#cade sampson

[soulinesims]

eva, her husand cade, and THEIR TWINS

[daughterofcain-67]

𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 (pt. 7)

(Beau Arlen x Female Reader)

(masterlist)

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: Beau finally has a lead on where you are and how he can get Andre in custody! Now it is just a matter of finding you and making sure that you’re safe and unharmed.

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: mentions of the kidnapping case, of course. Angry Beau. I think that might be it?

Previously

“No offense, Agent, but I’m pretty damn good at my job and I know what the hell I’m doing. I’ve been in this job long enough to know how to handle a situation like this. I’m not some damn rookie.”

“Fine, but I’m still going with you so it at least looks good on the papers. It is technically the FBI’s case still and we want these guys to go away for good. So try to keep that in mind while you’re trying to keep your cool.” He reminded as he walked out of the door.

Beau just glared at the agent. He knew Sampson was right about doing this by the book, but it still ticked him off. He wasn’t about to waste time on this. Sure he’ll do this by-the-book interview. But the moment things go south, Beau may need to make some plans to conduct an interview all on his own.

The sheriff went to his car and the agent ended up following him to the vehicle and they got in.

“Listen, I know you’re angry and I don’t know what kind of connection you have to the… captive.” Beau could hear the agent begin to speak, “I’ve been where you are with my wife before. It’s vital to keep your head on straight.”

“Hello, Sheriff. How can I be of assistance?” He asked.

Your eyes widened.

Beau was on the phone. He was really looking for you! He was looking for you right? You weren’t imagining all of this?

You had to do something, now was your chance! Andre didn’t take your mouth up or anything so you had to do something. This could be your only shot!

“Beau! He has me in some basement! He could go after Cade-“ a harsh stinging erupted on your face from where Andre smacked you.

“Oh no, Sheriff. That’s just some movie I’m watching at a friends house. He has a weird and nearly concerning taste in film. I can come and meet you to talk about the date in just a few moments. Let’s say… Tonya and Donno’s place? I’ve heard they have some great sandwiches. My treat.” Andre said.

“I have to get out of here.” You vowed and looked at your scabbed wrists and started to try and wiggle out of them yet again but you had even more of a reason to escape, more of a reason to try.

Now

That scream...

That scream was so haunting and Beau couldn't believe that audacity Andre had to lie to a cop and try to play it off as him watching some kind of movie.

"Please tell me there's a way to track that phone call." Beau said as his grip tightened up on the steering wheel as Agent Sampson was typing away at a computer.

"I'm trying my best, Arlen… but if we locate it, we may need to take separate cars. We have to be smart about this” the agent began.

“Andre is under the impression you're by yourself, right? And Y/N hasn't been gone more than forty-two hours yet so there's still time to do this right and make sure she's safe." He said.

"I'll be damned if I let you go there alone if we find out where she is." Beau vowed. If they were going to find you, when they found you, Beau wanted to be the one that made sure you were safe and sound.

He needed to be there in person and see with his own eyes that you were in one piece. For the sake of his own sanity if anything else.

"I can't track from the phone call. But you can drop me off at the office again before you meet Andre. Call Poppernack and tell him to find where Andre is staying. I'll get you a warrant for a search and a raid."

"I need you to get some officers to Cadence and make sure she's okay.” Beau said, recalling the very last snippet of what you were trying to tell him before Andre insisted it was some movie he was watching.

“Who knows what Andre will be capable of since Y/N spoke up when he was on the phone." The sheriff urged and the agent pulled out his phone to make the necessary calls he needed to make to make sure Cadence would be protected and that the deputy would be able to find where Andre resided.

The stress of the situation was weighing on Beau. He couldn't let anything happen to you, not after all the shit he's seen in the world because of this job. He needed to make sure you were okay but that was his top priority. Though, he also knew your priority was keeping your sister safe so he wanted his best officers to keep an eye on Cadence while they looked for you.

Finally, Beau dropped Agent Sampson off at the department, then Beau went on his way to Donno's diner. He needed some answers and he had the biggest feeling in his gut that Andre was wrapped up in this card themed circle. Andre had to be Ace or at least related to Ace somehow.

As much as Beau wanted to go into the diner guns blazing, he knew it would be in your best interest to do things right. At least for now.

When Beau made it to the diner, he shut the door behind him and he saw a certain truck. It seemed to be the only truck there that looked like Andre's so he pulled out his phone and took a picture of the plates. He sent Jenny a quick message since he knew she was still at the department.

BA: Run these plates and see if they're Andre’s. See where he's been last night and this morning. Sampson's working on a warrant.

When he slipped his phone back into his pocket and walked through the doors, he saw the very man he'd give absolutely anything to strangle.

Beau took in a deep breath before he strode over and sat down in front of Andre.

"Well now, I was wondering when you were gonna show up, Sheriff. How can I help ya?" Andre asked with a smile, the smile Beau would love to just punch until his teeth went loose. Knocking them out of his skull would be a bonus.

"Hi, sorry to keep you waiting. Had a last minute call at the office before I came here." Beau lied but then he placed his arms on the table and leaned in.

"You wanted to talk about my cousin, right?" Andre spoke, "You said he was in the country?"

"Oh yeah. Mat Bolkonsky's his name, right? The drug dealer, murderer. We have reason to believe that he's here and we know he's a part of some kind of gang." Beau explained, not wasting time on beating around the bush.

"We have his fingerprints at a murder victim's place. We've also got them at a kidnap victim's place. Have you heard about Y/N L/N?"

"From the coffee shop? Yeah, I know her. We had a date a couple of days ago. Why, is she okay?" Andre asked and it made Beau sick watching the man pretend that he cared about you.

"Well, unfortunately, her sister said she hadn't seen her. And when I did a wellness check she wasn't home. We've found evidence of breaking and entering and we have reason to believe your cousin has anything to do with it." the sheriff said and looked to see if Andre would even squirm at the idea that he was close to being made.

Though not much to Beau's surprise, Andre continued to keep up the facade.

"She's missing? And you.. you think my cousin had something to do with it?" He asked.

"He is the one with a criminal history and the fact that he's in town does not help his case. I was just wondering if maybe-"

"If I had any contact with him? No, unfortunately I don't have any contact with him and I haven't since his murder charges. I'd love to help get Y/N back, I really do. And if I could help than I would but I don't know how I can be of any assistance to you." He said and Beau's jaw tightened.

“You were the last person that saw her. How do we know you’re not lying to an officer?” Beau challenged and Andre raised a brow before he leaned in, matching Beau’s posture with his arms on the table top.

“Let’s be real. You’re hoping I had something to do with it because you’ve got feelings for Y/N. You’re hoping I had something to do with it so you can strangle me and take out any anger you have on me because you blame me for her disappearance.” Andre said.

“Damn straight I blame you. I haven’t liked you since the moment I laid eyes on you. I haven’t liked you since I thought you could have been a link to those two poor girls that went missing. You’re lucky they’re both alive otherwise I would’ve ganked your ass for murder before you would’ve blinked an eye.”

“Unfortunately for you, I don’t care how much you want to blame me, I’m clean. I’ve got nothing to do with it and there’s nothing you can charge me for when it comes to the girl. I know that’s frustrating for you to hear since obviously you love Y/N. But deal with it and go find some other guy to put your charges on.” He said.

“Love, like, whatever has nothing to do with it. All this is, is me trying to get Y/N back home to her sister, who is in fact guarded by the way.” Beau promised and Andre rolled his eyes a little.

“Look, I don’t care if you love her or not. The date was a fiasco anyway because your little girlfriend has trust issues. I can’t be with a girl like that.” The other man said.

"Now if you'll excuse me, Sheriff, I think this little meeting is over. If there's anything I can do outside of Matvey's whereabouts, please let me know. And please let me know if you find Y/N. Just because the date didn’t go well doesn’t mean I wish any kind of ill will on her."

Beau watched as Andre stood up, his gaze darkening when Andre turned around. He continued to watch as he walked out of the door and made his way to the truck.

The sheriff pulled out his phone and started calling Agent Sampson, hoping that he'll pick up.

Luckily, he did.

"Sampson, it's Arlen. Andre's just left the diner and he's making his way to the truck. I sent Hoyt the plates to follow him and maybe we can track where's he's been, where he was when we gave him that phone call."

"Atta boy, Arlen. We'll get right on it. In the meantime, follow him but be discreet about it. We don't know if he's headed to that basement Y/N told us about right away." The agent said.

After that, Beau hung up the phone and he rubbed his hand over his face. All he could think about was if you were alright. These guys were dangerous and he hoped nothing had happened to you.

But then Beau started to think about what Andre said.

And yes. Beau loved you. He couldn’t deny it and he didn’t know how it happened.

Now wasn’t the time to really dwell on revelations though. He had to find you before he ran out of time.

So Beau got up and walked out of the diner before he hopped into his car to follow Andre. He needed to get one step closer to finding you.

Your wrists were raw and bloody from where you had been trying your damndest to break free of these handcuffs. But finally when you were able to break free you let out a breath of relief.

You tossed the cuffs aside and carefully rubbed the areas below the cuts on your wrist because you knew they’d be sore. Then you looked down at the shackles on your ankle. Your hands may have been free’d but you were still captive unless you could find away to get the chain off your ankle.

The phone call that Andre had with Beau filled you with hope. You were relieved that he was calling but you knew it would only be a matter of time before Andre would come back again, or any of his other people. What if they moved you before Beau would have the chance to find you?

And what about Cadence? You knew she was worried sick, and you hoped that Beau heard you and would send someone to protect your little sister.

You couldn’t handle the guilt of what would happen if she were to get wrapped up in this mess. You didn’t ever want for her to go through what you were. She didn’t deserve it. You weren’t sure id she could even handle it.

When you heard the door open, your heart began to race. But you were trying your best to hold it together, to pretend like you weren’t intimidated by Andre and his crew, no matter what they will do, or what they have done already.

You dared to look at the entrance of the basement and you realized the footsteps sounded more like the clacking of heels. You lifted a brow before you saw a familiar woman: Andre’s sister, who you only knew as ‘Queen’ for the moment with their little charade.

“Look what you’ve done, all the trouble you’ve caused. King told us about the phone call from your little cop friend. Sheriff Beau Arlen… A stud of a man if you ask me. A pain-in-the-ass, yeah, but still handsome as Hell. And why he’s even looking for you would beat me.” Queen said and your brows narrowed.

“Really? You’re trying some self esteem attack or something? He’s just a cop doing his job and he would have done the same thing for my sister or anyone else in this town because he’s a damned good cop.” You said.

“Oh no, I wasn’t talking about the fact of who you are. I don’t know what you mean to him, nor do I really give a damn. I just mean we’ve gotten away with a lot worse. No one has been able to get any solid evidence against us until we moved to Helena. Until my brother met you. You worthless skank.” She seethed.

“You think I wanted to get involved with this mess? I went on one date with your brother, I didn’t think I would wind up here and I didn’t ask to be in this situation. The fact that the cops are on your tail is because of his choices and his shitty decision making. I had nothing to do with it.” You exclaimed and the Queen rolled her eyes.

“Oh, are you kidding me? If it wasn’t for my brother being interested in you, he wouldn’t have gone on a date with you. Then you wouldn’t have sent a text to one of the cops. After the message, Andre sent Ace and Jack to your place and both of them are so sloppy.” She scoffed and she walked over to you. Then she looked down on you with a snobby glare.

"Their lack of stealth has nothing to do with me. Maybe they aren't as good as you thought they were." You rolled your eyes and she pulled out a pocket knife. Where did she get the pocket knife, you couldn't say.

But the blade was aimed at you and you stared blankly at it, "Really? After what your brother did, a few cuts and gashes aren't that big of a deal."

Then you could hear a phone ringing. Knowing it was the Queen's, you glanced up at her and arched a brow, "You might wanna get that. Could be important."

The other woman let out an irritated gruff and she pulled out her phone from a pocket before she answered.

"What?"

You could faintly hear another voice on the other end of the line and you knew it was Andre, a very pissed Andre at that. You knew that Beau was a smart man, and you could only hope that he was following Andre now. You didn't know how much more of this you could take.

"You're kidding me... now? Where the hell would we take her?" More silence, "You'd better not get followed by that motherf- what? I'll see what I can do in an hour."

This didn’t sound good…

“Less than that? Look I don’t think we’re going to have enough time for that. Be a realist once in a while. I’m good but I’m not a miracle worker.” She rolled her eyes.

From the look on her face, Andre must’ve had some sort of outburst to make Queen get a little stunned. She let out a breath before she finally spoke again.

“Fine, I’ll see what I can do in less than an hour. But I cannot make any promises. If we get caught because of this girl I’ll never let you hear the end of it.”

Then the Queen hung up on Andre and looked at you before she scoffed and started dialing up other numbers while she walked out of the basement.

"Ace, we have a situation. We need to leave in less than an hour."

Your eyes widened. Less than an hour? Will Beau find you before then? How fast would their systems find you? What if they would end up being too late?

Beau focused on watching Andre. He saw that the man was pulled over, talking on the phone and he seemed to be having a very stressful conversation. Clearly Andre wasn't too pleased about something and Beau noticed that he was also looking at his watch as if they were pressed for time.

Then Beau started getting a phone call.

Without any hesitation, Beau answered and lifted the device to his ear.

"Sheriff Arlen." He said, hoping there would be some kind of positive development.

"Beau, it's Jenny. Agent Sampson located the basement Y/N has been the past couple of days. We've also got a warrant to search Andre's house." Beau's heart nearly skipped a beat at the words and when he looked up, Andre started his car up again and started to drive off.

"Have someone go to Andre's place and find any evidence that links him to Mat Bolkonsky. Send me the address to that damned basement. I'll be there in a few minutes." He spoke sternly.

"Already did and we got his computer. There were emails between Andre who apparently goes by 'King' and he's been communicating with a trafficking circle. Last night he emailed the circle about a girl fitting Y/N's description. Sampson thinks that it may be enough to get an arrest and maybe we can hold him. It's a long shot since it's circumstantial but it's gotta be something."

The adrenaline flowed through Beau's veins. They were so damned close to getting you back and he couldn't let you down. This was the best news he's heard all day long.

"Good enough for me. I'll meet you at that basement. Make sure we've got plenty of backup. Who knows what we'll come across when we get there."

Then Beau hung up and started driving off to follow Andre once more.

But Andre must've known he was being followed because Beau noticed he was starting to speed up and he was taking different roads. Luckily for Beau, however, he's gotten to know all of these roads while he was driving around with Jenny and Cassie when he first moved here.

When Andre and Beau stopped at one of the back roads, Beau noticed that Andre was pulled over and the car was turned off. When Beau realized Andre was stepping out of the car, Beau's brows narrowed. Then he stopped his car behind Andre's before stepping out.

"I thought we had everything taken care of back at the diner, Sheriff." Andre spoke, and Beau shook his head.

"Oh no... you see, we had a warrant to search your place. We've got a hold on your computer and we know of your little double life you've got goin' on. King? Really? Isn't that a little narcissistic?" Beau asked while he walked closer to him.

"You went to my house without my knowledge?!" Andre exclaimed angrily and Beau shrugged.

"Well, buddy, with a warrant it doesn't matter if you know about it or not. Either way, you're screwed. Now why don't you just man up and own up to taking Y/N. I'll take you down to the station." He warned.

"Even if you arrest me, you won't find her. I told my people you were coming. Y/N will be sold off since they don't care if she's used goods. Just means we get paid a little less."

Beau froze for a second and stopped walking before he glared at Andre, "Used goods... What the Hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh yeah. Guess you wouldn't have known. She's really good in the sack, especially when she's all tied up and vulnerable.” Andre said with a sly, sickening smirk. And Andre could tell that he was getting to Beau.

“What the Hell did you say to me?” Beau snarled.

“She sounded so pretty when she begged for me to stop. Probably the best I ever had.” Andre laughed.

In that very moment, Beau saw nothing but red as his hand formed itself into a fist and he punched the living hell right out of Andre. A fight insured between them. The adrenaline rushed through Beau’s veins and no matter how hard Andre seemed to punch, the sheriff threw his fist ten times as hard.

Could he lose his job just for that one move? Sure, if he had a camera on his car - which he didn't. But for you, he'd risk everything. Especially when Andre did something so despicable. It made Beau so unbearably pissed and nauseated at the same time.

"You sick son of a bitch.” Beau snarled but then he finally got to a point in the fight where he could flip Andre and he could get his hands behind his back and cuff him.

Once Andre was cuffed, Beau got him into the car and luckily he had the address of the basement in his phone now so he could go to the basement. He pulled up the address on the GPS on his phone since he knew other officers could hold Andre in their vehicles since those were meant to hold criminals.

Soon enough, Beau finally pulled up and saw the other cop cars there. Jenny, Poppernack, Agent Sampson and his crew. They were all there since they had to be prepared for what was happening. Beau stepped out of his vehicle and he motioned for another officer to come and take Andre in their holding cars.

When Beau walked over to the agent and two deputies he immediately wanted to know what the situation was.

“It’s been quiet. No one’s been in or out by the time we all got here and we all came as quickly as we could.” Poppernack said.

“I just hope that we aren’t too late.” Jenny said.

“By the way, what happened between you and Andre. You both look like Hell.” Jenny said and Beau shrugged a little.

“He may be in court for more than just trafficking and kidnapping. We’ll talk about it later.” Beau insisted.

“Now that we’re all here, let’s move in.” Agent Sampson said and Beau nodded and someone handed the sheriff a bulletproof vest and he put it on.

‘Please be okay, Y/N.’ Beau thought as they all started going towards the building. It was an old and abandoned convenience store. An odd choice, but that wasn’t the point.

When they all made it inside, everyone dispersed so they could look for you.

They searched everywhere. The storage room in the back, some were checking a shed outside, the whole place was being searched and that included the area around the shop and the shed themselves.

“Y/N?” Beau called out, staying on his guard.

He had to stay hopeful. He had to cling to the hope that you would be there. He needed to get you back so he could reassure you that you were safe, and that you would never see Andre again. Everything that Andre told Beau still fueled him with unspeakable amounts of anger but now he had to focus on the goal.

When Beau finally found the entrance to the basement he couldn’t help but feel at least a little relieved. He busted the door down but what he saw was not what he was hoping for.

“No…”

You were nowhere to be found! The handcuffs were lying on the floor, the chains that kept you there were empty.

“Beau, no one is here.” Jenny said when she found him.

Then it was like the walls around Beau were crumbling down. He didn’t know what else he was supposed to do so Beau ended up punching the wall in front of him. He punched it so hard he was positive he might’ve busted the skin on his knuckles.

“Damn it!”

Hello everyone! I hope everyone is having a great New Year so far! Will Beau find Y/N before it’s too late? Stay tuned to find out!

Tag List:

@deans-spinster-witch @roseblue373 @chriszgirl92 @fanfic-n-tabulous @globetrotter28

[trans-and-baby-names]

Masculine Names

Aaron  Abdul Abe  Abel Abraham  Abram Ace Achilles  Adair Adam Adonis Adrian Adriel  Ahmed Ajax Ajay Aiden Alan Albert Alejandro Alex Alexander Alfonso Alfred Alistair Alister Allen  Alonzo Amadeo Amadeus Amani Amari Ambrose Amir Anders  Anderson Andre Andreas Andrew Andy Angel Angelo Angus Ansel  Anson Anthony Antonio Apollo Aries Archer Archie Aristotle Arlo  Arnaldo Arnold Arsenio Arthur Arturo Arwin Asa Asher Aslan Atlas  Atticus Aubrey August Augustin Augustine Augustus Aurelio Aurelius Austin Axel  Aziz

Balthazar  Bane Barnabas  Barnaby Barney Baron  Barrett Basil Bastian  Bear Beau Beck Ben Benjamin  Benji Bentley Bernard Bertram Bertrand  Blake Blaze Blue Bobby Bodhi Booker Boris  Boston Bowie Boyd Brad Bradford Bradley Bram  Bramwell Bran Brandon Brandt Braxton Braylen Brayden Brendon  Brent Brett Brian Briar Brick Bridge Bridger Brock Brody Brogan  Bronx Brook Brooks Bruce Bruno Brutus Bryce Bryson Buck Bud Buddha  Buddy Buck Burt Burton Buster Buzz Byron 

Cade  Caden Cain  Cairo Caius Calder  Caleb Callum Calvin Cam  Cameron Camillo Campbell Carl  Carlisle Carlito Carlo Carlos Carlton  Carmine Carson Carter Casper Caspian Cassian  Cassias Cato Cecil Cedar Cedric Cesar Chad Chadwick  Chance Charles Charlton Chase Chauncey Chester Chidi Chip  Christoff Christoph Christopher Christian Chuck Cian Cillian  Clarence Clark Claud Clay Clayton Cliff Clifford Clint Clinton  Clyde Coby Cody Colby Cole Collin Colt Colton Conan Connor Conrad  Constantine Cooper Copper Corbin Cornelius Cory Cosmo Cosmos Costas Craig Crispin Cruz Curt Curtis Cyrus

Dale  Dallas  Dalton Damien  Damon Dan Dane Daniel  Dante Darius Darrel Darren  Dash Dashiell Davey David Dawson  Dax Daxton Deacon Dean DeAndre Declan  Demetrius Denali Dennis Denny Denzel Derek  Derrick Des Desmond Dewey Dex Dexter Diego Diesel  Dion Dirk Dixon Dmitri Dominic Donatello Donovan Dorian  Doug Douglas Draco Drew Duke Duncan Dustin Dusty Dwayne Dwight  Dylan Dyson 

Earl  Easton  Edgar Edmund  Eduardo Edward Edwin  Egon Eli Elijah Elias  Elliott Ellis Elroy Elton  Emanuel Emeric Emerson Emery  Emil Emiliano Emmett Emrys Enrique  Enzo Eric Ernest Ernesto Ernie Esteban  Ethan Eugene Eustace Euvan Evan Evander Everett  Ezekiel Ezra 

Fabian  Fabio Falcon  Faustus Felix Ferdinand  Fergus Ferguson Fernando Fidel  Fido Finbar Findlay Finn Finnley  Fionn Fisher Fitz Fletcher Flint Florence  Florian Ford Forrest Fort Foster Fowler Fox  Francesco Francis Francisco Franco Frank Frankie  Franklin Fred Freddy Fredrick Frederico

Gabe  Gabriel  Gael Gage  Gale Galen Garfield Garrett Gaston Gatsby  Gavin Geoffrey Geordie George  Gerald Gerard Gideon Gil Gilbert  Gilberto Giovanni Glenn Gordon Gordy  Grady Graham Grant Gray Grayson Gregg  Gregory Grey Griffin Griffith Grover Gunner  Gunther Gus Gustavo Guy 

Hades  Hal Hamilton  Hank Hans Harley Harrison  Harry Hawk Hayden Hayes Heath Hector  Henrik Hendrix Henry Herb Herbert Herbie  Hercules Hermes Hershel Hiram Holden Howard  Howie Hudson Hugo Humphrey Hunter Hux Huxley 

Ian Igor Iker Irvin Isaac Isaiah Ivan 

Jace  Jack Jackson  Jacob Jaques Jaden  Jake Jalen Jamal James  Jameson Jared Jason Jax  Jay Jed Jedidiah Jefferson  Jeffrey Jeremiah Jeremy Jerome  Jerry Jesus Jethro Jett Jim Jimmy  Joe Joel Johan Johannes John Johnny Jonah  Jonas Jonathan Jones Jordan Jose Joseph Joshua  Josiah Juan Juanito Judah Judas Judd Jude Jules Julian  Julien Julio Julius Junior Jupiter Jurgen Justice Justin Justus 

Kaden  Kai Kaiser  Kale Kaleb Kane  Keane Keanu Keaton  Keegan Keenan Keith  Kellen Kenan Kendrick  Kenneth Kenzo Keoni Kevin Khalid  Kian Kieran Kiernan Kingsley Kingston Killian  Kip Kwan Kyle

Lachlan  Lake Lamar  Lance Lancelot  Landon Lane Larkin  Larry Lars Laurence Laurent  Lawrence Lawson Lazlo Legend Leif  Leith Leland Leo Leon Leonardo Leopold  Leroy Levi Liam Lincoln Linden Logan Loki  London Lonnie Lonny Lorcan Lorenzo Lou Louie  Louis Luc Luca Lucas Lucian Lucky Luke Lupe Luther

Maddox  Maksim Malachi  Malachy Malakai Malcolm  Malik Manfred Manny Marcel Marcello  Marcellus Marcio Marcius Marco Marcos  Marcus Marian Marino Mario Marius Mark  Marlin Marlon Marmaduke Marques Mars Marshall  Martin Marty Marvel Marvin Massimo Mason Matt Matteo  Matthew Maurice Maverick Max Maximilian Maximus Maxwell  Melvin Mercury Meredith Merritt Micah Michael Miguel Miles  Milo Mitchell Moe Monte Montgomery Murdoch Murphy Murray Murtagh  Murtaugh Myles

Nathan  Nathaniel  Ned Nelson  Nemo Neo Neon  Neptune Neville  Newt Newton Nick  Nicky Nicola Nicolai  Nicholas Niko Noah Noel Nolan  Norm Norman Novak 

Obadiah  Octavio Octavius  Odin Olaf Oleg Oliver  Olivier Omar Orion Orlando  Orville Osborn Oscar Oso Osvaldo  Oswald Ottis Otto Owen Oz Ozzy

Pablo  Palmer Panther  Parker Pascal Patrick Paul  Paxton Pedro Penn Percival Percy Perseus  Peter Peyton Phil Philip Phineas Phoenix Pier  Pierce Pierre Pilot Pluto Porter Poseidon Preston  Prince Prosper

Qadir  Quincy Quinn  Quinton 

Raiden  Ralph Ramone  Ramses Randall Randolph  Randy Raphael Ravi Ray Raymond Red  Reece Reggie Reginald Regis Reid Remington  Reuben Rex Reynald Reynaldo Reynard Rhett Rhys  Ricardo Richard Richie Richmond Rick Ricky Rico Ridge  Riley Rio Riordan River Robert Roberto Robbie Rocco Rocky  Rodney Rodrigo Roger Ricky Riley Rod Rodrick Roger Roland  Roman Romeo Ross Rowan Rudy Rufus Russell Ryder Ryker Rylan Ryland 

Salem  Salvador  Salvator Sam  Samir Sampson Samson  Samuel Sander Sandford Sanjay  Santiago Saul Sawyer Scott Sean Sebastian  Septimus Serge Sergio Seth Seus Seymour Shane  Shawn Shayne Sheldon Shepherd Sherlock Sherman Shin Sidney  Sigmund Silas Silver Silvester Simon Sinclair Sinjin Sirius  Slade Slate Sol Solomon Sonny Sparrow Spartacus Spencer Spike  Soren Stan Stanford Stanley Steele Stephen Steven Stevie Stone Sven Summit  Sullivan Sully Sylvester

Tad  Tag Talon  Tanner Tate  Ted Teddy Teo Teodor  Teodoro Terence Terrell  Terry Tex Thad Thaddeus Thane  Thatcher Theo Theoden Theodore Thomas  Thor Thorn Tiberius Tiger Tito Titus Timothy  Titus Tobias Toby Tommy Tony Topher Trace Travis  Trent Trenton Trev Trevor Trey Tristan Troy Truman Tucker  Tudor Tullio Tullius Tully Tycho Tyler Tyrell Tyrese Tyrone  Tyson

Uberto  Ulric Ulrich  Ulysses Uriah Urban Urijah  Uriel

Van  Vance  Vaugn Victor  Vince Vincenco Vincent  Vinny Virgil Vlad Vladimir 

Wade  Walden  Waldo Walker  Wallace Wally Walt  Walter Warner Warren  Watson Waylon Wayne Wendall  Wesley Westley Weston Wilbert  Wilbur Wilder Wiley Wilfred Will William  Winston Wolf Wolfe Wolfgang Woodrow Wyatt 

Xander  Xavier Xavion  Xenon

Yael  Yahir York Yosef  Yousef Yusef

Zac  Zach Zachariah  Zacharias Zachary Zack  Zander Zane Zayden Zeke  Zeus Ziggy Zion Zoltan

[cadencebooker]

Character Task 1

MUSE QUIZ: Cade Booker

ORIGINS & FAMILY:

• Full Name: Cadence Indigo Booker

• Reason for name: Very much unlike his father, Cade’s mom was what some would describe as a hippy. In touch with her feelings and nature. She persuaded his father to allow her to have full control of his name, and he submitted.

• Nickname(s): Cade. In fact, if you were to call him anything other than Cade or Agent Booker, he would be deeply offended.

• Date of Birth: August 9, 1990

• Age: 30 

• Gender + Pronouns: cismale, he/him/his

• Place of birth: Hampton, VA

• Parents: Edward Booker and Ophelia Booker (née Sampson)

• Siblings: N/A • Relationship with family (close? estranged?): They are deceased. They were, however, fairly close knit until after his mother’s passing, then thing got a little more rough around the edges, but there was still love apparent

• Pets: N/A

PHYSICAL:

• Height: 6’4”

• Build: Slender, athletic

• Nationality: American

• Ethnicity: American

• Distinguishing Facial Features: a small scar on his right cheek, also his sharp cheekbones and sunken eyes

• Hair Color: Brown

• Usual Hair Style: Slick and clean, slightly longer than military style but very well managed.

• Eye Color: green

• Complexion (freckles, acne, skin tone, birth marks, scars): Remarkably clean skin, small scar on right cheek, slight darkness under the eyes, scar along the bottom 2/3 of his right leg and part of his right hand

• Disabilities (physical or mental, including mental illnesses): Likely something undiagnosed, but nothing official. Especially OCD and PTSD

• What do they consider their best feature?: Their work ethic.

• Worst they’ve ever been injured (what, how did it happen)?: Early in his Air Force training he was a little too close to a plane explosion that resulted in a third degree burn to a decent part of his left leg and a bit of his right hand. There is some residual scarring.

APPEARANCE:

• Favorite outfit: A crisp black suit.

• Glasses? Contacts?: Has glasses, typically opt for contacts.

• Personal Hygiene: Incredibly well taken care of.

• Jewelry? Tattoos? Piercings?: No tattoos or piercings. Wears his father’s dog tags and his mother’s engagement ring on a chain around his neck, always tucked underneath his clothes.

• What does their voice sound like?: deeper, resonate.

• Style of speech (loud, mumbler, articulate, etc.):confident, articulate, crisp

• Accent?: general American

• Unique mannerisms/physical habits: clenching and unclenching his jaw

• Left handed or right?: Right

• Do they work out/exercise?: Very regularly

BELIEFS & INTELLECT:

• Known Languages: English, Spanish, French, pieces some of the documented alien languages they’ve been able to translate

• Zodiac: Leo

• Gifts/talents: can play piano, though he doesn’t. Strong athletic prowess. Master at concealing his emotions.

• Religious stance: atheist

• Political stance: does not and will never speak on it

• Pet peeves: some of many: laziness, unkempt hair, whining

• Optimist or pessimist: pessimist (he’d say realist)

• Extrovert or introvert: introvert

INTIMACY & RELATIONSHPS:

• Relationship status: single

• Sexual orientation: straight

• Ideal mate/qualities they look for in mate: dependability, intelligence, wit, humor, drive, resilience

• Ever been in love?: No

• What’s their love language?: difficult to say. If I had to guess I would say on the giving end acts of service and on the receiving end physical touch

• Most important person in their life?: Himself

VOCATION:

• Level of education: bachelor’s degree, advanced military training and FBI training

• Profession: FBI agent

• Past occupations: member of the air force, worked as a grocery bagger throughout college, worked fast food in high school

• Dream occupation: his current one

• Passions: the decimation of all alien-kind

• Attitude towards current job: he is very passionate about his job and committed to doing it to his best ability

• Spender or Saver? Why?: saver. Outside of his suits and his upkeep, he doesn’t see the reason to spend money on much else

• Which is more important – money or doing something they love?: doing something they love

SECRETS:

• Phobias: achluophobia (fear of the dark)

• Life goals: Continue to rise in rank in the FBI, one day run the strongest and most successful department at exterminating and revealing extra terrestrials

• Greatest fears: failure, caring for people, meeting the same fate as his parents

• Most embarrassing thing ever to happen to him/her: ripped his pants on a mission early in his FBI career. He kept going and greatly contributed to the missions success, though, so he redeemed himself.

• Something they’ve never told anyone: that he was present the day his mother died

• Biggest regret: Not being there to protect his father

• Compulsions: fits of anger, obsessive cleaning

• Police/Criminal/Legal record: clean as a whistle

• Vices: smokes like a chimney

PREFERENCES:

• Hobbies: not one to participate in many anymore, but he still occasionally likes to play basketball recreationally and occasionally plays on his grand piano

• Favorite color: navy

• Favorite smell: tobacco

• Favorite food: steak

• Favorite book: Crime and Punishment

• Favorite movie: Donnie Darko

• Favorite song: Claire de Lune

• Coffee or tea?: Coffee, black

• Favorite type of weather: warm rain

• Most prized possession: his necklace

• Most used word or phrase?: “Do not waste my time.”

[spencer-montague]

Finally || SPAM

Who: Sampson Capulet and Spencer Montague Where: Verona Botanical Gardens When: July 7, 2012 Notes: The big day is finally here. All the love, people. All the love.

Spencer When he thought back over the last, Spencer could clearly see every moment that led to this day. Since the day they met, Sam was never far from his thoughts. It was clear to him far before he'd actually voiced it that Sam was it for him. It had nothing to do with the decree or the fact that Verona seemed to be in a frenzy of claiming. It was simply that Sam was his and he didn't want to live another moment without that indisputable fact being official. He made his way to the gardens with Diana and Cade, any nerves he had calmed by their presence. If he had any concerns at all, they were only that he'd stumble over the words.

Sam practically felt his knees buckle when Spencer came into view, nervously waiting by a small clearing that had several rows of seats before it. He felt his brother's hand slip from his shoulder-- the only stabilizing presence he had had all morning as he struggled to keep it together. Instead, the Dom walked ahead and off to the side, leaving sam feeling like a boat lost at sea, desperately searching for its captain. His tongue darted out, licking his lips nervously. This was it. He could do this.

Spencer blinked when he saw Sam, heart picking up speed. He walked towards him, barely noticing Cade and Diana take their places opposite Don. Spencer was beaming by the time he reached Sam, unable to resist leaning in to kiss his cheek. "You're beautiful," he whispered before he pulled away, taking Sam's hand to lead him to the front where their family and their officiant waited.

Sam gasped, letting out a breath he hadn't meant to hold as Spencer took his hand, eyes not leaving the Dominant as they finished the walk together to the front of everything. He knew he was blushing, at a loss for words despite his mind racing. There was so much he could say-- but none of it felt right in public. He'd wait. When they came to a stop he gave into the urge, grateful for the mat placed on the ground below them as he felt his knees give. He knew it wasn't mandatory, but kneeling for Spencer during their claiming ceremony just felt... right. He wanted it-- almost as much as he wanted the Dominant. The initial words spoken were almost a blur, gaze on the floor for a moment before it rose back up seeking Spencer's.

Spencer felt his breath catch as Sam dropped to his knees. That Sam wanted to kneel was a source of pride. It was also filled him with an immense sense of honor. This beautiful, intelligent person had chosen him to kneel for. It was something he hoped to spend the rest of his life making sure he deserved. The ceremony began and the officiant spoke of the seriousness of the Claim and what it meant. The words were a blur until it came to fastening Sam's collar around his neck. He took the leather collar from Cade and wrapped it around Sam's neck. "Wear this as sign of my love and devotion. That you belong to me and always will."

Sam gently reached up, two fingers tracing along the collar as he listened to Spencer, ready to return the promise with one of his own. "I will wear this collar always and it shall serve as a reminder to others as well of myself of my undying devotion to you, Spencer. My Dominant. It is to you I submit, and you alone. My body, my mind, and my soul."

Spencer felt as if his heart would burst at Sam's words. He wanted to say more. Tears already threatened to spill and he was certain to trip over the words that deserved to be said. But he pushed forward, determined that he would get them out. "Everything I am and everything I have is yours. I love you, Sam." Now that he was collared, Spencer reached out, helping Sam to stand as the officiant completed the ceremony.

Sam gripped Spencer's hand firmly, nodding as he responded, "And I love you, Spencer," allowing himself to omit the title for the sake of the ceremony, rarely ever using the other's name to address him. Standing beside the other again, but now collared felt almost surreal and he couldn't wait for the ceremony to end. He could only thank god they'd opted for a more private and less drawn out affair.

Spencer was more than grateful that the small ceremony was winding down. Soon enough, the officiant had pronounced them official and Spencer couldn't resist moving closer to kiss his Claim. The rest of the world sort of melted away the moment he pulled Sam closer. He was grinning like an idiot probably as their lips parted. "Mine. Officially."

Sam bit back a moan as he kept the kiss chaste, delighting in the brief contact with his Dominant. Officially. The thought sent his heart aflutter, delighted by the notion. "Yours, Sir," he replied back softly. "Your submissive forever and always."

Spencer couldn't express how much those words meant. Soon they'd be pulled away for photographs and well wishes. But right now, in that moment, he was the happiest he'd ever been. "Come now. We have guests to greet and merriment to be had," he teased lowly. He really didn't want to share but he could. For the moment.

Sam nodded, lips splitting into a massive grin as he turned, ready to concluded the ceremony and get on with the celebration.

[junker-town]

Sweet 16 teams in men’s March Madness, ranked by their national title chances

These the best teams left standing in the Sweet 16.

The field of 68 that entered the 2021 men’s NCAA tournament a week ago has been trimmed to only 16 teams left standing. After a historic opening weekend defined by a run of upsets by double-digit seeds, the tournament now gives way to the Sweet 16 starting on March 27.

Oral Roberts, Syracuse, Oregon State, and UCLA have each advanced in the bracket after some shocking wins so far. The Pac-12 has been incredible, going undefeated in the first round and sitting at 9-1 overall thus far. The Big Ten has been disappointing, with top seed Illinois and No. 2 seeds Iowa and Ohio State all getting eliminated early, and only Michigan still left standing.

Before the tournament hits the second weekend, we decided to look at all 16 teams remaining in the field and rank them by their odds of winning the whole thing. These are the strongest teams left in March Madness.

16. Oral Roberts (No. 15 seed)

For the second time in NCAA tournament history, a No. 15 seed has won two games to advance to the Sweet 16. The Golden Eagles stunned No. 2 seed Ohio State in a dramatic overtime victory in the opening round, then took out another power program in the round of 32 when they outlasted No. 7 seed Florida. This is one of the most startling tournament runs ever, but Arkansas shouldn’t take them lightly in the Sweet 16.

Oral Roberts guard Max Abmas led DI in scoring this season at 24.2 points per game entering the tournament, and he’s exceeded that total in both wins on this run. Abmas has a tremendous co-star in 6’8 junior forward Kevin Obanor, who followed up his 30-point, 11 rebound performance against the Buckeyes by dropping 28 points and 11 rebounds on the Gators. The Summit League champs deserve respect for this run, and it’s not over yet.

15. Creighton (No. 5 seed)

The Bluejays are going to the second weekend of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1974, and a matchup with undefeated Gonzaga is waiting for them next. Creighton was on the ropes against UC Santa Barbara in the opening round, but they came away with a one-point win in the final seconds. Their next game against No. 13 seed Ohio, who previously upset Virginia, was considerably easier, with the Bluejays coasting to a 72-58 victory.

Junior point guard Marcus Zegarowski is the engine for Creighton, and he has an experienced cast of shooters around him led by Mitch Ballock. The question with Creighton is always if they can get enough stops on defense. Good luck against a Gonzaga team that has one of the most efficient offenses in the history of the sport. Just getting this far after so many failed attempts at a run to the second weekend in recent years has to feel good for the Bluejays.

14. Syracuse (No. 11 seed)

Why does it always seem like Syracuse is at its best when they have a double-digit seed? The Orange were again selected as one of the last teams in the tournament, and are again marching to the second weekend. Jim Boeheim’s zone defense has stifled No. 6 seed San Diego State and No. 3 seed West Virginia so far. Boeheim’s son Buddy is becoming a breakout tournament star, combining for 55 points and 13 three-pointers across the two wins.

This is the third time in the last five tournaments that Syracuse has made the Sweet 16 with a double-digit seed. The Houston Cougars are the next team that will attempt to solve the zone, and seem to have enough shooting to have a chance. At this point, though, every game against the Orange feels like it’s going to be a major pain if nothing else.

13. UCLA (No. 11 seed)

The Bruins barely snuck into the tournament after losing their last four games before Selection Sunday, but suddenly look dangerous after three straight wins in the tournament. UCLA started its run with a comeback victory over Michigan State in the First Four, then dispatched No. 6 seed BYU, and knocked out No. 14 seed Abilene Christian (who shocked Texas in the opening round) to reach the Sweet 16.

UCLA is powered by a pair of dynamic 6’6 shot-makers on the wing in Kentucky transfer Johnny Juzang and sophomore Jamie Jaquez. Big man Cody Riley and wing Jules Bernard have also been solid contributors during this run. UCLA plays a slow pace and makes its threes even if they don’t take many. There’s no doubt this team is peaking at the right time.

12. Villanova (No. 5 seed)

Reports of the Wildcats’ demise after a season-ending injury to starting point guard Collin Gillespie were greatly exaggerated. No. 12 seed Winthrop was a popular pick to upset the Wildcats in round one (guilty), but Nova won by double-digits. Jay Wright’s team then pounded Cinderella North Texas in the round of 32 to set up a Sweet 16 matchup with Baylor that could be the best game of the round.

Villanova is full of skilled size with Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Jermaine Samuels leading the way up front. Nova has the lowest turnover percentage in the country, takes a ton of threes, and plays a slow pace that should benefit them against a powerhouse like Baylor. Any matchup against the Bears is an extraordinary test, but the Wildcats have the talent to compete.

11. Arkansas (No. 3 seed)

The Hogs took care of business in the opening round despite Colgate being a popular upset pick entering the tournament. Things got much more difficult in the round of 32 against Chris Beard and Texas Tech, but Arkansas held on for a thrilling 68-66 victory to push the program into the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1996.

Arkansas has a future NBA lottery pick in Moses Moody, a long 6’6 wing with deep shooting range and the ability to get his own bucket in a pinch. Indiana transfer Justin Smith is another athletic wing who had a tremendous game vs. Texas Tech. Arkansas’ defense will give them a chance to compete with any team, but not much comes easy offensively in the halfcourt. A potential Elite Eight game with Baylor would be a serious challenge, but they shouldn’t think a win against Oral Roberts will come easy given how well the Golden Eagles have played thus far.

10. Oregon State (No. 12 seed)

Oregon State needed to go on a Cinderella run in the Pac-12 tournament just to earn their bid to the big dance, but ever since they’ve been one of the hottest teams in the country. The Beavers blew out a Tennessee team with multiple lottery picks from the opening tip in their first round game, then knocked out future No. 1 overall NBA draft pick Cade Cunningham and Oklahoma State in a round of 32 thriller.

Oregon State’s shooters have been on fire since the conference tournament, and they also have the size up front to compete with anyone. Senior guard Ethan Thompson (26 points vs. Oklahoma State) is playing like a star right now. Loyola-Chicago will be a tough matchup, but discount the Beavers at your own peril.

9. Oregon (No. 7 seed)

The Ducks were on the receiving end of the type of luck no team wants when they were given a free pass to the round of 32 after their first round opponent VCU failed Covid protocol. Oregon proved how good it could be against Iowa two days later, crushing the No. 2 seed Hawkeyes thanks to dynamic performances from lead guards Chris Duarte and Will Richardson.

Oregon doesn’t have much size or much depth, but the tight rotation was enough to knock out presumptive national player of the year Luka Garza. It’s a team that can really shoot (38 percent from deep, a top-20 mark in America) and plays at a controlled pace. The Ducks have been on fire since Richardson returned to the lineup in early Feb. The win over Iowa didn’t feel like a fluke. The next game against USC feels like a toss up.

8. Houston (No. 2 seed)

The Cougars were on the ropes against No. 10 seed Rutgers in the round of 32, but out-scored the Scarlett Knights 23-10 over the final 10 minutes to steal the victory and punch their ticket to the Sweet 16. It wasn’t a pretty performance from Kelvin Sampson’s crew, but their body of work as a whole suggests this team has a very real shot at making the Final Four.

Houston takes threes on 42 percent of their possessions, and has the shooters to make them. The three-guard lineup of Quentin Grimes, Marcus Sasser, and DeJon Jarreau can all handle, pass, and shoot at this level. Sampson has a team that currently boasts the No. 7 overall offense and No. 12 overall defense in DI. Facing Syracuse’s zone won’t be easy, but Houston deserves to be the favorite entering the game.

7. USC (No. 6 seed)

The Trojans blew out No. 11 seed Drake in their opener, and then looked even more impressive in a blow out win over Bill Self and No. 3 seed Kansas in the round of 32 to punch their first ticket to the Sweet 16 since 2007. USC plays slow and doesn’t take many threes, but the defense is becoming one of the best in the field thanks in large part to super freshman Evan Mobley.

Mobley is projected as the No. 2 overall pick in the NBA draft as a long shot blocker who also has impressive vision and passing ability on offense. His older brother Isaiah Mobley has been on-fire offensively during this tournament run too, and Drew Peterson also provides some much needed shooting. The Trojans now face conference rival Oregon in the Sweet 16.

6. Florida State (No. 4)

The ‘Noles are headed to the Sweet 16 for the third straight time in the NCAA tournament. Is this the year head coach Leonard Hamilton finally makes his first trip to the Final Four? It won’t be easy with a matchup with No. 1 seed Michigan looming in the Sweet 16, but it feels like Florida State has the right combination of size and shooting to compete with anyone left standing in the field.

It seems like there’s a new star for FSU every game, and in their round of 32 win over Colorado, that star was Anthony Polite. The junior wing scored a career-high 22 points as the only starter to finish in double-figures. Balsa Koprivica and Raiquan Gray are an intimidating front line, and guard M.J. Walker can get hot as a perimeter scorer. Michigan better be ready.

5. Alabama (No. 2 seed)

The Tide have used an elite defense and a modern approach to offense to reach the second weekend of the tournament for the first time since 2004. Alabama survived a tough test vs. Rick Pitino’s Iona team in the opening round, and then blew out Maryland in the round of 32. Nate Oats has a case as the best head coach left in the tournament, and he has his team in position to make a run at their first Final Four ever.

Jaden Shackelford and John Petty are both impressive shot-makers on the perimeter leading the offense. Senior Herb Jones was named SEC Player of the Year for his versatile defense and opportunistic scoring ability. There’s also a deep bench that includes sharpshooting freshman Josh Primo and former five-star recruit Jahvon Quinerly. Only Loyola-Chicago is more efficient defensively. Bama might forever be a football school, but they have a hell of a basketball program this year, too.

4. Loyola-Chicago (No. 8 seed)

The Ramblers deserve to be considered one of the favorites to win the whole damn thing at this point. After knocking off Georgia Tech (without star Moses Wright, who failed Covid protocol) in the 8-9 matchup, Loyola-Chicago faced No. 1 seed and in-state rival Illinois. The Illini were a popular pick to win the national championship at the start of the tournament, but Loyola left no doubt they were the superior team in a 71-58 victory.

Loyola went to the Final Four in 2018, and still has two key players (Cameron Krutwig and Lucas Williamson) from that roster leading them this year. The Ramblers currently rank No. 1 in defensive efficiency in the entire country. The matchup with No. 12 seed Oregon State in the Sweet 16 should be a tough test with how well the Beavers are playing lately, but wins like the one Loyola had against Illinois is enough to make a person think this team is destined for another Final Four.

3. Michigan (No. 1 seed)

Michigan lost senior Isaiah Livers to a foot injury just before the tournament, but the Wolverines proved they’re still pretty damn good even without their star forward. After breezing past No. 16 seed Texas Southern in the opener, the Wolverines were tested against LSU but came away with an 86-78 win to punch their ticket to the Sweet 16 and set up a must-see matchup with Florida State.

Chaundee Brown, a former transfer from Wake Forest, admirably filled the void left by Livers against the Tigers, going off for 21 points on 6-of-9 shooting in the win. Michigan still has plenty of size up front with Hunter Dickinson and Franz Wagner, and its guards Eli Brooks and Mike Smith have each had one great game in the tournament so far. Michigan still has a tough road ahead to get to the Final Four, but the win over LSU proved it can win big games even without one of its best players.

2. Baylor (No. 1 seed)

Baylor has been viewed as the second best team in college basketball all season, and it still feels that way heading into the second weekend of the NCAA tournament. The Bears erased No. 16 Hartford in the first round without much problem, and then handily defeated the Wisconsin Badgers, 76-63, to advance to the Sweet 16.

The Bears have two elite guards in Jared Butler and Davion Mitchell, and another good one in MaCio Teague. They have the most accurate three-point shooting team in the country — making 41.5 percent of their attempts from deep on the year. Adam Flagler, Matthew Mayer, Mark Vital, and their center combo of Flo Thamba and Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua provide great depth. Baylor was supposed to play Gonzaga in the regular season before the game was canceled because of failed Covid protocol. It sure feels like we’re going to get that game for real in the national championship.

1. Gonzaga (No. 1 seed)

28-0. Four wins away from the first perfect season in college basketball since Indiana in 1976. What more do we need to say?

The Zags overwhelmed Norfolk State and Oklahoma in their first two tournament by showing off their wealth of offensive weapons. Jalen Suggs is playing like a future top-three NBA draft pick, Corey Kispert remains as dangerous as any shooter left in the tournament, and Drew Timme might be the most underrated center in the country. Gonzaga has been blowing out teams from the very start of the season, and they haven’t showed any signs of slowing down yet. The Bulldogs are the favorites until someone takes them out.

[theseaeaglelives]

Round 12

THE SEA EAGLE

MAKING RUGBY LEAGUE GREAT AGAIN!!!

Round 12   Manly Sea Eagles                              12   Defeated by.   Penrith Panthers                               15

  Trivia Question – What do Bob Fulton, Max Krillich, Paul Vautin, Geoff Toovey and Joel Thompson have in common?

Answer – All have been bestowed with the honour of captaining the mighty maroon and white that is the Manly-Warringah RLFC. Unfortunately for poor old Joel that is where the similarities end, his predecessors all being Club legends, premiership winners, Kangaroo reps and in the case of Bob Fulton, an immortal.

Joel Thomson, whilst this year under Des Hasler is having his best season in the NRL, can only be described as a journeyman having spent most of his playing career at the Dragons and most of his Manly tenure under the tutelage of the ill-fated Trent Barrett regime. These credentials hardly the ingredients of a successful Manly captain and Joel’s deficiencies were laid bare in the 10th minute when Manly were awarded a penalty well within kicking range. With instructions from the coaching box to take the easy 2pts, the on-field decision was to press on for the try which predictably ended in nothing. Strangely the decision to forgo the shot for penalty was applauded by all and sundry in the Fox commentary team. 

Fair dinkum, these so called experts, who should know better, need to get a grip and realise that with a player roster like Manly’s at present, winning games takes precedence over the possibility (not probability as with taking the 2) of scoring tries.

Further opportunities to take the 2pts in the following 10 minutes were also declined by Manly, with such decisions coming back to bite in the overall outcome as it would take Manly until the 70th minute to open their points account. In the absence of their main attacking weapons, Cherry Baby, Jake and Tommy Turbo ….. and Lachlan Croker, Manly have very little to offer in terms of offence and the on-field leadership group need to recognise that early points are gold, and should be taken at all and every opportunity.

Penrith on the other hand, recognising their own deficiencies opened the scoring after 20 minutes when they wisely took an easy penalty from in front. Getting the ball back from the kick off (as is the case when you convert a penalty), the Panthers then fashioned a long range try from the ensuing set and the lead was extended to 8-zip. A late Panthers field goal resulted in a well deserved 9-0 lead to the home team at the break.

The early part of the second half was a mistake-athon, with both sides showing very scant respect for ball security in a display that would not be out of place in the NSW Cup. Memo to Abbas Miske (and to a lesser extent Dylan Walker)  - a 30 metre cross field run is not a 30 metre carry and whilst running sideways may be the big thing in reserve grade, in the NRL you will get mauled like a BBQ sausage dangled in front of a pack of Labradors.

Down 15-0 with only 10 minutes to play Manly finally started to play some football and tries to Manese Fanua and Cade Cust (both converted) provided some hope of a revival but in the end, it was too little, too late.

In the past 2 weeks Manly have been put to the sword by the Titans and Panthers, both of whom were running last going in the respective fixtures. Whilst the effort is still there, to some extent Manly have hit the wall and the challenge for Coach Des Hasler is to get them back on track for next week’s clash with the Cowboys.

None of this can be placed at Des Hasler’ feet. This is a Trent Barrett squad, and poor old Des has been given the largest of hospital passes to try and form this side into a top 8 team at best, and avoid the spoon as a bare minimum.

Quote of the night goes to Fox Sports commentator, Yvonne Sampson, (who possibly can be excused if indeed it transpires that she knows no better) when she said words to the effect “the great thing about these origin effected games is that we see the emergence of players that perhaps would not have normally had the opportunity in the top grade”.

As far as the Sea Eagle is concerned if watching a bunch of reserve graders run around masquerading as NRL players floats your boat so be it, but surely a better spectacle for viewers and paying fans would be the inclusion of players of the calibre of Trjobevic Cherry Baby, Nathan Cleary and co.

With that said, the Sea Eagle has now permanently banned all NRL fixtures from viewing until the Origin series is over, and the clubs and their best players have had a significant rest to make the competition worthwhile. If all the rugby league being public took a similar view, ratings would plummet, and the NRL would then have to consider a complete rethink of the way Origin interacts with the general competition. The time has come for Origin only standalone rounds and no NRL. What is being dished up as NRL now is poor, very poor and basically unwatchable, not too mention fans being deprived of seeing the best squads compete.

Players union to open ‘faith’ review as fallout deepens

RUPA will establish and undertake an Expression of Faith & Beliefs Review after Israel Folau’s controversial sacking.Source: AP

The rugby players’ union (RUPA) is to set up a committee to review how players can express their faith and beliefs after the Israel Folau sacking saga. RUPA said on Tuesday the decision to tear up Folau’s Rugby Australia contract was “a sad outcome for Israel, his family, friends, teammates, opponents and all associated with rugby in Australia and around the world.” It also said Rugby Australia had not yet provided any clear parameters to the players specifying how it expects them to express their faith and beliefs in a way it considers acceptable.

“To address this, RUPA will immediately establish and undertake an Expression of Faith & Beliefs Review alongside its players, incorporating advice from those with and without strong religious beliefs,” RUPA said in a statement. RUPA is aiming to hold a first meeting of the review committee when the Super Rugby and World Sevens series seasons end and plan to invite representatives of Rugby Australia and a Super Rugby, urging them to take part.

Folau was sacked for a high-level code breach for a religiously-motivated social media post which said hell awaits homosexuals, among others, after he had previously been warned following a similar post last year.

“RUPA appreciates the difficult position which this incident has placed on Israel’s teammates and the broader professional playing group, and we will continue to support each RUPA member,” it said.

Sea Eagle Comment – this is the greatest load of gibberish tripe that the Sea Eagle has ever come across. If reviews are necessary how about Rugby Australia conducting the following

Review No 1. Why is there such a proliferation of Pacific Islanders in the Wallabies squad. At last count no less than 13 of the current squad were either born in the Pacific Islands or have very close ancestral heritage. When one of your props is known as the Tongan Thor (aka Tanelia Topou) something is inherently wrong and prompts the obvious question. Why is this man not playing for Tonga?? Let’s face it the Pacific Islanders are only playing because of the greater remuneration available for playing for the Wallabies as opposed to lining up for their countries of birth. If the governing body of world rugby was fair dinkum there would be greater (financial) incentives made available to facilitate this. The Sea Eagle also suggests that a West Indies style concept team should be formed out of the Pacific Islands (comprising from players from Samao, Tonga Fiji etc.) and be eligible for the World Cup. Such a team, at full strength would be more than competitive, would easily account for the Wallabies, most northern hemisphere teams and probably give the All-Blacks a run for their money. Of course this will never happen due to the vested interests of existing rugby world power-brokers, concerned that their own teams would (rightfully) be weakened to such an extent that they would become even more uncompetitive.

Such a move would decimate the Wallabies squad leading to the second review.

Review No 2.  Where did all the non-Pacific Islander rugby players go? A generation or so ago, the Wallabies squad was predominantly comprised of a talented array of players coming up through the Private School system (think Eales, Farr-Jones, Campese etc.) with a sprinkling of naturally gifted indigenous players (think the Ella bros). The indigenous component still exists but other traditional pathways seem to have fallen by the wayside. Simply put, in the Sea Eagle’s opinion the youth of today and especially those young men coming through the private school system have gone soft and would prefer at all cost to avoid any form of physical contact, and even more so when said physical contact involves a 100-120kg Tongan. These days the main form of activity for these young men involve an over exposure to Fortnite and the highest risk of injury being some form of RSI from streaming too much internet (possibly Youporn but who knows).

NSW Origin- the Return of Trent Barrett

Congratulations to Cherry Baby for this achievement. His CV is rolled gold. Premiership winner, Clive Churchill medallist in a losing GF team, captain of Manly, Queensland representative and now Captain of Queensland, and Australian test player. And that is before we take a look at his obvious contract negotiating genius, given the way he played both the Titans and Manly off a break to execute one of the most if not the most highly paid player contracts for a significantly long-term deal, with Manly.

It has been reported in the media that NSW has appointed ex Manly coach Trent Barrett to assist the team, the sole purpose of which apparently, is to guide NSW as to the deficiencies of Cherry Baby, the Queensland half and Captain. If this is true, then goodbye NSW.

Let us then compare the Cherry Baby CV to that of Trent Barrett. Trent Barrett: No premierships as player or coach, no Clive Churchill Medal, player for the losing Saints and the Sharks, and when coach of Manly, he was himself played off a break when he tried to manoeuvre a payout by terminating his contract early, only to find himself being paid to do nothing whilst he coaching aspirations at another club evaporated before his eyes. Granted, Trent Barrett played Origin for NSW, but then again so did Phil Duke, Ryan O’Hara, Michael Gordon, Jamal Idris, Keith Galloway, Michael Buettner, Don McKinnon, Gary Hambly, Rex Wright, Barry Jensen, Aaron Raper and Jarrod Mullen.

Well done NSW. If you want to win the 2019 Origin series, what better way to do it than this.

NSW Origin- Indigenous Players Won’t Sing The National Anthem

This brou hah ha has got everyone talking. Certain Indigenous NSW players are saying they won’t sing the national anthem on Origin night. They are of course still happy to take the coin for playing, and happy to get the extra coin being an Origin player with NRL clubs. And no doubt, happy to play for Australia if selected.

Given Origin is presumably for Australian players only, if the indigenous players do not want to be associated with Australia, they should at least be consistent about it. They can join the Kiwis, English and islander players in the NRL who are not playing Origin because presumably, they do not associate themselves as Australian.

Of course, from an NRL viewpoint it is perfectly fine to say you won’t sing the national anthem. Heaven help you though, if you express your religious beliefs about the LGBT community. Do that and not only won’t you play Origin, you won’t play NRL. At least that seems to be the position of NRL Chairman Peter Beattie vis a vis Izzy Folau.

If the Sea Eagle had his way, and there would be many who would say thankfully he doesn’t, the only excuse for not singing the national anthem, is a demonstrated inability to sing in key. There would be pre game rehearsals for this purpose to be judged by the Director of Controversy to ascertain said poor singing ability.

Anyone else who refused to sing the national anthem at Origin would get the big permanent banning, unless they chose to trial on the Voice by singing said anthem, for public viewing to show their contrition.

The banning is easily enough achieved as well. Simply pick someone else and say it is based on form or for the betterment of the team.

THE SEA EAGLE

[soulinesims]

eva everard 3 years later....

eva with her husband cade sampson

[the-record-newspaper]

July 25, Obituaries

 Mollie   Handy, 94

Mrs. Mollie Wilkins Handy, age 94 widow of Rex Handy passed away Saturday, July 21, 2018 at Wilkes Senior Village.

           No services will be held at this time.  A private family burial will be held at a later date at Mountlawn Memorial Park.

           Mrs. Handy was born June 18, 1924 in Yadkin County to William S. and Dinah Talley Wilkens.  She was a member of the First Baptist Church of North Wilkesboro.

           In addition to her parents and husband; Rex Handy, she was preceded in death by a sister; Victoria Wilkins Wendland, two brothers; William Wilkins and John Wilkins,step-son; Gene Handy and nephew; Warren Shore.

           She is survived by a niece; Lillian Shore Gambill, step-son; Larry Handy, step-grandson; Michael Handy, great nephew; Charles Gambill and great niece; Lisa Forehand.

           In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the donor's choice.

 Edna Barber, 94

Mrs. Edna Neal Barber, age 94 widow of Malcolm Julius Barber of Wilkesboro passed away Saturday, July 21, 2018 at Curis at Wilkesboro.

           Funeral services were held  July 24, at Rickard's Chapel AME Zion Church with Rev. Richard Watts officiating.  Burial will be in Rickard's Chapel Cemetery.  

           Mrs. Barber was born June 12, 1924 in Catawba County to Hartie and Lara Jolly Neal.  She was a member of Rickard's Chapel AME Zion Church.  She was a member of the Rickard's Chapel Missionary Senior Choir, Missionary Society and Mother of the Church.

           In addition to her parents and husband; Malcolm Julius Barber, she was preceded in death by six sisters; Eva Whicker, Ida Shuford, Cora Wilborn, Carolyn Barber, Mary Harris, Rebecca Wilborn and five brothers; Edward Neal, Jim Wilborn, Bill Wilborn, Henry Wilborn and Ike Wilborn.  

           She is survived by two daughters; Angela Adams and husband Charles of Ellenwood, GA, Joyce Shelton and husband Gary of Sacramento, CA, five sons; Julius Barber and wife Susie, Floyd Barber and wife Katie, Marvin F. Barber and wife Jacquelynn, Malcolm C. Barber and wife Brenda, Johnny Barber and wife Joann all of North Wilkesboro, fifteen grandchildren; Julio Barber, Lili Barber, Tressie Barber Harter, Tyson Barber, Patricia Jenkins, Christal Mack, Sherman Boles, Deenene Boles, April Vannoy, Sasha Harrison, Amanda Redmon, Elijah Hubbard, Zack Barber, Kiaya Barber, Nakia Harris, fifteen great grandchildren; Kayla Barber, Jordan Johnson, Addison Barber, Nicholas Barber, Payton Barber, Tia Joyce, Atalya Jenkins, Alicyn Jenkins, Markayla Barber, Travis Harrison Jr., Kai Dobbins Harrison, Maria Gilreath, Jalan Boles, Alex Gilreath, Olivia Boles and four great great grandchildren; Brooklyn Kate Barber, Bon Boles, Emory Gilreath, Jayden Gilreath.

           Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to Rickard's Chapel Missionary Society, Old US 421, Wilkesboro, NC 28697.

Donald Beamon, 62

Mr. Donald Wayne Beamon, age 62 of North Wilkesboro passed away Friday, July 20, 2018 at his home.

           Funeral services will be held  July 25, at Cub Creek Baptist Church with Rev. Brian Sampson and Rev. Scotty Roten officiating.  Burial with Military Honors by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1142 will be in Scenic Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends from 4:30 until 5:30 PM prior to the service at the church.    

           Mr. Beamon was born February 15, 1956 in Forsyth County to Donald Royce and Ruby Mae Burchette Beaman. He serviced in the United States Navy.

           He was preceded in death by his parents and brother; Thomas Winford Beaman.

           He is survived by two sons; Martin Wayne Beamon, Jacob Nathaniel Beamon both of Wilkesboro, Jamie Ashley Beamon; mother of his children of Wilkesboro, sister; Margaret (Sue) Rhoades and husband Tommy of North Wilkesboro, two brothers; Robert Beaman and wife Natalie of North Wilkesboro, Jimmy Beaman and wife Tammy of Roaring River, and step-father; James LeFevers.and step-brother; James Daniel Lefevers and wife Julie of Crumpler.

           Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Piedmont Chapter, 1401 Old Mill Road, Suite B, Winston-Salem, NC 27103.

Andrew  Kilby, 92

Andrew Lomax Kilby, Sr. (Bud) passed away July 18, 2018 at the age of 92. He was born January 13, 1926 to Andrew Franklin Kilby and Grace Lomax Kilby. Mr. Kilby was predeceased by his wife of 69 years, Betty Summers Kilby, and his sister, Grace Frank Mayberry.

           Mr. Kilby is survived by his children: Andrew Lomax Kilby, Jr. (Mary); John Asbury Kilby Sr. (Phyllis); and, Betty Ann Kilby. He is also survived by his grandchildren: Sarah Kilby Munson (Scott); Anne Kilby; Elisha Grace Kilby Jernigan (Justin); John Asbury Kilby, Jr. (Lacey); Jenni Foster Roope; Beau Foster (Katy); and by his great grandchildren: Drew Roope; Grey Roope; Harrison Jernigan; Pierce Jernigan, and Lizzie Foster.

           Mr. Kilby was President of Yadkin Valley Motor Company, North Carolina's oldest Ford dealership established in 1915. He worked there six days a week, arriving by 6:30 AM, until 6 days before his death. He was a member of the First Baptist Church in North Wilkesboro, NC and served as superintendent of the Children's Building there for 20 years. He was also a past member of the Board of Directors of Wilkes General Hospital serving as its Chairman during a major expansion. He was a charter member of Oakwoods Country Club, the North Wilkesboro Elks Club, the Kiwanis Club, and a past member of Ford's Dealer Council.

           He attended Davidson College prior to his voluntary enlistment in the US Army Air Force on December 7, 1943. He proudly served as a bottom-turret and waist gunner on a B24 Liberator bomber during World War II in the 2nd Bomb Squadron of the 22nd Bomb Group of the 5th Air Force. The majority of B24s were made at Ford Motor Company's Willow Run Plant. When the war ended, Mr. Kilby served as part of the US occupation force in Japan.

           After leaving the military service, Mr. Kilby attended college in Bowling  Green, Kentucky. He returned from there in 1948 to work as a partner with his father at Yadkin Valley Motor Company in 1948. He worked at Yadkin Valley his entire life beginning in his early teens.

 A graveside service with Military Honors by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1142 was held at Mountlawn Memorial   July 20,  with Dr. Bert Young and Rev. Steve Snipes officiating.  

           The family requests no food.

           In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to the First Baptist Church in North Wilkesboro.

 Brian Curry, 49

Mr. Brian Everett Curry, age 49 of Moravian Falls passed away Tuesday, July 17, 2018 at Forsyth Medical Center following a long battle with Diabetes.

           Funeral services were held    July 20, 2018 at Reins-Sturdivant Chapel with Rev. Mitch King officiating.  

           Mr. Curry was born May 29, 1969 in Wilkes County to JoAnn Curry.  

           He was preceded in death by his maternal grandmother; Mary V. Kerley.

           He is survived by his wife; Tammy Watcher Daniels, his son; Matthew Brian Curry, and wife Kimberley, mother; JoAnn Curry, three brothers; Paul Curry and wife Shea, Mark Curry and wife Tina, Chad Curry and wife Kaycee and three grandchildren; Lucas Curry, Gaven White and Haiden Jarvis.

           Brian was employed at Tyson Foods for 25 years.  He was a loving father, husband, grandfather and was a Christian. He took great pride in his family and his favorite pastime was riding his Harley on the parkway.

           Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to the American Diabetes Association, PO Box 11454, Alexandria, VA  22312.

 Eula Foster, 83

Mrs. Eula Huffman Foster, age 83 widow of Harold Hayes Foster of Wilkesboro passed away Tuesday, July 17, 2018 at SECU Hospice Home in Yadkinville.

           Funeral services were held July 20,  Reins-Sturdivant Chapel with Rev. Sherrill Wellborn officiating.  Burial was in Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church Cemetery.    

           Mrs. Foster was born October 21, 1934 in Wilkes County to Everette Monroe and Matilda Minton Huffman.  She was a member of Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church and was the owner-operator of Foster's Lawn and Garden Center.

           In addition to her parents and husband; Harold Hayes Foster, she was preceded in death by eight sisters; Ina, Vera, Erie, Esther, Veoria, Marge, Etolia and Wyona and four brothers; James, Glenn, Theodore and EM.

           She is survived by three daughters; Sheila Nichols of Winston-Salem, Yvonne Ewing and husband Wayne of Clemmons, Denise McIntyre and husband Jim of Sparta and one son; Harold H. Foster, Jr., of Winston-Salem, nine grandchildren; Gary Hamby, Jr., Sonya Brooks, Thomas Nichols, III, Derek Nichols, Sean Nichols, Crystal Brooks, Shannan Foster, Clarice Foster, Nadine Foster, ten great grandchildren Cade Hamby, Justin Nichols, Jacob Nichols, Rachel Nichols, Dylan Nichols, Kayla Nichols, Ethan Nichols, Zach Nichols, Hannah Nichols, Jared Nichols, Tori Nichols, Connor Lockey and three great great grandchildren; Lily Nichols, Thomas Nichols, IV and Jace Gunn.

           Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to SECU Hospice Home, 243 North Lee Street, Yadkinville, NC 27055.

Herman Brown, 64

Herman "Freeman" Brown, age 64, of Hays, passed away Monday, July 16, 2018 at his home. He was born June 11, 1954 in Wilkes County to Rufus and Emma Wagoner Brown. Mr. Brown was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Teresa Ann Royal Brown.

           Surviving are his daughter, April Delbert and husband Jason of North Wilkesboro; grandchildren, Brea Delbert and Kyle Delbert; brothers, Rex Brown and wife Judy, Travis Brown and wife Aliene all of Statesville, sisters, Gay Shaw of Harmony, Faye Roten and husband Howard of Troutman, Eula Mae Haynes, Louise Billings and husband Morse all of Hays, Patricia McDaniels and husband Auddie of Wilkesboro; sister in law, Shiela Wilmoth and husband Jerry of North Wilkesboro; brothers in law, Gary Royal and wife Joyce, Terry Royal all of Hays.

           Graveside service was held   July 18,   at Pine View Baptist Church Cemetery with Rev. Travis Brown officiating. Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to Wake Forest Baptist Health Wilkes Regional Dialysis Center, 1370 West D Street, North Wilkesboro, NC 28659.               Miller Funeral Service is in charge of the arrangements.

  Jameson Levi Reid

Jameson Levi Reid, infant son of Tyler Joe Reid and Savannah Jo Walsh Harris, passed away Saturday, July 14, 2018 at Forsyth Medical Center.

           He is survived by his parents, Tyler Reid and Savannah Walsh Harris; paternal grandparents, Herb and Sandra Reid; maternal grandparents, Norman and Jo Lynn Walsh Harris; great grandparents, Brenda Trivette, Stan and Connie Walsh, Gwyn Harris and Edgar Harris.

           Graveside service was held  July 21, at Mountlawn Memorial Park with Rev. Donnie Shumate and Rev. David Dyer officiating. Miller Funeral Service is in charge of the arrangements.  

  Juan Alvarad

Mr. Juan Antonio Arnoldo Pena Alvarado passed away Thursday, July 12, 2018.

           Funeral services were held July 21,  at Rein-Sturdivant Chapel.          

           Mr. Alvarado was born March 8, 1957 in El Salvador to Tiburcio Pena and Cervanda Alvarado.  

           He was preceded in death by his parents.

           He is survived by a daughter; Cindy Pena of North Wilkesboro, two sons; Elvis Omar Pena and wife Elsa of North Wilkesboro  and Geovani Pena of Long Island, New York and four grandchildren; Melanie Pena, Jennifer Pena, Angie Pena and Elvis Leonardo Pena.

[mredwinsmith]

Strokes of Genius 10 Winners Announced

Congratulations to the 116 artists selected for North Light Books’ drawing competition Strokes of Genius 10: Inspiring Subjects. If you see your name below, please check your email for instructions on next steps. You will receive an email from us with the subject line “Strokes of Genius 10 Winner Notification” no later than September 22nd, 2017.

Artist’s First Name     Artist’s Last Name                      Title

Carrie Alderfer Contemplation Jennifer Arthur Hooded Merganser Holly Bedrosian T Rex Paul Birchak Carnival Chris Breier Erie Canal -­‐ Lockport, NY Tracy Butler Old Farmhouse Robert Caldwell Ristle-­‐tee, Rostle-­‐tee, now,now,now (Raven) Svetlana Cameron Sofia Patricia Caviar Garden Refuge Connie Chadwell “Easy Listening” Connie Chadwell Ballerina Anda Chance The Chop Shop Stephanie Chang Walking toward light Mary Chen Forlorn Eyes Kathy Christian Sitara Emily Christoff -­‐ Flowers Listening to Mozart Mike Clapton Needle In The Hay Pamela Clements Historical Sight KATE COLLINS Sheep Meet Penny Collins THE HANGED MAN Colleen Corlett Gorgous George Cade Cunningham Make a Wish Barbara Dahlstedt You Can Make a Difference J. Adam Davis The Dreamer Mario DiGennaro Silver Tea Set Kathy Dolan After The Rain Ron Dunn Larissa -­‐ Cheers! ZENA FAIRWEATHER Charlie Carolin Fernandez Free Spirit Tanja Gant Calista Ginger Gehres Squabble Jeff George Note to Self IRENE GEORGOPOULOU Playtime Marsha Gilger The Bachelor Pad Hans Guerin In Her Fur Shawl Gemma Gylling BFF’s -­‐ Save The Elephants Linda Lucas Hardy It Don’t Make Sense But It’s So Much Fun Linda Lucas Hardy Pull to Open Paul Harman Light of a New Day Jane Hart Ragdoll Veronica Haskell Lisboa Fountain Kathy Hildebrandt All That Glitters Kathy Hildebrandt The Making of Mona Steven Hill Metallic Sunrise Narrows Canyon Paul Howe Power Darren Hughes Marcell’s Morning Blues Darren Hughes Tawny Frogmouth

  Karen Hull Up the Creek Joel Iskowitz Inspiration of the Lincoln cent Kate Jenvey Eye to Eye GeorgeAnn Johnson Lioness Engagement JuliAnne Jonker Portrait of a Roman man Phil Kidd The Fall of Man Anthony Klinger-­‐Cooley Cold Wind Elena Kolotusha Family ties Elena Kolotusha I am a Wild thing Zhiwei Kong My Backpack Jesse Lane Adrenaline Catherine Lidden Reclining Nude Liu Ling Xiao Fang Mark Loughney High Roller Yael Maimon Black Cat #5 Yael Maimon Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf #3 Yael Maimon Little Red Riding Hood in the City Yael Maimon Orange Cat CAROL E MALTBY, CPSA The Potter Suzanne Marcil Clearly Together Pete Marshall Fantasia Royale Jody Martin Being Lincoln Paco Martin Dominguez Mandarins and paper Angela Matuschka Winter Squirrel Glen Maxion Summer Notes donzell mcdonald City Living Kathleen McDonnell Along The Pond#2 Mark Merchant His Divine Grace Tara Merkt Eye of the Beholder Terry Miller No Weather For Sailing Terry Miller Old Lace Margaret Minardi Alternative World Margaret Minardi Last Living Thing Dale Marie Muller Fold Andrew Mutch Hampden Reflection Joe Myers CHIMP Karie O’Donnell Sarah Entangled helen oh Dancer Susan O’Neill Woman in Turquoise Randy Owen Arkhipov Chris Page Devan I Nancy Paquet Body Language Luis F Perez Death of a Bumble Bee 1 Luis F Perez Toro de Lidia 3 susan perrish Heritage Audrey Phillips Electric Blue Susan Cone Porges August Morning, 11 O’Clock at Quarry Rock Andrew Purdy Bone Yard

  Andrew Purdy Urban Patina Dan Pyle Pageant Carolyn Quinn-­‐Hensley Cabaret de le Boheme Ann Ranlett Safety Randy Redetzke Harleena Terri Rosenblum Baboon Susan Rubin Lupine Ferhat Salgin Serenity Gayla Salvati Study In Stripe Elissa Sampson Playing Games With My Heart David Sandell God and Soldier Diana Sarkar Conner Brent Schreiber Listen 21 Bill Shoemaker The Little Rascals sarah simmonds BLOSSOM Davis Smith Counting My Blessings Daniel Sorensen Ciara LAURENE SPINO Dance for Joy LAURENE SPINO Mocha Anne Strutz Bunker Kamaraj Sugumaran I am a day artist Vicki Sullivan Kinima Anselmo Swan Coffee Cup Caleb Tay Blending In Katherine Thomas Classics Lucy Tolkunova Dreaming Cathryne Trachok Leaning In Melissa B Tubbs Budny Boys Melissa B Tubbs Howell Home Sandra Weiner Giraffe Love Dexter Welcome “The Composer ii” Mike Wharton Early Thaw michelle Wiser Armadillo wei yan Listening Bora YILMAZYIGIT BORA

  The post Strokes of Genius 10 Winners Announced appeared first on Artist's Network.

from Artist's Network http://ift.tt/2yoy8vY

[spencer-montague]

Belated Celebrations

Knowing they both had to work Wednesday, Sampson prepared several gifts for Spencer’s birthday to celebrate the weekend after: A home cooked fancy meal (much nicer than Sampson’s usual attempts) with champagne, a large wooden photo frame full of photos of their past year together, and a special, sill surprise for the bedroom after. Half as a joke, half for his own amusement, Sampson  managed to find a UK flag dress, and bought it on a whim after the Dominant’s trip with Cade to see the Spice Girls in concert. While he’s never been one for cross dressing, he figured Spencer’s own amusement would be worth dipping his toes in that water “It was either this, or the little black Gucci dress." 

[junker-town]

The Midwest is the region of death in the 2021 NCAA tournament

Via USA Today

Here’s why the Midwest is the toughest region in the bracket this year.

There is no such thing as an easy path to the Final Four in the NCAA tournament. Anything can and will happen in a single-elimination format, with UMBC’s win over Virginia as a No. 16 seed three years ago standing as the ultimate proof of concept. If a team lets its guard down even for a few minutes in March Madness, it can be the difference between a deep run and an early exit.

If cakewalks through the bracket don’t exist in March, a treacherous path certainly does. This year there’s no doubt the hardest road through the bracket will happen in the Midwest region.

The Illinois Fighting Illini anchor the region as the No. 1 seed. The Illini are worthy of top billing with an elite one-two punch in guard Ayo Dosunmu and center Kofi Cockburn surrounded by a strong group of shooters and defenders. Illinois certainly has the talent to win the regional, but their outlook through the bracket is full of potential pitfalls.

Here’s why the Midwest is the toughest region this year.

Loyola-Chicago has a historically strong resume for a No. 8 seed

We’ll stop short of saying Loyola-Chicago is the best No. 8 seed in recent memory because the 2014 Kentucky team led by Julius Randle was the preseason No. 1 in the polls and made it all the way to the national championship game. With that said, Loyola had a strong case to be seeded significantly higher in the bracket.

The Ramblers are the No. 9 team in the entire country according to KenPom’s efficiency rankings and the No. 10 team in the country by the NET rankings. Loyola will enter the tournament with the No. 1 defense in the country, currently sitting a tenth of a point better than No. 2 seed Alabama on that side of the floor. Senior center Cameron Krutwig, who started as a freshman on Loyola’s Final Four team in 2018, is currently No. 4 in KenPom’s player of the year standings, and places in the top-10 nationally in all-in-one impact stats PER and BPM.

We saw head coach Porter Moser lead Loyola to the Final Four just a few years ago, and there’s no doubt that this team has an even better regular season resume. The MVC didn’t give Loyola enough chances at quality wins to be a top-four seed — they’re 6-4 against Quad 1 and Quad 2 opponents, and 16-0 against everyone else — but this team feels like it should have been a No. 6 seed at the least rather than an eight.

Oklahoma State should be seeded higher than a No. 4

The Cowboys started a little shaky this season, but they closed by winning six of their last seven games in the regular season and then beat No. 1 seed Baylor in the Big 12 tournament semifinals. ESPN expert Joe Lunardi had OK State as a No. 2 seed after the win over the Bears. Should a close loss to a talented Texas team in the title game really mean they fall two lines?

Only Illinois had more Quad 1 wins than Oklahoma State entering the tournament, but that likely won’t make the Illini feel any better about a potential Sweet 16 matchup. Somehow, West Virginia got a higher-seed as a No. 3 even though Oklahoma State beat them twice at the end of the season.

While individual players shouldn’t factor into seeding, it’s worth noting that Cowboys guard Cade Cunningham is the biggest star in college basketball right now. The freshman will be the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and has been a one-man army lately. The Cowboys deserved better.

Tennessee is a dangerous No. 5 seed

The Vols haven’t played up to their potential yet this year, but this is a team that should scare any opponent. Rick Barnes’ team gets it done on the defensive end, entering the tournament with the No. 4 overall defense in the country. The rotation is full of long, athletic defenders who know how to force turnovers and are a terror closing out on shots.

Tennessee just has a lot of talent. There’s three five-star recruits on this roster, and two freshmen — Jaden Springer and Keon Johnson — currently projected as lottery picks in our latest 2021 NBA mock draft. A game with Springer and Johnson vs. Cunningham in round two might be the best prospect matchup of the college basketball season for NBA scouts.

Houston feels due for a run, too

The Cougars are a worthy No. 2 seed and look like they will have a manageable path to the Elite Eight. KenPom currently has Houston as the No. 6 team in the country thanks to the No. 8 overall offense and the No. 16 defense.

Kelvin Sampson’s team has been on fire the last three seasons. In their last tournament appearance, in 2019, the Cougars lost a close game to Tyler Herro and Kentucky in the Sweet 16. Don’t forget about Houston in this region.

Illinois is absolutely good enough to come out of the Midwest anyway

The Illini are legit. Dosunmu might be the best guard in college basketball other than Cunningham. Cockburn just dominated presumptive national player of the year favorite Luka Garza in a head-to-head matchup in the Big Ten tournament. The Illini enter the field with the No. 7 offense and No. 5 defense in America.

If Illinois makes the Final Four, they will have truly earned it. There are no easy games on their road once they get past the No. 16 seed.

[junker-town]

15 standout college football recruits from Washington, D.C.’s Nike camp

Some of the DMV’s best talent was on display. Here’s a non-exhaustive collection of notes on players who stood out.

CLIFTON, Va. — The greater Washington, D.C., area has a lot of good high school football. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia all punch above their weight class in blue-chip recruits, and each offers high school players a relatively good chance to draw Division I recruiters. There’s not a shortage of quality talent here, even if it’s not a Florida or a Texas.

Some of the area’s best players were on the field Sunday at Nike’s regional Opening camp. Here are notes and quotes from a few of them, and more:

Four players earned invitations to Nike’s Opening finals held later this summer in Oregon. Those were Ohio State defensive line commit Taron Vincent, Penn State running back commit Ricky Slade, uncommitted cornerback A.J. Lytton, and uncommitted running back Mychale Salahuddin. Three of those invitations were no surprise; Vincent, Slade, and Lytton are all five-stars and were expected to be great.

Salahuddin was the surprise of the day. The Woodson (D.C.) product is rated a high three-star recruit on the 247Sports Composite, with lots of offers but not from Alabamas and Ohio States of college football.

Salahuddin’s currently most interested in Nebraska, USC, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Maryland, North Carolina. He’s a listed 5’11 and 190 pounds.

“I’m a crafty back,” he told me. “I can use my explosiveness. I can use my power. I can use my speed. I can get past a defender. I can go through the defender. Whatever you want.” He admires Le’Veon Bell’s patience and Leonard Fournette’s complete game, and his teammates call him “Houdini,” which is about the best nickname ever.

Something to watch on Salahuddin: He prefers a pro-style scheme.

Local RB Mychale Salahuddin a natural athlete https://t.co/AdMgXXY78B http://pic.twitter.com/HvPt5NHqPf

— Ahmed Ghafir (@AGhafir247) April 23, 2017

Five-star class of 2019 linebacker Shane Lee is a really interesting kid, who says he doesn’t even watch football on TV. He’s pretty good at playing it, though.

Lee is built like a house, and you expect him to serve as a run-stuffing Mike linebacker who hangs out near the line of scrimmage and plugs gaps. He can definitely do that, but I was impressed by his Brian Urlacher-like ability to lug a massive frame up and down the field in coverage. He could be a Tampa 2 inside linebacker someday.

Lee’s recruitment is open. He mentioned interest in Maryland, Michigan, Penn State, Pitt, Clemson, LSU, Notre Dame, and Ohio State.

New Tennessee quarterback commit Michael Penix Jr., a three-star from Florida, is an interesting prospect. He’s got a strong arm and can really fire the ball out of a five-step drop. If he can move the ball with his legs, too, he’ll be really good.

“I see myself as a drop-back guy, a pocket passer,” he said. “Most people say dual threat. But I usually look to pass before I do to run.”

Tennessee’s leaned a lot on the QB run game for the last few seasons, with Joshua Dobbs at quarterback. Maybe Penix signals a change in that regard. But he’s also a good athlete, and Tennessee might try to use him in the run game, too.

I’ve noticed something at the last two camps I’ve covered, in Cleveland a few weeks ago and now in D.C: the offensive lineman who stands out the most relative to expectations has mentioned Syracuse first among the schools he’s interested in. In Cleveland, that was center Tyrone Sampson, who committed to Cuse last week.

This week’s standout lineman was Josh Jefferson, a center at St. John’s (D.C.). In the reps I saw of him, Jefferson did well against Ohio State five-star Vincent.

Impressive player at Nike D.C. was St. John's center Josh Jefferson. Here he is against Ohio State five-star DL commit Taron Vincent: http://pic.twitter.com/DgTwSZ8896

— Alex Kirshner (@alex_kirshner) April 24, 2017

Jefferson could play guard or center in college. He’s got offers from Syracuse, Marshall, and Buffalo. Maryland, Virginia Tech, Penn State, Georgia, and North Carolina have shown interest, he said.

It’s valuable to be the first Power 5 school to offer a rising lineman. Jefferson’s going to get more offers, and none of this is to say that Jefferson (or Sampson) are totally under-the-radar players. That’s not quite right, But it’s worth noting that Syracuse got here early, and Dino Babers’ staff has identified some good line talent.

Four-star Oxon Hill (Md.) receiver Daniel George is ready to play in any conference in the country right now. He’s big and fast, with plenty of route-running polish.

Four-star WR Daniel George makes it look easy https://t.co/EpWMUXzg7r http://pic.twitter.com/60JwNRkrr0

— Ahmed Ghafir (@AGhafir247) April 23, 2017

“I’d say I’m a big, physical receiver,” he said. “I use my physicality to get open. I have breakaway speed. I can get in and out of my cuts well, and I’ve been working on being quicker.” George wants to be like Julio Jones. So do lots of receivers, but Jones is closer than most.

Penn State, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Maryland, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt stand out right now, but George has no “favorites.” He’d like to commit by late July, but he’s open to waiting until after his senior season.

Tennessee or Florida State could enter the mix by offering him, he said.

Three-star Wyoming Valley West (Pa.) offensive tackle Chris Bleich decommited recently from Penn State. It sounds like Nebraska’s in the lead here.

“Nebraska is sticking out, but I’m just holding every option available,” he said.

Bleich previously spent a season at the IMG Academy in Florida. He plans to be an early enrollee and prefers to make a commitment by June.

I keep being impressed by three-star St. Edward (Ohio) safety Michael Dowell. He was a standout both in Cleveland and D.C., and he’s a great athlete. Look here:

Here's the top 20 unofficial Nike Football Ratings from today's testing @TheOpening D.C. regional. Full marks later this week!✔️ http://pic.twitter.com/q33yTrao6H

— Brian Stumpf (@Stumpf_Brian) April 24, 2017

Dowell’s a Michigan State lean on the 247Sports Crystal Ball. He also has offers from Pitt, Iowa, Syracuse, Maryland, and a handful of others.

St. Joseph Centeral (Mo.) receiver Cade Musser was second in Nike Football rating at the event behind Dowell. That’s a metric that combines the 40-yard dash, shuttle run, and a few other physical tests to paint an overall picture of athleticism. Musser has had barely any recruitment and doesn’t have a single offer, he told me.

“My best attribute is shiftiness, make people miss in open space,” he said.

He did that a few times in cat-and-mouse drills on Sunday. Musser’s just 5’9, and it’s easy to fall in love with small, fast, and shifty at these camps. But keep an eye on him.

Three-star Virginia linebacker commit Noah Taylor is a good athlete. He committed to UVA last summer, but he also holds offers from Pitt, Rutgers, Temple, and Indiana.

“I move a lot in space. That’s what a lot of people say. I’m fast for a tall guy.”

Taylor’s a lanky 6’5 and 200 pounds. It wouldn’t surprise me if he moved to safety or even corner, and it also wouldn’t surprise me if he turned out to be really good there.

Four-star Maryland offensive line commit Evan Gregory, from local powerhouse DeMatha Catholic, is big and strong.

Here's new four-star Maryland OL commit Evan Gregory just stuffing some poor adversary. Also did it on the first of their reps, more or less http://pic.twitter.com/gdKYGb24Nc

— Alex Kirshner (@alex_kirshner) April 23, 2017

One of my favorite players in the class of 2019 is DeMatha receiver DeMarcco Hellams.

Hellams is a long way from signing anywhere, but he’s athletic enough to play receiver or defensive back at whichever school he chooses. His recruitment’s taken off in the last year and now includes offers from Penn State, Clemson, Michigan, Maryland, Louisville, North Carolina, and Kentucky.

Penn State and Michigan are looking at Hellams in the defensive backfield, but most of the schools recruiting him “give me the option to go both ways,” he said.

Alex Kirshner/SB Nation

DeMarcco Hellams