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dangerousconnoisseurdonut · 4 years ago

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Curse of Loki preview (F/F/m)

On AO3, I have a request for a Tickle Fic, something I have toyed with for years, but never had the guts to do until now. I realize tickling isn’t everyone’s kink, but please be kind as this is my first attempt. I am posting a preview here to get a feel if I’m doing this right.

Now, context! Bruce has been sent a horn with Norwegian Runes all over it. What he doesn’t know is that this is the Horn of Loki, the Trickster God and causes... interesting results between the recipient and their enemies. In this case, Bruce and the Rogues of Gotham. After he has blown the horn, he gets the urge to go into the city and winds up at Selina’s flat, not realizing that she has a guest at the minute and... well, here goes nothing.

“Relax, Bruce, I just wanted to lounge around for a change; Tabitha and Barbara got me this on my last birthday. Do you like it?” Selina gave a little pose and Bruce did his best to keep his eyes on her face where they belonged and not drawn to her cleavage which he had never seemed to notice before. It was darker than magenta, somewhere between sangria and mulberry, with pink cherry blossoms scattered on it; it was indeed beautiful, but Bruce was wishing at the moment she had something on underneath as he could see her breasts, including her perky nipples.

“Bruce?” Selina asked with a shit-eating grin as though she had a damn good idea why he hadn’t answered her, causing his blush to deepen as he responded,

“Nice! It’s very, uh, very nice!”

“I think the naughty boy was eyeing your tits, Cat.” Bruce whirled around at the sound of another female, only to find Bridgit Pike waltzing into the room in another bathrobe, this one somewhere between navy and indigo, with white orchids. He was struck by how attractive she was, even with the scars on her face and what he could see of her body; her hair was long, though there was none where her face had been burned, and her smile was one of the, pardon the pun, cat who got the canary. He felt himself harden as he suddenly felt very much like a canary.

“Uh, I’m uh, sorry for interrupting you two, I’ll just, um, I’ll just -” Bruce was shocked when Bridgit grabs the lapel of his jacket and pulls him to her so she can kiss him. As he and Bridgit make-out, he feels Selina grab his jacket and pull it off of him. Bruce however gets a moment of clarity and pulls away as Selina pulls his button up partially off, ripping a few of the buttons off and trapping his arms in the sleeves.

“W-wait a minute, what are y-you -?” Bruce just about jumped out of his skin when Selina dug her fingers into his underarms, causing him to almost bite his tongue off as he fought not to laugh.

“Naughty boys need to be punished, but we don’t want to hurt you so, Selina and I think you need a good laugh; not to sound like Jerome, but you are way too serious.” Bridgit explains as she lightly runs her fingers over his ribs. Bruce doesn’t say anything, knowing the minute he opens his mouth he’ll start laughing and won’t be able to stop. He hadn’t been tickled since he was seven, and he had forgotten how much he hated it. Selina and Bridgit start leading him to Selina’s bed, digging their fingers into his ribs or underarms when he tries to struggle. Bruce is almost crying from the exertion it’s taking to not laugh. When it comes time to get him on the bed, they move quickly to get Bruce’s arms out from the shirt, and tied down using some scarves. For his legs, Bridgit sits on Bruce’s stomach and switches between his underarms and stomach, not letting him get used to either sensation as Selina wrestles him out of his shoes, pants, underwear, and socks before tying his legs down. Bridgit stopped for a moment, enjoying seeing Bruce struggle to contain his laughter, as Selina went to get something.

“P-please Bridgit, I, I’m sorry I looked at Selina’s breasts; you’re both so pretty I couldn’t help it, but I’m so sorry for being a pervert and -mmph!” Bruce was cut off as Bridgit again kissed him, and he moaned a little as she played with his nipples before Selina came back.

“Starting without me?”

“I’ve never seen a guy apologize so much for sneaking a peak at a boob before.” Bridgit explained as she petted Bruce’s locks, something he actually seemed to enjoy.

“I told you; he’s an odd one but can actually be kind of sweet, like a puppy.” Selina said as she resumed her position at his feet, making him worry about what she planned to do.

“Well, even cute puppies have to be disciplined when they do something naughty, but since he seems so sincere with his apology, I think we can give him a little reward afterwards.” Bruce went to beg again, only for Bridgit to lightly trail her fingers up to his underarms, prompting him to keep his mouth shut and bite his lips.

“Gotta warn you handsome; we won’t stop until we hear you laugh. Why not make it easy on yourself and just let it out?” Bruce shook his head, causing Bridgit to sigh before smirking as she dug her fingers into his underarms and Selina tickled his thighs, a place he didn’t even think was ticklish but Selina just had to prove him wrong. He giggled, chortled, and snorted behind closed lips, but still refused to out and out laugh, even when Bridgit switched to his stomach and Selina tickled his knees (seriously, knees could be a ticklish spot?). Though, when one of Bridgit’s fingers got close to his navel, he almost lost control, though sadly he knew Bridgit had seen it for what it was when she got a wicked gleam in her eyes before saying,

“He’s a tough nut to crack, Cat; I think we better up our game.” Selina released a very put-upon sigh as she responded,

“You asked for this Bruce.” Bridgit leaned over as Selina also stopped to get something, though just what Bruce could not see. When Bridgit pulled back, she held what appeared to be a makeup brush, making Bruce wander just what was she going to do with that. He wasn’t allowed to worry about it however as Selina grabbed the toes of his right foot and stretched them back as far as they would go, leaving his arch taut. He got the uneasy feeling he was about to face his Waterloo. Bridgit then leaned down and placed the brush on his stomach and started a slow spiral edging closer and closer to his navel. Soon, it was tracing the navel itself, and Bruce was shaking so bad with suppressed laughter, he thought he was going to pass out. Those soft, silky bristles felt like dragons teeth on his sensitive stomach. Bridget looked him straight in the eye, amber into green, and asked,

“Does our naughty pretty boy have a ticklish belly button?” Before Bruce could confirm or deny, Bridgit dug the makeup brush right into his navel to swirl it around same time as Selina lightly ran her nails up his foot. Actually, to Bruce’s horror, he realized Selina was wearing her gloves with the claws on them, and they were what she was lightly dragging up and down his foot. At the twin sensations, Bruce didn’t stand a chance and finally burst out,

“Hahahaha! P-please s-s-stop! I, I c-can’t t-t-take this!” Bruce hated how he was reduced to stuttering, but the girls were just too good. Selina kept her touch light to make sure her claws didn’t accidentally pierce the skin, but that didn’t make it any less intense as she used one claw to draw nonsensical patterns along his sole, first lines going up and down, then spirals on the ball and heel of his foot, then zig-zags across his arches. Bridgit meanwhile kept switching between the brush and her her finger digging into his navel. Sometimes, just to spice things up, she would use the brush on his navel while digging her fingers into his underarm. Her dual sensations of sharp and soft were driving him up the wall. Once, she even ran the brush over his nipple and as the silky smooth bristles ran along his slightly swollen nub, he didn’t know if he wanted to moan or bite his tongue off.

“You know, Bruce, for a guy who runs around as much as you do, you have really soft feet.” Selina casually remarked before she gave into temptation and ran her tongue up the sole in front of her, enjoying Bruce’s bucking as he almost screamed,

“S-Selina! P-pl-please s-stop! Hahahaha!” Bridgit then found a similar urge over taking her so she leaned down and ran her tongue along Bruce’s underarm, relishing in the squeal Bruce couldn’t hold back as she licked and nipped at the smooth skin there.

“Isn’t Bridgit beautiful, Bruce?” Selina asked before she nipped at his arch and soothed it with her tongue.

“V-v-very b-b-beautiful!” Bruce had started laughing so hard, he was actually crying a bit.

“Why don’t you show her how beautiful you think she is by eating her out?” As though convincing him of the idea, she tickled one sole with her claws and licked the other one, going so far as to take his pinky toe into her mouth and run her tongue all around it.

“A-anything y-you w-w-want!” Bruce was almost convinced he was having an out of body experience from the sensations. He took in a huge breath when they stopped while Bridgit moved to sit on his face, though he was surprised when she turned around so she would be facing Selina.

“If you think I’m going to stop tickling you and making you do that cute little laugh of yours, you’re as nuts as Selina says you are. Besides, this gives me better access to your cute little belly button.” Bruce whimpered before leaning forward to her center; he hadn’t had much practice with this, but he remembered a few drunken fumblings with Grace, and she directed him to what she liked and didn’t like, though this time he was hindered by only having his tongue and he was at the wrong angle to reach her clit. Still, he started by gently licking her inner lips with little nips here and there, and he heard her give a little moan.

“Looks like you haven’t been training your puppy enough Selina; he’s very shy, but seems like he’s -ah!- trying.” Bridgit stroked his hip as she spoke, and Selina smirked as she responded,

“Maybe we should encourage his tongue a bit more by way of example?” ‘Oh no, what now?’ Bruce whimpered before almost dislodging Bridgit when he bucked like a bronco at the feeling of tongues on his most ticklish spots. Selina repeated the action of putting his toes in her mouth and running her tongue and now teeth around them as she dragged her claws along the arch. Bridgit meanwhile leaned down and used her fingers to spider up and down his stomach as she stuck her tongue in his navel and swirled it around before nipping at the skin around it. As he laughed at such intense sensations, Bridgit moaned at the vibrations, causing her own tongue to vibrate in his navel, which made it tickle even more. He wondered about the heat that had started bubbling up in his stomach from all this; was he becoming aroused from being these powerful girls little tickle and sex toy?

#gotham #tickling #bruce wayne #selina kyle #bridgit pike

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liliverse-ish · 6 years ago

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Bʀᴇᴀᴋ Mʏ Hᴇᴀʀᴛ 🌙 preview pt 25

a/n: THERES A SECOND PART COMING TM AND THEN IMMA MERGE THEM AS ONE BUT I PROMISED TO POST TODAY AND I DIDNT GET TO FINISH BC I HAVE HW AND IVE BEEN BUSY W WORK BUT IM GOING TO FINISH TONIGHT ILLYYY

~тaeнyυng х reader

~ pt 25/??

~ birthday preview

~ prev || next

posts everyday at 9pm est

requests are open!

You giggle looking down at your phone seeing all your friends being a little dumb. Your birthday had finally arrived, usually you weren’t one for birthdays because they were just another regular day. At least that’s what they ended up feeling like since you had either school or work that took up most of your time.

Tae really put his all in celebrating your birthday this year. Buying gifts left and right; anything he thought that you’d enjoy he got. So far thing between the two of you really had gone well; it seemed things were getting somewhat serious. You spent almost every single day together, finding any free time to see each other and have little dates. Every time he was near your heart overflowed with love, you were falling in deep. It seemed, at least to you, his eyes were brighter, his smile sweeter, his touch a little warmer, and his heart a little softer.

With everyday that passed your feelings got stronger, and you were almost 100% sure you had fallen deeply, madly in love with Kim Taehyung, your best friend. It was different now though; before you tried your best to ignore what you felt because he’d never feel the same but that has changed. Now you knew his flirting and clinginess wasn’t all in your head, it was real. Jungkook, being his roommate, was constantly teasing you about stealing his boyfriend and hogging him night and day. There were times when he’d complain even when he wasn’t with you but you assumed it was him just messing with you. The others were very supportive about everything and very invested in the relationship.

For tonight though, you guys weren’t really bothering with thinking about the budding relationship. It was time to enjoy the party and get drunk out of your minds. All the boys had agreed on things to help you get prepare and were going to be at your place an hour early. They said you were going to need some help protecting your place for the destruction that was to come. Already you could see the mess that would be waiting for you tomorrow morning. Beer cans and bottles scattered everywhere. red solo cups covering every single flat surface, strange puddles of liquids on your wooden floor. Maybe you shouldn’t be celebrating your birthday with a hundred drunk college students… oh well.

The night before Taehyung had come over to give you his final present and stay the night with you. It was huge teddy bear and a bunch of balloons with a bouquet of roses. In that moment you had no idea how to react so you jumped on his and wrapped your legs around his waist. He got caught off guard so you both fell to the couch behind him and you both laugh. You felt your smile grow just thinking back on that memory and you looked up to your ceiling. After doing what you need you had come to lay down on your bed but you couldn’t calm your mind from constantly thinking of Tae. He was in your guest room changing into his outfit, he had brought two full bags of clothes to make sure he was prepared for any outfit color you chose. It was these small things he did that always made your heart swoon and jump out of your chest. They gave you hope, hope that everything would be alright if the two of you made the decision to stay together.

Some could call you ignorant for trusting a fuckboy, even if he’s your best friend. That made it worst thought because you had seen all the moves he makes to get girls or to break hearts, you knew his little games. There were girls in your classes that “warned” you about him, they said when they hooked up he was quick to leave and ignore their entire existence. They said he may be a little nicer because you were friends but at the end of the day he was Taehyung. Not going to lie this ran through your head a lot, you always wondered if he was playing games but you gave him the benefit of the doubt. He would never you thought, he cares way too much about you not just romantically but as a friend. Was he really the type to not give a fuck and hurt his own best friend knowing she’s head over heels for him?

You don’t know though, and that in itself drove you crazy. He had so much power in his hands, it was all in his next move to see what came out of everything.

You eyelids slowly began to close trying to keep away the negative thoughts that had already starting coming through. Tonight is for having fun, enjoying your birthday, celebrating you. Suddenly the empty side of you bed sunk down and a body laid next to yours. He slowly turned and wrapped his arm around your waist resting his on your chest.

“Princess, are you taking a nap before your ruin your liver tonight?” he whispered not wanting to wake you up in case you were really asleep.

“Mhm. Oppa really has good ideas about charging up before a party,” you giggle.

He chuckles at your comment and somehow cuddles closer onto you; you bring your free arms and wrap them around him pulling him even closer. You both had always had cuddling sessions and slept in the same bed together but it’s been completely different nowadays. They felt, weird, a good weird. The type of cuddles that made you want to giggle and blush and just be there forever if it was possible. As soon as you both started to get into your nap a loud bang can from the front door being swung open. Six voices filled the empty rooms at your place, their feet shuffling around trying to find where the star of the night was. Once they reached your room they saw the two of you laying holding each other and began their teasing. Jimin and Jungkook hyped it up the most jumping on the bed and falling on top of the both of you claiming they wanted cuddles too. Jin and Namjoon were hand in hand laughing from the door. Surprisingly Hobi and Yoongi were also hand in hand but their expressions were unreadable. Almost as if something was bothering them but as their eyes met yours their smiles appeared.

“ALRIGHT MY CHILDREN LETS HEAD DOWN AND GET OUR DRINK ON!” Namjoon yelled overly excited.

“Hell yeah!” Jungkook jumped off the bed and made his way down with the rest of the guys.

Taehyung and you took a bit longer trying to unwrap yourselves and fix up the messiness that was created by the cuddles. As you made your way down, his hand found yours and intertwined your fingers. He loved being touchy, he lived for holding hands, hugging, and any type of affection. Time passed as you guys pregamed in the middle of kitchen. Each one of you complained about all the assignments that were being given in almost every major. Most of you being art majors, you enjoyed and hated big projects because you had creative control but the deadlines really killed.

Slowly more college students began arriving and started drinking. In the beginning most of them tried their best to greet you but as the night went on they completely forgot why they came in the first place. The music was blasting and shaking all the beautiful paintings and pictures on your wall but you didn’t mind. it felt good to let loose and celebrate you. The guys had stuck by your side most of the night wanting to drink as much as possible with you.

“No Jungkook stop you can’t say those things to a girl!!!” Jin scolded the youngest.

“Jin hyung. I only wanted to know if she keeps money in her bra like y/n!”

“You can’t ask so freely unless you know her!” he shook his head, “She’s going to think your a creep.”

“That’s okay,” Jungkook shrugged and his bunny teeth came out as his lips spread into a big smile.

You didn’t know how many shots you had taken but it was… a lot. Plus the guys were refilling your red solo cup right after you finished, it felt like you were floating at this point. Taehyung had drank just as much as you taking every shot you took filling his cup just as much as yours got filled. He was gone. You were a bit surprise to find out he was even more touchy as a drunk. He turned to face you and brought you into a hug, his arms wrapped around your waist and his head rested on your shoulder. You were leaning against a wall in your house as the rest of the group circled around you. His soft lips began to peck your shoulder sweetly, he moved up a bit and started kissing your jaw. Your knees felt weak as he got closer to your ear.

His raspy voice whispered, “You’re so beautiful y/n.”

“Thank you,” you spoke back softly not really knowing what to do.

His lips continued to leave trails of kisses along your neck and shoulders until he finally reached your lips. He only gave you a small peck and let go of you.

“I’ve been wanting to kiss you all day long but I haven’t had the balls to,” he chuckles as he bends down speaking into your ear, “I almost forgot to tell you. I have one last present to give you. But it’s for when were both alone.”

You’re eyebrows knitted together and your head tilted to the side, “Birthday sex?” you asked teasing him jokingly.

“I mean if you’re down…” you playfully smack his arm, “No baby, its something more special. I can give you birthday sex after that if were sober enough,” he winked.

You both laughed at each other and he pulled you into his arms. This time he was leaning against the wall and your back was pressed to his chest. His head rested on the top of your head and his arms were on your shoulders. You held his hand, and watched your friends get wasted and start talking complete nonsense. Feeling in the mood to move around and take out all the energy the alcohol had given you, you drag Tae out to dance with you. Your dancing wasn’t much of anything, a couple of the guys gave you thumbs up or would make kissing faces at you. You were too out of it to feel Tae’s phone vibrate in his pocket but he noticed.

He pulled his phone out and looked down at who had texted him. He felt his body cringe just looking at the name written on the screen while he was having a moment with you. The text read, “Where are you?”, there were 3 dots indicating she was typing. He didn’t want to but he couldn’t help it. He excused himself and went into the bathroom to text back the girl who had just texted him.

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sherlock-one-shots · 7 years ago

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The Monthly

This one is super short, sorry, but I wanted to get something up for you guys. UPDATE: We are so much closer to 200 than we were a few days ago. I’m going to post a preview of what the ships would be like for those that don’t know BEFORE we hit 200, just so you guys can see what I’m talking about, but we’re so close! So so close! Thank you guys so much, from the bottom of my heart! Requested by anonymous ~*~*~ Living with his mother, a doctor, and now his girlfriend, Sherlock Holmes wasn’t uneducated when it came to the plights of women, particularly the illness that plagued women once a month. However, he wasn’t prepared for it.

Reading about battle, and going straight into it are two very different things. It started subtly. One hour ago, you were happy, laughing at the littlest things that YOU did, as if there wasn’t a care in the world. He left for a few minutes, going down to get the mail that Mrs. Hudson hadn’t brought up yet. Knowing you were in a joking mood, and wanting to be a good boyfriend and play along, he thought up a funny joke while he was gone, and ran up the stairs eager to tell you. He found you sitting in his chair, laptop open and you were just staring at it, scrolling through social media, he expected. Trying to hide his smile, he said the joke and waiting for your reaction. A smile. Then a laugh. That’s what he was expecting… Instead, he got a glare, a blink, and a sigh. “You alright?” He asked, wondering just what could change your mood so quickly. Another sigh as you leaned to rest your head against your arm. “I’m fine, why?” He shook his head. He learned not to argue, just to stay silent. “No reason.” “There obviously was a reason, but if you want to keep secrets I guess that’s fine.” He had been walking to the kitchen, but stopped and turned as you spoke. “Well, I just asked because you seemed like you were in a bad mood.” “What’s that supposed to mean? I didn’t do or say anything.” He shrugged, not really knowing if what he was saying was the right thing. Honestly, he had no idea what was going on with you. “Well, you just didn’t laugh at my joke, but we were joking around earlier.” “Maybe your joke just wasn’t funny. You’re not the best at everything, you know.” You weren’t even looking at him, just staring at your computer. He said nothing, just left your mail on the kitchen table and went back to the bedroom to grab his coat and gloves, wanting to give you some time alone. When he got back it was late at night and you had already retired. He discarded his coat and gloves in the living room, throwing them on John’s old chair before going back to the bedroom, finding you sleeping on your side, curled up. Quickly changing into some sleep clothes, he crawled into bed slowly, not wanting to wake you up. He had just closed his eyes when he felt two small arms wrap around his torso and your head resting on his chest. “I thought you were asleep.” He mumbled. He felt you shake your head. “Nope. I was waiting for you.” “I thought you were angry with me.” You raised your head to look at him. “Why would you think that?” He wondered for a brief moment if you were suffering from memory loss. “Earlier you seemed upset, that’s all.” “Oh, well I wasn’t upset at you.” “Just the world?” he guessed, jokingly. “I’m always upset at the world.” “It’s not hard to be.” He agreed. You both laid there in silence and he felt your breathing pattern change. You began taking deeper breaths and soon enough he heard your tiny snores, telling him that you were out. He glanced at the bedside table, looking at the clock. You had gone to sleep much earlier than usual, but he knew that you hadn’t been sleeping very well, so he didn’t think much about it and closed his eyes. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Sherlock got up early the next morning for a case, waking up long before you would. He untangled himself from your arms, crawling out of bed slowly, only stopping when he saw a much darker color contrasting with the white sheets. You were still asleep on your side, the blankets thrown to the foot of the bed (something Sherlock had always done since he was a child. You hated it) and Sherlock noticed what looked like blood on the sheets where you had been sleeping. Looking at you, he found more on your sleep pants and it didn’t take him long to reach a conclusion. He decided not to wake you, he knew you would be embarrassed about it, though why he didn’t know, and instead ran to the bathroom, making sure you had enough feminine products to last you a full week. He didn’t really know what all you needed, but he could try. Surely you could appreciate that, right? Deciding that half of a box maybe wasn’t going to be enough to be completely on the safe side, he made a mental note to pick some up on the way home. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ He hated shopping, but this was the most nerve raking shopping trip he had ever been on. There were so many options-so many expensive options, and he had no idea what you preferred. He remembered the colors on the box and the brand, but didn’t think to remember sizes. He didn’t even know that there were different sizes. He thought feminine products were a one-size-fits-all type of deal. “Lost?” He heard someone behind him ask. He turned to find an older woman standing behind him. “No, I know where I am.” She smiled and patted his arm. Reaching up, she took a box of feminine products, the same brand you had at the flat, and handed them to him. “These are the best. She’ll thank you, trust me.” He took the box, adding it with the rest of the items in his basket. The woman, however wasn’t done and she ushered him to another aisle. “Here.” She thrust a box towards him. He took it, but had no idea what that would do. “How is a box of chocolates going to help?” He asked her. She turned to him and smile. “Does she not like chocolate?” He nodded. “She loves it. I just don’t see how it will help her.” The woman shrugged. “She likes chocolate. It will make her happy, and that helps.” He mentally face palmed for not seeing it earlier. “And since it makes her happy, that will release endorphins which will then ease any cramps and headaches.” He finished. She was silent for a moment before nodding. “Sure.” ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Sherlock made his purchases, with the kind lady’s help, and went straight back to the flat. He heard tiny sniffles as he walked up the stairs and peeked into the room before entering. You were sitting in his chair, watching an old Disney cartoon, tissues in hand, tears covering your cheeks. You looked up as he entered, wiping your cheeks clean as he put the bags on the desk. “What’s that?” “Just some things I thought you might need.” He shrugged it off, not taking anything out but the box. Thinking that this was the perfect time, he handed the box to you. You paused your movie, still wiping tears away. “Would you like some chocolate?” You looked up at him for a moment, brows furrowed. “Why did you get me chocolates?” “I just thought you might like some. It seems to be your favorite.” “Are you saying that I eat it too much?” “What? No!” “That I’m fat?” Tears were still visible, but they were much, much different now. It was because you were offended, not sad. “No! No, no, no, absolutely not, you’re as thin and beautiful as ever.” You still stared at him. Finally you sighed. “Really?” You asked, quietly, taking the box from his hands slowly. “Really really.” You allowed yourself to smile a little as you opened the box and took out a chocolate piece, then took out another for him, deciding to share. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ You couldn’t sleep. There was no way you were going to sleep tonight, you knew that for a fact. Your stomach was cramping more than ever. This was, undoubtedly the worst pain you had ever been in. You got up, deciding to walk around the flat some to see if that eased any of your pain. Sherlock had been studying up on the menstrual cycle and remedies for different ailments, and that seemed to be one of the only ones you remembered. After ten laps around the living room, you thought that if it wasn’t better by then it wasn’t going to get any better at all and you gave up, plopping down in Sherlock’s chair, only to curl into a ball a few seconds later due to pain. You still weren’t going to sleep so you grabbed the remote and turned on the telly, surfing the channels until you found (Your fav tv show). It was five in the morning before your eyes closed long enough for you to fall asleep and that’s how Sherlock found you the next morning. Curled up in his chair, the TV in the background. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Surely, you thought, if that night was so bad, you wouldn’t have to worry about it again. Sherlock woke up, feeling the bed shift and move beside him. He kept his eyes closed, knowing that it wasn’t morning just yet. He tried falling back to sleep, but just as he was drifting off, the bed moved again and he heard you groan in frustration as the other side of the blankets were thrown on top of him. He opened his eyes now, turning to you. You were laying there, hand on your forehead in frustration and, even in the dark, Sherlock could see tears of frustration in your eyes. He checked the bedside table, looking at the clock and seeing the early hour of three. “(Y/N), what’s the matter?” He asked quietly. Startled, you jumped and turned towards him. “My stomach is cramping so bad I can’t sleep and the heating pad broke this morning, so I can’t use that. I get incredibly hot, so I have to get the blankets off, but then I get so cold, so I have to put them back on, then I get hot again. I can’t get comfortable.” He could hear you crying in the middle of your explanation and he knew this wasn’t a joke or exaggeration. Instead of saying anything, he got up from the bed.* “I’m sorry I woke you up.” You sniffled as he went to the bathroom. You assumed he was upset or angry with you for waking him up, but it was quite the opposite. Instead of leaving, he was grabbing two rags and he turned on the water. One rag he wet with cold water and the other was hot-as hot as he could stand it. He came back in seconds later, sitting beside you on the bed and placing the cold rag on your forehead. “I don’t have a fever.” You assured him, but he didn’t acknowledge what you said. He pulled back the blankets that you had put back over yourself and looked up at you. “Where does it hurt?” He asked. You lifted your shirt just barely, placing your hand just below your belly button. “Here.” You whispered and he placed the hot rag where you told him, pulling your shirt over it to cover and keep it there. He pulled the blankets back over you, up to your chin, then walked across the room, pointing the fan to you and turning it on so that you could feel a slight, cool breeze. “There. Maybe this will help.” “I don’t see how, other than the hot rag.” He laid back in bed, letting you rest your head on his shoulder. He brought an arm around you, placing his hand on your forehead, making sure the rag didn’t fall off. Getting another idea, he reached over and grabbed the novel of short stories you had been reading, opening up to Flat of Angles ** and reading it to you out loud. You had no idea how in the world this was working. Maybe it was the cold rag and the fan against the hot rag and blanket making everything somehow balance out. Maybe it was him reading to you, relaxing you. You didn’t know, but you knew that you felt a thousand times better, ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

* This has actually worked for me a lot. This part of the oneshot is based on my personal experience where I was going through Hades and back with cramps and hot flashes, so I got a little creative and it worked really well. **I have yet to read it, but Ben C. has read it and that’s what inspired me to add it, because it’s really nice and relaxing to listen to. Here’s the link to part one. ALSO, if you ever wanted to visit 221 B (as I have wished to several times) and fall asleep on the couch (as I have wished to do, again) this link will take you to a youtube video that I’ve used to fall asleep SEVERAL times. Never fails to relax me and get me to sleep. The audio is marvelous, and the picture she used is amazing! Go check her out and give her channel some love, it’s amazing. She also does LOTR, The Hobbit, and a lot of Harry Potter, including the common rooms, the library, and much more! (no, this was not sponsored or anything, I haven’t contacted her, I just wanted to give her amazing work a shout out because I love this channel and I think some of you might too)

#Sherlock x reader #reader inserts #bbc reader inserts #sherlock #Sherlock holmes #Sherlock holmes x reader #holmes x reader #reader x sherlock #reader x holmes #bbc sherlock #bbc Sherlock x reader

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jordm · 7 years ago

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Heartland 11x07 - Our Sons and Daughters review

Okay, so I guess i’ll start by saying, I’m so glad that they provided a flashback of Mackenzie/Ian, because as noted, i totally forgot who she was/what her story was and that quick flashback solved all my (and probably many others) problem of “Who was she again?”

We also learnt this episode that there is one sleep Ty comes home. Woohoo! (or not, I guess, depending on how you feel about his character atm)

I also need to point out WE GOT A NAME FOR THE ABANDONED HORSE! Chance! Finally! Remember all my posts last year about how that horse STILL doesn’t have a name?

(Also i think my Spam bot problem is gone. At least the messaging me inappropriate links part. So phew. Back to blogging)

GEORGIE & WYATT (and Adam)

“... but I wish I hadn’t invited him on the road trip with us.” “Why?” “Because there wasn’t a right time to do this”

I kind of like the Adam-Wyatt friendship. It’s unexpected since they’re kinda different besides their musical tastes and apparently taste in girls (although there’s a 1/5 chance of them dating the same girl.... apparently). I also enjoyed the scene of Jenn and Peter when they first meet and Peter has no clue who she is until halfway through the convo, especially when Jenn asks Peter what he thinks of G/W going on a road trip but doesn’t let him speak.

Anyways, Peter lets Georgie go as long as he can meet Wyatt. Fair. But maybe the girl should have given Wyatt a heads up before he came. I also loved that whole scene between Wyatt meeting Peter and the whole awkwardness of it all. And this has made me conclude that Gabriel Hogan has great comedic timing even when nothing is said.

“It’s okay if i friend him on facebook right?” - Peter about Wyatt

On a bad move on Wyatt’s part, he basically forces Adam to come along with (because he’s going to miss out) and Georgie doesn’t seem too pleased; she was expecting it to be just the two of them. Wyatt notices that something is wrong when Georgie is oddly quiet and objects to sitting in the front; however Adam gives sound sound advice- on not wanting to break into the museum but also on telling Wyatt to get out of the car and talk to Georgie, even if their convo was a little awkward on Wyatt’s end. He seems to have no grudges with her and Georgie and Adam seem to really truly be friends now, which I do enjoy. He is even looking out for Georgie’s best interests by making Wyatt leave the car and part of me thinks he also really didn’t want to go because he didn’t want to be a third wheel on the road trip.

Speaking of which, Adam keeping on wanting to go home when first they can’t get into the museum reminds me of the movie “Are we there yet?” but replace it with “Can we go home?”

I loved Lisa giving Georgie advice like the true step-grandmother (whatever she is) to Georgie. About how Wyatt was probably intimidated and telling Georgie to Woman up (Big Hero 6 anyone?) and not avoid Wyatt. Well. Really, I love anytime Lisa is on screen and not making questionable decisions and just being apart of the family.

“I would take these steaks to the dude ranch and stop avoiding him.” - Lisa

In the end, Wyatt apologies to Georgie for inviting Adam along, saying he regrets it (because there wasn’t a right to do to this [being the kiss]) and they kiss in the end. To that, I say finally! And also that I hope we see more of their relationship because I am really enjoying their relationship arc. They really are more compatible than Adam and Georgie.

As someone else noted, I didn’t really get the Gopher trip , but part of that is because i don’t get the museum , but i guess it led to progress in G/W’s relationship so its fine. Plus it looked fun.

[oops, this was a little long m’bad]

MACKENZIE, GRAYSON & IAN

Hey guys! Mackenize is back! And it’s been 9 years. Holy moly flashback. Amy introduces Chance (THE MYSTERY HORSE FROM LAST YEAR!) to Grayson when she spots him playing with his plane, but before he can even pet him, Mackenzie pulls him away, fearful for his safety. We learn later that Ian wants Grayson to take riding lessons, but Mackenzie is against it, even after Amy talks to her.

Grayson goes missing (briefly) and he’s found near Chance, patting and hugging him- this makes Mackenzie realize that maybe she shouldn’t be so scared, that maybe she should give it a chance. This turns out for the best because even though he’s initially he’s scared, after Mackenzie gives him a pep talk, Grayson is all smiles. This even pays out dividends later on when Katie “tags” him and he goes off to join Katie and Brick, a stark contrast to the beginning episode.

I don’t blame Mackenzie for being scared, but I do wish she would’ve trusted her husband sooner. Who knows, maybe nothing would have come of it, but it could have blossomed into something beautiful. Goats and horses can have a relationship, odd as it is, so who knows how special the relationship between Grayson and a horse could be? At the very worst, he doesn’t like them but at best, he improves. I admit that I don’t know much about autism or their mannerisms so maybe someone more educated about this (@callmebethany2010 ?) can advise if this storyline was well done, but overall I enjoyed it and thought it did it justice to my untrained eye- aka it didn’t bug me. I did think that a storyline with Mackenzie being afraid of her son riding a horse (even without Autism) would’ve also worked but overall I don’t have many complaints about how they handled this. I will defer to those who know more to speak.

Amy also did well this episode, not pressuring Mackenzie to let Grayson ride, instead letting her come to the conclusion herself, which she eventually did- and offering Mackenzie a trail ride instead. Once again, Amy didn’t have the A storyline this episode and i’m okay with that.

“Don’t go thinking this is because of the horse. This is years of therapy and specialists” - Mackenzie

“It can’t just be coincidence can it?” - Ian

“Does it really matter?” - Amy

No Amy. No, it doesn’t really matter. Progress is progress.

(Although it’s probably some combination of the therapy and the horse)

PETER & KATIE (and Brick)

Katie and Brick’s friendship are so adorable. I love them together, they even tried to include Grayson and seem to have fun outdoors with similar interests. Brick also sure seemed to open up with Katie around.

So Peter is back! Yay, but poor Peter. At first he can do no right in Katie’s eyes- he can’t do a french braid (neither can my dad), or an apparently good pony-tail. He is also forced to wear a crown, and then he overhears Katie telling Lou she’d rather be in New York... where the sushi is. She won’t even eat fried chicken.

This does just seem to be one of Katie’s mood swings though- and maybe she spent so much time with Lou in NYC she wasn’t used to having her father around, as it happens, because when Peter is the one who finds Katie, she seems nothing but happy to see him. She even starts eating hot dogs again at the bonfire and Peter seems much happier.

My take on this is that, Peter must have been away so much, and she basically spent the year with Lou in NYC- all used to Sushi and stuff that she needed time to adjust. Likewise, i’m sure the first few weeks of Katie in NYC took some adjusting. Little kids- not just autistic ones- like schedules and get used to habit so when something changes (ie. back at Hudson with her other parent), there may be an adjustment period.

Also shout out to Brick for being so mature about losing Katie and knowing what to do when he found Katie’s horse!

LISA & JACK

Lisa and Jack gets a great questionable housewarming present from Aunt Evelyn. Er... interesting. Just in case any of you did like it.

“Now i don’t know too much about this sort of thing, but I do know my wife has good taste so i should probably find a place to put this up”- Jack

“Katie could have done a better job painting it... it hurts my eye balls” - Georgie

All in all this leads to Lisa eventually taking the painting down, but putting it in storage, just in case Evelyn ever comes knocking. Lisa doesn’t need a painting to prove this is her home, but they do agree to go into town and buy a painting... together.

Despite this probably being a storyline C behind everything else, I really did enjoy this. After the last few weeks of turmoil, with Lisa moving in, the cloned horse and all this storyline was refreshing and it was really nice to see Lisa call Heartland home. I also loved to see Lisa interacting with the other family members and offering advice, because she is a valued member and this is her home.

SONGS IN THIS EPISODE ( @heartlandians)

I like you - Dempsey Bryk (via flashback)

Portrait - Evan Olson

Blue Heart - Maya Solovey

Everybody Feels It - Distant Cousins

Believe (See It In you) - Amy Stroup

NEXT EPISODE

Well, apparently Ty is back but he wasn’t in the preview. Oops.

Also, it focuses on Tim and his problems... it doesn’t go into details but it looks like Jack saying “i’ve never seen him/(you?) like this” and offering help but Tim saying he can handle it himself. Hm, should be interesting.

#heartland #11x07 #our sons and daughters #review

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chicagoredstars07 · 8 years ago

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Chicago Red Stars Season Preview: Living up to expectations

2016: 9-5-6, 33 pts. (3rd place) Playoffs: Semifinal loss in extra time to the Washington Spirit Head Coach: Rory Dames Home Ground: Toyota Park

The story of ’16

Since the inception of the National Women’s Soccer League, the Chicago Red Stars have made incremental progress each season. After finishing mid-table in 2013, they drafted well, added a few pieces and in 2014 only missed the playoffs on criteria. Then, in 2015, more adjustments and another solid draft earned them their first playoff berth—one that ended quickly with FC Kansas City scoring three times inside the first 25 minutes of play.

In 2016, Chicago took another step forward, qualifying for the playoffs again and performing much better than they had in the 2015 post-season. While the team still exited in the semifinal round, the Red Stars gave the Washington Spirit everything they could handle en route to a 2-1 loss in extra-time. They even had a chance to win the game in regulation when Christen Press rounded goalkeeper Kelsey Wys and put a left-footed shot off the crossbar with the score tied 1-1 in the 2nd minute of second half stoppage time.

What happened over the winter

The Red Stars didn’t make any major moves this winter, nor did they need to. Sticking to their formula of slow, calculated, piecemeal improvement, head coach Rory Dames and the Chicago front office have only tweaked their roster since last season.

Over the winter out went midfielder Amanda DaCosta and in came Morgan Proffitt, Michele Vasconcelos and Lauren Kaskie via the draft. Dames cited both Proffitt and Vasconcelos as potential Rookie of the Year candidates, but Vasconcelos will have to wait until 2018 to make her debut after announcing a pregnancy in February.

The Red Stars acquired Summer Green in a trade from Seattle in December, and the forward has scored two of the team’s three goals in preseason inter-squad scrimmages while also providing the game-winning assist in the team’s preseason match against Houston. Dames knew Green from his days coaching youth soccer against the Michigan native and told The Equalizer, “I’ve watched Summer play forever, going back to her [youth games]. She’s ruined my day on a number of occasions.”

Chicago also had eight players go abroad this winter, plying their trade in Australia’s W-League and picking up four months of valuable off-season training and games.

Player to Watch

Sofia Huerta had a strong campaign in 2016, picking up seven goals after notching six during her rookie season in 2015. She also put to bed the notion that she couldn’t score while playing with Press, scoring all but one of her goals last year with Press on the field.

In the off-season, Huerta played in Australia for Adelaide United and continued her scoring streak there, tallying eight times in 12 matches.

The Idaho native could be on the verge of a career season in 2017 and provide Chicago’s attack with the extra boost it needs to play for the title.

“I feel sharp, I feel fit and I feel ready,” said Huerta.

Final Outlook

Before Chicago gets down to business this year, Dames will have a series of difficult roster choices ahead of him. With 19 returners and seven newcomers still on the preseason roster (Julie Ertz (nee Johnston) doesn’t officially count right now because she is “out-of-market”), the head coach is full of praise for the players he has in camp.

“It’s the first year that we have 25 legitimate players of this level for 20 spots,” explained Dames. “I’ve never been in that situation—it’s going to be hard to make those decisions.”

He knows that Chicago’s schedule this year is going to require the depth of all 20 players on his roster and is excited to start seeing his youngsters develop. In some ways, he almost feels that the league’s roster rules punish the Red Stars for being too effective at developing their young talent.

Dames points out Katie Naughton as his most improved player from a year ago and won’t commit to starting the same back line he did in 2016. He has been using Taylor Comeau—who played exclusively as a midfielder last year—as an outside back in preseason and touts her athleticism and competitiveness while stressing she will one day be one of the league’s best defenders.

He was impressed with Courtney Raetzman’s performance against Portland in Chicago’s first preseason game and notes that Mary Luba has finally gotten serious about developing her game. “She does things that are special. She does things you don’t teach players to do,” Dames pointed out.

The coach has also been surprised by the quality of his newcomers in camp this year, specifically pointing to Simone Kolander. He knew she was fast and could get in behind defenses, but offered, “She’s got more tools in her kit than what was advertised. You don’t score a lot of goals in the Big Ten without having some special qualities.”

Considering the returning talent Chicago has and the team’s performance the last two years, getting the roster down to 20 may be one of the biggest challenges it faces this season.

Once the 2017 campaign kicks off, Chicago will likely rely on its tried and tested formula of a stingy defense, a high work-rate and Press golazos to grind out narrow wins. The biggest question heading into the season seems to be who will be the starting defenders and what formation Dames will use.

The coach has spent the preseason tinkering with a 3-5-2 and said, “We definitely have the personnel to do it, we have the athleticism to do it.”

He also insists that he decided to explore a three-back last fall, prior to it becoming en vogue after the United States national team made the change. Noticing that Chicago frequently scored goals late in matches when they became more aggressive going forward in 2016, he decided he needed to give a 3-5-2 a serious look this season.

Best Case Scenario

There’s a quiet confidence around the Red Stars this season, and everyone seems to know that this is a championship-caliber squad. Players like Julie Ertz, Vanessa DiBernardo, Danielle Colaprico, Arin Gilliland and Huerta, who have formed the backbone of the team over the past few seasons, are all now tested veterans—despite all being under 25 years old.

Add into that mix goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, defender Casey Short and Press, and expectations for Chicago this season are high.

Even Dames, who describes himself as “more of a glass half-empty, than I am a glass half-full guy,” is excited and positive about what the team can accomplish this season.

Cause for Pause

The team hasn’t had Julie Ertz in camp this preseason due to her wedding and honeymoon and Dames said, “We’ve missed her leadership.”

She picked up a groin injury during the SheBelieves Cup and with everything else going on, the coach gave his defender the option of not coming in. That, he says, has limited a little of what Chicago has tried to introduce tactically, knowing that Ertz will be key to any strategic decisions they make this year. That fact could potentially slow the team down early in the season.

Dames’ teams have also benefited from a constancy in years’ past. It has usually been easy to predict his starting XI, his formation and even what substitutes would be made under what situations. And his players have always seemed to thrive under that consistency, knowing their coach has faith in them and knowing exactly what their roles are and how to execute them.

Counter-intuitively, the Red Stars’ success in developing players and drafting so well over the past few years may have inadvertently given their coach too many options heading into this season. With a possible switch in the formation on the horizon and the difficulty of finding playing time for so many talented players, Dames will have new challenges to contend with in 2017.

Another obstacle may be dealing with higher expectations. Since their inaugural NWSL season in 2013, the Red Stars have enjoyed a relative anonymity. With nearly everyone involved—from players, to the coaches, to the fans—expecting big things out of the team this year, there will more attention on the team than in past seasons and more pressure to win early and often, both from inside and outside the organization.

How the team responds to that pressure, especially if and when they hit bumps in the road, will be key to their success over the course of the 2017.

#Chicago Red Stars #nwsl

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junker-town · 7 years ago

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The 5-minute NBA season preview

Because A LOT happened in the past six months.

Maybe you played some high school or college ball and decided to live your hoop dreams vicariously through the pros this year. Maybe you’re the casual basketball fan who only watches when superstars play.

Or maybe you just saw how bananas the offseason was and want to catch up.

This NBA summer was wild, but maybe you missed it paying attention to other more important things. It’s all good, though. We’ll help you catch up on all the movement and lay out the stakes so you feel ready to take on the 2017-18 season.

How did last season end?

Russell Westbrook won MVP by breaking Oscar Robertson’s triple-double record. James Harden became the most dominant point guard in the league in Mike D’Antoni’s wild offensive system. Kawhi Leonard morphed into a robot that bleeds antifreeze. Giannis Antetokounmpo’s skill, size and athleticism put the league on notice. Five-foot-nine Isaiah Thomas averaged 29 points per game to lead the Celtics to the best record in the East, then played through his sister’s passing and his tooth being punched out in the playoffs.

None of it mattered.

As we all expected, the Warriors and Cavaliers breezed through the playoffs and met in the NBA Finals. As most expected, Golden State, led by Kevin Durant, pummeled Cleveland — and the rest of the league — to the tune of the NBA’s best playoff record ever.

Did I miss anything this off-season?

Did you what?

Let’s get you up to speed.

The draft was lit

After a massive race to the bottom to end the regular season, we welcomed one of the most exciting draft classes in a while.

The Lakers took Los Angeles native and UCLA star point guard Lonzo Ball No. 2 overall. Ball dominated Summer League as one of the most selfless, yet electrifying players to enter the league. I subsequently became SB Nation’s de facto LaVar Ball beat writer, losing bits and pieces of my soul along the way.

The Celtics, who owned the Nets’ pick as part of the Paul Pierce trade, stunned us all by trading it to Philly for the No. 3 pick and a future first-rounder. The 76ers drafted consensus top prospect Markelle Fultz out of Washington, while the Celtics nabbed scoring wing Jayson Tatum from Duke and immediately proclaimed him to be No. 1 on their board.

The Knicks took French point guard Frank Ntilikina at No. 8 while electrifying college guards Dennis Smith Jr. and Malik Monk were still on the board. Smith and Monk went to Dallas and Charlotte, respectively.

An NBA-record 16 freshmen were taken in the first round, including the first 11 picks. Only two seniors were taken in the first round, an all-time low. The league is getting younger, whether you like it or not.

But that was all a prelude to ...

Photos via USA TODAY SPORTS and Getty Images

SUPERSTAR ROULETTE!

Last year, the league’s stars were at least mildly split between the East and the West. This year? Almost every East All-Star outside of Cleveland and Boston jetted cross-country. Let’s take a look:

Kyrie Irving is now a Celtic and Isaiah Thomas is a Cavalier.

The Knicks tried to trade Carmelo Anthony to Houston, but sent him to Oklahoma City instead.

Chris Paul got out of Los Angeles and forced a trade to play with James Harden in Houston.

Paul George forced a trade and ended up with the Thunder, too. Cue Russell Westbrook dancing over the biggest contract extension in NBA history.

Gordon Hayward ditched Utah for Boston and old college coach Brad Stevens.

The Bulls traded Jimmy Butler — a whole all-star starter — to Minnesota for pennies on the dollar. Nobody’s really sure why. They also bought out Dwyane Wade’s contract, so he did what made the most sense and joined LeBron James in Cleveland.

Derrick Rose signed a minimum deal with the Cavs, too. Man the Cavs’ roster is weird.

Oh yeah, and Dwight Howard is in Charlotte now, shooting threes and dribbling coast-to-coast.

The end result of all of that ...

Look at all these new super teams!

If you thought the Warriors’ dominance would scare off the rest of the league, think again. They’ve got some serious competition now. It includes:

The Celtics, who now have a legit Big 3 of Irving, Hayward and Al Horford.

The Thunder, who somehow have Westbrook, George, and Anthony on the same team.

Houston, which has has two of the game’s five best point guards — Harden and Chris Paul — playing for a coach who historically maximizes the talents of his point guard.

Minnesota, which has Karl-Anthony Towns, Butler AND Andrew Wiggins ALL ON ONE TEAM, with Jeff Teague, Taj Gibson and Jamal Crawford to help.

The Spurs, who are the Spurs.

The new-look Cavaliers, who still have James and Kevin Love, supplemented by Thomas and key depth pieces like Jae Crowder, Rose and Wade.

Oh yeah, one more thing ...

NBA jerseys are now made by Nike, not Adidas. Here are all of them.

Are we gonna see another Cavs vs. Warriors Finals?

Yes. Yes, we are.

But the Warriors are probably gonna win again, right?

Yes. Yes, they are.

Did any rules change?

Yes. The All-Star Game recently changed formats. There’s no more East vs. West. Instead, there will be team captains who pick their own teams, just like the playground. That should make it more competitive, right?

Speaking of competitive, there shouldn’t be as much tanking after this season. The NBA altered the lottery odds so the worst teams have less of an advantage in securing the No. 1 pick. Let’s see if that works.

Are NBA players sticking to sports?

Nope.

On the heels of the NFL’s struggle with players kneeling during the national anthem, the NBA sent a memo to players encouraging they use their platform to start conversations about issues that matter to them.

Thing is, these guys have been using their platform to spark conversations already:

Milwaukee’s Malcolm Brogdon called the protection of a Confederate statue in Charlottesville, Va. “white supremacy” and “domestic terrorism.”

After President Donald Trump rescinded a Golden State Warriors White House invitation that he never actually sent, LeBron James called the president a bum.

Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team.Stephen Curry is hesitating,therefore invitation is withdrawn!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 23, 2017

U bum @StephenCurry30 already said he ain't going! So therefore ain't no invite. Going to White House was a great honor until you showed up!

— LeBron James (@KingJames) September 23, 2017

Kobe Bryant said he would kneel during the national anthem if he was still playing today.

Kobe knows exactly what he'd do.

A post shared by Sports Blog Nation (@sbnation) on Oct 5, 2017 at 12:22pm PDT

That was just the tip of the iceberg.

The NBA, though, has a rule specifically against kneeling during the national anthem. Nobody’s challenged it yet, but what happens if they do?

Who will win MVP?

Either Kawhi or Giannis. Why? They’re the only candidates without a legitimate co-star on their team.

But if you disagree, there’s always Steph, KD, Harden, Russ, and dark-horses like Kyrie, Butler, and of course, Dion Waiters. Also, that LeBron guy over in Cleveland is pretty good, too.

Which young players should I be watching?

Towns, New York’s Kristaps Porzingis, Antetokounmpo, Denver’s do-it-all Nikola Jokic, and Philly’s entire core of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Dario Saric, and Fultz are all must-see TV.

You’ll also want to watch Lonzo as often as you can.

Which teams should I keep an eye on, besides the obvious ones?

Minnesota found a way to put Towns, Wiggins, Butler, and Teague on the same team, with Tom Thibodeau coaching them. The Wizards’ backcourt of John Wall and Bradley Beal is always fun to check out. Antetokounmpo gives Milwaukee a chance to win every time he steps on the floor.

If you’re into heartbreak, pull for the Knicks every once in awhile.

But seriously, is anyone beating the Warriors?

Nah.

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