#loudmouth lifestyle

[untilthenexttee]

The TeeBox Chatter Golf Podcast - Episode #34 ("Be a Loudmouth")

Join me as I welcome Andrew Seibert to the ‘Box. Andrew is the Owner, President and CEO of Loudmouth. Did you wonder where Loudmouth went and why it was so quiet? Well, Andrew and I have a frank discussion about what happened to Loudmouth. The rejuvenation of a brand. Their experience at the 2023 PGA Show, and more. Not just a golf brand… it’s a lifestyle and you might be surprised because you…

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#FightAndGrind #SeeUOnTheNextTee #untilthenexttee #2023 pga show #andrew seibert #be a loudmouth #golf #golf Industry News #Golf News #golfers #loudmouth #Loudmouth Golf #loudmouth life #loudmouth lifestyle #PGA Show #polo #teebox chatter golf podcast #Until The Next Tee

[susandsnell]

Re anachronistic feminist characters, you are absolutely right and you should say it.

Maybe people who want to read "write women who sew" type stuff should just go do that instead of trying to make every single female character fit into their worldview. Because I don't want every character to be Eloise, I'm fine with variety, but a lot of people seem like they can't stand even one woman challenging gender norms.

No amount of faux progressive language will change the fact they sound like highschool bullies picking on girls who are too GNC or too "weird."

Thank you so much! Ideally, you'd have feminist characters more representative of the feminist or proto-feminist views of their era where the work is going for historical accuracy to honour the different points of where we were in history and also acknowledge the flaws of the movement at different points in time (1994's Little Women versus the hilariously bad 2019 version comes to mind), and certainly there's an element of repetitiveness in this character type, but this is seldom if ever the criticism I see. The truth of the matter is that in fact many early feminists did denigrate work designated as feminine, but we can acknowledge this as misdirected anger at having one option deemed valid.

Instead, we've somehow arrived at "wanting to be treated with human dignity is internalized misogyny because it really cramps my ability to romanticize the past". As you say, nothing wrong with valuing the labour more frequently done by women, but the fact of the matter is you can do that and show that there were always many people who resisted or did not fit into the tight boxes that society forced them into. Instead of, you know, ridiculing them for wanting to break the boxes while enjoying the fruits of having to fit into fewer boxes than our predecessors precisely because of women who loudmouthed and fought back and didn't fit into certain people's fantasy of being a submissive little princess. The kind of girls you made fun of and ostracized in high school, one might say.

To address a particular point you raise that I think is the most important in this entire ongoing discussion:

No amount of faux progressive language will change the fact they sound like highschool bullies picking on girls who are too GNC or too "weird."

I keep saying it, but a certain type of liberal feminist are now using "NLOG" the way it was socially acceptable 10-15 years ago to call someone a lesbian/homophobic or transphobic slurs because they didn't wear makeup or want a boyfriend. It is absolutely high school bullying mentality and has gone from an imperfect attempt at addressing internalized misogyny to active misogyny and latent/often overt homophobia and transphobia.

This is what the numbskulls making video essay after video essay about the apparent 'NLOG crisis' fail to grasp. The Heathers and the Plastics are not 'demonized for being feminine', they are accurate representations of how under patriarchy, social capital is gained through strict, obsessive adherence to white, Western beauty standards (which corporations can profit off of endlessly by manufacturing infinite insecurities, so bonus to the rich girls) and excelling at heterosexuality and pleasing others, and this system self-reinforces by the 'winners' bullying those who do not conform as easily. Jo March, queercoded dynamo that she was, took nothing away from the sisters who were happier with more traditional lifestyles because she wanted better for herself and the girls of the future, and represents so many women who fought for just that. You're not actually an intellectual for thinking Daphne Bridgerton has more value than Eloise because she was designated the season's Diamond, a literal in-universe (and true to life) Prize For Being Correctly Female, and unquestioningly accepts being paraded around like an ornament and smiling at being auctioned off to the highest bidder while Eloise fought back, criticized, and wanted an education more than any boy until they forced heterosexuality upon her. You are in fact a vanguard of the very patriarchal system the franchise even presents as backwards, because you don't want anyone raining on your arranged marriage fantasies.

There is nothing, and I mean nothing feminist, about snarking girls who do not like or for whatever reason, cannot or will not perform conventional femininity.

There is a certain sour-grapes defensiveness that comes from beig ostracized and punished for Failing At Your Gender if you weren't good at what was expected of you/resisted it. Femininity is derided, but it is also imposed (the two work in tandem to oppress women); and if you fail at its imposition, it's natural to try and gain protection by participating in the derision. Hell, I theorize that people who proclaimed themselves "not like other girls" in the contemporary age often did so out of resistance at the fact that we're supposed to perform (cisheteronormative) sexiness from the time we hit our teens, and of course the panopticon self-reinforcement that is how Other Girls treat you if you, an adolescent girl, shirk performance of femininity in any way. Certainly, I've also read much about GNC girls (of various identities) and neurodivergent girls equally having turned to this, which makes sense, as they're frequently targets for such bullying.

I do also think - and have personally experienced - it was an often imperfect articulation of queerness in many cases. The societal ideal of women under a patriarchy is cisheteronormativity; our value is derived from our appeal to men, and from the time we start maturing, sexual availability and appeal to men is the highest virtue. Therefore, women whose sexuality is not limited to men - or heaven forbid, doesn't include them at all - 'fail' gender, and accordingly often feel a sense of alienation and ostracism from other girls when they don't get as excited about dating boys. Also, in many cases (anecdotal I admit from people I know, but still significant), people who had a phase of asserting they "weren't like other girls" were in the process of discovering that they weren't girls at all!

And in some cases - again, I've mentioned that I was an Eloise for all the handwringing about how girls of that era wouldn't say that or do that and it would never occur to want more than what they had (...okay, so why are things different now?) - it's a frustration from the outspoken feminists and reformers at not being able to get other girls on board with us, because deviation from expectation will make you the weirdo who gets punished and rejected because ugh, annoying! As one historical costuming youtuber I won't name so charmingly puts it in her godawful video essay, "the women who made a big show of fighting back were freaks." (Way to convince us you care about feminism...)

All this to say the anti-NLOG brigade have utterly worn out my patience, and at best seem ignorant of the battles that have won us the freedoms we have today because it's not fun to consider how your escapist fantasy might be problematic (understandable, you don't always have to reflect on this to be aware), and at worst? They're getting the chance to be the mean girl in high school again/that they never got to be, they're just dressing it up in the bastardized language of feminism.

#nlog #not like other girls #thank you for giving me the chance to rant lmao #you say it's internalized misogyny and then you call women who wore pants when it was fucking illegal to do so 'a freakshow' #terfs don't even think about touching you repulsive shitstains

[j0eyj0rdis0n]

MIW IN A FANTASY KINGDOM AU

CHRIS MOTIONLESS - Herbalist

We all know Chris is super into the healthy lifestyle and is proudly straight edge so I feel like he fits perfectly into the herbalist profession

He's not exactly a healer per say but he can recommend things that could possibly help with whatever conditions you may have

RICKY OLSON- Scribe

Whenever I think of Ricky I think of "Gimme an update" and that's pretty much the job of a Scribe is to write down whatever is happening

So he fits perfectly into the job since he's often found recording what's happening with the others

RYAN SITKOWSKI - Swordsman

Honestly not much real world relation here but I think that Ryan would be good at this job

This is pretty much just me assuming he'd be good with a sword

VINNY MAURO - Messenger/ Town Crier

He's a loudmouth and we love him for that so this job is perfect for him

I feel like he'd get a kick out of running around and being able to bring messages to everyone

JUSTIN MORROW - Jailer

The vibes are strong. So very strong.

Just take a minute to imagine Justin as a jailer. Terrifying.

#motionless in white #miw #miw band #miw headcanon #chris motionless #chris cerulli #ricky horror #ricky olson #ryan sitkowski #vinny mauro #justin morrow #fantasy au #headcannons #asks open

[caihongs]

in light of yoint! here's an almost-yukiel/danyuki drabble i started last year that i didn't finish :'] i have Thoughts on dr now since writing this but i thought i'd share most of this yuki POV anyway <3

Yuki doesn’t mean to be such a catch. By this, he means that he doesn’t mean to allure his colleagues. Him coming into Formula 1 at twenty, bright-eyed and loudmouthed and sassy, is not uncommon. What is common is that his teammates have all been well, old and attracted to that sort of thing. 

Him and Pierre shared the smallest age gap of four years and yet, he still treated him like he was a child, pinching and poking him like he was ecstatic to have someone to coddle over for the first time. It was endearing, framed most of their dynamic, but didn’t make sense might given his girlfriend was even younger than Yuki, but he digresses.

Nyck was five years older than him, which didn’t change their relationship that much more than what a lack of shared interests and lifestyle already did with him and Pierre. Nyck definitely didn’t baby him as much as Pierre did but they never had the time to properly learn each other properly before he was sacked. 

In comes Daniel Ricciardo, who precedes Yuki by more than a decade. When Daniel was just about to hit high school, Yuki was learning how to walk, which is more shocking for the Australian to learn than it is Yuki. He will be working with the elderly more often than Daniel will be working with young adults in the span of their careers. And with how the sport is proceeding, him, Oscar, and Logan might be the last of the generation.

Again, he digresses.

Daniel is funny. Nice smile with big teeth and a laugh that you can hear even when he’s left the room. It’s nice to be surrounded by that kind of positivity and energy. They’re only two races in but he’s a welcome addition to the team. For one, there isn’t a perpetual dark cloud around his motorhome after free practices or qualifying or races just yet, but the debriefs are valuable and productive with him around, given his intimate knowledge of not only the sport but compounded by how much the team trusts him. Less could be said for Nyck, who’d lost rapport around about Azerbaijan and even then, it was already dwindling. He makes Yuki laugh and though he’s much less impressionable than he was when he first started, he still likes Daniel.

But Daniel definitely likes him more. 

Maybe it’s the change of scenery. Getting back into a car after six months, not having a teammate who will out-qualify him consistently, or just having at team who loves you a lot, who you spent some of your most formative years at. Anywho, he’s happy to see Yuki in the morning, espresso cup in hand as he fist bumps him and asks him how he slept. The newness yet familiarity of it all gives Daniel a natural shot of happiness in the morning and makes him nudge at Yuki when they’re sitting on a golf buggy next to each other, asking him if he knows any good restaurants in Faenza he can recommend. 

Or maybe it’s just Yuki’s overflowing charm. He isn’t as comfortable with Daniel as he was with Pierre, could hardly be when that friendship was something they forged over time, and his seat is at constant threat of being pulled out from under him. He knows how quickly they can and will do it, knows how quickly his seat would be filled up again by some wide-eyed, naive junior or a washed-up F1 driver whom Alpha Tauri would put cautious faith into. 

But Daniel is nothing but persistent. Not only in his career but in wheedling Yuki to give him his time of day. He’s got experience with that sort of thing, successfully wrestling Lando into doe-eyed submission by the end of his tenure at McLaren. But Yuki is not so easy to get to. 

If he spends five years at Alpha Tauri like Pierre did, cycling through teammates like Pierre did, he’d be hard pressed to let Daniel in when all he will do is leave and take that Red Bull seat with him. 

“Yuki!” he bellows when Yuki walks into hospitality. He’s got a cup of coffee in his hand and his drink bottle in the other, Pyry hanging around him with his backpack on. Blake, Daniel’s manager, gives him a fist bump as well. Michael is somewhere around here, avoiding Daniel, which is pretty common nowadays. They’re not actively beefing but Yuki knows Michael would much rather walk all the way to Ferrari to say hi to Josh than give Daniel more than a ‘how’re you going mate?’. 

“Buongiorno,” Yuki says, picking up a piece of fruit and a protein bar. Daniel smiles and trails after him as he sits down on his table. Michael is in the room, is what Yuki learns when he gets a text from his trainer reading, ‘In your driver’s room YT’ before Yuki even needs to message him with a ‘wya m8’.

“How did you sleep?” 

“Good. No time difference, plus after sim work on Tuesday and working out with Michael on Wednesday, I am so exhausted,” Yuki replies through a mouthful of the protein bar, covering his mouth and Daniel nods in understanding.

“Yeah me too. The sim felt hopeful with the new front wing but won’t know until tomorrow. How did—what did you work on with Michael?” 

Yuki lifts an eyebrow.

“Just normal things, you know the neck and the gym. More stretching since I have been feeling tightness since last week. But you know, the usual.” Daniel nods again thoughtfully and Yuki wonders what he’s getting at.

“Right, right… what about summer break? Do you have any plans or… y’know something small or just like—” 

“What is this? A press conference?” Yuki quips and Daniel shrugs, looking imperceptibly at Yuki. 

“I’m just curious! Sue me for making conversation with my teammate,” he exclaims, blinking those huge brown eyes at him and Yuki surveys him suspiciously. 

“Well, I am going back to Japan to see my friends and family. But I will be in Italy or Europe for the last week, going to the beach and things like that.” 

“Cool, cool. Maybe I’ll catch you around in the last week. I’ll be in Monaco, then Faenza to catch up on some sim work.”

“Okay,” he replies nonchalantly. If he wanted to ask Yuki out, he could afford to be more forward about it. Maybe he’ll be spending time with Lando and Max, doing whatever it is drivers who live in Monaco do. Yuki would rather eat his way through Europe and spend time with his friends from home but to each their own. 

He wants to make plans with Alex or Pierre just to see if it’ll make Daniel jealous but suppresses the urge and finishes his protein bar.

“See you later for media, eh?” Yuki puts a hand out as he stands up and Daniel claps and holds it with a firm grip.

“See ya later Yukes.”

That’s a new one. He cracks a smile at his teammate before walking off to his room, where Michael has already started up Yuki’s training playlist. 

Here’s to beating his teammate before summer break. 

And so he does. Makes it to Q2 and qualifies P11 while Daniel hangs out the back in P19. It’s unfortunate but not so much that Yuki is sad for him. He will get all the encouragement he needs from the team before he’ll want it from Yuki. Imagine that, Yuki, eleven years his junior with three years in the sport, giving Daniel a pat on the back and a ‘you’ll get ‘em next time’. 

Daniel’s nice but not that kind. He’s got another ten to prove himself so Yuki is not worried about morale. What does get him nervous is that Daniel approaches him on Saturday night.

“Good session Yuki!” 

“Thanks man,” Yuki daps him up and Daniel squeezes him tight. He’s taller than Pierre and his head fits right in his shoulder. The sweat, grime and rain squelches uncomfortably but he appreciates the warmth and praise. 

Yuki’s whisked away by Michael and Jana before they can keep up the conversation but he’d rather do post-qualifying interviews than talk to Daniel about track limits. 

He guesses this is how it goes, this weird dance where bringing Alpha Tauri out of the bottom rank is their only shared goal. He will be civil and he will be open to whatever marketing makes them do, even if it’s Daniel caressing him on the arm apropos of nothing.

Maybe he can get a free meal out of Daniel some time soon, or a piece of Enchante merch for free. It’s way nicer than Pierre’s and Yuki would gladly swerve on the insane prices. He’s not sure he’d be able to break even if he sold his merch for the same.

It’s not a great quali session by any means, but it’s the best he’s had in a while and he takes it in stride for the sprint shoot-out, then the sprint, in which both don’t go his way at all, but it’s his turn to congratulate Daniel. It’s the little things, and he doesn’t miss the spark in his teammate’s eyes this time around despite the disappointing position overall. This is a dance and they take turns stepping on each others’ toes.

#yuki/daniel #daniel/yuki #yukiel #danyuki #caihongs #f1 fic #this is um #something!

[growingnerves]

Trying to find a nice way to put this… what Norman said on that podcast was not okay. Insulting fans and admitting to being responsible for writers losing their jobs with such nonchalance, is downright disrespectful- although I’m thankful the truth didn’t stay buried. It’s careless behavior and it doesn’t reflect well on AMC considering this is a repeated offense.

Not everyone involved in television has to be an excellent public speaker but there should be someone at the helm who understands how to conduct themselves in interviews. Every show needs a spokesperson to be a direct link to the audience: for promoting the show, and making the fans feel included as well as appreciated. As a fan I’ve never wanted creatives to bend to the whim of every loudmouth on social media. Shallow fan service has never benefited any show. However, fair criticism and honest feedback should be welcome. Serving the self-interest of a man with an ego the size of the Eiffel Tower won’t do the show any favors either. AMC, like any other network, presumably wants someone as the face of their series who reflects positively on their brand. I’m hoping we will see some significant changes going forward to win back the trust of the fans. And I believe Melissa McBride’s input is essential to do so.

Viewers are considering ethics when it comes to their TV watching habits now more than ever. We are becoming aware of the optics of the media we consume. We can examine what we know of the practices at individual studios and networks in an effort to support shows that most closely align with our own values. We don’t need to compromise our high standards when there are endless other options. To stay in line with the audience, TV has to evolve alongside us. If AMC can’t keep up with the demand for a diverse cast and writer’s room, I’m not subscribing and I suspect other viewers will gravitate elsewhere too, as they have been.

Women’s voices are valuable even if historically they’ve been taken for granted. Women tend to have a wider outreach in their storytelling than the repetitive POV that is often seen from male showrunners. Men have not been faced with the same obstacles. They haven’t had to contort themselves into a million different shapes to be taken seriously.

Men’s voices were the only ones heard for a long time in film and television. Male protagonists were given autonomy and multifaceted stories, while women’s representation was not prioritized. Women only existed in relation to their male counterparts- and the damsel in distress just isn’t that interesting to watch. Because of this, women have projected themselves into the considerably more compelling male characters, delving into the minutiae to find some semblance of relatability in typically masculine portrayals. This has been a challenge to other marginalized groups on an even larger scale. How long have POC been sorely underrepresented, having to find ways to see themselves in white stories? And the LGBTQ+ community has been limited to watching primarily straight cis romances. The representation we do get is often times minimized to tokenism. The absence of diversity impacts everyone who doesn’t fit the same generic prototype. There are countless experiences and lifestyles that take on a wide range of forms which have not yet been in the spotlight. We don’t need another lone ranger on a motorcycle. Another mysterious brooding male antihero, yawwwwn.

Marginalized individuals have been prompted to work a creative muscle that the everyday man has not- to both suspend our disbelief and also dig into the details to uncover the inherit humanity in stories where we don’t necessarily identify with the protagonist.

These are the voices who are going to be the best conduits for fresh stories because they’ve already had to do the work to investigate human complexity to find themselves on screen, within characters who don’t necessarily look or act like they do. Not only can they build on already existing material but they can introduce original concepts. Television has been oversaturated with the straight white man running his mouth unchecked for too long. We don’t have to settle for that anymore when we can switch over to another show, one that better represents us.

#caryl #melissa mcbride #the book of carol #twd caryl #just bitching

[sbk-zgvlt]

MASTERLIST

Because I’m insane.

SEBEK ZIGVOLT

Baskverse: Spiderverse meets Sebek, except there's no spiders. [Baskverse Tweets]

Cat, Crocodile and Yuu: Instead of meeting a certain Heartslabyul freshman, Yuu and Grim meet a loudmouth from Diasomnia.

Family Friend AU: Somehow, everyone’s parents are acquainted with a certain Diasomnia freshman.

Lost and Found AU: Sebek saves Epel from an incoming branch. He cannot save himself.

Mall Sebek AU (Sebek Gets a Paycheck): Sebek works in a retail store called Not Claires and a fast food place called Not Jolibee after hearing about Yuu’s world’s hellish lifestyle of being a fast food/retail worker. And gets a boyfriend out of it (Ace). [Fanart] 

Manifestation AU: Malleus’ outburst leads to some unforeseen consequences. Namely, a physical manifestation of his powers in one Sebek Zigvolt.

NBC Sebek AU: Sebek attends NBC instead of NRC. [Fanart]

Pomefiore Sebek AU

RSA Sebek AU: Sebek attends RSA instead of NRC. [Fanart]

Sebek Chime: What would happen if Mama Zigvolt decided to move away from Briar Valley with her husband instead?

Sebek the Accidental Internet Sensation: It starts with a near-death experience in Harveston and ends with a Magicam account...

Storybook Madness: The cast get transported to their respective fairy tales. To Diasomnia’s surprise, Sebek is nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, Sebek wakes up in an island about to be invaded by pirates.

STYX Sebek AU: Sebek takes a different path in the forest, and finds himself in STYX after an overblot gone...right?

Theater Kid AU: He’s a theater kid in denial man/lh

DIRE CROWLEY

Dire Need of Yuu AU:  The au where a young Dire Crowley takes the place of Yuu, as he tries to go against the endless time loop made by his own doing.

#masterlist #twst masterlist #sebek zigvolt #dire crowley #twisted wonderland #twst #twst sebek #twst sebek zigvolt #twst dire crowley #sebek twisted wonderland

[tk-writer]

Peace and Quiet. [platonic Sonic x Shadow]

Peace and quiet. All he wanted was a little peace and quiet.

What Shadow got instead were flashes of cobalt blue always appearing somewhere in his vision, along with constant chatter in his ear about this and that and stupid shit he only half-listened to when he had the patience for it. Conversations he prayed would end as quickly as possible but seemed to drag out every time. Or worse, when his attention was demanded for an absolutely ridiculous reason. Like it was at that very moment.

“Shadooooow! Look, I finally figured out how to do that one trick I told you about!”

The black hedgehog watched from his chair on the front porch as Sonic make his 47th fucking attempt at an upside down kick flip on the oak tree in front of the house and fail, quite miserably. He hit his head on a sharp rock and cradled it in his hands as a giant lump appeared on his forehead.

“Owwwowwowwoww...! Ugh, I thought I had it this time!”

“Hmph.”

He should’ve known that peace & quiet was too much to ask for, being around that blue menace and the rest of his friends. All of those big personalities shoved together in one house. That immature fox who cried every time someone made fun of him. That knuckleheaded echidna whose fists were bigger than his brain. That pink wannabe soothsayer who always tried to “pull cards” for him and analyze his natal chart or whatever new age shit she was into at the time. 

And worst of all, that loudmouth hedgehog who never stopped shoving chili dogs into his big stupid mouth and didn’t know the meaning of silence.

Under normal circumstances he would have hightailed it out of that tiny shack on the edge of the forest, but times had changed since they all first met. There was always a new crisis manifesting, a threat to the world they were all expected to handle by themselves. Living together made it easier to assemble their little “hero” team instead of having to chase down everyone on all corners of the earth. It wasted precious time and energy, both inconvenient and annoying.

But despite the fact that they had been together for months already, the lifestyle change was still difficult for Shadow. He was used to being on his own, fending for himself, not having to speak at length for long periods of time. Having roommates who practically begged for his companionship and attention was a huge adjustment. Being expected to make idle small talk everyday was a pain in the ass. Hell, having anybody in his personal space for too long was too much.

But he did it anyway, because no one had ever wanted to be friends with him until now. And as much as he hated to admit it, he didn’t feel as lonely now as he used to.

While Sonic recovered from his clumsy little stunt, Shadow’s ears perked up as he heard a panicked cry for help coming from inside the house. Before he could turn his head to see what it was, flashes of orange and red appeared in his peripheral vision.

“Leave me alone! I didn’t do anything!!”

“Get BACK here you lying brat!”

Tails was, well, hightailing it as far as his two tails could carry him, followed in close pursuit by an angry and vengeful Knuckles. The two passed by Sonic, who watched them run circles around him before finally stepping in.

“Soniiiiic! Help meeee!”

“Lemme at him! He ate my last grape!”

“I didn’t do it!! Amy was the last one with the grapes!”

“You’re LYING! I caught you red handed you little twerp!”

Shadow shook his head as he returned to reading his book. Such foolishness over something so silly as food. He prayed it would be over soon so he wouldn’t have to hear all the fucking whining.

“Wait, I wanna play too!” Sonic finally piped up, ready to play. “I’ll grab him for ya, Knucks

“SONIC! NOOOOO!”

Shadow watched them attack one another with eyebrows furrowed. Such childish behavior over something so trivial. He wouldn’t bother getting involved. He gave up on reading and crossed his arms, closing his eyes as he listened to the commotion.

“You grab him and I’ll pin him down!”

“NO! Pleeeease! I didn’t do anything!!”

“You’re gonna get it now, foxboy. I’ll teach you to mess with my stuff.”

“Wait, no, no! NOOO - ahahaha! PLEEHEHEHESE DON’T!”

Confused by the sudden laughter, Shadow opened one eye to see why the fox was suddenly squealing and begging as if being tortured by hot skewers. What he saw made his fur stand on edge.

Sonic had pinned Tails’s arms to the ground, holding them down tightly as Knuckles tickled his pits mercilessly. The fox was squeezing his eyes shut, wiggling from left to right as he struggled with all his might to break free and laughed loud enough to scare the birds away from the trees. Sonic was grinning deviously as he watched Knuckles dig into what must have been the poor fox’s most ticklish spot until he cried. It was enough to give him the chills.

Shadow decided that he did not want to get involved under any circumstances. He uncrossed his legs and stood up, walking towards the back of the house where he would be out of sight and out of mind.

“Hey, Shadow! Wanna give us a hand?” Sonic called out, making Tails plead even harder.

“Nope.”

“Aww, come on! Stop being a grump for once and come play!”

“I refuse.”

“If you don’t help, we’ll get you too!”

Nope, nope, nope. There was no fucking way.

Shadow scurried off, hoping that if he was not seen and not heard that he would be forgotten. That’s always how things had been, anyway. He was really good at blending in with the background and avoiding all interactions. Maybe Sonic would leave it be and move on with his life.

“Tch,” he scoffed. Wishful thinking. Before he took his next step, Sonic was in his face grinning at him like an idiot.

“... AGH! How the hell…?”

“You ran away pretty quickly there, Shadow. Why’s that?”

“Mind your business.”

“Are you nervous or somethin’? You look like you saw a ghost.”

“No. Now leave me alone.”

“Whyd’ya gotta be so grumpy all the time? Have some fun for once in your life!”

“Fun to me is peace and quiet, two things I can’t seem to get living with the lot of you.”

He turned his back on Sonic. A grave mistake, in hindsight. If he had only paid attention to that glint in his eye, that mischievous expression of his… he would’ve seen it coming.

Instead, he felt two hands grab his waist, which made him fall to his knees, and yelp like a dog that had been hit with a rock.

He froze. Every quill on his body stood on end. He swung around to face Sonic, who looked just as surprised as he was.

“What was that?!”

“Shut your mouth. Not another word.”

A cheeky grin spread across Sonic’s face, and Shadow knew it was all over.

“No way… Shadow, you’re-”

Shadow took off before he heard the end of the sentence. He didn’t know what to say. And even if he did, he wouldn’t have been able to say it. So instead of speaking, he ran.

He bolted into the woods in attempt to get as far away as possible. He knew it was futile; Sonic had always been faster and nimbler than he. But it was all he could think of. It was his last hope for escape.

It only took a few seconds for Sonic to catch him. The blue hedgehog slammed into him, pushing his darker rival to the ground and pinning him on his stomach by sitting on his lower back. He couldn’t move. He could barely struggle. He started to panic, realizing what a compromising position he found himself in and began squirming like a snake speared through.

“Urrgh, get off me!”

“Why? You worried I’ll do something to ya?”

“If you touch me, I swear to God…”

“What, you’ll kill me? Dontcha think it'll be kinda hard to do that when you’re trapped like this?”

Sonic poked one of his sides, right under his rib, and Shadow jolted as if struck by lightning. He let out a gruntled yelp, trying his damned hardest to stifle a laugh. Sonic poked him again, and again, in again, alternating between the left and right to throw him off guard. Each touch caused him to jerk around as he choked back his laughter.

“Something wrong, Shadow?”

“Nghhh! N-No! ACK!”

“You seem a little tense. It couldn’t be because of these little pokes, right?”

“Mmpph! GAHHH!”

“The big, bad ultimate life form... taken down by tickles. Who woulda thought you had such an adorable weakness!”

At this point Shadow couldn’t muster a single word without potentially letting his facade crack. He bit his lip, pounded his fists on the ground, attempting all forms of physical release if it meant that his laughs wouldn’t escape. He couldn’t laugh, he wouldn’t laugh, not when he knew what would come next if he did…

Unfortunately for him, it didn’t take long for him to finally crack.

He felt Sonic’s hands at both sides of his waist again, fingers pressed against sides and ribs waiting for the right moment to attack. Shadow was breathing heavily, bracing himself for the next tickle attack. The anticipation was making it worse. If he was gonna do it, then he should just d-

“AAAAAH! Nghhh, mmhmhmmhm, FAHAHAHACK!”

Ten fingers dug into his body, wiggling and pinching and stroking every sensitive inch. It was way worse than he had expected. He had no idea that his seldom-touch body could be so sensitive or that light touches could make him thrash about so wildly. He understood why Tails was screaming and begging so loudly before. It was absolutely unbearable.

“Tickle tickle tiiiickle! Wow, this must be really bad for you, huh?”

“Ahahahahahaha! Fffff-FAHAHACK!”

Shadow couldn’t even muster a proper word. It was all too much. And it seemed to go on forever. Sonic somehow managed to find every horrible spot on his upper body. His underarms, his waist, the horrid spaces between his ribs. All of them tickled terribly as he screamed and tried to buck him off. The worst part was Sonic’s incessant teasing. It was humiliating enough being taken down with tickles, but to be teased about it? Certain death.

“Say uncle or I’m not gonna stop!”

“Fahahhackahahaff!!”

“Saaaay it! Or else I’ll keep going!”

“NAHAHAHAHA!”

Only a couple minutes had passed and he was already out of breath, red in the face, and willing to do whatever it took to make it stop. He had no idea how sadistic Sonic could be. If he hadn’t been so proud, he would’ve begged for mercy long ago. 

Finally, after what felt like forever, it stopped, Shadow felt the pressure lift off his back, but instead of running he found himself stuck in the same spot on the ground, struggling to catch his breath. He was completely tuckered out from the tickling. Embarrassed of his display of weakness, he kept his eyes on the ground despite feeling Sonic’s gaze.

“You alright bud? That took a lot out of you, huh?” The blue hedgehog extended a hand, which he pushed aside while he pulled himself off the ground.

“...Ha… haaaa… leave me alone…”

“Aww I’m sorry Shadow! I guess I got a little carried away. You just sounded so… happy, for once. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you actually laugh hard like that.”

“You… don’t you dare tell anyone about this…”

Sonic smiled sheepishly. “Hey, it’s nothing to be embarrassed about! Lots of people are super ticklish. But I promise I won’t tell a soul. Scout’s honor!”

He crossed his heart and looked at Shadow with such a genuine expression that he couldn’t help but feel relieved. He couldn’t fully trust him, at least not yet, but at least his honor could stay intact for the time being.

He would never admit it out loud... but messing around like that was more fun than he had expected.

#tickle fic #tickling #sonic the hedgehog #sonadow #sonic x shadow #ler!sonic #lee!shadow #pure platonic tooth rotting fluff #my specialty #SORRY FOR THE CRINGE DONT LOOK AT ME LKFHKSJFKLFHJSFLJFS #JUST PRETEND THIS DOESNT EXIST OK

[leorawright]

Overwatch men with a S/O who is a vampire, but is actually quite skittish and always asks for permission before doing anything involving someone’s blood?

Of course! (Just did a couple of them)

Overwatch with vampire s/o

Cassidy

He's so confused... yet intrigued

He's surprised you seem so skittish since you're this powerful supernatural being

Cassidy is gonna be honest when you asked to drink his blood he may or may not have swooned

It was really nice okay!?

Cassidy always makes sure to get you the blood you need on nights you need it

Hanzo

He... you... you know what sure

Hanzo has stopped questioning most things

He is confused why you're so skittish considering you could throw Roadhog or Reinhardt across the room

When you ask to drink Hanzo's blood be gets a little confused before hesitantly agreeing

After that he'll often let you drink his blood since he learned you hate taking blood without permission

He finds it really sweet

Genji

When you asked to drink Genji's blood it was a bit of a struggle to get to a place that you could drink it due to all the armor

Genji is intrigued by your politeness and enjoys it more than the brutality he's heard in stories

He is surprised by your skittishness but he does prefer it over most of the loudmouths he's met before

Baptiste

He's pretty intrigued by meeting a real-life vampire

And he'll gladly agree to you drinking his blood since he can easily heal himself

He's glad your so polite since he's heard that vampires can be rude and stuck-up

But you're the sweetest person ever and that's why he loves you❤️

Sigma

All of Sigma's dreams are coming true hallelujah

He has always wanted to meet any supernatural being and the person he fell in love with is a vampire!?

Sigma will eagerly ask you questions about your lifestyle and such

He'll also happily agree to you drinking his blood since as he said "is never gonna get this chance again"

He's a bit of a weirdo but we love him

#overwatch x reader #cassidy x reader #genji x reader #hanzo x reader #baptiste x reader #sigma x reader

[kitkatpancakestack]

Not sorry but the anti-abortion loudmouths in positions of power in this country really will pull something out of absolutely nothing and try to make a point. PEPFAR is up for reauthorization at the end of the month and we STILL have to hear this "but some republicans are wavering" bullshit? Imagine being willing to destabilize a massive global health initiative bc "but what if the funds allocated to women's HIV health specifically are all rerouted to abortion :( that would make me as an out of touch white man sad :(" like from the bottom of my heart touch grass and grow the fuck up. You think anybody wants to hear anything from a group of people who still think HIV is a lifestyle disease and moral failing? What the fuck year is this? Throw your tantrum in a place w less collateral damage. Jfc.

#politics #global health #medicine #srry i do be heated about certain things

[cryptturon]

funniest shit is how the refusal to connect with peers after being perpetually disappointed by them along with creating extra layers of masking and cultivating a nonconformist lifestyle and fashion sense is still something a horrible parent can very desperately project onto with those over-the-top snobby loudmouthed rich girly girl archetypes

[annieslalaland]

partying and the big deal around it

30.april.2024 10:31am

my girlfriends want to go out and party tonight. to welcome the summer time. it's going to be very hot here today. actually, i have to get ready for a doctor's appointment but this is more important.

so, going out; i am not sure i like going out. i like to go to bars and play pool or play cards at an old wooden table with my beer. all this going raving and partying isn't my style. it's this thing in me. like restricting me to have a good time in certain places. is it because i already have a negative attitude towards clubs or because i actually don't like it? should i try and force myself to have a taste of that party lifestyle? i'd like to call it a day and go back to my bar around the corner. my boyfriend thinks i should socialise more. he doesn't say it but i know he wants me to go out and experience life. even though he was the most introverted person ever when i met him. somehow, i think i gave him my extrovertedness (?). i get shy around big groups now. i used to be this loudmouth, always visible in every room. now i like to hide away in my room and listen to records or read. am i getting old? but i'm not old.

i know my single friends want to go out to meet guys. if you believe i'm just making an assumption here, i'm not. they actively told me last night. they want to go out and hook up, which i have nothing against. i used to be cunty like that. i love my boyfriend, but i sometimes think this relationship has made me too comfortable, isn't forcing me to go out of my ways. which could be a reason as to why i don't like overcrowded places and loud people now. because i used to squeeze myself into any club in my heels just to catch a glimpse of a guy i saw waiting in line five rows in front of me. i used to be really funny too. my boyfriend still thinks i'm hilarious, but it's not the same.

am i narcissistic? for wanting to be the center of attention often while having a boyfriend that loves me so much and that i love so much? okay, this was supposed to be about partying -

it's welcoming the summer and i understand that. there's nothing wrong with that. but sometimes, i feel very alone with my interests. i don't feel heard a lot of the times when i'm with my friends. no one else likes jazz, swing music, (northern) soul. no one likes the bar i go to. no one really likes the way i dress. no one really cares. but everybody lives to criticise me on my cigarettes and my drinking. no matter what i do or say, people can't seem to figure me out. but still, i will "force" myself to go out, will force myself to make small talk with people in front of dirty, smelly bathrooms, will force myself to get ready the way my friends want. and i know that they love me too, they are really good friends. but this is driving me insane, not being able to talk to anyone about my interests instead of my dad. i love my dad.

most girls say they are turning into their mothers. i know i'm turning into my father. and i couldn't be happier about that.

sending kisses from somewhere in the world

#digital journal #journalling

[big-fi-little-re]

My story

I'll use this post to outline the general profile of who I am and how that has shaped my general approach to FIRE. Everyone is different, but sometimes in these circles it seems as though there is homogeneity amongst the people participating. I think this can be discouraging for people who don't fit that mold, whether it be for who they themselves are or their job history and savings.

Everyone is different. Everyone's journey in life (and in their approach to FIRE) is going to be different, so I'd like to add my own voice to the pile.

More below

Me:

31, white, cis woman, aroace

Grew up poor to later middle class

Grew up in very blue state

Never broke 6 figures in salary

Why does this matter?

FIRE communities are full of mostly men. This isn't meant to be a "men bad" thing, just that a lot of men who are drawn to the idea of independent living have loud opinions that they stubbornly defend, but that are often based around their one singular experience of life. Loudmouth people of any kind or creed aren't great at empathizing (in my experience). A lot of the advice that gets thrown around, particularly in terms of moving to LCOL areas or geographic arbitrage, is simply not very safe for people who look a certain way.

I made a post on Reddit many, many years ago discouraging marginalized people from following the "move to a blue dot in a red sea" advice. I warned people state level policies can absolutely impact them even if they live in a progressive city. This resonated with a lot of people, and conversely, this irritated a few dudes in their 40s. Well, less than 3 years later Roe v Wade was overturned.

I actually got a DM from one naysayer who apologized.

On sexuality & gender identity:

This is to demonstrate that I will not have the income of a partner to rely on. I will also not have kids. At some point in my life, it will be just me, with my singular expenses and my singular income.

This is also why my FIRE plan revolves around dying with zero. I will have no one to leave anything to, besides whoever the beneficiaries on my accounts are should I pass prematurely.

A lot of FIRE advice is built around having a partner, planning around a partner's lifestyle or expenses, or finding a partner who is on board with the lifestyle. It also involves planning for the long term expenses of children and of leaving some amount behind for your then adult children to inherit.

Growing up:

We were not well off growing up. Eventually, we had a middle class lifestyle based around living in a multi-generational household up through my early high school years.

I am frugal by nature because that is simply how life is for me: it's my baseline. I don't feel like I've ever gone without. But when I compare my upbringing and the things we had and did as a child compared to peers who came from upper-middle to upper class backgrounds, there is definitely a disparity.

Sometimes when I look at the budgets people are shooting for with FIRE, I really can't even begin to comprehend how they spend that much money. I still don't. It's not a judgment call: it's just not something I could ever want to do even if I had the means.

From my perspective, my lifestyle has been comfortable. I have a lot of hobbies I enjoy and some nice things I enjoy owning. I like to order takeout on Fridays and I try to go to a restaurant once every other month with friends & family. Eating out was always a luxury for us and I still feel that way today: I like it to feel special.

Where I'm from and where I've been:

My family is from a very blue area. I've lived here the vast majority of my life, as has my family.

I took some time to travel the USA for a few years. I lived in blue dots in red states. They were all very nice. I (mostly) never really felt unsafe, but also, I am white and the spaces I lived in were very white.

But I would never settle down in any of those areas. They were nice to live in on the short term. I met a lot of great people! I was very much interpreted as a traveler, an outsider. The way people approach you is different when you're a guest vs being a permanent settler. There's also the fact that while these were lovely areas to visit and have some fun and enjoy my comparatively high remote salary in, they were not going to be the best places for all varieties of people.

I also timed things to where I was in these zones between late 2021 - late 2023. I didn't want to be out there during a presidential election year after some aggressive arguments I overheard more than a few times.

Don't get me wrong: blue states aren't perfect. People are fucking racist and sexist and generally assholes everywhere.

But I don't need to worry about what medical procedures I can get. I don't need to worry about physical access to healthcare - there's hospitals abound! The schools are great. If I fall, the state I have paid many taxes to will help me get back up. There are lots of job opportunities. The crime is low, even in my higher-than-state-average city. I have access to so many different grocery stores, small businesses, and small local restaurants.

I mean damn, almost everything out there was some kind of chain.

My job(s):

I work in tech. My degree was in a related field, but I struggled a lot with finding a job in my degree after college. I ultimately never succeeded.

I was very much held back by bigotry for a long time (and I know it because they taunted me to my face about it) and then from pursuing lower-paid, mission-driven work. Which is to say that I totally fell for the bullshit and made some execs very wealthy in exchange for empathy burnout.

My average salary was around $50 - 65k for most of my career. I have only recently earned above $80k. I'm still underpaid compared to the industry, but I settled for it due to my job being relatively easy and low stress until recently.

I want to show that you don't need to be pulling down $100k straight out of college to pursue this. Making more money definitely helps you get there faster. It's what you spend, not what you make... to a realistic degree. Some expenses are expensive and can't go away. But some expenses are expensive and are very much not requirements to enjoying life.

College and debt:

I have no debts.

I bought all my cars used off of Craigslist for less than $3k. I've only put what I can pay off at the end of the month on credit cards. I keep 2 years of expenses on hand as a cash buffer and emergency fund. When it dips, I prioritize replenishing my cash before investments. I don't know if that's the best move in terms of min-maxing your net worth, but it's what makes me feel the most secure.

I went to community college for 2 years and transferred to a 4 year state university. A state law guaranteed all of my credits would transfer and I received reduced tuition for a high GPA. The reduced tuition was only good for a couple hundred bucks a semester, but better than nothing.

My community college gave me a scholarship. With that scholarship and years of savings, I was able to pay for all of community college in cash. I also made the mistake of buying new, current edition textbooks for my first semester only.

I started working part time when I transferred to the 4 year university. I was a commuter student and lived at home during college. I worked retail and a campus job, eventually quitting the retail job 1 week shy of a year to take more campus hours. I was paid $10 an hour for my campus job in 2014 compared to $8.75 an hour for my retail job. I was psyched!

One of my professors helped me receive payments from the school to cover research assisting. That was $3000 secured. I thank him profusely to this day. I took on various other small contracts from professors, the university, and affiliates, but many of those never paid out or paid out years after the fact for only a few hundred dollars.

I'm the only person in my family to go to college. My parents valued education and took an equity line of credit on our home to pay for my federal loans. That was about $20k. I paid for my private loan myself: that was $8k. I didn't know you could take FAFSA on years when you weren't using it to pay for classes, so I missed out on the money from my first 2 years of college when I used the scholarship. We paid off my federal loan and my private loan the last day of my classes to prevent accruing interest at those insane rates. I have paid back all of the money on the equity line since then and part of my parent's mortgage.

I recognize that I was very privileged to be able to avoid high interest rates and to have my parents acting as the bank: if I missed a payment due to being out of work or not having enough money, my credit wouldn't be destroyed. I could make up for it later.

My family:

Here's the big one: I've lived with my family most of my life.

No, no it wasn't for free. I've been paying rent since college. $700 per month and later $900 per month. I now pay only for food.

Why? We're in a VHCOL area. One of the most expensive in the world. Again, even in our undesirable city on the outskirts of the desirable city things are expensive.

Moving out with friends didn't work out because our jobs were so dispersed. My family also couldn't have comfortably survived without additional income from me and my sibling. We also had various other family members and friends living with us on and off for my entire life.

I haven't always had a great relationship with my family. Living at home, to me, was always a sacrifice I made towards FIRE or simply the reality of circumstances. If I wanted to live in my home state and work in my home state, I needed to live at home.

Once I secured a remote position, I left to MCOL areas. I had initially intended on renting for a while in LCOL - MCOL areas and eventually buying a home in a MCOL area of the region I'm from.

I recently moved back in with my family in 2023. My parents are old and my father has cancer.

For many reasons, I wasn't keen on moving back after I had left a few years ago. But once he was diagnosed, I understood, truly, that my parents are old. They need help. We don't have much time left together.

Part of my FIRE journey is in maximizing this time I have.

#just me thinking about fire #cw cancer #cw parental death #cw death

[airsoftaction]

[slightlysuspect]

Friends in Low Places

A stranger approaches Ahsoka at the bar

Ahsoka Tano

"Hey gorgeous, can I buy you drink?" I look to my right and see a stranger who evidently is talking to me.

"Save your pleasantries for some other broad and leave me alone." I say. For whatever reason, this just makes him laugh.

"I've heard you're not much of a conversationalist." He says.

"Yet here you are, starting a conversation."

"Darling please, all I ask is a moment of your time. My name's Dirk."

"Rhymes with dirt." Another chuckle.

"Hey Dawson! Get the lady a drink on me."

The bartender comes along with a smirk and says, "Nah all her drinks on the house." Then he slides me another.

"You heard your friend." I say to Dirt. "I've already got booze, so what use do I have for you?"

"Well my friend also tells me you might be interested in some work." Ahhhh. Of course it'd be the loudmouth bartender's annoying friend who would come along with something to do. If I wasn't so bored...

"What'd you have in mind?"

"Piece of cake private security gig. Some surface dwellers are tryna do some business up on 4236. We're gonna tag along and make sure everything goes smooth."

"If it's so easy then why are you trying to get me to come?"

"I got a 5 man crew, and the client won't settle for a security detail smaller than 6. I just need a cheap body to tag along to give the slag some peace of mind."

"And I look cheap to you?" He busts out laughing.

"Look don't take this the wrong way." He says. "But from what I hear, all you do is sit in this bar and drink for free. People with cheap lifestyles usually don't take big cuts, but we can negotiate."

"6 man job I want 17%." Again a hearty laugh.

"Rookie mistake. Never start negotiations with a fair deal, but you can have the 17%. Dawson will grab you when it's time." And just as quickly as he appeared, he's gone.

The bartender comes over and says, "Well looks like we gonna be workin' together." He flashes me a wink and asks, "What's ya name babe?" I roll my eyes as aggressively as I can. "Awww don't be like that."

"How about stop calling me babe?" I ask

He stares into my eyes and says, "Well let me call you by ya name then." My eyes are gonna get stuck to the back of my skull if I have to keep talking to this guy.

"Call me Ahsoka."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"Ay Ahsoka, you ready?" The bartender asks. I throw back the last of my drink and follow him out of the bar. "Aight so-"

"Let me stop you right there. Let's just get where we're going." I say

"Sheesh. Aight." Finally sweet silence ensues. He leads me to a dingy hideout at the end of an abandoned street on 1303. As we enter, I take stock of the crew. I see Dirt, juggling a few thermal detonators, and next to him is a masked woman cleaning a rifle that's bigger than she is. There's a teenage boy who's staring right at my chest, and there's a girl next to him that's probably his sister. They look a lot alike.

"Hey kid like what you see?" I ask the boy. His sister smacks the back of his head.

"Hey Ahsoka!" Dirt says, still juggling detonators. "Allow me to formally introduce everyone. This girl with the big gun right here is Millie."

"Howdy." She says. Finally, someone I might like.

"And over there," Dirt continues, gesturing towards the siblings, "is Diego and Fuentes."

"Forgive my brother." Fuentes says. "He's a pig."

"At least he's somewhat my age." I say as I give Dawson a glare.

He gives me his trademark smirk and replies, "Age is but a number sweet thing." This guy is something else. He's probably no more than 10 years older than me, but it's incredible how completely unfazed he is by constant rejection.

"Dawson cool it while we're on the job would you?" Dirt asks. "Alright everyone got their gear in order? Ahsoka you want a blaster or anything?"

"I'm ready." I say.

"Great!" Dirt says. "Let's roll boys."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"What's wrong with her? You wanted six so I got six." Dirt tells the client.

The client goes on a tangent in a language I don't understand. Otherwise, the job's shaping up to be as easy as advertised. Simple business transaction with our client pushing crated inventory in exchange for credits. Millie is postured on a rooftop overlooking the hot zone, while me, Dirt, and Dawson escort our client and the goods. Diego and Fuentes are out of sight, ready to flank if things escalate. The client is some Bith who doesn't speak Basic, so I haven't been playing much attention to his complaining.

"Santo relax." Dirt says. "No one's even gonna try anything, and if they do we'll take care of it." The Bith doesn't seem the slightest bit reassured. Whatever, let's just get his over with. The buyer's entourage comes into view, and suddenly I understand why the client wanted more bodies. These guys roll deep. It's some gang I'd guess, and there's gotta be 25 at least pulling up. Who brings 25 people to a simple matter of business?

The client starts speaking frantically, as we all start getting that sinking feeling.

"Yes I know, as you've said already." Dirt says, definitely getting irritated. "Will you just let us handle this please?"

The gang stops a 10 meters away from us. Dawson says, "Ay what's the deal here. Y'all even bring the credits?"

"Dawson." Dirt says, giving him a silencing glare.

"Been a change of plan." The gang leader says. "Funds are tight, we gotta renegotiate a new price point."

"Oh?" Dirt says. "Well negotiations are concluded. Either pay in full or buzz off."

"Be reasonable Dirk." The gang leader says. "You gonna make a scene to protect some surface dweller's bottom line?"

"I don't give a rip about this Bith's money." The client makes some sounds of indignation. "It's a principle of good business Mags. If you don't wanna pay then just walk away." Mags lets out a laugh, and I get the sense that walking away is not about to happen.

"Ok enough of this." I say as I step forward into neutral ground. "Did you even bring the credits?"

Mags holds my gaze with a grin. "No. I didn't."

"Then leave, or die." His grin falters at the threat. He signals, and his crew start drawing blasters. Sounds good to me. I draw my lightsabers and swiftly separate Mags' head from his shoulders. I pause for a moment to see what the gang will do. Their whole wealth of numbers freeze up, and Millie starts picking them off from the rooftop. I guess we're killing them then. I rush in, while Diego and Fuentes flank from the rear, and in a flash were surrounded by corpses.

The client goes on another frantic speech, while pointing at me.

"You got a problem, ballsack?" I ask him.

"Hey now easy, easy." Dirk says as he walks between us with his arms outstretched. "Look Santo, you picked the wrong guys to do business with, but we took care of it, just like I said we would." Once again, I roll my eyes at this guy. "You're safe. Your merchandise is safe. All that remains is our payment."

The client continues arguing and gesturing in my direction.

"Santo those guys wanted to rob you. Now they're taken care of. What's the problem here?" My patience with this guy has dwindled.

"Enough of this." I say as I walk over to the client and stick out my hand. "You will pay us our fee." I can feel his mind struggling to resist my influence, but he is far too weak. I easily break his mind, but maybe I came on a little too strong. He falls over and starts babbling.

"Santo?" Dirt asks. "Jesus. Ahsoka what did you do to this guy?"

"I just told him to fulfill his part of the deal. Not my fault he's so stingy." The Bith slowly stands up, gives Dirt his entire wallet, and wanders off down the street.

"Damn is he just gonna leave all his stuff?" Diego asks.

Dawson cracks a big smile. "Well I guess we may as well hold onto it then."

"Don't forget to cut me in." I say, and I walk away.

Author's Note

Full disclosure Tumblr is proving to be annoying to edit. I start my process by drafting here and then edit and release on AO3. These versions of the story are unedited because Tumblr insists on being annoying. Hopefully that doesn't inconvenience the nonexistent readers, but if it does then check me out on AO3!

#star wars #fanfic #alternate universe #ahsoka tano #original characters

[shoppncarticles]

The Meowth Family

Here he is, one of the first generation’s most beloved inhabitants, also thanks in large part to the early anime. Meowth here is a well stylized cat, with big eyes and thin pupils, prominent whiskers, and black ears which add nicely to the small details on its design.

The coin placed on Meowth’s head might be a bit odd at first glance, but it makes sense if you’re able to recognize Meowth as a representation of the Maneki-neko, better known outside of Japan as the Lucky Cat! They’re little figurines of calico cats with one paw raised, similar to Meowth in its artwork, said to bring good fortune to their owners. Likewise, Meowth is sure to bring its trainers wealth thanks to its unique move, Pay Day, which somehow convinces the enemy trainer to give you more money should you beat them in battle. This is apparently done by Meowth scattering gold coins around the battlefield when used, and I’ll take the liberty of not asking where those coins managed to come from.

As previously mentioned, where Meowth really shines is the anime, where it's featured alongside the charmingly ineffective recurring villains Team Rocket. Team Rocket, of course, most often tries to steal the main mascot Pikachu, making Meowth the cat to Pikachu’s mouse! The Tom to its Jerry! Ain’t that just the cleverest thing.

The conniving mischief-maker is sometimes the one putting in the most thought and effort into Team Rocket’s plans, mostly out of a desire to appeal to their crime lord boss in order to get a luxurious lifestyle of pets and good food, which is pretty fitting motivation for an evil cat if you ask me.

The poor guy has had a miserable love life as well, which is also frequently shown in several anime episodes. A rascally loudmouth who never succeeds despite trying so hard is an incredibly charming character archetype, especially when the audience is shown multiple times how much trouble they go through despite it all.

Meowth is also easily remembered for being one of the few Pokemon in the anime who can actually speak fluently with humans, completely naturally and without anything to help such as psychic powers. Apparently Meowth just learned how to do this through sheer force of will and practice, which raises a bunch of questions on whether or not any old Pokemon could learn to speak in fluent English if they tried hard enough. It’s probably better to leave Meowth as the sole exception to the rule and keep that can of worms closed.

We’re gonna order the reviews a little differently this time around due to my thoughts concerning each of Meowth’s regional forms and evolutions, just for simplicity’s sake. Anyways, Meowth would end up getting an Alolan form as well, resulting in this Dark-type scamp with an insane ego and smug, taunting aura. Just look at that face and stance. This Meowth is going to piss you off on purpose and then admit it doesn’t care whatsoever. An excellent character shift, certainly fitting cats who have been spoiled rotten and cause nothing but problems for everyone around them.

And then the eighth generation would give us Gigantamax Meowth, which as far as anyone can tell references the long cat meme? Do kids these days even know about long cat?? It’s not the worst thing in the world, really, it’s not like it’s an extremely distracting part of the design. I like the further detailing on Meowth’s coin and its glowing eyes. I can’t help but wonder if we got an oversized Meowth surrounded by gold coins and treasure, though, to better reflect its Lucky Cat origins. 

Gigantamax Meowth isn’t terrible, but could’ve been better.

Score: 4/5

Solid designs with a neat basis and execution, and wonderful characters to boot! Good job, Meowths.

So anyways, regular Meowth evolves into Persian, if you let it.

But… would you? Persian is pretty much just a regular, menacing big cat, sort of panther-like if you want to see it that way. The only really unique thing about it is the curled tail it keeps from Meowth, and the gem on its forehead which is a pale imitation of Meowth’s coin. No wonder Team Rocket’s Meowth was jealous of the good treatment this thing got from their boss, it deserves it so much less! Again, I have to wonder why they wouldn’t go for some fat, spoiled cat who better resembles a Maneki-neko figure that Meowth is based on. It doesn’t even look like the thing anymore!

So too does the Alolan form evolve into Alolan Persian, which is similarly Dark type. Most people take issue with Persian’s comically round head, saying how ridiculous it looks and how they wished Persian had become a menacing black panther instead.

I take issue with Persian’s head as well, but for different reasons. They were so close, darn it! Pokedex entries make sure to clarify this Persian is a sign of great wealth, which is partially due to its rounder face… so why isn’t the rest of its body pudgy to boot?? And it STILL doesn’t have any Lucky Cat qualities to it!

Score: 1.5/5

Very underwhelming follow ups to Meowth’s strong designs.

In the eighth generation, Meowth would also be given a Galarian form, from the local region based on Britain. It’s said to become so toughened by living with seafaring people that its whole body has become hard like iron, reflecting its new Steel typing. I would like a more feral, savage Meowth, especially one that seems to be a fuzzball of razzled fur, but…

…nope, Meowth has the same body type for the most part, and just has a gross, oversized beard that covers it from the front. The artwork and model do a really bad job communicating this, I remember when Sword and Shield first came out several people were under the impression Meowth had become a little feisty ball of kitten rage, which would’ve been a whole lot better. But no, you’ve got this weird metallic beard cat instead.

Then this Meowth evolves into Perrserker, which is not a regional form of Persian. This is the first example of regional evolutions, where these alternate forms of Pokemon are able to evolve into new ‘mons based on their regional forms. This is a neat idea, especially for the Pokemon who already have final evolutions they can now deviate from, like Meowth here. Perrserker is much closer to Meowth in body type than Persian, which I’m sure is charming to some people.

But for me… it still carries a lot of the same issues that I had with Galarian Meowth. I can’t criticize it as much for not having any Lucky Cat traits, since Meowth didn’t have any here either, but I will criticize that it doesn’t even resemble a cat anymore. It’s meant to look like a viking, for whatever reason, with its head now being akin to their infamous horned helmets. It looks extremely off-putting, if you ask me, being completely merged with the poor thing’s head and the solid, straight line separating from the beard - which I still dislike - looks unnatural as well. The drab colors don’t do anything to help it either. It doesn’t even have a dangerous or mischievous expression like Meowth does, it kinda just looks… bored, in a way? Like it’s wearing a fake smile at all times.

I’m also confused why they made Meowth of all things the viking Pokemon. Why not go for a more menacing animal that actually has horns to resemble viking helmets?? Why make it a part of the Britain-based region too?? This will be more apparent when discussing other Galarian regional forms, but something they lack in comparison to the Alolan forms is a real connection to their region. Not to say every Alolan form was tied heavily into Hawaiian culture and biology, but it's what made the better examples really shine. Was Perrserker made because vikings have invaded Britain in the past? The Pokedex doesn’t mention it really invading Galar or coming from another region, just that it’s been traveling with seafaring people. It just seems like a whole bag of mismatched, lost potential.

Score: 0.5/5

Galarian Meowth and Perrserker are gross to me, and not in a fun way.

[Gen 1 Archive]

#Pokemon #Pokemon Review #Meowth #Persian #Alolan Meowth #Alolan Persian #Galarian Meowth #Perrserker

[interestarticles]

What Do Men Really Think About Women?

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Communicate your feelings and desires openly and honestly, and you’ll make a great partner for any man. Originally Published On: InterestArticles.com Read the full article