#senior ladies free program

[roosterforme]

Right Girl, Wrong Time Part 1 | Bradley Bradshaw x Reader

Summary: Beer Boy and Sugar may have spent years apart, but their ten year college reunion proves they have always been part of the same equation. 

Warnings: Fluff, swears, and angst. Eventual smut. 18+ only

Length: 3100 words

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Female Reader (former fuckboy college student Bradley)

This is a sequel to accompany my story Old Habits Die Hard (you'll want to read that one first)!

Check my profile for my masterlist

It was kind of funny to you when you thought about it. Everyone from your graduating class was flooding back to the University of Virginia for your class reunion, but you'd been here pretty much every single day for the past six years.

You hadn't planned on ending up right back where you started after graduating from the University of Chicago with your PhD, but things never usually went as you planned.  

"Big ten year reunion for you tomorrow night," said Veronica, your closest friend from work. "Are you excited?" You and she were sitting at a small table in a trendy bar near campus.

You just shrugged and swirled the last sip of your beer around in your pint glass. "Honestly? Not really. I haven't kept in contact with that many people I graduated with, and I probably wouldn't be going if I wasn't already living in town."

You pictured your cute rental house with the crooked fence and crumbling front step. It was only a few blocks from where you had lived your senior year. 

"I'm sure you'll have fun!" Veronica said with a grin. "And if everyone sucks, you can rub it in that you have your PhD from one of the most prestigious programs in the country. And that you were published in Mathematics of Tomorrow when you were only twenty two." 

You laughed. "I think you are overestimating how many people I plan on talking to. Maybe I'll see someone I know, but I'm just going for the free drinks and dinner, and then heading home."

"Yeah, you better head home early! Head home and make a decision for the fall! You are the only person I know who has ever been offered a tenure track at six colleges at once!"

You just waved your hand. "I have it narrowed down to Miami and San Diego. The other offers were kind of bogus, to be honest."

"Either way, you'll be somewhere warmer than Chicago," Veronica said with a shrug.

"I will cheers to that," you said, tipping your nearly empty pint of beer to her nearly empty glass of chardonnay. "Now, I need to run home before I meet this guy John for a second date."

Veronica made a face and shook her head. "That's the most generic name ever. And he sounded boring when you described him."

You just sighed. "Well, he was boring, but giving someone a second chance never hurt anyone."

You waved down your waiter for the check and handed him cash for the drinks. 

"Want to walk out with me?" Veronica asked, checking the time. 

"You go ahead, I'm going to use the ladies' room before I head out. See you on Monday?" 

"I can't wait to hear all about your class reunion!"

You just shook your head and waved over your shoulder as you went to use the restroom. When you finished washing your hands, you glanced in the mirror. You were having such a good hair and makeup day, it was almost a given that you'd look like a clown or a wet dog for the reunion tomorrow night.

You straightened out your short, blue dress and headed for the bar exit. You ducked past a server who was carrying a tray of drinks, almost bumping some of the patrons seated at the bar in the process. 

But as you walked past the guy sitting on the end, you slowed down a little bit. Even from behind, you knew he was going to be handsome. He had broad shoulders and thick, wavy brown hair. Just what you liked. 

Just what you'd loved, actually. Since college.

You tucked your hair behind your ear and glanced at him as you turned toward the door, but you stopped dead in your tracks.

The scars. You knew those scars by heart. You'd touched his cheek and his neck so many times, you'd be able to describe them in your sleep. You'd thought about his face more than you should have. You'd thought about his body next to yours. You'd imagined what could have been.

But now Bradley Bradshaw was right in front of you, leaning his forearms against the bar and watching sports highlights while he played with the label on his beer bottle. 

Only now he was all grown up. 

"Beer Boy?" you asked softly, and he spun in his seat to face you so quickly it made you smile. 

He just gaped at you, his eyes softly searching your face and dipping down as far as your neck before he licked his lips and grinned.

"Sugar."

Your belly swooped, and you were afraid you actually gasped out loud. His voice was even deeper than you remembered. You took a step closer to him, and his grin lit up his eyes. God, you could remember everything with him. Every bittersweet feeling came flooding back.

"I can't believe it's you." A giggle escaped your lips as you spoke, and his grin faltered a bit as his eyes landed on your lips. 

He had a mustache now, and his hair was a little shorter than it was ten years ago. And he was so big and impossibly handsome. 

"It's me," he said, his eyes flicking back up to yours. "And I guess you really are Doctor Sugar now?"

"Yes," you said before you bit your lip, remembering how many times he had called you that. 

He shook his head, and that crooked grin was back. "Chicago was lucky to have you."

You felt your cheeks grow warm as his eyes roamed your face. He looked good. He looked so fucking good. 

"You're still in the Navy?" you managed to ask as you inched ever closer to him. He turned his stool a little more to face you, his legs splayed apart with one hand resting on his thigh.

"Yeah," he confirmed. "I'm Lieutenant Bradshaw these days."

You looked him up and down in his fitted pants and black tee shirt that really hugged his chest and biceps. "I can just picture you in your uniform."

When your gaze settled on his face again, you saw hunger there that had you squeezing your thighs gently together. 

"I wear a flight suit a lot of the time," he said in the raspiest tone you'd ever heard from him.

You pressed your lips together before you whispered, "You're just so much bigger now. You really filled out." 

Part of you recognized that you should be embarrassed at saying that, but it felt like no time had passed at all. It felt like all those years ago you had turned back around, climbed back in bed with him and told him you never wanted to break up, ever.

"Yeah, I guess basic training will do that to a guy," he said casually, but his eyes were making you feel so warm. "Can I buy you a drink, Sugar?"

The fact that nobody had called you Sugar in the past ten years was not lost on you, but nothing had ever felt more right. You had missed him, thought about him frequently, too. Especially during those years you spent in Chicago.

"Yeah," you agreed with a slight nod, praying you weren't about to embarrass yourself. "As long as your girlfriend doesn't mind." He wasn't wearing a ring, but you needed to know for sure. 

He just smirked. "Well, yeah, she would have absolutely minded if I was buying drinks for my beautiful ex-girlfriend. But we broke up two months ago, so I'm single."

"I see," you said, trying to bite back your smile, but you knew he was onto you. 

"So what are you drinking?" he asked, already raising two fingers toward the bartender to get his attention.

"The good beer," you said softly. 

And then Bradley turned toward you with a longing look that reminded you of ten years ago. "You still remember everything, Sugar?" he asked, his brows scrunching together as he took a deep breath and waited for you to answer.

"Everything," you confirmed with a nod. 

"Another beer for you?" the bartender asked Bradley before he turned toward you as well. 

"Make it two. Please," Bradley confirmed, and you shifted a little closer to him. 

When the bartender returned with two bottles, Bradley shifted on his stool to stand.

"Have a seat," he told you, but you placed your hand on his very muscular chest and stopped him.

"No, stay where you are," you told him, pushing him gently back down. When he eased himself back against the stool, you tucked yourself closer so your hip was nudging the inside of his knee. "Is this okay?"

"Yep," he said, quickly grabbing both of the beers and handing you one. "It's okay," he added as his cheeks started to grow pink.

When he shifted around in his seat, his leg rubbed against you, and you needed to start a new conversation to keep from moaning. 

"You're in town for the reunion?" you asked quickly.

"Yeah," he confirmed after taking a sip of beer. "I was in Virginia for work. It made sense to try to stop by. Where are you living these days?"

You laughed, and it seemed to make him more comfortable. "Like six streets over. I'm working at UVA."

"No way," he said with another grin. "You're teaching here?"

"Yeah, but only for another couple of weeks. I'm trying to decide between two tenure positions."

"Which schools?" he asked softly, and you couldn't help but think he kept intentionally bumping you with his knee. 

"University of Miami and San Diego State."

His eyes went wide as he sucked in a short breath. "That's great," he told you, looking at you in awe now. "I still can't believe you teach math to a bunch twenty year old guys."

"Why not?" you asked with a laugh. 

Bradley turned his head to face the bar and took a long drink of beer. He gave you side eye and said, "I would have died if you were my math teacher, Sugar. Trying to teach me calculus, looking like that? Please, I'd have failed the class."

"What? Why?"

"Come on," he said, turning fully back and giving you a playfully annoyed look. "You're just as gorgeous as you were ten years ago. Maybe moreso. I mean...you filled out, too."

Your mouth was hanging open and your heart was pounding erratically. 

"But at least your students don't know about your math tattoo. So I guess they don't have it so bad. Me on the other hand? I wouldn't last a minute in your lecture."

"Bradley," you gasped, but he just kept his eyes on you while he finished his beer.

Your phone started vibrating in your clutch purse which you were gripping tightly in your sweaty hand. You set down your beer and pulled it out to see that John had been texting you.

"Shit," you muttered, and Bradley adjusted himself in his seat again, eyes still on you. 

"You need to go?" he asked, and it sounded like he was dreading the answer. 

"I...just need to send a quick text, actually," you replied, setting your purse down on the bartop and frantically typing back to John. "I'm just going to cancel my plans."

When you lowered your phone and set it down on your purse, he asked you, "Are you seeing someone then?"

"No," you replied quickly. "It was just a second date." You would have canceled plans with anyone to stay here longer. 

Bradley's grin was slowly creeping back. "Did you just cancel a date for me?"

You scoffed playfully. "Yeah, but he was boring anyway."

"That'll never do. Not for you. You deserve the best."

You looked at him carefully, letting your palm rest on his knee. "Is that why I had you?"

"Hmm," he hummed teasingly. "I would assume so." 

You just stood there for a minute, barely moving at all, except for your fingertips moving against his muscular thigh. "I missed you. When I was in Chicago," you whispered, and he was nodding right away.

"I missed you, too. Had a hard time at first. I thought about you a lot."

"I thought about you all the time," you replied, your heartbeat picking up in tempo again. 

Bradley nudged you a little closer with his knee, and you willingly went. "I still think about you sometimes," he whispered.

You sighed softly, and he sat up a little straighter, his face closer to yours. You felt like you could melt against him, if you thought that was a good idea. Which it was not.

A loud group of college students entered the bar and made their way toward the crowded tables, jostling you and bumping your butt in the process. You stepped further into Bradley's personal space to make room, bumping both of his thighs with your hips. 

His sharp intake of breath and slow exhale had you meeting his eyes and withdrawing your hand from the top of his thigh.

"No," he told you, grabbing your hand and then gently pressing it where it had been. You looked down and saw you were standing precariously close to him; if you moved your hand just a little bit, it would be on his zipper. "It's okay," he murmured, bringing his hand to your hip. 

This felt very good.

"I like your mustache," you told him, blurting out the first idiotic thing that came to your mind. Of course you liked it. He looked great with it. You weren't even aware you actually liked facial hair before this moment.

"Thanks," he said softly, and his eyes grew wider as you brought your other hand up to run your fingers along his mustache. His lips parted, but he didn't move otherwise.

"You couldn't grow one of these in college," you told him with a laugh. 

"No," he replied, his lips skimming along your fingertips. "Would have looked ridiculous."

Your soft laughter seemed to spur him on as his huge hand wrapped around your hip and settled on your lower back. 

Oh god, you wanted him. So badly. You needed him. You had never stopped feeling this way about Bradley Bradshaw.

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

Bradley had often wondered what it would be like to see you again. At first the idea of it haunted him; it was the only thing he wanted, but he figured it was never going to happen. 

Then as he got older, thoughts of you would jump into the forefront of his mind when he least expected it. He always figured you were doing everything you wanted to do. He thought you would be married by now. He was absolutely certain you would have found someone better than him. 

But you made him better. He grew into a man because of you. Every girlfriend he had since you broke his heart should have honestly written you a thank you letter.

But the crazy thing was, Bradley wasn't surprised in the least that he still felt a connection to you right now. His heart was leaping in his chest, elation pouring through his body. 

Your beautiful face was a few inches from his and you were touching his mustache. Your other hand was on his leg, and he couldn't seem to stop himself from guiding you closer with his palm on your lower back. Your gaze was still sharp, and you were just as witty as he remembered. And you were so perfect, he never wanted to stop looking at you.

"Maybe your mustache would have looked ridiculous ten years ago, but it looks good now," you told him. He wanted to kiss you. He thought he was going to, when you added, "You look so handsome."

"You're fucking gorgeous, Sugar," he told you, and he was treated to a radiant smile as your fingers rubbed the end of his mustache and trailed along to the faded scars on his cheek. "You always have been."

You were softly sighing as you examined him. 

"You look like you want to ask me something," he told you, and you nodded the tiniest bit.

"Yeah," you confirmed with a soft laugh. "But I'm scared."

"Don't be scared. Just ask." He would be honest with you, no matter what you asked him.

"When you think about me... what do you think about?"

A montage of images rushed through his mind, and he swallowed hard. Your lips parted with a little gasp like you just knew some of his thoughts on the matter were completely filthy. 

His cock was getting a little hard as he let his mind settle on the first time he got you off. "I think about that study room, Sugar. And how cute you looked in my bathrobe. And I think about how effortlessly you made me want to change my ways."

Bradley started to close the distance between you, and you cupped his cheek as your lips brushed his in the softest kiss.

"Beer Boy," you whispered, nudging his lips with yours again. But you were already pulling away as he was trying to get closer. 

Then you asked, "Do you want to know what comes to my mind when I start thinking about you?"

"Tell me."

You licked your lips before you said, "I think about your Navy desk lamp. And I think about your bedroom door. Nobody else has ever done anything like that for me."

Bradley kissed your lips nudging your nose with his. "I'd do it again in a heartbeat, Sugar." 

You threaded your fingers through his hair, and Bradley was absolutely aching for you now. He wanted to take you to his hotel room. He wanted to make you feel so good. 

You had your hand incredibly close to his cock as you looked him in the eye and said, "And when I think about you, Bradley, I think about the fact that nobody else has made me cum as good in the last ten years."

"Shit," he groaned, growing harder by the second as you sighed and moved your hand higher.

Bradley had to take your hand in his to stop you. But it was your wide pupils that had him shifting his right knee so it rubbed against your core. 

You sucked in a deep breath and gasped, gently grinding yourself against him as your eyes drifted closed. 

"Sugar," he groaned. "Please tell me you're coming back to my hotel room."

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

Ahhhh!!!! They are back! Seemingly picking up right where they left off! Thanks @mak-32 and @beyondthesefourwalls.

PART 2

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[stardewremixed]

What Each Townie Adds to the Community Center After Complete, Pt. 1

Farmer - a farm-to-table dinner once a month and everyone brings a side dish to share

Caroline - expands her fitness class and moves it to the Center (offers 3-4x's a week)

Evelyn - a baking class once a month (mostly cookies, some cakes too. Haley sometimes helps).

Gus - cooking class once a week (and he would be such a good teacher with a gentle, encouraging voice) AND a near daily breakfast for seniors and vets (because he's that kind of guy)

Sebastian - basic computer classes because these townsfolk need to get outta the dark ages. Jk... but seriously, he would open a computer lab. People could come work on resumes, kids could play games after school and on weekends (Sam included), and folks could pay bills online.

Penny would create a kids club for after school on Wednesdays. Vincent, Jas, and Leo all come for storytime, homework help, snacks, and playtime. Jas would donate some of her old dolls and toys. Vincent would create a bug display. Leo would fix up a treehouse out front with help from Robin.

Robin would offer woodworking classes, and she would co-lead an environmental science club with Demetrius (for the social and moral support).

Willy and Elliott would arrange beach clean-up days, and use the Center to create a place for recycling gathering. (And compost - Leah and the Farmer would add).

Gunther would partner with the Adventurer's Guild to host a series of guest lectures on the 2nd Saturday of the month. Archeologists, botanists, monster hunters, travelers, other experts.

Shane would open an AA chapter and suicide prevention support group (with some encouragement from Harvey). Bad coffee. Stale donuts. Everyone feels welcome though.

Band practice would move out of Sam's bedroom and into the Center. He would also organize an open mic night (Abigail would do most of the work, but his enthusiasm counts). He would support and cheer for everyone equally (no matter how off-key).

Elliott would do poetry readings. Once he was published, he would host his book reveal party at the Center. Over wine for the 21+.

Leah would host art classes - sculpting, painting, etc. She would also organize a tri-athlon with Alex.

Alex would fix up the backyard for a kids gridball team. He would have a sports mentorship program (and kids from surrounding towns would attend). Work hard. Play hard. And learn life skills. With a lot of help from other townies.

Haley would create a dark room for anyone wanting to develop their own photos. And she would gladly have many of her own photos on display.

I feel like George would host movie nights with help from Alex, Sebastian and Maru. Alex would hang the projector, Seb would set up the equipment, and Maru would decorate with lights in the yard for movies under the stars in summertime. And bring strawberries to share, of course. Old timey movies. Black and whites.

Harvey (and Maru) would host health clinics, offering free wellness checkups. Gus would provide healthy lunches. They would team up with Caroline for a fitness class. Emily would call her Swami friend for a yoga and meditation demonstration.

Emily would definitely start a sewing circle. Jodi would join. Maybe Marnie. And Caroline would enjoy cross-stitch.

Em would also do additional projects. The younger ladies like Abigail, Sophia, and Scarlett would definitely be into cosplay and costuming together. Abs would drag Sebastian in every once in awhile and Sam would tag along, just cuz. Seb would rock Puck from A Midsummer's Night Dream. And Elliott would make a fantastic Romeo. Haley would definitely be Juliet.

[marlo-noni]

Thank you @cynosurus for asking if I've ever written about my Mandarin learning journey, because I haven't, and I have stuff to say about it!

So, why and how did this middle-aged white lady learn Chinese? Here's the first part of that story, which focuses on why and how I started, and gets pretty introspective.

First of all, I was born and raised in the suburbs of Vancouver, Canada, and I've lived in Vancouver proper since 2003. We have a very large Chinese-Canadian population. As of 2009, about 30% of people in Vancouver have some Chinese ancestry.

I've always been really into languages. In my first year of university, I studied Latin, and the grammar was so difficult that I wasn't motivated to continue studying a dead language.

So in my second year, in 1999, I started studying Mandarin. I thought (1) it would be a challenge, (2) it's a very useful language to know in Vancouver, (3) I grew up around a lot of overt anti-Asian racism and wanted to combat that, and (4) I wanted to learn more about the Chinese culture that was always around me but that I knew practically nothing about. It also helped that my grandmother, always a free thinker, had been practicing tai chi since 1980 (the year I was born), and my grandparents went on a trip to China in the mid-90s and came back with interesting photos and stories.

I think it also must have been in the zeitgeist in the 90s that Asian culture was cool, and white people wanted to appropriate it. I was certainly into J-pop and anime by then, and I actually wore a qipao to grad (Canadian equivalent of senior prom) that I bought in Chinatown. If you've seen or read Scott Pilgrim, which takes place in Toronto (which also has a very large Chinese population) in the 90s, that gives you a bit of an idea of white Canadians' relationship with Chinese-Canadians at that time.

I say all this just to make it clear that although very few white people in my community studied Chinese back then, and one of the reasons I started studying it was anti-racism, I wasn't some galaxy-brained politically pure being. I had good intentions, but I still lived in that time and did a lot of the same ignorant stuff other white people did. I had Chinese friends, but I cringe when I think of some of the things I said to them and did back then. It has been a decades-long learning process for me.

I'm also very lucky that my university (the University of British Columbia, aka UBC) has an extremely robust Asian Studies program. My Chinese* classes were very intensive - 2 hours long, 4 times a week, with language labs on top of that (I can't remember anymore how long). We got 6 credits per semester instead of 3 because it was double the coursework and class time of a regular class. Because I intended to minor in Chinese, I also took Asian Studies classes, including a general overview of Asian history (2 semesters long), modern Chinese literature in translation, and early Chinese dynastic history.

I studied Chinese in university for 3 years. UBC had two Chinese language streams - one for "non-heritage" speakers, and one for "heritage speakers". They interviewed all the students beforehand to decide which stream we should be in. Being in the non-heritage stream made it nearly impossible to minor or major in Chinese, simply because it takes so long to learn. I would estimate we were only at HSK 2, approaching HSK 3, by the time my third year was done. But the fourth year, the last year, placed all the heritage and non-heritage students together, and the fourth-year classes were reading Chinese literature. One girl in my class, who'd lived in Taiwan before and was the best student in our class, went to speak with a fourth-year professor to ask if she could take his class because she wanted to minor in Chinese. He basically told her it would be impossible. I can understand the university's dilemma, though. I don't know how they teach it now - if they've ever come up with a solution. I think now there are probably more non-heritage students who studied Mandarin in high school. That simply wasn't an option when I was growing up.

The other thing is that I wasn't a great student in university, because I hadn't yet been diagnosed with depression and wouldn't be until my 5th year (I was also working part-time, so I did fewer classes and attended for an extra year). University was slowly making my mental illness worse until I finally had a breakdown in my final year. So my first year of studying Chinese, I got pretty good grades, but by my third year (fourth year of being in university), I was getting C+'s.

So by the time I was done university, I'd say I was at about HSK 2 level, and it was time for me to start working. From then on, any Chinese study I did would be self-study, and like many people's hobbies, my interest waxed and waned over time. More on that in future posts.

(*)at that time, UBC didn't teach Cantonese, even though the vast majority of the Chinese diaspora in Vancouver spoke it. I think that's been historically true for most West Coast cities in North America, although that has been changing. So the only option at that time was Mandarin. Also, we learned simplified characters.

[magicshopaholic]

A Guide to the OCs of the Idolverse (with faceclaims)

This guide to the OCs consists of my personal faceclaims for them. These are not accurate, in that no living person on Earth (that I know of) can replicate the exact images of them I have in mind, but these ladies are pretty close. You can also refer to this post for a more detailed description of their appearance.

If you have different images of them in mind and don't want to ruin those, you can check out the guide without faceclaims. Feel free to picture them as you like - and I'd love to hear your versions as well :)

(I'm also shit at graphic design of any kind so please excuse the super amateur-ish edits; they were just fun to do)

Kaya Madaan is South Asian-American and grew up in the suburbs of Connecticut with her parents. An only child, she lost her father in a car accident when she was in high school and her mother has since never remarried. During her senior year at NYU, a few months before graduation, she was assaulted on campus, an experience she doesn’t talk about but has shaped many future decisions in her life. After completing her masters in London, she moved to Amsterdam to do her Ph.D. during which time she met Namjoon in Seoul while visiting her Korean aunt (her father’s adopted sister) and her family.

She lives by herself in a studio apartment, content with her independence and solitude. Her close friends largely include select people from college and university, and later Taehyung’s on/off girlfriend, Dilara, as well. She tends to be a bit of a workaholic and in the process becomes a bit scatterbrained and ends up being absent-minded about other things. Being the one of the youngest doctoral students in her program, she’s very conscious of coming across as mature and capable. She takes a lot of pride in her intelligence and is not shy about disagreeing with opinions.

(Naomi Scott as Kaya)

Nari grew up in Anyang, Gyeonggi province, as an only child. Sometime in early middle school, she and Seokjin met in the same class and formed a life-long friendship. Her dream as a child was to always become a doctor, though her focus on surgery developed years later when she dated a classmate whose older sister was studying to be a surgeon. She currently works in Seoul as a surgical resident and lives alone in an apartment a block away from the hospital.

While Nari is secure in her skills and her career path, she finds it difficult to devote an equal amount of time to her personal life which sometimes leads to insecurities, especially when she sees her old classmates and other people her age move on with their lives. She also tends to forget to take care of herself when she’s caught up in the chaos of her job, leading to missed meals and an occasionally unhealthy diet of food and alcohol.

(Im Jinah as Nari)

An only child of a business tycoon father and an ex-model mother, Miso grew up in the Gangnam district of Seoul, in the Cheongdam-dong neighbourhood alongside equally wealthy and affluent peers. Her family keeps appearances and status above all else and as a result, Miso attended school with children of her parents’ colleagues and neighbours, most of whom grew up to be heirs and heiresses to businesses and fortunes.

Miso left Seoul for university in Australia, where she spent four years getting her degree in business management and two additional years working various jobs, including bartending and music managing a pub, before she was forced to return to Seoul. She current works as an assistant music producer at Big Hit, where she keeps her parentage and connections quiet.

Miso does not enjoy or show interest in going down the same road as her peers, much to her parents’ disappointment. She makes an effort to distance herself from them as well as her parents’ unhappy marriage, and has since high school earned the reputation of being “unfriendly”, which has continued into adulthood as well.

(Park Sodam as Miso)

Chaeyoung grew up alongside her older brother, Chanyeol, in Gwangju. She lost her mother at a very young age; three years later, her father married Soyeon, whose attempts at building a relationship have been resisted by Chaeyoung. As a result, she spent a lot of her time growing up with her friends and classmates, including her brother and his best friend, Hoseok. While Chaeyoung and Chanyeol were always close as children, they naturally grew apart as they became older.

Chaeyoung currently works at a publishing house as a junior researcher, a job she Ioves. She’s outgoing and charming and enjoys meeting new clients and talent, even if she sometimes feels inadequate and anxious about her performance. Due to her young age and surrounded by so many people older than her, she can tend to be a bit impressionable and prone to be taken advantage of. She lives with a senior from college, Sungmi, who has a questionable social circle but later becomes friends with Sooah, whom she meets at yoga class and looks up to as an independent, single working woman in Seoul.

(Danielle Marsh as Chaeyoung)

Sooah grew up in Busan and later moved to Seoul, the only child of two doctors. She realised as a teenager that her parents' marriage was an unhappy one and sometime during her early teens, discovered that both were having quiet affairs with other people. As a means of escaping her home, she threw herself into extra-curricular activities and her friends circle, choosing to be around people as much as she could. Captain of the girls' volleyball team, Sooah was a popular girl in high school, had a large group of friends and a string of short flings that extended into college and her adult life, the only exception to this being Park Jimin. She currently lives in Seoul and works at an event management firm.

Sooah is confident and outgoing and still maintains an eventful social life, staying in touch with friends from school and college that are now acquaintances. She still harbours insecurities, however, aware of her lack of deep friendships and the reputation she had when it came to dating. She eventually forges a friendship with Chaeyoung, who she secretly admires for being far more put together in her early twenties than she herself ever was.

(Nam Jihyun as Sooah)

Dilara was born in her mother's native country and spent her first few years there before leaving for the UK, due to the stigma she and her mother faced for being and having a child out of wedlock respectively. Her mother met Rudy Komyshan in London when Dilara was in her early teens, and Dilara officially took his surname when she turned fifteen. At a young age, she discovered a love for both dance and racing but eventually chose the latter as her career path. Being in a heavily male-dominated environment, Dilara at times had to prove her worth by going over and above what was expected of her and seeming outwardly tougher to blend in with her peers.

She is the first female F1 driver in the history of the sport and is currently signed with Red Bull, alongside Dutch prodigy Max Verstappen. She sometimes faces unwarranted sexism from journalists and fans of the sport that she is learning to deal with, and copes with the help and support of her friends Lexie (also her trainer), Chris and Fred. Having travelled the world and working closely with people of various nationalities, she has a deep appreciation and interest in different cultures. Dilara is competitive by nature and a bit of a perfectionist, staying for hours on the simulator to perfect every move. She's also a bit of a gym rat, finding it therapeutic to work out alone or with a friend.

(Ananya Panday as Dilara)

Lia grew up in Incheon with her parents and a younger brother. When she was in high school, her parents went through a peaceful and amicable divorce. They were open about the process with their children and didn't hide anything from them, something Lia is forever grateful to them for and since holds communication in the highest regard. Lia was a studious teenager, involved in extra-curriculars and student council activities, as well as a part of the girls' basketball team. She did not give much thought to dating in high school, despite catching the attention of many fellow students. She attended college in Seoul and started working there after graduation, sharing an apartment with her long-time best friend, Dal.

Despite the demands of a corporate career, including the workload and the politics, Lia enjoys her job and is a fast learner. She is able to stay very focused and, like Kaya, doesn't realise her tendency to become a workaholic. She does struggle with stress, especially with the fast-paced environment she works in. This sometimes extends to her personal life as well, despite her efforts to become more laidback.

(Han Sohee as Lia)

~

[aislingstorm]

Seeing Red releases this Friday 11/17 only on Amazon! Find it here on Kindle (free on Unlimited!) and paperback! Read on to find out how a dress sparked a whole story for me... and a fantastic opening scene. 😌

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“A small glass of club soda please.” She heard Max ask the bartender quietly. The bartender took one look at her and then passed him a white bar towel as well. Max put a fifty-dollar bill in his tip jar. 

Show off, she thought, but smiled gratefully to the bartender.  

Steering her by the elbow again, he guided her outside of the large room and down the corridor and away from the crowded entry hall, where there was a quiet sitting area that no one seemed to have found yet. He stopped beside a large floor-length mirror and an empty bar counter and set down the cup.  

Normally, Rose would have loved the break from the steady hum of the crowd, but now it just made her more anxious. She swore she could hear her heart racing. 

“I could have taken care of it myself,” Rose said, irritated that Max had just taken charge. His hand at her elbow caused goose bumps to run up and down her arms. 

She remembered a time when she had longed for Max to touch her. 

“And ruin that pretty dress with soap and water?” Max asked, an eyebrow sardonically raised at her. Rose thought he probably wasn’t looking for an answer, so she pressed her lips together. Yes, she would have probably used soap and water in the ladies bathroom. Max dipped the tip of the bar towel in the club soda, pressing the access out with his fingertips, and offered it to her. When she started to wipe at the stain, he sighed again deeply and quickly grabbed her wrist. 

Taking the rag back, he said quietly, “Dab, Red, not wipe.” And he gently pressed just the tip of the wet towel to the top of her breast, where the drink had spilled. 

Rose swallowed again, barely breathing. He had to be able to hear her heartbeat, it was thundering so loudly in her ears. It wasn’t her fault she hadn’t been raised on parties like this like he and his brothers. 

She could feel the edge of his sleeve against her breast, the cold, hard cufflink lightly pressing its edge against her nipple. She wondered if he had realized it. Max’s eyes rose from her breast to meet hers. He dabbed the dry side of the towel against her without even looking. 

Unable to drop her gaze from his, Rose croaked, “Thanks, Max.” 

Max fisted the towel, their eyes still locked. He grazed his knuckles down over the tight bud that had become her nipple through the soft satin. Just once, for the briefest of moments, and she swore her panties were wet, just like on her sixteenth birthday. 

He lowered his head, the towel in his hand at his side, his lips barely inches from hers. Taking a deep mint-scented breath, he gently shook his head and stepped back, looking at her again. 

“That should dry pretty quickly now,” he said, his voice husky as he turned her by the elbow to face the mirror on the wall behind her. 

Rose hardly saw the wet spot. But she did see the tall, dark, and handsome cut he made in his Tuxedo behind her. His dark, wavy brown hair with it’s expensive cut had grown out a bit from when she had last seen him. His broad shoulders had only broadened a bit more since his youth, remembering how he had refused to play football his senior year as he had gotten involved in the student-led K-9 program at the local police station. She still remembered how angry her brother had said the coaches were with Max ‘throwing away a sports career.’ Standing tall behind her, his hand at her elbow, he met her eyes in the mirror. 

He had grown older for sure, but only more handsome. 

She had heard he had spent some time in the Marines before taking a local job of some kind in Dallas, and she wondered if that was why his eyes looked harder, more shielded almost, as she searched them.  

Rose swallowed, reminding herself to breathe. His eyes dropped to the movement of her throat and then her chest in the mirror. The mirror didn’t hide her response to him, nor did her dress. She’d probably need to take a walk away from him for a few minutes to get her nipples to settle themselves down, and her panties a little less hot, before sitting in this damn dress. 

She slipped out from in front of him and began to back away in the other direction. “I really should go. Thank you, though.” Remembering his deep sighs earlier, she added, “I really didn’t mean to be a bother.” 

She spun and walked quickly away, the dress spinning behind her, her long bare legs flying as quickly as she could in these ridiculous heels to get away from him without running. 

Finally, Rose reached the front doors. Pushing through them, she sagged against the wall to the side of the entrance for a moment, gasping in the fresh air. The night air was cool, and she desperately needed cool. Sweat had begun to glisten at her temples. 

Goddamnit Max. He had fucked up her whole junior and senior years, and now this. Maybe she could still pull off the speech, as the spot on the dress seemed almost dry, barely noticeable. She would just have to not look in his direction, wherever he was, or she might not keep her thoughts straight like the last 20 minutes had been. She wasn’t even certain of the time and knew she needed to get back in, having left her watch off for tonight's dress. 

Taking one final breath, she opened the door. 

“Shoulder’s back, Rosie girl.” She heard her grandfather say again. You got this. 

[direwolfrules]

Ooohh I’m pissed. I’m so fucking pissed.

My mom is a brilliant teacher. I’m not just saying that because she’s my mom, I’m saying that because in every single metric, including student response, she’s amazing. She’s one of those teachers that loves her subject and loves teaching about her subject.

So why, please dear Lord tell me why, she keeps getting screwed over for the most subpar teacher in her department? My mom got promised two honors classes, after years of taking the kids with behavioral difficulties (literally last year half of one of her classes routinely skipped and the other half showed up high as a fucking kite). It’s within her rights to ask for this, seniority wise. They told her that they’d replace her Smartboard’s remote, cause one of the potheads stole it last year.

Instead, our Lady of Inadequacy got all honors classes while my mom got a class that can only be described as “a fucking shitshow”. Five easily identifiable troublemakers on day 1! Our Lady of Incompetence got a brand new fucking Smartboard (hers was in perfect working condition btw), and my mom came back to find they hadn’t even ordered the replacement remote for her board.

My mom busts her ass for that school. She translates for IEP meetings, runs clubs, does research before curriculum meetings. Her kids show constant improvement year after year. She tutors other teachers and gives them her lesson plans. My mom had cancer, she developed severe psoriatic arthritis, and she still went in the second she was cleared to because she loves her job.

So why does she get skipped over for this moron? There was a special bilingual Spanish program the school was piloting for the district. Instead of handing it to the experienced teacher who is fluent in Spanish, they hand it (and the subsequent pay bump) to one who can’t even fucking speak it beyond “hola” and “adios”. Guess what? The program dissolved because it turns out if you can’t speak their language, you can’t engage the kids! Who would have thought?

Procession opportunities, things that are typically governed by building seniority, praise for her work (its easy to have highly scoring students when they started out that way), she gets all these before my mom does. She gets considered for things relating to the English department before the people with the English specialist licenses (she’s only got a generalist license). She even gets a free pass for showing up 45 minutes late to department meetings on the regular.

I just, my mom had to teach this dumbass what a fucking pronoun is. A pronoun. You know, the things you learn about in third grade at the latest? And yet the admins praise her like she’s education Jesus. What the fuck!

You want to know how good teachers get burned out? This is how.

[apexart-journal]

Manmeet Sandhu in NYC, Day 20

Back to NYC...@11.30 attended morning mass at Most Precious Blood church, Canal Street. the church is dedicated to St. Gennaro . The church is beautiful and is visited by Italians as well as Vietnamese neighbourhood. This was the first mass that i attended ... recieved a communion wafer or 'the body of Christ' as they call it and kept a little for my daughter...

Now off to a new area of NYC that I have not visited  before... travelling in Subway JZ  to Hattie Carthan Herban  Farm, Brooklyn 

It started raining in the morning and literally kept pouring all the time till i was out travelling ,a short walk  from the subway, some Halloween decorations by the roadsides ...and I reached the herban farm. The farm  was  plot of land used by the community people to grow and sell organic vegetables, there were a few temporary wooden sheds and a lot of wild looking tomato bushes, squashes, mushrooms were growing around, amongst other plants ...

A senior lady who seemed to be leading the group of people around on the farm was practising some sort of ritual..., i later got to know , the it was related to Equinox celebration, some form of healing practice related to the community there. She was burning herbs like sage and rosemary...and then created a mix of herbs and flowers in a wok and gave the people around a ritualistic scrubbing / wash. While she was performing the ritual, i looked around, spoke to people around...a girl named Sasha gave me a tour of the place .Sasha turned out to be of Indian origin from New Delhi, shared some information about the program and it's outreach program for the community youth ... i bought few apples and vegetables from her. 

She shared info about one of their program, where one can be a member, pay a monthly fee and recieve a regular supply of vegetables and fruits every month...

Eventually it was my turn to get 'healed', ... hands in wok, i could smell the flowers and other oils, the lady scrubbed me with sun flowers... a little awkward... also enjoyed some hibiscus and ginger juice, free gifts for special guests ☺️...walked back to the station...

[brooklynmuseum]

Teen Night: “Art of Imagination”

Let your imagination flow in our first Teen Night of 2023! Join us on Friday, January 27th from 5–7:30 pm for Teen Night: “Art of Imagination.”

What to Know

Brought to you by BkM Teens and inspired by Virgil Abloh: Figures of Speech, this evening is focused on the Art of Imagination.

Virgil Abloh was a visionary, who believed in creatively and constantly looking to add to his work, as well as his motif to “Question Everything.” These unique traits of Abloh’s work allowed him to be a visionary in the arts, spreading his work from fFashion, to mMusic, to aArchitecture.

This Teen Night will be an opportunity for expression and said imagination, using different fields of art, and highlighting underrepresented figures in art.      

What to Expect

Our first Teen Night is packed with fun activities and performances.

First, we’ll have a “Polymath of Colors” panel discussion with up-and-coming photographer Cierra Spooner, fashion designer Tianna Osbourne, and hairstylist and model Monique Mundy. The discussion will highlight their creative process, their inspirations, and what they do when they hit a creative block. We also have a scavenger hunt in the “Figures of Speech” Exhibition, and then throughout the night art making activities including creating your collage self portraits, designing your own hat making, and lastly responding to our Talk Back Walls.

And don’t forget about the performances! We have Brooklyn Tech’s very own Lady Dragons, a step team, New York rapper Geevee, and dance group Soul Fusion Dance Company. To end the night, we have DJ Bianca Perez, who will be keeping up the great vibes of the night.

This program is free, open to all teens 14+. To register click here.

“Art of Imagination” is organized by the Teen Night Planning Committee, our paid teen internship in public programming.

Posted by Alex Fernandez, Senior Teen Night Planning Committee member

[alfredlbrock]

         The election is over and now we have a new President.

                Some statements made during the runup to the election were extreme.

                It remains to be seen which ones will be followed up on and put into motion.

                Some quieter indications were also revealed – items about school lunch programs and food programs for the elderly, work to improve the lives of the elderly and provide access for people who are disabled.

                I have family friends whose children depend on free school lunches and the free school breakfasts that they receive.  If, or should I say, when, these programs are cut back and in some cases terminated, these families will be impacted immediately in a negative fashion I don’t believe they comprehend.

                There are 16 million households in the US with hungry children.

                When I was voting I met an elderly lady in a wheelchair.  She preparing to vote. The place was packed. I greeted her and she told me they wouldn’t let her vote because she didn’t have identification. 

She told me if they didn’t let her vote that ‘they’ had given her the number for a lawyer and she would call.  She said that is what ‘they’ told her to do next if they didn’t let her vote.  A poll worker got her straightened out.

                There are 54 million US residents 65 and older.

                Have you any doubt that the Federal Government is now going to step away from providing direct assistance to children and seniors?

                Are you ready?

[ledenews]

Two-Time W.Va Gatorade Player of the Year Alexis Bordas Commits to Duquesne

Alexis Bordas, the two-time West Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year and two-timeMary Ostrowski award winner given annually by the WV Sportswriters to the top player in the state, has committed to play college basketball at Duquesne University. Duquesne is an NCAA Division 1 program and member of the Atlantic 10 Conference. Bordas commented, “Duquesne had recruited me for a really long time. The relationships that I have been able to build with the coaching staff, the strong academics, playing in a great conference like the Atlantic 10, it being a Catholic university, and Pittsburgh being close to home were all big factors in my decision.” The Lady Dukes are coming off a 2023-24 season in which it won over 20 games, made its way to the Atlantic 10 Conference semifinals, and earned a WNIT post-season berth. The Dukes are lead by head coach DanBurt who has the record for most wins in school history and just signed a contract extension thissummer. Bordas stated, “Coach Burt has a track record of winning. I have won championships at every level at which I have played and I believe that I will have an opportunity to compete at a high level at Duquesne to help them win an Atlantic 10 championship and get back into the NCAA tournament.” She enters her senior year at Wheeling Park High School as already one of the most highly decorated players in the history of the state. The Patriots are coming off a season in which they captured the WV AAAA State Championship and an OVAC Championship. She was named the MVP of both the OVAC title game and the entire State tournament. In the big school tourney, Bordas set records for most points in a state tournament (88), most points in a state tournament game (38), most 3-pointers made in a single game (8), most 3-pointers made in a tournament (13), most field goals made in a tournament (29), and highest free throw percentage (100%) as she went a perfect 15-15 from the line in the tourney. Bordas has been first-team all-state all three years in high school and has been the captain of that unit each of the past two seasons. She has also been named first-team all-OVAC each of her three seasons and has been captain of the All-Valley squad each year. In addition to the multiple Gatorade and Mary Ostrowski awards, she has also been named theMaxPreps State Player of the Year each of the last two seasons. The lefty shooting guard was the fastest player in Wheeling Park history to reach the 1,000 point scoring mark for her career, accomplishing that feat in her sophomore season.She is closing in on 2,000 points heading into her final year for the Patriots. Bordas has played on the travel basketball circuit for the heralded West Virginia Thunder program based out of Huntington, WV. Her team won the coveted Under Armour Girls Basketball 17U National Championship this summer.The honor student will graduate from Wheeling Park in May 2025 and enroll at Duquesne for summer classes the following month. Read the full article

[cubic-backlinks]

The Future of Bone Health: How Orthomed Hospital is Shaping Ortho Rehab for Seniors

RESTORE: A Symphony of Care:

Imagine a program that orchestrates healing from the moment a senior enters the emergency department until long after they return home. That’s RESTORE — Returning Seniors to Orthopedic Excellence. UT Southwestern Medical Center birthed this gem, mobilizing experts from geriatrics, orthopedics, and pain management.

The Hip Fracture Challenge: Falling and hip fractures — like unwelcome guests crashing a party — are all too common among seniors. Over 300,000 seniors in the U.S. suffer hip fractures annually, with 95 percent of those fractures caused by falls. Globally, these fractures lead to serious consequences for about 30 percent of senior patients.

RESTORE’s Mission: It’s a beacon of hope. RESTORE streamlines care, reduces wait times for surgery, and extends its healing embrace far beyond hospital walls. Geriatric wizards, orthopedic maestros, and pain whisperers collaborate to rewrite the script for seniors.

The Data Dance:

In 2020, RESTORE cut the wait time for surgery in half — transforming anxious hours into mere heartbeats. Hospital stays? They pirouetted from 11.29 days to 6.44 days. Research across the country echoes this rhythm: orthogeriatric co-management programs reduce mortality rates and gift patients shorter stays and encore-free readmissions.

Why the urgency? By 2050, hip fractures are expected to increase by 310 percent in men and 240 percent in women worldwide. Texas seniors deserve a standing ovation, and RESTORE is their anthem.

Who Dances with RESTORE?:

Picture the ER stage: anyone 60 and older with a fragility fracture — bones breaking from injuries that wouldn’t faze a sprightly youngster — gets a VIP pass to RESTORE. It’s not just for frail health; even vibrant souls who trip or tumble find solace here.

Osteoporosis Spotlight: Ladies, take center stage! Osteoporosis, thinning bones’ silent mischief, puts women at higher risk. Approximately 75 percent of hip fracture patients are women. Their risk of hip fracture-related death rivals that of breast cancer.

The Grand Finale:

RESTORE isn’t just about bones; it’s about rewriting life’s choreography. Mrs. Kamala dances back to mobility, Mr. Rajesh hikes toward wanderlust, and Grandma Mary — silver sneakers twinkling — laps the hospital garden.

So, if you’re curious, reach out to Orthomed directly. Their doctors? They’re like storytellers, weaving magic through medicine. And remember, age is just a number; joy has no finish line!

If you’re in Chennai and need orthopedic expertise, Orthomed Hospital is a name to remember.

Address: New №85, Royapettah High Road, Royapettah, Chennai — 600014, Tamil Nadu, India

Phone Number: +91 44 4222 9222

Website: You can explore more about Orthomed Hospital on their website: Orthomed Hospital

[cubicdesignzdm]

The Future of Bone Health: How Orthomed Hospital is Shaping Ortho Rehab for Seniors

RESTORE: A Symphony of Care:

Imagine a program that orchestrates healing from the moment a senior enters the emergency department until long after they return home. That’s RESTORE — Returning Seniors to Orthopedic Excellence. UT Southwestern Medical Center birthed this gem, mobilizing experts from geriatrics, orthopedics, and pain management.

The Hip Fracture Challenge: Falling and hip fractures — like unwelcome guests crashing a party — are all too common among seniors. Over 300,000 seniors in the U.S. suffer hip fractures annually, with 95 percent of those fractures caused by falls. Globally, these fractures lead to serious consequences for about 30 percent of senior patients.

RESTORE’s Mission: It’s a beacon of hope. RESTORE streamlines care, reduces wait times for surgery, and extends its healing embrace far beyond hospital walls. Geriatric wizards, orthopedic maestros, and pain whisperers collaborate to rewrite the script for seniors.

The Data Dance:

In 2020, RESTORE cut the wait time for surgery in half — transforming anxious hours into mere heartbeats. Hospital stays? They pirouetted from 11.29 days to 6.44 days. Research across the country echoes this rhythm: orthogeriatric co-management programs reduce mortality rates and gift patients shorter stays and encore-free readmissions.

Why the urgency? By 2050, hip fractures are expected to increase by 310 percent in men and 240 percent in women worldwide. Texas seniors deserve a standing ovation, and RESTORE is their anthem.

Who Dances with RESTORE?:

Picture the ER stage: anyone 60 and older with a fragility fracture — bones breaking from injuries that wouldn’t faze a sprightly youngster — gets a VIP pass to RESTORE. It’s not just for frail health; even vibrant souls who trip or tumble find solace here.

Osteoporosis Spotlight: Ladies, take center stage! Osteoporosis, thinning bones’ silent mischief, puts women at higher risk. Approximately 75 percent of hip fracture patients are women. Their risk of hip fracture-related death rivals that of breast cancer.

The Grand Finale:

RESTORE isn’t just about bones; it’s about rewriting life’s choreography. Mrs. Kamala dances back to mobility, Mr. Rajesh hikes toward wanderlust, and Grandma Mary — silver sneakers twinkling — laps the hospital garden.

So, if you’re curious, reach out to Orthomed directly. Their doctors? They’re like storytellers, weaving magic through medicine. And remember, age is just a number; joy has no finish line!

If you’re in Chennai and need orthopedic expertise, Orthomed Hospital is a name to remember.

Address: New №85, Royapettah High Road, Royapettah, Chennai — 600014, Tamil Nadu, India

Phone Number: +91 44 4222 9222

Website: You can explore more about Orthomed Hospital on their website: Orthomed Hospital

[grimmplacehq]

CHARACTER INFO:

Character name: Alicia “Alice” Selwyn Age & Birthday: 27. July 14th  Gender & Pronouns: she/her & Cis Female Occupation: Senior Auror Blood Status: Pureblood Previous House: Gryffindor Previous Affiliation: Order Face Claim: Jessica Henwick

Alice is taken by Rachie

BIOGRAPHY:

Alicia Selwyn was born on a sunny day in July. The day was hot, and long, and one that her parents would never forget.  Alice was the youngest of four, and the only girl. One would have thought she would have hated this, but she didn’t. Alice got on really well with her siblings. Being the youngest could have easily led to Alice being spoiled, but whilst she never really had to wait to get anything, her parents didn’t allow her to get spoiled. They ensured that she was grateful, kind and respectful. But Alice was far from the lady-like pureblood little girl that most traditional families probably wanted. Alice was boisterous, loud, and free spirited. 

Of course her parents tried to get her to behave, and be more of a lady at society events, but even that was hard. Everyone knew what Alice was like, and she struggled to fit into that box that her world wanted her to be. She knew from a young age that she was different from the others, that she didn’t quite fit in. Whilst the other pureblooded girls her age liked to sit and drink tea, paint, and sew, Alice much preferred to be in the garden, or to be flying. Although she knew this, it didn’t make her feel insecure at all. Alice was happy with who she was, and wasn’t going to let someone’s ideas of who or what she should be change her.

When her Hogwarts letter came Alice literally had never been more excited. Her brothers had huge tales to tell about the school and she couldn’t wait to start exploring it herself. She wasn’t really shocked when she got sorted into Gryffindor. Gryffindor was like a second home for Alice though. She finally began to have a group of friends that actually appreciated her for who she was and didn’t tease her about not being like them. Her school friends loved her for who she was, and praised her for her achievements.  Alice wasn’t academic in the slightest, and didn’t really know what she wanted to do with her life. She got through classes, studied hard, because she wanted to get good grades. She didn’t want to risk flunking any classes, just in case they came in useful in the future. 

It was a sunny day in the middle of fifth year when the aurors came to visit. It was a career informing class, and the class left an impact on Alice. She’d not considered being an auror before, but she fell in love with the career that day. The two aurors that came were awe-inspiring, and Alice left that class with only one goal in life; to become an auror. From that day forward she worked hard, making sure that she would pass all her classes and make it onto the auror program. She knew the program hadn’t taken anyone straight from Hogwarts in a few years, and she was determined to change that. Most of her NEWT years were spent studying, though her friends occasionally could get her to come to a quidditch match, or do something social. Her hard work paid off though, because Alice got a place on the auror program straight after graduating Hogwarts. It was the proudest moment of her life.

People had their doubts when Alice entered the auror program. They didn’t think the little pureblood girl could do it. But she was determined to prove all her doubters wrong. She worked hard. She barely had a social life really, but she was just focused upon getting through auror school. It was hard, but she was finally doing something she loved. She felt like she was doing something right in the world. She excelled. Alice had natural raw talent that was great for the Auror program. She was courageous. She was hard working, and she was excellent at dueling.  Three years later Alice graduated the auror program. It had been three long years, and Alice was tired. But she was so proud of herself. Now the hard work started. She got a job at the British Ministry of Magic. And she loved it. She’d proved all her doubters wrong. Alice was doing something good, and it felt great.

There was something in the background though. She remembered her parents talking about this pureblood elite, and frankly she hated it. She hated that people thought they were better because of their blood. She didn’t see it. The difference in beliefs had caused a lot of tension in the family, and although Alice had never officially been disowned, she knew that did not approve of her thoughts and beliefs. But Alice would always be against these forces, and the choice to join the Order when she was invited was an easy one. It felt right to be fighting against the dark forces in the world

So she fought. And they won. And the Wixen world was supposed to be better. The need to constantly look over her shoulder was gone. The worry that her choice to leave her family had put a target on her back lessened. Alice feels like she can finally relax.

Almost.

Because there is still that sense of dread in the back of her mind. That maybe, it’s not quite over.

[xaliceinaurorlandx]

CHARACTER INFO:

Character name: Alicia “Alice” Sewlyn

Nicknames: Als, Liss, Alice

Age & Birthday: 27. July 14th 

Gender & Pronouns: she/her. Cis Female

Occupation: Senior Auror

Blood Status: Pureblood

Previous House: Gryffindor

Previous Affiliation: Order

Marital Status: Single

Sexuality: Demisexual

Face Claim: Jessica Henwick

BIOGRAPHY:

Alicia Selwyn was born on a sunny day in July. The day was hot, and long, and one that her parents would never forget.  Alice was the youngest of four, and the only girl. One would have thought she would have hated this, but she didn’t. Alice got on really well with her siblings. Being the youngest could have easily led to Alice being spoiled, but whilst she never really had to wait to get anything, her parents didn’t allow her to get spoiled. They ensured that she was grateful, kind and respectful. But Alice was far from the lady-like pureblood little girl that most traditional families probably wanted. Alice was boisterous, loud, and free spirited. 

Of course her parents tried to get her to behave, and be more of a lady at society events, but even that was hard. Everyone knew what Alice was like, and she struggled to fit into that box that her world wanted her to be. She knew from a young age that she was different from the others, that she didn’t quite fit in. Whilst the other pureblooded girls her age liked to sit and drink tea, paint, and sew, Alice much preferred to be in the garden, or to be flying. Although she knew this, it didn’t make her feel insecure at all. Alice was happy with who she was, and wasn’t going to let someone’s ideas of who or what she should be change her.

When her Hogwarts letter came Alice literally had never been more excited. Her brothers had huge tales to tell about the school and she couldn’t wait to start exploring it herself. She wasn’t really shocked when she got sorted into Gryffindor. Gryffindor was like a second home for Alice though. She finally began to have a group of friends that actually appreciated her for who she was and didn’t tease her about not being like them. Her school friends loved her for who she was, and praised her for her achievements.  Alice wasn’t academic in the slightest, and didn’t really know what she wanted to do with her life. She got through classes, studied hard, because she wanted to get good grades. She didn’t want to risk flunking any classes, just in case they came in useful in the future. 

It was a sunny day in the middle of fifth year when the aurors came to visit. It was a career informing class, and the class left an impact on Alice. She’d not considered being an auror before, but she fell in love with the career that day. The two aurors that came were awe-inspiring, and Alice left that class with only one goal in life; to become an auror. From that day forward she worked hard, making sure that she would pass all her classes and make it onto the auror program. She knew the program hadn’t taken anyone straight from Hogwarts in a few years, and she was determined to change that. Most of her NEWT years were spent studying, though her friends occasionally could get her to come to a quidditch match, or do something social. Her hard work paid off though, because Alice got a place on the auror program straight after graduating Hogwarts. It was the proudest moment of her life.

People had their doubts when Alice entered the auror program. They didn’t think the little pureblood girl could do it. But she was determined to prove all her doubters wrong. She worked hard. She barely had a social life really, but she was just focused upon getting through auror school. It was hard, but she was finally doing something she loved. She felt like she was doing something right in the world. She excelled. Alice had natural raw talent that was great for the Auror program. She was courageous. She was hard working, and she was excellent at dueling.  Three years later Alice graduated the auror program. It had been three long years, and Alice was tired. But she was so proud of herself. Now the hard work started. She got a job at the British Ministry of Magic. And she loved it. She’d proved all her doubters wrong. Alice was doing something good, and it felt great.

There was something in the background though. She remembered her parents talking about this pureblood elite, and frankly she hated it. She hated that people thought they were better because of their blood. She didn’t see it. The difference in beliefs had caused a lot of tension in the family, and although Alice had never officially been disowned, she knew that did not approve of her thoughts and beliefs. But Alice would always be against these forces, and the choice to join the Order when she was invited was an easy one. It felt right to be fighting against the dark forces in the world

So she fought. And they won. And the Wixen world was supposed to be better. The need to constantly look over her shoulder was gone. The worry that her choice to leave her family had put a target on her back lessened. Alice feels like she can finally relax.

Almost.

Because there is still that sense of dread in the back of her mind. That maybe, it’s not quite over. 

[laraladieshostel]

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[macaroni-rascal]

Now, let's start with the senior ladies because they deserve to headline. Halle-fucking-lujah, Isabeau got a new dress. It's not the most remarkable, but at least it's not a down jacked that exploded in the wash. It did the job, now let's hope the SP dress undergoes the same treatment. Good on her for bouncing back like that, but I still don't fully enjoy her skating because of the coaching failures. Rion did well to recover from that nasty pop but she's still not the most compelling and without the high tech she doesn't have much to fall back on. Hana is so cute but her programs are kinda weird. I think the red glove is supposed to be a bird's beak and those are not little leaves but I guess feathers? Either way, I'd like to see more direction in the program selection and more individuality shining through. Nina has some lovely qualities but they're counteracted by some glaring deficiencies. Her packaging and music are good but she looks like she's watched too much recent Russian skating. I don't know if they can do anything to fix it at this point. I'm much more charitable towards Loena's costume now that I know she designed it herself, but omg what I wouldn't give to never hear Vogue again. There was even a jr free dance that for some reason paired it with Frozen, but it was a Ukrainian team, so they get all the leeway. This, on the other hand, just doesn't work, most of the choreo isn't on beat and in the hands of an any less charming performer, it would be DOA. There are so many directions they could go in. I think the artist they're looking for is Ciara. If they want a Eurodance vibe, there's Inna, there's Cascada, there's all the Eurovision queens, the international pop girlies, the entire thriving LatAm music scene to pick from... Why this off-brand version of something that's been done before, twice, more successfully, when she's so unique and such a breath of fresh air? And the arms above the head on all the jumps feel like such a throwback. I don't know what to prescribe, a summer in Champery perhaps? Shae-lynn? Jeff Buttle? Jeff Buttle. Kaori is so sophisticated and so in her element at this point that although these are safer program choices than she's had before, I think she's earned her stripes and can clearly deliver on anything she sets her mind to. The packaging is mature, classy and suits her position in the sport as its reigning queen. We'll look back on this as a blessed time.

The men really said "we're gonna men so hard, y'all don't even know!" And so they did. The French men have more rights than ever, they low-key own my ass, especially Adam. There's a Patrick Chan-ness to his carriage that I can't quite describe, but so much more on top of it. He truly is a daredevil and although the jumping technique is wild, the risks he takes tend to pay off, he's really exciting to watch and always has artistically coherent material, it's not just cool tricks for tricks' sake. That Arabian could save the world. Even when he makes mistakes, I'm riveted. I think he learned an important lesson here about not peaking at the Shanghai fucking Trophy. Kevin did the Chris Knierim thing where he quit mid-program. But we know what we sign up for with him, I guess, and when it works, it's magic, but when it doesn't, it's just pain. He's one of few skaters I'd subject my eardrums to Bolero for so he better regroup. Kao was also a struggle but at least I figured out what bothers me about his skating - he skates like Russian Mark, where his weight isn't properly positioned over the blade, it's over his arches and not the balls of his feet. By contrast, watching Yuma is such a vacation. His technique is so sound and reliable that I can just kick back and relax. He's above all a well-managed skater, and he still has room to grow, which is exciting. I couldn't get a really good look at his shirt but it seems like it has two layers of sheer fabric over a fitted velour top and that's brilliant in such an understated way, because his skating speaks for itself anyway. I'd really like to see him do more original material, though. Carolina at the boards is such a soothing presence, more people should work with her. I didn't like Shoma's shirt as much because I feel like it doesn't know what it wants to be, was it the same one previously? Idk, but he's worn such stunning pieces before that I'm a little underwhelmed. Still, breathtaking skating, wild jump technique and air position notwithstanding. One of the skaters with the highest emotional ROI for me thus far. I wish he'd won. Okay, how on earth are Ilia's new costumes even worse!? He looked like Slenderman or the creatures from the Hush episode of Buffy. Why can't they figure out something as simple as the packaging when they can figure out a freaking 4A!? If he wasn't grown, I'd be calling CPS. It's an epidemic among the North American male skaters who have Soviet parents, it's honestly a meme at this point. It irks me because he has the tech and you can see the flexibility and the potential to be artistic, and it just isn't happening. He's regressed in that department, but fatigue probably played a part. For the love of god, take the prize money and fly to Montreal, I can't take this anymore! He has great hair, they should make it a feature.

The dance deserves its own post because Saucy was so valid in what she said.

Agreed on Isabeau's new dress, it looks so much better, she doesn't need to look like her grandma's curtains were bedazzled and gathered into a giant parachute of a dress. Amen amen amen. I'm with on Rion, Hana, and Nina, I haven't really felt much from any of them, and haven't had the urge to rewatch any of their skates. Nina especially, she is very Russian girl coded, it's all pumping up and down in cross overs, quick bad transitions, and eeked out jumps. I wish Leona would also ditch this free skate, that attempt at duck walking was cute the first time, and now makes me cringe. Bow down to Queen Kaori, she is finally getting her flowers and I love that for her. She IS the moment. Look at the material!

I'm still on the fence with Adam, those Benoit programs are a slog for me to get through, I just find them needlessly cerebral and overwrought; there's something arrogant about Benoit's programs that I can't put my finger on. Kevin, oh Kevin. Le sigh. That's all I got for him. Kao confuses me, cause there's moments that are good, and them even more moments where it looks like he's trying to fight off an imaginary bee, it's all off balance and twitchy. Yuma, I salute you. Love him to death, he's wonderful. Shoma is...god, I love Shoma. I also wish he'd won. Ilia should still not be getting above 7s in PCS, I'll die on that hill. His tech is amazing, everything else is meh, so his marks should be 'just okay.'

The single skaters, overall, had a nice GPF though, I enjoyed both disciplines here. Thanks for sharing your thoughts as always!