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heartavenged · 5 years

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THINGS I LOVED ABOUT AVENGERS ENDGAME

SPOILERS.

Based on the amazing post by @saieras (21 things I loved about endgame), anything pushed by blockquotes (the little line on the left), and some of the titles, come directly from said post --DISCLAIMER -- and means I agree completely.

1. THE FIRST 20 MINUTES

Expectations? Chuck them out the window. They weren’t kidding when they said all promotional material came from the first 20 mins!!! I loved how they got right into the thick of things, cameras blazing, completely no nonsense. And CAROL omg. Also I did NOT expect Thanos’ death to be, Just Like That.

CAROL, again.

2. THE TIME JUMP

Very, very smart move. I liked everything about the time jump. It lets us view the event with a lens of a world shattered, a world that has had the chance to come to its senses and reel from the catastrophe.

3. TONY CONFRONTS STEVE

I have firmly been Team Iron Man since Civil War, and Tony is my favourite character (I am not okay), so suffice to say that I loved how, even weakened with malnourishment, he got in Steve’s face, and everything he said.

4. THE LANGS

Just. Every joke he made. Fantastic.But also I did not expect to shed my first tear at his and Cassie’s reunion. That was great.

5. DOMESTIC TONY

Tony and Morgan. Such a real, cute father-daughter relationship. ‘Mommy send me to rescue you’ and ‘Love you three thousand’ filled my heart with joy.

6. INTERN

Tony and Peter’s photo (...) AND THAT PHOTO WAS HIS. In HIS HOUSE. FRAMED. I REALLY wish we got more but that moment was very powerful. Still, I was unsatisfied. I wanted Tony to cry. I wanted Morgan to also know about Peter. Basically I want more canonical proof of Irondad Spiderson. Like, listen, this is the one loss that haunts Tony to this day. Peter’s death was the kind of pain that made Tony terrified of going again, for fear of losing Morgan

7. THE NYC SCENE

ALL of it. From Tony the security guard, to him talking shit about his own deodorant, to him giving himself a cardiac arrest to cause a diversion and being like this is fine, nothing to see here. And Hulk vs stairs. And STEEB. OMG STEEB. “Hail Hydra.“ “I’ve got visuals on Loki.” “I can do this all da–“ “Yeah. I know. I know.“

“Bucky… Is… ALIVE“

And butt jokes. So many Steve buttjokes. I don’t ship stony, but that is the closest y’all will get to a stony suggestive scene.

ALSO LOKI just yeeting himself outta there. That’s ma boi!

8. FRIGGA AND THOR

Nuff said. Mama Frigga is the best.

9. TONY AND HOWARD

It’s really great how adorable Tony was throughout this scene. And… while Howard was NOT redeemed, it’s nice to know he did love his son. And it’s great that Tony got some closure.

10. PEGGY AND STEVE

Out of the Big Three’s scenes with their “significant past people”, this one was the least impactful for me, as they didn’t even talk, BUT in retrospect it set the scene for later perfectly.

Also because I don’t much care for Steve.

11. GAMORA

This is GREAT and showcases her character very well, who she really is despite who Thanos raised her to be.

True, the minute she realizes Thanos’ plan is to wipe out half the universe, she is so clearly appalled (I don’t think she really knew what he planned for after he gathered all stones), and immediately starts to reconsider her position on the whole thing.

12. CLINT AND NATASHA

Their friendship was on full display during this film. Their scenes. And how it was all platonic. The entire audience knew, as soon as they landed on Vormir, that one of them wasn’t going to make it.

- I knew it would be Natasha , though, Clint and his family, and Natasha and her whole “I need redemption, I’m still trying to be a better person” -

Back to the Vormir scene: it was amazing, and heartbreaking, the lengths they were willing to go to make sure they were the sacrifice, like, how they were willing to injure if it meant the other were alive at the end. Clint and Natasha were never my favourites (except around Avengers), but I will forever applaud Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner for their outstanding performance.

13. THE BIG THREE FIGHT THANOS

Thor’s lightning and Tony’s Iron Man tech combining to kick purple ass, all of three of them holding the titan back while the others tried to crawl out of the rubble. Still, the “big three fight” was mainly focused on Steve, in my opinion.

Like previously stated, I’m not a greeeat Steve fan, but even I have to admit that Mjölnir zapping to his hand at that precise moment was awesome. I cheered right along with everyone else. Which also justifies Thor grabbing it along from the past and possibly, maybe, most likely, leaving his past-self without it?

Anyways, cue tears at each shard of the shield.

14. THE ENTRANCE OF THE HEROES

If I was crying before, the moment that Sam hails Steve, and Shuri, Okoye and T’Challa walk through that first portal I was outright sobbing.

Words don’t do justice to the emotion I felt at seeing ALL my heroes assemble for the last time. At each new face I cried harder. They didn’t forget anyone and that made me so fucking happy.

I felt as if I could climb into the screen and fight alongside them, I felt powerful enough and fired up enough to do it too. And that’s the magic of that scene, thank you cast and crew. Thank you MARVEL for the incredible build up, I thought it was worth it.

15. PETER AND TONY

How Peter goes straight for Tony and cute rambling mode is already turned on, but Tony can’t even speak, and just falls into the hug in a parallel of their “hug” in Infinity War.

“Oh, this is nice!”

The moment is essencial since Peter, and not really any of the other tens of trillions* that vanished in the snap, is the reason Tony embarks in the time travel venture, even when it could’ve cost him so much. So it validates his choice, besides his being, you know, a true hero.

16. CAROL’S ENTRANCE

I missed her in this movie. I mean, I thought she would be in almost every shot, but maybe that was just because I think she’s fantastic. Her entrance, tho.

“What are they shooting at?” “Something just entered the atmosphere”

And then blast! Singlehandedly destroying the mothership (Thanos’ looks so fucking offended and we can see any conviction of victory waning from his expression), and kicking some ass. Way to establish dominance early on girl!

I mean, I played with the idea of Infinity-War-Thor being equal to Carol, (and maybe, maybe, he could’ve come a close) but now? She’s so clearly in another level... No words except: goddess.

17. PETER IN THE BATTLE + CAROL

Instant kill mode

So proud of him. The way he flips in, and is instantly like Woah this is a Big Fight!!

“Hey Peter Parker. Got something for me?”

CAROL. CArol listen. You are his mom now. That’s how it works with that damn kid. (...) It be like that sometimes.

I don’t think Carol would ever be around enough for anything close to parental relationship (plus, May is Peter’s mom), but that boy will worship the hero-shit out of Captain Marvel.

18. MARVEL’S HEROINES

If my crying had eased a bit from the general assemble moment, I fucking cracked again here. They are so tough, and powerful, and beautiful.

As a woman, it was so damn empowering and important to see all of them up there, together, each with their own background and their own strengths. I love how we had all kinds of women - warriors, mothers, princesses, generals, wives, captains, businesswomen, scientists, girlfriends, assasins, friends, witches - and all of them fighters.

I also can’t wait for the gifset and the final still - it’s gonna be my background for about everything.

Also RESCUE. OMG. PEPP. And the battlefield fighting side by side with Tony.

19. TONY’S SEND OFF

His death. I was glad Pepper was the last one there, to tell him it’s okay, they’ll be fine, he can let go.

AND PETER. Peter was there, trying to talk to him, sobbing and breaking down. This is what I wanted, going in, if Tony were to die. And this is what I got. You just know this is going to haunt him in FFH.

And Tony himself. His immense sacrifice, the moment he knew what he had to do, the moment Strange held up that finger. One way. UGH.

Of course I knew Natasha wouldn’d be the only one to die, but damn, I’m still feeling the hole his amazing fictional character left/ is going to leave in my life. Literally the only one (Peter was of course safe with Far From Home around the corner) I didn’t want to die. I loved him before my heart was inflated with Stark-family feels.

The lake house was so peaceful and I loved how it showed that after all his trouble, his PTSD, Tony had found a home and a family (even if somethings haunted him).

The picture, and how devastated Peter is can only mean that between Homecoming and Infinity War they grew closer, which had always been what I wanted. But I wanted to see it! Fanfiction will have to continued to lull my pain, I guess.

Speaking of fanfiction, Harley being at the funeral is all the proof my little fanheart needs to claim they’ve not only been in contact through the years, but had a mentor/parental relationship as well.

The question for me now is: how well do the boys know each other?

20. AND FINALLY, TONY. RDJ.

Thank you. Beyond all words, Thank you.

This has been one hell of a ride.

FOREVER IRON MAN

#avengers endgame #endgame spoilers #MCU

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loverontheleft · 6 years

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Ready to Leap (5)

My kitten is going in time out whenever I write now. She’s a brat. Sorry for the delay.

AU with B as a band teacher and reader as an English teacher. Fluff and smut anticipated. Chapters 1-4 can be found on my Masterlist.

Brendon x reader. Warnings: language, sexual content.

Word count: 2.5k

It’s almost dark out. “Urie, we gotta-“

“Nope.” His lips are sliding over yours, and you think you’re going to memorize every bit of his mouth by the time you climb down from here, which doesn’t seem like a bad thing. “I’ve wanted this for a while, so don’t rush me, Milton.” He grins against your lips and you laugh. “No laughing either, you’re making it hard to kiss you. I shouldn’t be grinning. Makes it hard.” Yeah it does.

“My sincerest apologies.” If you were to die right now in some freak accident, you would be fully satisfied with life. The way his lips coax yours apart so he can tease your tongue with his, and how he’s pressing his entire body against yours...fuck. “But I will say, it was daylight when you first kissed me.”

His lips leave yours and he looks around. The sun is almost completely set. The field lights will be coming on soon. “Hm. You make an excellent point.” The hand on your waist is moving over your back now. “You hungry, Milton?”

You giggle and bring his mouth down to yours one more time. “I will never say no to food or to you.” Well that last part just slipped out. Let’s see what he does with that.

“Aaaaaaand, filing that away for future reference.” He grins. “Let’s go feed you.” He starts down the ladder and looks back up at you, pausing on the fifth rung. “You’re beautiful. I’ll tell you when to start down.” You hear his feet softly hit the ground and his voice calls up to you, so you start down. “Carefully Milton, I need you in one piece for some of the things I have planned.”

You freeze, a wave of anticipatory pleasure rolling over you. “You can’t just say that to a woman, Urie, Jesus. Warn me next time.”

“Yes ma’am.” You reach the ground and he extends an arm to you. “Come here.” You step into his arms and he breathes slowly. “I meant what I said up there. I’ve wanted this for a while.” You nod against his chest, wrapping your arms around him. “You too? Good.” He kisses the top of your head. “I live about 5 minutes from here.” Well this is interesting. “I think we should both head there so I can change into something comparable to you and then I can drive us both to dinner.”

“That,” you murmur, “is an excellent plan.” The two of you walk up the hill together, his arm slung over your shoulders. You reach your car and he kisses you again, gently and slowly this time.

“You can follow me, but if we get separated, it’s straight through two lights and then a left at the third. I’m the third house on the left once you’re in the subdivision.”

You nod. “Easy enough. See you shortly Urie.” You press two fingers to your lips and then press them to his. “Drive safely.”

Holy fuck. Holy fucking fuck. The man can kiss. Fuck. Focus on the road. Fuck. You make it to his house and he indicates you can park next to him. Probably no roommate then. Noted. He opens your car door for you and leads you into his house.

“Can I get you anything? Water? Wine? Beer?” The way he’s looking at you right now, both of you seated on his couch, is sending sparks through your body. It’s almost reverent.

“Water is great, thank you.” He nods, rising and walking into the kitchen. You check your phone; it’s earlier than you thought - only 6:30.

“I figured I’d give you a tour later, food being our priority?” He’s back and hands you the glass and reaches under the coffee table for a coaster. You nod, sipping slowly. “I’m gonna go get changed. Hang tight.” He walks upstairs and you sink back into the couch. It’s maybe three minutes max before he’s bounding back down the stairs and you inhale sharply. “You good?” He looks concerned.

You nod vigorously. “Fucking hell. You are so sexy.” He laughs and you stand, crossing the room to him, holding him at arms’ length. He’s in a standard white button down but he’s tousled his hair back how it was when you first saw him in the cafeteria, and instead of his standard dress pant, he’s in slim dark denim. You wrap your arms around his neck, kissing him hard. “Let’s go eat.”

“I was thinking The Stomping Ground. You’ve never been, right?” You shake your head and he’s grabbing his keys when the crack of thunder rips through everything, shaking the walls. The sky opens up, rain is pouring in sheets, and you look dubiously at each other. “Or...we stay in and I cook for you.” He offers when you’re both standing in the doorway, watching it rain sideways from the wind.

“That one.” You grin, going up on tiptoe to kiss his jaw. “Can I help?”

He takes your hand and walks you back to the kitchen, lifting you by your hips and placing you on the counter. “You’re my guest. You can sit there and look beautiful and engage me in sparkling conversation while I take care of dinner.” He pecks your lips and turns back to his fridge and opening it, studying intently. “Yep, that’ll work.” He looks back at you. “You’re still good with water?” You nod and he starts pulling things out of the fridge when he freezes. “Y/n, I feel awful, I should know this - you’re not a vegetarian or anything are you?”

You grin. “No Urie, I’m a big fan of meat.” Shameless. Shameless.

His face is consumed by his broad grin. “First of all, I hear what you’re doing. Second of all, excellent. Now how do you like your steak? This is a test.”

“Medium.” You answer promptly and he nods. “I knew you had good taste. Any allergies?”

“Cowardice and weak-willed men. Oh and hazelnuts,” you quip, beaming when he starts laughing. “Thank god you watch Parks and Rec. No, no allergies.”

He puts down the steak and leans over to kiss you. “Where did you come from?” His voice is full of wonder and you smile.

“You sexy thing?” You suggest, finishing the lyric and he laughs again, shaking his head.

“I mean. That is how I would describe you. But right now I am really marveling at the universe and saying a little word of gratitude for putting you in my world.” Your eyes soften and he kisses you again, a bit harder this time, and you press into him. “I can’t stop kissing you,” he murmurs, resting his forehead against yours.

“I don’t want you to stop.” You cup his face lightly. “But you’re hungry. And I can always eat. So let’s take care of our physical needs first, and then we can move onto emotional desires, yeah?”

He nods, unwrapping the steak from its butcher paper before trimming it into long filets and seasoning vigorously. You’re kind of amazed, he’s not even following a recipe or anything. Once that’s done, he slides the meat into a cast iron skillet, and you both make a happy noise at the sound of sizzling meat. He turns back to the fridge and grabs Irish butter (you nod approvingly) and he drops a bit into the pan. “Those have maybe 6 or 7 minutes total. Let’s see. Butter is out, need lemon juice and parsley, the salt and pepper are out.” He’s talking to himself and you smile. So fucking cute. “Toast and radishes and salt.” You have no idea what he’s making you but after watching his energy while preparing it, you know it’s going to be good. He drops several slices of rye bread into the toaster before spinning back around to face you. “I’m ignoring you. I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t even worry about it. I just love watching you move.” Awesome, definitely no way that can be misconstrued. Good job brain.

He grins, grabbing a small bowl and adding butter before free pouring lemon juice in and adding the aforementioned parsley and salt and pepper. He whisks it hard for about 30 seconds and sets it aside. He turns his attention to the radishes and cuts off a few thin slices. The toast pops up and he grabs a thin knife from the backsplash where all of his knives are mounted. Carefully, he cuts the radish slices into delicate pieces that twist and curve on themselves. He sets those aside, leans over to the spice rack and grabs pink Himalayan sea salt. He checks the steak, making a small noise of approval and sliding the pieces onto his prep space. He grabs two plates and takes the rye toast and cuts each piece into three strips. He repeats until he’s got about twelve strips and he arranges them six to a plate. He grabs the tiniest spoon you’ve ever seen and puts three good-sized drops of the butter mix on each piece of toast before laying the steak down over it. You’re impressed; the steak fits the toast perfectly. The radish twists are placed, the salt is dusted, and he holds both plates proudly. “Dinner, Ms. Milton, is served.”

“Oh my god,” you moan, tipping your head back. “Shit, Brendon, that’s amazing.” He grins and you grab the last of your small toast piece and slide it into your mouth. “Jesus, where did you learn to cook?”

He sits back in satisfaction, watching your face. “My mom mostly. Some cooking shows, and then my habit of mimicry. If I have a great meal out, I’ll work at it until I can recreate it and share it the experience with people I care about.”

“Well fuck, this was incredible. Speaking of which,” you point at him suddenly, “you cut me off earlier. Your arrangement for the show is phenomenal.” He blushes faintly.

“You’re too kind.” You shake your head.

“No, I’m an English teacher. I��m highly critical and I pick things apart. You’re phenomenal.” He stands to clear the table and you rise to help him.

“Nuh uh. Get comfy on that couch. You are still my guest.” He smiles at you warmly. “And thank you. I did work hard on it.”

“It shows!” You drop onto the couch and continue. “And they’re using white marching shoes? I love that. Draws the eye and emphasizes how skilled they are. That’s genius.”

“Careful, you’re going to over-inflate my ego,” he warns with a laugh, coming back into the room and sitting beside you on the couch. You twist a little and he shifts, pulling you back so you’re seated between his legs. “This is what you wanted?” He’s whispering in your ear and you nod, your hand curving over his thigh.

“Your ego deserves it. You’re very good at what you do.” He kisses your cheek and you sigh contentedly, lying back against his chest.

“Milton-“ he starts and then pauses. “Does it bother you that I use your last name?”

You shake your head. “Not at all. I kind of like it. I feel like...and this might be stupid or rushing but...I feel like it’s our thing. Just last names. No titles. Don’t get me wrong, I love my first name on your lips too, but no. I’m okay with last names. Why?”

He shrugs and while you can’t see it, you feel it. “I won’t lie, I’ve been trying to settle on a nickname for you, just for me to use. And every time I look at you, I just get this warm tingly feeling and-“

“That’s called an erection, Urie.” He laughs, kissing your head.

“Don’t worry Milton, I’m well aware of what those feel like. I don’t know, I just like Milton. It’s pretty and unique and - oh that’s it.”

You look at him curiously. “What’s it?” He shakes his head, grinning.

“Later.”

“Why later? What’s now?”

“Now is the time when I finally get to kiss and touch you the way we both want me to.”

“I like the sound of that.” You turn over in his lap and, feeling bold, straddle him. You look at him seriously. “Do you feel it too?”

“That’s called an erection, Milton.” You laugh and hit his shoulder.

“No. I mean since we met, everything just feels so easy and effortless. And just...right.” You bite your lip nervously and he nods.

“Yes. There’s no need for pretense or bullshit. I feel like I’ve known you forever and yet I also feel like I’m just discovering you and all I want to do is keep learning more and more. And the more I learn, the more it feels like I’ve known you my whole life. It's just...yeah. You said it. Effortless.”

“That’s my cue.” You press your mouth to his, letting your lips part, moaning softly into his mouth when his tongue meets yours. His hands move up under your blouse and you nod, breaking the kiss only to get your shirt all the way off. He curves a hand around the back of your neck while the other slips down over your chest lightly. “You can,” you whisper.

“It’s not too much, too soon?” He looks worried, and you shake your head. “You can stop me at any point.” You nod, working at the buttons on his shirt. His hand slides down inside your bra and you both gasp.

“Your hands…” you whisper, “feel so good.”

“I want you to feel good.”

“You’re joining this program already in progress,” you wink, tentatively rolling your hips forward to feel him. “Fuck, Urie…” he moves the hand on your neck down to your hip and presses you forward slightly, and you start moving again, both of you breathing hard.

He lifts and cups your breasts with both hands now that your hips are moving again and you sigh into his mouth. “More.” His thumbs roll over your nipples and you move your hands from his hair down to his belt buckle. “I just need-“ and he cuts you off.

“Do whatever you want with me.” Ah, fuck.

You undo his belt and recenter yourself over him so his hardness is pressing the inner seam of your ankle pants right against your clit. His tongue is moving sloppily over your neck and down to the swell of your breasts and you groan, letting your head fall back as he teases your nipples with his tongue.

“I’m gonna, holy fuck, I’m gonna come from this.” You’re gasping into his mouth and sound a little surprised, rocking harder against him. He tugs at your bottom lip.

“Fuck, you wanna know why I just like Milton for you?” His voice is low and his eyes are heavy, watching you come undone in his lap and by his touch.

“Why?” By comparison, your voice is high and breathy and tight. You’re so close and -

“I associate the name Milton with paradise.” Fuck.

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blankdblank · 6 years

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Tempted to do another prompt request

Don’t know why, just curious if anyone wanted to request some prompts. Got a compilation of lists i’ve seen on here before I glance through randomly sometimes for ideas for my other rambles and series.

Mostly do

Hobbit/LotR - Modern au/regular

Marvel - Mostly Loki w/ others thrown in

Celebs - Richard Armitage, Lee Pace w/ Hobbit cast thrown in, Tom Hiddleston, Tom Holland w/ various Marvel actors thrown in

You can add in scenarios or random items or locations if you like too.

It can also be y/n style if you want, otherwise i’ll probably use a variant of my usual oc to put it all together. :D

Prompt List

1 “Fancy seeing you here.” “I work here.”

2 “Can I buy you a drink?”

5 “If I go through with this, I die. If I don’t, we all die.”

6 “No, no, you do NOT want me navigating. I’ll accidentally navigate us off a cliff.”

7 “Is that blood?” “No?” “That’s not a question you’re supposed to answer with another question.”

8 “This is all your fault.” “I hope so.”

9 “I’d rather be pecked to death by a flock of hummingbirds.”

10 “You have no power over me.” “You sure about that?”

11 “Hold on, you died.” “Yeah, well it didn’t stick.”

12 “Excuse me! I was a superhero for ten whole minutes!” “And in that time you got kidnapped and we had to come to the rescue”

13 “I am way too sober for this.”

14 “You’re not as evil as people think you are.” “No. I’m much worse.”

15 “Why do you keep risking your life? To prove a point?” “Yes.”

16 “That’s disgusting. You’re lucky you’re cute.”

17 “This plan of yours is going to get us killed. Of course, I’m in.”

18 “Can you please go be stupid somewhere that’s away from me?”

19 “Stop that!” “Stop what?” “Doing that thing with your face when you’re happy. It’s making me nauseous.”

20 “You can’t just turn into a bat and fly away when you don’t want to deal with things!” “Watch me!”

21 “Wait, you’re a superhero?” “How do you not know? My face is literally on the news on a weekly basis.” “I’m in grad school. I won’t have time to follow popular media until I finish my thesis. You’re lucky I’ve carved out some non-existent free time to date you.”

22 “I’m just really tired of watching you get thrown off the tops of buildings”

23 “Whether you believe in me or not, I will continue to exist.”

24 “I don’t care where I sleep, as long as it’s with you.”

25 “You’re a psychopath.” “I prefer creative.”

26 “I thought you forgot about me.” “Never.”

27 “I want to go home.” “And I want to go to the moon. It ain’t happening sweetheart. Time to accept that.”

29 “You really have no clue who I am?” “You’d think the confused looks and blank stare would have answered that for you.”

30 “Nope. I can’t go to hell. Satan still has a restraining order against me.”

31 “Well, what can I say? I’m a badass.”

32 “Define normal.”

33 “Do I get bonus points if I act like I care?”

34 “It’s amazing how fast the world can go from bad to total shit storm.”

35 “And you wonder why you’re still single.”

36 “Remind me to kill you. Please.”

37 “I’m listening to you. I’m just not paying attention.”

38 “Were you dropped on your head?”

39 “She’s crazy. And just when you think you’ve reached the bottom of her craziness, there’s a crazy underground garage.”

40 “She may seem like lollipops and rainbows but I bet behind close doors she’s latex and whips.”

41 “My middle finger salutes you.”

42 “This is a whole new level of moronic, even for you.”

43 “I don’t think I could ever stab someone. I mean, let’s be honest. I can barely get the straw in the Capri Sun.”

44 “I don’t have enough middle fingers to let you know how I feel.”

45 “Insanity runs in my family. It practically gallops.”

46 “Oh darling. Go buy a brain.”

47 “Somebody’s cranky.” “Somebody needs to shut up.”

48 “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.”

49 “All due respect, but that’s a bunch of crap.”

50 “I am one of the few people in the world who can murder you and leave no forensic evidence behind.”

51 “Excuse me. I have to go make a scene.”

52 “What did I tell you about calling her/him the devil?” “That it’s offensive to the devil?”

53 “I heard that!” “You were supposed to!”

54 “I need therapy after this.”

55 “I’m not weird. I am limited edition.”

56 “I turned out liking you a lot more that I originally planned.”

57 “I think you’re weird.” “I think you’re boring.”

58 “If history repeats itself, I am so getting a dinosaur.”

59 “You seem somewhat familiar. Have I threatened you before?”

60 “I’m afraid I’ve been thinking…” “A dangerous pastime.”

61 “I’d explain it to you, but you’re brain would explode.”

62 “Wow, there’s a big surprise. I think I’m going to have a heart attack and die from surprise.”

63 “I’m gonna hit you so hard, it’ll make you ancestors dizzy.”

64 “Even when we were kids, I always kicked your ass!”

65 “Sarcasm is the body’s natural reaction to stupidity.”

66 “Well, excuse me, psychic wonder!”

67 “The female of the species is more deadly than the male.”

68 “Don’t look in her eyes, she might steal your soul.”

69 “She’s hot, but she’s evil.”

70 “Do I regret it? Yes. Would I do it again? Probably.”

71 “I already know that I’m going to hell. At this point it’s really go big or go home.”

72 “Go on, knock his teeth down his throat.”

73 “What’s the point in screaming? No one’s listening anyway.”

74 “I’m not a damsel in distress. I’m a damsel doing damage.”

75 “So stick that in your juice box and suck it.”

76 “Never take life seriously. No one ever comes out alive anyway.”

77 “This place hold a lot of memories for me. Some bad, some… No. No, no, all bad.”

78 “A little gasoline… blowtorch… no problem.”��

79 “Good, bad, I’m the one with the gun.”

80 “I know you can’t kill anybody, ‘cause I can’t kill anybody.”

81 “You’re insane, but you might also be brilliant.”

82 “What you call insanity, I call inspiration.”

83 “Sometimes I question my sanity. Occasionally it replies.”

84 “Why should we date?” “Because we are attracted to each other.” “I am attracted to pie, but I do not feel the need to date pie.”

85 “Why does everyone assume the worst of me.” “It saves time.”

86 “I like you. You’re different.”

87 “You successfully cured him/her of anything interesting about his/her personality.”

88 “You’re questioning my methods.” “I’m not questioning it, I’m saying it’s stupid.”

89 “Wow, somebody needs a Happy Meal.”

90 “I didn’t do it!” “Then why are you laughing?” “Because whoever did it is a freaking genius.”

91 “Idiots. I’m surrounded by idiots.”

92 “You couldn’t handle me even if I came with instructions.”

93 “I care so little, I almost passed out.”

94 “Well behaved woman rarely make history.”

95 “You’re so weird.” “You have no idea.”

96 “You haven’t even seen my bad side yet.”

97 “Obviously you have mistaken me for somebody who gives a shit.”

98 “How’s life treating you?” “Like I ran over it’s dog.”

99 “Rule number one: don’t bother sucking up. I already hate you, that’s not going to change.”

100 “Oh God, we’re not gonna have to hug or anything, are we.”

101 “I’m so glad you could come.” “Cut the crap. Give me a drink.”

102 “You make no sense to me.” “Welcome to my life.”

103 “Have fun being a big deal.” “I will.”

104 “Damn, you’re strong for a little thing.”

105 “It’s called thinking. Go with it.”

106 “I made a new friend today.” “Real or imaginary?” “Imaginary.”

107 “Where have you been all my life?” “Hiding from you.”

108 “I’m getting real bored and impatient. I don’t do bored and impatient.”

109 “The girl is strange no question.”

110 “Do us a favor… I know it’s difficult for you… but please, stay here, and try no to do anything… stupid.”

111 “I know most people don’t like me; I don’t care, I don’t like most people.”

112 “You are a very strange person.” “Well, thanks for noticing.”

113 “I can tell that you think what you’re saying is funny, but… no.”

114 “I didn’t steal it. I permanently borrowed it.”

115 “I’m not shy. I’m just examining my prey.”

116 “If you pull out my earphones, I will pull out your lungs.”

117 “I don’t dislike you, I nothing you.”

118 “Are you crying? No, I’m impersonating a fountain.”

120 “You’re kinda anti-social, you know that?”

121 “I feel like a freakin’ soccer mom.”

122 “I’m just gonna pack up and go straight to hell now.”

123 “My ex? Yeah, I’d still hit that. Except this time it would be with a car or baseball bat.”

124 “She’s complicated like the DaVinci code, you know but harder to crack.”

125 “And just like everything else we do around here, it’s about to get weirder.”

126 “Such big evil in such a little thing.”

127 “Why do I still like you, knowing you’re a total asshole?”

128 “What does not kill you will likely try again.”

129 “Oh honey, I would but… I don’t want to.”

130 “And hello to you too… little homewrecker.”

131 “I’m gonna make you wish you were dead.”

132 “I don’t need anger management. I need people to stop pissing me off.”

133 “What doesn’t kill me might make me kill you.”

134 “In another life, I think I was in a mental institution.”

135 “I’m not crazy. I’m just interesting.”

136 “Don’t make me pop your ten grand sand bags honey.”

137 “This is fun.” “Seriously, we’re trying to hide a body.”

138 “If you touch my food, I’ll have no choice but to hurt you.”

139 “I found this cat. It doesn’t matter how exactly I found it, but we’re keeping it.”

140 “When I was a child, I wanted to be a fire hydrant because I wanted to help people. Well, it was a real let down when my mother told me that being an inanimate object wasn’t a valid option.”

141 “There’s not a single day in my life when I haven’t been thoroughly humiliated and it’s too late to change now.”

142 “Unfortunately, my tears of joy and tears of sadness are not so easy to tell apart.”

143 “Sex dream? About you? Nah…it was about, uh, my uncle!”

144 “How did I break my leg? Well, it’s a long story.”

145 “The punch was out of love. For myself.”

146 “I can 100 percent fall down those stairs without getting hurt.”

147 “You act like I’ve never been lost in a foreign country before.”

148 “I always knew I’d be digging my own grave, I just never expected it would be digging a literal grave.”

149 “I did not eat the cookies. I’ve never even seen a cookie in my life.”

150 “Closets are my mortal enemy. And snakes.”

151 “I am wearing your clothes but not for the reason you think I am.”

152 “I’m trapped under the bed again.” “What do you mean ‘again’?”

153 “I shouldn’t have to tell you not to eat that.”

154 “I’m no longer permitted to enter the city zoo because I ‘allegedly’ don’t understand boundaries.”

155 “I didn’t eat your chocolate bar–Oh, I have chocolate on my face? In that case, it attacked me.”

156 “They told me not to take that selfie in the emergency room but now I have a great profile pic for Halloween!”

157 “I’m not saying I’d fight a child, I’m merely saying my legs are longer, my arms are stronger, and my brain is superior.”

158 “I’ve never been to Japan until today, but I have no idea how I got here.”

159 “We rock, paper, scissors-ed it and I played fire. I won in principle, but lost in morality.”

160 “Trains are fun until you’re fighting the conductor.”

161 “The first time I saw the ocean I cried, but that’s mostly because I was choking on seawater.”

162 “There is no sign in the library that says no birds so how was I to know.”

163 “The chokehold was out of love. Why can’t you see that?”

164 “I know the police.” “What? You know all the police?” “Well, it’s more like they know me.”

165 “I thought I could do parkour, nay, believed but my faith is weak and my body weaker.”

166 “I only got stuck in a baby swing once. The other two times I managed to get myself out before the fire department arrived.”

167 “Elbows and knees. That’s the fight club motto.” “No, it’s really not.”

168 “I don’t get lost. I take the long way.”

169 “There’s a snake in my boot. No, I’m serious. Why is there a snake in my boot?”

170 “My doctor told me chocolate syrup is not an actual beverage. The more you know, huh?”

171 “I don’t fall in love. I faceplant.”

172 “If you try to high five a police officer, they will taze you.”

173 “I can do the splits but not on purpose.”

174 “I am the ruler of pigeons now. I didn’t know I was even a candidate, but here we are.”

175 “To be fair, I’m surprised I didn’t break more fingers.”

176 “Who knew bear traps were that common?”

177 “I will run away with you.”

178 “I am never coming back.”

179 “I forget time and space when I’m with you.”

180 “I don’t belong in your universe.”

181 “I’m dynamite ready to explode.”

182 “I don’t know where you’ve gone. It’s like you aren’t here anymore.”

183 “We are in this together – for better or for worse, do you hear me? I’m not giving up that easily.”

184 “You don’t even have to hold me, and I still feel safe with you.”

187 “Everything you think I need isn’t what I need. What I need is you.”

188 “I always come back to you.”

189 “You have to keep fighting.”

191 “I’m begging you. Please.”

192 “I need you to let me all the way in.”

193 “This was all just a game to you… wasn’t it?”

194 “I will give you heaven and I will give you hell.”

195 “Please, be gentle with me. I’ll break if you aren’t careful enough.”

196 “I promise I’ll be tender.”

197 “I can assure you that you are safe here… with me.”

198 “It is my duty to take care of you, so stop forcing me away.”

199 “Never trust a man whose smile steals the breath right from your lungs.”

200 “Take it – I don’t care. Take it all!”

201 “I’ll feel much better if you let me walk you home.”

202 “You make me feel things that I’m not supposed to feel. Why? Why do you have this control over me? You’ve taken over most of my thoughts. It’s infuriating.”

203 “Would you look at that? Anger does fuel me.”

204 “I don’t even remember the last time I got a decent amount of sleep. I’m hallucinating things, I can’t focus for more than five minutes… I’m going crazy.”

205 “You were always beside me.”

206 “What happened to us? To you? I miss it.”

207 “There is no good in goodbye.”

208 “Say it again.”

209 “You look happy. I’m sorry I couldn’t be the reason for it.”

210 “Sometimes we get hurt and we just have to find a way to overcome it, and sometimes… sometimes it’s not enough to heal the wounds.”

211 “You’ll understand. You have to.”

212 “You lit a fire in my veins ever since the first time we held hands.”

213 “Don’t stop.”

215 “I don’t care! I don’t!”

216 “There are times I can drink the pain away, but this time it’s become impossible.”

217 “This pain… it’s still fresh. Give me time.”

218 “Your memory will burn like a fire.”

219 “It just keeps spreading and spreading and spreading and I can’t stop it.”

220 “I won’t ever forget you.”

221 “I think I’m losing myself, and I don’t know if I can ever come back from this.”

222 “I prefer being alone.”

223 “To see you smile, I would do anything.”

224 “If you’re reading this then that means… that means I didn’t make it. I’m sorry.”

225 “Fuck, I wish I could give you one more kiss, to feel your warmth, to see you smile… I miss you so much.”

226 “Don’t go too far, alright? I wanna be able to catch up to you, just give me time.”

227 “I’m sorry I couldn’t be there.”

228 “You stood up for me.”

229 “You keep giving me excuses, what’s your problem?”

230 “Always be kind.”

231 “You’re so warm.”

232 “Oh my god! That was so not funny. These are fake tears, and that was sarcasm.”

233 “Damn damn diggity damn.”

234 “Daddy.”

235 “Run me over with your car.”

236 “Ew. Emotions.”

237 “I’m sorry, was I supposed to laugh?”

238 “Stab me. No, seriously. Stab me.”

239 “That’s so stupid. Please, do it again.”

240 “But I’m not her.”

241 “I need you to see yourself as I do.”

242 “Breathe.”

243 “What are you running from? Why are you so scared?”

244 “Let’s do something spontaneous!”

245 “I can still feel every little kiss you pressed to my cheek.”

246 “I need to be closer to you.”

247 “It’s feels like I’m suffocating.”

248 “This will be the last time you lie to me.”

249 “You know it’s not like that.”

250 “How could you think this wouldn’t hurt me?”

251 “You’re never going to be the same after this.”

252 “I just think it’d be best if we never met.”

253 “I can’t believe you would even think to leave me like this.”

254 “You never loved me, did you?”

255 “It didn’t have to be like this, but now you’ve ruined everything.”

256 “I hope you’re happy.”

257 “If you had have kept your mouth shut, then he’d still- he’d still be here!”

258 “What did you want once this was all through? Tell me!”

259 “Now I have to deal with the consequences of your actions. Thanks, it means a lot.”

260 “You could’ve- could’ve stayed. You could’ve helped me fix things.”

261 “I knew she’d never change, she was too stubborn, too similar to me.”

262 “This isn’t going to be fixed. You’ve ruined this for good now.”

263 “I hope I’m not put in the same part of hell as you.”

264 “When did you think you could hurt me again? Today? Tomorrow?”

265 “You’re back in my life and I want to die again.”

266 “You only ever brought me pain and I’m sick of it.”

267 “I hope you got what you wanted.”

268 “You made me miserable and I still loved you.”

269 “When you die, I’ll be the first to dance on your grave.”

270 “Don’t underestimate me, I have more power than you can even comprehend.”

271 “If only you knew what you’d brought upon yourself.”

272 “We’re never going to have a happy ending, just remember that.”

273 “Everytime something goes well, I momentarily forget how much I despise you.”

274 “Don’t pretend like you’re not happy to see me like this.”

275 “There is nothing worse than seeing you get what you want.”

276 “Your mind must be a horrible place.”

277 “You can cut me, bruise me and skin me alive, but you will not take her from me.”

278 “How is it that we always end up in this predicament?”

279 “I want to wipe that grin of your face with my sword, but my mother taught me to play nicely.”

280 “Did anyone ever tell you how pathetic you are? It’s incredible how low my standards are for you.”

281 “Ah, well if you want them back alive, I suggest you lay down your own life.”

282 “Don’t be ‘smart’. The battlefield is no place for Math Scholars.”

283 “You shouldn’t have come. You can’t be-”

284 “Stop talking or tomorrow won’t come.”

285 “Hand me the gun and I’ll kill him myself.”

286 “I shouldn’t care for your life, but I’m starting to and it’s becoming an inconvenience.”

287 “If you live to see her, please send my best regards and this box of her father’s ashes.”

288 “It would’ve been nice to get to know you better, but I’m afraid I don’t care.”

289 “I can’t help but think you’re a terrible person.”

290 “Seeing your face has unconventionally made me want to die. I wasn’t quite prepared for this feeling.”

291 “You could have loved me, I’m quite good at seducing, but you’re actually vile.”

292 “I hope I see you in a bodybag sometime.”

293 “Let’s pretend you didn’t cheat on me with my sister and be good people for a few minutes.”

294 “We should probably stop talking forever.”

295 “If I hated you anymore, I think I’d probably be crowned as satan’s right-hand man.”

296 “To say I ‘tolerate you’ is a vast overstatement.”

297 “You broke her heart and came back for more, you bastard.”

298 “This isn’t fifth grade, this is a courtroom, you whore.”

299 “I think you’d be the perfect match for my ex-husband. He loved to sleep with multiple people.”

300 “I’m not coming home, don’t look for me.”

301 “Time was always a measurement of this relationship and we finally ran out.”

302 “Please don’t look at me with such hatred.”

303 “I could’ve died and you couldn’t have cared less.”

304 “Just get out. I- I don’t want you hear, just leave.”

305 “You’re not the same person I married, don’t tell me I’m wrong.”

306 “I wish you wouldn’t beg for forgiveness, it has the opposite effect of what you want.”

307 “Don’t hate me for this. You would’ve done the same.”

308 “This could’ve been the end and you were ready to let me go.”

309 “You should’ve left me, you could never deserve the person I’ve become.”

310 “Hate me all you want. I know I’m right.”

311 “Today you broke my arm, I hope tomorrow it’s not my heart.”

312 “Nothing can justify this, you’ve ruined him.”

313 “You live with so much guilt, I hope it drives you mad one of these days.”

314 “My life was ruined because of one mistake. You were that mistake.”

315 “You are everything I hate, don’t ever come back.”

316 “Evil doesn’t come close.”

317 “Your wrongdoings are becoming your pastimes.”

318 “I wish you had of just done it for the thrill of it, but now you’re in deep shit.”

319 “Next time, I won’t be here to salvage your wreckage. This is the last time.”

320 “You should have ruined me when you had the chance.”

321 “No one will keep your name alive. Once you’re gone, everything you once stood for disappears too.”

322 “Don’t pretend you haven’t thought about your life without me.”

323 “This is always how it ends.”

324 “Break my heart once more, I dare you.”

325 “Forget how you loved me once, I mean nothing now.”

326 “This isn’t Romeo and Juliet, this is real life and I can go on without you.”

327 “You don’t own me, I don’t belong to you.”

328 “I should’ve died. That would’ve made you happy.”

329 “Are we going to carry on like this or are you going to give him back to me.”

330 “She drowned and he lost his mind.”

321 “We shouldn’t. You’re married and I’m pregnant.”

332 “You’ve never been loved, I can tell.”

333 “Who told you I needed fixing and what made you believe them?”

334 “You’re almost as far-gone as I am.”

335 “Maybe it’s best that we don’t go home.”

336 “Roaming the streets was never safe for her. What makes you think it’s different for you?”

337 “I think you’re going to ruin me. Am I right?”

338 “Do you remember our last feud? I wouldn’t want someone to lose their life again, would you?”

339 “Kiss me quick and leave them be.”

340 “I hate seeing you so sad. It’s just so dramatic how humans show emotions and being sad is such a boring one.”

341 “Will you ever forget my number? No? Ah, because you still love me.”

342 “After the funeral, let’s surrender.”

343 “What made you think I cared for you?”

344 “It’ll be fun explaining this to your sister. I hope she likes horror stories.”

345 “Don’t act as if we’re friends. I know how much you want to slit my throat.”

346 “Let’s not get angry. Let’s calmly and sensibly take this outside so I can ruin your face.”

347 “Please ruin yourself for me and I’ll watch in adoration as I fall apart as well.”

Already requested – but still requestable

3 “Right now, I don’t know if I want to kiss you or shove you off a bridge” “Can I pick?”

4 “You know what they say, panicking burns a shit-ton of calories.” “Who even says that?” “Me. Just now.”

28 “Sometimes, memories are the worst torture.”

119 “Ah, he’s playing hard-to-get. That’s cute.”

185 “Be with me.”

186 “I’m vulnerable around you, and it only gets worse when you smile.”

190 “I’m surrendering myself to you; body and soul. What more do you want?”

214 “Please, just… touch me.”

348 “Are you SURE I can’t punch him in the face?” “Yes.” “What if I break his nose a little?”

349 “Show me your scars.” “But… why?” “I want to see how many times you needed me and I wasn’t there.”

350 “She’s my best friend. That hasn’t changed.” “It’s clear your feelings for her has.”

351 “Did you just… agree with me?” “Oh, I wish I could take-““Nope! You said it! No take-backs!”

352 “I think I’m having a feeling. How do I make it stop?”

353 “Don’t mind me, I’ll just be in the corner having another existential crisis.”

354 “I’m trying to have a serious conversation with you!” “And I’m trying to subtly avoid it!”

355 “You don’t strike me as a professional criminal.” “That’s what makes me so good at it.”

356 “It’s a good thing you’re cute when you’re angry.”

357 “What are you afraid of?” “You.”

358 “I don’t give a damn.” “You give so many damns they’re visible from SPACE.”

359 “It’s a long story” “You conned me into thinking you were dead for eleven months. I have time.”

360 “Unless I screw this up again, I’m going to marry you.” “Well you better not mess this up”

361 “Hey, I didn’t kill anyone today!” “What do you want? A gold star.”

362 “I feel like I’m being stabbed.” “How do you even know what it feels like to be stabbed?”

363 “What now?” “I don’t know. I thought the jump would kill us.”

364 “I saved your life.” “You pushed me off a building.”

365 “How do we keep getting into these situations?” “Eleven years of friendship and I still don’t know.”

366 “We’re leaving.” “But they have a lobster tank in their basement.”

367 “Take my hand.” “Why?” “I’m trying to ask you to marry me, so take my damn hand!”

368 “You look…” “Beautiful, I know. Can we move on?”

369 “I’m fine.” “You don’t look fine.” “Then stop looking.”

370 “You gotta stop doing that.” “What?” “Saying things that make me wanna kiss you.”

371 “I think that you’re not as dark as you want people to believe.”

372 “I hate you.” “Why? I’m lovely.”

373 “Why are they afraid of you?”

374 “Literally everything about this is illegal.”

375 “You love her don’t you?” “Was it that obvious?”

376 “Why me?” “Because you saw me when I was invisible.”

377 “I was just kind of hoping that you’d, y’know…. fall in love with me.”

378 “It’s okay. You don’t have to love me.”

379 “You know, no one bothered me this much when I was dead.”

380 “Only a fool would fall in love with someone as deadly as me.”

381 “I’d know that smirk anywhere.”

382 “I love you. You enormously stubborn pain in the ass.”

383 “Just remember if we get caught, you’re deaf and I don’t speak English.”

384 “Don’t look for any redeeming qualities. I don’t have any.”

385 “If my day gets any worse, I’m asking hell if they’re having an exchange program.”

386 “If I survive, can I go home?”

387 “That’s a little melodramatic, don’t you think?”

388 “You didn’t get in trouble for lying. You got in trouble for lying badly.”

389 “You’re good. A monster pain in the ass… but you’re good.”

390 “Neither one us is drunk enough for this conversation.”

391 “The universe may not always play fair, but at least it’s got a hell of a sense of humor.”

392 “My advice is much more subtle. Stop being an ass.”

#Prompt Request

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buddyrabrahams · 5 years

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Eight biggest takeaways from Sunday’s NCAA Tournament games

Four days and two rounds are in the books, and the NCAA Tournament has left us with more questions than jaw-dropping moments.

The second round, especially Sunday, provided more close games, but not much outside the expected. The top seeds have survived to meet next week, making the next games we’ll see some of the best we could have asked for.

The top teams in the nation have stepped into the Sweet Sixteen. Sunday’s action can help us sort out what to expect in the second week. Here are eight takeaways from the second slate of second-round games:

1. Duke’s flaws exposed in narrow win

Anyone thinking Duke would strut to the Final Four untouched was proven wrong on the first weekend of tournament play, as UCF came within millimeters of upsetting the Blue Devils on Sunday. In the game’s final minute, Zion Williamson converted a tough basket, RJ Barrett took the lead with a putback, and UCF’s two attempts to win the game both danced on the rim before falling back to Earth.

For UCF, it was a brutal missed opportunity. Senior center and giant human being Tacko Fall picked up his fifth foul on Williamson’s crucial late bucket. He was then not there to grab a game-sealing rebound nor help putback a game-winning bucket on the final possession.

For Duke, on the other hand, the game showcased the Blue Devils flaws. UCF focused its defensive efforts on Williamson, who still willed his way to 32 points. RJ Barrett, meanwhile, shot 6 for 15 from the field, struggling to find shots he could convert. Duke’s supporting cast was non-existent. Coach K only played seven players on the day, with just three points coming off the bench. UCF allowed Fall to essentially play a one-man zone defense, allowing poor shooters like Tre Jones and Justin Goldwire any shot they wanted. Jones hit just one of eight deep balls.

Any team facing saw a potential blueprint. Sell out to stop Williamson, with an eye on Barrett and Cam Reddish, but dare the other Blue Devils to score. If they don’t, Duke is very beatable.

2. The bracket sticks with mostly chalk

After two rounds of tournament play, we have not seen many surprises. Cinderella barely showed up for this year’s Big Dance.

The Sweet Sixteen includes 15 schools from power conferences, with top-seeded Gonzaga being the only “mid-major” moving on. That number counts Houston, out of the American Athletic Conference, as a power conference team, which is debatable. And yet, a school that has 5 Final Fours, a 3-seed this year and 44,000 students on campus isn’t quite the Cinderella darling we expect every March either.

All four of the Nos. 1, 2, and 3 seeds advanced this weekend and two of the No. 4 seeds joined them. The only double-digit seed to advance is Pac-12 Tournament champion Oregon.

This March marks the only time other than 2009 that all of the top twelve teams advanced to the Sweet Sixteen since the tournament expanded to its current format in 1985.

3. Tennessee almost let Iowa steal one

The first game of the day ended up being a great one, despite Tennessee jumping out to a 25-point first half lead. The Vols began to turn the ball over and went cold shooting the ball. Iowa took advantage, coming all the way back to force overtime.

The game will be best remembered for a late coaching decision by Rick Barnes. Admiral Schofield, who was hot early, dumping in 17 first half points, developed foul trouble late in the game. Barnes was deathly cautious with Schofield’s late game playing time. The Vols kept their leading scorer on the bench through most of crunch time, including their final offensive possessions, in a tie game with a chance to end the game in regulation.

Schofield then began overtime on the bench, staying there for the entire five minute extra period. Postgame, Barnes defended the decision by pinning it on Schofield. According to Barnes, Schofield urged him to stick with the lineup that was on the floor stretching the lead. There’s something to be said for a coach who listens to his players, and in this case, it worked. On the other hand, Rick Barnes is paid millions of dollars to coach the Volunteers. If that means making a choice that one of his players doesn’t agree with, so be it.

Against Purdue in the next round or another contender down the road in this tournament, this kind of head-scratching decision could send the Vols back to Knoxville.

4. Top of the ACC shows its might

All five of the top teams in the ACC have advanced to the Sweet 16, the most of any conference. That was expected of the three teams from the conference that were awarded top seeds. North Carolina and Virginia both coasted relatively unharmed through the first weekend. Both trailed at the half in the first round before coasting through their next 60 strong minutes of basketball.

Duke faced the toughest test of any ACC club, barely sneaking past UCF. Even though the Blue Devils were one last-second bucket away from heading home early, they are still the favorites to cut down the nets at season’s end.

The other two ACC teams advancing have been among the most impressive in the tournament. Florida State held off a tough challenge from Vermont and routed a Murray State team that was clicking late in the season. Virginia Tech looked strong in two wins this weekend, with Justin Robinson back healthy in the lineup providing senior leadership and a scoring pop. These two 4 seeds will now have a crack at Gonzaga and Duke to earn a bid to the Elite Eight.

5. Texas Tech reminds the world how good it can be

Buffalo earned a lot of praise as a team that could defend at an elite level. In the Bulls’ second-round game, they saw what elite defense really looks like. Chris Beard has his Texas Tech team playing as well on the defensive end of the floor as any team in college basketball.

On Sunday, Buffalo’s high-speed offensive attack was absolutely smothered by the Red Raiders. The Bulls managed to record just three more made field goals than turnovers. Every trip down the floor was a slog against the activity of Tech’s defense. At one point, the Red Raiders went on a 27-3 run, leaving Buffalo with no answers.

6. Oregon is on a marvelous March run

The Ducks are pulling off something rarely seen in college basketball. When Bol Bol went down with an injury, many lost hope for this Oregon team. Even later in the year, things looked dire. On February 23, Oregon lost to UCLA, for the second time this season, to fall to 15-12 on the year.

Since then, the Ducks haven’t lost. Oregon has now won ten straight games and looks like a completely new team. Perhaps it took time to figure things out after Bol’s injury. Maybe a team full of transfers and young player needed time to mesh.

Whatever has changed, it’s turned the Ducks into an entirely different team. Nothing about the Ducks that beat Wisconsin and UC Irvine looked like the Oregon team that struggled in Pac-12 play or lost to Texas Southern at home early in the year. Dana Altman has a talented team, with high-level recruits on the roster, and he is among the sharpest offensive coaches in America. These Ducks are not your usual 12 seed.

7. Virginia has exorcised its demons

The Cavaliers have a long way to go before Tony Bennett, his players, and their fans are pleased with this season, but after the way Virginia ended its season last year, a strong first weekend was an absolute must. Though Virginia started slow and trailed at the half versus Gardner-Webb, this weekend has been an unequivocal success for the Hoos.

Virginia played its way and earned two hard-fought, but relatively easy victories. The Cavaliers opponents struggled to crack the Pack Line defense, hoisting up a host of bad shots. Even when Virginia also went cold for stretches, Bennett’s club consistently manufactured stops on the defensive end to control the game.

8. Tons of NBA Draft talent remains

For those of you just watching college basketball to scout NBA prospects, you will not be disappointed next weekend. Although we lost draft nerd favorites like Ja Morant and Matisse Thybulle, there are still dozens of players moving up and down draft boards in this tournament.

Duke’s trio of Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett, and Cam Reddish catch most of the attention, but their teammate Tre Jones could work his way towards the middle of the first round with a strong tournament. Duke will face Virginia Tech sophomore Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who is considered by many to be a late-lottery talent. Alexander-Walker, the cousin of Los Angeles Clipper Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, is a rangy guard with a nice jump shot and excellent court vision.

Gonzaga’s frontline of Rui Hachimura and Brandon Clarke are both sure-fire first rounders with a chance to rise. Florida State’s Mfiodnu Kabengele is starting to receive some looks as a first-round selection and can improve his stock next weekend. Texas Tech’s Jarrett Culver is a lottery-pick with a chance to slide as high as the top five. The same is true of Virginia’s De’Andre Hunter.

The most eyes may be on Kentucky’s PJ Washington, who has not played yet in the tournament with a foot injury. He, along with teammate Keldon Johnson, are worthy of a lottery choice, and will have a chance to prove that this month.

Shane McNichol covers college basketball and the NBA for Larry Brown Sports. He also blogs about basketball at Palestra Back and has contributed to Rush The Court, ESPN.com, and USA Today Sports Weekly. Follow him on Twitter @OnTheShaneTrain.

from Larry Brown Sports https://ift.tt/2FwaEKM

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centtaura · 6 years

Text

Day Fifteen (In His Image)

The last thing he remembered was twisted metal and smoke, a gray haze that clouded his vision, and a eerie muteness that surrounded the scene, where all he actually heard was muffled yelling behind an all-encompassing ringing in his ears. Like tinnitus, only he thought his ears might actually be bleeding. Later, he'd learn that they probably were.

But that was not where he stood now. His eyes fell shut like steel traps when the fire reached him, opened again to see people hovering -very- close to his face, then rolled back once more into darkness and silence.

And then he was in a cave.

Sure, that made sense, he figured, as much sense as anything else that had happened that day. He took a tentative step forward, and found the ground solid beneath his feet, and even though he couldn't see a damn thing in front of him, he decided there was no reason to -not- keep walking. He moved simply because he could, and because his steps echoed satisfyingly, and because he -swore- he heard a rasping whisper somewhere deep within this system.

The first steps were the easiest.

Over the course of a year, Ash would be thrust back into this domain, again and again, in the name of recovery, or so he was told. He was already a miracle case, a medical marvel, and he still didn't understand -why-. No one told him what happened until they were certain he'd live, or so he deduced, and only then did he realize the severity of his situation.

No wonder his head hurt. His brain swelled and ached, his skin cracked and bled, and the migraines became unbearable until the doctors discovered just how badly his eyes degraded from the damage they'd sustained and started leaving the lights on a dim setting. He couldn't move his left arm more than a few inches, but he was supposed to believe that just the fact he could tap a finger was a sign of miraculous improvement. Sure. Good thing he was right-handed, because his left was basically useless to him now.

But when he fell asleep and dreamed of the cave, all the pain vanished. A hip that had been shattered carried him with ease, as if it -wasn't- held together by pins and rods. He used his left arm to run a hand along a damp wall, jerking it back when he felt something squishy and slimy wriggle beneath his fingers. He still couldn't see, but not because his eyes were sore. Every now and again he caught a glimpse of a dim light somewhere in the distance, the impossible distance, and he walked forever toward it.

The rasping grew louder.

His room in the hospital never felt any warmer. There were no flowers, no cards, no sympathy. Sometimes, he had visitors. They were always his family, and 90% of the time it was his mother and his oldest brother. The one that put him in the hospital did not come by so often. Io said it was because Loki was wracked with guilt every time he witnessed what he'd done, but Ash didn't really believe that. It was all for the best, anyway. Ash did not wish to see -anyone-, particularly not his brother, and he knew he had no friends, he'd made sure of it his entire school career. Still, it would have been nice to see a color other than sterile white in all directions. He only found solace in sleep, and dreams.

To think that a musty, creepy cave in his unconscious brain would feel more welcoming than his hospital room. Figured.

They brought him his laptop, and for a while he entertained himself alone in his room, just like he'd done at home anyway. Turned out that typing was a little harder when you only have one usable hand, and soon Ash grew too frustrated and angry to keep trying, every moment spent on his previous favorite platform serving as a grim reminder that he was broken.

Sometimes, to keep his limbs from deteriorating, the nurses tried to help him talk a walk down the hall and back. It was hard, and distressing, and his legs only ever wanted to shuffle painfully while he leaned with his good arm on another human, and he knew he'd have to live the rest of his pathetic life relying on other people from here on out.

Until he was in the caves, alone, on his own, capable and tireless and determined to get to the end of it, or out of it, or at least to that faded light that never seemed to get any closer.

He heard his name in the whispers.

They toyed with the idea of letting him go home for short bursts before being carted back to the hospital, in an attempt to help him feel more comfortable and independent. This ended up causing too much hassle for everyone involved, and thus Ash was right back to being bound to a stiff bed 24/7, though at least here the IV and other garbage he was stuck with on a regular basis wasn't in the way or awkwardly placed around his bedroom. His notebooks gathered dust. He wanted to write.

Almost a year passed in a torturously slow crawl, his waking moments filled with despair and pain and a lot of medical babbling that he didn't understand nor had any desire to learn, while his sleeping life gave him a strange sense of purpose that he never questioned. Did he ever wake up feeling rested? He didn't know. He'd forgotten what it felt like to be well-rested, and even if he didn't spend his induced comas walking endlessly toward some unreachable goal, being awake was to taxing that it wouldn't have lasted anyway.

The winding system of narrow halls carved through rock and densely packed dirt opened into a clearing, a room wide enough that he could stretch both arms out to his sides and still not touch the walls. The light that always felt so far away, so small and distant that he wasn't sure if it was just his busted eyes playing tricks on him even in his sleep, suddenly washed over him, and cast an eerie glow around the room. It looked just like he'd expected it to - glistening walls and an uneven ground and plenty of weird and unnatural creatures writhing around and in between cracks. There seemed to be a heap of something against a rock pillar in the center of the room, a heap that had attracted a lot of...bugs, he thought they probably were. Worms and millipedes and spiders and other revolting things that even he, king of the unpleasant, found himself recoiling from.

The heap stared at him, and he realized the source of the light was somewhere far beyond its hollow eye sockets. A body leaned against the stone, evacuated of its organs and entrails, viscera piled at its side on the ground. Leathery skin stretched and pulled back across dry bones. It was motionless, but he could sense a soul somewhere inside of it, and just as he was trying to come to terms with what he was seeing, the corpse rasped his name.

"Ah, so we finally meet, eh Sonny Jim?"

Ash sneered, already more annoyed than afraid of the literal talking carcass. "My name isn't Jim."

"Right, right...Ashley. Isn't that a girl's name?"

"Hey, fuck you?"

Ash was met with laughter, though the skull didn't move or show any signs of possession, even its jaw remaining frozen in its silent grin. The sound came from somewhere deep within it. He wished it would shut up.

It did not shut up, though, and instead informed him that he was in the presence of a god. Well, weirder shit has happened, why the fuck not, right? He was already a repeat coma patient, dead once for several minutes, suffering from so much physical and mental damage that he really should have just stayed dead. And if there was a god, or gods, it was not a benevolent entity. It was unsurprising, to say the least, to come face to face with a god of death in the form of a talking goddamn cadaver.

Mictlantecuhtli made Ash an offer that day, one that he snapped up readily as soon as he heard the magic word: power. Work for him, this god of death and decay, do his bidding, and receive untold power in return. Ash would have had a hard time declining even before he was bedridden, but now, with his broken body struggling to regain even a fraction of its strength, there was no other choice. The god even informed the teenager that he was of divine lineage to begin with - but like everyone else in his life, his true father abandoned hoim as soon as he stopped being useful to him. When he died, that was it. Worthless, as usual. Story of Ash's life. But now another deity had come before him, offering to fill that void and awaken his ichor once and for all. He'd just have to deal with the catch.

As his father now, by divine adoption, not bonded by blood but by Fate itself, Mictlantecuhtli had the power to restore Ash's strength to full and beyond, but he was not willing to restore Ash's -appearance-, no. His children were not to be beautiful, as Ash once was, as he'd taken after his true divine father before this. He was to remain ugly, disfigured, ruined. Not all of his ails were to be healed. He was to suffer for his gifts.

It was better than being a cripple for the rest of his life.

When he woke up, he didn't hesitate. He slid out of bed, stood straight-backed and stretched, lifting his left arm above his head casually, like nothing had ever happened. He climbed on a chair to reach his relics, mysteriously hidden inside a ceiling tile, proving that his dreams were never just dreams after all, and that the gods were real, and that he was chosen by them, and by Fate. He always knew he was better than everyone else, he just had to die to prove it.

The light still bothered his eyes. The headaches and the nightmares never really ceased, though they became less frequent; they remained as a reminder of to whom he was bound and to whom he owed his life and power. His hair never grew back. His skin never fused back together until it hardened and left deep scars where the heat had cracked and split his flesh. He thinned, parts of his body growing sharp and long and unnatural. As the years marched on, and he distanced himself from his father, he became more grotesque, with an emotional state to match.

No matter how much space he put between himself and Mictlantecuhtli, Ash could never escape their bond. He would always be immediately associated with that god of the Aztec underworld. He would always be the son of Santa Muerte.

Like father, like son - in body, and in mind, and in spirit. He didn't regret it, though. After all, he had power. And more than power...he had control over his own life.

And that was totally worth it.

#centext

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