#/I NEED to answer other people st OP because you know I will immediately respond as law i must | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

killian-whump · 6 years

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@doodlelolly That other post is getting way too long, so let’s at least fight like civilized people with “Read More” cuts, yes?

I’ve quoted the portions of your post as I respond to them, since the initial post isn’t here. Also, for those who wish to see what has occurred before (and to prove I am not trying to “hide” anything in there and truly am just trying to save my followers’ dashboards) the post is here.

Ok. So here’s what I’m getting from your repeated condescending tone and aggressive responses. You believe you’re in the right and nothing is gonna change your mind. It kind of seems to be a trend that I’ve ignored until now because, as you mentioned before, it’s only a small percentage of your actual content. But we’re this far in already so I’ll continue to throw my 2 cents in cuz, hey, why not.

Of course I think I’m right, as do you. That’s literally the foundation of every single argument in the world. BOTH sides believe they’re right, otherwise they wouldn’t be arguing. So please don’t point a “You think you’re right!” finger at me as if you’re making a profound point about my character. It takes two to tango, and YOU are the one who asked me to dance tonight.

So let’s break down the responses you gave as mentioned above. To the first anti Jen sentiments, you expressed outrage and disapproval immediately, and then when someone disagreed, as in the case with Jen’s two defenders, you tried to maintain that air of neutrality. What does that say to your followers?

It says exactly what my words stated. My initial reaction is to think what Jen said is rude to the cast, crew and writers of the show, but I am withholding official judgement until I see a video for myself. That is what I said, in full, in my initial response - and what I continued to state, in part, in my further comments on posts I made explicitly to amplify the comments made in Jen’s defense. Had my response to those comments been the impetus for posting them, I could’ve put them in the replies portion of the post. I POSTED them, with a simple response of my stance on the subject, to GIVE VOICE to the positive interpretations of Jen’s words.

Honestly, I’m curious what you would’ve preferred me do, instead of what I did. Should I have ignored the positive comments entirely, as I ignored the negative ones? Should I have made sure my response to all three comments were identical by adding the part about thinking the comment (as reported) was rude? Either of those options seem like they would’ve legitimately given the impression that I was being “anti jen” - and, frankly, the options of me either not sharing my opinions at all or lying and saying I was convinced by the defense when I hadn’t yet seen the video I’m waiting on aren’t things I am willing to do.

And I never once said that your anti Jen tag inconvenienced me, not did I allude to it. I simply pointed out that if you use that tag, you’re probably going to find something anti Jen. I’m not asking you to change it. I wouldn’t expect you to. I think it’s absolutely appropriate.

You stated that by USING the tag, I knew there was “anti jen” sentiments within the post. I explained that I use the tag, even for mild criticism or what might be construed as criticism, out of respect for a follower who ASKED me to do so. Polite, civil, valid, and/or respectful criticism is not “anti” anything, though I have a strong suspicion you probably think it is - and perhaps that’s where our problem lies in communicating with each other. We seem to have wildly different ideas of what constitutes “bashing” someone.

And for you to be so ready to discuss the so called “ammo” for season 7 antis and shut down the asks about whether or not this is the right place for one if your followers is another huge red flag that you are playing favorites. Why is an ask that someone flat out calls Jen out in “well thought out” and someone looking for information on the content of your blog (with a compliment to you, no less!) “dropping bullshit”? That seems very biased to me.

It IS biased. I answer almost all of my asks, and I will answer one asking my opinion on something one of Colin’s former co-stars said about the project they worked on with Colin MUCH differently than I will answer an Ask that perfectly fits an established pattern of trolling asks I receive whenever a specific catalyst occurs - and said catalyst has just occurred.

I’m sorry that you’ve gotten hate for your opinions in the past, but neither of the anon responses to this subject, to me, appeared hateful. The first anon was expressing their opinion (which I didn’t agree with either, for the record) and the second was concerned on whether or not they should remain a follower. I don’t know this person, and neither do you, so your assumptions that they are not a follower and trying to stir the pot are only assumptions, just as mine are that their intentions are genuine.

However, MY assumptions are based on a pattern of events that have continually and predictably occurred for MONTHS now. Jen gets mentioned on the blog, or some non-CS ship gets attention, or I make a critical comment about Jen/Emma/CS... and I receive two rapid-fire Asks in my box: the first one a pro-Jen/CS/Emma rant about whatever topic set them off, and the second some “I’m a long time follower, but this concerns me!” nonsense. Sometimes (as tonight), there is a third one that goes on with the pro-Jen sentiments and adds some anti-Colin ones for good measure. I didn’t post that one, but it DID arrive - as expected.

Also, it bears mentioning that an Ask doesn’t have to be “mean” to be trolling. Some of the asks this individual sends ARE mean, yes, but it’s the repetition, insincerity, and lack of relevance to my blog’s subject that offends.

YOUR assumptions are based off of seeing two random asks on my blog and coming to your own conclusions about them based on the Asks themselves. I’m sorry, but in this case... this isn’t just a difference of opinion here. Your assumption is being made without the full picture, and I understand that, but I am GIVING you the information that led me to make the assumption I made - and as I said before, I am standing by it unless someone wants to admit they SENT that Ask and I made a mistake in interpreting its source/purpose.

And I’m sorry you misinterpreted the way I worded my hypothetical. Allow me to rephrase. Simply take all of the instances where Jen’s name is mentioned and replace them with Colin’s. Would your response be different? I expect st least your initial one would be. You would be much more likely to take an immediately neutral stance instead of rushing out the gate with a negative comment. So no, they weren’t completely different questions. Just replacing one actor’s name with another.

My apologies. It was my misunderstanding. Allow me to adjust my answer.

I am being 100% honest when I tell you my initial response of saying it’s RUDE and that I am withholding judgement until I see a video would be the same. Although, in the interest of full honesty, I probably might have expressed a disbelief that he ever WOULD say such a thing, as I genuinely don’t think I’ve ever heard the man utter anything (in seriousness) that is even in the same ballpark as that kind of comment. However, I know this from having followed his career, interviews and comments for some time. I do not follow Jen’s, and therefore have no reasonable expectation of what she would/wouldn’t say.

As for the rude comments from others... I would have ignored them, just as I did tonight - unless they got excessive. In which case, I would have pointed out to those making them that the OP is a Colin fan and could they please have their conversation elsewhere than on my post. As I said elsewhere, I do not “police” people’s opinions, unless they’re based on something proven to be false or seem grossly misguided in a way I feel I can help them with.

I tend to believe people who are eyewitnesses to the occurrence. Eyewitness testimony stands up in court so I mean, it’s a huge shove towards the truth in my opinion. But I intend to watch the video when it surfaces as well and I will continue to support your decision to do so.

The problem here is that someone directed me privately to the Twitter post from someone at the panel where they quoted Jen as saying she carried the show. You’re assuming that all we have here is heresay and the comments from two people who were there - but the initial “quote” that started all of this is FROM someone who was there. Hence, I am withholding my judgement until I see the video, myself, and know EXACTLY what was said and can determine from her face/tone how it was intended.

And you know the same could sentiment could be said for your accusations and assumptions of me. I disagreed with your post. Vehemently. And you have willfully misinterpreted most things I’ve said as evidenced by the clarifications, redirections, and explanations I’ve given above to support your argument as you see fit. It’s absurd and I don’t appreciate having my words twisted or ones I never said put in my mouth.

Ah, but I am the one being accused of “bashing” Jen and being hateful towards her. The onus is on YOU to PROVE these accusations, and you have not done that. I stated an initial, honest opinion - that I admit is critical of Jen, but not overly so - and then did my best to AMPLIFY the defense of her and IGNORE the harsher criticisms of her - and yet you STILL persist in insisting you’re right and that I somehow acted hatefully towards Jen tonight. I haven’t. I said her words were rude - and, if it turns out she didn’t say what she reportedly said, I will take that criticism back.

And you are correct, this time you aren’t bashing Jen, either directly or indirectly. You’re clearly coming for me directly and I don’t think anyone thinks otherwise. I’m totally fine with that, bee tee dubs. But I agree with the tag once again. Doubly so this time cuz, hey, my name is Jen too ;)

Need I remind you once again that it was YOU who began this fight and YOU who is making baseless accusations against me without any actual evidence of them? Tell me, what have I “come at you” for? What have I accused you of? I think you’ll find I’m merely defending myself here.

Honestly, seeing the things others ARE saying about Jen, both on Twitter AND Tumblr, over this supposed statement... I am truly confused how my simply saying such a comment is “rude” and the way I handled someone who I sincerely believe has been trolling me off and on for over a year warrants the sort of attention this is being given. I mean, there’s literally dozens of other people you could be “calling out” for bashing Jen right now who are actually bashing her quite horribly... Am I truly the hill you want to plant your Jen Defense Squad banner on? XD

#responses #doodlelolly #fandom drama #off topic

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onyxiana-is-obsessed · 4 years

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Cupcake | Pro Hero!Dabi x Villain!Reader

AN: I'm going with Touya Todoroki for Dabi's real name, I mean it's practically all but written in the manga so! He be Touya! His hero name was kinda difficult to come up with, but I chose The Cremating Hero: Blueflame, I was originally gonna keep it as Dabi, but I changed my mind. I want their personalities to be completely separate from their villain counterparts. Lol, I say that, but his alias as a villain is Blueflame. He's also gonna keep his red hair and have no scars and I'm also adding the other UA students in there as pro heroes.

I mention a couple of instances you use your quirk, such as moving a chair without touching it, healing, and teleporting, but you still get to choose your quirk, so feel free to make yourself hella OP!

Pronouns used: She/her

Summary: Pro hero Dabi's called onto the scene of a villain attack, where he gets kidnapped after being injured.

Right, this way for the story.

Full Name: (y/f/n) Quirk: (y/q) Age: 23 Villain Name: (v/n) Villain Rank: A

"Blueflame!" Ground Zero yelled as he watched his friend get thrashed around. The villain they were fighting, whatever his name was, was just so damn fast! He was able to avoid Deku's smashes, Shoto's flame attacks, Ground Zero's explosions, and Blueflame's attacks as well.

"No!" Blueflame responded. "St-stay away! Th-the building's gonna collapse!" However, his brother, Shoto, refused. As the dual haired male ran towards his older brother, Touya called out to his close friend. "DEKU!" With a frown, the green-haired pro hero grabbed his friend and jumped away.

"NO! TOUYA!" Shoto screamed, as he, Deku, and Ground Zero quickly moved out of the way. The villain tried to escape, but a large chunk of the building landed on him. Touya collapsed, his body unable to handle his quirk any longer. A figure landed in front of him and he heard them something, but couldn't make out exactly what it was. Soon, everything went dark for him.

~**~

Cerulean blue eyes opened up weakly, blinking a few times as Touya got used to his eyes being open. They stung and his body hurt, but he was ok. He sat up slowly, pain rushing jolting through his body. He grunted, laying back down.

He couldn't make anything out, it was so damn dark. All he knew was that he was on a very uncomfortable bed, with a mediocre pillow, and a thin blanket. He couldn't tell how big the room was or where the door was and the room didn't seem to have any windows.

The door opened, his head snapping in the direction of the sound. He saw a figure, shrouded in darkness, until it reached out and flipped the lights on. He immediately hissed, shutting his eyes, giving it a few moments before he opened them again.

The woman wore a (insert outfit description). She had (h/l) (h/c), and (bright/dark) (e/c) eyes that scanned his figure.

"Ah, you're awake, cupcake." Her voice cut through the silence between them. Cupcake? Touya's eyes landed on the plate in her hands, she brought him food? The girl moved towards the bed, looking at a chair and it moved into the proper position. She sat down and placed her hand on his forehead. "Much better, you were almost crushed under that building, Blueflame. You're lucky I found you." Touya tried again and was able to sit up, but was breathing heavily as pain shot through his body. "Take it easy."

"H-how... who are you?"

"My name is (y/f/n)." He didn't recognize her. "I brought you to my... home. Like I said, you were almost crushed under the rubble and well, you're such a great hero, I couldn't let that happen, cupcake." She picked up her fork and gently held out a piece of meat on it. "Go on." Although hesitant, he opened his mouth and let the girl feed him.

"Thanks." He muttered, watching as a smile appeared on her face. She placed the fork down and picked up a water bottle that was sitting on the nightstand; he didn't even see it. She opened it up, he heard the seal tear and held it out to him. She gently poured the water into his mouth, letting him take a few sips of it.

"Good thing you're awake, my healing doesn't work too well. My quirk's not made for that."

"Wh-what is your quirk?" Blueflame inquired as he took another bite of the food.

"It's (y/q), it was quite a bit of work to get used to it."

"Oh wow, are you a pro hero?" She shook her head.

"Not really, being a pro hero is not my thing." She answered sheepishly as she continued to feed him. "Although, you should know. You've been unconscious for three days now." Touya almost choked on his food, making (f/n) worry and rub his back. "C-calm down, cupcake. Th-they're searching for you since they weren't able to find a body under all the rubble."

"I-I ha-have to get back!" (f/n) shook her head and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"You're hurt, Blueflame. Please." The look in her eyes... it made him want to stay. "Just stay here until you feel better. It should only be another day or so, at most. You're already eating. You just need to rest and when you're healthy, you can go right back to your friends." Her bright smile, it was so beautiful and calming.

"Th-they'll be worried."

"I mean, they're already worried, I won't lie. But it's already been three days. What's two more?"

"Why didn't you tell them anything?" Touya asked as (f/n) fed him another spoonful.

"I mean, you were seriously injured and I couldn't just go find a pro hero and tell them I'm keeping Blueflame in my home... th-they would've panicked."

"I suppose..." The two kept up with their small talk as (f/n) fed him his food and then told him to rest some more. The male complied and returned, sleeping taking over his exhausted and sore body, almost immediately.

~**~

(f/n) walked out of the room, taking the plate to the kitchen sink. She began washing the dish as her mind wandered. So, she finally had Blueflame in her grasp, taking care of him like a real girlfriend! It was so exciting! She let out a content sigh as the soapy sponge ran over the plate and utensil.

They'd be such a cute couple! Going on cute little dates, cuddling, watching movies on the couch together, then he'd propose! They'd get married and most likely (be childless/have lots of kids)! That was her preferred lifestyle, but she wondered what Blueflame thought about all that. Did he want kids? How many? What if he didn't like kids at all? Didn't matter much, she just wanted him.

She placed the dishes on the drying rack she had and dried her hands, her mind still in fantasy land. Slowly she moved to her living room where she sat on her couch and turned on the TV. They were still going on and on about how Blueflame was missing but his body hadn't been found in the rubble, so there could be a chance that he got away.

(f/n) giggled at the story, as she watched the poor pro heroes search relentlessly. How silly of them, if only they'd been more careful.

"Cute little heroes." She whispered.

~**~

Touya had woken up again, still unable to really move. (f/n) had heard him grunting and came into the room with a wide smile.

"Hello, Blueflame. How are you feeling?" He nodded.

"A little better."

"Good, good!" The girl had another plate of food, which she placed on the nightstand. "Are you hungry, cupcake? It's been about six hours since the last time you ate."

"Oh wow... only felt like a few minutes. Y-yeah I'll take some." She, once again moved the chair without touching it, and fed him. He almost forgot about what she was doing, he was already used to it, after only one time of being fed by her. He didn't complain though. Oh... and her calling him cupcake. He didn't question it at all, actually. It was... cute.

"Do you feel like you need any medication? I would assume some painkillers?" He nodded.

"Yeah, that would be nice."

"I'll bring you some after." The two continued their little conversation until (f/n) randomly brought up villains. "You know, a few days ago, I was walking to the grocery store and I heard this group of girls talking about you being a villain."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, they had it all planned out. Your name would be Dabi, you'd burn your face to hide the fact that you were the son of Endeavor, you'd also dye your hair black. Isn't... it interesting?" The hero was confused.

"I suppose, but I-I would never. Sure, my father's not the best, but I want to be a pro hero to save people. I love helping people and I want to show the world that there are good heroes out there."

"Good heroes?"

"You know of the Hero Killer right?" (f/n) nodded, tilting her head to the side a little. "He believes that false heroes should be killed. My belief is that false heroes shouldn't bother. Being a hero isn't an easy job. You often get hurt, you always have a chance of never returning from a fight, and then there's losing civilians. When you become a hero, it's to protect and save people. It's so difficult losing those you promised to protect.

Yes, there are heroes out there who want to be heroes for money or fame or whatever else. I... I don't. Sure, I get paid, I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I need money, if I'm a full time hero, I can't earn money from another job, where would I live? How would I get food? Basic things like that... that's why I'm usually ok with people becoming heroes because it pays well. Only difference is there should be another reason too.

I want to show the world there are still good heroes. I don't do this for money or fame. I do this because there are people out there who can't protect themselves. There are people with weak quirks or no quirks at all. They need me... and I'd gladly stand up to protect them. Even if it meant losing my life." (f/n) gazed at him with pure adoration and respect, a sweet, loving smile on her lips.

"You're truly amazing, cupcake. D-don't ever become a villain ok?" He looked up at her, slightly shocked.

"Of course. I want to be the exact opposite." She gently reached out her hand and placed it on his cheek, gazing into his cerulean eyes. He could feel himself melting under her gaze. His sparkling eyes studied her face, her alluring (e/c) eyes, the (long/short) lashes that perfectly accentuated her eyes, her enticing (pink/red) lips that he so desperately needed to feel against his. Her (h/l) (h/c) perfectly framed her beautiful face.

Touya didn't even realize he'd reached out to her. (f/n)'s eyes widened as he gently guided her face towards him, his lips pressing against hers briefly. (f/n)'s heart sped up and she tried to tell herself to pull away, but when his other grabbed her hand to pull her closer to him, she lost all self-control. The fork slipped from her hand and she used her quirk to keep it from hitting the floor.

Their lips fit so perfectly well, almost as if they were made for each other. Touya felt his mind go fuzzy as he tugged the girl closer to him, making her stumble a bit as her hands landed on his shoulders. The kiss lasted a few more seconds before they pulled apart, their eyes gazing into each other.

"I-I'm sorry..." He muttered, letting go of her making her move back and grab the fork that was floating in the air.

"It's f-fine. I-I'll be back with th-that me-medication." The warm, comforting moment only lasted that long. She was gone in a flash, returning with the painkillers and a glass of water. Once he'd taken the medication, she told him to rest and was right out of the door.

Outside, (f/n) frowned. She was so madly in love with him... there's no way... he'd be a villain. With that speech of his, he was clearly aiming to be the opposite, as he stated. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she went from Blueflame's room to her own. Laying down on her bed, she let her emotions flow.

How pathetic.

After a couple of hours, the girl stood up, a determined look on her face. Her beautiful (e/c) started to glowing as she made her way to Blueflame's room.

~**~

The next day, Touya woke up feeling... great. He was able to stand and instead of (f/n) coming to feed him, he was able to come outside, getting a look at the house that he was in. It was rather cute, she had a color scheme that suited her, the house wasn't huge, but he did notice two bedrooms. One was his, the other one was down the hall, the door was slightly open.

He ran his hands through his hair as he stepped out and walked into the living room. Just a bit further down, he noticed the kitchen, a plate of food already prepared. Actually, two plates. As he approached the food, he heard footsteps behind him. Turning around, he came face to face with his caretaker, who had a smile on her face. It... was weaker than what he'd seen before. He knew something was off, but didn't push her to tell him anything.

"You're up! How do you feel, cupcake?"

"Amazing, actually."

"That's great! Now that you're up and walking, I think you're ready to head back. One last meal?" Touya smiled at her, she was so caring and lovely. If he wasn't a hero... he would've asked her out on a date right then and there.

"Sounds good." (f/n) smiled and set up the table, and the two began eating. "I wanted to thank you. For taking care of me, this entire time. You didn't have to." The (h/c) haired girl shook her head.

"It's no trouble, cupcake. Really... I was terrified when I saw you fall. I was actually one of the... civilians there. I was gonna run, but I saw you fall and... my heart sank. You're such an amazing hero, you do so much for us! I wanted- no... I needed you to live. So, I used my quirk to get to you. Before the building collapsed on us, I got you out of there. I brought you here and well... you know the rest."

"Why? You could've just handed me off to the other heroes." The girl smiled sheepishly as she took another bite of her food.

"Honestly?" He nodded. "I... admire you. N-no, I really like you. Like, huge crush. I kn-know it was selfish of me and you would've been better off with the heroes, but I knew I'd never get another chance to talk to you. You don't really like talking to fans and supporters that much, so I decided to be selfish. I'm sorry." Touya almost frowned, but then again. (f/n) meant no harm, she just wanted to talk to him and take care of him, so he put on another smile. Besides... that kiss was still on his mind. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't stop thinking about it. Her lips were so soft and warm.

"Thank you! I really appreciate it. You're also a great cook." She looked down, a blush on her cheeks.

"Th-thanks." They continued their small talk until they were done with their food. It had already been about five days, so Touya couldn't stay any longer. On his way out, (f/n) stopped him.

"Take care, cupc- Blueflame. Keep your promise and never become a villain." He smiled at her.

"You can call me Touya. I will, also... feel free to say hello to me if you see me on the streets. Maybe even drop by the agency. Tell them Touya specifically asked for you, they won't deny you entry then." (f/n) gave him her cute smile with a nod. He moved closer to her, watching as her cheeks turned red. His hand came up to her face, his thumb gently caressing her cheek. He leaned down and placed a brief, chaste kiss on her lips, which she returned. His arms wrapped around her in a comforting squeeze. After that, he thanked her again, and was off.

As soon as (f/n) closed the door, her smile faded. She started cleaning up as she thought about her decision. How could she even call herself a villain? She just let him go!

~**~

Touya was quick to make it back to his agency, where he was greeted with lots of crying friends. His brother was beyond ecstatic to see him. They all asked where Touya had been and he explained how a sweet girl had found him and took care of him.

They were all happy to hear about her, even asking what her name was and what she looked like. No one recognized her name, but someone recognized her face.

"B-Blueflame," a hero started, making everyone look at him. "That's (v/n). I know because I've fought her before. She's short, sweet, and she called you cupcake right?" At that last sentence, Touya froze, his heart sinking in his chest. N-no way. Sh-she was so kind... and lovely.

"Y-you're lying." He breathed. Almost immediately, another hero spoke up.

"No! Is this her?" She turned the computer and Touya's eyes widened. It was a picture of (f/n), she was at the park talking with a known villain who had been arrested.

"No..."

~**~

Touya was walking home, it had been about two weeks since he'd seen (f/n), she never contacted him or anything afterward. He hadn't even seen her. Until now.

"Can I still swing by your agency, cupcake?" Touya whipped around to see the girl standing a good distance away.

"(v/n)?!" His eyes held anger and betrayal, leaving her to only smile sadly at him.

"Guess you found out, huh?"

"Why did you take me? Was that attack your plan?" (f/n) shook her head.

"Actually, no. You see, I don't just have a crush on you. I'm madly in love. Every single fight you're ever called to, I go there. I watch you as a civilian. I smile and cheer for you, but this time, I thought you were gonna die. I got scared. Yes, I did take you and my intentions were to keep you. I finally had you in my grasp, cupcake. I planned on keeping you, I wanted to make you sick from the food... but... the more I was around you, I couldn't do it. So, instead, I focused on helping you get better. Then I let you go."

"Why?"

"You don't hurt the ones you love. You let them go and if they love you, they'll come back. But Touya," He winced at the use of his name, making her frown. "Don't come back."

"You'll be in jail, (v/n)." He said, ignoring her last statement. Clearly, he was going to come back one last time- or as many as it took to bring justice to her.

"Only if you're the one arresting me. Anyone else, I won't go. Next time we meet, if you win, you can take me to jail yourself. Goodbye, Blueflame." She blew him a kiss and gave him a wave, making him frown. He tried his best to keep his composure now that he was facing a villain. His cerulean eyes met her (e/c) ones, before he opened his mouth to speak.

"Goodbye, cupcake." Her face contorted into a frown and then she vanished.

#mha #mha imagines #mha dabi #bnha #bnha imagines #bnha dabi #dabi x reader #dabi my hero academia #touya todoroki #touya x reader

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twentysomethinginorlando · 7 years

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Star Wars Half Marathon Episode II: The 10K

New Post has been published on https://twentysomethinginorlando.com/star-wars-half-marathon-part-two-10k/

Star Wars Half Marathon Episode II: The 10K

2 o’clock occurs once a day and it is not in the morning, unless I’m running a RunDisney race. Then that’s usually when my alarm goes off. I was horrified at the Expo when I realized this morning would be even a little earlier since I had to factor a bus ride into my plan for the 10K.

A Challenge consists of two races, a 10K on Saturday and a half marathon on Sunday for a total of 19.3 miles. Today was the Star Wars 10K. The plot of this year’s Star Wars Half Marathon – the Dark Side is that everyone is trying out to join Captain Phasma’s Stormtrooper forces. I didn’t know we needed a plot for a race but character integrity and what not. Both races are on brand new courses that start at Ticket and Transport Center (Magic Kingdom‘s parking lot, the TTC) and end at Epcot. I have personally never seen a race start at the TTC, but I’ve only been doing RunDisney since 2014 and they’ve been doing these races for almost twenty-five years. This meant I had to park at Epcot and get on a bus to the TTC. After my experience at the Wine and Dine Half, I wanted to make sure I had plenty of time so I left around 2:20 am. That was the time same I set my alarm for my first ever half marathon, but at least today didn’t involve waking anyone up for emergency costume modifications.

On the bus!

I applaud the poor Cast Members working these events. I can only imagine what time they had to get up. I was slightly miffed they didn’t give the parking attendants lightsabers to use instead of their normal wands, but the guy pretending to use the Force to park the cars in the correct spots more than made up for it. I was unable to find the actual row number for where I parked but I tried to note I was in the third or fourth row. I was really early! They actually were not letting us in yet, we were held at the bag check tables for about five minutes before the Cast Members started letting us through. Volunteers were inside handing out red glow stick “lightsabers” to everyone. I was on the second of the charter buses, and my efficiency training made me sit go all the way in the back instead of the front like everyone else but it worked out since it got me a seat to myself.

I got off the bus at the TTC about 3:45 am. I had already been up almost two hours and the race wasn’t even starting until 5:30! At least it gave me plenty of time to meet characters. The first line I came to was BB-8 and I haven’t made it to his new meet and greet at Disney’s Hollywood Studios yet, so he was my immediate priority. His line moved fairly quickly and I only waited ten minutes. Then I moved onto the Jabba the Hutt line, which was a little longer. Jabba was more of a backdrop than a character, but he’s also the only one you can’t really find in the parks.

BB-8!

Jabba the Hutt.

Well, you can’t meet Boba Fett, but I’ve met him before. Thank you, Star Wars Weekends. I’m so glad I was exposed to them when I had the chance. My last stop was the backdrop that is apparently from Cloud City. I just thought it made for a neat photo and the rest of the lines had gotten to the point I didn’t think I’d get through them before they pulled the characters. They had Captain Phasma, Kylo Ren, Darth Vader and Boba Fett in addition to Jabba and BB-8.

DJ Elliot.

This little girl is going to grow up to be awesome.

After I got that shot I wandered over the stage to watch DJ Elliot and a guy from the Disney Parks Blog (I have no idea what his name is even though they said it like four times, but I’ve seen him on live streams) give away prizes to people who correctly answered trivia questions. My personal favorite was a ten year old girl dressed as Rey who managed to finish a ridiculously hard quote. It’s the scene in the Millennium Falcon where they’re flying through the asteroid field and we thought it was going to cut off after C-3P0 so she could yell, “NEVER TELL ME THE ODDS!”, but instead it cut off as C-3P0 says, “The odds are-”

So this adorable little girl responds, “Three thousand… seven hundred… and twenty?” SHE GOT IT RIGHT! Let me tell you how I would not have gotten that, and they gave her like three prizes. Adults answered easier questions incorrectly. I hung out there until they said it was time to head for the start corrals. I made a stop on the way at my longest line of the day, for the bathroom.

This is my least favorite part of any race I have ever run, standing in the starting corral waiting for it to start. It’s usually staring at my phone except nothing much is happening at 5 am for me to read and no one is awake to talk to. I had several friends running but they all had their own groups, and I didn’t even know for sure what corrals they were in. I wound up behind a group of Tie-Fighters. They had the wings tied to their arms, and while it looked amazing I don’t know how you’d make it through the more narrow parts of the course without knocking someone out. I applaud their construction though: foam core and duck tape. Simple, cheap and lightweight! They screened The Last Jedi trailer which was awesome, but I was too far back to see it very well. I did hear a guy yell, “QUITTER!” After Luke’s line about the Jedi needing to end.

Corral D.

Waiting to start.

The final bit before they sent the wheelchair racers off involved two Stormtroopers scaring the announcers off stage and giving everyone an intro about their tryouts to serve Captain Phasma. I was just disappointed it wasn’t the two Stormtroopers from the Star Wars Weekend intros and Hyperspace Hoopla. It lacked the genuine hilarity and playing off each other, and the voice actors weren’t the same. I think all park Stormtroopers should always be them, and I want them to get their own TV show. Seriously. Get on that, Mouse.

They were trying something new in sending each corral off in three “mini waves”, which best as I can tell reduced the number of fences they had to put up but still sent people off in the same quantities as usual. I wasn’t watching the time very closely to see what time I actually started but according to my runner tracking it was 5:52 am. I was itching to get going by then and was so relieved when the fireworks for Corral D finally went off.

I did no training for this race. I always mean to and yet I never do. Ever since I infamously ran a marathon once without training for it, it makes it even harder to convince myself to put the time in that I should. I can run one race without training, but I usually limp for a few days afterwards. (I stayed in bed for like three days after the marathon.) On the last Challenge I ran, Lumiere’s Two Course Challenge, I overdid it on the 10K and had nothing left in the tank for the Half. In order to prevent that from happening again, my plan was to walk as much of this race as possible so I could run tomorrow instead.

I crossed the starting line at a run but I held it only about as half as long as I normally do. Even when I do train, I’m lousy at intervals. I kept it at a fast walk from there for most of the race, which honestly I was still keeping pace with a lot of runners around me. We passed a high school marching band that was playing a medley of Star Wars music.

The first character I came to was R2-D2 probably three-quarters of a mile from the starting line. I didn’t stop for him and I wish I had, but his line was pretty long. For someone who doesn’t train, I end up worrying about time a lot. I passed the characters from Star Wars Rebels somewhere around mile two, and had I known who they were that might have been more tempting.

This is hands down my least favorite RunDisney course I’ve ever run. We had an almost three mile straight away between the TTC and the ramp to Hollywood Studios with only two character stops and a whole lot of nothing. There were a couple screens just playing the different movie clips. They had Vader’s chair for a photo op at the start of the ramp, and that is a LONG ramp. Even if I hadn’t been walking most of the race, I would have had to walk that. My bad knee does not like it when we run on uneven ground like that. Maybe it was because I was purposely going slow or the lack of volunteers cheering, but it just seemed to take forever to get to Hollywood Studios. (I would like to clarify there were lots of volunteers handing out water and I am grateful, but there seemed to be less than I have seen at other races.)

My first genuine moment of encouragement came from a security guard as we made the turn into the backstage area of Hollywood Studios. Darth Maul was right around the turn, but his line was HUGE. I kept going and found myself backstage between Tower of Terror and the “Fantasmic” stadium. The 501st was out in full force inside the stadium with tons of random characters, main and minor, from the series. For those who aren’t familiar, the 501st Rebel Legion is a group of dedicated Star Wars fans with screen accurate costumes. They had a big event at Star Wars Celebration last weekend and they have been present at every nerd event I’ve ever been to in my life, (MegaCon, Tampa Bay Comic Con, Star Wars Weekends, etc.). Coming out of the stadium I saw Boba Fett and Jango Fett, and they were so good I honestly can’t tell you if they were 501st or Disney.

There were several bellhops out in front of Tower of Terror before I got to Sunset Boulevard, but I decided it was better to just take a selfie. There was a set of two Stormtroopers that I passed, followed by another set. Had I realized I would be out of Hollywood Studios in the next few minutes, I probably would have stopped. My fault for not studying the course more carefully. I ran through most of the park since I was hyped up and there were Photopass photographers everywhere. Ever since my mom got worried by me walking in a previous race’s photos, I refuse to be caught walking on camera.

The run between Hollywood Studios and Epcot through the Boardwalk is a very tight one. It’s a sidewalk, a literal sidewalk, and it’s not wide enough to accommodate many people at once. There’s a lot of bumping and unintentional shoving. I’m also not a fan of running on the Boardwalk. It wasn’t wet this morning but it’s been wet previous races, and I watched a guy wipe out super hard taking a turn too fast during the Wine and Dine.

However, I did see one of my favorite shirts during this stretch! Anyone who’s not super familiar with RunDisney probably doesn’t know who the Balloon Ladies are, and I actually had to Google them before I ever encountered them. They are a group of lovely ladies that cross the starting line last and run at exactly sixteen minutes per mile, the longest average time you can maintain without getting pulled from the course. They run just in front of the bikes that do the actual sweeping. They don’t work for Disney, they are volunteers and their goal is to give people the encouragement they need to stay ahead of the sweepers. Naturally, there are some people who are afraid of encountering them and there’s gotten to be quite a few running jokes about them. Like this shirt! The only time I’ve seen the Balloon Ladies I’m proud to say was during the 2016 Walt Disney World Marathon, they were coming into ESPN Wide World of Sports as I was heading out.

Walk around the grass. IT IS NOT THAT FAR.

Chewbacca!

Coming around the turn from the Boardwalk into the World Showcase entrance to Epcot, I spotted Chewbacca. Since I knew I was getting close to the finish line, I figured I could stop. I also seized the opportunity to get a Pokestop and catch a Magikarp. There was a Cast Member directing runners to go around the patch of grass in the median due to the pot holes in it. As I waited in line, the people behind me kept loudly complaining about her and the other Cast Members enforcing the rules. I had to bite my tongue in order not to say anything as one girl yelled in protest as they made her friend go around instead of going through the grass. All it takes is one person not paying attention, charging through and hurting themselves, and Disney has a lawsuit on their hands. Then the Cast Member that failed to stop you is in trouble and probably unemployed. I really, REALLY don’t like it when people give Cast Members crap for doing their jobs.

That is a strange looking Deathstar.

I ran through most of Epcot from World Showcase to Spaceship Earth. They had Stormtroopers standing on the stage next to the fountains looking menacing. People were taking pictures with them, but then I saw the Cast Members telling the next person who stopped no, so I kept going until I hit Guest Relations for another selfie.

I entered the backstage area that lead to the finish line to find more of the 501st waiting. I saw two more Mandalorian Bounty Hunters, including a female one with purple-blue armor. The last two characters were Rey and Tarfful off to the side, but I kept going. I’m not stopping for any Rey that isn’t an official Disney Rey or Daisy Ridley or herself. There was a sign stating these characters were fans and not official representations of Disney or LucasFilm.

I rounded the corner and broke into a full run until I hit the finish line, and had to pull up short because so many people were stopped just past it. I made my way down to the medals and was once again handed my medal instead of being presented it. I really don’t like that. The volunteer next to one I was in front of was putting them around peoples’ necks but I couldn’t get to her without cutting someone else off, so I just put it on myself. Not nearly as fun. The drink stations were next, just past first aid. I headed straight to the end for the blue powerade. I passed the photo booths and moved into the snack station and kept going all the way to the main area with the characters.

It took me a few tries to find Boba Fett’s line. I just wanted to get one photo with the medal and head out. He seemed to take forever but it was probably only half an hour. I was very surprised to learn he talks now! He didn’t do that the last time I met him!

My very last stop before the struggle to find my car was to ask a group in line behind me if I could take their photos. Absolutely best costumes I saw all day: Legends of the Jedi Temple. I couldn’t tell what the exact teams were but they had four different ones represented. They were also super cool about me asking them if I could take their picture. One of the girls just yelled at the rest of them, “GUYS! Photo time!”

Now I am sitting around in my pajamas and I’ve already watched Episode I and all of the Hyperspace Hoopla videos. BRING THAT BACK DISNEY!!! I’m trying to wait until at least 7 pm to try to go to bed so I sleep straight through to my alarm. Assuming I make it to the finish line, I’ll have that report up tomorrow.

#disney #rundisney #running #star wars #Adventure Report #Running

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satellights · 7 years

Text

Obligatory “I just had top surgery!” post/on having top surgery after having already had a reduction/on being trans and having to deal with medical professionals and such

PS: This is copied word for word from my reddit post, so apologies that it is not tailored to tumblr...I just can’t be bothered lol.

So just had top surgery! Thought I would write about my experience. I've seen at least one person on here who said they were looking into the surgeon I went to (Dr. Melvin Maclin in St. Louis, MO), as well as people who have been interested in getting a reduction, but worried it would make it impossible for them to have top surgery...I just had top surgery after having had a reduction two years ago.

I had top surgery with the same surgeon, and at the same surgery center I that I went to for reduction surgery. There were a few little things that have been different in comparison to the reduction surgery though, that I will talk about. Also, while no one was rude, inappropriate, or transphobic, there were two nurses who asked things relating to me being trans, one for an actual medical reason, and one just out of curiosity/to make conversation. I also have no idea who of the other people involved in my surgery actually knew I was trans (like the anesthesia team, etc). My surgery was written up on the papers as surgery for gynecomastia, so unsure who all knew it was actually top surgery lol.

An unrelated to surgery note: Dr. Maclin is the coolest dude. We have basically the same tastes in movies and pop culture. After my reduction surgery I gave him a figure of a Toho monster, as well as a dvd of this silly Japanese movie that involves like a robot, aliens, and just loads of wtf-ness that I knew he'd enjoy. Today he gave me a dvd of two Godzilla movies, and a Studio Ghibli film (surprisingly one that I had not ever seen...I thought I had seen them all lol). I have the first book of a Doctor Strange anthology that I finished recently, and plan to give him at my post op appointment.

**top surgery compared to reduction surgery on day of surgery**

With reduction surgery my parents came in with me from the start. With this surgery a nurse took me back to get me prepped, and then went out to bring my dad in to me. During prep for reduction, Dr. Maclin came in and drew his lines on my chest before the nurse did any other prep. However, today with top surgery prep, the nurse did all her prep like putting IV in and the things on my legs and such *and then* Dr. Maclin came in to draw his lines. It seemed like kind of a weird order to me, but whatever lol. With reduction surgery I had the IV in my left hand, but today I had it in my right. Because I had the IV put in before he drew the lines, when he needed me to do things like push my hands together to help show him where my chest muscles were I couldn't really do that with the IV in, but we figured it out and I was able to kinda flex my arms in the right way. The rest of prep was basically the same as before. Last time I just talked very briefly with one anesthesiologist, she asked the usual questions. However this time, it was like the whole anesthesiology team lol. I talked to the main anesthesiologist first, he asked his questions, explained in detail step by step what was going to happen with that (like we wheel you to the OR, put a mask on, put the stuff in your IV, once your out we put the tube in, then this is what happens while you're waking up, etc), which was really nice. I don't think they explained it all like that to me last time. Later during prep, two anesthesia nurses came in to ask the same questions, and ask if I had any questions. I got an antinausea pill just like I did last time. However, with the reduction surgery I think I had a lot of drugs put in my IV before ever leaving the prep room, and really don't even remember being wheeled out of it, and don't remember anything in the OR. This time I was like totally with it and awake while being wheeled to the OR, while scooting to the table, met another nurse there, and only very very vaguely remember the mask being put on me. Unlike last time, I woke up while still in the OR, but after all of surgery was over (so not like I woke up by accident lol, the anesthesia team intended for me to be on my way to waking up by that point). I woke up as they were just about to zip up the post op binder vest on me. One of the anesthesia nurses said they were going to put me back to the wheely bed, and not to help them (they didn't want me to move myself). When I got back to the recovery room, I was like wide awake, and I had to pee SO BAD. Like I don't know how tehfuk I was able to hold it while I was under, but I guess somehow I did. But I had to wait a little while (like about an hour), while my need to pee continued to increase, until I was finally able to go to the bathroom lol. With the reduction I stayed at the surgery center overnight, but with this surgery I was able to go home after having been awake for 1-2 hours. With reduction I had just drains, and they got taken out the next morning. With top surgery they stay in a week, and I also have a wound vac for that week as well. I don't think I really got any meds in my IV aside from anesthesia stuff, whereas with the reduction I had pain meds and valium in my IV before and after surgery. Immediately post op with the reduction, my arm mobility was really bad, and the pain was bad enough to need the prescribed pain meds. Today immediately post op I actually have a ton more arm mobility than I thought I'd have, and the pain is there of course, but it's mostly bearable, and pretty much up until right around now it felt like just muscle pain. It's only just now that I'm starting to feel some pain from pressure on the incision areas.

**on being trans and having to deal with medical professionals and such**

So it wasn't until I was all prepped for surgery, but before Dr. Maclin had come to draw his lines, that the nurse was basically like "oh wait...I need to get a urine sample" so we had to go over to the bathroom. We went in and closed the door, and it was once we were there alone that she asked me "you still have a uterus right?" and apologized and explained that it meant they'd still have to do a pregnancy test. Personally I just found it kind of amusing, but it also made me really curious who of the personnel there knew I was trans. Every person of the anesthesia team asked what name to call me. I don't think this had to do with me being trans at all, and just that the name I registered with the surgery center was actually a nickname of my legal name lol (my legal name is my new changed name, so didn't have to have my birth name on anything during any of this). They explained they ask that of everyone in case they need you to respond while you're still mostly under/half asleep, and they want to address you by a name you will be the most likely to respond to immediately lol. But for some reason them asking me this still felt a little like *"because you used to respond to a totally different name because you changed it because you're trans"*, but it still didn't really feel hurtful or anything. Then later in recovery when the nurse was taking my IV out, like she did when she was putting it in before she tried to make small talk to distract me. This time however, she started asking about me being trans. While I had no real problem with it, or with talking to her about it, it still felt weird because it came out of nowhere. She asked how long I had been transitioning. I told her how long I'd been on T, and how long I'd been out before then, but told her I couldn't actually remember whether it was two years or three years ago that I came out to my parents lol. She asked if they were supportive, so I talked about that a little, and explained while they weren't unsupportive at all that this has all still just been one big learning experience for them it seemed. She went on to say something like "yea, some parents wonder what they did wrong, and it's like 'you didn't do anything wrong'!" which made me smile, and made me feel good to know that her saying that meant she was most likely pretty supportive of trans people in general. After I talked about how long I've been out she asked me like "yea, but how long have you *known*?" which personally I found kind of rude of her to ask cos like that's kind of a *too* personal question sometimes. But still I didn't really have any problems with talking to her about it. She asked if I knew as a kid, and I explained I'd known ever since I learned about what being trans was and how I related to it 100% right in that moment that I was reading about what it was, but that when I look back there are definite signs in my childhood of me being trans, and had I known it was a thing back then I would have fit the trans as a child narrative.

Everyone gendered me correctly the whole time I was there. Even my dad which I was surprised about. He almost said she once, but switched to he after like 0.2 seconds of the "sh" sound coming out lol. My dad tends to just take ques from others around us if we're together. If the other people are calling me he, then my dad will do. But of course this sucks, when we're around people who have a hard time with pronouns and still automatically use she (like my dad's best friend does, and like my mom does).

Anyway, if anyone has any questions about any of this stuff, feel free to ask. I'll try my best to answer. Unlike with the reduction surgery, I for some reason don't feel like total crapola this time around. Last time I felt like the anesthesia did a real major number on my brain and I became a total dud, but today I'm feeling like I can actually concentrate on things like reading and writing and I think that's just totally wild lol, so I think I should be capable of answering any questions and such.

To those of you who are interested in hearing about having top surgery after having already had a reduction, at what points post op top surgery would you like updates on the differences in the healing/recovery process? Maybe every week? I will try and keep notes so I can share them with you all periodically through the next year, because I know there have been a lot of people around here who have been really interested in getting a reduction before top surgery, but are worried or don't know what to expect.

#mine #surgery #top surgery #trans #transgender #transmasculine #ftm #march 28 2017 #transition

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