#Houstons Country TV

[jasonjameslive]

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JASON JAMES at The Esquire Ballroom aka Neon Boots Dance Hall & Saloon Houston, Texas Performing for The History of Houston C&W Dance Movie Premiere....Special Thanks to The Big Jordan Band & 93Q Houston’s Country Radio

[averagewriter-inthedark]

Queen of the Halfpipe 🏂 | Jake Seresin Imagine

Takes place before, during, and after the events of TGM

TGM Masterlist

Characters & Pairings: Lt. Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin x pro snowboarder!reader (romantic), the dagger squad (platonic)

Content Warnings: fluff, profanity, | female!reader (she/her) | wc: 10k

Requested 📨 yes/no—for @gizmodear 🤍 (rules for requests)

Premise: Dedication, determination, blood, sweat, and tears. That’s what athletes put in when they say they want to compete on the world’s greatest sporting stage. Years of hard work that come with sacrifices. At a young age Y/n L/n knew she wanted to be the best when it came to snowboarding, devoting herself to the Olympic dream. Love wasn’t something she thought would happen for her as she was so focused on her career. But, as someone once pointed out to her years after she did in fact find her happily ever after, she was living in her own little Hallmark movie.

Note: ah I’ve finally finished and I’m so happy with how it turned out! @gizmodear I apologize for the long wait (i think you sent this request at the beginning of February) but I hope you like this and I delivered with everything you could’ve imagined 🥹 I really love writing the athlete!reader x dagger squad paring fics so this was so fun to write. I did so much research to be as accurate as I could since I am not familiar with snowboarding. I did watch Chloe Kim in 2018 & 2022 so a lot of what reader accomplishes in this fic was inspired by her so I hope you don’t mind that I did that (except the ending since the 2026 Olympics hasn’t happened yet obviously 😂). Please let me know what you think!

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“So one last run, huh?”

“One last one,” she confirmed, hoping he couldn’t pick up on the slight sadness in her tone. All good things must come to an end.

“Better make it count,” he encouraged her. “You got this, okay? Don’t think about it-like I always tell you: don’t think, just do. That gold medal is calling your name.”

“I better go claim it then.”

“We’ll be cheering when you do, babe. Go show them who’s the Queen.”

Some people like the heat. Going to the beach and riding the waves of the ocean. Others enjoy the rain. The soothing sound of water hitting the pavement brings comfort to their ears. Then there are those who prefer the cold. Not as popular as the other two. People feel the only way to enjoy it is by staying indoors to sit by the fire and watch the snow fall through the window.

Y/n L/n loved the snow. Having grown up in the mountains of Colorado, she was used to blizzards and snowstorms. But she loved it mostly because of the sports associated with it. You know, the ones millions of people gather across the globe every four years to watch at the Winter Olympic Games. Athletes who’ve spent their entire life working to achieve their dream of glory. People who are not even patriotic rep their colors. Children watching for the first time think, “That’s gonna be me one day.”

That’s how it was for ten year old Y/n Ln watching the 2002 Winter Olympics on the small tv screen in the living room of her home. It was a special year of the Games. Hosted on US soil in Salt Lake City, Utah. Taking place in the months after the country was met with tragedy following the attacks on the World Trade Center in September 2001. Not a dry eye in the stadium or on those watching from home as the flag that flew on Ground Zero was brought into the arena by members of Team USA along with the NYPD & FDNY.

The Olympic torch was passed by members of the 1980 gold medal winning hockey team, coach Mike Eruzione lighting the cauldron. One of the most notable teams in US Olympic history. They were just college students up against the number one team in the world in 1980, which ironically enough, was also on US soil in Lake Placid, New York. Anyone who watched them play could recall the chills they felt when the buzzer counted down to zero with sportscaster Al Micheals yelling, “Do you believe in miracles? YES!” Winning that game didn’t deliver the gold medal, no, it only secured their place in the final match. There they defeated Finland 4-2, shooting themselves into history.

Y/n was familiar with many of the sports she grew to love watching. Her family owned and lived on a ski resort, so the art of skiing and snowboarding came to her at a young age. She was around four years old the first time she went down hill with her father. By the time she was around eight she could do it on her own with little help.

While her parents enjoyed skiing, Y/n was drawn to snowboarding. More specifically, the halfpipe.

At a whopping 11 to 22 feet in the air and slopes between 16 to 18 degrees, the halfpipe brings fast momentum to snowboarders allowing them to perform difficult spins and skills as they pass from wall to wall. For the Olympics, 22 feet was the typical height of the walls.

The first time Y/n attempted to drop in on the halfpipe was at the age of ten. After watching Team USA sweep the medals in the mens and watching Kelly Clark win gold for the women, Y/n was determined to one day stand on the podium and be crowned the queen of the halfpipe. Nerves were present, as they usually are when one tries to do something they’ve never done. With her parents and a snowboarding instructor present, Y/n became the little daredevil she was and tried her best.

Of course she couldn’t be bold and attempt spins and jumps just yet. Surely that would end her career before it could even start. No, instead they would work on getting used to traveling down the slopes first. On top of that Y/n would have to unlock her inner gymnast so she could do the flips when she got air.

Her preteen years were dedicated to training. Homeschooling became a thing. Everyday she was out working tirelessly to the point her legs would ache. Often there would be a bad run where getting up from the snow would take an arm and leg to do. Balancing a social life as a teenager was impossible. Y/n pretty much sold her soul to snowboarding. But that’s what one has to do when they dream of Olympic glory.

By the time Y/n was 15 she was already making a name for herself after joining the U.S Snowboarding Team. She won titles left and right that people were coming to her family's ski resort just to watch her train. A competitor of the Winter X Games at age 16, Y/n secured the gold after her second run in the women’s superpipe final with a score of 83.75. Rumors speculated she was going to go for the 2010 Olympic Trials. Having just turned 18, Y/n was a leading contender for the Games.

But you know how there are always bad runs? Yeah….the Trials seemed to give her that.

Y/n was hoping to be the first woman to land the 1080 in competition since no one had done it before. Men had been doing the trick since 2002, not as difficult as some of the other moves they were keen to do. While practicing Y/n had successfully landed it a handful of times. So once she felt she was confident, she planned to put in her trial runs. Her coach insisted she’d wait, but Y/n was determined.

And unfortunately it was going to cost her.

After failing to land on her 1080 on both attempts, Y/n was left at the bottom of the leaderboard even with the lowest and highest dropped from her scoring. Embarrassed and humiliated, Y/n made no effort to hide how devastated she was. Tears fell from her puffy cheeks, the cold doing nothing to help. She tried to avoid the cameras but they followed her everywhere she went.

“Y/n, what does this mean for you going forward?”

“Are you going to train for Sochi?”

“Can we expect to see you at next year’s Winter X Games?”

Returning home from the trials, Y/n spent the first week watching the footage back to see what went wrong. Her coach of almost ten years was with her, scribbling furiously on the white board the error and how to fix them.

“You opened too late,” he told her, circling the area in bright red where Y/n messed up. It made her glare at the spot. “When you do that you come in contact with the snow much quicker than you want—that’s why you lost your balance and fell. You didn’t give much time to stop the momentum from spinning. You need to hit this mark—,” another red circle appeared just above the marked one, “to land on time on your feet without losing balance.”

“You’re gonna make me run this at least twenty times today huh?”

“You bet your ass I am,” he flicks the cap at her, “Now go get ready—we’ve got work to do!”

And so for the next four years Y/n worked harder than she ever did before leading up to the 2010 trials. She’d been snowboarding almost fifteen years at that point, nearly seven at the competitive level. 1080s were what kept her up at night. One of the most difficult moves in women’s halfpipe, Y/n spent the four years working to perfect it. Kelly Clark, the 2002 Gold medalist and 2010 Bronze medalist, ended up becoming the first woman to land it at the 2011 X Games, Y/n taking second place and becoming the second woman to land it the following year.

“Remember what I told you,” her coach squeezed her shoulders just before her turn at the 2014 Winter Olympic Trials. “Let the snow and air guide you, don’t guide them. Keep steady and eyes open—you’ve trained for this and you can do it, Y/n. Just do what you’ve been doing the last four years.”

Taking the advice sure as hell paid off. When Team USA marched into the dome of the opening ceremonies at the Sochi Winter Olympics, Y/n was amongst the 222 athletes representing the red, white, and blue.

Qualifications were nerve racking, but Y/n put her blood, sweat, and tears into the competition. The 1080 had everyone buzzing since it was to be the first time competed in women’s snowboarding at the Olympics. “Just get on your feet,” she told herself, placing her goggles down as she prepared to drop in. “Don’t think about it too much, just do it.”

“And here is 22-year-old Y/n L/n from Aspen, Colorado gearing up for her first run in the women’s halfpipe qualifications. This has got to be a big moment for Y/n, having missed out on the Olympic team four years ago for Vancouver. Here in Sochi she’s a favorite to make the podium after great runs at the Winter X Games, becoming the second woman to land the 1080–which we’ll see her in a moment. Y/n’s been snowboarding since the age of four—as one does when their family owns a popular ski resort. We’re excited to see what she’s got for us today.”

“For those of you watching at home who are new to competitive snowboarding, here’s how the scoring works. The athletes are given two runs—or attempts to score big by doing tricks between each wall as they go down the slope of the halfpipe. A team of six judges will then determine the scores through amplitude, another word for height, difficulty, variety, execution, and progression. The highest and lowest score are then thrown out and the remaining four are averaged together for that run. The highest of the two runs is what will determine their position on the leaderboard.”

With her first run of 90.00 and second a 86.75, Y/n advanced to the semifinals along with Kaitlyn Farrington, and Hannah Teter. Kelly Clark secured her place in the finals as the top qualifying score after qualifications. During the semifinals Y/n brought in a 92.50 and 93.50. Her coach was jumping up and down, her parents screaming and Y/n ran over to them when the results came in.

She was heading to the finals.

A silver lining moment was what she was met with after claiming a score of 91.00 following her two runs. Team USA sweeping the podium: Kaitlyn with the gold, Y/n taking silver, and Kelly the bronze.

At the press junket following the podium ceremony, Y/n could not stop smiling. Even when she was asked the question, “How does it feel to be wearing the silver medal after what happened at the trials four years ago?”

“It feels amazing as you can imagine,” chuckles erupt from all sides. “I try to erase the 2010 trials from my memory, but ultimately that is what made me determined to work so hard these last four years. Being able to represent Team USA and bringing home the silver medal alongside my teammates Kaitlyn and Kelly, who I’ve admired my entire career—and watching Kelly win gold in 2002 is what kickstarted my dream of going to the Olympics…” Y/n pauses, grin growing wider, “It’s truly an honor. I-I’m still coming down from the high of it all.”

“Y/n over here!” The athlete points to a lady, who proceeds to stand from her chair to ask, “I know you’re going to be asked this a lot so let me be the first to, are we going to see you in four years for Pyeongchang?”

Biting her lip, Y/n gave a shrug though her smile remained, “I’m gonna train so the hope is you will see me in 2018, but you never know in sports. Anything can happen. For now I’m gonna celebrate with my coach and my family who traveled all the way from the States with me and then get back to the snow when I get home.”

When one already has established themself as a name in their sport, with an Olympic medal, several national and world titles under their belt, then going bigger is to be expected. Higher difficulty in tricks, more air and speed, fighting with gravity to not fall on your ass. Y/n felt the pressure.

“You want me to do back-to-back 1080s?” She nearly dropped her granola bar, staring at her coach dumbfounded.

“You can do it,” he said as if it were obvious. “You’ve been getting so much momentum on the landing that you’re getting massive height on your 720. You can easily go for the 1080 on that.”

It seemed tricky, but Y/n wasn’t one to say no to a challenge. “Fuck it, let’s do it.”

The first time resulted in a face plant in the snow. The second time she lost balance and skidded the rest of the slope on her ass. Finally on the third attempt she managed to catch her feet, exclaiming “Holy shit! I did it!” Off to the side her coach was fist pumping, in a heap of joy for the athlete. Never had anyone successfully landed a back-to-back 1080. But Y/n did in a fucking practice run. “Pyeongchang, here I come!”

When Y/n landed the movements at the 2018 Olympic trials, she was the highlight of the competition.

“The 2014 silver medalist in this event, Y/n L/n dropping in. Great start—setting up for her 1080….beautiful landing—she’s been working hard to perfect and—-OH! Oh my gosh she just did another one!! Did we just witness what I think we did? Holy moly folks I don’t believe it—Y/n L/n has just done the impossible with back-to-back 1080s in a single run!! That’s gonna have a massive score I can already tell.”

Adrenaline was pumping through her veins like never before when Y/n came down from the slope after her final move. Giggling like a maniac, her hands covered her mouth as the crowd roared around her. Her coach was going crazy, as were her friends and family who came out to support. A score of 95.00 sent the audience into a frenzy. And even with her second run, there was no doubt in anyone's mind.

Y/n was heading for Pyeongchang.

“It was a successful Olympic Trials this past week with 241 athletes from across the country qualifying for Team USA in the upcoming Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Team USA will be competing in 15 sports, with many returning to the stage—including two time gold-medalist in the Men’s halfpipe, Shaun White, and 2010 Olympic champion of the women’s downhill in skiing, Lindsey Vonn. The women’s hockey team is looking to return to glory after not having won the gold since Nagano in 1998–the team claiming either silver or bronze in the past Games. There’s been a lot of excitement among supporters for returning Olympian Y/n L/n, who will be competing in the women’s halfpipe once again—L/n was the 2014 silver medalist in the event and became the talk of the trials when she completed back-to-back 1080s in her first run of the final competition, securing her place on Team USA with a massive score of 95.00. L/n has stated she will be attempting the 1080 duo at these Games. If she can pull out a score like she did at the trials of even higher, we could be looking at a new Queen of the Halfpipe.”

For the Games in Pyeongchang, each competitor would do two runs in qualifications and those who make it to the final will get three chances to produce a big score. It was smooth sailing to the finals for Y/n. Both runs received a score of 90.00, making her the top qualifier and securing one of twelve spots in the final.

February 13, 2018 was the best day of Y/n’s life.

It was a beautiful morning in South Korea. Sun beaming down with clear skies making the snow sparkle. Y/n was the last contestant in each rotation, spending the time in between her runs to keep her mind at ease. The playlist she made was blasting through the headphones she wore, a mix of genres that included artists like AC/DC, One Direction, and Beyoncé. Sometimes the cameramen would catch a glimpse of her dancing while mouthing the words to the songs, making viewers at home and the NBC commentators chuckle. Throughout the competition people were tweeting about the athlete:

@ sassycassie: @Y/nlikesthesnow is such a mood at the @Olympics. I wonder what’s on her playlist.

@TeamUSA✔️: we’re all jamming with @Y/nlikesthesnow.

@Marvelicious: Petition for the @Olympics to include music in the halfpipe from here on out.

When it came time for her run, Y/n rolled her neck, said a mental prayer, and dropped in once she was given the green light. Her heart was racing by the time she finished her first run, which did not get a good score due to falling on her second 1080. A rocky start to her competition, the number came back a 41.00.

Quickly the athlete brushed it off. “There’s still two more,” she told herself, approaching her coach who voiced the same thing. Two more chances to score big. All she needed to do was land the 1080s and get high altitude on her 720 and backside 900. Once that happened the gold medal was practically hers.

And she did just that.

On her second run, Y/n delivered what everyone was on the edge of their seats for. She screamed in victory going into her 720 because she had landed the second 1080 perfectly. Letting the remainder of the slopes guide her, Y/n finished her run with a beautiful 900 and shot her arms into the air, the people in the audience cheering. When she crossed the line she fell to her knees, board still attached to her feet and let out a cry of joy.

“Wow, wow, wow! That was absolutely incredible! She completed the back-to-back 1080s—I know we already saw it in the qualifications, but seeing it today was even better—and that 900 was massive, she could’ve thrown in a third! Look at Y/n, she’s taking it all in—the fans are going crazy, Team USA are already celebrating. And we still have one more run left! Remember the judges drop the highest and lowest scores and it looks like it’s gonna be……A 98.75!!! THAT IS HUGE—THE HIGHEST WE’VE SEEN YET!!”

Y/n was doing her best not to cry when her coach and parents hauled her into a group hug. There was still one more run to do, but it would be her victory lap no doubt. No way would anyone be able to touch her score.

Smiling the entire time, Y/n was effortless in her final attempt. One couldn’t even call it an attempt when she was already the gold medalist. The remaining competitors had already gone, none close to the number she produced in the second run. Tears finally flowed when she finished her 900, coming to the end of the slope and unclamping her board before dropping to the snow. The sound of the cheers was so loud she could feel the vibration.

Cameramen surrounded the athlete. Feeling giddy she made a snow angel, laughing the entire time.

When the score came back a 93.50, Y/n was officially named the Olympic champion of the women’s halfpipe. She wasn’t the only member from Team USA on the podium, Arielle Gold claimed the bronze, pushing out 2002 Gold Medalist Kelly Clark by nearly two full points. Liu Jiayu was the silver medalist.

At the podium ceremony Y/n felt like she was in a dream. Even when the announcer said, “Gold medalist and Olympic Champion, from the United States of America, Y/n L/n!!” With the medal placed around her neck and the sound of the national anthem echoing for all ears to hear, Y/n thought she’d wake up in her bed and it would have all been a dream.

But it was far from a dream. The press conference assured that. Reporters and journalists from sports magazines and media swarmed the place, Y/n more nervous about answering their questions than performing tricks in the air that were life threatening if landed wrong. Several questions were to be expected:

“Y/n, how are you feeling after your big win today?”

“Can you tell us anything about your plans when these Games come to an end?”

“Is it true you and actor Dylan O’Brien have been getting rather close?”

“Y/n, are you going to train for Beijing in four years?”

Exhausted and in need of food, Y/n kept her answers simple and minimum. “I feel like I could run a marathon—but mostly I could use some snacks. Oh thank you so much—,” A volunteer brought over an apple they had, and a reporter gave some crackers. “I feel even better now, thank you.”

“Well for one I’m gonna sleep at least a whole week,” chuckles rang out. “Then I’m gonna go see Black Panther since it comes out in three days—anybody gonna go see it? The trailer looked amazing.”

At the question of Dylan O’Brien, Y/n refrained from making a face, “Dylan is a good friend of mine—we met at the 2015 ESPY’s and he’s been to my family’s resort. Not to mention I was a fan of Teen Wolf when it was running. There’s nothing more going on, he’s a great buddy of mine and that’s all.” Internally groaning, Y/n could already picture the internet reacting to her answer. No doubt would they start shipping the two. Dylan would likely get a kick out of it, but like she said they were just good friends.

Responding on the topic of Beijing, Y/n said, “I’m very lucky to call myself a two-time Olympian and would love to continue my Olympic career so yes, I do plan to train for the next Games.”

The rest of 2018 was memorable for Y/n. She was invited to award shows and movie premieres, including Avengers: Infinity War, The Maze Runner: The Death Cure (which only fueled more speculation about her and Dylan) and Spider-Man: Into The SpiderVerse. She even filmed a cameo in the upcoming remake of Charlie’s Angels with fellow athletes Aly Raisman, Rhonda Rousey, and Danica Patrick. At the 2018 ESPY’s, Y/n was nominated for four awards: Best Olympic Moment, Best Female Olympian, Best Female Athlete and Best Female Action Sports Athlete. She took the latter three, in disbelief each time her name was called.

Her personality drew people in and many young girls were interested in snowboarding because of her. Within weeks she accumulated 500 thousand followers on instagram. People begged her to start a YouTube channel, wanting to follow the journey as she trains for Beijing.

“Hello friends of the interweb,” she waved to the lens of her camera. “You’ve been shouting from the rooftops and I’ve heard you loud and clear. Today is my first attempt at…vlogging? Is that what you call it?” Shrugging, she starts to walk down the hallway of her home. At age 26, Y/n moved out of her parents home shortly after her first Olympics—-having went pro—and bought a cabin on the resort so she could remain close with her family and coach. Plus it was where she trained—a nice little plaque on the entrance of the resort reading, “Home of Olympic Champion Y/n L/n.”

Fans loved seeing a more in-depth look at the Olympian. Y/n would do Q&As, give snowboarding 101 lessons, collaborate with Olympians from other sports she grew to become close friends with, and do daily vlogs of training.

“Hi, I’m Y/n L/n,” she smiled at the camera from where she was sitting, a pale pink background behind her. “And I’m here with Buzzfeed where I’m gonna be answering some questions while playing with puppies.” Clapping her hands excitedly, she grinned, “Let’s do this!”

“Was Snowboarding always your first choice when it came to sports?”

“Yes it was,” there was a tiny bulldog in her lap, drifting off to sleep while an excited lab pup was trying to chew at Y/n’s shoes. “When your family owns a ski resort in the mountains of Colorado, usually snowboarding or skiing is going to be the first sport you’re introduced to. In my case it was just like that and while my parents were more for skiing, I loved snowboarding because it was like surfing….but on snow.”

“Where would you be if you weren’t a professional athlete?”

“You know I haven’t really thought about this,” she makes a face that reads, ‘is that bad?’. “I’ve always loved animals so….probably a vet or a career that involved animals. Since I’ve started my YouTube channel I’ve grown to love creating videos and editing them—that whole process. I would not go as far as to say I’d be an Internet personality but I would maybe use those skills to go into film work. But in all honesty, I’d probably be running the resort with my parents. It’s the family business after all.”

“Do you have any tattoos?”

“I do,” flashing her forearm, the Olympic Rings inked her skin with tiny lettering that read, Sochi and Pyeongchang. “I got the rings shortly after returning from Sochi—already set on where it was going to go. The names were done after Pyeongchang. I have other tattoos on my legs and back, but this one is my favorite because it represents the dream I achieved.”

“Have you ever been in love?”

“Ooh we’re getting to the hard questions now,” she laughed, grabbing a puppy that was tugging on her sleeve to hold. “Ummm…..not really. While I’ve been in relationships I don’t think any has made me feel what love is supposed to be like. It’s probably why they didn’t work out,” again she makes a face. “I had a genuine care for them, but there’s a certain way people describe being ‘in love.’ And from what I’ve heard, none of my experiences would be like that. I hope that doesn't make me sound heartless,” Y/n shrugs, not embarrassed at all by being honest. “I got too much going on right now to be worrying about love though. When the time comes, it will.”

Well she was right on that. However she wasn’t expecting it to be sooner than what she thought.

Around December of 2019, Y/n had returned to Colorado after being in New York for a couple weeks for a friend’s wedding. Since becoming a bigger name in the world of snowboarding and in popular culture, the resort got more attraction throughout the year where bookings were full. During this time Y/n would help run things to get some stress from her parents. She’d train early mornings and late at night, leaving the middle of the day to assist in any way she could. Regulars who’d been coming before she was an Olympian would treat her the same, whereas tourists coming for the first time were usually starstruck.

Y/n loved interacting with supporters. Every smile she received and autograph she sighed was met with love. Kids would ask questions, the Olympian kneeling to their level to answer with full transparency. Adults would shake her hand and say they can’t wait to hopefully see her in Beijing. Those moments are what motivated Y/n to do her best with each session.

“Y/n, could you come here for a second?” her mother called out one night after Y/n finished her final run for the day. She’d just entered the lobby to say hi to her parents before heading back home when she spotted them with a group of people. One of whom looked very familiar.

Removing her scarf from face and pulling the hood down, Y/n was met with several pairs of eyes that immediately went wide. She could imagine why, considering there was a huge photo of her with the gold medal framed on the wall dedicated to the gallery of famous visitors the resort had.

Moving closer, she noticed that the group consisted of about eight people, seven of which were guys and one lady. The older gentleman who appeared to be roughly her father’s age was beaming at her. Quickly he was introduced by her mother.

“Y/n, I don’t if you remember since it’s been so long, but this is Pete Mitchell. He and your dad go way back and he’s visited a few times since we took over this place.”

Now the face brought memories with the mention of his name. Grinning, Y/n shook the hand that was extended to her, “Yeah, I remember. Maverick, right?”

“That’s right,” he smiled. “Wow, it’s great to see you again. Congrats on everything you’ve accomplished, Y/n. I’ve been watching you compete since your first trials.”

“Thank you,” she tries not to look flustered. “Sorry for looking so busted—I just finished a run and was not expecting a reunion so soon.” The words have the older adults chuckling. Glancing behind Pete’s shoulder, Y/n nodded to his companions, which had the pilot scurry to introduce them.

Pointing to each person, he lists off, “these are my lieutenants and members of my Top Gun striker team. Bradley Bradshaw, Natasha Trace, Robert Floyd, Mickey Garcia, Reuben Fitch, Javy Machado, and Jake Seresin.”

As he calls their names they each go to shake Y/n’s hand, saying, “nice to meet you.” When she gets to the last person, Jake, Y/n feels a light spark as their skin touches, making both of them flinch.

“Pleasure to meet you, ma’am,” the tinge of a southern accent nearly makes her knees go weak, a dazzling smile to compliment the pilot.

“Pleasure’s all mine,” she returns before moving back to stand beside her parents. “Thank you all for your service. What brings you to Aspen?”

“Well we’ve seen enough of the beach and ocean—now that we’re all stationed in Miramar—and thought we’d like a scene change,” Pete explained, gesturing to her parents. “I called your folks up after our assignment to book us a getaway since these guys were in need of a break. We’re here for the weekend to hit the slopes—and teach some of them how to ski.”

“Fun,” she hums, glancing to see some nervous eyes among Bob, Javy, Mickey, and Jake. When she caught Jake’s gaze he smiled at her, making her look away before she blushed. “Who all knows how to ski?”

“Reuben, Nat, and I do,” Rooster answered, “this is the first time those clowns are seeing snow.”

“I’ll have you know, Bradshaw,” Jake lifts a hand, giving a mocking glare. “I have seen snow, but seeing as I am a Texas man we don’t get it down there.”

“I get snow where I’m from,” Bob interjects, blushing a bit, “But I was the type to stay indoors when it did. I’ve never skied though.”

“Well there is a first for everything,” Y/n beams, “and once you get the hang of it, it’s pretty easy. Although I’m probably not the best judge…..since I pretty much live on the snow.”

“I personally wanna try snowboarding,” Nat admits, smiling when Y/n gives her a thumbs up and mouths, “good choice.”

“I’ll do it if you do it,” Mickey says and the two high five.

“Maybe Y/n can give you some pointers” Y/n’s dad suggested, glancing at her with a tilt of the head. “She’d be the best teacher here.” The Olympian smiles, offering a light shrug.

“I wouldn’t mind.”

Mickey and Nat nearly turned into school children right there, but where Nat was calm on the exterior, Mickey was unleashing his inner fanboy.

“If it’s not out of your way—.”

“Oh my God, to be trained by an Olympic gold medalist? Life goal complete.”

Y/n couldn’t help but giggle at the man, “That settles it then. I hope to see you on the slopes first thing tomorrow morning. How does ten sound?”

“Shit that means we get to sleep in,” Reuben said in relief, the others making the same expression. At Y/n’s confusion he adds, “we normally all get up at four in the morning. Ten o’clock is a dream.”

“I know what you mean—I get up at five for training. So I would definitely want you all to get a good night’s rest. Hours on the slopes will have you running to your bed,” checking her watch, Y/n lets out a yawn, chuckling when she finishes. “Speaking of running to bed, I am beat if you haven’t noticed.” She goes to shake their hand once more, “It was so nice meeting you all and I look forward to tomorrow. Pete, it was great seeing you again.”

Saying goodbye to the group and her parents, Y/n waves one last time and heads to the door. The entire short drive to her home, her mind wanders to Jake. A warm feeling she couldn’t describe boiled in her chest, not sure if it was a little crush or just that she was attracted to him. With his green eyes, sun kissed skin, blonde hair, and dazzling smile, the man was a looker. She definitely could see him being a charmer, maybe even a playboy.

She didn’t want to think about that possibility.

Compared to her snowboarding career, relationships were something Y/n didn’t have the best record with. Yeah she dated, shared a kiss or two with someone she was interested in, but she never saw someone more than five to six months. It wasn’t easy to balance time and energy for a partner. Snowboarding was her life and she permanently lived in Colorado. She stopped dating people in Aspen because they usually were driven by what Y/n could bring them. Relationships with fellow athletes were more difficult since they were dedicated to their sport just like she was to hers. The one time she did get involved with an athlete lasted less than two weeks.

Then you had the people in Hollywood. Since winning the silver in 2014, Y/n made plenty of friends in the film and movie industry. Anytime she was pictured with someone it sparked rumors. Even when they were with a group of friends it didn’t stop the gossip. Y/n did, however, get involved with an actor that was a friend of Dylan O’Brien. He introduced them at the 2017 Teen Choice Awards where they hit it off. It only lasted five months but it was enough to get the internet buzzing with excitement.

Since then Y/n hadn’t been serious with someone, focusing solely on training for the Beijing Olympics. As the defending Olympic champion in the halfpipe Y/n was determined to defend her title. There wouldn’t be any time for romance.

But that weekend left Y/n with a newfound feeling. One she wanted to keep the more she got to know Jake. Each night he was at the resort they’d meet at the lounge to have a drink, sometimes with a group, or by themselves. They’d catch each other in the mornings to get coffee, Y/n feeling the giddiness rise each time with every conversation. The boys caught on quickly what was happening, going as far to joke with Y/n about his history with women.

Her confidence dropped a bit, but Jake shut it down instantly, “I haven’t been with anyone in about a year. And I wouldn’t want something with you to be one and done, Y/n. I want to get to know you better and see where this goes.”

“Jake, how would this even work?” The two were sitting on one of the lounge couches the night before he was set to return to California. It was a good point to bring up. With him being in San Diego and her in Aspen, it would be difficult. “I like you and have enjoyed our time this weekend—a-and I’d love to see where this goes….but being with me isn’t easy.”

“Why’s that?” He asked, oblivious to her concern.

She gives him a knowing look, “Well first there’s the distance like I mentioned. But also I’m in a career where I prioritize that more than anything. I have to go out of the country for competitions several times a year,” her hand makes a motion to show emphasis. “This is where I train—and I don’t see myself leaving anytime soon. My goal is to make it to the Olympics again.”

Jake is quiet for a moment. It worries Y/n, thinking that he was going to get up and leave without another word. But then he gently places a hand on top of hers that was resting on her lap, “I admire and respect you for being honest with me. Not many people are like that—hell, Lord knows I wasn’t five years ago. But even though it may be difficult, I don’t want to avoid it just because of the ‘what if’s’. So it doesn’t work out, that’s okay, but I’d like to at least try.”

Biting her lip, she looks at their hands, “You sure?”

“I’m sure,” he smiles, “plus it gives me a reason to continue coming out here. I think I’ve fallen in love with this place,” glancing around the building, his smile gets bigger at the sight of the sun setting making the mountains look beautiful from where they were. “Being from Texas, we don’t get this type of scenery. I thought I wouldn’t like the snow but it seems to have grown on me in the few short days.”

“Well, Lieutenant, you’re gonna have to get used to it if you roll with me.”

“I think I can adapt well, darling.”

When the squad left the next morning, a little piece of Yn’s heart left with Jake. She didn’t believe in love at first sight but there was no denying the feelings swarming like butterflies each time they were together. FaceTimes became their thing. Usually a couple times a week with casual texting since both had busy lives. Jake then flew out a couple weeks later to spend New Year’s with Y/n, the two sharing their first kiss that sparked like the fireworks in the sky.

Y/n traveled to San Diego in February with Jake returning to Aspen in March. What was supposed to just be a weekend turned out to be Jake having to stay for nearly three months due to the world shutting down. The pandemic was something no one could’ve predicted. Both Y/n and Jake had to scramble to figure out what to do, her parents offering him a cabin to reside in since they had to close down the resort. The competitions Y/n was set to compete in were canceled, Jake having to work remotely with meetings through zoom. There was no indication if he’d have to return to San Diego and frankly he didn’t know how he would since airlines were shut down.

It was a blessing in disguise, however, because it brought the two closer. Jake and Y/n were able to do things together despite being confined to the resort. Since it was only them, her parents, and her coach on the premises, Y/n was able to still train and even taught Jake how to snowboard downhill. He told her about his career and what it was like being in the air competing against the speed of sound.

“It’s an adrenaline rush most of the time,” He explained one night as they laid by the fire, a random movie on the Tv mounted above the mantle. “You can probably relate when you do your runs. Not being able to really think and just let your body take over. Feeling a high that’s indescribable and praying it will end how you think it will.”

In the mornings Y/n would drop off breakfast and coffee to his cabin on her way to training. After his meetings he’d bring her lunch or dinner since she was practicing most hours in the day. The 2020 season was canceled, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t prepare for 2021. Athletes training for the Summer Olympics would have to wait a whole year, meanwhile the plans for the Winter Olympics in 2022 remained. Speculations already arose that by the next spring things would slowly go back to normal with the implementation of a vaccine. Jake returned to San Diego as soon as the green light was lit, mostly because the Navy was ordering him to. Airlines only allowed certain people to fly with regulations set to accommodate social distancing. It was a bittersweet goodbye for the couple, Jake promising to return as soon as he could.

Their relationship continued to be long distance for a long time. San Diego locked down several times preventing either from traveling to see each other. Y/n kept busy by training from sunrise to sunset, Jake running missions the Pentagon tasks the Dagger squad with and the two FaceTimed consistently. Luckily by spring of 2021 things did in fact calm down. A vaccine was introduced, both wasting no time to receive it, and making plans for Y/n to fly out to San Diego.

When she landed she was met with the clear skies and warm rays of the sun, catapulting into Jake’s awaiting arms after exiting the terminal. “I missed you so much!” She giggled as he spun her around.

“I missed you more, darling.”

Everyone welcomed her with smiles, the pilots excited to see Y/n again after so long. They took her to The Hard Deck to celebrate her and Jake’s one year anniversary and for her qualification in the 2021 Winter X Games.

“Excited to get back in the pipe, Y/n/n?” Reuben asked her.

“You bet your ass I am,” she clicks her beer glass with his. “Can’t wait for the world to see what I’ve been practicing.”

The squad cheered on Y/n from Fightertown during the Winter X Games, watching her claim the gold of the women’s Superpipe for the sixth time. Jake was the loudest, his reaction to her win captured by Rooster, “That’s my girl!!”

Flash forward to January 2022. The team rang the year in, Y/n joining festivities where she and Jake celebrated their third New Year’s before they all traveled North to Mammoth to watch Y/n compete in the Mammoth Grand Prix. The first completion of the year, it would be where the Beijing Olympic Team members were named.

By the end of the competition, Y/n was going to have to set an appointment with her tattoo artist to add Beijing to the list of Games.

“YEAHH!!!” The scream released, arms shot into the air as her name shot to the top of the leaderboard following her second run, the score a 96.00. On the ground Jake, her coach, parents, and friends were losing their minds. Rightfully so, they just witnessed Y/n make her third Olympic team.

“And there you have it folks, the defending Olympic champion in the halfpipe is heading to Beijing in her third Olympic appearance. Y/n L/n has shown greatness this whole weekend, proving herself as one of the best in the sport. There’s been so much improvement in her form—the Winter X Games this past year was the last time we’d seen her since the pandemic shut everything down, but that didn’t stop Y/n from getting ready for Beijing. She is unstoppable. It'll be an exciting Games next month, not just for the women’s competition—Shaun White will return to the stage for the fifth time in an attempt to defend his gold model.”

A celebratory party was in store for the Olympian. Champagne was popped and music blasting in the restaurant the members of Team USA rented together. All their friends and family were there having a grand time. Y/n and Shaun got pictures together, the internet calling them the king and queen of the halfpipe. Pretty much all of the dagger squad, minus Jake of course, were chatting up with the Olympians—Bob received a thumbs up from Y/n when she spotted him talking with Mikayla Shiffrin.

Halfway through the night, Jake pulled her aside, “How you feeling?”

“Good,” she breathed, still coming down from the high of excitement. “Excited, nervous, internally dreading the long flight but overall I’m happy.”

“I’m happy for you, darling,” he kissed her head, “You deserve this. After watching you bust your tail these past two years, I can’t describe how proud I am of you.”

Y/n felt a wave of love course threw her, kissing him softly as a thanks. When they pulled away Jake asked what was next to which she replied, “What do you mean?”

“Well…I hear Italy is hosting in four years.” She made a sound of ‘Ahh,’

“That’s what you mean.”

Jake quickly explains, “I just wanted to know if that’s in your sights. You’re gonna get asked plenty next month, so see it as me wanting to be the first to know……and because I’m already planning on being there if you do.” Unfortunately due to covid restrictions, Jake and her family are unable to attend the Games in person. Only her coach was allowed to travel with Y/n, meaning everyone else would have to cheer from home.

Italy wasn’t even on Y/n’s mind. After a career of over fifteen years and having celebrated her 30th birthday, the next chapter was something she thought about often. Jake was her longest relationship, the two at two years and Y/n fell more and more in love with him each day. While the long distance was going well, it would only be a matter of time before one of them would want to settle. Marriage. Children.

Going for a fourth Games was possible—look at Shaun. Beijing was his fifth Games, and Kelly Clark competed in five.

“Confident you’ll be around by then? 2026 is a long way from here,” teasing at first, Y/n felt her heart skip by the look she received. It was one of love, determination, and admiration.

“I’m confident in a lot of things, Y/n. And when it comes to us,” two fingertips come up to hold her chin steady, green eyes boring into hers. “I see a cabin with a front porch and gorgeous sunrise over the mountains as we drink coffee and reminisce over our glory days before the little ones left the nest. That’s what I see when I look at you.”

February 2026–Livigno, Italy: Final of the Women’s Halfpipe in the XXV Olympic Winter Games.

“So one last run, huh?” Jake squeezes Y/n’s hand, easing her nerves as she feels the metal of his wedding band on her skin. She had yet to put her gloves on, waiting for someone to escort her to the top of the slope.

“One last one,” her tone was laced with sadness, not doing much to mask her anxiety. She was one run away from winning a third conservative gold medal. Beijing was already four years ago, Y/n adding a second gold to her collection to retain her title as queen of the halfpipe. She was met with international recognition following the Games. Her performance in Beijing resulted in the first 100.00 scored in the Olympics.

On the cover of Sports Illustrated and winning big at the 2022 ESPY’s, Y/n was on top of the world. Appearances on James Corden and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon Y/n not only showcased her gold medal, but a diamond ring on her finger where she told the world her love story with Jake.

“Hi, I’m Y/n L/n,” she waved at the camera, a MacBook in front of her and trying not to laugh at where Jake was sitting in his own chair beside the producer of GQ, videoing her with his phone. “Two-time Olympic gold medalist in the women’s halfpipe and I’m here with GQ, about to go undercover on the internet.” Opening the laptop, she shakes her head with a nervous grin. “This is gonna be interesting.”

Ironically enough, she chose the username Y/ndoesntlikethesnow. “I’m sorta scared at what Twitter and Reddit will bring. Just because….,” she makes a face, “I go on the bird app religiously so I know what that’s like, but also I’ve heard horror stories about Reddit.”

“I wanna know how @Y/nlikesthesnow managed to get up after planting face first in the snow at her first Olympic trials. On live television. If that was me I would’ve retired right then and there.”

The laugh that escaped Y/n was equivalent to a wheeze, sending Jake into his own laughter. Calming down, Y/n had to wipe her eye, “oh my goodness what a great start. Okay,” her fingers hovered over the keys, typing away with each word she spoke. “Thank you for bringing this memory up—it was truly a defining moment in my career I would say. Not only did it humble me, but had it not happened I probably wouldn’t have busted my butt as much as I did to get to Sochi. So it’s kinda sentimental now….though I do die inside each time someone tags me when they use the gif.”

Clicking send, Y/n clapped, “next!”

“Does Y/n L/n and her fiancé know they basically lived in a Hallmark movie? Guy comes to a small town and meets a local girl who’s family runs a ski resort and they fall in love in just a few short weeks. I think about that a lot.”

Both Y/n and Jake make a snort, “Jake is here with me now,” she points to though he can’t be seen. “We both love this question. And to answer it, you know it never crossed our mind that this was happening, but if Hallmark would like some inspiration for their next movie we’d be happy to give some.”

The wedding took place in fall of 2023. Shortly after Y/n made the decision to move to San Diego to be with Jake, finding an indoor halfpipe training facility to train in. She continued to dominate the 2023-2025 seasons. By the time she made her fourth Olympic team, Y/n became the most decorated female snowboarder in Winter X Games history and won the Mammoth Grand Prix for the sixth consecutive time.

Now in Italy for her final Olympic appearance, the pressure was on.

Currently Y/n was in last position, shocking many as she had multiple errors in her first two after being the number one qualifier. Eight years ago in Pyeongchang, her friend and former teammate Shaun White stunned the world when he went from the bottom to the top of the leaderboard in the final rotation of the men’s final, claiming his third gold medal.

People were itching to know if the same would happen to Y/n. Commentators and twitter alike saying it was deja vu happening.

Only Jake, the squad, her coach and family were the ones to know she would be retiring. Her last run marking the end of an era in snowboarding. With her first two a disaster, Y/n wanted to end on a high note.

“Better make it count,” Jake told her, cupping her face in his hands to stare deeply into her eyes. “You got this, okay? Don’t think about i-t-like I always tell you: don’t think, just do.” Kissing her forehead, he adds, “That gold medal is calling your name.”

Confidence filled her, Y/n lifting her chin high to show her determination. “I better go claim it then.”

Jake mirrored her grin, winking just as the volunteer was calling her name. “We’ll be cheering when you do, babe. Go show them who’s the Queen.” Giving one last kiss of support, Jake says goodbye to his wife, “I love you.”

“I love you,” she returns and he watches her leave before heading to the area where the others were waiting for him.

“How is she?” Javy asks him, adjusting the lapels of his coat. It was a cold but beautiful day in Italy. Perfect for snowboarding.

“I can tell she’s worried,” Jake takes out his binoculars, setting up to see Y/n take her place. “But she’ll pull through. She always does.”

“Welcome back to our coverage of the women’s halfpipe final here in Livigno, Italy. Y/n L/n, the defending two-time gold medalist is about to take her final run in this competition.” The title card appeared on the screen for viewers watching at home, reading: “Y/n L/n-Seresin—Gold Medalist: 2018 & 2022, Silver Medalist: 2014–Hometown: Aspen, Colorado, USA.

“It’s been a rocky day for L/n—failing to produce a big score on her first two attempts: 39.00 in the first and 49.00. She’s got one more chance to beat the 92.25 and is currently in last position. If you can think back to 2018 Shaun White was in the same position, managing to come back in his final run to take the gold. In just a few moments we shall see if Y/n can do the same.”

It’s said that your heart beats on average 60 to 100 beats per minute. That’s a normal heart rate. Throw in emotions such as anxiety and you’ll find it increasing. If a doctor were to place a stethoscope over Y/n’s chest as she secured the clasps of her snowboard, pulling the goggles over her eyes, they’d find the number of her bpm to be at least 110 maybe even 120.

“Don’t think,” Jake’s voice echoed in her head, bringing a sense of calmness. “Just do.”

“Don’t think,” she repeated under her breath. “Just do.” Maneuvering her board once she was giving the go, Y/n starts her decline into the halfpipe, dropping in one last time. Unlike her previous runs where she focused too hard that led to the mistakes, Y/n moved effortlessly like the board was in control. Back-to-back 1080s, her signature move. Getting high in the air she spun. Backside 900 and frontside 700. Opening at the right moment to hit the snow correctly and set up for the next trick. Showing off her talent as one of the greatest athletes of her generation.

Thinking back to her first time her feet touched a board, Y/n felt the nostalgia in her veins. It was comforting, masking the nerves it soon replaced. She was in her element. Picturing the mountains of Aspen and the snow she grew up on.

She could hear the crowd getting louder with each move. It fueled her, pushing the Olympian to get higher in the air, spin faster, and land perfectly. When she came down on her 1260, a difficult move usually seen in the men’s competition, Y/n felt her heart stop as she hit the snow.

It was a golden finish.

A roar ignited from the crowd, Y/n’s hands flying to her mouth, making her final descent down the pipe across the line and falling to her knees like she did back in 2018. It was so loud she could barely hear her own thoughts, audibly shouting, “Oh my God!” Desperately searching for her husband, she found Jake jumping up and down with the squad, screaming like their lives depended on it.

Tears rolled down her cheeks, Y/n throwing off her goggles and unclamping her board from her feet to run towards them. The fucking aviator broke the rules and hauled is ass over the barrier to meet her in the middle, catching Y/n when she jumped into his arms. “You fucking did it!!! You did it!!”

Suddenly their little hug was interrupted by her coach, parents, the squad and members of Team USA joining in. The score hadn’t even come in, but it didn’t matter. Y/n just pulled the comeback of the decade. Going from the bottom to the top in the blink of the eye.

“All eyes on Y/n—here she goes dropping in. Good start on the grip to gain momentum as she sets up her first trick. Here’s her signature move as we’ve seen time and time again…two 1080s often called ‘the cork’ and she’s had trouble all day with this—well no problems right there that was beautiful. Now with the backside 900….looking good—if she maintains this then the gold medal is hers. It’s gonna be that last trick, the McTwist, that could make or break this run…..no problems on that frontside 700. All there’s left is the 1260–very difficult we don’t see it in women’s halfpipe but Y/n is determined to land it—can she do it for the gold medal…..AND SHE’S GOT IT!! She landed it—oh my goodness that was incredible! That’s gotta be enough—there’s no doubt in my mind, Y/n L/n has just won her third consecutive gold in the women’s halfpipe after being in last place for two rotations—putting on a show stopping performance in the final run.”

“She knows it too. Members of Team USA and Y/n’s support team including her coach and husband are celebrating with her. She needs higher than a 92.25 to take the lead—will it be enough? It has to be…..A 99.75 SHE’S DONE IT! A QUARTER OF A POINT AWAY FROM PERFECTION, Y/N L/N HAS WON HER THIRD GOLD MEDAL IN THE WOMEN’S HALFPIPE HERE IN ITALY. THE QUEEN OF THE HALFPIPE REMAINS ON THE THRONE.”

Y/n’s lifted onto Jake’s shoulders when the score comes into the uproar of cheers around her. American flags wave in her face, a sea of red, white, and blue against the glistening snow. It was a scene she would remember in the years to come following her retirement from snowboarding.

The Olympic Rings staring back at her along with the American Flag rising to the sound of the national anthem. Gold around her neck, the heaviness leaving a lasting mark as it would be the last time she would be crowned the Olympic champion. Jake clapping with tears streaming down his face as she waved to him in the crowd. Her parents crying with him, the guys and Nat are whistling and jumping up and down. Pete in a side embrace with her coach and former teammates beaming like they were witnessing history.

In fact it was history. Y/n became the first woman to win the gold in three consecutive Olympic Games. From a little girl with a love of snowboarding who missed out in her first trials. To become a silver medalist and most decorated Winter X Games title holder. To a three-time Olympic champion.

She truly was the queen of the halfpipe.

………….

TGM tag list: @avaleineandafryingpan @caitsymichelle13 @poppyalice2001 @cutelittlepotatofry @luckyladycreator2 @americaarse @elenavampire21 @back-tooo-black

[thebiggerbear]

Only Ever Holding Onto You Masterlist

Summary: When Beau Arlen called and asked you to join him at the Lewis & Clark County Sheriff's Department, you knew you should have turned him down. Sure, he made a great case for your relocation, but it was the sound of his voice that had you putting in for an immediate transfer. After all, he was worried and needed you; how could you say no? Yet, the more time you spend in Big Sky Country, the more you wonder if you should have stayed in Houston.

Pairing: Beau Arlen x Female!Reader; Beau Arlen x Female!DeputySheriff!Reader

Story Warnings: Mentions of animal cruelty; mentions of murder; language; angst; they can be idiots (I will add more as I go)

A/N: I had started this Jenny x Reader mini series and from the get go, I built this backstory/friendship foundation between Beau and the Reader that just became too intriguing to me not to take that path in its own story. This is that story.

A huge thank you to my beta @rieleatiel for her services and for making me the beautiful graphic above!

Please let me know if you would like to be tagged for this series.

A little disclaimer: I have never worked in law enforcement so I tried to piece together things I’ve seen and heard in true crime documentaries and podcasts alongside with movies/tv and books. I apologize for any inconsistencies, incorrect information, exaggerations, or complete fallacies. Tl;dr: I made shit up.

Chapter 1: Here We Go Again

Chapter 2: Near Miss

Chapter 3: Same Old Shit

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

A little preview

Series Playlist

Taglist: @avada-kedavra-bitch-187; @impala67rollingthroughtown; @hobby27

Series Taglist: @globetrotter28; @stoneyggirl2; @a-cup-of-nightshade

Beau Taglist: @heartlessdelusions; @birdiellie; @illicithallways; @muhahaha303

Jensen Taglist: @samanddeaninatrenchcoat; @deansbbyx; @deans-spinster-witch; @lyarr24; @bts24; @roseblue373; @rebel-paladin; @nancymcl

Please let me know if you would like to be tagged for this series.

dividers by @firefly-graphics

banner by @cafekitsune

Main Masterlist

Main Tag List Submission Form

[beardedmrbean]

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) -Now that the Coffee City Council has voted to fire their police chief and dismantled their police department the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office has had to step in to help out.

This comes after a Houston tv station found that an unusually large number of officers employed by the city, and many were working remotely in Harris County.

Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse says his deputies will now be stepping in to cover the Coffee City area until their police department is up and running.

“We’re not going to be assigning a deputy specifically to the city of Coffee City. Basically, we’ve got deputies that are responsible for the east end of the county and those deputies are also going to be responsible for if there are any calls that come into the city of Coffee City,” Hillhouse said.

Sheriff Hillhouse says Coffee City receives almost 300 law enforcement calls a year. His deputies respond to that number across the county in a month. He says it takes roughly 17 minutes for the deputies to respond to the calls within the city.

“Which I know 17 minutes can be a long time when you’re needing help, and you are needing law enforcement, but with the number of deputies we have and the size of the county, I’m fairly comfortable with that estimated time of arrival,” Hillhouse said.

Calls will be answered in the most urgent order. Coffee City has a population of 244.

Sheriff Hillhouse also notes his department, like much of the state and country, is facing an officer shortage and will be extending themselves into other roles in the city.

“With them not having a police department, I just had a conversation with the mayor we are going to have to bailiffing his court, the city court and we will have to be covering his city council meetings so that’s going to be a little different,” Hillhouse said.

He says this shortage can also affect the hiring process for the city, cities around Coffee City have openings that aren’t being filled.

“It can be very difficult, especially when they are trying to find that right fit. It can be difficult,” Hillhouse said.

Sheriff Hillhouse expects the hiring process to take several months to be fully staffed.

[doesnotloveyou]

Don Johnson Filmography - Free Links!

Instead of you spending countless joyful hours trawling the web for grainy old '70s flicks, I did it for you! Here's a list of FREE places to watch DJ's stuff.

This list will be in reverse chronological order as they appear on IMDb. Some are just placeholders until (if) better links can be found, and some are bootlegs from other countries. I'm excluding music videos since those aren't hard to find.

And if you want to skip boring/annoying plot but don't want to miss him, I've made a key:

MC (main character) - much of the story involves his character and he is onscreen often

SC (side character) - only part of the story involves his character, so he's onscreen far less often than other characters

C (cameo) - he's got one or two scenes and they're small, in which case I'll mark his appearances in 0:00:00 format

I'm leaving most content warnings to viewer discretion, but some I don't feel comfortable ignoring. Also, some of the YouTube vids may get taken down at any moment :( If you like something, back it up! I'm using KMPlayer to download my faves, but I've heard you can also use VLC.

>> Links below cut! <<

First, check out my list from Tubi which has the most high quality versions of his work and TV appearances. If it's on Tubi, it won't be on this post!

Home Movie: The Princess Bride - (C, 0:41:30) the entire film is hilarious, especially if you've seen the original; made by a bunch of celebs during quarantine.

Knives Out - (SC) ok, there's no link, but i'm begging you to go buy this movie on DVD it's like $5-$10 tops in stores these days.

Moondance Alexander - (SC, 0:18:20)

Just Legal - (MC, eight episodes)

Word of Honor - (MC) this vid has "helium" audio and other insufferable flaws.

Goodbye Lover - (SC, login req)

In Pursuit of Honor - (MC) WARNING: animal death/abuse

G.I. Joe: The Movie - (SC, voice only, 0:30:35...) spare yourself, skip this movie that he probably did for his kid.

Tales of the Unexpected - (SC; one episode)

Matt Houston - (SC; one episode)

Melanie - (SC)

Soggy Bottom, U.S.A. - (SC; German dub) clips of his character.

Elvis and the Beauty Queen - (MC; Portuguese subtitles)

Revenge of the Stepford Wives - (SC, 0:12:40, 0:25:15...) he has multiple scenes including one at the end, but these movies stress me out.

Beulah Land - (SC) only in part 1, but his character is replaced by a young Jonathan Frakes in part 2. WARNING: non-graphic rape

From Here to Eternity - (C, one episode, 0:07:10, 0:36:00)

The Rebels (MC, two-parts)

Amateur Night at the Dixie Bar and Grill - (SC, 0:13:39...)

First, You Cry - (SC, first scene, 0:24:20, 0:44:20, 0:57:07, 1:15:38, 1:32:16)

Katie: Portrait of a Centerfold - (C, 0:19:48, 0:32:19, 0:44:03...) can't stomach this film to find the rest of his scenes, he's a very minor character.

The American Girls - he's not in this! the main male character is played by the lovely Charles Haid from Hillstreet Blues, but it isn't listed on Haid's IMDb. Also, the character he plays does not go by the name DJ is listed under for that episode, so maybe DJ's in a different one? Regardless, I only found two episodes and DJ is in neither.

Ski Lift to Death - (SC) he shows up in the second video...don't make me watch this.

What Really Happened to the Class of '65? - TV spot w/ the only footage of him that I can find.

Cover Girls - (SC, 0:27:21, 0:40:40, 01:01:15...)

The City - (MC) costarring Mark Hamil

Barnaby Jones - (SC, one episode) I watched this and now it's missing...it sucked anyway. DJ plays an amateur arms dealer with a sickly son, a wife in jail, and a hideous mustache. He loses.

The Streets of San Francisco - (SC, one episode)

Law of the Land - (MC)

Return to Macon County - (MC) login to YT req but there is also a Spanish dub that doesn't req login. costarring Nick Nolte

A Boy and His Dog - (MC) this version has the nude scenes edited out, sign in to YT for the full cut; much higher quality than Tubi. WARNING: rape, etc.

The Rookies - (SC, one episode) costarring Nick Nolte

Kung Fu - making an executive decision here uhhh skip this one

The Harrad Experiment - (MC; two-parter w/ odd in-video ads that you can easily fast forward) WARNING: they all get naked

The Bold Ones: The New Doctors - (MC, one episode)

Lollipops, Roses and Talangka - (SC; some scenes in Tagalog) can't find the 1975 sequel or much information on English sites, but one Filipino fanblog implies the film may no longer exist.

Zachariah (MC)

Endlessly impressed by how much has been preserved and curated over the years. Even if a ton of it was junk, it's nice to save people's hard work and memories :)

........................................................................................................................

[mokonahapuuuuuu]

Rainbow Wings

Note: Masked Singer is my guilty pleasure, and then I thought once Neil graduated and became a celebrity, I could totally see him be a judge on The Masked Singer.

So here it is...!

----

Neil was a judge on The Masked Singer, and so far it was a blast. 

His fellow celebrity friend, fellow actor and model Trisha Beckham convinced him to do it. 

The Masked Singer was different from any other singing reality TV show. Most of them like American Idol and The Voice usually had unknown people sing, and the winner at the finale usually got a record deal. 

However, this reality TV show already had people who were well known. Regardless or not if they could sing or were singers in the first place, The Masked Singer was definitely something else. 

Amongst the competitors was an alicorn costume with rainbow designs on the wings. 

When the clues rolled on the screen, it hinted it was an Olympic athlete sports celebrity. The costume could also be a clue, such as a horse rider. Could be the race track in the Kentucky Derby, or horse jumping. 

The contestant also mentioned that she didn’t sang that often and wouldn’t call herself a songbird, but she is glad to be here and have fun and to surprise everyone. 

When the mystery person in the alicorn costume began to sing, it was clearly a woman. 

The first song she sang was Nelly Furtado’s Maneater. 

The alicorn made it through the first round, though unfortunately in the second round, she was on the last place when it came to the votes. At least her rendition of Whitney Houston’s I Have Nothing was heartfelt. 

As usual in the show, it was the judges final guest before the reveal. 

Trisha guessed it was actress Silvia Baldoni, since she was in the horse film ‘Secretariat’.

Tom Hayworth, a singer, guessed it was Lisa Velasquez, a teen star who recently is getting her feet wet into the industry. She did voice a pony in one of her old animated movies as a kid. 

Anna Baldwin guessed it was British horse jumper Phillipa Webber. 

Neil guessed it was Natalie Branch, a country singer who also hanged out with horses all the time. 

TV personality Adam Miller, walked up to the alicorn. “We’re sorry to see you go, alicorn, and you sang your heart out, but we can’t wait to see who you are.” 

He looked to the audience. “Take it off!” 

The whole crowd in the theatre chanted along with Adam. 

With a little help from Adam, they both tried to get the horse head off… and Neil’s eyes widen when he saw who it was. 

“Gold Olympic medalist in horse jumping, and wife, Belle…!” 

He stumbled backwards to the floor. How could he have not known that that was his wife in the alicorn costume? And the clues, it was obvious it was Belle. Well, Belle wasn’t as well known as Neil, since sports wasn’t talked about. 

“Belle, it was you all that time?” 

His wife nodded on the stage. “Yes, it was me.” 

She pointed to the rainbow designs on her wings. “Apple and Helena designed this and gave it to the costume people.” 

He was more dumbfound. Of course, their daughters would come up with something like that. Apple was the fashionista out of the two daughters. They were into rainbows recently. This would be Apple’s first design, and he couldn’t be more proud of her. 

And he was also proud of his wife for her efforts on the show, and the work she did in show jumping. 

Belle walked over to where the judges were, and gave him a hug. 

Hollywood life was tough, and a lot of couples fizzed out in two seconds flat. With Belle, he knew he picked well, even before he got into acting. If she wasn’t in his life, he’d probably had a more shallow life and who knows where’d he be. 

Together, they could get through anything. 

[nysocboy]

Steve Zahn: From 1990s golden boy to 2020s depressed dad, with nudity all the way down

Steve Zahn started his career in theater Biloxi Blues, Bye, Bye, Birdie, and the off-Broadway Sopistry: "a beloved philosophy professor is charged with sexually assaulting a male student. Gay themes are starting early.  Both Steve and his costar Ethan Hawke were cast in Reality Bites (1994), about depressed Gen X-ers in Houston. Steve plays one of those endlessly depressed gay guys you see in movies of the era, who doesn't actually do anything gay except come out to his mother.

 More weird, experimental, and depressing bits followed, such as SubUrbia (1996): Steve plays Buff, one of a group of disillusioned teens in the bleak urban wastelands of the 1990s.  I didn't live in a bleak urban wasteland, and there were no gay characters, so I couldn't relate. 

In a 1995 episode of Friends, we learn that Phoebe married a gay Canadian ice hockey player (Steve), so he can get his green card.  Except he decides that he's not gay after all.  Seems like a pattern developing. 

Next came The Object of My Affection (1998), which I didn't see because it seemed homophobic: a gay guy turns straight because women are so hot, but then goes back to gay again.  Steve plays the gay-straight-gay guy's brother.

I avoided Saving Silverman (2001), thinking that it was about a lesbian who changes to straight. That appears to be another movie: this Silverman is a guy about to make a disastrous marriage, so his friends try to reunite him with the Girl of His Dreams.  One of the friends, J.D. (Jack Black), comes out and marries his high school Coach (R. Lee Ermy), but I think it's played for homophobic laughs.  Steve plays one of the friends, who here is trying to become flexible enough to perform oral sex on himself.  Just ask JD to do it for you.

In the thriller Joy Ride (2001),  Lewis (Paul Walker), traveling cross-country to pursue the Girl of His Dreams, of course, stops to pick up his estranged brother (Steve).  

They run afoul of a road-rage driven trucker, but meet a girl for Steve to fade-out with.  Plus they have to walk into a gas station nude.

More Steve after the break

We see some butt in Bandidas (2006), and maybe a flash of cock, but it goes by too quickly to know for sure.

In Sunshine Cleaning (2008), a responsible-goof-off pair of sisters start a crime scene cleanup service and have relationship problems.  Steve plays the married lover of the responsible one, who shows some butt.  The goof-off starts off straight, turns lesbian, and then turns back to straight again.  

During the 2000s, Steve starred in several short-lived tv series: Mind Games, Treme, The Crossing, Valley of the Boom.  None of them sound familiar, but I remember his voice work on the Roderick Rules series, and a four-episode story arc on Modern Family as Claire and Phil's obnoxious neighbor.

In  White Lotus, Steve plays a middle-aged father who faces a testicular cancer scare, and discovers that his own father was gay and died of AIDS.  I guess they're interconnected

I think my favorite Steve Zahn role is that of Uncle Peter, the snake-handling-preacher turned militia leader on The Righteous Gemstones, Season 3.  He doesn't convert any lesbians, and he's in charge of a male-only group like Kelvin's God Squad.

The nude photos are on RG Beefcake and Boyfriends

[waterlight]

2nd House signs as AOTY winners

Disclaimer:

Aquarius 2nd House isn't in this list because no band or artist with this placement has won it, at least for the people we know about the birth time.

Do you want to win an AOTY? Have a Scorpio 2nd House.

Some AOTY winners won't be present because we don't know their birth time

When you read 'ruled by', it means the 2nd House is ruled by that planet.

Aries 2nd House

The Beatles (ruled by Gemini Mars in the 4th House): they won it for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1968), it was associated with numerous touchstones of the era's youth culture, such as fashion, drugs, mysticism, and a sense of optimism and empowerment.

Michael Jackson (ruled by Taurus Mars in the 2nd House): he won it for Thriller (1984), itforeshadows the contradictory themes of Jackson's personal life, as he began using a motif of paranoia and darker themes. It is the best-selling album of all time, with sales of 70 million copies worldwide.

Whitney Houston (ruled by Libra Mars in the 7th House): she won it for The Bodyguard Soundtrack (1994), the album gave Houston the distinction of having the most weeks at number one by a female artist on Billboard 200, holding that record for 19 years until being surpassed by Adele's album 21 (2011).

Billie Eilish (ruled by Pisces Mars in the 12th House): she won it for When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (2020), its songs explore themes such as modern youth, drug addiction, heartbreak, suicide, and mental health, with lyrical sensibilities of humor and horror. Eilish said the album was inspired in part by lucid dreaming and night terrors, which are reflected on the cover photo.

Others: Herbie Hancock (ruled by Gemini Mars in the 3rd House; with Jupiter, Sun, Saturn and Uranus): The Joni Letters (2008). Bruno Mars (ruled by Virgo Mars in the 7th House): 24k Magic (2018)

Taurus 2nd House

Barbra Streisand (ruled by Venus Pisces in the 12th House; with Saturn and Uranus): she won it for The Barbra Streisand Album (1964); Streisand said about the title, "'What is the truth of it? It's the Barbra Streisand album.' If you saw me on TV, you could just go [to the record shop] and ask for the Barbra Streisand album. It's common sense."

Beck (ruled by Leo Venus in the 6th House; with Saturn): he won it for Morning Phase (2015).

Others: John Lennon (ruled by Virgo Venus in the 6th House): Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1968, with The Beatles), Double Fantasy (1982, with Yoko Ono).

Gemini 2nd House

Bonnie Raitt (ruled by Scorpio Mercury in the 7th House; with Moon): she won it for Nick of Time (1990), many of the songs deal with personal issues Raitt was struggling with at the time. For example, the album's title track is about coming to terms with middle age.

Kacey Musgraves (ruled by Virgo Mercury in the 5th House): she won it for Golden Hour (2019), it's a country pop record, it also contains elements of disco, electropop, electronica, and yacht rock.

Cancer 2nd House

Judy Garland (ruled by Sagittarius Moon in the 6th House; with Neptune): the first woman to win AOTY, she won it for Judy at Carnegie Hall (1962), a live recording of a concert of hers in New York.

Adele (ruled by Sagittarius Moon in the 6th House): she won it for 21 (2012), composed in the aftermath of the singer's separation from her then partner, the album explores themes of heartbreak, healing, introspection, and forgiveness; and 25 (2017), its lyrical content features themes of Adele "yearning for her old self, her nostalgia", and "melancholia about the passage of time" according to an interview with the singer by Rolling Stone, as well as themes of motherhood, new love, and regret.

Leo 2nd House

Henry Mancini (ruled by Aries Sun in the 10th house; with North Node and Neptune): the first AOTY winner, he won it for The Music from Peter Gunn (1959), a soundtrack album for the TV series Peter Gunn.

João Gilberto (ruled by Gemini Sun in the 12th house; with Mars and Neptune): he won it together with Stan Getz for the album 'Getz/Gilberto" (1965), it's considered the record that popularized bossa nova worldwide and is one of the best-selling jazz albums of all time, selling over one million copies.

George Michael (ruled by Cancer Sun in the 12th House; with Moon): he won it for Faith (1989), in addition to playing various instruments on the album, Michael wrote and produced every track on the recording except for one, "Look at Your Hands". Faith's songs include introspective lyrics, which generated controversies about Michael's personal relationships at that time.

Alanis Morissette (ruled by Gemini Sun in the 11th House): she won it for Jagged Little Pill (1996). The lyrics touch upon themes of aggression and unsuccessful relationships, while Ballard introduced a pop sensibility to Morissette's angst.

Others: Billy Joel (ruled by Taurus Sun in the 11th House; with Pluto): 52nd Street (1980). Celine Dion (ruled by Aries Sun in the 9th House; with Jupiter [R]): Falling into You (1997)

Virgo 2nd House

Natalie Cole (ruled by Capricorn Mercury in the 5th House; with Mars, Moon and Neptune [R]): she won it for Unforgettable... with Love (1992), the album includes covers of standards previously performed by her father, Nat King Cole. She became the first African-American woman to win the award.

Lauryn Hill (ruled by Gemini Mercury in the 10th House; with Pluto [R]): she won it for The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1999), it is a neo-soul and R&B album with some songs based in hip hop soul and reggae. Its lyrics touch upon Hill's pregnancy and the turmoil within her former group the Fugees, along with themes of love and God. In 2000, the band Santana wins AOTY for Supernatural, Lauryn is credited as producer.

Other: Art Garfunkel (ruled by Libra Mercury in the 3rd House; with Neptune and North Node): Bridge Over Troubled Water (1971, with Paul Simon).

Libra 2nd House

Paul Simon (ruled by Sagittarius Venus in the 4th House; with Sun): he won it in 1971 for Bridge over Troubled Water together with Art Garfunkel; in 1976 with Still Crazy After All These Times; in 1987 for Graceland, it features an eclectic mixture of genres, including pop, rock, a cappella, zydeco, isicathamiya and mbaqanga. Simon wrote songs inspired by the recordings made in Johannesburg, collaborating with African and American artists. He received criticism for breaking the cultural boycott of South Africa because of its policy of apartheid.

Scorpio 2nd House

Frank Sinatra (ruled by Leo Mars in the 10th house; with Mercury and Sun): he won it for Come Dance With Me! (1959), September Of My Years (1966) whose theme is exlopiring the "who am I" questions that a man faces upon entering the middle age, A Man and His Music (1967) which provides a retrospective of his musical career.

Bob Newhart (ruled by Libra Mars in the 12th house; with Saturn): he won it for The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart (1961), the first comedy album to win AOTY.

Stevie Wonder (ruled by Virgo Mars in the 12th House): he won it for Innervisions (1974), the album has been regarded as his transition from the "Little Stevie Wonder" known for romantic ballads into a more musically mature, conscious, and grown-up artist; Fulfillingness' First Finale (1975); Songs in the Key of Life (1977), widely regarded as his magnum opus and one of the greatest albums in the history of recorded music, many musicians have remarked on the quality of the album and its influence on their own work.

Eric Clapton (ruled by Pisces Mars in the 4th House): in addiction to his award for the Concert for Bangladesh credited to George Harrison & Friends, he won it for Unplugged (1993).

Quincy Jones (ruled by Virgo Mars in the 11th House): in addiction for his AOTY for Thriller which he produced, he won it for Back on the Block which features legendary musicians and singers from across three generations.

Yoko Ono (ruled by Virgo Mars [R] in the 12th House): she won it together with John Lennon for the record 'Double Fantasy', upon its release, the album stalled on music charts and received largely negative reviews from music critics, with many focusing on the album's idealisation of Lennon and Ono's marriage. However, following Lennon's murder three weeks after its release, it became a worldwide commercial success.

Harry Styles (ruled by Aquarius Mars in the 3rd House; with Pluto and North Node): he won it for Harry's House (2023)

Others: Carole King (ruled by Taurus Mars in the 7th House; with Moon): Tapestry (1972). Phil Collins (ruled by Pisces Mars in the 4th House): No Jacket Required (1986).

Sagittarius 2nd House

George Harrison (ruled by Cancer Jupiter [R] in the 9th house): in addition to his award with the Beatles, he won an AOTY in 1973 with The Concert for Bangladesh credited to 'George Harrison & Friends'. The shows were a pioneering charity event, in aid of the homeless Bengali refugees of the Bangladesh Liberation War, and set the model for future multi-artist rock benefits such as Live Aid (1985) and the Concert for New York City (2001).

Other: Glen Campbell (ruled by Sagittarius Jupiter [R] in the 2nd House with North Node): By the Time I Get To Phoenix (1969).

Capricorn 2nd House

Bob Dylan (ruled by Taurus Saturn in the 5th House; with Mars): in addiction to his award for The Concert for Bangla Desh (1973) credited to George Harrison & Friends, he won AOTY for Time Out of Mind (1998). For many fans and critics, the album marked Dylan's artistic comeback after he appeared to struggle with his musical identity throughout the 1980s.

Other: Robert Plant (ruled by Leo Saturn in the 9th House): Raising Sand (2009, Alison Krauss)

Pisces 2nd House

Christopher Cross (ruled by Aries Jupiter in the 2nd House with North Node and Moon): he won it for his self-titled album Christopher Cross (1981).

Other: Alison Krauss (ruled by Scorpio Jupiter in the 10th House): Raising Sand (2009, Robert Plant).

[invisibleraven]

Secret relationship prompt!!! Omg this is fun. 23, rarepair of your choice

After Alex comes out to his parents, he spends less and less time at home, and more and more time in Bobby's garage. Here, he has his friends, a decent selection of snacks, and no judgement over his desire to kiss boys.

That last one is kind of important, since his parents hadn't taken him being gay very well. There was a lot of pray for his mortal soul and talk of hellfire, most of which Alex drowned out with Rush and Whitney Houston.

But the garage was his sanctuary.

One afternoon, it was just him and Bobby. Luke had a dentist appointment and Reggie had to take Alfie to a swimming lesson. So Alex was sat at this drums, tapping out a simple rhythm while Bobby was lying back on the couch, nose in a book.

"Not heading out then?" Bobby asked from behind the pages.

"Nope," Alex replied, popping the p. "You want me to stop playing though or need to kick me out, just say the word."

"Nah, hang as long as you want, you're not bothering me. Heck, stay for dinner if you want, lola always makes too much." Bobby gave him a sidelong glance. "You can sleep over too. I know how much your parents are being sucky."

"I say they'd call the cops if they knew I was staying over with another boy. Or Father Thomas," Alex snarked. "But dinner sounds nice. Celia is a way better cook than my mom."

"Cool." Bobby then went back to his book, and Alex to his drums. But soon enough he got bored, and went over to the couch, sliding himself under Bobby's feet.

"Read to me."

"I'm half way through the book, you won't know what's going on."

"That doesn't matter, I just like hearing you talk."

"Okay weirdo," Bobby said, but Alex could see the pleased little grin on his face, and then he started reading. Sure, Alex didn't have a damn clue what the book was about or what was going on, but Bobby's voice was soft and soothing, making him feel comfortable and relaxed.

Later, they'd go in and join Celia for a meal, and she assured him she'd straighten it out with his parents to let him stay. Even gave him a hug, and it felt like home in way his own house hadn't in so long.

They squeezed into Bobby's double bed, his little TV playing some sitcom or another as background noise.

"Hey Al?"

Alex turned his head, and could see Bobby's fingers twisting in the duvet, but he knew touching him right now would get him to shut down. Just grunted in response to let him know he was listening.

"What's it like to kiss a guy?"

"No clue."

"Really?"

"I don't exactly have a lot of options lining up and offering themselves for smooches here Robin," Alex snarked, then blew out a breath. "I'm sure it's a lot like kissing a girl, only with facial hair and stinkier breath. But... probably way nicer for me, because I want to kiss them. Not have to for the sake of some game of spin the bottle or coming out ball ritual."

"There are balls when you come out? Shit, were we supposed to throw you a ball?" Bobby asked, looking almost mildly panicked.

"Not the same kind of coming out. This is debutante shit for my parents' country club. I had to escort Marianna Whelan last spring and she conned me into a kiss. It was very sloppy and kinda gross. I'd rather have kissed her brother Fritz, but that would have been the scandal of the year."

"Is there anyone you wanna kiss now?"

"Why, are you offering?" Alex quipped, but then he saw the shy look on Bobby's face. "Shit, you are. God Bobbers, I'd love to kiss you, but you're also my best friend. I don't wanna fuck that up."

"You won't," Bobby said, turning on his side so he was facing Alex. "It's just a kiss. To see if we like it. We don't have to tell anyone, not even Luke and Reggie. I know they'll be supportive, but..."

"They'd make a big deal out of it," Alex finished. "You sure?"

Bobby nodded, and Alex scooted in closer, his big hand tilting Bobby's chin up, the light of the TV painting his skin a pale blue, catching on the angles and making him look captivating. Alex let his eyes flutter closed, and press his lips in.

The kiss was a little dry, a mere peck. But Bobby pressed in further, opening up a little, his tongue teasing over the seam of Alex's mouth. Then it was in Alex's mouth.

Bobby tasted like toothpaste and the plain chap stick he'd applied before bed. He had the faintest traces of stubble lining his jaw and upper lip.

It was so different from kissing Marianna.

And so much better.

Eventually they pulled apart, blinking at one another. "Verdict?" Alex whispered, not wanting to break the moment with loudness.

"I liked it," Bobby surmised. "Not sure if it was because it was with a boy, or if it was because it was with you, but I liked it." He paused a moment, licking over his lips again. "I think I'm okay not knowing, but only if I can keep kissing you."

Alex grinned and pulled him in for a second kiss. Wetter and a bit less polished, but glorious all the same.

They fell asleep, lips brushing together and tingling. They still didn't know if the kissing was so great because of the circumstances or the other boy, but they figured they could do a few more experiments to find out.

In the end, they decided it didn't really matter. They just knew that they liked kissing one another.

And when they ended up getting caught kissing, Luke and Reggie did have a minor freak out, until they confessed they had known since almost the beginning, and wished them nothing but happiness.

But they totally also threw a mock coming out ball for the two of them in the garage, which Alex scowled at, but also admitted was the sweetest gesture that allowed him to have a new untainted memory of the tradition as he swayed with his new boyfriend to the music.

And treasured the photo Reggie took of the two of them kissing in their suits for the rest of his life.

[brookston]

Holidays 7.25

Holidays

Act Like a Caveman Day

Antifascist Pasta Day (Italy)

Bayreuther Festspiele begins (Wagner festival; Germany) [thru 8.28]

Be Adamant About Something Day

Community Day (Galicia, Spain)

CTNNB1 Awareness Day

A Day Out of Time (Last Day of the Year; Mayan, Galactic)

Ebernoe Horn Fair (Sussex, UK)

Feed the Country Ducks Day

Festival of Picaresque Animality

Health and Happiness with Hypnosis Day

International AfroLatinx, AfroCaribbean & Diaspora Women’s Day

International Day of Solidarity with Antifascist Prisoners

International Red Show Day

International Sop Rapping Over Vocals Day

John Knill Day (Cornwall, UK) [Every 5 Years]

Jumatul Bidah (Bangladesh)

Jumat-ul-Wida (India)

Merry-Go-Round Day [also 5.17]

Mugwort Day (French Republic)

National African American Hepatitis C Action Day

National Campus Press Freedom Day (Philippines)

National Carousel Day

National Clay Day

National Day of Galicia (Spain)

National Hire a Veteran Day

National Houston Day

National Schizophrenia Awareness Day (UK)

National Video Game Team Day

Occupation Day (Puerto Rico)

Rain of Black Worms Day (Romania)

Red Shoe Day

Republic Day (Tunisia)

Rosiland Franklin Day

Santiago Apóstol (Spain)

Test-Tube Baby Day

Thread the Needle Day

Traditional Palestinian Dress Day

World Drowning Prevention Day (UN)

World Embryologist Day

World IVF Day

World Youth Days 2023 begins (Lisbon, Portugal; Roman Catholic; until 7.31) [Varies; @Every 3 Years]

Food & Drink Celebrations

Candles on a Cake Day

Culinarian’s Day

Frozen Fruit Freeze Day

Indie Beer Day (Australia)

National Hot Fudge Sundae Day

National Wine and Cheese Day

4th Tuesday in July

Waterton-Glacier Science & History Day [4th Tuesday]

Independence Days

Abode of Heaven (Declared; 2018) [unrecognized]

Andany (Declared; 2017; Dissolved Sep. 2018) [unrecognized]

Commonwealth Constitution Day (Puerto Rico) 

Rathunis (Declared; 2011) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Anne (Eastern Christianity)

Christopher (Western Christianity)

Cucuphas (a.k.a. Cueufas, Cougat; Christian; Saint)

Feast of Formation of Saint Ann (Mother of the Virgin Mary; Byzantine Rite)

Furrinalia (Old Roman Goddess of Springs)

Glodesind (Christian; Saint)

Holbein (Positivist; Saint)

Hot Fudge Sundae Day (Pastafarian)

Ilyap'a Festival (Inca thunder god)

James the Great (Western Christianity)

John I Agnus (Christian; Saint)

Julian of Le Mans (Christian; Translation)

Magnerich of Trier (Christian; Saint)

Maxfield Parrish (Artology)

National Baha’i Day (Jamaica)

Nissen, Abbot of Mountgarret, Ireland (Christian; Saint)

Paul (Christian; Martyr)

Shylock Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Slippery Slim (Muppetism)

Thea and Valentina (Christian; Virgins)

Thomas Eakins (Artology)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Sensho (先勝 Japan) [Good luck in the morning, bad luck in the afternoon.]

Premieres

The Adventures of André & Wally B. (Pixar Cartoon; 1984)

Air Force One (Film; 1997)

Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (Film; 2008)

Armor Wars (Film; 2025)

Back in Black, by AC/DC (Album; 1980)

Batman: The Killing Joke (Animated Film; 2016)

Broken Quest (Animated tV Series; 2013)

Caddyshack (Film; 1980)

China Grove, by the Doobie Brothers (Song; 1973)

A Chorus Line (Broadway Musical; 1975)

Drinking Buddies (Film; 2013)

Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century (WB MM Cartoon; 1953)

Fame, by David Bowie (Song; 1975)

First Lensman, by E.E. "Doc" Smith (Novel; 1950) [Lensman #2]

Good Burger (Film; 1997)

Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man (Film; 1962)

Justice League: Warworld (WB Animated Film; 2023)

Kill ‘Em All, by Metallica (Album; 1983)

Lara Croft Tom Raider: The Cradle of Life (Film; 2003)

Last Train to Clarksville, recorded by The Monks (Song; 1966)

Lego Scooby-Doo! Blowout Beach Bash (WB Animated Film; 2017)

Lucy (Film; 2014)

Maximum Overdrive (Film; 1986)

Paul’s Boutique, by The Beastie Boys (Album; 1989)

Porky’s Spring Planting (WB LT Cartoon; 1938)

Ruby Sparks (Film; 2012)

Seabiscuit (Film; 2003)

Step Brothers (Film; 2008)

The Tree’s Knees (WB LT Cartoon; 1931)

X-Files: I Want to Believe (Film; 2008)

Yes, by Yes (Album; 1969)

You Can’t Hurry Love, by The Supremes (Song; 1966)

Today’s Name Days

Jakob, Jakobus, Thea, Thomas, Valentina (Austria)

Ana, Yana (Bulgaria)

Beata, Jakov, Krsto, Valentina (Croatia)

Jakub (Czech Republic)

Jacobus (Denmark)

Jaagup, Jaak, Jaako, Jaap, Jako, Jakob, Jass (Estonia)

Jaakko, Jaakob, Jaakoppi, Jimi (Finland)

Jacques, Valentine (France)

Jakob, Valentine (Germany)

Anna (Greece)

Jakab, Kristóf (Hungary)

Cristoforo, Giacomo (Italy)

Jēkabs, Marika (Latvia)

Aušrinė, Jokūbas, Kristupas (Lithuania)

Jack, Jakob, Jim (Norway)

Jakub, Krzysztof, Nieznamir, Sławosz, Walentyna (Poland)

Jakub (Slovakia)

Jaime, Santiago (Spain)

Jakob (Sweden)

Jac, Jack, Jacki, Jackie, Jackson, Jacky, Jacques, Jimmie (Universal)

Coby, Colby, Diego, Israel, Jacob, Jacoby, Jack, Jackie, Jackson, Jaclyn, Jacqueline, Jacquelyn, Jacques, Jaime, Jake, Jakob, James, Jameson, Jamie, Jaquan, Jaqueline, Jaxon, Jaxson, Jim, Jimena, Jimmie, Jimmy, Kobe, Koby, Kolby, Santiago (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 206 of 2024; 159 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 2 of week 30 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Tinne (Holly) [Day 16 of 28]

Chinese: Month 6 (Ji-Wei), Day 8 (Jia-Shen)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 7 Av 5783

Islamic: 7 Muharram 1445

J Cal: 26 Lux; Fiveday [26 of 30]

Julian: 12 July 2023

Moon: 50%: 1st Quarter

Positivist: 10 Dante (8th Month) [Holbein]

Runic Half Month: Ur (Primal Strength) [Day 12 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 35 of 94)

Zodiac: Leo (Day 4 of 31)

[quinceanera-houston]

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[abcnewspr]

ABC NEWS ANNOUNCES JACLYN LEE AND MELISSA ADAN AS MULTI-PLATFORM REPORTERS 

Wendy Fisher, ABC News senior vice president of Newsgathering, sent the following note to the news division announcing that Jaclyn Lee and Melissa Adan are joining ABC News as multi-platform reporters.  

Pictured from left: Jaclyn Lee, Melissa Adan 

I am excited to share that two new multi-platform reporters are joining our team this week. Jaclyn Lee begins today in New York, and Melissa Adan starts later this week and will be based in Los Angeles.   

Jaclyn Lee joins us from our very own WPVI-TV in Philadelphia, where she served as an anchor/reporter since 2020. During her tenure, she spent time in the field, reporting on COVID-19, civil unrest, the 2020 presidential election and the unprecedented 2021 winter storm in Houston. Additionally, in response to the increase in anti-Asian American hate crimes nationwide, Jaclyn pitched and carried out an anti-Asian hate crime PSA that aired on OTV stations across the country. 

Prior to WPVI, Jaclyn worked as a general assignment reporter and anchor at WVEC-TV, the ABC affiliate in Norfolk, Virginia. There she sharpened her investigative skills, reporting from the Virginia State Capitol on the blackface scandal and sexual assault allegations facing top state politicians. Jaclyn also spearheaded investigations into crucial shortages in the U.S. Navy, which caused officials to take action. Jaclyn’s work has also taken her around the globe. She reported on protestors against Machu Picchu tourism in Peru, the effort to preserve minority cultures in China, and the large number of sea lions dying in Chile, and she researched the aftermath of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. Before relocating to Virginia, Jaclyn worked in Raleigh, North Carolina. She holds a degree in broadcast journalism from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. 

Melissa Adan comes to ABC from NBC 7 and Telemundo 20 in San Diego, where she worked as a general assignment news reporter and anchor since 2018. She is bilingual in English and Spanish, and her reporting has taken her worldwide. She recently traveled to Vatican City to cover Pope Francis’ appointment of new cardinals, has reported from Mexico on the immigration crisis at the border in Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez, and covered the 2018 migrant caravan in Tijuana. Her reporting in Australia on climate change in the aftermath of destructive wildfires won her a regional Emmy. She received the Al Neuharth Investigative Journalism Award from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists for her report on sex abuse and money mismanagement at migrant youth shelters in San Diego. 

Previously, Melissa was a reporter/multimedia journalist at NBC 6 in South Florida. She covered many breaking news events, such as the mass shooting at the Fort Lauderdale airport, Hurricane Irma and the death of José Fernández, star pitcher for the Marlins. Melissa is a Miami, Florida native and a first-generation Cuban American. She has a master’s degree in criminal justice from Florida International University, a B.S. from Boston University's College of Communication and an A.A. from Miami Dade College, The Honors College. 

Both Melissa and Jaclyn are skilled investigative reporters and great additions to our talented teams on both coasts. 

Please join me in congratulating and welcoming Melissa and Jaclyn. 

Wendy 

[lindsaywesker]

Good morning! I hope you slept well and feel rested? Currently sitting at my desk, in my study, attired only in my blue towelling robe, enjoying my first cuppa of the day. Welcome to Too Much Information Tuesday!

In the 1830s, tomato ketchup was sold as a cure for diarrhoea.

People who play the didgeridoo snore less.

Your inner monologue runs at 67 words per second.

Your lips are 1000 times more sensitive than your fingers.

94% of Parisians live within a five minute walk of a bakery.

79% of Britons would be happy to receive socks for Christmas.

In Tennessee, it is illegal to share your Netflix password.

Pablo Escobar – once dubbed The King Of Cocaine – once started a fire with $2 million because his daughter was cold.

Because he was so poor, Picasso burned most of his early work to keep his apartment warm.

In 1966, the Procrastinators' Club of America held a protest against the War of 1812.

In 2018, scientists accidentally created a mutant bacterium that eats plastic. “Accidentally created”? Covid-19, anyone?

The world’s first nudist colony, founded in India in 1891, was called The Fellowship Of The Naked Trust.

Only about three in ten Britons feel rested when they wake up in the morning.

'Playing chess with the pope' is an Icelandic euphemism for taking a dump.

The most common book people lie about having read is George Orwell's ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’.

There is a village in France named 'Pussy'. People who live there are referred to as ‘Pussies’.

Brazilian prisons reduce sentences by four days for every book prisoners read and write a report on.

In 2014, a pine tree planted in memory of George Harrison died after an infestation of beetles.

From 1966 to 1987, Iceland banned TV on Thursdays to encourage people to go out and socialise more.

Hangovers cost the U.S. economy an estimated $220 billion in lost productivity every year.

Music is so influential on the brain, that the type you listen to actually has the ability to change the way you think and look at the world

No need to play Six Degrees Of Separation anymore. In 2016, Facebook found that, on average, any two people are only 3.57 degrees of separation apart.

Treating a wound with maggots can save a limb from amputation. However, almost 10 percent of people would rather have their limb amputated than maggots applied to it.

‘Lord Of The Rings’ was an act of procrastination. J.R.R. Tolkien was supposed to be doing some academic work but … just didn’t feel like doing it, so he wrote ‘Lord Of The Rings’ instead!

Giant tarantulas keep tiny frogs as "pets". The spiders keep the frogs safe from potential predators, while the frogs eat insects that could harm the tarantula's eggs.

In 2017, a Kiwi tourist was detained in Kazakhstan because the immigration authorities refused to believe there was a country called New Zealand.

Braess’ Paradox says that, if you add more lanes to a road, congestion increases. For instance, in 2008, a Houston freeway was expanded to 26 lanes, and travel times increased by 30%.

In the 1980s, you had 17 minutes to escape a house fire in the average American home but, because of the flammability of modern furniture, it’s now closer to three minutes!

In 1945, following VE Day, the crew of the Canadian HMCS Uganda were asked if they wanted to continue fighting the Japanese. They became the only boat in WWII to vote to go home and leave the war.

In 2010, a couple purchased an entire town (Wauconda, Washington) on eBay for $360,000. The town came with a gas pump, a restaurant, a small store and a four-bedroom home.

In 1874, Max Planck's teacher told him not to go into physics, because the field was almost completely known and “will arguably soon take its final form”. Planck went on to make enormous contributions to quantum theory and won a Nobel Prize.

When Bill Shakespeare, the first man to receive the Pfizer vaccine, died in 2021, one Argentinian news channel got confused and announced the death of ‘one of the most important writers in the English language.’

According to a 2008 survey of sex therapists, sex is too short when it lasts one to two minutes, adequate is three to seven minutes, and desirable is seven to 13 minutes. If you’re still going at 30 minutes, most people will think it’s too long.

A hospital in Toulon, France had to be evacuated when an 88-year-old man turned up with a World War I bomb lodged in his anal passage! It was an eye-watering 18cm long and 9cm wide. The patient made a full recovery, after it was surgically removed.

In 2014, a man in China bought a first class ticket on China Eastern Airlines. He cancelled the ticket and re-booked for a different day over 300 times. The reason? So, he could eat free in the VIP lounge on each of those days.

Okay, that’s enough information for one day. Have a tremendous and tumultuous Tuesday! I love you all.

[incarnateirony]

today a friend googled the demographics of NOLA and Atlanta and really let it set in what I meant about it being a different, much less white and privileged world than this pillow cushioned fandom is used to.

Vancouver 78% white

NOLA 59% black and 33% white

ATL almost 50% black and 40% white

And those NOLA numbers are deceptive. A good portion of the population that answers "white" on the census are lighter blend creole people, or non-anglo french descendents. Realistically, the only anglo fuckers there are a small minority of annoying yuppie transplants that move there thinking it's just a fun party town and get their ohio vibes all over the place.

And yeah. it influences culture and how people think, act, and react. When cultures have had to pull each other up to survive, to stay free, when they predate the country itself--your white colonizer mindset is what gets your shit pushed in IRL if you try it. They don't take white nonsense.

And this fandom is the triple definition of White Noise. you're walking into a world of self made people fighting up against oppression for centuries, not handed to them on generational platters and privilege that white communities get.

your Quirky Fun Liberal Cities like "Keep austin/portland weird" look like utter jackasses in actual like. how shit gets handled compared to, say, houston even, much less nola or atlanta.

sorry to break it to this precious white fandom, even as another white person who had to break my bullshit down ages ago, but you aren't special. Your opinions don't dictate reality. And most of all the black gay pagan south does not give a FUCK if you consider an MLM pairing going mainstream "inappropriate." they catch Kelios concern trolling that shit they're gonna see how far they can take porn on network tv just to piss you entitled assholes off.

yeah. that goes for all of you. shrill queerbait shriekers that were attacking our own allies in the room included just as much as the wincels. If you wanna see how we do it, how about you like. come do your shit without a keyboard and a few thousand miles protecting you.

oh right. none of you are that brave. fuckin marshmallows. pat still wont even bet another 5k after his last fail but knows his precious whiteness and keyboard will protect him from getting his spine ripped out.

you wanna know why nobody here accomplishes anything anymore, it's because you're too busy fixing your egos behind keyboards but don't have the compunction to get up and actually do something to get what you fucking want. That's it. That's the difference. Down south, the real south, the actual Dirty South, not ivory lib castles like Austin and their suburbs fed conservative garbage via nexstar for years; you get up and help move the log. If you get in the way, the motherfuckers with the log will smash your ribs and keep going through you. It's that simple. nobody cares about your white fragility bubble, pat. nobody cares if you clicked and ordered 5 dollars to a food bank to make yourself feel better as a white savior. We care if you get up and bring the fucking food to people. We care if you help advocate for systems where it isnt as needed, and show up and meetings and raise your voice and cuss if you've fucking got to, and riot if you've fucking got to, and get arrested if you fucking got to.

nexstar's conservative shit flooding white liberal cities like austin is how you get jackasses like kelios being so up her ass she unironically screams Make Supernatural Great Again, or joined the Silent Majority, and demands staying in "safe, old ways". and fuckin white libs at a core, a lot of them are like this. They're conservatives in a mask. 2p0 too and how they go into DM to argue incest should be allowed irl or try to compare it to the lgbtq struggle--active enemy against progressives, but this fandom sucks his dick of raw, uninformed opinion anyway. Beneath the skin, these agendas are all driven by political skews informing their opinions, and this is ripping open faux white liberalism and gutting it like a piggylecki.

i ain't afraid to get arrested for the right cause. Hell it goes viral enough on why they'll pay my bail. you guys though, you're afraid to even step outside your houses. Welcome to Nola. Buckle up.

like in my life i've put a few dudes in the dirt in self defense, and you really gonna try to act like a tough shit online when you guys won't even put your money where your mouth is in a bet. Because you goddamn know. there's a reason taw had all of you running pissing your pants for years and then he met me and it was his turn to piss and run. only one person ended up updated to "armed and dangerous" on his doxxing site despite being a Big Scawwy Miwitary Man. catch a clue. you ain't any better than him, 2p0

And eventually, your followers will notice that for alllll the subtweeting you do, you magically missed the 20 chances to take up that bet if you're half as confident as you pretend.

Yeah guys, why won't he?

[90363462]

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SPORTS

Dusty Baker Makes MLB History As The Oldest Manager to Win a World Series Title

So we have to just say it: “How about those Astros?!”

By

Alexandra Jane

PublishedYesterday 10:27AM

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After 25 major league seasons and two shots at the World Series, Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker is finally a world champion manager. And according to The New York Post, Baker is also the oldest to ever do it! The 73 year old lead the Astros in its 4-1 victory over the Phillies in Game 6 on Saturday night, making him the oldest manager to ever shepherd a team to the title. 

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“Dusty has been unbelievable since Day 1,” Astros third baseman Alex Bregman said. “He’s been an unbelievable manager, an unbelievable human being just on a personal level with every person in our clubhouse, he loves the game of baseball, he has dedicated his life to this game and he deserves it. He’s an unbelievable manager and unbelievable man.”

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Baker was hired in 2020 to stabilize the team after the unfortunate sign stealing scheme of 2017 that caused the Astros former manager A.J. Hinch to lose his job. Baker almost brought home the win last season before succumbing to the Braves.

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“I have thought about [winning the World Series] a lot,” Baker said. “I tried to have faith and perseverance and knowing with the right team and right personnel you knew this was going to happen.”

“Had this happened years ago, I might not even be here. So maybe it wasn’t supposed to happen so that I could hopefully influence a few young men’s lives and their families and a number of people in the country through showing what perseverance and character can do for you in the long run.”

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Baker also shared that the team was motivated by the 2017 controversy, along with the losses they suffered to the Nationals and the Braves in 2019 and 2021, respectively.

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“I think that’s what drove this team,” Baker said. “That’s what motivated them. The boos and the jeers that we got all over the country, it bothered these guys, but it also motivated them at the same time. And it wasn’t an ‘us against the world’ thing. It was more of a ‘come together even closer’ type thing. And what happened before, it doesn’t ever pass over completely. But we have turned the page and hopefully we’ll continue this run.”

[laresearchette]

Saturday, August 24, 2024 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES?: THE MAGIC OF LEMON DROPS (W Network) 8:00pm

NEW TO AMAZON PRIME CANADA/CBC GEM/CRAVE TV/DISNEY + STAR/NETFLIX CANADA:

AMAZON PRIME CANADA NWSL: HOUSTON DASH VS. ORLANDO PRIDE

CBC GEM NIGHT RAIDERS

CRAVE TV SONIC BOOM (Season 1)

2024 LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES (TSN5) 12:30pm: International Final (TSN5) 3:30pm: United States Final

2024 NFL PRE-SEASON (TSN4) 1:00pm: Steelers vs. Lions

MLB BASEBALL (SN) 2:30pm: Angels vs. Jays (SN) 7:00pm: Phillies vs. Royals (SN Now) 9:00pm: Rays vs. Dodgers

NWSL SOCCER (TSN2) 4:30pm: San Diego Wave vs. Angel City

MLS SOCCER (TSN2) 6:30pm: Minnesota vs. Seattle (TSN5) 7:30pm: CF Montreal vs. New England

CFL FOOTBALL (TSN/TSN4) 7:00pm: Lions vs. Redblacks

DIRTY LITTLE SECRET (Global) 8:00pm: As Lucy struggles with the consequences of her mother's hoarding, she must decide if she will hide her mother's secret or expose it to the world.

MOONSHOT (CTV Life) 8:00pm: In a future where Mars is terraformed, two college students sneak onboard a space shuttle from Earth to Mars to be united with their significant others.

CINDERELLA IN THE CARIBBEAN (Super Channel Heart & Home) 8:00pm: Ashlyn is coerced by her stepmother, Miriam, to come join the family on a trip to the Caribbean as part of a destination wedding.

NIGHT RAIDERS (CBC) 9:00pm: In a post-war future, a mother joins an underground band of vigilantes to try and rescue her daughter from a state-run institution.

HORIZON: AN AMERICAN SAGA -- CHAPTER 1 (Crave) 9:00pm: Families, friends and foes discover the lure of the Old West as the Civil War divides the country.

MY FATHER’S KILLER (Super Channel Fuse) 9:00pm: With high school graduation approaching, Tracy and her twin, Tim, are excited to escape their controlling parents Frederick and Wendy. When Frederick dies in a mysterious way, and their mother is arrested, Tracy must find the killer.

EAST HARBOUR HEROES (CTV) 10:00pm: Historic sea ice brings the harbors to a standstill as the heroes fight to keep the island running, while making sure everyone is safe.

BIRDS OF PREY (AND THE FANTABULOUS EMANCIPATION OF ONE HARLEY QUINN) (CTV) 12:35am: Harley Quinn faces the wrath of narcissistic crime boss Black Mask and every other thug in Gotham. But things soon even out for Harley when she becomes unexpected allies with three deadly women -- Huntress, Black Canary and Renee Montoya.