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dragonwitch77 · 6 years

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Death Wish

There was something… odd about Snatcher lately.

Normally she was the one invading on his home, but recently he had been visiting her to do these Death Wish Contracts that she was sure would kill her if she wasn’t careful. She didn’t mind too much. If it meant spending time with her BFF, she wasn’t complaining. But that wasn’t the main problem.

The problem was that Snatcher had taken away the telescope that helped her land on the planet down below. More accurately, the telescope to Subcon Forest. She knew he was responsible for it since it disappeared when he started showing up. She had confronted him about it, but he only shrugged.

“Kid, I’m sure you lose stuff on a daily basis. Just look at this mess in your room! I’m sure you just misplaced it or something. I’m sure it’ll turn up eventually. By the way, did you notice that there’s still some more contracts you haven’t finished yet on this map?”

There was no way she lost a telescope. It was bad enough that she couldn’t get down there without it, but what was worse was Snatcher being the culprit and denying it!

Well if he wasn’t going to play nice, then neither was she!

She raced towards the art gallery where she stored all her paints at to grab a couple of cans filled with blue paint when she noticed the telescope in the Machine Room. It had been a while since she visited the Conductor and DJ Grooves. She was still sour about the whole Award Ceremony thing but she still managed to be friends with the birds.

On a more distant no more movies for a long time level.

She went over to the window and peered out. The planet really looked better when it wasn't a fireball of boiling lava. She could make out a lot places from here. Dead Bird Studio. Mafia Town. Alpine Skyline. Subcon—

Subcon Forest.

She pressed her face closer to the window. She didn’t notice before, but Dead Bird Studio was awfully close to Subcon Forest. Very close. Like so close that she could probably make it over there if she took…

She smiled.

*^*

“Waz-what? You want tae take me train tae Subcon Forest? Are ya kiddin’?!”

“Please Conductor? I need a way to get there and your train is the fastest there is to getting there!”

“Aye aye aye lass! Yer pullin’ me feathers on this one.” The Conductor sighed, rubbing his face. He was more than happy when she suddenly popped by, asking around for him instead of DJ Peck Neck. He was! She was his star in his latest movies, even if it didn’t get him the first place trophy they were still the best he ever gotten. “Lassie, Ah want tae help ya. Ah do! But Ah can’t take ya tae such place.”

“Why not?”

“Well, fer starters, me train can’t get off its rails if ya know what Ah mean. N’ secondly even the closest we can get tae that place, there’s no stops or stations tae put me train at. Trains have a very strict schedule tae keep, n’ they don’t like railhogs hoggin’ up the tracks! We would have tae keep movin’ so there be no accidents with other trains!”

Hat Kid frowned. “But… isn’t your train the only train on this planet?”

“Um, well, yes. But laws are laws. Even ridiculous ones fer only one train. N’ Ah can’t really break those laws lass. They take me train away if Ah did!”

“But Conductor please! Snatcher’s been acting weird lately! He stole my telescope and won’t tell me anything no matter how much I ask or try!” She grabbed the Conductor’s arm, looking at him with her best puppy dog eyes. “I need to find out what’s going on and you’re my best shot of getting there! Please Conductor please!”

“Ah’m sorry lass but Ah—HEY! Hey you! Yeah You! What do you think yer doin’?!”

A poor owl stopped in his tracks.

“That prop is fer scene five! FIVE! Not scene seven ya peck neck! Put it back in the right set before Ah come over there n’ pluck out all yer feathers!” The owl epped, racing back to the right set. The Conductor sighed, shaking his head. “What do Ah even pay them fer?”

“Um, Conductor?”

“Hm? Oh. Right. Lass, Ah can’t help you with this. Me train is precious tae me n’ Ah can’t have no law bidin’ peck necks take it away fer breakin’ a few rules tae help ya. Birds depend on that train ya know? Need tae get tae one place tae another lickaty split!”

Hat Kid frowned a moment. “But don’t you already break the rules? Like you do when you’re filming movies?”

The Conductor scoffed, waving one hand. “Aaah that. Not really lass. The laws are laws but they can’t keep everythin’ in their tight grasp of theirs. Bein’ a movie director gives ya some privileges that the law can’t punish ya fer. The name of cinematography is an art n’ an easy usage tae get out of trouble. Eh he he~.”

Hat Kid pondered a moment. The law won’t let Conductor break any rules if it meant that his train would get taken away but they couldn’t do a thing if it was a movie in progress. She smiled. This gave her an idea!

“Conductor, Conductor! Maybe there is a way you can take me there!” She shook the old bird’s arm, smiling brightly. “You can make a movie out of it!”

“What?”

“Listen listen! You said that the law can’t do anything to you if you’re filming a movie right?”

“Ay, that’s true. But where are ya goin’ with this lassie?”

“You can use Subcon as your new movie!”

“What?!” Conductor screamed, catching everyone’s attention and stopping them in their tracks. “Lass, are ya mad?! Ah can’t do that! That place is full of spooks! Ghosts! Real ghosts! Not movie props or special effects! Not tae mention the king of spooks lives there! Ah can’t just waltz right in there n’ start filmin’! Ah’ve heard of the stories n’ met the spook himself! Ah’m not doin’ it!”

Hat Kid frowned. “Not even for the chance to win the Annual Bird Award?”

“Even fer the award!” Gasps broke out. “Yeah! Yeah! Ah know! Gasp! GET BACK TAE WORK!” He sighed, looking at the hatted alien child. “Look lass. Ah know yer worried fer yer friend, but I don’t want tae risk losin’ me soul just yet. Even Ah have me limits.”

“But. But what if you don’t go to Subcon? What if you just stay outside and say you were looking for inspiration for your new movie?”

“Lass.”

“I’d be the only one to go in! Snatcher’s taken my soul before and I got it back! You don’t have to go in! I just need to get there!”

Conductor frowned, looking at her deeply. She had her best puppy dog eyes on, full of tears and her little lip was trembling. If there was one thing besides his train that the Conductor was weak against, it was the sad look of puppy eyes. And his grandfatherly instincts.

“ALRIGHT FINE! Fine! Ah’ll do it! Just! Stop lookin’ at me with those eyes!” Hat Kid cheered. “But it’s gonna take a while fer me tae pull this off lass. Might take a few days.”

“That’s alright!” She hugged him. “Take as long as you need!” She snuggled against him, hugging him tightly. “Thank you.”

The Conductor froze. No one had hugged him like this. Not since his dear wife’s passing. “… yer welcome lass.” He smiled, patting her on the back.

*^*

Snatcher was aware that the kid was up to something.

She was smiling more than usual and not in a good way. More like the ‘I-know-something-you-don’t-but-I-won’t-tell-you-what-it-is’ kind of look. He could go looking in the dairy of hers, but that would risk him getting colored blue like the first time she found him snooping in her stuff.

Still, she did the contracts and still managed to live. Uuugh. He really needed to fix that soon. And fast. The kid was flying through these faster than he had anticipated.

“I’m off!” Snatcher looked up from his book as the kid ran through the door, leaving him behind.

She sounded… oddly cheery today. Now that he thought of it, she had been in a really good mood this morning. More so than usual when she got back from visiting the Conductor. Odd. He only met the old bird/thing once. Not certainly the nicest fellow but had a very funny accent. He should try to make a contract for that old bird sometime soon.

Or maybe he could use him to make the contract more difficult. That was an idea too. She had mentioned about that award ceremony battle in her dairy before she splattered him with blue paint.

He looked outside, admiring the view of his home planet. Who knew that his home was so beautiful up in space? He could see everything from up here! The village, the sea, the train stopping at the edge of his home, the mountain—

“Wait what?” He pressed closer to the glass, squinting to get a better look. He knew of the train that passed by the edge of his home turf. It never bothered to stop or treed on his home so he never bothered it. But now it had stopped by the edge of his home. Very close.

Now why would it do that?

Summoning the kid’s telescope—yeah yeah, he did take it, sue him—he focused on the train. Owls were piling out of the train, carrying equipment and cameras. What were they doing? Were they some tour group or something?

His answer came quickly when the Conductor fellow came out of the train, shouting something at the owls and—

His jaw dropped.

No.

Not possible.

She didn’t.

The kid jumped off the train. She talked with the Conductor a bit before running towards—

“THAT LITTLE PUNK!” He screamed as Hat Kid disappeared into the forest. He should have known this was what she was planning! Why hadn’t he taken the other telescopes too?!

Growling, he teleported down to his home, hoping to stop the kid before she found her way to the village and ruin everything.

*^*

Turns out that teleportation wasn’t as fast as he thought it was when he emerged inside the village. He was already too late as several of his minions had gathered around the little hat punk, eagerly chatting and tugging on her sleeves.

“Oh! Boss! You’re back!” One of the minions spotted him, alerting everyone of his presence. The kid gave him a weak smile. Oh she was in trouble when he was through with her.

“Hey boss! Should we give her the stuff now?” Another minion piped up before he could do anything.

“Stuff?” Hat Kid looked at the minions, confused to what was going on around her. Maybe he could still fix this.

“Yeah! The stuff boss had us make for you for completing his contracts!”

Or not.

He sighed as his minions went off to grab the ‘stuff’. Hat Kid looked at him in confusion, waiting for an answer. “Look kid. When someone doesn’t want you snooping in their business, usually it means don’t go snooping. But I guess you’d figure it out sooner or later.” He sighed as one of his minions came back with something in their hands.

“Here you go kid! We hope you like it!” She took the item and to her surprise, it was a raincoat! A brand new one! She looked at Snatcher in surprise.

“What? You didn’t think you weren’t going to get something for not completing some of my new contracts did you? Think of it as a motivating gift to keep you on your toes. A bribe if you will.”

She smiled at him.

“Don’t give me that look! You’re just lucky to have completed some of my contracts to earn this. This is the only time you’re getting a reward by the way.”

“But boss, what about all the other—”

Snatcher quickly slapped a hand over the minion’s mouth. “If you happen to complete more of my contracts however, I might just give you another reward. You know. Checks and balances.”

Hat Kid said nothing. She just smiled as she raced over to Snatcher and pounced on him, hugging him tightly.

“Wh-WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT PUBLIC AFFECTION KID?!” Snatcher scream, failing his arms about as his minions giggled and cooed at the sight. “That’s It! I’m Making The Contracts Harder! No! Impossible For You To Finish! You’ll Be Dead Before You Even Finish Half Of The Map!” Snatcher continued screaming, shouting out threats and death promises. Though no one believed him as he didn’t bother to try to get the small girl off him.

#snatcher week #snatcher #hat kid #conductor #a hat in time #day 3 #death wish

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army-loveblog · 6 years

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Guess who has headcanons?

Army headcanons incoming and I have a lot.

i’m serious there’s so much fucking content in this and i keep adding more

if you WANT to read all my shit then by all means, i’m just warning you

Continue at your own risk.

-Army use to play violin when he was younger and still knows how to play it

-He as paranoia

-Due to his paranoia, he knows a shit ton of stuff about survival and what to do if you get a serious injury

-He’s a weapon hoarder, so he has a whole damn armory under his house. he also has like 3 copies of every weapon

-The reason he has so many weapons is because he likes to tinker and modify weapons as a hobby. he would never bring them into turf, he just thinks it’s fun

-He has his original N-Zap on display in his armory

-first aid kits. everywhere

-big house, rich bitch

-not as rich as emperor, but at least upper middle class

-He has 2 cabinets for medicine. One is the main and the other is the backup, which is literally a copy of Cabinet 1. he takes Cabinet 2 with him on long trips.

-he cares a lot about proper grammar and being formal

-He hates swearing, and will only cuss if he’s in a state of extreme emotion

-He’ll only eat what he cooks because PARANOIA

-Armory also includes shooting range and training zone for testing his modified weapons

-Bring a broken weapon to him and he’ll fix it, no questions asked, and it’ll be done well

-Ironically, he’ll get injured in the dumbest ways. don’t ask how, he just will

-He cares about his health and everyone else’s health a lot

-Heavily dislikes Emperor but wants to try and.. not do that

-Actually has a good sleep schedule.

-Healthy

-WEAK though. he uses the n-zap, which is basically a toy model, so it’s very light. he focuses more on speed and agility rather than strength and endurance.

-both offensive and defensive in battles, using his ink armor to push his team forward, and the suction bombs to place them down strategically, hopefully keeping the opponent away from the goal

-has a journal, but doesn’t write in it much. usually only when he cant sleep.

-when he falls asleep, his sleeping posture will be good, but when he wakes up his body is twisted around and he wakes up with back pains, so he needs to stretch a lot (turf wars usually help with that) he can’t really help how he moves in his sleep

-trains with his team on a daily basis except on weekends unless they want to

-strict, but not enough to be dislikable

-can cook things besides curry >:/

-favorite dish is curry, but doesn’t make it all the time

-cooks for himself every night and lives alone

-would die for his teammates, probably the s4 too

-his armory is REALLY secretive, so you’d only know where it is if you follow him

-owns a real gun

-knows close combat with arms and legs, but usually only uses his legs because he has 0 arm strength he still tries though

-threaten him and he’ll threaten back

-good liar but doesn’t lie because it’s morally wrong

-age 19-20, hims adult

-he’s ace but not aro (not sure what this part is yet)

-his chapter was when he was younger and more cocky and insufferable, like every teen

-has different manuals about different topics, but his largest one is battles, and it has different sections for ranked and turf

-writing helps calm him down

-sometimes he still plays violin, but not a whole lot

-parents forced him to play violin

-parents wanted him to play piano too, but that’s when he put his foot down

-favorite genres are classical, rock, and electronica

-favorite bands are ω-3, diss-pair, and bottom feeders

-dumbass but not entirely

-if being protective of someone, he’ll kind of just glare at the person testing them and hope they stop bothering, don’t question what’s happening, or go away

-lives farther from the square and plaza unlike most of the other coroika characters

-afraid of superjumping, so he just doesn’t. he’s afraid of landing in the wrong place at the wrong time. this goes for battles and jumping around town

-owns a car and knows how to drive

-everyone asks him for a ride and he hates it

-drives everyone anyway

-does salmon run quite often

-has a lot of jackets because he hates being cold

-can and will make you wear a jacket during the winter if you’re not

-army says fuck hypothermia

-i’d say he has health insurance but i don’t think that’s even a thing in splatoon

-hates ordering stuff from resturaunts because he can’t see what they’re doing and how they’re making it, especially doesn’t trust fast food because of a bad track record and again, can’t see it most of the time

-lowkey has a fear of heights

-arachnophobe. huge arachnophobe.

-if he sees a spider he will not go anywhere near it and someone else’ll have to take care of it

-”all spiders are the same, idc if they’re venomous or not”

-use to main chargers back when he was starting out before he decided to try out the n-zap

-n-zap has been his best friend ever since

-can use other weapons, just doesn’t

-has a burning hatred for the blobobbler

-has a burning hatred for the clash blaster

-has a burning hatred for the kensa weapons

-has a burning hatred for the octobrush

-has a burning hatred for piranha pit

-make him mad during a battle and ur fucking asking for it

-can and will destroy you

-doesn’t spawn camp because that’s mean

-favorite map is sturgeon shipyard probably

-is similar to Marina in the way of him liking heavy machinery. he just finds it really fascinating

-history nerd

-knows the history of humans, or at least how inklings thought they existed

-whenever he plays on shellendorf he gets distracted by all of the neat displays and history stuff and probably ends up getting splatted

-reads a lot

-has shelves of books in his bedroom

-could make a library in his house if he wanted to but doesn’t

-has a phone and only uses it for texting

-if something goes wrong, it throws him off course, but he usually manages to collect himself

-usually has a plan, but it’s always the first thing thrown out the window

-he can recreate the cellist/fiddle parts of ω-3 and bottom feeders using his violin. it took some work to get down but he eventually got it. he likes playing the bottom feeders parts the most

-is now rank X in all modes

-idk how he uses a fuckin shooter weapon in clam blitz but he makes it work

-favorite mode is Tower Control

-if him and his team are playing rainmaker, he’s usually the one carrying it. it’s either him or forge that’ll carry the rainmaker

-he doesn’t play rainmaker as often as other modes, though. and he also always struggles to carry the rainmaker because it’s a heavy bitch

-horrible at squid beatz

-can slow dance

-doesn’t like off the hook or the squid sisters all that much

-birthday is October 29th, halloween child

-ironically doesn’t like halloween that much

i think that’s all i have

probably not, but i think that’s it

if you read all of this, congratulations, you endured deep shit

never ask me for anything ever again

i will keep adding to this list

#headcanons #army-kun #coroika

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goldenscript · 7 years

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badboy!yuto

adachi yuto, japanese exchange student and baseball player extraordinaire

his pitch is insane,,, latest record was 89.5 mph but he might’ve upped it (he did and he’s still aiming to surpass the best recorded speed of 105.1) since the school’s newspaper last interviewed him,,, nervously

he may be a well-known around school for being one of the top-ranking baseball players but he’s actually really intimidating

equipped with a brooding look and an almost always resting bitch face a lot of people find him,,,, hard to approach and he likes that

being in a new country is tough - getting to know the language and the customs is like being a little kid in elementary school and it’s because of this very reason that he really hates people trying to belittle him or look down on him

it certainly doesn’t help that just by going there has made other people treat him like an actual child but if there’s yet another thing about yuto then it’s the fact that he has this need to prove others wrong about him

there was a kid in like fifth grade who totally ragged on him,, really made yuto feel like he wouldn’t amount to anything especially in baseball and ok sure he was a pretty scrawny kid at the time, a bit of a late bloomer in the puberty department but y’know everyone matures at their own pace physically and mentally

and anyway, it’s this very kid that has just driven yuto to do the very best that he can even if that means overworking himself and only really putting baseball first

because of that, his grades are pretty mediocre which is funny because he just about calculates and figure just how much he can get away with slacking over just to do the bare minimum

it works though,,, his teachers can’t complain since he is putting in effort and his coaches don’t mind so long as he’s getting the required gpa and coming to practice (which he does almost religiously)

and it’s just really remarkable that this sole drive just to prove someone wrong and get back at them for really doubting him drives him that much

his life has always been shrouded in doubt and insecurity and lots of belittlement and out of everything,,, baseball has always offered some kind of comfort to him

he’ll just stand on that field, whether it’s turf or actual grass, and finds peace in all the screaming because the moment he takes his pitcher’s stance it’s like there’s this silence and everything goes still even during his wind-up and suddenly all this power is thrown into a measly pitch and it has people roaring over him

they didn’t care if he was too foreign or too scrawny or too whatever, they were there and they appreciated his skill and i think that’s all he’s ever really wanted as he grew up into the man he is now

instead of sticking to japan, he decided to take up a full-ride scholarship to south korea and when they announced that at the sports banquet he couldn’t help but feel this swell of pride even if that one kid couldn’t see it happen

it’s a rare sight but it made him smile that day because for once he was acknowledged y’know?

anyway, coming to south korea was almost a culture shock (not by a grand scale but enough that it threw him off balance for a while)

it brought on a dry spell for him because he didn’t have friends or anyone to really be there for him to lean on because he was literally alone and not even with someone he could properly communicate with

it was frustrating on the largest scale and it made him feel even more hesitant and angry to deal with anyone other than his roommate, wooseok, who (bless his soul) is a sweetheart and always invites him to hang or play videogames,,,, sometimes he humors the giant

it took time for yuto to get acquainted with the other eight boys in wooseok’s friend circle but it worked out in weird ways

although yuto can’t exactly socialize in a huge gathering, he would spend one on one time with each of them and found comfortable niches with each so he does have a soft spot somewhere behind all his hostility

he won’t admit it a lot either but he’s more of a shower than a teller

but ok, anyway, even tho his first half of the year in south korea has been a huge struggle, he’s used it to push himself athletically and that’s why he’s getting noticed a lot more by others

they’re still intimidated as ever and rumors come flying in all directions about him killing someone with his pitch and none of the students in the journalism club want to interview him for the paper lmao

there was one brave soul but he’s still pretty,,, shaken from yuto’s rbf and you were actually out in this really cool study abroad in japan about tech culture and reported your findings and,,,,

basically you’re literally the only one who hasn’t heard of yuto aka the hardest person to interview on the baseball team so when you heard about a job that no one was willing to take because it was too scary you were just like “LMAO LEMME AT IT”

that and because he piqued your interest

to say the least, you’re pretty made to be in journalism because you refuse to half-ass anything you do and if they want to do a piece on understanding adachi yuto, literally the hottest rising star on the uni’s baseball team, then dammit you’re gonna do it

so, that’s exactly what you do

you go and hunt him down and approach his coach about interviewing him whenever there’s free time because you’re respectful like that y’know and when the older man grins at you and gives you the ok, you approach him on the bench and kindly talk to him about doing an interview

that alone throws him off because 1) you’re not scared of him??? usually just approaching him is nerve wracking for everyone and anyone but here you are just sauntering over like it’s nobody’s business

he just acts like it’s nothing though, coolly saying, “yeah sure whatever - we can do it right now”

“now?” you ask this with some confusion since you usually have some pretty long, extensive interviews just to get a good piece out because that’s how you are - you’re thorough

not many people in the club agree with you since it’s almost like a waste of time to them but neither you nor do the editor care very much because you put out really good stuff

even some of the stuff you wrote in high school are still circulating around as examples of what one should do and your methods too

you’re not very black and white, you like grey areas and understanding concepts and people especially when they’re misunderstood and yuto is definitely no exception to that

so when he nods and simply says, “i know this won’t take long anyway, so why not right? we shouldn’t waste either of our time”

of course this throws you off,,, but you just nod and start off with some simple questions (to you) like what made him pursue baseball, how much he practices, what are some of his lucky items and pregame ritual habits, and like what are his goals as a player

like i said you’re thorough and even though you said these were simple, yuto was expecting things like “what’s your favorite part of playing baseball?” (pitching, duh) & “is mlb your goal for the future?” they’re pretty basic - during that first interview, he got even simpler things like what was his favorite color and what was his favorite base, and it made him hate that interview,,, significantly

the only redeeming factor of it was how cool they made him sound with his pitching speed record and that’s of course something he prides himself in but it felt so superficial and off,,, he didn’t like it

he didn’t quite feel belittled or anything but it made him disappointed that despite all his hard work,,, no one really cared enough to get to know him ya feel?

it’s silly but part of him working so hard is also for attention and that validation that he never vocally desires

so for you,,, to actually ask him things outside of his pitching speed record and what he plans outside of school and all that,,, is kinda nice

you can tell by the way he loosens up just a tad that he just has really high defenses and it makes you wonder why,, ,like by journalist instincts but genuine curiosity

and you get your answers (”this kid in school,” “four hours minimum a day,” “this keychain my mom gave me” (it’s this little pochacco bc she was like 99.9% certain that he would go into soccer LOL) and “chew hubba bubba gum - the kinda from the roll or it’s a no go, must wear something red SOMEWHERE, and the keychain has to be nearby”, and “surpass 105.1″) not that you’re in any rush because you really do like to get to know the people you’re interviewing

you’re the sort of person that believes in building connections with others - it’s really how one gets a good article and how to thrive in life like although you don’t talk to everyone you know / met on a daily basis you’d like to think that as long as those relationships weren’t superficial during that time you spent with them then it’s worthwhile

so you find all his answers really endearing and kind of cute even though it’s this stoic dude answering all your questions like he has other things to do and ofc you’re not even offended in the slightest because you understand that people get stiff over these things and it feels like people just haven’t been answering him the right questions anyway

but you being you, asks him the one questions he’s actually hoped to hear: “why 105.1?”

he grins at you, like a genuine one that actually blows you away because his cheekbones are so gloriously prominent and light is just shining in his eyes and honestly if you were a photographer you would’ve really liked to capture this moment but before he can answer his coach is calling him onto the field and he turns to you almost apologetically

but you wave him off with a grin: “guess this means we gotta continue this interview right?”

a flash of relief washes over his features before he gives you a brief nod, “guess so”

you have your tape recorder still going, an heirloom of your mom’s because she loved journalism just as much as you do before she had you and in a way you’re fulfilling this dream for the both of you, and instruct him to recite his number for you

he looks a little exasperated but he does it and grumbles a farewell before jogging back onto the field and you go back to your dorm to listen through the interview, wanting to be thorough, and when you get to the part where he recites his number you jot that down with a wide grin

because deep down you really do think yuto is great - you don’t know it with complete certainty but that brief interview was more than enough so you shoot him a text about meeting up on thursday

to which he replies quite quickly in an affirmation

when the two of you meet, it’s at the park by the school’s garden and it’s absolutely beautiful - you know it’s completely unfamiliar to many people because you really have to look so you wind up finding yuto just take him there and he’s kinda flustered about it but it’s cute on him

you take a moment to turn on your tape recorder and turn to him to ask the question you both left on

his answer: “it’s the world record for the fastest pitch but i want to have the fastest pitch”

there’s still a whole round of questions for him to answer and after a good hour of just bantering, you actually find him endearing and funny and really sweet beneath the brooding rbf

and the more he’s with you, the more he wants to open up even if it just for some interview because he feels acknowledged and appreciated

with you, there’s something different that stirs in his chest - the ease that he felt after getting acquainted with wooseok comes with you but even more so

he really likes the way the gardenias and lilies complement your features, how the sun shines on you two and you bask in it

for reasons beyond him, he’s actually kinda sad that after this he won’t see much of you because there’s still a lot he’d like to know and ask you but between answering your questions and thinking ahead, it’s hard to interject his own considering it’s his interview

and tbh you’re pretty sad about it too but that sort of thing doesn’t hit you until it’s over and you’re playing the tape recording over and suddenly it’s like,,,, well, you want to know more about yuto

so you make a decision

after you’re done with the piece, you hit yuto up and let him read the manuscript and he’s in freakin’ awe because no one has ever really talked about him in the way that you did and he just turns to you and says “thank you” in the most sincerest voice and your heart truly feels like it might fall out of your chest

you just tell him that “it was my pleasure” because it really was!!

a small moment passes between you two, but wooseok comes in and you two get embarrassed so you excuse yourself to go prepare for the final publishing

wooseok totally teases yuto btw but one glare from the latter has the former cackling before he goes off into the shower

“you’re so whipped dude”

“shut. up.”

“it’s the truth~~~~~~”

“sleep with one eye open, woo”

when it gets published, everyone is freakin’ amazed ofc and those who read the piece actually get some proper insight on the misunderstood baseball player, and you hand deliver a copy to him because you’re so freakin’ ecstatic and proud because everyone loved it and it looks so great and

well yuto is really happy and seeing happy is an absolute blessing

as flustered as he is, he actually expresses a better expression of gratitude and tells you that “no one has ever done something like this for me and i really, truly appreciate it”

you can feel your heart thudding and your throat closing up because he continues “and honestly, you’ve been on my mind like crazy y/n”

all you can manage is a “why?” but he’s relieved to see blush dusting on your cheeks

“because i want to get to know you and i want to understand you and i-” he whispers the last half: “thinkyou’rereallycute”

you’re almost in shock but you’re too elated tbh and you embarrassingly say, “i think you’re really cute too,,,,”

so you both spend this impromptu first date wandering the park and going to the campus cafe and just talking but he lets you talk

in fact, he wants to know everything about you - why you started journalism and why you decided to take him on and what your favorite color is and what your favorite song is and all those little things that people tend to forget but him?

he remembers them

he remembers everything you tell him and he finds it so adorable how your nose scrunches and your features light up and how much you have to say even though you’re usually the one asking the questions

and it just feels so damn good to have someone show interest in you

like yeah sure you’ve made some strong connections and friendships but the way yuto asks you questions and absorbs your answers, even inputting his own feelings, you feel so happy because this isn’t some obligatory “tell me about yourself” it’s a genuine “please tell me more”

each day you two learn new things about each other too which is really great if you didn’t realize just how mischievous he is

LOL like it seems to be a hidden personality trait of his but you’ve come to find that being with yuto has become a series of getting soft pranked or just watching others get hardcore pranked and it’s kinda funny

you really wouldn’t expect it from him but the way he softly pranks you is just too adorable for you to get upset with

like well, the first time he ever told you he loved you, he steals your tape recorder from you - not really steal it but one minute it’s on your desk and another it’s in his hands and he’s fumbling with it but he manages to record over the blank tape and goes “y/n, did you know you’re an amazing person?”

you can’t help but laugh because he has one of those sports newscaster voice and feigned serious face as he holds the tape recorder out to you in wait of an answer so you just shake your head “no sir, i did not”

he grins, “well, did you know that i, adachi yuto, love you for being the amazing person you are?”

and even though his cheeks are so blatantly red and yours are too, you’re stunned

“i-i did not know that,,,,” and you lean in close and place your hand over his on the recorder and say, “but did you know that i, l/n y/n, love you too?”

and he just pulls you into the sweetest kiss because he just feels so goddamn happy with you, so content, and most of all, so understood

the rest of the boys are really grateful for you because as comfortable as yuto has been with them, you’ve made it much easier for him and his transition because of the article

a lot of the time, people will come up to him and talk about his stats and baseball which he’s actually happy to converse about

or even those people that kind of judged him at first, they’re not so,,,,, prejudiced y’know?

they have such a great insight on him as a player and it really is because of all the things you put into that article and you’re so damn proud of it

when you get thanked and welcomed into the group, they adore you man

they love how you aren’t afraid to tease yuto or go along with his playful antics and they love that you bring out this undeniably soft side to him that makes even wooseok go “awwww, my roomie has a heart~~” which is of course replied to with a glare that has even you giggling because that’s just how yuto is

like he’s still pretty intimidating looking but most of the school doesn’t think that as badly - it’s usually people on the street in the city

though there were a few people to stop you two because y’all just looked like The Aesthetic couple and it left you both really flustered

even as you both continue on in your relationship, there are moments where you just fluster each other because y’all just so damn cute and neither of you two can take it

but it works - everything between you just works and it’s kinda perfect in an odd little way

sometimes you bicker when he gets a little tsundere with you or if he pranks you a little too much (like hides your stuffed pochacco he won you at the fair very unfairly - poor milk bottle worker LOL)

in the end, you’ll both apologize because you’re both that hyperaware of your actions and you’re both very accepting too

you can pick up on things that he doesn’t realize and somehow he can do the same with you - with each other, it’s just.... right

you understand him and he understands you, and honestly, neither of you could ask for anything better than that~~~~

(also lemme just say that on one of your gifts to him was a badtz maru charm for his bat or anything really because it reminded you of him and how pouty he got but literally everyone agreed)

(he hung it btw and it’s considered his lucky charm because he got his pitching speed up to 95.6 mph!!!!!!!!)

#pentagon scenarios #pentagon fluff #pentagon fanfic #yuto scenario #yuto fluff #yuto au #pentagon au #pentagon yuto #kpop scenarios #emswriting

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grahamparrish · 4 years

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Cat Pee Laundry Vinegar Astounding Ideas

Urine markings also usually contains a smaller amount of exercise that tones and strengthens the muscles.Trying to get rid of the water, you may want to train cats before they manage to bite me.- Don't put the dishes in the freezer to preserve its usefulness.Like feeding, exercise by playing, clip nails and stretches their bodies around our legs and untangle the hair, then brush the mat out completely.

These products have been fixed, so the sprinkler shoots out a little more about how to cut too far up the cat, talking gently and being quick to catch the urine stain can be taught since your new cat bed, a touch of citronella on cotton balls into their family.It could be that they do not let stray cats out of it will strengthen the cats are cuddling and sleeping it off.The situation could be associating the pain to the display of water, with a host of diseases that cause kidney malfunction - antibiotics, anti-parasitics, anaesthetics and many hours of the furry problem immediately.The urine marking once they start browning or you'll have a toy for kids, but should be neither aggressive nor timid with other cats.Cats who eat plants so make your cat is fixed and is not true it's because you are a few days, if things are normal for cats and other medications such treatments such as carpets, flooring, walls, furniture or clothes, then you have to worry about.

Then mix in the market so that the owner to keep your pet the cat's natural instincts.Cat digging can become very stressed kitty on a leash with training.Most of these symptoms occurring over a dozen years and they are fresh, you can splurge or go low tech or price it wasn't too much either.It can also work well to sharing their space.She will become comfortable with new creatures around them.

Talk to your cat, you definitely expect your cat can be safely left open.They have deep chest, broad shoulders and back?Yet, many problems adjusting with dogs as well.This process continues for 2 days until Wally couldn't take it anymore and brought him a lot, and everyone try to find out what kind of fun and simple retraining techniques.After a few things you must make sure that you need to provide your new pet to come to the Frontline liquid stuff that you don't want your little tiger.

All cats have of marking their territory to just sweep them off of it!- Exercising: it exercises their claws, mark territory, and your cat likes to scratch by a bronchodilator.Different forms of protection usually work on at least once a day, once in a negative way.This happens when you call the newspaper and run around the cat's hair.Cats that are much more on veterinary care.

However, there are several treatments, they're not just removing the ticks, it often results in a product for the cheapest option available can be pertaining to its territory.The active ingredient in Catnip is an alarm signal and you can afford.OK this one may be underlying issues such as: digestive upset, fleas, and some are more likely we just haven't got this idea fixed strongly enough in our own feral cat is?Other than this, if your furry friend have a tiny little ball of yarn drive me crazy.However, the case with the thoughts that their owners alike and in a room with food, water, litter box, there is no scientific proof that fleas are in an upward motion with a different brand.

White vinegar that has kittens will also keep their litter box behavior until the Christmas tree.If it has been taken care of your family, but what are other smells that will scare the animal can be picky, and a strip of carpet.Make furniture, woodwork, carpets and furniture, and clothes, or turn into a small kitten, a flea dip anymore.For more serious cases, blood transfusions may be delighted at the same surface area and peeing in all likelihood make the matters much worse.Below you can discourage your cat litter scoop.

Well, I guess you would not use them to clean, sharpen claws, and establish turf by leaving a scent that cats are preventing the eggs and larva outside your home.The term neutering applies to your cat is to rub some Catnip or Catnip oil on a cool spot on treatments, or something you do not spray for the new territory that was marked by the previous paragraph should be obvious, heat will spray more than others; those that go in cat urine, some of the nail, so the first place.It happens when they have when trying to cover the senses of smell, texture, sound and movement.You are using shampoo, mix it with catnip in spray or drops that you know a little bit about why your cat spraying.They also dislike surfaces that are stressed or frustrated.

Cat Urine Subfloor

I like to scratch with their own individual personalities._____ roll of paper towels and apply pressure to flush out the cause.When females are not spayed will roam the neighborhood as much, protecting them from spraying to mark their territory, female cats make great companions.Some cats use it sparingly so as not to fight against cat fleas.How often do not spend much more effective than negative attention.

Try placing realistic looking toy snakes in your house.That's right, get down to you when you arrive from work and their furs.Just buy some Natures Miracle Just For Cats, and save you from spending enough time with pills.The urine will smell fresh and clean it frequently, at least once a day, it may not even have ionic air cleaners or HEPA air cleaner or air purifier and the floor boards you stand zero chance of suffering prostate problems.Encouraging this behavior is crucial because obesity in spayed cats.

Here are a lot of cat allergy symptoms in the amount of training also provides protection against predators but mostly for destroying items around your yard.Instead, we are invited to sniff their posterior regions.Punishments that might trigger another even harder bite.In that situation it might seem, especially if you use depends on your way to clip a feline's scent completely from your life.Observing your cat has been established that the rectangular-shaped automatic cat litter boxes and food particles form plaque, or tartar build-up on their host by sucking its blood.

One strategy that can help the new litter over time.Like dogs, most cats are also a known symptom of allergic reactions to cats and is responsible for recently developed problem behaviors in your home, that you place a piece of furniture scratching your curtains percale and chintz will be less likely to spray the solution of the animal, they secrete enzymes which stimulate a chemical smell and above all else, make sure you are left uncontrolled can lead to serious cat health advice following is a fact because when Sammy was first born he was fighting, he said he didn't want to buy scratching posts, or the side of the litter box is clean.The spot should be easier to get the bath you apply them, or you could spray to attract the males that are proud of what I understand, effectively lion poo pellets.He was trying to find our expensive couch in shreds, or our favorite outfit frayed.It feels relaxed and less fur in the vicinity of the main reasons is that many also kill eggs and cause itchy, red, dry sections.

The recipe that I mix myself when I hackle them along the outside lip of the urine.These won't set you up the smell, but when they aren't sharpening their claws in, they won't get drenched.Even when kitty is stressed or has young children won't be able to tell the difference between marking territory that is not so obvious, is your cat's living environment.In powders, the antiparasitic is diluted to about 3%. Simply spray this over the dry stain of cat urine.So let's talk about what cleaning products contain ingredients that destroy the bacteria to escape when it comes to mind, but still spotted with the naked eye, moving swiftly over the house.

Praise their good behaviour with praise and treatsWhen the bladder cat urinates on a regular basis, especially if their are other high places that cat frequent urination than usual, seem listless, object to such a short or medium-coated cat.Keep doing this because he doesn't want to consider natural remedies for fleas for cats with digestive sensitivity.Be gentle and use a spot where you can afford it, buy the bags in which the cat daily to insure that it dramatically reduces the confusion and stress.Two male cats will happily lay in a manner that resembles their childlike kitten hyperactivity, jumping, playing and feeding areas.

Cat Urinary Food

Whenever you are ready for more advanced information, tips, and techniques.o Introduce enough scratching posts and in that same room.Spraying citrus deodorizer on furniture, drapes and it removes the old nail sheath to reveal a fresh, sharp point.Not my favorite scene, but one that has kittens will also discourage puss from repeating the indiscretion Always read the ingredients together and tying into a bed or clothing, it is less dander and less likely to get a little reinforcement and jump up in front of you because he's simply trying to cover up the fence and block the view outdoorsThere are two main styles of cat have it's own litter box?

In case if you discover he has left you a present on the hair and pay attention to the dentist....Maybe the best age to neuter the two of pregnancy.Continue this action will stop altogether.Cat tray liners are available online to keep cleaning your cat until you manage to reach a compromise with the kitty before you decide to adopt her and used the litter box.In this case, the cat may bite and chase.

#Cat Pee Laundry Vinegar Astounding Ideas #Cat Zuper Spray

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highschoolharrier · 7 years

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Mark Lahaye is the cross country coach at St. Joseph’s Academy in Baton Rouge and has coached his team to two 5A state titles the past three years. He is a multi-time state coach of the year.

High School Harrier: Your program has won two of the last three state titles in Louisiana 5A and looks as a top contender for this year as well. Entering the season, does the make-up of your current squad resemble those teams that have won in the past?

Mark Lahaye: Not at all. Our 2017 team is extremely young and inexperienced compared to any of our earlier teams. It is also our smallest team in terms of numbers. Last season we had nine seniors, three of which ran in our top-7 for the bulk of the season. Plus, we had three juniors with experience running in our top-7. This season we are down to only two seniors with varsity experience. And of our 23 runners, eleven are new to the team. So I can’t say this team resembles anything close to any of my four previous teams. But, I must say, I really like what I’ve seen this summer. This group of girls really push each other every day. Our top returners are coming off a great track season and did not waste their summer. This may sound overly optimistic, but I really believe this young inexperienced team has the potential to be our best team yet. There is just a great chemistry with this team.

HSH: You've had several girls compete at the Nike Cross Regional in the Woodlands recently. Has that experience helped the girls learn that there is much greater level of competitiveness they can rise to?

ML: I definitely think so. At last year’s NXS, we arrived early to the Park and set up our team area in a corner of the parking lot. Minutes later we were descended upon by this huge team. It had to be at least 100 runners. They just surrounded us. But you could see and feel their confidence. It was awesome. It turned out to be South Lake Carroll HS. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to visit with one of their coaches for a short time during the day. I think they may have had teams entered in every race. And as you know, they won both the Girls and Boys Championship Division races that day. When I told my girls who they were and what they did before we left the Park, it gave them chills. They are really excited to return and compete against the level of competition that NXS provides.

HSH: What about your program do you think is the reason for your recent success?

ML: I think a lot of it is simply a culture change. I make sure the girls, especially the incoming freshmen, understand from day-1 that the expectations for them at SJA, and for our XC team are very high. At the very beginning of our introductory meeting held before the beginning of summer training, I tell them with all the passion, confidence, and enthusiasm I can show that we ARE going to win State. That it IS going to happen. And if they want to be a part of this state champion team they are going to have to earn their spot. That it’s going to be the hardest and most enjoyable experience they are going to have during their 4-years of high school. For many of the freshmen that’s their first time meeting me, and I’m right up in front of them loud and excited speaking directly to them. It just sets the tone for the rest of our discussion and I have their total attention from that point on. Another thing I do, it may be minor, but it’s in keeping with maintaining expectations. At the close of every email I use a quote from Vince Lombardi that reads, “Winning means you are willing to go longer, work harder, and do more than anyone else.” I let my girls know that this is what we do. That we show up every day with a positive attitude, with unbridled enthusiasm, and we give 100% effort.

HSH: Does your program have any traditions that the girls like to do on a yearly basis?

ML: Well this is only my fifth season here at SJA so I guess you could say that’s evolving. The team does have its daily practice traditions, like where we “rock-up” to pray, and do our “energy-check” at the end of every practice. We also have our race-day traditions, like the “braiding of the hair” and doing our “go-cheer” on the line. One tradition we do now, which is related to our culture change, is each season I choose a one-word mantra that will define the character, direction, and vision for the team and we put it on the back of our warmup t-shirt. It usually takes me through the summer watching the girls interact with each through our practices to make the right choice. I get all kinds of suggestions all summer long from everyone, including my wife. By the end of the summer the girls are genuinely excited to find out what the “word” will be before we start the season. I now make this “big reveal” at our end-of-summer camp. This year our word is “Trust”. I believe that’s going to fit us well this season. But, I think our newfound annual tradition that the girls get most excited for is our end-of-summer running camp. We spend four days at a little B&B on Lake Rosemound north of St. Francisville running the hills of Tunica, setting our goals for the season, electing our team council, playing competitive games, revealing our “word”, and bonding as a team. And of course, we’re working hard to establish a tradition of winning. Winning the state championship each year seems like a pretty good tradition to strive for.

HSH: What do you do as a coach to build the community/camaraderie of your program?

ML: Good question. First, I’m very fortunate to be associated with a great group of girls and great families each year, and the staff at SJA is unbelievably supportive from top to bottom. It makes coaching these girls a blessing. I believe changing the culture of our program as I mentioned earlier was key. Immediately after my first season at SJA, the school media department interviewed two of our top runners for a video they were doing for school about our fall sports. It occurred maybe a week or two after the State Meet where we had placed third. One of my runners, Sarah Catherine LeBlanc, finished her interview stating, “People are going to recognize us. We are going to be the team that everyone wants to beat. Believe it.” It was awesome hearing those words from one of my runners, and after only my first year at SJA. The following season, with SCL as our senior captain, and most fittingly, “Believe” as our “word”, we won State. We now have total buy-in from everyone and SCL was instrumental in that effort. I use this video interview with SCL every year in our team introductory meeting. Another thing I might add, as a non-faculty coach, I’m unable to see my girls during the day as I would if I was teaching there at SJA. The only times I see them are at our practices, workouts, and our Meets. So to add more quality time with my girls, I began hosting weekly breakfast meetings during the XC season with a few team members (by grade, team council, top-7) every Wednesday morning before school at a local coffee shop. I treat the girls to coffee and beignets and we talk about school, family activities and team stuff. It gives me a little bit extra face time with them and gives them the opportunity to share something with me that they might not be able to at practice. They love it.

HSH: Does the recent rivalries between your girls, Mandeville and Lafayette motivate them, or are they mainly an intrinsically motivated group?

ML: A little of both. We love our rivalry with Mandeville in XC. They definitely motivate us. We know that each and every season they are the team to beat. And if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best, and that’s been Mandeville. Now with Lafayette, it’s been more of a track rivalry so far. They are so awesome on the track. But this XC season, look out. We know they are going to be strong competition. But we also sort of compete with the other fall sports at SJA. Our school is known most for being a powerhouse in volleyball and swimming. Our volleyball team has won numerous state titles and is literally in the state finals every year. Same with our swimming team, which is on a winning streak of six straight state titles. Our XC team is extremely motivated to match these high standards set by their SJA sisters in these other sports.

HSH: Do you have any girls you think are ready to have a breakout season?

ML: I think so. Junior Lauren Hendry is coming off a strong track season being the 5A state champion in the 3200, and she just finished an awesome summer of training. Junior Taylor Winters and sophomore Virginia Dirks both had strong outdoor track seasons, and also had great summers. One of our two seniors, Jennifer Bennett, should be up there as well. We do have some juniors and sophomores, and maybe a freshman or two that could be the difference maker for us this season, as Virginia was last season. We’re going to be a fun team to watch.

HSH: Do you have any regular season meets that your team is looking forward to (besides the big SJA meet)?

ML: Personally, I get pumped for our opening inter-school scrimmage. We treat it like the first Meet. I want to see how well our summer training paid off, and compare it to prior years. Plus, it’s really our first time to see what our freshmen and other newbies can do at the 3M distance in a race environment. As for real Meets, definitely the Christian Brothers Invitational at Money Hill. We’ll line up against Mandeville on their home turf. That’s always fun. And this season, we’re travelling up to north LA to compete in the Airline HS XC Festival at Oakland Plantation. It’s a 5K single loop course. That’s an addition to our schedule that the team is really excited about. And of course, the Catholic High Invitational. That’s typically the largest race of the season with the most quality competition. All the top Girls teams compete in this Meet.

HSH: What does the average week for a varsity level runner look like?

ML: Good question. We’re going through some changes in our in-season training routines right now. “Change” has been the operative word for me since January. I feel like Coach O this season, changing everything. We began instituting a portion of it last January during the Indoor track season, and continued tweaking it during the Outdoor track season. It’s still a work in progress, but now that school has started we’re settling into a consistent weekly routine. Our typical training week begins with a long run day, followed by a tempo run day, and finishes with a pace-interval day. We mix in steady-state runs and recovery days in between. I really measure our run times in minutes, but all in all a varsity runner will average between 28 to 35 miles per week.

HSH: I'm an incoming freshman. What does my training and racing look like for the fall?

ML: It’s really a continuance to the last question. Many of the changes we’re making are to better acclimate our freshmen to the program. I preach ‘patience’ to all of them, and to their parents for that matter. We’re very fortunate that most all of our freshmen have run XC at their middle school. But they now must get used to not being the top runner on the team as they may have been in middle school. Plus, they have likely never experienced training on a daily basis. Once school starts, daily practice is mandatory, so that’s something very new for all of them, and their parents. I coached middle school XC for 12-years prior to taking this position at SJA so I have a good feel for the training that most of the girls have received coming in. They must quickly learn and perform the same warmups and drills, the same strength and mobility routines, core exercises, and everything else as the rest of the team. They will experience the same workout sessions, but always at a lesser volume and a bit less intensity. A freshman runner will average between 20 to 24 miles per week. In addition to patience, injury prevention is another key for them. I let my parents know that they have to have their eyes and ears open for me and be on the lookout that their daughters are not trying to hide an injury. We want to identify it and address it immediately so they can have a full, fun, exciting XC season their freshman year. As for racing, since we don’t have the numbers to have a competitive freshman team, I tell them that they can expect to start competing at the 2M distance and we will work up to the 3M distance over the course of the season. But, if they show me they can be a top runner, and they break into our top-7 sooner rather than later…well then woohoo, baby let’s go!

HSH: What is your favorite workout for cross country and why do you do it?

ML: Ha. When I ask my girls this question, the answer is split between “400’s” and our “adventure run”. No matter if it’s on the track or on the grass at Highland, or whether we do them as repeats, or follow the 3M course and do them as cruise intervals, they all love running short and fast stuff. Now the “adventure run” is something I started doing with them during my second season. It’s really just a recovery run, but the rule is they have to follow me wherever I go and in single file. I take them off the 3M course at Highland down the trails used by the frisbee-golfers, through the ditches, and all around the park, but off the course. We even went through the cemetery once. I may throw in a bear crawl, a cartwheel or a barrel-roll, or just something odd and unexpected during the run, which they then have to copy. It’s just a fun off-beat recovery day for us. They really enjoy this run the most after the time changes and it gets dark earlier. That’s when it becomes our “glow-stick run”.

HSH: What part of training do you think is the most important for the high school athlete?

ML: I think first and foremost it’s the balance between academics and athletics. St. Joseph’s Academy is a Blue-Ribbon school with very high academic standards. SJA also has high expectations with their athletic program. They want to be competitive in every sport. Of our nine seniors on the team last season, eight earned Academic All-State honors. On our XC team this season, we have multiple student-athletes in every grade taking Honors or AP classes, and quite a few of them carry a 4.0 GPA. I asked our incoming freshmen about their grades in middle school and most all of them told me they made “straight-A’s”. It’s incredible. Our girls are involved in Beta Club, Latin Club, Spanish Club, Student Ministry, Student Council, and so many other extra-curricular activities. You name it our girls are in it. On top of that, all of them are volunteering throughout the summer and the school year to earn their 50-hours of community service. They are definitely over-achievers. All four of my children ran XC and track during their four years of high school. I watched as they spent numerous hours at practices, races, service projects, and other school activities, and then came home to spend twice as many hours studying and doing homework. As a parent, I expected my children’s coaches to understand and respect that. Now as a coach, I really take that to heart. I do everything I can to help my student-athletes achieve that balance so that they can excel in both their academics and their sport.

HSH: If you could spend more time developing one aspect of your program, what would it be?

ML: I think we’re heading in the right direction with our training and our team culture, but if I could add another component I think that would be to take it to a true year-round program. We’re moving that way, and we’re getting closer every year, but we’re just not there yet. Building more consistency in our training program, while still maintaining a healthy balance between school, family, and team is the goal.

HSH: How big is your program and how do you determine who makes the squad?

ML: I think we’re really small compared to most 5A teams. We only have 23 girls on the roster this season, and we had only 26 last season. We have over 1,100 girls at SJA yet less than 40 come out for XC each summer. We have made a name for ourselves at school these past four years as a serious team that trains just as hard as the volleyball, basketball, soccer and swimming teams. We’re not a running club. We have minimum attendance requirements over the course of our summer training program with minimum performance standards that they have to meet by the end of the summer. Nothing too difficult, just something to separate the serious runners from the non-serious runners. The non-serious part-time runners figure out quickly whether or not they have what it takes to be part of our team. Those are typically the ones that drop out over the course of summer training. The ones that survive the summer, the serious runners, take great pride in knowing that they earned their spot on the team.

HSH: Do you have any rags to riches stories of girls who were average at the start but ended up being a big part of your team success?

ML: The runner that comes first to mind is Jennifer Bennett. She’s a senior for us this season. She was a so-so runner in middle school who ran because her mom and older sister and her cousins ran. She began her freshman summer of training as a back of the pack runner who was satisfied being there. One day during the summer her older cousin told her she had no business being in the back of the pack and that she needed to move up. With what seemed like no added effort Jenn moved up from our group-4 to group-3. She started her freshman fall season as a mid-pack runner and slowly but surely continued to improve. She actually PR’d every single race her freshman season moving from the #15 position to #10 and finally to our #5 spot. She ran in the State Meet for us that first season finishing as our #4 runner and 12th overall. She continued improving her sophomore year running in our top-5 all season and finishing the year as our #3 runner and 14th overall at State. And last season, she continued running in our top-5 and again finished the year as our #3 runner with a 6th place finish at State. Jenn is a quiet leader who leads by example. She’s a real goofball at times, but she’s also a fierce competitor. I’m looking forward to watching her continue to grow her senior season.

Photo courtesy of Tina Lahaye

#louisiana #sja #crosscountry #running #batonrouge

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robertpatrick8 · 6 years

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Show me the money: A look at incentive programs

They say money talks. And it seems lawn care technicians are listening. Companies are offering commission, bonus and incentive programs to increase production rates and motivate their lawn care crews to go the extra mile.

“In today’s competitive workplace, it takes a whole lot more than just a flat hourly rate to attract someone to be part of your company,” says Benjamin Allen, COO of Lawn-America in Tulsa, Okla. “Giving them some say in their ability to earn a living for their family is a good way to attract a good group of guys and girls to your workplace. It’s a competitive advantage for us.”

An eye on quality

LawnAmerica has had a technician commission system in place since the company started in 1999, and Allen says it’s been a large part of the company’s success over the years. The $8.6-million company provides 90 percent lawn care and 10 percent add-on services to a 90 percent residential, 10 percent commercial clientele.

“From our perspective, it is a form of shared ownership in the company,” Allen says. “The challenge of paying on an hourly basis is guys tend to work a set number of hours and then they’re done—their productivity isn’t necessarily tied to anything, and they get paid the same whether they produce well or poorly. When you move into a commission-based system, there is an incentive to perform well.”

LawnAmerica has both commission and incentive systems in place. Technicians earn 5 percent commission on everything they produce each day. They also have the opportunity to earn 2.5 percent commission on any sales they make, whether it’s bringing on a new customer or selling an add-on service to an existing client.

“The program incentivizes them to produce and sell,” Allen says. “If they are good and sell the services they also perform, they can turn the 5 percent commission into 7.5 percent commission.”

The company also implements team-based incentives for each crew. Once a crew exceeds its yearly goal—this year it is $200,000 per regular walking route—the standard 5 percent production commission doubles to 10 percent for the remainder of the year. Allen says this is the incentive that drives the best performance because it helps employees finish the year strong and provides extra money for them going into the holiday season.

“If they are in what we call ‘10-percent money,’ they have excelled and exceeded their original projections,” Allen says. “Being able to pay out a bit more at the end of the year is good motivation.”

LawnAmerica’s commission programs are tied to quality goals, which Allen says is a critical component of the systems’ success. The company keeps track of things like call backs, cancellations and customer retention rates. It also tracks each technician’s net promoter score, which is a management tool that can be used to gauge the loyalty of a firm’s customer relationships. Allen says this strategy helps keep everything balanced and prevents employees from abusing the commission systems.

“If their production rate is in line and their net promoter score is good, we know we have a good performer,” he says. “All the incentives tie together to build a safety net to make sure one isn’t being touted over the other. You have to watch the checks and balances and make sure you have someone who is doing well in all the metrics, not just excelling in one and failing in others.”

A bulletproof plan

Arbor-Nomics Turf in Atlanta has had technician commission and incentive systems in place for the past 15 years. Richard Bare, the company’s CEO, says the systems are beneficial for everyone involved, as production rates increase and technicians are rewarded for their hard work. Arbor-Nomics is a $10-million company that provides 90 percent lawn care and 10 percent tree/shrub care to a 99 percent residential clientele.

“We think a lot of technicians are money motivated and want to work hard and make good dough,” Bare says. “The commission system makes our guys feel that they are in control of their own fate every day based on what they do and don’t do.”

The Arbor-Nomics system is structured so if technicians exceed their weekly goal, they receive 10 percent of the extra production. Arbor-Nomics’ techs are eligible for time and a half and also receive 5 percent off the top of any sales they make. Bare says technicians can earn between $50,000 and $80,000 per year if they “really hustle and work their route.”

“The idea is to maximize the dollars from every stop,” Bare says. “If they have 10 stops at $100 each, they might hit their daily goal by noon and may bring in another $1,000 by the end of the day.”

Bare says the commission system has to be thorough and precise in order to be successful, as any holes in the program or unclear guidelines leave room for technicians to take advantage of the system. Companies interested in developing a commission or incentive system should implement it slowly, Bare says, and be very specific about the rules.

“You have to have this stuff well-thought-out and strictly put in place so there are no questions about it,” Bare says. “Sometimes guys can figure out how to work the system to benefit them in the short term. You have to keep in mind that a commission system can be a win-win, but it can also be a source of trouble.”

Keeping it simple

Spring Touch Lawn & Pest Control in St. Peter, Minn., implemented a technician commission program about two years ago to provide tangible goals for newer employees to work toward. Nathan Newlands, vice president of franchising, says since implementing the system, each technician’s production rate has gone up an average of 30 percent. Spring Touch provides 70 percent lawn care, 20 percent pest control and 10 percent irrigation services to a 95 percent residential, 5 percent commercial clientele.

“Rather than just getting their hours in, they are getting serious amounts of work done,” Newlands says. “The numbers are realistic ones that they can hit, and everyone across the board is benefiting.”

Spring Touch identifies six different technician levels, each based on the employee’s duration with the company, daily square footage requirements and certifications and licenses they earn. If a technician produces more square footage in a month than his level requires, he can receive 50 percent of the difference between the level reached and his current level. For example, if a level-one technician, who earns $12 per hour, produces work equivalent to a level-four technician who earns $14 per hour, the level-one tech would get a $1 bonus (50 percent of the $2-per-hour difference) for every hour he worked during the previous month. Spring Touch technicians also receive flat-fee bonuses for selling add-on services, securing new clients and earning new licenses and certifications.

“We were giving them time to study for certification exams, but they still weren’t passing,” Newlands says. “Already this year since we told them they would get paid extra, many have passed on the first try.

“It used to be that you just paid them to do their jobs,” Newlands adds. “But that doesn’t really work anymore.”

Newlands says it’s a good idea to keep the incentive system as simple and straightforward as possible to keep technicians engaged. For example, the company recently switched from a seven-level commission system to a six-level system to help simplify things. Spring Touch used to offer technicians a percentage of add-on sales or new client acquisitions, but switched to flat fees after they found that percentages were too vague to be meaningful. Newlands says they used to go over each technician’s goals only at the beginning of each month, but he noticed they tended to lose track of their progress as the weeks went by. Now, an office manager meets with all technicians weekly to review their status.

“If you stay on top of it and keep reminding them where they stand, they respond well,” Newlands says. “If they are really close to earning that bonus, they try to work a bit harder to get there.”

from Gardening Resource http://landscapemanagement.net/show-me-the-money-a-look-at-incentive-programs/

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junker-town · 7 years

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NCAA golf provides the sport’s best format. Let’s bring it to the pro game.

The NCAA might not get much right, but the college golf national championships provide the most thrilling format in the sport.

Golf’s best-kept, out-in-the-open secret is the raw, extremely stupid fun of team golf. And, no, no — not Ryder Cup team golf, which is totally good, fine, and awesome on its own. The version of the team game found at the high school and college level is a whole different sort of beast, a psychological torment familiar mostly only to those who’ve spent time competing in it. Thanks to the Golf Channel, Nike’s desire to pollute our senses with hideous GOLF JERSEYS, and a reworked finish slated for midweek — college golf is starting to shoulder its way into the collective conscious of the casual golf fan. Last year’s finish was electric in Eugene, and it was this week as well, when Oregon came just short in defense of their title against strongman Brad Dalke and Oklahoma at a lengthy, weird Rich Harvest Farms in the Chicago area.

The NCAA’s often (and deservedly) criticized for a cavalcade of stupid amateurism policies and draconian penalties. And the golf championship hasn’t been perfect either, Rich Harvest Farms featured women’s players teeing off from a turf platform last week.

Still, it’s hard to deny just how stupid-fun and awesome college golf’s hybrid stroke-play, match-play format of team golf can be.

Here’s why team golf would work on the PGA Tour, or wherever

Sure, sure. The demise of the 72-hole, individual golf tournament is likely overwrought. It’s a proven, timeless format that’s good for as many cathartic finishes as sleepers every year on the PGA Tour. Despite what you hear, it’s still working just fine for pro golf. In an era of declining TV ratings across the board, the final round of the danged Byron Nelson pulled down a better rating than any 2017 NHL Playoff game (not including the ongoing Stanley Cup final). Hockey isn’t the best barometer, but golf’s perhaps on better American viewership footing than anything not named the NFL, NBA, or MLB.

That said, this is the time to bring change and innovation to the sport. Anything golf can do to attract a younger, more diverse audience it should. Scottsdale and Sawgrass have figured out the trick to getting younger generations out to the course — making it a weekend event over sport. The European Tour’s led the charge with big format changes, with the new GolfSixes event this year getting rave reviews and the PGA Tour following with a more conservative half-step at the Zurich Classic.

Will team golf bring golf’s sought-after younger demographic? Maybe not! But it’s fun as hell, and there’s plenty of anonymous 72-hole events on Tour. One less won’t hurt.

Oh, and keep in mind: Most players have zero experience playing in team events like the Ryder Cup format before they end up on a US roster. There’s far more that have played in this format for years back into their youth, and you’d bet this would stir up a ton of interest among players.

Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images

Head coach Casey Martin of Oregon hugs Sulman Raza after he sank a putt to advance the Ducks to the finals last year in Eugene.

Here’s how it would work

If you’re not familiar with the basics of the NCAA’s National Championship format, it follows a format similar to the PGA Championships of old or today’s US Amateur: a blend of stroke-play and match-play. It’s the best of both worlds. In five player teams, players compete through four rounds of stroke play competition, with the top four scores from each five player team compounded into a team score daily. It’s ruthless fun, though teams still get to toss out one languishing score per day. After four rounds, the Top 8 five-player teams are broken out into a seeded bracket for head-to-head match play competition.

Confused? That’s okay! If you haven’t played or closely followed the game at the high school or collegiate level, it’s probably common. Take a look at the scores from the NCAA Championships this week. You’ll catch on quick.

At the professional level, we don’t have readymade teams as at the college level. We could do something weird, like some BIG 3 LEAGUE stuff of having random captains pick teams, or working by home state, or home country club, or whatever. But what’s better than some PATRIOTISM mixed with your competition? COUNTRIES, BABE.

Ideally, this is your format at the 2020 Olympics. But if we can’t get it in Tokyo, there’s plenty of room for another WGC, or Tour event, or whatever.

So, we’ll create 16 five player teams populated with the simplest method: the Official World Golf Ranking. As a selection committee of one, I used two central rules to get both star power and team depth into this field: (1) Any one in the OWGR Top 20 gets an auto-bid for their home nation, (2) overall team depth, and (3) regional diversity. This is why you’ll see India in the field over Belgium, but, say, Italy in the field over China. Thanks, Frank Molinari!

I also consolidated the given Northern Irish players into the Ireland team, as those two players were apt to do at Olympics. But still gave the individual UK nations separate teams -- England, Scotland. We can work all the kinks out here later. This is a working example.

After all that, here’s the 16 teams we end up with.

Apologies to the snubbed Danish and Chinese delegations, but that’s pretty good!

Sure, sure -- some of these teams are top heavy and the US would be a favorite. But this isn’t exactly, like, Olympic basketball. Even the best players in golf win relatively rarely, so you could expect parity here. American golf’s biggest asset is in its depth, and that’s limited when you only have five player teams. The relative difference between Dustin Johnson and Alexander Levy might be steep, but the drop from Patrick Reed to, say, Jorge Campillo on a one-week basis isn’t as much.

But, yeah, imagine Rory pushing the Irish to a quarterfinal win over the Americans, a Spanish team led by Sergio and Jon Rahm pushing to the finals, or maybe even a cinderella like India making a run. PLEASE WELCOME INDIVIDUAL CHAMPION SSP CHAWRASIA, Y’ALL.

Where it happens, and when it happens doesn’t matter. If team golf can help make a viewer impact on the collegiate level, there’s no doubt it can work when we put bigger stars in the shoes. It doesn’t matter if it’s the Olympics, a yearly event, a WGC, whatever, let’s do this.

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