#it was a master chief edition with the green and gold

[deepwoundsandfadedscars]

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[rattle-em-spooky-jones]

Complete List of All My WIPs

You know when you’re bored and simultaneously procrastinating. Yeah.

Anyway, here’s a comprehensive list of my WIPs which are sorted by fandom. In order, it’s Gintama, DC, Jujutsu Kaisen, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure and then some misc. fandoms. It’ll be updated as I get more WIPs. Few have playlists that I made for the fic specifically, or for the general ship/ characters.

(Edit: adding a Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure section because I started it like a week back and already know I Will be having WIPs)

If any of you guys want to know more about any of the fics, just send me an ask. I’d be happy to answer. (*´▽`*)

Gintama:

1. The Misadventures of Mutsu and Sakamoto

Self explanatory, just a little comedic thing.

2. Everyone’s crazy about a sharply dressed man, or in this case… an idiotic merchant?

The only thing I've written for this is 'Essentially the story of different people realizing that Sakamoto is actually really hot.' I can't even say anything to defend myself, Chief.

3.Copper veins, Hands clenched tight

Kouka on Kounan fic. Follows different epithets she has throughout her life [The Blessed, The Cursed, The Lonely, The Master of Kounan, Kouka]

4. Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep 

Premise has huge spoilers so I’ll just give a sparknotes version - Takasugi fakes his death, manages to piss off Sakamoto, Zura, and the entirety of Kabukicho.

5. Digging too Deep 

Sakamoto thinks about his childhood, realizes its more messed up than he thought.

6. As Winds Pass By 

Also has huge spoilers in its premise. Sparknotes version is that this takes place in a world where the canon ending of Gintama happened, and then the second movie's premise of the epidemic happens. Somehow, in the midst of all of this, Sakamoto realizes that he's now immortal.

7. For all the stars in the universe (I was entranced into orbiting you) 

 Atmospheric 2nd person fic following Sakamoto and his unrequited love towards Gintoki. Lots of space metaphors.

8. A person by any other name would still be just as stupid 

Absolutely no clue what's it about, I have written a page though.

9. You know you have cool friends when you guys would be considered an invasive species

My Hero Academia crossover where the Joi 4 get dropped into the MHA universe, get annoyed at the league of villains and decide they're gonna create a better one. A very crack-y fic.

10. Star Eater 

Sakamoto isn't quite human. follows his life from birth to just after the end of the war. I have been half-jokingly calling it my magnum opus.

11. Kakashi’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (Posted, will update)

Naruto crossover where Kakashi gets dropped into the Gintama universe. No I have not abandoned it, yes it has been like 3 years since I last updated.

DC:

Gen:

12. Unfridged (Reforged)

Alexandra DeWitt’s journey as a ghost through Greek lands, with Nyx (?) wanting to her to be their presence in the real world, but she has to go through trials before she can do so.

13.  Mirror Mirror On the Wall

A Hal Jordan angst fic grappling with identity. Written in second person and has the style of ‘Bluets’ but focuses on green.

14.  It Will Come Back

In the 25th century, the wards around Gotham keep out creatures that for some reason only Booster's family can see. The 21st century doesn't have those kind of wards.

TimKon:

15. Fingers Entwined, Hearts in Beat

An Orpheus and Eurydice TimKon au. Angst is at full throttle.

16. Top Gun Superboy (working title) Top gun AU with Kon as Maverick and Tim as Iceman. 

Boostle:

17. And I’d Make A Deal With God

Booster Gold grieves over Ted in their shared apartment.

JayKyle:

18. Fire of Unknown Origin

A Bioshock au. Jason and Kyle are trapped down in Rapture. Separately, they both figure out that someone is acting as 'Atlas', a freedom fighter who is supposed to be long dead. After a chance meeting, they decide to work together to figure out what the hell is going on.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3rWWOrT7LDGM0wggI9Zl9D?si=43ce8e0a98a8463e

19.  New Wave Starhunters

A Cowboy Bebop AU. Both Jason and Kyle were cryogenically frozen after two separate accidents years apart. Kyle loses all his memories when he wakes up. Jason remembers, but it has been long enough that everyone he's ever known and loved is dead. They both end up as bounty hunters, and this is their story.

HalBarry:

20. Fleeting Touch 

Hal's a ghost stuck in the apartment he used to live in. Barry moved into his new apartment two weeks ago. Can I make it anymore obvious?

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6kM0uBYmqeVAEW7VCQwsHO?si=edb27b2977a14853

21. It's Gettin Hard, this Holdin' back

Just a fluff piece where Barry notices how often Hal touches him, and starts to become hyperware of it because he has a crush on Hal.

22. In the Cracks Beneath Our Feet 

 A Pacific Rim au set in the early days where Jagars where piloted by one pilot. Hal witnesses the destruction of Coast City by Cyborg Superman, but the whole thing is covered up by the board of directors. Hal lashes out at the, and as a result he is put on increasing dangerous missions to get rid of him. They also get Barry (who figured out the one person system is severely harming pilots but isn’t allowed to go public with the findings) to monitor his health and to attempt to ‘spy’ on him. They both ending up slowly realizing the other also hates the Shatterdome and try to fight the corruption of the place. 

23. Wasted Sunset, Forlorn Sunrise [Complete!] A 'the summer hikaru died' au. Hal as Yoshiki, and Barry as Hikaru. Worked on this for the HalBarry Big Bang 2023 in collaboration with @chocolateteapotsvis ! You can see the accompanying art here.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1pB2LnhyaO6bAYAIloLVVr?si=0723f6ab9caa4741

Bonus [Complete]: And One Day Closer to Death Fic I worked on for the Superboy Superzine. It's late at night. Kon contemplates.

Jujutsu Kaisen:

24. AFTER HOURS

Museum au - gojo is a new museum curator (for art pieces) and geto is the ghost that haunts it (with no memories of the past).

25. At the Tip of Your Tongue, In the Back of Your Lungs

Second person Gojo POV, following the timeline from when Gojo and Geto meet for the first time till the end of the Jujutsu Kaisen 0 movie.

26. An Endless Sea

A SatoSugu Pacific Rim Au. Also set in a time before the two pilot drift technology was developed. They’re the greatest pilots in the world until Riko and tengen’s mission where they had to protect Riko goes wrong. Gojo becomes even more stronger with his Jager after the mission, but Geto seems to find his limit and has to have a specific number of missions he can go per day. Geto centric.

27. Jujutsu Textin’ (Posted, but still updating)

A modern day twitter fic where most of the characters are in college.

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure:

28. La Ciruela

It’s late at night, yet both Caesar and Joseph are here on this balcony outside. Joseph hides his heart well. Caesar pines.

29. You Gonna Do Something Killer?

....this is so embarrassing I can’t believe I’m adding it in. Caejose smut fic based on that tequila joseph tiktok and art. Joseph bets that he can seduce Caesar. Caesar- very stupidly, and already in love with Jojo - agrees to it.

30. Distant Dreams, Distant Hearts

Kujo family dynamics (Holly-Jotaro, Jotaro-Jolyne) centric fic with a focus on cards.

31.  Before My Body Is Dry (working title)

A Spiderverse au with a twist, with Jolyne as Miles and Jotaro as Jefferson Davis. 

Miscellaneous: 

32. Red Heaven, White Hell

A Daredevil exploration fic based on colours: red blood, red fights, red justice – white hospital, white crimes, white grief.

33. Time Wounds All the Heals (working title)

An Alex Rider (show) fic. A timeloop story where Alex keeps returning back in time, usually after he finds out Ian dies. Card games will be definitely used as some sort of metaphor.

34. The Oddball Blues

A comedy/ romance Giant Killing fic centered around Tsubaki and Kubota’s spare time in Abu Dhabi.

35. Biohazards, Ballistics, and Global Political Tension: An investigation into the impact of bio-organic weapons on modern society (Posted, but still updating)

Collab with @fangirl-on-fire3 ! A collection of accounts about different events in the resident evil universe in the format of a draft of a PhD report. 

[greysocean]

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[monstersandmaw]

Male orc x male reader (1st person) sfw

Edit which I’m including in all my works after plagiarism and theft has taken place: I do not give my consent for my works to be used, copied, published, or posted anywhere. They are copyrighted and belong to me.

This was posted, completely unedited and hot off the keyboard, to Patreon at the beginning of June. It’s first person for a change, but male perspective.

Reader is the crown prince of a high fantasy kingdom, who was never expected to become king. His older brother was killed in action when he was 13 and he suddenly found himself shifting from the role of scholar to the role of soldier, a role for which the king things him ill-suited. It opens with him at aged fifteen, first meeting the orcish son of a local war chief, who accompanies his mother to the castle for peace talks with the king. Vilugh is about ten years older than the reader. The reader doesn't have it easy, and is extremely lonely, as I would imagine a lot of royals and people with important families would be, beneath all those expectations and responsibilities.

Hope you like it - I have more written and more I want to do with it. I know it's orcs, which isn't very non-humanoid (Patreon folks said they wanted more non-humanoid monsters), but I really enjoyed going with the inspiration for this one and was excited to share it with you first. Sorry for any mistakes - as I said, it's still mostly unedited.

(The orc’s name is pronounced ‘vee-lug’)

I was fifteen the first time I saw Vilugh, and my jaw dropped the moment he entered the castle bailey beside his mother. They both rode enormous war boars with tusks and ears as decorated as their orcish riders, and his mother’s had a great, spiked chain that dangled between them.

The War Chief swung down from her mount, landing light as a sabre cat in the rocky outcrops beyond the castle, though the myriad ornaments adorning her head gear and garlanded around her neck jangled and clinked. The blade of her double-headed axe flashed silently in the holster across her back. Bone and steel, ivory and gold flashed in the sun. Beside her, astride a colossal, russet boar with a great bristle-back mane and flashing, mismatching eyes, rode her eldest son. The orc was huge, even for young adult. With orcs and humans ageing at about the same rate, he had to have been in his mid twenties, in the absolute prime of life, and I was awestruck by his presence.

Silent, built like a bulwark, and with eyes that took in everything and revealed nothing, Vilugh glared around the courtyard. While many orc’s eyes were light as amber, his were a deep, colourless black from that distance, and I licked my lips as my heart rate shot up like a winter solstice arrow into the sky. He stared straight at me, unmoving. Evaluating me, with my scrawny arms and less than impressive physique, no doubt. He quickly dismissed me, assuming I was some kind of page boy, no doubt. His surprise when I was formally introduced to them later as the Crown Prince was certainly enough to draw a tiny, knowing smile from my lips.

They were here to begin peace talks, and, to everyone’s surprise, they went astonishingly smoothly. Few humans made snide remarks about the orcs, and none of my father’s people were decapitated in retaliation.

The orcish party came, spent hours walled up with my father and the royal council, I lingered around the door and behind the wood panelling in the great hall, scuttling along the wainscot like a stray castle mouse, sneaking scraps of conversation instead of cheese.

I couldn't take my eyes off Vilugh though. He sat with the presence of a dormant volcano; all that power barely contained within each gesture. Like his mother, he wore a mix of leather and fur, with a swathe of his large, green-skinned chest exposed beneath the cross of leather that just about covered his nipples and went up over his huge traps and down his back to meet at the waist of the loose leather riding ‘skirt’ favoured by orcs. Really though, it was more like rough linen covered with tattered layers of studded, off cuts of leather.

As a gesture, everyone left their weapons outside the doors, and as I passed by - bored after two hours of talking - I paused and stared at them. A royal guard eyed me cautiously, as if I were about to cause mischief that would get her into trouble, and her orcish counterpart standing on the other side of the small weapons cash narrowed his eyes at me. This orc was older than the others in the chamber, and stood at seven feet tall, with colossal shoulder muscles. Perhaps the most startling thing about him to me at that age was the fact that he had only one arm, and one of his tusks was missing on the same side.  He sneered down at me and I balked. I’d never seen anyone with injuries like that, and it shocked me deeply that someone could endure something like the pain of losing an arm.

I’d known orcs were tough, but that somehow helped to drive it home to me.

I had made it no further than six steps down the corridor that led away from the Great Hall when the doors creaked open and my father strode out, the orcish War Chief at his side. Trying not to look like I was on the verge of crapping my pants - which, I am ashamed to admit I probably was - I watched the party file past me. My father gave no indication of having even seen me, and marched past me as if I were no more than another rusty suit of armour gathering dust in the miles of castle corridors.

Vilugh, however, turned his gaze sidelong to me as he followed in silence, brooding as a thunderhead and twice as frightening. I managed to conjure a smile from somewhere, and he looked away. Everything about him looked dangerous, from the sheer size of his boar-like tusks to the massive curve of his shoulders, the definition of the muscles visible on his back and sides, the black rope of plaited hair, thicker than my two balled fists put together, that hung down to his backside, and the predatory set of his gait. Oh, and the two-handed axe now strapped to his back didn’t help much to soften him.

The orcs stayed in the castle - a first, I was informed in passing by Rigmore, the castle steward - but I didn’t eat with them. For some reason my father seemed ashamed of his scholarly son. My late brother would have been perfect for this; he’d been the warrior prince, the kingdom’s golden boy, the one destined to rule after father was dead. But Dannan was gone, and the kingdom had me now. I’d taken after my mother, apparently, though she’d died birthing me, so that was another thing my father seemed to hold against me.

I had expected to spend the rest of the day alone in the library, since it was the one day in the week when I wasn’t expected to be out in the training ring with the castle’s master at arms, trying to bulk up a body that didn’t want to take on muscle the way my brother’s had. Big burly Dannan with his head of golden curls and his biceps as big as an orc’s… Then there was me. The scholar-son. I was lean and toned after two years of trying to fill boots that would always be too big for me, but I showed no signs of developing any brawn to go with my brains. Too much of my mother’s side of the family in me, or so my father said.

With my head bent over a tome on the ancient language of our distant forbears, I didn’t hear the door open, but when a young page boy cleared his throat and squeaked at me, I jumped and spattered ink up my arm and onto my dark green linen shirt.

“Sorry, Your Highness,” the boy chirped, nervy as a sparrow.

“It’s fine,” I smiled, trying to reassure the kid. He was probably not even half my age. “You have a message for me?”

“Yes, Highness,” he said, bowing. “His Majesty says you’re to ride out with them. They’re going through the castle gardens and out into the deer park.”

“Oh. When?”

The boy grimaced. “Now.”

“Now?” I cursed and the boy blushed. “Thank you. I don’t supposed it would have killed my father to give me a little warning?”

The page boy didn’t know what to say to that, so I thanked him again and dismissed him, folding up my notes into the book and hurrying to my chambers to change into my riding leggings and something a little warmer.

By the time I jogged out of the main gates into the castle bailey, the party was just mounting up, my father swinging easily onto his enormous grey stallion as the beast pranced by the mounting block. My father was a soldier-son, first born and in the saddle before he could walk. I’d started a little later, but I wasn’t too bad. My mare was brought out to me, gleaming and brushed and black as midnight. The orcs were mounted on their boars and, despite the horses innate fear and hatred of the beasts, there wasn’t too much fuss about that.

The stable boy who led Starling out to me didn’t take her to the mounting block but brought her directly to me at the foot of the castle steps. Lean and light and fifteen years old, I sprang into the saddle and took the reins from him with a nod of thanks, nudging her forward with the merest squeeze of my lanky calves to join the others.

“Took your time, boy,” the king growled at me.

“I came as soon as the message was relayed to me,” I retorted sullenly. “I was in the library.”

“So I see. You’ve got ink on your lip,” he said as he reined Spectre around sharply. “Try to keep up and don’t fall off.”

My face heated at the comment but I ground my jaw. There was no point arguing. I risked a glance at Vilugh and found him staring with his unreadable expression at me. I flashed him a wide, boisterous, childish grin and asked Starling to go from a standstill to a fast canter with one easy command. She leapt forwards, following my father as he cantered away over the flagstones and out onto the sandy track that led from the castle around to the apple orchards and formal gardens, and beyond them, the deer park.

We were clearly not hunting that day, since no servants joined us, but the orcs still wore their axes strapped to their backs. Three joined us in total: the War Chief, her son, and the one-armed orc I’d seen outside the chamber. I’d obviously underestimated his significance, thinking him little more than a servant as he’d guarded their weapons and not been party to the peace talks within, but for him to be selected over the others in the party indicated otherwise. My trained mind quickly refiled the information and put it to one side.

My hair was growing floppy now that I had stopped cutting it. No one had noticed, and it now brushed my shoulders if it wasn’t tied up. In the library, I’d scraped it back into a ponytail where it bobbed playfully like a young plant’s first leaves, and now as we rode, it came loose, the little leather strap falling away to get trampled by the enormous hooves of the giant boars behind me.

Starling flew like her namesake, wild and graceful, turning at the slightest touch like a bird on the wing. I loved riding. I wasn’t permitted to go out alone, and no one ever had the time to escort me, so I only got to do it when my father decided he needed to skewer something deadly to let off steam, and now as we all picked up our paces, the horses keen to stretch their legs, I couldn’t keep the savage grin off my face. I felt feral for just half a moment, and it was glorious.

When we finally reined our horses back after a lovely canter along the smooth grass of the orchard road, I sat back a little and Starling responded by slowing her pace to a steady walk. I gave her her head, letting the reins fall loose and dangle, while Spectre pranced and jogged up ahead, snorting and tossing his head. My father always kept his reins too short, thinking it made his stallion’s crest of muscle look bigger. All it did was irritate the horse, but far be it from me to correct a king.

I glanced back and saw Vilugh’s boar raise its huge, pierced snout and let out a scream of what seemed to be like joy as it trotted along behind. My father’s horse spooked a little, and Starling skittered sideways. I went with her, absorbing the motion with my hips before she settled under my palm and voice. “Easy, they’re our friends now,” I crooned to her, and caught the flicker of her ears as she picked out my familiar voice. “There, see… just a big piglet. Nothing to worry about.”

At that, I heard Vilugh snort behind me and turned to grin at him.

“Shh,” I said conspiratorially. “She doesn't need to know what they can really do.”

His harsh face cracked a little at that and he nodded with a little smile. He probably saw me as a little child, I realised, and my face flushed again. I looked away and didn’t try to speak to him for the rest of the ride.

The orcs’ visit was brief, but it marked the beginning of an uneasy peace with their kind. I grew in my duties, becoming ever more isolated. I had no friends among the court, my father ignored me until he required me to be present for something, I trained, I rode my horse, I studied, I ate, I slept, and I read. For three years, the orcs did not return to the castle, though my father made one trip alone to visit them on neutral ground somewhere out on the plains.

When he returned, he seemed pensive, and I caught him staring at me a few times over supper that night, which unnerved me.

The year I turned eighteen was the year I discovered my new nicknames among our people. The “Silent Prince” and the “Royal Monk” had become my monikers, and my father hated it. Personally, I thought it rather fitting. I was still skinny, unable to put on muscle no matter how much meat I was given at supper or how many boars my father sent me to bring down. Of course, I couldn’t bring one down alone, but I managed once or twice with the help of a retainer or two. I wasn’t a complete disappointment. But I wasn’t Dannan.

My twenty first slid by, and my father showed no signs of slowing down. He expanded his territories to the east, and I saw war for the first time. Of course, I didn’t see it from the front lines. What I saw was strategy and numbers in the tents, and my tactics and suggestions won us three battles. They lost us one too, but to my surprise, my father started to take note of me then. He never said anything different, but he included me more in his business than he ever had. My hair grew a little longer, though I had it routinely hacked off when it got below my shoulder blades. It was nothing like the luscious head of curls my brother had had, so I could wear it long without it looking feral. Dannan’s had practically been a halo for him.

One morning, over our habitually silent weekly breakfast together, my father cleared his throat and announced, “Son, you’ll be heading off to train with Khraxh and her war band.”

I choked so hard on my scrambled egg that a servant actually had to step forwards and slap me on the back. “What?” I croaked the moment I had air enough in my lungs to articulate the word.

“You heard me,” the king said, his grey-blue eyes drifting down a list in front of him, the contents of which he had not deigned to share with me. As usual, I had brought a book with me to the table to entertain myself until he rose and left.

“I did, but… why?”

“I believe it will be good for you. Her son, Vilugh, will be here tomorrow to escort you.”

“I’m going alone?” Stupid question. I was always alone.

“Yes,” father chimed carelessly. “It’s time to toughen you up properly. Six months with them ought to do it.”

My mind went blank. “Six… Six months?” I stammered. “You can’t be serious.”

“What? You have something better to do than enhance our diplomacy with those beasts?” he sneered.

I was in the middle of translating one of the great Eddic collections of our people into the modern tongue for one, but I didn’t mention that. “Apparently not,” I said coolly, rising from the table after one last swig of water to wash down the startled remnants of my breakfast from my throat. “Excuse me,” I said, not waiting for his permission to leave.

Part Two

___

Please let me know if you’re interested in more! Some of the patreon folks were also interested in the one-armed orc, and don’t worry, he’s got more of a role to play too in the future.

I really hope you folks enjoyed this one! Don’t forget to let me know if you did enjoy it by leaving a like and/or reblogging it!

For all early releases, character art and bios, upcoming story info, and much, much more, join me over on Patreon!

You’ll have access to stories before anyone else, and you’ll get instant access Patreon-only content as well, including polls and an exclusive monthly story for those on the Pixies and Goblins tier!

__

| Masterlist | Patreon | Ko-fi | Writing Commissions |

[basedgamers]

Halo Infinite Elite Controller and customized Xbox Series X now up for pre-order - The themed console will be available on Nov. 15

Halo Infinite Elite Controller and customized Xbox Series X now up for pre-order – The themed console will be available on Nov. 15

An all-new Xbox Elite Wireless Controller and a limited edition Halo Infinite Xbox Series X are on the way from Microsoft. Both were announced Wednesday during the Gamescom Opening Night Live presentation featuring Geoff Keighley. Both are available for pre-order as well. Rendered in green and gold and marked with “117” for the Master Chief himself, the new Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series…

[hookedonapirate]

The Princess and Her Sultan

Summary: Crown princess Emma of Misthaven is second in line to the throne, her brother Leopold ll being the first, but her parents see her with a future as a great ruler. King Rumpelstiltskin of neighboring land, strikes a deal with King David, promising to uphold the peace between the kingdoms if Emma marries Prince Baelfire. With the promise of his daughter becoming future queen of the Dark Kingdom, David accepts reluctantly.

Before her wedding day, the princess is kidnapped and taken overseas. She is sold as a slave to a palace where Crown Prince Killian of Neverland ascends his father’s throne and is sworn in as Sultan. Meanwhile, Killian’s mother pressures him to sire a prince and presents him with gifts for his birthday, one of them including a blonde princess from Misthaven. Dazzled by Emma’s charm, intelligence and beauty, he summons her to his bedchambers every night and eventually finds himself casting aside his harem and centuries of tradition.  

A/N: Thank you @gingerchangeling for your wonderful suggestions and ideas for this story, and also @ilovemesomekillianjones for gifting me with your wonderful editing skills at. I also want to give a shout out to @onceuponaprincessworld for being my sounding board, constant cheerleader and good friend, thank you, darling! This story wouldn’t be the same without these lovely ladies!

And all of you have been so supportive and awesome, thank you all for following along and for your feedback!

Rated: Explicit

AO3 l FF.N I Prologue l Ch 1 l Ch 2 l Ch 3 l Ch 4 Ch 5 Ch 6 Ch 7

Chapter 8

The palace is quiet, all the doors and windows secured, apart from Emma’s chambers and the way to the Sultan's apartment, to prevent anything or anyone from distracting Killian and his chosen one from their pleasure. As she is bathed, massaged and pampered, her stomach is tight with knots at the prospect of giving away her virginity to the Sultan. She is excited beyond belief, yes—her skin flushes from the thought of being with him—but she is also afraid she will be clumsy or not adequate enough to please him.

 Emma's nails are dyed, her hair is perfumed with jasmine, her skin pomaded with henna to prevent sweating and her eyes blackened with kohl. She is then dressed in the outfit the Sultan himself had gifted her. Elsa assists with her hair, pulling the locks of golden curls back into a pearl clasp, and Mother Superior places a ruby red necklace around her neck, matching earrings in her ears, and a string of red pearls into her hair. Around her face sets a sheer red veil, and on her feet are red and gold brocade slippers. Elsa is beaming as she holds up a mirror for Emma to inspect her reflection.

 "You look so beautiful, Emma."

 Emma smiles underneath the veil, confident the Sultan will be pleased with the way she looks at least.

 Her heart is hammering in her chest as Kira escorts her down the golden road to the Sultan’s chamber, Nemo leading the way. She has been down this road many times, but this time is very different. This time she will finally get to unite with her Master in the most intimate way. Tonight she will give herself to him, body and soul, and she will do it not because she has to, not because she hopes to mother his heir, but because she feels affection for the Sultan—affection she has never felt for anyone before.

 She may possibly be in love with him.

 The thought scares her and she banishes it instantly from her mind. It is impossible to love a Sultan, for he is first and foremost a ruler and second a warrior. Tonight, her only purpose is to bring the Sultan pleasure, and that’s it. This night is not about her own feelings or how she craves the Sultan’s touch with every fiber of her being. No, tonight is about the Sultan. She will simply entertain him and let his seed flower inside of her and pray her belly will eventually blossom with his child.

 They reach the two wooden doors, inlaid with mother of pearl and tortoiseshell, that lead to the Sultan’s chamber. Two of his private bodyguards stand on either side as his Mother and gozde approach.

 Emma takes a long, deep breath. This is the moment she had gambled everything for. The Chief Eunuch throws open the doors and leads her inside. On trembling legs she enters, her breath taken away as her eyes sweep over the room. She had been in his room before, and it was beautiful, but this evening, the Sultan’s room is majestic. So much so that she thinks she might pass out from the glorious anticipation. Below the high-domed ceiling are censers with fragrant burning aloes, on golden chains glittering with turquoise and rubies. The fireplace is lit, the oil lamps glimmer in niches on the wall, tapers burn in platinum candlesticks at the four corners of the bed and there’s soft music playing from somewhere outside that she can hear through the opened doors of the terrace.

 “Please, come to me, Emma,” she hears the Sultan call from the balcony, where his back is turned as he faces the sea.

 She’s suddenly very shy as she moves toward the terrace, and when she reaches the Sultan, she drops to her knees, pressing her forehead to the ground.

 Killian bends over to raise her up, and she stands on her feet, peering up at the Sultan. “Bowing is for slaves, not an intelligent princess. Never prostrate yourself to me again, my love,” he says, his voice soft and gentle.

 Emma’s mouth falls open as she takes in the glorious sight of her Master. He's dressed in all white and looks like an angel sent from the heavens above. Underneath a silk robe, his wardrobe consists of a pair of trousers and a matching nightshirt with a patch of dark chest hair peeking out of the v-neck. Atop his head sits a turban of pure white silk with heron feathers protruding from a red ruby clasp set in the folds, and his bright blue eyes are glinting as he graces her with a toothy grin, those luscious lips framed by his trimmed, dark beard.

 "May I?" He asks, fingering the fabric of her veil. "I wish to see your face."

 Emma nods and emits an almost inaudible, "Yes, Your Majesty."

 He removes her veil and lifts a hand to her face, caressing her cheek. “Gods, you are stunning,” he whispers and kisses her forehead. "I have seen many pretty lasses in my time, but none as exquisite as you, my love."

 Emma shivers at his words and his touch, remembering their steamy kiss in the pool, remembering how his warm, soft lips had felt against hers, how his tongue had tasted as it tangled with hers.

 “Will you dance for me?”

 “Yes, Your Majesty,” Emma nods and allows him to take her hand and lead her inside.

 ~*~

 As they enter his bedchamber, Killian regrets asking her to dance for him; he’s already feeling a slight stir of desire for his gozde, and he can’t wait to have her in his bed. Not only has it been several months since he has lain with a woman, but this is the first time he will be taking a maiden to his bed since his enthronement, when he had been sworn in as Sultan by the Panas Sword - the sword which was named after the God of Eternal Youth and the founder of the Neverland Dynasty, Panas.

 He looks to Nemo and waves him away. “You are excused.”

 The Chief Eunuch bows and departs from the room. Traditionally, a eunuch is to remove the maiden’s clothes, but as the Sultan’s eyes rove over his elegant swan’s body, taking in the exquisite curves and remembering how divine she was without them, he cannot possibly give up the honor of removing her clothes himself.

 Now alone, Killian can see the insecurity in her features as she stands there before him, a bit unsure of herself. He lifts his hand to caress her supple cheek. “Relax, Emma, there’s no need to be afraid, it’s just us,” he says in a calming tone, and offers a reassuring smile.

 “Sorry, Your Majesty.” She lifts her eyes to his and offers a feeble smile in return, her features relaxing a little into his touch.

 “No need to apologize, love. I will wait until you’re ready." He pulls away from her to give her space, and sits on the divan, reclining back. Emma stands in front of him, covered in the outfit he’d gifted her, which consists of a pair of sheer red pantaloons, a matching bodice and a wide gold girdle tasseled with red rubies resting around her hips.

 She starts with a simple exhale of breath, feeling the pressure of Killian's adoring eyes as her body begins moving to the music, her hands and hips swaying slowly and seductively. She’s casually spinning and twisting as she dances, her body swiveling in an enchanting way. Her movements are tranquil, yet dynamic, and the way her hips move and the way her green eyes pull him in, he is absolutely entranced by her. He casually leans forward with his hands resting right above his knees, watching her with stars in his eyes, a goofy smile taking over his features.

 Raising her arms, Emma slowly turns around and swings her hips, eliciting a low growl which rumbles through his throat as he watches her shake and tease him with her heart-shaped bottom. She slowly turns toward the wall and tilts her head to face him with those alluring green eyes, a sly smirk playing along her lips. She reaches her arms out toward him before drawing them in, her hands following the curves of her body. With the way her hips move, slippery as a snake and fluid as water, there is something incredibly primal about her dance. She’s like a cunning seductress sent to this palace to entice him. If she was, then he is completely ensnared, his eyes following every move and his heart racing in his chest. He is briefly saddened she was not at the ceremony for everyone to see how exquisite she is, and instead was wasting away in the dungeon, but he quickly banishes the thoughts, not wanting to dampen the mood.

 Emma raises a brow, eyes glinting with curiosity as she reads the emotions on the Sultan’s face.

 “Would Your Majesty care to dance with his slave?”

 He starts to wonder why she continues to speak of herself so, but the thought melts away when he sees the want in her eyes. She does not see herself as a slave, only a slave to her desires. And though he is the Sultan, he feels like he is the one who is enslaved. “You want to dance together?” he asks in bemusement, not accustomed to dancing, let alone with a partner. He’s only had the pleasure of women dancing for him.

 Emma laughs. “I forget we are from two different worlds,” she teases him. “Where I am from, there are royal balls where couples dance together. Come here, I will show you,” she says with a come hither stare, extending a hand to him.

 He looks into her eyes and immediately makes up his mind, slipping his hand into hers and standing from his seat.

 “Place this hand on my hip and this one in mine.”

 He complies, taking her delectable waist in the hand not entwined with hers. He looks at her face, and when his blue eyes meet her vivid green ones, his breath is stolen from his lungs. They shift closer and Killian’s breath stutters as her body is pressed up against his, much like their embrace in the pool. Emma’s face is flushed as she flashes a small smile, her cheeks almost the same color as her costume. They start to move, and Killian follows her lead. Casually they spin and twirl, never breaking their gaze or the grasp between his firm, callused hand and Emma’s slim, dainty one. At one point their dance begins to resemble a traditional ballroom dance, with the Sultan taking the lead and dipping the princess, spurring on soft chuckles from his throat, and giggles from her. He can't remember the last time he's had this much fun. Probably never.

 “I take it you’ve been to many of these ballroom dances,” he says as the laughter slowly dies in his throat, his cheeks filled with blush. He has never been this close to a woman while not also engaged in a less than innocent activity

 “Actually no,” Emma replies, her lips breaking out into a smile. “Well, unless you count the times I danced on my father’s toes when I was a child,” she laughs, her eyes full of nostalgia at the distant memory. “I was never a dancer, I mainly watched my parents dance together. They were really something to watch because their love for each other always showed in the way they danced, and the way they gazed at one another.”

 Killian’s heart begins to ache for her, knowing she must miss her family deeply. “Ah, the King and Queen of Misthaven,” he says softly.

 Emma nods, a single thin brow raised in question. “Yes, that’s right. How did you know?”

 “James, my head concierge told me. He’s also from Misthaven.”

 “Ah, I see,” Emma nods.

 “How were you brought here, love?”

 Her smile fades at the question, and her voice is weak. “I was betrayed by a bodyguard. He was paid by an evil countess to kill me and instead he handed me over to a pirate captain called Blackbeard,” Emma mutters spitefully.

 Killian's stomach churns. “Damn bloody pirates,” he grumbles, and Emma’s eyes are downcast, her long lashes dipping as her features cloud with a sadness that pulls at his gut, his facial features etched with regret. “Although, Sultans are the same aren’t they? Stealing the most valuable treasures in the realm for their own pleasure.”

 Her eyes lift to his. “You are not the one who betrayed me or kidnapped me, you are not the who brought me here. You follow the religion and customs of your people, I cannot fault you, Your Majesty.”

 Killian caresses her cheek, offering a tentative smile. “I am sorry you were taken from your family.”

 “I am not,” she replies, shocking him to his core. “If I weren’t, then I would not have met you, My Sultan.”

 Killian wonders why she feels this way, and he thinks it has to do with more than just him alone. Something else has triggered her feelings, and he is determined to learn all he can about her, but he puts those particular musings aside for the moment. “So tell me, if a princess like you does not like to dance, what does she like to do?”

 Emma’s eyes light up at the question. “I enjoyed my duties as the Misthaven Crown Princess, but also horseback riding with my brother and spending time in my mother’s garden. She has one like your garden with the pool,” Emma says, a soft blush coloring her cheeks.

 “I see,” he chuckles, “and of course you like playing chess as well?”

 Emma nods, her lips cracking into a smile. “Yes. My father taught me when I was five. He gave me a white knight which belonged to my uncle, who was taken from his home a long time ago," her features once again cloud with sadness, "but then the boy I was to marry, broke it.”

 His eyes widen in shock, although he shouldn't really be surprised. He surmises many men would kill to marry such a goddess as her. “You were to be married?”

 “Yes, Your Majesty, but I did not love him. He was the one who tried to force himself upon me without my permission.”

 “And you would have married him if you were not taken?”

 Emma nods reluctantly. “His father is the powerful king of the Dark Kingdom. We signed a betrothal, and if I broke it, he would have declared war against our people after my parents had worked so hard to restore the kingdom when they took the throne. So, perhaps being kidnapped was a blessing in disguise,” she murmurs quietly. “I’d rather be here with an honorable man than a pig like Prince Baelfire,” she admits, her eyes shining with the truth she speaks.

 Killian’s heart flutters at her words. “I may be a Sultan, but I still live by a code."

 Emma dazzles him with a smile. “And it shows, My Lord.”

 Her grin is infectious and he offers her one in return as he gets lost in her emerald depths. The dance turns to one full of tension as they move swiftly and embrace in the light of the moon and candlelight. Killian begins to feel dizzy with the emotions reverberating in the room.

 He dips her again, a short, breathy laugh escaping him as he pulls up his companion’s small frame. In their position, with Emma's hands gripping his biceps and his own arms around her waist, Killian’s half-lidded eyes search her face as they breathe heavily against one another. He lifts his hand and removes the pearl clasp behind her head, letting her hair fall down like a cascade of luscious, golden curls over her shoulders. Her green, fiery eyes glow in the candlelight, her lips parting ever so softly; she is so exquisite and beautiful, he can’t help but feel desire for her burning within him as he wonders what fires smolder within her. Does she want him as much as he wants her? Dying to find out, he surges forward, roughly cupping her face in his hands, and crushes her lips with his.

 Emma is surprised at first, but quickly returns the kiss, her lips moving swiftly against his. Their first kiss had been soft and delicate, but this one is needy and demanding on both ends, both of them nibbling on the others’ pliant lips. Emma removes his turban and tosses it to the divan so she can fist his hair in her hands, roughly tugging the tufts of his dark locks to pull him closer. Emitting a soft groan, he slides one hand in her hair as his other one grabs her hip, pressing her to him. His arousal is apparent between them, his manhood throbbing in his trousers, desperate to break free from the confinement.

 Breaking the kiss, they are both breathless as their lips separate, their foreheads touching in order to find some sort of balance. The hunger for her surges through him, and his hands work quickly at her bodice to satiate that hunger. Emma’s eyes cloud with lust, her teeth teasing her lip as he practically rips the fabric open and peels off the rest of her clothes to reveal that gorgeous body underneath. He growls when she stands naked before him, his eyes raking over her heavenly form. Full, supple breasts, a slender, hourglass figure, miles of creamy white skin, a flat stomach which leads his eyes to a silky nub and her long, perfectly toned legs. His princess is a goddess in every way, her nipples straining under his gaze, craving the touch of his hands. To his dismay, though, she turns and begins to walk toward his bed, and he remembers the customs of his people. Undoubtedly Emma has been instructed to kiss the coverlet before she is allowed to enter his bed.

 As much as he enjoys the view of her backside, he remembers himself and takes her hand, pulling Emma toward him, and she crashes softly in his arms.

 “Your Majesty?” She looks at him, confused, a brow raising in question.

 “Emma, there is no need for you to degrade yourself in front of me. As I told you before, it’s just the two of us here.” His lips curve up into a devilish smirk. “Besides, you’ve already been to my bed, even if it were less than pleasurable circumstances.”

 Emma smiles shyly and blushes, looking down between them. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

 Killian chuckles as his hands caress her hips, his cock aching to be inside of her. “I have wanted this since I saw you that day in the pool; I have not been with a maiden since then. I have not wanted anyone but you.”

 Emma’s eyes widen as she raises her face, her bright emerald greens blinding him. “You, the powerful Sultan of Neverland, have a harem full of beautiful women at your fingertips, and yet you waited for me?”

 He nods and utters a weak, “Aye.”

 Emma’s breath catches in her throat, and she doesn't say anything, too at a loss for words. Instead, she grabs his shirt and starts unfastening the buttons. Her eyes are flooded with desire as she pushes off his shirt and robe, letting the fabrics slip to the floor and pile at his feet. Her stunning eyes are locked with his as she shoves his trousers down, finally freeing his straining manhood and letting his erection spring free. She blinks up at him. Her pupils dilate as her eyes roam down his body, his cock pulsating underneath her heated gaze.

 God, give me strength, he prays to himself. Let me be gentle with her.

 Emma's eyes flicker up to his again, she cups his cheeks in her hands and pulls him to her, finding his waiting mouth with hers. This time, the kiss is a little softer, a little more tender than before, but no less urgent. Emma wraps her arms around the back of his neck and presses her body to his as their breaths mingle and quicken, a swirl of passion sweeping through them. With a groan, Killian swiftly draws her into his arms, and she wraps her legs around his hips as he carries her to his bed. He prays his knees will not buckle underneath him as his cock pulsates between their bodies. Their lips are still locked, their eager tongues fighting for dominance as his hands delight in the feeling of the hard muscle underneath her smooth skin. After weeks of hunting, and feeling nothing but the overwhelming loneliness when he lay in his tent and the harshness of the cold nights and occasional freezing rain, it is nice to feel something soft. And her thighs, her stomach, her breasts feel so soft and warm, all negative thoughts escape him, and he almost loses his balance on the way to his bed.

 They tumble into bed, and she whines in protest when he breaks the kiss to place her against the pillows and lay beside her, using an arm to prop himself up. He leans in, lips brushing against her fragrant hair as he draws in her intoxicating scent and leaves a trail of sweet kisses down her cheek. She turns her head to capture his lips again, her tongue sweeping into his mouth, moving slowly and sweetly as he slides a hand into her hair. She slides closer to him until their knees get in the way, until she’s fitted up against him, breasts pressing firmly into his chest, legs all entwined with his. She feels good, so soft and warm, stroking his scruff-covered cheeks as he lifts a hand to her breast, finally caressing the soft weight under his calloused fingers. His cock twitches as her dainty nipple hardens at his touch and her heart flutters wildly against his palm. He thumbs her nipples and gives each a little squeeze, his eyes scanning her face to catch her flushed skin, her mouth parting as her eyelashes flutter against her cheeks. "You're an exquisite little thing," he purrs, grinning from ear to ear.

 Emma tenses when he presses her onto her back, but he keeps kissing her and caressing her hip in soothing strokes to relax her, and she goes limp when he mouths her throat. She’s incredibly responsive after that, especially when his lips caress a sensitive spot behind her ear, which makes her shudder. And when he presses his mouth to the hollow of her collarbone, her body twists up in his grip, her breathing harsh and ragged against his skin.

 Emma writhes in his arms, soft moans pouring from her lips as he lowers his head and finds one of her breasts, drawing the stiff bud into his waiting mouth, his tongue swirling around the sweet flesh. She arches her back, offering herself to him, and he sucks her nipples until they’re stiff and rosy and she’s squirming and clutching at his shoulders and making little noises. He growls and sucks on her beautiful nipples for a while longer, his tongue making laps around her pretty pink areolas as his hand glides over her stomach.

 His fingers move down her leg and up her warm inner thigh, gently teasing and caressing her skin. He’s so close to where he wants to be, his body shudders in anticipation as his hand finds her aching core, her nectar coating his fingers like warm honey. His cock hardens to its full potential as he feels how incredibly wet she is, a breathy groan leaving his lips, which is muffled by the beautiful breast occupying his mouth. “Bloody hell." His fingers gently slide along the slit of her cunt in exploratory strokes as he sucks on her nipple, then switches to the other one, indulging in a few more blissful minutes of her sweet taste before releasing her gems.

 Emma spreads her legs invitingly, whimpering at his touch. He can tell she is getting impatient; he knows he is. But he could do this all night, happily lie here and just taste her lovely mouth and soft skin, and feel her shuddering against him, learning all the ways that make her tick, but she’s pushing back restlessly now, her hands running over his shoulders to tangle in his hair.

 He chuckles, lifting his head and gets a little distracted by the way her mouth is hanging open, how her bottom lip is swollen from their kisses, and he has to nibble on the pliant flesh before he can go on.

 “Master," Emma cries, her words cracked with need as she brings her hand to his cock and strokes his length, "please take your insolent slave, lest I burst into flames!"

 Killian groans, his eyes rolling into the back of his head as he thrusts himself into her touch. "If you continue to tempt me, I may succumb." As he feels her soft, tight walls around his fingers, his tongue aches to taste her flavor; he wants to tongue her into the next world, but like her, he fears he might burst. So instead, he licks her essence from his fingers to sample her taste. Her fragrant nectar is better than the sweetest and most succulent of fruits he's ever tasted, his cock twitching so badly, it's almost painful. Not wishing to leave his swan (or himself) waiting any longer, he climbs atop her and settles in the cradle of her thighs, and she wraps her legs around his hips, offering herself to him. Gods, he can’t wait to be inside his sweet little minx.

 "Your Majesty, please," she moans, and he's reminded of how she has addressed him all night, how she's addressed him since they met.

 “Say my name,” he demands roughly, trying to maintain his composure, but his ragged breath gives him away. "I have not heard you murmur it once."

 "Killian," the strangled word tumbles from her pretty pink lips in a breathy whisper.

 His hand gropes the curve of her hip as he looms over her, his lips brushing over the shell of her ear. "Say it again, Emma."

 "Killian."

 He groans and presses the head of his throbbing cock at her entrance, and she's so wet, he shudders and has to pause and take a breath before moving again. Emma's begging him not to stop, so he continues, pressing his hips into her and plunging past the tight barrier that tries to block him. She gasps as he rocks gently, her walls slowly enveloping his large girth as he moves rhythmically inside her. He's afraid he's too big for her, but soon the mild pain of her walls being stretched around him subsides, turning into blissful pleasure; the evidence is written all over her face as her mouth falls open in pleasure and her eyes glow with relief.

 “Emma–bloody hell–" He can feel the night’s activities catching up with him, and he’s not going to last much longer. She’s incredibly tight, her walls slick and warm, and she’s making these high pitched moans as he moves inside her.

 “Killian,” she manages, “harder… please," and there's an incredible urgency in her voice. She hitches a leg further up his hip, changing the angle enough to allow him to sink deeper into her warmth, and he moves at a punishing pace, pounding into her with more vigor. They both groan at the delicious friction.

 He feels his orgasm quickly falling over him, and knowing he doesn't have much time, he reaches between them; his head is spinning, his body craving desperate release, but he wants to take her with him.

 She’s slick and wet, his fingers sliding over her clit as he pounds into her relentlessly, matching the rhythm of his fingers against her clit to the rhythm of his hips. As her moans permeate the room, drowning out the music, he's sure the guards can hear their sounds of passion from the other side of the doors.

 She touches his face as everything falls into place, pushes his hair away and strokes his cheeks. He lowers himself down until she can kiss him, her open mouth on his neck and his ear and his jaw, teeth playfully nibbling him as he thrusts into her. His whole world narrows down to her walls clenched tight and perfect around his cock, and Emma shakes under him, one hand fisted in his hair and the other clawing at his back.

 He knows she's on the cusp of release when he hauls her leg up over his shoulder and rams into her, worshipping her like the princess she is as he whispers raggedly in her ear, "Say my name again, Emma… I wanna hear my name sing from your beautiful lips as you cum around my cock."

 "Killian," she sobs in a throaty voice, tears of joy spilling down her cheeks. She’s breathing heavily, and freezes when she flies over the edge, her whole body trembling and her toes curling against the back of his thighs.

 Her walls flutter around him, pulling him in like a vortex, rough groans crawling from his throat as he surrenders to her warm quim. He fucks her through the aftershocks of her orgasm with sharp, short thrusts as his climax builds higher and higher.

 "Gods, Emma…" he whispers and finally he succumbs to his goddess, completely losing himself inside her, the world dissolving around him. He buries his lips in her hair, his hips giving into a few final thrusts before stilling, and he pours his seed deep inside her warmth, filling up her walls with a long, thick stream of cum. He not only surrenders his seed to her but also his soul. He adores her and knows this will be far from the last time he will have her in his bed. He shudders at the thought. She is his completely and yet it is he who feels enslaved. His arms give out and he gently collapses into her, his body limp as he nestles his head in the valley of her beautiful breasts

 Reality reassembles itself one piece at a time. Killian is lying on top of her, breathing heavily, and she is stroking his hair, her heart pounding against his. His manhood softens and he slips out of her and rolls over on his back beside her, a smile taking over his face as he tries to catch his breath. “Emma…” Her name rolls off his tongue in a breathy groan as he tries to get his bearings back. He manages to slip under the covers, and looks over at Emma, waiting for her to join him. She stays a little distant though, her eyes full of hesitance; she’s not sure if she is welcomed to stay in his bed. “Get over here, my little minx,” he practically snarls, but his words are playful and he still has a grin on his face as he stretches an arm out toward her and pats the warm spot beside him with his other hand.

 She smirks and moves under the covers he’s offering her and shifts on her side, cradled against his body, draping an arm over his stomach. He curls his arm around her slim, little body, her golden hair spreading out behind her, face all flushed and rosy and shy. Emma places gentle, lazy kisses through his chest hair before resting her head on his chest, hearing his heart hammering underneath her ear.

 After a while, he tilts his head and plants a sweet kiss to her forehead, his breath fanning her skin. “That was exquisite,” he whispers, the words muffled by her forehead.

 “I am glad you are pleased, My Sultan,” she murmurs, nuzzling her face against the warmth of his body.

 Killian slowly runs his fingers up and down her arm, caressing her soft skin. “Call me Killian, love.”

 “Yes, Your Maj-” Emma blushes, her features clouding with apology as she looks up at him. “Yes, Killian.”

 Hearing his name on her tongue makes his skin tingle. He groans, pulling her closer and brings her chin up to steal a kiss which is meant to be short, but lengthens and increases in heat, Emma’s lithe body, writhing in his arms. His groin stirs with arousal once more, and she pushes him back and climbs atop him, straddling his hips and mounting his cock with her soft, warm walls, rolling her hips to devour more of his length. Killian groans and sits up to scoop her lovely form in his arms as she rides him. As her body moves with his, he sucks on her nipples, and she tilts her head back, murmuring soft curses, her hands clutching his shoulders tightly as they thrust their hips into each other over and over again. He loses himself in her tight sheath once more, both of them finding their imminent demise as the strong waves of pleasure ripple through them, and his body spasms as his seed flows through her like a river.

 He groans and falls back against the pillows, Emma joining him as she whispers soft endearments in his ear, her arms and legs snaked around him. The soft, golden hair on her folds are damp with a wonderful combination of her sweet nectar and his hot cum as it oozes from her core and onto his thigh, but neither bother to move to wash up the aftermath.

 He is panting sporadically, his words shattered as he pulls her body snug against him. “Gods, you are magnificent.” His thumb caresses her cheek as he peers down at her. “Were you a gift sent from heaven?”

 Emma laughs, unable to form words as she rests her head against his chest, waiting for the calmness to wash over them once more. He buries his lips in her hair and breathes in the smell permeating his senses, reveling in the way she feels in his arms, and admits to himself that perhaps he’s in a little over his head. He was not supposed to get this close to anyone again, he didn’t think he had it in him, but with Emma here in his arms, the world suddenly seems to stop, and he feels a contentedness with her he’s only felt with one other woman. The thought of Emma leaving his bed in the morning isn't supposed to make him feel sad or torn up, but it does. He’s usually able to separate sex from emotion, but the adoring protectiveness he already has for Emma is pushing his boundaries; add in the earth-shattering lovemaking they’ve engaged in, and Killian really has no hope. He’s completely doomed. But he's not complaining.

 ~*~

 Bathing in the afterglow of their passion, Emma’s heart races, and her entire skin is buzzing with delight as she indulges in the comfort of the Sultan’s embrace. She can still feel every touch of those strong hands, and the soft caresses of his lips on her body, she can still feel him plunging into her over and over, slowly making her come undone. Her inner walls are thrumming with a satisfaction she's never experienced before, a pleasant ache she'd always thought was a myth. 

She trembles, just thinking about those brief moments when twice their souls had touched, when they had both surrendered themselves to each other completely. Yes, she hopes she will be with child, but she will gladly keep trying as long as it takes, as much as the Sultan wants her. Emma grins salaciously at the thought. If this is the fate James had spoken of, then she will gladly surrender over and over again and show not a trace of remorse nor resistance. She will gladly endure the future that awaits her.

Tagging: @andiirivera @kingofmyheart14 @courtorderedcake @teamhook @onceuponaprincessworld @nikkiemms @followbatb @resident-of-storybrooke @hollyethecurious @snowbellewells @artistic-writer @ultraluckycatnd @kmomof4 @darkcolinodonorgasm @lovepurplepumpkins @kiwistreetswan @therooksshiningknight @deathbycaptainswan @tiganasummertree @superchocovian @emeraldwitches @melly326

[bunkershotgolf]

Race to Costa Del Sol Starts in Australia

New season-long race commences this week, with the Geoff King Motors Australian Ladies Classic, the first of 25 LET tournaments in 18 countries this year A new Ladies European Tour season starts on Thursday with the Geoff King Motors Australian Ladies Classic at Bonville Golf Resort in New South Wales, the first event on the 2020 Race to Costa del Sol.

The Race to Costa del Sol, which is the official LET ranking from 2020, offers a €250,000 bonus pool to the top three finishers. The Race begins in Australia with the first of 25 LET tournaments spanning 18 countries in a greatly enhanced 2020 LET schedule and concludes with the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España Femenino in Spain in late November.

The new era begins at Bonville Golf Resort, situated halfway between Sydney and Brisbane on the beautiful Coffs Coast, where an international field of 151 competitors will play on “Australia’s Favourite Golf Course” 2016-2019, according to Golf Australia Magazine’s Favourite Golf Courses poll. The defending champion, Marianne Skarpnord, will be joined by fellow 2019 tournament winners Diksha Dagar, Annabel Dimmock, Esther Henseleit, Nuria Iturrioz, Céline Herbin, Meghan MacLaren, Christine Wolf and Anne van Dam as well as many of the LET’s rising stars from Q-School.

It will tee up a fortnight of competition Down Under, with the Women’s New South Wales Open taking place at Dubbo Golf Club the following week.

The action then moves to the other side of the Indian Ocean for the Investec South African Women’s Open at Westlake Golf Club, followed by the Saudi Ladies Championship at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club.

The main European leg of the schedule begins with the Jabra Ladies Open at Evian Resort Golf Club, in early May, followed by the La Reserva de Sotogrande Invitational at La Reserva Club de Sotogrande and then the Mithra Belgian Ladies Open in Naxhelet.

The Lalla Meryem Cup, which is co-located with the men’s Hassan Trophy at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, will be followed by an innovative mixed field event, the Scandinavian Mixed Hosted by Henrik & Annika at Bro Hoff Slott Golf Club, where European Tour and Ladies European Tour members will go head-to-head for the first time on the same course, competing for one prize fund and one trophy.

The players will remain in Europe for the Dutch Ladies Open at Rosendaelsche Golfclub and the Estrella Damm Mediterranean Ladies Open at Club de Golf Terramar.

The Evian Championship, which has been played as the fifth major since 2013, will take place in mid-July. After everyone catches their breath for a week, a new event, to be revealed soon, will be played in the United Kingdom in early August, alongside the Tokyo 2020 women’s Olympic Golf Competition.

The UK swing continues with a fortnight in Scotland and the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club, followed by the AIG Women’s British Open, the final major of the year, at Royal Troon.

The European odyssey continues with the TIPSPORT Czech Ladies Open at Golf Course Karlstejn, the Creekhouse Ladies Open at Kristianstads Golfklubb, the VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open at Golfpark Holzhäusern and the Lacoste Ladies Open de France at Golf du Médoc.

The action then moves to Asia for the Ladies European Thailand Championship at Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club, the Hero Women’s Indian Open at DLF Golf and Country Club and a new event in the Philippines, before moving on to the Middle East for the Omega Dubai Moonlight Classic at Emirates Golf Club and then to Africa, for the Magical Kenya Ladies Open, at Vipingo Ridge.

The LET then returns to Europe for the season finale at the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España Femenino, one of the most popular stops of the year, where the winner of the season-long competition will be crowned.

The Race to Costa Del Sol begins this week… join the conversation at @LETgolf using the hashtag #RaceToCostaDelSol.

Ladies European Tour Partner

Costa Del Sol Tourist Board

In 2020 the Costa Del Sol Tourist Board became a partner of the Ladies European Tour by sponsoring the Order of Merit, which will be called the Race to Costa del Sol.

Costa del Sol Tourist Board is dedicated to the promotion of Costa del Golf and provides advice and support to its partners throughout the golf industry. The Costa del Sol has been recognised as a top European Golf Destination by IAGTO (International Association of Golf Tour Operators) and is the exclusive destination in continental Europe of PGA Germany.

The Costa del Sol is the leading destination for golfers who seek a wide variety of quality golf courses and ideal golfing weather through 12 months of the year. With over seventy golf courses, many of which were conceived by masters of golf course design, the Costa del Sol enjoys worldwide prestige. Many top-level championships have provided unforgettable days of competition on its courses: the Ryder Cup, the World Golf Championship, the Estrella Damm Masters and the Ladies European Tour Andalucia Costa del Sol Open de España.

Golfers of all levels visit this unique destination, year after year, to enjoy the golf, and explore all that this unique destination offers including top class restaurants, a vibrant nightlife, great shopping and a wide range of hotels, apartments and villas with an astounding array of services, combined with the legendary sights of Andalusia.

Race to Costa Del Sol

In 2020 the Costa del Sol Tourist Board will sponsor the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit, which will be called the ‘Race to Costa del Sol’ and will offer an additional bonus pool of €250,000, split between the top three finishers.

The player who tops the Race to Costa del Sol rankings will receive an additional €125,000, with the second highest finisher receiving €75,000 and €50,000 for the third placed player following the season-long race. The winner will also receive a 7-year exemption under category 2A regulations.

The Race to Costa del Sol tees off in Australia in February with the Australian Ladies Classic Bonville and will culminate at the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España Femenino in November.

The Race to Costa del Sol will showcase the tourism excellence of both the Costa del Sol and Andalusia whilst providing a tremendous incentive for Ladies European Tour members.

An image of the Costa del Sol can be downloaded here.

About the Ladies European Tour

Ladies European Golf Venture Limited, the company which operates the Ladies European Tour, is a joint venture collaboration between Ladies European Tour and the Ladies Professional Golf Association, which started on 8 January 2020 and was formed to increase playing opportunities for female golfers in Europe. Its board comprises 12 directors, including LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan, European Tour Chief Executive Keith Pelley, The R&A’s Chief Executive Martin Slumbers and the Chair of the LET, Marta Figueras Dotti. The entity will be led by CEO Alexandra Armas.

The 2020 LET season is the 42nd series of golf tournaments since the professional tour was founded in 1978 and marks the first edition of the Race to Costa del Sol. The LET Access Series is the official development tour of the LET, formed to give players an opportunity to compete and progress onto the LET and achieve their dreams in professional golf.  

Follow the LET at www.ladieseuropeantour.com and join the social conversation on https://twitter.com/LETgolf, www.facebook.com/LadiesEuropeanTour, Instagram @LETgolf, www.youtube.com/user/ladieseuropeantour and www.flickr.com/photos/ladieseuropeantour/.

[toastverse]

Sooo... Thanks to the quarantine I got into Sims again and I discovered the Not so Berry challenge which I absolutely adore! Credits to @lilsimsie ^^ I like the idea of achieving preset goals and sticking to a given theme, but I wanted to customize things a little bit. And I came across the build your own berry challenge: https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/963165/build-your-own-not-so-berry-challenge

So here is the Not so Berry challenge Ritsu edition! Feel free to try it out! And please tag me if you do!

You must complete your aspirations and get to the top of your carrer unless it's specified otherwise. But you don't have to stick to the given color theme and you can also change the order of the generations if you're more interested in one then in the other.

Generation one- Lavender

You are a kind and generous nerd who just wants the best for everyone around them. Your biggest dream is to become a doctor and you're working very hard for that.

Traits: good, geek, ambitious

Aspiration: Successful Lineage

Career: Doctor

Skills to max out: Logic, Parenting

Achivements:

- Marry a Goofball Sim and you have to be Soulmates as Elders

- Have only one child, become best friends with them in their childhood (you could have an other best friend later on)

- Get at least to level 8 in the doctor career, so you can help in your grandchild's birth, but you don't have to get to the top

- Complete the elements collection

Generation two- Dark blue

You've idolised Lavender Sim all your life and you also want to help people just like them. You are a prodigy with a kind heart but with sometimes untamed emotions.

Traits: good, genius, self-assured

Childhood aspiration: Whiz Kid

Adult aspiration: Nerd Brain

Career: Detective

Skills to max out: Logic, Handiness

Achivements:

- Earn the Compassionate and Untamed Emotions character values

- Marry your high school sweetheart and have a baby with them as soon as possible (possibly with teen pregnancy mods, but if you're uncomfortable with that, do it as soon as you turn into a young adult)

- Have your spouse be a secret agent or also a detective

- Complete the snowglobe collection

Generation three- Green

Both of your parents dedicated their lives to their dangerous jobs and were also young and inexperienced parents which left you alone or with your Lavender grandparents most of the time. You've spent a lot of time outside and found comfort in plants. You're also dreaming about a big, happy family which you've never had in your younger years.

Traits: Goofball, Loves Outdoors, Slob

Childhood aspiration: Whiz Kid (for them it's not obligatory but helps with the Fishing skill later)

Adult aspiration: Outdoor Enthusiast or Big Happy Family (or both). You can choose this one

Career: Gardener, Botanist (doesn't have to be completed)

Skills to max out: Gardening, Fishing, Herbalism

Achivements:

- Earn the Responsible and Mediator character values

- Be best friends with your Goofball grandparent and don't have anyone else until you're a young adult

- Have 5 children and one of them has to be adopted

- Complete the gardening collection

- Be at least friends with all of your children except one (the next heir)

Generation four- Red

You come from a very simple and subtle but also a very big and noisy family where you didn't get the attention you want and actually deserve. You're dreaming big unlike your stupid parents who wasted all of their potential.

Traits: Self-assured, Perfeccionist, Materialistic

Childhood aspiration: Social butterfly

Adult aspiration: Mansion Baron

Carrer: Businessman, Investor

Skills to max out: Charisma, Gourmet Cooking, Pipe Organ

Achivements:

- Earn the Responsible and Argumentative character values

- Have a negative relationship with Green Sim as a YA

- Have only one child

- Divorce than remarry the same Sim in your next life stage

- Have a total net worth of 1.000.000 simoleons

Generation five- Orange

Your Red parent gave you everything you could ever imagine as a child, but as you grew older you've realized that money can't buy happiness. But food definitely can! You've always loved the cute gourmet meals your Red parent prepared for you, and as you were growing older, you slowly started to dive into the world of cooking as well.

Traits: Cheerful, Insider, Foodie

Childhood aspiration: Artistic Prodigy or Social Butterfly

Adult aspiration: Master Chef

Carrer: Chef, Restaurant owner

Skills to max out: Cooking, Gourmet Cooking, Comedy

Achivements:

- Earn the Good Manners character value

- Learn all foodstall recepies in San Myshuno

- Donate 10.000 simoleons to charity

- Have a big family dinner every Saturday night

- Get to at least level 6 in the Chef carrer before quitting and having your own restaurant.

Generation six- Malachite

You are the little weird, black sheep of your family. While the others were playing outside, you stayed in your room full of flowers reading romance novels and dreaming about your significant other.

Traits: loner, vegetarian, romantic

Childhood aspiration: you decide

Adult aspiration: Soulmate

Carrer: Gardener, Floral Designer

Skills to max out: Flower Arranging, Wellness, Guitar

Achivements:

- Earn all five positive character values

- Never have any close friends except your spouse

- Collect all crystals

- Have twelve traits before turning into an elder (complex personality pretty much...)

Generation seven- Silver

You are a michevious nerd with a potty mouth who can't take anything seriously, not even themselves. You're very smart and optimistic, seeing the good in everything but with your high IQ comes a very low EQ and sometimes you don't realize how much you've hurt someone.

Traits: genius, clumsy, childish

Childhood aspiration: Whiz Kid

Adult aspiration: Chief of Mischief or Computer Whiz (you can decide or you can do both)

Carrer: Tech Guru, eSport gamer

Skills to max out: Programming, Mischief, Video Gaming

Achivements:

- Earn the Irresponsible and Bad Manners character values

- You have to leave a Sim at the altar, because this type of commitment is too much for you

- You have to woohoo in a rocketship, possibly at GeekCon

- Collect all Voidcritter Cards

Generation eight- Gold

Your Silver parent always told you to follow your dreams doesn't matter how crazy they might be. So you did! You are a curious and hyperactive person who never turns down a challenge. Especially if it's related to the wild jungles of Selvadorada or especially life threatening. Or maybe both!

Traits: kleptomaniac, loves outdoors, erratic

Childhood aspiration: Rambunctious Scamp

Adult aspiration: Jungle Explorer

Carrer: Secret Agent, Diamond Agent

Skills to max out: Selvadoradian culture, Archaeology, Fitness

Achivements:

- Earn the Uncontrolled Emotions character value

- Earn gold on 5 different party types, because you just can't rest

- Get an Adventurous dog

- Get married first as an elder

- Complete the insect collection and dedicate a room to them in your home.

Generation nine- Brown

Your family had all sorts of different and interesting animals when you were a child, and you've loved spending time with them, especially with your Gold parent's dog. Their death hit you pretty hard and later it made you want to protect all animals at all cost.

Traits: cat lover, dog lover, unflirty

Childhood aspiration: you decide

Adult aspiration: Friend of the animals

Carrer: veterinarian

Skills to max out: Veterinarian, Pet training, Piano

Achivements:

- Earn the Responsible and Controlled Emotions character values

- Never get married.

- Have five cats and five dogs in the household during your life. At least two of each has to be a stray.

- You can only have "accidental" human children. Let's be honest, your pets are your real children.

Generation ten- Yellow

You are a very abstract and artistic person who is just as much of a weirdo living their lives by their own set of rules as their Gold grandparent. You love living in the city and meeting new people there.

Traits: creative, squeamish, noncommital

Childhood aspiration: Artistic Prodigy

Adult aspiration: Painter Extraordinaire or Serial Romantic

Carrer: Freelance artist

Skills to max out: Painting, Dancing, Bowling

Achivements:

- As you turn into a YA move into the Arts Quarters in your city

- Visit every festival

- Go bowling with your friends every Friday night

- Collect every emotional painting type

- Have multiple affairs while you're married or in a relationship

- Have a small pet from YA- to death

[nazaninlankarani]

Looking for ‘Wrist Power’? It’s All in a Distinctive Watch

The Oil Pump watch, from Jacob & Co., features a crystal reservoir filled with what Jacob’s marketing described as a “crude oil-imitation liquid.” © Yana Paskova for The New York Times

Wearing a luxury watch has long been an indicator of status and buying power. But today, when one social media photo can put your wrist before millions, there is even more emphasis on the choice of a distinctive timepiece.

“I make watch contact before I make eye contact,” said Misha Daud, the woman behind the Instagram feed Watch Fashionista. “‘Wrist power’ is a big thing in today’s watch world.”

“There are lots of ways of saying who you are without saying it too loudly,” said Ms. Daud, who was wearing a limited edition Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Skeleton in rose gold on this particular day. “With a power watch, any watch fiend in the room will hear you loud and clear.”

One such maker is the New York City-based Jacob & Co., whose complex and bejeweled watches speak rather loudly. For example, its new Astronomia Casino has a functioning roulette wheel on the dial — made specifically for high-end gamblers.

Jacob Arabo, founder and chief executive of Jacob & Co.© Yana Paskova for The New York Times

“I am not a gambler myself, but I don’t mind playing for fun,” Jacob Arabo, the company’s founder and chief executive, said in a phone interview. “This watch is not for clients to tell the time, but to let them engage in their hobby. It is a toy on the wrist.”

When the wearer presses a pusher at the dial’s 8:00 position, the roulette wheel, in green, red and black enamel with mahogany inlays, begins to spin, a mechanism that also winds the watch. And a small ball is released to, eventually, land on a random color and number, just like a real roulette turn. (An interior sapphire glass stops the ball from bouncing into the movement.)

Produced in an 18-piece limited series, the Astronomia Casino is priced at $620,000.

“It was a gamble making this gambler’s watch, after two years in research and development,” Mr. Arabo said. “I don’t know how many will sell, but I have a good feeling about it.”

In a video posted recently on Instagram, Anish Blatt, the watch influencer known as Watchanish, described the Astronomia Casino as “one of the most eye-catching watches of the year.”

The Astronomia Casino watch, with a functioning roulette wheel, “is not for clients to tell the time, but to let them engage in their hobby,” Mr. Arabo said. “It is a toy on the wrist.”

A similarly unusual watch is the Oil Pump, which features a crystal reservoir filled with what Jacob’s marketing described as a “crude oil-imitation liquid.” When the wearer presses a pusher at the 2:00 position, two miniature derricks on the dial begin pumping the liquid through a closed pipe system. “A lot of my clients are actively involved in the oil industry and have found success in that business,” Mr. Arabo said. “If they love watches, they would love this one.”

The components for 88 models, priced at $380,000 each, have been produced, Mr. Arabo said, but each watch will be assembled only after an order is placed. “It will take a few years to assemble and sell all 88,” he said.

Other watchmakers have targeted high net-worth clients with similar tastes. Christophe Claret made a two-sided blackjack and roulette watch in 2014, and a Gaming Watches series that replicated card games like poker, baccarat and blackjack on the dials; each was priced at about $200,000. In 2013, Louis Moinet produced the $280,000 Derrick Tourbillon and in 2015, Ulysse Nardin made the Hourstriker Oil Pump watch, priced around $129,000.

In Design China and Hong Kong are listed as separate markets by the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry, which tracks Swiss exports — but, together, those markets received 22 percent of all Swiss watch exports in 2018. So it is not surprising that Graff’s watch division has produced special métiers d’art timepieces with Chinese themes, a decision reminiscent of the 19th-century period when watch manufacturers like Ilbery of London, Bovet and Vaucher created lavishly decorated custom-made pocket watches for members of the imperial court.

GyroGraff models presented at Baselworld this year included one with a scene of Beijing’s Temple of Heaven, rendered in yellow gold and rows of baguette-cut diamonds.

GyroGraff models that were presented at Baselworld this year had scenes of the Great Wall of China, with 38 emerald-cut diamonds, and Beijing’s Temple of Heaven, rendered in yellow gold and rows of baguette-cut diamonds. Each of the one-of-a-kind timepieces was priced at $850,000.

“One can get lost gazing at the temple and the landscape around the wall,” said François Graff, the company’s chief executive. “Every element is executed with rare finesse and delicacy, with each dial taking nearly 100 hours of work by our team of artisans.”

The independent Dutch watchmaker Kees Engelbarts, who specializes in the Japanese metalworking technique of mokume-gane, said the visibility of his social media images — and the distinctiveness of his work — had drawn the attention of collectors beyond his usual circle of Asian clients.

“I don’t have the budget to advertise, and I was surprised when an Oman-based collector who follows me on Instagram recently asked for a handmade watch with mokume-gane engravings,” Mr. Engelbarts said in an interview. “I made him a unique timepiece that was a fusion of Japanese techniques with Arabic influences, created especially for his taste.”

A GyroGraff model also has scenes of the Great Wall of China, with 38 emerald-cut diamonds.

Exclusivity Still, special watches made for singular clients are seldom visible to a wide audience, according to Sabine Kegel, senior watch specialist at Christie’s in Geneva, in part because they rarely come to auction. “Consignors usually don’t want to take the risk of the watch not selling,” she said.

As singular clients go, watchmaking history’s most illustrious example probably is Henry Graves Jr., the American banker who in 1925 commissioned Patek Philippe to make the world’s most complicated timepiece. (A few brands now claim the “most complicated” title — with the uncertainty revolving around the varying definitions of a complication.)

And when the Henry Graves Supercomplication, as the pocket watch is known, came up for auction in 2014 at Sotheby’s in Geneva, it sold for $24 million, besting its pre-sale estimate of around $16.8 million.

Although the Instagram account of the master watchmaker François-Paul Journe tops 62,400 followers, he said the rise of social media actually turned him off bespoke watchmaking.

“Up until 1999, when I started my ‘prêt-à-porter’ collection, making watches for special clients was my métier,” Mr. Journe said in an interview, referring to the jeweled pocket watches he sold to Asprey in London, which, in turn, were sold to the sultan of Oman. “Today, it is too complicated to make a special piece, because as soon as a photo is posted on Instagram, other clients want the same thing.”

Last year, when Mr. Journe announced that he would end the 20-year run of his hallmark model, the Tourbillon Souverain, he said he would make an ultimate special edition run with a ruby-set dial, a nod to his early bespoke jewelry pieces. But he is making only 20 of the Tourbillon Souverain Coeur de Rubis, slowly, allocating each completed watch to someone on his waiting list.

“Today, if I do a truly special piece, it is only for a handpicked client, but mostly for the pleasure it gives me,” Mr. Journe said. And, from a watchmaker’s perspective, that is true “wrist power.”

{Source]

[sportsrepo]

$1000 Halo Infinite Football Helmet And Master Chief-Inspired Ice Hockey Goalie Pads Revealed

$1000 Halo Infinite Football Helmet And Master Chief-Inspired Ice Hockey Goalie Pads Revealed

Microsoft is working with sports companies Riddell and Bauer for limited-edition gear inspired by Halo Infinite. Starting with Riddell, the company created a limited-edition football helmet inspired by Master Chief’s green and gold Mjolnir armor. The helmet costs $1000, and it’s for display use only–Riddell does not recommend actually using it to play football. Each was hand-drawn using a…

[6amgame]

Halo Infinite Elite Controller and customized Xbox Series X now up for pre-order-The themed console will be available on Nov. 15

An all-new Xbox Elite Wireless Controller and a limited edition Halo Infinite Xbox Series X are on the way from Microsoft. Both were announced Wednesday during the Gamescom Opening Night Live presentation featuring Geoff Keighley. Both are available for pre-order as well.

Rendered in green and gold and marked with “117” for the Master Chief himself, the new Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series Two runs for $199.99. It includes interchangeable thumbsticks with black, paddle-shaped levers. It has the ability to save three custom profiles alongside one default profile, and it uses both Xbox Wireless and Bluetooth technology. Just like the current version, it will be compatible with both the Xbox console ecosystem and Windows 10 PCs. No release date was given.

The Xbox Series X Halo Infinite Limited Edition Bundle goes for $549.99 and is expected to launch on Nov. 15. It includes an elaborate case design, with a white and blue starfield on the top and gold accents throughout. It includes the Xbox Series X, a traditional Xbox Wireless Controller with a matching paint scheme, an appropriate HDMI cable, and a copy of Halo Infinite.

Halo Infinite has been baking for some time inside 343 Industries. On Aug. 20, developers announced the high-profile game would launch without a cooperative campaign mode or the Forge multiplayer mode. The game will be released on Dec. 8 after a lengthy delay.

[majornelson]

There Are Xbox One Consoles And Accessories For Everyone This Holiday

Matt Lapsen, General Manager of Xbox Devices Marketing, shares some details on the consoles and accessories available this holiday season.

It’s been an exciting year for Team Xbox. Just a couple days ago, on Nov. 7, we launched the world’s most powerful console, Xbox One X, which joins Xbox One S in the Xbox One family of devices. The Xbox One gaming experience features a robust library of titles with more than 1,300 games and 220 exclusives available today, including Backward Compatible titles that help make Xbox One the only console system to play the best games of the past, present and future. More titles are on the way as well, including the hottest game on the planet PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, releasing as an Xbox One console launch exclusive Dec. 12, 2017.

In addition, both Xbox One X and Xbox One S offer fans a variety of features that make Xbox One the best place to enjoy gaming and 4K entertainment, including:

A built-in 4K UHD Blu-ray player

Premium audio with Dolby Atmos support

Xbox Live, the fastest, most reliable gaming network

Xbox Play Anywhere

Xbox Game Pass

For a limited time, everyone in the U.S. can take advantage of special offers at participating retailers, including:

From now through Nov. 18, buy any Xbox One S bundle starting at $249 USD and get an additional game of your choice at no extra cost

From now through Nov. 18, buy an Xbox One X and save $50 on Xbox Elite Wireless Controller

From now through Nov. 18, save $10 on select Xbox Wireless Controllers

See below for an overview of all the various Xbox hardware options available now, and make sure to check with participating retailers – including your local Microsoft Store, whether you’re shopping in a physical store, online or through your Xbox device – for more information on availability and pricing.

Xbox One X

Xbox One X is both the most powerful console in the world and the smallest Xbox ever built, capable of true 4K gaming. With 40 percent more power than any other console, Xbox One X is where console gamers can play the best versions of games. More than 50 Xbox One X Enhanced games are available now, including Forza Motorsport 7, Super Lucky’s Tale, Assassin’s Creed Origins, Middle-earth: Shadow of War and FIFA 18, with more on the way. Additionally, Xbox One X makes your existing library even better, with higher-resolution textures, smoother frame rates and faster load times, even on a 1080p TV. Xbox One X is currently available in 35 Xbox One markets with more coming soon, and retails at $499 USD. Fans are encouraged to buy the new console early this holiday season before quantities run out. For the latest on where to buy Xbox One X, visit xbox.com/xboxonex.

Xbox One S Bundles

Xbox One S offers the best value in 4K entertainment, with bundles starting at $279 USD. See below for all the different Xbox One S bundles available this holiday season. Availability and pricing varies by market, so please check with your local retailer for more information.

*Xbox One S Forza Horizon 3 Hot Wheels Bundle. ($279 USD). Features a 500GB hard drive, Xbox Wireless Controller, full-game download of Forza Horizon 3 with the Hot Wheels expansion, 14-day Xbox Live Gold trial and 1-month Xbox Game Pass membership.

*Xbox One S Minecraft Limited Edition Bundle ($399 USD). Features a 1TB hard drive, Xbox Wireless Controller – Minecraft Creeper, Xbox One S Vertical Stand, full-game download of Minecraft with the Redstone Pack, 14-day Xbox Live Gold trial and 1-month Xbox Game Pass membership.

*Xbox One S Minecraft Complete Adventure Bundle ($279 USD). Features a 500GB hard drive, Xbox Wireless Controller, full-game download of Minecraft, full add-on download of the Minecraft Explorer’s pack, full-game download code of Minecraft: Story Mode Season 1 – The Complete Adventure (Episodes 1-8), 3-month Xbox Live Gold subscription and 1-month Xbox Game Pass membership.

*Xbox One S Assassin’s Creed Origins Bundle (£229 GBP / €279 EUR): Features a 500GB hard drive, Xbox Wireless Controller, full-game download of Assassin’s Creed Origins, 14-day Xbox Live Gold trial and 1-month Xbox Game Pass membership.

*Xbox One S Assassin’s Creed Origins Bonus Bundle ($279 USD): Features a 1TB hard drive, Xbox Wireless Controller, full-game download of Assassin’s Creed Origins, full-game download of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, 14-day Xbox Live Gold trial and 1-month Xbox Game Pass membership.

*Xbox One S Madden NFL 18 Bundle ($279 USD). Features a 500GB hard drive, Xbox Wireless Controller, full-game download of Madden NFL 18, 20 percent discount code on com, 14-day trial subscription to Xbox Live Gold and 1-month Xbox Game Pass membership.

*Xbox One S Rocket League Blast-Off Bundle (£229 GBP/€279 EUR). Features a 500GB hard drive, Xbox Wireless Controller, full-game download of Rocket League, 3-month Xbox Live Gold subscription and 1-month Xbox Game Pass membership.

*Xbox One S Shadow of War Bundles (starting at $279 USD): Features either a 500GB or 1TB hard drive, Xbox Wireless Controller, full-game download of Middle-earth: Shadow of War, 1-month subscription to Xbox Live Gold and 1-month membership to Xbox Game Pass.

*Xbox One S Starter Bundle ($279 USD). Features a 500GB hard drive, Xbox Wireless Controller, 3-month Xbox Live Gold subscription and 3-month Xbox Game Pass membership.

*Xbox One S Ultimate Halo Bundle ($279 USD). Features a 500GB hard drive, Xbox Wireless Controller, full-game downloads of Halo 5: Guardians and Halo: The Master Chief Collection, 14-day Xbox Live Gold trial and 1-month Xbox Game Pass membership.

Xbox Accessories

In addition to your Xbox One console, fans have several controller options to choose from to take their gaming to the next level:

*Xbox Design Lab (starting at $79.99 USD). This year, we introduced even more customization options, giving Xbox fans over a billion design combinations to choose from, including new color options, thumbstick colors, metallic finishes for D-pads and triggers and black rubberized grips. We also recently introduced the Xbox Wireless Controller – NFL, giving fans in the U.S. yet another way to personalize their Xbox experience. Xbox Design Lab is available to residents in Canada, France, Germany, the U.K, the U.S. and more than 20 additional European countries.

*Xbox Elite Wireless Controller ($149.99 USD). For fans looking for professional-level customization, look no further than the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller. The controller was built from the ground up to meet the rigorous demands of hardcore, competitive-level gamers, and offers various options to adjust unique elements of the controller for better control, precision and comfort.

*New Xbox Wireless Controller options. In addition to Xbox Design Lab and the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller, fans can expand their collection of Xbox Wireless Controllers with a bevy of special edition and limited edition designs, including Minecraft Pig, Minecraft Creeper, Patrol Tech Special Edition, Green/Grey and Volcano Shadow, starting at $64.99 USD. Every Xbox Wireless Controller features textured grip for enhanced comfort and Bluetooth technology for gaming on Windows 10.

With Xbox One, you can create your perfect gaming experience this holiday, choosing from  a multi-faceted lineup of new consoles and accessories.

via Xbox Live's Major Nelson http://ift.tt/2AwST9S

[bigyack-com]

Hong Kong's Airport Authority Appoints Ricky Leung as Executive Director, Engineering & Technology

Hong Kong's Airport Authority has appointed Ricky Leung as Executive Director, Engineering & Technology. Ricky is tasked with leading the Engineering & Technology Division, where his responsibilities will include managing the AA’s assets and delivering engineering and capital works projects at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA).

He has served in a wide range of important roles over the course of his 28-year career with the AA, covering planning, design, construction, facilities, systems, operations and maintenance. In 2015, he was appointed as Deputy Director, Engineering & Technology. Ricky will report to the AA’s Chief Executive Officer, Fred Lam. Mr Lam said, “I would like to congratulate Ricky on his new role. Ricky is a chartered civil and structural engineer with over 35 years of experience. He has played a key role in the recent major infrastructure projects at HKIA including the Terminal 1 extension and Sky Bridge. I am confident that with his expertise and vast experience in airport infrastructure projects, the team will continue to contribute to the airport’s continuous development.” Ricky holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and a Bachelor of Science (Engineering) Degree from the University of Hong Kong. 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[husid]

Wednesday Morning Punter - Super Bowl LIII Edition

How have you been the last eight years?

I, like most blog writers am just fine and not at all wallowing in existential doom questioning my own self-worth. But this isn’t about me, this is about you, the beloved readers. So back by the popular demand of no fewer than two people, is a special pre-Super Bowl edition of Wednesday Morning Punter!

Just in time for the final game of the NFL season before real football gets started, today’s issue will tackle a Super Bowl LIII preview, the all important Legacy Stakes, missing prop bets, the unenviable existence of a Patriots atheist living in Boston, and some NFL hodgepodge.

So without further ado, Let’s Punt!

What to Expect When You’re Projecting

What I can guarantee about tonight is that there will be nearly universal disappointment regarding the Super Bowl commercials, Maroon 5 will bring out a halftime show guest singer that will appeal to neither millennials nor baby boomers, and Twitter will have a much needed night focused on something other than Donald Trump, Howard Schultz or AOC.

What I cannot guarantee is just about everything else, starting with the winner of the game. Anecdotal research leads me to believe that most of the experts are picking the Patriots, which is incredible for a team that No One Believes In (more on that later), but it’s by no means a slam-dunk. We know that both teams deserve to be here (Saints fans may disagree, but one call aside, it’s impossible to conclude that both teams aren’t at the very least among the top two teams in their respective conferences). The Pats quickly worked out of an early 1-2 hole to reel off six straight wins and finish at a respectable if somewhat human 11-5, good enough for the AFC’s two-seed. The Rams were even more dominant, busting out of the gate with eight straight wins en route to a 13-3 record and the NFC’s two-seed. Both won their divisional playoff game relatively convincingly before squeezing out dramatic overtime victories in their conference championship games, thanks primarily to resilient offensive play. The two teams didn’t play other this year, but did have five common opponents, including the entire NFC North, and the Chiefs. I don’t put much stock into common opponents as a means of assessing a head-to-head advantage – both because strengths and weaknesses versus one opponent aren’t necessarily transitive, and because the highs and lows every team experiences in a season mean that an opponent one week does not equate to that same opponent on a different week – but for those of you who do, both the Rams and Pats beat the Chiefs in tight regular season games (and the Pats again two weeks ago), and each went 3-1 against NFC North opponents, with the Patriots losing a demoralizing week 3 matchup in Detroit, and the Rams falling in week 14 to Chicago in a defensive showdown.

Frankly, the Patriots are easy to predict. They’re going to show up with a solid game plan, Brady is going to be accurate and minimize mistakes, and the defense will play bend-but-don’t break defense to keep the Pats within striking distance at any point in the game.

The Rams, on the other hand, are a bit more of a wild card, despite being the more consistent team during the regular season. LA only has one offensive star (Todd Gurley), yet finished the year in the top-2 in total scoring and yards per game, and the top-5 in both rushing and passing. But Gurley disappeared two weeks ago (literally and figuratively), starting quarterback Jared Goff is still pretty green, and the Rams D is very much a middle-of-the-road unit.

So what will ultimately decide whether the scrappy Patriots will finally be able to celebrate in Foxborough, or LA pretends like it actually cares about pro football for at least an offseason? My best guess:

• The Gronking of Over-the-Hill House: No one’s worried about his post-game performance tonight at the Gold Club (I know it’s gone, but my knowledge of Georgia strip clubs begins and ends with that fabled establishment), but my confidence in his elite on-field level is not what it once was. Despite his ability to still make a big play, Gronkowski generally looks like a shell of his former self, and my money’s on Sunday being the last day he plays an NFL game. Of course when he’s playing to his ability, he’s one of the most unguardable players in football.

• Aaron Donald Has A Show: Donald was undoubtedly the best defensive player in the NFL this year (an NFL positional record 20.5 sacks for a defensive tackle), but oddly he’s still not quite a household name (the NFL’s refusal to market any defensive player other than JJ Watt could comprise a whole other post).  Fighting through double-teams and keeping Brady on his heels could be the key difference in whether TB12 is able to pick apart the Rams secondary, or is too uncomfortable to get into a consistent rhythm. There’s a good chance the whole country knows his name after tonight.

• From Dusk Till Sean: I can’t remember ever seeing a Sean this hot, and I live less than a mile from Southie. But lost in last week’s questionable victory was the fact that Rams coach Sean McVay was a missed pass interference call away from dealing with an entire offseason full of questions about his game plan. Since we still haven’t heard any indication that Todd Gurley was injured, his benching for most of the NFC Championship game is baffling. Giving your (and arguably the league’s) best player five total touches with a Super Bowl appearance on the line simply doesn’t add up – particularly since Gurley’s backup, CJ Anderson, was no more effective with his 17 touches – and a similar utilization of Gurley on Sunday will make Bill Belichick’s job a lot easier. If the rushing attack remains stymied, will McVay have Goff ready to shoulder the load? McVay is like that cool, mysterious guy who transfers to your high school for sophomore year but no one knows much about him. He might be the man, he might just be a boring introvert, but his parents are gone next weekend and he’s about to throw the first party at his place. Will he have enough booze? Will he invite those weirdos he went to school with last year? Will he freak out when the first Bud Ice (is that still a thing?) spills on the carpet? Will he trust his buddies enough to take care of things while he shows his crush where he practices his guitar? The spotlight is finally on. Be cool, Sean McVay, because high school kids can turn on you fast.

• Master of Run: It’s no secret that Gurley’s production had tailed off a bit, even before last week’s unjustified benching. Gurley has now eclipsed 100 yards rushing just once in his last four games. Maybe last game’s light load was a gift, Todd, but if he starts the Super Bowl rushing like he has since late December, will Gurley be able to do enough through the air to make an impact? Given his overall season, it’s pretty shocking that this is even a reasonable question.

• A Series of Gameplanned Events: Beginning with his plan to take Marshall Faulk out of Super Bowl XXXVI, Belichick has earned his reputation as a master tactician, which shone through in the Patriots next two Super Bowls (both victories). His track record since then has only further solidified his status as the best coach in NFL history, reaching six more Super Bowls and failing to make the playoffs just once since 2002, when Brady was shelved for the season (and Matt Cassel still led New England to an 11-5 record). But he’s just 2-3 in subsequent Super Bowls, and in each of the three losses he was squarely outcoached in at least one major facet of the game: His failure to account for the Giants ferocious pass rush rattled Brady all game in Super Bowl XLII and forced him to play dink-and-dunk football in Super Bowl XLVI, which neutralized his big-play ability. In last year’s Super Bowl, Belichick’s defense couldn’t find an answer for journeyman Nick Foles, and his thoroughly mediocre receiving corps. We’ll never know if BB’s head-scratching decision to bench struggling but proven starting cornerback Malcolm Butler (a legitimate explanation for which we still haven’t received) would have been the difference in the game, but it’s nearly impossible to conclude that Butler would have made the Patriots secondary worse on that day. So the question remains, will Belichick have an effective plan in place to mask his team’s weaknesses (the secondary) and accentuate its strengths (steady rushing attack, relentless short passing game), or will he fall victim to an unforeseen Rams wrinkle, or worse, his own ego?

• Santa Clarita Quiet: When Jeff Fisher went to Jared with the first overall pick in the 2016 draft, there were more than a few skeptics, all of whom seemed vindicated by Goff’s rookie campaign. Since McVay took over as Rams head coach in 2017, however, Goff has been nothing short of a top-tier quarterback, culminating in a 2018 in which he finished with a 101.1 passer rating (8th among qualified QBs), 4,688 passing yard (4th), 8.4 yards per attempt (4th), and 32 touchdowns (6th, though it should be noted that of the quarterbacks with more TDs, none had a top-tier RB for the entire season). But the fact remains that despite how great a season the Rams have had, the media attention thrust on pro football players in Los Angeles has landed somewhere between “Sugarfish No Longer Finds Bluefin Tuna to be Ethically Sourced” and “Ponytailed, Meisner-Reading Papyrus Employee Doesn’t Actually Have Passion for Stationary,” allowing Goff, who has never lived outside of California, to live a relatively pressure-free life. Since the playoffs started, Goff’s numbers have gone down a bit, as can be expected against better competition, and that on the surface isn’t alarming. But he’s about to play the biggest game of his life on the biggest stage in American sports, after two weeks of the most intense media scrutiny he’s ever experienced. Some quarterbacks wilt under that pressure, some excel, and others are simply unaffected (see: Manning, Eli).  We’ll see which bucket Goff falls into.

My Pick: Rams 29 Patriots 27 Confidence level: 2 In the Brady/Belichick era, each of their eight Super Bowl matchups has ended in a one-score game, and most of them have looked a lot more lopsided on paper before kickoff than this one. I picked the Patriots to beat the Eagles last year, refusing to believe that Belichick could lose to someone like Nick Foles in a Super Bowl. But ultimately players play the games and I don’t see a clear improvement in the Patriots defense from the one that gave up 41 points to the Eagles last year. Now they’re playing a much better offense and likely a better quarterback than Foles,  so much like the Chiefs game, the Patriots defense will have their hands full.

On the other side of the ball, the Patriots have Tom Brady, so any argument for why the Pats will win could justifiably end there. His receiving corps, while far from elite, seems to be gelling at the perfect time, and could not have been more clutch than they were against the Chiefs. The Rams defense on the whole won’t strike fear into Pats offensive coordinator Josh McDaniel’s heart, but Aaron Donald will be the toughest individual force he (or anyone in the league) will have to game plan for all season. I think Donald and Ndamukong Suh will be able to minimize rushing success for the Patriots, and will get just enough pressure to force Brady to get the ball out quickly and allow the Rams’ back seven to sit on the short outs and crossing routes that have allowed the Patriots to move the chains all season long.

But ultimately, in a one-score game – which I’m betting this will be – one play can make all the difference, and all the pre-game analysis is worthless. I don’t expect a true shootout, but I do see an offensive battle that ends with the Rams defense getting that one crucial stop down the stretch that the Chiefs failed to get two weeks ago. That said, your guess is as good as mine.

Other Super Bowl Notes and Tidbits

• The Defenders: The Patriots finished seventh in the league in scoring defense, but much of that has to be attributed to the dreadful offenses of the rest of the AFC East. In their six games against the Dolphins, Bills and Jets, the Pats D allowed 6, 7, 13, 33, 12 and 3 points. In four games against top-10 scoring offenses on the other hand, the Patriots gave up 24, 40, 31 and 17 points, to the Colts, Chiefs, Bears and Steelers, plus another 31 to the Chiefs two weeks ago. You’d think this would be a bad omen for New England as it prepares to stop the league’s second-most prolific offense, but despite the gaudy numbers allowed to elite offenses, the Patriots are 4-1 in those games. Essentially, while we can be confident the Rams will put up points, the type of game that would dictate that flow wouldn’t necessarily put the Patriots at a disadvantage.

• Oldzark: “Experience” is always talked about as a factor in determining who wins a big game, but I’m not sure that has a ton of merit, given that players have to be able to win big games to even get to the Super Bowl. Looking at the last ten Super Bowls, eight featured quarterback matchups in which only one starting QB had started a Super Bowl previously. In those matchups, the team with the Super Bowl-experienced quarterback is 4-4. Looking beyond the quarterback, teams that had been to the Super Bowl in the previous five years (an objective number, but one that’s likely to incorporate the team having an experienced, returning corps) are 3-3 when playing teams that had not been to the Super Bowl in that same span. Draw your own conclusions.

• The Vinatieri Method: Both teams should feel very comfortable with their kicking situation going into Sunday. Stephen Gostkowski has established himself as one of the most reliable field goal kickers of his generation, while Greg Zuerlein just KICKED A 57-YARD FIELD GOAL IN OVERTIME TO SEND HIS TEAM TO THE SUPER BOWL. Zuerlein was unfairly robbed of national glory, due to a brutal combination of the refs overshadowing the Rams win, and Joe Buck, as he’s wont to do, delivering the call of an incredible feat in an incredible situation as if he was narrating his wife picking up her first alimony payment before leaving the house for good. “Meredith will attempt to steal my money along with my soul… she has the check, she’s getting into the Tesla of Miles, a 30-something brand ambassador… AND SHE’S GONE! We’ll see you later tonight at the country club gala so as to keep up the appearance that we’re amicable divorcees!” Zuerlein actually sprained his foot at halftime of that game, which is something to be aware of, but given how he kicked in the second half and overtime, it’s not something I’d be too concerned about.

• Big Mouth: I could not be less interested in Media Day or any of the PR shenanigans that go on between the conference championships and the Super Bowl. I get why the NFL does it, and I’m sure journalists appreciate that they get something to write about beyond another position-by-position breakdown, but wake me up when it’s time to clock the national anthem length. That said, it’s worth taking note of all the players who basked in the glow of the media attention, because a good chunk of them will inevitably blame the media for stirring controversy down the road. Like it or not, the media has as much to do with sports being as popular as they are (and player contracts being as big as they are) than the players themselves. If you’re going to use it to your advantage when things are going well, you can’t bitch about the negative coverage when the good times stop rolling.

• Lost in Grace: Living in Boston and not being a Patriots fan sucks. Not because they always win, or because the Celtics and Bruins can be in the midst of playoff runs and the Boston sports media’s top story will still be which flavor Coolatta Gronk is going to be drinking in his upcoming Dunkin’ commercial, but because of all the faux-narratives that the team puts forth and the fans eat up. There was the “Patriot Way” which preached loyalty and selflessness, just to see Belichick ship off beloved stars and community staples like Lawyer Milloy, Richard Seymour and Chandler Jones (side note: I’m not saying these moves didn’t work out or were uncouth, just pointing out the disingenuousness of pretending to view your players as anything other than football players). There was the myth of only valuing team-first players, then signing guys like Corey Dillon, Randy Moss, Aaron Hernandez, Albert Haynesworth, Chad Johnson/Ochocinco, Brandon Meriwether and Josh Gordon. There’s still the idea that the team should never give the media any controversy fuel, while Belichick writes a letter of support to Donald Trump (that he had to know was going to be made public) and Brady displays a MAGA hat in his locker.

And now we’ve reached a new one, and possibly the most infuriating one. I understand that every team, at one point or another uses “no one believed in us” as a rallying cry or source of motivation, and sometimes its true and sometimes its not. But Xerxes and the Persian Empire had a more viable claim to the “no one believed in us” mentality after Thermopylae (read a book) than the Patriots do now. Brady and Belichick have presided over two separate dynasties in consecutive decades (for what it’s worth, I don’t think a team can go ten years between titles and still be considered a single dynasty) and are about as far from being an underdog year-to-year as any team since the 1960s Celtics. My problems with this whole charade are two-fold. First, it’s flat out wrong. Until this year’s AFC Championship game, the Patriots with Brady starting had not been underdogs IN 69 CONSECUTIVE GAMES. The chart below (courtesy of footballperspective.com) reveals as much, with the blue dots indicating regular season games, the red dots indicating playoff games, and the empty dots showing the four games Brady was suspended for to start the 2016 season. 

So not only is the narrative flat-out silly on the surface, it’s based on no evidence whatsoever. Yes, there are a lot of people who like to root against the Patriots, and there are some corny studio analysts looking for attention who will make exaggerated but transparent claims like “the Patriots era is over,” but not a single one of them is surprised that the Pats will be taking the field in Atlanta tonight.

The second part of this argument that really grinds my gears is that among the actual Patriots doubters, the vast majority live in New England. Listening to Boston sports radio all season, you’d think the Pats were flirting with a .500 record, and wondering whether they should just start tanking to move up in the draft. Sports bars around the region were filled with people lamenting Brady’s fall from best quarterback in football to merely top-5, wondering if the defense could stop a good offense in the playoffs, and pondering whether Matt Patricia was really the brains behind the whole operation (that last one is an exaggeration, but only slightly). So in essence, Patriots fans are projecting their team insecurity onto fans of the rest of the league –none of whom actually doubt the Patriots’ ability to win each game– and then criticizing the straw men they’ve created while they themselves doubt their team privately under the cover of a New England winter. It’s madness.

Listen, I get it. Winning is awesome, and it gets less awesome when that’s all that’s expected of you. No one roots for the house at a casino, no one is pulling for the shark in Jaws, and no one outside New England wants the Patriots to win, because they always win. So if you have to convince yourself that you’re not going to win because that makes it more fun when you inevitably do, go for it. But leave the rest of us out of it. Because even when we don’t think you’ll win, we still kind of do think you’ll win. That’s should be a badge of honor, not a knock.

Legacy Stakes

I usually like to do a section about what’s at stake for each team and its players from a legacy perspective. Sadly, this combination of teams doesn’t give me much to write about. The Pats can tie the Steelers for the most Super Bowl wins of all time (six), but Brady and Belichick are already the best quarterback and coach of all time, respectively, so another Super Bowl win pads their stats, as it were, but won’t do much in terms of validation. Sure, if they fall to 5-4 all-time in Super Bowls, it will give a little extra fodder for the people who say they’d rather be 4-0 in Super Bowls  (a la Joe Montana) than 5-4, but those people are woefully misguided anyway, so it’s hardly worth debate.

On the other side you have a team full of young stars, including its coach. Obviously winning a Super Bowl is a form of career validation regardless of when you win it, but no one on the Rams is even close to “can’t win the big one” territory, so the feel-good storyline of the wily old veteran finally winning a ring that we’ve had in years past (Charles Woodson with the Packers, Anquan Boldin with the Ravens, Demarcus Ware with the Broncos, etc.) is noticeably absent this year. The lone obvious exception is Ndamukong Suh, but he’s kind of an asshole, so I don’t think people are rooting hard for that story.

The Prop Bets That Weren’t

For those without a true dog in the fight, the best thing about the Super Bowl, aside from the food (bar food is the best food, don’t @ me), is the betting. Much like Adam Silver and ESPN, the general Super Bowl-watching populace has embraced casual betting more in recent years, leading once-cheeky prop bets like which Gatorade color will be poured on the winning coach or how long the national anthem will last to almost be considered passé.

Sadly, the creativity on prop bets has waned, forcing me to take matters into my own hands.  Place your bets before 6:00 EST (Just kidding…)

Ndamukong Suh Personal Foul Penalties Called (includes declined penalties) O/U .5

Tom Brady Berates An Official After Getting Knocked Over O/U 4.5

Tony Romo Accurately Predicts A Play Call Pre-Snap O/U 8.5

Age of the First Guest Singer to Join Maroon 5 O/U 38.5

Times I Consider Subscribing to the WWE Network During Halftime So I Can Watch Halftime Heat Instead of Maroon 5 O/U 5.5

Shots of Rams Fans Wearing Sunglasses Indoors O/U 326.5

Decibels Jim Nantz’ voice drops during the first CBS promo for the Masters O/U 46.5

References to Sean McVay’s Paid “Hold Me Back” Guy O/U 1.5

Commercials With Thinly Veiled Criticisms of Trump’s Immigration Policies O/U 2.5

Commercials For Movies Starring Dwayne Johnson O/U 3.5

Jim Nantz Refers to Romo as “Partner” O/U 5.5

Rams Fans at LA’s Super Bowl Parade (if applicable) O/U 13.5

Welp, that’s all I got for you today, folks. Next week we’ll have recap of the Super Bowl and its inevitable fallout, some non-football sports thoughts, and a little  TV/Oscars talk. Until then, thanks for reading, and keep punting!

[rwby-fan-theories]

sun and neptune will fight adam taurus together and kill him with possibly yangs help

sun wukong is themed/inspired by sun wukong from journey of the west and an antagonist in story who sun wukong fought is  the bull demon king while neptunes inspiration/theme is the roman god of the seas but he  will also reference/represent zhu bajie

on neptune vasilas His last name “Vasilias” is a derivative for king in Greek, giving him an obvious connection to the God of the Seas. However, it also gives him a connection to a Journey to the West character, too. King Neptune was a famous World War 2 US Navy mascot, a pig that managed to raise millions for the war effort and was buried with full military honours when it died. The Monkey King’s pig-themed companion, Zhu Bajie, shared Neptune’s habit of hitting on every woman he met. He was also formerly Tiānpéng Yuánshuài, the Heavenly Naval commander( commander-in-chief of 80,000 Heavenly Navy Soldiers.)    who was cursed to become Zhu Bajie for his inappropriate feelings for a moon goddess.

Bull Demon King (牛魔王) is a demon king based in Sky Scraping Cave (摩雲洞) on Accumulated Thunder Mountain (積雷山). In the early chapters of the novel, he becomes sworn brothers with Sun Wukong and five other demon kings. He is ranked the most senior of the seven, and styles himself “Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven” (平天大聖). He marries Princess Iron Fan and has a son, Red Boy, with her. He appears again in a later chapter when the protagonists arrive at the Flaming Mountains along their journey. Sun Wukong disguises himself as Bull Demon King to deceive Princess Iron Fan and takes away her Banana Leaf Fan. The real Bull Demon King visits Princess Iron Fan, who then realises she has been tricked. Bull Demon King disguises himself as Zhu Bajie to trick Sun Wukong and retrieves the fan. In the ensuing fight against Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie, Bull Demon King reveals his true form, a giant white bull, and attempts to charge towards his opponents. Nezha shows up, captures Bull Demon King, and brings him to Heaven to let the Jade Emperor decide his fate.”

(maybe yang will help in the defeat of adam since nezzha was known for going on aa fit of anger before a certain event  and yang has shown that she had a temper  and nezha “His mother then secretly built a temple for Nezha and this temple later flourished. This temple became very well known and grew vastly because Nezha granted miracle cures to the sick and the crippled. However, Li Jing soon found out about this temple and burnt it down because he was still angry at Nezha and felt that he had already caused too much trouble for their family.Li Jing burning the temple caused Nezha to desire his father’s death. Thus, enmity between father and son grew. Nezha was later brought back to life by his teacher, Taiyi Zhenren, who used lotus roots to construct a human body for his soul and gave him two new weapons: the Wind Fire Wheels (風火輪) and the Fire-tipped Spear (火尖槍). With the reincarnation of Nezha by his master, Li Jing and Nezha fought many battles. However, Li Jing soon realized that his mortal body was no match for Nezha and so he ran for his life. On the run, he met his second son, Muzha, who fought and was defeated by Nezha. At this, Li Jing tried to commit suicide but was saved by Wenshu Guangfa Tianzun, who also contained Nezha. In the end, Nezha was forced to submit to his father by another deity, Randeng Daoren.Nezha is often depicted as a youth, instead of an adult. He is often shown flying in the sky riding on the Wind Fire Wheels (風火輪), has the Universe Ring (乾坤圈) around his body (sometimes in his left hand), the Red Armillary Sash (浑天绫) around his shoulders and a Fire-tipped Spear (火尖槍) in his right hand. Sometimes, he is shown in his “three heads and six arms” form (三頭六臂). “

Nezha’s colors are green, yellow/gold highlights, and pink/purple

and yang has purple eyes  and her color motif is yellow

and nezha ended up going on a fit of rage against his father so he hd been known for his anger and yang had a temper where she caused a good amount of property damage and is associated with fire  and nezha took bull demon king to face judgement at jade emperors  (gods) hands  by capturing him so either ren could take adam to prison to face judgement  or yang would assist in the fight as a 3 v 1 . or yang  wouldnt appear in the fight but adam will still die at sun or neptunes hands to cause him to face gods judgement

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Journey_to_the_West_characters#Bull_Demon_King.2C_Princess_Iron_Fan_and_associates

I think this fight between sun wukong and zhu bajie will be referenced with sun and neptune vs. adam taurus (who is a bull faunus his last name taurus means bull and when he activates his power his masks visors glow red  ( nad it would fit for adams semblence to  represent the bull demon kings true form since when the bull demon king activates his true form he glows)and adam has some of the  aspects in common with what we would imagine a demon king to be like a powerful, dangerous, maniacal, cruel, coldhearted, manipulative, individual with a plethora of individuals on his command   so it would fit for him to be placed in the role of bull demon king (antagonist) and would fight sun and neptune and after their fight adam will be defeated and captured or defeated and killed by them in the fight where after adam after his aura is broken trys to make an attack on someone lets say someone who is unconscious and they  act resulting in his death

and it would be fitting since adam had hurt blake (suns love interest , the girl he likes plus sun already had a a distaste for the white fang and adam is a high ranking member of the white fang who also hurt blake 

suns thoughts on the whites fang : “Stupid, holier-than-thou creeps that use force to get whatever they want. Bunch of freaks, if you ask me!“

so adam will be taken down by a faunus who hates the white fang and his human best friend ( we could see neptunes semblance  and if he hasnt activated his semblance yet he will before or during the fight  coming into contact with sea water

https://rwby-fan-theories.tumblr.com/post/151482055779/neptuines-semblance-is-activated-when-he-comes#notes

neptunes inspiration is the roman god of the sea so it would be fitting for his powers to activate when he comes into contact and ttouches or submerged in sea water like how nora whose inspiration is thor gains power through electricity. and its possible neptune never been near the ocean/sea and was afraid of touching it due to the aquatic grimm annd will end up falling into sea water which he activates his semblance  which is versatile

edit: (

https://rwby-fan-theories.tumblr.com/post/151984046729/more-on-neptunes-semblance-being-activated-when-he#notes

while neptunes inspiration is  roman god neptune he also references zhu bajie son wukongs  companion

on neptune vasilas His last name “Vasilias” is a derivative for king in Greek, giving him an obvious connection to the God of the Seas. However, it also gives him a connection to a Journey to the West character, too. King Neptune was a famous World War 2 US Navy mascot, a pig that managed to raise millions for the war effort and was buried with full military honours when it died. The Monkey King’s pig-themed companion, Zhu Bajie, shared Neptune’s habit of hitting on every woman he met. He was also formerly Tiānpéng Yuánshuài, the Heavenly Naval commander( commander-in-chief of 80,000 Heavenly Navy Soldiers.)    who was cursed to become Zhu Bajie for his inappropriate feelings for a moon goddess.

zhu bajie once commanded the heavenly rivers and in the journey of the west son wukong couldnt fight in the water while zhu bajie could for he was at ease at deep waters

Sun Wukong’s abilities . Though he is by far the stronger than, Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing arehe is  still more effective water combatants than he is

so this could be referenced with neptunes semblance activating when he falls in sea water when its the form of a big body of it) (and he could possibly be inspired for it after seeing blake being worried about adam taking out everyone she loves and could decide to go after adam in order to quench her fears

and given how it was revealed that blakes dad was the leader of the white fang and cheiftain of menagerie blakes technically a princess

https://rwby-fan-theories.tumblr.com/post/154337758428/upcoming-sun-vs-adam-fight

“ Bull Demon King”. Like Adam, BDK is an extremely powerful opponent who often defeats those in his way with one big blow, is obviously based off a bull; and is often depicted as having a black, red, and white color scheme. If Adam was solely based of “The Beast” from fairy tales, it would make more sense for him to be depicted as a boar or lion-faunus as those are the types of animals “The Beast” was traditionally depicted as resembling, not a bull. Maybe it and Adam’s color scheme are a hint that Journey to the West played an influence on him? 

some people might say that yang has to help in order to get closure  by beating adam but what if she doesnt get involved in th e fight and say adam dies without yang ever being able to face him again anda get closure through their so she will have to get closure through a different method and deal with it without ( not saying it will happen just something I thought of)

@pyrrhashes