#you all are getting a lot of Darme today

[magics-neptunes-things]

Sin Darme Cuenta Yo (Sueño contigo)

Hi guys!

This gif of Ona god, it's my weakness *Insert crying emoji here*

This was a request in the comment section of the first part, that you can find here.

Enjoy!

TW : Mention of Smut

_____________________________________________________________

Being in love with Ona is easy. She’s the nicest, most honest, most endearing person you’ve ever met. Not to mention that she is arguably the most beautiful woman in the world.

Your relationship with her is rather strange, no doubt. You’ve known her since you were teen, and you don’t remember a day you haven’t been in love with her since. Her parents know you perfectly and treat you like their third child. You were each other’s first kiss, your first mutual and you’ve never known anyone but her. You know it’s the same thing. Yet you have never been in a relationship officially and you have never had the courage to ask Ona why.

You don’t know what’s changed tonight and while you’re going home, you’re digging your head for a long time without finding it. You hope this isn’t a bad joke, but you have enough faith in Ona to know she would never do something like this to you.

The journey between Liverpool and Manchester normally takes less than an hour, but that was not counting the traffic jams in both cities. When you finally get out of the Uber, you travelled by bus with the rest of the team and didn't have your car, you refrain from running to the front door. However, you run down the stairs, clearly not having the patience to wait for the elevator to lazily descend the floors.

You need to work twice to open the door as your hands shake. Which amuses Ona a lot from inside the apartment. The brunette awaits you nervously on your sofa, the one you took so long to choose at Ikea. You had a lot of fun that day, almost leaving Ikea at the closing. But this is one of the many pleasant memories you have with Ona.

"Hola" she says softly when you finally enter inside.

"Hola" you answer, putting your bag next to the door.

Ona doesn't move, still leaning against the sofa.

And this is probably the first time you’ve seen her look at you with a shy look. Usually, you’re the shy one.

"So… Girlfriend?"

"Yes… If you want to" says Ona with a smile.

You smile when you hear her tell you what she said earlier on the phone and take a few steps in her direction. Ona observes you doing it, always without sketching the slightest gesture.

"All I want right now is kissing you"

You cite yourself too, but it seems to amuse Ona more than anything else. You will probably never tire of her smile, nor of everything that characterizes her. It is not for nothing that after ten years you are here today.

"Please do"

You’re clearly not going to be begged, nor do you remember a single time when you refused her a kiss or a hug. Nor what sometimes followed in the bed of either.

Breaking the remaining distance between you, you gently sit on her lap, sliding both hands on her neck. Your eyes intersect a few seconds before you put your lips on hers. The sensations you get from kissing her are not new, but the meaning of this kiss adds magic to your embrace.

It's only a few hours later that you speak next time, or at least that you have a sustained conversation. You both are lying in Ona's the bed, and you lie on her too. Your face resting on her chest allows you to hear her heart beat and her fingers that slip mechanically along your spine will probably soon make you drowsy.

But the questions you were asking yourself when you came home came back to mind. A simple glance at Ona tells you that her eyes are open, fixed on the ceiling, and that she is lost in her thoughts.

"Oni" you gently call her, immediately drawing her gaze on you.

"Si Amor?"

"What are you thinking about?"

Seeing her hesitate to respond to you causes a strange and unpleasant sensation in your stomach. Your emotions must be visible since Ona hurries to reassure you. "No, nothing like that. I just wonder why I waited so long. It could have been too late." "Too late?" you ask with a frown. "Haven’t you noticed how your new teammate looks at you?" She sighs softly as she rolls her eyes. On your side you are content to look at her, the eyebrows always a little frowned. No, you didn’t notice, but the question she just asked you might explain why she’s having trouble with her. "Watching her with you during the game... that was the last straw. I figured if she was acting like that with you on a football field in front of thousands of people, it would be even worse when there’s hardly anyone else with you." "Ona..." "Let me finish" To support her words, she puts her index finger on your lips, making you bow an amused eyebrow. "I’ve always been jealous of her, but I couldn’t blame you for anything. It was the first time I realized I could lose you. Which is stupid. You could have left anytime."

To free you from her finger left on your lips, you bite it gently, making her laugh softly. "Of course not, I couldn’t leave, idiota. I’ve been in love with you since day one. No one could ever change that. I’ve been yours all along." A few seconds later, you find yourself lying under Ona, her lips on yours for a passionate kiss. You could have doubted the sincerity of her behavior with you, but this kind of moments between you have always confort you in your choices. And today is proof that you were right to wait for her. "I love you too. So much" will succeed in pronouncing Ona between two kisses. And what more could you ask for? The woman you’ve always loved loves you back and is ready to show it to the rest of the world.

#woso x reader #woso imagine #ona batlle #ona batlle x reader #ona batlle imagine #woso imagines

[asavt]

HELLO GOOD MORNING PEOPLE

#my art #fan art #digital art #Dark Meta Knight #Shadow Kirby #YES IS THE AMAZING MIRROR'S ANIVERSARY AND I HAVE TO DRAW THE GANG #Theres some context over the small Shadow DDD chasing after Dark Ming but maybe I'll give it later #maybe once I finish that darodame fic I hope #kirby #gijinka #anyways #you all are getting a lot of Darme today #because is best bastard's birthday and I love my son way too much to ignore it

[aylenestaescribiendo]

CIRCLES;

Me encierro en el baño, con la notebook encendida bajo mi brazo, y el nuevo album de Mac, “Circles“, sonando en mis auriculares. 100% de volumen. Casi se me cae la compu pero no importa, ya fue.

Well sometimes I get lonely, not when I'm alone But it's more when I'm standing in crowds that I'm feeling the most on my own And I know that somebody knows me, I know somewhere there's home I'm starting to see that all I have to do is get up and go

Agarro mi nuevo encendedor (rosa, como mi pelo) y suavemente prendo el porro que armé al terminar de comer (arroz con salsa que preparó Denise), tal y como me enseñó un amigo hace poco. Últimamente me están enseñando muchas cosas pero también estoy aprendiendo muchísimas otras, tantas que me resulta difícil comenzar a enumerarlas. Una, y quizá la más importante, fue darme cuenta de mi necesidad de servicio. Dar y dar y dar y dar. La mayor parte de las veces siento, también, que estoy dando más de lo que tengo. ¿Pero como hago para detenerme, si ese es mi principal motor?

I wonder what they know I wonder if they ever even cared at all I wonder, do they see their own reflection in the rain And look away?

Y cuando me miro en el espejo tengo ganas de llorar. El rimel se camufla entre mis nuevas ojeras, recién estrenadas y originales. Me siento vacía, y lo único que me está llenando es esta droga, y besar bocas ajenas, y dar, dar, dar. Excesivamente. Estoy dándoles mis entrañas y no se dan cuenta. ¿Acaso no ven más allá de mi fingida alegria? Estoy actuando constantemente, pretendiendo que me gusta escuchar cuando la realidad es que me duele hablar y, más todavía, me duele pensar. Sacar es tan doloroso que prefiero que me coma los huesos, como una plaga de termitas consumiendo un pedazo inmundo de árbol viejo y moribundo.

I spent the whole day in my head Do a little spring cleaning I'm always too busy dreaming Well, maybe I should wake up instead A lot of things I regret, but I just say I forget Why can't it just be easy? Why does everybody need me to stay? Well I hate the feeling, when you're high but underneath the ceiling Got the cards in my hand I hate dealing Get everything I need then I'm gone But it ain't stealing can I get a break? Wish I could just, get out my god damn way What else is there to say, ain't a better time than today Maybe I'll lay down for a little Instead of always trying to figure everything out

Hace unas cuántas semanas que no pienso en matarme. Y, aunque me duela admitirlo, se lo debo al porro. Fumar tanto pone a dormir a mi mente, a veces me incomoda pero al menos no estoy constantemente pensando en suicidarme. Estos últimos días estuve más despierta que en todos estos largos meses. Leí y releí libros, también escribí, ordené mi ropa, cambie las sábanas, lavé mis Vans. Tres días seguidos sin fumar. Hasta ahora, por supuesto. No podía aguantarlo más. La culpa me está clavando pequeñas agujas, por todos lados y simultaneamente. La bronca también. El dolor, la ira, la angustia. Todo.

Well it ain't that bad It could always be worse I'm running out of gas Hardly anything left Hope I make it home from work So tired of being so tired Why do I gotta build something beautiful just to go set it on fire? I'm no lie but, sometimes the truth don't sound like the truth Maybe 'cause it ain't, I just love the way it sound when I say it So what I do? If you know me it ain't anything new Wake up to the moon, haven't seen the sun in a while But I heard that the skies still blue

Todavía tengo un poco de esperanzas, quizá lo justo y necesario. Pensar en la abuela es como un abrazo reconfortante, que me da lo justo y necesario para seguir un poco más. Escuchar a Mac me genera la misma sensación; como si no estuviera sola. Y más allá de que doy hasta quedarme vacía, sé que las personas que me rodean tienen buenas intenciones. Algún día lo notarán. Si no lxs tuviera probablemente ya no estaría acá, mucho menos escribiendo estas palabras o disfrutando de mi momento de insensatez. Estoy llorando con los ojos cerrados. Me abrazo a mi misma. Bailo lentamente al compás de la suave voz de Mac. Te dedico este sentimiento a vos.

I guess it's like electrolytes, you help me go the distance Not too efficient, but the way it's always been Until the day we have to meet again...

#mac miller #circles

[springinsaturn]

Hoy, 24/mayo/2017, es mi 22º cumpleaños. Y, como todas las personas, tengo una serie de rituales de cumpleaños que se han construido con el paso del tiempo. Entre ellos, las reflexiones, sueños y aspiraciones que tengo al amanecer del 24 de mayo de cada año se han convertido en el motor para buscar expresar lo que mi corazón y mi cabeza dicen y sienten a través de las palabras de alguien más. Por ello, cada año hago una playlist con un motivo de ser distinto respecto de la del año anterior.

En este 2017, la reflexión fue “Lo que necesitas recordar”, es decir, aquellas palabras que necesito recordarme a lo largo de este año de vida que comienzo, y que espero me ayuden a dirigir mis pasos hacia los 23. 22 canciones de mi pasado y presente fueron reunidas para darme lecciones de vida, que espero no olvidar.

 1.       Little Me – Little Mix

¿Sabes qué le dirías a tu “yo” de hace unos años?

Recuérdate eso, cada mañana, al mirarte al espejo.

I'd tell her to speak up, tell her to shout out, Talk a bit louder, be a bit prouder, Tell her she's beautiful, wonderful, Everything she doesn't see You gotta speak up, you gotta shout out, And know that right here, right now, You can be beautiful, wonderful, Anything you wanna be…

2.       Youth – Troye Sivan

Sin importar cuán cliché pueda sonar, estás en el cenit de tu juventud. Actúa como tal. Disfrútalo, diviértete, aprende…

And when the lights start flashing like a photo booth And the stars exploding We'll be fireproof...

3.       The Greatest – Sia & Kendrick Lamar

Sabes que, para ser grande, tienes que esforzarte, tienes que trabajar duro, tienes que sacrificar muchas cosas… Sólo recuerda que ser grande no es sinónimo de fama y/o fortuna; ser grande es sinónimo de saber hacer lo que tienes que hacer, y disfrutarlo cada momento

Letdowns will get you, and the critics will test you But the strong will survive, another scar may bless you

Don't give up (no no), I won't give up (no no) Don't give up

I'm free to be the greatest, I'm alive I'm free to be the greatest here tonight

4.       We Like It – Computer Games & Darren Criss

Make it memorable. No importa lo que sea que hagas, asegúrate de que siempre sea más grande que tú misma. Asegúrate de retarte... y de disfrutarlo.

I got my favorite life right here I just heard there was a timer on mortality I want a life that won't disappear...

5.       Power – Little Mix

Darling: Tu feminista persona lo sabe mejor que nadie; hay afuera hombres y mujeres que intentarán convencerte de que eres menos que ellos por tener vagina.

Recuerda que eres más que tu sexo, más que tu género, más que tu orientación sexual… La única que te pone límites eres tú misma. Prove them wrong…

Baby, you're the man But I got the power You make rain But I'll make it shower You should know, I'm the one who's in control I'll let you come take the wheel, long as you don't forget Who got the power…

6.       Heaven –Troye Sivan & Betty Who

Sé gris. Sé verde. Sé azul. Sé rosa. Sé de colores. Sé lo que tu corazón te diga. Seas lo que seas, nunca serás algo incorrecto.

All my time is wasted Feeling like my heart's mistaken, oh So if I'm losing a piece of me Maybe I don't want heaven?

 7.       Scars To Your Beautiful – Alessia Cara

No importa si eres talla 3, talla 7 o talla 11. No importa si tus senos son grandes o pequeños. No importa si tienes el cabello corto y ondulado o largo y lacio…

La belleza nunca va a depender del exterior. La belleza depende de cómo te sientes –al interior- contigo misma. Cambia por ti, no por los demás. Sin importar el formato, siempre serás hermosa…

You should know you're beautiful just the way you are And you don't have to change a thing The world could change its heart No scars to your beautiful, we're stars and we're beautiful…

8.       …On the Radio – Nelly Furtado

Nunca vas a hacer felices a todos. Ni vas a hacer que te entiendan. Entiéndete tú, y lo demás se arreglará solo…

I remember the days when I was so eager to satisfy you And be less then I was just to prove I could walk beside you Now that I've flown away I see you've chosen to stay behind me And still you curse the day I decided to stay true to myself…

9.       Queen of Swords - Idina Menzel

No te culpes por cosas que no te corresponden. No te calles. No dejes que los demás tiren basura sobre ti. You’re a queen, darling. Actúa como una.

I can be like a raging storm Don't go asking me for apologies I'll sing 'till you hear my song This time you better believe that there's No way I'm holding back anymore I'm slaying like the queen of swords…

10.   Choose Your Battles – Katy Perry

No todos quieren pelear contigo. No todo tiene que devenir en una guerra. Aprende a elegir tus batallas.

Choose your battles, babe Then you'll win the war Stop digging your own grave When there's so much to live for Choose your battles, babe 'Cause I'm not fighting anymore…

 11.   Kaleidoscope – The Script

Pierde el miedo a la dualidad. Eres dualidad, siempre. Eres tus lágrimas y tus risas. Eres tus sueños y tus miedos. Todo, lo bueno y lo malo, es lo que te hace tú…

Show me your fears, show me your scars, I'll take whatever's left of your heart Give me heaven, give me hell, All the dreams you try to sell, I want your fears, your hopes, The whole kaleidoscope...

12.   No Vacancy – OneRepublic

Deja de proteger tu corazón con candado. Llevas años protegiéndolo, y aun así lo han roto. Es parte de la vida. Deja que las personas puedan entrar a tu corazón, y ganárselo. Las que valen la pena estarán contigo y te ayudarán cuando los demás te rompan el corazón.

I used to be the type to never take a chance, oh Had so many walls, you'd think I was a castle I spent so many empty nights with faces I don't know…

13.   You Can Cry Tomorrow – Betty Who

Rómpete el corazón. Llora, come helado, ve películas cursis… Has lo que sea necesario.

Después levántate…

Honey, they just hit the lotto 'Cause you're back out on the prowl Girl, I know you're broken-hearted Rip it out and we'll restart it…

14.   Lost+ - Coldplay & Jay Z

No siempre vas a ganar. Lo has aprendido muy bien. No significa que no seas lo suficientemente buena. Más importante, no significa que te hayas perdido. No significa que tengas que detenerte. No significa que no saldrás del bache. No es el fin del mundo; nunca lo será…

Just because I'm losing Doesn't mean I'm lost Doesn't mean I'll stop Doesn't mean I would cross...

15.   Fight Song - Rachel Platten

Lucha. Tienes mucho por lo que luchar. No dejes de luchar nunca…

This is my fight song Take back my life song Prove I'm alright song My power's turned on Starting right now I'll be strong I'll play my fight song And I don't really care if nobody else believes 'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me

 16.   Life for Rent – Dido

No tienes que asentarte. Por nada, ni por nadie. Tú eres la única que decide qué hace con su vida. Corre, vuela, canta, salta, viaja, llora… Haz lo que tengas que hacer, mientras sea lo que tú quieres hacer. Nadie, excepto tú, tiene el control sobre tu vida. Not all who wander are lost…

 I haven't ever really found a place that I call home I never stick around quite long enough to make it I apologize once again I'm not in love But it's not as if I mind that your heart ain't exactly breaking

It's just a thought, only a thought...

 17.   Drink Up – Train

Disfruta cada momento. Guárdalo. Atesóralo. Sabes que pocas cosas suceden dos veces en la vida. Vive con intensidad.

Can't let this moment This moment slip away 'Cause things like this don't happen to us everyday So take this moment And put it in a glass…

18.   Good Ol’ Days – The Script

Crea buenos recuerdos. Crea recuerdos felices. Crea recuerdos tristes. Crea recuerdos que te permitan ver hacia el pasado, y saber que fuiste feliz y que disfrutaste todo lo que estaba a tu alcance, y a todos los que te quieren y acompañan en tus aventuras.

We'll remember this night when we're old and gray Cause in the future these will be the good ol' days...

19.   I’ll Remember – Madonna.

Se agradecida con quienes te acompañan, con quienes te ayudan, con quienes te quieren…

And I'll remember the strength that you gave me Now that I'm standing on my own I'll remember the way that you saved me I'll remember…

 20.   Future Looks Good – OneRepublic

Confía en ti, confía en lo que has aprendido, confía en lo que sabes. Todo estará bien. No le temas a lo que vendrá.

I swear that you are, you are the future And the future looks good…

 21.   Girl Who Got Away – Dido

Sé feliz. Sin arrepentimientos.

If only for today I wanna be The girl who got away The lover who really loved The dancer who danced To the last song

22.   22 – Taylor Swift

Nadie tiene idea de lo que hace a los 22. No necesitas tener la vida perfecta a los 22. No eres demasiado vieja a los 22. No eres demasiado inmadura a los 22. No estás amargada a los 22…

No has vivido ni siquiera la mitad de las cosas que vivirás.

Disfruta los 22. Aprende, crece, equivócate, intenta, ama, llora, ríe, canta, disfruta… Tú vida no se ha acabado. Tu vida apenas comienza…

Everything will be alright If we just keep dancing like we're 22

#atttwmu #blog #birthday #my birthday #hbd #happy birthday #happy birthday to me #22 #i don''t know about you #but I'm feeling 22 #playlist #spotify #troye sivan #dido #taylor swift #onerepublic #nelly furtado #little mix #madonna #the script #train #rachel platten #coldplay #jay z #alessia cara #katy perry #idina menzel #darren criss #computer games #kendrick lamar

[victoriagloverstuff]

16 Books You Should Read This June

Caroline Kepnes, Providence (Lenny)

In her first standalone, Kepnes combines the suspense and careful plotting of crime fiction with elements of horror. The novel traces the early friendship of Jon and Chloe, best friends in a small New Hampshire town who feel like kindred spirits, though neither one of them wants to risk their friendship by moving into couples territory. Jon’s life becomes a lot more complicated when he discovers he has superhuman powers, ones that could hurt Chloe. What follows is part procedural featuring the distinctive detective Charles “Eggs” DeBenedictus, as a serial killer is loose Providence, where Jon is hiding out. There’s also a Lovecraft convention in town which Jon sneaks into as a way of blending into the crowd (many literary in-jokes abound). But most of all, Jon wants to fix himself and get back at Chloe, which makes the book also a poignant love story.

–Lisa Levy, CrimeReads contributing editor

Rachel Cusk, Kudos (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)

I didn’t begin reading Outline, the first book in Rachel Cusk’s trilogy of novels centering on a writer named Faye, until the release of Kudos, the final installment, was on the horizon. I don’t envy those who were made to wait for each book. Cusk’s style—precise and unsentimental—is transfixing and consuming. The novels unfold in a world in which small talk consistently unfurls into self-searching confession and philosophical grandstanding. Kudos finds Faye, remarried, en route to a literary conference in the wake of Brexit. It’s both of a piece with its predecessors and, in certain ways, utterly unlike them—that is, it’s the perfect conclusion.

–Nathan Goldman, Lit Hub contributor

Édouard Louis, History of Violence, trans. Lorin Stein (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)

In this autobiographical novel, after a sexual liaison turns into a violent rape and near-murder, Édouard Louis discovers his assailant has suffered his own brutalities, and Louis wants to break the cycle of this terrible legacy they’ve both inherited. The traumatic event mirrors the societal, cultural, and economic attacks on vulnerable populations such as migrants, women, or like Louis, gay and from a poor working-class town. The book investigates and attempts to understand the systemic and structural history of violence such populations have been subjected to while also sympathizing with those perpetrators who’ve been dispossessed themselves. In a world that usually insists on bifurcated choices like being the punisher or the punished, to endure or dispense, Louis locates a sliver of space in between where another choice exists.

–Kerri Arsenault, Lit Hub contributor

Chelsea Hodson, Tonight I’m Someone Else (Henry Holt and Co.)

Like Chelsea Hodson’s chapbook Pity the Animal (included in this book), this essay collection is shape-shifting, and Hodson’s voice has got me under a spell of sorts. I am making my way through it and going from awe to exhilaration to discomfort, and back to awe. The essays feature a game of Russian roulete played with a knife hung from a fan; Grand Theft Auto; “suggar daddies” on the internet; Schopenhauer; and NASA. They are about desire and our bodies, and how we negotiate their myriad commodifications. I love what Sarah Manguso said of them: “These essays are bewitching—despite their discipline and rigor, you can smell the blood.”

–Marta Bausells, Lit Hub contributing editor

Jérôme Ruillier, The Strange, trans. Helge Dascher (Drawn & Quarterly)

Ruillier’s black, red, and yellow illustrations and his straightforward storytelling convey the persistent unease of the migrant experience. The unnamed narrator in The Strange is undocumented, and though we don’t know the war-torn country he’s fleeing nor the hostile-toward-immigration one in which he arrives, we feel the frantic beat of his heart at each stage. In The Strange, we experience the manner in which each new interaction for an undocumented immigrant can be a matter of jeopardy. The art throughout this graphic novel is haunting, stressful, and beautiful.

–Nathan Scott McNamara, Lit Hub contributor

 Rosamund Young, The Secret Life of Cows (Penguin Press)

What I’ve read of this so far felt like sitting at the kitchen table a half hour before sunrise waiting for the coffee to brew listening to Young recount the various goings on of local cows. It seemed pretty great.

–Jonny Diamond, Lit Hub editor

Adrienne Celt, Invitation to a Bonfire (Bloomsbury)

This novel tells an alternative history of the Nabokovs, disguised as the Orlovs. What remains is Vera’s fierce participation in all aspects of “Orlov’s” narrative. Celt weaves a fascinating thriller ending with what, at this time of author misalliances, is frighteningly possible. Vera says about being remembered: “History’s unkind that way. Once your life leaves your hands you become—mutable. Susceptible, I suppose you might say, to anyone with an axe to grind or a tale to tell.” Prophetic? Cynical? The story is beautifully told with enough absolutely stunning sentences to enthrall the reader. If you love, as I do, tales based on the lives of actual artists, then this story is for you.

–Lucy Kogler, Lit Hub columnist

The Weight of the Earth: The Tape Journals of David Wojnarowicz, ed. Lisa Darms and David O’Neill (Semiotext(e))

There’s a small and enviable group of visual artists whose work with the written word is every bit as impressive as their more well-known artistic expression. That’s certainly the case with David Wojnarowicz, whose vital and impassioned works blended the personal and political to a stunning extent. The Weight of the Earth is taken from Wojnarowicz’s tape journals, particularly those that he kept near the end of his life. With a major retrospective of Wojnarowicz’s artwork opening at the Whitney next month, and given that many of his concerns about art, society, and governmental inaction remain all too relevant today, the time is right to experience his work—and The Weight of the Earth is a particularly direct way to do so.

–Tobias Carroll, Lit Hub contributor

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Nell Painter, Old in Art School (Counterpoint Press)

When I studied art in college, there was a crew of guys known as the “art bros.” Their work was hit or miss, but always presented as if they were at the forefront of the next art movement. I’m guessing Nell Painter encountered a very similar white-male-artist archetype when she began studying art at Rutgers University at age 64. She continued on to earn an MFA at Rhode Island School of design, where she was not only the oldest, but the only black student in her class. Having just retired from teaching history at Princeton and authoring several books on race and identity, Painter is well-equipped to dissect the various forms of discrimination she faces in these programs. And she does it all with a sense of humor, honoring, above all else, creativity, and openness.

–Alicia Kroell, Lit Hub editorial fellow

Sayaka Murata, Convenience Store Woman, trans. Ginny Tapley Takemori (Grove Atlantic)

Sometimes real life and its routines are enough. If you tilt them just so, they might even unfold and reveal a world of mystery. This magical little book performs this neat accordion track in sentences so clean and crisp it’s like they were laminated and placed before you, one at a time, in a well-windex’d cooler. And thus Sayaka Murata has written the 7-11 Madame Bovary. The author has spent nearly the last 20 years herself working a corner shop in Tokyo, for some of that waking at an ungodly hour, writing, then going to work the early morning shift, selling cigarette and coffee and cold medicine to Tokyo residents. You would think that kind of schedule would produce drudgery, or even twilit ghoulishness. No, this is a love story. Only the love affair here is between a woman and the convenience store in which she works.

–John Freeman, Lit Hub executive editor

Rae DelBianco, Rough Animals (Arcade Publishing)

As a long-time lover of dark contemporary westerns, I’m pretty damn excited about Rae DelBianco’s debut novel, Rough Animals—the story of a pair of recently-orphaned twins, Wyatt and Lucy Smith, living a hard-bitten existence on a cattle ranch in Utah. When a shootout with a feral teenage girl results in the death of four of the Smiths’ cattle, Wyatt takes off in pursuit through the nightmarish desert wilderness. DelBianco’s writing has been compared to that of Cormac McCarthy, Jim Harrison, and Denis Johnson, and a recent Publishers Weekly review called the book “ . . . a viscerally evoked fever dream, a bleakly realized odyssey through an American west populated by survivors and failed dreamers,” which shot the book to the top of my Summer Reading pile.

–Dan Sheehan, Book Marks editor

Dorthe Nors, Mirror, Shoulder, Signal (Graywolf)

I’ve been hooked on Dorthe Nors ever since her short story collection, Karate Chop, was shared with the English-speaking world four years ago, so I am particularly stoked to read her new novel, Mirror, Shoulder, Signal, about a middle-aged translator, driving lessons, and vertigo. Dorthe Nors’ work, beautifully translated from the Danish, tends to explore fascinating, wholly singular women. Her short stories pack a punch, so I can’t wait to find out what she can do with a novel.

–Katie Yee, Book Marks assistant editor

Lauren Groff, Florida (Riverhead)

Like pretty much everyone else, I’m looking forward to finishing Lauren Groff’s new story collection, Florida, this month. The stories I’ve read from it so far have been weird and stormy and wonderful, and Groff’s writing style—which always seems like a dam on the verge of bursting—never fails to charm me. Her recent By the Book isn’t too bad either.

–Emily Temple, Lit Hub senior editor

Christopher Bonanos, Flash: The Making of Weegee the Famous (Henry Holt and Co.)

I’ve been fascinated by Weegee—real name Arthur Fellig—since attending the International Center of Photography’s 2012 exhibition of his work, “Murder is My Business.” Known mostly for the inventive, tabloid-journalism style photos he took primarily of crime scenes and their aftermath in the 1930s and 40s, Weegee worked both quickly and nocturnally, allegedly developing photos out of a miniature darkroom in the trunk of his car. He was also a relentless self-mythologizer: Weegee was a nickname of his own making, for his “psychic” ability to arrive at a crime scene at the same time as the cops. I’m looking forward to learning more about the man behind the legend, especially after New York Times critic Jennifer Szalai raved that “Christopher Bonanos has finally supplied us with the biography Weegee deserves.”

–Jess Bergman, Lit Hub features editor

You-Jeong Jeong, The Good Son (Penguin Books)

There are almost too many great crime books coming out in June to pick one, but You-Jeong Jeong’s uber-creepy psychological thriller The Good Son is at the top of my list for the month and quite possibly for the year. When a young man wakes up covered in blood and finds his mother has been murdered, he must investigate the blank spaces in his own memories to uncover what happened. What emerges is a chilling portrait of psychopath, and a beautifully evocative tale of wealth and isolation in modern South Korean life. You-Jeong Jeong has been called the Stephen King of South Korea, although I’d prefer to compare her to Lionel Shriver, Dorothy B. Hughes, or Patricia Highsmith.

–Molly Odintz, CrimeReads editor

Rosalie Knecht, Who Is Vera Kelly? (Tin House)

People who know me know that two of my, say, top five interests are midcentury double identity stories and underground Latin American political/intellectual scenes. As it happens, those are the driving forces behind Rosalie Knecht’s new novel, Who Is Vera Kelly?, a strange and innovative take on the spy novel, one that’s noir and full of ambiguities, doubles, and double-crosses. This has everything you’d want from espionage fiction, but there’s also something strange and subversive going on. Knecht has a livewire intellect and I hope she sticks with spy fiction of some kind of another, because this is just the kind of jolt the genre (my beloved genre) needs now and again.

Good read found on the Lithub

[puclpodcast]

Teambuilding for PUCL Draft League Feat. Geo

Teambuilding for PUCL Draft League Feat. Geo

I bet you are all wondering why I called you here today. It’s not because of the insane deal of 2 cases for the price of 1 of Corsola Cola. It’s not because of the attempted takeover of PUCL by Shadow President Zcron. It’s because we have more PDL news to talk about! As many of you know either from the weekly postings, podcasts, and/or the discord chat, the PDL Season 2 draft happened last Sunday and the hype is incredible. We are seeing coaches trading mons, and making deals behind closed doors to try and get the edge on their opponents this season. With this week being a prep week before the battles commence it is the perfect time to go over how to build your teams on a weekly basis for your opponent.

Team building in draft league is much different than building a team for Singles OU or VGC. The biggest difference is that both you and your opponent have a set roster. You have 10 Pokemon and they have 10 Pokemon, so you each know what could potentially show up. Not only that, but you can vary you team up week to week to better combat your opponent. The first thing I do each week is look at the weaknesses of each team. Is there a type that my opponent doesn’t have a good switch into to? I try and find the weaknesses within the team and the best way to abuse it. If I notice that the team has a weakness to rock, I’m 100% going to Stealth Rocks to try and break down his team.

The next thing of importance to look at is the speed tiers of your opponents and your teams. Let’s say your opponent has a couple of really fast mons and a couple of really slow mons. Then your pokemon in the middle can run a more offensive nature like, Adamant and Modest and still outspeed pokemon. Overall it is important to know what pokemon on your opponent’s team you can and cannot outspeed. If you are bringing the slowest mon between both teams, then there is almost no reason to invest in speed when it will always get outsped.

After looking at your match-up it is very important to determine what your Win-Con(s) is/are for that match and what your opponents can be. You want to build a team that supports your Win-Cons and gives them the best possible chance to beat your opponent, as well as, handle the potential mons your opponent can bring. A Win-Con can be an offensive sweeper or a defensive core that your opponent can’t break through. It is all about your style of play vs your opponents. There are several other things to consider when teambuilding but one of the best ways to understand this is to see it first hand. Geo and I will be going over our prep for our match against each other in the PDL Season 1 Quarterfinals

  Clod9 Vs. Geo (PDL Season 1 Quarterfinals)

Team Matchup:

Clod9’s Roster:

Kyurem-Black, Jirachi, Florges, Roserade, Darmanitan, Gligar, Quagsire, Swellow, M-Sableye, Tauros

Geo’s Roster:

Porygon 2, Suicune, Alolan Muk, Mamoswine, Yanmega, Hitmonlee, Delphox, Bisharp, Rotom, M-Aerodactyl

Clod9’s Preparation

When preparing to battle Geo, or anyone in Season 1 of PDL, the first thing I looked at was how could Kyurem-B kill his entire team. Since Kyurem-B is one of, if not the best wall-breaker in the format i looked at it’s match up and noticed between Outrage and Fusion Bolt, I could hit everything neutrally and break down the walls. Geo had no Fairy type on his team. However my main concern was the wall core that Geo had drafted. P2, Suicune, and Alolan Muk caused my team a lot of problems especially Alolan-Muk and P2. Based off that, I was fairly certain he was bringing; P2, Suicune, A-Muk, Mamo, M-Aero, Bisharp. The dark types do really well against my team, and they fit Geo’s play style from that season. I knew if I was going to win the game, it would be on the back of breaking down his defensive core so Kyurem-B could come in and win the game late. In order to do that I needed to get rid of P2 so I purposely brought this Jirachi set:

Jirachi @ Colbur Berry  

Ability: Serene Grace  

EVs: 44 HP / 12 Def / 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 196 Spe  

Timid Nature  

– Thunderbolt  

– Hidden Power [Fighting]  

– Flash Cannon  

– Trick

Designed to trick away the Eviolite from P2, potentially an Assault Vest from Alolan Muk and worst case I get to eat a Dark type hit and do some damage back to his team. I also thought he would bring a pursuit trapping Bisharp to come in on the Jirachi and deal with it that way, so i packed Hidden power fighting that could take out most offensive variants of Bisharp. This spread also allows me to guarantee survive a Sucker Punch without colbur berry and revenge with HP Fighting. Other than the Jirachi set, everything else I was fairly standard. Scarf Darm to hit mons hard and revenge in the late game if I needed it. Defensive M-Sableye with taunt/knock off to stop the walls. Aromatherapy Florges to handle my team getting toxic’d. Defensive Quagsire for his set up mons. All of those mons had one goal in mind. Break down the enemy team so that the monster Kyurem-Black could come in and take down his team.

Kyurem-Black @ Dragonium Z  

Ability: Teravolt  

EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 20 Def / 4 SpD / 228 Spe  

Jolly Nature  

– Outrage  

– Fusion Bolt  

– Toxic  

– Dragon Claw

There were very few members of Geo’s team that could handle a Dragonium Z Outrage from KB and those that could would be taken down Fusion bolt. His best switch into Kyurem Black was the P2, so I packed Toxic with the intent that if I could weaken it and any form it would be helpful. During the week up to the battle I couldn’t find a good last move, I considered Rock Smash, Hidden power Fighting, Earth Power, Roost, Substitute, but went with Dragon Claw since I didn’t want to always be locked into Outrage. It was probably a mistake but that’s the point of draft league, to learn and improve for the next go around.

Geo’s Preparation

The first thing to do when looking at building a team is first deciding what mons they are likely to bring. So, when I look at his draft versus mine, What I see initially is a dual core of Jirachi and Kyurem-B. So, I know for sure that these are coming. Typically, I had been running toxic to wear teams down until I could set up a sweep, so the means M-Sableye is also likely coming. Now that is a scary tri-core. Now I need to figure out what to bring of mine to handle his team. I decided on Alolan Muk with poison fang to wear down the Sableye. This essentially would allow me to win the 1v1 and if he were to switch in to anything but the Jirachi it can get the toxic there too. Mamoswine was my next bring, as the ability to have stealth rocks up limits the amount of times that Kyurem-B can switch in, and his EQ threatens Jirachi. I decide to round off these two with my defensive core of P2 and Suicune. Both can essentially be run as either a special of physical tank. P2 also threatens Jirachi with foul play and recover. Now in order to play this toxic stall type of game, I need to be able to handle any clerics who could bring. On his roster that is both Florges and Roserade. To do this I brought the most niche Mega Aerodactyl set you may ever see

Aerodactyl-Mega @ Aerodactylite

Ability: Tough Claws

EVs: 252 HP / 160 Def / 28 SpA / 68 SpD

Lonely Nature

– Taunt

– Stealth Rock

– Ice Fang

– Hidden Power [Grass]

This is a super tanky set designed to survive while killing a cleric and getting rocks up. The first reaction is to use Aero to kill the Kyreum because stone edge can OHKO it. I decided against that because all he needs is a choice scarf and I lose that. In fact I was fairly certain that he was going to run a choice scarf, because As you may notice I do not have any fairies, and choice scarf outrage could just do a ton of damage to my team.  The little bit of SpA is for Quagsire. This allowed me to guarantee the 2HKO. Ice fang lets me fight the Gligar and Roserade, while the lonely nature allows me to still get the Atk bonus to OHKO Gligar. I couldn’t necessarily beat the Florges 1v1 with this build but I could keep it from using aromatherapy. I have one more choice of mon, and I still need a way to kill the Kyreum. So I choose Bisharp. I went with a full defensive build:

Bisharp @ Leftovers

Ability: Defiant

EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def

Impish Nature

– Iron Head

– Protect

– Sucker Punch

– Grass Knot

Remember that I was convinced that Clod was going to run choice scarf on Kyreum. So, I could use protect to bait out the earth power. Then switch into Suicune and go for a burn with scald. Iron head with this build does something on the order of 75% so just needed some rocks up on the field. You may notice that I haven’t talked about what my answers were to Darmanitan and Tuaros were. Well with a defensive Suicune, I felt that covered me enough for Darmanitan. As for Tauros, didn’t really have answer to it. Just kind of figured he wasn’t going to bring as all 9 of his other mons could do what he could, but better against my team.  So that is a quick look into what goes through my mind when building a team.

RESULT

Geo and I had one of the closest games of the entire season. We fought back and forth exchanging toxic, knock offs, Earthquakes, and Moon blasts until it ended in a 1-0 in Geo’s favor. Looking back, I believe I misplayed the end of the game which would have given me a better chance to win, but we will never know. Geo played phenomenally that game and I look forward to playing again this season (if we get to play again this season). This is where I want to iterate, that you should always go back and rewatch your games. It gives you a different outlook on the game watching it rather than playing it because you can pick up on habits you may catch things that you missed when battling.

Interview with Geo

Since we already have Geo here with us, I thought it would be a good chance to get to know a little more about him.

C9: Thank you Geo for taking the time out of your busy day to answer these questions for the fans. To start off, You made a really deep run last year in PDL. Give us your overall impressions and thoughts of that Season.

GEO: Last season was really a learning experience for most people. The gap in competitors was pretty large in the beginning. By the end of the regular season that had shrunk a ton. A few of the ‘easy’ wins I had in the beginning of the season would have been a lot closer, if not gone against, if the people I played, played with skill they showed in the end of the season.

C9: Since we just drafted for Season 2, how do you think your draft went/ What was your strategy going into the draft?

GEO: I really like my draft. Being bias, I feel my draft is one of the stronger ones but only results will tell if that’s the case. I went into the draft with a few versatile cores I wanted. After the first few rounds then it became a matter a filling out the role players for the team.

C9: Did you get sniped at all during the draft?

GEO: Kinda? I had in mind a few S tier mons that I wanted. I didn’t really plan on drafting Tapu Koko by a few rounds in a realized there was a good chance I could get it. It depended on what the few other people drafted that didn’t have an S tier drafted. Once they drafted I knew what I wanted. I had a mon in each tier I could’ve used. By round 5 I was the only one who hadn’t drafted in S tier meaning I could wait until the last round to draft it.

C9: If you had to guess, what do you think your overall record will be at the end of the regular season.

GEO: Ideally I would like to better my record from season 1 so going 9-3 or better would feel real good possibly winning the whole thing.

C9: Well it looks like you have your work cut out for you this season. With several returning coaches and a bunch of new ones, the difficulty level has been raised this season. One might even say that it has been turned up to 11…   Ok, back on track, lets learn about you as a pokemon Fan. When did you start listening to PUCL?

GEO: That’s a good question. I can’t say that I actually listen to PUCL. I know Thatch in real life and he got me into the community directly and showed me what competitive pokemon was all about. Other than a select few, podcasts aren’t really my thing.

C9: What pokemon generation did you start with?

GEO: Gen 1 where it all began. Picked it up when it first came out in the US.

C9: What is your favorite region?

GEO: Kanto.

C9: Who is your favorite pokemon?

GEO: Mega Gallade

C9: If you had to pick: Attack or Special Attack?

GEO: Attack

C9: What is your battle style:  Stall/Hyper Offense/Bulky Offense/Balance?

GEO: Bulky offense.

C9: Do you prefer Speed or Trick Room?

GEO: Speed. I’m a singles player and thus trick room is bad!

C9: What is your favorite Weather; Hail/Sand/Rain or Sun?

GEO: Sun.

C9: Electric/Misty/Grassy or Psychic Terrain?

GEO: Psychic.

C9: Favorite status to inflict: Sleep/Freeze/Paralysis/Burn or Poison?

GEO: Toxic!

C9: Have you watched the Pokemon anime? If yes, what is your favorite Theme song?

GEO: Ummm I haven’t watched since Ash went into Johto. So I would have to say the original.

C9: Thank you Geo, for joining us today, and shedding some light on how to prepare for battle in the PDL. Maybe we will hear from you again, but you will have to tune in to future articles to find out. Take care PUCL, and happy prepping.

  Below is a video by TTM Jolt (One of the Best Draft League Players) and his process of Teambuilding. He goes in depth about his process and how he prepares for every match. If you are looking to improve your teambuilding in Draft League, check out this video.

from Teambuilding for PUCL Draft League Feat. Geo

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