#but she's still leagues ahead of everyone else in terms of bond

[pausegame]

HARDING'S LEGENDARY ARMOR IS SO CUTE 😭😭😭😭😭✨💚💚💚💚😭💚😭💚✨✨😭💚🙏😭🙏✨💚😭😭🙏✨🙏✨🙏💚

[yurimother]

How 'She-Ra' Delivered on Queer Promises and Helped Revolutionized LGBTQ Representation

DreamWorks's She-Ra and the Princesses of Power has already cemented its place among the short but rapidly growing list of children’s animated shows with impactful LGBTQ representation. Showrunner Noelle Stevenson made it a point to push and fight for more diverse characters in every aspect from race, to personality, to sexual and gender identity. However, the finale of the GLADD Award-nominated program delivered on a revolutionary promise built up throughout all five seasons and completed one of the greatest queer narratives ever seen in children’s media.

As She-Ra progressed, Stevenson became more encouraged and inspired to pressure executives to allow more and more explicit LGBTQ characters and relationships. While ever-present in the series, season one only featured a background couple, Spinnerella (Noelle Stevenson) and Netossa (Krystal Joy Brown), and of course, the famous dance sequence between Catra (AJ Michalka) and Adora (Aimee Carrero). While this amount of representation is comfortably leagues ahead of the vast majority of cartoons, the show only upped the ante and the amount of representation from there. Season 2 introduced viewers to George (Chris Jai Alex) and Lance (Regi Davis), Bow's fathers. The series presents them in a normalized fashion as a happy gay couple in love that built a family together. Jacob Tobia's non-binary Double Trouble featured heavily in season four, making them one of the first non-binary characters in children's animation and one of the first to holding an integral role in the show, a major step in representing such identities.

The many achievements and strides She-Ra in LGBTQ representation featured in She-Ra will doubtlessly affect other projects in the industry and help further programs walk a similar path. However, the greatest queer story inShe-Ra is the spectacular series-long arc exploring the relationship and dynamics between de facto antagonist Catra and protagonist Adora. The former friends, who grew up together in the ranks of the Horde, turn enemies at the start of the series after Adora gains the power of She-Ra and betrays Catra, joining the Rebellion.

Fans quickly began speculating on the nature of Adora and Catra's relationship during season one, mainly because of the Princess Prom dance scene. After the young women shared a charged and sinister dance, fans quickly began supporting and analyzing "Catradora." The next three seasons would gradually and gracefully define both characters' complicated feelings for each other. Initially, Catra attempts to rationalize Adora's leaving as a relief or else forces herself to appear apathetic towards it. She continuously uses the excuse that she is no longer living under Adora's shadow to gradually build up more power, rising through the ranks of the Horde while stepping on those who helped her.

While Catra's motivations are appropriately layered and complex, it becomes clear that she is attempting to win approval, to be less alone than she has felt since Adora abandoned her. She seeks others' approval, including her abusive maternal figure, Shadow Weaver (Lorraine Toussaint), and the cruel Hordak (Keston John). However, Catra does not realize until confronted by Double Trouble's gut-wrenching and emotionally resonating analysis of her psyche. They inform Catra that the reason she is alone and abandoned, she pushes others away. The realization that her problems and loneliness are by her own doing combine with her guilt for betraying her allies Scorpia (Lauren Ash) and Entrapta (Christine Woods), leads Catra to an emotional breakdown.

Thee fifth and final season of She-Ra opens with Catra still plagued by loneliness and self-doubt. She starts to form a bond with Prime's captor Glimmer (Karen Fukuhara), seeing her guilt reflected by Glimmer's regret for trying to use the Heart of Etheria's power. Eventually, Catra learns about Adora's impending rescue attempt and the villainous Prime's plants to capture her once she arrives. Ultimately, all the feelings and circumstances surrounding Catra clash together as she remembers a childhood promise that she and Adora would always be friends. The revelation that she loves Adora finally causes Catra to turn and do "one good thing," protect Adora. She frees Glimmer to prevent Adora from walking into Prime's trap; thus, Catra becomes the Horde's prisoner.

Adora's character arch is much less tragic than Catra. The "frenemies" clash multiple times throughout the early seasons with an ever-shifting dynamic that hints at their intricate relationship and confused romantic feelings. But, at the end of season three, Catra's reckless plan against Adora almost leads to Eternia's destruction. As Catra taunts and blames Adora for her suffering, Adora seemingly ends their conflicted relationship, noting that Catra's misdeeds are all her own, "You made your choice, now live with it."

In the final season, Adora has lost the powers of She-Ra. But, she continues to charge into battle headfirst, exposing herself and her tendencies to put other's wellbeing before her own. This tactic mirrors why Adora left Catra's side in the first place all the way back in the first season. She places more importance on duty and service to others than herself and her friend. Later, while Adora, Bow (Marcus Scribner), and Entrapta are traveling towards Horde Prime, Catra sends a signal to their ship, apologizing for everything she has done while teleporting Glimmer to them. Adora decides that she cannot leave Catra behind, and the Best-Friend Squad hurries to rescue Catra from the Horde. Adora saves Catra not only from Prime's vile clutches but her loneliness too. Adora's exclamation "You matter to me" is a powerful and victorious moment, as the two friends turned enemies unite, and acknowledge their connection.

Unfortunately, even after the Adora and Catra are together again, conflict continues to rise between them and with themselves. Catra feels unlovable because of her past and so convinces herself that Adora will not accept her feelings. She continues to struggle with abandonment, especially when Adora willingly takes the responsibility of a suicide mission to destroy the Heart of Etheria, yelling, "It doesn't always have to be you." Sadly, Adora again abandons her, putting the good of everyone else above herself and Catra. Acknowledging that Adora, "Always sacrifices everything for everyone else," Catra runs away. However, upon realizing that Prime is moments away from taking control of the Heart and killing Adora, Shadow Weaver and her run to rescue the girl she loves.

As Adora journeys to the Heart, she sees and an illusion of Catra, envisioning that her friend meets her to approach the suicide mission together. Soon, Adora faces a vision of Mara (Zehra Fazal), the previous She-Ra, who tells her that she does not always need to sacrifice herself and is deserving of love too. She becomes trapped without her powers by a first-ones' guardian until Catra and Shadow Weaver save her. Telling Adora to go on, Catra stays to fight the beast in vain. Moments before destroying the Heart and herself, Adora finally chooses to return to Catra, to put Catra and her own happiness over her sense of duty.

As Adora and Catra approach the Heart, the former almost succumbs to Prime's power and has one final vision. Adora dreams of living a life in peace in Brightmoon alongside her friends, Glimmer and Bow, and with her loving, playful partner Catra by her side. In the apparent final moments before her death, Catra reaches out to Adora. At last, the two confess their love for each other and embrace in a momentous kiss, restoring She-Ra's power to Adora. Renewed in strength and standing beside her beloved, Adora finally destroys Horde Prime. The series ends as Adora and Catra plan to travel together and restore magic to the universe and fades to black as the couple prepares to take their next journey together.

as Adora and Catra plan to travel together and restore magic to the universe and fades to black as the couple prepares to take their next journey together.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power has always been a powerhouse of LGBTQ representation, especially the final season. For example, it heavily features former background characters and married couple Spinnerella and Netossa in leading roles, as Netossa attempts to recover her wife’s mind from Prime. However, the relationship between Catra and Adora is not only the series highlight but a revolutionary in LGBTQ representation in children's television.

LGBTQ history in children's media and cartoons is disappointingly brief and, at times, unpleasant. Early examples mostly featured coded queer characters with harmful and stereotypical traits, such as the Silver Spooner from Dexter's Laboratory. Some works were able to include less harmful depictions. Networks allowed characters like Richie from Static Shock, who is gay, to exist as long as their identity was kept extremely subtextual.

Slowly some more limited progress was made, and a few less offensive or hidden characters were permitted to appear in one-off and minor roles. Nelvana's Canadian animated sitcom, 6teen included many vague but most neutral references to homosexuality and eventually a one-off character Jean, who says that she is "gay" and has a girlfriend. Notably, this 2009-episode marks not only one of the first moments of a character confirming their sexuality but also using the word "gay." This feat is so rarely replicated even in LGBTQ family media that even giants like Steven Universe do not include it. Outside of pedantic educational programs on minor networks, it may be the only time someone said "the-G-word" in such media until 2019's Kippo and the Age of Wonderbeasts  (live-action sitcom Andi Mack on Disney Channel also used the term that year). Sadly, American showings cut 6Teen's references to homosexuality, and the episode featuring Jean never aired at all outside Canada.

When most people look back to the beginning of the recent small boom in cartoon LGBTQ representation, they point to The Legend of Korra. In 2014, the series finally ended with female leads Korra and Asami taking hands and going on a private vacation in the spirit world. The Korra moment set the LGBTQ fandom on fire. Even so, the show faced incredible resistance and backlash. After the final episode aired, creator Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino had to go online to confirm that the somewhat ambiguous finale indeed depicted a same-sex romance. They then began to face backlash from a section of the fandom who believed bringing this badass bisexual moment to television was only for fanservice or to forward an agenda.

The Legend of Korra was a revolution in modern children's television, putting cracks in the oppressive dam that kept such dynamics out of the limelight and slowly pushed back against the status quo, allowing for more LGBTQ representation. Now, over five years after Korra, numerous children's programs feature queer characters in minor and supporting roles, often more explicitly than Korra was able to do. The Loud House includes a main bisexual character, and there are queer characters and couples in multiple works, including but not limited to Gravity Falls, Adventure Time, and Craig of the Creek.

The most notable LGBTQ representation in a children's cartoon comes from Rebeca Sugar's incredible creation, Steven Universe. As with She-Ra, LGBTQ characters make up a large portion of the cast and it features several groundbreaking LGBTQ scenes, including the iconic wedding of Ruby and Sapphire.

Sadly, many of these works had to fight tooth and nail or suffer through horrific backlash because of their dedication to diversity. Alabama banned an episode of Arthur that featured a gay wedding, and the depiction of lesbian mothers in Clifford the Bid Red Dog caused some parents and organizations to speak out against it. Perhaps most famous of all, Rebecca Sugar had to struggle to put LGBTQ representation on the small screen. Ultimately, to make the wedding scene happen, Sugar had to lay everything on the table and was willing to see themselves separated from the show and have it end to bring their vision to life. Unfortunately, many other countries censor the show to remove LGBTQ content. Still, Sugar's tireless work has pushed the boundaries of LGBTQ representation in children's media so incredibly far, allowing shows like She-Ra to exist.

The recent rapid progress of LGBTQ representation becomes apparent when comparing She-Ra to the "originator," Korra. The series share similar themes and mutually place importance on diversity in its main cast. At the climax of both programs, two female main characters became romantic partners for the other. However, the differences are what truly sets them apart and highlights the progress representation has made. Back in 2014, holding hands and staring into each other's eyes was the most action Korra could feature.

However, a myriad of queer characters and identities perforate She-Ra, all of which are more apparent and obvious thanks to actions including kisses, confessions, and other actions. This difference is especially true in season five, where even the title cards feature Netossa and Spinnerella engaged in a passionate kiss. Of course, the main couple was permitted a full on-screen confession and kiss, as Catra and Adora locked lips in the final episode. Finally, many "critics" complained that Korra and Asami's relationship came out of nowhere, despite it progressing the show’s last two seasons. If one were to assert the same claim about She-Ra, they need to completely ignore how Stevenson built Adora and Catra's romantic relationship as a fundamental aspect of the show from the very start.

She-Ra's depiction of queer characters was deliberate, explicit, and incredible. Not only did LGBTQ side characters express their identities in a variety of ways, but the main couple also got to show their love with both words and a kiss. Furthermore, and perhaps even more importantly, the main couple in She-Ra got a happen ending and a future for them and the viewers to imagine and look towards with excitement. Sadly, many LGBTQ characters and couples do not get to experience such conclusions. For decades, queer relationships ended in tragedy, often with the death of one or more queer characters killed off as part of the "bury your gays" trope. Even if the characters live, narratives rarely provided a happy future for those with queer identities. Sadly, this trend is alive and well. Recent examples include Adam from Voltron: Legendary Defender and Annika and Neha from The Dragon Prince.

Stevenson actively set out to avoid this trope in She-Ra, telling the Los Angeles Times, "I can't see another gay character die on TV for the moment." Not only did she not kill Adora and Catra, or any of the show's other queer characters, she gave Adora and Catra, the two lesbian leads in love, a happy ending. The show even offers viewers and Adora a glimpse of one possible future for the couple in the final vision of domestic bliss in Brightmoon. Both Adora and Catra struggle and suffered greatly, but they were allowed a happy ending and the opportunity to look forward to a life together. For the two main characters of a children's cartoon to achieve such a fantastic ending in such an explicit way is a genuinely revolutionary moment of representation, proudly standing alongside defining scenes like and Ruby and Sapphire’s wedding in Steven Universe. Importantly, both shows are made by queer creators, showing young viewers that people like them can achieve and create great things and that there are those out there fighting for them. For these reasons, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is one of the single most significant works of LGBTQ representation in children's media.

Queer representation in children's media matters so much, likely more than it does in any other medium. It normalizes LGBTQ identities for families and sends a powerful message to all LGBTQ children who may be feeling sad or alone or sacred: 'You are not alone, you matter, and you are accepted.' These words, implied with every positive depiction of queer identities, save so many children and young adults from unnecessary suffering and sometimes even saves lives. Noelle Stevenson and She-Ra will likely create giant waves in the medium just as Steven Universe did before it, and generations of queer people, myself included, wait with bated breath to see what results from it.

[tylerfm]

welcome aboard, tyler golightly, student #10. we are excited to set sail with you !  has anyone told you that you look like charlie gillespie? according to our records, you hail from edinburgh, scotland, prefer he/they, are non-binary (demi-boy), and are here to study communications. we also see you received a spot on the ss university because of your money — we won’t tell anyone. during your first few weeks here, other students said you were + confident, + ambitious, but also - selfish. it sounds like you spend most of your time at the basketball court. upon checking your luggage, we noticed you packed a soccer ball covered in sharpie drawings. hopefully your roommates don’t steal it!

hello again, little loves! maeby (24, she/her, pst, also play duckie) here with student #10, my second character and cutest lil himbo/thembo, tyler! ♡ tldr; scottish kid with a silver spoon starts anew and tries to make up for their reputation back home but also just wants to party. or: enby footballer actually just wants to play music, keeps it on the dl. i’m so stoked to plot with everyone, like this post and i’ll come to you or hmu if you’re down!

stats

given name: tyler thomas golightly nicknames: ty, tie-dye, golightly (mostly by coaches and jocks) birthday & zodiac: december 12th, 1997 & sagittarius ♐︎  orientation: pansexual, non-binary (demi-boy) hometown: edinburgh, scotland hobbies: the beautiful game, collecting vinyls, playing basketball, restoring their grandfather’s motorcycle, photography, playing piano, songwriting, eating everything, trying to learn french favorites: sunday roast, david bowie, celtic fc, claude debussy, toronto raptors, white nail polish, nachos, nando’s, stella artois, elvis presley

biography

tw: parental death, depression, drug and alcohol abuse

from the moment they were born, tyler and his siblings had their entire lives lined out for them. their father came from a family with very old money that now owned a number of lavish, upscale hotels and expected only the best from their lineage. their mother was a classically trained pianist who had toured the world as a teenage prodigy and had all the best intentions as a mother. still, to tyler, every step of the way felt like ticking off a checklist with ‘pompous ass’ listed as the end goal. top boarding schools were supposed to lead to cambridge or oxford and then prolific careers as surgeons, lawyers, members of parliament, or business moguls. tyler’s siblings all seemed to fit the bill with ease and for a while, so did tyler, until he was old enough to show any kind of personality.

(tw: parental death) growing up, ty was a goofy, naïve kid who spent all day playing music with their mother and singing at the piano with her. sitting on that piano bench was tyler’s only real escape from the elitist world they didn’t really fit into. none of their siblings had taken a real interest in of their mother’s passions, but tyler was at her side every moment they were able. rather than one of the pre-selected career paths his father insisted on, tyler grew up wanting to follow in his mother’s footsteps and be a musician. his father taught him very early on that music was not an option. it was when he shipped off for boarding school that things really escalated. by the time he was sixteen, he had been through five boarding schools. and just when they thought things couldn’t possibly get worse, the unthinkable happened and their mother died suddenly from a brain aneurism.

(tw: depression) the day they lost ty’s mother, his life fell to pieces. he fell into a deep depression and quit everything that reminded him of his mother, especially music. the only thing that fell through the cracks was football (soccer to some), which their father had always loved, so they had always hated. tyler had always been athletic but reluctant when it came to sports, but when their father put them into football this time around, they ran with a newfound rage and abandon. when his father remarried a woman half his age less than a year after becoming a widower, that increased tenfold. he threw everything into playing and training, and stopped trying to process his mother’s passing. they were noticed by a club recruiter only a couple of years later and played on a second tier team with talks of being recruited to the premier league until a few months ago, when they absolutely lost control.

(tw: drug and alcohol abuse) nothing in tyler’s life worked. their relationships with their brothers and father were positively abysmal. he’d always bonded with his only sister for being the odd ducks out, even if she’d always fit in better than him, but even she wasn’t speaking to him if she didn’t have to. they were in the closet about their sexuality and gender identity to everyone but their sister, and it was starting to eat them alive. it had been several years since the death of his mother, but tyler had succeeded in filling every moment of those years with either football or drugs & alcohol to avoid processing it (or anything else). now, the pressure was high and they felt the whole world of football watching them. eventually, they cracked. he quit his football team in a horrible screaming match with the team manager that went viral online and in a single moment, it looked like his career was over before it began.

rather than face the problems that had caused their breakdown, ty holed themself up in their family home for months, only leaving when his father threatened to cut him off if he didn’t go out and do something. in this state, his sister didn’t think they would make it on their own. it was during this time that his sister pushed them into a therapist’s office once a week and personally oversaw their recovery. not long after, his sister showed him an advert for the ss university and went behind their father’s back to pay for it. mere weeks later, tyler golightly had their life packed into suitcases and the ss university was setting sail. he left his sister with the promise that he would watch how he partied and that more than anything, he would use the experience to start over with a clean slate. now all that’s left is to do it.

wanted connects

–  rich kids club: tyler was once told by their father that their family had more money than god and they’ve never forgotten that. if your char was also born with a silver spoon, they may know each other already or just bond over their shared experiences! tyler hates their father and that side of their family, so they’re not always the biggest fan of other wealthy people.

–  clandestine music friends: tyler’s mother was an esteemed classical pianist and taught ty to play the piano very early on. for a long time, tyler thought they would follow in her footsteps and become a pianist as well. when she passed away, he gave up music ‘for good’. however, ever since they’ve been on the ship, they’ve been secretly picking up playing the piano again! someone is bound to have walked in on them and is now keeping their secret.

–  missed connection: ty thinks he falls in love every other minute, but if he doesn’t go for it, he usually just forgets them and moves on to the next gorgeous smile or melodic laughter. this person has been on their mind since the day they laid eyes on each other but didn’t actually get to meet. whether it was in the hall, while they were drunk at the sand bar, or even out in one of their excursions, something about them has ty going crazy.

–  exes: ty may think they fall in love more often than a character in a rom-com, but the truth of the matter is that they never really commit to a relationship long enough to get past infatuation. there may be one person they’ve been seriously in love with, but the rest were flings for a season, friends with benefits, or one night stands; short-term. not much has changed now that they’re on the ship, but with the entire cruise/schoolyear ahead of them, who’s to say it won’t?

–  party friends! one night stands! people they met while travelling for football matches! folks from boarding school! family friends! any other connections you’re feeling!

[dessarious]

Transfer AU

So it looks like most people want to see Damian in Paris first. Thanks for all the feedback! Here’s some of my brainstorming. Any or all of this may change before or while I write but here’s what’s going through my head at the moment lol. I can go ahead and start a tag list too so let me know if you want to be tagged when I start posting the story.

The JL keeps hearing rumors out of Paris and while they don’t believe any of it they decide they should send someone to check.

Wonder Woman is adamant they send someone but refuses to say anything else because she believes that Miraculous secretes should only be shared by holders or the guardian.

Bruce uses this as an excuse to broaden Damian’s horizons (read force him to socialize) and sends him to Paris as part of an exchange program.

Damian’s host family is the Agrests. Adrien begged and Nathalie convinced Gabriel there was a slim possibility of it happening. And if it did they Adrien would be happy and keep them occupied.

Damian doesn’t particularly like Adrien at first.

He pretty much despises him once he gets to know him and stays away from the mansion as much as possible.

He hates the class.

He goes under Damian Drake (since Tim is usually too sleep deprived to give him too much crap over it) in order to not draw too much attention. Only Nathalie and Gabriel know he’s a Wayne.

When Lila starts  lying to try and impress him he tells her in no uncertain terms that he won’t tolerate her BS. If she leaves him alone he’ll reciprocate. (At this point he thinks the entire class is on her side and straight up does not want to deal with the drama since he’s only there temporarily)

Marinette is still relegated to the back of the class and Damian ends up sitting next to her. She doesn’t really talk to him and he’s fine with that. She’s his favorite person in the class (not saying much) because she doesn’t bother him. It’s about a week before he pays attention to the classes attitude towards Marinette. 

Marinette brings in croissants for everyone but Lila claims to have a gluten allergy and the entire class gangs up on Mari about how she’s trying to poison Lila after Marinette starts pointing out all the products with gluten Lila had been eating just that week. She claims they were all gluten free alternatives and the class buys it.

Damian goes down to Mari and grabs a croissant telling their classmates they’re all a bunch of idiots. Adrien tells him to just leave it alone, her lies aren’t hurting anyone, blah, blah, blah. Damian’s opinion of him drops even further.

He escorts Marinette back to their seats and they share the croissants meant for the whole class. 

Now that he knows she’s not taken in by Lila they get to know each other and since Damian hates being around Adrien he spends most of his time with Mari. Once they’ve bonded a bit Mari opens up about everything Lila’s done and what Adrien told her. (Mari has lost her crush on Adrien at this point)

Damian starts planning where to hide bodies. Lots of bodies.

Instead he talks Mari into making a plan to expose Lila and she questions him about how Gotham’s heroes deal with their villains. Damian assumes she wants the information to take down Lila.

Hawkmoth has been mysteriously quiet since his arrival and the exaggerated accounts of the Akumas he’s heard from Adrien have left him less than impressed. Especially since all he seems to focus on is his crush on LB and how cool CN is.

Mari seems to be content to ignore the subject altogether.

So when an Akuma finally shows up in the middle of school and Damian loses track of Mari he’s extremely agitated. 

He still does his job though and observes the fight. He’s impressed with LB’s intelligence and skill and down right pissed at Chat showing off and almost getting everyone killed.

When he tries to talk to Mari about it (praising LB) she gets all weird and closed off. He assumes she doesn’t like LB but doesn’t pry. In truth it was just so nice to have someone actually like her for her that she doesn’t want to hear him praise and fall in love with her alter ego just like everyone else.

The next time an Akuma happens Damian and Mari are together and she can’t shake him to transform, 

Chat hasn’t shown up and she knows from experience he won’t make an appearance until she does. So she ends up transforming in front of Damian. Once the fight is over she makes him swear he won’t tell anyone then proceeds to avoid him for the next few days.

Damian finally says screw it and goes to visit her at night as Robin.

Chat shows up after they’ve been talking for awhile and gets really agitated by his presence.

He insists that he and LB can handle things just fine and gets really defensive when Robin starts asking him how they’re planning on taking down HM It never really occurs to Chat to question why Robin was at Mari’s house of all places.

Damian reveals himself to Mari because he trusts her and he knows exactly how alone she is on both sides of the mask and wants to be able to support her in every aspect of her life.

Mari is hesitant about bringing the league in and asks him to wait for her to talk to the Guardian to see what he thinks. Much as she would like the help her identity has already been compromised and she’s not sure if it's safe.

The Guardian wants to meet Damian

The next Akuma attack Robin shows up and helps LB. Chat doesn’t show up at all trying to prove the LB needs him. She doesn’t.

Mari takes Damian to meet Mater Fu and they agree that he should take over the Black Cat Miraculous. He’s also given permission to utilize his family to try and track down HM but not to bring in other members of the league at this time. Fu tells them who Chat is so that they can get the ring and Damian has to be talked out of strangling Adrien in his sleep.

Damian takes the ring and Mari is there as LB to tell Plagg what’s going on. 

Damian keeps camembert at Mari’s place so Adrien doesn’t get suspicious. It’s not like he’s ever in the house anyway.

Plagg and Tikki are ecstatic that they get to spend so much time together. Plagg’s just happy his new chosen has a brain.

Damian proves to be incredibly efficient as the new Black Cat.

He tells his family about the situation, but only them. He starts utilizing their talents to try and track HM.

Mari has a lot of very detailed information about Akuma attacks that they give to Tim and Babs to analyze.

[youngdreamer3214]

Too Late

Disclaimer- I don't own anything.

Jason is former thief, Red X (because I like the thought of Jason being the anti-hero).

The story is set in the future.

It was drizzling ever so lightly, raindrops rested like dew on blades of grass and new washed leaves. Light winds were blowing and the day gave a comforting vibe. The huge glass dome built by Cyborg kept the rain out but gave the view of the beautiful scenery around them.

A hero formerly known as Robin, now Nightwing was adjusting his bow tie and fidgeting in his seat. "Dude, stop fidgeting, it is becoming annoying." Beastboy groaned from sitting right next to him. Nightwing sighed and stilled.

His unmasked eyes held sadness; he looked ahead and saw a handsome man, with broad shoulders and lean body standing in a black tuxedo and an amethyst bow tie and a white boutonniere. His sea green eyes complemented his tanned features. His jet black hair with a lock of white was combed back and the white of his hair made him look a little dangerous, he was Nightwing's adoptive brother, Jason.

A former thief and newly minted hero or for a better term- an ally of the heroes, all thanks to the bride.

Jason looked happy, a smile never leaving his face but his eyes also held a little bit of nervousness. Nightwing looked around and saw his mentor, but right now their father, Bruce Wayne also sitting in the front row with a content smile on his face, clearly happy for his son.

A few other members of the Justice league were also in attendance with all the Titan community present. Beastboy noticed his sad gaze and sighed "I know how you feel…but you know what happened…"

Nightwing sighed and nodded. After a couple of minutes the wedding band started to play and the bridesmaids walked with their respective escorts. Jinx and Bee were the bridesmaids sporting a mid thigh violet dress and a beautiful flower piece in their hair.

Soon after the maid of honor, Starfire walked in wearing the same dress but with different colored flowers in her hair, she was beaming, clearly happy for her best friend. They all took their respective positions near the end of the alter.

Jason and Nightwing's eyes were glued to the entrance; Jason looked happy and ecstatic with a tinge on nervousness in his eyes while Nightwing's eyes held regret. After a couple of moments the bride entered and everyone got up.

Raven looked absolutely stunning; she was wearing a beautiful white mermaid gown, which trailed after her as she walked, the dress was sleeveless and was covering her neck. Above her chest and till the beginning of her neck there was white lace. There was an intricate design decorating the gown. She was wearing emerald ear rings and her hair was curled and pulled up in a voluminous bun. A lock of hair was stylishly pulled out, which was framing her fore head. And a veil was drawn over her mid night blue hair. Lastly her face had a light blush on her cheeks and some make up to enhance her beautiful amethyst eyes. She was smiling brightly and that just made her look more beautiful.

Everything about her anatomy was breath taking; she was holding a blue and green bouquet of flowers while her big brother, Cyborg escorted her down the aisle.

Nightwing saw her wide smile and remembered the time when that smile was directed towards him and him only. And now it was for another man and the worst part was that, that man was his brother.

He saw her giving Cyborg a kiss on his cheek and then accepting Jason's out stretched hand and stood parallel to him, in front of the priest.

Nightwing zoned out and remembered his times with the empath. Them forming the team together in Jump City, him becoming her best friend, watching the sunrise together before everyone else woke up, sharing their fears with each other, their bond, saving her from Slade, learning the truth about her past, giving her hope, working with his nemesis at the end of the world, braving hell to find her and her hugging him in happiness.

And over the years they had only grown closer and had shared many moments together. When one day-

Robin had woken up early as usual and had headed to the roof. Every day without fail he and Raven had spent time together on the roof, talking about themselves or something that was disturbing them or sometimes they sat in comfortable silence just relishing each other's comforting presence.

Today as he opened the door, he was met with absence of the empath. This was weird; she always was the first one up and on the roof. He waited for a while but she didn't turn up, he panicked and headed towards her room, he knocked but was met with silence, and no other sound could be heard from the room.

His worry was increasing by the second, everyone else was still asleep. He tracked her communicator and found her on the edge of the Titan Island, sitting on a rock. He walked towards her and said calmly "Morning Rae."

Without turning around she said in her old monotone "Morning." He sat on a boulder near her and asked with concern "What's wrong Rae?"

She sighed sadly and said "What am I to you Richard?" this question caught him off guard and he looked at her with confusion and asked her "What does that mean? You are my best friend Raven."

She finally turned to look at him and said "Is that all I am to you after all this time and after all we have been through."

"What are you saying?" Raven took a deep breath and said "I like you Richard…a lot and more than a friend."

They were silent for a while, her confession hanging in the air between them. He looked at her and said "I can't believe it…and no matter what we cannot be in a relationship. It won't work out…this thing which we have between us is the only good thing in my life right now and I couldn't bear to lose this."

"You know what the sad part is." She said after a long pause, "That you won't even give it a chance."

He snapped out of his thoughts when the priest turned to Jason and said "Your vows."

Jason took Raven's hands in his and said with love radiating his entire being "Raven, I look at you and think that how can someone as beautiful, smart and compassionate as you could ever love me. You make me want to be a better person. I lived my life thinking that nobody wanted me…and then a few years ago I met you, you found my heart and I let you in…and that's where you'll stay. I vow to honor and defend you and yours above all others. I promise to love you faithfully, forsaking all others, through the good times and the bad, regardless of where life takes us. I will share in your joys and sorrows and comfort you in times of need. All that I have is yours and from this moment on I give you my heart, my love as I give you myself for as long as we both shall live."

A tear fell down from her eyes, and her smile just grew wider. Nightwing grimaced and prepared himself to listen to the girl of his dreams vow to love his brother forever.

The priest turned towards the empath and said "Raven, your vows."

Raven smiled warmly at the man in front of her and said "Jason, you make me feel loved and wanted. You are the most amazing person I have ever met. Every day with you is an adventure and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you…I pledge to bring you solace in time of need, to be your comfort, your sanctuary and to be your family. I promise to cherish you and uphold your hopes and dreams, to honor and respect you, to laugh and cry with you. I vow to love you, unconditionally. I give you my heart, my love as I give you myself for as long as we both shall live."

Her vows brought a tear of happiness in Jason's eyes and sadness in Nightwing's.

The priest said to Jason "Do you Jason Todd take this woman, Raven Roth to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health till death do you apart?"

Jason smiled widely and said without hesitation "I do,"

The priest then turned to the empath and said "Do you Raven Roth take this man, Jason Todd to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health till death do you apart?"

This was it, the moment where Raven would be taken away from his forever. In a couple of second Nightwing flashbacked again, he thought back to the time after Raven's confession.

Robin had started to date random fan girls and had changed his alias to Nightwing, to erase the thought of Raven from his mind. Not knowing the pain that he was causing her, he did everything he could to get his mind off the empath.

After a half a year Raven brought Jason with her to the tower, so that the team could meet him. They had been dating for three months then and she looked happy and really in love.

The team except their fearless leader really liked him and he genuinely seemed in love with the dark beauty, Nightwing confronted Raven about it. She just shrugged and said simply "I moved on Richard…and maybe you were right we wouldn't have worked out anyway."

In that moment he realized what he had lost and said to her "I am sorry Rae, please give me a chance. We-"

Raven interrupted him and said "I tried to give it a chance, but you were too stubborn…and do you know how much you hurt me in these past few months when you started dating other girls…we are perhaps best at just remaining friends."

As he saw her walking away, he realized that in these past few months the time he spent getting her out of his mind; she had been doing the same. The only difference was that she had succeeded even with the pain he had caused her.

But he was now haunted by her confession and his feelings for her. In these past few months she had drawn away from him and towards another man.

"I do" Raven said lovingly and that snapped Nightwing out of his thoughts. Jason beamed at her. The priest smiled and said "Then by the power vested in me…I now pronounce you man and wife *he looked at Jason* you may kiss the bride."

Jason lifted her veil, showing her beautiful smiling face. He caressed her face lightly before giving her a loving kiss. Every one cheered and clapped, a few wiped the wedding tears away and hooted for the newlywed couple.

A tiny voice inside Nightwing's head said as he watched the couple embrace "Too late."

They pulled away with huge smiles on their faces and walked out of the hall hand in hand towards their reception party.

At the party, Raven was having her first dance with her new husband. They both were glowing and there was closeness about them, which wasn't there even when they were dating.

They stole kisses from each other in between, after their first dance. Raven was approached by her new father-in-law to dance with her while Jason danced with Selina, Bruce Wayne's long time partner.

Nightwing couldn't take this anymore, he chugged down the drink in his hand and went to the balcony silently, hoping to get some time away from the party.

He leaned by the railing, thinking that if he maybe would have realized his feelings sooner then he would have been the one getting married to her today. This would have been their party then and she would be his.

After a while the balcony doors opened, Richard's highly alert senses caught this and he turned around, hoping that it would be the dark beauty who sought him out.

He turned and saw the stoic expression of his adoptive father, Bruce. Richard sighed and turned around, looking at the city again. Bruce stepped beside him and said to the young hero "You made your choice Richard; you have to let her go."

Of course he would know about his feelings for the dark beauty, he was not called the world's greatest detective for nothing, realizing that there was no point in hiding he said "I can't help but think that if I had realized my feelings sooner then maybe-"

Bruce interrupted him and said "Don't plague your mind with ifs, what is done is done…you cannot change it. So be happy for the couple."

Nightwing turned around and looked at the party through the glass doors, Raven had just giggled over something Jason had said to her in her ear. She turned to look at her husband and gave him a kiss.

He surprised his mentor when she said "She is good for him…after everything that happened to him, he deserves someone as amazing as Raven." Bruce followed his gaze and smiled softly at the couple and said nodding "Yeah, she is. And she gets along with the family also. She did make him a better man."

With that they made their way back to the party, the couple was just about to cut their extravagant wedding cake. The cut the cake and fed each other a piece happily, later they all were seated for dinner.

Nightwing knew that he had to talk to Raven once at least in private. He found her near the bar talking happily to Jinx while Jason was talking to the boys. After a couple of minutes Jinx left and Nightwing took this chance to speak to the empath.

Raven looked at him and smiled politely, she offered him a glass of strawberry champagne and said "Hey Richard."

He took the glass from her and said "Rae, I need to ask you something."

Raven nodded and urged him to continue, he took a deep breath and said "Are you happy with him?" Raven was taken aback with this question; her empathetic abilities sensed his feelings. She sighed and said "I thought we were over this, it's been two years."

"Just answer it one last time." He pleaded.

"…I love him more than anything, he makes me happy. The happiest I have ever been." Richard tried to smile and said "Then that's all I want, you to be happy…even if it's not with me."

At that moment Jason came up to them and kissed Raven on the cheek lovingly, he slid his arm around her waist, pulling her close to him. Richard was filled with sadness but he masked it well and smiled at the couple.

"Mon amour, it's time for us to leave." Jason said with a warm smile to Raven. She returned his smile and nodded.

Jason then noticed his adoptive brother standing in front him and said "Hey Grayson, having fun?"

Nightwing just forced a smile at his brother. Raven excused herself and went away, the two brothers watched her leave, both filled with love for the young lady. The difference being that one was happy while the other was regretful.

"She is an amazing lady Jason…keep her happy." Nightwing said seriously to the man in front of him.

Jason looked at Nightwing and studied him carefully; he knew everything that happened between him and Raven. He turned to the hero and said seriously "I promise that I will keep her happy."

Nightwing nodded, after a few more minutes Raven emerged she was wearing a white cocktail dress. Jason smiled and walked up to her, he kissed her temple and whispered to his wife "Let's get out of here…I am sick of sharing you with others." And he kissed her temple.

With that the couple headed outside, towards their black limousine. Raven's arm was interlaced with Jason's as they walked, his eyes watching her with love and happiness. Jason opened the car door for her, before getting in Raven tossed her bouquet backwards.

Much to everyone's amusement Wally caught the bouquet, he looked nervous while his girlfriend, Jinx looked happy. They all laughed a little, Raven just waved at her friends and got in the car with her husband.

They all cheered and wished them.

"Have the nice moon of the honey friends." Starfire shouted. "Safe travels." Bruce waved. "Have fun." Cyborg and Beastboy cheered.

Only Nightwing was silent, his mind chanting only one thing as he watched the girl of his dreams drive off with another man, the man she loves towards their future. You are too late.

[aleapoffaithfiction]

V.

"Love is not all about loving everything perfect, it is when someones  corrosive nature is the only thing that glues you to them which you  wished it were never there." ― Michael Bassey Johnson

“I heard you the first time ma.”

Curtains and dinnerware. She’d been going on and on about the need for both for nearly thirty minutes. I’d have to question my own mental capacity if I hadn’t remembered it. With the first day of fall already over two weeks behind us, she complained about the need to change all of the pale coral drapes in the house to be in accord with the season. She raved about multiple shades of red being the perfect color palette for the Brooklyn townhome she resides in but eventually changed her mind by randomly blurting out that it’s too early for things to be so Christmas-y and instead opted for brunt orange. As for the dinnerware, it specifically has to be the nearly five hundred-dollar twenty-piece lace gold Vera Wang Wedgwood set that she fell in love at Bed Bath & Beyond.

It took every ounce of energy I had left within me to get off of the couch, change my clothing, and drive over here per her request after an extremely loaded day at work, so the last thing I want to hear about is her trivial needs and yet...here we are.

“Well, I know it’ll be like pulling teeth to get you over here any other day this week, so maybe we can do a little shopping this weekend. We can pick up Celeste and take that new car of yours for a good drive around the city or maybe we can head back your way so that I can go to Walmart.” Or she and Celeste can take either one of their cars and go on their boring shopping trip without me. With mommy’s early retirement and Celeste’s somewhat loose schedule with her counseling and life coaching career, the both of them have more than enough time to be in and out of stores for the sake of having something to do.

Every now and then, they’ll pester me into joining them for the sake of the three of us spending time together, but I usually dread it. They’re the slow, look at anything and everything for no logical reason, shoppers who slowly stroll around the stores while discussing the most trivial things. And me? I’m usually trailing behind them while huffing and puffing in annoyance at it all. Celeste always deems me to be the annoying little sister who throws a tantrum when everyone isn’t doing what she wants whenever I react in that manner and I always let her know that she can kiss my black ass every single time she says it. There’s a lot more I can be doing on a Saturday besides walking around Walmart and looking at the same ol’ shit.

“Yeah, I guess so.” As she wiped her counter top in the kitchen, I broke off another piece of the piña colada pound cake she made with my fingers and dropped it into my mouth. Per the usual, the flavoring and moisture was to perfection.

“I know I thought you better than that. The spoon is right there.” I let that go in one ear and right out of the other. The only way I’d be using that spoon is if she had some vanilla ice cream to go with this cake and she doesn’t, because it’s the first thing I checked for when I arrived. She only has butter pecan. What is it with older people and butter pecan ice cream anyway?  

“Are you still going back home for auntie Shelly’s birthday or are you still thinking about it?” She immediately scoffed with a roll of her eyes and began to fold up the wet kitchen towel so that she could toss it behind the faucet as she always does when she’s finished wiping the counters.

“I’ll probably be there. She’s yet to stop calling and getting on my damn nerves about it. I’ve never known anyone to be more obsessed with their birthday than Shelly. You’d think that she’s turning twenty-one years old with the way she’s carrying on. Oh, and then there’s the part about her wanting a Gucci bag as a gift. She has a lot of damn nerve. Why do people automatically assume because you live in America, that you’re made of money?” And just like that, with her frustration, came her Trinidadian accent in full swing. Though they’re only two years apart in age, both mommy and auntie Shelly clash like no other and yet will give you hell if you dare to test either one of them. Even with the complaints, I won’t be surprised when she flies to Trinidad with that Gucci bag packed with her belongings because she plays the big sister role well and spoils auntie no matter how much she nags about her ridiculous requests. My grandmother, Auntie Shelly, and mommy migrated to the United States when mommy was seventeen and though she’s been here ever since, Auntie Shelly moved back to Trinidad to be with her now husband, Uncle Winston. Supposedly, mommy dated Uncle Winston first and that’s what caused their clashing ways, but that’s a story that I’ve never cared to look into. That skeleton and whatever else involves it, can remain in the closet.

“Because people stereotype. It’s a part of life.” And that’s the truth. You won’t believe how many family members believe my bank accounts are on Oprah levels because my face is on television five days a week. I dread family events for that very reason. I’m all for putting my people on and have definitely extended a helping hand for the sake of granting people opportunities but there are so many people who have no interest in working their way up to where they want to be in life. How do you expect to be somewhere in life without a foundation under you? More than anything or anyone else, the esteem you have for yourself after having busted your ass for an achievement is magical.

“Celeste said that she’d fly down with me for the birthday party if I do decide to go. Why don’t you come too? It’ll be a nice getaway for you and I’ll be able to have both of my children with me.”

“It all depends on the scheduling. I have to warn them weeks ahead if I decide to take a trip because they have to reach out to other analysts or athletes to find creative ways to fill in for me while I’m gone. I can’t just pick up and go. If it’s a weekend thing, I can probably fly out on Friday right after we wrap up on air and just skip out on the Podcast. That should get me there by like Friday evening.”

“Sounds fair enough to me, for as long as you come.”

“I’ll look into it.”

“So how is work?” My eyes instantly widened at the question because it’s one she never asks.

“It’s going great, honesty. I can’t complain even if I wanted to. How can I? I have one of my dream jobs. I’ve always wanted to have a show on ESPN and now I’m apart of a panel for the highest rated show on the network. I’d be a fool to have a single complaint about that.”

“I’ll never be able to understand how sitting around and talking about sports all day long is so interesting but that’s who you are, I suppose.” And there it is; the condescending dismissal of what I love.

Being a tomboy was something that happened to be within my nature while I was a kid, I didn’t ask for it nor did I go seeking that identity. I had no interest in playing with dolls and doll houses, I wanted soccer and basketballs. The whole kitchen and tea party thing was more of my sister’s style. I urged daddy to sign me up for the Boys and Girls Club, every summer league in Brooklyn, and to buy me game systems so that I could play them on those rainy or snowy days when I couldn’t or didn’t go outside and play. Dresses were for church and Easter, as far as I was concerned. Jeans and sneakers were more of my thing and still are; I just sex them up whenever I feel like it because I’ve confidently come into my womanhood and can be multifaced in the way that I dress myself.

I compromised with her by learning how to cook, only because she would constantly drill it into Celeste and I heads that she refused to have her children go out into the world without knowing how to feed themselves, but other than that, all of my thrills were in exciting times like those NFL wildcard games to clinch playoff spots, Venus and Serena Williams coming up in the ranks, or that kid from Akron, Ohio who was deemed to be the greatest human being to touch a basketball while still in high school. Hell, I remember when all of the girls around my way had a crush on Coney Island’s own Sebastian Telfair, meanwhile all I wanted was to play a couple of games of one on one with the guy right in the projects where he, his older brother Jamel, and their cousin, former NBA player Stephon Marbury came up. Though us two girls were all they had, daddy would always happily boast and brag about me being his best friend because I was the best of both words all made up into one. As for my other parent, she refused to understand it and even now, the stubbornness still gets in the way of the potential for us to bond more than we do.

“I’ll never be able to understand how you sit around and watch all of those Housewives shows and yet I don’t judge that you do. If anything, you should be thrilled that I’m accomplishing my goals and doing something positive with my life.”

“Oh, I know you’re doing something positive with your life. I’m not disagreeing with what you do. I’ve told you many times that I’m proud of you, but you know that I’ve never been into those things. You are your father’s child in that aspect and Celeste and I relate more in terms of our interests.”

“That approach is silly though, because despite my lack of interest in a lot of the things that the both of you like or entertain yourselves with, I at least try to figure out a way to enjoy it for the sake of the both of you, but neither one of you grant me the same courtesy. I’ve offered for the both of you to come and visit Bristol and see the studios and you’ve yet to take me up on the offer. I’ve asked you guys to come to games or events, but you haven’t come. So, I stopped asking. What’s the point in wasting my time and setting myself up for disappointment?”

“Sarai, don’t be ridiculous. You really believe that I can sit through hours of a bunch of guys dribbling a ball up and down a court? I’m getting a headache just thinking about it.”

“You believe that I wanted to be a part of that purposeless and stupid debutante ball? I mean just think about how sexist and elitist the concept of it is. It’s a ball to present young ladies to the high society and most of all, to display her to eligible bachelors so that she can marry into a rich family. How shallow can you get with something like that? And yet I did it, for you. I hated every single minute of it, including Chase Williams, and his weird topics of conversation. I can’t believe you thought he and I would ever hit it off.”

“It was at that same debutante ball that your sister met her now husband.”

“Okay, so what?” I was seventeen at the time. I wasn’t worried about finding a husband. Shit, I wasn’t even concerned with a boyfriend. I didn’t date in grammar or high school. My greatest concern at the time was gaining acceptance into the undergraduate program at New York University’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. I wanted it more than anything else and yet during my senior year, I juggled trying to keep my grades as close to perfect as possible while obliging her erratic decisions for me. Chase Williams being my future husband was a failure, but my acceptance into NYU was a success.

Despite journalism being my major and broadcast and multimedia being my minor, I also had to choose a second major within the College of Arts and Sciences and I ended up going with computer science and economics. If the journalism side of things didn’t work out, I planned to go in the cyber security route or I was going to get rich or die trying by trying to be the next Mark Zuckerberg. Thankfully, journalism was truly my calling. I was accepted into the honors program during the spring semester of my freshman year and was given the opportunity to work on an in-depth multimedia piece over the course of one academic year that ending up being reported on by The New York Times. Arguably the best part of my undergraduate years was six rigorous weeks of a summer program in Ghana where I worked as a foreign correspondent. It was an experience that I’ll never forget.

“I wanted you to be a part of that ball to expose you to things beyond yourself. Sports aside, you were so caught up in just you. I believed you needed to see there’s a lot more to life than balls flying all over the place and the occasional outings with your teammates.”

“Yeah, that’s what family vacations are for and even when we did those, it was never anything I liked. I asked you for Knicks game tickets and you took Celeste and I to see Carmen at the Metropolitan Opera House instead. I asked you for a ticket to the U.S. Open and you took us to see Swan Lake at the American Ballet Theater. For my birthday, you told me to pick anywhere in the U.S. to go for a family trip and I chose the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Massachusetts and where did we end up going? Niagara Falls.”

“You sound so ungrateful right now. This is exactly what Celeste talks about when she says that you throw silly little tantrums when you can’t get your way.”

“I’m not being ungrateful. You’re calling this a tantrum because I’m telling the truth?”

“Well, Sarai, in a lot of cases, you chose things that myself nor Celeste would enjoy so I tried to find things that I thought would interest all three of us.”

“An opera and a ballet show? For me? And even then, I didn’t even complain about it. I just figured out ways to enjoy it despite being internally angry that I couldn’t go to the places that I wanted to go. I had to get a summer job for that.”

“What about when I took you two to Disney World?”

“It was nice.” And it was. It was the first and only vacation I enjoyed.

“Okay then.”

“But, if we’re going to be technical, the only reason why I was able to see all of the things that I liked is because of auntie Shelly. I spent most of the time in the park with her.”

“Sarai, please. All that matters is we went and you enjoyed it.” In a gesture that she’s been doing in response to my complaints since I was a child, she waved me off with a roll of her eyes and turned her attention to the touch screen display on the right-side door of her brand-new Samsung refrigerator that I’d gotten her for her birthday. She threw enough hints out about the two thousand five-hundred-dollar state of the art gadget to convince me that it would be an essential part of her kitchen and I made it happen.

“Daddy would have taken me to all of those places though. That’s for sure.” I went to my first Knicks game with him. I saw my first home run at the Yankee stadium with him. We saw the Nets together back when they were still in New Jersey. We even went to a Jersey Devils game, though I wasn’t that into hockey at the time. In the summer time, we’d go stand outside the gate at the Rucker Park and watch the guys hoop while we enjoyed ice cream cones from the Mister Softee truck lingering on the corner. I had every pair of Jordans that hit the shelves and my poster collection on my bedroom walls? Unmatched.

“I’m sure he would have but he’s no longer with us and I’m not sure why you feel compelled to bring up what he would have done if he were.”

“I guess because it’s the truth.”

“Well he’s not here Sarai. I’m sorry if you don’t think I was a good enough parent for you. I had a roof over your head, I put food on the table, clothes on your back, and made sure you were in a great school. You had good birthdays and Christmas’. We went on vacations, whether you were grateful for them or not. I tried to do my best as a single parent so don’t come in here throwing it into my face what your father would have done. I did what I could and he would have been damn proud of me.”

“I didn’t say you weren’t a good enough parent. Daddy just understood me more.”

“Well guess what Sarai? He was my husband. You don’t think my time with him was cut short too? I miss him just as much as you do. While I understand that he was your everything, I don’t think he would want you to be behaving in the manner that you do. Parents bring children into the world with the expectation to raise them and then one day leave them behind to be here to make a legacy for themselves. Your father’s life was cut short, but ultimately, he was raising you to prepare for a time when death would happen. I’m not going to be around forever either.” The pitch of her voice suddenly increased as she leaned forward to align her eyes with my own.

“I attempted to break you out of that odd mold you were creating for yourself and to expose you to different things because I don’t want you to do exactly what you’re doing right now; being alone out in this world. You’re so hostile towards life itself and it’s such a horrible mentality to have. I’m surprised you’ve kept Taylor around for so long because all you do is push everyone away. You think your father would want you behaving like that? He would have given you a never-ending earful. I’m sorry that he’s no longer here Sarai, but Wesley isn’t coming back. It’s been sixteen years. You have to move on.”

The tears that were once burning my eyes, came trickling down the sides of my cheeks. Many of our conversations always end up here, with her making this point, and then dismissing any criticism that I have for her as me unfairly measuring her up to my father. It’s never been about that. I don’t believe we have a poor relationship with one another, I just know that it has the potential to be so much better than it is. It’s not even about the past, because I don’t have to bring it up, but when I do, it’s always to point out how things are still the same when it comes to her stubbornness about who I am, what I do for a living, and my interests. I’m not as extreme with my tom boyish ways as I used to be, but I’m also not a prissy girly girl either. I’m just me.

“Move on like you have?” She hasn’t. It’s been sixteen years and she’s never remarried. The government funded support groups helped with her coping skills but anything beyond that? It’s been a slow burn progress. When I do attend church with her, I see guys checking her out and smiling in her face all the time, but from her view, they may as well be speaking to a wall. She still wears her rings and his on a necklace that she always wears around her neck and there are pictures up around the house with him in them as if everything is still as normal as it was before our world came crashing down with his sudden death.

“Don’t worry about me and what I have going on. You’re still wet behind the ears with a whole lot of life ahead of you. Don’t waste your time by trying to be like me. You’d be a fool for that. Your happiness is somewhere out in the world waiting for you and it’s up to you to find it or accept it when it finds you. Dry your face.”

I could barely finish off the second slice of cake as my stomach dropped for the millionth time at the sight of the season ending injury that snapped Beckham’s ankle during their week five match up against the Chargers. The sight of him lying on the field clutching his ankle in agony as tears began to pour out of his eyes is still as gut wrenching as it was when I watched it from my couch yesterday and the many times ESPN replayed it as we reported on it this morning. It’s always disappointing to see a player injured but the manner in which it happened to him drew emotion out of me that I hadn’t expected and yet, I didn’t have enough courage to pick up the phone and check on him. I just…couldn’t.

How could I when I spent the last two weeks ignoring any form of communication that he attempted to have with me? His text messages had gone from being sweet messages wishing me a good morning and his own opinions on the segments from the show, to being filled with confusion as to why I refused to respond to him. He attempted to call me three times but I simply stared at the phone and watched it ring. I thought after the unanswered phone calls his persistence would cease, but he then reached out through a Twitter direct message where he asked me if I was alright, because he was worried. A day or so after that, I believe he’d gotten the hint that I was deliberately leaving him unanswered and he stopped.

I thought I would have successfully disappointed and discouraged him when I spoke on the conflict of interest between myself and any athletes beyond the professional setting but it all went into one ear and right out of the other, so I needed to go another route and ignoring him was that. In the midst of the necessary barrier I built between he and I, I hated that I would find myself looking at my phone in anticipation that he’d try again. I scolded myself for lying in bed wondering about him and hoping that he still watches the show. Last night, I berated myself for the tears that I shed in sympathy for what he’s going through right now.

It felt like the Giants were cursed that day. Dwayne Harris left the game with a fractured foot, Brandon Marshall and Sterling Shepard left the game with ankle sprains, and Beckham with a fibula fracture. It was somber in New York, especially for a team that wanted to redeem themselves after such a terrible season ending playoff lost in the prior season. It pained me to read off Harris being out for the season, but it completely sent my mood into a downward spiral when I had to state the same exact verdict for Beckham. As such an explosive player and someone who only gets sixteen games a season, excluding the playoffs, to play the sport that he loves, I can’t even begin to imagine his disappointment.

I spoke with Heather. When I reached out, he was still in recovery from surgery. She said it was successful and he’s okay.

I reached out to Taylor a short while ago and asked her had she heard anything about his surgery. Everything took place today at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan.

Okay, good. Thank you.

The remaining half of the additional slice of cake I was having went into the garbage. I then slipped into my jean jacket and grabbed my car keys.

“Ma, I’m leaving. I need to run somewhere right quick.”

“Will I see you this weekend?” I knew she wasn’t too far away. She was right there in the living room wrapped up into what NeNe Leakes has going on in her drama filled life.

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“Okay, then. Don’t catch an attitude when I call you.”

“I never do.”

As I neared the door, something within me told me to turn around, and I swiftly approached her and planted a kiss on her forehead. No matter how many disagreements we may have, that’s my mother, and I’m always going to leave her on a respectful note.

“Drive safely. Are you going to see a guy?” The gleam in her eyes instantly evoked the rolling of my eyes.

“Ma, don’t be ridiculous. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

My first stop was Scott’s Flowers, a florist I frequent when I feel like putting a brighter smile on my mother’s face or whenever an occasion calls for someone to receive flowers. They’re so familiar with my face that I don’t have to call ahead of time for most of my orders and today was of no exception. While swiftly flipping through a booklet of floral arrangements that weren’t impressive enough, I tossed it aside and opted for one hundred long stem yellow roses inside of a cylinder glass vase. In the corner of the room was an assortment of teddy bears that caught my eyes, so I chose the biggest one they had. I know if I had surgery, I’d want a teddy bear to keep me company. Scott slipped in a number of sly questions about who I was spending four hundred dollars on at this time of evening, but I avoided lying by diverting the subject matter. I considered grabbing some chocolates but I ultimately chose not to because I’m not sure if he likes it. The bottles of wine he raved about while I was on my way out of the door were pointless too. Wine can either be nice for a celebration or a painkiller for sadness, but it can’t be either for him because I’m sure he’s on a ton of actual painkillers.

“Tell Dominique I said hello.”

“Will do.” Yes, mommy’s name is Dominique. Mrs. Dominique Nicole Thomas-Nazaire. Trini to de bone.

The drive to the hospital was twenty minutes of bad nerves and conversations with myself that drowned out whatever Hot 97 had playing. I hadn’t even announced that I would be showing up and yet, here I am, in the parking lot, about to intrude on he and his family’s privacy as he recovers from surgery. I’ve always considered myself to be a thinker even though I think too damn much at times, but I didn’t spend much time taking into consideration all the things that could go wrong with this mission to do a good deed tonight. Who I am to even think that I may be able to slightly cheer him up with some tired ass flowers that’ll die within a few days, a teddy bear that his little brother will enjoy far more than he will, and two “Get Well Soon” balloons that I grabbed from a dollar store five minutes before arriving here? And I didn’t even take into account that it’s fucking me. I’m not Oprah known, but I’m known enough for people to make a narrative that is far from the truth if I’m seen here.

“You can be such a dumbass Sarai.” I panned my eyes over the parking lot. “Fuck it.”

I cleared my conscious as I slipped out of the car and retrieved all that I’d gotten for him out of the backseat. With the click of a button, I locked all of my doors and quickly trekked through the sliding doors and to the lobby’s information desk to get a pass.

“Good evening, how are you?” The short, stocky, and elderly woman warmly smiled at me while watching me manage to juggle the flowers, bear, balloons, and my purse.

“Hi. I’m well. I’m here to see Odell Beckham Jr.” 
“Are you on the list?”

Oh. My. God. See? I’m stupid. How and why didn’t I think about there being a list? He’s only one of the most high-profile athletes in the whole fucking world.

“Um, I’m not sure.” I’m not. Obviously.

“What’s your name? Also, I have to note that visiting hours are ending soon.”

“Sarai. Sarai Nazaire.” Great. Just great.

As her fingers went to tapping away at the keyboard, I began to strategize my escape plan so that I won’t suffer in embarrassment when she tells me that my name isn’t there. While on my way out, I’ll trash all of this, because they’re obviously not going to make sure all of this gets upstairs to him due to it being a security risk.

“Sarai?” I couldn’t mistake that voice. As my head twisted to the left, Heather stopped squinting her eyes and brightly smiled at my presence. God decided to be gracious towards me today. I definitely have to go to church this Sunday with mommy. I’m not going to use cramps as a poor excuse like I did yesterday. My period ended Saturday. Lord, forgive me please.

“Hey Heather.” She adjusted the strap on her Chanel bag while approaching me and immediately engulfed me into a hug. Much like her son, I don’t know how anyone can ever become angry with this woman. She’s just one big ball of positivity.

“I’m so glad to see you. O’s going to be so happy you’re here.”

“They said that visiting hours are ending soon.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. We’re in good standing with the surgeon. Once you’re upstairs, no one’s going to bother you. I stayed here all night long last night.”

“How is he?”

“He’s alright. He’s in good spirits even though he’s in both mental and physical pain. I know that sounds like it doesn’t make sense, but it does to me. He could be a lot of worse, you know? As I told him, it’s a minor setback for a major comeback.”

“That’s true.”

“And the surgery went extremely well. The fix is as perfect as it’s going to get so I can feel a lot of weight being lifted off of my shoulders and his, even though he’s not going to admit that right now. He has a long road ahead of him before full recovery and of course him getting back to the athletic O that we all know and love, but the fact of the matter is that he’s going to recover. There are people who do not, so he’s blessed.”

“I’m so glad to hear that. When I saw his ankle bend like that, I literally yelped out loud.”

“Oh, so did I. I just about had a heart attack. Thank God I was here. My nerves would have been shot to hell had I been back home.”

“Were you leaving?”

“Yeah, I’m going to head back to the house to freshen up and get a bit of rest. He sent everyone else home about an hour ago. I was the last one hanging around. He claims everyone needs to go and chill out for a bit, but honestly, I think he was tired of the crowd being in the room. He couldn’t get much rest himself with everyone hovering over him and doing all of that talking.”

“Oh my gosh, well then, maybe I can just have this sent up and I’ll just head out. If he’s trying to rest, I don’t want to disturb him.”

“Oh no. Don’t be silly. Please go up, I insist. Even if it’s just for a few minutes, I know he’ll be happy you came by.”

“Okay.” Maybe I’ll stick around for ten minutes.

“I should be back first thing in the morning. Oh, and thank you so much for the words of encouragement you spoke this morning for he and the other wide receivers who were injured yesterday. You’re so awesome Sarai. Truly.” Yet again we were hugging.

“Oh, there’s no need to thank me. I hate to see players get injured. It’s awful.”

“Yes, it is. They’ll be alright though. I just try to think positive. I grabbed him a light dinner earlier because he’s not fond of the hospital’s food and he has some snacks up there too, so he should be okay. He knows to call me if he needs me. You can also call me if anything comes up. You have my number.”

“Yes, I do. I’ll be sure to call.”

“Alright then. I’ll see you soon. Have a good night.”

“Goodnight.”

As she walked away, I realized that she hadn’t given the receptionist clearance for me to be able to go upstairs.

Shit.

“Sarai right? I placed your laminated pass right there. I just need you to step back a bit so that I can take a picture with the camera and print one out.”

“Oh, everything is okay?” My brows raised in confusion.

“Of course. Your name is there.” She said it so nonchalantly, it almost went over my head that my name was indeed on his visitor’s list. I’m sure the picture she took looked foolish and that was confirmed once she passed it to me. How is my name already on the list?

“He’s on the fourth floor. The room is on your pass. The elevators are right over there to the right.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Flutters filled my core as the elevator ascended to the fourth floor. The feeling worsened as I stood in front of the closed door to his private room.

What will I say? If he saw this morning’s episode, then I don’t want to be repetitive with the words of encouragement. Then again, does he even want to hear that? I know I wouldn’t want to hear the cliché “it’ll be okay” after being told I won’t be able to play for the rest of the season. That’s not okay. Maybe I won’t say anything and I’ll just listen. After so much disappointment and a surgery, who wouldn’t want to vent? Either way, I came all this way, so I might as well go through with this. I’ll kick myself in the ass later on when I’m back home.

“Beckham?” I poked my head into the room. There was silence. As he lay there in bed, he stared up at the ceiling in deep thought until I interrupted him.

“Sarai?” He cleared his throat to rid it of some of the rasp as I stepped into the room and allowed the door to close behind myself. Our eyes instantly met and the glossiness within them sunk my mood even further. I could tell he hadn’t been crying but it was clear that the weight of all that had happened to him over the last twenty-four hours was on his shoulders like a ton of bricks and right now, within this moment, he feels something he typically never feels for himself; helpless.

“Yes, it’s me.”

“Wow. Flowers?” A bit of gleam filled his eyes and he chuckled at the sight of all of the yellowness in my hands. As I glanced around the room, I noticed a ton of balloons, two gift baskets filled with chocolate, but no flowers. “I’ve never received flowers before.”

“Really?”

“No.”

“Is it a bad thing?”

“Of course not. I’m flattered, honestly.” I found a nice spot near the window to place them down, so they’d be able to receive a good amount of sunlight and I placed the teddy bear on the couch just near the window.

“I figured I’d get them in yellow to bring some brightness around here. I don’t care what they look like; all hospitals are dull and glum to me. You don’t need that kind of energy around you right now. You want to hug the bear?”

“A hug from you sounds better.” It felt like someone punched a hole into my chest and knowingly squeezed my lungs once he said that. The hesitance was clear as my feet remained just about glued to the floor for a few seconds but I eventually began to inch my way over to his awaiting arms and laid my upper frame on top of his. With him laying down, I was only able to grip both of his arms as he wrapped his drawn-out arms around my body and pulled me close. The beating our hearts synced and somehow, I felt more alive than I did at any point during this befuddling day. A laziness filled me as the warmth of his body relaxed mine and the enthralling scent of his cologne coerced my eyes to close as we basked in the moment. The feeling his fingers lightly pressing into my back informed me of just how much he needed to be embraced and if that could give him just the slightest bit of comfort through this, I’m am willing to give him as many hugs as it takes.

“I ran into your mom. She said the surgery was a success.”

“Yeah, the doctor claims all is well. I have a long road ahead of me though.” Despite me sitting up to be able to look at his alluring face, I was still wrapped up within his arms.

“It takes about six weeks for bones to heel, but there’s a possibility it can be longer. We’ll just have to pace it. For the next four to six weeks I really have to chill out and keep my weight off of it as much as possible. They’re going to put me on a pain management protocol so I won’t be so dependent on the opioid medications which is great for me because I hate how all of that shit is making my body feel. I’m going to be in a splint when I get out here and I have to basically sit on my ass and elevate it ninety percent of the day. In about two weeks, he’ll take the sutures out and then I’ll get one of those boots that you can take on and off. I’ll be able to start slightly moving the ankle then and taking showers. They’ll do an x-ray in six to seven weeks to see how well the bone healed and if all is well then, I’ll be able to start putting weight on it and doing physical therapy.”

“Well, at least you really listened to all that he had to say.” I had to laugh at the way he easily listed off the way his life is going to be for the next month and a half. He didn’t sound enthusiastic about it whatsoever, but he’s certainly well informed.

“Well, yeah I did. I can’t take not being on my feet for so long. All of that sitting around is going to drive me insane.”

“It doesn’t have to. Now is a good time for you to find other things to entertain yourself with.”

“You know what’s crazy? Remember when I said to you that I was praying to God for more time to do things that are beyond the football field like spending time with my family, friends, and the dogs? Now look.”

“Well, I don’t think God decided to grant you that wish by snapping your ankle, but at least you’ll be able to gain some perspective about life in the midst of this.”

“Everyone keeps telling me that it’s going to be alright. Minor setback for a major comeback.”

“Well, I’m not going to tell you that.” His hands trailed down my back as he frowned in confusion in the same manner that I had been doing downstairs.

“What do you mean?”

“You snapped your ankle. You’re lying in a hospital bed. Despite what everyone is telling you, that’s not what you feel. This feels fucked up and pretty shitty. You’re out for the season and now you have to watch your team fight for victories without you. That feels even worse. So right now, it doesn’t feel like it’s going to be alright because it’s still all so fresh and you have the right to feel that way. Be angry, frustrated, hell, even cry if you want to. It’s alright to have those emotions because this isn’t easy. There will come a time when you do feel like everything’s going to be alright, but tonight isn’t it…and that’s okay.”

I don’t know how anyone uses those ridiculous and yet absolutely insulting adjectives such as diva, asshole, little girl, and selfish to describe this man. The majority of the time we see him, he’s covered up in a uniform and is defined by the number on the back of his jersey. For sixty minutes, people create so many false narratives of who he is based upon passionate responses on the field and his will to win. It’s beyond unjust because the person that I’ve come to know is charming, compassionate, and has elements of shyness within him. He’s composed, observant, and aware. He has a keen eye for detail, listens intently, and thinks before he speaks. He carries himself with his head held high and brings about an energy into any room he steps into unlike any other. He puts smiles on people’s faces, tells the silliest jokes to lighten the mood, and shows genuine concern for the well-being of others. He’s unique; a one of a kind Baton Rouge born royal who has made his mark and is continuing to do so no matter what negativity his naysayers speak.

“Thank you for that, Sarai.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Can I ask you something? You don’t have to explain yourself if you don’t want to. I’m just curious.” And suddenly I wanted him to let me go. I hate that he could easily feel the nervousness within my now tense fame. To soothe me, he ran one of his ridiculously huge palms up and down my back.

“Yeah?”

“Why’d you ignore me? Did I do something wrong?”

“No. You didn’t do anything wrong. Beckham, you don’t understand.”

“Help me understand.”

“This can’t…” It was me who broke his embrace as the door suddenly cracked open. With one step, I dashed backwards to create some space between the bed and myself.

“Mr. Beckham, it’s time for your final round of medication for the night. You should be able to sleep with this one. Are you feeling any pain?”

“Nah not really. The only thing I’m feeling is flips in my stomach and chills from all of the medication.”

“Yeah, those are typical side effects, especially because we’re giving it to you intravenously. Usually when medication is going straight through the vein it can cause you to have slight jitters, chills, possible anxiety, or it feels like there’s this rush happening within your body. I promise we’re not going to give you anything that is dangerous for you. We’re just trying to keep your pain under control. Remember you had surgery today.”

“I know.”

“At least your girlfriend is here to keep you company. She’ll keep your mind off of it until you fall asleep.” My mouth fell agape at her assumption and he giggled like a young school boy as she viewed his chart.

“That’s true.” If I didn’t have any sense, I would have beamed my phone at his head.

“So, this is morphine and your antibiotic. This should last you throughout the night, but I’ll be in to check on you. Do you have to use the bathroom?” She began to check his pulse and blood pressure.

“Nope, because I’m not going in that bed pan again.”

“Beckham, don’t be stubborn.” I had to butt in. He’s in here for an ankle fracture and he’ll be back for a damaged bladder if he holds his urine due to being too prideful.

“I actually don’t have to go.”

“Are you sure? Why don’t we try? I’ll get a pan.”

“I’ll step outside.” Their conversation was officially shifting into a privacy territory.

“You don’t have to step outside.” Beckham found her responses to be all too funny as I widened my eyes in disbelief. Uh, I absolutely do have to step outside and I’ll be stepping outside of the building if she continues with these assumptions.

“Nurse Meghan, I really don’t have to go. I’m okay.”

“What about number two? Have you had the urge yet?” And then it quickly became my turn to laugh at him as he frowned his face up in sheer embarrassment at such a question.

“No.”

“That’s normal. It may take a day or two for your bowels to open up but if it’s any longer than that we’ll give you a mild laxative to fix that problem.”

“I doubt I’ll need that.”

“We’ll see. Hopefully you won’t. Your blood pressure is great. I’ll check your temperature, insert your medicine through the IV, and you should be good to go. You need anything else for the night? I already showed you how to work the television. On the remote is a button for you to press to call the nurse’s station and I’ll be right here to assist you. You have water right over there if you want it. You want any extra pillows or blankets?”

“Nah. My mom brought me some from home so that I could be comfortable. I’m straight.” He lifted his tongue for the thermometer and within a few seconds she was jotting down his temperature.

“All normal. If anything should change, you know how to reach me.” I’m not sure why but my eyes followed her every move as she worked with the IV to properly insert the liquid within both syringes into the line. She was gentle enough to make sure she didn’t irritate his arm and the vein by pulling on or adjusting it.

“I do.”

“Alright then, I’ll check on you in a bit Mr. Beckham.”

And yet again, we were left alone. His eyes hadn’t panned back up to the ceiling like they were before I intruded on his thinking. Instead, they were directly on me while I leaned against the wall.

“You’re going to go to sleep soon, so I’m going to get out of here. You need your rest.”

“I don’t want you to go.” Why does he say all of the things that men don’t say but actually need to say?

“You’re going to fall asleep within the next ten minutes or so.”

“I’ll fight it. I want to talk to you.”

“You’re so stubborn.”

“I won’t fall asleep. Just stay for a little while longer.” How can I deny someone laying in a hospital bed?

“Okay.”

“So, I watched clips from today’s show on my phone. I couldn’t see the whole episode because I was in recovery and still under the anesthesia when it was on. Scott wasn’t there today, which made the show even better.” My laughter was louder than it should have been because that is one of my co-hosts after all, but gosh, he peeves so many people. There’s one side of him that deliberate does it for the sake of sparking debates and the other side is actually just his personality coming out to shine, often times, in the worst ways. He can be condescending, over exaggerated, and a large majority his sentiments causes our viewers to unleashed full on rants about him on social media but he is who he is and he’s yet to say anything controversial enough to be removed from the show. His disdain for Beckham, Tom Brady, Lebron James, and Antonio Brown never falters. We’ve all learned not to take him seriously whatsoever because if he were to meet any one of the three, he’d never keep that same energy in their faces.

“Yeah, Scott went on vacation with his girlfriend.”

“I see the way he looks at you. I think he likes you.”

“He does.” He flirts, he’s asked me out for drinks once, and his compliments can be overkill. I’m not interested nor will I ever be.

“You’re out of his league. He should know better than that.” Though he attempted to suppress it, I noticed the yawn and the way he attempted to pull the covers up over his body. I decided to help. If I felt the chill within the room, I’m sure it feels worse for him.

“How’s that?” I covered him up to the top of his shoulders.

“It’s great, thank you. So back to what I was saying, he’s out of your league.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. I’m sure he knows it too.”

“So, who’s in my league?”

“No one.”

“No one?” I didn’t expect that answer. I figured he’d throw in some joke about it being him. He’s good for a flirtatious moment.

“No one. You’re definitely in a league of your own, but I’m trying to work my way up to bring drafted in. With the first and only pick in the 2017 Sarai Nazaire draft, Sarai selects Odell Beckham Jr. from Baton Rouge, Louisiana and the New York Giants.”

“Shut up!” I knew it was coming. We roared in laughter because of that. He wouldn’t be himself without inserting some kind of joke into the mix.

“Sarai, you know after this you can’t ignore me ever again, right? You bought me flowers, a teddy bear, and balloons. You told me I could be as mad as I want. You were about to help me use the bed pan.”

“Oh, no I wasn’t.” The only way I would have done that is if it were truly an emergency and the hospital had not a single nurse within reach of him.

“Yeah, you were. You tucked me in. All that’s left for you to do is kiss me and then we can start talking about the rest of our lives together.”

“Go to sleep Beckham.”

“You go to sleep Nazaire.” This yawn came with his heavy eyelids struggling to stay open so that he could focus on me. He didn’t have the strength to say anything more. I looked on as he eventually drifted into the deep slumber that he was fighting against and the light snoring was a clear sign that he’d be out for the night.

The reclining chair directly next to the bed had a pillow and blanket neatly folded up in its seat and on the opposite side of the room was the couch. I had options and yet I chose to remain nearby. I’m going to assume this is where Heather slept. She did a nightshift last night, so I’ll do one tonight.

I gently lifted the yellow beanie hat covering his head just a bit and planted a soft kiss on his forehead. I, then, gave him a second one for good measure. As my eyes panned down to his slightly pouting lips, I mentally scolded myself for momentarily craving to feel them against my own. The man is laying in a hospital bed and yet I’m consumed with my own childish and temporary fantasies.

I kicked off my sneakers and curled up into the chair. I didn’t expect it to be comfortable but it isn’t as bad as I thought it would be. The cushion is soft enough to keep my back and bottom without aches throughout the night.

Lastly, I covered myself in the blanket smothered with his scent and propped up the pillow that smelled just the same right under my head.

“Sweet dreams, O.”

Within a half an hour, I was having sweet dreams of my own.

[readingontheedge]

Princess of Dragons

Dragon Mage Academy Book 1

by Cordelia Castel

Genre: YA Fantasy

 A disguised princess. A murder most malicious. A dragon condemned to death.

Desperate to escape a forced marriage, seventeen-year-old Princess Alba disguises herself to join the all-male Dragon Mage Academy.

Her plans go wrong when a dragon accused of murder forms a telepathic link: the deepest possible bond between dragon and rider. 

And it can only mean one thing:

If the dragon is executed, Alba will die.

With her fate intertwined with that of the condemned dragon, Alba must prove its innocence to save both their lives.

But can she achieve this before the Academy’s rigorous regime breaks Alba’s spirit?

If you like Eragon and Dragon Riders of Pern, you will love this page-turning fantasy adventure! 

Goodreads * Amazon

Poacher of Dragons

Dragon Mage Academy Book 2

 Alba and Fyrian face another challenge — all the dragon eggs vanish from a magically secured incubator, leading the dragons of Mount Fornax to revolt. With the already country on the brink of civil war, an outbreak of furious dragons will leave it vulnerable to King Magnar’s army of invaders. Alba and Fyrian suspect the devious warlord of ordering the theft, but they cannot act without evidence. They have twelve hours to retrieve the eggs, or the dragons will break through the wards of Mount Fornax and burn the country to ashes. Now, Alba and Fyrian must uncover King Magnar’s deception before he transports the eggs across the border. 

  Goodreads * Amazon 

Plague of Dragons

Dragon Mage Academy Book 3

  When disease strikes the dragons of Mount Fornax, Alba and Fyrian suspect the sinister new troll instructor of performing dark alchemy. 

But a twist of magic sends suspicion falling onto Alba, making her the target of unwelcome scrutiny. With Fyrian too weak to help, Alba must join forces with an old enemy to to uncover the truth behind the plague before it turns deadly. 

Goodreads * Amazon

We stood on a grassy, outdoor terrace of verdant greens brightened by the afternoon sun. It stretched about twenty feet in width and ran all around the mountain. On our left was a grass-covered mountainside with the same vegetation growing beneath our feet. The terraces below were even wider, some growing fruit trees, others crops. They stretched out in an endless stream of green, and several levels below, stood cattle grazing on the grass.

My breath caught. The landscape reminded me a little of home, but instead of an expanse of fields and forests stretching for leagues, we were on the side of a mountain in full view of the surrounding scrubland.

'This is level one of Mount Fornax'. He pointed upwards. 'The reception building is a level up.'

It was difficult to see the surface of the mountain from where we stood, although I did catch glimpses of tree branches.

Phoenix strode ahead, gesturing to the left wall. 'Each dragon has their own spacious stall, and everyone gets a good view of the skies. The stalls also link to a communal area in the hollow of the mountain.'

I continued after him and stopped at a giant opening in the wall. A crocodile-green dragon lounged deep within a cavern, resting its head on folded arms. Shadows obscured most of its features except for a thick, serpentine scale adorned with horns.

'What a lovely dragon.' I reached my hand out, only to meet an invisible barrier. 'Ouch!'

The tip of its tail flicked at me, and I hurried away.

We continued over the terrace. 'How many dragons live in Mount Fornax?'

Phoenix rubbed the back of his head. 'That depends on how you define a dragon. Including eggs and cocoons, I suppose we have about seven hundred.'

I was about to ask what he meant about cocoons, but an ear-piercing roar shook me to the marrow. My head snapped to the side, and I stared into another stall. The dragon lying inside widened slitted, scarlet eyes that seemed to reach into my soul. Each eye was as big as my head, and the dragon’s head was as high as I was tall. My breath caught, and I stilled, not taking my eyes off the massive predator.

'How friendly!' said Ivan from up ahead.

This dragon looked nothing like Aunt Cendrilla’s steed, Fogo. Its face was shaped like that of a lion, with a regal snout and emerald green scales instead of fur. Where there would have been a mane, scale-covered horns, each as long as my legs, curved back from the top of its head. Olive-colored horns protruded from its lower jaw.

When the dragon rose to its feet, it did so with the grace of a giant cat, but its body reminded me of the iguanas that dwelled on the tropical forest region of Bluebeard Mountain. It stood on thick, muscular legs with forearm-length claws splayed out for balance.

'Ah,' replied Phoenix. 'That's the dragon I caught lurking around the courtyard.'

'The..'Words caught in my throat. I coughed. 'The one who killed Mr. Jankin?'

'No one else could have done it.' Phoenix walked back and stood next to Ivan.

 'Madam Maritimus' security witches accounted for the whereabouts of all the others.'

I shook my head. Although whatever caused the fire was hot enough to turn a man and his desk into char, something still didn't add up. 'This dragon could never have fit through the hallways, let alone the doors.'

The green dragon tilted its head to the side, its eyes seeming to track our every word.

'Jankin’s office had a skylight,' replied Phoenix.

Ivan nodded. 'That makes sense. The dragon could have blasted poor Mr. Jankin from above.'

Phoenix didn’t reply for a long time, then he raised a shoulder. 'I wouldn’t exactly describe Jankin in such sympathetic terms, but I suppose even he didn't deserve a fiery death. 

About the Author

When Cordelia Castel isn't riding dragons or trying on glass slippers, she's writing tales about heroines who wield weapons, defeat the villain and save the prince all in time for the ball.

Cordelia is the author of two young adult series: The Seven Kingdoms: an action-packed, Young Adult series where all the fairytale heroes and villains exist, and it's next generation, Dragon Mage Academy, set in the same world.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads  

Giveaway

Follow the tour HERE for exclusive content and a giveaway! 

https://www.silverdaggertours.com/sdsxx-tours/dragon-mage-academy-book-tour-and-giveaway 

Win Dragon Swag!

*Leather dragon notebook * Leather dragon treasure chest * Dragon Mage notebook * Dragon Mage pen * Cordelia Castel pen * Ceramic dragon pen

[flowerpot101]

His Love

Clark Kent x Reader

Request: Can I request an imagine where Clark meets his soulmate and then they've been together a long time and everyone just kinda admires their relationship and thinks it's really cute and stuff how much they love each other and act cheesy with each other but are different to everyone else? Thanks

Word Count: 2091

She knew it was soon before she would meet him, her clock slowly ticked down to zero as she walked. Her apartment was just a block away when someone ran passed her and snatched her purse from her shoulder causing her to fall forward to the ground. Quickly getting up and running after the man, he was far too ahead of for her to catch up. Slowing down her pace as she came to a stop in the middle of the sidewalk, she let out a huff; there was no way for her to get her purse back since there was no one else on the streets but her.

Turning around to go to her apartment, she heard a swooshing noise behind her, “Excuse me, ma’am?” She heard from behind her.

Turning around, she took a step back when she came face to face with Superman. Looking down to his hand she saw him holding her purse, lifting the bag forward, “I believe this is yours.”

Y/n let out a sigh of relief and nodded her head, “Yes it is thank you so much.” As she reached for her purse to take it from him, their hands met and an electric shock went through them.

They’re eyes widened as they realized what just happened, her head turned down to her wrist and saw the clock had hit zero. Looking back up to him with her mouth agape, she breathed in, “I gotta go.” Beginning to back away, “Thank you again!” She said as she ran off to her apartment and away from him.

That had been a week ago, she felt so stupid for running off like the way she did but who wouldn’t? She had just found her soulmate and it was fricken Superman. She needed time to absorb in the new information, she knew if needed that she could find him easily. When she had gotten home that night, her clock had finally fallen off, over the next couple of days, people kept asking her questions about it but she just shrugged it off and giving them a short reply.

Today she was at one of her favorite cafes for lunch; it wasn’t as busy as other days which she greatly appreciated. It was just her and a couple of other costumers, and then she heard the bell ring indicating someone had just walked in. Looking up she saw Clark, one of the people that also worked at the Daily Planet. They had never met for they were on separate floors and did different things.

For some reason as she looked at him, something felt familiar to her like she knew him. Clark turned around when he felt someone starring at him, there he saw you sitting at one of the tables all alone. His eyes widened when he realized it was you, turning back around to order his drink as he waited, he tried to come up with a plan to talk to you. Grabbing his drink and turning to go walk towards you, you were already gone. Clark let out a deep sigh and headed back to work.

                                     The Next Day.

 Clark just got out of a meeting, while he walked back to his cubicle, he saw Y/n talking to Lois. He knew this was the perfect time to do this, walking about to the two woman he let out a small grunt letting them know of his presence. The two turned around with smiles on both of their faces.

“What can we do for you Clark?” Lois asked.

Then Clark was hit with nerves, “Uhm…” Swallowing deeply before continuing, “I was wondering if I could talk with Y/n… privately.”

Y/n eyes furrowed down wondering what he wanted since they didn’t exactly work together, “Sure… Do you want to go to the roof?” Y/n said hesitantly.

Clark nodded his head then they were off to the elevator, Lois just watched as the two went with a smirk upon her face. She knew about the run-in you had with Superman last week and she couldn’t be any happier for the two of you.

Y/n looked out to the horizon of the city, listening to all the buzzing noises around her. Turning to look at Clark as he fumbled with his hands in apprehension, she tilted her head before asking, “So, what was it that you wanted to speak to me about?”

Clark looked up at her; he couldn’t help but look at how beautiful she looked as the sun hit the side of her face slightly. He had no clue on how he was going to tell her that they were soulmates, he was worried to death when she would realize that he was Superman. He didn’t want to put her life at risk but the bond between them kept getting stronger by the day.

“Clark? Is everything okay? You look like you’re going to be sick,” she said in her sweet tone.

He nodded his head before taking a deep breath in, “I need to show you something and I need you to promise me you won’t freak out.” He said while walking towards the ledge.

“Okay,” she said hesitantly. “Why don’t we step away from the ledge though?”

Letting out a deep sigh, he began to fall forward, letting gravity take him, and he could hear her run towards the ledge as she yelled out his name. As she looked over, she couldn’t see him anymore then a whoosh of air hit her face and a loud thump was heard behind her. Turning around abruptly, her hair swinging around her, she stared wide eyes with her mouth agape; Clark who had just fallen off the ledge, now stood before her like nothing had happened.

“W-what… Wha-at…” She couldn’t form any words; she was stunned with what she had just seen. Quickly shaking her head to make it clear, “What in the world was that?!” She yelled out.

Clark just stood there before taking his glasses off, “I’m Superman,” he said quietly and unsure.

Her eyes widened as her head tilted backwards slightly, her mouth kept opening and closing like a fish, trying to come to terms with what he just told her. Then it hurt her, “Oh. My. God.” She whispered out to herself before her head looked towards him and softly said, “We’re soulmates.”

Clark nodded his head then she began to laugh hysterically, her hands came up to the top her head, he stepped forward, “If you don’t want to be with me then—“

Interrupting him, she shouted out, “Of course I want to be with you!” Walking towards him, “Clark, you’re an amazing and sweet guy, why wouldn’t I want to be with you?”

“Because being with me means putting your life at risk,” Clark said sadly.

Y/n’s hand came up to cup the side of his face, “I know. But if it means that I get to be with you, the one who was meant to be, then I don’t care.”

They both smiled at one another while they stared into one another’s eyes. Their bond was growing and blossoming into something like no other. They stood there for another couple of minutes before returning back to their work places, making a promise to one another to meet up when work was over.

                                     Four Years Later.

 Y/n watched Barry spar with Arthur in the bat cave as she remembered the time she and Clark had found one another. She still couldn’t believe they had been together for four years now. Clark hadn’t returned from the mission that he had left earlier in the day for but she knew he would be here shortly.

Over the past couple of years, she and the Justice League have gotten quite close; Bruce even had let her work down in the cave from time to time. When Alfred can’t help out with a mission, she’s the one that will stay back and speak to them through their ear pieces. She and Diana had gotten quite close since they were the only females. Arthur and Y/n were good friends; she was always there for him when he started to deeply miss Mera. Victor and Barry were another story; they were both young so she always made sure to watch out of them the most. But overall, everyone was happy as they could be.

Y/n turned away from the two men sparring and walked up to the kitchen to make something to eat. She said a quick hello to Diana as she passed her and went into the kitchen. Quickly she began to make herself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, her thoughts began to wonder over to Clark, and recently it seemed like that was happening more often, to the point where it was the only thing on her mind.

As she began to spread the peanut butter across the bread she felt strong arms wrap around her and warmth engulfed her. She leant back into him as she continued making her sandwich; she then began to make one for Clark knowing that he most likely was hungry after the mission. Clark pulled away so she could put everything away, he grabbed his sandwich watching her with love then she came walking back over and hopped onto the island in the middle of the room to sit.

They both ate their sandwiches together, Clark had his back leant against the counter across from her. Both were having their own private conversation while everyone else watched from the adjoined dining room. Y/n couldn’t hear what was being said but Clark did and she knew he was listening when his smile kept growing, he couldn’t help it though, not when they’re gushing about how adorable they are together or how lucky he was to have Y/n in his life and as a soulmate. Both of them stayed where they were for a little bit longer, laughing and chatting away.

Y/n hopped off the island, dusting off any crumbs that had gotten on her and went to go wash her hands and as she grabbed the towel, Clark repeated the same action. Once again Clark had his arms around her and leaned down to plant a small kiss against her lips, pulling away slightly as small smiles graced their lips, he then plants another kiss upon her lips.

They could hear awes coming though the kitchen, pulling away from one another as everyone walked in.

“You guys are so adorable,” Diana cooed out to you.

Y/n smiled as she looked down to the floor, slowly she began to become shy; she was always a private and shy person when it came to her love life or personal life in general. She and Clark tried to stray away from public affection when everyone was around. They didn’t want anyone to feel awkward or bad that they hadn’t found their soulmates yet. Everyone talked amongst themselves, all about different things from new video games to tactics for future missions.

Y/n watched as Clark talked with Bruce, his face became moody the more they talked between one another. But turned away when he caught her starring causing him to smirk her way, she began to get up and go stand by him when she saw that their talking was becoming heated. Y/n didn’t want any yelling or arguing, and with those two, it was bound to happen. She gently grabbed Clark’s hand beginning to pull him away, he looked down at her and she gave him a look that told him not to fight her. He let out a sigh before letting her pull him away from the conversation he was having with Bruce.

She said a quick goodbye to everyone as they laughed and once out of the kitchen, Clark’s hands were on her again and her laughter was filling the hallway. He began to tickle her while they walked upstairs and from the kitchen they could feel everyone’s eyes on them as they watched in admiration. Y/n then ran up the stair to get away from Clark as quickly as she could before he attacked her. But it was too late; he had already picked her up into his arms and began his attack of tickles.

Downstairs in the kitchen, everyone could hear their laughter. All of them couldn’t be any happier for the two and for the ones who still hadn’t found their soulmates; it gave them hope that they would have something similar to what you two had.

@dekahg

[upshotre]

From Football to Golf- Osaze turns handicap 4 golfer after retirement

Football is a truly global game and Osaze Odemwingie knows that better than most. Born in Tashkent, the capital of modern-day Uzbekistan, to a Nigerian father and a Russian mother, he played for clubs in seven different countries, spread across three continents. “I was very driven career-wise and I love this game,” Odemwingie says. “I don’t know why some people can’t settle in another country. The dressing room is full of boys – it’s always lively and you can always find someone to get close to and have a bond with. “I never struggled to adapt. I really enjoyed the football itself and that was the language that was more important than anything.” After spending the first 18 months of his life in the Soviet Union, Odemwingie and his parents left for Nigeria. Seven years later they returned to Russia, going from Tashkent to Chelny, where their son’s career started in earnest as he was recruited to the CSKA Moscow academy. Then, at the age of 17, he moved back to Nigeria again, turning professional with Bendel Insurance, where he scored 19 goals in 53 league appearances. “My parents had finished their studies, and salaries for doctors were not great in Russia at that time. With their degrees, Nigeria was more appealing and they could do more work. That was the main reason, but also my dad believed that my career would progress better through Nigeria than Russia so we went and he was right.” Odemwingie earned a call up to the Nigeria squad in April 2002, winning his first cap against Kenya, and signed for La Louvière that same summer. He won the Belgian Cup in his first season and by 2004 had impressed enough to get a move to Lille, where he believes he played his best football. “The Premier League was the toughest challenge and the hardest place to get good numbers, but I think I was probably sharpest at Lille in terms of movement, speed and goals. “I was more mature in the Premier League, but Lille was a great time as well. We played in the Champions League and knocked Manchester United out of the group one year. We beat AC Milan away at the San Siro to get through to the next round and I scored.” After two years of competing with Europe’s best, Lille slipped to mid-table in Odemwingie’s final season as the squad started to be picked apart. Kader Keita and Mathieu Bodmer left to join a dominant Lyon while Odemwingie went to Lokomotiv Moscow. There had been interest from Roma and Werder Bremen, but the Russian side made the decisive move. “There were a few options that I could have waited for, but the first team that put money down on the table for Lille was Lokomotiv Moscow and they accepted it. “I thought it was a step back maybe in terms of the league, but they always played in European competitions. It was also a chance to live with my mom again because at the age of 14 I left. She moved back to Moscow then and she’s still working very hard to this day. She loves her job.” Lokomotiv won the Russian Cup the year that Odemwingie arrived, but they didn’t enjoy great success during his time there. Regardless, he enjoyed being back in the place where it all began. “I love Russia. It’s my country. I grew up there. There were some negative parts, but it’s my motherland and I love it. I always kept in touch with my classmates and I just returned from there recently. I love the language, the cinema and the jokes. Moscow is a top city.” Unfortunately, Odemwingie’s departure from Lokomotiv brought some of the worst elements of Russian society to the fore. Racist banners targeting the striker were displayed by supporters following his move to West Bromwich Albion. Odemwingie is keen to stress that racism is far from unique to Russia, as the rise in incidents of abuse in England, both in stadiums and on social media, has shown. “Russia has a bad reputation, but we see today that it’s everywhere in the world. It’s a crowd mentality. It’s aggression, it’s alcohol, it’s youths misbehaving. I think it’s everywhere around the world. Of course it wasn’t great to experience that, but sadly it’s a problem in industries like football where there is a lot of money and a lot of envy. “But if you go to those same countries the general population are pretty tolerant and welcoming. Russia is no worse than any other country in Europe where we read headlines of racial abuse going on.” Move to England Although Odemwingie ended up at West Brom, it was actually local rivals Birmingham City who were the first club to make an offer for him ahead of the 2010 World Cup. Lokomotiv held firm as they thought that a good tournament would boost his value, but Nigeria crashed out at the group stage. So with one year left on his contract, West Bromwere able to pick Odemwingie up on the cheap. He soon became their star man. “I believed in myself. A lot of people were saying that it was the wrong club, that they go up and then they come down, but I have a strong intuition generally. I had a good feeling about the move and when I was signing the contract the sporting director said, ‘If you score goals here, everything else will fall into place.’ “I happened to score the winner on my debut within two days of joining the club, and I won Player of the Month for the first complete month I played in England. I settled into the league well.” It was an ideal start and he scored 15 goals that season as West Brom were rescued from the threat of relegation by Roy Hodgson, eventually rising to 11th place. Odemwingie was again named Player of the Month for April. He would repeat the trick once more in his second season after bagging a hat-trick against Wolves on the way to a top-half finish. “It’s a dream league. It’s so simple yet so complicated. Coming from Russia, where you’d sometimes spend three days in the clubhouse before home games, I couldn’t believe that in England you’d just drive up to the stadium on the day like it’s Sunday league,” he laughs. “But as soon as I arrived at The Hawthorns for the first time I started seeing the fans walking up and I could feel that there was something in the air in the dressing room. There was a lot of music playing and the players were so relaxed. It was like the quiet before the storm when I walked out on the pitch. They gave me a great reception straight away.” Eagerly embraced by Albion supporters on his arrival, Odemwingie’s relationship with them soured in his third season as he grew frustrated at a lack of playing time and looked to move elsewhere. “Steve Clarke came in as manager. I have a lot of respect for Steve, but he has his own managerial style and at the time it wasn’t something I liked. He often put me on the bench without saying anything, even if my last game had been fantastic. This was something new I had to deal with and I think if we had more communication maybe I’d have been less angry about it. “He moved me out of my striking role onto the wing. In my first two seasons I’d been top scorer for a reason, because I played through the middle. I had to deal with that at the same time as being one of the players they rotated. “There was all this talk that I wanted to leave because Queens Park Rangers were giving out big contracts, and that it was money-motivated, but the summer before I’d had massive offers from the Middle East and I never even gave them a single thought. “I thought I still had a lot to offer the game and the Brazil World Cup was around the corner so I needed to be playing. I was a bit angry that the club never protected my image. They made people think that money was my motivation, but that was never the case.” QPR truth The saga reached a slightly absurd climax when Odemwingie was interviewed in his car outside Loftus Road on transfer deadline day in January 2013, having driven down in the hope that an agreement could be reached. It never was as Junior Hoilett belatedly pulled out of a potential swap. “If all parties that took part in that whole situation would have said exactly what happened then everyone would have understood. But nobody spoke about it because it wasn’t in their interests to do so. I took the hit myself. I was that close that they prepared a shirt with my name on. “From what I knew, we had agreed everything. They were working on bringing Junior Hoilett to West Brom and apparently him changing his mind at the last minute is what killed the deal. I wasn’t aware of that; otherwise I wouldn’t have gone anywhere.” Odemwingie criticised the club publicly for what transpired and was fined two weeks’ wages. He was eventually integrated back into the first team but felt stung by the way perceptions of him had changed. “It was annoying to listen to West Brom fans singing that I was greedy when people inside the club knew what was going on between me and a few of my colleagues and Steve Clarke. They knew my ambitions and I always gave my best in games. It was a bit sad that, as they say in England, they hung me out to dry. “It was a sad story, but most importantly my relationship with the club survived the hit. I played for them with honesty and I loved it there. I can’t forget them singing to me throughout the games. You can’t blame fans – they see, they read, they react. I could absolutely understand their anger.” The wounds gradually healed, leaving Odemwingie and the Albion supporters to focus on the good times instead, but a parting of the ways was still in everyone’s best interests. Following a short and somewhat disappointing spell at promoted Cardiff City, Odemwingie found the fresh start and redemption he was looking for at Stoke. “I was happy to return closer to Birmingham. I lived there and I was settled there. I was happy to join Stoke and it was really nice that people didn’t judge me based on what they’d heard. When I walked into the dressing room, nobody was putting my attitude under the microscope. “At Stoke, the dressing room was really fun. I hit the ground running thanks to Mark Hughes, who trusted me, and the supporters sang the song – ‘He scores goals.’” They continued to do so even though Odemwingie missed a lot of football after he suffered a cruciate ligament injury when stretching to keep the ball in play during a win over Manchester City. The backing he received was much appreciated. “That was something that I’ll never forget. When I needed fans the most in my career they were absolutely there for me.” With opportunities scarce following his return from injury, Odemwingie went on loan to Bristol City and then spent a few months at Rotherham United after being released by Stoke. When that contract came to an end, he embarked on a new adventure on the other side of the world. “I only recovered from a calf injury in April and the leagues everywhere were finishing. I had this offer on the table from Madura United in Indonesia. The only place I knew there was Bali and the town was really close. I thought it would be good to retire in a beautiful place.” It was a fun final swansong for Odemwingie, who scored 15 goals in 22 games, but he didn’t officially hang up his boots until earlier this year. Tempted to prolong his career, and confident that he could still perform in the Championship at the age of 38, it was a difficult decision. For now the former Nigeria international is excelling at another sport. He only started playing golf when he came to England but is already down to a handicap of four. A regular at his local club and in various tournaments, sometimes alongside other ex-footballers, he’s seeing how far he can go. There are other ambitions too, including coaching and completing a degree. “I’m happy that I’ve retired and I’m looking forward to the next part of my life,” he says. “I will be doing my coaching badges slowly and starting my education. “The next five years I’m going to dedicate to education and pursue a degree just to tick that box. I have an urge to study, probably because my parents are doctors and it’s somewhere in my genes, calling me to do something outside of sport.”

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[omgmarysuebs-blog]

Pokemon OC | Aaliyah Hale Grace review

So here’s the next kawaii little edgy girl we’ve found, this time it’s a Pokemon OC and everything about her is just... my god, so stupid. But read for yourselves.

"They say people work through their stages of grief. I was thick into the anger phase. Depression was supposed to be next. Then, if one was normal, acceptance. They say it's the healthy, sane thing to do. It's too bad I wasn’t either of those things." -- Excerpt from The Hurricane Child (Hale's Origin Story) Well, that sounds... depressing. Rather dark for a Pokemon OC don't you think? But I mean fine, let’s not get too ahead of ourselves. As the only pair of twins in tiny Pallet Town, the Grace sisters were always a bit of an anomaly. As the more outgoing of the two, it was Rayn who inherited all the Trainer genes in the family, and left for her journey at eleven. She made it all the way to the Kanto League Elite Four, but ultimately lost to Lance. Her second journey took her to Sinnoh. While her sister was creating waves in the Sinnoh League, Hale was perfectly content working as Professor Oak's assistant. She had the same ambition and pride as her sister, but channeled them in other activities closer to home. However, one day, when she receives a call from the Sinnohan authorities, informing her that her sister has gone missing and is presumed dead, Hale's world turns upside down. How do these people know that her sister has gone missing? She's a traveller and on an adventure so she usually wouldn't stay too long in one place right? And she set off on her own. Why is she presumed dead? And why do these "Sinnohan authorities" call her and not her mother or something? Hale is just a child. Due to a lack of leads, evidence or witnesses, Rayn's case is closed and investigation concluded. Furious, Hale sets off to Sinnoh herself, armed with only a PokeDex and one of Oak's test subjects as a Starter, desperate for answers. Alone in a strange, foreign land, Hale realizes there are secrets to her sister's disappearance that go all the way to the top -- and if she wants to know what happened to her sister, she might have to beat the truth out of Cynthia herself. First off why is she even presumed dead if there are no evidences or witnesses whatsoever? And cases like hers don't just get closed like that. Why did she take a test subject from Prof. Oak as a starter and not a normal pokemon? And why the heck does she wanna beat Cynthia so bad? What does Cynthia have to do with that??   Personality: Growing up with a sister like Rayn, who excelled at everything, Hale always lingered in the shadows. Of course, this was the way she preferred it. While she came out of her shell a little after Rayn left on her journey, Hale was always a little more subdued than her twin sister, but much more resourceful and tough-as-nails. If Rayn was gold, Hale was iron. Hale's pride is both her greatest strength and her fatal flaw. From a young age, she was taught that life doesn't owe you anything; if you want something, you have to work at it. It's this lesson that shapes her as a person, a trainer and -- later in life -- a Champion. However, it's this same trait that has landed her in countless messes, some of which she wasn't able to sweet-talk her way out of. Hale is incredibly self-aware, knowing exactly what her strengths are and where she needs to work harder. If there's something she wants, she will go after it with a frightening ruthlessness, no matter who she has to step on to get there. Blue sometimes refers to her as the world's most useless sociopath, as she has an almost-entrepreneurial criminal mindset when it comes to certain things, but will entirely fail at everything else. She isn't entirely lacking in emotion, however; the people she cares most about are those who have managed to worm their way into her inner-circle, while everyone else is expendable. I can't see Blue ever saying something like that and also criminal mindset? I mean... ok. The rest is fine though. Sign Language Hale was taught sign language by her mother's mute Gardevoir, Skittles, who was very strict about using them to communicate. While her mother was fluent in it, having spent her entire life with the Gardevoir, Hale would sometimes forget and speak out loud, which would result in Skittles tripping her psychically. Hale was forced to practice with Skittles every day, until it came naturally to her. These days, this is what she uses to talk with Red and communicate battle strategies to Ozzie. Why would a mute Gardevoir need to know how to use sign language? Pokemon only ever say their own name in the anime or just make weird noises in the games. They don't need sign language. Why would the Gardevoir force her to learn this and even punish her when she forgot to use it? I see no sense in this. Btw Red is not mute and she isn't either, she could still talk normally with him even if HE was. And why does she need sign language to talk to her pokemon? Why does Ozzie know sign language??

Music Hale is a pretty good singer. She doesn't have the skills of an opera singer, but she can hit a few decently high notes. She also carries around a small harmonica that she's had since the age of three. Her team is very fond of it, and one of their favourite downtime actitivies is gathering around her to hear her play. Glory also joins her sometimes, tweeting along to the music.

Battling Despite the fact that she never wanted to be a Trainer, Hale finds that she's a natural at battling. Strategies and team-building comes fairly easily to her, and her ability to communicate with her Pokemon without spoken commands makes her unpredictable to her opponents. Even Cynthia, who she has a pretty antagonistic relationship with, grudgingly respects her skills in this field. So she even communicates with them with sign language during battle? Are the pokemon supposed to always look at her for commands during a fight? That's pretty unpractical. And why does Cynthia hold such a grudge against her? Pokemon Team: Oh my god get prepared ya’ll. Jason [ team member ] Garchomp Jason was one of Professor Oak's lab experiments, a trade between him and Professor Rowan to study dragons from each other's regions, Oak having sent him a Dratini in exchange. When Hale sets out for Sinnoh, Professor Oak gives her the Gible as a Starter along with his blessings. Jason and Hale have a rough start, but it develops into an unbreakable bond, the two considering each other family. As the oldest and strongest member, Jason keeps the whole team in line, with the others following his orders as much as they do Hale's. Jason is the team's Ace. He has a strong sense of justice and will always be the voice of reason whenever Hale decides to do any... less-than-reputable things. So the two trade pokemon to study them but then he just decides to give it to Hale instead? Wheres the point in that? I also think that a dragon type for a starter is a little bit extreme but whatever. Ferro [ team member ] Lucario Ferro was the result of a trade-gone-wrong and Hale ended up with a Riolu she never really wanted. She tried to return him, but upon running his details through the database, she was told he'd changed hands so much, it was impossible to match him with any one single trainer. He'd just fallen through the cracks and was forgotten. Feeling terrible, Hale decides to give him a permanent home. Ferro adores his trainer, seeing her as his savior and mistress. The hero-worship makes Hale uncomfortable, but she loves him all the same. Ferro is the team's Brawler. After an accident where his chest-spike is ripped off, Hale jams the Lucarionite in there to prevent him from bleeding out, after which he remains in semi-permanent mega-form. Okay so this is the biggest bullshit. Alright how did this trade go wrong exactly? Why would nobody want a Riolu?? They're pretty damn popular actually. And now for the worst part: the Lucarionite-incident. WTF is wrong with you that you just ram that thing into its chest and then just LEAVE IT THERE instead of idk going to the pokemon centre to get him healed/saved or anything like that??? There's a reason you can only use these stones once in battle, it's because it's super exhausting for the pokemon to be in this state. This Lucario would be on his knees all the time. And semi-permament mega-form? How wonderfully kawaii and overpowered. What was going through this persons mind when they came up with this? That poor pokemon. Btw how do you rip off a chest spike... sounds pretty stupid really. Indra [ team member ] Luxray Indra was captured as a Shinx and trained to perform in a circus. However, he was too feral and unpredictable to control, which resulted in the death of his trainer. Hale happened to be in town just as the circus was about to leave and the ringmaster literally paid her to take the Shinx. Indra is the wildest, most dangerous of Hale's team members, and the older he grows, the more she fears he'll snap. Eventually, she strikes a deal with him: as long as he doesn't kill them all in their sleep, he can stay with her and grow stronger. Else, she'll leave him behind and his skills will never improve. Indra is the team's Wallbreaker. Eventually he comes to terms with his trainer, and while they'll never be best-buds, there's mutual respect between them. Why would you take a pokemon that has killed it's own trainer before? And one that could literally kill all of you any second. What a responsible person Hale is, right? Indra is clearly not made to be in a pokemon team. And why does every member need to have such an edgy story and not just "got caught on this route"? But of course that wouldn't be special snowflakey enough. Glory [ team member --deceased-- ] Pidgeot Glory was the first member of the team that Hale actually caught -- well, not exactly. Hale wanted a Pokemon that could fly her around (a dragon is not comfortable for long journeys) and decided on a Starly, but her aim was so off, the pokeball ended up catching a Pidgey instead. Glory is incredibly high-maintenance and will straight-up refuse orders she deems as "inconvenient", but she also has a strong maternal instinct and eventually comes to see the team as her fledglings. Glory is injured badly during Hale's championship showdown against Cynthia, brought down by Cynthia's Garchomp. Hale chooses to wait until the match ends to take her to the Pokemon Center, by which time it's too late and Glory succumbs to her injuries. Hale has never forgiven herself for putting her victory over her Pokemon's life, which is why the Championship title means nothing to her. This trainer doesn't seem to care much about her pokemon, does she. First Ferro, then Indra and now this. But hurray it's the first pokemon she's actually caught herself! So to make it a special snowflake it had to die and to also make Hale more edgy because pff the championship title now is useless to her. What is happening, I thought Pokemon is happy and not so extremely dark. Ariel [ team member ] Togekiss Ariel is a gift from Red, who adopts her from the Johto Daycare Center, after he hears of Hale's Championship tragedy. Still reeling from the loss of one Pokemon and having lost complete faith in herself as a good trainer, Ariel turns out to be a miracle at a time when Hale desperately needs one. Hale is incredibly protective of Ariel, terrified that she'll lose her if she ever lets her fight, but Ariel turns out to be more than capable of holding her own, even relishing in the thrill of battle. Ariel is the team's Tank. Despite her adorable appearance and personality, she earns quite a reputation as a harbinger of doom whenever Hale releases her into a fight. Another pokemon she didn't catch herself. How nice of Red right? Inari [ team member ] Ninetails Inari is a bit of a legend in Sinnoh -- not only are Ninetales a rare species for the region, a shiny Ninetales is one of a kind. Hale knows Cynthia has her eye on the creature, and sets out to capture her for the sole reason of pissing her off. Of course, Inari is a fiercely proud pokemon who won't serve a trainer, but Hale manages to convince her that she's the least of all evils. Inari finds it difficult at first to find her place in the team, unused to the life of a trained Pokemon, but she and Hale manage to bond over their shared loathing of Cynthia. Inari is the team's Sweeper. There's something very mysterious about her, almost otherworldly, that creeps people out. There's a rumor going around Sinnoh that she reaps the souls of those who piss her trainer off. What is the problem with this author??? Why is Cynthia such a bitch in her book? Why would Inari hate Cynthia for trying to catch her but not Hale who literally only wants her to piss Cynthia off? Of course she needs this edgy legend about her because she's not already special enough. And every trainer OC needs at least one shiny in their team. Classic. Ozymandias [ team member ] Vaporeon Hale bumps into Ozzie when they're both lost in Eterna Forest. She spends over a week looking for his trainer, until she's finally forced to accept that he's been abandoned there, and considers taking him, as an Eevee could evolve to fill any potential weak-spot in her team. She can't understand why anyone would abandon that. When she takes him to the Center for a check-up, she learns why. He's diagnosed with a hyperactive-personality disorder that makes it hard for him to even focus on orders during the chaos of a battle, let alone follow through on them. Hale, who's always loved a challenge, devises an entirely new form of battling tailored specifically to Ozzie, relying only on hand-signals instead of words. Ozzie is the team's Wildcard. He's incredibly impulsive and prone to getting himself and his team into trouble, but escapes unscathed every time due to his incredible luck. And the last special snowflake. You can't have one normal pokemon can you? And again with the hand-signals. This pokemon has a hyperactive-personality disorder so it shouldn't be able to focus on anything for a longer time. Training it with hand-signals is like the worst you could do with such a pokemon. And I still don't understand how this is even supposed to work during battle. So that's that. Now let's look at some of her trivia. We didn't put the whole thing because it's mostly boring stuff but here are a few that stood out to us. Hale never set out to be a trainer -- she just wanted to find her sister -- which is why most of her team consists of rejects and outcasts who end up coming along for the ride, instead of pokemon she actually captured for the sole purpose of battling. This doesn't change the fact that Hale and her entire team are still one giant special snowflake. Btw if she just wanted to find her sister why did she go through the whole thing and even battles the elite four and the champion too? After story-events, she debates about giving up her place as Champion and returning to Pallet, but decides not to because Cynthia would be in charge again until a new Champion can be crowned, and Hale would rather be trapped in Sinnoh than allow that to happen. WHat is her deal with Cynthia I still don't get it! Who cares if she's Champion again I thought Hale only cared about finding her sister anyway?? She grew up admiring both Lance and Cynthia, although story-events lead to her losing her respect for both of them Lance too now? What had to happen for a person to lose their respect completely for people they originally admired a lot? EXPLAIN girl, what are you doing. Alright so our advice:

Give more explanations for her story and especially her hate for Cynthia. Tone it down with the special snowflake syndrom. Give her a few normal pokemon. And for fucks sake SAVE THAT LUCARIO. Don’t do that kind of shit people, please.

All in all just don’t make such fake edgy and creepy characters for a jolly fandom like pokemon. It just doesn’t fit and feels out of place. I could never see Hale in the official anime or in a game.

[readincolour]

New Books Coming Your Way, April 4, 2017

No One is Coming to Save Us by Stephanie Powell Watts 384 p.; Fiction JJ Ferguson has returned home to Pinewood, North Carolina, to build his dream house and to pursue his high school sweetheart, Ava. But as he reenters his former world, where factories are in decline and the legacy of Jim Crow is still felt, he’s startled to find that the people he once knew and loved have changed just as much as he has. Ava is now married and desperate for a baby, though she can’t seem to carry one to term. Her husband, Henry, has grown distant, frustrated by the demise of the furniture industry, which has outsourced to China and stripped the area of jobs. Ava’s mother, Sylvia, caters to and meddles with the lives of those around her, trying to fill the void left by her absent son. And Don, Sylvia’s unworthy but charming husband, just won’t stop hanging around. JJ’s return—and his plans to build a huge mansion overlooking Pinewood and woo Ava—not only unsettles their family, but stirs up the entire town. The ostentatious wealth that JJ has attained forces everyone to consider the cards they’ve been dealt, what more they want and deserve, and how they might go about getting it. Can they reorient their lives to align with their wishes rather than their current realities? Or are they all already resigned to the rhythms of the particular lives they lead? The Most Beautiful: My Life with Prince by Mayte Garcia 304 p.; Biography In The Most Beautiful, a title inspired by the hit song Prince wrote about their legendary love story, Mayte Garcia for the first time shares the deeply personal story of their relationship and offers a singular perspective on the music icon and their world together: from their unconventional meeting backstage at a concert (and the long-distance romance that followed), to their fairy-tale wedding (and their groundbreaking artistic partnership), to the devastating losses that ultimately dissolved their romantic relationship for good. Throughout it all, they shared a bond more intimate than any other in Prince's life. No one else can tell this story or can provide a deeper, more nuanced portrait of Prince--both the famously private man and the pioneering, beloved artist--than Mayte, his partner during some of the most pivotal personal and professional years of his career. The Most Beautiful is a book that will be returned to for decades, as Prince's music lives on with generations to come. What It Means When A Man Falls from the Sky by Lesley Nneka Arimah 240 p.; Fiction/Short Stories In “The Future Looks Good,” three generations of women are haunted by the ghosts of war. In “Second Chances,” a daughter greets her mother’s return from the dead with disbelief and anger. “Wild” revolves around a teenager on a visit back to Nigeria and the tenuous sisterhood she and her cousin attain after a disastrous night out shifts them onto uneasy new ground. A woman desperate for a child weaves one out of hair, with unsettling results, in “Who Will Greet You at Home.” In “Light,” a father grapples - movingly and humorously—with how best to raise, protect, and empower his young daughter. And in the title story, a world ravaged by flood, filled with refugees, and carved by class, a formula has been discovered that allows experts to “fix the equation of a person” - with rippling, unforeseen repercussions. Evocative, playful, defiant and incredibly human, What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky heralds the arrival of a prodigious talent with a remarkable career ahead of her. Once in a Blue Moon by Vicki Covington 256 p.; Fiction In Once in a Blue Moon, Vicki Covington's new novel set during Barack Obama's first presidential campaign, change is in the air. Readers follow a diverse community of renters in Southside Birmingham through one transformative year. In league with other great Southern novelists including Anne Tyler and Fannie Flagg, Covington writes with tenderness and humor while asking important questions about family, faith, race, class, and-ultimately-hope. The South Side: A Portrait of Chicago and American Segregation by Natalie Y. Moore 272 p.; Non-fiction/Sociology Mayors Richard M. Daley and Rahm Emanuel have touted Chicago as a “world-class city.” The skyscrapers kissing the clouds, the billion-dollar Millennium Park, Michelin-rated restaurants, pristine lake views, fabulous shopping, vibrant theater scene, downtown flower beds and stellar architecture tell one story. Yet swept under the rug is another story: the stench of segregation that permeates and compromises Chicago. Though other cities—including Cleveland, Los Angeles, and Baltimore—can fight over that mantle, it’s clear that segregation defines Chicago. And unlike many other major U.S. cities, no particular race dominates; Chicago is divided equally into black, white and Latino, each group clustered in its various turfs. In this intelligent and highly important narrative, Chicago native Natalie Moore shines a light on contemporary segregation in the city’s South Side; her reported essays showcase the lives of these communities through the stories of her family and the people who reside there. The South Side highlights the impact of Chicago’s historic segregation—and the ongoing policies that keep the system intact. Back to Your Love by Kianna Alexander 352 p.; Fiction/Romance Xavier Whitted, CPA and city council candidate, is excited to get away to the Crystal Coast for his best friend's wedding. He is shocked when he runs into his high school sweetheart there, the only woman he ever truly loved. Dr. Imani Grant is just about ready to open her own dermatology practice when old feelings for Xavier resurface. Imani isn't willing to let him back into her life, until Xavier starts a new campaign: win Imani back-no matter what it takes. March 31, 2017 at 11:00AM from ReadInColour.com http://ift.tt/2nnoqDr