asks if they think he will lose tonight, as they cheer, but Rollins takes the mic away and asks the crowd if they think Hawkins needs to shut up as they cheer then Rollins knocks him down.

  Curt Hawkins vs. Seth Rollins 

Hawkins charges but gets kicked then eats a ripcord knee smash as Rollins picks up the win (0:09).

Thoughts: Easy win for Rollins to give him some momentum heading into the PPV.

  After the match, Rollins addresses Wyatt and says he knows he is here then addresses his comments about everyone needing to be saved. Rollins says he does not ignore his sins, he embraces them as it makes him the man he is today then tells Wyatt this Sunday there will be a cleansing of his mystique when it’s proven that he is not a god. After that, the only question remaining will be whether or not Wyatt is a man or a coward. This promo was fine I suppose but the entire point of the Rollins/Wyatt feud is not enough to make me care. Its a directionless program.

  Now, we get a split screen interview with Samoa Joe and Brock Lesnar with Paul Heyman. Joe cuts off Cole’s and says no one wants to hear his questions so he has one of his own for his opponent. Joe has a question for Heyman but Lesnar tells him he’s not facing Heyman this Sunday. Joe then tells the “champ” he will address him later. They both trash talk each other as Lesnar promises to walk in and out as the champion while Joe says he has beaten him at every turn then lists off the guys he has choked out in his career such as Daniel Bryan, AJ Styles, and Samoa Joe. Joe then says why are we doing this as he yanks off his mic then starts looking for Lesnar backstage as Lesnar and Heyman cannot believe he is doing this. A few officials like Adam Pearce and Jamie Noble try to stop him but he does not listen. Joe then tells off Angle, who has several security members behind him, and finds where Lesnar is but is pulled back by everyone as he screams about how he will put Lesnar down, yelling “Come on, champ!”

Just a tremendous segment. The cocky, dominant champion remaining calm and reminding the unafraid challenger whose boss while the challenger reminds the champion that he has beaten him at each turn and constantly proving that he is not afraid. This is a money program and I would gladly pay the full PPV price to see this match. I really hope they continue this feud after the show as it is that good but it seems unlikely at this point. 

  Neville vs. Mustafa Ali

Neville takes Ali down then they mix it up for a bit as Cole brings up Ali’s feud against Drew Gulak, who is against high-flying. Ali uses his agility to escape from the corner and gets a nearfall with a crossbody. Ali heads up for the inverted 450 but Neville cuts him off and heads up top where Ali lands on his feet during a super back suplex attempt. Ali gets a nearfall with a floating DDT then drags Neville in position for the inverted 450 but Neville gets up and pushes him off as Ali crashes into the barricade. Neville heads out to roll Ali inside then roughs him up in the corner. He mocks the crowd then goes back to destroying Ali. He flapjacks Ali then mocks the crowd again but takes his time as Ali fights back. Ali tries his rolling neckbreaker but ends up getting clotheslined then Neville puts him away with the Rings of Saturn (6:22) **1/2. Neville refuses to break the hold after the bell then finally does before yanking his belt away from the referee. Cole then tells us that Neville vs. Akira Tozawa for the Cruiserweight Championship will take place on the Great Balls of Fire Kickoff Show.

Thoughts: Good action. These two had more time and a better match the RAW after WrestleMania 33 but still entertained tonight. Ali’s offense is impressive but at the end Neville once again looked dominant as he heads into Sunday with some momentum.

  Bray Wyatt is shown walking through a desert as we will hear from him after the break. We return as Bray is shown in the desert telling us that he decided to give the world independence and that he is the chaos that fuels the fire. He keeps talking and talking then tells Rollins this Sunday he will get to look into the face of a god for the first time and it will burn.

I thought the promo was nothing more than jibberish and the segment itself overproduced. The Bray character is past its point of usefulness in the company. He never wins the big matches or feuds and has been saying the same stuff for the past four years. Its stale and this delivery is wearing on people. 

  Charly asks Alexa Bliss if her loss tonight will foreshadow what will happen on Sunday. Alexa plays it off that she gave Sasha the win to give her a false sense of security and its all part of her strategy. Charly isn’t buying that so Alexa then disses Charly for only being able to hold a microphone while she is the RAW Women’s Champion. I thought Alexa did a good job here and liked how Charly stood up to her obvious false claim that she lost her match tonight on purpose.

  Finn Balor vs. Cesaro w/ Sheamus

The Hardy Boyz are on commentary for this match. Balor starts off by working a side headlock. Cesaro catches him and hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Cesaro cuts off a comeback with a clothesline then works the arm. Balor rolls through a sunset flip and hits a basement dropkick before chopping away in the corner. Balor hits a few stomps as the Hardy Boyz keep putting him over on commentary. Sheamus distracts the ref then Balor himself gets wrapped up in that as it allows Cesaro to attack from behind. Balor fights back but gets dumped outside as we head to break. The action returns with Cesaro in control. He deadlifts Balor for a gutwrench suplex as that gets two then works the arm. Cesaro misses a corner charge but catches Balor and turns that into a suplex as that gets two. Balor continues to kick out of pinfall attempts as Cesaro gets pissed. Cesaro tries for the Neutralizer but Balor escapes then hits a double stomp as both men are down. Balor is up first and runs wild. He takes Cesaro down on the outside with a dropkick then hits a running soccer kick from the apron. Back inside, Balor hits a sling blade then sets up for a shotgun dropkick but is distracted by Elias Samson. Balor then charges but Cesaro pancakes him and hits an uppercut as that gets two. Cesaro hits a running uppercut in the corner but Balor takes him off the top with an enziguiri. Sheamus distracts the referee as Samson trips up Balor then the Hardy Boyz run out to even things off. Balor sends Cesaro to the floor with a backdrop then flies out with a tope con hilo. Cesaro comes back to slam Balor off of the apron as the crowd starts a “this is awesome” Chant as everyone is hitting big moves on the outside. Balor then dropkicks Cesaro into the barricade and rolls him inside for the Coup de Grace and the win (15:07) ***.

Thoughts: Good match that picked up at the end. However, with most of the commentary focused on the Iron Man Tag Match at the PPV, I do not know why you had Balor win this match. To go even further, with the way these guys have been booked on TV lately, they should have just put them all in another six-man tag match.

  Back from break, an ambulance backs into the arena. Strowman then comes out and heads to the ring as he is demanding competition. Strowman says there are few things in this world he likes more than hurting Reigns. He then calls him out for being too stubborn to stay down and that he will leave Great Balls of Fire the same way he did last week, in the back of an ambulance. However, Reigns is not here and he wants competition before demanding Angle send someone out. We get Titus O’Neill in a suit telling Strowman that he is a big man with a plan but everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. He then promises a Titus Worldwide special match as Strowman will be facing a tough, hungry man who will prove that monsters can be defeated.

  Braun Strowman vs. Apollo Crews w/ Titus O’Neill

Crews ducks a clothesline then hammers away. He escapes from the corner but runs into a big boot. Strowman then yells about Crews not being able to beat him before sending him to the floor. Crews rolls inside then Strowman cranks his neck. Strowman yells at Titus before kicking Crews outside then Titus tries to fire up his client. Crews slaps Strowman from the apron and snaps his neck off the top rope. Crews hits a pair of enziguiris then takes him down after a pair of basement dropkicks. Crews tries a standing moonsault but Strowman kicks him in midair was Crews flies across the ring. Strowman then picks up Crews and hits a running powerslam but pulls him up at two then hits it again and does the same thing. Booker then yells for Titus to do something as Strowman hits a third powerslam for the win (4:33) *1/2.

Thoughts: The match accomplished what it should have by putting Strowman over as a force and positioning Crews as a babyface who is not afraid to stand up to anyone. The moonsault spot was great.

  After the match, Strowman continues his assault on Crews. Titus stands up on the apron then heads inside as the two jaw at each other. Titus then fires away but runs into a clothesline and hits him with a powerslam. Strowman heads out and tosses Crews over the barricade then takes him to the ambulance. Strowman opens the doors and tosses Crews inside and pats the back for the driver to take him away. However, the ambulance does not move as Strowman is getting pissed. Strowman then goes to the driver’s door and peaks inside to open it up as Reigns comes out and punches him in the face. Strowman fights back and throws Reigns against the ambulance and then onto the stage. Reigns fights back and drives Strowman into the screens before spearing Strowman off of a stage and through a table. Strowman is then on his feet near the ambulance as Reigns is on the stage as the show ends. I liked this segment as these two guys have great chemistry together. They had a nice brawl to close out the show.

  Final Thoughts: Overall, I thought this was a good show. The top two matches at the PPV have been built up quite well and they had some strong promos and segments throughout the show. Great Balls of Fire looks like a promising card and the build for Joe vs. Lesnar has brought us some of the best TV segments in quite some time. Tonight made me excited for the PPV and showed that while not all of the feuds are interesting or even good, the RAW brand does have some direction.

#IFTTT #Place to Be Nation

[elizabeth-daae]

all the multiples of 3

3. ARE YOU A VIRGIN? Mom is that you? 

6. ARE YOU SINGLE THIS YEAR? AF

9. DESCRIBE YOUR PERFECT MATE. Intelligent, funny, similar in personality to me, good at math and finance, knows how to cook, likes the theater or at least can put up with it, and wealthy. Money makes me romantic. 

12. DO YOU FORGIVE BETRAYAL? I will forgive but trust me when I say I never will forget what has been done to me. There are several people on my list that can expect to find themselves shit out of luck next time they come asking for my help. :) 

15. DO YOU HAVE ANY PIERCINGS? 3. Two on my ear lobes and one in my left tragus. All the piercings I’m getting for now. 

21. DO YOU THINK SOMEONE HAS FEELINGS FOR YOU? I know a few, granted those include a 13-year-old that flirted with me at a public swimming pool and an old man from Showmars. 

24. DO YOU THINK YOU’LL BE MARRIED IN 5 YEARS? It’s a strong maybe. I think I’ll have completed school by then and be ready to settle down. That is if someone will have me. 

27. HAS SOMEONE EVER WRITTEN A SONG OR POEM FOR YOU? Yes, and it was cringy AF. 

30. HAVE YOU EVER CONSIDERED PLASTIC SURGERY? IF SO, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE ABOUT YOUR BODY? I probably wouldn’t actually go through with it. But you know in my fantasies I would like to get my nose done where it doesn’t swell up whenever I get sick. And a chin reduction. Other than that nothing to change. 

33. HAVE YOU EVER HAD SEX WITH A MAN? Mother! Stop asking these questions! 

36. HAVE YOU EVER LIKED ONE OF YOUR BEST FRIENDS? Yes, and she gagged. She wasn’t the best kisser in the world either. 

39. HAVE YOU EVER WANTED SOMEONE YOU COULDN’T HAVE? Pretty sure that’s everyone I’ve ever had a crush on or been in love with. 

42. HOW LONG CAN YOU JUST KISS UNTIL YOUR HANDS START TO WANDER? I hardly wait for a minute. It get’s boring just kissing. 

45. HOW MANY PEOPLE DID YOU KISS IN 2016/2017? 1. 

48. IF THE PERSON YOU LIKE SAYS THEY LIKE SOMEONE ELSE, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY? Well, I’ll do what I did the last time, wish them happiness then go home and read gay smut to ease the pain. 

51. IS THERE A BOY/GIRL WHO YOU WOULD DO ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING FOR? My mom; anything except clean my room. Someone romantically though. Hm... I’m not really sure. I really have been in love with several people, but they’ve all wronged me. But I guess I’ll have to wait for someone to come along for me to be a loyal dog for. 

54. IS THERE, SOMEONE, YOU WILL NEVER FORGET? Tons of people. The kid that got called a whore in my middle school class. The kid that threw an orange at the board and all of us promptly laughed at. The kid who took a shit in the fake toilet in the kindergarten classroom. That young fellow that was beating his meat in the meat department. Oh and my god awful seventh-grade math teacher... She’s a story. 

But more sentimental I’d say I’ll always remember my 4th-grade teacher fondly. She was an awesome teacher and an even more amazing person. I still talk to her today since my mother is a teacher and they work at the same school. 

57. THINGS YOU WANT TO SAY TO AN EX. Sorry. 

60. WHAT IS THE BIGGEST AGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOU AND ANY OF YOUR PARTNERS? I doubt more than a few months. I like older men, but girls I like about the same age as me. As you can infer, I’ve only ever dated girls. 

63. WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF “HAVING SEX”? Uhhhhhhhhh..... When two or more people make each other have an orgasm. I guess. 

66. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ROLEPLAY? Superheroes. haha hahaha...

69. WHAT TURNS YOU OFF? Oh wow, long list. And these are just things I don’t like having done to me. I’m open to doing them to others. ;) Long list short: No anal, no fisting unless otherwise noted, no cervix beating, no long fingernails, no gags, no whips, no paddles, no mustaches, no spanking at all, no slapping, no deep throating unless you want to clean up the mess afterward, no bodily fluids besides spit, vaginal fluid, and semen, and most importantly of all, NO FUCKING POOP!!!!

72. WHAT WORDS DO YOU LIKE TO HEAR DURING SEX? “Yes ma’am”, “Whatever you say.”, “I’m at your command.”, and maybe an “I love you” I gotta have some romance in there. 

75. WHAT’S THE SWEETEST THING ANYONE’S EVER DONE FOR YOU? Trying to remember... 

78. WHAT’S YOUR DIRTIEST SECRET? I masturbated shortly after hearing the news that my aunt had passed away. Don’t know if that’s dirty or just me being a terrible person. 

81. WHO ARE FIVE PEOPLE YOU FIND ATTRACTIVE? Like celebrities? Natalie Portman is number 1 on my list, Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Olsen, Lana Del Rey, and have to include a male so Tom Hiddleston. 

84. WHY DID YOUR LAST RELATIONSHIP FAIL? Because I didn’t really like them to begin with.