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bush-viper-cutie · 4 years

Text

Pretending

Pairing: Snape x fem!reader

Word Count: 2,223

Rating: E for Everyone

Plot: Severus is forced to attend Lucius’ party. The plan is simple, get rejected enough times, have Lucius think he’s a helpless cause, and go back to Hogwarts to continue reading his book.

Warnings: None

A/N: For Snape Appreciation Month, prompt 9: Snape is a pureblood. @snapeloveposts

Posted: 6/20/20

Masterlist

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Severus tried twisting his arm out of Lucius’ grip as he was dragged down the Malfoy Manor entrance hall and through two rococo style double doors into their dancing hall. A live band played in the center as dozens of families gathered and talked or danced around the room.

“You’ve come all this way, so just go talk to people!” Luscious let go of his hand and straightened his coat. “If you haven’t found someone to share your life with – ”

Severus groaned.

“So help me I will set you up with Narcissa’s great aunt!” Lucius stormed away.

Severus scoffed and dusted off his sleeve. “Why did I agree to go to this. I’m perfectly fine reading in my office,” he grumbled.

He would have to make a show of looking. He knew that by the way Lucius was staring him down from across the room. The plan was simple. He would just have to talk to people that would NEVER give him a second of their time, and after a couple of rejections he would see it was pointless and he could be back in his office reading before the clock chimed at twelve.

He glanced at several dancing figured and then at the small groups of people talking and laughing. He spotted several targets of interest. He walked up to an elaborately dressed man with lavender purple tails and a matching gem broach and nodded politely.

The man looked him up and down and walked away. He could admit it stung, but not as much as the inconvenience of being here. He looked over at Lucius who was sipping at his wine while observing him and continued onto the next victim.

This time he offered a polite “Hello” but the man simply copied him and turned back to his partner. Alright I didn’t really expect to simply show up and be turned down… he huffed and walked away, turning his sights on a group of women laughing by the band and a less wealthy group on the other side.

He didn’t feel like immediate rejection and figured the less showy group would let him speak at least a few more words but he was sorely mistaken. They closed of any spaces and huddled closer as they saw him approach with intent.

“Lucius, I swear – ” he pinched the bridge of his nose and walked over to the wealthiest looking group, hoping it would be the last rejection of the night before he could walk back defeated and be allowed to leave and spend his Saturday night in peace reading Kybelen’s new book Forbidden Potion Recipes Lost to Time and Law.

This group consisted of several women with sparkly jewels and gems adorning their long-layered gowns. Two more with braided up-dos with exotic feathers while the other two wore their hair down with a glass hair piece reflecting colorful light all around.

He cleared his throat as he approached, and they looked back at him. He noticed their eyes trailing over his attire and could see their eyes rolling. He regretted wearing the outfit Lucius had sent him, even if it was fancy-looking, everyone could tell he didn’t belong in it.

“Hello,” one of the women greeted him in and stepped aside, making room for him to join.

He stepped into the little circle and greeted everyone. Relieved, his mission now was simple. Open his mouth, get rejected, go home, and finish reading before his NEWT class on Monday.

“Evening,” Severus gave a small bow.

“We were discussing Kybelen’s new book,” the girl closest him smiled.

Severus turned to face her, surprised. She had long flowing hair and a glass bow on her head and in her white gloved hands was the very book.

“Indeed,” he breathed out. “What exactly?”

The other woman sighed, “I think those ‘uncovered’ recipes should have stayed buried in ‘time’. It’s absolutely irresponsible to publish them. I mean, what happens if people try to actually brew them? If the Ministry forbids it for our safety, then why tell the world?” she huffed, completely flustered.

Severus turned back to the girl with the book in her hand and saw she was rolling her eyes.

“See, Mr…”

“Snape.”

The group narrowed their eyes at him, as if trying to puzzle together what kind of family name it was, however the woman with the book payed no attention and continued.

“Mr. Snape, I believe it is right and fair we were given back the knowledge that was stolen from us by the Ministry. These recipes were discovered and perfect and then stolen and burned and hidden for fear of Muggles and their hatred of us and our fear of them. I’ve counted over eleven forgotten techniques in this book that could revolutionize how we brew potions today, and I’m not even finished with it yet.”

Another woman, clearly amused by the argument laughed, “Mr. Snape. What, may I ask, is your opinion on this controversial new book?”

Severus cleared his throat, excited to talk about it, “Well, I agree with Miss,” he turned to the glass bow woman.

She smiled, enthused to have someone on her side, “Marigold Demar-Dor.”

“I agree with Miss Demar-Dor. Already several journals have been released theorizing about the possible changes and effects certain potions will have with these new techniques,” he noticed her smiling at him and continued, “And I personally don’t find it wrong to learn and have knowledge of them. Just because we now know them does not mean they should become legal to brew.”

Marigold nodded, “Well said, Mr. Snape. And please, call me Marigold.”

“Severus, then.” He smiled back at her and noticed she stepped closer to him.

“Yes, but what if some Muggle-born or Half-blood decide to try the one to do with giving a muggle temporary magic on a squib, or worse on a Muggle.”

Marigold laughed, “It was never proven and that’s not how magic works. Obviously back then they received some sort of result that made Muggles appear to have magic. I’m sure half the potions we brew now would give similar effects should we feed them to Muggles.”

“The cure for Flame Breath makes Muggles levitate several inches in their sleep but not wizards. The Ministry manages to keep Wizards from giving it to muggles and I see no reason why it should not be the same for these,” Severus smiled back at the look Marigold was giving him.

“Yes, well true Purebloods would not be keen on the thought of that potion circulating society once more.”

“The Demar-Dors haven’t had a drop of Muggle blood in a century and I see no problem with it,” Marigold folded her arms.

“Mr. Snape, what about you?”

Severus swallowed. This was his chance to escape but he couldn’t bring himself to ruin his night just yet. He was glad to hear her thoughts and opinions on a book he knew no one else cared about, and he didn’t mind in the least the smile she gave him.

“My family has been Purebloods for generations, and I too side with Marigold,” he noticed her arm was now brushing against his.

They had clearly won the argument as the opposing woman looked away in anger.

“Severus, will you dance with me?” Marigold looped her arm in his and turned him towards her.

Severus smiled and led them out of the group, taking her copy and placing it in his pocket. He took her hand and placed his other on her waist and began dancing. Marigold slid her free hand from his arm and up to his shoulder.

She smiled at him and played with his hair as they danced. The song changed and slowed, and she took up his invitation at a second dance. She placed her head on his shoulder and twirled alongside him. After the slow dance she took his arm and guided him through the crowd into the entrance hall and out the back glass-paneled doors.

“You dance wonderfully, Severus,” she looped her arm back through his and rested her head on his shoulder. “How do you know Lucius?”

“School friends. We both went to Hogwarts.”

“He’s never mentioned you,” she looked up at him.

He looked away, knowing Lucius wasn’t the type to bring up any Half-blood friends he might have to any of his wealthier, more pure friends.

She kissed his cheek and stepped back, “There’s a fountain in the garden, would you like to find it with me?”

“I know where it is,” Severus held out his elbow, but she took his hand instead, waiting for him to lead.

They walked in the bright moonlight through the rose bushes and he couldn’t help but feel like a prince from a fairytale. The night had turned lovely, but he couldn’t allow himself to feel anything real. He lied about his status and by the time the clock strikes twelve the party would be over, and he would be back at Hogwarts, reading his book.

Marigold pulled him up the steps and sat them down at the fountain’s edge. Almost like a dream, the fountain lights turned on and the pink-tinted water started pouring out. Marigold leaned into him and planted a gentle kiss on his lips.

“Tell me about yourself, Severus,” Marigold kissed his lips one last time before letting him speak.

“I teach potions at Hogwarts.”

Marigold’s eyes lit up instantly, “Potions was my favorite subject! Now I wish I had gone to Hogwarts, although we might not have been in the same year,” she laughed.

Severus smiled and looked away. His guilt was starting to eat at him and began to mix with dread and sadness. She was beautiful and clearly had the same passion for potions as he did, she even carried the book with her much like he had wanted to do.

He felt her soft glove brush his fingers before she placed her hand on his. He turned back and she kissed his lips once more, filling him with warmth and longing. She looked, talked, and acted like a princess and he wanted to treat her like one for more than just one night.

“Any other subjects you enjoyed?”

Marigold blushed and looked away, “I might have enjoyed… the Dark Arts class.”

Perfect. She’s perfect. His heart broke at the inevitable loss he’d endure tonight. He wondered what she was really like, away from Lucius’ house, away from her friends, just on her own, in a more normal setting. Would she like his personality?

They kissed once more and he heard a distant clock chime, marking the end of the day and the start of a new one. She pulled away from him and brushed her thumb on his cheek. He sighed and looked away, staying still even as she stood.

“Severus?”

“Marigold… You should go on. It was nice meeting you,” Severus hung his head and let his hair fall forward. He crossed his arms, resting them over his knees.

She sat back down and placed a hand over his shoulder, “I’d like to see you again.”

Severus rolled his eyes, “No. You wouldn’t. I’m not a – ” his nails dug into his palms as he squeezed his hands into tighter fists. “I’m not a Pureblood,” he hissed. Disgusted at the words coming out of his mouth. “I’m a bloody Half-blood,” he spat on the ground beside him, loathing how he felt. Ashamed.

She placed her hand on his cheek and pulled his attention towards her. He frowned, confused at her continued affection and was about to speak when she kissed him suddenly.

Her lips were warm and sweet, and her nose pressed against his cheek, heating them up to what he knew would be an obvious pink blush. He closed his eyes and leaned into her kiss, parting his lips with hers and placing his hand on her arm.

“You don’t have to pretend to be a Pureblood around me, Severus. Being one doesn’t make you better,” she pulled on his lip with hers and made him smile. “Obviously it doesn’t make you better considering I’ve rejected several Purebloods at this party and yet decided to dance with you.” She tilted her head and pecked at his lips, “You are far more interesting, and far cuter than any man here,” she kissed his cheek and stood up, offering him her hand.

He took it, “Then you still want to see me again?”

“What were you planning on doing after this party?”

Severus felt very on the spot. He didn’t want to assume where her question was leading and yet he didn’t want to lie. If there was ever a time to use Legilimency on anyone he would use it on her now. He held his hand behind his back and fidgeted, trying to decide on an answer.

“I was going to go back to Hogwarts and read the book. Nothing-else,” he winced at how dull he sounded.

“Then, why don’t you come back to mine and read it there,” she wrapped her arms around his neck, “Afterall, I do have a copy,” she stood on her toes and kissed him.

“But if I’m reading… what will you be doing?”

She winked at him and pressed her lips to his. He chuckled and nodded, letting her apparate them away.

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thekidultlife · 4 years

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{ The And } | by The Skin Deep | SVT Version

Author's Note: Happy Birthday, Hyeri! With all that's happening in the world and in our world as sister Carats, I sooo hope that you enjoy your day today! Leave the worries and the cares behind today, and make each moment amazing! I wrote this short fic (which is no surprise to you anymore since I always spoil my own surprises) as a birthday gift for you and I hope that you come to love it!!! Cheers to more memories and more laughter and tears together! Love ya, @wooziologist / @milkteafairy-hyeri! 🤣🙆‍♀️❤

Genre: Fluff

Word Count: 2,700

🌹🌹🌹

SETTING: The backdrop is a white brick wall. Two wooden chairs face each other, and a table with two stacks of cards on top is in between the chairs. The filming crew waits patiently for the guests to appear.

[There are small whispers of warm greetings as the guests of the day enter the set. The man wears a striking, black button-up shirt that had short sleeves and is tucked into fitting pants. His jet-black hair closely matches the obsidian color of his clothes, and even though he looks really quiet and serious, his eyes, small and thoughtful, are dancing. He looks really happy. Beside him, is you: smoothing the back of your lace dress that had a skirt which flowed just below your knees, you look up at him and you smile. His one hand, with its long, white fingers, is planted on your back and he guides you to your seat. A warm feeling descends over the set as he makes sure that you are comfortable where you are. He takes his place in front of you, and he smiles.]

YOU: [Picks up the top card from the pile; looks up at Jihoon, and speaks with a soft voice.] When did you first know that you loved me?

:readmore:

JIHOON: [Thinks for a long time.] Do you remember that November night when you found me at your doorstep in the middle of the night and I just walked up to you and hugged you?

YOU: Hmm. [Lips curl into a smile at the memory.] Kind of...? Yes. I think I do. Awards Night?

JIHOON: [Nods and smiles back.]--Yes. That was it. [Face turns thoughtful.] I think people mostly realize that they love someone when they went through a dark phase and...and that person they loved was there to help them up. But for me, that realization came when I was surrounded by so many people, when I was at the peak of my career, and all I could think about was you. More specifically...[struggles to get the words out]...of getting through my commitments that night and coming home to you. It was then that I knew. That I loved you. Because no matter how happy I was with my life during that time, I realized that I can't be completely happy until I tell you about everything that happened, everything that I have achieved. I realized then and there that I wanted every happy memory of mine to be shared with you.

YOU: [Hand unconsciously reaches out to Jihoon, and Jihoon takes it tenderly.]

JIHOON: I knew I loved you when the happy moments suddenly seemed duller when not celebrated with you. [Holds your hand tighter.] Let's make happy memories together.

YOU: [Nods and doesn't look away from his gaze.] As many as we can make. [Releases Jihoon's hand.]

JIHOON: [Studies the cards.] That was a good question. [Lips form a sweet smile directed at you. Takes one card from his pile.] Ooh. This one is good, too. [Flips the card so you could see.] How much have I grown as a person in our relationship?

YOU: I mean it when I say, "A lot." [Purses lips.] We have to admit that, at the beginning of our relationship, we were both still young and immature and a lot of that youth and immaturity sort of showed in our actions and decisions. But as time passed by, we really turned into better individuals, and I am so happy, really, really happy, about that growth. [Gazes into Jihoon's eyes.] You were once so afraid of telling me your thoughts. You were once so afraid of messing things up and you end up keeping your thoughts to yourself. But now--

JIHOON: --we're best friends.

YOU: Yes. We have become best friends. And that's growth to me. Because couples could sometimes date and love but choose not to try growing together, which puts a strain on what they have. But with us...[Beams at Jihoon.] You see that, and you know things will be headed in the right direction. So thank you, for growing with me.

JIHOON: [Locks eyes with you for a long time and his face looks like the sun as he returns your radiant smile.] You're right. I was once so much like a stuck-up person, never being able to fully communicate my thoughts with you. But I knew that in order to be with you, I would have to grow a lot, to open up this...shell I have enclosed myself upon. I have to 'man up' to you because I know that without growth there was no way, no way at all, that I would be able to deserve you.

[Camera cuts to Jihoon picking up another card.]

JIHOON: What do you want to tell me that you haven't told me before?

YOU: [Eyes widen.] Wow. Ha. [Leans back on chair and thinks.] Something I haven't told you before. Hmm. [Plays with diamond ring on your left ring finger. Gazes at Jihoon and then smiles brightly.] I think I've told you everything already. But there is one thought, though, that I have always kept to myself. [Wobbly smile.] Because I know that it's only in my head.

JIHOON: I'm listening. [Leans over, attentive.]

YOU: [Laughs and covers face.] I have this funny feeling saying this thought aloud.

JIHOON: Please tell me? [Makes his favorite straight-faced pleading expression that he always gives you when he wants to know something.]

YOU: [Chuckles and purses lips.] I don't think I've ever told you that my greatest fear is to wake up one day and find that all this...[gestures at the both of you]...this beautiful relationship that we have, was...was just a dream. [Laughs as a tear escapes your eye. You dab it away quickly.] I feel so silly saying it aloud, but that is one thing that I have never told you. Because it really, really sounds silly when I voice it aloud. Like right now.

JIHOON: [Has a serious expression on his face.]

YOU: But this thought doesn't last, because I would constantly remind myself of all the times...[searches for the right words]...that we've had lots of talks about our relationship before. That what we have--

JIHOON: [Nods.]--isn't something like a dream.

YOU: [Nods along with him as another tear escapes your eye.] Yes. Not a dream.

JIHOON: Because what we have now, we worked hard for.

YOU: [Laughs and nods as you dab away at the tears.] Yes. Not 'based on sheer luck', like you would always point out.

JIHOON: [In a gentle voice.] Could you please look at me right now?

[An intense eye contact ensues.]

JIHOON: I know that sometimes good things that happen to us take a lot of time to accept, but...what we have here, right now, is real. I am real. We are real. I am here. With you. [Reaches out for your hand and holds it tightly before releasing it.] Real. I'm with you. And I won't get tired of reminding you this because you always remind me in your own ways as well of how much you love me and I am so thankful that I have you in my life. We are real. We happened. And we are still happening. Right this very moment.

YOU: 'Like an unfinished song that still holds a lot of promise in the blank spaces.' [Blinks back turbulent emotions as you are spellbound by the tenderness of Lee Jihoon's eyes, looking at you.]

JIHOON: Exactly. [Releases your hand. Mouths:] I love you.

YOU: [Whispers back:] I love you, too.

[You pick up another card and you read.]

YOU: Tell me one thing that you are most proud of about me. [Leans back and waits for his answer.] This will be interesting.

JIHOON: [Stares at you.] There was this one time that I was in your room and I was looking at--

YOU: --I remember that. [Scratches head shyly.] You were so fascinated about--

JIHOON: --your huge corkboard map where you pin down which places you've gone to. [Thinks.] 46 countries, I think...? And those drafts of--what do you call them? Demar-

YOU: Demarchès.

JIHOON: Yes. And...and the stacks of books, the notes, the letters. [Pauses for a while.] Seeing the fruit of all your hard work around your room, in your office--I just feel...so proud of all that you have accomplished and, and of who you have become. I still feel dumbstruck sometimes because you don't know how amazing you are. [Looks at you with memories in his eyes.] I remember our first year together and how we both thought we were going to break up because we haven't been seeing each other for months. We were both so busy. I was caught up in this frenzy of promotions with SEVENTEEN, and you were--

YOU: --taking up my officership exam. Yes. [Bites lip.] We mutually thought that breakup was going to happen because it felt like everything wasn't going in our favor. [Closes eyes briefly.] But we didn't. We tried even harder to make our schedules and our lives meet. And we succeeded.

JIHOON: And I never regretted making the decision to still choose to make our relationship work, because I got to witness how you made your dreams come true. You made your dreams come true and that is what I am most proud of about you.

YOU: [In a light, joking tone that still didn't work because your voice is breaking] Proud that I always catch red-eye flights and talk with difficult people and write tons of letters?

JIHOON: [Laughs with you and nods, amused.] Those, too! But what I meant is...[grows serious.]...I am so proud of you for never giving up on what you wanted for your future. And how you always fight for what you want to protect. Like our relationship. And there was this one time when I thought you would stop working that line of job because it was taking its toll on you during one particular season, but instead you said--

YOU: --what did I say?

JIHOON: "It took me years to get this job, and I'm doing it and experiencing it all the way. No regrets." [Pauses.] The strength in you really resonated within me, and it made me even prouder of you. I am so proud of you.

YOU: [Whispers as you peer at Jihoon with emotion-filled eyes.] And I am proud of you, too. [In a louder voice.] For all that you have done. And for all that you have yet to accomplish.

JIHOON: Do you ever regret choosing to love me, even at the hard times?

YOU: [Without hesitation.] Never.

JIHOON: Even when I am at my most unlovable?

YOU: Even at your most unlovable.

JIHOON: Why?

YOU: Because...being with you has taught me, in so many ways, that there will always be a reason to stay and I will hold onto that reason. And if you were in my shoes, and I was asked that, I'd want you to hold onto me, too. To us.

JIHOON: And I will. We both will.

YOU: Always. [Picks up another card.] Lighter topic, this one! Name a time with my family that you were the most nervous about. [Laughs at Jihoon's expression.]

[You say the answer together.]

YOU & JIHOON: December family dinner.

[You both hold your stomachs as you double over with laughter at the memory.]

YOU: You couldn't answer properly!!! [Covers mouth as you let out another giggle.]

JIHOON: I was so nervous meeting your dad for the first time! [Looks at shaking hands.] I still get chills. I forgot how to speak for a while as I sat there. It was...an unforgettable experience.

YOU: You were quieter than your quietest behavior and I couldn't stand the awkward silences.

JIHOON: But Mom was the savior during that time. [Turns to the camera and bows gratefully.] Thank you for saving me, Mom. I'll do better the next time around.

[You both finish laughing and Jihoon takes another card.]

JIHOON: What do you look forward to the most in our relationship?

YOU: [Face softens into a reflective glow.] Hmmm...

JIHOON: "Hmmm"? [Laughs as he mimicks you.]

YOU: [Grins at him.] Yes. Hmmm. Aside from looking forward to loving you and spending every moment I could with you for the rest of my life, I look forward the most to...the long nights. The nights when we would just talk, about anything and everything. I look forward to listening to you create your beautiful songs. [Takes a deep breath and smiles at Jihoon.] I look forward to sleeping in your arms as you sing me the [giggles] funny lullabies you make. [Takes a deep breath and smiles at Jihoon.] I look forward to more buckets of chicken and music at midnights and lazy days together...and, of course, raising a family with you. [Barely hides the smile.] Raising children with you as an awesome dad...

JIHOON: [Smiles back.] I look forward to all of those things, too. And...and waiting for you at the airport so I could drive you home and let you catch some sleep. Letting you mess with my hair and makeup backstage during concerts. More family dinners. [More giggles.] Driving our children to school...Oh. [Lips break out into a mischievous smile.]...and dissing the horrible memes you make.

YOU: Ha! Admit it. I'm better at making memes and jokes than you.

JIHOON: [Laughs with you. Watches you fondly as you pick up another card.] You don't have to remind me how horrible my jokes are, love.

YOU: [Mouths: I always will.] What am I always carrying that I should let go of?

JIHOON: [Answers slowly.] The doubts about what kind of future is in the making for your life. The validation of other people. Pressure from 'friends'. Second-guessing the plot of that novel you are writing. All of these negative thoughts that cloud out how much you could shine. And...the fear that I would just...disappear...from your eyes like a dream. Just like you said earlier.

[Your eyes lock for what felt like an eternity.]

JIHOON: Because that would never happen.

YOU: [Smiles and looks up to stop the flood of emotions.] You know, I think it's really good that we get to talk about these things here--

JIHOON: --we've definitely had practice from Leanne's incessant interviews. [Straight-faced for a second before laughing along with you at the memory of midnight conversations over conversation starters with me Leanne.]

YOU: Yeah. [Nods as you dab at your eyes again.] But I think it's really cool that we get to talk about this. Because it's true. I live with that fear. The fear that this could end in just [snaps fingers] that quick of a second. I always knew what I was getting into when we started dating, but that doesn't make it any less terrifying at times. [Pauses.] I was always afraid of people's thoughts about what we had at first, but now, that fear is starting to melt because you would always reassure me of security. And you don't know how grateful I am because of that.

[Silence reigns as emotions finally overtake you. Jihoon just watches, waiting for you to finish. He hands you a tissue.]

YOU: So, really...thank you. For always reassuring me.

JIHOON: Do you know how much I love you?

YOU: Yes...? Um. Is this still part of the questions? [Grins.]

JIHOON: [Grins back.] Reminding you, each and everyday, just how good of a person you are, how amazing and talented you are, encouraging you in all your endeavors and being with you through the ups and downs you will face...I want to be always there for you and to make you feel warm, secure and always confident. I want to be that kind of person, and as you can see, that is how much I love you. I'd do anything to make all those thoughts of yours go away, but the most...effective way I could think of to quell your fears? [Smiles.] Is to simply be here. For you. All the way.

YOU: All the way to forever.

JIHOON: [Nods, never letting go of your eyes, thinking of the wedding day not too far ahead.] All the way to forever.

- Leanne.

#seventeen #svtcreations #seventeen imagines #seventeen scenarios #seventeen fluff #seventeeen woozi #seventeen jihoon #lee jihoon #lee jihoon fluff

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thebachelordiaries · 4 years

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Clare seeks HIMBO: ‘The Bachelorette’ cast first impressions

The Covid-19 pandemic has been rough for the entire world, but Bachelor Nation faced some dark days too. Going eight months without a single new episode from The Bachelor franchise is something I would really like to not relive.

Fortunately, those dark days are over. Clare’s season has me sucked back in.

The quality of this image is atrocious.

Most of these men—presuming they followed CDC’s social distancing guidelines— haven’t seen a woman in months, are touch deprived, possibly unemployed and contemplating moving back to their hometown while stalking the housing market on Zillow. Everyone’s desperate. That makes for some pretty good TV.

This season features men ranging from ages 26 to 41. We’ve got a boy band manager, a grooming specialist, several men who look like they masturbate in front of full length mirrors and even more who probably want me to join their MLM pyramid scheme.

I’ve never been more ready to roast a bunch of men who have nightmares about going bald. It’s all I’ve wanted to do since March.

Let’s go:

AJ, 28, Software sales

AJ is the kind of guy who writes “Looking for the Pam to my Jim <3″ on his Bumble profile. His bio is generic and probably not reflective of who he is as a person. If I were Clare I’d swipe left.

Ben, 29, Army ranger veteran

“Ben's favorite indulgence is an ice bath.“ Well then.

Alexa, play “Run” by AWOLNATION.

Bennett, 36, Wealth management consultant

Bennett’s profile is the biggest red flag I’ve ever seen. This man says he is the total package but hasn’t always been "this successful and good looking.” But wait, there’s more: “According to Bennett, his high school girlfriend is the only girl he's ever had to work for.“

Can someone tell me what NYC neighborhood he lives in so I can blacklist it?

Blake M1, 31, Male grooming specialist

Blake’s just another stereotypical “29th round draft pick who sat on the bench of the practice team before getting cut, but claims he left the sport due to an injury on his own accord.”

Blake M2, 29, Wildlife manager

This Blake is an outdoorsy Canadian who seems pretty genuine and cool. Unfortunately, he has the face of someone who’d get sent home on night one. I hope I’m wrong.

Brandon, 28, Real Estate Agent

Just another boring hot person. Nothing to see here.

Brendan, 30, Commercial roofer

Brandan, not to be confused for Brandon, “loves some good true crime, working out and hanging out with his friends.” I can’t even make fun of this man. We have the exact same interests.

Chasen, 31, IT account executive

The Winklevoss twins are actually triplets and Chasen is their long lost brother. But more seriously, have you ever seen someone who looks more like their name than this man?

Chris, 27, Landscape design salesman

“Chris hopes to find a woman who is sharp and witty but also easygoing.” Chris, sweetheart, have you met Clare? Easygoing...? There’s still time back out of this before it’s too late.

Dale, 31, Former pro football wide receiver

Dale aggressively screams “Bachelor material.” I’d say he’s auditioning for that role but Matt James already scooped it up. Better luck next year, Daley.

Demar, 26, Spin cycling instructor

Demar is a “very popular spin instructor in Scottsdale and says he can get on that bike and spin to any beat thrown his way.” Imagine how many trophy wives Demar has f*cked?

Eazy, 29, Sports marketing agent

Eazy is very similar to Dale on paper. Except his name is Eazy so he automatically loses that battle.

Ed, 33, Health care salesman

“Ed is looking to find a woman who has natural beauty without looking overly fake.” Ed deserves to die alone.

Garin, 34, Professor of Journalism

Garin’s bio is giving me hubby material vibes. And maybe a little bit of a “gets eliminated on night one” vibe too.

Ivan, 28, Aeronautical Engineer

Ivan, what are you doing here? We’re in a recession. Please go back to your normal job before it’s too late.

Jason, 31, Former pro football linemen

“He is a former NFL offensive lineman who, after suffering too many concussions on the field, decided to prioritize his health and change the direction of his life.” A big, brawny HIMBO with CTE? I feel like he’s Clare’s type.

Jay, 29, Fitness director

There are too many things about Jay that I dislike and I’m trying to keep this brief. Jay says “it's time to take a break from worrying about others and focus on himself instead.” I am willing to bet money that this man has never made a woman c*m.

Jeremy, 40, Banker

Jeremy is the oldest contestant ever to come on "The Bachelorette,” which may seem like a monuments accomplishment but he’s literally only one year older than Clare.

He also “hates Instagram models, both male and female,” so he should have a lot of fun here.

Joe, 36, Anesthesiologist

Before I even saw his profession and location, I thought Joe looked like a doctor I’d find on a NYC dating app...and...uh...I probably did see him on there now that I think about it.

Anyway, this man has apparently been through seven stages of hell while on the front lines fighting Covid-19 in NYC so I definitely think he deserves to find love. Someone marry him please.

Jordan C, 26, Software account executive

I can already tell Jordan is going to get the “I’m young but mature” edit which means he’s probably not going to be good TV.

Too bad someone a tad younger (like Tayshia) wasn’t the Bachelorette. I feel like they’d make a cute couple.

Jordan M., 30, Cyber security engineer

I was going to say something mean but Jordan’s into cyber security and I don’t want my blog to be deactivated, so never mind. Cast photos are historically bad so I’m sure he looks much better in real life.

Kenny, 39, Boy band manager

I could go for the obvious drags regarding this man’s profession (or his sh*tty chest tattoo, or his suspiciously boyish face relative to his age), but I like to think I’m more clever than that.

I’d like to take this time to talk about men, who are obviously difficult people, who rant and rave about how they want an “easygoing” woman. Look into the mirror, bud. No, not the one you use to jerk off to your reflection; the mirror that looks into your soul. Out of respect for the rest of humankind, have some self-awareness. Or maybe just see a therapist.

Mike, 38, Digital media advisor

Mike is seemingly a decent catch, but I can’t help but wonder why he’s still single or how he never (accidentally or on purpose) impregnated a woman in his 38 years of life.

And now that I’m thinking about it, do any of these men have children? I have yet to see any mention of it in their bios. But there are eight men left to review, so there’s still time.

Page, 37, Chef

I spoke too soon. Page is a father! He also hates football! I’m a fan of this man. I was initially going to drag him for his name and say that Page is not a real name. PAIGE is a real name. PAGE is a piece of paper. I’m allowed to say this because we have the same name except mine is spelled the correct way. Based on my (mostly positive) review of his cast bio, I have decided not to hold his name against him.

Riley, 30, Long Island City

Riley, once married with children, would like to go on a family vacation that consists of touring every single MLB stadium in the country. If i were his wife, I would simply never give this man children.

Robby, 30, Insurance broker

No more Robbys on The Bachelorette. Society has evolved past its need for more Robbys.

This Robby described his dream woman as: “Incredibly athletic and able to throw back a few beers with him after a day of hiking. She has a sweet personality and won't mind that he spends his Sundays on the golf course.”

Someone please give this man a sex doll. He just wants a hole.

Tyler C., 27, Lawyer

“Tyler C. is a badass lawyer who says he is a businessman by day and a cowboy by night.” How does that make him a lawyer? Does this mean he’s into cosplay? I’m confused.

Tyler S., 36, Music manager

Tyler makes an honorable living off riding his brother’s dick success as a country singer. “He just LOVES his job!” Uh yeah, I would too if I had a low-show, high-paying job off the merits of nepotism. It’s the American dream.

Yosef, 30, Medical device salesman

Another dad! He’s totally going to pull the “girl dad” narrative. That saying is kind of sexist to me but the masses generally eat it up, so I’m fairly confident Yosef will get the "sweet guy” edit he’s looking for.

Zac C., 36, Addiction specialist

“He loves Philadelphia sports and dreams of sharing a Philly Cheesesteak with his future wife while watching the Eagles win a Super Bowl.” This man is so South Jersey it hurts.

On a more serious note, I don’t think anyone in recent history has spoken openly about their personal struggle with addiction on this show, so I hope Zac gets a chance to tell his story.

Zach J., 37, Cleaning service owner

Zach is seemingly obsessed with Clare already and hopes to introduce her to his mom as his fiancée. Since Zach watched Clare on Juan Pablo’s season, you’d think he’d know that Clare would first meet his mom during the final four hometown dates. Assuming he makes it that far. My prediction is that he won’t.

Final thoughts

After eight long months Bachelor Mondays are back!!!

Uhh....wait.

Actually, we now have the less-exciting Bachelor Tuesdays. Yeah, it definitely doesn’t have the same ring to it. But I’ll take anything at this point.

Here are my final predictions:

First impression rose: Dale. It just looks like he can turn on the bullsh*t charm

Final rose: Jason. Clare wants a HIMBO I just know it.

Bachelor: nobody (Matt James is The Bachelor)

Most likely to get engaged on Bachelor in Paradise: Blake M2

Most likely to get canceled online: Bennett

Most likely to get sent home night one but deserve better: Chris

Who are your favorite men cast on this season?

#The Bachelorette #abc #clare crawley #chris harrison #photo credit: ABC

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meiiyung · 5 years

Text

have you ever wanted to date a Kardashian- woods demars

Requested: YES!

Warnings: None

Type: Fluff

The morning sky was dark and cold, not ready to fill the world with warmth from the sun as the day had come to an early start. A fit of groans and whines pulled themselves from the blanket- a figure desperately trying to cling to some much needed sleep.

but alas, a loud annoying beeping started to float across the room- (y/n)’s alarm clock rolling off her dresser and scooting around the floor on motorized wheels. It was moments like this when she somewhat regretted buying the stupid device.

finally pulling herself out of the comfortable and warm depths of pillows and blankets, the girl padded across the room- looking for the alarm clock as it steered under her bed, it might be worth mentioning that the alarm became increasingly louder the longer it was on.

As her knees hit the floor ad her annoyance took over, (y/n) grabbed the clock and smacked the snooze button- sighing in relief as her thoughts were no longer drowned by the screeching alarm.

placing it back on the dresser as she headed into the bathroom, (y/n) saw that it was only 5:30 am. A growl leaving her lips. She had work at 8:00am but because she lived so far, it was quite the journey to make it on time.

The girl’s annoyed frown deepened as she caught sight of herself in the bathroom mirror. A pink tinge on her nose and her cheeks were flushed. Dark circles sinking into her eyes and chapped lips threatening to crack.

And now she was sick.

From the bedroom, (y/n)’s phone dinged with a message alert. Her boyfriend woods was just saying good morning and hoping she was feeling somewhat better.

The previous night he had been over to make her soup and give loads of cuddles, knowing his girl was sick made his stomach twist with worry.

Her phone felt familiar in her palm as she replied almost instantly. “Feeling worse, but I still have to go in today- might ask matt if i can take off early thought :) “ she was hoping her boss wouldn't mind and that woods wouldn't become too protective.

After emptying her stomach into the toilet, (y/n) turned the shower on, chills raking down her body as she stepped into the hot water and sighed in relief. The heat and steam helped relieve the ache in her muscles while clearing her sinus congestion slightly- giving her at least a foundation to start putting herself together for the day.

Drying her hair was a task due to the hairdryer making her headache pound, applying makeup just didn’t seem tempting. However, she had to admit, putting a slight amount of foundation to cover the redness in her face made her feel better.

(Y/N) was a Production assistant at a YouTube Studio called HI5, she had been there for a little less than a year after her best friend Samantha or better known as Sam got her a job. They had proposed an idea for a channel called totally trendy to their boss which luckily got green-lit.

Today’s video they planned on filming was a Kardashian makeover. It was Sam’s idea but (y/n) thought their audience might enjoy it. They were still learning and getting used to everything... the only issue was that they needed a model.

Tanner was the first person that popped into mind since he was usually down for anything. Or maybe CJ. Or one of the girls in the office like Cat, Or sierra.

Suddenly as (Y/N) pulled her hoodie on and finished getting dressed she came up with an idea. A smile graced her lips for the first time that morning, getting something to eat on her way out the door and locking up behind her.

The drive was surprisingly not as heavy as usual, making (Y/N)’s life easier she had managed to make it early enough so that she could go and buy breakfast for her office mates, which just happened to be Woods, Sam, and Cat. But she would obviously buy something for sierra too.

they were always the early birds.

When (y/n) arrived around 7:40am, she was really happy to see that sam was already there making sure their space was cleaned up to film and that they had their checklist done.

The girl had a box of coffee in her arms along with some donuts and disposable cups. waving to sam as she passed their office- woods rounded the corner and almost knocked into the girl.

“Oh! hey, let me help you before you drop something.” the boy laughed as he took the coffee from her arms and let her set everything down in the break room. Soon people were flooding in to get their share so the two had to grab something quickly then escape the horde.

they were sitting in the office preparing for the day when woods frowned. “You know... you look really sick- is there any reason you couldn't take a day off other than the video?” his voice was laced with concern and he just wanted what was best for his girlfriend.

She actually looked somewhat better, Her eyes weren’t as dark and she had more colour in her face compared to the morning. “Trust me its all good...” she trailed off and had a sneaky little smirk.

“But you know what would make me feel better?” the girl teased leaning in slightly as she looked up at woods with adoration, capturing his gaze and watching his curly brown hair fall into his face.

the boy smirked and went to lean in. “a kiss?” he asked cockily, only for his lips to be smushed against (y/n)’s palm as she giggled.

shaking her head, she pulled away and watched as he frowned. “I was hoping you would be the model for Sam and I’s video today?” she gave him her signature puppy eyes.

Woods went on for a good 10 minutes about why he WOULD NOT be apart of it, but after some persuading and promises from his girlfriend, the man-child caved. He would do anything for her and that was obvious- he just wanted to have his little diva moment.

“Just make sure you don’t buy me a cheap wig.” Woods told both girls quite seriously.

Once sam heard the news, they had got right to work, finishing the last minute edits for that week’s video before setting it to upload- Cat being the one in charge in case their upload failed.

it was 11:00am by the time they finally got out of the studio to head off, the two girls got into sam’s car and had the channel’s credit card so that they could buy the products they needed.

“Do you think this is wood’s shade?” Sam asked as she picked up a bottle of foundation, they were at CVS and decided to grab a few things. The idea was to go for a more sleek business woman Kim K look.

Their little basket was full by the time they were finished, different powders and brushes along with the makeup of course. Their final stop was going to be party city where they would Buy woods a wig.

Unfortunately, Woods did in fact end up getting a cheap wig.

The drive back to the office was quite long, (Y/N)s DayQuil finally kicking in and almost knocking the girl out as she slept pretty much the whole way. Sam having to shake her when they arrived.

Meeting with Woods in orange base, they set everything on the table- (Y/N) had decided to go search for an outfit in the prop closet while sam did wood’s makeup, when she got back and saw him in the wig- she couldn’t help but laugh, almost keeling over at his facial expressions as he “posed”

She was carrying the red dress that tanner wore for his bachelors video in her arms. “I thought this might work.” she sniffled through her laughter. Woods smiled up at her but told them both that was a line he wouldnt cross, which the girls respected.

Woods was checking himself out in the mirror when he turned and smirked at (Y/n).

“Hey babe? have you ever wanted to date a Kardashian?”

#hi5 studios #woodland demars #woods imagine #youtubers imagine #woods demars imagine #hi5 imagine #fluff #fanfic #writing

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the--blackdahlia · 6 years

Text

The Harley (Dean x Reader)

Title: The HArley

Summary: Dean’s bike has about had it.

Warnings: None really

AN: For @sams-serialkiller-fetish. Could be seen as kind of a sequel for Dean’s Whiskey Girl.

It was time to trade in. Dean’s bike had just about had it. She was falling apart at every turn and (Y/n) was honestly afraid that the next time he took a corner too fast or went just a little over the speed limit, she would just start falling apart.

“But, I’ve had her since I first started riding.” Dean said, polishing the bike. “I just can’t trade her in.”

“I’m not saying trade her in. I love her too.” (Y/n) said. “I’m just saying, I would feel a lot safer if you used her for not fast activities and everyday life.” Dean sighed. He knew (Y/n) was right. The bike had been a gift from his dad though, waiting for him the minute he got his motorcycle license. And, just like Baby, it would be hard to let go. (Y/n) could see how upset Dean was at the idea of benching his bike. So she headed inside to make a few calls.

****

Dean had taken to driving Baby for awhile. He usually saved her for grocery trips or things that he couldn’t fit in saddlebags on the side of his bike. Sam didn’t say anything to him about it. He knew the day that Dean’s bike took three tries to start, it would come to this. Plus, he really missed seeing Baby out and about. That’s what Dean used to pick him up at school with anyway.

“When are you going to get a new bike?” Sam asked while they were at lunch.

“I don’t know. I feel like I’m getting on my girl.” Dean said.

“(Y/n)?” Sam asked.

“No. My bike. Having another one around make me feel like I’m cheating on her. But I can’t get rid of her.” He sighed and ate some of his fries. “God, I’m weird, aren’t I?”

“Nah man.” Sam said, eating his salad. “You just are attached.” Dean sighed. When he was younger, he loved being the unattached drifter with the pussy melting smile and the badass bike. But here he was: engaged, almost 40, and upset over that same bike not being able to keep up.

Man, he hated and loved getting old.

****

(Y/n) got Sam in on the surprise she had for Dean. Sam kept his brother distracted all day while (Y/n) waited for it to be delivered. She had been working closely with the dealer for the past month or so, trying to get every detail just right. And Dean loved surprises. Usually. (Y/n) really just hoped that it was one of those times he would just love it.

“Man, I am exhausted.” Dean said as he got out of Baby and Sam got off his bike. “Why did you make me run all those errands? One of the boys could’ve done it.”

“I like to torture you.” Sam said with a shrug. Dean rolled his eyes and started towards the house when (Y/n) came running out.

“You can’t go in.” She said.

“Why? I’m not muddy, am I?” Dean asked.

“No. I think there’s something in the garage. You need to look at it.” (Y/n) told him. He sighed. He was tired and he wanted to shower, but he knew that (Y/n) would not relax if there was an opossum or something in the garage. (Y/n) typed in the number on the keypad and stood back as the garage door opened.

There was something in the garage, but it wasn’t what Dean was expecting.

Because sitting there, right by his bike, was a newer, shinier copy.

“Oh my god.” Dean gasped, walking forward. “Is this mine?”

“No it’s Sam’s.” (Y/n) said, rolling her eyes. “Of course it’s yours silly.” He looked over at her. “I got Sam to help distract you while I ironed out the last few details and got her here. I know it’s not the same but…” She was stopped by Dean scooping her up into a hug and kissing her deeply.

“This is the best present I’ve ever gotten.” He said. He kept kissing her and Sam took a step back.

“I’m just going to be going now.” He said, heading back to his bike. “Can’t wait to meet my niece or nephew in nine months!” (Y/n) and Dean both flipped him off, making Sam laugh as he took off down the road.

“I can’t believe you did this for me.” Dean said. “I don’t deserve you.”

“I love you.” (Y/n) said, smiling up at him. “Wanna take her for a spin?”

“Only if you’re there with me.” Dean said with a smile. (Y/n) nodded.

“There’s honestly no place else I’d rather be.”

Forever Tags: @anathewierdo @i-would-die-for-woodland-demars @dekahg @marvel-af @feelmyroarrrr @nanie5 @imboredsueme @gemini0410 @aiaranradnay @babypink224221 @mogaruke @xxwarhawk

Dean Winchester/Jensen Ackles Tags: @luciathewinchestergirl @sheris532 @bobasheebaby @bella-ca

Supernatural Tags: @bandobsession98 @mrsdeanfuckingwinchester @fangirlsencyclopaediaofweirdness @ilovetardis @missihart23 @cloudyskylines @supernaturalwincestsblog @flamencodiva @sams-serialkiller-fetish

#dean #dean winchester #dean x reader #dean winchester x reader #reader #reader insert #fanfiction #biker dean #Jensen Ackles #Superna

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fyeahbbb · 5 years

Note

Can I request demar proposing pls?? It can be any way you want it!! My name is Natalia 💖

I tried something different this time, I wanted to see how it would look like in 3rd person point of view. I hope you like it!

“You okay, baby?” Natalia asked DeMar for the third time in the last hour.

“Yeah, Yeah.” He nodded, then cleared his throat before readjusting himself in the car seat just like he had done the previous times.

After having lived with the man for almost four years now, and having stuck with him through thick and thin even moving to another country for him, it was obvious to her when DeMar was lying to her, and now was one of those times. Tough it was unclear what the cause of DeMar’s anxiety was, it was clear that he was becoming restless due to something supposed to happen in the upcoming moments.

The couple had been in the backseat of a limo for the past 20 minutes, and it seemed that at every mile made, DeMar’s grip on his girlfriend’s hand tightened. She raised their hands and kissed the top of his before resting them back on top of his thigh, nicely covered by the trousers on a fine tailor-cut suit.

The pair had just finished a very romantic dinner at a local refined restaurant.

Today was Natalia’s birthday and the pair had just finished a very romantic dinner at a local refined restaurant. DeMar arranged for their driver to take them to an ‘undisclosed location’ with a surprise waiting for her, but it didn’t take much deduction to figure it was most likely a surprise birthday party. At least, that’s what Natalia thought.

Upon arrival, DeMar wrapped a bandana around Natalia’s eyes, effectively blocking her eyesight.

“Babe.” She chuckled. “You don’t have to do all this.”

“What not? You can’t see the surprise yet.” DeMar sais as he helped her out of the car.

“It’s a surprise birthday party, I know. I think you’ve forgotten how horrible you are at hiding things from me.” Natalia retaliated.

“Ah yeah, nothing gets past you, uh?” He chuckles nervously.

“Relax man.” Natalia sensed his worry. “I’ll pretend to be shocked.”

“You’re lucky I’m in love with you. Cause you’re really no fun to be around.” DeMar rolled his eyes.

“Should’ve left me in Toronto then.” Natalia laughs, letting herself be steered by her boyfriend.

After about a minute of walking, the two stilled and Natalia was given permission to take off the bandana.

“Surprise!” Loud yells erupted as soon as she opened her eyes.

Although she already knew the surprise, Natalia was nonetheless shocked when she saw the beauty of everything. It was a big outdoor venue in a garden. The walls are made of big lush hedges covered in pink roses, tangled with warm white fairy cluster lights that are providing lightning.

All her friends and family are reunited in this space, even those who lived out of town, and everyone’s in their most beautiful gear and donning happy smiles.

“Baby!” Natalia exclaims, clutching onto his bicep.

“You’re certainly acting better than I expected.” He joked, but stopped once he saw the tears in his lover’s eyes.

“Nat, are you okay? Did I do too much?” Concern was laced in his voice.

“No, no, it’s absolutely perfect! I love it.” She cried, burying herself in DeMar’s chest.

After getting over her own emotions and greeting everyone, the party got properly started and everyone was having fun.

The atmosphere was great, the music even more amazing and the fact that she could celebrate with everyone that mattered in her life made this the best birthday party she’d had in a while.

Later on during the night, the music quiets down and Natalia’s brought into the center of a circle forming around her.

“What’s going on?” She asks, frowning as she looks at the crowd.

A cart wheeled by a friend pushes past everyone and makes its way towards the birthday girl. The cake is three floors tall, white and covered in an intricate flowery design, but what stands out the most and two little figures standing at the top of the cake and showing their back to Natalia.

Before stopping the cart, it’s flipped at a 180-degree angle, so that she can see the front.

Natalia recognizes the two figures as a bride and groom, but now what catches her eye is the pink lettering that spells out “Will you marry me?” at the bottom of the cake.

Before she can even ask, she hears her name being called by her boyfriend behind her.

“What’s going—“ She cute herself off mid-sentence when she sees DeMar on one knee, and it doesn’t take much longer after that for her to price everything together.

“Baby?” Her voice is already wavering, emotions getting in the way once again.

“Nat, for the past 4 years, you’ve been the most amazing person I could ever ask for.” He starts, smiling wide at the woman crying in front of him.

“Even in the toughest times we’ve had to face, you were there for me, supporting me and being my rock. Waking up every day next to you and having the privilege to spend another with you has been the greatest gift ever. You keep me grounded and help me strive towards all my goals and that’s why you’re the love of my life, Natalia.” Even DeMar sheds a small tear as he takes a pause to breathe.

“So like the cake says, will you marry me?” DeMar asks nervously.

“Yes! A million times yes!” Natalia exclaims, chocking back on her own tears.

DeMar rises to his feet and slides the beautiful silver ring on her finger, before cupping her face and kissing her gently.

“My baby.” He swoons, clearly heads over heels for the woman in front of him.

“My fiancé.”

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jrueships · 3 years

Note

got any Kyle/demar thoughts? I’m looking to be in pain and scrolling through your masterpiece of a blog

AWWWW that's so nice of u to say! Thank u so much for enjoying my random spirals on this blog LMAO fr that's so sweet!!

NOW ABOUT... T H E M.

I have SOME kyle/demar thoughts but sadly like.. not a TON... which is weird because they're literally one of my top fav ships and the first ship I saw that really got me into sports tumblr LMAO. So it's not like I DONT think about it because I DO but I think they're just so popular with so many other supporters and analysts of their ship that it's like??? What thoughts can I have that a greater tumblr nba gay historian has already thought LMAO

BUT LIKE. I THINK ABOUT THEM NONETHELESS. My thoughts are just like?? Very plain to me tho idk!!! I hope u like them either way tho!!!!

So like.... uhh... you want sad!!! Hmm!! I can give that!! That's also what makes kyle/demar so great like... you can focus on the sad parts of their relationship if you want, the goofy, or the soft! It's a whole package deal of different emotions! BUT ANYWAYS UH

I'm SERIOUSLY not an astrology knowledge expert like FR I have no idea what a rising is or stuff so... u can take any mistakes I make in saying this with a grain of salt BUT

Demar is a Leo and like.. that just sticks out to me. I think most like??? Regular zodiac analysts like to think that ALL Leos are extroverted, selfish, comedic braggarts with a lot of pride because uhh?? It's a lion I guess? And lions are used to being the head of the pride so. King mentality but like... demar isn't like that. He's in that special category of leos that are generally super quiet, but like FLIP A SWITCH only when they're with a really trusted friend. As long as they're with people they trust enough and feel confident enough with, they're going to show a louder part of their personality! But ONLY if they're with the specific people they CHOSE to let see it... and that takes a lot of trust and time and love... and demar being so happy and having so many antics with Kyle just really exemplifies the amount of devotion he has for him. Those kinda leos and their relationships are just really beautiful to me because they're usually pretty cool with everyone, but they pick like ONE (or just a few) specific people to devote all their trust and care into because they truly believe that that person will give it back. They're an introvert who's willing to turn extrovert all for one person who they believe deserves to see it and wants to see it. It's a very special and deep relationship that often develops without them even knowing how tbh! They just know that they've made best friends with that person they chose and they're gonna stay best friends as long as they live and breathe.

Leos like that really Value their one special relationship.. they sometimes believe they'll never have another one like it and are therefore afraid of losing it... secretly, but powerfully, they get worried easily about the other person not devoting as much care into the relationship as them. About that one person who they chose to put above air, moving on like the friendship was merely another footnote in a book that bored them.

And at the start, that would have been easy for Kyle to do.

Kyle sets goals and he gets them quick. He's an Aries, and that probably means something but I don't know much about aries so. I'll leave it at that LMAO. Anyways... what I mean is that like? Just because Kyle is cute n small and kinda giggly (especially when he's with demar) DOESNT mean he can't be a stubborn, prickly, and determined asshole. He can put certain things aside for a purpose that he thinks is better. He put aside his hurt at the demar trade to work for a championship with kawhi. And like. Yeah. I personally think the best think about Aries is loyalty, which is why Leos and Aries make such great friends. Shared loyalty, with the Aries remaining loyal to whoever helped them soften up their stubborness to allow some?? Self like... soothing to themselves? Because Aries can sometimes put aside too much for something that it gets unhealthy... and the leos remaining loyal to whoever they believe deserve it.

what I mean is that he'll always be loyal to demar even though he's having all this fun with kawhi. Because Demar was the one who bent down and whispered that he was always going to be there with him, even after the fact that Kyle missed a shot that could've won them an advancement. He was the one who let Kyle know that it's going to be okay and he'll always be there for him. And knowing that really helped settle Kyle's persistent??? Running. I guess. Either toward or from something, I don't know and I don't think Kyle knows either but.. yeah. Demar was the one who let Kyle know that he has someone in his corner and he's not fighting for something all alone. And Kyle, this guy who makes sure not to devote himself Too much into things, to make sure he doesn't let himself enjoy something for too much or too long... let himself relax for Demar because Demar let him know that it was okay.

So he'll never forget Demar for that.

But despite that loyalty, I think Demar still worries. Worried about losing someone that he never thinks he'll ever find again all because he couldn't play basketball better. He's been traded for 'a real superstar that can actually lead the north', and here's kyle... laughing with the Real Superstar. Smiling with The Real Superstar. Possibly even having a better relationship with The Real Superstar that overshadows the one he had with Demar.

And that's scary. Because it's a selfish worry, to not want someone to enjoy something with someone else as much as they enjoyed it with you... but he can't help but (quietly) want that because he's afraid. And he's alone. And he feels like he's going to lose the one person he chose to keep with him forever.

And that's scary. Really, really scary.

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junker-town · 3 years

Text

NBA mock draft 2021: SB Nation bloggers make picks for their teams

It’s time for the SB Nation NBA mock draft with picks made by our team communities.

The NBA playoffs are over, the Milwaukee Bucks are champions, and it’s officially time to roll into draft season. The 2021 NBA Draft is going down on Thursday, July 29.

Now it’s time for the annual SB Nation NBA mock draft. Each of our NBA team communities made a selection for their club in the first round. Trades were not allowed.

For more draft coverage, check out our top-30 player rankings from Ricky O’Donnell. You can find complete draft coverage from our team communities at our NBA draft hub.

The Detroit Pistons are on the clock with the No. 1 overall pick, and so is our Pistons community Detroit Bad Boys. There isn’t much mystery around the top pick this year.

1. Detroit Pistons - Cade Cunningham, G, Oklahoma State

Cade is not a no-brainer No. 1 pick. The athleticism is a concern and the shooting inside the arc is a red flag. But the skill level is undeniable. He’s a high-level passer, has really good court awareness on the offensive and defensive end and has the height and wingspan to be an impact player on both ends. He is the kind of player who could look way better outside the confines of the NCAA, and if that happens it means he’s a franchise-level talent. On the chances Detroit trades down? Well, you don’t win the lottery and spend your winnings on more lottery tickets. Just take the best player on your board. For me, that’s Cade. — Sean Corp, Detroit Bad Boys

2. Houston Rockets - Jalen Green, G, G League Ignite

Ridiculous high upside, would form a great backcourt alongside Kevin Porter Jr., and Evan Mobley feels slightly redundant with Christian Wood on the roster, so Green is the pick. He has the potential to be a top scorer in the league, and you just can’t pass up on that type of upside with the Rockets light on top-end talent. He’s just 19, so he will need some development, but he’s been playing against grown men in the G-League, so he’s already much further ahead than your typical 19-year-old. — Darren Yuvan, The Dream Shake

3. Cleveland Cavaliers - Evan Mobley, C, USC

Evan Mobley is a no-brainer for the Cavs at No. 3. Some consider him a worthy No. 1 overall pick and someone you can build around going forward. Is there some slight redundancy with him and Jarrett Allen, who is likely to sign a lucrative contract this offseason? Yes. But Cleveland cannot afford to be picky and the right coach and organization can pair Mobley and Allen and build a really solid unit with those two anchoring the frontcourt. Mobley’s upside as a frontcourt playmaker and offensive hub also differentiates from from Allen. Green woulld be in the running too had he not been picked at No. 2. But with the board how it is, Mobley is the eashy pick. — Chris Manning, Fear the Sword

4. Toronto Raptors - Jalen Suggs, G, Gonzaga

To a certain extent, the choice for the Raptors at no. 4, which already represents a significant lucky break for the franchise, is an easy one. In a draft class with four names at the top, and three players rotated through picks 2-4 in various combinations, there really is no wrong choice. In this, given what’s already happened here, the Raptors will happily select Jalen Suggs as their point guard for today — and tomorrow. To be clear, this selection works even if Kyle Lowry returns to the team. And if Lowry leaves, well then, the Raptors get another young talented guard who can run a team and defend like hell — with a listed 6’4” height to boot. That Suggs will be paired with Fred VanVleet and the up-and-coming Malachi Flynn in the Raptors’ backcourt is pure gravy. Like I said, this is all a lucky break for Toronto. Suggs will fit right in with the squad. — Daniel Reynolds, Raptors HQ

5. Orlando Magic - Jonathan Kuminga, F, G League Ignite

I gave Scottie Barnes a long look here (and I think the Magic will as well - high character, length, position versatility). But I also think there would be some redundancy in picking Barnes with Jonathan Isaac and Chuma Okeke already on the roster. Ultimately, I went with Jonathan Kuminga. He’s a huge project, but his size, potential to create offense for himself, and his defensive upside is too much to pass up here. — Aaron Goldstone, Orlando Pinstripe Post

6. Oklahoma City Thunder - Scottie Barnes, F, Florida State

Considering where OKC is at, if they can still get Barnes that would be a win. His stock has been rising recently. If OKC is going to continue to build on Dag’s positionless basketball where all five guys can handle the ball, Barnes fits that mold. Plus he’s arguably the most versatile defender this class and with the NBA becoming more switch heavy, you need a guy who can defend guards, wings & bigs. — Clemente Almanza, Welcome to Loud City

7. Golden State Warriors - Davion Mitchell, G, Baylor

Assuming the Warriors keep their duet of lottery picks, they find themselves in an awkward position: do they try to add high-ceiling prospects who can be core members of the next era of Warriors basketball, or do they aim for more NBA-ready players who can help a championship core maximize on their chances of winning another title in the next two years? Mitchell helps the Warriors put a foot in both pools. He has the ceiling to be a high-quality starter down the road, but at 22 and with strong defensive chops already, can be a contributor immediately. — Brady Klopfer, Golden State of Mind

8. Orlando Magic - Moses Moody, F, Arkansas

I don’t feel great about my pick for Orlando at number five, but I’m a big fan of this selection. Moody is exactly the type of prospect Orlando should be looking to pair alongside their stable of combo-guards and bigs. I love his range shooting upside and defensive potential moving forward. I considered Bouknight here as well, but Moody is a perfect fit and too strong of an option to pass up. — Aaron Goldstone, Orlando Pinstripe Post

9. Sacramento Kings - Jalen Johnson, F, Duke

Admittedly, I was hoping Scottie Barnes fell to No. 9, but Jalen Johnson is as good of a consolation prize as the Kings could ask for. Johnson isn’t as safe as a pick as some of the other players that were still available — most notably Franz Wagner and Josh Giddey — but he arguably has the most star potential of anyone left and if there’s anything Sacramento would welcome in the coming years, it’s a homegrown star; particularly one that fits alongside De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton. To me, Johnson fits that bill with his playmaking ability, raw athleticisim and defensive instincts. — Christian Rivas, Sactown Royalty

10. New Orleans Pelicans - Franz Wagner, F, Michigan

If the 10th overall pick is kept, the Pelicans will seek out a versatile rookie who complements their two cornerstones in Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson. Franz Wagner projects to be an ideal fit, offering in time a valuable 3-and-D component but with upside. Despite spending two years at Michigan, he’ll only turn 20 in August. Additionally, there’s a real chance he develops into an above average playmaker — Wagner finished with a better AST:TOV ratio than many shot creators who will be selected ahead of him in this draft, including Giddey, Green, Cunningham and Suggs. — Oleh Kosel, The Bird Writes

11. Charlotte Hornets - James Bouknight, G, UConn

The Hornets have a glaring need at center, and many fans and pundits expect they’ll target that position with a lottery pick. However, the Hornets spent two second round picks on centers last year, and they may want to use free agency to find a quicker fix. Their wing depth was strained last season, and Malik Monk’s pending free agency won’t help that. Bouknight can immediately shore up the depth at that position while adding some scoring punch on the perimeter. — Jonathan DeLong, At the Hive

12. San Antonio Spurs - Josh Giddey, G, Adelaide 36ers (Australia)

Giddey is the perfect blend of best player available and upside swing. While his lack of range won’t do much to help San Antonio’s abysmal three-point numbers, he’s only 18-years-old and has plenty of time to develop a jumper under legendary shooting coach Chip Engelland. The oversized Australian point guard is one of the best passers in this class, and with DeMar DeRozan possibly on the way out, the Spurs could use another distributor. He won’t lead the Silver and Black to a title anytime soon, but he was a nightly triple-double threat in the increasingly competitive NBL, which turned out productive rookies LaMelo Ball and R. J. Hampton. Should he fall this far, PATFO could be looking at another infamous draft day heist. — Noah Magaro-George, Pounding the Rock

13. Indiana Pacers - Jared Butler, G, Baylor

If the Pacers don’t use the 13th pick to trade down or up or out of the draft in order to bring in another player, they will likely be standing pat with the bulk of their current playing rotation which, when healthy, doesn’t leave a ton of minutes for a rookie, but they still need to look to the future for a point guard or combo forward. I hoped to swing for the fences with Roko Prkacin, an 18-year-old Croation combo forward but after he bailed on the draft, I went with Jared Butler, a strong point guard with good size who can show up on both ends of the floor similar to Jrue Holiday. Butler has health concerns which didn’t hold him back at Baylor and he was recently cleared by the NBA to play. There’s no doubt he can play in the NBA is worth the risk for the Pacers to solidify their backup point guard situation since T.J. McConnell is a free agent and Aaron Holiday has struggled to seize that role over the past couple of years. — Tom Lewis, Indy Cornrows

14. Golden State Warriors - Alperen Şengün, C, Beşiktaş (Turkey)

The Warriors were able to snag an NBA-ready prospect with the No. 7 pick, so now it’s time to swing for someone with more risk but great reward. The Warriors Alen Smailagić experiment failed, and last year’s James Wiseman pick is either disappointing or TBD, depending on who you ask. Sengün has star power — he has a diverse array of low post moves, possesses some divine passing chops for a big man, and won the Turkish SuperLeague MVP at just 18. The Warriors revamped developmental staff, which includes Dejan Milojević, the Serbian national team assistant coach credited with playing a large role in Nikola Jokić’s development, will have a chance to turn Sengrün into the steal of the draft. — Brady Klopfer, Golden State of Mind

15. Washington Wizards - Corey Kispert, F, Gonzaga

The Wizards need to improve their three point shooting given that they were 22nd in the league in accuracy and 29th in threes made last season. Kispert has been one of the nation’s top shooter in each of the last two seasons, shooting over 40 percent and averaging at least two made threes per game and never had a usage rate of above 20 percent until his senior season.. Though Kispert is a little “old” as a four-year player, the Wizards need someone who can make an impact right away at one of their weaknesses. Based on the players available, Kispert will fit their void at the three point line nicely. — Albert Lee, Bullets Forever

16. Oklahoma City Thunder - Keon Johnson, G, Tennessee

He’s super raw, really athletic and we didn’t expect him to fall this far. Johnson might be something special and it’s a swing worth taking. Keon Johnson at 16 is too good of value to pass up on. A high upside guard and wing combo that is worth the risk. Johnson’s elite athleticism was on display when he broke the NBA Combine’s record for vertical leaps at 48 inches. Another added bonus to the pick is that he should be able to help contribute to OKC getting a top pick next draft as well since he’ll need time to develop and refine his skills. — Sarah Dewberry, Welcome to Loud City

17. Memphis Grizzlies - Trey Murphy III, F, Virginia

The Memphis Grizzlies as currently constructed do not need a player that needs to help them right now. They’re one of the deepest rosters in the NBA - they can afford to, for the first time in the Zach Kleiman Era, take a swing at a player who perhaps is not ready made for the rotation of a playoff contender. Enter Trey Murphy III, who despite playing three years of college basketball is still an uncertainty due to his transfer from Rice to UVA. His numbers for the Cavaliers are not other worldly. But he projects to be a very good NBA three point shooter who can create for himself and others off the dribble with 6’9” height. His game has room to grow in several spots. But at #17 overall? You can do a lot worse...especially considering the Grizzlies do not need him to be a contributor immediately. — Joe Mullinax, Grizzly Bear Blues

18. Oklahoma City Thunder - Isaiah Jackson, C, Kentucky

Jackson won’t need many touches and can impact the game in other ways. An athletic big who can develop into a defensive anchor for the team. The Thunder will not to help improve his shooting, but the canvas is basically blank with him at just 19 years of age. At the minimum, he should be a good, rim running big that can rebound and protect the rim. — Sarah Dewberry, Welcome to Loud City

19. New York Knicks - Tre Mann, G, Florida

If the Knicks keep their two first-round picks, they will undoubtedly be looking for some scoring punch. They were a middling offense last season even before all their shooters forgot how to shoot in their first-round defeat to Atlanta. Tre Mann was a premier bucket-getter last season at Florida, and could help mitigate the loss of Alec Burks in free agency. — Joe Flynn, Posting and Toasting

20. Atlanta Hawks - Kai Jones, C, Texas

Atlanta sticks with their ‘best player available’ strategy with the selection of Kai Jones. Jones is a versatile big who some consider a top-10 talent in the draft, and ideally would be part of the Hawks’ frontcourt rotation of the future along with Onyeka Okongwu and John Collins (if he’s resigned later this Summer). Hawks GM Travis Schlenk has shown throughout his tenure that he has little to no interest in drafting for need, so while backup point guard options like Jaden Springer were tempting, it’s difficult to pass on a talent like Jones. — Zach Hood, Peachtree Hoops

21. New York Knicks - Sharife Cooper, G, Auburn

Sharife Cooper may be tiny, but the kid can dish the rock like nobody else in this draft. The freshman from Auburn averaged 8.1 assists in his one year in the SEC. If he can fix his jump shot, he might be the rare undersized PG to make a splash in the modern NBA. And no team needs a PG more the the Knicks. — Joe Flynn, Posting and Toasting

22. Los Angeles Lakers - Usman Garuba, F, Real Madrid (Spain)

I get why Lakers fans would want a 3-point shooter with the No. 22 pick, I do. But the thought of Frank Vogel rolling out a super-switchy, small-ball lineup with Anthony Davis and Usman Garuba in three year’s time was too exciting to not act on. Garuba has the size to play either forward positions, the wingspan to protect the interior and the lateral quickness to guard the perimeter — he has all of the tools to be an elite defender in the NBA. His offense leaves a lot more to be desired — particularly his shooting — but he can put the ball on the floor and make plays for his teammates at a high level, which is a good quality to have for a guy his size. He’s a steal at No. 22 even if he’s not exactly what the Lakers need. — Christian Rivas, Silver Screen and Roll

23. Houston Rockets - Miles McBride, G, West Virginia

Houston needs a backup point guard and McBride should be able to fill that role just fine. This is somewhat of a value pick for the Rockets, as McBride is going in the teens in many mock drafts. He’s an excellent defender and has great scoring ability, though he does need some work running the offense. But that skill set should fit in perfectly off the bench, providing some offensive punch and using his athleticism to defend either guard spot. — Darren Yuvan, The Dream Shake

24. Houston Rockets - JT Thor, F, Auburn

After passing on Evan Mobley earlier in the draft, the Rockets need a big with some potential, and many think Thor has some of the best long-term potential in the draft. A plus athlete and defender, Thor does need some polishing on the offensive side, but also possesses an accurate shot, making him a threat from three, the pick and pop, and is solid at the free throw line. A high energy 4/5 hybrid, Thor is an adept switcher, capable of guarding smaller players, and should earn playing time right away on a rebuilding Rockets squad. — Darren Yuvan, The Dream Shake

25. Los Angeles Clippers - Jaden Springer, G, Tennessee

The Clippers don’t have a lot of first-round picks coming up, so going for the high-upside play this season makes a lot of sense, and Springer is the youngest collegian in the draft. He plays with high energy and makes quick decisions, both of which are hallmarks of Clippers role players, and his forays to the rim should be more successful with L.A.’s spacing. Springer was also a force defensively in college, and his tools should translate. If the Clippers player development staff can fix his shot like they did with Terance Mann, they’ll have a real player. — Sabreena Merchant, Clips Nation

26. Denver Nuggets - Chris Duarte, G, Oregon

The Nuggets break from their mold of selecting younger players in the draft by instead selecting Duarte, a 24-year-old shooting guard who fits their roster well. The Nuggets have multiple point guards they trust, but in the event that Will Barton doesn’t return, the wing position is decidedly thin. Duarte provides an element of 3-and-D potential to a roster that desperately needs it, and adding him to a roster that already features Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray, and Michael Porter Jr. means he can focus on what he’s best at: shooting and defense. — Ryan Blackburn, Denver Stiffs

27. Brooklyn Nets - Ziaire Williams, F, Stanford

For this pick, if I’m the Nets I’m looking for someone with tons of upside potential who may have fallen on draft night and the only real caveat is that this player is a supreme athlete who can keep up with Brooklyn’s pace. Enter, Ziaire Williams. Williams had a rough freshman season, missing some time due to injuries and when he was on the court he shot pretty pedestrian from the floor. That said, he has late-lottery potential. He’s a great athlete, is very (very) long, and can play on both ends of the floor. The Nets are looking for much immediate help in the draft, which is why they can swing for the fences here with this pick. — Tom Lorenzo, Nets Daily

28. Philadelphia 76ers - Nah’Shon Hyland, G, VCU

In search of players who can score and create off the bounce, the Sixers go with Nah’Shon Hyland, guard out of Virginia Commonwealth University. Hyland shot 39.9 percent from beyond the arc over 331 career attempts at VCU and he has different-area-code range. With shooting chops like that, Hyland could find minutes early in his career as a spark plug off the bench. Hyland’s poor assist-to-turnover ratio would be concerning if the intention were to play him at point guard. But with Tyrese Maxey already on the roster, Hyland makes more sense as a two-guard. The bigger concern surrounding Hyland is his size, standing 6’3” and weighing 165 pounds. He’ll be fast tracked into a training program to bulk up. — Kevin Love, Liberty Ballers

29. Phoenix Suns - Josh Christopher, G, Arizona State

Phoenix takes the best player available on the board and keeps the local product in state. Christopher is a powerful athlete with good size and strength for his position standing at 6’5” and weighing in at 215. The self creation flashes combined with his athletic profile and three-level scoring potential makes him an intruiging prospect for any team in the late-1st round. Phoenix has struggled with shot creation at times when Paul or Booker were sitting, so adding someone that can create for themselves in a low-usage role (to start) off the bench alongside Cam Payne would be more than ideal. — Brandon Duenas, Bright Side of the Sun

30. Utah Jazz - Ayo Dosunmu, G, Illinois

Utah’s loss in the 2nd round showed a fatal flaw in perimiter defense that did them in. This offseason should be spent by the Jazz looking for perimiter defenders that can shoot, something they should have gone after last year. Ayo Dosunmu is a bit of a swing for the fences type pick but he had great measurements in the combine and has proven to be a high level defender in college. He showed signs of good shooting at Illinois also and, if he can shoot the three with consistency in the NBA, Dosunmu could be a nice rotational player for years. — James Hansen, SLC Dunk

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the--blackdahlia · 6 years

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Best of My Love (Jensen x Reader)

Title: Best of My Love

Summary: It’s (Y/n) and Jensen’s anniversary and he’s not there

Warnings: So much fluff

AN: Something short and sweet I wrote for @callme-kaz2y5-baby . I hope you like it

(Y/n) was sitting at her desk, going through all the paperwork and refreshing her work email periodically. It was her and Jensen’s three year anniversary in two days, and he was in Vancouver while she was in St. Joseph, Michigan. Close enough to Canada that she could just grab her passport and go, but far enough away from her husband that it would take awhile to get there. She sighed, focusing on her work. She would just have to settle for FaceTime and Amazon prime gifts.

A knock on the door made (Y/n) look up. Cait, the receptionist, was standing there.

“What’s up?” (Y/n) asked.

“Uh, you have some flowers here. But they won’t just leave them.” Cait explained. “The courier is demanding that you sign for them personally.” (Y/n) sighed and stood from her desk.

“They’re either from Jared to congratulate us, or they’re from Jensen and he wants to make sure I actually get them.” (Y/n) said, walking past Cait, who had a big smile on her face.

(Y/n) made her way to the front desk. She saw a beautiful bouquet of flowers sitting on the counter and the courier was standing with his back to her, staring out the glass doors.

“Hi, I’m (Y/n) Ackles.” (Y/n) said.

“Oh, I know.” A familiar voice said. The courier turned around, causing (Y/n) to gasp.

“Jensen!” She said, running and hugging him.

“Hey babe.” He said, hugging her tightly.

“What are you doing here?” (Y/n) asked. “You told me that you were going to be another week at least.”

“I might have fibbed a little, with Cait’s help.” Jensen said, nodding to the receptionist. (Y/n) turned and smiled at her friend.

“You knew?” (Y/n) asked.

“Yeah. And I asked the department heads to keep you busy until he could get here.” Cait laughed. “I mean, how many paper clips do you think we really need?” (Y/n) couldn’t help but smile.

“I have a whole night planned for us darling.” Jensen said, kissing (Y/n) gently. “What do you say we spring you early?”

“Let me get my purse.” (Y/n) said, all smiles and happy. She hugged Cait as she headed back to her office.

“Thank you.” She said. Cait hugged her back.

“You’re welcome. Don’t forget the juicy details later.” She laughed, making (Y/n) blush and roll her eyes. She got her things and soon, the Ackles were heading home to spend some much needed time together.

Forever Tags: @anathewierdo @i-would-die-for-woodland-demars @dekahg @marvel-af @feelmyroarrrr @nanie5 @imboredsueme @gemini0410 @aiaranradnay

Dean Winchester/Jensen Ackles Tags: @luciathewinchestergirl @sheris532 @bobasheebaby

Supernatural Tags: @bandobsession98 @mrsdeanfuckingwinchester

#jensen ackles #jensen ackles x reader #jensen #jensen x reader #supernatural #fanfiction #fluffy #gift

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thisdaynews · 5 years

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Pascal Siakam: Toronto Raptors star & his unconventional path from Cameroon to NBA

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/pascal-siakam-toronto-raptors-star-his-unconventional-path-from-cameroon-to-nba/

Pascal Siakam: Toronto Raptors star & his unconventional path from Cameroon to NBA

Siakam played a crucial role as Toronto Raptors won the NBA title last season

For the first 17 years of his life, Pascal Siakam didn’t pick up a basketball much. It was just a game his older brothers played.

Even though his father dreamt about one of his children growing up to play in the NBA, Siakam, the youngest of six siblings, was always more interested in other sports.

“I played soccer. I was good. I could have played soccer if I wanted,” he says.

The thing is, when you grow to be 6ft 7in tall, basketball is tough to ignore.

Considering Siakam has been playing the sport for under 10 years, his resume is more than impressive. Now 25, last season he was crowned the NBA’s most improved player. He was a major contributor as the Toronto Raptors won their first NBA championship title.

The path that led him there is not what you would call conventional.

Born in Douala, Cameroon’s economic capital, Siakam spent much of his youth at St Andrews Seminary, training for the priesthood in a small town called Bafia.

Eight hours’ drive from home, and with the discipline of the Catholic Church a strong presence in his world, Siakam didn’t always get to enjoy the vibrant lights of city life. But the experience strongly shaped him – and who he would become.

“It was really strict,” he says. “When I went there, I didn’t really know how to do a lot of things. It really taught me how to be a man. How to take responsibility and take care of myself.

“Going out there in the world by myself, finding a way and fighting on my own. I learnt those values there.”

For much of Siakam’s seven years at St Andrews, basketball wasn’t even a consideration. There were daily 5am wake-up calls, with a demanding schedule of chores and tasks to occupy time around studies.

His family thought the priesthood was something he might choose to pursue as vocation. Again Siakam thought differently.

“Obviously you’re around church and that’s what you do every day,” he says. “My dad at some point thought it could be something I wanted to do but it was never my calling.”

It turns out his calling would come from the sport he had spent much of his life trying to avoid.

Siakam has carried on from where he left off last season – starring in Toronto’s strong start to 2019-20

In 2011, Siakam went along with friends to a basketball camp organised by Cameroonian NBA star Luc Mbah a Moute. Now a veteran of the league for 10 seasons, Mbah a Moute, 33, still runs annual basketball camps in his homeland. They also helped another player from the country make it in the NBA – Joel Embiid, the 25-year-old Philadelphia 76ers centre.

Despite never having played organised basketball before, aged 17, Siakam’s competitiveness and athleticism were impossible to ignore and a year later he was invited to attend the NBA’s international development program, Basketball without Borders (BWB), in South Africa.

“It was a big thing for me,” Siakam says. “Not because I had a great basketball experience there but the environment around it. The NBA, the coaches. It opened my eyes to a different world that I didn’t really know about.

“It got me excited and I felt like, if I got a chance to go the US and play, why not? Also, get a good education. That was the dream.”

Playing in the NBA was at this stage still never an expectation – not for Siakam nor those close to him. But he was gaining admirers.

“He was a scrawny, skinny kid,” says Masai Ujiri, Toronto Raptors president, who first met Siakam in South Africa at the BWB camp in 2012. “But you could tell his skillset. He had scoring in him. He was just very passionate about the game. You could tell it was his all. I loved that about him.”

Ujiri is one of the NBA’s most admired executives for the way he has overseen the Raptors’ recent rise to the top. Like Siakam, he was raised in Africa – in Nigeria – and for years he has looked to invest in the continent, both through the NBA and individually, with his own outreach programme, Giants of Africa.

Of course, at the time of their first meeting in 2012 Ujiri had no idea that four years later he would be drafting Siakam as a first-round pick. But he could see a special energy, a spark to his game. It has stayed with him.

“He was just so competitive and wanted to win,” Ujiri says. “You see that mind developing. For a kid to have that at a young age, it transfers. When Pascal plays now, you see winning.”

Siakam says: “I wasn’t the greatest player but I was relentless, having that mentality to never give up and always go hard no matter what.

“I’m an athlete. Anything that involves running or jumping I’ve always been excited about, so basketball was exciting.”

By 2012, Siakam’s three older brothers had each gained scholarships in the United States. The younger Siakam would soon follow suit. His energy and enthusiasm at BWB had piqued the interest of scouts from the US. He was offered the chance to move to Lewisville to finish high school. Now aged 18, he would be leaving a whole life behind.

“Moving from Cameroon to Texas, that was a change. Learning English, the culture, everything was different so I had to adjust,” he says.

“But I’ve always been able to change scenery. From a young age, I was taught how to do that and I kind of do it naturally.”

After graduating from high school, Siakam gained a scholarship with New Mexico State University. While he was there, in October 2014, tragedy struck. His father Tchamo was killed in a car accident back home in Cameroon. Everything Siakam has done on a basketball court since is an energetic tribute to his dad.

“My dad worked hard to take care of six kids,” Siakam says. “He worked hard to make sure we had everything we needed. He had his dream and I’m able to fulfil that. I’m proud that I’m able to do that now. I just wish he was here to see it.”

Siakam with members of his family at the NBA Awards ceremony in 2019, where he was named Most Improved Player

Siakam left New Mexico State after two seasons of college basketball. Despite having only played the sport seriously for four years, he departed as the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year.

Still, for some, he was seen as a risky pick at the draft in 2016.

“My guys are very good,” Masai Ujiri says. “One of our global scouts, Patrick Engelbrecht, he told me: ‘Keep an eye on him.’

“He took me to watch him a few times. Over the years, you keep tabs on them and you follow their improvement.”

Siakam had sufficiently improved in Ujiri’s eyes to draft him 27th in the first round. His journey with the Raptors would begin.

Jama Mahlalela is the head coach of the Raptors developmental side. He coached Siakam during his first season in the NBA where he flipped between the G-league squad and the main team. For him, Siakam’s energy and enthusiasm were clear from the beginning.

“We talk a lot about ‘positionless’ basketball players,” Mahlalela says. “Players who aren’t just one specific thing. Pascal is that. He can play point guard through to centre. That’s an incredible skillset to bring to the table.

“He drives himself, day-in-day-out. He doesn’t accept where he is today, he’s always striving for what player he can be tomorrow.”

This season is Siakam’s fourth with Canadian side Toronto. He went into the year with added expectation. They say in the NBA you need a superstar to win. Last season’s title success proved that.

After years of play-off failure, Ujiri and the Raptors swung for the fences and traded away arguably the franchise’s most decorated player DeMar DeRozan for a disgruntled superstar Kawhi Leonard. The risk paid off and the Raptors were at times seemingly willed to success by Leonard’s brilliance alone. His summer departure to the Los Angeles Clippers left them devoid of a superstar.

It’s a void the Raptors are confident Siakam can fill. Fresh from awarding him a new max contract that will pay him a reported $130m(£99.7m) over four years, the Raptors believe the only way for Siakam is up. The transformation from reluctant baller to superstar appears to be complete.

“Being a champion, I think it brings more confidence and that’s a scary thing for the NBA. Pascal with even more confidence is trouble,” Mahlalela says.

“He’s naturally a confident player, he plays that way and I think now, having the confidence to say I won this thing already as one of the key players on a championship team, that is going to build his confidence even more.”

The Toronto Raptors beat the Golden State Warriors 4-2 in the best-of-seven series to win the 2019 NBA Finals

The championship glow still lingers. Siakam returned to Cameroon for the first time in seven years this summer when he took the NBA trophy back to the Giants of Africa basketball camp organised by Masai Ujiri.

“Being around those kids who dreamed to one day be where I am today, just bringing them a taste of the trophy, something they can touch, it was an amazing feeling,” he says.

“Growing up, I didn’t have the chance to have that around so it was a special moment for sure.”

Despite the remarkable transformation – from a kid who would wake up at 5am to complete chores in a seminary to a multi-million dollar basketball player on the verge of superstardom – Siakam remains incredibly humble.

Because the Raptors are the only team outside the United States in the NBA, there’s a feeling within the organisation that they are often overlooked. But the unlikely champions now hope to be led to further success by a guy with the most unlikely of stories. A guy who dreamed of being a footballer and might have ended up a priest.

“The type of mentality we have on the team is, there’s a lot of underdogs and guys that have always been in that position,” Siakam says.

“If you ask any champion, once they get that taste of winning, they always want it back. So for me, that’s my next focus.

“We have a completely different team, people stepping up into new roles, and it’s exciting. That is what you play for.”

#Cameroon #unconventional

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flauntpage · 6 years

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NBA Summer Vacation: Emotion of the Oceans

There is motion in the SVW ocean and by that I mean an awful lot of dudes are way out in the wild blue yonder this week. A few did it really well—I mean really well, like an impending humanitarian award is on the way well—and a couple should stick to spending the rest of their summers on the dry side, lest they wanna become completely washed in the annals of these hallowed, a-little-sticky-from-aloe-vera-sun-balm halls.

Marc Gasol

Marc Gasol, who just a week ago was keeping tabs on the organic garden he planted in his yard last summer vacation, was out in a dingy rescuing migrants stranded in the Mediterranean. There is no joke here. Marc Gasol spent the last week volunteering with the NGO Proactiva Open Arms and much of that was spent out in the open water recovering the bodies of migrants and helping to bring survivors safely to land. The NBA is a progressive league, it gets talked about a lot, but it is occasionally without due credit given to the players who make it that way.

Rating: Just Marc Gasol, absolutely doing the most.

JaVale McGee

A nice transition into our regularly scheduled tittering and trash talk on the way player’s choose to spend their offseason is JaVale McGee pretending to pick up his daughter’s play phone and totally tear a new one to the would-be caller on the other end.

Rating: 9021UH OH!

James Harden

What’s UP James Harden in a trashy, regular ass tank top, flipping the hang loose hand while laser strobe lights illuminate your face?! Turns out all it takes to set James Harden free is setting him loose on the shores of Ibiza with Real Madrid Captain Sergio Ramos and frankly it’s dumb of all of us that it took this long to figure out!

You’ll be happy my sleuthing skills have peeled back another layer in this euro-rave onion, specifically why is Harden wearing that top, because from Ramos’s own documenting of this night we can see they are not just at some regular party, they are at a FOAM PARTY.

Rating: The big buildup that lasts for close to three minutes before the beat drops and every whistle is blasting and the foam cannon is pilin’ up the suds around you like so many cloud castles in heaven.

Steph Curry

We cut live to Steph Curry now, jumping fully clothed off the top of a boat. While we are not here to judge all selfless actions this summer vacation we are certainly going to judge this one. He doesn’t have trunks? He’s got to do this in what appears to be like, athletic technology warm up pants that probably shrink wrap to your legs once you hit the water?

Rating: Oh (splash) brother.

Dwyane Wade

Wade is in China, and we can only hope it’s because he’s hot on the heels of the Mr. Hyde of SVW, China Klay. In any case, he’s paused on his hunt for a quick round of golf and I am not a fan nor knowledgeable of that sport but could they not get him a taller club?

Rating: Fore out of five.

Manu Ginóbili

Aside from being in Vancouver, this looks like a nice trip for Main Manu and the entire Ginóbili family. I like to think that he’s getting familiar with the places DeMar DeRozan once set foot in before coming to Toronto for the main event, so he will have some skin in the conversation when Deebo brings up all the things he misses about Canada.

Rating: I’ll let my famous saying about Vancouver speak for itself—“Once you’ve sea-n one wall, you’ve seen ‘em all.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Oh my goooosh, look at our little gladiator ROMEin’ around, checking off all the sights and staying, considerately to his GF and the general public, low to the ground. My only hope is that we get a shot of Giannis high-fiving Christ in The Last Judgement, on the ceiling of the ol’ Sistine. He’d only really have to stretch on tip toes to do it.

Rating: Watch out, Eternal City, there’s a new cooler, younger, taller, Pope in town.

Lou Williams

Paris continues to be big and so does standing or sitting on some type of plinth. The supposed 6th man of the year (Fred VanVleet was robbed) has chosen either onyx or ebony, could also be a big Bose speaker just flipped around, to stand on and do the funny gag. Look how happy he is.

Rating: 6th man to attempt this gag on this particular day, maybe.

Boban Marjanović

Here’s Boban in a quarry of some kind, stalking toward the camera with his socks pulled high. Wouldn’t it be incredible if he gets really into BMX culture this year and is constantly almost caught wheelie-ing the white hot sides of the L.A. River? The LAPD are stumped, who is this giant shadow racing away every time on a tiny bike, leaving wet tire tracks all the way back to the Staple Center?

Rating: They’ll find some fancy pegs in Lonzo Ball’s locker, L.A. Boban rides again.

Jaylen Brown

Jaylen Brown is in Bali doing tarps off and fanny pack on, doing the kind of nervous smile one does on vacation when someone has pushed you into something you aren’t quite comfortable with. Out of frame I am imagining a pack of monkeys glaring at him with their beady eyes, rubbing their little paws together over what kind of gear they are going to nab off this guy.

Rating: An up-to-date rabies vaccine and one long look at the warnings, I hope.

Mirza Teletović

Ah yes, exactly the scene the Turkish folk poet Yunus Emre was attempting to set in his 13th century banger "Mirza at the Grand Bazaar."

Rating: Gives a whole new meaning to telenovela am I right?

Willy Hernangómez

Here we got a great, extremely contoured shot of Willy’s back as he soaks up the sun in the ancient port city of Cádiz, Spain.

Rating: How sweaty are you getting just looking at this? The answer is extremely.

Tim Hardaway Jr.

Double feature for THJ! What I wouldn’t give to get this in a slow-mo video but you gotta take your summer refreshers where you can get ‘em, folks. This is the exact yin to Willy’s yang (get your god damn minds out of the gutters) up there.

Rating: How quenched are you getting just looking at this? The answer is extremely.

Taj Gibson

Somebody wants to be this summer’s solo banana boat boy! Taj is floatin’ in the ocean off the coast of Pesaro, which is way up on the back side of the top of Italy’s boot, on what looks to be a rescue device but is maybe just some kind of Euro pool floatie more streamlined than the traditional mattress. In case there was any doubt that he’s fully in the Eat portion of his Eat, Pray, Love offseason, here he is giggling and having some spaghetti,

Rating: He’ll be sad when it’s time to say goodbye to this trip.

Malcolm Delaney

The Hawks guard has scooted a little farther south for a break in Miami where he’s getting some assistance getting on, or else a chauffeured ride on, this jet-ski. No reason to be out here having fun but not being safe.

Rating: As the SVW rhyme goes—“A ski on land, hold a friend’s hand. A ski on the water, let’s not repeat Sean Kingston’s mistakes.”

Sam Dekker

Double Dekker’s just the latest to be captivated this offseason by the Greek Islands, but this dude’s on ‘em for his honeymoon. One thing’s for sure, I’ve never felt less cool than when I realized Sam Dekker and I have the same style of jumping off things into pristine waters, that is, somehow bunched way the hell up in our bodies and plugging our noses like little loser babies. Congratulations, Sam!

Rating: Enjoy all that water up your nose while Sam and I breathe easily from ours!

Matthew Dellavedova

Here we have my and summer’s natural enemy, Matthew Dellavedova, holding onto a hammerhead shark with his eyes squeezed shut, praying for the photo to get taken so he can put it down. You know what, Delly? Why even pick it up in the first place? How would you like it if someone was hanging onto you by the butt and the back and lofting you high above your home? Come to think of it that must be what dunking feels like, but without the debilitating terror because the ball is not a misunderstood creature. Not that you would know what it feels like to do that.

Rating: I won’t.

Cameron Payne

Wherever Payne is—and he looks as confused about it as I am—he should stay there as long as possible, in that exact same shirt, wearing those exact same steampunk shades, squinting off into the exact same middle distance, because lord knows what’s happening to and for the Bulls this season.

Rating: If thou gaze long into an infinity pool, the infinity pool will also gaze into thee.

Marco Belinelli

I promised myself I wouldn’t cry, but I can’t help picturing Bellinelli fluttering out this big, Turkish beach towel for two in a place called “Fliper & Chiller” on the Balearic Islands as the same welcoming gesture he will make to my eternal guy DeMar DeRozan this season back in San Antonio. Belli I’ve never needed you more.

Rating: Sobbing. But this beach looks nice.

John Wall

Like catching someone mid-sneeze, blowing out birthday candles, or the second they start to hurl going down the last huge hill on a roller coaster, the moment this photo was taken it became Summer Vacation For John Wall.

Rating: Extremely end of July.

NBA Summer Vacation: Emotion of the Oceans published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

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amtushinfosolutionspage · 6 years

Text

NBA Summer Vacation: Emotion of the Oceans

Marc Gasol

Rating: Just Marc Gasol, absolutely doing the most.

JaVale McGee

Rating: 9021UH OH!

James Harden

Steph Curry

Rating: Oh (splash) brother.

Dwyane Wade

Rating: Fore out of five.

Manu Ginóbili

Rating: I’ll let my famous saying about Vancouver speak for itself—“Once you’ve sea-n one wall, you’ve seen ‘em all.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Rating: Watch out, Eternal City, there’s a new cooler, younger, taller, Pope in town.

Lou Williams

Rating: 6th man to attempt this gag on this particular day, maybe.

Boban Marjanović

Rating: They’ll find some fancy pegs in Lonzo Ball’s locker, L.A. Boban rides again.

Jaylen Brown

Rating: An up-to-date rabies vaccine and one long look at the warnings, I hope.

Mirza Teletović

Ah yes, exactly the scene the Turkish folk poet Yunus Emre was attempting to set in his 13th century banger “Mirza at the Grand Bazaar.”

Rating: Gives a whole new meaning to telenovela am I right?

Willy Hernangómez

Here we got a great, extremely contoured shot of Willy’s back as he soaks up the sun in the ancient port city of Cádiz, Spain.

Rating: How sweaty are you getting just looking at this? The answer is extremely.

Tim Hardaway Jr.

Rating: How quenched are you getting just looking at this? The answer is extremely.

Taj Gibson

Rating: He’ll be sad when it’s time to say goodbye to this trip.

Malcolm Delaney

Rating: As the SVW rhyme goes—“A ski on land, hold a friend’s hand. A ski on the water, let’s not repeat Sean Kingston’s mistakes.”

Sam Dekker

Rating: Enjoy all that water up your nose while Sam and I breathe easily from ours!

Matthew Dellavedova

Rating: I won’t.

Cameron Payne

Rating: If thou gaze long into an infinity pool, the infinity pool will also gaze into thee.

Marco Belinelli

Rating: Sobbing. But this beach looks nice.

John Wall

Rating: Extremely end of July.

NBA Summer Vacation: Emotion of the Oceans syndicated from https://australiahoverboards.wordpress.com

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biofunmy · 5 years

Text

N.B.A. Midseason Power Rankings: The Clippers Have Room to Improve

Halfway through what was ambitiously billed as a wide-open season featuring more potential champions than usual in the N.B.A., three teams have separated themselves.

The Milwaukee Bucks and the co-tenants of the Staples Center in Los Angeles — LeBron James’s Lakers and Kawhi Leonard’s Clippers — are in a tier of their own at the top. That’s the more realistic way to look at the league after it passed the 615-game mark on Thursday on a regular-season schedule that features 1,230.

To fully sort out the N.B.A.’s 1-to-30 landscape, as is customary here at this juncture, I have reconvened what is known as the Committee (of One) to assemble a team-by-team progress report in the form of N.B.A. Power Rankings.

What used to be a weekly endeavor for me is only a once-a-season undertaking every January now. But the committee’s mission is the same as it has been since it was founded for the 2002-3 season.

The aim is to produce a more up-to-date and detailed assessment than the standings do, measuring what is happening in the present against each team’s big-picture outlook — with dollops of subjectivity and whimsy thrown in.

Want more basketball in your inbox? Sign up for Marc Stein’s weekly N.B.A. newsletter here.

Statistics were current through Friday’s games.

1. Milwaukee Bucks

So much for the notion that this team can’t prove anything to its critics until the postseason. Milwaukee has managed to stay uber-focused anyway, riding its No. 2 offense and No. 1 defense to establish a 70-win pace and, more important, hush much of the speculation about Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future. The Bucks are an obvious No. 1, while a better-than-ever Antetokounmpo closes in on a second consecutive Most Valuable Player Award despite playing only 30.8 minutes per game.

2. Los Angeles Lakers

Apart from a four-game losing streak in December and some Kyle Kuzma trade speculation, Lakerland has largely been devoid of drama for as long as the committee can remember. The worry, of course, is that the Lakers are relying too heavily on two players, but LeBron James and Anthony Davis look every ounce the dream pairing they appeared to be on paper — while Frank Vogel has stepped into a coaching caldron as gracefully as he could have hoped.

3. Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers are one of just five teams that rank in the top 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency (alongside Milwaukee, Boston, Utah and the Lakers) despite the fact that Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have together played in just 18 games (14-4). As sluggish as the Clippers have looked since their impressive second-half comeback against the Lakers on Christmas, their considerable room for improvement before the playoffs begin on April 18 makes them scary.

4. Denver Nuggets

The committee has been pushing for the ever-deliberate Nuggets to liven up a sleepy trade season by trying to swing a splashy deal for a difference-maker like New Orleans guard Jrue Holiday. The counter to such requests: Denver believes Michael Porter Jr., who finally appears healthy enough to take on a regular role, may provide the jolt the Nuggets need to threaten the Lakers and Clippers — even with Nikola Jokic gradually emerging from his slow start.

5. Toronto Raptors

The N.B.A.’s defending champions rank among this season’s leaders in games lost to injury. Toronto also happens to be on a 54-win pace despite its injury issues and the departures of Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green to Los Angeles, which have only enhanced the reputations of Pascal Siakam, Kyle Lowry and Coach Nick Nurse. Although the Raptors would surely take it as disrespect in the wake of their title run, Canada’s team is on this season’s list of pleasant surprise teams.

6. Boston Celtics

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have overcome the disappointment of a humbling seventh-place finish with U.S.A. Basketball at the FIBA World Cup in China last summer to play their way into All-Star contention. And Kemba Walker has allowed Boston to smoothly move on from the messy end of the Kyrie Irving era. In few corners, though, are the Celtics considered a legitimate title threat. Thus, it’ll be interesting to watch how (Trader) Danny Ainge proceeds.

7. Miami Heat

Jimmy Butler and the Heat were right: He has been a perfect fit on South Beach. Butler, who described himself in an October interview as “a little extra at times,” has given Miami a true foundational player alongside the surprise All-Star candidate Bam Adebayo. The Heat still have roster holes — and some of their success owes to a fortuitous 6-0 record in overtime games — but they’re making a bid for the East’s No. 2 seed that no one saw coming.

8. Utah Jazz

The Jazz are 10-1 since trading for Jordan Clarkson and have picked up the pace after a 12-10 start largely because Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert have been playing at an All-Star level. The problem: Mike Conley (hamstring) missed 19 of 20 games before returning Saturday against the Sacramento Kings and was struggling to adapt to his new surroundings when he did play. Is Salt Lake City, specifically the Jazz offense, big enough for Conley and Joe Ingles? Utah’s postseason success may ride on the answer.

9. Indiana Pacers

Nate McMillan must figure prominently in any coach of the year discussion for helping steer the Pacers into a 53-win pace without Victor Oladipo, his All-Star guard, who is finally scheduled to return on Jan. 29 after needing more than a year to recover from a torn quad tendon in his right knee. Indiana should get at least one All-Star — Malcolm Brogdon or Domantas Sabonis — as a reward for being so good without Oladipo.

10. Dallas Mavericks

The (theoretical) rules of stardom say we can’t call Luka Doncic a true superstar until we see him in the playoffs. The reality is that Doncic, in his second season, has consistently been one of the league’s six best players alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, James Harden, LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Kawhi Leonard. The 20-year-old has revitalized the Mavericks, who have done the same for the Knicks castoff Tim Hardaway Jr. while trying to nurse Kristaps Porzingis back to top form.

11. Houston Rockets

Admit it: James Harden and Russell Westbrook, as collaborators for the league’s No. 2 offense, have meshed better than expected in their reunion on the Rockets. That hasn’t been enough, mind you, to prevent the sort of regression that Rockets fans feared was coming after the Chris Paul-for-Westbrook deal. Houston’s problems are depth, defense and age — with little for an ever-aggressive front office to peddle in search of trade upgrades.

12. Philadelphia 76ers

Remember when we were all so curious about which team would finish No. 3 in the East because Milwaukee and Philadelphia seemed so certain to occupy the top two spots? The Sixers’ road woes (7-14 before Saturday’s game against the Knicks) and lack of dependable perimeter shooting have consigned Joel Embiid and Co. to an underwhelming sixth seed. That has spawned a much more unflattering question: Will the Sixers even have home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs?

13. Oklahoma City Thunder

In a season filled with surprise teams, the Thunder are right up there with Miami, Indiana, Dallas and Memphis. With Chris Paul proving he remains an elite player and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander quickly moving toward that level, Oklahoma City’s season is reminiscent of its 47-35 campaign in 2016-17 after losing Kevin Durant in free agency. Maybe the Thunder will trade Steven Adams, Danilo Gallinari or Dennis Schroeder. Or maybe they won’t and will instead gear up for an unexpected playoff run.

14. Memphis Grizzlies

I said so the other day on Twitter and it bears repeating: Not a soul predicted, when Memphis allowed Andre Iguodala to wait at home while it tries to trade him to a contender, that the Grizzlies themselves would join the playoff race. Huge credit goes to Ja Morant, the runaway favorite for the Rookie of the Year Award, and Grizzlies Coach Taylor Jenkins, Morant’s fellow rookie, for considerably speeding up this historically plodding, Grit n’ Grind-minded team.

15. San Antonio Spurs

Just when it seemed safe to finally write off the Spurs, one playoff berth short of a record 23rd in a row, San Antonio turned its season around by persuading LaMarcus Aldridge to embrace the 3-pointer. The resultant uptick in Aldridge’s game, as well as in that of DeMar DeRozan, suddenly has the Spurs looking capable of rising out of the deepest plague of mediocrity to infect the Western Conference in more than 20 years and seizing the No. 8 seed.

16. Orlando Magic

It was inevitable that the Magic would have to deal with some injuries after enjoying near-flawless health last season, but the forgiving nature of the Eastern Conference beyond its top six should allow them to reach the playoffs again. The committee’s primary interest here continues to be the Markelle Fultz comeback; Orlando Coach Steve Clifford told us in mid-November that Fultz would be “at another level” after 30 more games. He appears to have nailed that prediction.

17. New Orleans Pelicans

Nothing illuminates the uncharacteristic shallowness in the West than the Pelicans’ ability to maintain playoff hope after a 6-22 start in which they were hit with the double whammy of a lengthy string of injuries and a difficult early schedule. Yet New Orleans suddenly becomes a must-watch team on Wednesday, when Zion Williamson is expected to make his regular-season debut after a knee injury that sidelined him for 13 weeks.

18. Nets

Misguided talk about how the Nets didn’t really miss Kyrie Irving faded by the end of their 26-game stretch without him. Going 13-13 was certainly passable, but the Nets lost seven of eight before Irving’s Jan. 12 return. With Kevin Durant still expected to miss the entire season after tearing his Achilles’ tendon last June, Nets officials know they have to keep Irving and Caris LeVert healthy alongside Spencer Dinwiddie to nab a second successive playoff berth.

19. Phoenix Suns

The Suns’ 7-4 start proved to be a desert mirage. The newcomers Ricky Rubio, Aron Baynes and Coach Monty Williams have injected some savvy and stability after Phoenix’s nine consecutive seasons out of the playoffs, but the Suns clearly need more (and a lot more from Deandre Ayton) to end that drought. Things could get worse before they get better, too, with a road-heavy remaining schedule and a talent-laden West impeding Devin Booker’s quest for his first All-Star nod.

20. Portland Trail Blazers

The heartwarming vibes generated by Carmelo Anthony’s successful comeback in the Pacific Northwest have been overshadowed by Portland’s precipitous fall to a sub-.500 enigma this season. In training camp, the Blazers talked up their chances of being true contenders after reaching the Western Conference finals last season. Injuries beyond the ongoing absences of Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins have been a factor, but no team, in truth, has fallen further short of expectations.

21. Minnesota Timberwolves

Karl-Anthony Towns’s 15-game injury absence — ending with his return against Indiana on Friday — gives the Wolves a reasonable excuse for slumping after a 10-8 start. Yet the rush to trade the veteran guard Jeff Teague to Atlanta, along with their reported attempts to resume the pursuit of D’Angelo Russell via trade talks with Golden State, is a strong indication that Minnesota’s new front office team, headed by Gersson Rosas, is itching to change the cast around Towns.

22. Detroit Pistons

Blake Griffin is out indefinitely with continuing knee trouble that recently required yet another surgery. Andre Drummond is being shopped widely before the Feb. 6 trade deadline. And Reggie Jackson (back) still isn’t playing. The ongoing Derrick Rose renaissance and the fun development of the league’s youngest player, Sekou Doumbouya, cannot mask the reality that the Pistons, to their credit, have begun to embrace: It’s time to start over.

23. Chicago Bulls

The N.B.A. world will soon descend upon the Windy City for the league’s 69th All-Star Game. League observers will then resume trying to figure out what the Bulls’ plan is to get back to the playoffs amid what may be a third successive season with fewer than 30 wins. Once the All-Star party leaves town, Chicago will have nothing left to distract us from the curious struggles of Lauri Markkanen and lingering doubts about Jim Boylen’s fit as coach.

24. Sacramento Kings

For all the reasonable rationalizations that can be offered for the Kings’ plight, given their string of injuries (including health setbacks for De’Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley) and the effects of an energy-sapping October trip to India, no one in Sacramento wants to hear any of that. Not after 13 consecutive nonplayoff seasons that, barring an unlikely second-half surge, will soon be 14. Pressure is undoubtedly mounting on General Manager Vlade Divac’s regime.

25. Charlotte Hornets

The Hornets were supposed to be much worse, but the combination of a soft first-half schedule, their league-leading eight victories in the crapshoot of one-possession games (8-6) — those decided by 3 points or fewer — and a wholly unexpected breakout for the unheralded Devonte’ Graham have enabled them to stay within range of a playoff spot. The reality, though, is that Charlotte took a six-game losing streak into the weekend — and that the top eight teams in the East are most likely set.

26. Knicks

The Knicks stand as the league’s only team to make an in-season coaching change after firing David Fizdale on Dec. 6. The players are indeed playing harder — and winning a bit more frequently — under their interim coach, Mike Miller. Unfortunately, incremental improvement can’t dilute the disappointment of RJ Barrett’s rookie struggles, Kevin Knox’s regression and Mitchell Robinson’s absence from the starting lineup. It has been an even colder winter than feared at Madison Square Garden.

27. Washington Wizards

The Wizards can’t trade their highly coveted shooting guard Bradley Beal until the off-season, and they insist they are unwilling to trade their highly coveted sharpshooter Davis Bertans before the Feb. 6 trade deadline. With the star guard John Wall still recovering from a torn Achilles’ tendon, that leaves little to discuss in the nation’s capital from a pro basketball perspective. That is, apart from Beal’s recent outburst in which he suggested he would “keep blowing up” unless Washington starts “changing our culture.”

28. Golden State Warriors

Jarring as it is to see Golden State down this far, after five consecutive trips to the N.B.A. finals, rival teams better enjoy it while they can. Stephen Curry (broken left hand) and Klay Thompson (knee surgery) will rejoin Draymond Green next season, with the Warriors happily focused now on developing prospects like Eric Paschall and Damion Lee while letting the new Chase Center serve as the star attraction — and waiting to see how high they finish in the draft lottery.

29. Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavaliers gave Kevin Love a contract extension that makes him difficult to trade. Then they gave their new coach, John Beilein, an even longer contract that compels them to stick with the former Michigan man even though Beilein has predictably labored to connect with N.B.A. players after making the jump from college to the pros at age 66. There is some young talent here, but it’s difficult to get past the two major conundrums Cleveland faces.

30. Atlanta Hawks

Second-guessing is a daily way of life for teams that passed over Luka Doncic in the 2018 draft. In the Hawks’ case, however, it’s really Cam Reddish’s struggles that make this such a sore subject. For all his defensive deficiencies, Trae Young is in All-Star contention because of his offensive brilliance, even on team that is 10-33 after its loss against Detroit on Saturday. But Atlanta needed to hit on the extra pick it received from Dallas in the Doncic-Young swap. Reddish, to put it kindly, isn’t hitting.

Sahred From Source link Sports

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mastcomm · 5 years

Text

N.B.A. Midseason Power Rankings: The Clippers Have Room to Improve

Halfway through what was ambitiously billed as a wide-open season featuring more potential champions than usual in the N.B.A., three teams have separated themselves.

What used to be a weekly endeavor for me is only a once-a-season undertaking every January now. But the committee’s mission is the same as it has been since it was founded for the 2002-3 season.

Want more basketball in your inbox? Sign up for Marc Stein’s weekly N.B.A. newsletter here.

Statistics were current through Friday’s games.

1. Milwaukee Bucks

2. Los Angeles Lakers

3. Los Angeles Clippers

4. Denver Nuggets

5. Toronto Raptors

6. Boston Celtics

7. Miami Heat

8. Utah Jazz

9. Indiana Pacers

10. Dallas Mavericks

11. Houston Rockets

12. Philadelphia 76ers

13. Oklahoma City Thunder

14. Memphis Grizzlies

15. San Antonio Spurs

16. Orlando Magic

17. New Orleans Pelicans

18. Nets

19. Phoenix Suns

20. Portland Trail Blazers

21. Minnesota Timberwolves

22. Detroit Pistons

23. Chicago Bulls

24. Sacramento Kings

25. Charlotte Hornets

26. Knicks

27. Washington Wizards

28. Golden State Warriors

29. Cleveland Cavaliers

30. Atlanta Hawks

from WordPress https://mastcomm.com/sport/n-b-a-midseason-power-rankings-the-clippers-have-room-to-improve/

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jrueships · 3 years

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What wips do you have rn 👀 elaborate pspspspsp

Too many wips.. thats what I have rn.. too many...

WJBFJEBF so the ones I'm most focusing on rn is the spiderman! Donovan/royce au!! So far I wrote the whole exposition and I'm working on the 'enticing incident' LMFAO it's upgraded from my last summary so I have more to write because I'm insane but yeah! It's the one I want done the most but I'm also gonna go on a trip with my buds to this place without wifi for like? Four days so 😭 I might have to finish it there and wait forever until I can post it! And I'm still unsure about the ending!!! THE STRUGGLE

a shorter fic I have in mind still is the russell waiting for kd at a table for two but he never shows up fic! I just really like writing russell widjsbf but not much action happens there! Many just dialogue and a lot of pg fashion/life roasting from Russell's inner dialogue. He's very judgemental of people who give off douchebag frat bro vibes but can't help but feel intrigued by them JABFJWB oh and he makes fun of pg simping for gold diggers

The fics I have written partly but put back in the burner are my donovan/jaylen fic, marcus/giannis, pg/kawhi jealousy fic, pg/kawhi sm*t fic, pg/kawhi space au, and john/trae patroclus and Achilles au! Mainly because they're super long and I get nervous about writing them too much and wasting all my muse on one thing, so I get scared and back off 😭 but I'll tell u the basic summary of them!!

💙 donovan/jaylen fic is based off the idea of donovan going grocery shopping and getting all mad at the thought of the clippers LMFAO. Basically he's at a grocery store getting flowers for his sports medicine doctor for always putting up with his bullshit (never wanting to sit down and relax so he can actually heal. Playing through the pain). But as he shops, he keeps finding the simplest shit that reminds him of the clippers. Like he sees a claw machine and thinks about Kawhi and how collected that guy is, just chillin in the upper stands, while his team is facing a possible defeat. Donny gets all frustrated because like?? He can't just do that? Just sit back and chill while his team is playing without him? Donny HAS to help, has to GET OUT THERE!! kawhi Doesn't... but kawhi is the one who won a championship. And donovan starts doubting his leadership skills and if he's really good for his team.. if he let them down by being Too pushy and Too in their faces.

+ and then when he's getting a cute card to go with the flowers, he spots one that says "you're the man!!" And he thinks about terance Mann and his great game against them, how proud pg, basically his mentor, was of him. And it makes donovan think about his loss and how he couldn't get that same pride out of Dwyane Wade.

Overall, everything makes him feel useless af and he almost kicks a shelf out of anger. But he calms himself down and goes back to the flowers because he actually only got this little dinky green plant still struggling to bloom? He got it for himself because he felt bad for it LMAO but he still needs to get flowers for his sports medicine doctor. He's goes back to the flower section and who does he see? JAYLEN BROWN all gussied up in his depression fit LMFAO.. but they both are. Jaylen and him try to joke but they're both tired and awkward so it sucks IABDKSBD they basically just ask what the other is doing there. Jaylen is just traveling rn because he got nothin else to do IWBDKS but he bought Deuce a souvenir gift! And he asks Donovan if he can help him put it in his trunk (but really he doesn't need donovan's help. He can pick the toy up himself. He just knows that Donovan is too stubborn to accept help when he needs it but he'll always try helping others out! So he wants donny to think he's helping jaylen but in reality jaylen is trying to help HIm because at the car he invites Donovan to go meet up at a hotel with him where they kiss and have sad *** to make themselves feel better WKBFKSBX) that's basically it!!!! I have literally everything written but the *** scene they're literally my weakness.. I love the emotions they make but I hate.. describing the actions it takes to make them?? Idk I just feel cheesy writing it? It's very tedious and boring to actually crank my brain for a synonym to 'moan' because I'm tired of using that word but it's the only word that really applies to that situation without sounding weird, yknow?? Just very tedious

💙💙💙 OK so marcus/giannis idk bro like... it's just taking so long IWBKENF idk what to say except giannis makes a ton of small jokes at marcus

💙💙 OK so pg/kawhi jealousy fic... BASICALLY the plot is LeBron hosts some big rich guy party for the NBA because I need a reason to write all these people that live far apart interacting together OKAY??? But anyways it takes place after 2020 lakers winning the championship! Pg convince the clippers to come or else they'll look bad for being the only team not coming and they media will have a field day with them, so the clippers join the party. Basically everyone who later team up in 2021 are talking to eachother LMFAO like James hardon+kyrie+kd are talking while russell westbrook and beal are bonding over dance moves with a jealous John wall pouting in the corner. Obligatory Marcus and giannis interactions because I can. Kyle and demar are laughing together. It's all goood until LeBron waltzes over with his weird ass feet and starts talking to kawhi. Hes being all Handsome and Strong and lowkey flexing his win. Its starting to make pg suspicious so he keeps intruding upon the conversation. His inner dialogue is basically a ton of lebron hate KABFKWB. LeBron sometimes comments back to pg but ends up kinda tuning him outta the conversation and sly dissing him to kawhi like "how does it feel talking to someone who doesn't hit the side of the backboard lol"

Pg is starting to get nervous because he's trying to compete against LEBRON over who's the better teammate for kawhi.. and with his current playoff history.. he's not gonna win. He keeps trying to get kawhi out of the conversation, but lebron keeps drawing him back in and pg ends up giving up or he risks looking like an overbearing girlfriend.. So he slinks off in hopes of distracting himself. Originally, pg thought KAWHI would be the one standing all alone awkwardly in the room with no one to talk to, but it's slowly becoming HIM who's the lonely one LMFAO. He tries joining in bradley and Russ's conversation because HEY!! Everybody leaves russ! Russ must be SUUUPER lonely and DESPERATE for someone to talk to him‼ especially when his old ex durant is out there plotting with his two hydra heads!! paul thought, anyways, but finds out russ is actually having the time of his life clowning around with beal !! That just makes pg even more envious and he walks away with zero satisfaction of feeling superior JABDJSB he tries talking to John wall like "this party fuckin sucks bro" but John kinda barks at him and pg gives up. He tries talking to marcus and giannis but that was a mistake because the two smartiest smartasses in the room start roasting him together so he's shunned back to pretending like he's getting 700 thirsty women in his dms, AKA pretending like he got a text on his phone while he leans alone on a wall LMFAO. After glancing up periodically (and casually) to see if kawhi is still talking to lebron, he later gives up on playing popular and goes to hide in the bathroom like a fucking loser WHDJBFJEBD in summary he kinda broods and steams about how much he hates lebron and how he's 'so much better than him' and he's just thinking of petty insults against him to try and convince the kawhi in his mind not to leave him for lebron. He gets really mad and punches a mirror, but thank God lebron is playing bass boosted music so no one at the party hears it.

But, demar ends up knocking on the door. He needs to shit. So pg is like.. what do I do with this broken mirror and my bleeding hand.. so he tries to keep demar out and they banter and eventually demar notices its kinda weird for pg to be huddled up in the bathroom instead of partying.. he must be getting high or smthin. So he's like "that's fucking stupid. He can go get high in one of lebrons 700 rooms. Why The bathroom." So he just opens the door LANKDN and sees The Scene.

At first he's like "are u paying for that.." to which pg responds with "uhhh. I tripped and hit my head on it" (while clutching a bleeding fist) but then he realizes OHHH pg must be ... OH is he.. no.. he can't be limp wristed... blah blah they end up bonding over their funny situations: demar being jealous of kawhi and feeling like kyle thinks he sucks because of him. Pg being jealous of lebron and feeling like kawhi thinks he sucks because of him. Blah blah it's a bittersweet ending pg becomes a little less of a jerk blah blah I haven't finished it because I'm stupid and WEAK

💙💙💙💙 pg/kawhi space au is just too long I have to be in the mood to write it or I end up dismissing good details I could have included if i wasn't in such a burnt out mind!

💙💙💙 pg/kawhi sm*t fic I gotta be in the mood to detail the h*rny right 😭😭

💙💙💙 john/trae patroclus and Achilles is mainly just an idea but with no plot!

But yeah!!! Those are SOME of my wips!! This post is really long tho so I'll just shout out those!!!@ thank u for the interest tho that's so cute 😭😭😭 it helps me write more when I have a plot lined up to look off of and remember ideas so this is really helpful to me too!!! I'll be shocked if u read this far tbh!! But anyways THANK U ALWAYS FOR THE ASKS, ANON!!!!!

#ted asks #this one is so long #ted drabbles

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