Tumgik
#you can't have the majority of characters just skating normally but then have everyone go 'oh that's totally allowed or tolerated'
dandylovesturtles · 10 months
Note
For the emoji ask:
⛔️, ❌️ and 🧠 (Donnie)
⛔ tons, but for ROTTMNT the only one I think is the lair games fic I've talked about on here before. tldr: Donnie and Leo's sibling rivalry boils over, they get mad, they fight, they make up, everything is happy again.
I'll stick what I did write of it under the read more after I answer the other questions.
❌ setting aside the obvious dead dove sorta stuff, I'm at a point where I don't really like writing Major Character Death as the main point of the story (as an incidental plot point is a little different). I'm also not really interested in hurt/no comfort, there's gotta be at least SOMETHING there lol.
I'm also not really interested in "everyone has a normal life" type AUs (like coffee shop or high school)
I'm sure there are more I just can't think of right now lol
🧠 (Donnie) I love the headcanon that when Donnie merged with the technodrome he fell a little in love with it. The implications of that are just *chef's kiss*
Donnie feeling so bad because that thing was used to end the world! But he's also never felt so fully and wholly understood. So accepted. So loved.
He feels the scars on his shell and he wishes he was still connected.
Anyway fic stuff (for the first question) under the cut:
“Welcome, one and all, to the Seventh Annual Lair Games! As is tradition, the first place winner of last year’s competition will now give a rousing speech!”
“Boooo!” Leo jeered as Donnie stepped up beside Splinter, his first place medal swinging around his neck. “Boooo!”
“Silence from the peanut gallery!” Donnie demanded, glaring at him, and Leo smirked back. It was what he deserved for being a sore winner - all he’d done for the last week was recount his victory from the last year, to the point that even Mikey was getting annoyed with him.
(When Leo had said as much, Raph just replied that he was a sore winner too. To which, of course, he said pish posh.)
“Ahem,” Donnie continued, folding his hands behind his back. “Gentlemen, as winner of last year’s Lair Games, I want to start this speech by offering some uplifting words. I want this to be a fun day for all of us, and so I hope you play fair, leave it all out on the field, and prepare to eat nitrogen oxides BECAUSE YOU’RE ALL GETTING SMOKED AGAIN!”
“Oh brother,” Leo heard Mikey mutter under his breath, and he chuckled.
“Now as for the prize, I think I have come up with something that will pique your interest-”
“I’m not switching rooms with you,” Leo called.
“-something that is not my room, random audience member. No, I have something better.” He theatrically cleared his throat again. “The three losing brothers will have to do whatever the winning brother says for exactly one week, starting from the moment the competition ends, and the losing brothers can only say nice things about him.”
“Hey, wait, does that mean we can ask you to build anything we want?”
“What-”
Raph gasped, pumping his arm excitedly in his seat. “I can finally get my skate hawks!”
“That’s not-”
“Pizza oven pizza oven pizza oven!” Mikey cheered, throwing his arms up in elation.
“Hey, stop interrupting, this is my speech!” Donnie folded his arms, glaring down at them. “Why are you all assuming I’ll lose, anyway?”
“Uh, no offense, Donnie,” said Raph, “but you always lose.”
“I’m literally standing on the winner’s podium! Right now!” He waved the medal. “Do you not see this!?”
“Eh, last year was a fluke.” Leo waved his hand as though to erase the past. “Great idea with the prize, though; can’t wait until you guys are all calling me “Master Leo”! Ooo, or maybe I should go with “Your Highness”? Oh, or what about, “The Great and Powerful and Handsome Leonardo”?”
“Why don’t you just go ahead and add “humble” to that, too?”
“Great note, Raph. “The Great and Powerful and Handsome and Humble Leonardo”!”
“Oh no! We will be calling you no such thing, because after I win it is I who you will be calling “The Great Genius Donatello”!”
“If I win, you guys can just call me Mikey.”
“Hey guys, a note from your production crew,” April cut in. “Are you going to spend all day on this, because if so I’m gonna break for lunch.”
27 notes · View notes
[TW: sex discussion, consensual underage sex mention, CSA as a concept]
I don't get my deal with sexuality and I'm starting to realize I behave like a survivor except I have no memory of anything of that nature, and I was wondering if anyone could shed light on why I'm like this or how I could find out the truth?
As a child I masturbated constantly and had an intense curiosity about anything sexual, but I also had a major fear of pedophiles and didn't want to be left alone with an adult even my own family - I read a lot including newspapers so I can't tell if something happened that I repressed or just being so aware of sex crimes as a concept gave me that paranoia.
The older I've gotten (I'm 27) the more confusing sexuality has become - as an autistic person the stigma around disabled folk and sex has been a constant weight, but I genuinely was a 'late bloomer' irt attraction to others and I'm still pretty lukewarm. I had sex once at 15 with my then-gf and I just went numb and dissociated even though I wanted to do it, since then I've only had LDRs and it scares me if I meet my current bf irl the same thing will happen as it's already wildly variable when I enjoy sexting and when it just makes me anxious. I once had a sobbing panic attack when he wanted to do stuff on skype (which I'd done before just fine) and that doesn't happen to a healthy adult, right? He's not overly pushy, just has a more normal drive than me, but when he initiates I never know how I'll react and I hate he has to deal with that.
I'm a trans man, and frankly if I got to go on T the change I'd be most excited for is my sex drive increasing so I won't feel so freaky as I'm always skating a line between sexual and repulsed, feeling uneasy hearing people I follow discuss their sex lives and seeing most NSFW content besides stuff that doesn't involve another real person like written fantasies or 'character x reader' content. I have a decent amount of fictional/famous crushes and self-contained fantasies to an extent that occasionally verges on hypersexual and I still masturbate a lot, so asexuality doesn't seem like the answer, besides every asexual I know loves who they are when I detest being this way.
If nothing happened I should be more normal, but I can't remember anything of that nature and it hurts to not have an explanation. I just don't wanna be broken and weird and afraid when I'm not sure I even have an excuse to act like this and if I do I don't know how I could ever find out.
Hi anon,
It's important to remember that everyone's experiences with sexuality are unique, and it's okay if you don't fully understand your own feelings and behaviors around it. You may not have experienced sexual trauma, but if you have, it could be repressed.
I want to preface by saying that when it comes to exploring possible trauma, it's essential to have the guidance and mediation of a mental health professional such as a therapist. Someone with expertise in this area could get a better sense of who you are, what you've been through, and help you explore some possible trauma. It can be very dangerous to your mental health to dig around for potentially repressed memories, because memories that are repressed are repressed for a reason. If you find something you aren't psychologically and emotionally prepared to handle, that could have a great impact on your mental health and safety (from yourself). But also, if you for whatever reason don't have trauma, it would be similarly dangerous to implant the notion that you do. And so, a therapist would be able to assist you further in finding out whether or not you have trauma, and how to process that in a healthy way.
A question that I find helpful to ask for individuals who are trying to understand sexual behavior they displayed as a child is, where did you learn what you were doing? Because while it may be expected for a pubescent child to masturbate, it's less expected for a prepubescent child to masturbate. Respectively, while "Stranger Danger" is often shoved down children's throats, it doesn't necessarily explain your major fear of pedophiles, which makes me wonder, how did you know what they were? These may be questions you don't have the answer to, and that's okay, but these could be things to explore with the help of a professional.
I also just want to say that it's okay to identify as asexual if you feel the term is fitting for you, even if you feel hypersexual at times (I'm also ace). Asexuality is the lack of sexual attraction, meaning to someone in particular, which means that you can still enjoy sexual acts sometimes, they just aren't necessarily centered around a specific person. You may also already know, but asexuality is a spectrum ranging from sex-repulsed to sex-positive, and it's okay to fluctuate between these. If you feel that trauma has a role in your sexuality, you may resonate with the term caedosexual.
Please know that you are not broken or weird for having these feelings and experiences. It's okay to take the time to explore and understand your own sexuality, and seeking support from a professional can be a helpful step in that process.
I hope I could help. Please let us know if you need anything.
-Bun
4 notes · View notes
cakemoney · 3 years
Text
my roommate after showing me the skating anime: so who’s your favorite ship?
me: i ship the child with love and support from his seniors and peers!!!!!!!!!
5 notes · View notes
bestruction · 3 years
Text
How it’d be to watch animes with them
A/N: While i’m working on my Mikasa x reader royal au, this little idea came to my mind. I tried to put the links when i mentioned a specific scene and speak a little about the anime in case you don’t know it.  So here it’s: 
Warnings: Me exposing my otaku self, mentions of 18+ animes (Not hentais) 
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Eren -  Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunousen (13+)
A / N: The main characters like each other, but none wants to confess because being the person who takes the first step would also represent being the defeated person. The anime develops in a series of plans that both elaborate to make the other confess their love.
Warnings: None
It was his idea to watch an anime together since the two of you liked it a lot. You saw no harm and agreed to go to sleep with your boyfriend on Friday night. So, you would have the dawn and the weekend to see everything.
“We could watch One piece! Everybody likes"
“In three days ?! We will not finish even if we do not take breaks ”
"Naruto then?"
“Haven't you seen it all five times or more?
"But it is a classic!"
"It is also too long!"
He would sulk when he saw you reject each of his suggestions for being too big animes. The truth was, he was trying to convince you to stay longer. After much searching in the catalog, you choose to watch a short comedy of 12 episodes.
Biggest mistake ever
Eren is already annoying by nature, and after watching Kaguya-sama's two seasons he would spend the day and night trying to get you to confess to him EVEN IF YOU'VE BEEN IN LOVE FOR TWO YEARS AND HE HAS BEEN THE FIRST TO DECLARE. HIT HIM, PLEASE.
"Do you think that using such a low trick will make me give in?"
“Eren, I just got out of the shower. What trick? Wear an outfit? ”
“Showing off your skin won't make you win”
If you wanted to play with him, great. You are going to spend the day in this little game until he gets tired and just hugs you or something because he can't spend a lot of time without touching you. But if you didn't want to, just you could use that touchy side of him against him too.
"Maybe I shouldn't show you anything else then"
"Yes, of course, do- Wait what?"
"You heard"
“NO, BABE! YOU WON! I CONFESS! I LOVE YOU"
Watching anime with him would be quite an experience. For being very verbal, Eren would be the type of person who doesn't shut up watching anything. Especially, something that makes him laugh. You would see him laughing out loud and throwing himself back on the couch or on you, whether you were with him or not. You may even complain, but it would be fun to see him react to everything as immediately and naturally as an unfiltered child.
He will sing ALL the openings for the rest of the days around the house until you are humming some without realizing it.
For some reason, can I imagine him doing Chika dance ?? Yes, please film this big bear dancing like a little girl.
Tumblr media
Levi - Death parade 
A / N: Do you want to cry and hurt yourself? This is the right place. Death Parade is a story about what happens after death. The characters are sent to mysterious bars where they will be judged to decide the fate of the souls themselves. (18+)
Warnings: Suicide, depressive themes, mentions of rape and domestic violence
I don't see Levi watching many animes. In fact, I don't see him watching much anything at all. He would be the type of person who can't spend a lot of time in front of the television without feeling like he's wasting time. Which would result in a very selective and demanding taste.
He would always read the reviews about the film, and after watching it, he would make his own. Ever. No exceptions. Unlike Impossible-to-be-quiet-Eren, Levi would be silent to be able to capture and understand all the details. This is interesting because getting his attention is a difficult task. But once it's done, he is 100% focused on the story and immersed in the characters.
So, after reading about it, he would agree to watch Death Parade with you.
He would have low expectations at first, and if the anime failed to hold his very difficult attention in three episodes, he wouldn't even try with the rest.
So when in the first episode, all suspense and doubts left to the viewer entered Ackerman's head, he would finish the other 11 without realizing it.
As a rational person, he would love things that make him think and reflect on the proposed theme. In the case: Life and death.
For some reason, I imagine him as someone who would like to study and read philosophy as a hobby and that he would love Nietzsche? So, you could expect deep conversations after each episode.
But without any arrogance, humanity's strongest soldier might not be the most talkative man in humanity, but surely when he opened his mouth to it, it wouldn’t be to show himself off with something that he knows and you don’t. On the contrary, he would be more than happy to explain if you asked and added your opinion.
He wouldn't cry, but he would be touched by the way the emotions were shown and created in the characters.
He would probably see the scene where Decim cries more than once for being impressed with how the pain of a character who is supposedly not flesh and blood is expressed so well.
And after the anime is over, you would always see him listening to the music of the ice skating scene around the house while doing something.
When you were finished watching everything, you would talk again about the anime. You lying on his chest and he touching his hair, smelling him.
"Do you believe in reincarnation, Levi?"
“If so, I wouldn't go back to this shit a second time. No matter what they offered me ”
"Levi!"
"Unless it was to have you again"
“What a cliché” He would roll his eyes after hearing your response “But I like clichés”
Again, he wouldn't cry, but he would be thinking about how ephemeral things can be, including being alive. Then you can expect a more touchy Levi for a few days.
Tumblr media
Jean - Banana Fish 
N / A: Another one to cry and get hurt. Banana Fish is way more than just a story about one character just is hard to define. So in case, you didn’t watch it, here’s the trailer. (18+)
warnings: pedophilia, rape, violence, drugs, your heart being destroyed
You know that guy who says that no yaoi is good, it's just a way to feed a bunch of fujoshi and stuff like that? Jean. It's him. I just know it. So when you suggested Banana Fish and said it was a BL / yaoi, he would probably laugh and ignore the idea.
But after insisting a little and showing him the many compliments that both the anime and the manga received, he would accept.
At first, he wouldn't pay much attention. He really thought it would be just another bad anime. But by the end of the first episode, he would be too involved in the story to stop.
I think he would love crime novels for the same reason that Levi: To think. Try to find out how things are going to end and pick up any clues that the author has left about the ending. So the plot would hold him so much because he would make a ton of theories about the end.
He will ship Ash and Eiji with all his soul. I mean, how can he not ship? To see an anime in which the physical touch between the couple doesn't really happen and still builds a well-developed and healthy relationship would be a new experience for him.
Jean is somewhat similar to Eren in this respect. So you can expect to see him huffing in anger, cursing one of the characters, throwing a pillow away, or using it to hide a tear or two that he would let go of you. The kind of person who gets emotionally involved with the things he watches.
He would cry an entire river after watching the last episode and deny it later.
“I was not crying. The cushion fabric made my eyes itch a lot ”
Show him again and he will cry the same amount and intensity
Tumblr media
Armin - Haikyuu
A / N: Considering all the texts on Tumblr for haikyuu characters, I’m pretty sure you know what anime it’s lol (10+)
Armin is an otaku with a license card and no one can change my mind. He would probably start watching it as a child. So, his first animes would be everyone's classics: Naruto, Dragon Ball Z, Bleach, etc.
So it would be normal that as the vast majority, he would continue to have a preference for shounen when he grew up. So it would be your idea to see Haikyuu.
He would have low expectations because he thought it would be just another anime with cute characters for everyone to be thirsty as an inverted harem. And also because the synopsis does not create a strong impression, especially for those who consume shounen daily.
"So we are just gonna see a little boy trying to catch a ball?"
“It's gonna be good! Everyone is talking about it now ”
"Does he have some superpower?"
"No"
"Something scary?"
"Armin, just give a chance!"
He would like it. Did I say he would like it? Because he would love it. The atmosphere created and well developed with such a simple plot would hold his attention well. (Is it possible to dislike Hinata in the first episode?)
It would be a great anime for him to watch because 1. It is different from what he usually sees. Unlike shounen, Haikyuu deals only with real and tangible scenarios. Of course, still with that touch of anime, but it is very easy to recognize yourself in the characters and learn from them and therefore reflect on yourself as well.
It would be great to make him think about his own insecurities and how most of them were inside his head.
He would be so immersed in the anime universe that he would have to pause the game scenes because he would be too nervous waiting for the ball to fall.
You will probably see him taking a deep breath in each drawing scene of the characters and see him truly cheering for the team as if it were a real national game.
More than that, you will see his eyes full of tears when Yamaguchi hit the serve in the match against Aoba johsai.
In fact, Yamaguchi would be his favorite character. No discussions.
"I said it would be good"
"Shut up"
"Make me"
Tumblr media
Mikasa - Heaven’s official blessing 
A / N: I'm going to leave the trailer here because I don't know how to define it very well. It's a novel, but the story doesn't focus ONLY on that. (14+)
Okay, you didn't suggest. She did not suggest. So how do you end up watching together? You catch her watching when you come home by surprise lol
Until then, you would know that she watched some anime, but nothing romantic. Never. In fact, that was her little secret.
Although common sense is that Mikasa would be cold even in a modern au (and I agree in parts). I think she would be the type of person who loves to see the sweetest and softest things to melt alone on the couch without anyone seeing. A moment for herself and a part of her that she would not show to anyone.
You would already know about her romantic side, but seeing her under the covers sighing while watching the Netflix special episode is a totally different story.
Please don’t mock her!!. She would be red enough by the time she was discovered.
When she was less shy, she would ask if you want to watch with her. She would say she saw no problem watching it with you again since doing it with you would be a different experience.
If you accept, you would spend the rest of the night in the room sharing a blanket and absorbing the soft atmosphere, the soundtrack, and the Chinese culture so present in history.
She would not speak a lot because she was paying attention, but she would hug you all the time. In the romantic scenes, she would tighten her arms around you a little and sometimes left a kiss on your shoulder.
I think she could relate to Hua Cheng's way of loving. He is always there to protect, care for and see his lover even if sometimes Xie Lian doesn't even know.
And that is what she wants to show you, that more than a girlfriend, she is also someone you can count on.
Days later, you will see her reading the rest of the work around the house because she couldn't stand to wait for a second season.
And later, SURELY melting and vibrating while watching Mo Dao Zu Shi.
253 notes · View notes
thatslikely · 3 years
Text
Seasons- G.W. Headcannons
dating George Weasley through the seasons
Warnings: mentions of food, but it's all fluff
Word Count: 1.4k
A/N: just thought it would be fun! Let me know if you want this for any other characters!
George Taglist: @hufflepuff5972
if you want to be added to the taglist, reply to this post, send me an ask, or dm me!
I recommend listening to this playlist while reading for the best experience!
Tumblr media
----
Winter
On the first snowfall of the season, you two definitely built an adorable little snowman, complete with coal eyes (you probably stole Ron's scarf for his neck). You told George about the muggle story Frosty the Snowman, and he tried to find a spell to recreate Frosty.
The next day, you two gradually started amassing a large snowman army. Inevitably, in the middle of construction, George betrayed you with an icy snowball to your back.
Naturally, this incited a five day-long snowball war that increasingly got more and more intense. George was surprisingly good at building sturdy snow forts, so you never really stood a chance against his defences. He could have probably constructed a 7 foot tall barricade in a matter of minutes!
Even if you two are locked in battle, he'll always take time to admire the way the white snowflakes rest in your hair so beautifully, as well as the fiery determination behind your eyes.
Fiesty battles aside, George always made sure that you were warm and cozy after a long day in the cold, making homemade hot cocoa using Molly's famous recipe.
One day, long after the ‘Snow Skirmish’, you convince him to go ice skating with you; he absolutely fell in love with it. For a while, he had to hold onto your arms for balance, which led to a lot of falls considering he's a giant compared to you.
Eventually he got the hang of it and you taught him how to play muggle hockey, which he picked up quite quickly. He eventually got all the Weasleys hooked, and they held weekly tournaments. You were always George's favorite cheerleader.
If he ever became a little too cocky, he'd fall face-first onto the hard ice, which always brought a small smile to your face. He always laughed with you, too.
On snowless days, however, you two went on 'expeditions', which entailed peaceful walks through the woods, hand-knitted gloves intertwined.
You'd always keep your eyes peeled for birds or foxes, and occasionally he swore he saw a yeti. You were surprised he never got Fred to dress up in a yeti suit, at least not yet.
Spring
One word: picnics.
You spent the majority of springtime down at the Burrow, enjoying the pleasant spring weather. There were huge multicolored flower fields surrounding George's childhood home, making it even more fitting for the season.
Some days, he'd take you down to the creek past the Burrow, and the two of you would stand ankle-deep in the cool, flowing water. Sometimes, if he was feeling a bit mischievious, he’d splash you with some of the refreshing water, you quickly returning the favor.
Occasionally, he'd try to catch a little leaping frog, holding it carefully in his big palms. He was enchanted by the tiny creature, and without fail, he always begged you to let him keep it.
"But Terrance needs a home! We can make him a terrarium and everything! Please?"
Some days, he'd take you up to the Tree, which laid on a soft, grassy hill in the middle of a luscious yellow flower field. A single tire swing hung from its burly and ancient branches.
Often times, he'd sit at the base of the trunk, either dozing off or humming a song from his youth. If you chose to sit with him, however, he'd braid your hair perfectly and pick some colorful flowers to accent it.
"My little Angel, you look so pretty with flowers in your hair."
You'd always pick some petals for his ginger mop, too.
"Now we're matching, Georgie. Daffodils compliment your hair beautifully."
He loved to push you in the tire swing. He was far too big to fit in it now, to your dismay, but he was perfectly satisfied pushing you back and forth in it. It almost reminded him of rocking a baby cradle.
On rainy days, he'd fetch old rain boots from the attic. He'd always wear Bill's old pair, you wearing his'. The area around the small creek was all muddy, and you can't tell me he wouldn't make mud pies. Even if he's way too old for them.
"Darling, would you care for a pie?"
"And what does it taste like, exactly?"
"It's my signature flavor, mud!"
Summer
I firmly believe George is a good cook. He just is (see my chef!George fic for elabroation).
One sweltering day, you and him went out to the gardens and pick ripe, ruby-red strawberries to chop up and make into homemade strawberry ice cream.
His ice cream would surpass Fortescue's by a lot. Like it's scary. From then on, he made it every Saturday morning, even on chilly winter days.
Sometimes he'd turn adventurous and try some new flavors, which were normally pretty good, until he got a little too creative and made caramel watermelon ice cream. From then on, he stuck with the classics.
In the evenings, a small bonfire was lit and all the Weasleys spent the night drinking and dancing. Bill held a guitar concert, George and Arthur grilled up some hot dogs (which were juicy and delcious), Fred set off some fireworks, and Ginny held fiercely competitive broom races.
When everyone went inside, exhausted, you and George stayed outside, listening to the crickets chirping and admiring the clear, country sky. He pointed out his favorite constellations to you, reenacting the myths behind them with you as his co-actor (you can't tell me we wouldn't let you fake-stab him and he'd fall to the grass super dramatically).
Beach days: a must have.
George would definitely wear red/maroon swim trunks, and there would always be a white stripe of sunscreen on his freckled nose, even after he furiously rubbed it in.
He'd always love the bathing suit you sported, whether it was a gingham bikini or a gorgeous silver one piece. He loved you so much, you never felt self conscious around him.
He'd take you to a secret, tucked-away beach, and you two would spend the day building elaborate sand castles, burying you deep in the sand, and searching for pretty sea shells and sand dollars.
“Where do you think you’re going, Mister? You can’t just leave me buried under the san like this!”
“Someone’ll find you eventually. I just want all the icecream for myself, what can I say? Oh fine, I’ll dig you up, darling.”
Autumn
Autumn at the Burrow was like nothing else. There was always a seemingly endless supply of pumpkin juice and apple juice on tap, and traditions were ampted up to the max.
Pumpkin carving was taken very seriously, and you and George were no exceptions. You and him were never artsy per se, but you always tried your hardest together to crave an intricately designed pumpkin. It always turned out pretty decent, to your surprise.
George and Fred would constantly wear scary masks and hide around he Burrow, or plant fake spiders in the cupboards in hopes of scaring Ron. It always worked.
Since the weather was so nice and chilly, he'd always go around the woods with you collecting a pile of some good sticks for a tree fort. He always carried the branches, and you collected the prettiest orange leaves you could find, for a collage or scrapbook.
All fall, he worked on building a small, secluded tree fort, which was definitely worth it in the end. You two stayed up late into the night, telling ghost stories, kissing, or inviting the whole Weasley clan for a good old fashioned game of Truth or Dare.
As for Halloween, you guys already know he goes overboard. He decorated every inch of every wall with black and orange streamers, fake cobwebs, and little baby pumpkins. It was always really sweet; he'd always wear a proud grin after the whole house was adorned to his liking.
For costumes, I'm 99% sure that you two would always do pun-y couple costumes think him dressing up as a cereal box and you as a killer, or him as a ghost and you a pepper).
You two would also 100% go to a costume store, and buy as much cheap hair gel as you could, all so you two could make each spiky Mohawks (you'd never admit it to George, but he pulled them off).
One time, he let you take him to a muggle farm for the day. You decided it would be fun to do a corn maze. The both of you got lost for three hours. From then on, he just stuck with hay rides.
Spending time with George was always fun, year-round.
194 notes · View notes
beingallelite · 5 years
Link
Every Thursday we will offer you compelling analysis, a look at the best wrestling you might have missed over the previous seven days and an interview or feature focused on some of the most important newsmakers in the sport.
This is a historic time to be in the wrestling business and should be an exciting era for fans as two megapower promotions collide. We will be your guide as All Elite Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment wage a Wednesday wrestling war and promotions big and small continue innovating and reinventing what is possible inside the ring all over the world.
Brandi Rhodes doesn't dream small. If she and her partners did, they'd still be grinding away on the independent scene or begrudgingly collecting a paycheck from WWE as they watched the clock on their professional careers slowly wind down.
Instead, they are launching the first real competitor the wrestling space has seen in decades—and doing it their way.
As chief brand officer for All Elite Wrestling, the shiny new promotion launching this October on TNT, she spends most of her time building partnerships and making people feel like they matter. As a professional wrestler and manager, she more often sows chaos and discord.
She'll fully occupy both roles at All Out, the sequel to a pay-per-view that essentially launched the promotion into existence and made the fledgling group the talk of the community, stealing the hearts of fans throughout the wrestling world. It returns to the scene of the crime in suburban Chicago this Saturday on Bleacher Report Live with a show that promises to do something most follow-up acts can't—top the original.
Just days before the event that will set the stage for the promotion's television debut and establish its ongoing direction and storylines, Rhodes, who is married to fellow wrestler and AEW vice president Cody Rhodes, sat down for a two-part interview with Bleacher Report's Jonathan Snowden to discuss her ever-shifting world.
Jonathan Snowden: I know it's got to be hectic heading into a major show like All Out. It occurs to me that very soon this isn't going to be something you guys have to grapple with every couple of months or every few weeks. It's going to be a weekly thing, every single Wednesday. Are you ready to step out into the storm?
Brandi Rhodes: Yeah, I think we're ready. Being on the road every week is not new to me. I've had a little bit of a reprieve actually, so it's kind of welcome to be traveling again so frequently and able to be fully engrained in the work and busy, busy, busy. We're all looking forward to it on our end. It's actually a little bit lighter a schedule than we're used to, so it's going to be very nice.  
JS: I'm really excited by the women's division you're building at AEW. I think it could be a real secret weapon, especially because many fans in the United States have never seen what a lot of them can do. But you've also got what I see as quite a challenge in front of you. How do you mesh the tremendous women from the Japanese Joshi Puroresu scene that Kenny Omega is helping scout with the Americans who come with different skill sets and a different approach in the ring?
Rhodes: One of the best things about our division is that it's so very diverse. We have a lot of female wrestlers who bring a lot of different things to the table. I think you're right that a lot of the Joshi talent hasn't been seen before, so it's great to have them on board to show people what they can do.
They'll be mixing with people like Allie and Brit, who have been on the indy scene for awhile but haven't really broken through, either. I think it's going be a nice mix no matter what you like.
There are a lot of fans who really like that high-flying, fast-moving, hard-hitting action. And there are some people who really love to be fully invested in the character work of someone and wondering what's going to happen next in the story and where it's going to go.
That's the beauty of what we're doing. There's no box that anyone is going to be forced into. They are allowed to be authentically who they are and that will be a recipe for success.
JS: I've been watching over the last several weeks as you've announced some familiar faces for the All Out Casino Battle Royal like Sadie Gibbs and Jazz. Pardon the pun, but I'm pretty jazzed about it.
Are these signings for just the single match in Chicago, or does it indicate a more long-term relationship with AEW is either in place or possible?
Rhodes: Most of the women you'll see at the Casino Battle Royal are non-active members of our roster. As I've mentioned on the Road to All Out, we don't have 21 women on the roster and the match requires 21 women.
So, this is an opportunity for a lot of these women to get in front of a larger audience. Maybe an opportunity most of them have never had, or at least not in a long time.
Right now, most of these women aren't actively members of the AEW roster. But that doesn't mean they won't continue to work with us.
JS: It sounds like this is an opportunity for them to impress the people in the back, who will surely be watching closely.
Rhodes: I feel like it's more an opportunity for them to impress the audience. They're our core and who we're listening to. They kind of have their finger on the pulse of what they want.
If someone makes a great showing and the audience is really, really loving them, that certainly will go a long way.
JS: I absolutely love the feature you did on the Road to Fight for the Fallen about your figure skating career. It was super-relatable to everyone who has ever failed at something and spent years seeking redemption. My whole family was Team Brandi after that moment. Then you came out at Fight for the Fallen and were a villain! Is that dichotomy tough to pull off?
Rhodes:  Actually, it's not. I think my character is a little more complicated than people give her credit for. I do have these moments when I can rope you in and have you very much on my side—and even feeling sorry for me. But in those moments, it's up to you to decide if that's real.
So, the last couple of times I've done it, I've proved I wasn't really about what I was supposed to be about. In the case of Allie and Awesome Kong, I cried crocodile tears and wanted people to be behind me and be my friend and cheer for me. And the first chance I got, I took the easy route. And I won.
And that's what it's about. It's about winning the matches. It's good when you create those emotions. When you can just feel that burn like "my God, how dare you?"
One of my favorite characters to watch growing up was Sensational Sherri. Man, she pissed me off all of the time. But I always wanted to see her and see her get her comeuppance. She was just so much fun to hate. I think about her sometimes with some of the things that I do.
It gets even more complicated because I do work with Cody, and a lot of the times he is a good guy. It's hard to see him as a bad guy, especially with everything he's done for pro wrestling in general. So, it's an interesting on-screen relationship. I'm true to myself, but I always have a soft spot for my husband no matter how nefarious I am.
JS: It's fascinating to watch you navigate social media as one of the most high-profile women in all of wrestling. Some of the fans are lovely; others less so. I don't want to speak for you, but from the outside, it looks like there is a sizable contingent of fans who seem uncomfortable with a woman, especially a woman of color, in a decision-making position. Does it feel that way to you sometimes, too?
Rhodes: Social media always has that anonymous factor to it where people can say whatever they want to say without being accountable.
Definitely, there are people who have adverse reactions to our brand as well as my role. That's OK. It's just social media and it's never going to change as far as I can tell. But it's not going to stop me from doing my job and what I need to do and what I love to do.
I think in wrestling generally there is this good old boys' system. Where you always have a lot of men at the top and a lot of men making all the decisions. And I think it's time we kind of stepped away from that. Truly, in our minds. It's one thing to say it and another thing to actually accept it, be about it and walk the walk.
I'm looking forward to that with AEW and hoping we continue this journey and continue to see women differently than the industry has in the past. And that includes my role. As positions come open and we grow, I hope the best candidates get the jobs and not just people in the right network or people with the right number of years in the industry.
It's a paradigm that's shifting right now and it's taking some people, including some members of the audience, a little bit of time to catch up.
In part two of our exclusive interview next week, Rhodes discusses the struggles a performer can face as a woman in wrestling, the promotion's commitment to inclusion of all kinds and why fans should give this new group a chance.
'Hard Times' Promo of the Week
Kenny Omega isn't normally known as a promo guy, but he absolutely blistered the hide off of Jon Moxley in the most recent episode of Being the Elite.
This was filmed with the camera and lighting setup used for Road to All Out, a good aesthetic choice as the normally breezy goofball went on the attack in an interview that got very personal, very quickly.
Omega was critical of Moxley's decision to wrestle in New Japan Pro-Wrestling's notoriously strenuous G1 Climax tournament and offered no kind words wishing him a speedy return from a staph injury that will prevent the wrestler formerly known as Dean Ambrose from competing at All Out.
The highlights:
"Did I go to Japan and wrestle 24 days in a month before fighting you? No, you see, I did this thing, Jon. It's called being a professional. What am I supposed to say? I was ready, I took you seriously. I never got myself injured. I got myself in the best shape of my life. You never took me seriously. You never took this PPV seriously.
"You owe everyone an apology, you owe me an apology, and you should really look in the mirror, Jon, mm-hmm, you should look in the mirror and you should ask yourself, ‘what the f--k am I doing?’
"I'm playing this all back in my mind and I'm thinking I'm being really insensitive, because this is a real serious injury, it could have happened to anybody, right? You were careless. I blame you. And if people want to look at me like I'm the bad guy? Well, jeez, they're just as bad as you are, Jon. You left a lot of pieces, a lot of broken dreams, and a lot of disappointed fans laid upon my feet. And they're begging for something now, huh? What kind of wrestler does that?"
The Illegal Double Team Hot Take
In many ways, wrestling promotion is a lost art.
The old masters, men like Dusty Rhodes or "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, could take the skeleton of an idea and turn it into oral gold. They didn't need a script or a committee of writers to craft their dialogue—it came from the heart, as authentic as the men who performed it.
As wrestling became more "corporate boardroom" than "outlaw biker bar," the way wrestlers talked changed to suit those shifting sands. Instead of responding like a normal human being—sometimes angry, sometimes funny, sometimes even with imperfect delivery—the wrestler has become nothing more than a vessel for a Hollywood writer.
The template for the modern wrestling promo was created by The Rock—sarcastic, funny and sneering. But he was a singular performer. Those who have followed have paled in comparison when trying to do his act, to the point that today's Rock clone is barely an echo of the original.
The result is often awkward, stilting and hard to take seriously, each wrestler, no matter their supposed background or motivation, sounding like the exact same vascular automaton.
That brings us to Road to All Out. The presentation on this weekly series is the antithesis of what we've come to expect from wrestling promotion. The sitdown interviews, particularly, have given matches that might otherwise not seem especially important the kind of gravitas that is rare in contemporary wrestling.
When Jim Ross sits down to talk to "Hangman" Adam Page, it doesn't feel like a wrestling interview. It feels like the best kind of sports programming, a version of 24/7 for the squared circle.
Short on histrionics and long on authenticity, it's a look inside the mind and heart of an athlete facing a significant challenge. There aren't the long, tortured pauses or panicked looks as the performer forgets a line that we see so often on wrestling television. Instead, it's a man sharing his story in a calm, calculated and compelling way.
Ross invented the form in signature interviews in WWE's glory years with figures such as Austin and Mick Foley and excels at highlighting who the wrestler really is and what their motivations might be. It's excellent, compelling television. I hope it's a staple of AEW programming going forward.
Three-Count: Looking Ahead
AEW All Out (Aug. 31, Bleacher Report Live):
Chris Jericho vs. "Hangman" Adam Page for the AEW World Championship
Kenny Omega vs. Pac
The Lucha Bros vs. The Young Bucks in a ladder match for the AAA World Tag Team Championships
0 notes