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agroteraa · 7 months ago

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I Wanna Be Your Dog

Oliver Quick x f!Reader

My fic masterlist

Summary: Oliver's memories of one of the evenings at Oxford, where you began getting closer. And a night in Saltburn, where you try to be dominant with him.

Actaeon series spin-off, taking place between Artemis and The Wrath of the Stag.

Warnings: smut, dom!Reader, sub!Oliver, switching, oral, penetration sex.

Word Count: 2,8K

It was another spring party at Oxford. All the young people were chatting cheerfully with bottles and glasses in their hands in the slightly dim light of the dormitory's common room. Felix and Oliver were almost lying relaxed on the couch and had been silent for some time.

“Now, can you eenie, meenie India or Annabel, and take one fucking home? Because they look miserable,” Oliver suggested softly.

“Eenie, meenie, miny, moe. Catch a tiger by his toe. If he squeals, let him go. Er..." Felix seemingly forgot the text of the counting-out rhyme, but decided to finish it as soon as possible and make a choice anyway, "You're out, boy scout!"

The choice fell on Annabelle. He happily pecked Oliver on the cheek in gratitude, which made him grin widely. Oliver liked being praised. Especially by those who were important to him. Felix quickly jumped up from the sofa and, lightly slapping the contented girl on the ass, and went off with her upstairs.

“Well, what the fuck, mate? I’ve been chirpsing her for about an hour. I wanted at least a hand job...” the guy Annabelle left said in disappointment.

An hour. What did he know about waiting. How about almost a whole year, mate? Oliver smiled indulgently to himself. And anyway, how shallow that guy thoughts and desires were.

“I know. We all want a fucking handjob, mate. Get yourself a title and a massive fuck off castle.”

That where it was hard to argue. A title and a massive fuck off castle had never harmed anyone in life yet.

"Hey, here I am! And where is Felix?.." you were surprised when you returned from your dorm room and sat back down on the sofa, only this time next to Oliver alone.

"I don't know really," he shrugged, smiling, "I think he’s decided to go have some fun on his own."

"Hmm," you pursed your lips, not really surprised, but still, deep down, a little upset that Felix was acting like that again. You guessed where and why he might have gone, but decided not to focus on that thought right now. Besides, you'd already poured another bottle of your drink into yourself. There was some silence in the air. Before that, you had fun talking to the guys, mostly Felix, and you had never been alone with Oliver for long, especially at parties. You clenched your bottle tightly like a social lifebuoy.

Oliver was even beginning to interest you a little, just a little, but you still had no idea what and how to talk to him in private. He still seemed more like Felix's shadow. But at the same time, being face-to-face for at least a short time, you felt like you had to tell Oliver something meaningful, something deep... as if you should be giving away to him some of your secrets. You were vaguely disturbed by this feeling, as now you were just in the mood for small talk only.

"Um... so… how’s your study going?" you asked, not knowing where else to start a new separate conversation with him besides studying.

"Pretty well," he replied a little awkwardly, embarrassed by your close presence himself. Before that, Felix separated you on the couch, but now he wasn’t a bother anymore. Oliver definitely liked this intimacy, even though he was obviously not used to it yet. But one gets used to the fine things quickly. And Oliver was greedy for all the new truly fine things in his life.

"And yours?"

"Yeah, too," you took a small sip from the bottle, trying not to look him in the eye. At the same time, because you felt awkward and because these blue eyes have been looking at you so piercingly lately, as if they were drilling right into your soul. You couldn't tell if it was embarrassing for you, or if it was some other kind of excitement. Maybe both.

"And what about yours..." Oliver was interrupted by one of Felix's many friends, Chad, who plopped down on the arm of the sofa next to you.

"Hey, Y/N! I finally got to the party on your campus! How are you?"

"Oh, Chad! It's been a long time, it’s like you've disappeared somewhere. Have you really been studying so hard lately?" you both laughed loudly at this very bold assumption of yours. You continued to communicate, actively exchanging the latest news. Over time, you felt guilty a little. You turned to Oliver and smiled at him. He smiled back understandingly. His face visibly saddened when you turned back to the blond guy. He began to examine the empty bottom of his plastic cup, twirling it slightly in his hands. How should he get Y/N's attention? He didn't know. He had to come up with a plan. What would he do, what should he say, so that you…

"Hey, Oliver! Did you have any classes with Mr. Wharton?" you asked with interest, involving him in your conversation. He exhaled a little as he realized that you weren't leaving him in the middle of this party, where he felt like a stranger without Felix and you. You looked at him with a warm smile, and something inside him finally clicked and fell into place.

"Er, yeah... that oddball. He constantly comes up with fruit analogies for everything and even sometimes speaks on their behalf while holding them in hands."

"Ah, have you seen that too?! Y/N, I told you, he's an old weirdo! Only you are attending the wrong classes!" exclaimed Chad, and you all laughed merrily. The conversation was going well, and Oliver was incredibly happy about it. He didn't feel lonely anymore because of you.

But in return, some feelings that he had only vaguely suspected until this moment began to awaken inside him. You didn't stop drinking, and at some point, Chad put his arm around you and started lightly stroking your back. You giggled without giving it much thought, especially under the influence of alcohol. But Oliver saw perfectly well how Chad looked more and more into your eyes, lowering his gaze to your lips and lightly licking his own. It was very subtle, but Quick noticed it all. The way his hand keeps stroking your back, gripping you tighter and tighter. Oliver saw it all perfectly well, because he wanted to be in that place himself.

No, rather, he didn't really want to. He had long imagined your first kiss when you were fully conscious, willing and not under the influence of some alcohol, when you were too much mellow-minded. And he wouldn't let your kiss with Chad happen now, in this state, nor ever.

Sometimes it seemed you and him were very different. He could see through everything, and sometimes it was like you notice none of what you really should. How could you not understand that this Chad wanted to take you upstairs just like Felix did with Annabel?

You were kind and open, maybe even too friendly, oh, Y/N. Oliver was drawn to you like a moth to a fire. You were quite a complete and content person in your own right, and this was very attractive to the many-faced Oliver, who was still struggling to find a place in this life, especially here, in his first year at Oxford.

And it seems that he began to realize that he had found his place next to you. And he wanted to take this place like a guard dog, protecting it and you from all the adversity and guys like Chad.

You didn't forget about Oliver and wanted him to feel fine and less lonely, even hardly knowing him, even having so many friends and acquaintances here, even in the midst of fun of the party. You showed towards him attention and care.

Yeah, he would like to be your dog, he thought now.

Fortunately, you got up soon, freeing yourself from Chad's embrace and going to the bathroom. Great. Oliver had been carefully observing the situation in the common room all this time, so he immediately got up from the sofa and sauntered into the common kitchen, where India was smoking, still slightly displeased that Felix had not chosen her.

"How’s the party? " Oliver asked politely, grabbing a can of beer from the fridge.

India rolled her eyes, twirling a cigarette in her fingers, "What do you need?"

"Me? Nothing. But that guy has been looking at you half the evening without stopping," he nodded towards Chad and winked, "Just saying."

"Isn't he hanging out with Y/N?"

"No, he doesn't sleep with his buddy Felix's old friends. So, the way is clear."

"Oh, are they friends with Felix?" India narrowed her eyes. That was good, she needed some male attention right now, especially from those whom Catton Jr. might become jealous of. Thus, the girl went off towards her chance.

When you had returned to the common room, you saw Chad and India flirting with each other on the couch, and the girl did not let go of her hands off him. Okay. That was unexpected, but okay, it was a student party, after all. You shrugged your shoulders and started thinking about where you could sit now.

"Everyone seems to be having fun with each other tonight," Oliver, who happened to be next to you, shrugged sympathetically. Indeed, everyone around was busy with their own lively conversations, and someone was already far from just "talking".

"To singles?" he offered a playful toast, and you agreed with a grin, "Apparently so!"

"Cheers!" you clinked your drinks, continuing to talk a little more relaxed with each other. So, that how you started getting closer from that evening, and you began getting to know the real Oliver. At least that was what you thought at the time. He looked at you with a shy smile of a complete adoration as you were telling your stories full of joy and tipsy giggling. His eyes were shining like two starry sapphires at that moment.

If a guard dog wants to protect the peace of its owner and scare away other dogs, then it must inspire fear itself. Maybe sometimes not very intentionally, but instill just a little fear and sense of power even to its own master. Oliver wanted to be a good guard dog.

He would take this place next to you.

* * *

And he took it.

Now he was hovering over you, pinning you between his arms, leaning on your bed in your bedroom in Saltburn. It was the middle of the night, and finally not a single one inhabitant of this house could bother you right now.

Oliver thought all day about how he would continue his way with you at night, along the way remembering the evening of that party in Oxford, where you finally began to get closer. He looked down at you rapturously, biting his lip and breathing heavily, still not believing that all this was really happening. Not just right now, but in general, everything.

His blue eyes were gleaming with utter delight in the dim.

"What else does my sweet Y/N want?" Oliver asked you, recovering his breathing.

He bent lower, and a chain dangled from his neck, swaying slightly. The metal heated by the warmth of your bodies tickled your lips slightly. You lifted your head and gently but firmly catching the chain with your lips.

"Mm-hmm," Quick mumbled with curiosity. You smiled, gritting the chain with your teeth and began to shake it slightly from side to side. He opened his lips excitedly, inhaling sharply.

"Am I your doggie today? Oh, I'm more than willing to be, sweetheart," he said in his deep sexy accent.

He wanted to add "now and always," but didn't. Oliver was afraid that if he showed how willing he was to obey you, he would lose your interest. He was used to changing masks, adapting to different situations and someone's needs. He was an awkward and shy nerd when you first met, and that was largely true, because of his deep core nature and the new posh environment at Oxford. Fortunately, he had successfully joined Felix's company and was able to relax a little. And here in Saltburn, he almost felt like the master of the situation.

If you wished, he would always be that sweet, shy and awkward guy for you, if only you were truly happy about it. But he had learned that he interested and intrigued you mostly when he showed a more powerful, dominant and somewhat even dark part of himself. And that made him really pleased, because you viewed him the way he hoped to be in his own deep wildest dreams.

And yet, he still wanted to be your dog, an obedient dog who would do anything for you. In a sense, he was. And today he decided to demonstrate you that in more obvious way.

"What do you want me to do? I'm all yours," he leaned back next to you, belly up. Oliver smiled playfully. Right now, he was a tiger who had been caught by the toe with his own permission.

Biting your lip, you straddled him, sitting on his thighs. After enjoying this view, you ran your hand from his navel, sliding your fingers up the groove between his prominent muscles. Oliver exhaled sharply. You stopped at his neck, grabbed his chain, and pulled him to you. Now the guy was in a sitting position, he looked at you adoringly while his hands slid over your waist.

Without letting go of one hand from the chain, you slowly rose and began to descend on his cock. Oliver hissed with satisfaction, "Yes, my dear, just like that..."

"I didn't let you talk," you pulled the chain slightly, smiling slightly.

"Oh," he said in surprise, but gladly began to obey you, nodding in agreement.

You began to move slowly on his things, while Oliver's strong hands supported you with ease, guiding you, leaving hot prints on your skin.

His hands were all over you as his lips feverishly kissed everything they could reach. Finally, he reached for your lips, covering them with a hot kiss full of saliva, admiration and arousal.

When you broke the kiss, you said, a little hesitantly, but still firmly enough, "Take your hands off, next time you touch me when I tell you."

Oliver smiled enthusiastically – you learned quickly from his example, apparently. He liked the hint of his own power and dominance reflected on himself now through you.

He obeyed your request, although it was getting harder to fulfill it by every passing minute. He wanted to touch you again, guide your body and push it harder on his hard needy cock. It became unbearable after a while, and he whined a little. He looked at you a little pleadingly, but you nodded no.

He kissed your breasts again, but in response he got "Do not touch at all."

"Only I can now," with these words, you ruffled his hair and pressed harder against his shoulders. He groaned at the inability to touch you at all, it was a new sensation, or rather, its absence.

You grabbed his hair, and he put his head closer, burying it in your hand. It was the only chance to touch you in any way. Oliver closed his eyes and inhaled noisily through his nose. He didn't even mind if you squeezed his hair even harder, hell, maybe even poked his face into the sheet, where he would inhale the scent of your arousal. If you had forced him to lick it off, he would have willingly obeyed, as long as you continued to press his face to the bed, clutching his dark curls. He even imagined doing the same with the bathtub you were lying in lately. In his bathroom. This thought turned Oliver on even more.

Degrading him, talking him down, pulling his hair or chain harshly - he would not always like to be in this role, but he would like to give you that opportunity from time to time. If only you'd asked. And even if you hadn't asked. Because it was you. And because he was like that.

Reaching the peak almost at the same time, you dug your nails into his back deeply, which made Oliver's eyes darken slightly and starry at the same time. With a pleased moan, you released your grip and sank down onto the pillows. But that wasn't all of it, and you decided to play the role given to you to the very end.

Clutching his soft dark hair, you moved his head to your thighs. He looked back at you with hazy from own rapture eyes.

"Please," you said softly, still not being able to be dominant enough. But this sweetness and dissimilarity from his own, even in a situation where you could and should do it, but asking instead, drove Oliver crazy to his limit. He attacked you with a growl, delivering all the pleasure he could possibly give to you that night.

* * *

Oliver was lying with his arms around your lower back, his head resting on your stomach. Quick looked faithfully into your eyes. His face reflected the moonlight of the deep quiet night that was now in Saltburn.

You stroked and scratched him behind the ear, he rubbed his nose contentedly against your smooth belly skin.

"Is my mistress happy?"

"Yes," you laughed, starting to play softly with his hair.

"Then I am happy too," he said, closing his eyes and rubbing his cheek against your soft belly, "Now and always."

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weclassybouquetfun · 7 months ago

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What an achievement for Dev Patel.

MONKEY MAN is lit, it's fire, it's bananas

it's a wild action, vibrant, brutal action flick that is right up there with the best of the best.

It's very easy to compare it to the JOHN WICK film (the JOHN WICK stunt team was to do the fight choreography but in one of the multitudes of bad luck that happened to the film during production namely Covid 19, but including the studio going bankrupt, Patel's gaffer dying from a heart attack, losing the location he scouted for four to five months, having to move the shoot from India to Indonesia, thus losing much of the production team and their equipment and Patel breaking his hand on his very first stunt, and injuring his foot when a stuntman stepped on it) Patel lost the stunt team), and while Patel has said his influences were bombastic Bollywood action films and Korean revenge films; for me, not as versed in those films, an easy reference is THE RAID. So if you like that brand of action, you would love MONKEY MAN.

What I especially loved is that after the first act the action levels out, which is great because when it is incessant (as I found JOHN WICK 4), it's mind-numbing, so with act two, you get breathing room and a deeper dive into the story and it gives more depth to the film.

-Dev Patel is just one of the many SKINS cast members who are having a moment. What are some of the others up to?

-Jacob Anderson was in only one SKINS episode but he has remained in the fold somehow.

He even invited the gang to his wedding.

and was on GAME OF THRONES with Joe Dempsie and Hannah Murray.

Anderson can be seen May 12th in series two of AMC+'s INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE, where he plays the long living, long-suffering Louis du Pointe du Lac.

-Jack O'Connell, pictured with young Jacob, will reportedly be the villain in Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Googler's next team-up.

Jack can be seen S.A.S ROGUE HEROES.

-The cast reunited at another wedding a few years ago based on pics posted by Kaya Scodelario and five years ago at a Golden Globes celebration.

Kaya can be currently seen in Netflix's THE GENTLEMEN.

-Also on Netflix is Daniel Kaluuya's directorial debut THE KITCHEN.

during his time on SKINS, Kaluuya also pitched storylines and co-wrote a few episodes for the series.

-Nicky Hoult, who played the lecherous Tony, is our future Lex Luthor in James Gunn's SUPERMAN LEGACY.

Yes, he looks like a giant Caillou - what of it?

#dev patel #monkey man #skins uk #skins #skins alum #jacob anderson #interview with the vampire #amc iwtv #iwtv #kaya scodelario #the gentlemen #daniel kaluuya #the kitchen #jack o'connell #sas rogue heroes #nicholas hoult #superman legacy #lex luthor

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justforbooks · 18 days ago

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Richard Woodman

Writer who drew on his own experience at sea in a series of novels and historical works about the British merchant navy

“The end was anticlimax. We slipped home unnoticed. Britain turned no hair at our arrival, as just as she has turned no hair at our extinction.” When Richard Woodman published Voyage East in 1988, he knew that the mercantile world depicted within it, which he had joined aged 16, was gone.

The first-person novel – which never reads like fiction – describes the voyage of a cargo liner carrying goods and passengers from Liverpool to Singapore, Hong Kong, Kobe and Shanghai in the mid-1960s. There is a moment, off the coast of Borneo, when the captain sees a vessel with half a dozen grey aluminium boxes on her foredeck: “What the devil are they?” he asks the pilot. “‘They’re containers, Captain,’ the Pilot replied, and no one on the bridge heard the sentence of death pronounced upon us.”

Woodman, who has died aged 80, became the memorialist of the merchant fleets. Between 2008 and 2016 he wrote the history of the British merchant navy in five volumes, followed by A Low Set of Blackguards, a two-volume history (2016-17) of the East India Company.

His outstanding contribution came through his three second world war convoy histories: Arctic Convoys (1994), Malta Convoys (2000) and The Real Cruel Sea (2005). These are works of passion, based on experience and scrupulous research.

The loss of life among merchant seamen was proportionately greater than in any of the armed services and the recognition they received far less. From the beginning of the war a seafarer’s pay was stopped the minute his ship was sunk. “Time spent fighting for his life on a float or lifeboat was an unpaid excursion,” wrote Woodman.

While Winston Churchill acknowledged the crucial importance of the Battle of the Atlantic to national survival, it was not until 2012 that those who had served in the Arctic convoys, and had taken the highest casualties of all, were retrospectively honoured.

Born in north London, Richard was the elder son of Rosalie (nee Cann) and Douglas Woodman, a civil service administrator. Though he was far from the sea, his imagination was captured by the works of Arthur Ransome, Daniel Defoe, RM Ballantyne and Alan Villiers, and his enthusiasm nurtured by Sea Scout membership.

He was the youngest member of the Sea Scout crew that sailed the ex-German yawl Nordwind in the 1960 Tall Ships race and, despite failing all but two of his O-levels, he was accepted as an indentured apprentice with the Alfred Holt (Blue Funnel) line in 1960.

His first long trip to Australia came as a midshipman on the SS Glenarty, returning via the US: “I had been round the world before I would have been allowed inside a British pub.” Life on board ship took place in an uncompromising, all-male environment: the almost compulsory swearing, drinking and sexist banter encouraged the development of “a carapace behind which we hid our private selves”.

Woodman responded eagerly to the hands-on education in seamanship and navigation, developed his writing and sketching through the log-keeping and read his way through the excellent ships’ libraries provided by the Marine Society. He completed his four-year apprenticeship and gained his second mate’s certificate. He was, however, in love and hated saying goodbye to his girlfriend, Christine Hite, an art student, for many months at a time.

He left Blue Funnel in the mid-1960s and went to work for the Ocean Weather Service, where he discovered how vicious the North Atlantic winter weather systems could be – and how pitilessly an ex-second world war corvette would roll. Fortunately it was not long before a temporary position became available with Trinity House, the corporation charged with the maintenance of navigation marks around England, Wales and the Channel Islands.

The position became permanent; he and Christine married in 1969 and settled in Harwich, Essex, near the Trinity House east coast depot, and he served the corporation for most of the rest of his life.

The work at sea was varied, challenging, sometimes dangerous. Precise navigation, seamanship and attention to detail were essential qualities, but Woodman also found time to write. His first novel, The Eye of the Fleet, was published in 1981. This introduced a series of 14 adventures featuring the young Nathaniel Drinkwater, a hero somewhat in the Horatio Hornblower mode but bearing the unmistakable stamp of a writer who was also a sailor.

Despite his professional career being in motorised vessels, Woodman loved traditional gaff-rigged yachts, particularly his own Kestrel and then Andromeda, in which he and Christine explored the east coast rivers and beyond. The action of his nautical novels often turns on neat, seamanlike manoeuvres as well as including varied and closely observed seascapes.

His productivity was astonishing. He often wrote two or three novels a year and soon added non-fiction to his output. When he became captain of Trinity House Vessel Patricia, he achieved this by having two desks, one from which he could conduct official business, the other hidden behind a door, with a page from the work in progress always ready in the typewriter.

Meanwhile, in his job he was extremely focused, conscientious and painstaking. Although some remember him as being of the “old school”, Jill Kernick, the first woman in almost 500 years to work at sea for Trinity House, credits him with helping her break through traditional barriers in the early 80s.

In 1997 Woodman retired to write full time, but was soon elected a Younger Brother of Trinity House, and then an Elder Brother, the first time a former employee was accorded this honour. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2003 but there was no let-up in his work rate. His last completed novel, A River in Borneo (2022), harks back to 60s Indonesia but sets its final scene in a Colchester hospice.

He is survived by Christine and their children, Abigail and Edward, and grandson, Arlo.

🔔 Richard Martin Woodman, master mariner and author, born 10 March 1944; died 2 October 2024

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

#just for books #Richard Woodman #in memoriam

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matt0044 · 1 year ago

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Miraculous: Tales of the Jungle Book - AU crossover

Mowgli and Tikki - Ladybug

Lala and Plagg - Chat Noire

Artwork by joesanchez involving the most underrated Jungle Book adaptation out there.

It all for free on YouTube no less. Search Jungle Book Nantoons and enjoy a hidden 1980s gem.

So... yeah. In a world of IP renewals and brand management, I wouldn't put it past Disney to try and cash in on The Jungle Book where Mowgli becomes superheroes with his friends not unlike The Lion Guard. Basically cashing in on Marvel and Miraculous all the while.

My idea would be a fifty-two episode animated series adapting concepts from Miraculous with some story and character beats from Jungle Book Shonen Mowgli. The first season would be a relaxed pace of thirteen self-contained episodes that lay the foundation for a much meatier Season 2 and onwards involving our Cat Noir to be.

So… what about the she-wolf turned catgirl?

Lala is based on Leela, a minor character from Rudyard Kipling's novel, and expanded on in an minor on again, off again role as Mowgli's, well, mean girl. The Chloe Bourgeois to Mowgli's Marinette. So... why here as Chat Noir...e?

Well... it homages the original plan for Felix to be the Cat bearer rather than Adrien with him being standoffish towards Marinette. Here it's more like Lala sees a need to prove herself against Mowgli and vice versa.

As Chat Noire, Lala is a lot more “likable” towards Ladybug both as a means to work together and to show the hidden depth beneath the priss she parades herself as.

It would play into the overall themes of identity and belonging, especially when new enemies enter the fray.

As for the premise:

”Deep in the heart of India, a pack of wolves help uphold the Law of the Seeonee Jungle with special jewels bestows upon them and allies of other species. These Miraculous were created in a time when man and wild lived together. When harnessing the power of the Kwamis, they deemed that a bearer would assume a human form if they weren't of man already.

This was to preserve secrecy of who had the jewels and the power themselves. Animals were considered suitable since humans already tended to underestimate their kind already.

However, a nasty vie for power in what would be known as the Cold Lair resulted in a schism between humans and the wild for generations to come. A new policy was decreed: the Miraculous could not be trusted with humans lest the world falls to ruin.

Shere Khan the Tiger, one such ally once upon a time, betrays them with the Butterfly Miraculous of Empowerment and slays Alexander the bearer of the Ladybug Miraculous. The fallen hero is survived by his wife and three sons, one of whom is an adopted human boy named Mowgli.

Inspired by his father's sacrifice, Mowgli becomes a young man-cub trained by Alexander’s closest friends in the ways of the wild and eligible to be considered as a Miraculous bearer. Other young wolves step up to be considered as future defenders of the Jungle as Tikki and Plagg scout them for potential heroes to face Shere Khan, now declaring himself as Hawk Moth.

Meanwhile, the power of destruction would go to somebody that would make the mystics themselves roll in their graves.

As Akela's granddaughter, Lala grew up to be a bitch in every sense of the human's derogatory term. She was often quick with a cutting remark and to take out her bad mood on others. Lala could also be a bit of diva when it came to holding her head up a touch too high. For older pack members, they knew that she was only going through what they saw as a tomboy phase with the lack of a mother figure. For younger members... no, she was pain full stop.

Especially towards Mowgli the man-cub. She'd often cut into his hunts if they crossed paths and show him up, especially to rub in how he'd never be a real wolf. The man-cub would hardly take it up the tailbone but rarely got the last word in. Lala was the most vocal to object to him joining the pack and even challenged him to hunt more prey than her to present to Akela if she wanted his vote.

Her grandfather agreed to this if only to propose that the younger members perform a hunting excersise as a way to prepare for Shere Khan. In truth, this was a cover for the Kwamis to scout their promising new bearers. Plagg found himself drawn to Lala when it came to her attitude and related to how she didn't care about how others saw her. His hand was forced when Tabaqui was akumatized by Shere Khan, now Hawk Moth, and turned into a rock beast.

Stone Heart interrupted Lala's hunt and chased her through the woods. Quick thinking and dodging bought her time to hide before Plagg revealed himself. Lala recognized the Miraculous as that of her father's, Vermillion, and felt her bravado get its second wind. Plagg was about to explain it all when she snatched the ring and slipped it onto her wrist, the camouflage charm allowing it to seem like any other accessory.

"Plagg, Claws Out!" Lala shouted. Plagg protested but was soon drawn into the Miraculous and transformed the wolf into a half-human half cat heroine. She even struck a pose upon revealing herself to Stone Heart as if she'd rehearsed for this very moment.

Chat Noire, as she declared herself, had trouble using her extendable staff and found herself on the run again. She was saved by her agility spiking but soon found herself on a cliff. Mowgli bailed her out with his boomerang and even caught her in his arms much to her embarassment. However, Stone Heart soon came crashing down. By instinct, Chat Noire grabbed Mowgli and extended her staff to vault him to safety.

All the while, Tikki was hesitant to consider Mowgli after feeling she left Alexander to die in order to save her Miraculous. However, an Akuma attack causes forces her to make her choice.

Though Lala's haughtiness showed, she played herself off as more playful and charming like the heroes she heard of. It helped that Ladybug's ingenuity earned her admiration when they purified the Akuma. Thanks to Mowgli's human spark of creativity, he's able to utilize the Lucky Charms even when they're of devices he never heard. She even felt a rare sense of guilt when Tabaqui admitted that Lala's sharp tongue made him vulnerable to Akumatization.

Before splitting up, the two heroez gave a fist bump to commemorate their first outting. However, they had to keep their identities mum to each other lest Hawk Moth got a hold of one and squealed on the other. They took their time bantering about while slinging and vaulting through the Jungle for practice. If they only knew that their new best friends had been their worst enemies...

The challenge ended with both Mowgli and Lala finding both their prey collection to have been snatched by scavengers. With the pair of them both losing, Lala scoffed and ate crow by giving her vote for Mowgli to stay. She even told the man-cub that she'll be sure to not let him outdo her. Sharing a cocky grin with her new rivals, something changed in Lala. Small but noticeable.

And thus, the most unlikely pair became the only things keeping Shere Khan at bay..."

------

More pics will follow as I crystalize this potential fanfic further with concept art.

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brookstonalmanac · 3 months ago

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Holidays 8.14

Holidays

Air Force Day (Taiwan)

Até Asteroid Day

Balochistan Solidarity Day

Black Day (Parts of Pakistan)

Color Book Day

Commemoration of Wadi al-Dahab (Morocco)

Day of the Defenders of the Fatherland (Abkhazia)

814 Day

Energy Industry Employee’s Day (Poland)

Engineer’s Day (Dominican Republic)

Falklands Discovery Day (UK)

Faradda di li candareri (Descent of the Candlesticks; Sardinia)

Feast of the Tiger (Elder Scrolls)

Green Day (South Korea)

Husbands in Love Day

International Memorial Day for Comfort Women

International Nagging Day

Kaj Munk (Lutheranism)

Language Day (Orania)

La Torta dei Fieschi (Italy)

Liberty Tree Day (Massachusetts)

Love Donegal Day (UK)

Love Your Bookshop Day

Military Marriage Day

National Financial Awareness Day

National Mortgage E-Close Day

National Navajo Code Talkers Day

National Slap Someone in the Back of the Head Day (Garfield)

National Spirit of ’45 Day

National Tattoo Removal Day

National Women’s Empowerment Day

Navajo Code Talkers Day

Oued Ed-Dahab Day (Morocco, Western Sahara)

Partition Horrors Remembrance Day (India)

Pramuka Day (Scouting Day; Indonesia)

Rapeseed Day (French Republic)

Romance Awareness Day

St. Arnold of Soissons' Day (patron saint of brewers and hop-pickers)

Social Security Day

Sports Day (Russia)

Tristan da Cunha (Saint Helena)

V-J Day

Wiffle Ball Day

World Calligraphy Day

World Lizard Day

World Prediabetes Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Altbier Day

Chock Full O’ Nuts Day

International Rosé Wine Day

National Creamsicle Day

Independence & Related Days

Anniversary Day (Tristan da Cunha; Saint Helena)

Anniversary of the Return to Power (Afghanistan)

Larsonia (a.k.a. Kingdom of Larsonia; Declared; 2012) [unrecognized]

Pakistan (from UK, 1947)

2nd Wednesday in August

Crayfish Premiere (Sweden) [2nd Wednesday]

Hump Day [Every Wednesday]

National Psychiatric Technician Appreciation Day [Wednesday of 2nd Full Week]

World Calligraphy Day [Wednesday of 2nd Full Week]

Weekly Holidays beginning August 14 (2nd Full Week of August)

Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Weeks (thru 9.2)

Festivals Beginning August 14, 2024

Arkansas Valley Fair (Rocky Ford, Colorado) [thru 8.17]

Delcambre Shrimp Festival (Delcambre, Louisiana) [thru 8.18]

EAST (Suhl, Germany) [thru 8.18]

Gathering of the Juggalos (Thornville, Ohio) [thru 8.18]

Little League World Series (Williamsport, Pennsylvania) [thru 8.25]

Lyon County Fair (Marshall, Minnesota) [thru 8.18]

Middletown Grange Fair (Wrightstown, Pennsylvania) [thru 8.18]

Red Valley Festival (Olbia, Italy) [thru 8.17]

Sweet Corn Festival (Sun Prairie, Wisconsin) [thru 8.18]

Telluride Mushroom Festival (Telluride, Colorado) [thru 8.18]

Washington County Fair (Richmond, Rhode Island) [thru 8.18]

Feast Days

Alice Adams (Writerism)

Anniversary of Snick-Snacker’s Derek Foot (Shamanism)

Arnold of Soissons (Christian; Saint) [brewers, hop-pickers]

Assumption Eve (France, Holy See)

Assumption Vigil (Vatican City)

Athanasia (Christian; Saint & Matron)

Buck Dharma Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Burryman Day (Scotland; Everyday Wicca)

Carle Vernet (Artology)

Claude Joseph Vernet (Artology)

Day of Peace Between Horus and Set (Ancient Egypt)

Domingo Ibáñez de Erquicia (Christian; Saint)

Eachanan (Christian; Saint)

Eusebius of Rome (Christian; Saint)

Festival of Torches, Day 2 (In Honor of Diana; Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Gary Larson (Artology)

Jacques Coeur (Positivist; Saint)

John Galsworthy (Writerism)

Jonathan Myrick Daniels (Episcopal Church)

Marcellus of Apamea (Christian; Martyr)

Maximilian Kolbe (Christian; Saint)

Mstislav Dobuzhinsky (Artology)

Pieter Coecke van Aelst (Artology)

Ready Eddie (Muppetism)

René Goscinny (Artology)

Rice and Millet Day (Pagan)

Think About Infinity Day (Pastafarian)

Werenfrid (Christian; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Lucky Day (Philippines) [45 of 71]

Tomobiki (友引 Japan) [Good luck all day, except at noon.]

Umu Limnu (Evil Day; Babylonian Calendar; 37 of 60)

Premieres

Alice in Wonderland Ride, at Disneyland (Theme Park Attraction; 1958)

Baby Butch (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1954)

The Book of Psalms, published by Faust (Book; 1457)

Born To Do It, by Craig David (Album; 2000)

Busman’s Holiday (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1961)

Caligula (Adult Film; 1979)

Can’t Buy Me Love (Film; 1987)

Can’t Stand Losing You, by the Police (Song; 1978)

District 9 (Film; 2009)

Dora the Explorer (Animated TV Series; 2000)

The Commitments (Film; 1991)

Fairy Tail: Dragon Cry (Anime Film; 2017)

Hang On Sloopy, by The McCoys (Song; 1965)

High School Musical 2 (Soundtrack Album; 2007)

How Stella Got Her Groove Back (Film; 1998)

The Kill Order, by James Dashner (Novel; 2012) [Maze Runner #4]

Lemonade, by Internet Money (Song; 2020)

Les Miserables (Film; 1952)

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (Film; 2015)

Ma Perkins (Radio Series; 1933)

¡Mucha Lucha! (Animated TV Series; 2002)

No Way Out (Film; 1987)

One Ham’s Family (Tex Avery MGM Cartoon; 1943)

Ponyo (Studio Ghibli Animated Film; 2009)

A Private Affair (Film; 1959)

The Quiet Man (Film; 1952)

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Film; 1975)

The Saint Intervenes (a.k.a. Boodle), by Leslie Charteris (Short Stories; 1934) [Saint #14]

Saturday the 14th (Film; 1981)

Slums of Beverly Hills (Film; 1998)

So It Goes, by Nick Lowe (Song; 1976)

The Spirit Room, by Michelle Branch (Album; 2001)

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (Animated Film; 2020)

Stop! Look! And Hasten! (WB MM Cartoon; 1954)

Straight Outta Compton (Film; 2015)

Student of Prague (BBC TV Film; 1938) [1st BBC Feature Film]

Tangled Television (Color Rhapsody Cartoon; 1940)

Ted Lasso (TV Series; 2020)

The Time Traveler’s Wife (Film; 2009)

Il Turco in Italia (Turk in Italy), by Gioachino Rossini (Opera; 1814)

The Way of the Dragon (Film; 1972)

Who’s Next, by The Who (Album; 1971)

Today’s Name Days

Maximilian (Austria)

Alfred, Euzebije, Maksimilijan (Croatia)

Alan (Czech Republic)

Eusebius (Denmark)

Gisella, Svea (Estonia)

Kanerva, Onerva (Finland)

Évrard (France)

Maximilian, Meinhard (Germany)

Marcell (Hungary)

Alfredo (Italy)

Virma, Zelma, Zemgus (Latvia)

Euzebijus, Grintautas, Guostė (Lithuania)

Hallgeir, Hallgjerd (Norway)

Alfred, Atanazja, Dobrowój, Euzebiusz, Kalikst, Kaliksta, Machabeusz (Poland)

Mojmír (Slovakia)

Maximiliano (Spain)

Uno (Sweden)

Anahi, Athena, Tamara, Tamia, Tammie, Tammy, Tara, Taryn, Terra (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 227 of 2024; 139 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 3 of Week 33 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Coll (Hazel) [Day 12 of 28]

Chinese: Month 7 (Ren-Shen), Day 11 (Geng-Xu)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 10 Av 5784

Islamic: 8 Safar 1446

J Cal: 17 Purple; Threesday [17 of 30]

Julian: 1 August 2024

Moon: 70%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 2 Gutenberg (9th Month) [Jacques Coeur]

Runic Half Month: As (Gods) [Day 7 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 56 of 94)

Week: 2nd Full Week of August

Zodiac: Leo (Day 24 of 31)

Calendar Changes

August (a.k.a. Sextilis or Augustus; Julian Calendar) [Month 8 of 12]

#Holidays

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brookston · 2 years ago

Text

Holidays 3.5

Holidays

Act Goofy Day

Alimony Equality Day

Anthass Day (Kerala, Fans of Indian actor Mukesh)

Arivee de l’Evangile (Gospel Day; French Polynesia)

Babysitter Safety Day

Boston Massacre Day (Massachusetts)

Cinco de Marcho

Cincomarzada

Crispus Attucks Day

Custom Chief’s Day (Vanuatu)

Day of Physical Culture and Women in Engineering & Technology begins

Dr. Doolittle Day

Erotic World Book Day

Excited Insects (Chinese Farmer’s Calendar)

Hula Hoop Day

International CVS Awareness Day

International Day of Energy Efficiency

International Day of the Seal

Katyn Massacre Day

Learn from Lei Feng Day (China)

Mother-in-Law's Day

Multiple Personalities Day

National Dissociative Identity Disorder Day

National Emetophobia Awareness Day (UK)

National Industrial Design Day

National Kalpak Day (a.k.a. Hat Day; Kyrgyzstan)

National Potty Dance Day

National R&B Music Day

National Scott Day

National Tree Planting Day (Iran)

Panchayati Raj Divas (Odisha, India)

Rebellion Anniversary (Iraqi Kurdistan)

Reel Film Day

Running of the Reindeer (Alaska)

Say Hi to Mom Day

Spread the Word to End the Word Day

Stapler Day

Stop the Clocks Day

Temperance Day

305 Day

World Tennis Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

National Absinthe Day

National Cheese Doodle Day

National Mobile Food Vendors Day

National Pasty Day (UK)

National Poutine Day

Ramen Noodles Day

1st Sunday in March

Celebrate Your Name Week begins [Sunday of 1st Full Week]

Children’s Day (New Zealand) [1st Sunday]

Clean Up Australia Day [1st Sunday]

Daughters’ and Sons’ Day [1st Sunday]

Finisher’s Medal Day [1st Sunday]

Girl Scout Sabbath [1st Sunday]

Grandmothers’ Day (France) [1st Sunday]

International Children’s Day of Broadcasting [1st Sunday]

Namesake Day [1st Sunday of Name Week]

National Words Matter Week begins [1st Sunday]

2nd Sunday in Lent (a.k.a. ...

Reminiscere Sunday

The Transfiguration

Vasaloppet (Sweden) [1st Sunday]

Feast Days

Adrian and Eubulus of Palestine (Christian; Martyrs)

Blessing of the Fleet by Isis (Ancient Egypt)

Ciarán of Saigir (a.k.a. Kiaran of Ireland; Christian; Saint)

Clive Cahuenga (Muppetism)

Diasia (Festival of Zeus Meilikhios; Ancient Greece)

George Carlin Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

John Joseph of the Cross (Christian; Saint)

Momfuku Ando Day (Pastafarian)

Navigium Isis (a.k.a. Ploiaphaesia; Poseidon’s Day; The Festival of Navigation; Ancient Rome)

Piran (Christian; Saint) [Cornwall]

Roger (Christian; Saint)

Solon (Positivist; Saint)

Theophilus, bishop of Caesarea (Christian; Saint)

Thietmar of Minden (Christian; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Butsumetsu (仏滅 Japan) [Unlucky all day.]

Uncyclopedia Bad to Be Born Today (because it’s Stalin's birthday.)

Unfortunate Day (Pagan) [17 of 57]

Premieres

Airport (Film; 1970)

Alice in Wonderland (Film; 2010)

Amos & Andrew (Film; 1993)

Analyze This (Film; 1999)

The Ballad of Nessie (Disney Cartoon; 2011)

Coming 2 America (Film; 2021)

Cruel Intentions (Film; 1999)

Diner (Film; 1982)

Donald’s Diary (Disney Cartoon; 1954)

Drip Dippy Donald (Disney Cartoon; 1948)

Evil Under the Sun (Film; 1982)

For Your Love, by The Yardbirds (Song; 1965)

Foucault's Pendulum, by Umberto Eco (Novel; 1988)

Human’s Lib, by Howard Jones (Album; 1984)

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (Film; 1999)

The Mad Dog (Disney Cartoon; 1932)

Mad Dog and Glory (Film; 1993)

Neon Bible, by Arcade Fire (Album; 2007)

The Railway Children, by Edith Nesbit (Novel; 1905)

Raya and the Last Dragon (Animated Film; 2021)

Rival Romeos (Disney Cartoon; 1928)

The Secret of Kells (Animated Film; 2010)

Shaun the Sheep (Animated TV Series; 2007)

Songs For Swinging’ Lovers!, by Frank Sinatra (Album; 1956)

Stairway to Heaven, 1st performed live by Led Zeppelin (Song; 1971)

Us Again (Disney Cartoon; 2021)

Today’s Name Days

Dietmar, Jeremia, Olivia (Austria)

Hadrijan, Lucije, Teofil, Vedran (Croatia)

Kazimír (Czech Republic)

Theophillus (Denmark)

Laila, Laili, Leila, Leili (Estonia)

Laila, Leila (Finland)

Olive, Olivia (France)

Gerda, Dietmar, Olivia, Tim (Germany)

Arhelaos, Evlogios, Konon (Greece)

Adorján, Adrián (Hungary)

Adriano, Foca, Giovanni, Giuseppe, Virgilio (Italy)

Aurēlija, Aurora, Austra (Latvia)

Giedrė, Klemensas, Virgilijus, Vydotas (Lithuania)

Patricia, Patrick (Norway)

Adrian, Adrianna, Fryderyk, Jan, Pakosław, Pakosz, Wacław, Wacława (Poland)

Conon (Romania)

Fridrich (Slovakia)

Adrián, Adriano, Eusebio (Spain)

Tora, Tove (Sweden)

Ciara, Ciera, Cierra, Keren Keri, Kerri, Kerrie, Kerry, Kiara, Kiera, Kieran, Kierra, Sierra (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 64 of 2023; 301 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 7 of week 9 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Nuin (Ash) [Day 15 of 28]

Chinese: Month 2 (Yi-Mao), Day 14 (Ren-Xu)

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

Hebrew: 12 Adar 5783

Islamic: 12 Sha’ban 1444

J Cal: 3 Ver; Threesday [3 of 30]

Julian: 20 February 2023

Moon: 97%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 8 Aristotle (3rd Month) [Solon]

Runic Half Month: Tyr (Cosmic Pillar) [Day 10 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 75 of 90)

Zodiac: Pisces (Day 14 of 29)

#calendar #Holidays

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arjaandsimoni · 2 years ago

Text

Table of Contents

Before we get going, I want to give credit where credit is due. This is half a work of original fiction, half a work of fanfiction with elements borrowed from the work of other authors as well. Those are as follows:

The Wulfshead Club and several other elements are from the works of British author Simon R. Green. His stories are full of action, humor, and more campiness than a Cub Scout Jamboree.

One of the antagonists in the series is based on a character from The Hollows series by American author Kim Harrison. I loved her work so much I wanted to include my own take on him as tribute. If you ever read this Kim, I hope you like it!

Several of the elements used are from the various Pen & Paper RPGs from the World of Darkness universe. Their works are a great inspiration for storytelling and I love using them in this series. I tend to lean more New WoD than the older stuff mind you. (That said, it is not a 1:1 copy. I did add my own touches with some of the details.)

This is an ongoing work of fiction that is a collaborative effort between myself and my wife. Its actually why we're married now in fact. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. ^_^

Prequel: Case Files of Nelen Fullmoon

Prologue

Chapter 1: Stretched Necks in the Black Hills

Chapter 2: The Howling House

Chapter 3: Black Eyes Among the Briars

Chapter 4: Scarlet Night

Chapter 5: Saints & Sinners

Chapter 6: Hitchhikers

Chapter 7: Stray

Chapter 8: The Everblooming Rose

Chapter 9: The Price of Power

Chapter 10: Call Me Al

Chapter 11: The Maven's Avatar

Chapter 12: Wulfshead's Free Drinks Policy

Chapter 13: McSpooky

Chapter 14: Broken Dolls

Chapter 15: Onwards, to India

Book 1: The Sword of Franklin Fullmoon

Prologue

Part 1: The Bird and the Monkey

Chapter 1: The Fullmoon Witches

Chapter 2: Snakes Along the Riverfront

Chapter 3: Flying Free

Part 2: Stephy, Left Behind

Chapter 4: Flying Solo

Chapter 5: Call Me Tex

Chapter 6: The Rose's Revenge

Part 3: From Red to Black

Chapter 7: Kidnapped... or not?

Chapter 8: Family Matters

Chapter 9: Simoni

Part 4: Nelen's New Job

Chapter 10: An American Warlock in Jaipur

Chapter 11: A Sicilian Surprise

Chapter 12: Fur and Fangs

Chapter 13: Outsourcing

Part 5: Hearts of Ice

Chapter 14: Free

Chapter 15: Memories of Loss

Chapter 16: The Icebound Heart

Chapter 17: The Fae Prince's Pledge

Part 6: Aces High

Chapter 18: Luck Ain't All Good

Chapter 19: The Dark Ride

Chapter 20: Thorns

Chapter 21: Bet Your Life

Part 7: Power Outage

Chapter 22: Franklin Fullmoon

Chapter 23: Return to Arcadia

Chapter 24: Wings of Flame

Chapter 25: The Lotus of Brahma

Part 8: Shattering

Chapter 26: The Raven Rebellion

Chapter 27: Inishmore

Chapter 28: Iravati

Chapter 29: The Siege of Castle Fullmoon

Epilogue

Book 2: Revenge of the Rakshasa Prince

Prologue

Part 1: House Roche

Chapter 1: The Promised Christmas

Chapter 2: Hunting in Eternal Darkness

Chapter 3: The Cheron Group

Chapter 4: The Wheel of Fortune and the Moon

Part 2: The Lord's Arrow

Chapter 5: Rakshasa

Chapter 6: The Road to Thalassery

Chapter 7: Wings and Scales

Chapter 8: Rakshasa's Regret

Part 3: Sins of the Past

Chapter 9: The Dreaded Sting

Chapter 10: The Big Easy

Chapter 11: Wrath, Pride, and Prejudice

Chapter 12: Just Say No to Supernatural Drugs

Chapter 13: Hunter's Night Out

Chapter 14: The Devil and the Magician

Chapter 15: Blood, Freely Given

Part 4: The Thief of Time

Chapter 16: A Summons from the Prince

Chapter 17: The Blessing of Cernunnos

Chapter 18: The Ancient Plague Returns

Chapter 19: Temptations

Chapter 20: Embrace

Chapter 21: Temporal Chaos

Part 5: The Prince

Chapter 22: The Manticore's Feast

Chapter 23: The Emperor and Judgement

Chapter 24: Shadow and Regrets

Chapter 25: Cold Blooded

Part 6: Revenge

Chapter 26: Guilt and Consequences

Chapter 27: South to Sri Lanka

Chapter 28: The Tower and Death

Chapter 29: Revenge of the Rakshasa Prince

Epilogue

Book 3: Bad Blood, Old Sins

Prologue

Part 1: Fangs and Frost

Chapter 1: Blood on the Snow

Chapter 2: Tapping at the Window

Chapter 3: The New Boss

Chapter 4: The Dusty Man

Part 2: The Mill Creek Monster

Chapter 5: Urban Legend

Chapter 6: Inhuman Academia

Chapter 7: The Devil in the Details

Chapter 8: The Mill Creek Monster

Part 3: Who's in Charge Here?

Chapter 9: Entering and Breaking

Chapter 10: CLANG!

Chapter 11: Bad Blood

Chapter 12: Sausages

Side Story: The Hunter in Darkness

This is actually not written by me, but rather by my wife. The characters in these stories came from both of us. Some were all mine originally (Nelen, Dawn, and such) whereas others are her creation (Arja, Natasha, and so on) and a few we created together (Isolde, for example.)

Alice and House Roche are her own creation however, and recently she's been bitten by the writing bug and has begun penning a backstory for them! This story takes place around the same time as Case Files of Nelen Fullmoon, focusing on Alice Roche and her allies as introduced in Chapter 2 of Revenge of the Rakshasa Prince.

Chapter 1: Perils in Paris

Chapter 2: Noblesse Oblige

Chapter 3: Scars

Chapter 4: Rivalry in Darkness

Chapter 5: First Day in the Field

Chapter 6: Song of the Smiling Knight

Chapter 7: Aquamarine

Chapter 8: The Good Doctor

Chapter 9: The Winner of the Game

#supernatural adventures #Table of Contents #modern fantasy #fiction

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hislopchino · 2 years ago

Text

Paul Merton: ‘I stayed in one of the world’s worst hotels in China’

The comedian recalls terrible hotels in China, mishaps with malaria tablets and why he’s happiest holidaying in the UK

Interview by Nick McGrath

From The Sunday Times, 22nd February 2023

Paul Merton, 65, first performed at the Comedy Store in 1982 and since 1990 has been a fixture on the BBC’s Have I Got News for You, which returns this spring for its 65th series. He lives in London with his third wife, Suki Webster, his co-star on Channel 5’s Motorhoming with Merton & Webster

My first holiday of any substance was to a holiday camp in Hemsby, on the edge of the Norfolk Broads. I was eight years old and I loved it. I loved the space to run around and the people drinking beer and watching the shows in the ballroom. It felt idyllic.

I visited Ireland a couple of years later and got a lot of attention from my mum’s relatives, which was great for my performer’s ego. We saw the Ring of Kerry and I was charmed by the locals’ love of words and storytelling.

I spent most of the Eighties living in a bedsit earning very little money, so the first time I travelled further afield was in 1987, when I went all the way to Australia, with a heavy cold, to visit my girlfriend at the time.

The cheapest route was London to Sydney, via Athens and Singapore. In Athens, the complimentary coach from the hotel to the airport was full of boy scouts from Liechtenstein, who were on their way to Sydney for an international scouting jamboree. Being stared at by three-dozen hostile Liechtensteiner boy scouts is an experience I won’t forget.

After a two-day delay in Singapore, I eventually got to Sydney on Christmas Day with horrible jet lag and an even heavier cold, sat down to Christmas lunch in 35C heat, then fell asleep for 16 hours. It felt like I’d been kicked in the head by a horse.

I’d only been earning £30 a gig, sometimes £10 even, so holidays were rare. But as my career took off, I travelled more — including to Kenya in 1990, where I had a terrible experience with anti-malarial drugs. Back then you had to take a weekly and daily pill and I had a severe reaction to the weekly pill, but it took a while to work out what the problem was.

Each Friday, first in Kenya and then back home in London, I’d take this pill then start to hallucinate. I got these paranoid thoughts, where I believed I was being followed by the Freemasons and could predict the next song on the radio. Which I couldn’t.

I then went to places like St Lucia, but felt uncomfortable driving around in a rented Land Rover that probably represented what some people there might earn in half a lifetime. I felt the same visiting Cape Town.

I was lucky enough to film a couple of travel documentary series in India and China — and had totally contrasting experiences. The poverty was dramatic in India, but the people were polite and proud and when I returned to film in Mumbai, Delhi and Calcutta, they found our earnestly awful attempts at Bollywood improv hilarious and gave us multiple standing ovations.

I wouldn’t return on holiday to China, as the state interference leaves a bit of a nasty taste, as does the spitting. You literally pull up at some traffic lights and a woman in a very nice car will open her window and spit on the road. Everybody does it. Maybe a popular Chinese film star was a passionate spitter. Or perhaps Chairman Mao decreed it a healthy habit. Filming while surrounded on all sides by armed soldiers wasn’t massively relaxing either.

I also stayed in one of the world’s worst hotels in China. The foyer had a tarpaulin covered in some unusually dark stains and the room had bits of wall missing and stank of urine. I moved to a nearby hotel which was equally basic but clean, at least, although the TV was puzzling. It had a single channel showing a military man laden with medals berating a group of people for hours on end while they looked shamefaced.

I’d love to visit New Zealand as everyone raves about it. Another place I definitely won’t go back to is Tahiti, which everyone imagines is a South Sea paradise, but for me, it wasn’t. The hotel I stayed in was completely overrun by cats.

These days I prefer British holidays, as airports in the 21st century leave you with a low level of anxiety. My wife and I now love travelling round Britain in our motorhome, which is basically a hotel room on wheels. If we all could drop the idea that we have to go on holiday somewhere that has guaranteed sun, holidaying in this country has a lot going for it.

Paul and Suki will be speaking at the Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show at the NEC Birmingham, which runs from February 21 to 26 (ccmshow.co.uk)

#Text #Interview #Paul Merton

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news365timesindia · 14 days ago

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[ad_1] Boria Majumdar with MSK Prasad (PC: Boria Majumdar/X) New Zealand have humiliated India in India, clinching an unassailable 2-0 lead in the ongoing three-match Test series. After 12 years, India’s unbeaten streak at home has come to an end, and with one more Test remaining at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Indian fans are growing anxious about the team’s form – especially with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia on the horizon and their place in another World Test Championship final uncertain. In an exclusive chat with Boria Majumdar, RevSportz Editor-in-Chief, former India cricketer and chief selector MSK Prasad shared insights on the team’s struggles against spin, the quality of spinners moving forward, the futures of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, and the challenges ahead in Australia. Boria: What has happened in the last few years that we do not play spin well? What is the problem? Prasad: I would like to remind you that in the last few years – maybe 14-15 years, ever since the IPL has come – slowly, there is a switch of players’ mindsets from red-ball cricket to white-ball cricket. Ever since that switch has come, everybody wants to play white-ball cricket and eventually play IPL, but not for India. That is a big, alarming thing. I think a few years ago, in an under-19 World Cup camp, a questionnaire was given to the under-19 team asking what were their goals? 80 per cent of them had written IPL, but not Indian team. Do not you think that is a big, alarming situation for team India? See, if the whole thing is changing towards that direction of playing white-ball cricket, obviously, the results are going to happen like this only because nobody wants to play. People have lost that art of playing spin, art of playing swing bowling. They just want to play with hard hands. They just want to hit through the line. Respect your format that you are playing. All these kinds of mindsets, whether Sachin [Tendulkar] would have accepted it? Whether Saurav [Ganguly] would have accepted it, or other legendary cricketers? No, of course not. They all played different formats, but they switched their games according to the formats. This is really missing right now and that is very, very clearly evident with the results that we are seeing right now. Boria: What is this fancy shot? I mean, you play 20 balls as dot balls. How does it matter? I am baffled by the approach. Your thoughts? Prasad: That is not happening just at international level. Can you believe some of the players are talking about strike-rates in Ranji Trophy? Strike-rates in India A cricket? The talent scouts will go just to keep watching irrespective of the format and in order to please them, the players just start playing for the crowd to get their contracts for their franchise. That is why it is a very alarming situation which BCCI has to wake up to. Not only BCCI, I am telling you, going forward, the way things are moving, even the ICC also has to wake up in order to protect Test cricket. Test matches are finishing in three days. There is a debate going on that why not Test matches be reduced to four days. The format that has been in for the last 120-130 years and the charm of playing all five days, you want to reduce that. It is definitely because you are moving towards the white ball-cricket. I do not agree with that. We have to come out with some solution to protect one of the most beautiful formats in any sport. I do not think any other sport in the world is played over a period of five days. I think it is a beautiful thing which really needs to be protected. Boria: Why rank turners? When you have people like Ravi Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, quality spinners in your side, why is it that India have to prepare a rank turner? Prasad: Every country always tries to stick to their own strength. When you go to Australia, they give their kind of surfaces. When you go to New Zealand and England, they prefer to play in the conditions which are suitable to them. So, it is

a myth today that we are playing spin very well, and it is a spin-friendly country and we bat well against spin. But gone are those days where we used to play hours together to get even that 253 runs on the board. But that is not happening, and we are no more a spin-friendly country. We might see if you really look at the quality of spinners, people beating the batsmen,, probably Jadeja and Ashwin will be the last generation of those quality spinners. For the Latest Sports News: Click Here #MSKPrasad Exclusive “Hundred per cent Pujara should have been in the team” – MSK Prasad backs @cheteshwar1. The former chief selector for BCCI explains why Indians aren’t playing spin well and how it is being noticed in domestic cricket as well! Speaks about India’s… pic.twitter.com/jZ11FSGe5n — RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) October 28, 2024 After that, we will always be looking at people who will be mystery sort of bowlers or people who will bowl six different variations in a test match. Slowly, even in domestic cricket, you do not get quality spinners today. I have been a talent head for quite some time, I have never seen any spinner beating the batsman in the flight. So, everybody wants to bowl flat because they are thinking about their economy rate, which is a shocking thing in a Ranji Trophy match. I would not mind giving 100 runs and picking up five wickets. You would have been very happy if you had given up 120 runs and picked five wickets. So, things are changing and, see, in India, we are supposed to produce a battery of spinners. If you are not facing quality spinners at home, and suddenly quality spinners come from away, this is exactly what is happening. Boria: Who are the people I or anyone should watch when it comes to spinners? Who are the people? Do you see anyone coming up the ranks? Prasad: I think Saumy Pandey and Manav Suthar are good examples. They are absolutely fantastic, a lot to watch out for. But having said that, everybody is changing. They might start as a quality spinner at maybe under-16, under-19 levels, but as they keep progressing, eventually, everybody wants to play IPL. So, they change their action. They think about not beating the batsmen. They think about the economy rates. They think about how to fool the batsmen, how to bowl a number of dot balls. Even in Ranji Trophy team meetings, these are the discussions that are happening, which is a shocking thing. I do understand if you are talking about bowling 30-35 dot balls, you will win a T20 game. But what about Test cricket? Why are you thinking of dot balls? Why are you thinking of batsmen playing a defensive sort of a game? Legendary [Sunil] Gavaskar has got unbelievable runs by staying on the wicket, and looking at him, several thousands of cricketers have evolved. Boria: Should Pujara have been brought back for BGT? Prasad: 100 percent. Pujara should have been in this, especially the kind of form he is in. Had everybody been in very good form, probably we would have accepted that someone like Ajinkya or Pujara, it is time to move on. But we should also look at the form and we should also look at those players who had that character to stick on. It is Pujara, and hats off to this great man. The other day, he got a 243 in a game. Maybe a youngster might feel pressure, but at this time, whenever a guy like Pujara stands on the pitch, it is the pressure on the opposition because a lot of Australians have always felt very happy seeing Pujara going back to the pavilion. I know that our bowlers have done extremely well in 2018. Batters have done well. But we have won both the Test series thanks to Pujara and we should not forget the contribution. See, in county cricket, especially early part of summer, we know what kind of weather it is. He got runs there. He comes back to India, gets runs in Indian domestic cricket and we are up for a very important Test series after losing against New Zealand. So, taking all these things into consideration, I felt that Pujara should have found a place.

Once a guy like Pujara is on the crease, it gives a lot of confidence to the players sitting in the dressing room. Virat Kohli with Rohit Sharma (PC: X) Boria: Do you give us a chance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy? How do you set that kind of series up for me? Prasad: See, in all fairness, when we went in 2018, we had a fantastic experience and we deserved to win and deservingly won that series. 2021 was a big surprise. When seven of our superstars were missing, due to several reasons, and still we went on to win that series. So, whenever you are pushed into the wall, that always brings the best out of Indians, whether it is on or off the field. So now that after losing a series against New Zealand, I think we will regroup, and especially the senior cricketers, like Virat or Rohit or Bumrah, should take the onus on themselves and give their best shot. I do not know whether they will travel to Australia next time, but it is a great opportunity. It will be a great tribute for all these senior cricketers if they put their right foot forward and give their best performance. When seven superstars are not there, we still went on to win that series. So why not with a mix of both youngsters and seniors? The selectors have picked their side. Unfortunately, Shami and Pujara’s absence will be felt. But still, I still have hope that the seniors will step up. Boria: Are both Virat and Rohit nearing the end of their careers? Are you worried about Virat and Rohit’s form at this point in time in red ball? Prasad: See, both the quality cricketers that we are talking about have always come up strong after a poor series. So, I firmly believe that Virat will be like a duck getting into water when he goes to Australia. So is Rohit. We saw Rohit getting tons and tons of runs in England and other countries. So, I have no doubt. I know that these two players are struggling a bit against the spin. Today, we are not struggling against pace and bounce, unlike the past. We are struggling against the quality spin, not struggling against the pace and bounce. Probably in India also, we have some of the pitches which are on par with international standards in Australia, hard and bouncy. So, we are well-equipped to play pace and bounce, and I am 100 per cent sure that will bring the best out of our players in Australia. Also Read: Eye on India’s Transition: Do Emerging Stars Have What It Takes to Replace the Big Guns? The post “Everybody wants to play IPL, but not for India” – MSK Prasad concerned about future of Indian cricket appeared first on Sports News Portal | Latest Sports Articles | Revsports. [ad_2] Source link

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news365times · 14 days ago

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magazinesmega · 1 month ago

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Priyanshi Yadav Age: A Look Into the Life of a Rising Star

Introduction

In the vast and fast-evolving world of Indian talent, Priyanshi Yadav stands out as a young sensation who has made a name for herself through sheer determination and dedication. Whether in acting, modeling, or another field of interest, she has become an influential figure to watch, especially for the younger generation. In this article, we’ll explore the details of Priyanshi Yadav’s age, her journey, and what makes her a rising star in her field.

Early Life and Background

Priyanshi Yadav was born into a close-knit Indian family, where cultural values and education were emphasized. Born in the early 2000s, she represents a new generation of Indian youth who are eager to break traditional molds while still holding onto the principles instilled by their families.

Though the exact year of Priyanshi Yadav's birth remains undisclosed, her youthful energy and fresh face have led fans and followers to estimate her age to be in her late teens or early twenties. As of 2024, she is believed to be around 20 years old, an age where many young people are stepping into adulthood and making important life decisions. For Priyanshi, these decisions have clearly revolved around her career.

Priyanshi Yadav’s Path to Fame

Priyanshi’s rise to prominence didn’t happen overnight. Like many young Indian talents, she started out by participating in small community events and school performances. Her talent and natural charisma were apparent from a young age, and it wasn't long before she began catching the eye of talent scouts.

After being spotted by a talent agency during a local event, she was encouraged to pursue professional opportunities. Despite her young age, Priyanshi exhibited a remarkable level of professionalism and dedication to her craft, whether it be acting or modeling. Her fresh look and ability to connect with her audience have made her a favorite for brands looking to target a youthful market.

Navigating Fame at a Young Age

Navigating fame at a young age is no easy feat, especially in a country as culturally diverse and populous as India. Priyanshi, however, has managed to keep her feet on the ground, thanks in large part to the support of her family. In interviews, she often credits her parents and siblings for providing her with a solid foundation and keeping her grounded amidst the challenges of rising fame.

Her family, while supportive of her ambitions, has also encouraged her to maintain a balance between her career and education. Priyanshi has made it a point to continue her studies despite her growing popularity, which speaks volumes about her dedication to her personal development.

Career Highlights and Achievements

At her young age, Priyanshi Yadav has already achieved more than what many accomplish in a lifetime. Here are some highlights of her burgeoning career:

Social Media Influence: Priyanshi has rapidly gained followers on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Her youthful, relatable content and positive outlook have attracted a significant fan base of young people who look up to her as a role model.

Acting Ventures: While still in the early stages of her acting career, Priyanshi has made small but significant appearances in television shows, web series, or films. These roles have helped her develop her acting skills and establish herself as an actress with promise.

Modeling: Priyanshi has worked with several notable brands, both local and national, and has been featured in advertising campaigns targeting the youth market. Her fresh and vibrant personality resonates with younger audiences, making her a favorite for brands looking to capture this demographic.

Collaborations with Influencers: Given her rising fame and young age, Priyanshi has also collaborated with other well-known influencers and content creators. These collaborations not only expanded her reach but also helped her build her personal brand.

Challenges Faced by Priyanshi Yadav Due to Her Age

While youth brings energy and new perspectives, it also brings its own set of challenges. For someone as young as Priyanshi Yadav, balancing a career in the limelight with the usual pressures of young adulthood is no easy task. She has had to navigate:

Balancing Fame and Education: Priyanshi has faced the challenge of maintaining her education while building her career. The pressure of performing academically while balancing a budding career is something she manages with discipline and time management.

Handling Criticism: Young public figures often face criticism, whether from fans or the media. Priyanshi has encountered criticism related to her acting and public image. However, her maturity in handling negative feedback has been noted by her fans.

Maintaining Privacy: As a public figure, Priyanshi faces the challenge of maintaining a semblance of privacy. Although much is known about her professional life, she keeps her personal life relatively under wraps, which is no small feat in the age of social media.

The Road Ahead for Priyanshi Yadav

The future is undoubtedly bright for Priyanshi Yadav. Given her age, she has many years ahead of her to develop her skills, expand her career, and leave a mark in the Indian entertainment industry. Her ability to adapt, her enthusiasm for learning, and her dedication to her craft make her a promising talent who is just getting started.

Many industry experts believe that Priyanshi’s age plays to her advantage. She has ample time to explore various facets of her talents, be it acting, modeling, or even venturing into other forms of content creation like writing or filmmaking. As someone who’s already gained experience at such a young age, she has the potential to build a long-lasting and impactful career.

Conclusion

Priyanshi Yadav’s age may be a point of curiosity for many, but it is just one aspect of what makes her an exciting and promising young talent. She embodies the energy, resilience, and adaptability of the new generation of Indian entertainers. While she may be young, Priyanshi has already shown the wisdom and poise of someone far beyond her years. As her journey unfolds, it will be fascinating to see how she continues to evolve and inspire those around her.

In the coming years, it’s clear that Priyanshi Yadav will be a name that continues to grow in popularity. With her talent, dedication, and support system, she has all the ingredients for long-term success, regardless of the challenges her age may bring.

#Priyanshi Yadav age

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pooma-today · 3 months ago

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The National UN Volunteers-India

Independence day celebration

Good Shepherd English School, Karaikal, Celebrates India's Independence with Pride and Purpose

Karaikal, Puducherry – The spirit of freedom and the rich heritage of India were vividly brought to life at Good Shepherd English School during the National UN Volunteers-India Independence Day celebration. The day was marked by a series of events that reflected the patriotic fervor of the students and the community.

The celebration commenced with a vibrant display of creativity and culture as students participated in a lively fancy dress competition, showcasing the diversity and unity that defines India. The school grounds were abuzz with excitement as young performers took to the stage with traditional dances, each step a tribute to the nation’s rich cultural tapestry.

The patriotic zeal was further amplified with the ceremonial hoisting of the national flag, a moment of profound pride for everyone present. The Scout students, embodying discipline and honor, led a spirited march past that resonated with the values of courage and commitment.

The event was graced by the esteemed Chief Guest, Mr. N. G. R. Elangovan, Senior Scientific Assistant in the Department of Food and Drug Testing and President of the Federation of Consumer Organisations for Karaikal District. Mr. Elangovan, the son of the revered freedom fighter Mr. N. G. Rajan, carried forward his father’s legacy of dedication to the nation. His presence and words of wisdom served as a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made for the country’s freedom and the responsibilities that lie ahead.

As the son of a freedom fighter, Mr. Elangovan’s connection to the struggles that shaped our nation’s history added a profound depth to the celebrations. His life’s work stands as a testament to the enduring spirit of patriotism, inspiring the students to honor the past while contributing positively to the future.

The Independence Day celebration at Good Shepherd English School was not just an event but a heartfelt tribute to the nation's freedom fighters and a call to the younger generation to carry the torch of liberty with pride. Through the colorful performances, disciplined march past, and the inspiring presence of Mr. Elangovan, the event etched an unforgettable mark of patriotism on the hearts of all who attended.

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livewellnews · 4 months ago

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Clive Madande: Franchise Cricket Can Bring New Talent to Zimbabwe

Wicketkeeper Clive Madande hopes his team can put up a strong performance against India in the upcoming five-match T20 series starting Saturday. He believes that greater participation in franchise cricket could attract more young talent to the sport in Zimbabwe.

The Day Cricket Became a Passion

Clive Madande’s love for cricket began as a 12-year-old when his father took him to watch a Test match between Pakistan and Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club in 2014. Zimbabwe’s victory by 24 runs left a lasting impression on him. “It was one of the greatest days in Zimbabwean cricket. We beat Pakistan, and I thought, well, I should play this game,” Madande recalls. Now, a decade later, he is a key figure in reviving Zimbabwe’s cricketing legacy.

The Struggles of Zimbabwean Cricket

Despite that memorable victory, Zimbabwe’s cricket has faced numerous challenges over the past decade. Administrative issues, lack of infrastructure, government interference, salary cuts, and a talent shortage have hindered progress. While there have been occasional upsets, such as beating Australia in an ODI in Townsville and Pakistan in the 2022 World Cup, the golden era of players like the Flower brothers, Neil Johnson, Murray Goodwin, and Heath Streak is a distant memory.

Seeking Guidance from Legends

Madande often seeks advice and motivation from Zimbabwean cricket legends like Dave Houghton and Tatenda Taibu. “Guys like Houghton and Taibu, I speak to them regularly for advice, motivation, and tips. Whenever I feel like struggling, I go back to them,” he says.

Upcoming Challenges and Opportunities

Zimbabwe has a busy schedule ahead, starting with the India T20I series. They will host all top nations except Australia and tour countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and England. Madande sees these matches as a big motivation to play harder and smarter. “Like we showed in the series against Bangladesh, we have talent. We played good cricket there, just that we couldn’t get the results we wanted,” he explains.

Experience and Talent in the Squad

Led by the seasoned Sikandar Raza, Zimbabwe’s team includes experienced players like all-rounders Luke Jongwe and Wessly Madhevere, fast bowlers Tendai Chatara and Blessing Muzarabani. Playing in front of home crowds is a huge advantage. “We would be playing in our backyard; there will be a lot of people cheering for us. It’s still the most popular sport in the country, and a lot of youngsters and schoolboys play this game,” Madande says.

Learning from the Best

Madande acknowledges the strength of the Indian team, even though it is an in-transition squad. He admires players like Sanju Samson, Riyan Parag, and Jitesh Sharma. The 24-year-old knows that strong performances could attract the attention of IPL scouts. “If more of us get to play cricket in franchises, the game would draw more young talent to it, which would be good for the game overall in the country,” he says.

Building a Bright Future

Zimbabwe Cricket is planning to establish a national cricket academy, refurbish the domestic league, and install indoor training facilities at all five domestic centers. Madande is optimistic that these efforts will help Zimbabwe rediscover its giant-slaying mojo and inspire more youngsters to fall in love with the game, just as he did a decade ago.

#Clive Madande #Zimbabwe Cricket #Franchise Cricket #India vs. Zimbabwe #T20 Series

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savefilescomng12 · 4 months ago

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Keshav Athmanand Maharaj Biography, Age, career, parents , early life

Keshav Athmanand Maharaj is a distinguished South African professional cricketer renowned for his contributions to the South Africa national team across various formats, including Tests, One Day Internationals (ODIs), and Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). Known for his exceptional skills as a left-arm orthodox spinner, Maharaj has made significant strides in the cricketing world, earning accolades for his performances on the international stage. This biography delves into the life and career of Keshav Maharaj, exploring his early years, career achievements, and family background.

Early Life

Keshav Athmanand Maharaj was born on February 7, 1990, in Durban, a coastal city in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. Durban, with its vibrant multicultural community, provided a nurturing environment for Maharaj's early cricketing ambitions. From a young age, Maharaj displayed a keen interest in sports, particularly cricket. Encouraged by his family, he began playing cricket at a tender age, showing immense promise as a budding cricketer.Maharaj's journey in cricket began in the local leagues of Durban, where he honed his skills and developed a deep understanding of the game. His passion for cricket was evident, and it wasn't long before he started making a name for himself in the youth cricketing circuits. His early exposure to competitive cricket laid a solid foundation for his future career.

Maharaj attended Northwood School, a well-known institution in Durban that has produced several talented sportsmen. During his time at Northwood, he excelled in cricket, consistently delivering impressive performances that caught the attention of scouts and selectors. His ability to spin the ball and his knack for taking crucial wickets set him apart as a standout player.

Career

Keshav Maharaj's professional cricketing career began to take shape when he joined the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) provincial team. His performances in domestic cricket were nothing short of spectacular, earning him a spot in the Dolphins, a prominent franchise in South African domestic cricket. His consistent performances for the Dolphins in the Sunfoil Series and other domestic tournaments showcased his potential as a top-tier spinner.Maharaj's breakthrough moment came when he was selected to represent South Africa in Test cricket. He made his Test debut on November 3, 2016, against Australia in Perth. His debut was marked by a commendable performance, where he showcased his ability to extract turn and bounce from the pitch. Maharaj's impressive debut signaled the arrival of a talented spinner who could hold his own on the international stage.Over the years, Maharaj has established himself as a key figure in South Africa's Test squad. His ability to bowl long spells with accuracy and his knack for breaking crucial partnerships have made him an invaluable asset for the team. His career-best figures of 9 for 129 against Sri Lanka in 2018 are a testament to his skill and determination. This remarkable achievement placed him in the record books as one of South Africa's finest spinners.In addition to his Test exploits, Maharaj has also been a consistent performer in the limited-overs formats. He made his ODI debut on May 27, 2017, against England, and his T20I debut on February 14, 2018, against India. His ability to adapt to different formats and deliver match-winning performances has made him a versatile player in South Africa's cricketing arsenal.

Parents

Keshav Maharaj hails from a family that has been deeply supportive of his cricketing aspirations. His parents, Athmanand and Kanchan Maharaj, have played a pivotal role in his development as a cricketer. Athmanand Maharaj, in particular, has been a significant influence on Keshav's career. A former cricketer himself, Athmanand's experience and insights have been invaluable in shaping Keshav's understanding of the game.Growing up in a family that valued sports, Keshav received unwavering support and encouragement from his parents. They recognized his talent early on and provided him with the necessary resources and guidance to pursue his cricketing dreams. Athmanand and Kanchan's dedication to nurturing Keshav's talent has been a cornerstone of his success.The Maharaj family's commitment to cricket is evident in the close-knit bond they share. Keshav often credits his parents for their sacrifices and unwavering belief in his abilities. Their support has been instrumental in helping him navigate the challenges and pressures of professional cricket, allowing him to focus on his game and excel at the highest level.When did Keshav Maharaj make his Test debut for South Africa?Keshav Maharaj made his Test debut for South Africa on November 3, 2016, against Australia in Perth.What are Keshav Maharaj's career-best bowling figures in Test cricket?

Keshav Maharaj's career-best bowling figures in Test cricket are 9 for 129, achieved against Sri Lanka in 2018.Which domestic cricket team does Keshav Maharaj play forKeshav Maharaj plays for the Dolphins in South African domestic cricket.Who are Keshav Maharaj's parents?Keshav Maharaj's parents are Athmanand and Kanchan Maharaj. His father, Athmanand, is a former cricketer who has been a significant influence on Keshav's career.When did Keshav Maharaj make his ODI and T20I debuts for South Africa?Keshav Maharaj made his ODI debut on May 27, 2017, against England, and his T20I debut on February 14, 2018, against India. Source link Read the full article

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