#whats the ship name for carrie and devin?

[destinygoldenstar]

My thoughts on Total Drama Next Generation cast so far

I said this before, I don’t like making judgements on characters until I’ve seen a full episode. So I don’t want to say I love or hate anybody just yet.

I also said that these looked like children of past cast members because of similar design features, and I stand by that still.

For clarification:

-Millie is the Lesharold kid, because of Leshawna’s body type, skin tone, and hair, and she has Harold’s hair fringe

-Ripper is the Nowen kid. EVERYONE has said this. And Ripper? JACK THE RIPPER, HELLO?

-Axel is the Duncney kid. HEAR ME OUT. She has Courtney’s skin tone. She has Duncan’s piercings. Duncan’s eye shape but Courtney’s eye color. She has a black top like Duncan did, and she has a white undershirt like Courtney did. The body shape is Courtney’s! 

-Chase is the MikexZoey kid. That may be a stretch, but to be, he has Mike’s face and skin tone, Mike influenced hair (even if it’s not exact), and he’s wearing red like Zoey did. How he’s more buff than Mike...? Idk, maybe that’s from his mom’s side.

-Caleb is the StephaniexRyan kid. I don’t think I need to explain this one. But good lord, if he’s actually their kid, then that’s a SERIOUS abusive household backstory he has going on. Maybe Caleb’s considered ‘the hot one’ by everyone as a way to cope with this, even if deep down, he’s a bisexual man. If you’ve seen the other poster I can’t show for internet reasons, I think you know what I’m talking about.

-Nichelle is the GwenxCameron kid. I DO NOT like the ship, but I can’t ignore this. Cameron’s skin tone, Gwen’s eyes. How her hair is blonde...? Idk, Gwen’s hair is dyed, so she might have been born blonde. 

-Julia is the SamxDakota kid. Idk, she just gives that vibe to me. I like the ripped jeans as well, I think that’s the best way I can explain it. Plus it’s cute to me.

-Bowie is the LeonardxTammy kid. Leonard’s skin. Leonard’s head. Tammy’s hair. 

-Wayne is the Gidgette kid. I WANTED to say that Wayne and Raj are brothers, BUT then Wayne wouldn’t be a Gidgette kid because Raj has NOTHING resembling Geoff or Bridgette. 

-Raj, but he DOES have a GeoffxBrody vibe. That’s WIERD to think about anyway. But hey, maybe they share the same dad in Geoff and they’re a happy surfer trio

Bridgette: “This is my husband Geoff and his husband Brody”

-Emma, a LindsayxBeth kid?? I WANT to say Lindsay and Tyler, but no, there’s nothing Tyler about her. She has Beth’s body type and side, and I don’t think I need to explain the blonde hair and blue eyes. I WOULD say Carrie and Devin because of the chin, but Carrie doesn’t have blue eyes, and neither does Devin.

-MK. THIS is the girl I have my eyes on. I am not the biggest Ezekiel fan, BUT with that said, she IS ‘Reverse Ezekiel’. You cannot convince me otherwise. She has the beanie and sweater, giving a homeschool vibe, just like Zeke did. I DO NOT think she’s Ezekiel’s ‘kid’, but she could be related to him. In that sense, I think they could do with her what they didn’t do with Zeke. 

In that sense, MK’s a finalist. She’s lasting to the very end.

The others, I don’t know yet. Damien MIGHT be a Lightning kid, but I don’t know for sure. (And no AleHeather kid? Me sad :( )

Now for my thoughts on the designs and names:

I love the designs. I know they’re not as out there as Paketiew, but I love them for that. These look like teenagers that could exist in the real world. These look like relatable characters.

And tbh, the reason I never included the other gens in my tier lists was because I never had much to say about them. I don’t count Ridonculous Race since that’s a spin off, BUT I do like that cast too, for the most part. 

The problem ISN’T ‘new gen casts and ditching the old cast is bad’. Danganronpa has 3 main games, ALL with new casts, and they’re ALL good in their own ways. It’s that the new casts are just not interesting characters compared to the first gen. They could have been! 

The Revenge cast is fine, but they’re horribly underutilized, especially with giving them only 13 episodes and jumping into All Stars.

And Paketiew... well, to be nice about it, I HATE the Paketiew cast. Except maybe Jasmine & Shawn. But that’s it. 

So, with 2 new seasons for this cast, this COULD be a redemption, to make this cast as loveable as the OGs. They’ll have the screen time to achieve that.

The names though? I’m... mixed on that. 

I like some of the names. Priya, Axel, Chase, Zee, Caleb, Nichelle, Julia, I LOVE those. Those are great.

But unless Nowen’s related, Ripper just... does NOT give a Ripper vibe to me. That might be a me issue. He could end up being my favorite character.

Scary Girl...

This MIGHT be a plot twist later on what her real name is, or it could be a gag, BUT, if it’s NOT, then what the heck is the point? Give her a real name! Until we find out, I’m calling her Quinn!

We have another Emma. Come on, why not Emily? That’s similar, but we don’t have an Emily yet. Maybe she has a nickname like Em? That’d work.

And then Bowie’s just a me problem. That doesn’t slip off the tongue well for me.

And for who I think the finalists are?

Like I said, MK. And...?

IDK, ROTI had two boys, so maybe this has two girls to balance things out?

In that sense, MAYBE Axel. She gives quite a but of main character vibes for me. But I’m not counting on it. All I know is that she’s probably, definitely, merging.

I feel like Millie, Ripper, Quinn, & Caleb are also merging. I would put my money on Caleb, Axel, and MK being my faves. But again, I’m NOT counting on it yet. I could end up hating them in the show.

Oh, and one last thing, the gay rep that I’m seeing? I’m CONCERNED. SERIOUSLY CONCERNED.

It looks to be Caleb and Bowie from the poster, and if the Caleb character arc I’m thinking of is real, then MAYBE it’ll work and they bring the best in each other. But I’m not getting good vibes from Bowie, and it looks like he’s gonna be a gay joke. 

Please don’t be toxic. Please don’t be toxic. Please don’t be toxic. 

So yeah, that’s all I have to say so far.

[liketheancientolympians]

Total Drama Incorrect Quotes

Jo: *points at Brick* A human turtleneck, *points at Anne Maria* a narcissistic monster *point at Lightning* and literally the dumbest person I’ve ever met

Lightning: And who am I? Describe me now.

___

Anne Maria: Why are your tongues purple?   

Jo: We had slushies. I had a blue one.

Brick: I had a red one.

Anne Maria: oh  

Anne Maria: OH

Lightning: You drank each others slushies?     

___

Brick: *screams*

Jo: *screams louder to assert dominance*  

Zoey: Should we do something?

 Anne Maria, observing: No, I wanna see who wins this.

___

Dave: Can I have your number?

Sky, visibly texting: I don’t have a phone.

___

Duncan: Talk dirty to me~

Courtney: Inflation is a serious problem and the lumber prices are too high.

Duncan: Wha-

Courtney: The economy is in shambles.

___

Owen: We have a problem.

Noah: No, YOU have a problem. I have an idiot who keeps making them.

___

Owen: This was almost a great idea.

Noah: You just described 90% of our stuff.

___

Duncan: Are you ready to commit?

Gwen: Like, a crime or a relationship?

___

Brick: What are you in the mood for?        

Jo: World domination. 

Brick: That’s a bit ambitious.

Jo: You are my world.

Brick: Awww...     

Brick: Oh.

___

Tyler: I fell—

Lindsay: From heaven?

Tyler: No, I literally fell—

Lindsay: In love with me the moment you saw me?

Tyler: MY ARM IS BROKEN!

Lindsay: Okay, but do you think I'm pretty? Be honest 

___

Carrie: I’ve been dropping them the most insanely obvious hints for like a decade now. No response.

Devin: Wow. They sound stupid.

Carrie: But they’re not. They’re really smart actually. Just dense.

Devin: Maybe you need to be more obvious? Like, I don’t know… “Hey! I love you!”

Carrie: I guess you’re right. Hey Devin, I love you.

Devin: See! Just say that!

Carrie: Holy fucking shit.

Devin: If that flies over their head then, sorry Carrie, but they're too dumb for you.

Carrie: Devin.

___

Chris: Owen, you’ll be working with Justin and Izzy.

 Owen: All right! My fantasy threesome!  

 Everyone else: *stares*  

 Owen: …Of people on a team.

[courtney-deserved-better]

my opinion on td finalists

spoiler alert, im not a fan of most

TDI: Owen & Gwen

uh I personally don’t like either of these guys for finalists. gwen did do a lot but there were so many times where she just acted so apathetic I was like why?? are you still here?? and as for owen... I didnt like him as a character for a Long Time and he's growing on me but he just doesnt seem like finale material

I think a duncan versus leshawna finale would've been super fun to watch. especially if they teamed up to take down heather in the semifinal. those two had such a fun dynamic, especially in the triathlon episode, that I think taking it to the finale would've been fantastic. also leshawna deserved to win that season and you cannot change my mind

TDA: Duncan & Beth

duncan, while not my first choice, I can see making it through to the finale this season. but beth?? no. im sorry but shes just too much of a side character and is canonically fake nice and annoys everyone else so it doesn’t really make sense

an interesting finale would’ve been duncan versus courtney considering how volatile their relationship was this season. however, bc courtney was kinda awful to duncan, I dont think she deserves to win this season. it would be cool if there was one ending where their votes tied and they made up and decided to split the money but that just feels too tame, both for a finale and for their dynamic

harold versus duncan could be interesting, but because duncan tends to bully harold, I dont think his win would be fair in this situation. I think lindsay versus harold would be the best, as this season is about lindsay learning to take charge and come up with strategies, and while he can be off-putting and occasionally condescending, I think harold has a lot of useful skills that could really flourish in the finale

TDWT: Heather & Alejandro

while I dont ship them at all, I truly dont think there could've been a more satisfying final two. we’ve had their rivalry build up from day one, they have a ton of good songs together, it really completes heather’s arc of antagonist to antihero to protagonist. heather winning is the best ending in my mind, but I like  alejandro winning too. the only problem I have with his ending is that it only happened because heather threw in the wrong dummy-- I think it would’ve been more clever for him to have switched them or something like that

ive been thinking about some other final twos that I think would be interesting, though unable to top the canon one imo. gwen versus courtney would be really cool because of the friends turned enemies thing-- I think it would be interesting for courtney to be put in danger and gwen has a choice of saving her or going for the money and she save courtney before apologizing again (maybe dumping duncan) and the two make up and split the money. 

though I don’t really enjoy either as characters mostly due to their writing, cody and sierra would be an interesting final two. maybe cody finally stands up to sierra, or sierra struggles with wanting to be the winner of total drama or helping the boy she likes win. it definitely wouldn't be as good as the canon two but there would be a lot of clashing dynamics at play that'd be fun to explore

TDROTI: Lightning & Cameron

admittedly, I don’t remember too much from this season, but it really felt like these two kind of coasted by. I never found lightning to be a particularly compelling character and thought it weird how he suddenly went from dumb jock to evil jock in the last episode or two. cameron really felt like he was just carried through the season, similarly to beth, though I dont have as much as an issue with him winning. I dont think it was a bad finale, per se, I just think if those were the final two they should've been written better from the start

seeing as how jo really played the game and went all in, I think she would’ve been a great finalist. it would’ve been interesting to see her versus (commando?) zoey though im not the biggest zoey fan. I think a jo versus lightning finale could actually work (or brick) though if there was a jo versus cameron finale, I couldn't see him logically winning bc jo would just destroy him

TDAS: Mike & Zoey

*BIG FUCKING INHALE* no. just no. im probably not gonna say anything that’s not already been said so ill keep it short. bland, mal writing bad, have someone who's been in the game for 3 previous seasons instead of  1 make it to the ALL STARS FINALE. jfc.

you know what would’ve been an interesting finale? gwen versus courtney. they both said they wanted to reach the final two with the other one, so maybe they do! maybe they start to struggle with their friendship because of courtney’s competitive streak! maybe one of their helpers is duncan and that causes strife between them! maybe they become enemies again and don’t make up until the finale! maybe they decide to split the money! idk! it would've had a hell of a  lot more flavor than what we got

TDPI: Shawn & Sky

I don’t really have an issue with either of these characters making it to the finale. they’re compelling, worked hard, and have distinct goals. I would’ve liked to see jasmine in the finale but I'd be cool replacing either one with her: jasmine and shawn having to compete against one another would be an interesting relationship hurdle and sky versus jasmine would've been cool because they’re both very athletic and it would’ve been the first f vs f total drama finale (we've had m vs f and m vs m but no all-girl finales...)

TDRR: Surfer Dudes & Police Cadets

Again, I don’t really have an issue with this finale. I really like how Sanders and MacArthur both work hard in their own ways and have to learn how to work together (MacArthur breaking Sanders’ arm and realizing that she can negatively affect her partner and also that Sanders is super tough was a GREAT arc). I know there’s been some contention about the Surfer Dudes being eliminated and then coming back so late in the game, but it made sense to me. They chose to lose because they felt that they owed it to Devin and Carrie, and that choice paid off when Devin and Carrie called in a replacement team. I doubt the surfers expected that to happen, they were just trying to be fair, but that kindness was rewarded in a big way which I think was sweet, especially  considering how much of a hot mess this show can be. 

I gotta say, this does kinda remind me of the TDI finale, with the villain (heather/ice dancers) getting eliminated third, and their rival (gwen/police cadets) making it to the finale with the fun guy (owen/surfer dudes). The reason I like the Surfer Dudes as finalists more than Owen is that I felt they put in more effort during challenges and had more of an arc (with Josee’s mind games ending up bonding them as a team after strife, choosing to be eliminated for the sake of fairness, etc). 

Speaking of Owen, it’s kind of ironic that if I had to replace a team in the finale, I would replace the surfer dudes with the reality tv pros. they’re my favorite team and I think it wouldve been great for them to really live up to their name. I think it also would've been funny for the ice dancers to be so focused on their rivalry with the cadets that the pros just completely go under their radar until its the final three and the ice dancers are like “oh crap they’re PROS why haven't we been trying to destroy them??”

I also wouldn't mind replacing the surfer dudes with the sisters. I know emma gets a lot of hate (mostly because of nemma which I only like platonically) but I actually like her as a character (when she wasn’t being obsessive) and I think she and kitty were a great team that had a good arc of learning to work together. I also think it would be really interesting because for the final three they would all have rivalries with one another: the police cadets and the ice dancers (obvious) the ice dancers and the sisters (josee messed with them in at least 2 challenges) and the sister and the police cadets (kitty and macarthur’s game/road rage was hilarious)

[jolteonsblog]

last week, li'l ole joltie went to see ateez live in concert (crazy, right?) and here is what transpired hehe

WARNING: INTENSE AMOUNTS OF FANGIRLING AND KEYSMASHING.

wonderland (symphony no. 9)

AND THERE THEY ARE, THE EIGHT WONDERS OF THE WORLD THEMSELVES

the way i screamed-

the energy in the arena was off the charts

and it was at the first OH WE MUST GOING ONNNNN that it sunk in that i was witnessing these men performing live

*aggressively scream-raps mingi's verse*

and yes they did the evil stick bug move (my nickname for it)

quoth me at the iconic quadruple high note courtesy of a certain someone: CHOI JONGHO YOU MAGNIFICENT BASTARD

introductory ment

just seven little words: EIGHT MAKES ONE TEAM ANNYEONGHASEYO ATEEZ IMNIDA!

red joong! red captain!

"hello newark! HELLO!" - park seonghwa, 2022

yuyu my beloved :)

and yes, before you ask, yeosang is indeed a doberman

san really loves yellin huh

mingi's beautiful deep voice has me goin (❁´◡`❁)

"FIX ON IS BACK IN THE TOWN WASSUP" - song mingi, 2022

polite wooyo :) what a gentleman

baby maknae!

their english has improved so much i'm so proud

SEONGHWA ARE YOU WEARING A HARNESS

it's the beginning of the end of a looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong wait

OKAY SAILORS!

san growling is just 🥵

pirate king

and here we are, back at the beginning. the beginning of the end, that is hehe

STEP ONE TWO THREE AND ONE TWO THREE LET'S GOOOO

wooyo's jacket flip tho X﹏X

GET READY ATINYS WE'RE GONNA GO SAILING

vocals on point

say my name

time to ramp the energy up to eleven!

*from the top of my lungs* ATEEZ PRESENT

SAY MY NAME SAY MY NAME SAY MY NAAAAAAAAAME

ment #2

PARK SEONGHWA YOU ARE THIS CLOSE TO WRECKING MY BIAS LIST-

oh who am i kidding he already did

as someone who's used to his soft speaking voice, it came as quite a shock to hear him growling like that

but i digress

they've got a lot to say about how much they missed us atinys

more amazing english moments

"y'know time flies when we meet atinys!" "say that again?" "i love you :)"

treasure + precious

and once again, choi "power vocals" jongho is outdoing himself with his, well, power vocals

i legit thought that the precious bit was actually part of treasure but alas i was wrong

didn't stop it from slapping hard tho

and i am 100% convinced that mingi's deep-ass vocals were live

POP POP POP

high notes?? from kim hongjoong?? it's more likely than you think

utopia

okay, real talk here

before this, i didn't think much of utopia as one of my favorite songs

but thanks to a certain park seonghwa, it very well might add itself to the list

i mean HELLO?! PARK FUCKING SEONGHWA BELTING AN A5?!

is this heaven?

my dumbass thought it was san tho but hey ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

FINALLY NOW IT'S HWA'S TIME

better (korean ver.) + still here (korean ver.)

this was actually my first time hearing these songs, and i really enjoyed hearing them

really nice!

san's vocals in the beginning reminded me of a certain kim jongin's vocals....

quoth my friend devin at a certain moment between seongjoong: i ship it

wave

everybody sing with me now! GEONBAE GEONBAE-

aaaand they're dancing now. thought they'd spend the entirety of this track just vibing on the stage but no

they're doing their little dancey dance

i spy a jongsang headspin :)

and now for the immortal lines: HAKUNA MATATA YA

ment #3

chitchat time again

i legit screamed MARRY ME and hj answered with "i love you too!"

call me delusional, but i'm sticking to my claim that kim hongjoong noticed me that night

what's this? we're talking about dreams?

the fact that they got us all to chant 'daddy'-

eh, in their words, dreams come true

inception

i am absolutely loving the masks and the puppet-like movements in the beginning of this performance

and the instrumental tho

I SPOT YEOSANG ABS I SPOT YEOSANG ABS-

san's asymmetrical fit is probably the best stylistic choice ever made

don't tell me to shut up about jongho's vocals because i will NEVER shut up about jongho's vocals. man was literally carrying the whole show and all he had to do was sing

deja vu

oh boi

having seen the mv and various stage performances of this song, i know where this is going

and mingi actually whispered 출발하면 뛰어, 가빠지는 우리 racing in front of a live audience

YEOSANG ABS AND WOOYOUNG TUMMY? it's more likely than you think

and yes yunho(e) did the thing with his hand covering his eyes

take me home

i absolutely adore the staging of this number with the moving mirrors

and i didn't notice it at first, but san was blindfolded

over and over again... *clears throat*

2ho having a truly amazing moment together (that i managed to get a good photo of)

at the end san just?? disappeared??

and it was all to the tune of tmh's truly epic sax solo

ment #4

CHOI SAN WHAT KIND OF BLACK MAGIC DO YOU POSSESS

speaking of san, he's got his blindfold on him

YEOSANG SHOW US YOUR ABS AGAIN

the next performance is... a surprise?

no hint, just show

oh boi

desire

THEY ARE DOING DESIRE I REPEAT THEY ARE DOING DESIRE

red bois

joong did the laugh, YES KIM HONGJOONG DID THE LAUGH

cue me freaking out

everybody say it with me now: I LOVE MY DESIRE

and then joong broke his neck

hala hala

cue me freaking out again

because this time they're doing hala hala

i just love how hongjoong rapped his verse

EVERYBODY NOW ALL TOGETHER: DEEP IN MY HEART DEEP IN MY SOUL 피어나는 FLASHING LIIIIIIIIGHT

this hala hala dance break is brought to you by woosan being evil

and they all fall down (except wooyo who gets to stick out his tongue)

idk why but i thought the thud as they hit the ground was pretty satisfying to me

answer + declaration

i sound like a broken record but EVERYBODY SING NOW: GEONBAEHAJA LIKE A THUNDER

the way i screamed during jongho's high note-

not gonna lie san wouldn't look out of place as an extra in les mis with the suspenders and the button-down shirt

joong did his iconic mic flip, the world is at peace

bulleo bulleo *hip thrust*

okay call me dumb for just noticing this as i'm rewatching my concert videos but i'm sure mingi rapped his verse in a deeper tone than usual

ONE TWO THREE LET'S BURN

this performance of declaration is brought to you by, once again, woosan

doing a couple dance this time

fireworks (i'm the one)

i must say that fireworks holds a special place in my heart as the song that first got me into ateez

so i was pretty pumped when i heard the opening notes

did san just... smack his crotch?

oh wait he smacked his tummy

(yes i watched a fancam to find out that information)

quoth @serendipityhyejoo on youtube: they put their whole ateezussy into this stage

and i couldn't agree more

bulnoriya bitches

ment #5

we just saw the energetic version of ateez, but when are they not energetic?

oh boi they're talking about their most attractive features

OH BOI JONGHO'S GONNA SING FOR US

and this, ladies gents and enby friends, is the prime example of a maknae on top

damn mingi and jongho really want a piece of that tasty wooyo pie don't they

if ya know what i mean *lenny face*

KANG YEOSANG YOU DID NOT JUST TOUCH THE WOOBIES

YOU HEARD THE MAN LESGEDDIT

good lil boy + the leaders + to the beat

this medley gave me vibes of the dope/baepsae/fire medley from the bts concert i went to tbh

but even tho ateez could possibly do fire, bts could never do good lil boy (okay i deserve to have my army card revoked /j)

more growling from san (i swear that man is turning into a tiger)

they just vibin

honestly to the beat is a whole-ass bop and a half

song mingi spitting bars like nobody's business since 1999

i swear, i'm surprised the stage isn't on fire after that display

and they're dancing again

thanxx

more broken record stuff from me in 3 2 1

YESSIR YESSIR YESSIR ✨GRACIAS✨

these boys have claimed prudential center as their own and it shows

and just for the hell of it i attempted jongho's high notes and actually succeeded

good job joltie

ment #6

jongho said aight imma head out, however san thinks he can fly

he tried to go back under the stage lol

oh mingi, the lightiny sticks aren't the only things that are beautiful here...

audience wave? what a novel idea!

damn san, you're so good at english...

yunho spiderman? move over tom holland, you've got some competition!

now it's woosanhwa's turn to say aight imma head out

in the meantime: jongho called yeosang out for wearing a sleeveless shirt

and then he flexed and got shy

quoth kim hongjoong: sexy

mingi: *poke poke*

time for wooyo aegyo

LAST SONG?! i know you’re joking joongie

rocky

another song i'm hearing for the first time, not just in concert, but in general

mingi's boxing robe was definitely a cultural reset

just... the energy man

the real (heung ver.)

and once again: ATEEZ PRESENT

ige baro meoshingira!

wooyo and jongho were definitely feeling themselves

dare i say: throwing it back

and the dance performance in the beginning was just *chef's kiss*

ENCORE ENCORE

eternal sunshine

THEY’RE DOING ETERNAL SUNSHINE AKEKRPFKWNEOROTBTKEODHFJ

so bright!

wooyo was filming himself

etsun is a song i really like listening to, and i think i might end up making it one of my favorites

november babies posing together on “okay cheese”

just four little words: YOU’RE MY SHINING ✨STAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR✨

getting to sing with jongho was like a dream come true

and wooyo made a heart ❤️

dancing like butterfly wings

just cute boys having fun~

mingi said i love you atinys at the beginning of his verse (before saying fix on, of course)

san singing like the rent is due despite dlbw being a chill song

best 4th gen rap duo popping off as usual

and best 4th gen main vocalist/maknae singing his heart out

they did the eight makes one team thing with their feet!

ment #7

photo time!

now call me delusional again but i shouted HI MINGI and as if on cue, he turned around and waved back

hwa said he’d frame the picture and put it on his shelf with his albums

and now they’re gonna do a song for us atinys… wonder what that’s gonna be?

star 1117

now i didn’t film most of this because i had my phone flashlight on (san told us to turn them on for the song)

however…

i do have the last few bits of it on video

hongjoong broke down in tears and it was heartbreaking to watch 😭

my poor baby

however it wasn’t all sad

san got to flex his vocals (hello, high notes!)

i think hwa started crying too…

closing ment

yeosang said we all looked like stars when they sang star 1117

jongho told us that he often thought of how many people he and the rest of ateez would perform for after their debut and thanked us for giving them such a memorable night

wooyoung wants us to tell every city about ateez

he’s never alone because he has ateez and atinys 😭😭😭

mingi, like jongho, thanked us for making memories with them,,, my sweetheart, my beloved

you heard san! ateez paved the way and we’ll follow you to the ends of the earth!

and that’s a promise!

yeosang said that performing in front of cameras without atinys isn’t as special as performing in front of cameras with atinys

before debuting, yunho didn’t think of happiness as a word, but now that he’s with atinys, he can feel happy and loved and that is just so sweet 😭😭

“because of you, i learned how to love myself” - park seonghwa, 2022

it’s the captain’s turn to talk now, wonder what he has to say

joong definitely wasn’t crying, no sir

me @ hongjoong’s closing speech: and thus spoke the captain!

and it was at that moment that i realized that bbtrippin is actually part of kqent (surprising)

turbulence

and the show is over… for real this time, sadly

but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy one last song from our boys

if mingi wants to be where we’re at, then i wanna be where he’s at (fix on)

jongsan harmonizing… once again, is this heaven?

on today’s episode of “i didn’t know this song had choreography”: turbulence has choreography

WE LOVE YOU THREE THOUSAND SANNIE

and just like that, they’re gone… 🥺

but i know i’ll get to see them again someday.

[rjnorth-writes]

Carrying On - Regency!AU  Part 1: The Porcelain Princess

Here is the first installment of many to come of my Regency!AU for Carrying On, a Star Wars Poe Dameron/OC story. 

Description: Poe Dameron hears rumors of the Porcelain Princess, Princess Ami Norin Skywalker. 

High society events were only good for two things, Poe Dameron found. Firstly, though the servings were incredibly small, the food was always devine. After eating whatever he could get around town, or from the grool the cooks upon the ships would somehow concoct (he was still hard pressed to admit that it was created from entirely edible ingredients), the food was absolutely heavenly. The sustenance alone was worth all the formalities of socializing. Usually. 

Secondly, though he’d most likely only admit this to his male compatriots, were the beautiful women. It was no secret that Poe Dameron took a strong liking to female company. It would’ve been a tad bit harsh to say he was a rogue, but a rake was a smidge more accurate. He was no stranger to the minglings that transpired between a man and a woman in the solitude of a bedroom. But never would he completely dishonor a woman in such a way to leave her in a bad way because of his involvement with them. 

Even if he was not accompanied home with a divine woman to warm his bed that evening, he relished in the banter and the double meaning behind hushed flirtations. Gossip around his name was not uncommon, nor was it something he cared about in the least. Poe Dameron had far more important things to focus on than whispers of his immoral misdeeds. The only gossip he typically listened to were the words on a woman that he may have success taking home. 

This was not the only thing that Captain Dameron cared about, but when one was in charge of the lives of many men, and the outrageous price of the naval convoy of the Naboo Royal Naval Fleet, as well as risking his own life for the safety of every man, woman, and child back on dry land, indulging in fornication  and delectable foods to release his stress and remind him why life was worth fighting for was simple something he allowed himself the immense pleasure of having. 

Upon the invitation of a compatriot, Prince Ben Solo, though he took more pride in his rank of Captain in the army, had extended an invite of his friend to his cousin’s “Coming Out” Ball for her eighteenth birthday. A bit late in terms of a young woman coming out into society as an eligible woman to marry, but considering her status of Princess, and since she was second in line for the throne of Naboo, second only to her father, Luke Skywalker, it was far more “acceptable” for it to be a bit later. 

But Poe couldn’t help suspect that the reason they had delayed Princess Ami’s introduction into society was for other reasons than the excuse of allowing her to further pursue her education. If the Princess resembled Prince Ben in appearance at all, Poe thought, she’d be a rather homely looking woman. With hair so dark that it made his pale skin seem almost translucent, with a nose and lips far too big for his face, feminine cheekbones too high and rather small, and with dark eyes, Poe always thought that if Ben wasn’t a prince, he wouldn’t have gotten as much attention from women as he did. Not that he was ever too interested in the attention. He’d always been hopelessly in love with his cousin’s lady’s maid. It was the woman he’d married, and was currently expecting their second child with. 

While the attention from the female variety was a perk, Poe suspected he’d hate the attention and expectations that came because of the title. There was always a need to behave and think about other’s well being before their own, as well as duty to the country. While he did have a strong sense of duty, and he did well with the pressures of a naval officer, having to act like a societal gentleman at all times sounded exhausting. 

“You are positively certain she resembles Captain Solo none?” Poe inquired on the carriage ride to the palace with fellow Captain Temmin “Snap” Wexley and his lovely, mouthy wife Karé Kun-Wexley.

“Yes, Captain Dameron,” Karé answered, though it was clear that she was getting tired of answering his question despite the fact that she’d been the one to bring up the topic of the Princess. “Princess Ami is petite, fair skinned, blue eyed, and blonde. They do not refer to her as the Porcelain Princess without due cause.” 

“The Porcelain Princess?” Poe inquired. “Why would anybody wish to be called this?” 

“There is no doubt the dear girl is privy to the disagreeable pet name,” Karé said. “Though, one would be mad if they were to dare say so to her face. It would be hard pressed to say she would ever respond to such childishness. Ever the portrait of perfection.” The implication of that the young woman was always polite sounded so taxing to Poe. “Forever painted smiling and feigning interest, never straying or addressing what is considered inappropriate to a lady. It is no question she is called as such, for she is the perfect porcelain doll. 

“Appearances can be quite deceiving,” Poe insisted. “There must be some deep, ominous secret hiding behind that painted façade.” 

“Be that the case, it is quite unlikely we should know,” Snap said. “I doubt Captain Solo would allow for such a man as yourself proximity to his dearest cousin, with the exception of a customary introduction. You are, after all, a personal guest to the Princes.” 

“You doubt the Porcelain Princess would find my company enjoyable?” Poe chuckled, knowing very well what Snap was saying. No princess would be associated with a rake such as himself. “Perhaps it is best to let the dear woman decide such a thing for herself?” 

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed!  You can read Part 2: Rumors of the Rake here

[olietus]

Humans are space orcs - Paradise

More Devin and Zolt'chk. This is a bit of a long one, and since I'm on mobile I can't add a "read more" atm. Sorry! This is mostly to practice on world building and description, but I hope you enjoy it anyway.

As always, any advice, constructive criticism and writing prompts/suggestions are more than welcome! (:

------

It had been a little over three days since Zolt'chk had been kidnapped by the human called Devin. At first he had been terrified of her, and while he was still extremely wary of her, the fear had slowly started to be replaced by confusion and frustration. Since their departure had been rather tumultuous, they hadn't been able to procure any rations, and there was nothing to drink either. This meant that the human grew increasingly "hangry", in her own words, which apparently meant that she was so hungry that she got increasingly furious. Zolt wasn't entirely sure how that worked, but it wasn't all too surprising since humans were a very violent predator species, after all. Secretly he had hoped that she'd starve to death (as her incessant complaining was getting rather old), but apparently humans were able to stay alive for quite a long time without food. Not so much without water, though, and due to dehydration the human had now suffered from a rather severe headache and disorientation for the past day. Still, she remained in her seat in the cockpit, furiously searching for the nearest port. Due to the risk of them being caught if they landed in more commercial ports, they'd already passed a couple of stations and planets, and each time they did, Devin got more and more desperate.

Zolt had decided to not bother her, as he really didn't want to end up being eaten. Instead he'd made himself a bit of a nest in the back of the little ship, using a couple of space suits and oxygen tubes to make it soft and cozy; the vessel wasn't equipped with any proper sleeping quarters, as it was only meant for short transport and maintenence runs.  He'd been trying to finally get some sleep, as the first 30-something hours had been nerve wracking and had rendered him unable to relax at all. Exhaustion had started to get the better of him now, though, and as he curled up in his nest he was already falling asleep.

He was abruptly woken up by a loud rumble and a tremble that went through the ship, and he raised his head to look around in confusion. The ship creaked again and then, with a final loud 'thunk', the ship went still and quiet. Had they landed? The big arachi stubled to his feet, but instantly fell back down as a raging roar reached him, and Devin shot out from the cockpit, rushing past him to unlock the doors. She pressed the airlock button at least six times, clearly incredibly impatient. Zolt slowly moved over towards her, cowering slightly.

"Where are we?", he asked cautiously, just as the airlock hissed and allowed them through.

"Arbor V.", she replied shortly.

Zolt turned to look at her. Her face was stern and she was biting her lip. He didn't know what that behaviour meant in itself, but it was clear that she felt tense. As she should. Arbor V was an infamous miniature planet where crime ran rampant and almost half the planet was under martial law. The rest was ruled by several different warlords and clans that constantly warred with each other over land and resources. Most of the planet's natural resources consisted of precious minerals and forests. Arbor V was, despite everything, a very beautiful planet in its own right. Its skies were a beautiful, warm tone of pink and lilac during the days, which then shifted into a velvety emerald green towards the evening, before the night sky grew black and dotted with trillions of bright stars. During the day the two brilliant twin suns shone brightly above, leaving the surface at a comfortable, balmy temperature. During the night the planet's neighbour became visible; the big red planet Kocari, that even though it was remote, took up a large portion of the night sky. The soil on Arbor V was as red as the planet above, its cliffs and rocks white as chalk, and the vast forests were a mix of stunning, brilliant purples and blues. During night the forests and its creatures turned bright with bioluminescence, and small flying insects set the night ablaze with their intricate lightshows. If one didn't know the truth about this planet, it would surely be named a paradise.

As the two aliens stepped out of the little ship, they looked around and found themselves in a rather elegant-looking port, filled with ships from many different planets, creeds and classifications. Devin could spot a human military ship a few rows down, but business around it seemed to go on as normal. The general agreement on Arbor V was that as long as outsiders didn't mess with the powers that be and they didn't stay longer than necessary, they'd be left alone. It was a rather remote area in civilized space, so those outsiders who came here usually did so out of outmost need, not will, and would thus agree to these terms. Much like Devin herself. She needed food, money and a new ship. She could probably acquire all of them here, though with rather varying difficulty.

As they walked down the ramp they were met by a small bat-like creature with large floppy ears, short reddish fur and six appendages; two arms, four legs. It had a short fluffy tail, and wore the dark green uniform that adorned all space port personnel. She was flanked by two massive guards with long, triple jointed arms and short, sturdy legs. Their singular eyes were trained on the newcomers, and each of them carried a massive rifle. Their red uniforms signaled military. The bat raised one of her clawed hands and motioned towards the two newcomers to approach. They did so without questioning it, and the litte port master stared up at them with her three beady eyes. In her other hand she held a tablet.

"Please state your name, species, sex, allegiance and the purpose of your visit."

The human sighed and crossed her arms as she was impatient to get going, but complied.

"Devin, human, female, no allegiance, and we're just here to stock up on rations, fuel and to upgrade our vehicle."

It was quiet for a moment as the Arborian filled in the information, and then she looked over at Zolt. He stared back for a second, before he realized that it was his turn. The two soldiers tightened their grip on their weapons.

"Oh, uh... Yes, Zolt'chk, arachi, male, uh...", he paused and looked over at his human captor. He had no idea what to respond to the allegiance part. The human raised her eyebrows at him and gave a weird jerk with her head. He had no idea what she was trying to say.

"Yes?", came the slightly annoyed prod from the port master.

"... Uh, no allegiance, and my reasons are the same.", he hurried to reply. In all honesty he would've loved to tell the Arborian the truth, but first of all he was scared that if he did, Devin would twist his head off, and secondly that the Arborians themselves would kidnap and sell him. An already kidnapped person was nothing more than a basic ware like any other on this planet.

The little creature in green uniform jotted down the last of the information, and then scanned the ship's code, giving it a slight look of surprise and then looked up at the two aliens in front of her.

"This ship was reported stolen a few days ago. Says here it belongs to the Delta Cluster trade coalition." She squinted a them. Her henchmen shuffled behind her, glaring at the two outsiders.

"As I said, we're here to upgrade our vehicle.", Devin repeated. Zolt was stunned at the fact that she didn't try to hide that she stole it. He'd heard that humans could be rather illogical, but this was straight up moronic. Still, the bat-like creature blinked at them and then nodded.

"Very well. Will you be altering, selling, dismantling or destroying it, then? We are willing to take care of the procedures needed to have it travel safe again, for a price of course."

"Selling."

"Ah, very well. Will you sell it as-is, or will you pay for the procedures required to sell it at full price, ready-to-use?"

"As it is, thank you."

"I see. Lovely. We will add it to our digital stock at a price equal to its current market value, and once it's sold the earnings will be forwarded to your credits account. 20% of the profits will go to us as a middle hand and handling fee. Please sign and enter your account ID here.", she said and held out her tablet towards Devin, who added her info without question. Zolt started to say something, but Devin gave him an annoyed shove with her foot, and he went quiet again. The port master looked approvingly at Devin's signature and gave them a short nod.

"Thank you very much for your service, and welcome to Arbor V."

The second the little port master and her menacing entourage left them Devin was off half-running towards the nearest exit. Zolt, who didn't know what else to do, followed her. She'd just sold off their ship, effectively stranding them on this hellhole of a planet, and he had no idea how to get back home on his own from here. He felt a cold knot of dread form in his abdomen, and he did his best to stay close to the human.

Devin didn't look back even for a second. Her stomach was growling loudly, startling people as she walked past them. Humans were rare out here, or at least civilian ones, and Devin wore no indicators of being part of any militia. People stared at her rather shamelessly, but she didn't care. She just blindly followed her nose and stumbled towards the sweet scent of food, and as soon as the first small food stall came into view she sprinted straight up to it. The owner of the stall looked perplexed at the sight of her, though he didn't show any of the fear that was the more common reaction to seeing humans. Instead, he handed the red-haired girl a menu with one of his many six-digit hands. She was already in the middle of her order when Zolt caught up with her. She turned around and grinned widely at him.

"Do you want something? My treat!", she said cheerily and pushed the menu into the arachi's talons. The insectoid hesitated but then read through the list of courses, and rather quickly settled on one that would agree with his digestive system. Thankfully most food establishments, big or small, carried options for all the most common digestive systems. Amazingly enough, humans could eat almost anything from any option, but what else could one expect from a creature that literally had a vat of acid as a part of its digestive system.

Once their orders were placed, they moved a bit to the side to wait for their food to be ready. They stood quietly next to each other, Devin swaying slightly from side to side, eventually opting on leaning against Zolt, who stiffened at the contact. She was as warm as always, and he wasn't sure if it was pleasant or uncomfortable. Mostly it just felt weird. He wondered if it was truly comfortable to have such a high body temperature.

"I'm sorry."

He looked down at her, confused.

"What?", he asked, trying to read her expression, but she was looking away from him. She sighed.

"I already apologized once, but I don't feel like it's enough. It was terrible of me to drag you with me the way I did."

Zolt was quiet. The human's voice was steady but low, and there was a certain hesitant quality to it that he hadn't heard earlier. Somehow, despite her not crying, it made him think back on the first time he'd seen her. Despite his better judgement he once again pitied her. Still, he said nothing. He knew that she spoke the truth. If her plan had truly been to kidnap him, she wouldn't have left him unbound, she wouldn't have tried to be nice to him, and she would have definitely made an effort to restrain him before they landed if she'd wished to sell him into slavery. But he couldn't quite trust her. She was human, she was unpredictable, and she was dangerous.

When he didn't respond, Devin spoke again.

"I realize that I've put you in a very scary and unfamiliar situation, but once I have my own ship that's safe to travel with, I'll drop you off at whichever planet or station that you want. You have my word, Zolt'chk."

Before he could answer, their order was called out and they went to collect it. They sat down at a bench a short distance away from the busy street and quietly ate their food. It felt incredibly awkward.

Then he broke the silence.

"Thank you."

***

Devin felt terrible. She was indebted to the poor arachi next to her, but instead of repaying his kindness she'd probably ended up scarring him for life. He had barely said a word to her in the past few days, and she could tell that he tensed up every time she got close to him. She hadn't planned on abducting him. In all honesty it hadn't been on her mind even as she'd dragged him into the ship. It wasn't really until after her adrenaline settled down that she had truly realized what she'd done... And now she had no idea how to make it right. She hoped to at least be able to make him less wary of her, if not for her own sake then for his. She had no idea how to do that, though, and she was too hungry and dehydrated to think of a proper solution at the moment.

She ate her food rather quickly, feeling absolutely famished. Her first drink was already consumed, and she greedily started to chug down her second one. She was in the middle of this when Zolt'chk finally spoke.

"Thank you."

She nearly spat out her drink. Somehow, that was the very last thing she'd expected him to say. She looked at him a bit bewildered.

"For the food, I mean.", Zolt continued. The human deflated slightly, feeling a bit disappointed, but swiftly reminded herself that this was an entirely positive thing and gave him a soft smile.

"My pleasure.", she said. Zolt'chk hesitated for a moment.

"Could I possibly have seconds?", he asked sheepishly. Devin's smile widened and she let out a chuckle.

"Of course."

[themadlostgirl]

Not Dead Yet (Part 77)

*So I was saving this till tomorrow but after crashing my car I decided to celebrate my not dead-ness with a new chapter. I’M NOT DEAD YET BITCHES! (for real tho today has sucked so much)*

Pairing: Reader x Peter Pan

Warning: language

After the storm had passed I went to see how much closer we were to Neverland. The island was much closer and the clouds had abated some so it was easier to make out. Staring out at it I had a sudden urge to jump into the water. Kinda like when you’re standing high up somewhere and there’s a little voice in your mind telling you to jump. My heart was beating fast but I was never more steady as I gazed at the island.

The others were busy anchoring the ship and lowering the long boat into the bay. Emma came over to me and put a hand on my shoulder. “Stirring up any memories?”

“Kind of.” I shrugged, “I don’t remember it but I feel something. I can’t describe it.”

When I stepped onto the beach I was able to name the feeling. Home. This...this is my home. I was comfortable staring into the jungle. I had no idea what may be on this island but something in me knew I didn’t need to fear anything. Nothing could surprise me or hurt me. It was as familiar as how to breathe.

“Are you sure you can do this?” David asked breaking me from the identity crisis I was about to fall into.

“Yeah,” I nodded, “If it’ll help Henry. I can do it.”

“You’re gonna be fine. You have the looking glass in case of emergencies. You just have to fake it long enough to get in, get Henry, and get out. We’ll take it from there.” Mary Margaret assured me.

“Get in, get Henry, get out.” I took a deep breath and stepped into the jungle.

Once I was on my own I started to breathe easier. I could barely see anything but I knew exactly where I was going. Every upturned tree root and rock in the path was mapped out for me. I walked and walked trusting my instincts to lead me to the camp.

Small memories flitted past my mind as I walked. Passes of quiet laughter and dancing to hypnotic music. A warm fire and sparkling lagoons to swim in on hot days. My pace quickened further and further till I was at a dead sprint through the jungle. I jumped over fallen trees and careened out of the way of boulders at top speed. A wild smile on my face.

Come back here! The king wants to play!

I stopped so abruptly I tripped and fell face first into the ground. I scanned the jungle for the source of the voice but there was no one. Was it in my head? It was so clear though. Too familiar for a stranger’s voice.

I dusted myself off and continued to walk once more. The memories had stopped with my fall.

It had been about an hour, probably more, and there was still no sign of the camp. Maybe I should rest. I sat down and fiddled with the looking glass in my pocket. I needed to report to the others later tonight so they know I haven’t met my death in this jungle. I considered calling them now when I heard a pair of voices nearby.

“Was it really so wise to give them a map?”

“It’s all a part of the game, Felix. They run about while we do our own work.”

“Of course.”

There were a pair of boys walking along the trail. One of them was extremely tall and had a club like the one I was carrying. The other while shorter and only armed with a dagger seemed the more dangerous. And yet...not.

Without thinking I stepped onto the path. A million thoughts warring through my mind. Memories clawing for recognition but unable to break free. I need to keep myself under control. Get Henry, get out.

“Hey!” I blurted out.

The island had gone silent. Not even a rustle in the trees. The shorter one dropped the apple he had been carelessly tossing in the air. Finally something broke through when I saw his eyes. Clear and vividly green. This was Peter Pan.

I was frozen in my spot. What do I do now?

“Y/N…” He took the first step, approaching me slowly and reaching out a hand to touch my shoulder. Gripping it as if to make sure I was real. “You’re here?”

“I’m here.” my voice came out broken.

He enveloped me in his arms and I went rigid for a moment before I remembered to hug him back. The eyes from my dreams. The smell of wind and jungle. It was him.

This was the person that stole Henry. He was a demon according to Hook. A terrible force of chaos and death and treated everyone like pawns in a game. I should be scared of him. Terrified even. It shouldn’t matter that he was warm and smelled nice and being in his arms felt more real than anything back in Storybrooke.

Pan pressed his forehead to mine, those dark green eyes staring hard at me. “You’re really here.” There was a wide, disbelieving smile on his tanned face. “Where have you been? What happened to you?”

“Curse. Got trapped.” I tried to sound casual but my voice was trembling as I spoke. “It finally broke and I was able to get back.”

“You’ve been gone for so long…” his hands were holding my face and when he leaned in I stiffened but didn’t try to stop him.

“Ahem,” he pulled away and I remembered that there was a third among us. “This is a beautiful reunion. Do I get a kiss as well?”

“Sorry.” I rocked back on my heels. I was ashamed for forgetting myself so easily. I’m here to get Henry. Not to kiss the person who kidnapped him.

“Felix, you can return to camp now. But don’t say anything to the others. I want our Lost Girl’s return to be a surprise.” Pan instructed though his eyes never left me.

The boy, Felix, nodded and kept walking down the path. Once he was gone Pan drew me into him again. He smells like home.

“Y/N,” he murmured squishing me even closer, “Whoever cast that curse you got caught in, whoever is to blame for taking you from me will pay the ultimate price. I will not rest until I have their blood, I promise.”

“No!” I pushed away and he stared at me in shock. “I mean--it doesn’t matter now. I’m just glad to be home.”

“You’re right.” His gaze softened, “Right now all I want to do is look at you.” he studied me closely as if he would never see me again.

This isn’t fair. I’m not the girl he’s been waiting for. He looks at me and sees Y/N. The badass Lost Girl that was his second in command and who he cared for deeply. How can he look at me with that soft adoration when I can’t remember him and what he meant to me?

The frustration and guilt was starting to tear at me and I hid my face in his chest so he couldn’t see me lose it. Instead of asking why I was sobbing into his chest he held me close and pressed a few small kisses to the top of my head and temples.

“It’s okay,” he whispered, “It’s okay, pet. You’re home now. You’re okay.”

I looked back into his eyes and this time when he leaned in I did too. It was a deep kiss that stole the air from my lungs and made my knees buckle. I tried to tell myself that I was only doing it because that’s what he expected me to do and I needed to keep this up so to save Henry. If I was being honest with myself though I wanted to. It felt too right.

Then I was breathless for another reason. My mind flooded with memories of different kisses. Deep lustful make-outs, slow relieved kisses, quick pecks to my forehead, cheek, and hands. Sloppy kisses that tickled my neck and made me laugh. Reassuring kisses as we sat together that made me feel safe.

“Something wrong?” He asked when I had gone still.

“No...I…” I touched his face. “Kiss me again?”

He smiled at me and I relaxed in his arms as he kissed me once more. My toes curled in my shoes. I didn’t see everything but I saw what he meant to the me I couldn’t remember. It was something untamed, perverse, powerful and all-consuming. Something too dangerous to speak.

Lacing my hand with his he pulled me towards the camp. He was asking a million questions about where I was and how I was doing. I answered as best I could without incriminating myself. Finally I spotted a bonfire in the distance. Music drifted across the air and many figures danced around the camp.

“Boys!” Pan shouted to the camp, “Our Lost Girl has returned!”

There was a loud roar of excitement and many of the Lost Boys ran to me. I was crushed in dozens of arms.

“Y/N!” I heard a voice above the others and one of the boys tackled me. Another two were on me holding me and cheering. I forced a smile and tried to recall names but none came to mind.

“Guys, don’t suffocate her.” Pan reminded them and the boys started to back off. “Devin, that means you too.”

“I don’t want to though.” The first boy was still hugging me.

“Devin, let go of my Lost Girl.”

“Fine,” Devin let go and beamed at me, “It’s just great to have you home. Pan has been the duke of dour since you went missing and it was just--”

“That’s enough from you,” Pan shoved him away.

“Where the hell were you?” One of the other boys asked.

“Way to be delicate, Nicholas.” another boy said.

“It’s Y/N. Since when do any of us have to delicate, Benjamin?” Nick scoffed.

“It’s okay,” I stepped between them before they could start arguing, “I was in a cursed town. No way out. No way to remember who I was.”

“How’d you get back?” Ben asked.

Pan and the rest were looking at me now. “How did you get back? If it was the shadow it would have brought you right to me and I know you didn’t come back with those two idiots that brought us Henry.”

“Stowed away on Hook’s ship when I heard they were coming here.”

“That’s my clever girl,” Pan smirked, “I bet he was very surprised to see you.”

“You should have seen his face.” I surprised myself with how confident I sounded. “Priceless.”

“I bet,” he captured my mouth again. It was quick this time but no less heated.

There were a few whistles and catcalls among the grossed out groans of the Lost Boys. I was starting to get used to the brazen shows of affection. Y/N may not have thought anything of it but I still felt my face grow hot at the knowledge everyone just saw him kiss me so shamelessly.

“I know you two haven’t seen each other in thirty years but can you not get your freak on in the middle of camp?” a voice from the crowd shouted.

“My camp! I can do whatever I please, Verne.”

“Or whomever he pleases.” Devin muttered and I slapped him upside the head. “Ow!”

“You had that coming.” Ben shrugged and the others laughed.

I found myself laughing as well. Was this what it was like? My life as Y/N? These boys were so close and yet bickered like siblings. It was so easy to laugh and tease with them. More tiny memories floated from the depths of dumb jokes and good natured sparring matches. These boys weren’t just Lost Boys, they were the brothers I never had. They were my family.

Pan’s arm was locked around my waist as he ushered us through the crowd. “As glad as I am to have you home and I would love nothing more than to lock us away for the next couple of years to not be disturbed I have to know more about the people that came here with you.”

“Huh?” I tried not to think about what he meant by locking the pair of us away. There was no way the two of us had ever...oh god we did didn’t we? Those other dreams. The ones that wound up my body and jolted me awake drenched in cold sweat. My stomach started to sink as the possibility that this boy hanging onto me might try to coerce me into bed. I’ll pretend to do a lot to keep up this charade but that wasn’t one of them.

“Pet? You still with us?” Pan waved a hand in front of my face.

“Sorry,” I squeaked, now alarmingly aware of how close we were. “Lost in thought.”

“What can you tell me about these heroes that came with you? I know what to expect from Hook and the Dark One but I feel like you’d know more about the Saviour and the royals.”

“Right,” I nodded, “Well um...Emma is a very determined woman and--”

“Hold that thought,” Pan went stock still, “They’re cheating.”

“What--”

Pan whistled loudly and all the boys stood to attention. “The adults are cheating. Using magic to find our camp. You know what to do boys.”

Immediately the boys started to douse the fire and arm themselves. What was going on? Were they going to attack Emma and the others? “Y/N,” Pan turned to me, “As much as I know you’d want to help get back at these pests that trapped you in another realm I’m gonna need you to hide out.”

“Why?”

“Cause I need them alive for now and your bloodlust will wipe them out far too quickly.” he kept a firm grip on me and in an instant we were no longer in the camp but somewhere else entirely. On the ground fast asleep next to us was Henry.

“Look familiar?” Pan smirked down at Henry.

“I should say so. I’m his babysitter.”

“Then this should be easy. Keep an eye on him. I charmed him into a deep sleep that he won’t wake from for a while. I’ll be back to collect the both of you after we’ve dealt with these heroes.” he pecked my lips again. “If something goes wrong just shout for me.”

Unable to believe my luck I nodded and Pan gave me one more smile before disappearing in the blink of an eye. I knelt next to Henry and shook him. “Henry. Come on, Henry, wake up.”

He didn’t stir. “Dork, wake up! We’re here to rescue you!” I lifted his eyelids up but it was like looking into the eyes of a babydoll. That spell had him out cold. I can’t exactly carry him. I wouldn’t be able to get very far with an eleven year old kid weighing me down. Then Pan and the Lost Boys would know I was trying to help get Henry home.

I need to be able to do something.

The looking glass! I pulled it out and tried to talk to Emma. To warn her about what she was walking into. The mirror didn’t work though. Only my own reflection stared back at me. “Emma, please, answer!”

I felt a chill go up my spine and I stuffed the mirror back in my pocket. “That--that was quick.”

“I’m almost disappointed how fast it went by.” Pan sat down next to me and my heart gave a traitorous jump. “I could have let it go on longer but I wanted to get back to you. They understand the price of cheating and now they’ll play the game fairly.”

“What is the game?”

“The best there is. A finding game full of twists and turns and unexpected endings.”

“And Henry’s the prize.” I sighed. Henry wasn’t just some reward or pawn. He’s a good kid. A great kid. He’s my friend. I can’t leave him with this--this--imp! I don’t know what he plans to do with him and I don’t plan on finding out.

“Soon it will all be over,” Pan nestled me closer to him. “I’ll be cured and then nothing can tear us apart again.”

“It’ll all be over soon,” I gazed down at Henry’s peaceful unsuspecting face. Not soon enough.

(First) (Previous) (Next)

[xo-dailypier-blog]

[Post 2 of 3]

How about I take a break from all the #dramz to bring you all your BURNING QUESTIONS.

That’s right, all the question included were sent in by you guys. If you want to be included in my next Q&A post, send me una pregunta (sorry, I’m actually bi-lingual now) and you just might see it on here.

Let’s get started!

ANON said : “Jack and Bree were getting pretty friendly at the ABC party.”

Yeah and the #BreeHive were less than pleased. But can you really blame Bree? Jack is so hott(two t’s). Sucks about his skills in bed though, maybe he’s a good listener?

thanks for the q -- DP

ANON said : “who are some sneaky bitches that havent been mentioned that you think we should be keeping our eyes on aka im trying to avoid chlamydia.”

OMG, where do I begin?

1. AINSLEY

There’s no chlamydia here, but has no one stop to think about where it is that she came from? She drove in here on her fucking motorcycle (lesbian?) and has had an interesting fixation on the Circus Family™️. I did a little research to find out since the ALDRIDGE’S are FOOLS.*

Ok, so, here’s the skinny: Ainsley’s mother, Charlene, had an TANTRIC AFFAIR with one, Henry Aldridge. This went on for years until Ainsley was BIRTHED. So what does that make Ainsley? That’s right! If we didn’t have enough proof that this town is the second circle of HELL, we have another DEMON clown to add to the CLAN.

But that doesn’t explain her interest in the family, or the alleged dart board with her half siblings’ faces on it. Is she trying to get to know them, or destroy them?

I guess we will see!

2. LEON

This particular one DOES have chlamydia, but that’s the least of your worries. This fake ass Jax Teller has a history of VIOLENCE! Meaning that he KILLS for sport. He just moved here to carry out the DEVIOUS plans that the (alleged) secret society (which he is a part of) requested of him so I don’t have too much dirt AT THE MOMENT, but what I do know tells me that you all should STAY AWAY! Or else.

3. IVY

Does she have chlamydia? Probably not (keyword: Probably), BUT what I do know is that she’s had a few unconventional ways of getting to where she is. Like she totally has had multiple affairs with married men in hopes that they pay for her pet school or whatever. Some even say that she has ruined multiple marriages in her quest for financial gain.

So in short Ivy Affairchild is a home wrecker, so ladies and gents hide your partners cause she’s scams whomever she want!

Sidenote - When Adam was deployed, they totes were pen pals and their messages got SUPER EXPLICIT. She sent him COOCH SHOTS for his viewing pleasure and EVERYTHING. The GAG? Adam had been in a RELATIONSHIP at the time! Disgusting. Let’s hope she doesn’t procreate with Adam and brings us another fucking Aldridge.

4. MARLEY

She had chlamydia a few months ago but momma got that CLEARED UP. And as of right now? Marley Callahan is really shaping up to be That Bitch. All of the guys and girls were WRAPPED AROUND HER FINGER during the event from Noah, Devin, Jocelyn, Adam, Kessa (*throw up emoji*) and even our Beauty Queen Jack. She might not be a home wrecker like SOME people, but she can absolutely take your boo! You go Marley!

Sidenote: Oddly enough she hooked up with Ivy Affairchild during the event, maybe she can vaginally give her some Bad Bitch Energy.

great question anon! -DP

ANON said: “who are your top 5 favorite people?”

Five is pushing it. I’ll do top three.

(We’re going to exclude Alegenda and Daddy Sorrentino, for obvious reasons.)

JAMIE CARTER - Though he has sociopathic tendencies, such as stealing paintbrushes and acting like nothing is wrong, he really warms my heart. He might surround himself with egoists (not naming any names). But I think he is a sweetheart that should be protected at all costs. YES, I still ship him with ALEGENDA, someone has to remove the Aldridge last name from this queen. Alina Carter sounds SO much better anyways.

DEVIN TORRES - Again, he has the same sociopathic tendencies as Jamie. Let’s not forget the time he ASSAULTED his team mate in a DRUG INDUCED rage! But times have changed and DaddyDevinTorres is no longer on the #Roids. I think he is incredibly funny, super romantic, and extremely good looking (obvs). At the moment, I will refrain from discussing he and Alegenda and how he belongs in the Alegacy, even though that is what I believe.

IRIS KARAM - All of my hope for sane people in this town have gone out of the window. With the exception of her. Iris is such a shining example of how to act. Some would even go as far as saying that she is a stronger, more elusive, more powerful version of Fraudi. She’s beautiful, actually Australian, and most importantly she has great style (that didn’t come from a bogo sale). In fact, I loved her Summer Crush looks so much that I’m gifting her with an Unlimited Gift Card with money wired from Lancaster Tire & Auto for all of her shopping desires! Check your Email girl! I’ve already sent it! xo

Honorable Mention: BernBern<3, i don’t know much about him to put him on the list, but I just want to swallow his [redacted].

again, great question anon! -DP

Welp! That’s all of the questions I have to answer! Until next time, make sure you are sending in your BURNING QUESTIONS.

kisses, DP

[your-dietician]

The Bucks’ path to the NBA Finals — The Undefeated

New Post has been published on https://tattlepress.com/nba/the-bucks-path-to-the-nba-finals-the-undefeated/

The Bucks’ path to the NBA Finals — The Undefeated

There’s a well-known comment in Wisconsin when it comes to the hometown Milwaukee Bucks’ chances in a given playoff series: Bucks in six.

What started as a fool-hearted, yet enduring proclamation by then-Bucks guard Brandon Jennings ahead of a 2013 first-round series matchup with the “Big Three” Miami Heat – (“I’m sure everybody is writing us off but I see us winning the series in six,” Jennings said at that year’s Wisconsin Sports Awards) – morphed over the years into a rallying cry for a team that hasn’t made it to the NBA Finals in nearly half a century. Sometimes close, but never close enough.

But in the past eight years, starting just a few weeks after Jennings’ doomed prediction (the Heat swept the Bucks in 2013) with the drafting of a lanky kid out of Greece named Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks have revamped, reconfigured, restarted and rebuilt themselves into an actual title contender that no longer lives on the fringes of the playoffs.

On Saturday night, after back-to-back years of underperforming in the postseason, the Bucks clinched the Eastern Conference title with a 118-107 victory over the Atlanta Hawks, fittingly reaching their first NBA Finals since 1974 in six games.

And it was all without Antetokounmpo, who has been sidelined with a hyperextended left knee since the third quarter of Game 4. For a team that prides itself on playing as a complete unit, rather than a Gladys Knight & the Pips-style one-man show, the Bucks leaned heavily on their two other stars, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton. The duo combined for 59 points, 13 rebounds and 16 assists, with Middleton overcoming a poor first half (five points and five turnovers) to drop 23 points in the third quarter.

“Khris carried us there for a lot of it, just leaving his heart out there,” Holiday said. “Just kind of like if we’re going to go down, we’re going to go down on his shoulders. I’m riding with him, riding right into the Finals.”

Making it easier for the Bucks on Saturday was that Young, who bruised a bone in his foot during Game 3, was clearly still hobbled. The third-year guard declined to attack the paint and had his passing lanes clogged up, leading to him starting the first quarter with nearly as many turnovers and personal fouls (three) as minutes played (four). At one point, Young shook 7-foot center Brook Lopez for an open look from atop the key but uncharacteristically passed the ball away.

“I still have pain. It’s going to be like this for at least a couple more days, so I knew I wasn’t going to be able to feel 100%,” Young said after the game. “So I was going to go out and at least try and try to do it again.”

As the game wore on, Young became less timid, but aside from another breakout game from guard Cam Reddish (21 points, 6-of-7 on 3s), the Hawks weren’t enough for Milwaukee. While the Bucks were failed by poor shooting, lack of energy and hustle in the two games they lost in this series, those were their keys to victory on Saturday. The Bucks outgained the Hawks in 3-pointers (17-12) and rebounds (46-43) and committed one less turnover, the type of complete performance that is needed out of a championship winner.

“We needed everybody. I think that’s the best part about it. We needed something from everybody,” P.J. Tucker said. “Our bench was amazing all series, all playoffs, everybody on our team gave something.

“Giannis goes out, Bobby [Portis] has been great, everybody came in and fought hard the entire series. It just shows our team. It just shows the guts of our team.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo (left) and Khris Middleton (right) celebrate as Eastern Conference champions.

David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images

Before this season, this Bucks team wasn’t able to put it all together at just the right time.

As the team’s production began to rise during the 2017-18 season, when Antetokounmpo started to show flashes of the superstar he would soon become, so did their expectations. The Bucks finished the next two seasons with the best record in the league, but were dispatched from the playoffs early by two hungrier teams that went on to win the East.

They were then, fairly or not, labeled as a “regular-season” team, meaning they could be successful during the regular season, but once the playoffs hit, they didn’t have the mental toughness and/or strategy to be championship caliber.

It also didn’t help that Milwaukee ran into players who decided to go supernova during the playoffs. In 2019, Kawhi “Cyborg” Leonard, on one good leg, snatched the heart from the Bucks as the Toronto Raptors overcame a 2-0 deficit to run off four straight wins on their way to an NBA championship. Last season, inside the Walt Disney World bubble, Jimmy Butler willed the lower-seeded Miami Heat into a second-round upset of the Bucks ahead of their own run to the Finals. Even this postseason, the Bucks had to battle the offensive brilliance of Kevin Durant and Young, at least until the latter’s series-altering ankle injury in Game 3.

In the past, when the pressure reached a precipice, everyone from the coaches to players seemed to falter. Antetokounmpo and Coach Mike Budenholzer couldn’t figure out how to scale the “wall” defenses built. Middleton, while brilliant when he’s on (particularly against the Boston Celtics), would suddenly develop a case of the yips in pivotal postseason moments. Shots that would fall for role players wouldn’t fall anymore, no matter Budenholzer’s “let it fly” mantra.

“It’s adversity,” Pat Connaughton said of losing in the playoffs the past two years. “I would say it’s unfortunate, but you learn a lot from losing. You really look yourself in the mirror and there’s two ways you can go: You can hang your head about it or you can use that as motivation to get better and fix the problems that you have and continue to work every single day and understand that it’s a process.”

But this season and its playoffs were different. The Bucks were more flexible in everything from their roster construction to their offensive sets. Those who couldn’t step up in crunch time in the past were suddenly inheritors of the clutch gene.

“Every team has a different journey and every team has to go through different things,” Budenholzer said. “… I think just like every team in the league, when this group hasn’t been able to advance, hasn’t been able to continue, it’s hurt. It’s been hard. The offseason, the guys have put the work in, the players have put the work in. And I’m impressed with what they have done, really every year, but coming into this year.

“But there’s still work to be done.”

Budenholzer has been heavily criticized over the past two years for his failure to adjust in the playoffs. According to various reports, his job was on the line if the Bucks weren’t able to make tangible progress in the playoffs. But he has made the necessary changes to get his team to the Finals. And it was general manager Jon Horst who helped construct a roster that emphasized both 3-pointers (as he had in the past) but also toughness, both the physical and mental variety.

Portis, who signed to a two-year, $7.5 million deal in November, made all the difference in Game 5 (and had the Fiserv Forum crowd in a frenzy during the blowout in Game 2). Tucker, who was traded to the Bucks in March, played strong defense on Durant in the second round. Jeff Teague, who played for Atlanta for parts of eight seasons, made three 3s in Game 6. Bryn Forbes, who cooled off in the later rounds, outscored Butler in the first round. Connaughton grabbed offensive rebounds and hit timely 3s. Lopez, Donte DiVincenzo, the list goes on.

As for the Bucks’ Big Three of Antetokounmpo, Middleton and Holiday (acquired in November from the New Orleans Pelicans), each had their mental breakdowns and struggles during both the past and these playoffs, but when the team needed them to help close out games, they showed up: Middleton’s game winner against Miami in the first round, Antetokounmpo in crunch-time minutes against Brooklyn in the second round, and Holiday in the last two games without Antetokounmpo.

The team that could start strong but never finish has finally vanquished that label. And it’s poetic that it was Middleton who led the Bucks to this Finals run.

Middleton has grown from an afterthought in the 2013 trade that shipped Jennings off to Detroit and brought Middleton, Brandon Knight and Viacheslav Kravtsov to the Bucks (Middleton was referred to as one of “two other players” at the time of the trade), to the certified closer on a team that is four wins from winning its first title since 1971.

As the Bucks tanked and rebuilt around Antetokounmpo at the beginning of last decade, Middleton was there for the rough days of sub-.500 records, missed playoffs and lottery picks. Through his game winner against Miami, his dual 38-point games against Brooklyn and Atlanta, and his second-half outburst on Saturday, Middleton sums up just how far these Bucks have come.

“Honestly, it’s been a long journey, but it’s been a great journey,” Middleton said after the game. “It’s been worth it. We put ourselves in position to be in the NBA Finals. After winning 15 games in our first year here and seven years not making the playoffs to the last two years thinking we had a chance and just didn’t do enough and now we’re here.

CC Sabathia on the pressure Black athletes face to play baseball ‘the white way’ Read now

Devin Booker’s dad pushed him to go farther, go further, go harder Read now

Olympian Michael Norman puts adversity behind him as he heads to Tokyo Read now

“This is what we’ve worked for.”

Martenzie is a writer for The Undefeated. His favorite cinematic moment is when Django said “Y’all want to see somethin?”

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[junker-town]

Here’s where the AFC East race stands after Tom Brady’s exit

Josh Allen and the Bills will be trying to leap over the Patriots in the AFC East.

Is 2020 the year the Bills — or someone else — dethrone the Patriots?

The Bills are going for it. Months after wrapping their most successful season of the millennium, Buffalo has cashed in its assets to build a championship-caliber roster. Head coach Sean McDermott has a stellar defense, a budding offense, and a heady blend of veterans and prospects capable of doing what no team has done since 2008: dethrone the Patriots atop the AFC East.

While it’s entirely too early to bury Bill Belichick, a busy start to the 2020 offseason has set up the most compelling race the division’s seen in more than a decade. New England stands at the precipice of a new era now that Tom Brady signed with the Buccaneers.

The Bills are first in line when it comes to beneficiaries from any Patriots downturn, but they aren’t alone. The Dolphins built off last year’s better-than-expected campaign with a handful of splashy moves. The Jets added talent as well, though whether or not Adam Gase can do anything with it remains to be seen.

So what does the AFC East look like following a burst of free agent activity but before the 2020 NFL Draft? The Patriots get the benefit of the doubt in the division’s top spot — but the teams that were once firmly in their rear view now threaten to pull up alongside them.

1. New England Patriots

Key additions: Beau Allen, Damiere Byrd, Adrian Phillips, Brandon Copeland

Notable losses: Tom Brady, Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins, Danny Shelton, Duron Harmon, Ted Karras, Nate Ebner, Stephen Gostkowski

The Pats are the favorites until proven otherwise, but New England may have just gone from the division’s best quarterback situation to its worst. Brady’s move to Tampa leaves the team’s current QB depth chart in some order of Jarrett Stidham, Cody Kessler, and, once again, Brian Hoyer.

Brady struggled with an underwhelming cast of targets last season. So far, head coach and general manager Bill Belichick has done little to fix that, with Byrd as the only new face. His 32 catches last season with the Cardinals were a career high by a mile.

Whomever takes the reins at quarterback will have to hope 2019 additions N’Keal Harry and Mohamed Sanu improve. With limited spending room thanks to the $13.5 million in dead cap Brady left behind, any major upgrades will likely have to come in the draft — where the Patriots have four of the top 100 picks, but no second-rounder due to last year’s Sanu trade.

Furthermore, several stars from 2019’s top-ranked defense have departed. Van Noy, Collins, and Shelton all rebounded from bad situations elsewhere to become key contributors in Foxborough. Now they’ve cashed in that vested stock for raises, leaving gaps in a sturdy-but-aging defense. Low-recognition signees like Allen, Phillips, and Copeland will try to boost their reputations in these openings, but none are a surefire bet.

Still, the Patriots have most of the parts of a championship defense under contract — like Devin McCourty, Dont’a Hightower, and reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore. Last year proved they could win 12 games (albeit against a relatively soft schedule) with a quarterback who ranked 18th among qualified starters in passer rating. All Belichick may need to win the AFC East for the 13th season in a row is a competent QB — even if the rest of the division is gunning for him harder than ever.

2. Buffalo Bills

Key additions: Stefon Diggs, Mario Addison, Vernon Butler, A.J. Klein, Daryl Williams, Quinton Jefferson, Tyler Matakevich, Josh Norman

Notable losses: Jordan Phillips, Shaq Lawson, Kevin Johnson

The Bills took full advantage of New England’s weakened grasp on the division by acquiring a wide receiver capable of speeding Josh Allen’s development. Diggs wasn’t a cheap addition; Buffalo shipped first-, fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-round picks for the Pro Bowl wideout and a seventh-rounder. But he’s coming off the best season of his career, is 26 years old, and is under contract for the next four seasons as a reasonable average salary of just under $12 million. He fills an immediate need and will assume the essential role of “guy who chases down Allen’s sorta-accurate bombs.”

Buffalo also did a good job filling the roles vacated by its two biggest free agent departures. Phillips had a breakthrough 2019, but his 9.5-sack season — he had 5.5 the previous four years — was likely unsustainable. Rather than pay big to retain him, the Bills will replace his impact with a combination of 2019 first-round pick Ed Oliver and free agent signees Butler and Jefferson.

The same goes for Lawson, whose edge-rushing duties will fall, in part, to veteran addition Addison. Those free agents will bring immediate production to the NFL’s sixth-most efficient defense, per Football Outsiders’ DVOA metric.

Former Carolina tackle Daryl Williams provides the experience necessary to let Cody Ford develop at his own pace at guard, or move inside should Ford be ready to hold down the right tackle spot. A deep well of draft talent should allow the club to pick up another pocket protector despite its lack of a first-round pick as well.

Whether or not the Bills can roll that momentum into a division title may hinge on whether Allen can continue his growth as a quarterback. This is still shaping up to be the best team Buffalo’s had since Jim Kelly was taking snaps.

3. Miami Dolphins

Key additions: Byron Jones, Kyle Van Noy, Shaq Lawson, Emmanuel Ogbah, Ereck Flowers, Ted Karras, Jordan Howard, Kamu Grugier-Hill, Clayton Fejedelem

Notable losses: none, so far

The Dolphins spent 2019 shipping out talent; 2020 has been all about reloading. Miami has handed out more than $233 million in contracts to lure other team’s free agents to Florida, rebuilding a defense that ranked dead last in efficiency last fall (by a large margin!) in the process.

Head coach Brian Flores is following the same blueprint his former employers did in New England by making his secondary the strength of his defense. Jones didn’t come cheaply at five years and $82.5 million, but he’ll team with Xavien Howard to give the Dolphins arguably the league’s top one-two punch at CB. Things aren’t as stable at safety, but signing Van Noy, Lawson, and Ogbah (18.5 sacks, 44 QB hits between them in 2019) will bring added pressure.

Miami’s offense remains a writhing ball of questions, starting at quarterback. Ryan Fitzpatrick rode his typical roller coaster between under- and overachievement last season, but he’ll give way to whichever rookie quarterback the team drafts this spring — whether that’s in Week 1, Week 8, or even in 2021. They’ll have a lineup of young skill players to target as well: DeVante Parker (recently extended in the midst of a 1,200-yard season), Mike Gesicki, Albert Wilson, and Howard are all under contract for 2020.

The Dolphins are still likely a year away from contention, but it’s not difficult to see the improvements they have made. We haven’t even gotten to the draft, where they will have three first-round picks, five of the first 56 selections, and 14 picks total. Miami still has plenty of room to add playmakers and the salary cap space to flip one or more of those picks for veteran help.

4. New York Jets

Key additions: George Fant, Connor McGovern, Greg Van Roten, Patrick Onwuasor, Pierre Desir, Breshad Perriman

Notable losses: Robby Anderson, Brandon Shell, Maurice Canady, Brandon Copeland, Brett Qvale, Tom Compton

Make no mistake: this offseason is all about giving Sam Darnold the tools to make the leap. After focusing on big-name defensive talent last spring, New York has moved its 2020 chess pieces to provide a clean path of attack. Fant, Van Roten, and McGovern will help overhaul a line that allowed the blossoming QB to be sacked 33 times in 13 games last season.

Perriman will be counted on to replace the mercurial Anderson as a deep threat. That will help reinforce the Jets’ existing playmaking infrastructure, which includes Le’Veon Bell (who averaged a career-low 3.2 yards per carry in 2019), Jamison Crowder, and ... huh, I guess that’s about it. That can be addressed with the No. 11 pick in the draft, which is stacked with stellar wideouts.

New York’s current lineup of free agent help are all useful, if unspectacular additions. There’s nothing here that suggests it will be enough to spark a turnaround. The Jets were worse than their 7-9 record would lead you to believe, losing games to then-winless teams in the Dolphins and Bengals in 2019. Head coach Adam Gase has done nothing to earn the team’s trust, especially after his former charges in Miami have often soared after escaping his influence (Parker, Jarvis Landry, Kenyan Drake, and, most of all, Ryan Tannehill).

New York has the talent to make a run. Unfortunately, a good chunk of the Gase experience so far has been creating a product that’s less than the sum of its parts.

[clewpidevon]

TOTAL DRAMA: CHARACTERS IN FF

Alejandro: i’m just like… an asshole

Amy: but it’s my sister!

Anne Maria: but a lesbian in straight clothing it’s more than a warning

B: …

Beardo: ka pum pum cha!

Beth: Do you hav gamesh on your phon?

Blaineley: i’m fucking MCcleyn and Hatchet at the same time

Brick: * building materials dont talk *

Bridgette: the pole or the jeff? I DONT EVEN KNOW ANYMORE!

Brody: they ship me with my best friend and a lesbian cop

Cameron: I just help Mike

Carrie: I’m CARRIEng the relationship

Chet: * insert stepbrother porn joke here *

Cody: “ are you gay by gay, day by day. Like a day is GAY ”

Courtney: bitchin’

Crimson: he want to cheer me up, but I’ve been dead inside since march 22

Dakota: A N I M E  I S  R E A L .

Dave: I’m depressing af

Dawn: am cute and underrated

Devin: for some reason Sierra is my sister

DJ: DUNCAN?

Duncan: I disrespect whamen

Dwayne: I disrespect mah waifu

Ella: I’ve never canonically meet my date but who cares

Ellody: me too

Emma: I’m getting insulted by all the Noco fans

Ennui: it’s not a phase for sure

Eva: 10% muscles, 90% gay

Ezekiel: BLAH EEWRARRG vcha!

Geoff: what does Angst mean?

Gerry: STOP!

Gwen: if im not regretting things, I’m being part of D R A M A

Harold: Leshawna or Owen

Heather: Before Alehandro they used to ship me with Leshawna

Izzy: same

Jacques: but I’m gay

Jasmine: they add me when there’s a top shelf that no one can reach

Jay: forever alone

Jen: no one watch the cartoon lgbt wikipedia

Jo: everyone want jock!

Josee: I didn’t understand my relationship with my partner

Junior: I just do background

Justin: I always fell in love with the dumb one

Katie: iiiiih

Kelly: Man I Love Fishing

Kitty: Mickey Mouse

Laurie: I don’t eat sausages, I’m a vag-eterian

Leonard: you shall not pass… in a relationship

Leshawna: the boys are waiting in the yard

Lightning: the Lightning/Jo/Brick is the most overrated love triangle EVER

Lindsay: is the one who’s reading this Tyler?

Lorenzo: What the FCOCK!?

MacArthur: why are female police officers always gay?

Mary: By looking at you I can tell you're 36-25-36, which by the way are all perfect squares.

Max: I’m bringin the relashionship to the MAX

Mickey: help me, I’m stuck in my own sins

Mike: who the fuck is Mike? I only know Mal

Miles: has good manners and that what matters

Noah: Ready to go to hell, cause homosexuality is SIN

Owen: BI-BI-BI

Pete: I SAID STOP

Rock: * Rocks don’t talk. We’re not in Steven Universe *

Rodney: O R G Y  P I L E

Ryan: how do my legs sustain my body

Sadie: sleepover is my sexuality

Sam: videogames is my sexuality

Samey: my sister is my sexuality

Sanders: I ride two two things in my life: a police car and MacArthur

Scarlett: mah hair is mah name

Scott: ship with OC’s

Shawn: stories with zombies. H O W original

Sierra: I’m not happy if im not with cody

Sky: * the sky is not allowed to talk *

Spud: tan na na nan nau- turu turru rrtutru

Staci: there are like 3 serious stories with me in it

Stephanie: there are like 3 stories with me in it

Sugar: I’m a sweet person.

Tammy: I wanna know who invented me in real life

Taylor: one is called fidget spinners

Tom: why am I seducing

Topher: my A S S is what Chris really want

Trent: if I don’t do drugs I play a depressing song

Tyler: the only war worth fighting, is the war of love

Zoey: …she ded

  BONUS

Pole: mynames jeff

[themadlostgirl]

Not Dead Yet (Part 27)

*Quick update! Don’t forget to let me know what you think. Love ya!*

Pairing: Reader x Peter Pan

Warnings: language

“Wow, you almost look like a lady.” Devin remarked as I cleaned myself up the best I could.

“How dare you.” I dragged my comb through my hair again. “Take a good look now because you will not be seeing me like this again.”

“Here’s the dress.” he handed me a large bundle of lilac colored fabric. “Lot of fabric there, need any help…”

“Shove off,” I kicked him and he scampered off. I unfolded the dress and sighed. I know that this was my idea but the thought that I was going to be playing a damsel in distress made me groan.

I stripped out of my clothes and changed into the dress and shift that went underneath it. But, wait, the back is open! I craned my neck and saw the loose ribbons that were meant to lace it up. Guess I do need Devin to help with this. I gathered up my clothes and started back to camp to find Devin. I tossed my other clothes in my tent and grabbed the little cracked mirror studying my reflection in it. My hair looked tidier than it ever had and there was not a speck of dirt nor drop of sweat to be seen on my face.

“Need a hand there?” I turned around and saw Peter studying me with an amused look. “I’m not the most adept with woman’s fashion but I don’t think they’re supposed to look like that.”

“I just need Devin to lace me up.” I stood upright.

“I got it,” he motioned for me to turn around, “What? It’s a dress, not that hard to comprehend.”

I rolled my eyes but turned around anyways. He took either ribbon in his hands and started to lace up the dress quite deftly. “So, you found this rather quickly. Did you just happen to have a dress my size lying about?”

“Conjured it up from an old cloak.” He answered.

He finished lacing it and tied it tightly in place. “There we are, let’s have a look.”

I turned around once more. “How weird do I look? Let’s have at it.”

“Believe it or not, you actually look pretty. As pretty as a Lost Girl like you can, that is.” he gave me a sincere grin.

“Oh why thank you.” I smoothed out a crease in the seemingly endless yards of satin. “Did it have to be such a girly color?”

“It’s only for a little while. Now let’s go have some fun. You still have your dagger?” he asked. I pulled up the dress to show the dagger safely strapped at my thigh.

“Duh, just round up the boys and we’ll head off.”

He held out a hand, “Let’s have some fun then.” I took his hand and in a whirl of wind we were in a different part of the island. A group of boys were there and jumped when Peter and I appeared out of nowhere.

“Find them?” I asked. No one said anything and kept staring at me. “Yes I actually look like a girl for once. Just cause I’m wearing a dress doesn’t mean I can’t still kill you all. Now, pirates?”

“Over there.” Nick pointed off to the west.

“Was that so hard?” I muttered. “So you guys know your part right?”

“We get to chase you down like we’re going to kill you. I’ve been looking forward to it!” One of the other boys, Flint, said.

“You hurt me, I hurt you.” I warned him. “Don’t overdo it with the theatrics, keep a good distance, I’m heading in.”

I started running toward the west. The boys were going to wait till I was further ahead to start chasing after me. I glanced back to see how much space I had put between us when I ran right into a body. First instinct made me fear it was one of the pirates but was relieved, if not a little annoyed, to see Peter had manifested right in front of my trail.

“What the hell are you doing?” I pushed myself back up.

“I needed to tell you if things should go awry--”

“I’ll be fine. I can hold my own, even against pirates.” I rolled my eyes.

“I know just--”

“Are you worried about me?” I gaped at him, “The fearless Peter Pan is scared that his little Lost Girl is going to get herself into a compromising situation she can’t get out of?”

“You do have a habit of getting into near death experiences.”

“Then you should be used to this by now. I’ll be back before you know it.” I gathered the front of the dress up and moved to run towards the pirates when Peter grabbed my arm stopping me.

He pressed his lips to mine in a hot open-mouthed kiss. Despite the situation I kissed him back without another thought. He pulled back, our mouths making a slight popping sound as they came apart, “We’ll finish that when you get back.”

“Great. I look forward to it.” I pulled myself free of his grip, “Now get out of here and let me work.”

~~~

“Stop,” Hook and the few of his crew halted behind him. “Someone’s out there.”

“The Lost Ones?” one of the crew suggested. Towards the east he heard the ruckus of the Lost Boys making some big ado. They readied into fighting stance as some shuffling came closer. A girl crashed through unto their path looking frightened and dazed. She spotted them and her eyes grew to the size of dinner plates.

“Who are you? You look too old to be Lost Boys.” she panted heavily. Giving the pirates a once over before glancing back behind her. “Nevermind, run!”

“Wait, who are--” Hook tried to ask.

“No time! Run! They’re right behind me!” She screeched as she pushed past them and took off down the trail they had just come from. The noise of the Lost Boys was getting closer and they didn’t sound happy.

“Go!” Hook barked at them and they all turned to follow the mysterious new girl. They ran, the noise of the boys following after them until they reached the sanctity of the beach. When they felt they were safe Hook took a moment to really look at the girl they had blindly followed here. She was knelt in the sand gasping for breath.

“Alright, love,” Hook approached her, “Who are you and why are you running from the Lost Boys?”

She peered up at him, “They had me locked up as ransom, I was able to escape, need I say more? And you are?”

“I’m Captain Jones, this is my crew.” This poor girl, she looked so out of place in this grand jungle.

“Pirates...the ones they’ve been talking about.” she sat back on the sand, “So that means you have a ship? You can get me out of here?”

“Aye, we do and we could. But how can we know that we can trust you?” After they found Alf Mason rotting in the bowels of the Jolly Roger they were wary of everything and everyone on this island.

“Pardon?” she gaped at them visibly abashed.

“Well as much as I would love to believe you I have also been bombarded by mermaids and my men slaughtered since coming to this island. So forgive me if I’m not entirely trusting of sudden pretty face.”

Tears started to well up in her eyes. “I’ve been strung up in the center of their camp for years. I know everything about it, about them. I can help you get off this island. Just take me with you when you do.”

Hook watched the girl carefully. Her large eyes reflected that of a fish out of water panicked and desperate. He held out a hand for her, “Come lass. Let’s get you out of here before those boys track you down.” She glanced at his hand before taking it and pulling herself to her feet. “That a girl. You didn’t say what your names was.”

“Y/N,” she answered. “My name’s Y/N.”

“Well, miss Y/N, allow me to more properly introduce myself. Captain Killian Jones at your service.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much.” she spoke softly. They rowed back to the ship and Hook gave her his quarters to rest. She explained that she had been taken from her home one day and that according to Pan the only way her family would get her back was if they relinquished one of her brothers. So far it had been to no avail.

“Father never wanted any girls running around. Found them too high maintenance to raise.” Y/N mumbled, her hands wrapped around a warm teacup. “Should have seen this coming to be honest. He’s rid of me and has his sons to carry on the name. Only regret probably is that he wishes it would have happened sooner.”

“Don’t speak like that. I’m sure your father is worried out of his mind about you.” Hook tried to assure her.

She let out a small scoff. “If he truly was worried then he would have come for me by now, wouldn’t he?”

“Love, how long have you been on this island?”

“Trapped in a cage it’s hard to tell but I believe it’s been a couple years. A decade maybe.” she shrugged, “If father wanted me home then something would have been done a long time ago.”

“A decade. You’ve been locked in a cage for a decade?”

“They let me out to eat and such but all my time was usually spent in a wicker cage suspended off the ground. I only escaped because they had let me out to eat and I clocked the boy that was supposed to be keeping an eye on me over the head. Then I started running as fast as I could.”

“If I may ask, you seem impeccably dressed for someone who’s been locked in a cage for years.”

“Oh this?” she picked at the sleeves of the dress, “It was a present from their leader, Pan. He thought I should have something pretty to wear for...for being a good girl. Oh dear, it makes me sound like a mutt. Obey: get a bone. Misbehave: get rapped on the snout.”

“And did you ever...misbehave?” he gestured the question carefully.

She gave a slight nod and rolled pulled down the fabric at her shoulder to reveal a large jagged scar. “That was for spitting at one of them.” she gulped heavily, “I can’t go back. I just can’t…”

“You won’t. I promise.” he pulled the sleeve back up over her shoulder. “Now try to relax and rest up. We’ll deal with any Lost Boys that come snooping. When you’re stronger you’ll tell us what all you know of this place and it’s inhabitants, alright?”

“Of course. Thank you, Captain.” she smiled up at him for the first time.

“Please, call me Killian.” he returned the smile. Peter Pan was playing a dangerous game. First there was his fun assaulting Hook’s crew but to kidnap a young girl and hold her prisoner for a decade...that was the final straw.

~~~

This was painfully easy, I thought as Hook left the room. A scared girl in peril, add a sob story and sprinkle on some tenderness and he was putty. I think it was the flashing of that old scar that really did the trick, an old reminder from one of my run-ins with Slightly so long ago. If things went well then I should be able to find the eye and be back home by tonight.

Now alone I stood up from my seat and began my search of the captain’s quarters. He’d have to keep it here if it wasn’t on him. A secret compartment or safe hidden somewhere. I lifted the mattress of the bed but there was nothing under it. First rule of searching, never dismiss a hiding spot just because it’s obvious. I dropped the mattress and flopped back on the bed. This ship is full of nooks and crannies how am I gonna find something as small as an eyeball?

This bed is very soft though. Not fit for a king but much better than my cot back at camp. I glanced back at the doorway. I had already gained entry to the ship. There was no way off this island without Peter’s knowing so I didn’t have to fear an unexpected departure. If I could actually relax for just a moment…

I nestled further under the blankets and let out a long sigh of pleasure. This was the most comfortable thing I have ever laid on in my life! The gentle rock of the ship and the sound of the water lapping against the hull was so soothing. I shut my eyes and started to drift off. Peter’s eye could wait, there was no way I was passing up a great sleep like this.

~~~

“Pan,” Felix tried to get his friend’s attention, “You haven’t stopped pacing since Y/N left with the pirates. She’s a strong girl, you know she can handle herself.”

“I know,” Peter snapped, “But it’s nearly nightfall. The way she spoke she made it sound like she’d be back by now.”

“It’s a large ship and a lot of pirates. If she’s going to find the eye without getting her throat slashed open she needs to be discreet.” Felix’s words did nothing to calm him. This was a stupid plan! What had he been thinking?

He sent his Lost Girl to a ship of malicious pirates with only a dagger for protection. It wasn’t exactly like she was hideous or a child either. What if one of them--

“Pan!” Felix shouted and Peter stopped his pacing. “You’re gonna make it start thundering if you keep thinking whatever it is you’re thinking.”

Peter looked up and noted that dark clouds had started to invade the once clear sky. He cursed the island for betraying his real worry. No doubt Y/N had taken notice. How smug she must feel seeing it. He tried to force the clouds away but more rolled in against his will.

“I’m going to check on the ship.”

“Pan, you know that’s a bad idea.” Felix warned.

“Only if they know I’m there.” he blinked away from the camp and reappeared on the beach. Out on the ocean was the Jolly Roger with it’s lanterns aglow in the quickly darkening evening. If he used his pixie dust he could just fly over and check but pixie dust was in very short supply. Besides the emergency vial he kept on him at all times there was barely any left. He couldn’t go wasting it on stuff like this.

So he sat down on the beach and watched the ship swaying on the sea.

(First) (Previous) (Next)

[fandom-smut-shots]

Mommy Dearest 5

I See Fire       It had been a week since your return to Neverland, and you had been quite successful at ignoring Peter Pan. Sometimes you wondered if that was the right move, if you were overreacting, but he was making no attempt to talk to you either, so you didn’t see the harm.        Everything was different. The boys loved you and you loved taking care of them, but it wasn’t the same. They all felt the tension between you and their leader, and part of you wondered if Pan was just trying to come up with a reason to ban you again. Did he even want you there at all?        In your pain and confusion, you looked for comfort. You loved your boys, but their sweet smiles and warm hugs could only do so much. You didn’t want a partner, but you wanted someone to hold you and listen to what had happened to you on Hook’s ship. You wanted someone to truly want you around.        You inadvertently turned to Felix. He was an open ear for you to vent, and he didn’t even mind when you cried. He would take you in his arms and hold you to his chest until whatever was bothering you subsided. You liked spending time with the older boy. You felt like you could talk to him about anything.        Unbeknownst to you, Pan noticed your migration towards his second in command, and he couldn’t stand it. A fire burned in his chest every time he saw you conversing with Felix, or worse, the boy’s arms wrapped protectively around you. Those should be his arms-        No! Bad Pan. That wasn’t the way to go. You were just the girl who took care of his boys. Nothing more.        Then why did his heart burn so badly?       You never thought Pan would bring another girl onto the island. When he had welcomed you, he told you that you were his first and only Lost Girl, and everyone agreed it should stay that way. You were special.       Then what the hell was Pan doing, leading some nightgown-clad brat around the campsite, introducing her to the boys? He deliberately skipped over you, though you were sitting in between two of the boys he named.        “Everyone, this is Wendy,” Pan said, a smirk on his lips. “She’s our new Lost Girl.”       Gasps rang out through the boys and you felt a crack in your heart. It was one thing to bring another girl onto the island, but to call her a Lost Girl?        You knew it wasn’t her fault, but you hated her.       Felix sensed your unease and draped an arm around your shoulders, hugging you close. Pan noticed and, in turn, placed his hand on Wendy’s waist. You saw his fingers clutching the fabric of her nightgown and you nearly gagged. That should be your waist-        No. Bad (y/n). Pan doesn’t think of you that way. Clearly, or he wouldn’t have brought her.        As she settled down beside Pan on the other side of camp, you turned to Felix who was munching on an apple.        “Am I being replaced?” you asked in a low voice that cracked.        His eyebrows shot up. “What are you talking about? He can’t replace you.”       “Looks like he’s making a valiant effort,” you replied, looking down at your lap. “I guess he didn’t want me to come back. He liked not having me around. He’s already found a new mother-“        “That’s not going to happen,” Felix insisted. “She won’t be the boys’ new mother. No one can take that title from you. The boys wouldn’t let her.”        “Boys,” Pan began, standing up. “I have an announcement.”        All the boys paid attention, and you forced yourself to listen as well.        “Wendy is going to be your new mother.”       Gasps and murmurs of confusion could be heard amongst the boys. Your jaw fell open in shock and tears stung the back of your eyes. You really were being replaced.        Pan saw your heartbroken expression and he wanted so badly to take it back. He didn’t mean it. He didn’t want Wendy looking after his boys. But he had to get your attention, and this did the trick.        Felix saw your reaction and stood, pulling you up with him. He took your hand and led you to the woods where he had his own hideout, away from camp. You let the tears fall as soon as you were out of sight from Pan.        “How can he do that?” you gasped between sobs. Once you had reached Felix’s special place, you had fallen to your knees, crying into your hands. It wasn’t just about what you were losing. It was the fact that Pan didn’t want you around. He didn’t want you to take care of the boys. He didn’t want you.       Felix knelt down beside you and took you into his arms, letting you sob into his chest. He was angry at his leader for doing this to you. How could Pan just bring in some new girl and throw you to the sidelines?        “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “Something’s gotten into him.”       “I knew I wasn’t special or anything, but I thought I belonged here,” you sniffled. “I didn’t think he’d just… replace me…”        “Hey,” he said softly, holding your face. “You are special. Pan is just… Pan.”        You nodded. Just as you wiped your eyes, a familiar scent hit your nose.        Smoke.       You and Felix ran back to camp, which was full of angry grey smoke. Fresh tears built in your eyes as you frantically tried to ensure the safety of all the boys. You instructed Devin with making sure everyone made it away from the fire, wherever it was. He led them into the woods, towards clear air.        You couldn’t see anything. You followed Felix, fetching buckets of water to dump on every flame. You didn’t know where Pan or Wendy were, but at the moment, you didn’t care.       You finally found the source of the blaze. Your hut was burning brightly in the night sky. How it had gotten set on fire, you weren’t sure. You couldn’t think. You couldn’t breathe. Flashes of walking home and finding it encased in flame came to mind. Not being able to find your family. Fire everywhere. No one would let you through; it was too dangerous. Finding the charred remains of your loved ones. All of your belongings in ashes. Nowhere to go. No one to help you. Being left completely alone.        Your chest became tight and you found it hard to breathe. You fell to your knees and held your head, your breath coming in gasps as tears flowed from your eyes. Felix diminished the rest of the flame before turning to look for you. Your cries could be heard all through camp as you struggled to regain your breathing. Felix’s arms wrapped around you, one hand rubbing your back in an attempt to soothe you. You collapsed against his chest.        Pan could see you from where he stood on the other side of camp. He growled and turned to Wendy.        “I’m so sorry,” she insisted. “It was an accident.”        Pan waved his arm and in a second, his shadow came to collect Wendy, taking her away from Neverland.        “What happened?” you asked with a gasp.        “Wendy,” Pan replied. “She knocked over a torch and it landed on your hut.”       It didn’t sound very accidental to you, but all you cared about was getting the image of burning home out of your mind. You curled further into Felix’s chest, sighing softly as his arms tightened around you.       “Where do I go?” you asked softly. You were referring to your lack of a hut, but your relapse into your past had you thinking about when you had no home after the fire.        “You can stay with me,” Felix replied, looking up at Pan before he could respond. “The boys will build you a new hut.”        You nodded, focusing your gaze on his arm. If you closed your eyes, all you could see was flame.       He picked you up bridal style and carried you into the jungle. The campsite was too smoky; he knew you wouldn’t be able to calm down there. Instead he headed back to his hideout, wanting to protect you and knowing you would want space from Pan.        He had made up a bed there, so he lied you down on the old mattress and pulled a blanket over you. He then crawled in beside you and held you to his chest.       You eventually fell into a fitful sleep, tossing and turning and screaming out into the night. Every time you woke with tears in your eyes, Felix would pet your hair and tell you that you were okay.

Part 4

Part 6

[vinayv224]

Former eBay CEO Devin Wenig. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Devin Wenig says he had “no knowledge, no private understanding, no tacit approval” of the harassment campaign.

Earlier this week, reports emerged of a very strange corporate scandal: Federal authorities charged several former eBay corporate security employees for their roles in a cyberstalking campaign targeting a blogger that involved Twitter harassment and mailing insects to her house. Now, former eBay CEO Devin Wenig, who led the company at the time, tells Recode that he was shocked to hear details of the campaign this week and that he gave “no direction” nor “tacit approval” for it.

But the former eBay chief executive was at times so frustrated with coverage from the news website in question that he on several occasions floated the idea internally that eBay should create its own competitor publication, multiple former eBay insiders told Recode.

“On Monday, I read the charges along with everyone else, and was shocked and outraged,” Wenig told Recode in a statement. “It is important for me to reiterate, and an independent investigation confirmed, that I had nothing to do with and no knowledge of the activities alleged to have occurred. There was no direction, no knowledge, no private understanding, no tacit approval. Ever.”

Still, the fact that eBay’s security team allegedly felt comfortable executing such a campaign against the blogger and her husband suggest that the leadership team had, at best, problematic blind spots.

On Monday, the US Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts revealed a case against six former eBay workers who allegedly waged an “aggressive cyberstalking campaign” against the husband-and-wife team that runs EcommerceBytes, which reports business news geared toward online merchants who sell on eBay and Amazon. The site, and some of its readers who post comments below articles, were often critical of eBay under Wenig’s leadership and sometimes of Wenig himself.

Authorities accuse the former eBay workers of a wide range of malevolent activities, including shipping them “a funeral wreath, a book on surviving the loss of a spouse, and pornography – the last of these addressed to the newsletter’s publisher but sent to his neighbors’ homes.” The group, led by former eBay security head James Baugh, also surveilled the couple and considered breaking into their garage to place a GPS tracking device on their vehicle.

In court documents, copies of text messages showed Wenig twice instructing his communications chief, Steve Wymer, to “take her down,” referring to the EcommerceBytes owner and writer Ina Steiner. On Thursday, Wenig told Recode in a statement that those texts “have been wildly misinterpreted and taken completely out of context in some media reports.”

“I was speaking off the cuff to a communications executive about my desire to be more aggressive in our PR effort; never in my wildest dreams would I fathom that, later, someone might associate that communication with the type of activity mentioned in the Massachusetts complaint,” Wenig said in the statement.

Wenig’s statement added: “I am genuinely sorry for the couple that had to endure these obscene acts. No one should have to experience that, especially not a journalist. What happened isn’t representative of the company culture I spent 8 years building, or the employees I knew there.”

Court documents show that Wymer, eBay’s communications chief, hired a consultancy that “prepared a document [which] included the recommendation, among others, that eBay promote company-friendly content that would drive the Newsletter’s posts lower in search engine results.” Such an action could be seen as a fairly benign PR strategy. But Wymer also sent text messages with an aggressive tone such as: “We are going to crush this lady.”

Court documents also include an exchange between Wymer and the security chief Baugh in which Baugh references an unspecified “Plan B” in relation to the EcommerceBytes couple. Wymer expressed a willingness to manage any fallout internally, but the messages do not indicate that Wymer had any knowledge of what the “Plan B” entailed.

Reached for comment, Wymer told Recode, “I would never condone or participate in any such activity.”

Steiner did not respond to an email seeking comment.

EBay has said it conducted an internal investigation and found no evidence that Wenig directed or had any knowledge of the harassment campaign. But the company implied that “inappropriate communications” from him played a role in his ouster in September 2019. The company fired Wymer that same month in relation to an internal investigation it conducted with the help of an external law firm, after federal authorities notified the company of “suspicious actions by its security personnel toward a blogger,” according to a statement eBay posted on its website Monday.

Neither Wymer nor Wenig have been charged, and authorities did not name them in the affidavit; instead, the two were simply referred to as Executive 1 and Executive 2. A spokesperson for the US Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts declined to comment on whether other eBay employees might be charged. “[I]t’s an ongoing investigation,” the spokesperson said.

Multiple former eBay insiders say that over his four years as eBay CEO, Wenig often took negative press personally, and that when it came to EcommerceBytes and Steiner, he was especially thin skinned. “He would often have very colorful words to say about her,” according to one former insider. Wenig on several occasions promoted the idea internally that eBay should create its own news site for sellers to counter what he saw as biased coverage from EcommerceBytes, sources said. The competitor site was never created.

Other executives, including current eBay executive Wendy Smith, also frequently aired frustrations about the site, multiple former eBay insiders told Recode.

But those same sources were in agreement that they never witnessed Wenig say or do anything that would make them think he would approve, or tolerate, the alleged criminal activity. Similarly, a person who worked closely with Wymer in a previous job, told Recode that they would be shocked if the communications executive was involved with the alleged crimes. The same source admitted that the communications executive could sometimes come across as extreme in work discussions.

“It’s hyperbole,” the person said of Wymer’s language in the text messages revealed in the affidavit. “Steve wouldn’t crush an ant. But in heat of the sport, he will say things that are extreme.”

The eBay security team that allegedly carried out the crimes reported up to Wendy Smith, the company’s current senior vice president of global customer experience and operations, Recode has learned. EBay spokesperson Trina Somera told Recode that the company’s internal investigation “found no wrongdoing with regard to Wendy” and that “she is not one of the people referenced in the government’s complaint.”

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[beetleboard29-blog]

Mocking the Mocks: A look at ESPN’s Grade A picks for the Bears

Our usual Mocking the Mocks series has been lighter than usual this offseason with the Chicago Bears not scheduled to select until the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Most mock drafters don’t go past the first or second round, so when we stumble on one of the expert mocks that has the Bears’ pick at 87th overall listed, our inner draftnik comes out.

The latest mock drafts from ESPN are their annual “Grade A Mocks” from Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay, where they make all the picks for a full three rounds, and they do so as if they were their general managers for each team. These are the selections they believe provide the best fit for each team, not necessarily what they’ve been hearing from their sources.

For the Bears, both experts has them going with a popular position of need.

First up the Mel Kiper Jr. pick.

Round 3 (87): Devin Singletary, RB, Florida Atlantic

The Khalil Mack trade means Chicago doesn’t have a first-round pick, while the trade up for Anthony Miller took away its Round 2 pick. Singletary didn’t run well at the combine, but even at 5-foot-7, he has some juice between the tackles. He had a huge workload for the Owls in his career -- 714 carries over the past three seasons -- but he could help replace Jordan Howard. I expect the Bears to take a running back somewhere in this draft, and they could also target an offensive tackle or cornerback in Round 3.

Singletary may be a shorter tailback, but at 203 pounds he was a tough runner in college. With the way most mock drafts have been falling, the Bears should have their choice from several running back prospects when it’s their pick.

And here’s the Todd McShay selection.

Round 3 (87): Damien Harris, RB, Alabama

Chicago doesn’t pick for a while but has to be happy with Harris this late in the draft. He is explosive and pairs well with Tarik Cohen after Jordan Howard was shipped to Philadelphia.

Harris is a name that hasn’t popped up much in mocks, but at 5’10” and 216 pounds, he a different type of back than a lot of the smallish runners in this draft. He’s not exactly the versatile threat that others in this class are, but that’s not to say he can’t catch the ball out of the backfield. He’s a good runner, but he doesn't have the quickness I think the Bears are looking for.

We’ve really covered the running back position the last few weeks here at WCG, so check these recent articles out.

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2019/4/10/18304720/nfl-mock-draft-mocking-mel-kiper-todd-mcshay-espn-grade-a-pick-chicago-bears-devin-singletary

[buddyrabrahams]

10 worst moves of the NFL offseason

The 2019 offseason has seen an unexpected number of trades as well as big names moving from one team to another. There’s been quite a shakeup throughout the league, with some moves standing out compared to others.

Previously we took a look at the 10 best moves thus far in 2019, but what about the opposite end of the spectrum? Which teams and players are bad combinations? Which moves are simply bad fits?

Here’s a look at the 10 worst offseason moves across the NFL.

10. Seahawks bank on Jason Myers

The Seahawks had Myers in camp last season before cutting him in favor of Sebastian Janikowski, but now he’s back on a four-year, $16 million deal. The money makes sense for a kicker who connected on 91.7 percent of his field goal attempts, but can he deliver another similar season? In his previous two seasons with the Jaguars, Myers connected on 79.4 percent and 73.3 percent of his field goals, respectively. He’s also struggled on his point after attempts, missing a combined 15 over the last four seasons. The deal is essentially a gamble for Seattle, who hope to get 2018 Myers as opposed to 2015-2017 Myers. Short of getting his very best, that’s a hefty investment in an otherwise sketchy kicker.

9. Colts gamble big on Devin Funchess

After several so-so seasons in Carolina, Devin Funchess got the boot last year, essentially finding himself excommunicated. He was allowed to walk into free agency without restriction, and many expected him to seek out a one-year, prove-it deal midway through the offseason. Instead, the Colts, carrying over $100 million in salary cap space, decided to splurge on the under-performing product, signing him to a one-year, $10 million deal. Making the deal even more curious is that the Colts added in an additional $3 million in potential escalators and incentives. That means Funchess, who has never eclipsed 65 receptions or 850 yards, could become one of the highest-paid receivers in all of football. Comparatively, he’s already earning more in average base salary than the likes of Michael Thomas, Amari Cooper, DeSean Jackson, Sterling Shepard and JuJu Smith-Schuster.

8. Bills sign Frank Gore, get older at running back

The Bills will open the 2019 regular season with 31-year-old LeSean McCoy as their primary running back. At No. 2, the team had Chris Ivory, but released him in favor of the 35-year-old Frank Gore. That decision seems more than curious for a team in rebuilding mode with several players predominantly under the age of 25. Moreover, the running back position is perhaps the most demanding of all the team’s units and often requires fresh legs. While Gore does still have some gas left in the tank, it’s a curious pairing for both parties. The Bills aren’t en route to the Super Bowl, so Gore’s presence and impact will be minimal at best. The cost may be insignificant, but his addition in Buffalo doesn’t seem to fit short-term or long-term.

7. Browns re-sign penalty machine Greg Robinson

Greg Robinson had underwhelmed since being selected second overall in the 2014 NFL Draft, but suddenly revitalized his career after taking over at left tackle in Cleveland mid-way through last season. In fact, from Week 9 forward, Robinson didn’t allow a sack and stabilized the line. That’s the good news. The bad news is that Robinson has a long history of under-performing, which is highlighted by a very serious problem with penalties. Even during what was his greatest career stretch a year ago, Robinson was penalized 10 times over the team’s final seven games. Nine of those 10 penalties were holds, which was four more than anyone else in the NFL from Weeks 10-17. And his 10 total penalties? Yeah, they led the league as well. That’s a lot of issues for a player earning $7 million in 2019.

6. Chiefs trade away Dee Ford to 49ers

After recording 13 sacks a season ago, Dee Ford being shipped to San Francisco came as a surprise to many. The curiosity was compounded by the Chiefs’ decision to part ways with linebacker Justin Houston, which they claimed was a result of cap restrictions. Ultimately, they didn’t feel Ford (or Houston) fit Steve Spagnuolo’s incoming 4-3 scheme, which is more an indictment of the coach than the player. And while a 2020 second-round pick is a relatively solid return, it does little to solve Kansas City’s current issues at the linebacker position or the now-compounded issues in their secondary. Overall, the defense will take a major hit in the absence of their most game-changing pass rusher.

5. Raiders sign Vontaze Burfict

The addition of Vontaze Burfict the player isn’t necessarily a bad move for the Raiders, but with the player comes the person. Burfict has a long history of dirty plays and is viewed as a potential danger to others on the field. He’s not exactly know as a locker-room leader and brings along a ton of baggage — not a good combination for a team rebuilding and on the move. As far as the player, Burfict is getting up there in age, has a dangerous history of concussions, and is no longer the tackling machine who made the Pro Bowl in 2013. That’s not to say he doesn’t have anything left in the tank — he does — but was it enough to warrant signing a player who is widely viewed as a loose cannon? The honest answer is no.

4. Bengals throw money at Bobby Hart

Seeing average offensive linemen signed to bloated contracts isn’t something new to the NFL, but seeing a well below average offensive lineman cash in to the tune of three years and $16.15 million certainly is. That’s what the Bengals are on the hook for after re-signing Bobby Hart, who gave the team little reason to believe he was suddenly going to morph into a star following an awful 2018 campaign. Once upon a time, Hart called himself the “best right tackle” in football, but he’s not even the best right tackle on the team despite getting a hefty bag of cash and starting role going into 2019. It is truly a puzzling move that’s highly unlikely to yield any positive results.

3. Redskins sign Ereck Flowers, move him to guard

Ereck Flowers is one of the biggest busts of the 2010s, entering the league as a first-round pick of the Giants in 2015 before completely bombing out. His time in New York was highlighted by poor play, a poor attitude and rumors of him quitting down the stretch in 2017. Flowers eventually lost his job to Nate Solder and was shifted to right tackle, where he continued to struggle. The Giants eventually pulled the plug and released Flowers late last season. He caught on with the Jacksonville Jaguars and his former head coach, Tom Coughlin, but it wasn’t enough to get him on the right track. The long-time tackle showed no improvement, and Jacksonville opted not to re-sign him. For some reason, however, the Redskins got the idea that they could sign Flowers and move him inside to guard. In theory, it sounds like a wonderful plan. In practice, it’s not going to end well for Washington.

2. Giants trade Odell Beckham Jr., sign Golden Tate

Odell Beckham Jr.’s time in New York was like a roller coaster, with as many lows as there were highs. However, the relationship between him and the team remained strong right up until the final minutes. Team co-owner, John Mara, acknowledged Beckham sometimes gave him headaches, but said it was nothing that “couldn’t be managed.” Moreover, the Giants had no real need to trade one of the best receivers in the league, but they did anyway, shipping him to the Cleveland Browns in the biggest surprise trade of the offseason. Dealing Odell away created an immediate area of need, which the Giants addressed by signing Golden Tate to a somewhat lucrative deal of his own. And while Tate is a quality player, he’s nowhere near Beckham’s talent level and doesn’t necessarily fit into an offense that has a mirror image of him already on the roster (Sterling Shepard).

1. Steelers trade Antonio Brown for peanuts

The relationship between the Pittsburgh Steelers and wide receiver Antonio Brown had soured to the point where there was irreparable damage. There was no way Brown could return return to the team and mend fences from ownership on down, and he was demanding to be traded anyway. However, in their haste to end the relationship, the Steelers slipped up and sent Brown to the Raiders for nothing more than a third-round pick and fifth-round pick — hardly the “significant compensation” Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said the team would be seeking or the sort of haul that a player of Brown’s caliber should have drawn. They could have gotten more, but they allowed Brown to dictate the pace.

from Larry Brown Sports http://bit.ly/2IwEtgd