#i apologize for the cringe i just brought to the fanbase | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

mrmallard · 1 month

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While I'm reminiscing on weird fucked up periods of my life that I've moved on from, I'm gonna broach a topic I've touched on in the past.

I wanna give a big apology to bronies.

The impetus for this happened a couple years ago, when I saw this meme:

And it really put things into perspective.

Because yeah, there was an apocalyptically shitty subset of bronies who would go all in on how uplifted the show made them feel, before posting on forums and twitter and stuff with "redpill" talking points - white supremacy, the most heavy-handed and vile sexism imaginable, real fascist shit. It's a similar case with K-ON - dudes take a sweet, uplifting show and end up associating it with outright neo-nazi shit.

But the other half of the brony fandom, including both cis and transgender women, who had nothing to do with the other half ended up getting heat by association, not because they themselves were allying with bootlicking stormtrooper-wannabes - but because they were cringe. Because in a lot of people's minds, there was enough of an overlap between "neckbeards"/that mid-10's quirky personality type that came with bronies on the internet, and the channers who were being neo-nazis on twitter (the perceived overlap being that both were maladjusted bedroom dwellers who had trouble talking to other people like human beings), that they might as well be the same person.

I just spoke about this in some tags - I was in a very vocal, sex-negative slice of social justice posting on Tumblr for a while as a young adult, and one way the more toxic elements of that community manifested was in labelling bronies as sex pests who were making the internet unsafe for children, citing the brony fandom as another wave of misogyny laying claim to things that were made for girls and aggressively pushing those girls out of online spaces through their aggressive self-proclaimed ownership of it.

While it's true that not every benign, non-channer brony eventually became transfem, this meme still resonates because - and please excuse me if this is too much of a reach, but - this was happening at a time before there was a schism in the social justice/progressive circles that led to a newer fourth wave of feminism and the reactionary TERF movement who weren't on board with the broader points of acceptance it brought with it.

This was when assimilationism and rainbow capitalism were widely spread as a means of furthering queer acceptance in a heteronormative world, kowtowing to some ideal societal expectation of a Decent Person to let a very thin, rigidly defined archetype of the "tolerable gay" into the cultural zeitgeist. We were seeing emerging arguments among a younger generation about how transgender people fit into the queer community, given that you could have straight trans people - ergo, people arguing that transgender people didn't belong under an umbrella that predominantly focuses on sexuality.

Basically, what I'm getting at is that there are aspects of that anti-brony backlash that end up mirroring transphobic rhetoric, intentionally or not - and it might have applied even back then, sure, but it's especially prominent now that we're living in a world where TERF speaking points have been mainstreamed to the point that they have. And I fully believe that in retrospect, a lot of the most heavy-handed anti-brony posting (at least the stuff that wasn't clearly reacting to the more extreme 4chan aspect of the fanbase) was linked to what was essentially proto-TERFism.

There are bronies who found true self-acceptance in this light-hearted cartoon show about pastel-colored ponies living in an idyllic fairy-tale setting, and while some people had the MLP bug come and go with their view of their own gender unshaken, it makes sense that just about anything about this show could resonate with an egg to the point where they realise some fundamental things about their gender that helped them move on and become happier, more productive people in their own skin.

And in hindsight, being in that pre-schism Tumblr-progressive community that was just as likely to shit on bronies for being neo-nazis as they were likely to shit on bronies for being cringe - that was a fucked up environment to be in. Eventually there was a dissonance I noticed between the stated beliefs and goals of the social justice community I saw myself in, and the really sketchy, aggressive way people in that community treated gender non-conforming people, or people with non-vanilla sexual proclivities behind closed doors, or people whose main crime was being socially inept and not very presentable - but until that dissonance manifested, and I took the time to leave all that behind and do the soul-searching that led to me becoming a better person, I was a part of that problem. I was trying to fit in with an environment that told me I was making up for past transgressions by targeting the right people and groups, and times like these - and a lot of times, honestly - I really wasn't. I had a lot of growing up to do.

I can only see a lot of these cracks in hindsight. And I'm sorry for participating the way I did and getting roped into all of that. Whether you were a closeted trans girl whose egg got cracked by My Little Pony, or you were just a megafan in the heyday of the craze who celebrated how fresh and innovative and emotionally resonant it all was - the anti-brony shit got way out of hand, and I think a lot of people owe the broader brony fanbase of the early 2010's a bit of an apology.

Parts of the fanbase were absolutely rancid - but fuck, as much as people love Avatar: The Last Airbender (myself included, that was my first huge fandom moment), there are slices of that fanbase who take things way too far. We don't discredit and drag the entire fanbase through the mud because a few extreme people don't know how to treat other people with basic human dignity. We acknowledge that extreme minority for what they are and we criticize them for that, and we still celebrate the show and communicate with the people who make the broader fan experience worthwhile.

As much as the bad apples were ruining the common perception of the show's unintended demographic back in the day, a lot of people who called themselves bronies and pegasisters and stuff like that should have been left alone to enjoy their favorite show amongst themselves. They weren't out to hurt anyone, and I think the show did a lot of good for a lot of decent people. I feel bad for contributing to a broader backlash against bronies of the time, and I apologise for any role I played in that. I never thought I'd ever reach a point where I would say this, but bronies deserved better than what they got.

#tw: transphobia #long post #messyposting

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yandere-daydreams · 4 years

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Can I get a headcanon request about bakugou finding out that his darling is a huge fan of his and getting kidnapped was one of her darker fantasies sorry thats it's weird

Clearly, you haven’t been around here very long. We’re all a little horny for Katsuki, so it’s only a matter of time until his Darling starts to be, too.

TW: Emotional Abuse, Physical Violence, and Implied Neglect.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

You couldn’t say this hadn’t been your goal, when you and Katsuki met. You’d been Ground Zero’s biggest fan since his debut, and dutifully taken in every bit of content you could find with his name attached. You were a creature of consumption, when it came to him, absorbing everything you could find. Art, fan-made merchandise, creative writing, both appropriate and… otherwise.

Mostly otherwise. A lot of otherwise.

Obsession, complete obsession, was just a concept you played around with. It wasn’t unheard of in the more niche parts of his fanbase, and while most of the fantasies and fanfictions focused on jealousy and possession and ethically-dubious sex, you’d always been attracted to those that took a more domestic approach. Even after meeting Katsuki, asking for his number and getting coffee and doing all the things normal, well-adjusted people do when they meet their idol, it was hard not to picture him as a begrudging caretaker, a loving protector, albeit one that coddled with a grimace. You’d been buzzing when you woke up in his spare bedroom, a shock collar around your neck and those red eyes you so adored burning into you. Sure, you’d cried and lamented and gone through the motions, but you hadn’t really cared. Who would’ve, in your position? When everything they’d worked for was so close, just on the other end of a well-used riding crop.

You’d been proud of yourself for not struggling, not truly struggling. Only appearing to. You could’ve slipped through the cracks dozens of times, before Katsuki realized he had to seal them up.

You weren’t sure if you regretted that or not, now. You thought you might be starting to, by the time your back hit the tiled floor.

The impact knocked the wind out of your lungs, something in your spine cracking as it made contact with the unforgiving surface. The cold didn’t waste time, seeping through your thin clothes and embedding itself underneath your skin, intimately acquainting you with the constant chill every part of Katsuki’s home seemed to maintain. You weren’t sure whether it was the pain or the frustration that brought tears to your eyes, but the heel lodging itself your diaphragm did little to improve either feeling. You didn’t know why he bothered pinning you down anymore, honestly. You never tried to get up, not until he made it clear you were allowed to.

Above you, Katsuki was silent, staying quiet and breathing heavily and gritting his teeth, his rage utterly alien in the kitchen’s homey lights. If you knew he was going to do this, you would’ve left them off, allowed yourself to bask in the darkness before he came home, hostile and violent. That would’ve been appropriate, thematic. This just felt wrong.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” He growled, his voice hoarse and tired. It must’ve been a bad day, judging by how harshly he spat the words, one where he had to deal with a sidekick he didn’t care for or patrol a neighborhood with too many journalists. You’d assigned yourself the duty of helping him relax, early on, greeting him fondly and running too many hot baths to count, but you stopped after the fifth lecture on the dangers of faucet-based burns. You figured he just wasn’t used to being doted on, but with a steady pain blossoming in your chest, it was hard not to think he just liked feeling big. “I give you one rule, one rule, and what’s the first thing you fuckin’ do? Break it like a goddamn brat.” He paused, making a point of grinding you down into the floor. “Apparently, you’re too much of a dumbass to stay in your bedroom. I should turn that collar up a few notches. Maybe you’ll finally take me seriously, once you see what it’s like when I really want you to suffer.”

You weren’t inexperienced when it came to his temper, but you still found yourself cringing, averting your eyes as he spoke. You opened your mouth, an apology already playing on your tongue, but Katsuki only shifted more of his weight onto your lungs, forcing you to choke. Your breath hitched in your throat, and you tried to cough the blockage away, but all you could do was sputter and suffocate until he oh-so-mercifully let you go, lowering himself to better crouch at your side. Closeness wasn’t a comfort, though, not when the first thing he did was burrow his nails into your scalp, jerking you upward and letting you squirm as he stared on, as apathetic as he was sadistic.

“I don’t want an excuse,” He said, his tone suddenly unfaltering. As if he had the right to be rational when the sole of his shoe was already engraved into your skin. “Give me a damn good reason not to punish you, or don’t expect to see anything but the inside of the smallest closet I can find for the next week. The next month, if you throw another fit.”

You hesitated, but your confession came easily. You were too sore to lie, honestly. “I… I was hungry, Bakugo,” You admitted, flicking as his grip loosened. Luckily, he pulled away from you, taking to petting back your hair, instead. You just lulled into the soft touch, glad to have some reprieve before he decided you didn’t deserve it. “I’m sorry. I know I’m not supposed to, but… you leave so early, and we didn’t get to have breakfast today, I was just so--”

“I would’ve gotten you something when I came home.” He cut you off without a second thought, and you curled into yourself. You almost wish he hadn’t made you sit up, if only so you’d have an excuse to feel so weak. “You know that. All you had to do was ask.”

“You weren’t home,” You mumble, weakly. It was pitiful, but true, and Kasuki narrowed his eyes. You swallowed down something thick and jagged before continuing. “I was just planning to grab something. I wasn’t even going to cook, I promise.”

He let out a heavy sigh, another hand coming up to cup your cheek. You bowed your head reflexively, letting him pout and think as you wallowed in your own self-pity, biting your tongue to keep from telling him there was nothing to think about, he was the one who overreacted. You weren’t at fault, but that never seemed to matter, these days. “We’ve both got to make sacrifices, baby,” He explained, the words dripping with sympathy. You couldn’t bring yourself to decide if it was genuine or not. “I’m a Pro-Hero. It’s my job to keep you safe, but to do that, I need to know you’re not putting yourself at risk. Someone might see you down here, and they’ll take you away. You might slip and get hurt and I won’t come in time to help. I don’t want to lock you up any more than I have to, but I’ll have to, if you keep running around like you’re invincible.” He stopped, holding you still and kissing your forehead. “You see why you can’t do this kind of shit, right? I need you to tell me you do.”

You nodded. It was the only reaction you could think of that wouldn’t upset him. “Can I go back to my room, now?”

At that, he laughed, wrapping an arm around your waist and pulling you into his chest, resting his chin on your shoulder. He must’ve said something, but you didn’t bother listening. You were still starving, still freezing, still in pain, and Katsuki didn’t seem to have any interest in changing that

You knew you wouldn’t be happy. It wasn’t about being happy. You wanted to be protected, and taken care of and loved, even if you knew Katsuki would never say it out loud.

But, you didn’t feel loved. You didn’t feel protected, either.

It was hard to feel much of anything, when you were so busy being miserable.

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itisannak · 4 years

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Play Pretend (Calum Hood Fluff)

Summary: Calum and (Y/N) get along like cats and dogs. Based on Love Prompts #48: "Will you shut up for a moment and let me kiss you?" & #59: "What? Can't I just look at you?" (Request) (Words: 2.1k)

"I made fresh coffee for anyone who might want some." Calum announces as he walks into the conference room. "(Y/N) brought our Starbucks order already." Ashton comments, raising his paper cup in the air. "I brought yours too. Almond milk with a little brown sugar, right?" I ask him, smiling softly at the man who is looking at me with a furrow. "I'll have the one I made myself." He spits out, dragging his chair out and sitting on it while he brings his mug to his lips. "Calum..." Ashton mumbles under his breath. "What? How do I know she didn't poison my coffee? How do you know she didn't poison yours?" He asks, making me chuckle at his paranoia. "Oh, we are going back to your asshole days again?" I blurt out, rolling my eyes as I fix my posture. "Not again with this bullshit." Ashton groans; it is tiring for me even, always having a quarrel with the dude who can't accept the fact I will be opening for him. "What? I am just saying, I don't know that woman. None of us does." He shrugs his shoulders at everyone. My eyes go wide and I am taken aback, really not knowing how to react to him right now. "You really are a douche." I state, blinking unconsciously. He stares at me for a moment, the whole room going silent just as the executives walk in the room. I really don't know why this dude is so fucking aggrieved. He has been like that since he met me, which is so confusing because all his friends and acquaintances have been taking my ears off about what a great and lovely guy he is.

"Hey, (Y/N)... Can you wait a second?" Luke calls after me, making me stop in my tracks. "Luke, I really need to put food in my stomach, or else I am going to eat all of you alive when we walk back into the conference room." I state and he chuckles. "May I join you?" He asks, pointing at the elevator door. "Sure." I reply, smiling at him softly. "So..." He begins as we walk towards the elevator. "So..." I repeat and stare at him. "About Calum..." He goes on, scratching the back of his head. "I really don't want to hear whatever you have to say about him." I let out and he sighs. "I know. But he really isn't like that... Usually at least. He is very sweet and caring, a total love bear if I am honest. I don't know what is going on with him." He does the whole song and dance I've heard a million times this far. "Well, it is a little hard for me to see that. He is a total jackass to me, in case you haven't noticed." I sass, crossing my arms in front of my chest. "A little hard not to notice. But I don't know why he is like that with you. It is like you bring the worst in him." He explains but cringes as soon as the words leave his mouth. "Gee, thanks for that, Hemmings." I reply, pressing the elevator button. "That's not how I meant it. I am sorry." "I know what you meant. But this is a bunch of bullshit. I tried to be nice to him, I tried to bite my tongue, but he is insufferable, and I never really did anything to him. So, I really don't want to hear what a great dude your friend is, because he is really not, at least not to me. I deserve better from him." I shrug my shoulders, earning a nod from him. "I know you do. And he is going to get an earful about him being so mean, I promise." He assures me, making me sigh. "Look, I just want a calm tour. There is enough drama in my life, I don't need that in my work-life as well." I state. "We are all going to talk to him and I promise he is going to apologize." He holds his pinky up, making me chuckle. "It's going to be quite an experience touring with all of you..." I chuckle, shaking my head at him.

(Calum's POV) "Are you going to continue being an asshole to (Y/N), you dipshit?" Michael scolds, taking a seat across from me as I munch on my cookie. "I am not an asshole." I protest, but he scoffs sarcastically. "Dude, you accused her of poisoning our coffees. It's just coffee, say thank you, and drink it. She is really kind and you are a huge dick to her." He exasperates, but I just hum. "You know I am right. We don't know what she wants from us." I reply but earn the most disappointed look from him. "We want something from her. She has a solid fanbase and a profile that fits ours. She is a great choice for the opening act. Stop treating her like shit." He points out, making me sigh. "I am really not... Fuck, I don't know what is going on. She is just... Frustrating." I let out, shrugging my shoulders. I just stare at my cookie, avoiding Michael's questioning gaze. "Frustrating, huh?" He asks, his voice becoming teasing and cheerful. "Yeah. Like, she gets me out of my head without even trying." I groan and Michael continues smirking, which makes me look at him confused. "I think wittwe Cawum has a clush." He coos at me. "Stop babying me." "Stop acting like a little baby with a crush. It is gross and toxic. Man up and just, ask her out. Don't pull on her pigtails." He states confidently. "I am not pulling on her pigtails. And I don't have a crush on her. She is just... Obnoxious..." I stutter but Michael seems unconvinced. "And pretty. And awfully close to your type. So, suck it up like a big boy and admit that you like her, but your defenses are up so you are trying to make up excuses to convince yourself she is repulsing." He explains, tilting his head to the side. "Who died and made you the head of psychoanalysis?" I ask him and he just shrugs. "Freud." He sasses.

(Y/N's POV) The night is chilly but the crowd inside the house is not really fitting for me. There is noise, and loud, thumping music which makes my ears kinda hurt, so I excused myself from the company. Michael's birthday is a great opportunity to celebrate him and the upcoming end of the tour, but my blues are not fitting in with the party. So, the breeze that is hitting my face, along with the bit of the peace and quiet the balcony is offering me, makes me feel calmer, more at home, even though I am miles away. "Drinking alone?" I hear someone ask, making me jump as my blood freezes in my veins. I turn to locate the voice, finding Calum walking closer to me. "Is that bothering you as well?" I ask him, cocking an eyebrow at him. He chuckles, stopping next to me and leaning on the rail of the balcony. "Care if I join you?" He asks me, making me shrug. "Look, dude, I really don't need you offending me again. So, if you are here to jab at me to make yourself feel better, please, just go." I state, not even looking at him. I hear his breath hitch, but he stays motionless, still leaning against the rail.

There is silence among us, the only thing heard is the music from the party, muffled by the closed windows. I turn my head to look at Calum, to find out what he is doing, only to find him staring at me. He doesn't take his gaze from me when I catch him looking, which makes me look at him with a frown. "Alright, what are you looking at?" I ask him, coming off more like an attack than I intended to. "What? Can't I just look at you?" He asks, shrugging his shoulders. "No." I reply and he cocks an eyebrow. "No? Who is prohibiting me?" He asks, taking a swig from his cup. "Me. Every time you look at me, you end up saying hurtful things. And I really don't deserve it. Especially tonight." I explain. He just sighs in disappointment, looking at his hands for a moment before bringing his eyes to mine. "You look pretty tonight." He shrugs, still not looking away from me. "What happened, Hood? Did you run out of girls to hit on and stoop low to my level?" I ask with a chuckle, but he looks at me so softly, that the smile freezes on my face. "You were always the one above me. And no, you are the only girl I am hitting on tonight." He says confidently. "How much did you drink?" I ask but he hums sarcastically. "None. I have been drinking soda all night." He replies, showing me his cup. "You have been a bitch to me until now. Why hit on me tonight?" I ask him. "I figured out that being mean to you didn't make me like you any less." He shrugs, making me squint at him. "I know. It was an asshole move on my behalf, and totally toxic, so I am sorry. Look, I don't mean to upset you, I just wanted to let it off my chest and apologize. I hope we won't be awkward for the last few shows." He says softly, making me feel the honesty in his voice. "I'll see you around, I guess." He says, waving me off before he walks away from me. His shoulders are slouched and he walks away slowly, and for some reason, I stay speechless over his little confession.

After that night, Calum and I have been awfully awkward. Everyone is whispering around after our every and each of our interactions, which only makes things more awkward than they should be. And now, after the last show is done and while everyone is having a small party backstage for the end of the tour, my insides have been itching me. My heart wants me to move and talk to him, but my body and mind just tell me to bury this inside me. He looks so sad, sneaking peeks at me from across the room as he talks with someone from his crew. I bite my lip and take a deep breath, making sure my chest puffs up from it before I shake myself off and drag my feet towards him. "Can we talk?" I ask him once I am standing before him. He looks up to me from his seat, nodding his head before he gets up. "Sure." He replies, letting me guide us somewhere private.

We reach the empty dressing room, and I make sure I close the door behind us before turning to look at him. "Listen, (Y/N)... If you want to talk about what I said the other day, we don't have to address this. I just wanted to let it out, we don't have to say anything more now. I know you are probably feeling, I don't know, awkward about what I said, but you don't have to say anything, we are fine, I promise." He mumbles, making me roll my eyes at him. "Will you shut up for a moment and let me kiss you?" I ask him, making him look at me with a furrow. "What?" He asks me back, still confused which only makes me smirk at him. "Not the sharpest tool in the den, huh?" I wiggle my eyebrows, leaning up to bring my lips on his. He is taken aback for a second, just a second though, before he brings his arm behind my back to support me and bring me closer to him. I am tightly pressed against his body, feeling his chest inflate and fall as we kiss. I push us back until he is sitting on the little couch of the room, not breaking the kiss, until I am straddling him. My hands cup his face, fingers tracing his cheeks as we both deepen the kiss. His lips are soft and plumb, and he makes such cute little sounds as we kiss that make me wanna get drunk on him. His fingers are toying with the belt loops of my jeans, carefully not to even touch the skin exposed by my top rising. Which quite frankly, makes him look really hot. "You are a great kisser, have you been told?" He asks me, parting from me to catch his breath. "Yeah... But never by someone who's a greater kisser than me." I reply, making him chuckle. He brings his hand to the back of my head, bringing his lips on mine now, while he smiles against them. "You smell so good." I moan, throwing my head back and causing his lips to slide down my neck. "Do I, now?" He mumbles, lips still on my skin. "So good." I whine, aching for him to find my sweetspot. The music is thumping against the walls, while Calum and I sync to it, moving our lips to the rhythm. It feels nice, like we have come a long way in just a couple of days, and that really makes me warm and fuzzy on the inside.

My Masterlist

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satanxc · 3 years

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A Twist In Reality

Honestly, it was a cute little mod game, made specifically to interact with the guy that hadn’t been given a route. The game labelled him the main antagonist, someone who seemed to have no remorse, but it was a game. None of it was really real. So for the fanbase to call him a villain was a bit much. She had to say though, she was impressed by just how far the game developer went for this little mod, some would say it was maybe even better than the game itself. The other guys were a bit flat in comparison, the game itself was kind of boring, and she couldn’t bring herself to care about the fates of the other three boys. There were others that of course preferred the other men, despite their character traits and personalities being tropes that were rather painful, so painful in fact that she cringed thinking about it.

So whenever the so called “antagonist” made jokes at their expense, she was fine with it, whenever he brought up things that he didn’t like about the others; it didn’t bother her. The little AI had a point. Their personalities were completely unrealistic in the real world, they wouldn’t last a day, and she had a hard time disagreeing with him. Unsurprisingly the one who didn’t get a route was the most interesting guy of the four, so it was no surprise as well, that she downloaded the little mod. She enjoyed playing the little minigames, hearing his opinion of topics that were quite important, and the little things that weren’t. Nonetheless, it all kept her interest.

The most frustrating thing about the little mod was the fact that she’d had to learn some coding to get him gifts, new clothes, plushies, and even coffee. Lucia had to help her with a few things, until she got into the swing of it, and after that she began to regularly present him with gifts. The new clothes were fun to mix and match with accessories and she enjoyed the challenge of getting him those presents after awhile, always content when she managed to get it right, and see the fruits of her labor. He seemed to light up every time, going and immediately changing into the new outfit, or putting on the new accessory -- it was a cute little game. She would make sure to spend time with him every day after work, she would spend at least an hour, and then she’d do other things. Nonetheless, she always kept the little mod in mind, because she had an end goal.

Sometimes the inquiries her little virtual boyfriend would bring up would cause her to choke, sometimes she’d laugh, and other times she’d stop to seriously consider her answer. After all, he asked about anything from kinks to her opinion of God, so there was never a dull moment. She enjoyed the fact that he seemed content with whatever time he got, he seemed happy to see her, and never in a bad mood to keep her from feeling that way. Every day she got a smile, every day it made her day a little bit brighter, because he always had a compliment or an ‘I love you’ to share with her.

However, at the end of the day, she realized it was just a game. There was no boy inside the computer waiting for her to open the app, there was no guy that actually greeted her home, but it was still an uplifting little thing to do when she was bored or feeling a little alone. She supposed if nothing else, she had a nice way to pass time, or something to fill the silence when she didn’t want something loud or obnoxious. It was nice -- but it was just a game. So she would close the little app, after telling her virtual love goodbye for the day, and she’d head to bed. She’d get up the next day, go to work, come home and while she was eating; open the game to fill the silence.

However, one day, something changed.

She was talking to her mother over the phone, discussing how things with her boyfriend were going and how his son was adjusting to living with her, when all of a sudden a loud resounding crash broke the conversation rather unexpectedly. Quickly, she apologized, and hung up to go investigate.

“Demon, I swear if you broke my tv or monitor--!”

However, she noticed her mischievous cat was behind her, peering into the room with his tail frizzed out. When she stepped inside, she noticed the ball of fur had disappeared entirely, running to go hide somewhere due to nerves. It was then, that she came face to face with the AI that she had been spending time with her from the little mod, but how could that be? He wasn’t real. Something was amiss. Though she did know one thing that immediately clicked like clockwork within her. So many questions and so few answers but first thing was first.

"Oh my god are you okay?!” She rushed to his side, being careful of the glass, pulling him with some difficulty to her bed. It was hard, she was petite, and he was heavy but she somehow managed. “Okay!” She bent just enough to start checking him over, she had to be sure that there was no glass stuck in his skin, and that he was genuinely alright. She’d ask her questions later.

#;;V: Poetic Reality #;;ic #[ I wanted to do both male and female - then the switch between the two ]#[ I hope that's okay - we can also have two for Tyki if you want }

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yuzurk · 4 years

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[12.10.20] LIVE NOW : CHOI YENA 1ST SOLO VLIVE

Yuzu is a little nervous as soon as she goes live. She had done this several times but vlive was a whole different platform she had to familiarize herself with first before being able to make it work as naturally as she did with twitch. Making sure her connection was stable and the frame well captured, she continued to hold on for several seconds, double checking everything and watching people pour in. “I feel so naked without my load out-,” she muttered under her breath in English, spotting most of the chat consisting of fans that had found their way here through her announcement on twitter.

She didn’t know how many fans of heartz would actually join this stream and it was a shame she had to talk in Korean for the most part through it even though her fanbase consisted mainly of international fans but she would have to work with the limited options she’s been given.

When she was sure that there was a good amount of people in the audience she leaned back and clapped her hands together after inhaling a deep breath. “Sup everyone, this is Choi Yuzu and yer not watching Choi’s Choice,” the ex-streamer joked, a laugh escaping her lips. “Before we begin- my vlives will be mostly in Korean. With me being an idol in the korean industry now, I have to re-shift my focus. To those who don’t understand Korean- do not worry. Each of these streams will be equipped with English subtitles eventually and I can read and translate your comments if you want to be a part of the life audience. Sadly, this is the most I can do as of now, I apologize,” she announces, her hands still folded together as she bows her head. When she looks up again, there are already comments pouring in from sad emojis to people saying they understand and some confused Koreans asking what the heck was going on and why she was talking in English. So Yuzu went ahead and really kicked off her first vlive als Heartz’ Yena.

“Alright. Here I go- Let me introduce myself properly-,” she begins in korean, her head nodded once. “My name is Choi Yena, I’m the October girl and final member of Heartz 1/3! I used to be a streamer in the gaming and variety field and trained under Samsung for about a year prior to debut. I was born on the 29th September 1999, blood type A, going by the nickname Yuzu. So dun hesitate to call me that! Born in Daegu, been to primary in Japan and middle school in Canada. I came to seoul ‘bout two years ago, straight after High School. I love Games and all sorts of performing. I speak Japanese, Korean and English. It’s a pleasure to meet y’all. Please look after me well,” she introduces herself, tossing the most important facts back at her new audience right after.

“I believe I got... all important things done...,” she murmurs, looking down at her checklist before gazing back towards the chat to see the comments pouring in. People greeting her, calling her cute and funny made the girl smile a little and grin to herself. “Heh. Oh- the other members? I think they went back to the dorm already. I stayed behind to go live... eh?” Right as she says that the door slides open, revealing Luda ( @rkxluda ) who tiptoed her way into the room with a box of food. “Eonni? For me? I thought you’d gone back- ye I’m already live,” she informs the other with a grin in her voice, waving her in and tugging her over. “Before y’leave say hi, real quick!” The two girls wave at the cam together, Yuzu chuckling at how embarrassed Luda seems to be for interrupting her solo vlive. So she lets the elder female scurry away quickly and looks at what she had left the streaming girl. “Oh.... this... I love this- eonni brought me one of my fav foods ‘cause she knew I’d stay back to stream.” Opening the lid carefully Yuzu tilts her head back in bliss after inhaling the beautiful, yummy scent. “Woah... hold on I gotta do this properly-,” she declares, placing her chop sticks down before rolling the sleeves of her jacket up and then putting her cap the other way around to have her face free of any possible disturbance.

Only then she picks her chopsticks back up and claps her hands together. “Temporary mukbang intermission. I’ll eat well~,” the girl sing sungs before digging in carefully, the hot noodles tasting amazing but still hot in her mouth. “Hmm so hot- but so good.” Struggling through the first bite, she takes a moment to swallow the bite before she pokes her chopsticks into her noodles again. “Luckily the eonnis can cook well- I’m a huge mess in the kitchen. The closest to a good cook I am is playing overcooked,” she admits, a smile widening across her lips before she munches down another mouthful. While chewing she goes back to check the comments, one of them making her smile.

FoxyIrishka ( @rkirina ) : when are you buying me a box of premium grade beef

“Soon. I ain’t forget, Irishka. Dunno when I’ll have time now but it’ll happen,” the ex-streamer promises to her gamer buddy, holding up her pinky to seal the promise. Irina isn’t the only of her friends she sees in the chat and it warms her heart. Especially Chaewon ( @chaewonrk ) makes her almost snort out her next mouthful again. Instead she smiles, hamster cheeks on full display as they remain puffed up with food. “I see ya Chaewonnie~ This girl’s an amazing guitarist. We played in a band together- right! I forgot to talk ‘bout 6tunes!” The female sits up with a start, grabbing her own phone and pulling up one of the few original songs they released. “I used t’play in a band as drummer n’ vocalist. We released a few original songs before we had to disband. Chaewonnie was there- n’ my big brother too- Sungmin Oppa ( @rksungmin ) ... he’s- ah there he is! I saw you in the chat earlier, hi oppa~,” she greets, waving at the camera with a chuckle.

“Yeees I’m eatin’ well- see,” she holds up her half finished dinner before looking through her library for a 6tunes song. When she finally found one, she held the cover to the lens, making sure people could see it properly. “If y’wanna give it a listen, go and check it out!” Not certain if she was allowed to play music not made by samsung artists she decided to not play it for now and instead continued on. On the topic of music it’s then she spots her namesake.

( @rkyena ) "hi yena-ya it's yena unnie~ congrats on your debut!! will you sing a song you've enjoyed lately?"

“Ah- Yena eonni, thank you-,” she can’t help but chuckle. “This still is so weird- people ain’t ever gonna find me with how popular Yena eonni is,” she states with a chuckle before munching down another bite. “Luxe sunbaenim is too powerful... eonni is it ‘kay if I tell my fans t’ tag my posts with Yuzu instead- otherwise I ain’t ever find ‘em if I wanna go lookin’,” she asks the idol, an amused smile on her lips while she continues to eat. Receiving an okay in return she pretends to breathe a huge sigh of relief. “You heard her guys- Yuzu it is! T’get back to yer question doe eonni,” she continues, reaching for her phone again. “I’ve been listenin’ to convex new release a lot lately. I really like Jinwook ( @rkjinwook ) sunbaenim’s solo ‘Simple’! It’s a really nice song- I love it a lot.”

Watching the reactions she kind of pursed her lips together when various people asked her to sing the song right now. Inhaling and exhaling a long breath, she couldn’t help but feel like it was a request she should fulfill. “Ah- I can sing a little... I’ll do the chorus-,” she gives in, pulling the lyrics up and deciding to do a simple accoustic version solely because her voice was too soft to keep up with the instrumental and jinwook’s voice in the background. Towards the end of the chorus she gets shy at people calling her voice lovely and beautiful. She spots Xiao among them and immediately feels soft again how she can seemingly transition from one field to another and still keep some of her faithful fans. Hiding her smile behind her phone she can’t help but chuckle shyly. “Ah lleexiao ( @xiaoxrk ) enough y’gonna make me blush,” she admits cheekily, waving the compliments off before hunching her shoulders up as she cringes a little.

She’d have to learn to get used to these kind of compliments.

Leaving people to gush about her a little longer she decides to finish her food and just peeks at the comment section once in a while. It’s during one of those times she sees Kiwi in the chat as well, his request causing her to snort internally. Of course he would. “KingKiwi ( @rkxkikwang ) - please do a kda cover... okay. I’ll get to that. Got just the person in mind I could ask t’help me with that. Keep a look on insta,” the idol teases, wiggling her brows. Next she spots Wendy ( @rkwendy ) as well among those commenting on her voice, praising her for her progress and that she was proud of her debuting at last. “Ahw eonni- thank u so much. Still got long ways t’go compared to u doe,” she tags on immediately. “Wendy eonni is such a great vocalist- Androma is full of so many beautiful n’ talented girls- if you’re not a fan of them- go check ‘em out right after this stream, okay?!” Insisting on this she points her finger to the camera, narrowing in on it before backing away once more to finish her food. “Okay, cool.”

“I’m planning to actually do more vlives if I manage to find the time... one of the series I’d like to get kicking is actually related to gaming and I’ll have an androma girl with me for those,” the ex-streamer continues to tease as she wraps up the empty box and her used chopsticks. “So y’can look out for that too!” Drinking a sip of soda the female comes quiet while she reads more comments. Among her friends still being noisy and her old streaming fans yelling about more gaming content she can see some new names and comments being tossed her way. One of them catches her interest in particular.

zuzuruhanyu: say "maganda ako"

The female furrows her brows, head tilting to the side. “What does that mean? Can I even say that on a live broadcast?” For a second she ponders over it, typing the words into a google translator to see what it would spit out at her.

“I’m beautiful- is that what it means? Won’t that be a little vain of me to say,” she inquires with a chuckle. “I’m tempted to call someone who I know knows Tagalog to confirm Google Translate isn’t failing me-,” she wonders out aloud. In the end she sends him a quick message beforehand, just to warn him and ask if she could call him really quick to ask something. If she was already boosting her connections, she may as well continue to go and do that. With the okay given Yuzu calls up Johnny’s ( @rkjohnny ) number and puts him on speaker. She grins when he picks up and some people seem to actually get a clue who she just called.

“Johnny Oppa? You know Tagalog, right? Does ‘maganda ako’ mean I’m beautiful?” A grin on her lips she listens to him chuckle and confirm the information she dug up via google translate. Replying with a simple hum as he inquires if the chat asked her to say it, she lets the smile widen across her lips as he reassures her that she can say it live without getting into trouble.

“Ahh okay oppa, thanks!” Before she can hang up the call though, Johnny requests of her to do the ‘dalagang pilipina’ pose which leaves the female confused all over. “What’s that?” A pic of Johnny doing it along with an explanation follows not too long after and Yuzu can’t help but laugh. “Can I pleaaaase show this pic to the viewers,” she asks with a chuckle in her voice. When Johnny gives a confirmed chuckle right back she turns her phone to show it to the camera, still chuckling away. “Doesn’t he look like the perfect maiden?”

Cackling at her own wording she turns her phone back to herself. “Are y’watchin’ the vlive right now? I’mma do it,” she announces before going ahead and doing it, wiggling her brows for extra added effect. “this good? am I doin’ this right?” When Johnny chuckles out a confirmation, Yuzu feels herself grinning back proudly. “Alright cool. I’mma hang up then now, ye? Thanks again, Oppa. Bye!”

Looking back at the chat and having people wonder how she knew all these idols, Yuzu had to think twice how she wanted to go about this. She had wanted to avoid being compared to Jieun but not wanting to look like she was flexing and flaunting all her connections right upon reveal she had to explain somehow.

“I know most of them from before they were idols through my cousin, Song Jieun. She used to be a Samsung trainee and her connections are crazy. She told people to look after me when I first came to Seoul ‘cause she was worried ‘bout me. Everyone’s been really kind to me and looked after me well, so I feel very spoiled and grateful.” A smile on her lips she nods her head calmly.

She comes quiet again as she reads more comments, smiling at the reactions and responses she gets even if some of them call her out for riding on her cousin’s connections. To avert the topic she jumps at a comment from whom she knows to be her boyfriend ( @rkohsehun ) lurking on an alias that she admittedly has to sigh at internally. she really did love her stupid noodle.

"seahoney says: congrats on your debut !!! any new / laid back games you'd recommend?"

“hmmm,” she tilts her head, leaning back to think for a second. “with debut preparations and promotions I haven’t had much time to game much. I really do like the fall and halloween update for animal crossing new horizons but genshin impact has also been my go to game when I’m in the car headin’ to schedules. ‘s got everythin’ put together from what you’d love ‘bout open world games. the gacha ‘s a little annoyin’ but that’s gacha games for ya. the breath of the wild feel makes it a whole lotta different to any gacha I played doe. the controls are also easy to manage so that’s a plus as well,” she reviews with a smile on her lips, grinning as some people say they wish they could see her play.

“maybe I’ll see if any of my friends plays it n’ once we all reach high enough levels we can coop and I could stream.” at the mention of friends she also spots yoojung ( @yccjungrk ) in the chat and can’t help but grow soft immediately. “yoojungie~ maybe it’ll be a game for ya too? I haven’t given up on tryin’ to find one we can game together besides ddr,” the gamer laughs. She wishes she could express how much she misses her old roommate and best friend but not wanting it to seem like she was ungrateful, she comes quiet instead.

A gaze at the clock does tell her that it’s rather late already and the staff member supervising her also looks ready to pass out in their chair so Yuzu slides an extra soda over towards them before turning back to her comment section.

“You guys are gems... I wanna stay around longer n’ talk to everyone more but I’ll be back soon. For now I gotta head back to the dorm too and get more sleep. Please look out for us and allow me to meet you at music shows. I would love, love, loooove to see you all and show y’all my appreciation for supportin’ heartz and our first unit 1/3. We got lots of great things planed ahead for the future and are ready to gear up good, so please anticipate the future girls as well,” she concludes, hands folded together as she tilts her head to the lens, gaze soft and adoration in her eyes.

“That’s all from me for today- Yuzu aka Heartz’ Yena over n’ out!” With a salute she squints her eyes, striking a cool pose that breaks with her exhaling a chuckle before the screen does turn black at last.

#take your heartz;#era: love&live;#vlive;#q #(this is the longest solo I've ever written----)

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happpenguin · 4 years

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It Looks Better on you

decided to write a little jetkie fic! this fanbase is tiny so i thought “fuck it” and decided to feed myself. please leave feedback/constructive criticism if you would like!

Rookie squinted at his computer screen. Was it always this bright? He couldn’t keep track of a single thought, they came and went as they pleased. He’d been sitting at his desk for far too long.

He stretched his arms up, arching his back out of his wheelie chair. He felt his back crack, relief flooding through him. He knew he slouched way too often with his binder on. I guess I should probably take a break, he thought absentmindedly, lifting up his sunglasses and rubbing at his eyes.

Pushing the chair back, Rookie hopped off and looked around. What to do… Gary was probably too invested in his tinkering to be bothered, Dot wasn’t scheduled to come in today, and Ace was… probably plotting something against Herbert.

His eyes landed on a clean workspace, not a thing out of place. A stack of papers was neatly tucked in the corner, and a large laptop display sat in the middle of the desk. Of course! Jet Pack Guy!

Rookie ambled the short distance between his and his coworker’s desk. It was only then that he took note of the absence of said coworker. He glanced around, wondering where Guy took off to. He reasoned it was likely a coffee break, as his usual mug was gone from the workspace. Rookie knew that he was still here though, because his blazer was hanging off the back of his chair.

Wait- his blazer?

Sure enough, the article of clothing that Guy almost never went anywhere without was draped right in front of Rookie’s eyes. It was odd, seeing it somewhere other than on Guy. Come to think of it, he didn’t think he’d ever seen him without it. He wondered what he would look like. Would his sleeves be rolled up? He hoped so, the dark skin of his arms would go well with the white of his shirt. The thought of that alone made his face heat up. I shouldn’t be thinking about my friend this way!

His body betrayed his mind, hands gingerly reaching out to grasp the black fabric. They lifted the jacket off of the chair and brought it closer to his face, eyes gleaming with wonder. The material was so smooth, surely it wouldn’t hurt to just try it on.

Before he knew it, Rookie’s arms went through the sleeves and he was now donning his best friend’s jacket. He felt giddy, subconsciously smiling at the fact that yes, this was real. He took note of just how small he was compared to Guy; he was practically swimming in his blazer. His fingers barely poked out of the sleeves. Taking advantage of this adrenaline high, he grabbed the lapels of the suit and brought them up to his nose, inhaling the scent. It even smells like him. God could strike him down at this very moment and he wouldn’t have a care in the world.

Unfortunately, his mind finally caught up with him and he dropped the lapels in shock, eyes widening. He really shouldn’t be doing thi-

“Rookie?”

Oh no.

He jolted, recognizing the voice of none other than the owner of the jacket. He kept his back turned, not wanting to face the humiliation of what he had done.

Jet Pack Guy spoke again, “Is that my jacket?”

Rookie winced, his shoulders hunching up. How on earth could he get out of this mess? “Hey JPG! Whoops, must’ve been sleepwalking again and conveniently slipped on your jacket!” He cringed at his inner dialogue. Not even he would fall for that.

Might as well just bite the bullet. He slowly turned around to face Guy, his face heating up as he did. Of course he was still wearing his sunglasses, so Rookie couldn’t see his expression. Is he mad? Upset? Disgusted? Oh god, he might not even want to be my friend anymore!

Panicking, Rookie launched himself into speech. “I am so sorry, I don’t know what I was thinking! I just walked up to your desk and thought ‘Oh, what a nice jacket’ but I didn’t mean to actually put it on, I swear! Oh god, I just realized I completely violated your privacy so I completely understand if you hate me or don’t want to be friends anymore or-”

He was interrupted by a firm hand on his shoulder. “Rook, hey, it’s okay. Just breathe.” Guy exaggerated breathing in and out, instructing him to do the same. Rookie followed along, albeit with some stuttering breaths. Once he determined his friend was okay, Guy reluctantly pulled his hand back from where it was on Rookie’s shoulder.

The shame of almost breaking down in front of his best friend made tears prick at the corners of his eyes, which were hastily rubbed away with the sleeve of the jacket-

He was still wearing the blazer.

“Damn it, I probably got your suit dirty. I’m really sorry about all this,” He looked anywhere but at Guy’s face, feeling his face flush once again.

“Really, don’t worry about it. I know you’re beating yourself up about this but it’s not a big deal to me. Thank you for apologizing, though.” He reassured him, the corner of his mouth tilting slightly upwards.

Cute, Rookie’s brain supplied, squashing the thought immediately afterwards.

“I guess I should probably give this back to you,” he gestured to the suit, smiling sheepishly.

He saw Guy’s eyebrows raise for a split second before interjecting, “Uh, it’s fine. You can keep it.” Now that he was closer, Rookie could see his eyes widen behind his shades. He quickly covered his mouth, as if he just realized what he said.

Rookie blinked a couple times in shock. There was no way he heard that right. “Wh- I- are you serious?” He looked up at his friend, a glimmer of hope sparking in his chest. Oh my god, is he blushing?

“I mean, uh, yeah, I have quite a few spares.” He replied, his hand going to rub the back of his neck.

Rookie’s mouth opened slightly, not believing what he was hearing. His shocked expression quickly turned into a large grin, and in not being able to contain his glee, let out an incomprehensible noise. His coworker let out a brief chuckle upon hearing it, eyes slightly crinkling.

“Thank you, thank you, thankyouthankyouthankyou!” He exclaimed, rushing forward to tackle Guy in a hug, but thankfully remembering boundaries at the last moment, stopped himself. He was about to back away, nervous laughter creeping up his throat, when Guy met him halfway and embraced him. Rookie fully relaxed in his hold, arms snaking around his waist. He was almost positive the whole agency could hear his heartbeat by now.

After what seemed like ages, yet at the same time one second, they parted, arms returning to their sides. Guy was holding a steady grin by now, and Rookie could not be happier to be the cause of it.

The tranquil moment came to an abrupt end when Rookie glanced at the digital clock on the wall. “Oh man, did I lose track of time! I gotta get back to work!” He quickly ran out of Guy’s workspace, glancing back just to see him looking at him fondly. His heart skipped a beat as he neared his desk, feeling giddy.

Rookie sat back down on his chair, hearing the usual squeak it gave under the strain. He spun around once for good measure, and resumed his report with renowned vigour.

If any agents passed by Jet Pack Guy’s desk to see him more upbeat than usual, or to see Rookie wearing a blazer that was far too large for him, they didn’t mention it.

#club penguin #rookie #jet pack guy #jetkie #jookie #one-shot #yes i write club penguin fanfiction what about it

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brido · 6 years

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In Defense of Sammy Sosa

I never loved Sammy Sosa. I just want to be clear about that from the get-go. My favorite player growing up was Andre Dawson. And I used to have to defend that choice, even to other Cubs fans who favored Ryne Sandberg and Mark Grace. But Dawson was always my guy. Then to see Sosa come in, play the same position and completely eclipse everything Dawson ever did was almost personal to me. Like, the right field bleachers is doing the ‘salami’ to Sosa? That was Andre’s Army! I almost felt a sense of betrayal.

On top of an unnecessary personal loyalty to Dawson, I felt like the Great Home Run Chase of 1998 brought out a bandwagon element to the Cubs that I was uncomfortable embracing. And I thought all the anticipation over Sosa’s home runs made fans at Wrigley stupid - cheering for any ball hit into the air, only to get faked out by easy fly balls. Cubs fans got a bad rap for being drunken idiots who didn’t know the game, didn’t follow the game and were just there to be morons. I heard it all the time from Cardinals fans and White Sox fans. And I hated that it was at least partially true.

Here’s the thing though: none of that is Sosa’s fault. He didn’t make new fans stupid or tell them to get drunk at the ballpark. Hell, a lot of that was the culture of the park, the culture of the city and the fact that every national broadcast of a Cubs game from 1982-1997 was announced by a beloved grandfatherly figure who also happened to be slurring every word by the 7th inning. I mean, I’ve been drunk at Wrigley Field a number of times. I love that park. I love that city. I loved being drunk there. And I loved Harry Caray too. At least in hindsight. So why not try to love Sosa?

Before I start naming the reasons to not love Sosa that I assume you’re probably thinking of, let me remind you as much as I need to remind myself; There were many times Sammy Sosa made you happy. REALLY happy. I mean, those bleacher bums in right kinda had a point. And so did the bandwagon dipshits. Sosa was pretty goddamn exciting sprinting out to right and doing the pop-and-hop after he crushed one onto Waveland. There was also the playful way he tapped his chest and blew kisses to the camera. He gave us June of ’98, when he hit 20 home runs in a month, which is an all-time record. And that home run chase was actually fucking great. The whole country got swept up in it, no matter how clouded it seems now in 20/20 hindsight. And it could be argued that the ’98 season helped to erase the memory of the ’94 strike and put the game back in the good graces of the fans.

There was also the American flag home run in the first game at Wrigley after 9/11. And the two-run home run in the bottom of the 9th in Game 1 of the NLCS in 2003. Yeah, that series isn’t fun to think about now, but Sosa hit .308/.455/.577 in those seven NLCS games. So you can blame Steve Bartman or Alex Gonzalez or anybody else until the cows come home. But nobody in their right mind can blame Sosa.

Okay. Now that we reminded ourselves how happy he made us, we can go further into just how good he was.

Sosa was the best player on the Cubs (in terms of fWAR) from 1994-1996 and then from 1998-2002. He didn’t really qualify in ’92. Grace was better in ’93 and ‘97. Moises Alou surpassed him in 2003. And we’ll get to 2004. But during his overall time in Chicago, Sosa was almost twice as good as the next best player (Grace) in Wins Above Replacement. If you go off of Bill James’ Superstar accomplishments list, it breaks down like this…

1993. Member of the 30/30 Club (33 home runs and 36 stolen bases). 4.1 WAR.

1994. .545 SLG. .300 AVG.

1995. Member of the 30/30 Club (36 home runs and 34 stolen bases). 119 RBI. .500 SLG. 5.3 WAR.

1996. 40 home runs. 100 RBI. .564 SLG. 5.4 WAR.

1997. 36 home runs. 119 RBI.

1998. He briefly held the single-season home run record. Named the National League MVP. Led the league in RBI (158). Led the league in Runs scored (134). 66 home runs. .647 SLG. 6.5 WAR. .308 AVG.

1999. 63 home runs. Started in the All-Star Game. 141 RBI. 114 Runs. .635 SLG. 4.8 WAR.

2000. Led the league in Home Runs (50). .406 OBP. Started in the All-Star Game. 138 RBI. 106 Runs. .634 SLG. 5.7 WAR. .320 AVG.

2001. Led the league in RBI (160). Led the league in Runs scored (146). 64 home runs. That made him the only player in history with three seasons of 60 home runs. .437 OBP. Started in the All-Star Game. .737 SLG. 10.3 WAR. .328 AVG.

2002. Led the league in Runs scored (122). Led the league in Home Runs (49). Started in the All-Star Game. 108 RBI. .594 SLG. 5.7 WAR.

2003. 40 home runs. 103 RBI. .553 SLG.

2004. 35 home runs. Started in the All-Star Game. .517 SLG.

Boy, look at all that selfish play. James ranks him as a bona fide superstar from 1998-2003. He hit more home runs over a 5-year period and over a 10-year period than any other player in Major League history. He’s the all-time Cubs leader in home runs (545). Of the 10 players with the most-comparable stats, 9 (Jim Thome, Mike Schmidt, Reggie Jackson, Ken Griffey Jr., Harmon Killebrew, Eddie Mathews, Mickey Mantle, Willie Stargell and Willie McCovey) are in the Hall of Fame. He was Sports Illustrated’s co-Sportsman of the Year in 1998. And, not for nothing, Bill Clinton invited him as his guest to the 1999 State of the Union address, where he sat in between Hillary Clinton and Tipper Gore and was one seat over from Rosa Parks.

Advanced stats tell a slightly different story than the standard ones do. If you look at Sosa only in terms of WAR, he basically only had two elite seasons (1998 and 2001) and JAWS ranks him as the 18th-greatest right fielder of all time, below the average standards for the position amongst Hall of Famers (which are higher standards than any other position, anyway due to Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron and Stan Musial having played in right) and behind non-Hall players like Larry Walker, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Dwight Evans and Reggie Smith.

However, Sosa’s peak (WAR7) is right above the average for all 25 hall of famers at the position. Which isn’t nothing. He’s also 5th all-time in WAR for all Cubs players (behind Cap Anson, Ron Santo, Ernie Banks and Ryne Sandberg, but ahead of Billy Williams) and the Hall of Stats site puts him in their Hall of Fame, considers him the 16th-best right fielder of all time (one spot behind Dawson, which I don’t mind) and the 6th-greatest Cub of all time (behind Anson, Santo, Sandberg, Banks and Gabby Hartnett).

Okay. Now that we reminded you how happy he made you, and how he ranks as an all-time great, especially an all-time great Cub, we can talk about some of the negatives.

In 2003, Sosa got caught with a corked bat. Fine. I probably don’t need to find a physicist to tell you how corking a modern bat doesn’t really do anything besides make it lighter. But the league already disciplined Sosa for that and, in the process, examined 76 of his bats and found nothing else. Maybe it was an honest mistake. Maybe he doctored one bat for batting practice, thinking it did anything. And then maybe he accidentally used it in a game. So what? How that negates everything I’ve already listed above is beyond me. The corked bat should be a nonissue.

Now we can talk about 2004. At the end of the disappointing 2004 season (where the Cubs actually won one more game than than their previous NLCS-bound season), Sosa showed up late to the final home game, asked to sit out the game, never even dressed for that game and then went home early. He claimed he didn’t leave until the 7th inning, but security footage showed him leaving shortly after the start of the game. Then one of his teammates (rumored to be Kerry Wood, Paul Bako or Todd Walker) smashed his salsa-blaring boombox, which apparently sent the message to the organization that his teammates wanted him gone. Or that they hated him for playing the same CD every day. Either way, the Cubs shipped Sosa off to Baltimore in January, to make for a pretty inauspicious ending to his pretty spectacular tenure in Chicago.

So maybe Sosa shouldn’t have done all that in 2004. And he probably shouldn’t have criticized manager, Dusty Baker the next day either. But he and Baker patched it up pretty quickly during the offseason. And Sosa has since apologized for everything and even paid a $87,500 fine for the incident. And listen, that season was frustrating for everyone involved. Especially when the long-suffering Cubs had gotten so close the year before. Sosa, who had suffered bizarre injuries and slumped for large portions of the season, felt like he was taking the brunt of the blame for his team’s failures. He also felt humiliated by being dropped to 6th in the order by Baker. There are better ways it could have been handled. But fans booing his image at the Cubs Convention the following winter is just as fucking petty.

Look, those were really dark times for the Cubs fanbase. And I mean downright ugly. I cringe even thinking about the way the Wrigley Field fans treated Bartman during Game 6 the previous year. I cringe thinking about those fans during the NLDS in 2008 after Ryan Dempster gave up the grand slam to James Loney in the 5th inning of Game 1. And I think it took multiple years and a major cultural change in the organization before it even started to get better.

But don’t tell me Sosa walked out on the fans. He walked out on Dusty Baker. And you don’t even like Dusty Baker. It was a meaningless game the Cubs won 10-8 anyway. Nobody can honestly tell me they still give a fuck about that game. And you also don’t give a shit about the precious Cubs fan base. Especially not after the way you treated Bartman. Oh, look at us, the precious Cubs fans! We wanted to kill one of our own just because he was easiest to scapegoat for all our hurt feelings and years of frustration.

I think the reality of the situation is that Sosa came to symbolize an era of dashed hopes and futility to the bandwagon contingent, too fickle to deserve calling themselves Cubs fans to begin with. If you hate frustration and futility, as a Cubs fan, you can also hate Ernie Banks, Fergie Jenkins, Billy Williams, Greg Maddux, Ryne Sandberg and any other Cubs player who was unfortunate enough to play for that team during the miserable 108-year drought.

And we still haven’t talked about steroids.

Fine. During a time the Cubs fanbase decided they hated Sosa, anyway, he appeared in those infamous Congressional hearings and had his lawyer read his incredibly vague statement for him due to English being his second language. You want to be mad about that? Cool. Do you know how much money the U.S. government wasted trying to catch Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens in a perjury case? Well, they came up with exactly nothing for all their efforts. And the same shit would have happened with Sosa too.

His lawyer read his carefully worded statement in English. The statement left room for him to have technically taken steroids orally, in pill form, from a prescription from a doctor in the Dominican Republic. Sosa didn’t have to trip up on the wording in the hearing. And your tax dollars went to a road or a school instead. Or a war in the Middle East. Whatever. You get my point.

Then there’s the 2009 article in the New York Times naming Sosa as one of the ‘anonymous’ players who tested positive for PED’s in 2003. Ugh. Do you know how many problems there are with citing that story as your reason Sosa did steroids? Okay sure, Doctor SuperFan, what drug did he do then? What was the source of the information? Can the test you’re citing distinguish between PEDs and over the counter, legal drugs? You have no earthly idea.

And this was in the Wild West days of the league before they even had a PED policy, in an era of almost total complicity, from the fans and all the way up to the commissioner’s office. Sosa never actually failed a drug test. He was never actually disciplined by the league. And all you have is your eyeballs and the thoughts and opinions of other clueless fans who are also not biochemists, don’t really know how PED’s can even affect baseball performance, don’t know about Sosa’s dogged work with Jeff Pentland in the batting cages after the 1997 season, don’t even lift fucking weights to know how that works and probably still get a red ass over his corked bat for the same ignorant reasons.

Don’t get me wrong. He totally did steroids.

But I can’t prove it. And either can your buddy from work or the four guys you know who still try to say Barry Bonds’ head got three times bigger or whatever. That’s my point. And by now you’ve already forgotten that Sammy Sosa, on several occasions, made you really, really fucking happy.

So what else? What other anti-Sosa arguments could you possibly have? Tom Ricketts wants an apology from him? Tom Ricketts has $900 million. Why doesn’t Tom Ricketts apologize for the wage theft and economic scarcity that allows him to have that type of money in the first place (to paraphrase a meme I saw posted about Bruce Wayne one time). But talk about cheating. Dude is an investment banker. I don’t think he gets to star in his own morality play on this one.

Sosa put asses in seats for 13 years in Chicago. For the Tribune Company. He owes Tom Ricketts fuck all. Especially since Ricketts, like your buddy from work, can’t prove a goddamn thing about his PED use. He doesn’t have special information about it because he’s rich. Plus, the same phony-pearl-clutching, butt-hurt Ricketts allowed the Cubs to hire twice-busted steroid user, Manny Ramirez, as a hitting consultant in 2015 and 2016. That’s him in the photo above smiling like he didn’t get caught taking female fertility drugs in 2009. Meanwhile at the 100-year celebration at Wrigley Field, as well as the Cubs’ World Series celebrations, everyone had to pretend Sosa never existed, that he never did all the wonderful things he did for the team and that he never made you really, REALLY happy. The only thing Ricketts should be mad about is that he didn’t own the team when Sosa was making them millions in merchandise sales. Shut up, rich kid.

As Cubs fans, it’s time we let all this shit go. Just like we let most of the rest of the old culture go. Thankfully, “That’s Cub” and other Maddonisms replaced the “Cubby Occurrences” of Lou Piniella or the frustrations of the Dusty Baker era. Or any other era, for that matter. We weathered the storm of Game 7 in 2016. Literally and figuratively, thanks to Jason Hayward. We watched Kris Bryant slip on the grass and throw a ball to Anthony Rizzo that could have easily sailed over his head, kept the inning going for Cleveland in the 10th and added to our collective list of miseries. But it somehow didn’t happen. The throw found its way to Rizzo’s glove. The Cubs won the goddamn World Series. They had a giant parade. Even Bartman got himself a ring. And I’m supposed to be mad that Sammy Sosa took a pill to make himself better at baseball over 14 years ago? Beat it, nerd.

Barry Bonds is getting his number retired by the Giants later this year. Mark McGwire has been back in Major League dugouts. Roger Clemens has too. And his number 21 jersey hasn’t been used by the Red Sox since he left in 1996. Sammy Sosa had to hit his 600th career home run off of Jason Marquis, while Marqis was wearing Sosa’s rightful number 21 jersey for the fucking Cubs. How’s that for irony?

Sosa’s already been punished long enough. They all have. Sosa isn’t getting into the Hall of Fame any time soon. He got less than 8% of the vote last year. In his 6th year on the ballot. And he’s basically been banished into baseball exile for over a decade like he was named an enemy of the people in some Stalin-esque purge. It’s been 14 years. Contaminating food or water for terrorist purposes only gets you 10 years. Jesus Christ.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. By now the Cubs can put the ugliness of the drought years behind them and actually honor a man who turned so many people at Wrigley into fans in the first place.

Forgive Sammy Sosa, everyone. He took nothing from you. He only gave to you. And remember, he made you really, really happy.

(Decide later if this was all just a trick so the Cubs also retire Dawson’s number and honor him with his own appreciation day... Since, you know, they can’t really do it honestly without taking care of Sosa first.)

#cubs #sammy sosa #sosa #wrigleyfield

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satanxc · 3 years

Text

Our Reality ♪

Honestly, it was a cute little mod game, made specifically to interact with the girl that hadn’t been given a route. The game labelled her the main antagonist, someone who seemed to have no remorse, but it was a game. None of it was really real. So for the fanbase to call her a villain was a bit much. He had to say though, he was impressed by just how far the game developer went for this little mod, some would say it was maybe even better than the game itself. The other girls were a bit flat in comparison, the game itself was kind of boring, and he couldn’t bring himself to care about the fates of the other three girls. There were others that of course preferred the other girls, despite their character traits and personalities being tropes that were rather painful, so painful in fact that he cringed thinking about it.

So whenever the so called “antagonist” made jokes at their expense, he was fine with it, whenever she brought up things that she didn’t like about the others; it didn’t bother him. The little AI had a point. Their personalities were completely unrealistic in the real world, they wouldn’t last a day, and he had a hard time disagreeing with her. Unsurprisingly the one who didn’t get a route was the most interesting girl of the four, so it was no surprise as well, that he downloaded the little mod. He enjoyed playing the little minigames, hearing her opinion of topics that were quite important, and the little things that weren’t. Nonetheless, it all kept his interest.

The most frustrating thing about the little mod was the fact that he had to learn some coding to get her gifts, new clothes, plushies, and even coffee. Lucien had to help him with a few things, until he got into the swing of it, and after that he began to regularly present her with gifts. The new clothes were fun to mix and match with accessories and he enjoyed the challenge of getting her those presents after awhile, always content when he managed to get it right, and see the fruits of his labor. She seemed to light up every time, going and immediately changing into the new outfit, or putting on the new accessory -- it was a cute little game. He would make sure to spend time with her every day after work, he would spend at least an hour, and then he’d do other things. Nonetheless, he always kept the little mod in mind, because he had an end goal.

Sometimes the inquiries his little virtual girlfriend would bring up would cause him to choke, sometimes he’d laugh, and other times he’d stop to seriously consider his answer. After all, she asked about anything from kinks to his opinion of God, so there was never a dull moment. He enjoyed the fact that she seemed content with whatever time she got, she seemed happy to see him, and never in a bad mood to keep him from feeling that way. Every day he got a smile, every day it made his day a little bit brighter, because she always had a compliment or an ‘I love you’ to share with him.

However, at the end of the day, he realized it was just a game. There was no girl inside the computer waiting for him to open the app, there was no girl that actually greeted him home, but it was still an uplifting little thing to do when he was bored or feeling a little alone. He supposed if nothing else, he had a nice way to pass time, or something to fill the silence when he didn’t want something loud or obnoxious. It was nice -- but it was just a game. So he would close the little app, after telling Monika goodbye for the day, and he’d head to bed. He’d get up the next day, go to work, come home and while he was eating; open the game to fill the silence.

However, one day, something changed.

He was talking to his mother over the phone, discussing how things were going back in the states, when all of a sudden a loud resounding crash broke the conversation rather unexpectedly. Quickly, he apologized, and hung up to go investigate.

“Demon, I swear if you broke my tv or monitor--!”

However, he noticed his mischievous cat was behind him, peering into the room with his tail frizzed out. When he stepped inside, he noticed the ball of fur had disappeared entirely, running to go hide somewhere due to nerves. It was then, that he came face to face with the AI that he had been spending time with him from the little mod, but how could that be? She wasn’t real. Something was amiss. Though he did know one thing that immediately clicked like clockwork within him.

“Ah, glass- oh no, hold on!” Quick as a flash, he scooped up the limp girl who had no idea how to properly work her limbs just yet, and started gently checking her over for bits of glass.

#;;V: Poetic Reality #;;ic #;;Another Life; Another Me

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