#it was all peachy and we know these games are big investments

[beedreamscape]

(I'm in some stage of dnd grief, I need to put this into words, sorry) (SPOILERS e93)

Ha, remember when we thought Bells Hells and Crown Keepers were going to meet... something tells me they were never going to. And not just because of table capacity alone or even DM juggling.

Not to sound like a conspiracy theorist, it's how it had to play out without having a super deep meaning behind, but I don't think she was being cruel for the sake of it. Aabria had an objective and it was to break the party apart. Either in plot or real-life scheduling or public reception, they couldn't continue existing.

There's also a big overlap now with Dariax, Deni$e, and Deanna (I swear, how is this not a bit...) existing in the same universe where we need either DMs and we got Opal.

Sometimes I gotta remember these beats are not accidental, they weren't summoned randomly and these aren't unplanned games. I believe what happens in-game is her doing, she's just given a point A and point B and how she makes it there is her and the players' job to figure out.

And knowing the players she has and the very limited time they were given to tie this up, she couldn't allow dicking around or skirting past the consequences of their choices and they've been pretty big choices.

Like Calamity, there was an ending we needed to reach - Dorian was going back to BH and going back alone - we just happened to trail the most tragic path possible there.

[impalas-r-important]

Love of my Life - (5) Don't play games with me

Summary: Game night ends with a surprise

Warnings: N/A. Let me know if you find any that I should be listing!

A/N: I know Jody isn't a big player at this point in the show, and that Donna hasn't even been introduced. But I love them and we're just going to pretend for the sake of the story!

Series Masterlist

It was your turn to make treats for game night, so after you had showered and dressed, you pulled together ingredients for cookies and preheated the oven. Sam, Bobby and Nick were in the living room and Dean had just joined.

“Of course, you show up after we’ve cleaned the place.” Bobby remarked as Dean sat down. The boys all talked and laughed for a while, and you were glad to see that Dean was finally warming up to Nick. Once you put the cookies in the oven, you began to clean up.

“I’ll wash if you dry.” A deep voice offered. You looked up to find Nick holding out a dish towel to you, which you accepted.

“I’m glad to see Dean is finally speaking to you.” You gave Nick a side glance.

“Yeah, me too. He’s a really cool guy, I’d love to pick his brain sometime.”

The two of you worked like a well-oiled machine and were done with the dishes in no time. Dean couldn’t help but watch from the living room.

“Dean, are you even listening?” Sam snapped his fingers and frowned. He knew exactly what Dean was watching.

“Yeah, sorry. What’d you ask?” Dean blinked a few times, bringing himself back to reality.

“What games should we play tonight?” Sam opened up an old cupboard full of card and board games.

“I’m always down for a little poker.” Dean said as he grabbed a few decks of playing cards.

Jody filed in soon after and brought Donna with them, who had been visiting. You yelled hello from the kitchen and pulled the cookies from the oven.

“Smells amazing.” Nick leaned over the tray and inhaled, then reached for a cookie. You quickly slapped his hand.

“You gotta wait until the games start.” Nick gave you an exaggerated puppy dog look. “Sorry, not buying it. Sam’s been giving me that look for years. I’m immune to it.” Nick huffed in defeat and gave you a quick kiss on the forehead.

Jody couldn’t help but notice the new hunter who was strangely close to you. She approached Sam with a headful of questions. “Sam, did I just see some guy give Y/N a kiss on the forehead?”

“Yeah, that’s Nick. He’s been hanging around here for a few weeks while he heals up from saving Bobby’s bacon. He’s a decent guy, and he’s got it real bad for Y/N.”

“Uh huh…” Jody paused to think. “I guess what I’m really wondering is why hasn’t Dean ripped Nick’s throat out for even standing 5 feet from Y/N?”

“I’m sure he wants to. But Dean made his choice, and I reminded him that. I hated seeing Dean lead Y/N on like he might eventually get back with her someday.”

“But we all know Lisa’s just a temporary thing, right?” Jody looked to Sam for assurance, but he stayed silent. “Right?!” She emphasized.

“I don’t know anymore. I don’t think she’s right for Dean, but he hasn’t given any signs of leaving her. Maybe it’s permanent.” Sam took a drink of his beer.

“Oh.” Jody looked back over into the kitchen to see Nick leaning against the counter watching you with adoring eyes as you moved the cookies from the baking sheet to the cooling rack. “She does seem happy with him, and hell she deserves to be happy. But I gotta admit, Dean and Y/N seemed like they were perfect for each other. Like a match made in heaven.” She scanned the room to find Dean sitting on a chair in the corner next to Donna, trying his best to look invested in their conversation, but stealing occasional glances into the kitchen. Jody excused herself from her conversation with Sam and placed her hand on Dean’s arm, interrupting Donna mid-sentence. “Can I steal Dean for a sec?” Donna nodded and smiled, and Jody signaled for Dean to follow her out of the room. She sat down on the bottom step of the staircase. Dean followed suit.

“Everything ok, Jody?” Dean asked with concern in his eyes.

“I should be asking you that.”

Dean looked taken aback by her question and simply responded, “Well I’m just peachy,” before finishing off his beer.

“Dean, you don’t seem happy. Maybe it’s none of my business, but I think you and I know each other well enough that I can ask… What the hell are you doing?”

“What?” A confused Dean looked at Jody with questioning eyes.

“I’ll say it once and then drop it, because I’m not one to nag.” Jody took a deep breath and exhaled. “You belong with Y/N, Dean. I know it, you know it, everyone knows it. You were literally made for each other. The first time that I saw you with Y/N, I knew that she was the one for you. I saw it in your eyes, and how you spoke with her, how you touched her. It was straight out of a crappy romance novel.” Jody looked at Dean, who was avoiding eye contact. “So, I don’t know what’s going on between you two, or between Y/N and Nick, or between you and Lisa. But I know what I know, and I know that Y/N is the girl for you. You’re not really you when you’re not with her.”

Dean played with the label on his beer bottle and remained silent for a few moments, as did Jody. She wanted to give him the chance to talk if he wanted to.

“I’m still in love with her.” Jody could feel the pain dripping from his words. “I wake up every morning wishing that she and Sam had just rang the stupid doorbell instead of leaving for a year the night they came back. I would have left with them and I’m know I would still be with Y/N now. But I made a commitment that I can’t bring myself to break.”

“To Lisa?” Jody placed her hand on Dean’s back. He shook his head and closed his eyes, trying to contain his emotions.

“To Ben.” He answered and clenched his jaw. “I don’t love Lisa and I would have left the second I knew Y/N was back. But when Ben looked me in the eyes and told me that he thinks of me as his Dad, his real Dad, I knew I had to stick around for the long haul. I know firsthand how an absentee father can screw you up, and I can’t do that to him. But I can’t keep pretending that everything is all right.”

“I see.” Jody nodded. “Have you told anyone else about this? Sam or Bobby?” Dean shook his head. “Well, I can’t tell you what you do in this situation, but I do know that you’re a good man, Dean Winchester, and I’m here if you ever need to talk through things.” Dean nodded and Jody stood up, pulling him up by the arm. “Let’s go play some games.” She smiled and led him into the living room where the furniture had been pushed to the sides of the room to make room for the poker table.

“There you are!” You greeted as Dean and Jody joined your group. You could tell Dean was off as he sat down across from you. His eyes met yours and you immediately recognized the pain in his expression. Dean took a deep breath, picked up the cards he had been dealt, and put on a fake smile. At this point in his life, he was an expert at putting on a happy face, but you knew him too well and saw right through it. You were pulled back to reality by Nick putting his hand on your knee, signaling it was your turn. You gave him a sheepish smile and played your cards.

Your felt your heart being torn in 2 ways. For a long time, you thought Dean would be your forever, and you knew a part of you would always love him no matter what. But he was with someone else and showed no signs of wanting you anymore. Nick, on the other hand, was caring and had opened his heart to you quickly. He was handsome and funny and sweet, and any girl would be lucky to have him. You felt in the wrong because you knew that even if you pursued a relationship with Nick, you wouldn’t be able to give him all of you. Dean Winchester would always own a piece of your heart, a big one at that, and you were reminded of that every time you looked at him.

Hours had passed and it was getting late. You had all had fun, but people were filing out the door. You organized the cards into their proper decks and put them away. Sam helped you fold the table up and Nick and Bobby were picking up bottles and cans and clearing plates. You didn’t see Dean and assumed he must have left with the group but thought it was odd that he didn’t say goodbye. You said goodnight to the boys and headed up to your room. Dean had been off all night and you were worried. Your hand reached into your pocket and pulled out your phone. You scrolled down to Dean’s name and debated whether or not to call him. As you pushed your door open, you were startled to find someone sitting on your bed. You immediately went into defense mode, grabbing a knife from the top of your dresser.

“Dean?” You asked softly, putting down the knife and joining him on the edge of the bed. He was looking through an old photo album that you kept in the drawer of your nightstand.

“I remember when we took this. Sam was so mad that we stopped in the middle of the desert for one stupid picture.” Dean held up a picture of you sitting on top of his shoulders, pointing to the “Welcome to New Mexico” state sign. Dean was wearing a grey t-shirt and sunglasses and you had your hair pulled up in a messy ponytail. This was one of your favorite pictures. You made the boys stop so you could take a picture anytime you passed one of those state signs and were determined to get a picture with all 50 of them. Dean thought it was stupid at first, but he saw how happy it made you. Eventually he joined in, and the two of you would make silly poses next to each sign, leaving Sam to be the photographer.

“There’s still a few states that I need pictures of.” You took the book from Dean and slowly flipped through the pages. This album was one of your most cherished belongings, but you hadn’t looked through it for almost a year and a half. The memories that these pictures brought back were always happy at first but following closely behind was the pain of knowing that you and Dean would never be that close again.

“How many? Maybe we can take a few road trips and hit the ones you don’t have. Could be fun.” Dean suggested, raising his eyebrows.

You wanted to say yes, pack a bag, and leave right that minute. That’s the kind of thing the two of you used to do. But things were different now. Your smile faded, and instead of accepting his invitation, all you managed to say was, “Are you sure Lisa would be okay with that?”

Dean pursed his lips and nodded, silently agreeing that you had a point. He turned to look at you with desperation in his eyes and opened his mouth to say something before Sam walked in, breaking the tension.

“Hey, man, I thought you left. Thanks for helping clean up.” Sam said sarcastically as he flopped down on your bed. “Oh, man, I remember these pictures.” He took the book from your hands and scanned the pictures. “I miss these times. The three of us out on the road.”

“Me too.” You and Dean agreed in unison.

It was already late, but you and the brothers stayed up for at least another hour remembering stories about your past. You could hear Nick’s boot heavy on the stairs as he walked towards your room.

“Nick!” Sam yelled to get his attention.

Nick stopped and peaked his head in the door. “This must be the afterparty.” He smiled and you signaled for him to come in.

“Alright, you gotta tell us your craziest hunting story.” Sam demanded.

“Hmm…” Nick pondered and scratched his head. “Twin falls, Idaho, 2010. Four vamps, two werewolves, one ghoul, and two idiot hunters who thought they could handle it by themselves.”

“Sounds like the start of a crappy joke.” Dean chimed in.

Nick laughed and continued with his story. You all exchanged hunting tales until you grew tired and gave a big yawn.

“You know, my buddy found a case in Virginia. We could head out in the morning and help him if you guys feel up to it?” Nick suggested. “I’m dying to get back out there, even if I am limited.” He lifted his leg with the boot on it.

“I’m game!” Sam hopped off the bed. “I’ll go pack. Night guys.”

“Y/N?” Nick looked for your answer.

“Hell yes. I’m itching for a good fight.” You said sleepily.

“Sweet. See you in the morning.” Nick winked at you as he left.

“I’d offer for you to come, but…” You trailed off; your words directed at Dean.

“I know.” Dean nodded in acceptance. He readjusted himself to lay back on your bed, hands behind his head. “I miss hunting.”

“Hunting misses you.” You laid down next to him. “I mean, you’re Dean freaking Winchester. I’ve been told by a reliable source that some people call you The Ultimate Hunter.” You exaggerated your words and chuckled to yourself.

“More like the ultimate retiree now.”

You studied the ceiling and looked over to Dean, who had his eyes closed. It was at least 2 AM and you figured he was tired. “So, what were you doing in here tonight, anyway?” You figured you deserved an answer since he almost gave you a heart attack.

Dean’s breathing was slow and steady. “I don’t know. I just started walking and this is where I ended up.”

“Going through my stuff? You’re lucky I didn’t throw my knife at you. You scared the crap out of me when I first walked in.”

Dean smiled. “That’s what you get for beating me in poker tonight.”

“You mean kicking your ass in poker tonight?”

“Same difference.” He pushed you with his elbow a bit. The two of you lay in silence for a few minutes.

“You seemed off tonight.” You glanced at him.

“Just tired. Bobby’s couch wasn’t the most comfortable last night.”

“No, that’s not it. Are you feeling okay lately? You’ve been over here more in the past few weeks than you have in the past few months.”

Dean shrugged. “I guess it just sucks knowing that I’m being replaced.”

“Replaced?”

“Yeah. With Nick.”

“Uh, Nick isn’t replacing you.” Dean sat up and swung his feet over the edge of the bed.

“Sure feels like it. Sam has become fast friends with him, Bobby trusts the guy, and now the gang is going out on a hunt without me.”

“Dean, you know we’d love it if you came hunting with us, but you got out of the life and Sam and I are just trying to respect that.”

Dean rubbed his hands over his face. “But worst of all, I see the way he looks at you. I know that look because that’s how I used to look at you.” You looked down at the floor, searching for the right words. “Hell, I still do, Y/N/N.”

Chapter 6

Tags:

@vicmc624

[beyondthetemples-ooc]

📌🏳️‍🌈💎

Ahhh, thank you so much! Defaulting to Teen Titans. So....

It’s about to get Rambly.

Media Hyperfixation ask game --> [x]

📌 how did you find your hyperfixation?

It all started with the cartoon! Saturday cartoons were kind of a thing in my family, and my dad was always big on superheroes. So naturally, if a superhero cartoon was on, we’d watch it as a family. I wasn’t especially invested in superheroes as a genre, I just liked the plots better than a lot of other kid shows.

I remember watching Nevermore in the dark room, and mostly just being Vaguely Confused, not really caring what was going on (because someone was brushing or braiding my hair, and I liked that a lot better at the time). I specifically remember seeing Pink!Raven and just kind of being like: “...okay? Weird.” I remember the watermelon Loreal Kids shampoo from that night better than I remember the episode because I legitimately just Was Not Paying Attention. I don’t even remember the first time I watched the Apprentice episodes.

But then I remember LOVING Fear Itself from the first viewing, the whole thing with Pretending Not To Be Afraid and the line “I’m afraid, but that doesn’t mean I can’t fight back” REALLY struck a chord with me, and by the time Aftershock pt. I aired, I was SUPER emotionally invested in the Titans’ well-being. I was so surprised they’d survived! Terra had to be stopped and I was FURIOUS at her for what she did to them! I couldn’t WAIT for next Saturday!

Now, I don’t remember quite WHEN I started reading the comics, definitely before Haunted aired, because I recognized Raven’s soul-self IMMEDIATELY. (It’s Kind of a Big Deal in the comics.) But whenever it happened, that same dad that loved superheroes was a comics collector, and when I started enjoying the show, he started letting me read the comics. At first it was just the trade paperbacks, started with Terror of Trigon and Judas Contract (what a way to start off, huh?), and also the trades from the ‘00s Adult Comics (Teen Titans v3, as we call it). A Kid’s Game, and Family Lost. (Family Lost made a big deal about Raven’s return, and elaborated on Raven’s backstory via Arella. Take a wild guess which one I read over and over again.) He also gave us the Beast Boys and Girls trade, but my sister was much more of a Beast Boy fan and adopted that one the same way I adopted Family Lost.

(I’d put a Read More here if I could, but Tumblr isn’t giving me that option? So let’s hope the mobile trick works.)

:readmore:

Eventually he asked me if I wanted to read the comics they first appeared in, and naturally I was like “YES!” So he pulled the box of New Teen Titans (etc.) comics out and set it near the living room, and he made the rule that I could only take one issue out at a time, and had to return it before I read the next one.

I visited that box ten times a day sometimes.

I would take the issues with Azarath out time and time again, staring at the pictures, reading and re-reading the discussions there, taking in every single little detail. The rainbow stars. The triplicate moons. The architecture. The clothing. I’ve always been especially fixated on Azarath, and Marv’s habit of casual lore-drops fed my fandom-thirsty soul so WELL.

And when I read Tales of the New Teen Titans #2, Raven’s origin story? I never wanted to put it back in the box! I was ENAMORED.

The more I learned about Raven from the comics, the more I related to her, and the more I fell in love with the Raven in the show too, appreciating her backstory and filling in the blanks of things I desperately wanted to know about her. (Which was EVERYTHING!) 

Raven was the sole point of entry for how hard I fell in love with the franchise, but the older I got and the more I learned, the more I grew to love everything else about it, too.

🏳‍🌈 do you have any headcanons (lgbt, race, neuro, etc) that are important to you?

I headcanon Raven as both aspec and POC! I mean, canon doesn’t color her much at all; the cartoon gives her eerily pale skin and the comic artists tend to color her a deep peachy “white” skin color.

But if you look at the profiles George Perez draws, things like her nose shape and eye/brow structure look like It Could Be. Especially this silhouette from the GAMES graphic novel:

And, I mean, Marv Wolfman considered making her black from the start. So it even works on a meta level.

I don’t know what nationality she could be, because nationality comes from the parents, and, well, Trigon’s a demon, and Arella’s drawn a lot more classically-European looking. Small nose, big eyes, pale skin. Arella was also a foster child, so it’s probably canon that she simply doesn’t know her national origins?

And about asexuality? It’s lifted straight from the comics. There was literally an entire storyline that focused on her and sexuality. And she just DID NOT WANT sex. Now I might be projecting a little, because Marv made it very clear that the reason she’s so apprehensive and avoidant about it is because of her mother’s r*pe. And for the longest time, I was apprehensive and totally avoidant of sex because, for me, I was a sex-repulsed ace, and let’s just say I had a sort of social-learning trauma from several close friends. But you can be afraid of sex and be sexually attracted to someone at the same time. This was CLEARLY not the case with her. When they were getting ready, she’s clearly bracing herself, forcing herself into it, only going along because Eric forced it on her, and she’s like “If you must, just get it over with”, and that’s only BARELY paraphrased. She had no desire for it! No heat, no excitement! Absolute zero! Just straight FEAR.

Not to mention, as much as I despise that storyline, the closest thing she has canonically come to ever Getting Down with someone was that weird astral “child” thing with the Wyld weirdness, and if I remember correctly, that was a complete accident with No Body-Unifying Prerequisite.

(Clearly she’s romantically active in both the comics and cartoon, but hey, I’m also a lot more romantically engaged than sexually too. I haven’t decided yet if I headcanon her as demi, gray, or what, but I definitely get Very Strong Ace-Spectrum Vibes from her.)

As for other characters, I’m honestly Really Intensely Hyperfixated on Raven In Particular, so I’ve never given as much thought to the others, but in running teentitansheadcanons, I’ve seen submissions that Beast Boy is autistic or ADHD, and I like that interpretation! I legitimately Can Not Comprehend how his mind works, I just can’t grasp how things Operate for him at all, but from his outward behaviors, I can definitely see it.

I also heavily, heavily headcanon that all the Titans have PTSD, both from their pre-hero days and the fact that they’ve all faced near-death scenarios. Different events impacted different Titans differently, so it’s from different things for all of them, and they all have their own individual ways of coping with it, but it’s There.

I also headcanon Really Hard that they ARE each others’ support group, because Found Family means the WORLD to me, and I imagine it does to all of them too. Wait, screw “imagine”-- that’s canon as HELL.

💎 are there any fun facts or trivia that you would like to share?

Hmmm.... I have too many to easily choose just a few! So! More Rambling!

~ Raven wasn’t named as such due to her heritage or prophecies of doom; rather, Marv Wolfman just really liked the name Raven. If anything, she was named after a character, Raven Winters, Marv had written in an earlier project!

~ The Azarathean word “Arella” meaning “messenger angel” is a DIRECT derivative of Hebrew, as well as the word “Azar” (meaning “aid”) and the suffix “-ath”, as I understand it, means... something I can’t remember now, like providing or bringing or something. But it’s all very parallel to Hebrew!

~ The New Teen Titans crew nicknamed Trigon “Hot Stuff on steroids”, referencing a blood-red mischievous and child-shaped demon character from Archie Comics. He’s not very much of a threat. This never fails to amuse me.

~ Tara Strong still wants to know what happened with Terra and Trigon. (At least, she did when I saw her at Indy PopCon.)

~ Back in 2003ish, there used to be RAGING debates over whether the Robin in the cartoon was Dick Grayson or Tim Drake. Yes, even after he was shown to become Nightwing in the future. Because of how his costume looked, I think? And his personality. Even though the cartoon Titans were CLEARLY waaaay different from their comic counterparts.

~ Cyborg’s metal body parts are a molybdenum steel alloy! This was stated in the 80′s comics, but as I understand it, molybdenum is still used today in the medical field for prosthetics and skin-contact technology.

~ Starfire says one of my favorite meta lines in the comics: “I know what I look like and there’s nothing wrong with being pretty. But if that’s ALL that I am I’d be pretty boring.”

~ Wonder Girl’s origin story has been retconned almost as many times as there are DC Crisises. I can hardly speak any further on it, because I thrive on continuity and retcons just Throw Me Off.

~ Red Star’s original name Way Back When was actually Starfire!

~ Marv Wolfman took the name “Nightwing” from a Kryptonian story! Yes, Dick Grayson’s alias was named after a Superman thing. (Marv’s a huge Superman fan though, so are we really surprised?)

~ Starfire and Raven, a fierce warrior and a timid pacifist, were created to be Polar Opposites! Like, INTENTIONALLY. (With Donna Troy as the balancing act between them.)

~ When Beast Boy/Changeling transforms from a large creature into something smaller, according to the New Teen Titans letter columns because a fan asked about this, his extra mass goes to Cleveland. This was probably a joke and never explained, but maybe that’s why there’s so much green stuff in Lake Erie!

[stealinghero]

Can we get headcanons for bakugou, iida, and todoroki with a gamer s/o

Yes, of course!! It will be fun to include a “normal” thing with them. Bakugou and Todoroki now are listed in the taglist.

They are all different, but in one thing they are all equal: if the s/o enters a competition, they will be cheering their s/o on the loudest they can (Todoroki is so embarrassed after this)

Bakugou:

- he doesn’t like it that a game gets more attention than him. he will explode, pout, beg, anything to get the attention he wants.

- he is the guy to be jealous of a game console, so his s/o better hides it before he can and will destroy it in a fit of rage. After a scolding he will buy a new one, but after a time it will be a costly “hobby” if this keeps up

- the most games he will play with his s/o. keep it simple and not that frustrating and he will be just peachy. He “lets his s/o win”, even if in truth it’s the opposite, but let him dream

- he will gift his s/o the most games because “it’s like the other shit you like to play”. In truth he knows exactly what his s/o plays and watches out for anything related or any new out games.

Iida:

- he has a hard time with this s/o. He wants them to enjoy time together, going out on a walk in the park or something. Watching TV all day has to be bad for his s/o, right??

- if there are any strategic games his s/o is playing, he might be interested. But after a hard day he enjoys being able to shoot some bad guys on the big screen.

- he will invest a bit of his time to this hobby of his s/o, looking for new consoles or games his s/o might like. More often than not he’s completely wrong and his s/o might have to lie about liking a game completely different from the usual ones.

- if his s/o likes to play RPGs, he will act like real life is a rpg. He will give them quests written on pieces of paper around the apartment and will reward them with kisses and food.

Todoroki:

- he will sit down next to his s/o and will play with them if he can. He loves gaming as it’s relaxing him

- but there will be rules. He doesn’t want his s/o to spent more than 3 hours per day gaming. He is concerned for their health.

- he has no clue about games other than Mario and other mainstream so he will not gift them without a clear wish. However, he is a master of thoughtful gifts and will give his s/o new controller, a new cushion for their back, a suscription to a gamer magazine, etc.

- he often joins his s/o while they are gaming. He will sit next to them and read a book or watch TV. As long as he can be next to his s/o, it doesn’t matter to him. He likes the easy silence between them.

[ashleyswrittenwords]

The Homecoming Formal [ZeLink College AU]

Note: Hi hello it’s me, Ashley. I know this isn’t HTBAQ, but I’ve been drabbling on the side and I very much like this idea. Also there’s a hot fraternity president that I happen to know and anyway, thought it was topical. This is kind of mature rated? Kinda? If you don’t like reading about sexual mentions and stuff or if you’re uncomfy. This will be a couple chapters and then I’m retiring the idea lol. It’ll be cute, promise.

Summary:  [Zelink College AU][Greek Life] Zelda had a one-night stand months ago and finally got over a big break up, but the shame of it happening weighs down on her. To make matters worse, her best friend keeps pushing her to go to formal with a fraternity boy. What happens when she meets their homecoming fraternity's president and her past mistake comes back to haunt her? Can I make this sound any more like a Wattpad book? Can this be anymore cliche? Yes, probably.

Warning: Mentions of the sex.

The Homecoming Formal

The bass seeped from the floor and through her wedges. She was completely off beat but she finally felt comfortable dancing. Dancing wasn't really the word for it, it was more or less being very low and bobbing with the music. There was lots of alcohol and none going on Zelda's tab. She was happy, shouting to the music that the club provided and danced with her girlfriends without a care in the world.

Maybe Midna was right and she should get out more.

It helped when she was paying the bill.

Men had come around every now and again, asking to dance with them and offering drinks. Midna was very staunch about the sudden arrival of testosterone and manhandled them away. Zelda had grinned wryly repeating how much she loved everyone. More jelly shots please.

Countdown and shots. It was a cycle.

How many did she have? It didn't matter. Nothing mattered right now. Zelda wanted to have fun.

She turned around and didn't see her friends. They were on the dance floor. She felt wobbly and a steady sense of vertigo washed in. Okay, the bar is nice now anyway. The bar stool was cozy and gave her relief to the balls of her feet. Someone brushed against her, slurring to the bartender. Zelda didn't recall what was said, but the nice drink lady was reluctant to give him more. Oh, it was a man. She had looked at him and he had looked at her.

Fun had found her.

Daren ΚΗΣ : Yo me and the boys are tailgating across the street from the stadium. You going to the game tmrw?

Zelda's eyes flicked up to her phone, which dinged, and pulled her from her glazed over stare. She sighed and stretched before grabbing the phone.

Me: Yea

A beat passed before the phone buzzed again.

Daren ΚΗΣ: Ahahah slideeee

She squinted at the phone screen and opted to stare off into the corner of the library. The calculus homework that glared at her from her computer screen seemed to hate her more than she hated it. A woman bounced through the door and immediately locked eyes with her. Her stare was piercing and Zelda felt like crawling under the table.

"Zelda Harkinian, what are you still doing here?" Midna said, accusatory.

"I…" Zelda paused, her brain not giving her a snarky reply, "I needed a couple more hours before the test." The woman picked up the cup of coffee that sat under Zelda's chin. It was still half full and hours old. The scent was comforting, at least.

"Cold coffee again?" The scary woman dumped it into a trashcan without another word, drawing attention from the people around them.

Zelda wined, mourning the lost cup, "Midna! You know that coffee here is expensive!"

"Only because you're too lazy to get off campus for a fix, besides you're addicted. Look at those eye bags! You know we have a social this weekend and you still insist on torturing your skin. What have I told you about at least using eye cream?" She went on, the blonde zoning out. She wondered how she would get out of this one. Midna was obsessed with socials. Especially this year, being that their homecoming fraternity was Kappa Eta, also known as Kappa Eta Sigma. It didn't make complete sense to Zelda, she wasn't the one for Greek drama, but if it made Midna happy she would be happy for her. In all honesty, a lot about being in a sorority confused her. It took a lot of pressure from her friends to rush with them two summers ago.

It was quite possibly the worst experience she'd ever faced. Standing outside sorority houses for fifteen minutes in the hottest days of summer weren't exactly what the movies depicted. The feeling of an hour's worth of makeup melting off her face made her shiver to this day. But to her friends it was something worth doing and Zelda couldn't complain. She met amazing people in her house and having Midna joining her made it even better.

"Anyway, tomorrow before the game we're going by their tailgate."

Zelda groaned, "Are you serious? Why? I'm trying to pull a disappearing act on one of their brothers."

"Because they're our homecoming frat and Paya said everyone has to stop by at least once if we're going to the game. And free drinks and free boys," Midna pulled her phone out, typing something in it was a grin. "Is it Daren again?"

"Yes," Zelda said breathlessly, shutting her laptop closed, "He's been either texting or snapchatting me everyday since the date party." She flung her backpack on and followed her tall friend out, looking around shortly for any of Daren's frat brothers. Believe it or not, fraternities were more invested in drama than any top-tier sorority. They always played that bad boy persona, but could never dish it. Of course, in Zelda's opinion. If anything, they were middle schoolers in snapbacks… just barely old enough to drink cheap liquor.

"Hey, I told you to get that other guy on their list. The blond one with the tan."

Zelda huffed, "I didn't know I was being catfished, Mid. Not my fault."

"Just, you know, make out with some other guy in front of him. He'll get the message."

"I'd rather die."

Midna looked up from her phone with another striking stare. How does she get her winged eyeliner so perfect everyday? "Don't give me that, Zel. You try pulling that perfect scholar attitude on me all the time, but I know you can get some if you really wanted to."

Zelda rolled her eyes, "I've no clue what you're on about."

"Really? After that last boy? When we went clubbing and you wore that skimpy black dress and we lost you. I thought you were kidnapped, but you just ran off with a boy."

"Okay, okay, I get it!" Zelda felt heated, "It was one night and I regret it." And she did truthfully regret it. That night haunted her as much as it did thrill her. She couldn't remember his face or name but he sure was good at-

"OMG you're so thinking about it."

"No!" Zelda fumbled as they descended down the hill, almost tripping in front of a man on a longboard, "I'm not!"

"Oh, my Zelda. Growing up so fast! Having one-night stands with hot men! I'm so proud," Midna pretended to wipe a tear. Some random girls caught wind and looked at the duo in a strange manner.

The blonde girl fumed, crossing her arms and pulling her math notebook close. She thanked her stars for the leggings she decided to wear. The days were getting cooler, but she couldn't bear to turn to jeans just yet. The oversized shirt she wore displayed her universities name: North Hyrule University.

"When is your calc exam?"

Zelda looked at her phone, "At 2. So, I have a couple hours to kill."

Midna looked at her with that look that made Zelda worried.

"Midna what are you planning?"

Silence.

"Midna."

A smile was being wrestled with on her red lips.

"Oh, Hylia above help me."

The accused girl gasped dramatically, "My stars! Would you look at that! Kappa Eta has a tent put up just down the sidewalk. What a coincidence!" Zelda's eyes were immediately pulled towards a row of tents in the common area. Damn it, of course she would lead us here. It was still early in the semester so clubs and chapters were scouting for freshmen. There was an outlandish difference between sorority and fraternity recruiting, the latter going through recruitment events throughout the semester. Sorority rush however was a week filled with suffering. It wasn't fun for anyone involved.

"I really don't want to go," Zelda whined.

"You are," Midna looped her arm around Zelda's as a move to take her as captive. She was evil. "We should at least meet some before the social. Maybe we can get you a new formal buddy! Wouldn't that be peachy?"

"Oh, yes. I'm sure any man would want to see me in no makeup and hellish looking. Perhaps I should tell them that this horrible hair bun is Vogue," the blonde groveled, trailing behind Midna who looked positively radiant.

"That may work," Midna said absently, responding to a yell with her name. She had already put on that dazzling smile, while Zelda was trying to remember if she brushed her teeth that morning. Kappa Eta's tent was loud to sum it up. Loud and obnoxious. Several were talking to nervous freshmen and showing off their acts of good deeds. Or whatever frats boasted about. Midna was talking to Kafei, a man she loosely knew from a friend. He seemed nice enough, but Zelda ended up zoning out on the background. Why did frat boys tend to wear the same outfit 8-year-olds wear to their grandma's for Easter? The bright shorts were killing her. At least some of them took the decency of wearing long khakis and a normal tee shirt with their letters. That makes sense.

A hard nudge to the side sent Zelda into the real world again.

"-and Zelda here is our Academics Chairwoman, as you can see she's clearly been wrapped up in it. She's in Calculus 2, you know?"

"Are you finished with the dossier on me?" The accused woman glanced at who Midna was talking to. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name." The man was looking at her odd and his expectant gaze caused her to stop thinking for a moment. His hair was longer than what she usually saw with typical frat boys, shaggy and blond. His eyes contrasted greatly to his skin. He was tan and she wondered if maybe he was on the football team. He seemed like he could be built for that; a linebacker? It occurred to her that this was the same guy that Midna had recommended before for the date party. Zelda mentally kicked herself for not taking more care of her appearance today.

"Link," he finished his weird stare and smiled. Almost hesitantly. It made her wonder if she looked worse than Midna described. Had she actually spared her feelings this time?

No, probably not.

He held out his hand and she took it, shocked for a moment by his delicate grasp. She thought he'd be more firm.

"Zelda, this is Link Forester. He's the president of Kappa Eta Sigma." Now it made sense why Midna sounded so professional. She was the Social Chairwoman after all. She had to be diplomatic in some way. A hot flush crept up Zelda's neck, "Oh, I'm sorry. I probably should have known that."

He kept hold on her hand and laughed, "It's fine. I don't expect people to know me. Why should I?"

"Isn't that Zelda?" A sly voice crept in and it took a lot for the named woman to not roll her eyes. Link dropped her hand as another man approached them. He was shorter by a fraction and everything she didn't want to deal with at the moment.

"Hi Daren," she said, trying not to sound lame.

"'Hi Daren'? That's all I get?" It sounded like he was talking to a child. He glanced at Link, "Excuse me, Mr. President. This is my date to formal."

"Formal buddy, but okay," Midna interjected. To be fair, there was a stark difference. Date suggested… other things. Buddy, of course, was a more amicable form of date and Zelda hoped perhaps her own would change before formal. Daren only gave Midna's comment a side glance. "Where's my hug, Zelda?" He was going in for it and Zelda raised her eyebrow in question. Was he really trying to hug her? She had met him a total of one time.

Link pulled him back by the collar and Daren stumbled back. "Yeah, no. We're not doing that here. I told you and the rest of the guys that it's a bad look on the chapter, but I'm honestly not too surprised that you forgot so quickly." Daren mumbled something but complied.

"I apologize, ladies," Link again was looking at us, softer than he was before with Daren. "It was good to see you again Midna," he said, nodding at her and then looked to me. The same smile from before was playing on his lips. "And it was wonderful to meet you, Zelda."

He turned away, said something else to Daren and went to help his brothers with recruitment. Midna was easy to turn Zelda and herself away and begin surveying the rest of the booths as they walked. Zelda hummed, "I do believe I should have followed your advice."

Her companion scoffed, "Please. I should have followed my own advice."

[sammysreelreviews]

Here’s A List Of 6 Random Shows I’ve Been Watching Recently And 2 Shows I Love Coming Back

Hey y’all I know its been a long fucking time since I’ve posted and I was gonna post a review about Once Upon A Time in Hollywood but honestly all I was gonna say about it was that It’s overrated and I don’t get why people are obsessed with it. I was also gonna add the newest season of Sabrina on here but my god that season was such a mess this sentence is all it’s getting. Now that that’s out the way here are some shows I’ve watched recently that I’ve been loving and some shows I’ve always watched that I just never wrote about so here they are and I hope you enjoy this list! I don’t know when my next post will be up but I always post on my story on my Sammy’s Reel Reviews instagram. Thanks for still sticking with me!

1. American Housewife (2016 - )

I’m not a big sitcom person but my god Hulu just played this show randomly and I didn’t stop. The show about a middle class family living in A upper class neighborhood never fails to put a smile on my face. I’m so thankful Hulu forced me to watch this.

Where to watch: All episodes are streaming on Hulu

2. Good Girls (2018 - )

I’ve had multiple people tell me to watch Good Girls but I just never got around to it. I was in between shows so I finally watched it when my friend Sydney told me it was like an episode story. I’m actually hooked and I really need these ladies to get their finances right cause their lives stress ME out. Also Rio is so SEXY. 

Where to watch: Sundays on NBC at 10pm and streaming on Hulu the next day

3. Single Parents (2018 - )

I mean how I’ve never mentioned this show before is a crime. The kids are the best part of Single Parents and who doesn’t love Leighton Meester?! If you need a good comedy to watch this is the one. 

Where to watch: Wednesday’s on ABC at 9:30 pm and streaming on Hulu the next day

4. Legacies (2018 - )

If you know me or have followed this blog you know I’m a big old slut for The Vampire Diaries. The show started when I was in high school and ended when I was literally graduated out of college. Yes I am aware of how old that makes me. Anyways, obviously when I heard zaddy Alaric (Matthew Davis) was getting his own spinoff I had to partake! First season was all fighting monsters and building the characters but the latest episode of season two really changed the game. I mean they brought back Kai Fucking Parker (Chris Wood)!!! If you love The Vampire Diaries and The Originals you gotta watch Legacies like now. 

Where to watch: Thursday’s on The CW at 9pm

5. The Stranger (2020 - )

The Stranger is a Netflix original about a girl (Hannah John-Kamen) who tells people’s deepest darkest secrets but the question is how the fuck does she know?! This bitch literally sets an entire town on fire with her hot gossip and I love the messiness. I don’t think it was the best show but it’s so entertaining it’s worth the watch just to have something to talk about.

Where to watch: Netflix

6. Marvel’s Runaways (2017 - 2019)

If you read my blog you know I’m not a big Marvel person but I was curious about this show and Gregg Sulkin is just hot but now I’m genuinely so invested in this show idk what happened. I’m currently on season 3 and i’m sad it’s the last one. If you like teen superhero shows where there are more questions raised with every answer given this is the one for you y’all.

Where to watch: Hulu

7. On My Block (2018 - )

Ok so I’m gonna keep this short cause y’all know how I love this show! It’s back this week and I’m so excited to see what the gang get up to this time. I’m also just very excited to see Spooky (Julio Macias) in some more tight tank tops.

Where to watch: Season 3 streaming March 11th on Netflix

8. Elite

We also know I love this goddamn show coming back this week and I just have a few things to say ***SPOILERS COMING***. Ok first of all fuck Polo (Álvaro Rico)!!! I’m glad he’s dead and I really have no idea who would’ve killed him. I don’t care if they’re problematic Nadia (Mina El Hammani) and Guzmán (Miguel Bernardeau) are my endgame ok!!! Also Ander (Arón Piper) and Omar (Omar Ayuso) better be peachy fucking keen this whole god damn season or I will RAGE! I’m also gonna need Lu (Danna Paola) to stop fucking her half brother!

Where to watch: Season 3 streaming March 13th on Netflix

[write-havoc]

This Is How I Disappear Ch. 58

Summary: A girl named Chuck finds herself in the exact place she doesn't want to be, living with violent men in a desolate nursing home. After her former gym teacher finds her, will he be the savior she was looking for?

Fandom: The Walking Dead AU

Pairing: Negan/Original Female Character

Status: Ongoing

Contains: swearing, violence, sexual assault, blood, smut

Intended for readers 18+ of age only

Masterlist

——— Negan’s POV ———

Martin stares back at me with eyes that are the same exact fuckin’ color as mine. “Y-You...?”

“I’m the fuckin’ son,” I answer, recalling what Martin had just said about finding out his father killed his wife and attacked his son.

“Oh my god.” Martin looks at me for a second and then looks around like the fuckin’ answers to his questions are gonna pop up out there.

I look around, too. Arat, Dwight, and Jesus flick their eyes away when I fuckin’ look at them. And Rick, the only other person still standing close enough to hear this shit show, is staring right at me with this weird ass look on his face.

“Uh,” Martin clears his throat, “I think we should talk in private. I know a place.”

“Sir?” Dwight cuts in. “You wanted to be on the road,” he reminds me.

I think it over. I do want to get back home to Chuck, but me and this fucker gotta talk. I mean, I don’t really want to talk about this shit, but this guy is my... my father’s son, I guess.

“Dwight, follow me,” I announce. “Arat, Jesus, get shit ready to go. I’ll be back in an hour.”

Me and Dwight follow Martin into a building that was obviously dorms before all this shit. When we get to a room on the second floor, Martin pauses and looks back to us.

“I’m just gonna check on my daughter first,” he says and opens the door.

He leaves it open and I can see a blonde girl, probably fourteen, sitting cross legged on a bed writing in a notebook.

“Hey, Dad,” the girl greets then looks back to me with a confused look on her face.

“Emily, this is... um, Negan.” He gestures back to me. “He’s from a new group that we are starting to work with. I’m gonna be down the hall talking with him if you need me.”

“Okay. Where’s mom?”

“I think she’s working in the kitchen today. She should be back in a little bit.”

Martin turns and leaves his room, leading me and Dwight further down to a room with a sort of seating area.

I turn to Dwight before we walk in. “Stay out here.” He obeys and stays in the hall while me and Martin go in.

“So,” I sit down on a couch and prop Lucille up beside me. “We share some fuckin’ DNA.” I’m trying to sound fuckin’ nonchalant, but really, I’m freaking the fuck out. I hate thinking about my goddamn father, and now, I’m gonna have to talk about him with a guy probably in a similar situation to mine. I mean, my father is his, too. And he brutalized this guy’s mom the same way he did mine, mostly. He didn’t kill her like my mom, but still...

Martin sits across from me and scratches at the back of his neck. “Yeah. It seems like it.” He studies my face. “You don’t look like-“

I cut him off. “I look like my mom. Thank fuck.”

He kinda nods. “Yeah. I look like him .”

“That’s why I fuckin’ asked you. I’ve tried to forget his goddamn face, but I guess I fuckin’ didn’t because one look at you and I knew you had to be his.”

“Did you know what he did?” he asks suddenly. “To my mom?”

I shake my head. “No. The last time I heard about that motherfucker was when they sentenced him for my mom’s murder.” I look down and shake my head. “I guess I should’ve fuckin’ expected him to do shit like that to someone else.” I raise my head to look at him again. “But I didn’t know he did that to your mom.”

Martin nods. “The police found him when I was fifteen. DNA evidence and all that. It was 1997. My mom told me his name then when they told her. I saw his picture...” He shakes his head. “The detectives said that he went to prison a couple years after I was born. So you were just a kid, too, I guess.” He shrugs and takes a breath. “Do you have kids?”

His question takes me off guard. “Kids?”

“Yeah. I have two. You saw Emily. Me and my wife have a younger son, too. We, uh... We never told them about my biological father. They don’t know that grandpa adopted me.”

“And your wife is still here?” I remember him mentioning her.

“Oh yeah. It was tough, but we all made it out. We’ve been living here for about three years now.”

“That’s fuckin’ lucky for you.”

He gives me a look. “I guess. But we all have lost something in this world.”

I change the subject. I really just want to get this shit over with now. I don’t even know why I agreed to talk with this guy. “So what did you do before this shit?”

“I was an investment banker.”

“No shit? You were a rich prick?”

He lets out a huff. “I did well. I wouldn’t exactly call myself a prick , though.”

“So you did well before and you’re doing well now?” I gesture broadly with my hand. I don’t know why, but the more he talks, the angrier I get.

“Yeah,” he answers, getting pissed at me, too. “The Kingdom is a good place to live. I don’t know about your home-“

I don’t let him finish that fucking thought. “You got, what, two hundred people here. Judging by what I’ve seen and the living space I was fuckin’ told about during the goddamn tour. I have hundreds of people under me. They are all well fed, protected, living their fuckin’ lives all peachy fuckin’ keen. So don’t even fuckin’ suggest that I don’t provide for my people.”

He pauses then lets out a deep breath. “We’ve gotten off on the wrong foot, I think.” He clears his throat. “Do we have any more siblings?”

“Siblings?” I bite back. “We are not siblings . We may share a fuckin’ Y chromosome, but you are not brother. And that goes for any other poor sons-a-bitches that our biological father may have shot his DNA into.” I get up, grabbing Lucille so I can head out of the room. I can’t deal with this shit anymore.

“Is he still alive?” Martin’s voice calls out before I can open the door.

I pause and look back. “I sure as fuck hope not.”

We all get back on the road, but it’s a miserable fuckin’ ride. No one is saying shit. Dwight has his eyes firmly on the road in front of him and Arat and Jesus are just sitting silently in the fuckin’ back twiddling their damn thumbs.

“Someone fuckin’ say something,” I call out when the quiet gets to me.

Jesus clears his throat. “The Kingdom seems like it will be a good ally.”

“Yeah,” Arat chuckles a little nervously. “That King Ezekiel is kinda hot, too.”

“You think that low rent Medieval Times motherfucker is hot ?” I call back with a laugh. I guess that got my mind off of the shit show I don’t want to think about.

Arat shrugs. “I kinda dig his whole thing.”

“What about you, Jesus? You digging King Douche, too?”

“He’s not my type,” he answers with a little smirk.

“See?” I say to Arat. “He’s got good fuckin’ taste in men. Besides, you know that fucker’s got a thing for that tiger.”

Arat laughs. “He does not. You’re just jealous that you don’t have a fucking tiger,” she teases.

I chuckle. “I got Lucille and she does just fuckin’ fine, thank you very much.”

———   ———

  “You know, that guy kinda looks like Negan,” Laura comments from her seat beside Chuck on the couch.

Chuck studies the tv screen as she makes the main character of the game Last of Us sneak up to a person and kill him. “Actually, now that you mention it, he kinda does look like Negan.” She laughs. “Don’t tell Negan, but I definitely have a thing for Joel.”

Laura laughs. “You have a type, I see.”

Her radio suddenly squawks to life. “ We’re half an hour out ,” Dwight’s voice relays.

Chuck gets up as fast as she can (which isn’t that fast) from her seat and starts to get her coat on.

“What are you doing?” Laura asks, standing up from her own seat.

“I want to meet Negan out there when he comes in.” She finishes with her coat, but struggles to slip her feet in her boots. Her big belly makes bending down impossible.

“Here.” Laura crouches in front of her to help. “You know Negan wants you to stay up here, right?” She gets Chuck’s feet into her shoes and stands up. “And Dwight said a half an hour.”

“Well, it takes me a while to waddle around. I want to be there when Negan gets in.”

The pair leave and use the freight elevator to get down to the main floor. Chuck just isn’t able to get up and down all those stairs, anymore, so the elevator really is the only option. Negan has made sure to keep it operational in case Chuck needs to get down to the infirmary in an emergency. But Chuck doesn’t abuse the luxury; she rarely goes downstairs anymore since Negan had requested her to take it easy.

Despite Laura following Chuck through the halls as her official body guard, all of the other residents seem to watch over her, too. They greet her casually, but she feels their protective eyes watching her.

It’s an odd feeling. She’s happy that everyone has embraced her and cares about her and her baby’s wellbeing, but at the same time, she doesn’t really like being seen as some helpless thing that needs protecting. Though, she supposes she kind of is considering she can’t even get her shoes on by herself right now.

Even with Chuck’s waddling, she and Laura get outside pretty quickly. So they wait by the gate for Negan to arrive. It’s slightly snowing, but it’s wet. The temperature isn’t low enough for it to stick to the ground.

About ten minutes after they start waiting, Laura lets out a huff. “Negan’s gonna kill me knowing you were out here this long,” she mutters, though she’s not seriously mad.

“I’m fine,” Chuck responds. “It’s not that cold.”

“It’s like forty degrees.” Laura rubs at her hands to warm them.

Chuck laughs. “I got a coat on. And I’m not cold. Besides, I’m sure women more pregnant than me have done far more strenuous things in worse weather than this, anyway.”

“But those pregnant women weren’t carrying Negan’s baby.”

Chuck laughs. “That doesn’t make me more fragile than every other pregnant woman.”

“No. But Negan is more protective than your average husband. In case you haven’t noticed.”

Chuck giggles as she nods. “That’s true.”

When Negan’s car pulls in and parks, Chuck can’t help but rush over to his door before he even gets out. She doesn’t even wait for him to open it, either, pulling on the handle herself to open it for him.

Negan starts to climb out of the car, Lucille in hand. “What are you doing out here, baby girl?” He wraps her in a hug and gives her a quick kiss.

“Waiting for you,” she answers.

“Shit, sweetheart,” he cradles her face with his ungloved hand and swipes his thumb over her skin, “your cheeks are fuckin’ red. You shouldn’t be out here.” He gives a quick look to Laura, who is standing behind Chuck.

Chuck giggles. “She said you’d be mad. But I wanted to meet you down here.”

Negan lets out a sigh. “Let’s get the fuck upstairs.”

They walk together, hand in hand, through The Sanctuary, but Chuck knows something isn’t right. Despite Negan’s friendly attitude and assertions that the meeting with The Kingdom went well, she can see a darkness in his eyes. When they get back into the privacy of their bedroom, Chuck asks about the meeting.

Negan sets Lucille on the coffee table. “It was fuckin’ insane, honestly.” He takes his gloves and jacket off then sits on the couch to slip off his boots. “I don’t think they’re a threat, but the king talks like a fuckin’ community theater Shakespeare production.”

Chuck sits down next to Negan. “King?”

“Yeah. Their leader calls himself King Ezekiel. And, oh yeah, he has an actual fuckin’ tiger named Shiva.”

Chuck lets out a gasp. “Shiva? Like from the zoo?!” she asks excitedly. Chuck and her mom had made regular trips to the zoo in the time before and there was, indeed, a tiger named Shiva there for a number of years. She was always one of her mother’s favorite animals and they spent a lot of time watching her in her paddock.

“Uh... I guess,” Negan responds.

“Well, there was a tiger named Shiva at the zoo in DC. Hard to imagine there’d be a different one in the area, too.”

Negan wraps his arm around Chuck and pulls her into his side. “So that fucker stole the tiger from the zoo, then.” He chuckles. “Makes sense, I guess.”

“So... Anything else happen?” Chuck asks a little hesitantly, knowing something must have.

Negan lets out a heavy breath. “I met- There was a guy there. Turns out he’s my half brother.”

Chuck sits up to look at Negan. “What?!” Out of everything Chuck thought could have possibly happened, Negan meeting his half brother was not even on the list.

“Yeah.” He rubs his hand down his face. “His name is Martin. Apparently, my piece of shit father raped that poor fuck’s mother and got her pregnant. Gave him his ugly ass face, too.”

“Oh my god, Negan. That’s... That’s crazy.”

Negan shrugs it off, but Chuck knows that it’s affecting him.

She runs her hand over his cheek. “Are you okay?”

He looks at her like he’s wrestling with what to say. “I’m okay.”

Chuck doesn’t exactly believe him. “Talk to me, Negan.”

He holds her gaze for a moment, then casts his head down. “It’s just...” He scratches at his face. “The same man raped two different women. Had two different fuckin’ sons. One got to live with two fuckin’ parents that loved him. Had a fancy ass fuckin’ job and rode out the goddamn apocalypse with his wife and two kids fully intact.” As he speaks, he starts to sound more and more bitter. “One got to move ten times before he turned eighteen and lost every- fuckin’ -thing he ever loved.”

Chuck knows what he means, but she can’t help but feel a sting at his words. “Not everything,” she responds meekly.

Negan turns to her and sets his hand on her stomach. “I didn’t fuckin’ mean...”

“I know.” Chuck leans forward to kiss him on the cheek. “I just want you to know that you can talk to me. That I’m here for you. I want to make you happy.”

“You do make me happy, sweetheart. You don’t have to fuckin’ worry.”

Chuck hates that Negan’s past still haunts him. Even though he’s made some headway with moving past his guilt for what happened with Lucille, he still has more painful chapters from his life that he really hasn’t dealt with.

  With the temperatures continuing to drop, all of the settlements, including The Kingdom, start to clear out the dead zones. It takes about a week to systematically kill all the dead ones and burn the bodies, but it all goes off without a hitch.

Because this operation is so heavily planned, Negan has to spend a lot of time in the radio room coordinating with all the teams. That means that Chuck doesn’t get to see him much during the day. And when he comes home, he doesn’t even mention his half brother that lives at The Kingdom, like that bombshell was never even dropped.

Chuck doesn’t want to push him into having to deal with it, but she thinks it might be unhealthy to completely push it all away. Despite how good Negan is at hiding his feelings, Chuck can tell that he’s being affected by the knowledge that his father has another son out there. Unsure of what to do about all of it, Chuck decides to just be supportive and to keep Negan happy.

While Negan is busy downstairs one day, Chuck enlists Sherry to help her with a special dinner. Since Negan is still the one that always makes dinner for the pair, Chuck doesn’t have too much experience in the kitchen, especially with anything fancy. But Sherry provides the recipe, ingredients, and detailed instructions for Chuck to follow.

Chuck knows about when Negan will come home, so she times out the meal to be ready for then. She gets the steaks seasoned and on the electric grill, baked potatoes in the oven, and mixed vegetables on the stove. She even found a nice bottle of wine for Negan. None for her, of course.

When Negan comes home right on time, Chuck turns back to look at him entering the kitchen.

“Something smells fuckin’ awesome.” Negan wraps his arms around Chuck from behind and kisses her cheek. “Whatcha doing in here?” He takes the spatula out of Chuck’s hand and checks the steaks himself. “The bigger one mine?”

“Yeah. I think it should be about done.”

“Looks fuckin’ perfect, sweetheart. I’ll do the plates up.”

“No.” She turns around and pushes him slightly back. “Let me. Just go sit down.”

As she starts to put all the food on the plates in the fanciest way she possibly can, she hears Negan uncork the bottle of wine. She carries the food to the table just as Negan pours himself a glass.

“I was gonna do that for you,” Chuck says as she sets Negan’s plate in front of him.

“It’s okay.” He looks up at her with a smirk. “I got it.”

Chuck sits down with her plate, but she doesn’t start eating. She waits for Negan to take his first bite, eager to see if she did a good job with Sherry’s recipe.

Negan cuts into the steak and takes a big bite, groaning around the food in his mouth. “Fuck me, that’s good.”

Chuck smiles. “Really?”

He swallows the bite. “Yeah, baby. This is fuckin’ awesome.”

Chuck beams at his praise. “Good. I’m glad.” Chuck starts in on her own food.

He takes bites of the other dishes and approves of them as well. “So what did I do to deserve all this?”

Chuck clears her throat. “You take such good care of me that I thought I should take care of you for once.”

Negan chuckles. “You take real good fuckin’ care of me, sweetheart.” He wiggles his eyebrows at her.

“I don’t mean that .” She giggles. “I mean... everything else.”

“I like taking care of you,” he replies more seriously.

“I know. But I’m your wife, so I should help out, too.”

“Baby girl, you’re eight months pregnant. All you gotta do is fuckin’ finish cooking that bun in your oven.”

After they finish eating, Negan clears the plates before Chuck gets the chance to.

“I can get the dishes,” she tries.

“No fuckin’ way, baby girl. After you slaved away at that awesome fuckin’ dinner for me, the least I can do is the goddamn dishes. Besides, you need to keep off your feet.”

Chuck knows that it’s useless to fight him, so she goes back into the bedroom and changes into her oversized nightshirt to get more comfortable. But her special night isn’t done yet. She roots around in the closet and finds that old familiar chess set and brings it back out to the kitchen.

When Chuck starts to set the board up on the kitchen table, Negan looks back at her from where he’s finishing up the dishes.

“You want to play chess?” he asks with raised eyebrows.

“Yeah. We haven’t played in a while. I thought you might want to.”

Negan lets the water out of the sink and walks to the table. “Okay...”

She looks up at him as he looks down at her. “What?” she asks, not really understanding why he’s acting suspicious of her.

“Nothing.” He sits down and they start to play.

Chuck isn’t exactly playing her best, having pregnancy brain still affect her, so she loses pretty quickly. “Shoot. That wasn’t a very good game. You wanna play again? I’ll try to do better.”

“What’s going on, Chuck?” Negan suddenly asks.

“What do you mean?”

“Come on. I’m not an idiot.”

“I just... wanted to do something nice,” she responds with a shrug. “I can’t just be nice?”

“Sure, you’re fuckin’ nice, but not ‘planned out dinner and entertainment’ kinda nice.”

“Maybe I am now.”

“Chuck,” he chides, easily looking through Chuck’s words.

“I wanted to make you happy. You know, after what you learned about your father. You haven’t talked about it all week, so I wasn’t sure if it bothered you. I just...” she shrugs, “I want you happy.”

He lets out a sigh. “I’m fuckin’ happy, okay? But, you know... You’re one to talk about dealing with past shit,” he says almost teasingly.

“What?”

“You’re just as bad as me about it. You tell me the bare fuckin’ minimum about what’s bothering you, then say ‘I’m okay’ and that’s the end of it. Shit, baby girl, all the shit you’ve been through and you barely talk about it.”

Chuck nods slowly. “I guess we have that in common. But... we should talk to each other, right?”

Negan nods, but keeps his head down. “Yeah. That shit’s been bothering me. I hate that my father hurt another woman. Honestly, he probably hurt even more than that. But the thing I hate most about all this shit is that Martin had a good fuckin’ life.” He looks over to Chuck. “How fuckin’ selfish is that? What kinda piece of shit thinks that way? But that’s all I’ve thought about. How I got beaten regularly and he had Sunday fuckin’ dinners. How I turned out to be a fuckin’ adulterer and he’s a family man. We were born the same fuckin’ way by the same goddamn man, but I got shit and he got everything.”

Chuck reaches over and lays her hand on top of his. “Your childhood was horrible, but you turned out good despite it. You’re a good man. You’ve saved countless lives. You keep us all safe. You lead . Martin can’t say that.”

Negan nods, but it’s not very convincing.

“I know a little bit about what you’re feeling. When my dad died, I thought, ‘Why couldn’t it have been someone else? Why couldn’t that drunk driver have hit another car?’ And that’s kinda horrible to think, to wish a death on another family. But I loved my dad so much and I just wanted him back.” A tear slips down Chuck’s cheek, but Negan is quick to wipe it away. “But it’s human nature to think like that. Because we didn’t deserve what happened to us. You didn’t deserve to have a horrible childhood and I didn’t deserve to lose my dad.”

“It’s still shitty.”

“Yeah. But no matter what, you didn’t deserve to be abused by your father. Or to lose your mother. Or Lucille. And I know you feel like you did. I can relate, I guess. I know I didn’t deserve to be hurt by the guys at Rolling Acres or Brendon or Eldritch, but part of me thinks I’m to blame.”

“No,” Negan is quick to say. “That’s not true. You did absolutely nothing that would warrant what those fuckers did to you.”

“I know.” She shrugs a shoulder. “But it’s easy to think about what more I could’ve done to stop it all from happening. And that’s why I don’t like talking about it. I’m afraid you’ll realize that I could’ve done more.”

Negan stands from his seat and moves to crouch beside Chuck. He takes her hands in his and kisses both of them. “I would never ever blame you for all that shit. I blame myself before I blame you.”

“I don’t want you to blame yourself, Negan. I just...” she lets out a heavy breath. “I guess both of us need to work on getting over our pasts before Maddie comes. I want her to be able to talk to us about anything, so we need to be good examples. We need to be open for her.”

Negan stands and helps Chuck to stand, too. “Alright, baby girl. Let’s get it all out.”

They go back into their bedroom and settle down on the couch for an emotional discussion.

“You sure you want to hear all my shit?” Negan asks.

Chuck nods. “If you want to hear mine.”

Negan sighs heavily. “Where should I fuckin’ start?” He runs his hand down his face. “I mean, I’ve talked about my childhood with you before. I’ve told you more things than I’ve told anybody. Even Lucille, I think. She could never wrap her head around it. Her family was fuckin’ perfect. She never dealt with any fuckin’ darkness in her whole life. Except me, I guess.” He chuckles, but not in humor. “I never wanted to upset her with tales of my shitty life. Like how my father broke my arm when I was five because I got goddamn marker on the carpet. Or how I had to help my mom get her shoulder back in fuckin’ place after my father threw her against the wall. I think I was eleven.”

“I don’t know how anyone could do that to their wife and son.”

“My father was a monster. The worst person I’ve ever fuckin’ met. Worse than the dead fucks that walk this earth.” Negan’s eyes start to well up. “When Lucille couldn’t get pregnant, part of me thought it was for the fuckin’ best. Because I thought maybe I would turn into a fuckin’ monster like him.”

“Oh Negan.” Chuck cradles his face in her hands. “You’re nothing like him. You’ll never be anything like him.”

“I’m so fuckin’ afraid I have the same genes in me that made my father a piece of shit. But I always convinced myself that I’m more like my mom because I look like her. But fuckin’ Martin looks like a goddamn clone of my father and he’s fuckin’ perfect . So maybe I do-“

“You don’t, Negan,” Chuck interrupts. “You don’t . The fact that you’re afraid that you do proves you don’t.”

“I had a fuckin’ panic attack when I told the wives you were pregnant,” he blurts out. “Right in front of them.”

“You did?” Chuck didn’t know that Negan ever had a panic attack before. He’s never mentioned it.

“They thought I got you pregnant on fuckin’ purpose to force you to become my wife. And it made me think that... maybe I fuckin’ did and I didn’t realize it. Maybe that part of me that I got from my father woke up and made me do it.” Negan’s tears start to roll down his cheeks to pool in his beard. “Because it was just a split fuckin’ second. That’s all it took. A split second of me not fuckin’ thinking of you and what you wanted. Only what I wanted. And it was enough to make me lose control.” He lets out a sob and looks away.

“Negan, it’s okay.” Chuck starts to cry, too. She’s only seen Negan this emotional once before and it has her own emotions building, as well.

He brings his hands up to cover his face. “I did exactly what my fuckin’ father did. I trapped you into being with me. How the fuck can you love me?”

Chuck pulls his hands away and forces him to look at her. “You didn’t. You didn’t force me. I wanted to have sex with you that night. I didn’t talk about using protection. The responsible adult thing to do would have been to discuss everything beforehand, but neither of us did that. I know I was freaked out at first when we found out about the baby, but I know in my heart you would never do anything like what your father did.” She wipes away Negan’s tears and kisses his cheek. “I love you, Negan. And I love our baby. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

Negan leans forward and puts his forehead to hers. “I never want to be one of the men that has hurt you,” he whispers. “You’ve gone through so fuckin’ much.” He kisses her then pulls back to look at her. “I never want anything fuckin’ bad to happen to you ever again.”

“I know I’ve had bad stuff happen to me. And it still hurts sometimes, but knowing that you’ll be there for me really helps. After you brought me here... I didn’t tell you the details of everything that happened at Rolling Acres...”

“You don’t have to tell me, sweetheart. I know what those fucks did to you.”

Chuck nods. “After that, I just felt like I was nothing. Then, with Brendon, he made me feel like nothing, too. Like I was just some pawn in a game that I was too weak to play.“ Chuck takes in a deep breath then exhales. “Eldritch scared me more than anything because he wasn’t just threatening me, he was threatening her, too.” Chuck places her hands on her round belly. “And I don’t know what I would’ve done if my actions got her hurt. If I lost her because I couldn’t get myself out. If I made you lose her...” Chuck can’t finish her thought and holds her hand up to her mouth to stifle a sob.

“Hey, hey.” Negan wipes Chuck’s cheeks and puts his arm around her in a hug. “It’s okay, baby girl. Don’t get worked up, okay? I think we’ve both opened the fuck up enough for one night.” He gives her a little kiss. “Okay?”

Chuck nods.

Negan helps her get into bed and situates all the pillows the way Chuck likes before sliding in behind her. Right before Chuck drifts off to sleep, Negan’s voice rouses her.

“Chuck?” he whispers.

“Yeah?”

“I think you’re making me a better man.”

Chuck can’t help but smile wide as Negan wraps his arm around her belly. And right at the same time, Maddie starts to kick.

[darknpretty-blog]

So someone's reached the main 5 oh oh! Their 50th birthday celebration! Not any major deal. fifty will be the healthy forty. And denial is the brand new mathematics! Anyway, it is one of the milestone birthdays, that somehow always seem to be much more funwe hostile, when was the final time you went to a surprise 48th Birthday Party?

Needless to say, you want to be right there with an unusual methods to help your birthday celebration star glow in the spotlight! So listed here are 50 amazing ideas for a 50th birthdaysome that will cost as little as 50 centssome which are a little more extravagantsome designed to just need your thoughtfulness and time. And that's a thing they'll like as much if not more!

Tell it such as it's. Write a listing of 50 reasons why they are the very best, then get it framed! Or even also include 50 photos as well as convert everything into a photo guide.

Stress-free birthday. Gift a 50 minute knead, manicure or facial foundation. Join them if you are able to pay for it!

Living is a roller coaster. Top for the amusement park with the birthday star, you, as well as three more friends as well as ride 10 different rides. Sure, the carousel is important.

Being lucky? one by one wrap fifty one dolars lottery tickets.

Have a sweet teeth? Buy fifty portions of special chocolates or candies from yesteryearor gift label fifty donut holes or even 50 of their favorite cookies! (Wrap in batches of five or 10 so they are able to freeze some for later!)

Let's assume cheesy. Make a fun 50-minute video clip of family and friends wishing them a happy day.

Couch-potato free. Get in concert once a week to walk one mile 1 day. It's a present which usually keeps on giving. (Take two weeks from out of 52 for vacations, etc!)

Talk about some teeth. Get together with family and friends and overflow the mailbox of theirs with 50 birthday cards!

Talk about a few laughs. Fill up their inbox with 50 distinct digital songs, video games and birthday wishes!

Try painting the city. Give them a $50 gift card to the fave restaurant of theirs, theater, club, etc. Not terribly original, we know, but generally appreciated! A word: Limo

Bingo! Imagine every one of the video games you can play using fifty penniestiddly winks, bingo, penny pitch, etcthen enjoy yourself enjoying them!

Might I help? Deliver 50 minutes of tutoring in a number of apps they do not know how to work with.

Tis safer to giveMake a summary of fifty simple ways you could potentially volunteer the time of yours, then go and help out together. Or donate $50 to the preferred charitable organization of theirs.

Kill the dollar. If saving $$isn't the thing of theirs, get them an investing for dummies book as well as give them $50 to get their first share of stock.

Cheers! Gift wrap a $50 can of wine with a note that it is an unique bottle to be provided with their another person special.

One reservoir excursion. Treat them to a whole day of situations which are inside a 50-mile radius of where they live. (A rise in the woods, a round of mini golf, lunch in the park, etc.)

Just what the heck does that suggest? Opt to discover fifty new words if you gather (over time, of course!) For fun, keep paperwork and find out who remembers probably the most fresh phrases!

Sorry, I am not really a mind reader. Gift a 50 minute psychic readingmake the own predictions of yours ahead of time and then check notes in the future!

I am here for you. Promise one another a number of 50-minute soulful conversations sans texting, email-checking, phone answering, twittering, etc.

I will never forget Paris. Share with each other a list of 50 men and women, places, things that made you who you are today.

2 left legs. Gift item a 50-minute swing dance lesson. Gift item 1 for you as wellyou deserve a little fun, too!

LOL! Spend 50 minutes with each other doing a thing you both dislike (laundry, grocery shopping, etc.), but do it in a different manner (blindfolded, in heels) for making it funny and ridiculous.

The Big 5 0. Invest the day together going around city taking photographs of clues, billboards, etc. with the number 50 within them. If you cannot find lots of, perform the 5 as well as the 0 separately and develop a collage!

Flashback! Throw a retro gathering commemorating the 50-year-old's birth year-complete with music, hair styles and clothing from that particular era.

Attack which! Get a group in concert, go bowling and find out who can mark under 50 while not spreading gutter balls.

That is a lot of hot air! Get a 50-balloon bouquet and tie it to their wrist.

Yeah, that as well. Make a 50 is nothing to Snicker at indication and put it in a bowl of bite sized Snickers bars!

For Her: Add a cannot trust you're flippin' 50! label to a pair of interesting flip-flop sandals.

For Him: Create an It is (Name's) 50th Birthday! Tie one on! Have a bunch of older connections in a bowl and in addition have everybody who use 1 for a team picture!

Money Does not Grow on Trees. Effectively, perhaps it doesA money tree is a fun strategy to present fifty dolars money!

Still Hot at fifty. Gift basket filled with hot sauces and spices perfect for a great cook or grill-master.

A Box-o-Balloons. Put notes or maybe cash inside fifty inflated balloons then seal them in a label. A lightweight present to provide and / or drive (ground delivery).

Really? Gift item a 1-year membership to AARP!

A Farewell to Youth. Throw a party by having an RIP tombstone cake, fifty black balloons, etc., as well as advise navy outfit.

Just how many techniques are you able to say fifty? Finish off the sentence Turning 50ġ with items in a gift basket. Example: ȡis nuts! (peanuts); ȡstinks. (air freshener); ȡis merely peachy! (schnapps).

Might the force be with you. Have the team think of fifty lines from favorite movies and also see how many they are able to drop into the chat at the birthday party of theirs.

Hmmmthat's puzzling. Get a jigsaw puzzle with 50 parts. Or create one by lowering a big greeting card into puzzle shapes, placing in an envelope and mailing with your best wishes! You can also order a personalized New York Times puzzle with the real front page of their birthdate!

Call me moneybags. Offer the birthday star $20.50in fifty quarters, 50 nickels, 50 dimes as well as fifty pennies. Naturally you are able to make that $70.50 by bring 50 singles, also!

Red-colored alert! Reddish alert! Create a 50th Birthday Emergency Kit and also include whatever you think is suited for any birthday celebration owner (aspirin, noisemakers, adult diapers, etc.)

Something Old. Something Gold. It is their personal 50th anniversarygive them something in vintage gold or something wrapped in gold.

M-m-m-m beneficial. Purchase 50 MY M&M'S Party Packs of personalized candies complete with pics and words and phrases!

An evening meal is Served. Arrange a progressive 50th birthday dinner party, with each host/hostess serving a thing that was to the entire year the birthday celebration star was born. Dress correctly!

Who stated that? Make a book of fifty quotations on birthdays and also ageing, ranging from enjoyable to inspirational.

Suits me to a T. Purchase a custom T-shirt with some enjoyable copy on it. Example: Looks twenty two, Feels eighteen, Acts 10that can make me fifty! Or Does the shirt make me appear fifty? Check out online for some other creative ideas!

Better YetOrder customized t-shirts for the whole gang that feature a picture of the birthday celebration star and also a personalized email about converting fifty! Wear them at a party, out to a birthday dinner or even to a favorite watering hole.

Lots of memories. Take fifty downloadable pictures & fill them into an electronic photo frame.

Checking between the collections. Present them along with the publication, fifty Things to do When you Turn fifty: fifty Experts about the subject of Turning 50. It's a wonderful assortment of thoughts from people as Garrison Keillor, Suze Orman, Erica Jong, along with a lot more. Well, 47 additional, to be exact!

Did another person say party? Throw a themed gathering such as a South of the Border fling with invitations for any Nacho Average 50-year older. Fulfill Mexican food, hang a few piatas, etc. Some other themes could possibly consist of tropical-Life's a beach and afterward you switch 50! etc.

A treasury of your time. A number of days before the big working day, have friends and also family members every produce a scrapbook page which has favorite accounts, cards, mementos, photos, and more. Take all of the pages in unison and make a really special recollection album.

It all offers up. Do most of the things on this list. We're sure it will guarantee a lifetime of enjoyable as well as relationship!

[preciousmetals0]

The 7 Secret Warning Signs Of A Recession

The 7 Secret Warning Signs Of A Recession:

These Key Indicators Will Help You Stay Ahead Of The Game

Stocks have been riding high and the Federal Reserve has hit the pause button on rate cuts.  Even after some big recession scares in 2019, everything seems peachy again now, right? Not so fast.

There are the obvious signs of a recession that everyone knows about.  Falling GDP, high unemployment, a plummeting stock market. Those metrics seem fine, so what’s to worry about?

The savvy investor looks deeper though, and consequently, they’re ready and prepared for trouble before the average person.

Those indicators we just mentioned?  Usually, by the time they appear, the damage has already been done to your portfolio.  Not much use moving your retirement assets out of the stock market AFTER it tanks, is there?

At Regal Assets, we’ve been helping our clients successfully manage their wealth for over a decade now, through both the good and the bad.  With our guidance, you can prepare yourself and protect your assets, before it’s too late. By digging deeper and familiarizing yourself with some of the lesser-known signs of a recession, you’ll be able to stay out in front of the trouble.

Chinese Debt

China’s economy, even more than our own, has been in full gear since the 2008 financial crisis.  Most casual investors aren’t aware of the debt crisis that is taking place within, however.

Both consumers and state industries have borrowed heavily in recent times, and Chinese banks are feeling the pain of a huge number of outstanding loans that now have little chance of being repaid.  They are in a vicious circle. The government has repeatedly attempted to get a grip on out of control lending, but each time the global economy has stuttered, thus forcing Beijing to loosen credit yet again.

To add the mounting list of worries, the growth of industrial production is at a 30-year low.  China ultimately wants its economy to move away from manufacturing to become more service-focused, but that is a long road that will have some painful bumps in it sooner than later.  It’s going to get worse before it gets better, and the global reach of the issue means that it will no doubt impact America’s next recession.

The Yield Curve

One of the most closely watched recession indicators that insiders keep an eye on is the yield curve.  “Yield” is merely the interest rate on a bond. They have different durations as well (more commonly known as “maturity”), ranging from a month to 30 years.  The yield curve basically compares how the rates on these different bond lengths change over time.

Usually, the interest rate on bonds with longer maturity is higher than those with shorter maturity.  This makes sense, as you’re being rewarded to holding onto it longer. “If you’re an investor, and you’re given the choice for investing for a month or investing for 10 years, you would say, ‘Listen, a lot more can go wrong in 10 years than it can in a month. I’m going to demand a higher interest rate, a higher yield,’” says Dan North, lead economist at Euler Hermes. “The yield curve is positive sloping – most of the time.”

In contrast, an inverted (downward sloping) yield curve is a big red flag to analysts.  It essentially means that investors think it’s riskier to hold their bond over the short term.  What would cause that sort of behavior? Simply put, factors that would ultimately contribute to a recession.

We’ve already seen the yield curve invert multiple times in 2019, with the Federal Reserve lowering interest rates in an effort to combat it.  It is only a matter of time until they can’t control it anymore, though.

Consumer Confidence Indexes

It’s smart to pay attention to the general population’s frame of mind when it comes to the economy.  Peter Donisanu, an investment analyst at Wells Fargo, says how “sometimes a recession could be self-fulfilling. You build up so much pessimism about the economy that activity stops.”

Consumers are what really drive the economy in the end.  In fact, consumer spending as a percentage of GDP has been gradually increasing.  It was 61% in 1980 and has risen to 68% today. That’s a huge amount.

Consumer confidence is also currently historically elevated.  It dropped in early 2019 as a result of the government shutdown but has since recovered.  Regardless, short-term fluctuations like that aren’t something to worry about. Long term downtrends though are a surefire sign of impending recession.

Brand McMillan, chief investment officer at Commonwealth Financial Network, says how actually “confidence can be quite high and we can still have a recession.  What’s a much better indicator is year-on-year change. When it drops 20 points year on year, that’s trouble. Two months ago, the year-on-year change was 7.9. [Now] it’s -10.2. It’s dropped 18 points in two months.”

Basically, if the current pace continues, then be ready for a recession.

Employment Data

Now there’s the blatantly obvious sign of a recession, high unemployment numbers.  Usually by that point, however, the economy is already knee-deep in recession, with mass job loss the result and not the indicator.

Savvy investors will look to other employment data.  Instead of looking for an increased number of jobless, you want to keep an eye out for when unemployment actually bottoms out.  In 2018, U.S. unemployment reached 3.7%. That’s the lowest rate since 1969. It’s been great news for workers but is bad news for the future of investors.

Traditionally, the U.S economy has gone into recession roughly nine months after the bottoming of the unemployment rate.  The catch though is that it’s hard to actually recognize the bottom when you’re in it. Hindsight is 20/20 and it’s easy to look back on a chart and pinpoint it.  Still, it’s good to regularly monitor weekly and monthly job data to see if any trends stand out. Analysts love to obsess over the numbers, so you’ll have no shortage of opinions to consider.

Inflation & Wage Growth

Both of these things are good in moderation.  Their presence generally indicates unemployment is low, workers are being paid fairly, and consumers feel free to spend their money.  Demand for consumer goods increases, retail prices rise accordingly, and inflation increases.

When inflation climbs too rapidly, however, the Federal Reserve raises interest rates, which makes borrowing more expensive.  If businesses are already concerned about a recession, then they’ll be even less likely to borrow for capital expenditures if interest rates are high.

Inflation isn’t currently a problem, in fact, it’s the opposite at the moment.  Instead of raising rates, the Fed has been cutting them to try and stimulate inflation, with 2 percent being the target.

U.S. Manufacturing Growth (Or Lack Thereof)

It’s no secret that U.S. manufacturing output has massively dropped off in the past few decades, but the state of the country’s manufacturers remains a solid indicator of overall economic health.

One key metric is released by the Institute for Supply Management every month, and surveys manufacturers to determine their output.  Basically, how busy are they? The bad news is that this signal is flashing red.

When the index is above 50, manufacturing is growing.  When it’s below 50, factory output is shrinking. It fell below 50 this past fall, hitting 47, the worst level in 10 years.  Anything below 45 means recession, and we are slowly inching towards that point.

Freight

We live in an increasingly digital world.  You can be in the middle of nowhere and still be able to order something online.  You can even have it show up at your door the very next day, clear across the country.

Think of how much really goes into it all.  That one package from your favorite online merchant will travel on several different vehicles, be processed at various locations, and involve multiple workers over the course of several days.

But how is all of that actually achieved?  The answer is freight. Commerce still requires the movement of goods from one location to the other.  Trains and trucks still move massive amounts of goods. Dejan Ilijevski, president at Sabela Capital Markets, notes that “Changes in rail [and truck] traffic data can be a leading indicator for changes in economic activity.”

2019 lagged in overall freight loads compared to the previous three years.  Not a good sign.

We’ve been in a state of economic uncertainty for a while now, however, and witnessed several of these predictors manifest themselves in 2019.  While the instability isn’t likely to go away any time soon, it’s also important to remember not to panic. The main thing is to not be a passive investor in times like these.

None of these single indicators by themselves are a sign of impending doom.  If several of them begin to flash red, however, then it could indeed be a bad sign of things to come.  By being smart, keeping an eye out, and knowing the recipe for a recession, you’ll be better prepared than most and ready to take action when necessary.

At Regal Assets, we believe in providing you with trusted and proven investment options.  We take pride in the way we do business and have enjoyed helping our clients make the most of their money for over a decade.  Our expert team members will work side-by-side with you every step of the way, so you can be sure that your assets are both protected and in a position to grow.

See for yourself what we can offer with our FREE Investor’s Kit. It explains Regal’s IRS-approved investment options and how they work. We’ll help you choose a strategy that’s right for you, so you can achieve your goals.

[goldira01]

These Key Indicators Will Help You Stay Ahead Of The Game

Stocks have been riding high and the Federal Reserve has hit the pause button on rate cuts.  Even after some big recession scares in 2019, everything seems peachy again now, right? Not so fast.

There are the obvious signs of a recession that everyone knows about.  Falling GDP, high unemployment, a plummeting stock market. Those metrics seem fine, so what’s to worry about?

The savvy investor looks deeper though, and consequently, they’re ready and prepared for trouble before the average person.

Those indicators we just mentioned?  Usually, by the time they appear, the damage has already been done to your portfolio.  Not much use moving your retirement assets out of the stock market AFTER it tanks, is there?

At Regal Assets, we’ve been helping our clients successfully manage their wealth for over a decade now, through both the good and the bad.  With our guidance, you can prepare yourself and protect your assets, before it’s too late. By digging deeper and familiarizing yourself with some of the lesser-known signs of a recession, you’ll be able to stay out in front of the trouble.

Chinese Debt

China’s economy, even more than our own, has been in full gear since the 2008 financial crisis.  Most casual investors aren’t aware of the debt crisis that is taking place within, however.

Both consumers and state industries have borrowed heavily in recent times, and Chinese banks are feeling the pain of a huge number of outstanding loans that now have little chance of being repaid.  They are in a vicious circle. The government has repeatedly attempted to get a grip on out of control lending, but each time the global economy has stuttered, thus forcing Beijing to loosen credit yet again.

To add the mounting list of worries, the growth of industrial production is at a 30-year low.  China ultimately wants its economy to move away from manufacturing to become more service-focused, but that is a long road that will have some painful bumps in it sooner than later.  It’s going to get worse before it gets better, and the global reach of the issue means that it will no doubt impact America’s next recession.

The Yield Curve

One of the most closely watched recession indicators that insiders keep an eye on is the yield curve.  “Yield” is merely the interest rate on a bond. They have different durations as well (more commonly known as “maturity”), ranging from a month to 30 years.  The yield curve basically compares how the rates on these different bond lengths change over time.

Usually, the interest rate on bonds with longer maturity is higher than those with shorter maturity.  This makes sense, as you’re being rewarded to holding onto it longer. “If you’re an investor, and you’re given the choice for investing for a month or investing for 10 years, you would say, ‘Listen, a lot more can go wrong in 10 years than it can in a month. I’m going to demand a higher interest rate, a higher yield,’” says Dan North, lead economist at Euler Hermes. “The yield curve is positive sloping – most of the time.”

In contrast, an inverted (downward sloping) yield curve is a big red flag to analysts.  It essentially means that investors think it’s riskier to hold their bond over the short term.  What would cause that sort of behavior? Simply put, factors that would ultimately contribute to a recession.

We’ve already seen the yield curve invert multiple times in 2019, with the Federal Reserve lowering interest rates in an effort to combat it.  It is only a matter of time until they can’t control it anymore, though.

Consumer Confidence Indexes

It’s smart to pay attention to the general population’s frame of mind when it comes to the economy.  Peter Donisanu, an investment analyst at Wells Fargo, says how “sometimes a recession could be self-fulfilling. You build up so much pessimism about the economy that activity stops.”

Consumers are what really drive the economy in the end.  In fact, consumer spending as a percentage of GDP has been gradually increasing.  It was 61% in 1980 and has risen to 68% today. That’s a huge amount.

Consumer confidence is also currently historically elevated.  It dropped in early 2019 as a result of the government shutdown but has since recovered.  Regardless, short-term fluctuations like that aren’t something to worry about. Long term downtrends though are a surefire sign of impending recession.

Brand McMillan, chief investment officer at Commonwealth Financial Network, says how actually “confidence can be quite high and we can still have a recession.  What’s a much better indicator is year-on-year change. When it drops 20 points year on year, that’s trouble. Two months ago, the year-on-year change was 7.9. [Now] it’s -10.2. It’s dropped 18 points in two months.”

Basically, if the current pace continues, then be ready for a recession.

Employment Data

Now there’s the blatantly obvious sign of a recession, high unemployment numbers.  Usually by that point, however, the economy is already knee-deep in recession, with mass job loss the result and not the indicator.

Savvy investors will look to other employment data.  Instead of looking for an increased number of jobless, you want to keep an eye out for when unemployment actually bottoms out.  In 2018, U.S. unemployment reached 3.7%. That’s the lowest rate since 1969. It’s been great news for workers but is bad news for the future of investors.

Traditionally, the U.S economy has gone into recession roughly nine months after the bottoming of the unemployment rate.  The catch though is that it’s hard to actually recognize the bottom when you’re in it. Hindsight is 20/20 and it’s easy to look back on a chart and pinpoint it.  Still, it’s good to regularly monitor weekly and monthly job data to see if any trends stand out. Analysts love to obsess over the numbers, so you’ll have no shortage of opinions to consider.

Inflation & Wage Growth

Both of these things are good in moderation.  Their presence generally indicates unemployment is low, workers are being paid fairly, and consumers feel free to spend their money.  Demand for consumer goods increases, retail prices rise accordingly, and inflation increases.

When inflation climbs too rapidly, however, the Federal Reserve raises interest rates, which makes borrowing more expensive.  If businesses are already concerned about a recession, then they’ll be even less likely to borrow for capital expenditures if interest rates are high.

Inflation isn’t currently a problem, in fact, it’s the opposite at the moment.  Instead of raising rates, the Fed has been cutting them to try and stimulate inflation, with 2 percent being the target.

U.S. Manufacturing Growth (Or Lack Thereof)

It’s no secret that U.S. manufacturing output has massively dropped off in the past few decades, but the state of the country’s manufacturers remains a solid indicator of overall economic health.

One key metric is released by the Institute for Supply Management every month, and surveys manufacturers to determine their output.  Basically, how busy are they? The bad news is that this signal is flashing red.

When the index is above 50, manufacturing is growing.  When it’s below 50, factory output is shrinking. It fell below 50 this past fall, hitting 47, the worst level in 10 years.  Anything below 45 means recession, and we are slowly inching towards that point.

Freight

We live in an increasingly digital world.  You can be in the middle of nowhere and still be able to order something online.  You can even have it show up at your door the very next day, clear across the country.

Think of how much really goes into it all.  That one package from your favorite online merchant will travel on several different vehicles, be processed at various locations, and involve multiple workers over the course of several days.

But how is all of that actually achieved?  The answer is freight. Commerce still requires the movement of goods from one location to the other.  Trains and trucks still move massive amounts of goods. Dejan Ilijevski, president at Sabela Capital Markets, notes that “Changes in rail [and truck] traffic data can be a leading indicator for changes in economic activity.”

2019 lagged in overall freight loads compared to the previous three years.  Not a good sign.

We’ve been in a state of economic uncertainty for a while now, however, and witnessed several of these predictors manifest themselves in 2019.  While the instability isn’t likely to go away any time soon, it’s also important to remember not to panic. The main thing is to not be a passive investor in times like these.

None of these single indicators by themselves are a sign of impending doom.  If several of them begin to flash red, however, then it could indeed be a bad sign of things to come.  By being smart, keeping an eye out, and knowing the recipe for a recession, you’ll be better prepared than most and ready to take action when necessary.

At Regal Assets, we believe in providing you with trusted and proven investment options.  We take pride in the way we do business and have enjoyed helping our clients make the most of their money for over a decade.  Our expert team members will work side-by-side with you every step of the way, so you can be sure that your assets are both protected and in a position to grow.

See for yourself what we can offer with our FREE Investor’s Kit. It explains Regal’s IRS-approved investment options and how they work. We’ll help you choose a strategy that’s right for you, so you can achieve your goals.

[rock-and-compass]

Rock and Compass Watches Once Upon A Time – 6.11: Tougher than the Rest

Overview

Stuck in the Wish World, Emma tries to find a way to get home to Storybrooke while Regina becomes fixated on the wish-version of Robin Hood. In Storybrooke, Gideon makes himself known to his parents and reveals the reason why he’s set on killing Emma.

Discussion and Thoughts

This is going to be dot points this week - ran out of time (and inspiration) to write too much; blame #BuffySlays20 and all the fantastic articles published this weekend that I read when I should have been writing. Okay, let’s do this…

•               So, we’re back after the very long mid-season break. I hate the present format; the huge break between season-halves strangles the life out of the show. If we do manage to get a season seven I really hope they revisit the current programming model.

•               This episode was an improvement on the mid-season finale. Even though Emma and Regina are trapped in this world together, at least we were not subjected to yet another episode of enforced interactions between the two of them. I must admit I found it amusing that Emma didn’t seem to give two hoots about Regina’s sudden departure to look for Robin. Emma was only focus was on getting home.

•               Fate and the role of the self in determining one’s fate is the theme of the episode. The messages are a bit mixed.  On one hand, we’ve had the vision and the idea that Emma is “fated” to die in her encounter with the mysterious robed figure; this goes hand in hand with the idea that Emma is the Fated saviour promised to deliver the people of Storybrooke from the dark curse. Fate has always had a presence in this story. This season we’ve also had the Shears of Fate, a McGuffin capable of cutting oneself free of  fate, which would seem to support the idea of a pre-determined destiny. However, in this episode August presents his rather extreme reading of “The Ugly Duckling” – in which an actual duck believed so hard that he could become a swan that it eventually came true – this reading of the text pro-ports that regardless of the hand that life and circumstances deal you, you can always trump it with “belief”. I’m not sure I agree.  This lesson is clearly meant to show that Emma can “believe” herself out of being killed by Gideon and it works but I’m kind of suspicious that the metaphor is also going to be used to allow Regina to “believe” the real Robin Hood back into existence.

•               Emma’s name – So the story of Emma’s surname is finally revealed and it made me wonder if it wasn’t a late-game substitution. I did like that Emma chose her own name – It’s a powerful thing to do, but it’s something that 10-year-old children don’t get to choose. Wouldn’t it have been more relevant to show a teenage Emma claiming the name as soon as she was legally able? Was she using “Swan” in the group home she shared with Ingrid? It all seemed like an unnecessary addition to the story all to insert an irrelevant August into that point of the story with his high-handed and irrational reading of The Ugly Duckling.  For mine, Emma’s story fits the traditional interpretation so much more effectively! A baby swan who is raised by ducks, who feels out of place and unloved but who eventually blossoms and finds her flock and becomes the person she was born to be. Being hit over the head with a re-interpretation of The Ugly Duckling was something we didn’t really need.

•               We are told from the get-go that Wish Robin is not really Robin Hood. He doesn’t remember Regina, he has had quite a different life and he doesn’t rob from the rich to give to the poor. And yet Regina can’t let it go. And this is a huge problem, particularly when she was so dismissive of WishSnow and WishDavid and her only concern for WishHenry is that he is hunting her to bring her to justice for regicide. And what’s more her interest in Robin is less about him and more about trying to gauge the impact she has had on him. She’s in a world in which her counterpart, the Evil Queen never succeeded in her objectives and she can only consider her effect on one man? It‘s very self-involved and wastes an opportunity for Regina to look outside herself begin to truly acknowledge the impact that she has had on the lives of others.

•               I am interested in seeing what they are trying to achieve with this Robin Hood story. We know it’s only temporary. Are they really going to suggest that Regina is powerful enough to wish Robin back into existence out of this wish version? Or is it a disaster waiting to happen. I must admit this particular narrative choice has me perplexed and I wait with confusion to see the reasoning for it unfold.

•               Gideon shares a lot of similarities with Emma. He’s 28 years old (The same age Emma was when she first came to Storybrooke). He too was raised in a strange world, removed from his parents and grew up in tough circumstances. He has magic (interesting to note that his magic is orange, not red). His plan to become a saviour is a real eye-popper in that he thinks he must kill Emma to get her powers to save the Dark Realm. It will be interesting to see how much the Dark Fairy has influenced and manipulated him. The good news is that if Gideon is a deluded dupe then there is a chance he may be redeemable. I’m still iffy on him overall. Is he really who he says he is? Is he the real threat?

•               August. August. August. Why must you be such a douche? I don’t get why this character is venerated to the extent he is. He is a deeply, deeply flawed character who has a questionable history and whose actions have had a huge effect on other characters, particularly Emma and yet this show insists on giving us the surface-only-August-is-a-good-guy characterisation. Why is the dude who abandoned Emma on numerous occasion, who never shared his knowledge of her life-story, who stood by and allowed her to go to prison “for her own good” being treated as a beloved B.F.F.? August only ever helped Emma when he needed help with his woodenness; he doesn’t deserve the praise. I must say, I found it amusing that August was a puppeteer in the Wish Realm. It just seemed apt for one who pulls the strings of others so effectively. I bet it was a coincidence though...

•               Same goes for Regina – The despicable, evil things she’s done are just swept under the rug or dismissed as the actions of “the Evil Queen” all to give us the ‘happy families’ discourse. They have literally split Regina in two and have yet to do any meaningful investigation of her obvious duality. This show would be so much better if they actually allowed their grey characters to show their shades rather than slapping a thin coat of shiny white paint on them and pretending that everything is peachy keen.

•               Emma has Princess Emma’s memories too. Oh please. And Regina must have used magic to write that note, I guess, or she’s a speed writer....  And why didn’t Emma fix the freaking chisel with magic. Look I know this is a fantasy show but you still need to follow some internal logic.

•               All the people running from the Evil Queen when Regina entered the tavern was apt and reinforced the fact that they are the same person. This needs to be faced in Storybrooke now.

•               Emma assumes that her destiny, to die at the hands of the Hooded Figure will happen because she is fighting to ‘protect her family’. Gideon states outright that he has no wish to harm anyone, other than her. There is a clear discrepancy between the two versions of events… Why does Emma think her death is about protecting her family anyway? Was it knowledge that came with the vision? Is the vision with the hooded figure the same fight that eventuates with Gideon at the end of the episode? Or is there a second fight coming? Is Gideon the decoy? There are differences in the vision -  clothes and the witnesses present. That particular sword being smashed was strange – symbolic of Emma circumventing her fate, yes but odd that its significance was never really explored. Why could it harm the EQ and not Regina? It starts to smell of plot contrivance to excuse the necessity for the Wish Realm rather than an item of actual significance.

•               While it was a shame that Hook’s role in the Wish Realm was reduced to a comedy cameo, I get why they did it. Emma is never confused by this Hook – Her Hook is at home waiting for her, and it’s a big part of why she’s so eager to get home. She doesn’t feel torn in her emotions, unlike Regina at the sight of Wish Robin. Would it have been nice to have seen a debonair, yet aged Hook assist Emma to get home in keeping with the continuity of him always helping her find her way home in tact? Sure, but in this instance the pattern had to be sacrificed to show that Killian is better off with Emma in his life as a counterpoint to Regina’s vague realisation that this world is better off without her.

•               That being said, we do skirt very close to the suggestion that Regina somehow contributed to Robin Hood being the legend he was. Regina deduces that Wish Robin is devoid of purpose because he has “never known love” but really, shouldn’t it be because Marion’s influence was lost?

•               There are a lot of similarities in the way he speaks to Gideon and the way he interacted with his father – history repeating itself again. There is no love lost there, particularly from Gideon’s side. I do like that Gideon is dismissive of Rumple’s know-it-all-been-there-done-that arrogance. I really do hope there is more to the story that Rumple’s assumptions and that Gideon has a few secrets up his sleeve. And yet, why do I get the impression that if push came to shove, Rumple would indeed help Gideon achieve his aim of killing Emma…

•               I hope Emma’s idea of bringing Robin back to Storybrooke doesn’t come back to bite her. It’s a crazy suggestion - But one I think that is made for very similar reasons that the split was suggested – Emma is very invested keeping Regina happy as a way to ensure the safety of everyone in Storybrooke, particularly her own family … huh; why does this fit so much better with Emma’s thoughts on the vision?

•               Why the gap between Robin entering Storybrooke? Is there something afoot or was it just to create a touch of tension and give Regina a moment of emotion?

•               Gideon might get defeated and his life spared, at Belle and Rumple’s request but he promises Emma that he will succeed eventually…

•               A lot of very purposeful blocking for Rumple and Belle – on the road after watching the aborted fight between Gideon and Emma they are together but placed on opposite sides of the white line dividing the road, they then exit the scene in opposite directions. The division between them is also highlighted as they discuss their son at the wishing well – even though they both have hopes and dreams of a good outcome for Gideon, even though they seem to be in agreement on working together to help their son, the rope of the wishing well bucket still functions as a clear divide between them.

•               Kudos to the cast and/or writers for making the explanation of Robin’s sudden reappearance sound as ridiculous as it is. The looks of disbelief and incomprehension on the faces of Emma’s family were a highlight of the episode.

•               August is typing on his very loud typewriter – the sound actually plays over the wide shot of Emma reuniting with her family and continues as we cut to a close-up of the words being typed. You can clearly read “Pleasure Island”  - It is a setting from the 1940 movie of Pinocchio, an abandoned amusement park where lost boys run wild and  eventually turn into donkeys. It is run by a malevolent character called the Coachman and he is assisted by his henchmen, one of whose name just happens to be Gideon. I expect that we’ll hear more about this place soon and I wonder if this isn’t the reason why August was inserted into the story and if the Dark Fairy will also occupy the role of the coachman?

•               Rumple warns that War is coming to Storybrooke if they are unable to help – does that suggests that he is prepared to fight on his son’s side against those who would try to stop him, in the same way that David and Killian promised that they would stop him to protect Emma? I’m not sure why it’s all so dire as yet… There is obviously much more to this story yet to be told.

•               Now let’s get to the next episode.

#meta and discussion #ouat spoilers #ouat speculation #ouat discussion #ouat season 6 #episode Title #episode analysis

[thrashermaxey]

Ramblings: More Trades, Goalie Shutouts, Pens’ D Problems (Feb 24)

With the trade deadline fast approaching, I'm hoping there might be a pearl of wisdom or two in what I’m going to write here. Because of the fluid situations on many teams, there are also observations that could be outdated by tomorrow. All we can do now is get into where things stand now and see what happens next.

To put it another way, it should be a crazy 36 hours coming up. You know we’ll be updating things constantly here with our fantasy takes and our Trade Tracker.

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In one of the early games, Sam Reinhart recorded a hat trick in the Sabres’ 5-2 win over Washington. Reinhart has been heating up lately with six points in his last five games. There shouldn’t be much concern that Reinhart is not playing on Jack Eichel’s line at the moment. Reinhart’s 55 points in 61 games already represents a career high, so he’s followed the “fourth year breakout” theory to a tee.

Jeff Skinner appeared to dodge a bullet, as he returned to the game in the third period after getting his leg twisted with Carl Hagelin’s stick in the second period. There was obvious concern that the Sabres would be losing Skinner and his 36 goals for an extended period, but this injury appeared a lot worse than it turned out to be.

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Dobber checked in with the Fantasy Take of the Stars acquiring Mats Zuccarello, which includes a comprehensive list of players potentially helped or hurt by the trade.

Bubble wrapping their assets in the event of a potential trade, the Rangers held out all of Zuccarello, Kevin Hayes, and Adam McQuaid on Saturday. Yet they still managed to defeat the Devils, who were holding out Marcus Johansson for the same reason. I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed a season where so many teams have decided to scratch players who are on the trade block. If these teams are out of the playoff race, then there’s no incentive for them not to do this. In fact, I’m surprised that teams haven’t done this sooner. The loser of course is the paying fan, who potentially misses a player or two that they were hoping to see.

The Zuccarello/Hayes scratches meant that Ryan Strome picked up 19 minutes of icetime. He took advantage of the situation, scoring twice. This will be a year or two too late for fantasy owners who were saving Strome in their keeper pools, but Strome has been scoring at a point-per-game pace over his last seven games. Maybe, just maybe, Strome is someone who benefits from Zuccarello leaving and Hayes possibly leaving by Monday. 

Back to Zucc: He is expected to be in the Stars’ lineup today (Sunday) against Chicago.

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After the Wayne Simmonds hit (see below) on Brian Dumoulin which resulted in both Dumoulin and Kris Letang leaving the game (Letang injured in the ensuing melee), the Penguins’ best hope appeared to be that the outdoor game would be rained out.    

Simmonds' hit on Dumoulin. pic.twitter.com/F2trugCpEM

— Broad Street Hockey (@BroadStHockey) February 24, 2019

Even without one of their defensive pairs, the Pens were able to take a 3-1 lead late into the third period before the Flyers scored twice to tie the game before the end of regulation. Then Claude Giroux scored the overtime winner to seal the Penguins’ fate in what had to be their most demoralizing defeat of the season. Dumoulin has a concussion and will miss time, while Letang was being evaluated for an upper-body injury and may miss time. Between the injuries on defense (Olli Maatta also sidelined) and the division rival Blue Jackets’ recent upgrades, the Pens are now in tough to make the playoffs. That’s something we haven’t heard in a while. You know that GM Jim Rutherford is on the phone looking for blueline help.

If Letang misses time, it goes without saying that Justin Schultz is a must-add. Schultz scored his first goal of the season to give him three points in the five games since his return. I’m crossing my fingers that Letang is back in two weeks when my fantasy playoffs begin. That’s what you live with when you own Letang, as I have for 8+ years. Maybe I’ll start a podcast called Keeping Letang, which will be like a group therapy session for owning injured players. The frustrating part is this injury happened during a scrum when he was tackled by Shayne Gostisbehere (on the same fantasy team, coincidentally) and could have easily been avoided. The silver lining is that I also have Schultz as insurance.  

Jakub Voracek, who scored the game-tying goal with just 20 seconds in regulation, ended up with a three-point game. Voracek had been held without a point in his previous three games but had a nine-game point streak before that.  

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Speaking of the Blue Jackets, things are just peachy right now as they load up to try to win at least one playoff series. Matt Duchene scored his first Blue Jackets goal and added an assist, while Sergei Bobrovsky stopped all 26 shots he faced in a 4-0 win over San Jose. Bob now has shutouts in consecutive nights, so right now you’re getting the Bobrovsky that you thought you were drafting. He’s won seven of his last nine games and has pitched shutouts in three of his past six games. More importantly, he’s out of John Tortorella’s doghouse. At least for the moment.  

Anyone else feeling smug as fuck as Bobrovsky posts B2B shutouts heading on a team loading up as we approach H2H fantasy playoffs? The legend of H2H playoff goalie Bob continues to grow.

— Stephen Laidlaw (@SteveLaidlaw) February 24, 2019

To expand on that, here are the post All-Star Game numbers for Bobrovsky:

2017-18: 15-7-3, 2.36 GAA, .921 SV%

2016-17: 13-8-3, 1.99 GAA, .936 SV%

2015-16: 4-6-0, 3.00 GAA, .899 SV%

2014-15: 14-2-1, 2.39 GAA, .927 SV%

2013-14: 12-6-2, 2.13 GAA, .932 SV%

If you’re drafting Bob, it’s for this time of year. Aside from the 2015-16 blemish, he’s been lights out when you’ve needed him the most.

I wrote a few paragraphs about the Dzingel trade and how the Blue Jackets and Senators are affected. You can check them out here. The two teams are essentially swapping left wingers, so I’ll summarize my piece by saying that one could theoretically replace the other on their new teams.

By the way, bad news for Erik Karlsson owners. Karlsson didn’t play in the third period and may have “retweaked his groin,” an injury that forced him to miss nine games this earlier this month and last month.

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It was a good day for shutouts if you needed one. Aside from Bobrovsky, here are three more.

Curtis McElhinney stopped all 24 shots he faced in a 3-0 win over the Stars. Curtis Mac is timesharing with Petr Mrazek, but that hasn’t stopped him from posting wins in 9 of his last 11 games. During that stretch (since New Year’s Eve), McElhinney has a 2.18 GAA and .925 SV%. Mrazek has pitched shutouts in two of his last four starts, but I’d still give lifetime backup McElhinney the upper hand in this goaltending battle if Rod Brind’Amour had to pick a starter for Game 1 of the playoffs.

Philipp Grubauer made 38 saves to earn his first shutout as a member of the Avalanche. The Avs are invested in Grubauer beyond this season, but I’m wondering if there’s at least an outside chance that they bring Semyon Varlamov back next season. Varlamov has had significant stretches of the kind of numbers that you don’t want near your fantasy team, but he has been playing better lately with four wins over his last five starts and six quality starts over his last seven games. So the shutout won’t necessarily result in more playing time for Grubauer.

The legend of both Robin Lehner’s personal turnaround and the Islanders’ team turnaround continues, as he stopped all 36 Canuck shots in a 4-0 shutout win. The Isles’ goaltending situation mirrors the Canes’, as both goalies from each team are worth owning while both teams sit in the league’s top 10 in goals against (the Islanders first overall in team GAA). Lehner and Greiss are owned in the majority of Yahoo leagues. Surprisingly, McElhinney and Mrazek are not (both owned in around 30% of Yahoo leagues).

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The Canes/Stars game featured two significant “outjuries” (as the Keeping Karlsson podcast calls them).

Ben Bishop returned for the Stars, stopping 28 of 30 shots he faced in a 3-0 loss. Bishop is posting his best numbers (2.29 GAA, .924 SV%) since the 2015-16 season, when he was the starting goalie for the Lightning. Get him back into your lineup.

Jordan Staal was back in lineup after missing the past two months with a concussion. He recorded an assist in just under 14 minutes of icetime centering Micheal Ferland and Teuvo Teravainen. Injury returns can be just as effective as trade deadline upgrades, particularly if the team has been getting by without the player.

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Some contract news that probably flew under the radar for many: According to Ren Lavoie, Frank Vatrano has signed a three-year extension with the Panthers that will pay him an average of $2.53 million per season. Now that he has received a regular NHL opportunity, Vatrano has scored a career-high 20 goals in just 59 games while seeing icetime with some of the Panthers’ big boys. At age 24, Vatrano has sleeper potential, and the new contract should solidify his spot on the Panthers.

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With Connor McDavid serving the first game of his two-game suspension, Sam Gagner moved up to the Oilers’ first-unit power play. He scored his first goal (even strength) in his second stint with the Oilers, helping them to a 2-1 win over Anaheim. With no McDavid, there isn’t really much to the Oilers offense beyond Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, which wasn’t the case when the Oilers first drafted McDavid. Maybe that asset mismanagement will result in them adding one of Jack Hughes or Kaapo Kakko in the draft this summer. I bet Twitter would explode if the lottery balls bounced that way.

Corey Perry might get a call from the league for suckering Darnell Nurse here…

Things that make you go…. 🤔 -ND pic.twitter.com/4eWqkfQKVf

— Oilersnation.com (@OilersNation) February 24, 2019

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Enjoy the trade deadline coverage, wherever you are watching!

For more fantasy hockey information, you can follow me on Twitter @Ian_Gooding.

from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-rambling/ramblings-more-trades-goalie-shutouts-pens-d-problems-feb-24/

[nikkifinnie-blog]

Blondie influencing our style choices three decades on.

Photography by Gary Trueman.  Model Charly Malone. We may not all have been blessed with the cheekbones of Debbie Harry, the pout of Courtney Love or the eyeliner budget of Siouxsie Sioux but never fear! With a few hints and tricks, we can all get the look of our fave punk stars. Whether you want to go all out emulation or maybe just borrow a few aspects of the aesthetic, here’s a rundown of New Wave style icon and blonde bombshell Debbie Harry and how she created her look. Debbie Harry was an ex-Playboy Bunny and CBGBs regular by the time she became the singer of seminal 80s band Blondie. She became a sex symbol far out of the confines of the ‘scene’ and is widely considered a style trail blazer even today, winning Elle’s Style Icon of the Year award as recent as 2017. You may not want to look like a carbon copy, but Debbie’s hair, make up and wardrobe can be a lot of fun to have a go at yourself! Here are some of the basics to get you going…….. Hair: Firstly, she was in a band called Blondie for a reason- she was blonde (‘Blondie’ was the term truck drivers used to catcall Harry with when driving past her). Her golden hair colour is part of her trademark so a really authentic effort to mimic this look will involve making your hair blonde if it isn’t already. Harsh but true. However, hers was not a platinum/bleach/icy blonde, instead it was a natural dirty blonde. For a grungy, punk look keep your roots dark and gradually lighten towards the tips. Dark roots and regrowth are your friends! Her hair was not long, it was rarely past her shoulders so keep your tresses mid-length and ask your hairdresser (or ‘ave a word with yourself if you’re doing a bit of DIY) to cut in a few razored layers so you have the option of messing it up a bit. You want to obtain a thin fringe that is not too blunt or monolength- Debbie’s hair is easier to get when you have got different layers. When styling, try and get as much volume both in the roots and the length of the hair as possible- dry out instead of down. Use a texturing spray (preferably one with sea salt) to separate the layers and give a slightly messy look. Avoid using sculpting clay as this will make the ends heavy and be too defined- Debbie didn’t sport any hugely defined styles- it was footloose and fancy free. Make up:  This depends on what ‘era’ of Debbie you particularly want to capture but whichever you decide you’re probably going to need to master the ‘smoky eye’. I know, I know…easier said than done. I’ve been attempting to ‘master’ a smoky eye for the best part of 15 years and still struggle to avoid looking like Nosferatu after a bad night’s sleep. To stand any kind of chance, invest in a good smoky eyeshadow palette full of glittery browns, greys and silvers. Consider your eyeshadow in threes- you want one lighter colour for all over your lid; a darker one to blend into the crease and one to blend in the outer corners. Make sure you’ve got black eyeliner and a finger ready- you’re going to be smudging it all with your fingertip (remember not to touch walls, white bedsheets or your mam’s best doilies until you’ve washed said fingers). I would definitely recommend using a kohl pencil rather than liquid eyeliner for this as it smudges better. Lavish a bit of mascara on to complete the look. If you really want to get that ‘doe eyed’ look then put some white eyeliner or a silver eyeshadow in the inner corners of your eye to give the illusion they are bigger and sparklier than they are. If you are not naturally blessed with cheekbones that could slice cheese then never fear- fake it til you make it! Some basic contouring principles will help here but to do it you will need two different shades of blush- one darker and one lighter. Suck your cheeks in so your cheek bone is exposed and brush a darker shade underneath the bones. Then use the lighter shade to brush over the apples of your cheeks. This should make them much more defined. Debbie alternated between rosy pinks and peachy corals so go for whatever colour combo you prefer. Lip wise you want to stock up on some sticky gloss as Harry favoured the shiny lip look. In terms of colour, she has had it all- peach to hot pink to pin-up red. Whichever shade you choose, line your lips giving a bow shape in the centre and then colour in with lipstick and slather over a generous layer of gloss. Sticking your lips out in a sultry pout is, of course, optional. Clothes: This is the really fun bit- you can wear pretty much anything! Hooray! Harry’s career has such longevity that she has gone through many different style phases and has probably worn just about everything (except maybe Uggs and shell suits) but here are some of the best: Leather: Growing up in Noo Yawk and all, Harry rubbed shoulders with your Ramones; your Warhols and your general trendy Avant Garde types. And leather was all the rage in 70s/80s NYC and a good fitted, black leather jacket could be worn by anyone. You can dress it up or down but to make it truly Harry-esque, ad a couple of badges on the collar and wear open. Leather trousers were also a favourite and if you’re really daring you can go DOUBLE LEATHER but don’t blame me for any sweat rashes you get on your arse. T-shirt dresses: The good ol’ t-shirt dress has been in and out of our lives for decades and I for one am a MASSIVE FAN of this look. Basically, get a big t-shirt and wear it like a dress! Simples! Harry did it all the time, sometimes cinching it in at the waist to accentuate her figure; sometimes just letting it hang loose but short. It’s a versatile, comfy look and you can make it your own by using any t-shirt you want. Plain? That’s fine. Band t-shirt? Yep, all good. Star Trek? Game of Thrones? Harry Potter? Er…..yeah, go on then. Fuck it, we’re punks. One shoulder tops: Common in her 1979-1981 phase, Debbie liked to show off a bit of the ol’ shoulder skin. She has donned every incarnation of a one-shoulder top- sequins; animal print; silk etc. You can make any top a one-shoulder affair by stretching out/cutting off the neck line and puling down on one side. An easy ‘rock-chick-in-Summer’ look. Or for showing off some cool tatts. Accessories: Debbie was actually quite minimal when it come to additional trinkets in her outfits, so this is where you can really make the look your own and take her foundations one step further. If you really want to go true Debbie Harry though, get yourself some statement sunglasses and a pair of simple heels (she often wore heels as she’s only 5 foot 3). So, there’s a whistle-stop tour through one of the most iconic women of the 20th century! But remember, style is meant to be fun so only wear what YOU want to wear and have fun!   Read the full article