#almost heroes kendrick

[almost-heroes]

*bites through the stick*

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[thebunnednun]

LOYALTY [Chapter 3]

Katsuki Bakugou x Sugar Baby! Reader

Summary: Fuck a breakup, you ever have your fiance and partner of 8 years dump you during his promotion party in front of your bosses and the whole office with the girl he told you, “Don’t worry about,” on his arm?

The man you moved continents to support and move in with while you worked from home and helped promote his hero career because you thought he loved you and he called it an investment in your future together while you just did it out of love?

Welp, now he’s kicked you out in a strange land and you’ve gotta make it on your own. When you can't get a new job or apartment and tuition is almost due: you’ve got two options: Strip it or lose.

And I guess the angry blond that keeps coming back to your club wants to help you too.

Chapter summary: You and Katsuki share a intimate moment before meeting face to face for the first time when you return his wallet after he tips you $$$$$ for a dance.

This chapters song is: Kendrick Lamar - LOYALTY. ft. Rihanna

Put that shit on loop.

------------------Chapter 3: Unexpected encounter-------------------

The club was a hive of activity tonight, the buzz of payday energy pulsing through every corner. You walked through the throng of people with a sense of purpose, a slight smile tugging at your lips as you considered just how much had changed in the last few weeks. Thanks to the generous donations from your online followers, particularly that mystery guy, you’d managed to pay off your tuition and even order some new furniture for your “room.” You’d been shocked when the items in your shopping cart had been checked off before you even had the chance to think twice about them.

Your landlord, Mr. Muhammad, had been helpful, going with you to scout out potential apartments and vouching for you as a reliable tenant. As a thank-you, you’d been buying groceries here and there, trying to show your appreciation. They were becoming your family in this. The fact that you were finally on the path to securing your future, both financially and academically, felt like a weight had been lifted off your shoulders.

But tonight, you were back at the club, ready to earn what you could from the crowd that had gathered.

You emerged from the dressing rooms, adjusting the straps of your outfit as you made your way towards the main floor. The girls—Marshmallow and the others—were already in their usual spot, laughing and chatting excitedly. When they saw you, they waved you over with wide grins.

“You should totally join us on stage today!” Ruby said, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

You felt your face redden at the suggestion, the idea of being out there in the spotlight making your heart race. But before you could respond, Marshmallow chimed in, her tone reassuring. “You don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable with. It’s just an offer.”

You looked around the club, taking in the sea of faces, the noise, the energy. It was busier than usual—payday always brought in the crowds. Your usual spot, the private section where you danced behind glass, seemed quiet in comparison. 

“I’ll do a little walk around and head to my usual spot,” you finally said, your voice thoughtful. “If no one shows up after twenty minutes, I’ll join you all on stage.”

The girls cheered at your decision, and Marshmallow blew you a kiss, her expression playful. You couldn’t help but smile back, feeling a mix of nervousness and excitement as you turned to head to the back of the club.

But as you began to walk, the path ahead of you suddenly became blocked. A group of men had gathered near the entrance to the private sections, their loud laughter and boisterous behavior catching your attention. One of them—a tall, muscular guy with a cocky grin—stepped forward, his eyes locking onto you.

“Well, what do we have here?” he drawled, his voice dripping with arrogance. He looked you up and down, clearly assessing you like you were some kind of prize. “You look like you’d be a fun time.”

You resisted the urge to roll your eyes, keeping your expression sweet as you tried to sidestep him. “I’m just heading to my section,” you said, your tone polite but firm. “You can’t touch me but you can enjoy the show.”

The guy wasn’t having it. He stepped in front of you again, blocking your path. “Aw, c’mon. Don’t be like that. How about you come hang out with us instead?” Nope, nope, nope. You knew a cokehead when you saw one. 

You felt your patience thinning, but you kept your composure. “Sorry, but I’ve got work to do,” you replied, trying to move around him once more.

This time, one of the bouncers noticed the interaction and started making his way over, his expression stern. Before the guy could say anything else, the bouncer stepped in, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Let her through,” he said in a no-nonsense tone.

The guy looked like he was about to argue, but the bouncer’s glare shut him up quickly. With a huff, he stepped aside, allowing you to pass.

You nodded your thanks to the bouncer before continuing on your way, your heart pounding slightly from the encounter. As you walked towards your usual spot, you couldn’t help but feel a surge of determination. This place could be tough, but you’d gotten this far, and you weren’t about to let some jerk ruin your night.

Finally reaching your private section, you stepped inside, taking a deep breath to steady yourself. The room was quiet, the familiar setting helping to calm your nerves. You were about to slip behind the glass, ready to begin your routine, but as you looked out into the club, you realized something.

Tonight felt different. The energy, the crowds, even the encounters—it all seemed to be leading to something. You weren’t sure what it was, but there was a feeling in the air, an undercurrent that made your skin tingle with anticipation.

As you started your routine, moving to the music that pulsed through the club, you couldn’t shake the feeling that tonight was going to be significant. Whether it was joining the girls on stage or something else entirely, you had the sense that you were standing on the edge of something new, something that could change everything.

The club’s usual hum of activity had faded into the background as you settled into your private section. The room was dimly lit, the low, sultry glow casting long shadows across the floor. You adjusted your costume—a tight, sheer two piece set that clung to your curves, accentuating every dip and swell. The fabric was soft against your skin, shimmering slightly under the dim lights, and you checked to make sure it was sitting just right. 

Suddenly, you heard them—the footsteps. Heavy, deliberate, and echoing out across the club floor like a metronome. The sound was unmistakable, a slow, steady rhythm that seemed to announce his arrival long before you could see him. A strange sense of familiarity washed over you, as you knew this client just by the way he walked.

You quickly straightened up, pulling the straps of your top taut against your shoulders and making sure every inch of the material hugged you just right. This client wasn’t like the others; he only watched you dance without asking you for anything lewd or to see your face. He didn’t even make song requests, you didn’t know why, and you weren’t going to ask. 

You watched as he approached the sofa, his tall frame casting a shadow that stretched across the floor. He moved with a kind of confidence that made the air feel heavy, charged. You couldn’t see much of his face, just the outline of his spiky hair and the broadness of his shoulders, but something about his presence sent a shiver down your spine. He sat down, his large boots making a final thud against the floor as he settled in, the sound resonating through the room.

Deciding it was time to begin, you turned to the console and selected a song that fit the mood—Kendrick Lamar and Rihanna’s “Loyalty.” The deep bassline filled the room, vibrating through the floor and into your bones, the rhythm perfectly matching the sensuality you intended to convey. You let the music guide you, your body moving in time with the beat, every step deliberate, every motion slow and controlled.

“It's a secret society

  All we ask is trust

 (All we ask is trust)

  All we got is us

Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty

Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty,”

As Kendrick and Rihanna’s voices flowed through the speakers, you began to sway, your hips rolling in time with the lyrics, the movements deliberate and teasing. You ran your hands down your sides, feeling the soft fabric glide over your skin before slipping them to the hem of your skirt. The lights caught the subtle shimmer of the material, highlighting your silhouette as you slowly peeled it away from your body, revealing the smooth curve of your ass.

“I’m a savage, I’m an asshole I’m a King,” 

Kendrick’s voice echoed, and you turned your back to the glass, arching as you pushed the skirt down over your hips. You caught a glimpse of the client in the reflection, his figure still and silent, but you could feel his eyes on you, watching your every move. The intensity of his gaze made your heart race, adding to the thrill of the performance.

“Tell me who you loyal to

Do it start with your woman or your man?”

You continued, rolling the fabric down your legs, bending at the waist to give him a full view of your body. The costume pooled around your ankles, and you stepped out of it, kicking it to the side. Now you were down to your matching bikini top and bottoms, the fabric clinging to you, highlighting the curves you knew he was watching intently. 

“Do it end with your family and friends? 

Or you're loyal to yourself in advance?”

You turned to face him again, your fingers trailing down your body, over your thighs, teasing the edges of your bottoms as Rihanna’s voice took over.

“I said, tell me who you loyal to

Is it anybody that you would lie for?”

She sang, and you mirrored the confidence in her voice, sliding your hands up your torso, arching your back as you thrust your chest forward. You let the straps of your bikini top slip down your shoulders, giving him just a hint of what lay beneath before pulling them back up again. The anticipation built, the heat between you and the client almost tangible, thickening the air in the small room.

“Anybody you would slide for?

 Anybody you would die for?

 That's what God for,”

As the song neared its end, you dropped to your knees, spreading them slightly as you swayed your hips from side to side, your hands running through your hair, then down your neck, and across your chest. You gave one last slow, deliberate roll of your hips, letting the music guide you as you finished with a final arch of your back, the movement accentuating every curve.

The song ended, and you stilled, catching your breath, expecting him to get up and leave as most clients did once the performance was over. But when you glanced up, he was still sitting there, unmoving, his figure dark against the dim light of the room.

Puzzled, you slipped through the side door that led to the backroom where one of the bouncers stood. “Hey,” you said, trying to keep your voice steady, “why isn’t the guy leaving?”

The bouncer gave you a once-over before turning to check on the client. When he came back, there was a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “He wants to know if he could buy an hour with you.”

You tried to mask the surprise on your face, forcing yourself to appear cool and composed. You paused for a moment, pretending to think it over, before nodding. “Tell him yes.”

The bouncer nodded and left to relay the message, leaving you with your thoughts. You pressed your nose against the glass, trying to get a better look at the man who had asked for the extra time. His hair was spiky, sticking out in a way that seemed almost familiar. His boots, large and sturdy, suggested a man who was used to being on his feet, and his broad frame hinted at strength, power. He exuded an aura of control, but there was something else, something that intrigued you.

You couldn’t help but wonder what the fuck it was. 

As the bouncer returned, there was a flicker of something in his eyes—amusement, perhaps, or curiosity. "The customer wants the same song," he said, his voice gruff yet tinged with the faintest hint of a smile. "He wants to see you dance to it again. You can switch up the routine, but he specifically asked for the same track." You nodded, a surge of anticipation bubbling up within you. The thought of performing the same song for the same man, knowing he was still captivated by your movements, sent a thrill down your spine. 

You watched the bouncer close the door behind him, leaving you alone in the dimly lit room with only the frosted glass between you and your mysterious client.

With a quick decision, you moved to the corner where your outfits were kept. You stripped off your bikini, reaching for something a bit more daring—a lacy, black two-piece that left just enough to the imagination while hugging your curves in all the right places. The sheer stockings and garter belt added a touch of vintage allure, making you feel powerful and sensual as you adjusted them, ensuring every strap was perfectly aligned.

Before turning the lights back on, you glanced at the frosted glass. A mischievous grin played on your lips as you tapped the control to dim the lights further, bathing the room in a sultry, amber glow that cast soft shadows across the space. You wanted this routine to feel intimate, like a secret whispered in the dark between two best friends.

When you were ready, you positioned yourself against the glass, your hands splayed out in front of you, feeling the cool surface beneath your fingertips. You tapped your fingers to the opening beats, letting the music fill the room, its rhythm pulsing through you as you began to move.

“My resume is real enough for two millenniums  

A better way to make a wave, stop defendin' them  

I meditate and moderate all of my wins again  

I'm hangin' on the fence again,”

You changed the pace, slowly rolling your hips to the beat, letting your body melt into the music. This time, your movements were more daring, more deliberate. You pressed your chest against the glass, the coolness a stark contrast to the heat building within you. The fabric of your outfit teased at the edges of your consciousness, reminding you of every inch of skin it covered, and every inch it left exposed.

“I'm always on your mind  

I put my lyric and my lifeline on the line  

And ain't no limit when I might shine, might grind  

You rollin' with it at the right time, right now  

Only for the dollar sign,”

With each word, you leaned into the glass, pressing your body closer, your breath fogging up the surface. You let your fingers trace over the fog, leaving a little heart before stepping away, toying with the barrier between you and him. You didn’t know where all this confidence came from but you weren’t gonna waste it. Your movements were slower, more deliberate, the sway of your hips more pronounced as you turned and arched your back, sliding down the glass as if giving in to the gravity of his gaze.

“Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty  

 Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty  

10-4, no switchin' sides  

            I need  

 Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty  

Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty,”

You dropped to your knees, arching your back as your hands slid down your body, feeling the lace and the softness of your skin beneath your fingertips. You let the music take over, your body moving in perfect sync with the beat. The lyrics spoke of loyalty, a deep and unwavering connection, and you channeled that intensity into every motion. You never had that before, but you knew what it was supposed to feel like. 

“Tell me who you loyal to  

Is it money? Is it fame? Is it weed? Is it drink?  

Is it comin' down with the loud pipes and the rain?  

Big chillin', only for the power in your name,"

As the music reached its peak, you stood up, arching your back as you slowly peeled off one of the sheer stockings, teasing him with every movement. You pressed yourself fully against the glass, your body leaving faint impressions in the fog as you moved. You brought your hand up, drawing a small heart in the condensation, before letting it fade away as you continued to dance, your body a silhouette against the light.

"Tell me who you loyal to  

Is it love for the streets when the lights get dark?  

Is it unconditional when the 'Rari don't start?  

Tell me when your loyalty is comin' from the heart”

With the final beats of the song, you leaned back against the glass, your breath heavy, your body flush with excitement. You slid down to the floor in a split, letting the music carry you as you reached the end of your routine. As the last notes faded, you expected him to gesture for more, but he remained seated, the shadow of his figure unmoving from the red leather sofa.

“It's so hard to be humble  

  It's so hard to be  

 Lord knows is I'm tryin'  

Lord knows is I'm dyin', 

          baby”

On the other side, Bakugou was struggling to keep his composure. His usual mask of indifference was slipping as he watched you, his eyes glued to the screen. The way you danced, the way your body moved in perfect sync with the music— those fucking lyrics — it was driving him crazy. He could feel the heat rising in his face, his heart pounding in his chest as he tried to maintain control.

What was it about you that got under his skin? 

He couldn’t figure it out, but he knew one thing for sure—he didn’t want this to end. When you pressed yourself against the glass, leaving that little heart in the fog, it felt like a direct hit, and he was barely keeping it together. His hands clenched into fists, trying to resist the urge to blow off steam. He felt a bead of sweat trickle down the back of his neck, and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, trying to regain his composure.

But the truth was, you had him—completely and utterly. And there was no turning back now.

‘Fuck.’

The moment the knock echoed through the room, you nearly jumped out of your skin. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife, and for a split second, you forgot where you were and what you were doing. Your breath hitched as you tore your gaze away from the mysterious man behind the glass. The knock had shattered the strange, intimate spell that had settled over the two of you.

But he was still there, still watching, still touching the glass where your hand met his. The connection between you felt oddly real, almost tangible through the cold, solid barrier that separated you. You could see his fingers, large and rough, tracing the heart you’d drawn earlier. His touch was gentle, almost reverent, as if he were handling something precious.

You bit the inside of your cheek, trying to ground yourself in the moment. This was just a performance, just another routine. You’d danced for plenty of clients before, had them watch you, admire you, but none of them had ever done this. None of them had touched the glass like this, as if they were trying to reach through and connect with something deeper. It was… unsettling, in a way that made your heart race for reasons you couldn’t quite name.

His hand dwarfed yours, the size difference almost startling. Even with the platform heels giving you extra height, he still towered over you, his presence almost overwhelming. You could feel the heat of his body radiating through the glass, a warmth that seeped into your bones and made your skin tingle.

You hesitated, unsure of what to do next. The whole situation felt surreal, like something out of a dream. But the show had to go on, and you weren’t about to let a little weirdness throw you off your game.

With a deep breath, you slowly moved closer to the glass, stalking up to the barrier with a predatory grace. Your eyes never left his head, trying to read the expression on his face, but the frosted glass obscured his features, leaving only the shadow of his form visible. The only thing clear was his hand, still pressed against the glass where yours had been.

You stopped just inches away, close enough that you could feel the cold emanating from the glass, a stark contrast to the warmth of your body. Your fingers twitched against the surface, and without really thinking, you tapped them lightly, a soft, almost playful gesture. He hesitated for a moment, as if unsure how to respond, before his fingers mirrored yours, tapping back in a gentle rhythm.

A shiver ran down your spine as you watched his other hand trace over the heart you’d left. The realization hit you like a ton of bricks—he was tracing it because you’d left it there for him. You’d drawn that heart in the fog, almost without thinking, and now he was treating it like it meant something. 

And maybe, in some weird, twisted way, it did.

But this was just a show, you reminded yourself. Just a game. You were here to entertain, to give him what he wanted, and that was all. 

Another knock on the door snapped you out of your thoughts. “I don’t hear any music!” the bouncer’s voice called out, a hint of impatience in his tone.

You blinked, realizing you’d been standing there in silence for too long. You glanced back at the glass, at the man whose hand still rested against yours, and for a moment, you considered pulling away. But something in his stillness, in the way he hadn’t tried to push things further, gave you pause. 

You tilted your head slightly, studying him, and he seemed to do the same. The symmetry of the gesture made your heart skip a beat. You were tiny compared to him, almost fragile, yet you felt a strange sense of power in that moment. You tapped your fingers again, and this time, he didn’t hesitate. He tapped back in sync, as if the two of you were communicating in a silent, shared language.

His fingers drifted over the heart again, and you found yourself wondering why he was treating it with such care. Why was he being so delicate, so gentle? This wasn’t what you were used to, not at all.

The bouncer knocked again, louder this time. “Music, now !”

You sighed, rolling your eyes at the interruption, but a small smile tugged at the corner of your lips. The spell was broken, but you weren’t ready to let go just yet. With a final tap against the glass, you backed away, giving him a soft, almost coy look over your shoulder as you moved to restart the music.

--- You finished out the hour without much problem or anything like the glass touching that happened. Part of you felt a little dissappointed at that and you couldn't tell why. He was quiet throughout the rest of the time and left without a word. You wiped yourself down with a towel and threw on a lacy teddy before opening the secret door that was always locked on the clients side. That way you could collect the money after they left and get back behind the glass without anyone seeing you. He left it in the usual place, the table next to the red leather sofa and your heart almost stopped when counted out at least $5000 dollars.

'Five thousand dollars!!!'

Your mind immediately raced back to the live stream and you tried to calm yourself down. This had to be some sort of coicidence. No way this guy actually knew who you were. Then to make matters worse, he left his phone and wallet in the booth. You decided you had to find out for yourself. You let the bouncer know you were done before running back to the dressing rooms. You knew better than to hand over the stuff to the manager so you would have to find the guy himself. He may he bigger than you, but your shoes were stabbyier. You placed the items in a small purse you sometimes used to help your friends collect tips and stashed your money inside your locker inside your clothes like Marshmellow (Micheal) showed you. You made sure the locker was shut tight and tugged on it for good measure before you rushed back into the floor. You asked the doorman if anyone with large boots and spiky hair had left yet, who actually wasn't bad, and he assured you he that hadn't but that there was a client that came in with that description so he was probably still inside. You thanked him before taking a big gulp of air and making your way to the center floor. 

The center floor was alive with the buzz of chatter, laughter, and music, and the stages were crowded, but your focus was razor-sharp as you scanned the room. The lights were dim, casting long shadows that danced with the movement of bodies. It was payday, so the place was packed with regulars and new faces alike, all looking for a night of fun. But you were only interested in one man.

Your heart raced as you moved through the crowd, your eyes darting from face to face, searching for the telltale signs—spiky hair, broad shoulders, those heavy boots that echoed with each step. You felt a mix of nerves and adrenaline coursing through your veins, making your steps quick and purposeful. You didn’t even notice the usual stares or the catcalls; your mind was locked on the task at hand.

He left his phone and wallet. What kind of person leaves something so important behind, especially after dropping five thousand dollars without blinking? Maybe all rich dudes really are weird. The thought made your stomach twist. Was he testing you? Or maybe it was just an accident. But you couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something more to this.

As you pushed through the crowd, you felt the small purse slung over your shoulder bump against your hip, the weight of it reminding you of what was inside. His belongings were in your hands, and that gave you a strange sense of nerves. He was bigger, stronger, sure, but you had something he needed. And that meant you had to find him. You clung to that thought, letting it bolster your confidence as you pressed forward.

You spotted Marshmallow—Micheal—across the room, chatting with a group of clients. She caught your eye and gave you a small, encouraging nod. She knew what you were up to, even without you having to say a word. That silent support made you feel a little braver as you approached the center floor.

The room was a blur of lights and movement, but then you saw him. He was near the bar, his back to you, broad shoulders hunched slightly as he leaned against the counter. His spiky hair was unmistakable, even in the dim light. The sight of him sent a jolt of adrenaline through you, and you had to force yourself to slow down, to keep your breathing steady. This was it.

You approached cautiously, your heels clicking against the polished floor. He didn’t seem to notice you at first, too absorbed in whatever thoughts were running through his head. You paused a few feet away, trying to decide how to play this. Should you tap him on the shoulder? Just hand over the stuff and be done with it? Or maybe you should say something more… calculated, something that would keep him intrigued.

Before you could make up your mind, he turned around, as if sensing your presence. His eyes locked onto yours, and for a moment, you felt frozen in place. Up close, he was even more imposing, his sharp features and intense gaze making your heart skip a beat. But you couldn’t back down now. You had a job to do.

“I think you forgot something,” you said, your voice steady despite the fluttering in your chest. You held up the small purse, letting him see that you had his phone and wallet inside.

His eyes flicked to the purse and then back to you. There was a brief flash of something in his expression—surprise? Amusement?—before he reached out to take it. His fingers brushed against yours as he did, and you felt a small spark at the contact, a reminder of the strange connection you’d felt during your routine.

“Thanks,” he said, his voice gruff, but there was a hint of something softer beneath it. “I didn’t even realize.”

You shrugged, playing it cool. “It happens.”

He didn’t say anything else, so you just tucked the purse under your arm as he looked at you with an unreadable expression. The silence stretched between you, thick with unspoken words. You could feel your pulse in your throat, the tension from earlier starting to creep back in. 

“So, was it worth it?” you asked, tilting your head slightly as you tried to read him. “The hour, I mean.”

He raised an eyebrow, his lips quirking into a smirk that was almost too confident for your liking. “More than worth it.”

The way he said it sent a shiver down your spine, but you kept your expression neutral, not letting him see how his words affected you. You weren’t about to let him have the upper hand in this conversation.

“Well, if you’re ever in the mood to lose more of your money, you know where to find me,” you said, flashing him a playful smile.

He chuckled, a deep raspy sound that made your stomach flip. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

With that, you turned and started to walk away, leaving him standing there with a mix of emotions swirling inside. You yourself felt something. Relief, curiosity, and another visitor you couldn’t quite put your finger on. He watched you go, wondering if you’d see him again, and if you did, what that would mean?

And as much as you hated to admit it, a part of you was disappointed that the hour was over.

Maybe it was the intensity of the moment, the way your voice lingered in his mind, or the curiosity that gnawed at you. Before you could completely disappear into the crowd, you took a step forward, your voice catching him mid-stride.

“Wait.”

You stopped, his shoulders tensing slightly before you turned back to face him. He hadn’t planned this far ahead, and now that he had your attention again, he felt his pulse quicken. What were you going to say? You opened your mouth, but the words died on your lips as you found yourself staring directly into his eyes for the first time.

Time seemed to slow as your gazes locked. You felt like you were seeing him for the first time, really seeing him. His face was sharp, rugged, with a defined jawline and intense crimson eyes that seemed to bore straight into you. He had a look about him that was hard to pin down—confident yet guarded, like someone who didn’t let others in. You noticed the way his hair spiked out in unruly directions, a contrast to the disciplined aura he gave off. And then there was that small, almost imperceptible quirk of his lips, as if he wanted to speak but was struggling to.

For Bakugou, the world seemed to narrow down to just you. He hadn’t expected to turn around and see a face that felt so… familiar, yet completely new. Your eyes caught his first, and they were softer than he’d imagined, but there was a brightness in them that intrigued him. He noticed the way your hair framed your face, accentuating the delicate lines of your features. But what struck him most was the expression you wore—equal parts surprise and determination, as if you hadn’t planned on this moment but weren’t going to run from it either. There was something about you that pulled him in, a magnetism he hadn’t felt in a long time, and it made him forget for a moment where he was.

Neither of you said a word, but the silence between you was charged with something unspoken. You felt your breath catch as you realized he was doing the same thing you were—taking in every detail, committing it to memory. It was strange, surreal even, to see the man who had been on the other side of the glass, to see him so close. His intensity was almost overwhelming, and you couldn’t help but feel a shiver of anticipation, or maybe it was nerves, running down your spine.

You both seemed to realize at the same moment that you were staring, and you quickly averted your eyes, a faint blush creeping up your cheeks. He let out a small huff, not quite a laugh, but close enough, and it drew your gaze back to him. There was a look of curiosity in his eyes now, as if he was trying to figure you out, and maybe himself too.

“Well, goodnight.” 

“Yeah, G’night.”

You turned to head back to Micheal letting out a breath you didn’t realize you’d been holding in. As you walked, you couldn’t help but replay the encounter in your mind, trying to make sense of it. 

Later that night, you couldn’t stop thinking about that moment. You were sitting in front of the mirror, wiping off the remnants of your makeup, but your mind was elsewhere. His face, his eyes, the way he looked at you—it all replayed in your head like a loop you couldn’t turn off. You’d seen plenty of clients before, even locked eyes with a few, but this was different. There was something in the way he looked at you, a connection that felt almost tangible, and it left you feeling unsettled in a way you couldn’t quite explain.

You sighed, tossing the makeup wipe into the trash and leaning back in your chair. 'Why did he leave such an impression?' You tried to push the thoughts away, tried to focus on the money you’d made, the success of the night. You even participated in a dance number with the girls and finally had enough to get that new apartment! But his face kept creeping back into your thoughts, making you wonder if you’d see him again, and what it would mean if you did.

At the same time, Bakugou was sprawled out on his bed, one arm thrown over his eyes as he tried to sleep, but he knew it was impossible. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw you. Your face, the way you looked at him, the intensity of it—it was all too vivid. He’d gone to the club looking for a distraction, something to take his mind off the usual, but instead, he found himself thinking about you.

It pissed him off, if he was being honest.

He wasn’t supposed to see you yet. Looking all soft and cute with your little dress hugging you and a blush he couldn’t decipher from makeup or actual nerves. A moment like that, the memory of you stuck with him, lingering like an itch he couldn’t scratch. The way your eyes had widened slightly when you saw him, the way you hadn’t backed down, it made him wonder who you really were. You were just doing your job, a dancer, nothing more—so why the hell couldn’t he shake you off?

He shifted on the bed, letting out a frustrated breath. Maybe it was nothing, just a fluke, something that would fade by morning. But deep down, he wasn’t so sure. You’d made an impression, and it was going to take a lot more than a sleepless night to get you out of his head. 

But Katsuki knew himself better than that. 

Pulling out his phone, he opened that damned app again and sent you a message. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Taglist: @elarakive, @thealtofvalleyxdoodles, If you wanna be added lemme know.

That was the first chapter! So far there are 9 posted on my ao3 account.

I own none of the images or art!!!

Be sure to check out my other works and leave likes and comments, they really help. I have a Farmer Bakugou x Gardener Reader here in the master list. Drop a follow as well if you please. Don’t be shy to leave me a little reblog if you want.

I promise I bite~

See you soon my loves!!

(｡･ω･｡)ﾉ♡

[sjswrites]

The Powerful Women of Marvel

Summary: Sometimes, it's not acting. These women are real heroes, even without the costumes.

Warnings: Abuse/toxic/stalker ex, cursing, just overall angst.

A/n: This one-shot is heavily inspired by a movie called Darling with Anna Kendrick. I saw a scene like this and knew I had to do it with my comfort characters. Forever one of my favorites.

After a read-through of one of the biggest Avengers movies, we all stepped outside, taking in all the excitement of the script and overall direction of the movie. Only women. The Powerful Women of Marvel. There I was in the middle of it. The original, Scarlett Johansson. The next in command and my sister, Lizzie Olsen. Then, there were the newbies. Florence Pugh and Hailee Steinfeld. (Yes, I know there's more, but that’s a lot of people. Please forgive me.)

As we got outside the building, another buzz came from my bag. It had been ringing since we started. Digging through my purse, I emerged with my phone. My feet became one with the pavement.

“Baby?” Lizzie called. “Everything okay?”

“Fuck.” I took off as I shoved my phone into her hands.

“What happened?” Scarlett asked as the girls gathered around.

“Who’s Stalker?” Florence asked while eyeing over the 23 missed calls and 57 text messages. The last one was a photo.

Lizzie held down the message to reveal the photo. A sledgehammer propped up against the bumper of a car. “Shit.” Lizzie took off as the other girls confusingly followed.

I ran as hard as my legs could take me towards the blaring car alarm. As I approached, a man with a sledgehammer took a hefty swing at my side mirror as it skittered across the parking lot. “Hey!” His eyes flew over his shoulder to me.

“About time you showed up.” He threw the handle onto the ground and marched over to me. “Let’s go.” His hand gripped my arm. “Get in the car.”

“What the fuck? Let go of me.” My arms slipped out of his grasp only to be put in a more secure grip

“We are going home now.” He growled in my ear.

“Like hell.” My knee flew into him as he fell to his knees, clutching his precious family jewels.

“You fucking bitch.” He snapped as footsteps quickly approached.

“Leave. Now.” I towered over him.

His anger softened. “You don’t want that. You know it. You love me.” He slowly got to his feet and his hand took mine. His voice. The look… They fooled me once, but never again.

“Babe.” Lizzie called out while his eyes pleaded with me. “Let’s go.” Lizzie slowly approached.

“Get in the fucking car.” He lowered his voice and pulled me closer. His fears now taking over and manifesting as anger again.

“No.” My hand slipped free from his grasp. “Fuck you. If you loved, you wouldn’t have-” His hand came around and struck a fire across my cheek. It wasn’t long until he ended up on floor. I turned back as the blonde was now shaking her hand.

“Fuck that hurt.” Scarlett quickly dragged Florence away as Lizzie came to get me.

“Baby, please.” He stared at me as Lizzie kept whispering in my ear to leave. “You said that we were meant to be. That I was your last. Please.” He got to his feet as Hailee stepped up.

She almost had a whole head on him as she looked down at him. “She said no.” She barked at him.

“Babe,” He pleaded as he sidestepped Hailee. “You know me. You know it’s not me. Come home. Please. It can be how it was before. Just me and you. Together. Like we always planned.” Hailee followed him, keeping herself between him and I.

The sounds of sirens rang off in the distance as he looked over his shoulder. “You bitches! Which one of you did this? Huh?!” Scarlett and Florence stepped up behind Hailee while Lizzie tucked me behind her. “Just let me talk to her.”

“I think you’ve done enough.” Scarlett said. “You should probably leave while you can.”

He scoffed. “Or what?”

“You don’t want to know.” She flipped a switch. At this point, he wasn’t talking to Scarlett Johansson. He was talking to Natasha Romanoff. The sirens got louder as they climbed up the parking lot. “Oops. Too late.” I caught the side angle of the famous Natasha Romanoff smirk.

It wasn’t long before the cops showed up and handcuffed him. After the secure clicks of the cuffs, Lizzie quickly turned around to me and hugged me. My walls came crumbling down as I melting into her arms. The emotions completely overtook me as I sobbed in her arms. My bodyweight outweighed the strength of my legs as I fell to my knees. Lizzie fell with me as she held me.

“You’re okay, baby. He’s gone. He’s never going to hurt you again. I promise.” She whispered as she peppered kissed on my head. It wasn’t long until three other bodies came around me and hugged me.

“Oh my God.” The four of them pulled away as I looked around for Florence. I finally found her as I grabbed her arm and dragged down to her green and purple knuckles.

“It’s fine.” She pulled her hand away. “Are you okay?” The concern in her eyes made my heart drop as I looked away at all of them.

“Why would you do that? You barely even know me. We just meant hours ago. I just-”

“We’re heroes for a living.” Scarlett said. “On and off screen.”

“Plus, he was a total dick.” Hailee said as we all laughed.

The funny, hopefully moment faded from my lips and onto my hands. “I don’t know what to do now.” Lizzie put her hands over mind. I shook my head. “I should’ve done something sooner. I should’ve told you. I should’ve-”

“He should’ve never laid his hands on you.” Lizzie hooked her finger under my chin as I looked up at her. Her cold hand brushed over the burning fire of a handprint on my face. I could almost hear the sizzling of cold meeting hot. “This isn’t your fault.” My lips quivered as I quickly tucked it between my teeth. “It’s not your fault, baby. It never was.”

[bunnyathy]

my favorite and funny silly headcannons (not rlly) and ooc ideas about the batfamily:

Damian Wayne:

- has a dedicated social media accounts for his pets. he gets income and sponsorship from luxury pet brands all the time because of it. he doesn’t really care about the money he’s just happy his pets get to have free stuff that give them a better and spoiled life.

- bro’s a gen alpha he’s probably a brainrot humor kind of kid but he hides it well but it comes out at random times

- he’s a dedicated hater, he loved kendrick lamar’s drake diss songs

- his personal/ official Damian Wayne tiktok account is literally just a hate page for his brothers (but in an endearing way he still loves them)

- prefers watching reels over tiktok bcs of the funny comments and the unhinged reels that come out there

- Damian Wayne is a weeb… he was absolutely there during the Anime tiktok lockdown era (if he was even born yet idk) so he knows all the cringe weeb shit.. he quotes it at random times….

- Damian was strictly shoujo mangas and anime but Jon showed him My Hero Academia and he LOVED it. he respects Koda and likes his quirk. MHA was one of the only mangas he read that’s not shoujo lol. (lets ignore the part where there was official damian wayne art where there was a chainsaw man manga with him (i dislike csm))

- he probably did one of those kpop pc decora things out of a printed picture of his fave anime character cough bakugo and tamaki suoh cough (he got influenced by flatline nika)

- he most likely listens to Twice bcs Flatline suggested it to him (this is not bcs I am a once (yes it is))

Batfam:

- to be able to keep up with Brucie Wayne’s diva it boy appearance he occasionally does those derma clinic facials and time to time he invites his kids. Stephanie absolutely is always with him, Cass as well but she’s only there because Steph seems to love it so she’ll always do what Steph loves. It came to a point where Tim Drake, Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson, Duke Thomas started to become pretty boys (Jason is not there he could not stand Brucie persona)

- there has been rumors of Brucie Wayne having a bbl and to prove them all wrong Brucie posted a gym workout where his focus was his ass. lets just say BRUCIE JUICY ASS?? on twitter was trending and the kids HATED it. maybe haha certain heroes liked it a little more than others lmfao

- Damian got hyperfixated on into the spiderverse and across the spiderverse he forced his whole family to rewatch it with him

- Jason got asked to come over to the manor by one of the siblings and took a sneaky pic of his whole body just to put it in one of those “dance if you love your family” ai dancing thing on tiktok. he never came back to the manor….

- Tim and Damian have this online feud in tiktok where they comment unhinge and insulting comments to their public official account each other but ofc its filtered so it can cross the tos. Damian once commented “I hope to see you hanging in the streets” and almost got banned from tiktok

- whenever any of the fam asks something from Cass that she doesn’t wanna do she goes “sorry I’m mute” (she takes advantage of her not so disability) Stephanie taught her that she said it would be funny. it works sometimes bcs the other was probably too tired to notice or just goes along bcs they think Cass learning gen Z humor is funny.

aight ive ran out of ideas they were just mostly damian and batfam AHAHAHAH

[riveatstoes]

Sanders Sides as Taylor Swift Songs

Because I want to merge my hyperfixation (SaSi) and my special interest (TS)

But first some clarifications:

Most of these are vibe-based, especially when it comes to Logan because I genuinely think that he is one of, if not THE, hardest characters to get right

If you have different opinions that’s fine, I like hearing what other people have to say! (as long as you remain respectful)

Yes 99% of Remus’s are ironic, get off my back abt it did you seriously expect anything else??? Yeah that’s what I thought

There is at least one album where I chose the same song for two characters but um. Mind your business

Yes I’m counting If This Was A Movie as a Fearless song. I’m going by what album’s cover it has on it tbh

For reference my favorite is Roman and I think that may be obvious. Idk

Taylor Swift (Debut)

Logan: The Outside

Roman: Stay Beautiful

Patton: Tied Together With A Smile

Virgil: A Place in This World

Janus: The Outside

Remus: Picture to Burn (Homophobic Version)

Fearless (Taylor’s Version)

Logan: Tell Me Why

Roman: Breathe (ft. Colbie Caillat)

Patton: If This Was A Movie

Virgil: You All Over Me (ft. Marren Morris)

Janus: Don’t You

Remus: Thug Story (ft. T-Pain)

Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)

Logan: Castles Crumbling (ft. Hayley Williams)

Roman: Back To December

Patton: Never Grow Up

Virgil: Haunted

Janus: Better Than Revenge / Innocent

Remus: BTR (Slut-Shaming Version)

Red (Taylor’s Version)

Logan: Nothing New (ft. Phoebe Bridgers)

Roman: Red

Patton: Sad Beautiful Tragic

Virgil: I Almost Do

Janus: I Bet You Think About Me (ft. Chris Stapleton)

Remus: I Knew You Were Trouble (Screaming Goat Version)

1989 (Taylor’s Version)

Logan: Bad Blood (ft. Kendrick Lamar)

Roman: Wildest Dreams

Patton: Clean

Virgil: Out Of The Woods

Janus: Now That We Don’t Talk

Remus: Shake It Off

reputation

Logan: Look What You Made Me Do

Roman: Gorgeous

Patton: New Year’s Day

Virgil: Getaway Car

Janus: Don’t Blame Me

Remus: I Did Something Bad (Ratatatata)

Lover

Logan: I Forgot That You Existed

Roman: You Need To Calm Down / Afterglow

Patton: Cornelia Street

Virgil: The Archer

Janus: Death By A Thousand Cuts

Remus: ME! (ft. Brendon Urie of Panic! At The Disco)

folklore

Logan: this is me trying

Roman: mirrorball

Patton: cardigan

Virgil: peace

Janus: the lakes

Remus: exile (ft. bon iver)

evermore

Logan: closure

Roman: tolerate it

Patton: evermore (ft. bon iver)

Virgil: it’s time to go

Janus: cowboy like me

Remus: no body, no crime (ft. HAIM)

Midnights

Logan: Glitch

Roman: Maroon / Bejeweled

Patton: You’re On Your Own, Kid / Dear Reader

Virgil: Midnight Rain

Janus: Anti-Hero

Remus: Vigilante Shit (Live At The Eras Tour)

The Tortured Poets Department

Logan: I Look In People’s Windows

Roman: But Daddy I Love Him / Clara Bow

Patton: So Long, London / loml

Virgil: Who’s Afraid Of Little Old Me?

Janus: The Prophecy

Remus: Guilty As Sin? (But specifically that one video of Post Malone dancing to it)

[synergysilhouette]

Plotting out "Rainstar" (Disney movie)

Make sure to check out the post summarizing my various posts from the fanmade Disney Reinvention Era here (and I'll probably edit it to fit my fleshed-out posts).

Background: Despite somewhat fatigue of superhero films, several projects are brought to Disney's attention, though they are quick to shoot down any comic adaptations, preferring to do original ideas in contrast to "Big Hero 6." Eventually they settle on a pitch for a superhero film with a female lead that takes inspiration from the many 90s superhero shows. Disney is interested by this, particularly since "The Incredibles" is inspired by mid 20-century comics and most superhero films (live-action and animated) are usually placed in present-day. The setting is unique enough while still being accessible and engaging for many of their audience members. That said, despite the "retro" setting, many influences during production were taken from 21st century comics and comic-inspired materials. Interestingly, the pitch comes with an addendum: possibly making it a musical. The idea of a superhero musical is almost immediately dismissed, as the styles are too different from each other, but an alternate suggestion is made instead of a traditional music format: crafting a soundtrack that's played during the film, similar to "Black Panther" and "Suicide Squad." This is also something Disney did with "Tarzan." It's an iffy idea, particularly because the film is relatively modern, and the radio-friendly sound the soundtrack would have is likely seen as a cash-grab move. While they consider using Moss and Marlow again after "Midnight Masquerade," they eventually they agree to the proposed option instead (partially due to it being mentioned how Disney already enlisted the help of Beyonce and Kendrick Lamar for "Khoeli, which ended up being a big success), but another problem comes to mind: who should be part of the team, including the music. The thought of Brad Bird directing is quickly dropped, and they come to the conclusion to choose a female director--especially since this era hasn't had any yet--with Jennifer Lee writing the script (and significant contributions from Joss Whedon), and several artists being reached out to to help craft a soundtrack. The film goes over many, many, many changes in story, tone, and characters, until eventually becoming "Rainstar." One of them is the decision to take inspiration from the "Arkham" Batman video games and make the events of the film occur all in one night instead of over the course of several weeks.

(Note: I didn't decide on a director because there's a bit of a shortage of female directors for animated films, and I wasn't sure which one would fit the bill, live-action or otherwise, though I had an idea or two.)

Plot

In the early 90s, the city of Phoenix Crown took to the world stage as a lively, bustling town of ingenuity and culture. More than that, it became notorious for an unprecedented uptick in crime, and an unusual one at that. Superheroes and supervillains are no longer just whispers on the street; they live and embody the chaos of the city, and the future of what could become the greatest city in the United States rests on the shoulders of who can restore the peace.

Characters

Rainstar--A young woman who grew up in a somewhat selfish family (inspired by sitcoms such as "Married With Children" and Seth MacFarlane cartoons, albeit not quite as self-destructive), the woman who would become Rainstar was selfish and vapid, not particularly interested in anything other than herself. However, following some, ahem, complications after moving to the city of Phoenix Crown, she became endowed with impeccable strength, athlete-level speed, combustion, and durability that's made her something of an extemophile. While she originally planned to find a way to financially benefit from these newfound abilities, saving the lives of people one day gained her instant fame, which she adored. With time, this adoration turned to duty, and she became a fixture in the major city as crime experienced a surge in the coming years. With a sense of humor, a positive attitude, and a strong will, she's a credit to the city--even if not everyone agrees.

Her personality is highly derived from Marvel superhero She-Hulk, as well as several iconic female characters from various comic books, video games, and anime. For her stylized design, her appearance is heavily derived from distinct pop stars.

Sundial--A young scientist who is fascinated with superpowers. After wrongly being terminated by a corrupt superior, he took the situation in stride and built his own laboratory with loyal personnel. He eventually discovered that some individuals have a "superhero gene," and while his contemporaries had expected him to monetize it, he decides to bring out the gene in himself, and succeeding. While not an overwhelming power, his healing factor is something highly useful, and one he keeps secret. With time, he becomes equally philosophical and insane, questioning the purpose of humanity and seeing himself as "the great scientist" who is to discover the secrets of life. As such, he occasionally puts on his own costume to kidnap unsuspecting victims, with his acrobatic ability making it quite easy to evade unwanted attention and capture his prey as he sees fit. Rainstar isn't a killer and she believes that Sundial is as a danger to himself, and that he could really make a difference in the medical field if he wasn't...unwell. This may be fueled by the fact that despite his cruelty, he's often kind and polite, and his interest in human nature has a somewhat childlike sense of wonder.

Despite the clandestine business, his costume is neon, like the lights of the city at night. Ironically, him matching the scene makes his otherwise loud appearance blend in.

Glasseye--An aspiring psychologist, the young man who would become Glasseye was born and raised in Phoenix Crown, and was heavily inspired by Rainstar. He had no intentions on becoming a hero of course, preferring the more domestic way of helping people via her future profession. However, he is one of the few people whose supernatural ability manifested itself naturally in the form of telekinesis and telepathy that occasionally manifests itself in cognitive inducement (at which point his eyes take a glassy shine to them). Eventually, he accidentally probes Rainstar's mind and discovers her identity, and she suggests an infrequent collaboration, to which he reluctantly agrees due to wanting to help others and her connections to higher-ups. He's typically seen as her "nerdy" counterpart, but he's got a big brain and is cautious where she's bold. They make a great team, but they make even better friends.

Dangerprone--Another "villain" (as most of Phoenix Crown would call it) of Phoenix Crown, she has the ability to teleport, though she's also a skilled martial artist, so...watch out for that. She's alluring but upfront, and is in a temporary partnership with Sundial. She's a wild card to his more methodical way of doing things, but she has morals and standards. In a way, she's essentially what Rainstar would've become if she hadn't become a hero. She wants to run the city that's a focal point of technology and power, as she's very aware that she who conquers that City of Dreams conquers the world.

Songs

(For once I didn't make a song list since not all of them would be tied to the story and would mainly just work for the worldbuilding/overall narrative. Maybe I'll come back and add some, though).

Lemme know what you think! I DESPERATELY want Disney to make a superhero musical, so this was an idea I had for a while. Only three more films left for the "Reinvention" era!

[maddieautobot273]

Silk & Cologne

A Miguel O’Hara x OC series - AO3 link (X)

Chapter 1: Origins

Pairing: Miguel O’Hara x Female OC

Words: 1.7K+ words

Rating: PG - for some violence, nothing major here! 

Summary: Lisa Kendrick is just an average 28 year old from Earth-1218. Where superheroes, much less Spider-Heroes aren’t suppose to exist, and even if they do, they’re all comic book characters. The laws of nature and physics here don’t allow superhumans to exist. So what happens when Miguel is hunting a runaway anomaly Spider from another dimension that gets sent to our world and takes a bite out of Lisa? Will Miguel treat her as a fellow anomaly? Or Something else?

////////////

“There never was a Spider-Woman in Earth-1218, and there never will be!” - Miguel O’Hara in the not so distant future

///////

“Oh no, oh no, no, no!” 

Margo Kess, codename “Spider-Byte”, was scrambling around the room, interacting with various consoles as she monitored the latest mission of the Spider-Society. A villain anomaly was detected in another universe, a gateway opening up as a Doc Ock found himself in a dimension where he shouldn’t be and was currently laying waste to Oscorp. It seemed like Alchemax wasn’t the only ones studying inter-dimensional travel. 

That universe’s Peter Parker had arrived at the scene expecting to see his Doc Ock, but was surprisingly mistaken when he saw that his Doc Ock had actual Octopus tentacles and was part sea creature. He was almost outmatched when Miguel O’Hara, Spider-Man 2099, and Peter B. Parker “Spider-Man”, arrived just in the nick of time through one of their portals, courtesy of their watches. 

That was not the reason why Spider-Byte was freaking out. As she was monitoring the fight, she knew that the team could handle themselves, especially Miguel. He was in his element here. His predatory like senses kicking into overdrive as he fought Doc Ock head on, while Peter B. escorted that universe’s Spider-Man and other innocent civilians to safety. 

“Lyla! Please tell me a part of you is still here!” Margo’s voice strained as she whined, her finger types scrambling on the keyboard. 

“You called, Byte?” The holographic AI appeared on her shoulder as she fluffed out her jacket and adjusted her heart shaped glasses. “Wow, you seemed stressed,” 

“I am stressed, Miguel and Peter are in a lot of trouble!” She stated. 

“Why, what’s wrong?” Lyla asked, sounding very concerned. 

Byte summoned a digital duplicate of herself as she ran over and grabbed a monitor, bringing it over to Lyla. “Look!” 

Margo played the moment back frame by frame so Lyla could analyze it clearly. The monitor showed one of the radioactive spider’s from Oscorp falling through one of the wayward portal’s of the Oscorp Collider during the fight. It had happened when Doc Ock tried to tackle Miguel from behind, but Spider-Man 2099 threw him over his shoulder, his back and arm muscles pulsing as he roared, tossing him towards the spider-containment. 

It appeared Miguel was so focused on the fight, he didn’t notice one little spider escape. Or the handful of armed guards that jumped in after it. 

“Oh, this is bad,” Lyla hissed uncomfortably after watching the footage. 

“You have to tell him! I can’t tell him, he’ll freak out,” Spider-Byte panicked as she focused in on the portal. 

“Don’t worry sweetcakes. Just focus on figuring out what dimension that portal was locked on to,” Lyla reassured Margo with a motherly smile. “I’ll handle the big guy,” 

/////////

Once all the civilians were evacuated, the three Spider-Man worked together to web-shot Doc’s arms and tentacles together, webbing them like he was cattle on a stick before slamming him to the floor. When he was down, Miguel tossed a device at his feet, a red energy shield-like cage activating as it crowded around him. He yelled, banging his fists and tied tentacles against the cage, but it didn’t falter. 

“Yeah, we got’em!” Peter B. cheered, raising a hand towards Miguel. “Give me five!”

Miguel shot Peter B a glance through his mask, just staring at him. “Really?”

“Alright, no high five for you,” Peter B pouted as he turned around and gave the high five to the other Peter. “You were awesome back there!”

“I was just following you guys. I had no idea there were more people like me,” He laughed. “Any chance this could be a regular thing,” 

“We’re not currently accepting new recruits at this time,” Miguel responded as he grabbed the cage and with a heavy heave, he lifted the cage up and carried it over his shoulder like a giant barrel. “But, if something like this happens again, give us a call,” 

Peter B. handed Spider-Man a small device that oddly looked like a keychain. “Just hit that button if you see something or someone that doesn’t look like they’re from your universe. We’ll come swinging,” 

“Thank you both,” He nodded graciously as he looked back out towards the smashed window, hearing police sirens. “I’ll keep them distracted long enough for you guys to do. . . whatever it is you need to do,”

Miguel nodded towards him, a silent appreciation. Spider-Man activated his web shooter and flung himself through the window, disappearing. 

“Whew, that was a rush! I’m kind of glad I decided not to bring MayDay with me today,” Peter B sighed as he stretched his arms.

“You technically shouldn’t be bringing her at all,” Miguel lectured, rolling his eyes under the mask. “What kind of parents bring their baby to a mission?”

“It was one time!” Peter B. gawked. 

“Lyla,” Miguel called out, clearly over this topic. “Open the portal back to HQ,” 

The portal opened before them shortly after as Lyla’s form projected near Miguel’s head. “Alright, toss him through and then jump through that other portal over there!”

“What?” Miguel raised a brow at Lyla as his mask dematerialized to look at her. “¿Qué quieres decir?” - What do you mean? 

“The mission isn’t over yet. There’s another anomaly that’s about to take shape,” Lyla explained as she blipped and rematerialized next to the broken spider containment, pointing at it. 

Miguel and Peter B. starred in it. All the spiders but one were missing. Miguel’s talons sparked at his fingertips as the frustration of his carelessness slowly boiled inside of him. Peter B. however was more vocal about it. 

He whistles at the sight. “Oh, boy, okay, Miguel, just breath, we still have time to find it and bring it back here safely,” 

Miguel took a deep breath, eyes closed. As he breathed out through his nose, the brown iris of his eyes turned red as he tossed the Doc Ock variant through the portal. “Lyla, how long has the Spider been loose?”

“According to Byte, at least 2 minutes and counting,” Lyla nodded as she led them towards the other portal. “She also narrowed down which dimension it went to. Earth-1218.”

“1218? Isn’t that–?” Peter B.’s eyes widened as he looked over towards Miguel.

“The dimension where the laws of nature and physics are so pure to the point where superpowered humans aren’t supposed to exist?” Miguel chimed in, glaring seriously at the man as his mind raced with any possible scenarios that could happen. 

“I was gonna say the dimension where we’re all comic book and movie characters, but that part seems more important,” Peter B nodded as he looked back towards the portal, “I’ll be quiet now,” 

“Lyla, tell Jess she’s in charge until we get back,” Miguel explained as his mask materialized back on his face. “Either with the Spider, or it’s chosen target,” 

“What’s the magic word?” Lyla teased Miguel and Peter B. as they jumped through the portal. 

“Ugh, please, Lyla?” Miguel groaned. 

“Already texted her,” She winked, “But thank you for remembering your manners,”

////////////

“Great orientation everyone! We’ll see you all at the same time next week,” The dancing coach saw each of us as each of the dancers left the studio. 

I breathed heavily, catching my breath as I wiped some sweat off my forehead. I grabbed a towel, using it to clean myself off as I looked into a giant mirror, pulling back the hair tie around my brown hair, allowing the strands to fall past my shoulders. 

“You killed it!” I whispered to myself.

Despite the early wake up to get on a flight to New York City and dance in the matter of mere hours was a rollercoaster. I thought I would collapse if it wasn’t for the fact that I had been training for this moment for months. 

“Ms. Kendrick?” I turned to see the dance coach walking towards me. “I was fairly impressed by your performance today. I’m expecting great things from you,”

“Thanks coach, I’ll try not to let you and the team down,” I grinned. 

“I like your commitment, kid. Not everyday do I have someone catch a last minute flight from another country just to be here on such short notice,” She smiled, arms crossed over her chest. “Toronto, right? Canada?”

“It was only a 2 hour flight, I’ll survive,” I chuckled. 

You were on the waiting list for a condo near the studio, not expecting to be here for at least another month or so, but a last minute audition came through and next thing I knew, I was on a flight to New York earlier than planned. I was hiding out at a hotel until it was ready before I could call ahead for my things to come in. The company owned by the studio was kind enough to accommodate my first two weeks of the hotel stay. 

“Well then, get some rest, Lisa,” She smiled, “I have to get ready for another class, so I’m politely kicking you out now,” 

“Oh! No worries, I’ll grab my stuff and get out of your hair,” 

I gathered my belongings in my duffel bag and made my way outside. I could tell by the sweat alone I desperately needed a shower. Not wanting to overstay my welcome any more than the coach wanted me to, I opted to head back to the hotel instead of going to the locker room showers. 

It was pouring rain when I stepped outside. I muttered a curse under my breath, knowing that I’d get soaked easily. There wasn’t much cover I could use if I tried to run for it, and the hotel was a good few blocks away. Not to mention my leg muscles were begging me for a break. 

I brought out my phone, unlocking it to a Spider-Man themed widget screen as I pulled up the Uber app and called for a car. As I waited, I took cover under an overhead sign, plugging in my headphones as I listened to some music, softly muttering along to the lyrics. 

I never noticed something grace down from above my shoulder, gently pricking the fabric of my hoodie as it crawled down my arm. Only when I noticed something touch my skin, I looked down and before I could even scream, a large spider took a bite of me and it was if I felt my whole world destabilize as I screamed.

Leave a comment or message if you’d like to be tagged for future updates! 

[primroseprime2019]

Knockout drove through the woods before he slowed to a stop in the middle of a clearing. Paige stepped out of his vehicle form and she saw Megatron.

The titan stood by the cherry blossom tree, his back to her, servos behind his back.

Paige took a deep breath and let it out before she walked over to him.

“Why did you choose this location?” She asked.

He looked at her, “call it a… sense of reminiscence, little one.”

Paige frowned. She never thought the gladiator would be nostalgic… but then again, he was said to have talked about his days in the Pits of Kaon.

She frowned and wrapped her arms around herself. “What do you want, Megatron? I doubt you had Knockout bring me here for interrogation.”

Megatron chuckled as he walked up to her. “You said that you didn’t know who you were. That you felt lost and apart from other humans. What if I told you that I knew all the secrets that were kept from you? Secrets that even the Autobots knew?”

Paige glared at the ground, “you don’t know anything about me.”

Megatron chuckled again before he gently lifted her face with a clawed digit. “I know more about you than you will even admit, little one. To yourself or to others,” he said, “you are the daughter of Latosha McHenry and Marcus Kendrick. Your mother was a wolf and your father was a dragon. You are a Hero to the Universe alongside eleven other teenagers. You have many allies and enemies in your life. You are a Transcendant; a human that surpasses normalcy’s limits and a human that lives in the vast corners of Space.”

Paige stared at him, eyes wide. She stepped back and shook her head. Suddenly a burst of energy rushed through her and she fell to her knees, gasping.

She clutched at her head, gritting her teeth. Crystals burst from the ground.

Paige whimpered as tears streamed down her cheeks. Memories flashed through her mind, hitting her like a brick.

A broken scream escaped her as her wolf tail lashed sideways frantically.

She screamed again, slamming her fists against the ground. Knockout walked up beside Megatron, looking both nervous and concerned.

Paige whimpered as a purple star appeared on the center of her forehead. She threw her head back, gasping. Cherry blossom petals flew around her head and a brief glow enveloped them. In mere seconds, a dark and light purple laurel wreath appeared and slowly settled on Paige’s head.

She whimpered again, her breaths coming out in short, ragged bursts.

It was too much.

There was a ticking sound in the back of her head.

Paige slowly pushed herself up and looked herself over for a moment. There were scars on her left cheek and there were almost faded scars on her back and neck.

She slowly looked at Megatron.

Megatron smiled darkly. Then the sound of a ground bridge alerted the three. Optimus, Arcee, Bumblebee and Bulkhead ran out into the clearing.

“Get away from her, Megatron!” Arcee shouted. Paige stared at them then her eyes narrowed.

Crystals burst from the ground, stopping the Autobots from reaching her and the Cons.

“Whoa!” Bulkhead and Bumblebee yelped, startled. “What did you do to her?” Optimus demanded.

“I did not do anything, Optimus,” Megatron said, “I merely showed her the truth about herself. I gave her what she needed. Something that you could not do.”

Paige glared at the Autobots and she growled deeply, her teeth bared.

“P-Paige…,” Arcee said.

“How about we let Paige choose?” Megatron asked with a chuckle, “does she want to continue finding the truth with the ones who helped her? Or does she want to continue living with the ones who see her as nothing more than a monster?”

“Paige, don’t listen to him!” Bumblebee pleaded.

Paige sneered before she got up and walked closer to Megatron, transforming into her dragon form as she did so. Optimus widened his optics, so did the others.

“Paige!”

That voice.

Composure and reason didn't matter anymore. That damned, obnoxious voice alone sparked a cold fury that now relentlessly burned in Paige, shoving aside her silent grief.

[sillybillycanadian]

He/Him, bi, 20y/o

Open to DMs, Asks, what-have-you

People pleaser in recovery lol. Very into music production. No skill, much vibes. I love being a friend to any who need support, a friend, sincere compliments, reassurance that I’m proud (cause I am, I love you and you’re doing well) or whatever else.

TV shows I like: Doctor Who, Star Trek TnG, Scorpion, the different HTTYD shows

Movies I like (pretty much all animated film that isn’t Illumination, but here are some favs): Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse, the Lego Movie, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, Big Hero 6, (for some non-animated) The Prestige, Arrival, The Greatest Showman, Wonder, Avatar

Games I like: Splatoon franchise, Subnautica, Grounded, Minecraft, Dishonored, Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2, BTD6

Music I like: Fall Out Boy, Panic! At the Disco, Linkin Park, Breaking Benjamin, STARSET, Kendrick Lamar, Lupe Fiasco, KXNG Crooked, Kanye West, NF, Eliminate, Sub-focus, Laura Brehm, almost anything electronic.

DNI hateful people and minors. Idk what else to put here. I’m new so have yet to be exposed to weirdos. I mean, the not good weirdos. Goofs and goobers are all welcome.

[almost-heroes]

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[bboyplankton]

Hip-Hop/Rap Albums 2022

1. Conway the Machine – God Don’t Make Mistakes

2. Lupe Fiasco – Drill Music in Zion

3. Nas – King’s Disease III

4. A Boogie wit da Hoodie – Me Vs. Myself

5. Saba – A Few Good Things

6. Westside Boogie – More Black Superheroes

7. Freddie Gibbs – $oul $old $eperately (Bonus Edition)

8. JID – The Forever Story

9. Boldy James & Cuns – Be That As It May

10. Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers

11. Ab-Soul – Herbert

12. Method Man – Meth Lab Season 3: The Rehab

13. Nick Grant – Welcome to Loveland

14. Burna Boy – Love, Damini

15. Vince Staples – Ramona Park Broke My Heart

16. Jeezy & DJ Drama – Snofall

17. Westside Gunn – 10

18. Larry June – Spaceships on the Blade

19. Danger Mouse & Black Thought – Cheat Codes

20. Lloyd Banks – The Course of the Inevitable 2

21. YG – I Got Issues

22. Joey Bada$$ – 2000

23. Cordae – From A Bird’s Eye View

24. Apollo Brown & Philmore Greene – Cost of Living

25. Megan Thee Stallion – Traumatize

26. Wiz Khalifa, Big K.R.I.T., Smoke DZA, & Girl Talk – Full Court Press

27. Denzel Curry – Melt My Eyez See Your Future

28. Dizzy Wright & DJ Hoppa – Dizzyland

29. Royce Da 5’9” – The Heaven Experience Vol.

30. Snoop Dogg – BODR

31. The Musalini & 9th Wonder – The Don & Eye

32. Pusha T – It’s Almost Dry

33. Jalen Santoy – Without Hesitation

34. Drake – Honestly, Nevermind

35. Symba & DJ Drama – Results Take Time

36. Jack Harlow – Come Home the Kids Miss You

37. Bun B & Statik Selektah – Trillstatik 2

38. Key Glock – PRE5L – EP

39. EarthGang – Ghetto Gods

40. Young Dolph – Paper Route Frank

41. Kid Cudi – Entergalactic

42. Smino – Love 4 Rent

43. Drake & 21 Savage – Her Loss

44. Brockhampton – The Family

45. Tobi Lou – Non-Perishable

46. The Cool Kids – Baby Oil Staircase/ Chillout

47. Doe Boy – Oh Really

48. Dave East, Buda & Grandz, & DJ Drama – Book of David

49. Smoke DZA – 10,000 Hrs

50. Nigo – I Know Nigo!

51. Busta Rhymes – The Fuse Is Lit – EP

52. Wiz Khalifa – Multiverse

53. Ransom – Pain & Glory

54. Tee Grizzley – Chapters of the Trenches

55. Sy Ari Da Kid – The Shadow In the Shade 2

56. Roc Marciano & The Alchemist – The Elephant Man’s Bones

57. Mozzy – Survivor’s Guilt

58. Armani Caesar – The Liz 2

59. Action Bronson – Crocodilo Turbo

60. Earl Sweatshirt – Sick!

61. CyHi – EGOT the EP

62. Dreezy – HitGirl

63. Juicy J & Wiz Khalifa – Stoner’s Night

64. Logic – Vinyl Days

65. DJ Premier – Hip- Hop 50: Vol. 1 – EP

66. Paul Wall & Termanology – Start 2 Finish

67. Casey Veggies – Since Ya’ll Forgot – EP

68. 38 Spesh & Harry Fraud – Beyond Belief

69. Jay Worthy & Harry Fraud – You Take the Credit, We’ll Take the Check

70. The Cool Kids – Before Shit Got Weird

71. Boldy James & Real Bad Man – Killing Nothing

72. Dreamville & J. Cole – D-Day: A Gangsta Grillz Mixtape

73. Juicy J, Lex Luger & Trap-A-Holics – Crypto Business

74. Buddy – Superghetto

75. The Game – DRILLMATIC Heart Vs. Mind

76. Snoop Dogg & DJ Drama – Gangsta Grillz: I Still Got It

77. Future – I Never Liked You

78. Duke Deuce – CRUNKSTAR

79. Prodigy – The Hegelian Dialectic 2: The Book of Heroine

80. Payroll Giovanni – Back 2 The Ba$ics

81. Yo Gotti, Moneybagg Yo, & CMG The Label – Gangsta Art

82. Duke Deuce – Memphis Massacre II

83. Latto – 777

84. Metro Boomin – Heroes & Villains

85. RZA & DJ Scratch – Saturday Afternoon Kung Fu Theater

86. Cappadonna & Stu Bangas – 3rd Chamber Grail Bars

87. Mickey Factz & Ayo Shamir – It’s Only Us Here

88. Hodgy – Everyday People Change Into Someone

89. 38 Spesh – 7 Shots

90. Smoke DZA, Nym Lo, & 183rd – Driplomatic Immunity

91. Jay Worthy, Larry June, & LNDN Drugs – 2 P’z In A Pod

92. DJ Khaled – God Did

93. Casey Veggies – Crypto Veggies

94. Quavo & Takeoff – Only Built for Infinity Links

95. RZA & Bobby Digital – RZA Presents: Bobby Digital & the Pit of Snakes

96. Curren$y & Fuse – Spring Clean 2

97. Boldy James & Futurewave – Mr. Ten08

98. Westside Gunn – Peace “Fly” God

99. Mt. Westmore – Snoop Cube 40 $hort

100. Apollo Brown – This Must Be The Place

101. BigWalkDog – Trick City

102. Bas – [Bump] Pick Me Up – EP

103. Cam’ron & A-Trak – U Wasn’t There

104. Onyx – Onyx Versus Everybody

105. Blac Youngsta – 4Life

106. Leikeli47 – Shape Up

107. Tsu Surf – Disparu

108. Finesse2Tymes – 90 Days

109. 42 Dugg & EST Gee – Last Ones Left

110. Coi Leray – Trendsetter

111. EST Gee – I Never Felt Nun

112. Rico Nasty – Las Ruinas

113. TyFontaine – B4BMG: The Experience – EP

114. BlocBoy JB – Bacc 2 Da Bloc

115. Gucci Mane – So Icy Boyz 22

116. Lil Baby – It’s On Me

117. Post Malone – Twelve Carat Toothache

118. Gucci Mane – So Icy Gang: The ReUp

119. Vory – Lost Souls

120. Glorilla – Anyways, Life’s Great

[leloest]

2022 Best Rap Albums/Mixtapes

1.     Danger Mouse x Black Thought – Cheat Codes

2.     JID - The Never Story

3.     Denzel Curry - Melt My Eyez See Your Future

4.     Ab-Soul - Herbert

5.     Nas - King's Disease III

6.     Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers

7.     Freddie Gibbs - Soul Sold Separately

8.     Rome Streetz – KISS THE RING

9.     WESTSIDE BOOGIE - MORE BLACK SUPERHEROES

10.  Future - I NEVER LIKED YOU

11.  Pusha T - It's Almost Dry

12.  Conway the Machine - God Don't Make Mistakes

13.  Black Star - No Fear of Time

14.  Benny the Butcher - Tana Talk 4

15.  Vince Staples - RAMONA PARK BROKE MY HEART

16.  The Game – DRILLMATIC Heart vs. Mind

17.  Ransom - No Rest For The Wicked

18.  Westside Gunn – 10

19.  Che Noir - The Last Remnants

20.  Westside Gunn - Peace "Fly" God

21.  Joey Bada$$ - 2000

22.  Phife Dawg – Forever

23.  Elzhi – Zhigeist

24.  Black Soprano Family - Long Live DJ Shay

25.  Meechy Darko - Gothic Luxury

26.  Smino - Luv 4 Rent

27.  Metro Boomin - Heroes & Villains

28.  Flee Lord - Ladies & Gentlemen

29.  Cormega – The Realness II

30.  Mach-Hommy - Duck Czn: Tiger Style

31.  Lloyd Banks - The Course Of The Inevitable 2

32.  Vado – Long Run Vol. 2

33.  Duke Deuce – Memphis Massacre III

34.  Billy Woods – Aethiopes

35.  Open Mike Eagle - Component System with the Auto Reverse

36.  Armand Hammer-WHT LBL LP

37.  IDK - Simple_

38.  Ka - Languish Arts

39.  Symba - Results Take Time

40.  Quelle Chris – Deathfame

41.  Copywrite - The High Exhaulted II

42.  Action Bronson - Cocodrillo Turbo

43.  Lupe Fiasco - Drill Music In Zion

44.  Maxo Kream - Weight Of The World

45.  Roc Marciano - The Elephant Man's Bones

46.  Drake & 21 Savage – Her Loss

47.  Megan Thee Stallion – Traumazine

48.  Cam'ron & A-Trak - U Wasn't There

49.  Kxng Crooked x Joell Ortiz - Harbor City Season One

50.  Lil Baby -  It's Only Me

51.  Quavo & Takeoff - Only Built For Infinity Links

52.  Royce da 5'9" - The Heaven Experience, Vol. 1

53.  Rod Wave - Beautiful Mind

54.  DJ Khaled – GOD DID

55.  Boldy James & Futurewave – Mr Ten08

[jcmarchi]

MLB The Show 24 Review - Breaking Barriers - Game Informer

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/mlb-the-show-24-review-breaking-barriers-game-informer/

MLB The Show 24 Review - Breaking Barriers - Game Informer

MLB The Show’s commitment to nuance, iteration, and diversity is what sets it apart. Since the long-running series arrived on Xbox in 2021, the baseball sim has recontextualized sports games – emphasizing the purpose of communities while fitting in new features like Pinpoint Pitching, custom stadiums, and online ranked co-op. The Show 23 pushed the bar further with Storylines: The Negro Leagues, an interactive museum that detailed eight stars of baseball’s segregated past. This year’s iteration mirrors it with new Storyline episodes, a 60-minute tribute to Yankee legend Derek Jeter, and an original RTTS narrative where “Women Pave Their Way.” While it isn’t a hyper-creative leap forward, MLB The Show 24 finds a new swing by tethering style and strategy to baseball’s fundamentals.

MLB The Show 24’s gameplay is almost identical to The Show 23 – complete with 23’s quirks (Break Outlier, Pick Off Artist), throwing interfaces, swing feedback, and updates to attributes that associate the clutch attribute with RISP. There are 400 new animations in 24, plus logic improvements, new base sizes, and “Impact Plays” that add major league realism to defensive assists. However, it lacks an innovative change to a hitting and pitching engine we’ve seen in past entries. The new face and hair details are a sight to behold when Bryce Harper and Fernando Tatis Jr. are bat-flipping home runs next to cherry-kissed skies, but the immersion breaks when a star player drops a pop fly, misses routine grounders at third, or “soft tosses” a double play ball in extra innings. The Show 24’s updated lighting system provides a sharper, detailed look at the diamonds across Major League Baseball, and it takes advantage of a boost in exit velocities. This shift makes it easier to hit the ball in Petco Park, Chase Field, and Kauffman Stadium, all of which were problematic in past entries.

As expected, Storylines: Season Two is a delight. The docuseries, narrated by Negro Leagues Baseball Museum President Bob Kendrick, stands by the NLBM’s mission to “educate, enlighten, and inspire,” and it continues to combine archival footage, gameplay-driven scenarios, and personal anecdotes to illustrate why baseball is the most romanticized sport on Earth. The new season introduces 10 new Negro League heroes, with four episodes available at launch – reducing the initial runtime to institute a more immersive environment for Kendrick’s narrations.

[embedded content]

And it doesn’t miss. Season Two embraces the Negro Leagues’ revered architects, highlighting how the introduction of “night baseball” in the 1930s led to the discovery of a phenom known as Josh “The Black Babe Ruth” Gibson. It recalls how Walter “Buck” Leonard was a thinking man’s player and a fixture for Pittsburgh’s Homestead Greys; how Henry “The Hammer” Aaron started his career with the 1952 Indianapolis Clowns as a “skinny, cross-handed hitting” shortstop; and how Toni “The Trailblazer” Stone learned how to play with the fellas before becoming the first of three pioneering women to play professional ball. All four narratives are accompanied by iconic moments – such as recreating Stone’s single against the immortal Satchel Paige and hitting a home run with Aaron and the Milwaukee Braves in Sportsman’s Park – and it never once feels overly dramatized. Instead, every photograph, audio excerpt, and subtle ode to Pennsylvania’s Greenlee Field and Newark’s Ruppert Stadium is an organic lesson in American history. Bold and full of soul thanks to scores by Stevie Wonder, Marlena Shaw, and A Tribe Called Quest.

That attention to detail is also embedded in Storylines: Derek Jeter – a ‘90s-based spinoff mode that pays homage to “The Captain” and his New York Yankees-inflected path to baseball nobility. Much like Season Two, it’s a collection of career-defining, playable moments from 1995 to 2000, including his first career hit versus the Mariners in Seattle’s Kingdome, his famous “jump throw” from Game 1 of the 1998 American League Championship, and how the Yankees’ initial All-Star Game MVP drove the club past the New York Mets to seal a three-peat in the 2000 World Series. It’s not the most compelling narrative, particularly if you’re a fan of the Yankees’ rivals, but thanks to San Diego Studio’s Live Content team, it does offer a surplus of in-game rewards, including Atlanta’s 2000 All-Star Game uniforms and Subway Series player items for Diamond Dynasty.

There’s also an interactive subway map, complete with graffiti, billboards, and “New York-isms”, that provides a snapshot of the city and a fan base with high expectations, but it’s difficult not to imagine Storylines being a distinctive voice for pockets of culture that are less commercialized.

Other modes like Franchise and March To October have been largely untouched – pairing The Show 23’s amateur scouting system, postseason formats, and “Ohtani Rule” with custom game conditions and Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI). Road To The Show is directly tied to the Draft Combine, a four-day event where hitting, pitching, and fielding is graded to provide an accurate projection for attributes, comparisons, and club interest for the MLB Draft. It provides explanations for multiple ballplayer archetypes and their position’s focus, but the core narrative lacks creative ingenuity that goes beyond dated minigames and dialogue systems. Especially when it reaffirms what the community already knows: RTTS is for ‘80s mullets and XP bugs.

“Women Pave Their Way” is a fresh addition that alters the Road To The Show formula in new and exciting ways because it presents an atypical narrative about breaking barriers in baseball. It’s a unique pivot, led by narrative designer Mollie Braley and USA Baseball’s Kelsie Whitmore, and it’s one that promotes awareness of the women who play baseball and that other aspiring athletes are capable of competing at multiple levels. It sounds like “marketing jazz,” but Braley and SDS use pre-recorded video content with MLB Network’s Robert Flores, Lauren Shehadi, Dan O’Dowd, Melanie Newman, and Carlos Peña to stress the physical and mental adversity that is attached to carving a path in minor-league systems. They don’t sugarcoat anxieties or rewrite old baseball traditions; their intention is to inspire new and returning players to chase their lifelong dreams, and it’s a vision that gets its own full circle moment when MLB.com’s Sarah Langs starts detailing RPMs and spin rates.

With the exit velocities, Diamond Dynasty is off to its best start in years. The Show 24 alters 23’s Ultimate Team concepts to reintroduce “Seasons 2.0” – an expansion on “Sets & Seasons” that ditches 99 OVR player items on Day One for a traditional power creep, multiple Wild Card slots, monthly Team Affinity drops, and reward paths that differentiate Ranked, Events, and Conquest. There are Cornerstone Captains that implement seasonal archetypes for team building and new Team Captains that add comparable boosts to hitting and pitching attributes for all 30 MLB clubs – solely to create hypotheticals like Yankees vs Dodgers, Cubs vs Phillies, and Rays vs Padres. There are still microtransactions, sure, but The Show’s monetization policies are less iniquitous than Madden NFL, FIFA, and NBA 2K’s practices because they rarely “gatekeep” limited drops when there are hundreds of diamond player items “sitting at home.” Diamond Dynasty is still in need of a visual overhaul, a Custom Practice mode, a new uniform creation system, and more unique customization options that tap into collaborations with Sanford Greene, King Saladeen, and Takashi Okazaki, but listening to a community’s input is a start – especially if it continues.

MLB The Show 24 doesn’t hit it out of the park at every at-bat, but it doesn’t have to. The series is in the middle of an experimental phase that’s trying to mitigate its perpetual “online vs. offline” war. Despite a clear lack of innovation in mechanics, it has still found a way to impress, inspire, and engage with a younger generation that shares an interest in history. The Show’s art team is second to none, its OST shuffles Eladio Carrion, IDLES, Flowdan, and Brittany Howard with the grace of a 2 Chainz verse, and its “Grind 99” mantra has been edited to be a modern ideology – “play however and whenever.” It’s why Diamond Dynasty is the best take on Ultimate Team in terms of approachability and competition and why The Show 24 hopes to reignite annual titles through personalization. As the great Toni Stone once implied: “Get you one ‘cause I got mine.”

[hardynwa]

2024 Grammy Awards: Full list of winners

This year’s Grammy Awards was held at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, United States on Sunday. Disappointingly, no Nigerian artiste was announced as winner at the 66th edition of the awards ceremony. David Adeleke, aka, Davido; Damini Ogulu, aka Burna Boy; Ahmed Ololade, aka Asake; Olamide Adedeji, aka Baddo; and Oyinkansola Aderibigbe, aka Ayra Starr; all lost out in their combined 10 nominations across different award categories. Here is the full list of winners: Best African Music Performance Amapiano – Asake and Olamide City Boys – Burna Boy Water – Tyla WINNER Unavailable – Davido Featuring Musa Keys Rush – Ayra Starr Best Melodic Rap Performance Sittin’ On Top Of The World – Burna Boy Featuring 21 Savage Attention – Doja Cat All My Life – Lil Durk Featuring J. Cole WINNER Spin Bout U – Drake & 21 Savage Low – SZA Best Global Music Album Epifanías — Susana Baca History — Bokanté I Told Them… — Burna Boy This Moment – Shakti WINNER Timeless — Davido BEST RAP ALBUM Her Loss – Drake & 21 Savage Michael – Killer Mike WINNER Heroes & Villains – Metro Boomin King’s Disease III – Nas Utopia – Travis Scott PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, NON-CLASSICAL Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II Jack Antonoff – WINNER Hit Boy Metro Boomin Daniel Nigro SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR, NON-CLASSICAL Edgar Barrera Jessie Jo Dillon Shane McAnally Theron Thomas – WINNER Justin Tranter Best Global Music Performance Shadow Forces – Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer & Shahzad Ismaily Alone – Burna Boy Pashto – Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer & Zakir Hussain Featuring Rakesh Chaurasia WINNER FEEL – Davido Milagro Y Desastre – Silvana Estrada Abundance In Millets – Falu & Gaurav Shah (Featuring PM Narendra Modi) Best Album Notes Evenings At The Village Gate: John Coltrane With Eric Dolphy (Live) Written In Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos – WINNER I Can Almost See Houston: The Complete Howdy Glenn Mogadishu’s Finest: The Al Uruba Sessions Playing For The Man At The Door: Field Recordings From The Collection Of Mack McCormick, 1958–1971 Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package The Collected Works Of Neutral Milk Hotel Gieo For The Birds: The Birdsong Project – WINNER Inside: Deluxe Box Set Words & Music, May 1965 – Deluxe Edition Best Music Film How I’m Feeling Now -Lewis Capaldi Live From Paris, The Big Steppers Tour – Kendrick Lamar Moonage Daydream – David Bowie WINNER I Am Everything – Little Richard Dear Mama – Tupac Shakur Best Music Video In Your Love – Tyler Childers I’m Only Sleeping – The Beatles WINNER What Was I Made For – Billie Eilish Count Me Out – Kendrick Lamar Rush – Troye Sivan Best Song Written For Visual Media Barbie World What Was I Made For? – WINNER Dance The Night I’m Just Ken Lift Me Up Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media Call Of Duty®: Modern Warfare II – Sarah Schachner Hogwarts Legacy – Peter Murray, J Scott Rakozy & Chuck E. Myers “Sea”, composers Star Wars Jedi: Survivor – Stephen Barton & Gordy Haab WINNER God Of War Ragnarök – Bear McCreary, composer Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical – Montaigne, Tripod & Austin Wintory, composers Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media (Includes Film And Television) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Ludwig Göransson Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny – John Williams Oppenheimer – Ludwig Göransson WINNER Barbie – Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt The Fabelmans – John Williams Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media Aurora Barbie The Album – WINNER Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3: Awesome Mix, Vol. 3 Weird: The Al Yankovic Story Best Comedy Album I Wish You Would – Trevor Noah I’m An Entertainer – Wanda Sykes What’s In A Name? – Dave Chappelle – WINNER Selective Outrage – Chris Rock Someone You Love – Sarah Silverman Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical Desire, I Want To Turn Into You History Jaguar II – WINNER Multitudes The Record Best Immersive Audio Album God Of War Ragnarök (Original Soundtrack) Act 3 (Immersive Edition) The Diary Of Alicia Keys – WINNER Blue Clear Sky Silence Between Songs Best Historical Album Fragments – Time Out Of Mind Sessions (1996-1997): The Bootleg Series, Vol. 17 Written In Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos – WINNER The Moaninest Moan Of Them All: The Jazz Saxophone of Loren McMurray, 1920-1922 Playing For The Man At The Door: Field Recordings From The Collection Of Mack McCormick, 1958–1971 Words & Music, May 1965 – Deluxe Edition Best Tropical Latin Album Voy A Ti – Luis Figueroa Siembra: 45º Aniversario (En Vivo en el Coliseo… – Rubén Blades… WINNER Niche Sinfónico – Grupo Niche Y Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia VIDA – Omara Portuondo MIMY & TONY – Tony Succar, Mimy Succar Escalona Nunca Se Había Grabado Así – Carlos Vives Best Gospel Album I Love You – Erica Campbell Hymns (Live) – Tasha Cobbs Leonard The Maverick Way – Maverick City Music All Things New: Live In Orlando – Tye Tribbett WINNER My Truth – Jonathan McReynolds Best Roots Gospel Album Tribute To The King – The Blackwood Brothers Quartet Echoes Of The South – Blind Boys Of Alabama WINNER Songs That Pulled Me Through The Tough Times – Becky Isaacs Bowman Meet Me At The Cross – Brian Free & Assurance Shine: The Darker The Night The Brighter The Light – Gaither Vocal Band Best Rap Album Her Loss – Drake & 21 Savage MICHAEL – Killer Mike WINNER HEROES & VILLIANS – Metro Boomin King’s Disease III – Nas UTOPIA – Travis Scott Best R&B Album Girls Night Out – Babyface JAGUAR II – Victoria Monét WINNER What I Didn’t Tell You (Deluxe) – Coco Jones Special Occasion – Emily King CLEAR 2: SOFT LIFE EP – Summer Walke Best Remixed Recording Alien Love Call New Gold (Dom Dolla Remix) Reviver (Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs Remix) Wagging Tongue (Wet Leg Remix) – WINNER Workin’ Hard (Terry Hunter Remix) Read the full article

[allegrao-swiftie]

Song of the Day 8/25/23

It’s the 26th now but I didn’t get home until almost 1 am so

I’m finally all better and went to a Taylor Night party at a club in Boston with a friend (which we’ve had tickets for since before I got sick). On the way up to Boston, we heard Cruel Summer on Kiss 108, Style on Mix 104.1, and Anti-Hero playing concurrently on Lite 105.1, and Cruel Summer on 92.3 Pro FM. At the Taylor party, we heard:

You Belong With Me (@taylorswift’s Version), the 1, Bad Blood (featuring Kendrick Lamar), Miss Americana And The Heartbreak Prince, delicate, Karma, Mean TV, 22 TV, august, Cruel Summer, Our Song, Bejeweled, Look What You Made Me Do, Love Story TV, champagne problems, Better Than Revenge TV, Picture to Burn, All Too Well (10-Minute Version), …Ready For It?, Starlight TV, Shake It Off, Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve, Style, Message In A Bottle, and Death By A Thousand Cuts. We also heard Cruel Summer on Mix on the way home 😁 @taylornation

[chongmiz]

https://www.npr.org/2018/09/26/646422866/taylor-swift-is-the-21st-centurys-most-disorienting-pop-star

1.

And yet, it's impossible to imagine that Swift didn't learn how to be a pop star by watching and listening to rappers. The lyrical storytelling; the meticulous attention to detail; the centering of her own perspective; the posturing; the commitment to a persona; the fixation on rivals, haters, and detractors; the positioning herself as marginalized and mistreated; the support of a crew: All of these are features of good rap. We know that Swift consumes rap. In 2011, she rapped a few lines of Nicki Minaj's "Super Bass" on the radio. She's been caught singing "Dilemma" at karaoke with Nelly and has filmed herself rapping along to Kendrick Lamar's "Backseat Freestyle." Later, Lamar was featured on her 2015 single, "Bad Blood." When she presented the 2015 Video Vanguard Award to Kanye West, she mentioned that one of the first albums she ever bought was West's The College Dropout. And she came of age in an era when every pop song that mattered featured a rapper. Of the rap elements that Swift has adopted, the most recognizable might be the feud. Swift has been calling out enemies in her music for more than a decade. Her word choice may be different, her melodies gentler, but the formula is similar: Someone wrongs you, you accept the challenge, you up the ante, and eventually, you become a hardened shell of your former self.

2.

It's worth noting that the only rival who has proven the least bit sustainable for Swift is Kanye West. And it's because he's a rapper. (And crucially, because he's a male rapper.) There was no pop-star playbook for Katy Perry to look at when things started popping off between her and Swift. The story goes that in 2012, Perry hired some of Swift's backup dancers out from under her, which led Swift to write the song "Bad Blood." The video for "Bad Blood" was dripping with celebrity members of Swift's infamous "squad," including Selena Gomez in a Perry-esque wig. Besides a mealy-mouthed tweet and a few mild TV comments, Perry had no substantive way to engage Swift. In fact, when Swift comes at Perry, or a critic, or one of her ex-boyfriends, it can almost feel like bullying. Because those people aren't part of the game. They don't know the rules of a public rivalry.

3.

West, on the other hand, rises to the occasion. When he name drops Swift in a song, puts her naked likeness in a music video, goes out to dinner with her, records private conversations with her, alternates between feuding with her and praising her so much it gives you whiplash — he's playing by a well-worn rap-feud script. So is Swift. She has capitalized on that universal appeal of rap: centering the underdog, the underappreciated, the hated, the disenfranchised. She has taken this narrative and spun it on herself and those in her ilk: the young, white, wealthy and beautiful. And she has made so many of us believe it, even when doing so is an act of mental acrobatics: that she is a target, that she is treated unfairly, that she is misunderstood and people are being mean to her. And she has made us believe, by extension, that we don't have to have giant, larger-than-life rivalries to be the heroes of our own stories. A high school romance or perceived slight will do just fine.

the coexistence and overlap of parasocial (mostly white) swifties with non-black tumblr users who've never paid attention to rap beef before is......... interesting