#their names are Jordan(Left) and Duke (Right)

[fernacular]

If you ever feel like your art isn’t improving just redraw some old-ass OC’s from middle school and maybe you’ll calm down

#my art #doodles #original characters #their names are Jordan(Left) and Duke (Right) #and if i recall correctly they were married co-captains of a small time smuggling spaceship in the sci-fi spacefuture #very heavily influenced by firefly #except there were actual aliens #and also werewolves i guess?? #i was like thirteen leave me alone

[c-nstantine]

"Oh, my God, my parents are swingers!"

Description: Dick finds out about his parents extra-marital activities

Word Count: 0.7k

Warnings: Hella references to sex and threesomes, foursomes, extramarital activities, Y/N is bi, Bruce is bi

The manor was supposed to be empty. Tim and Duke were at some gaming convention and Cass decided to tag along. Damian was staying with the Kents for the weekend. Dick was meant to be home in Bludhaven and Jason was out with the Outlaws. Little Thomas and the twins were with Y/N's parents. Alfred took this as an opportunity to see an exhibit that he wanted to see and took the weekend off. Y/N and Bruce wouldn't've had Selina over if anyone was coming over, and they sure as hell wouldn't have let her in their bed if they knew Dick had forgotten his keys.

"Selina?" Dick asked, noticing that Selina was in the kitchen. She just wanted a cup of coffee after the night that Bruce and Y/N had put her through. She wasn't exactly dressed for company and wrapped one of Y/N's silk robes around herself tighter. 

"Hey, Dick," She tried to say as not awkwardly as possible. It's not like she just had sex with his parents or anything.

"Why are you here? Where your clothes at? Is Bruce cheating?" Dick asked questions one after another. He wasn't very sure what was going on but he was sure he didn't like it.

"Um-" Selina was a bit too discombobulated to answer but the hickies on her neck weren't helping the case.

"Dick, what are you doing here?" Bruce said walking into the kitchen with only his boxers. He got Selina her cup of coffee but when he turned to grab the mug from the cabinet, Dick gasped from the marks on Bruce's back. Bruce had a lot of scars from his time as Batman but these were fresh and looked more like nail scratches than injuries.

"You're cheating on mom?" Dick asked waving a finger at his adoptive father.

"No, I'm not cheating on your mother. Do you think I'm dumb?" Bruce spoke with wide eyes. He couldn't dream of his life without Y/N and he knew for a fact if he ever thought about cheating, Y/N might cut his dick off but in a loving way. 

"Oh, hey Dick, How's my eldest boy?" Y/N said coming around the corner in a silk nightie. Dick was confused and none of this was making sense to him in the moment. 

"Mom?" Dick called out, bracing himself against the counter.

"Yeah, Dick," Y/N responded handing, Selina cream, and sugar. Selina simply thanked her with a kiss on the cheek. 

"Why are none of you properly dressed?" Dick asked with his face burning a bright red. 

"See Dick when two people like each other very much and they want to share that love," Y/N tried to break it down for Dick as if he was a small child. 

"Oh my God, you guys are swingers. My parents are swingers," Dick rubbed his hands through his hair. He felt sweaty for some reason like his parents caught him having sex instead of the other way around.

"We're not swingers. We just enjoy extra company on occasion," Y/N tried to justify and she was probably doing a terrible job at it.

"Yeah, Dick. It's not always me," Selina spoke softly after drinking her coffee. Y/N lightly slapped her thigh and Selina simply smirked at her. 

"Selina, you are not helping right now," Bruce grumbled into his hands before walking around the kitchen to find bread before toast. There were only two things Bruce could make by himself, coffee and toast.

"What do you mean by that? What does she mean by that?" Dick regretted the question as soon as it left his mouth. 

"Dick, sometimes your father and I have extra-marital affairs but together. What Selina meant is that we sometimes have relations with Oliver and Dinah, or Diana, or Hal Jordan, or Clark and Lois, etc," Y/N listed out a few too many names and Dick internally gagged. At this point, he just wanted to find his keys and leave. 

"That's the definition of swingers. I'm gonna leave now and pretend I never heard any of this," Dick said grabbing his keys. Selina waited until she heard the large door slam before speaking again.

"So, round four?" Selina asked while hopping on the counter and removing the robe. Bruce and Y/N made eye contact before moving towards the woman in between them and it was that day that Dick learned not to show up unannounced if he could avoid it.

#x black!reader #black!reader #x black reader #black reader #bruce wayne x black!reader #bruce wayne #bruce wayne x reader #black!batmom #dick grayson x reader #bruce x reader #bruce x black!batmom #bruce x black!reader #bruce x black reader #selina kyle #selina kyle x reader

[kyle-washington]

ABOUT.

Character name: Kyle Washington Age: 32 years Gender: Cis Male Sexuality: Bisexual Pronouns: He/him Species: Human Profession: Adventurer’s Guild Master Favorite hobby: Hiking, Hunting, Fishing, Anything Outdoors-y Faceclaim: Michael B Jordan Time in Thistleberry: All his life

HEADCANONS.

Kyle lives in a cabin in the woodland area of Thistleberry but he does travel into town regularly.

Has a German Shepherd named Duke, who is a trained Search and Rescue Dog.

Kyle's older brother vanished approximately six months ago and he's still shaken by it.

He's a regular at the local saloon, often stopping by for a drink after a long day.

Although Kyle likes to hunt, he uses everything and respects nature immensely. He doesn't believe in hunting wastefully.

Big jock, slightly grumpy initially but loving, bit of a himbo.

CONNECTION IDEAS.

Friends, drinking buddies, hunting/hiking buddies.

Rivals. Perhaps your character doesn't believe Kyle should be the guildmaster and wants to take his position.

Your character or one of their loved ones got into trouble in the woods or caves and Kyle helped them out.

Kyle sells your character meat or animal skins from his hunts.

Exes, flings, flirtationship.

FULL BIO.

Thistleberry was a strange place where strange things happened. Kyle’s father was the leader of the Adventurer’s Guild before he retired and his eldest son, Kyle’s brother, took over. He often shared the woodlands and caves with these strange things, so Kyle was a little more clued in than most. His family had been explorers and adventurers for generations. His childhood was spent learning how to battle monsters, going on long hikes and fishing trips, learning to hunt and live off the land. They had respect for nature and all that it offered.

People went missing in Thistleberry sometimes, usually those who wandered deep into the woods or caves, overestimating their own abilities and what awaited them in the dark.  Kyle and his fellow adventurers had volunteered with a couple of search parties over the years, using their keen senses and tracking skills to try and locate lost hikers or missing persons. Sometimes the person came home, sometimes they didn’t. Kyle  never expected his older brother to be one of the people who never came back.

In some ways, it would have been better if they had found a body. Kyle, his father, his mother, his friends, they all spent days traversing the woods and beaches and mountains trying to track him down, but there was never any sign of him. There were rumours he was killed by monsters, he fell in love and moved away, he ran away of his own accord because he owed gambling debts. But there was never anything concrete. For the first time, Kyle really understood what those people felt like when someone they loved never came home. He was way too young for such grief, although he’d argue that there was never really any right age for it.

Kyle withdrew into himself after his brother’s disappearance. For a while, his brightness faded. He’d always intended to follow his father’s footsteps into the Guild, but he hadn’t expected to be it’s leader this young. When his brother went missing, the mantle was left to Kyle. He threw his all into it, and also started training in Search and Rescue, honing the skills he’d already developed in childhood to try and make sure nobody else – or at least as few people as humanly possible – felt the unresolved grief his family had gone through. In a town like Thistleberry, where something strange and dangerous might lurk around every corner, there was always something to find in the dark.

#about #tbvintro

[viscountessevie]

Tagged by the lovely @mermaidsirennikita thanks for the tag! SO SORRY this is months late shxkdjks.

Also to note; I wrote 90% of this post about 4 months ago?? On a call with the brilliant @sophiamariabeckett and @hptriviachamp so that's why they get mentioned alot, anyway let's get to it!

Nickname: S, [Redacted - IYKYK], Sahara,Vi, Evie [I think I’m mostly used to S and Sahara, the latter two are derived from my username lol]

I used to go by Sky when I was younger because people butchered my name but it was also given to me by an ex-friend who tried to whitewash me so I have YEETED that name (will never ever go by it again) and fully embraced my Indian name and culture. Anyways I digress, Sky also earned me the nicknames Sunny, Cloudy, Sunshine. 

Sign: A Fire Sign that fits me

Height: 5′0/155cm

Last thing I Googled: 

[Yall thank Trivia for this search and it’s so fitting for me!]

Song stuck in my head: Would’ve, Should’ve, Could’ve by Taylor Swift (also at this moment: Lavender Haze Acoustic version)

Number of Followers: Over 3k (but 80% are abandoned accounts or probably bots - also you gotta remember I've had this account for 8 years over 3 major fandoms so it's accumulation of that)

Amount of Sleep: 3 to 6 Hours - a lot of afternoon naps 

Lucky number: 8, 19

Dream Job: Novelist and Screenwriter

The List of People I Wanna Work Woth (ranking in order of how much I wanna to work with them): Simone Ashley, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Zawe Ashton, Frieda Pinto & Dev Patel (tied), Zendaya

Creatives: Wanna write with Mindy Kaling and Trevor Noah, write for Margot Robbie (as executive producer), Cathy Yun, and Jordan Peele

Special mention to Tom Hiddleston, Rahul Kohli and Chloe Zhao for being icons I admire but my writing style/stories and their resumes are in direct conflict 😂

Wearing: A sheer black shirt, it’s giving Simone's Shirt-Dress at Paris Fashion Week

Actually at this very moment (3rd April) though I am wearing this:

The shirt ties in the front and I have cream shorts on. Someone once told me I look like a hot baseball player in this fit lol

Movies/Books That Summarize Me:

Books: 

- A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket (very first book I ever read on my own) 

- The Hunger Games series & TBoSaS by Suzanne Collins 

- Every single Cecelia Ahern book

(save for her YA series and The Year I Met You)

- Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi

- To All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven 

- The Celebrity Quartet series by Taylor Jenkins Reid

[Hugo, Daisy Jones, Malibu Rising, gotta read Carrie Soto soon]

- A Lady For A Duke by Alexis Hall

- What I Did For A Duke by Julie Ann Long

Movies:

90s/00s Rom Coms - that entire genre and era changed me as a person. 

10 Things I Hate About You 

Legally Blonde 

Confession of Shopaholic 

Adding A Barbie Section at the request of Belle & Trivia: 

Mermaid’s Tale, An Island Princess and of course Princess & The Pauper changed everyone's lives

Contemporaries: 

Mr. Malcolm’s List 

The Batman 

Do Revenge 

Look Both Ways

Emily

Shows (Added this in cos Shows have shaped me more than movies): 

Wizards of Waverly Place 

Gossip Girl 

The Royals

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

The Mindy Project 

All Michael Schur shows except Parks & Rec (it was fine but not my vibe) 

Jane The Virgin (BUT I do not claim S5)

Favorite song: Changes depending on the day but I will always go back to Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen 

Special Mention: Right Where You Left Me and Nothing New by TS

Favorite instrument: Guitar to play because I played it when I was 8; piano and violin to listen to - I really am a strings bitch huh 

Aesthetic: I love dressing up in different styles and aesthetics tbh and I would say I dress how I feel. I dress up more when I'm happier and have a lot of statement pieces, more casual when I'm feeling lazy or depressed. But with the statement pieces, I'd say I'm giving theatre kid and I like to dress up like a Hollywood starlet sometimes lmao.

Favorite Author: I have no idea tbh. There's not one single author I've read all their books and liked. Hmm maybe Lemony Snicket but I haven't read Asking All The Right Questions yet. But all the books and authors listed above are a good range.

Ohmygod Cecelia Ahern - I've read and loved all her books!! Shoutout to my mom for getting me into her books during my teen years

Favorite Animal Noise: Rattlesnakes, Elephant’s Trumpet with the whole show of their trunks, Seal clapping and Hyena giggles

Random: So this section is the reason I didn't finish this post when Caro tagged me in it months ago lmao sorry C but now I have a fun random fact to share!

I'm currently on vacation in a tropical country rn and the villa I'm staying in feels so much like Donna's Villa in Mamma Mia - I love it so much! (I might reblog and share pictures of this place in the future but rn I'd like not to doxx myself lol) It's hella homey and I LOVE all the animals here; they have 4 dogs and 2 cats who are all my besties now. (I've never been a big pet person and now I want one)

#Tag Games #Caro tag #Belle tag #Triv tag #Get To Know Me #The Viscountess Rambles

[dominicpowers]

BASICS:

Full Name: Dominic James Powers

Nicknames: Dom, DJ, Sweet Feet

Age: 34

Date of Birth: July 23rd - Leo

Hometown: Aurora Bay, California

Current Location: Aurora Bay, California

Gender: CIS-Male

Pronouns: He/Him

Sexual Orientation: Pansexual

Religion: Christian

Occupation: NBA Player (Golden State Warrior Point/Shooting Guard)

Living Arrangements: Living in a house in Aurora Bay Drive

Language(s) Spoken: English

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE:

Faceclaim: Michael B. Jordan

Height: 6'3

Eye Color: Brown

Hair Color: Black

Piercings: A stud in each ear

Tattoos: Two - each arm covered in a biomechanical design. His left arm looks like a robotic arm while the right arm is the same, except there are cut outs that show gears inside - a play on the fact that his teammates playfully call him a machine for how often he works out.

Noticeable Features: Brilliant eyes and charming smile

Fashion Style: Classic, Sporty, Preppy

FAMILY:

Parents: James Powers, Veronica Powers nee Lawson

Siblings: Hilary Gregory nee Powers (sister, age 29), Violet Powers (sister, age 27), Brandon Powers (brother, age 23)

Cousin: Amaya Powers

Pets: Two dogs - Champ, a three year old Golden Retriever, and Honey, a four-year old Rottweiler. Honey is currently pregnant.

BIOGRAPHY:

Ever since Dominic had been born, his father had made sure to tell him an important fact about life - that it was going to be harder for him than it would be for anyone else. That he would have to work twice as hard to get only half the credit, and that was something that stuck with Dominic. No matter what he did, he made sure to give everything a hundred and ten percent - and that was precisely what he did. But one thing he found was that while he was good with numbers, he was better with athletics.

Between peewee football and little league baseball, he proved from an early age that he is quite the athlete but there hadn’t been a sport he loved more than the game of basketball. It was a sport that was more fast paced, one that put you on the spot and made you have to think on your feet. And though he knew it would be difficult, he could see himself having a future in it - and though he had worried how his father would take to his wanting to try and play the sport professionally, he was surprised that his father was supportive. As long as he had a decent backup plan, that was, and Dominic knew that that meant he’d have to go to college.

Of course, he wound up getting his pick of colleges. With his prowess in basketball, a guard that could alternate between the point and the two, he was recruited by many of the top names in the NCAA - UNC, Duke, Ohio State, Michigan State, University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, South Carolina, LSU (just to name a few) - and with a scholarship offered by more than half of them, the decision was a tough one. Eventually, though, Dominic opted to go for a college that wasn’t just a one-and-done, and with a decent business school, he chose the University of North Carolina. And that turned out to be a good thing, because he wound up leading the team to the 2009 NCAA Division his last year of college and with a collegiate championship under his belt, it was easy for him to be drafted to the NBA.

Drafted by the Golden State Warriors alongside Steph Curry in May 2009, Dominic was determined to make his name be one that would ring in infamy - a name much like Michael Jordan, Shaqueille O'Neal, Magic Johnson, LeBron James and the late, great Kobe Bryant - and it wasn’t long before Dom and Steph wound up becoming the Golden State Warriors’ greatest weapon. Nicknamed the dynamic duo, they were hard to guard because the other team never knew what position they were playing since they could both switch from the point to the two and they became such a well-oiled machine that they helped them win 5 of their 12 conference titles, 5 of their 6 division wins, and 3 of their six national championships.

Of course, Dominic was well aware that he wasn’t getting any younger and that his days in the NBA would eventually come to an end, so he decided to move back home to Aurora Bay and with his money - and his love of animals - has donated enough to the Seaside Pet Rescue that they don't have to worry about funding for whatever might come their way. And though Dominic likes being seen as the eligible bachelor that everyone knows him as, part of him yearns to find that perfect someone and settle down.

Until then, though? He’s totally going to enjoy his status as an eligible bachelor as long as possible.

#aurorabay.intro

[skjeinon]

ik u said u don't write for coaches but would you mind writing some dad!rod fluff? maybe just him being super supportive when you're struggling or something? if not that's totally okay and i'm sorry if this made you uncomfortable!

i think you mean y/n’s dad and i absolutely think i can write that. if you don’t i’m so terribly sorry 😭😭 i’m coping with my daddy issues fr

parental fluff under the cut

- schools hard. but thank god you go to school in raleigh. nc state makes it easy to be close to home, since dad (rod) lives so close

- your brothers are little dick heads and play hockey and your sister is the coolest person ever while you’re simply just trying to get through school

- coming home one night for a weekend at home you seem stressed.

- essays are due next week, project in a class is due on wednesday and finals are around the corner.

- the last game against new jersey left dad and the rest of the team happy, having them hold their regular season, celebration at the brindamour house that weekend making everything just a little more stressful.

- the staals were there to help out and jordan did nothing but ask you “hey kiddo.. you alright?” and you nod of course.

- you’re not.

- ending staying quiet the whole night, you end up in your room with your dad standing at the door of your room.

“you gonna tell me what’s wrong?”

“no.”

“stop being like your dad and being stubborn, tell me.”

your room was covered in posters. canes on every wall. jeff skinner and erik staal, jordan martinook and even andrei svechnikov. just old and new players from when you were a baby to now. old rangers posters and even toronto too. your dad loathed any team that wasn’t his on the wall, but he thought it was sweet that he could get you to like it even if you never played or weren’t athletic.

“school…”

“well. what’s wrong with school?”

he liked to think you were popular and had a ton of friends.. and you did. the last name was rarely a draw unless it was some guy who absolutely adored hockey, which they came around. you’d date them for a month , take them to a game or two but never brought them home to meet dad.

“i know you aren’t lacking friends or anything.. is it the work?”

you nod. you were fighting tears. you hated talking about school when it was bad.

“well, you chose to go there and you knew some of the classes wouldn’t be easy..” he finally walks over to you and sits down on the edge of your bed.

“i know. but i’ve always been number one. it’s not right when i feel overwhelmed.” you shake your head, pushing the tears past your eyes.

“look, you could’ve gone to charlotte and you wouldn’t be taking the classes you really wanted to take. or unc even..” he shrugged, you both let out a short laugh before the tears continued to fall. “at least i didn’t make you go to duke.” he smiled, a weak smile formed on your lips.

“look.. i’m sure everything will be okay, yknow? wake up tomorrow and knock out the last of that essay.. then tomorrow night the boys will be over and we’ll all have dinner together. i know how much you like seb..” he laughs, pushing your shoulder a little bit, your cheeks turning red.

“yeah whatever..” you look at him with reddened eyes.

“once you have your essay done, you have one more and you have to finish off that project. and knowing you it’s probably not all that bad, right?”

“mhm.” you nod.

“see? it’ll be okay.” he opens his arms , causing you to scoot over to him, his arms wrapped around you. “love you, kiddo.” he smiles, kissing the top of your head.

“i love you too, dad..” you smile weakly, your arms wrapped around him before he lets you go. hugging you goodnight, you feel more confident in yourself and the next day you do knock out the last of the essay and finish half the project before you have to help mom and heather (i love the staals 😔) begin on dinner as the boys began to show up.

#carolina hurricanes #rod brind’amour #carolina hurricanes imagine #dad fluff fr #coping with my daddy issues #skjeinon answers #nhl fic #nhl fluff

[nflsundayticket]

Chicago Bears Breakdown With Greg Gabriel

With the 2024 NFL draft now in the rearview reflect, our center has previously begun to go to the 2025 possibilities. The following year's class hopes to have another interesting quarterback bunch, and the protective side of the ball makes certain to bounce back in the wake of being eclipsed by the offense last end of the week. Who are the top possibilities from know's point of view? How does the class of 2025 stack up against the group of 2024? We asked NFL draft experts Matt Mill operator and Field Yates, alongside school football correspondent Adam Rittenberg, to respond to seven unavoidable issues about the impending draft class. The 2025 draft in Green Narrows, Wisconsin, is one year away, so there's still a long way to go about the class. However, until further notice, we should do a fast prologue to what could be a champion gathering of possibilities. Furthermore, for more on what's in store from the 2025 class, look at Jordan Reid's too soon mock draft of Cycle 1.

Who are the top quarterbacks in the 2025 class?

Matt Mill operator, NFL draft expert: The beginning of the 2025 class' assessment is a three-headed beast. Carson Beck (Georgia) is the hot name among NFL scouts, however he'll be tested by Quinn Ewers (Texas) and Shedeur Sanders (Colorado) in the event that those two can make the following stride in their games in the 2024 season. In addition to his impressive command of the Georgia offense, Beck exemplifies the soft touch and driving arm strength that NFL teams adore. He tossed for 3,941 yards and 24 scores to only six captures last season. His absence of portability may be addressed, yet his pocket development is brilliant. One more player to watch out for is Riley Leonard, presently at Notre Woman subsequent to moving from Duke. Scouts love his real potential, yet he really wants an enormous leap underway and consistency. Nonetheless, we've witnessed that before as a quarterback acquires insight in school. Field Yates, NFL draft investigator: The three who stand out based off 2023 film study are Sanders, Beck and Ewers - - in a specific order for me. I really think Sanders feels like the early pioneer to be the principal pick in the draft, as his world class pocket passing is past noteworthy. In his most memorable season at Colorado, Sanders finished 298 passes for 3,230 yards and 27 scores. How he can cut up a guard when given existence is genuine. Adam Rittenberg, public school football columnist: The 2025 quarterback class does not look like the one before it, but Miami's Cameron Ward, Sanders, Beck, and Ewers all have potential for the first round, especially after the run on quarterbacks in Detroit. Beck and Ewers will enter the season as top Heisman Prize up-and-comers. Sanders is looking for better assurance and more equilibrium on offense yet showed downfield accuracy and a lot of durability in 2023. Before withdrawing from the 2024 NFL draft and transferring to Miami, where he will lead a talented offense that includes running back Damien Martinez, an additional intriguing prospect, Ward briefly entered the draft. Ward is falling off serious areas of strength for a season, where he tossed for 3,735 yards and 25 touchdowns.____________________________

Which possibilities could turn out to be the top non-QB in the class?

Miller: We should take a gander at next season's hostile tackle class since it's a decent one. Kelvin Banks Jr., a 6-foot-4, 324-pound left tackle from Texas, will compete with Will Campbell, a 6-foot-6, 325-pound blindside protector from LSU, for the top tackle position. Both players are excellent movers who possess the length and strength necessary to be elite NFL players. The class is additionally skilled on safeguard, yet the two hostile handles would feature my initial board. Yates: Colorado WR/DB Travis Tracker and Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr. are the two names that strike a chord right away, as each pops such a huge amount on film. Tracker carries uncommon ease and ability to two separate positions, showing easy speed and senses. Last season, he caught 57 passes for 721 yards and five touchdowns as a receiver; on edge of the ball, he caught three capture attempts and had seven pass separations. Pearce, who had a breakout season in 2023 with 10 sacks in his true sophomore season, appears to be the next elite pass-rusher to enter the NFL. He has such great first-step explosion. Rittenberg: When Michigan won the national championship in 2024, it was expected to have more high-level draft picks in 2025. Cautious back Will Johnson and protective lineman Bricklayer Graham both ought to hear their names called right off the bat in Green Narrows. Johnson, the No. 23 enlist in the 2021 ESPN 300, has extraordinary length at 6-2 and playmaking abilities with four captures last season. Graham was certainly not a beautified secondary school player - - he at first dedicated to Boise State before Michigan - - however turned into a rebuffing force in the inside of the country's best line the previous fall. He ought to keep on ascending on draft sheets.

Who are some early draft sleeper picks who could rise this prepare?

Miller: Kentucky guarded tackle Deone Walker is one of my most loved early watches in anticipation of the 2024 school football season. Watching his 2023 tape, I get a Derrick Earthy colored vibe from the 6-6, 348-pounder. Walker posted 7.5 sacks last season, so he's a nose tackle as well as somebody who really influences the game on three downs. He gets an opportunity to shoot up sheets in the event that he expands on his breakout 2023 season. I likewise need to yell out Texas' new expansion from the exchange entryway, guarded end Three pointer Moore. He posted 14 sacks last season at UTSA. The 6-3, 235-pounder could be a problem for SEC offenses due to his exceptional first-step speed. Yates: Germie Bernard, a receiver for Alabama, has transferred from Washington, where he was the fourth wide receiver in the nation's best receiver room. He was a star at Alabama's spring game - - he had three gets for 122 getting yards - - and ought to be vigorously included. In the interim, Georgia will by and by have a star tight finish to work with, as Ben Yurosek will make a big appearance this fall for the Bulldogs after three seasons at Stanford. Yurosek had 42 gets in 2021 and found the middle value of north of 15 yards for every catch. His 2023 season was cut short by a shoulder injury, but he still impressed in Stanford's season-opening game against Hawaii with nine receptions for 138 yards.

What to be aware from the 2024 NFL draft

Rittenberg: A threesome of pass-rushers - Texas A&M's Nic Scourton, Louisville's Ashton Gillotte and LSU's Harold Perkins Jr. - - ought to join the excess of protective possibilities. Scourton drove the Enormous Ten with 10 sacks the previous fall and ought to coordinate well with Cashius Howell and others to pressure quarterbacks. In his first three seasons at Louisville, the 6-3, 270-pound Gillotte has recorded 22 sacks and can play both the edge and interior line. Perkins has 13 sacks and 26 handles for misfortune in his initial two seasons and ought to flourish under new organizer Blake Dough puncher.

What is the early strength of the class?

Miller: Defense! As incredible as the 2024 draft class was on offense, with a record 23 first-round determinations coming from that side of the ball, the 2025 class will be featured by safeguard. Cornerbacks Will Johnson, Travis Tracker and Benjamin Morrison (Notre Woman) all seem to be future top-10 picks. The guarded line is similarly stacked with Pearce, Graham, Perkins and Mykel Williams (Georgia) all demonstrating the possibility to be geniuses at a higher level.

How does the class of 2025 stack up in comparison to the group of 2024?

Yates: When comparing the classes, I find the expected overall depth in 2025 to be the most intriguing aspect. There were such countless players who ended up getting back to school this previous draft, which is attached to both Nothing amazing open doors and the way that all NCAA competitors who were in school toward the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic were conceded an additional time of qualification. Genuine green beans who entered school in 2020 or the people who entered in 2021 and played immediately are set out toward their last year this season, which ought to prompt a lot further class. Read the full article

#2025draftclass #CollegeFootball #defensivetalent #NFL #NFLDraft #offensivetalent #prospects #Quarterbacks #scouting #sleeperpicks

[mermaidsirennikita]

Do you have a list of other historical romance series you would recommend that are a little more recent?

Yep yep yep

I go more by author than by book, and I won’t pretend to be an expert--there are authors I haven’t read but have been recommended.  I’ve been told that Elizabeth Hoyt is really good, Lisa Kleypas is a legend, and I really want to get my hands on some Sophie Jordans but I can’t attest to the quality of the books themselves.  My friends and plenty of critics do!

I have read all of Sarah MacLean’s adult romances, and those are some of my favorites.  Her Rules of Scoundrels series is especially good--A Rogue by Any Other Name was one of my favorite books this year.  She explores tons of tropes.  Her books are very sexy, and I find that the sex tends to be much more creative than what I’ve found in the Bridgerton novels.  (One of her most famous scenes in “One Good Earl Needs A Lover” is just called... the chair scene.). The couples are as of now all straight and white, but tbh she’s also a white woman and is married to a man, so there’s the argument of whether or not she should play in other fields there.  She does include people of color and more recently LGBT+ characters in supporting roles, and she’s definitely more interested in exploring different issues of CLASS.  For example, the Rules of Scoundrels series has heroes that all work.  Most of them work in a casino.  Her Bareknuckle Bastards trilogy focuses on Covent Garden; it’s less about dukes (though there is a duke, lol) than it is about working class people, which is really nice.  Not all of her heroines are virgins.  Most of them aren’t super skinny.  It’s nice.

(Sarah MacLean also runs a podcast about romance novels with her friend, a romance critic who’s known as Jen Reads Romance on Twitter.  They delve into a lot of different topics and offer recommendations within basically every subgenre.)

Evie Dunmore’s A League of Extraordinary Women series is set in the Victorian era, and focuses on heroines that are suffragettes.  The protagonist of the first book isn’t a virgin and is a bluestocking, which is great.  The hero of her second novel is bisexual, which I also appreciated.  There are issues with those books that need to be explored, but overall I enjoyed them.

Tessa Dare is known for some really funny romcoms that are super tropey and swoony, but also quite sexy and spirited.

I’ve only read one Diana Quincy book--Her Night with the Duke.  But it was super different and I reeeeally liked it.  The heroine was mixed race, for one thing, and that wasn’t just left behind or ignored.  She also was a widow, and actually slept with the hero within the first few chapters.  Not for love, just for physical pleasure.  They fell in love AFTER.  I love the way that sex is handled in this book.  It’s also got quite a hook, lol--I was engrossed.

Scarlett Peckham is known for exploring very sexually bold heroines; she has one book called The Rakess, about a female rake.  The Lord I Left features a heroine who is an apprentice to a “whipping governess”--basically, she’s a dominatrix in training.  Her hero is a virgin minister.  It’s really different.  Love a virginal hero.

E.E. Ottoman is a trans romance novelist, and he specializes in historical romances that focus on trans and otherwise LGBT+ characters.  The Doctor’s Discretion is probably one of his more famous romances, and it’s set in nineteenth century New York.  It features LGBT+ characters and an interracial romance; seeing people act as if this shit doesn’t exist in historical romance is.... gross and wrong.

Courtney Milan is a major figure in the romance community right now.  She writes historical romances, and more recently has been focusing on characters that aren’t white.  The Duke Who Didn’t, for example, is about Asian characters.  Jeannie Lin is another one to look at if you’d like to read about Asian characters in historical romances, though I haven’t read hers--her books focus on the Tang Dynasty.  

Beverly Jenkins is a legend who’s been working for decades but has also published more recent books.  She focuses on historical romances between black characters, and is known for her impeccable historical research.  They’re great.

Olivia Waite writes both het and lesbian historical romances.  The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows is particularly good if you’d like some historical wlw content.

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Kate Quinn’s Mistress of Rome series if you’d like something that’s borderline historical romance, with just a tiny bit more edge in the historical category (mainly because they can get a bit dark and are kind of part of an epic family saga).  It’s set in Ancient Rome and focuses on a Jewish girl who falls in love with a gladiator, their journey to get back to each other after being separated, and another very good generational romance following theirs.  I wish there were MORE recent historical romances that weren’t Regency, so this is what I settle for as of now.

Basically, romance is expanding and there are tons of other authors I didn’t even think of.  I recommend you search “Romancelandia” on Twitter for more info.

#bridgerton #romance novels #tagging w bridgerton bc i've been seeing some.... not great... #ideas about historical romance novels and their supposed limitations in the tag #Anonymous

[dalekofchaos]

It’s been nearly 2 years since the McMahons addressed the WWE Universe and told them they would give the fans what they want. So far this year...

Asuka is almost never used, her challengers are almost never earned and when she should have been presented as the killer that she was in NXT as champion, she is sometimes presented as an afterthought and she had to play hot potato with her title with Sasha & Bayley, she wasn’t even allowed to look strong

Everything about Retribution, not even Mustafa Ali can save it

Whenever a great match kills it, tears the house down and feels like a main event, it’s not the main event and we are given a snooze fest as main event instead

EVERYTHING about Seth Rollins and the Mysterio family feud...please god make it stop make it end

Charlotte killed Rhea Ripley’s momentum and wouldn’t even take the loss to put Io Shirai over, she literally did no one ANY favors as NXT Woman’s Champion

WWE has every intention of bringing Goldberg, Brock and Rousey every now and then at the cost of the talent you actually have and no regard for the fans

Randy Orton ends Drew McIntyre’s reign as champion

Otis wins the MITB only to lose it

The Miz takes the MITB from Otis....literally no one cares about The Miz

The IIconics were stupidly broken up to put Peyton in a tag team with Lacey Evans

Kairi Sane was used as Nia Jax’s crash test dummy instead of actually pushing her. We could’ve had Kairi go for Bayley’s title at WM 36 and win it and we’d have the Kubuki Warriors and Io as champions, but no we can’t have nice things

Nia Jax is rewarded for being a dangerous and unsafe wrestler

Mandy Rose going to Raw was presented as this big deal like it’s her break out moment as a singles star, then she’s put in a tag team with Dana Brooke and loses her “Golden Goddess” look to just look generic

Shayna Baszler is not even in contention for Asuka’s title and is in a thrown at the last minute team with Nia Jax and they are Tag Team Champions....for reasons

Despite having The Riott Squad, The IIconics, Marina Shafir & Jessamyn Duke, they instead went with Shayna & Nia as Women’s Tag Team Champions

Despite Naomi being white fucking hot since her return to the Rumble, she is squandered, despite the fan reaction, she is not given a chance, put in a stupid feud with Lacey Evans and even when drafted to Raw, WE STILL haven’t seen her

NXT superstars were not even considered for the Draft, WWE pretty much treats NXT as their red headed step-child

Despite the mystery woman angle, Carmella is absent. Emmalina all over again, I fully expect her new gimmick to be dropped

The Intercontinental and United States Champions are presented as afterthoughts

Changed Keith Lee, Nikki Cross and Peyton Royce’s themes pointlessly

Not only was Keith Lee’s theme was changed, but so was his look and booking

Nikki Cross went from the crazy sister to generic female wrestler. I hope a new Wyatt stable can bring back her old SAnitY styled gimmick, but I ain’t holding my breath

The 24/7 title is still around. It’s lost it’s appeal and given the success of AEW’s TNT champion, I would’ve replaced the 24/7 title with the first ever WWE Television Champion

They STILL won’t unify the Tag Team Champions

They STILL keep splitting up tag teams and putting them in make shift tag teams

They brought back Lars Sullivan despite fan disgust over his racism, misogyny, homophobia and recently harassing a woman on instagram, the guy literally has no value and he’s not even that big or intimidating

They kept Matt Riddle and brought back Velveteen Dream, Jordan Devlin and Austin Theory despite the allegations and evidence in the #speakingout movement, plus Matt Riddle and WWE are being countersued for two millions. Riddle is also pretty unprofessional and this countersuit is gonna be a huge headache for WWE and it’s gonna bite them on the ass.

Continues the Saudi Blood Money deal despite fan protest with SA’s human rights violations and publicly MURDERING an American journalist, oh and VINCE LEFT HIS SUPERSTARS BEHIND WHILE THEY WERE HELD HOSTAGE

Was deemed essential, yet fired over 300 employees and used the pandemic as an excuse. They lied about over 37 million in quarterly profits, so they can fire over 300 people, during a worldwide pandemic  but kept Lars Sullivan, Velveteen Dream and Jaxson Ryker

Took control over the superstars assets for services like Twitch and cameo. Still insist that their wrestlers are Independent Contractors but treat them like employees and won’t let them make a living on the side. They will make a percentage but  it will count against their downside guarantees. This is fucking criminal

Please tell me how you are gonna “give what the fans want” please tell me this is how any of us want

As far as I can tell, the only thing they gave me what I want this year is Bayley and Sasha killed it and made 2020 their bitch, Everything about Roman, The Hurt Business, The Fiend & Alexa Bliss and they FINALLY gave Chad Gable back his fucking name. 

#WWE #Asuka #Seth Rollins #Dominik Mysterio #Buddy Murphy #Rhea Ripley #Otis Dozovic #Drew McIntyre #Peyton Royce #The IIconics #Kairi Sane #Mandy Rose #Shayna Baszler #Sami Zayn #Bobby Lashley #Mustafa Ali #Kofi Kingston #Xavier Woods #The Street Profits #Angelo Dawkins #Montez Ford #Anti Lars Sullivan #Anti Matt Riddle #Anti Velveteen Dream

[adoraang]

She-Ra Week Day 5 by @fauxghosts

Prompt: PRINCESS PROM / healing

Summary: When Glimmer and Bow bet Adora she can't ask Catra to prom before the end of the spring musical, she gets frustrated with her feelings.So what do you do when you've got a bunch of pent up frustration?You duke it out in the Denny's parking lot with your crush in a lightsaber duel.

Read it on AO3

“You’re not gonna do it.”

“I am not gonna do it,” Adora said dramatically as they stepped off the stage after finishing Act Two.

Their school, after constant begging, had finally decided to do a production of Les Miserables. After doing things like Seussical (they don’t talk about that) and High School Musical (nothing wrong with it, just mundane), the theatre department wanted something more serious. Something that would challenge them.

So they forced their director, Double Trouble, to fight with the school about doing Les Mis. Despite some of the… suggestive stuff from the show, the school probably didn’t want to fight some theatre kids, and let them have their show.

The audition process is always the scariest. Being a soprano, she only had one role really available to her: Cosette. Glimmer and Bow peer pressured her into auditioning for a lead instead of going straight to ensamble, and she still wasn’t going to do it, but then Catra asked her to do it, and she couldn’t say no.

Adora ended up cast as Cosette, and she had practically cried of happiness when the cast list came out. Glimmer had gotten Fantine, being a very low mezzo. But then Catra’s name was listed for Eponine, and she just about proposed right there.

They were far from love interests. In fact, they were love rivals. Sea Hawk was the one playing Marius, and the two girls spent the entire show in love with him, which wasn’t the funnest. Neither of them even liked boys, so for Catra’s character to die because she was delivering a letter to Marius… It was a trip.

Even if they weren’t true love interests, and only shared one song with each other that wasn’t the Act One finale, Catra and Adora still spent the most time in rehearsal together. Ironic, because the one song was called A Heart Full Of Love, and it’s Adora’s hardest song, in her opinion.

She gushed about Catra to Bow and Glimmer everyday in the car home from rehearsal. “Guys, I think my heart is full of love. Would it be weird to ask Double Trouble to switch Marius and Eponine? I’d rather spend the whole show simping about Catra then Sea Hawk-”

“Adora!” Glimmer cut off. “You’ve been halfway in love with Catra since Seussical, and I think that’s saying something. You should tell her. What’s the worst that can happen?”

“She rejects me, never talks to me again, drops out of the show, and I can’t spend the rest of senior year with her or college, since we’re both going to University of San Diego together to major in theatre, and she’ll never want to be in another role with me!”

“You’re freaking out again,” Bow childed, not turning away from the street as he drove. “You know Catra isn’t like that. And I don’t think she’ll reject you in the first place.” “I am so tired of hearing Adora talk about Catra when Catra probably likes her back,” Glimmer growled. “I’m going to do something about it.”

She reached into her pocket, and Adora almost hopped over the console. She thought they were going to call Catra and tell her something, and it was enough to make her take off her seatbelt, despite Bow’s car safety. “Glimmer, wait-”

Instead, she pulled out her wallet. “I will give you fifty dollars if you ask Catra to Princess Prom as a romantic date. I’ll double the offer if you do it before closing night.”

“An extra twenty if she says yes!” Bow chimed in.

Glimmer and Bow don’t struggle with money, so a hundred wasn’t a lot for them, but Adora’s eyes grew wide as she thought about it. Of course, it involved asking Catra out, but she’d figure that out later. “You have a deal.”

“Now please put your seatbelt back on!” Bow screeched, his voice cracking.

Which brought them to now, as they got into position for curtain call. She’d be bowing with Sea Hawk after Catra had hers with Kyle (who played Enjorlas, and it’s still shrouded in mystery how he got the role). Glimmer was one of the first to bow, but she still caught the wink as she walked away.

“That thing is huge,” Catra mumbled when she got in line backstage, waiting for their cue.

Adora looked down at her costume. The huge wedding dress wasn’t her favorite costume from the show, but it couldn’t be more appropriate for the moment (or inappropriate, take the pick). Catra couldn’t look more beautiful in her sleeveless white shirt and brown skirt that hit the floor. Despite the fact that the belt on her waist was big on her and she had dirt slathered all over her, she’s never looked better. Plus the red cap… That stupid thing was going to be the death of her.

“It’s always been like this,” Adora replied, falling into her place next to Sea Hawk, who busied himself with Kyle. Her heart thumped with the question. She doubted Catra had feelings for her, but she could always ask as a friend. Not like Glimmer and Bow needed to know anyways…

Bow had been a life saver in tech. He always knew when to turn off people’s mics, including that one time he turned off Catra’s when she started shit talking principal Hordak backstage when he came to watch rehearsal. Luckily, he turned them off now as Adora made her attempts to approach the subject.

“Princess Prom.” That’s not a question, it’s a statement! “Uh, I mean…”

“Catra, you and Kyle are next,” Scorpia, their stage manager, said.

Catra nodded, then turned back to her. “So, this is it, huh.. Our last curtain call as seniors, being cast as the leads for the first time, our last show in general until San Diego.”

“Don’t remind me.” She already cried in her car as she drove herself and Catra to school, emotional about ending her last show already. Closing nights are always a mess, but it just hits differently as seniors, and when you’re playing love rivals with the girl you’re pretty in love with.

“I’ll see you on the flip side,” she whispered before she ran out on stage, the bright lights shining down on her.

Even though Adora could only see Catra’s back, they were both sad about this being their last show. They had identical tears pricking their eyes, and when she rushed off stage with Kyle, she braced herself for the emotions to come.

She took Sea Hawk’s hand, and they ran to center stage when Scorpia gave them their cue. She couldn’t stop the tears from coming, even as she bunched her dress in her hands to give the curtsey bow. Sea Hawk did the Jeremy Jordan bow, where he clasps his hands in front of him and takes his bow.

Their last show…

The cast got into a line going horizontal, pointing to their lovely orchestra for their part of the bow. They started to make their way backstage again, and Adora took Catra’s hand. For emotional support, you know? She wasn’t going to see the blinding lights or the tech week shenanigans or the mic taped to her forehead in high school again! Obviously she’s going to be very dramatic about it.

As the cast made their way to the green room, everyone was in the same mood: sad. Catra had opted for letting go of her hand to wrap an arm around her shoulders as they silently sniffled. She was going to miss this…

“Closing night isn’t over, people!” Sea Hawk shouted, pumping a fist into the air. “Let’s go say goodbye to Double Trouble, and head over to Denny's!”

Ah, yes. The theatre kid ritual. Every show, they have to go to Denny'safter closing. It’s the law, and she looked forward to it every time. It always created the best memories, like when the obnoxious senior from last year, Octavia, got arrested for stealing a shopping cart.

Denny's always made her night.

“He’s not wrong,” Catra said to her. “Am I driving with you?”

“Duh.” Wasn’t that a given? Or was it too forward to assume. Or maybe-

“That’s what I thought.”

But when they stepped into the green room, all thoughts of Catra disappeared (for one second exactly) as Double Trouble walked in, whopping loudly. They gave their speech about this being one of the funnest shows to do, but Adora was too busy wiping her wet cheeks to really listen.

“Go out there, kids, and rule the goddamn theatre world!” Double Trouble finished, dismissing them for the night.

“To Denny's!” Glimmer exclaimed, giving everyone the pick-me-up they needed.

“To Denny's,” Catra repeated to her, quieter. To Denny'sit was. They walked to the parking lot, heading to her car, but Glimmer caught her wrist as she was opening her door.

“You only have a couple hours left. Use them wisely.” Satisfied with her words of wisdom, Glimmer got into the passenger side of Bow’s car parked next to them.

“I’m really going to kill them,” Adora whispered to herself as she put the key into the ignition. Her little yellow beetle may not be anything for any other high school kid, but it was perfect for her.

“Why?” Catra asked, having apparently heard her. Rats.

“Because.” And it was left at that before Adora opened her mouth again. “Princess Prom. That’s a thing that’s going on. It’s going on very soon. Like, in a month soon.”

“Yes, what about it?” Catra seemed so dismissive of it. She looked out the window, listening to Somebody’s Watching Me on the radio. Was she even going to go? What if she asked and Catra had no plans of going, and Adora’s unknowingly forcing her into it?

“Nothing.”

“Oh…” Catra traced the window with her nail. Now why was she all deflated? This girl is way too confusing for her brain. “I want to go, but I don’t want to be alone.”

Adora is going to kill someone. Seriously, all it would take is driving the car into Denny's. “Really? You’re going?”

“Not as of right now, but I kind of want to. Like I wouldn’t wear a dress or heels. But… I would want to wear a suit and maybe get my nails a color that isn’t black. But I don’t know who I’d go with.”

She momentarily turned away from the road to look at Catra. Bow would be screaming at her right now, but she couldn’t find it in her to care. She was basically given an invitation to ask, but what if Catra didn’t want her to ask? What if she’s just talking about it? What if she wants Adora to set her up with someone else?

Catra opened her mouth to say something, but she got distracted by something gleaming in the backseat. “There’s no way I didn’t notice these earlier!”

She reached into the back, leaning across the console. Her white sweater rode up on her waist, and Adora exploded into a blush at the sight of some skin. Seriously, what is wrong with her? And because she doesn’t get cold, she wore a cropped red cami and regular black jeans. Her outfit did nothing to hide the blush.

Catra came back up, holding the hilt of two lightsabers. They were both big Star Wars nerds, and she spent thirty dollars (each) on these sabers. But the money from the bet would pay it back, if she actually did it. Catra dove into the backseat again, bringing the two sticks of plastic that she fastened back onto the hilt.

She pressed a button, and the blue light from Anakin Skywalker’s lightsaber lit up the car. Catra stared at the saber, and Adora couldn’t help but notice how her skin managed to light up perfectly in the blue light. “Try the red.”

Catra turned off the blue saber, and grabbed a hold of Darth Vader’s lightsaber. The red added a dangerous feeling to the atmosphere. Blue was fun and playful. Red was full of passion, and the silence that followed afterward proved her point.

Finally, Catra cleared her throat, moving the saber around a bit. “Oh, I like this one.”

“But I like that one,” Adora protested as she pulled into a parking space at Denny’s. She could see everyone had already arrived. Not like she was driving slower than usual just to get a couple more seconds of conversation. No doubt they would see the red light and question what they were doing.

She pointed the end of the saber at Adora. “Well then, I guess it’s going to have to be a duel to the fate.”

Adora rolled her eyes at the reference, but grabbed the blue saber from the console, igniting it with the push of a button. “Okay, Eponine ‘I Died Delivering A Letter To My Love Interest That Was Actually About Another Girl’ Thénardier.”

“That’s the show’s fault, not mine.”

“Unimportant.”

Catra opened the car door, bouncing to Adora's side within seconds. She hastily took off her seatbelt, practically sprinting out of the driver's seat, spinning the hilt in her hand. “I’m pretty sure you’ve never fought with one of these.”

Adora scoffed. “I own them.”

“Yeah, just like I’m gonna own you!” Catra charged forward, raising her saber above her head before bringing it down on Adora. She barely had time to respond, lifting her own saber to block it as she sunk down to her knee.

“Hey, I just ordered our table! It’ll be ready in a couple minutes,” Scorpia said as she came out the door in time to see Adora stand and knock Catra away from her. “What are you guys doing?”

Catra held Adora in a parry as she turned around to yell, “Fighting, duh!”

“Yeah, we see that!” Bow shouted as Adora brought her sword back to her chest, making Catra stumble as they slowly moved away from her car. “Why are you guys mad?”

“Not real fighting!” Adora answered, moving in closer to Catra as their sabers met in the middle time and time again. “I’m defending my honor and rights!” “Yeah, her rights to dance with me instead of fighting in a parking lot!” Catra responded.

Adora faltered at that. Before she could begin overthinking what that meant in the middle of a lightsaber duel in the Denny's parking lot with the entire cast of Les Mis watching, Catra caught her saber and twisted her arm, causing Adora to completely let go of her saber.

“It’s over, Adora. I have the high ground,” Catra boasted.

“Not yet!” She dropped down low, catching the saber by the hilt before it hit the ground. She brought her blade back up, the two of them getting caught in another round of aimlessly swinging and blocking.

“You guys are ridiculous!” Glimmer shouted, her head in her hands.

“You don’t appreciate the true art of Star Wars like we do!” Adora yelled back.

Truthfully, this isn’t how she expected her last post closing night dinner at Denny’s to go.

When she was talking about it to Catra on their way to school, they imagined a tearful night. Majority of the cast and crew were seniors, and everyone loved them. Glimmer had basically adopted a little sophomore, Frosta, who played Gavroche (no one even noticed the genderbend!). They all thought they were going to be sad, and cry in the back of Scorpia’s pick up truck as they sang One Day More as a cast, one last time.

Instead, Adora was sword fighting Catra in the parking lot as all of their friends watched.

A great conclusion to her senior year musical, honestly.

Adora stood in front of Catra for a moment as they caught their breath. In an instant, they started twirling their sabers in their hands. The light from the blue and red was a whirlwind, and Catra laughed as they recreated that one scene from their favorite Star Wars movie: Revenge of the Sith.

Catra’s laugh was intoxicating. It made Adora let out her own giggle. They went back to fighting after a second, but Catra’s face illuminated by the red light in the nighttime made her stomach go up in butterflies.

“You were supposed to join me, not leave me in darkness!” Catra recited, smiling the whole time.

Adora swiped the saber at her feet, and Catra hopped over it. “Well, I love you!”

She froze, and Catra even faltered. But because she froze, Catra pushed her onto her back, pointing the red saber at her. “I know!”

For a moment, she forgot it was a reference to another one of the movies. But Adora let her saber fall out of her hand, looking up at Catra. The red light was stunning. Everyone else around them had fallen silent to watch the exchange. She then realized no one else knew what the reference was from.

“Guys, it’s from one of the movies!” Adora called out from her place on the ground. “Empire Strikes Back, it’s pretty good. You guys should watch it!”

Catra panted, looking down at her. “What?”

She was equally as confused. “What? What happened?”

“Oh, forget it.” Catra turned off the saber, holding her hand out instead. “Want to rule a galaxy together instead?”

“How about we start by taking over Broadway,” Adora grinned, helping herself up with Catra’s assistance. She turned off the blue saber, but they continued to stare at each other. Catra continued to hold her hand, but neither made any attempt to move away.

“Did we just hash everything out in a Denny’s parking lot?” Catra asked.

“I think we did..”

“Adora!” Glimmer shouted, interrupting their staring contest. “So like, I have a hundred with me. Bow has a twenty, but…”

The bet. A hundred and twenty dollars if she successfully asked her crush out to Princess Prom and didn’t get rejected. But they just beat each other up with plastic toys from the Disney store. Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be. Or maybe they were, but then one of them would fall to the dark side and tragically die. Who knows?

“Oh, that thing where Glimmer and Bow were going to give you money if you asked me to Princess Prom?” Catra raised an eyebrow, laughing at Adora’s horrified face. “Bow told Scorpia, and she accidentally let it slip.”

Adora groaned. She wanted to go fall in a hole and die in a ditch. Maybe she should’ve been shot on stage instead of Catra. “Yeah, about that-”

“I’ve been waiting for you to ask me,” Catra said, tightening her hold on her hand. “I didn’t think I wanted to go, but then I heard that and I realized… maybe I did. The dances and stuff always felt really corporate to me, and it wasn’t my thing. But I went home everyday wondering why you hadn’t asked me yet, and then I realized-”

“Oh my god I am so sorry,” Adora interrupted. She was horrified. Catra knew the entire time. She’s been tripping over herself for the two months of rehearsal and three weeks of the actual production, but never stopped to think what if she already knew. She’s absolutely mortified. “You got dragged into this mess of a joke between me and Glimmer then Bow came in and I just thought, I don’t know. I don’t think or I think too much. Oh my god, I can not believe this is happening!”

Catra chuckled when she spoke without a pause. “Breathe. I’m not mad. Or upset or anything like that. I like you too, Adora.”

Her cheeks flamed. “You did?”

She nodded. “You’re not exactly subtle, per say…”

Adora didn’t feel like crying out of embarrassment anymore. She put her free hand in her pocket, ghosting her fingers over Catra’s knuckles with the other. “You actually like me?”

Another nod, accompanied with a gorgeous laugh. “Yes. Yes, I like you and all your high notes. You think I liked seeing you kiss Sea Hawk every rehearsal and show?” They both laughed. Neither of them like it, apparently, because Adora didn’t. “You and your private story where you rewatch Clone Wars with me and we both cry, and I get to see the video and laugh at how oblivious you were to notice that I liked you. You and your bootleg pirating, despite the fact that Newsies is your favorite and it’s literally proshot. So yeah, Adora. I do like you. You and your overthinking.”

Adora was over the moon, and she wanted to stay here in the parking lot all night and talk. But first, she had something to conclude. “So, Princess Prom. That’s a thing we should go to together.”

“We should.”

They did.

#she ra #catra #adora #catradora #sheraweek #my fic #my writing

[nextwarden]

Webtoons are good for the soul PART II - ECLECTIC BOOGALOO

A continuation of this.

Sea Salt and Sand by neggut [ongoing]

In the autumn holidays 3 months ago, Brynn and Bailey shared a kiss. When Bailey left, Brynn tried to forget all about her and continue living an unremarkable life, only for Bailey to suddenly transfer to her school! What follows is a coming of age story full of pining, misunderstandings and confusion as Brynn and Bailey question the true nature of their relationship. 

It’s cute and a bit angsty but not too much. The art style often feels incomplete or rushed but in a good way, its flaws give character to the characters and the story. One of my all time favourites.

Apathy meets labrador/10

Dragonbourne by Gummy Shark [ongoing]

After a troubled past, Sir Ross Edmund Avery is somewhat content to lead a mundane existence, alone in his house. However, when he stumbles upon a child in the woods on Solstice Night who is anything but mundane, his simple life will be turned upside down.

A scar(r)ed man adopts a feral child, hijinks ensue. Once again, the art style is endearing, full of curves and long lines. Haven’t checked on that one in a while but the first twenty chapters were very promising.

Found family/10

The Last Human by Zack Jordan [ongoing]

She's the galaxy's worst nightmare: a Human. Fortunately, she's the last one. Now her adoptive (alien) mother is realizing that raising a young Human is no easy task.

Basically the badass and child duo trope but the truth may surprise you. Fun, cute, very wholesome, and surprisingly emotionnaly philosophical at times. Spidermom is best mom.

Recommend/10

Vampire Husband by Scragony [ongoing]

The life of Charles the Vampire an Cheryl the human after years of marriage.

What if tragic romance between human and vampire but they had their “happy-ever-after”? This is after. It’s funny and cute.

Relationship goals/10

Blood Stain by sigeel [ongoing]

A story about courage, growing up and finding friendships in most unlikely places... spiced with some MAD SCIENCE! 

Haven’t quite wrapped my head around this one yet, but it’s fun and drawn by sigeel (a.k.a. Linda Sejic) so of course it’s beautiful. Enjoyed it a lot, will have to keep reading.

Bloody merry/10

Punderworld by sigeel [ongoing - on hiatus]

Hades' and Persephone's love-struck misadventures.

Another take on Hades and Persephone’s love story. Once again, sigeel, so of course I love the art.

Bumbling idiots/10

The Queen and the Woodborn by Shiniez [ongoing]

Far away behind seven hills and seven forests, seven fields and seven rivers, there lived a Queen... welcome to the queen and the woodborn. a fairy tale romance for the mature readers about the unseen Queen and the Goddess in the woods. a tale of the two forgotten by the world around them who will make the world remember their names. expect gods and monsters and a romance for the ages.

Not many chapters yet but very long ones to compensate. This one is by Shiniez (a.k.a. Stjepan Sejic) so, once again, love the art. The story, the character designs and concepts, and the pace are all amazing.

Very wow/10

P.E.T.S. by Gyxks [ongoing]

Just when Tasha was about to start a new life, she was abducted by aliens. Fortunately, she and other humans were rescued by an interstellar general named Tourmaline. She soon discovered that her body was unfit to return home without endangering life on earth. Join her on her journey traversing this new world and these new feelings for an alien general. 

POV: You’re living your best life as a young adult, at the shopping mall at 2am in your pyjamas, when suddenly death aliens rain pain all around and you’re abducted only to be saved by tall buff alien commander lady. Romance ensues. Maybe, it’s slow burn but quite enjoyable to read.

Blush/10

Scoob and Shag by Misterie Krew [ongoing]

Scoob and his best pal Shag are up to their usual hi-jinks, but everything is not as it seems in their latest adventure. 

No relations to any character whatsoever. None. None at all. Also no relations to any kind of sense at all either. Can’t quite explain that one except that it’s genius. Just read it.

Is that a gun?/10

Bewitched by peachyytown [ongoing]

The witch who keeps "kidnapping" the princess is actually her girlfriend and they're just going on dates.

Short but cute alternative take on all that witch/monster/princess shenanigans. In the same vein as Our days in Lumain. Also the art is very nice.

Meetcute/10

When the Pink Trees Bear Fruit by neggut [completed]

A sweet love blooms between two women on an orchard in 1973.

A short story, five chapters only, but play devastatingly well with one’s heart. In the same vein as It Stems From Love by Soya S. Holm. neggut ist sehr gut.

Tears/10

Rooftops & Roommates by Zaanart [ongoing]

Jeb is an architecture major at university, rooming with his best friend Todd. There's just one problem... Jeb’s secretly a gargoyle! Between studying, partying, and a bad ghost problem, will Jeb be able to keep his true identity a secret?

Jeb is sweet, Jeb is fresh, but Jeb is decidedly not very good at keeping a secret. It’s funny, slice-of-life, roommate college shenanigans at its finest. With a magical twist.

Ship/10

Everything is Fine by Mike Birchall [ongoing]

Sam and Maggie are a normal couple, in a normal house, in a normal neighborhood. There is nothing strange about their heads, their neighbors or their sweet little dog. Everything is Fine.

I haven’t actually started this one yet, but the premise is very very very interesting. Perhaps not for thos who are faint of heart? Deceptively cute. Or is it?

It’s fine/10

Castle Swimmer by Wendy Lian Martin [ongoing]

What happens when your entire life is ruled by a prophecy – your future foretold by people you’ve never met, who died long before you were born.  Such is the story of two young sea creatures.  One believed to be a guiding light for his people, a Beacon who will lead them to a bright, prosperous future.  The other is a teenage prince for who’s destiny is to KILL the Beacon so that HIS own people might thrive.  When both reject the course set for them, it leads to a raucous adventure as big and unpredictable as the ocean itself – and a romance that nobody could have predicted.

It’s fish. It’s gay. It’s under da sea and ya gotta kiss the boy. I haven’t read it all yet but enough to vouch for it and to have some vested interest in the universe and its lore.

Enemies to lovers/10

Demon Highschool by Kiiyoko [ongoing]

After a compromise it was agreed that criminals would attend a "demons highschool" where they would work as slaves for demons And while it was all in good favor, things take a very dark and twisted turn at said, highschool.

There’s something, some kind of twist, about the MC which I haven’t gotten to yet, and which I am very interested to discover. I’m not quite sure how I feel about this one as of now, mostly curious I’d say.

Pet/10

Hooky by Miriam Bonastre Tur [completed]

Dani and Dorian have missed the bus of the school of magic. Now, they must find someone who teach them how to be a great and good witches... Or maybe not.​ 

This one is a strange one about witchery and family. Surprisingly deep and serious at times, very enjoyable. Unfinished on Webtoon but a good start to get into the story.

Siblings/10

Loving Reaper by Jenny Jinya [ongoing]

Animals struggle. Pets and Wildlife alike. The reaper cares for their stories and helps them with the crossover. Short stories about the "Loving Reaper" to raise awareness and collect funds. Breaking hearts for a good cause.

Beautiful bittersweet stories about animals, pets, life and death and love.

Tissues/10

Batman: Wayne Family Adventures by StarBite, CRC Payne, Kielamel Siba, Lan Ma, C.M. Cameron, and Camille Cruz [ongoing]

Batman needs a break. But with new vigilante Duke Thomas moving into Wayne Manor and an endless supply of adopted, fostered, and biological superhero children to manage, Bruce Wayne is going to have his hands full. Being a father can't be harder than being Batman, right? 

What if Bat-family but happy? Official comic, barely started, very fun.

Wholesome/10

The First Night With the Duke by MSG, Taeva, from an original work by Hwang DoTol [ongoing]

A handsome, selfish noble falls for a beautiful, kind commoner -- at least, that’s how the story’s supposed to go. When an average college student wakes up as Ripley, an extra in her favorite romance novel, she resolves to enjoy the luxuries of her character’s status while watching the novel's plot unfold from the sidelines. However, her plans are soon derailed when she finds herself in bed with no other than Duke Zeronis, the novel’s hero! Dodging the villainess’ schemes, the Duke’s advances, and her own feelings, can Ripley keep the story on track and survive beyond the first night? 

Haven’t read that one but a very dear (and respectable) friend (*cough*  @berigolote​  *cough*) of mine keeps pestering me to give it a try. So here it is, try it.

Do it before me and you get a cookie/10

HEART Anthology by Marvin.W, caw-chan and many other artists. [ongoing]

Featuring stories from the 2020 Short Story Contest!  From wholesome stories to tearjerkers, are you ready to catch these feelings?

A collection of beautiful stories on the shorter side, all about the many kinds of love in life, the many beauties of it, and the pains that make it worth living.

Tears that warm the heart/10

In My Heart by Redfield42 [ongong]

Sasaki Mari is a typical delinquent troublemaker whose only goal is to get a boyfriend, but due to her reputation as bully and low grades, all the boys reject her. Then she decides to change her style, and asks for help from the student with the best grades in the class.

It starts off light and fund and progressively seems to delve a little bit more into the seriousness of life. Not a tragedy, however, and very much worth a read still.

I think I have a trope I like/10

My awkward princess by LazyArts [ongoing]

This love story is about a girl named Luna charlotte, and the student council president Alice Evelyn. Luna is a delinquent whom often gets in trouble, as Luna reaches the end of the line she almost gets expelled, now luna has to become a model student with the help of Alice. Will Luna be expelled or will she succeed, read to find out.

Along the lines of Not So Shoujo Love Story, In My Heart, and Susuhara is a Demon. Delinquent/Good Student meetcute, romantinc hijincks ensue.

Seduction/10

RAINBOW! by Rue & Sunny Gloom [ongoing]

This is the story of a girl named Boo. She has pink hair and a vivid imagination and she is about to discover a side of herself that she never considered before. 

Okay, so yes, this one is also also a delinquent meets cute nice girl, but - BUT! - there’s an element of story telling that I love about it: the way we see Boo’s anxiety incorporated visually into the story. Just for that it is one of my favourite recent discoveries!

Protecc/10

-----------------------

Okay, that’s all for part II. Hope you enjoy those as much as I do. Thanks for your attention, sorry for the length and, please, do keep on reading, they all deserve it! As do you.

PART I

#webtoon #webcomic #comic #comics #recommendations #part 2 #the return of the revenge #wlw #mlm #long post #mega thread #keep reading punk

[omgjasminesimone]

Kept Part 4

Bryce x MC x Ethan

Previous Part: Part 3

Word Count: 1900

Author’s Note: The conclusion! Thanks to all who read, commented, and reblogged this story!

  “Wow.”

Casey’s attention had been firmly on perfecting her winged eyeliner in the hotel mirror, but now she diverts her stare just to the left, where she can see the mirrored reflection of her handsome husband leaning in the open doorway, already dressed in his tuxedo.

Bryce walks into the bathroom, maintaining eye contact with her through the mirror. He grips her hips, pulling her back into his broad chest as he places lingering kisses down her neck. “You look incredible honey.”

Casey almost allows herself to get lost in Bryce’s touch when he slowly trails one hand down to the hem of her black silk dress, dragging it up her leg. But then she remembers that they should have left ten minutes ago and lightly slaps his hand away.

“Bryce, we have to go.” Casey reminds him.

Bryce lets out an exaggerated sigh, but steps away from her so she can focus on her makeup. “Fine. But after the award ceremony, you’re all mine, Richard Neubauer Advocate for Internal Medicine Award winner Dr. Casey Lahela.” He promises.

Casey quirks a brow, putting on her earrings. “Oh? And what are you going to do with me?” She teases.

“All the things I can’t do at home without having your loud screaming waking up the kids.” Bryce growls in her ear. Casey can’t help but gulp at that, and Bryce laughs, placing one more light kiss to her neck.

“Speaking of the kids, we should call before bedtime.” Casey calls as Bryce leaves the bathroom.

“Good thinking!” Bryce calls back, and then she hears ringing when Bryce places the facetime call.

“Hello Bryce.” Marta, their live-in nanny, answers.

“Hey Marta. Just calling to check in. Are the kids behaving?”

“For the most part. You know Kalani likes to test me, but nothing I can’t handle. And Jordan is a little angel. The best-behaved toddler on the planet. I just hope Kalani doesn’t rub off on him.”

Bryce laughs. “Come on Marta. She’s not that bad.”

Marta huffs. “You have no idea. She’s much better behaved when you guys are around. Let me go get her for you.”

Casey can hear Marta’s footsteps through the phone as the older woman climbs the stairs of their Chapel Hill, North Carolina home to their 5-year-old daughter’s room.

The Lahelas have been settled in North Carolina for the last 9 years. After moving out of Ethan’s apartment all those years ago, Casey moved in with Bryce and his roommates. When the lease was up, they moved into their own one bedroom, seamlessly falling into a domestic routine. With things going so well, they agreed to couple match for residency, both ending up at Columbia. By the time Bryce was done with his surgical residency, they were 31 and talking about marriage, and children. They decided to leave New York City for the more family friendly Chapel Hill, North Carolina.  Casey ended up well on her way to Head of Diagnostics at UNC Chapel Hill, while Bryce was a celebrated surgeon at Duke, an easy commute from their home.

They got married and spent two years getting established at their new hospitals before getting pregnant with Kalani. Their son Jordan followed 2 and a half years later. They hadn’t been back to Boston since moving almost 14 years ago, until now since Dr. Casey Lahela is being honored with a very prestigious award at a fancy downtown Boston hotel convention room.

“Kalani, it’s your Daddy.” Marta calls, and there’s a shuffle as the phone is handed over.

“Daddy!” Kalani calls out excitedly, and Casey can practically hear her daughter’s exuberant grin.

“Hey baby, you’re holding the phone upside down, there you go.” Bryce praises when she turns it right side up. “I heard you’re giving Marta trouble.”

“I’m not Daddy! She’s lying!” Kalani insists indignantly.

“Kalani, why would Marta lie?” Casey asks when she joins her husband, sitting on the edge of the hotel bed and leaning on his shoulder so she can see the phone.

“Wow Mommy, you’re sooo pretty!” Kalani chimes sweetly. Her daughter isn’t used to seeing Casey all dolled up, since most of the Lahelas evenings are spent at home with the kids. Casey almost forgets she’s supposed to be reprimanding her daughter on account of the sweet compliment. But then she pauses to wonder if Kalani is purposefully buttering her up. Their little girl is smart, and somewhat devious.  

Casey narrows her eyes, but she has a feeling it has no effect on her daughter. “Flattery will get you nowhere. But thank you. We’ll be home Sunday night, and I don’t want any more bad reports, understood?”

“Yes Mommy.” Kalani mutters, before changing the subject. “Daddy, are you bringing a present home for me?”  

“Only if Marta says you’re good. Otherwise I’ll be bringing presents for just Marta and Jordan.” Bryce threatens, but he ruins it with a good-natured wink that he can’t help but add when Kalani frowns. The little girl immediately brightens but has the good sense not to wink back and alert her mother. Bryce is definitely the softy of her parents.

“Where’s your brother?” Casey asks, and Kalani points the phone down towards the carpet of her room, where Jordan is playing with a toy truck.

“Hey buddy.” Bryce greets jovially, and Jordan turns to face the phone.

“Dada! Mama!” He calls out, rushing over to lean against Kalani’s bed.

“We miss you baby! We’ll be home soon, okay? Be good for Marta.” Casey says, blowing a kiss to her son. “Kalani?” She calls, and Kalani pulls her brother onto her lap, putting both on them in the phone camera.

“Yeah?” The little girl asks.

“We love you. Be good.” Casey reiterates.

“Ok, we’re running late and need to go, and it’s bedtime. We’ll call tomorrow during breakfast. Good night! Love you!” Bryce calls, letting the kids return ‘good nights’ and ‘love you too’ before hanging up.

Bryce stands and then offers Casey a hand to pull her to her feet as well. “Let’s go Dr. They can’t start the ceremony without you.”

…

..

.

“Congratulations Dr. Lahela!” Sienna chimes, bounding up to give Casey a big hug.

Casey laughs, just barely managing not to spill her drink as she returns Sienna’s exuberant hug. It’s been almost two years since she last saw Sienna in person, when she and Danny came down to North Carolina to meet baby Jordan. Many doctors have approached and congratulated her during the after awards reception, but this congratulations means much more to her.

Sienna moves on to hug Bryce just as exuberantly, and Danny smiles and congratulates Casey as well.

“So, how are we celebrating? We’re kids free, so we’re going clubbing, right?” Sienna suggests.

“We’re pushing 40 honey. I think our clubbing days are behind us.” Danny insists, dropping a kiss to his wife’s forehead.

Sienna frowns. “Speak for yourself. 40 is the new 25. Come on Casey, it will be just like our med school days. Some of our favorite downtown spots are still open. We can even call Jackie. She’d come up from Providence for this.”

“Sorry Sienna, but I think Bryce has a private after party planned in our hotel suite.” Casey returns, leaning into Bryce’s embrace.

“Don’t be boring Casey! You can have sex with him any time.” Sienna insists.

“Not this kind of sex.” Bryce insists suggestively.

The foursome laughs, and then chat for a few more minutes before Danny and Sienna head out, having to work in the morning.

Bryce drops a kiss to the top of Casey’s head. “How about one more drink and then we head out of here?” Bryce suggests, and Casey nods. Bryce places a lingering kiss to her lips before heading off to the bar to get their drinks.

“Casey.” A familiar voice greets, although he never used to call her ‘Casey’.

Casey’s back stiffens momentarily before she turns to face the blast from her past. “Ethan.”

His hair has greyed in the fifteen years since they last saw each other. He’s 55 now and has a silver fox thing going on. He regards her fondly, offering a small smile. He gestures to the award clasped loosely in her hand. “Congratulations Dr.”

“Thank you.” Casey returns.

“There’s no one more deserving. You’ve been making a big name for yourself. And I heard the other Dr. Lahela invented some new groundbreaking surgery technique. Supposed to be the biggest thing since the Whipple, according to the journals. They’re calling you guys ‘the power couple of modern medicine.’” Ethan adds conversationally.

Casey shrugs modestly. “We have a long way to go to overthrow you and Harper. Congratulations on your marriage, by the way.”

Ethan looks down at his wedding ring with a small smile. “5 years already. I don’t know why I wasted so much time, but at least I finally pulled my head from my ass eventually.” He raises his gaze back to her. “And I’d like to apologize to you Casey.”

Casey waves his apology off. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”

“Yes, it does. I should have never treated you that way. Honestly, I think I was jealous. I saw all that potential in you, and I think even then I knew you would one day surpass me. And since all I had at the time was medicine, that thought made me do things I deeply regret. But now, that I see there’s so much more to life than work, I can see the error of my ways. And I sincerely want to apologize.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I was definitely in the wrong too. I see that now. I was young, but not naïve enough to not realize what you were doing. But I let you, for a long time, because I wanted to be comfortable. I wanted an excuse if I did fail. But I think ultimately, what I went through with you made me a stronger person, and a better doctor. I had to know how to advocate for myself before I could advocate for others. So, no hard feelings.” Casey replies, offering Ethan a small forgiving smile.

Ethan seems to let out a sigh of relief, as if this has been heavily weighing on him. “Well, I’m glad I could help then. And if you’re looking for any mentorship now, I could- “

Casey interrupts. “Let’s not go that far.” She says quickly, and they both laugh.

Harper approaches, slipping her hand into her husband’s. “Congratulations Dr. Lahela. Truly groundbreaking work.” She praises.

“Thank you, Dr. Emery.”

Harper turns to her husband. “Are you ready to get out of here? I just got paged back to work.” She reveals.

Ethan nods, “Goodnight Dr. Lahela.” He says before leaving with his wife.

Bryce approaches as soon as the older couple leaves. He was obviously being considerate by letting them talk that out alone. He hands Casey a glass of wine, sipping on a vodka tonic himself. “What’d he say?” Bryce asks curiously.

“He offered me a penthouse in Manhattan if I agree to be his mistress and leave you with the kids.”

“You’re not funny Casey.” Bryce insists, but he laughs anyway.  

...

..

@octobereighth​  @akrenich​  @lovehugsandcandy​ @regina-and-happiness​  @brightpinkpeppercorn​  @choicesarehard​  @lizeboredom​   @desiree-0816​  @hellooliviaolivia​ @dreaming-of-movies  @friedherringclodthing​  @weaving-in-words  @fairydustandsarcasm​  @goldenjellyfish12​   @pessimystic-fangirl​  @mimikoasahina​  @srta-give-me-my-jax-rl​   @god-save-the-keen​  @caroldxnvxrs​  @cora-nova​ @emceesynonymroll​ @ohsnapitzlovehacker​ @choicesgremlin​ @anxious-arliah​ @cordoniasmost​ @lahelable​ @annekebbphotography​ @liamzigmichael4ever​​ @crispycrunchyleaves​​ @mskaneko​ @ritachacha​ @zaffrenotes​

#bryce x mc #ethan x mc #bryce lahela #ethan ramsey #choices fanfiction

[insydemymynd]

Candyman, Candyman, Candyman, Candyman...

[Class assignment for African American Studies 188a at UCLA for the Winter 2021 quarter. This assignment is my own work, except where I acknowledged the use of the works of other people.]

I started to watch the film Candyman by director Bernard Rose at 11:30PM one night. After watching the first couple of minutes I decided to text my classmates and asked, “Will I have nightmares if I watch Candyman right now?” They told me that it was not too bad but that there were some gruesome scenes and jump scares -- they were right about that. Candyman is about a white graduate student, Helen, who is doing research on myths. She decides to visit a specific part of town to learn more about the legend of ‘Candyman’ -- a man with a hand as a hook -- who appears if you repeat his name five times in the mirror. Her friend and the local residents are afraid of this legend, but Helen does not believe in him. Despite the warnings of multiple people, Helen continues to visit the places Candyman is known to appear. Because of this, numerous murders begin to occur. This film is based on a story called “The Forbidden” from volume five of Clive Barker’s “Books of Blood.” Originally, the story was about the British class system and the housing projects served as a character in the story. Although Candyman does revolve around the housing project Cabrini-Green, it is not necessarily about class. The film has gotten criticism for the racism and enforcement of stereotypes.

In Candyman (1992), Candyman is a victim of racism and is a result of violence. In the film, we see graffiti art of a Black man painted on the walls of the Cabrini-Green housing projects. Here and throughout the movie, frankly, Black men are depicted as monstrous. The film further reinforces stereotypes of Black individuals with the characters the few Black actors portray. Another Black actor is Bernadette, Helen’s friend, who tends to be the voice of reason and speaks what everyone is thinking. Despite being a relatable character, her death breaks the ‘Candyman’ mythology. She wasn’t supposed to die because she didn’t repeat “Candyman” five times in the mirror unlike Helen, but her death happened to increase the stakes for Helen. Bernadette’s death by Candyman and her body being left in Helen’s apartment further incriminates Helen. Without Bernadette and a Black detective, the movie would further show its racism and its reinforcement of stereotypes. For example, the movie depicts Black men as thugs living at the housing projects and it also shows Black women as janitors at a university. In a way, the Black janitors also strengthen the spiritual guide trope (which I talked about in my first blog post) that Black characters serve in horror films.

Although Candyman negatively paints Black individuals in the film, some can say that it did a lot for Black community outside the screen. For instance, Candyman could be the first Black supernatural killer they have seen on screen, which could have been inspirational at the time the movie was released. The number of Black characters in the film could be a breakthrough after Black actors and actresses were not cast to play roles or even Black roles. There’s a difference when comparing Bernard Rose’s two to three Black characters in Candyman to Jordan Peele’s Black cast: Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright, Evan Alex, and others. At the time, those two to three Black characters could have been as exciting to see as it was for many seeing Jordan Peele’s Us and Get Out. If you are interested in horror, Candyman is a great movie to watch. I also think it is valuable to learn a bit more about what it took to make the film and the history behind the story of ‘Candyman.’

#Candyman #Bernard Rose #Horror #Racism #Jordan Peele #Us #Get Out #Film History #Stereotypes #Myth and Legends

[skippyv20]

Prince William visits Everton Football Club

Prince William  who is President of the Football Association, was visiting Everton Football Club’s official charity Everton in the Community, as part of the Heads Up campaign.

Prince William was seen meeting Everton football player Jordan Pickford, before playing Emoji Bingo with some of the children of Springwell Park Community Primary School.

The projects include Stand Together, a programme which tackles social isolation amongst those aged 70+ living in Merseyside; Everton Veterans Hub, a project which uses sport to engage and support ex-service personnel; and Tackling the Blues, a sport and education-based programme targeting children and young people experiencing mental health challenges.

  During the visit, Prince William discussed the Heads Up campaign with a number of Everton Football Club’s first team players, and the importance of encouraging more people – particularly men – to feel comfortable talking about their mental health, and feel able to support friends or family through difficult times.

Heads Up is a season-long campaign spearheaded by The Duke of Cambridge which uses the influence and popularity of football to show the nation that mental health is just as important as physical health. It supports the important work which is already taking place across the UK to end the stigma surrounding mental health, and strives to raise awareness, spark conversation and signpost to support.

The Duke of Cambridge talks to Denise Barrett-Baxendale (left), CEO Everton Football Club and Michael Salla (right), Director of Health and Sport, Everton Football Club

Prince William recognized this saying that there is ‘fan pressure, emotional pressure and peer pressure,’ and said that his hope was that Heads Up will work across all clubs at all levels in the mental health space. 'We have got to get passed the idea of getting as much out of a player and then move them on’ and added he hoped there would be a more holistic approach to supporting players and their families.

Jordan Pickford, who joined Everton as a young man, leaving his hometown and first team of Sunderland, told Prince William, 'When I arrived I was away from home, and I came to Seamus here and the experienced players and they helped me settle a lot easier.’

Theo Walcott, who in 2017 joined Everton from Arsenal where he made his name and become an England international, said that there was a good support network at the club. 'We are a really tight team. We can chat about anything. We bounce ideas of each other and talk about day-to-day stuff.’

And Coleman told of a former player in Ireland that he knows, who didn’t speak about his mental health challenges until he finished playing, 'It was only when his career ended that we heard he had a whole lot going on.'The Prince said, 'Quite a lot of guys have difficulties in their heads and are still great at football, Just think if you could cure what’s going up here [he pointed to his head] what an even better player you would be.’

Prince William poses with players of Everton F.C. Seamus Coleman, Tom Davies, Jordan Pickford, Theo Walcott and Dominic Calvert-Lewin during his visit Everton Football Club’s official charity Everton

Later, Prince William sat down with military veterans who had been playing with the first-team stars. They are supported by the club through its Everton Veterans program. He heard about the anxiety and depression that some of them faced and their struggles to adjust to civilian life. 

'Does the military do enough to prepare you for the civvy life?’ he asked. And when the answer came back as 'no,’ Prince William – a former army officer and RAF helicopter pilot and future head of the British armed forces – said 'I agree with you. The bit I have always found difficult is the skills you learn in the forces don’t translate into civvy life. We can get better at translating these skills.'And he praised the men who attend the group as being the 'recce team’ for those who might follow them. 'You can see who’s in the community and falling through the net.“ 'It'snot just about the football, it’s about the camaraderie,’ Dave Curtis, the project leader told him about the benefits of the group.   

Thank you😊❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[martinnecas]

Quick Guide | Carolina Hurricanes: Meet The Team - Opening Night 2019-20

New season means a new quick guide to the roster 

2018-19 season

This took me a couple of days to put together so please appreciate it

Want to know how to pronounce a players name? 

Click this link!

*All gifs made by me* 

Forwards: 

☞ Sebastian Aho™️ #20

Yes there is another “Sebastian Aho” from Sweden but he’s usually in the AHL (Bridgeport/Islanders)

Born: July 26, 1997 (22 years old/Leo) from Rauma, Finland

6′0, Centre, 35th overall CAR 2015

Nicknames: Fishy, Seabass, Sepe, Sebu

He’s the face of this franchise and the only player on this team that the Canadian media knows about

Is being held against his will in Raleigh because he wants to play for Montreal if you don’t know the actual story MTL sent him an offer sheet that he signed because he wanted the money and knew Carolina could pay it, but you know how Habs twitter can be.

Possibly the messiest Hurricane 

Who’s my daddy?! 

Spirit animal is a lion, hear him roar

Avid coffee drinker

Baby face

Painted a picture of his cat one time

☞ Ryan Dzingel #18 

Born: March 9, 1992 (27 years old/Pisces) from Wheaton, Illinois

6′0, Centre, 204th overall OTT 2011

Nicknames: Zinger, Dizzy, Dzingel Bells, D-pingel

Played with the Ohio State Buckeyes for 3 seasons, recorded the first hat trick in Big Ten history against Xichigan

Traded to CBJ Feb ‘19, signed with CAR as a free agent summer ‘19 

Might need glasses, he squints like that ^ a lot 

Golfs... A L O T 

Wants to produce for the team so he can stay here in Raleigh and make it his home ♥︎

Jeep guy 

Looks uncomfortably similar to Tripp Tracy 

UNC fan 

☞ Warren Foegele #13

Born: April 1, 1996 (23 years old/Aries) from Markham, Ontario 

6′2, Left Wing, 67th overall CAR 2014

Nicknames: Foegs, Foegdaddy 

Best friends with Andrei Svechnikov and Dougie Hamilton

Duke fan 

Accidentally broke Osh*e’s collarbone but TJ and C*p fans will claim he tried to murder him

Spirit animal is a tiger, also hear him roar

Very easily scared 

Duke fan

☞ Erik Haula #56

Born: March 23, 1991(28 years old/Aries) from Pori, Finland

6′0, Left Wing, 181st overall 2009 MIN

Nicknames: Hauls, Haulsy  

Moved to Minnesota in 2008 to play hockey in boarding school

Played for the University Of Minnesota Gophers for 3 seasons

Signed with MIN in 2013, was picked up by the VGK in 2017 as a free agent in the Expansion Draft, then traded to CAR summer of 2019 (for Nic Roy & draft pick)

Suffered a pretty bad knee injury in the 2018-19 season 

CAKE 

Got married this past summer ♥︎

Currently living in Calvin de Haan’s old house 

☞ Jordan Martinook (A) #48

Born: July 25, 1992 (27 years old/Leo) from Brandon, Manitoba

6′0, Left Wing, 58th overall 2012 PHX

Nicknames: Marty, Marty Man, Marty Party 

Signed with PHX/ARI in 2012, traded to CAR in 2018 (for Krüger)

Raw chaotic dad energy 

Doesn’t like corndogs and has a very high pitched scream

His wife gave birth to their first son last season before he got his downstairs fixed in the offseason

LETS GO SVECH

Spirit animal is a dolphin because he has a great impression 

There is so much more I want to put on here but you should really just follow his Twitter 

☞ Brock McGinn #23

Born: February 2, 1994 (25 years old/Aquarius) from Fergus, Ontario

6′0, Left Wing, 47th overall 2012 CAR

Nicknames: Ginner, Brock McWinn, McPing, the new Mr. Game Seven (that one is kind of a joke though), Big Cock Brock 

Single handedly defeated evil not only once but twice on April 24th, 2019, earning him the nicknames “Brock McWinn” and the new “Mr. Game Seven”

Has two brothers who also play professionally; Jamie (NHL) and Tye (AHL) McGinn

Co Owner of the Roanoke Rail Road Dawgs with his brothers and father

His daddy is Bob

Has a high probability of burning his whole house down 

Used to be a fighter, but he didn’t fight anyone last season 

Thor

Was 3rd in the league with most MsS Post (10) in the 2017-18 season earning him the nickname Brock McPing 

☞ Martin Nečas #88

Born: January 15, 1999 (20 years old/Capricorn) from Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Rebublic

6′2, 12th overall 2017 CAR, “He plays, like, Centre”

Nicknames: Neči, Marty, Nacho, Marto 

Your 2019-20 ****** ****** winner 

He’s here to fix out PP units, quote me on that

Little hockey stick chain ^ 

Is known for falling while scoring 

Is it avocado or avocaydo?

Hidden talent: Belly dancing 

Almost killed the entire team with a golf club last season  

Don’t mess with him

Just won the Calder Cup with the Checkers :) 

☞ Nino Niederreiter #21

Born: September 8, 1992 (27 years old/Virgo) from Chur, Switzerland

6′0, Right Wing, 5th overall 2010 NYI

Nicknames: El Nino

Was the highest drafted Swizz born player until Hischer in 2017 

Signed to the Islanders in 2010, traded to Minnesota in 2013, then traded to Carolina in January 2019 (for Rask)

Was about to take a nap when he was traded

Just when canes fans almost lost hope, Nino showed up and saved our season

When he came to Carolina, someone gave him sweet tea and he really liked it

Was voted best dressed by a couple teammates

Loves the surge

Supports women’s hockey

☞ Jordan Staal (C) #11

Born: September 10, 1988 (31 years ago/Virgo) from Thunder Bay, Ontario

6′4, Centre, 2nd overall 2006 PIT

Nicknames: Stallsy, Jordad, Gronk

Arrested at his brother’s bachelor party

Won the Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2009 

Jordan is the youngest out of the other brothers (Eric, Marc) in the league (NHL) 3rd brother is the youngest and is now a coach 

Signed with PIT in 2006, traded to CAR in 2012 (for 8th overall pick, Brandon Sutter and Brian Dumoulin)

Named Captain in the 2017-18 season, became Alternative Captain in 2018-19, is now Captain again in 2019-20 

Great at dad jokes 

☞ Andrei Svechnikov #37

Born: March 26, 2000 (19 years old/Aries) from Barnaul, Russia

6′2, Right Wing, 2nd overall 2018 CAR

Nicknames: Svech, Mother Russia 

Svech is ready

“Just win every game” 

Wears #37 because that’s what his brother, Evgeny Svechnikov (DET), wears

Russia = Cold, Raleigh = Hot

Apparently his biggest talent outside of hockey is… magic? 

Best friends with Warren Foegele and Dougie Hamilton

Likes to shovel the ice during practice 

Me?

Terrible at golf..

.. I mean like really bad  

☞ Teuvo Teräväinen #86

Born: September 11, 1994 (25 years old/Virgo) from Helsinki, Finland

5′11, Left Wing, 18th overall 2012 CHI 

Nicknames: Turbo, Teukka

Shortest Hurricane 

Began with CHI in 2014, traded to CAR in 2016 (along with Bickell for 2nd round pick)

Won the cup with CHI in 2015 (Along with van Riemsdyk)

Has the worst sense of smell ever

I mean come on.. pumpkin? toothpaste? 

I could keep going with this I don't know what’s wrong with his nose

Most likely the messiest Hurricane 

Would dump Sebastian on the side of the road after 100km 

Gets scared REALLY easily

His sisters plays hockey over in Finland (and is pretty good at it too) 

☞ Lucas Wallmark #71

Born: September 5, 1995 (24 years old/Virgo) from Umea, Sweden

6′0, Centre, 97th overall 2014 CAR

Nicknames: Wally

My daddy!?

His spirit animal is… a horse? 

^ He enjoys watching horse racing

*Straight face* “Snacks!? Candy!?” 

Deal with it

Showed up to a U12 and U18 team practice to work on skills with kids 

Owns a pug named Lovis

Defense 

☞ Joel Edmundson #6

Born: June 28, 1993 (26 years old/Cancer) Brandon, Manitoba

6′4, 46th overall 2011 STL

Nicknames: Crop Top King, Eddy

Won the cup in 2019 with STL and partied in a crop top 

True Canadian, ate poutine out of the cup

Traded in September 2019 to CAR (along with Bokk for Faulk and draft pick)

Going to strengthen our PK I promise 

Finally, an enforcer 

Forgot to take his skate guards off during his CAR preseason debut in front of 18,000 people 

Is a barbie girl, living in a barbie world 

☞ Haydn Fleury #4

Born: July 8, 1996 (23 years old/Cancer) from Carlyle, Saskatchewan 

6′3, 7th overall 2014 CAR

Nicknames: Fleurs 

Beat his little brother Cale (MTL) during his NHL debut 

Best friends with Trevor van Riemsdyk

Has the cutest dog named Kobe

Won the Calder Cup along with Nečas :)

If you want to giggle watch this 

Has the worst witch cackle you will ever hear 

Apparently the best golfer on the team

Big Duke fan

☞ Jake Gardiner #51

Born: July 4, 1990 (29 years old/Cancer) from Minnetonka, Minnesota 

6′2, 17th overall 2008 ANA

Nicknames: Gards 

Played for the University of Wisconsin for 3 seasons 

Traded to TOR in 2011, signed as a free agent to CAR in summer 2019

Has the cutest baby 

Denied several offers from other teams mtl to play with us instead 

Hands down had the best Halloween costume two years ago

☞ Dougie Hamilton #19

Born: June 17, 1993 (26 years old/Gemini) from Toronto, Ontario

6′6, 9th overall 2011 BOS

Nicknames: D-Ham, Doug the Thug, well his real name is Douglas so I guess Dougie is technically a nickname

Tallest Hurricane 

Both of his parents are Olympians, brother also plays professional hockey 

Started with BOS in 2012, traded to CGY in 2015, then traded to CAR in 2018 (Last remaining player from the huge Hamilton, Ferland & Fox for Lindholm and Hanifin trade)

Best friends with Andrei Svechnikov and Warren Foegele 

Porche guy 

Grew out a mullet because his hair salon couldn’t take him as a walk in

Jack Edwards complained that he was wearing a number retired from the Whalers so he taped a 6 over the 1 in 19 to make 69

Goes to children's hospitals dressed as woman characters 

Lowkey shootout king

Floss

Another Duke fan

Wears the same blazer to every road game

☞ Brett Pesce #22

Born: November 15, 1994 (24 years old/Scorpio) from Tarrytown, New York

6′3, 66th overall 2013 CAR

Nicknames: Pesh 

“I play defense bro”

Played for the University of New Hampshire for 3 seasons (2 of those seasons with van Riemsdyk)

Pretty ^

Wears 22 for his dad 

He’ll break your ankles

Fortnite squad

Brought his wonderful brother on the mentors trip

Allergic to cats

☞ Jaccob Slavin (A) #74

Born: May 1, 1994 (25 years old/Taurus) from Denver, Colorado

6′3, 120th overall 2012 CAR

Nicknames: Slav-o

The second ‘c’ stands for captain

Faith and family

Played for Colorado College for two seasons 

Adopted a beautiful baby girl with his beautiful wife

Has an instagram for his two dogs

His daddy is “Robert” 

Not afraid of snakes at all 

☞ Trevor van Riemsdyk #57

Born: July 24, 1991 (28 years old/Leo) from Middletown, New Jersey

6′2, Undrafted 

Nicknames: TVR, Riems

Agreed to terms with CHI in 2014 

Won the cup with CHI in 2015 (along with Teräväinen)

Was picked up by the VGK in the 2017 expansion draft 

The next day traded to CAR (for 2nd round pick)

James van Riemsdyk (PHI) is his older brother 

Played with the University of New Hampshire for 3 seasons (2 of those seasons with Pesce) 

He’s too tired to be scared 

March Madness

Best friends with Haydn Fleury 

Pride representative for the team 

Goalies 

☞ Petr Mrázek #34

Born: February 14, 1992 (27 years old/Aquarius) from Ostrava, Czech Republic

6′1, 141st overall 2010 DET

Nicknames: Mrazzle Dazzle, St. Petr

Moved to Ottawa at age 17 

Signed with DET in 2014

Was HUGE for them during the 2015 playoff run

Traded to PHI in Feb ‘18, signed as a free agent with CAR in July ‘18

Stylish 

He had custom hats made for every player on the team

Always has Peter Griffin in his helmet design 

Signature move: Poke Check  

☞ James Reimer #47

Born: March 15, 1988 (31 years old/Pisces) from Morweena, Manitoba

6′2, 99th overall 2006 TOR

Nicknames: Optimus Reim, The Statue, Reims

Debuted with TOR in 2010, traded to SJS Feb ‘16

Signed with FLA as a free agent summer ‘16, traded to CAR summer ‘19 (for Darling and a 2020 6th round pick)

Has two kids 

Really good swimmer

You may recognize this famous goalie meme, that’s right, that's him

Optimus Reim helmet art

He looks so much like Weston from Love Island USA 

Honorable Mention

☞ Julien Gauthier #44

I’m including him because everyone expected him to make the team as he did phenomenal in the preseason (playing all 6 games) but due to cap space (and our horrid pp units), he was sent back down.

Born: October 15, 1997 (turning 22/Libra) from Pointe-aux-Trembles, Quebec

6′4, Right Wing, 21st overall 2016 CAR

Nicknames: Goat, Gauths, Jules

Big boy

Bilingual (French/English)

Cute accent

His uncle played 554 games in the NHL (Denis Gauthier) 

Both his father and grandfather were professional bodybuilders

That explains his muscles

The best thighs in the league (not up for debate) 

Also won the Calder Cup this past season with Haydn Fleury and Martin Nečas

Head Coach

☞ Rod Brind’Amour #17

Roderick Jean Brind’Amour

Born: August 9, 1970 (age 49 years/Leo) from Ottawa, Canada

6′1, Centre, 9th overall 1988 STL

Nicknames: Rod the Bod, RBA 

Played with Michigan State for one season

Started with STL in the playoffs of ‘88, traded to PHI in ‘91, traded to CAR in 2000

Captain of the 2006 CAR Stanley Cup winning team

Played 20 seasons, 1,484(GP) 452(G) 732(A) 1,184(P)

Became head coach for the 2018-19 season

First year as HC broke the team’s 9 year playoff drought and brought them all the way to the ECF

Is known for his extreme workouts

Still in better shape than 98% of the league

Could very well still lace up and play better than 80% of the league 

Lives rent free in W*lson’s and Reirden’s heads

Gives the best post-game speeches

President & General Manager

☞ Don Waddell

I really just wanted an excuse to put this gif in here 

Coached the 1998 DET Stanley Cup winning team 

Named Pres. & GM of CAR in May ‘18

Owner

☞ Tom Dundon 

Lives rent free is Habs fans minds

Estimated net worth is $1.1 billion?

Majority owner of TopGolf (55%)

Chairman of the Alliance of American Football

Purchased 52% of CAR in January 2018 for $420million

Likes to hang around team/fan events 

Stays in the same hotel as me lol

#Sebastian Aho #Ryan Dzingel #Warren Foegele #Erik Haula #Jordan Martinook #Brock McGinn #Martin Necas #Martin Nečas #Nino Niederreiter #Jordan Staal #Andrei Svechnikov #Teuvo Teravainen #Teuvo Teräväinen #Lucas Wallmark #Joel Edmundson #Haydn Fleury #Jake Gardiner #Dougie Hamilton #Brett Pesce #Jaccob Slavin #Petr Mrazek #Petr Mrázek #James Reimer #Rod Brind'Amour #Don Waddell #Tom Dundon #Carolina Hurricanes #Meet The Team #Roster #aria gifs i guess

[artisticestheticreads]

Off Script (3)

A/N: Haaaaiiii. Okay, sorry I have not been active on here.This chapter is really short but hopefully it would get better next chapter. So, this is the third chapter of the MBJ X OC series Off Script. I hope y’all enjoy it.

Warning: Super Short. Don’t judge me. I work management in retail and holiday season kicked my thick ass so yeah..

Disclaimer: I do not own rights to songs. Songs are from face claim’s own music.

Word Count: 2475

Today was the day that Candace was waiting for. The day everyone will know she was the new addition to Ryan Coogler’s new movie. She had to go to Comic Con to meet fans of Mortal Kombt with her old loved cast which made the whole thing less suspicious. She pulled out a sheer crop button down top with a pair of leather flare pants since she had to dress similar to her persona, Jade. She wore a long twenty four inch lace front with a part in the middle and tucked one side behind her ear. She showed of her right shoulder and stood in the mirror slipping into her heels. Her black bralette covered her chest nicely as always. She grabbed her backpack with water, a portable charger and her phone to make sure she was all covered. Geo walked up the steps in his usual get up and said “best friend, ready?”

“Yeah, my mom will be here taking care of the dogs since we gonna be all gone today.”

“That’s the plan. I’m real happy for you.”

“Thanks, G. Let’s get going. We needa beat traffic out there because muthafuckas don’t know how to drive.” They made their way down and Candace saw her parents on the couch. “Hey, y’all. I’m out. No parties while I’m gone, no boys, no drugs, alcoholic and no nonsense either.” Tanisha turned to her daughter and smiled. “Look at our baby, Tony. Just flourishing and what not.” Candace and Tanisha were like clones but just a huge age different. Tony turned to his women and laughed. Now, Tony could have past to be Terry Crews long lost brother due to his physique and bald head. She kissed her parents cheeks and said her goodbyes. They hopped into her cherry red 1949 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible Coupe with the top down, on their way to Comic Con. Candace asked for Geo to film like she did ever year. “Ok, guys. So today is Comic Con and the cast and I will have a real special announcement plus one for myself but y’all gotta wait for that. But let’s just say that I will be helping making history. I hope to see y’all there.” Geo made the camera pane to the sky as he cut the camera off. “Okay, now the filming crew will be there with us the whole time so you just gonna be guarding and what not”, she said to Geo and her nodded fixing his tie.

When they pulled up to the celebrity parking, she gave her key to valet as they both got out. “Alright, Terry just text me and told me they here already with Oliva and nem. We can get on the next elevator ride and meet them. After, we gotta meet with Ryan and talk about my entrance.” As she said that, Geo ran to the elevator door and held it open with his foot and left hand. “G, you are always so extra. I meant the next ride down beside it might be crowded”, she said with a laugh. When she finally made it over, she saw the cast of Black Panther II. She saw Ryan wink at her from the back as she stepped in. Lupita hugged her first before they began talking and then she turned to see Chadwick, Leticia and Danai smiling and waving with Michael standing to his Ryan’s left. “Y’all smell that? That’s that black magic”, said Leticia grinning and elbowing her on screen brother. Chadwick seemed happier since his lady Simone was no where around. Candy smiled as she laughed and said “I smell Oscars and then some.” Danai pointed to her and gave her a homegirl high five. Candy looked around and curiously asked “is Winnie not in the new movie?”

“No, he is. He is downstairs waiting for us. How come you’re here? Thought you were on vacation”, Lupita asked and Candy simply told them “well, Mortal Kombat is releasing a new project for the public. Well, I guess I can tell y’all. It’s a new video game with our faces in it. We basically are doing all the moves, voices and all. It’s pretty realistic. With me being a video gamer and anime fan, it was perfect to get involved in.” Chadwick dug his hands in the pockets of his black trousers and said “well, that sounds fun. I may have to come by the booth and check it out.”

“Please do. I would love that. Y’all can all come actually. If y’all like. Show some support, y’know?”

“I’m down”, Leticia said and so did the other except for Michael who just watched and nodded. Geo held his ear piece closed and spoke into it then to Candy. “Alright, baby girl. We arrive in five...” As he continued to countdown, Candace took a deep breath and smiled towards the door with her right leg out and hands on her hips. When the doors open, her camera crew was ready and her fans cheered her name behind the rope. She winked at her future cast and was off, doing her Jade model walk. She made it to her booth and began signing autographs. Ryan said that he would be ready at around 2:45pm and to wait by stage until he did the introduction; it was 12:39 pm, Chadwick came by around 1 pm and saw Candy. “Hey, there. Do you mind if I get a few autographs for my nephews. They’re fans of yours”, he asked handing them to her. She smiled and said “sure but I need yours for my god sons. Little boys been bugging me all week about it.” He knelt down as she signed the pictures and whispered. “Y’know, when I heard you know who got the part, I was upset.”

 Candace looked up to him and finally got what he was talking about; she looked up letting him continue. “I don’t see her like that. She can sing and dance but acting is not her thing at all. I heard it was a girl way better. She even came with her hair dyed and everything. To be honest, you would have been perfect. I’ve seen you as Jade and your videos of your African impression were spot on. And you look good in cat suit. But I’m glad you are taking time from all this to be with your family. Enjoy it while it lasts, baby girl. You have many of years to work hard. You’re still young, explore the world.”

“Thanks, Chad. I’ll be over there in a minute, okay”, she kissed his cheek as he placed the pictures in his bag and made his way. Candy smiled and bit her lip as she thought that maybe it was worth not taking a vacation for. Geo came to her side and whispered “let’s make our way. We got 45 minutes to get over there in time.” They made their way over, she stood by the stage waiting to watch them when she felt two strong hands on shoulders. She turned to see a familiar face. “Winnie”, she jumped into his arms as he swung her around. He wore a yellow sweatshirt with camouflage bottoms and yellow sneakers. He placed her down gently and asked “came to see me?”

“Of course I did, Sir Winston C. Duke.” They laughed as Angela Basset came by. “Look at my Delta baby. How are you doing, Miss Candace?” Angela gave her a big church mother hug and Candace replied with “I’m blessed.” Angela agreed with a smile and told Winston, “I’m sorry to interrupt but Ryan needs us backstage. We are about to start.” Winston nodded his hand before giving Candy one more bear hug. “Good luck, guys”, Candace waved and waited. Geo stood beside her, leaning into her ear. “They finna get a surprise on their hands, huh?”

“Sure are. Y’know Chad back there told me something at my booth a few minutes ago.”

“What he say?”

“He said I would have been perfect. But also said I have plenty of time to work.” Geo stood closer to her and asked “do you regret taking the part, now?” She looked at him and said “nah, but I am def taking a damn break after this one. A good year or so. Probably go back to Africa or something.” Geo nodded as they watched Ryan Coogler take stage. He wore black sweatershirt, jean, sneaker combination. “Hey, hey. How y’all doing”; the crowd cheered. “I wanna thank all of you for coming out to the Comic Con 2020. I am blessed to be back to direct for this new installment. We have an amazing cast for y’all and hope to top the first. Y’all ready?” The crowd cheered once again as Candace playfully covered her ears watching. “First off, we have the man himself. Give it up for Chadwick Boseman a.k.a T’Challa. KING OF WAKANDA!” The crowd went crazy as Chadwick strolled on stage being as smooth as always. He gave Ryan brotherly love and stood beside him. “Next up, we have the smartest princess of Wakanda. Give it up for Princess Shuri, LETICIA WRIGHT.” Leticia walked on stage doing a little dance that her and Chadwick did to make one another laugh and stood beside him. One by one, he called the others and lastly was everyone’s favorite villain. “Give it up for the prince himself, MICHAEL B. JORDAN.” Everyone went crazy when he approached the stage. He walked with a confident stride bowing to the crowd and do his signature hand pose.

  A woman with red hair came to Candace side and led Geo and herself to the backstage as Ryan spoke more. “Aight, so y’all must have heard what has been going on with the new member of the cast. Media been going crazy for the actress everyone thought we hired but I’m here to tell y’all none of that was true. The real actress is already here to make this announcement for you. Please give it up for one of the hardest working young ladies. Star of her own YouTube channel for fifteen years, Oscar and Tony winner, Angela Basset’s sorority daughter and her first role that got her where she is now. Give it up for Madam Slay herself… CANDACE ‘BABY GIRL’ MONROOOOOOOOE.” The crowd went crazy as Candace took stage, waving and smiling. Lupita and Angela were the first to run to her and give her so much love. Candace giggled as Lupita kept holding on to her and Letitia made her way to the group smiling and gave her a hug as well as Chadwick made his way over. He gave Candace a dap and a hug as they all made their way back in line. Candace stood next to Michael who paid her no mind. “Aight, aight. See y’all at the panel.” The cast all waved to the crowd and Chadwick was the first to step down, helping all the ladies down.

 An interviewer sat them down at a table where the women sat and the men stood. “Thank you guys for joining me”, the male said and they all nodded. “This looks a very well planned cast. Congratulations to the amazing Candace Monroe. How do you feel?” Candace smiled as she answered.

“Blessed. Blessed to be with such an amazing cast and blessed to just be here.” The man smiled with a nod and asked Chadwick. “Chadwick, how do you feel that you have a woman who does most of her own stunts like Miss Monroe here?” He stood behind her with his hands behind his back and said “feels great to have her on the team. I’ve been watching her since MK and I know she will bring a lot to the table.” Candace looked back and to the camera with her charming smile. The interviewer looked to Ryan and asked “Ryan, how was her audition?”

“She did really, really well. Madam Slay is the perfect character for her but it will also will be a challenge that I know she can handle.”

“How does everyone else feel?” Danai looked over to Candace then to the man and said “I am very happy. She is a talented individual that will do great,” Danai finished with wink to her. Angela hugged Candace’s shoulder and said “I couldn’t have said it any better.” Everyone agreed but Michael only nodded. After the questions ended, the group made their way to the panel and sat waiting for the Q and A portion. A woman dressed in a Jade costume stood at the microphone and asked “this is for Candace.” The crowded cheered and Candace leaned into her mic with a smile and said “yes, my sweet baby?”

“How do you think you would do in Black Panther?” Candace folded her hands and said “well, to be honest. I am a tad anxious. I always am when I take on a new role in anything I do. I’m nervous that I won’t bring anything to the table and let down everyone that believes in me. But, all I can do is try my hardest and do my absolute best.” The crowd clapped as she smiled small and Winston kissed her head. A man dressed as Killmonger in the museum scene said “this is for Mike. Michael, how you feel that you got a beautiful woman like Candace as your lady in the movie?” The group turned to him slightly before looking ahead. “I’m thankful. We might be a good pair but only time will tell. She got talent and she works hard so I’m a happy man.” Candace smiled a little as she sipped her water.

 Finally, the panel came to an end and the group got to just enjoy the rest of their time. Geo came to Candace’s side and asked “where to first, boss?” She looked up at him and flicked his ears. “Bwoy, you forget we friends huh?” Leticia laughed at the pair and said “well, I’m finna get out of here. I got a photoshoot tomorrow so I gotta take care of some stuff.”

“Okay, T. But don’t forget we start reading tomorrow and all month with training starting in two weeks”, Ryan said before she said her goodbyes. Candace played with her lanyard as she watched all the people pass her. She really was terrified on being Madam Slay but all she had to so was just hope for the better. “Well, I don’t know about you guys but I will be living my Comic Con fantasy and buy all the stuffies my little hands touch. Oh and get some food or what not.” They laughed expect for Michael who looked around. Ryan told her “I will text you the details in a few. Enjoy ya night, Madam.”

*𝕋𝔸𝔾𝔾𝔼𝔻 𝕃𝕆𝕍𝔼𝕊*

@muse-of-mbaku @im5ftbutmythroat66 @chaneajoyyy @melanin-samii @theunsweetenedtruth @doux-ciel @unicornluvin8765@vikkidc @wakandantings @thadelightfulone @mzamethystp@simbiann @tropicalsun10 @babydoll756 @notoriouslynay@vminax @quinsly @pinkdemolition @quietstorm-73@chaoticcashfancroissant @bugngiz @chocolatedippedinhoney@yafavcocoa @lostgalaxies @mbakuwife@youreadthatright@babygotl01292003 @acceptyourselfloveyourself @madamslayyy@yoyolovesbucky @theogbadbitch @wakanda-inspired@bitchacho25 @toniilaney @wakandascrystal@girlsneedlovingfanfics @raysunshine78 @melodyofmbaku@hearteyes-for-killmonger @silenceisplatinum @thickemadame@shookmcgookqueen @heykillmongerluhme@fonville-designs @cutewylie @allhailqueennel @10bsatatime @nickidub718 @lildashofmelanin @allhailqueennel @amirra88 @hakunalive4eva@thickemadame @ghostfacekill-monger @cherrystainedlipsbaby

#mbj x oc #mbj fanfic #OFF SCRIPT SERIES #Candace Monroe #michael b. jordan #mbj x reader #artisticestheticreads #black panther #madam slay