#this series deserved bette

[bettsfic]

Betts. how do I stop feeling jealous of everyone and everything and just focus on myself? I'm tired of being comprised of nothing but envy.

story time:

so i was recently at Millay, which is one of the top artist residencies in the country. they have an acceptance rate of something like 3%. when i was shown my room, there was a packet of all the residents' artist bios. i sat down and read through all of them. most of them were like half a page in length, single-spaced, listing out accomplishments i could never dream of. one artist had won a guggenheim. one author had published 12 books. another author published her first book at 19 years old. these were people who were extremely well accomplished and respected in their fields.

and we all became very good friends!

and then there was me. my bio was 3 sentences listing out a couple short publications and awards and other residencies i'd done. and my honest to god first thought was, "wow, the jurors must have really liked my writing to have accepted me among all these great artists."

and my second thought was, "that's the healthiest thing i have ever thought."

i had no jealousy of their accomplishments. even though my career hadn't even begun compared to theirs, i didn't attend dinner that night with any impostor syndrome. and that confirmed for me that i had grown out of whatever place i used to be in as a person, where i was basically a raw wound wrapped in barbed wire. everything hurt me and i hurt everything in return.

jealous feelings come from an intense need of external approval, but as i've mentioned in other asks, approval and validation is a well that gets filled over time. at our introductory dinner that night, i didn't talk about my work in the hope of convincing everyone i deserved to be there, which was what i would've done a few years before. instead we all ended up talking about a TV show. the most highbrow place i've ever been in my life, and we're getting wine drunk and discussing at length a cheesy discovery channel reality series. the guggenheim winner: loves box turtles. the guy who's published 12 books: his favorite movie is Spirited Away. the girl who published a book at 19: reads One Direction fanfic. the well-lauded poet: old school tumblrina.

actually, 4 out of 7 of us read fanfic and we had some great conversations about it. sometime i'll tell you about introducing the co-director of the residency to AO3.

when you think of the most accomplished and successful writer you've ever read, remember that they are, at the very core of their being, a nerd. and if you were to eat dinner with them, you would, with enough polite inquisitiveness, be able to unlock the goofy side of them that binges Property Brothers.

so that was the big change for me, i think. i started asking a lot of questions. i stopped talking and i started listening. it seems counterintuitive that admitting to not knowing stuff shows confidence, but it does. pretending you know stuff is what looks insecure. i think for me, i put so much of myself in my work, i wanted my work to be lauded so i could feel accomplished, and feeling accomplishment would let me believe i deserved to exist. but over time, i've reframed that mentality. my work is a thing that exists beyond me and is private to those who read it. it comes from me, but it is not me. what i am is just the person i am, and my life is a series of moments i choose for myself, and i am allowed to exist.

even sending this ask shows that you've begun filling your well. it takes someone who's already come a long way to realize jealousy isn't the status quo and is a feeling to be overcome. and you can overcome it. you can reach a place where you have enough success that other people's success has nothing to do with you, and you're free to just be happy for them. and when you read work that's better than yours you feel joy at learning something new.

so put your work into the world and let it be rejected. you'll rack up a couple wins or close calls, and those will give you energy to be rejected some more. and eventually you'll be rejected so much that rejection doesn't feel like anything, and you will have won enough to realize your work has a place in the world, and that place is no bigger or smaller than anyone else's. your work is allowed to exist simply as it is, and you are allowed to exist simply as you are.

[quinnyundertow]

When I Catch You Gege

Summary Reader is Isekai'd into JJK with the determination to change canon and make sure she rights the wrongs of Gege. Oh and enjoy her time there...yeah that too. No manga plot spoilers. Reader x everyone. All characters 18+ unless otherwise stated.

Content Warning: Canon typical violence, torture, suicide, Non-con, extreme bullying, angst with a happy ending.

Pairings: Reader x Nanami Kento, Haibara Yu, Gojo Satoru, Geto Suguru, Junpei Yoshino, Okkotsu Yuta, Toji Fushiguro

Chapter 2

Memories & Missions

Y/n = First Name L/n = Last Name

Yu Haibara’s mouth gaped open like a fish at your exclamation. His face like yours was fairly expressive and wasn’t able to hide his emotions; surprise and confusion flitted across before he settled as embarrassed and guilty. He abruptly bowed at the waist, his hands by his sides, “I am so sorry! I’m usually really good at faces! This is so embarrassing I apologize!” he practically yelled from his 90 degree angle. 

You quickly realized you had called him by his first name only initially; implying you and him had some sort of history. You waved your hands frantically in response, “Oh no it’s okay…” you respond rapidly trying to find something to explain away you knowing his name in the least creepy way possible, “It’s been a really long time…I wouldn’t expect you to remember me…” your voice faded off at the end as you looked to the side nervously. Yu looked up quickly, his body still remaining in his bow while his face scrutinized yours with a somewhat pained expression. 

At the revelation that you were standing across from Yu Haibara the waves of confusion and concern surrounding you quickly faded into the background in your mind. Your consciousness immediately settled on that you must have fallen back to sleep and were currently having an amazing dream. Your boss was going to be pissed when you no call no showed but honestly just seeing a character from a series you love was totally worth it. I mean sure it would be cooler to dream about running into Geto or Gojo but Yu was an adorable cinnamon roll who deserved the world. 

At the moment he was looking fairly awkward and you attempted to relieve his anxiety, “No really it’s okay. We..were in the same elementary school together. I was…” you pause trying to pull some story out that could make sense. “...picked on a lot and you defended me. Which is why I remember you! I’m y/n, y/n l/n” You smiled happily, liking the narrative that you came up with. Haibara is a good guy and the last thing you want is for him to feel bad not remembering a person he never met.

Haibara stands back up to his full height, his mind clearly trying to find a place where you would possibly fit into his childhood. You figured, if Haibara’s personality was similar as a child to what it was now he definitely was popular on the playground and probably defended other kids all the time. There had to be a place some random girl could fit in. You smiled as sweetly as you could while thinking, Come on Yu, would this face lie to you? God he looks adorable when he’s confused.

After a moment there seems to be a flash of recognition in his eyes before he slaps a fist into his open palm. “I-I think i remember you. I’m sorry y/n. You look a lot different now…i think." The last part is under his breath as you try to keep your expression under control. 

You flush when you realize he immediately started calling you by your first name taking what you said as truth that you were childhood friends. You give a small laugh, “You look really different as well. I almost didn't recognise you. Thank you for helping me out there.” you gesture towards the main sidewalk behind you. “I’m not so great around…crowds.” you finish the sentence confidently despite the pause. That wasn’t completely untrue. You definitely weren’t a fan of being crushed in a wave of bodies.

“Ooooh,” He smiled at you gently, unconsciously stepping forward a little closer to you. “Are you feeling better? You sure you don’t want a candy?” He wiggled his hand with the candies in front of you as if to emphasize them. 

You felt yourself laugh. Speaking to him felt natural, “No, but i really appreciate the off-” You stopped short as a sudden influx of energy appeared behind you.

“Haibara!” a disgruntled voice barked in annoyance at your back. The speaker abruptly paused, realizing Haibara was not alone in front of him. Turning you saw a teen even taller than Haibara had come in from the crowd, his school uniform mussed up like he had been fighting for his life in the mob behind him. Your jaw dropped as Nanami Emo Hair Kento stood in front of you in all his awkward teenage glory. Nanami looked at you uncomfortably as you tried to get your expression of awe in check. He raised a brow at Haibara, clearly asking him what he was doing in a random side street with some girl. 

“Ahhh sorry Kento, I got distracted again and forgot the time.” He looked somewhat shamefaced as if this was definitely not the first time Haibara had not showed up to what you were assuming was a mission on time. Shoving the sweets back into his pocket Haibara’s face quickly broke into a cheerful grin when he walked over to you and wrapped an arm around your shoulder gesturing you forward towards Nanami. Your entire body felt like it was on fire when he laid his muscled arm across your shoulders. 

Haibara had taken to you like a duck to water, not even bothering to question anything. You couldn’t help but think uncharitably, No wonder this guy got himself killed.. Haibara’s cherry tone continued not registering your beat red face, “But Kento look! I ran into y/n, we’ve been friends since we were little back in Hokkaido. I can’t believe we ran into each other all the way down here in Tokyo, what a small world!”

You felt yourself choke when he mentioned Hokkaido. ���Yes, very..small”. You nodded awkwardly, grateful he let you in on that little detail of “your childhood” as Nanami looked at you suspiciously. 

Nanami took in your red face and awkward expression before responding in a bland tone, “I see...Nanami, Kento” he introduced himself with little fanfare as Haibara grinned even bigger.

Haibara gave your shoulder a little squeeze before letting you go and exclaiming, “I am so pumped now! I never thought you’d get to meet any of my friends from back home. This is great we should go do some Karaoke-” 

“No!” Two identical “No” rang out at the suggestion of Karaoke. You panicking at the idea of being trapped in a small room with these two men and being forced to perform. Nanami balking over the very idea of Karaoke in conjunction with Haibara forgetting the mission they were supposed to be on now. Before Haibara could start up again Nanami ground out, “Haibara we have someplace to be.” 

Haibara looked like he deflated at Nanami’s comment before blinking back at you dejectedly, “I forgot. Y/n let’s trade numbers so we can all hang out sometime. How long are you in Tokyo?” 

“Ahh, yeah about that…i’m not really sure..and my phone broke.” This dream was really getting into the weeds. Did you even have a cellphone? Probably not. You literally just met the cinnamon roll, emo haired, dream team and they were going to run off and leave you standing here until you woke up. You had to have like…some ability or something right. I mean it's your dream after all. What’s the worst that could happen? A curse pulverizes you and you wake up and go to work. You glance around awkwardly before deciding you're not ready for this night to end yet, “I mean… I could probably help kill a curse or two…typical tuesday night right?” You had no idea what day of the week it was but it probably didn’t matter. You expected dream Nanami and dream Haibara to take this in stride and welcome you into their curse hunt. Instead they both stared at you in horrified shock. 

Nanami immediately began to sputter in an attempt to respond, nothing coherent managing to come out. He whipped his head to Haibara with an accusatory look as if to say, what did you tell her? 

Haibara meanwhile froze looking at you before laughing a little too loud to be convincing, “Ah ha ha! I forgot to tell you Kento, she's a jujutsu sorcerer like us?!” Despite addressing Nanami, Haibara's eyes were glued on you in wonder, “That explains the strong energy I felt before I ran into you in the road.”

Guess that means I’m able to do something, you thought with surprise at Haibara’s last comment. Going to play it off you smiled at Nanami before raising your hands up and waving your fingers, “Surprise!”

Haibara jumped on to your comment and did a somewhat identical pose on the opposite side yelling, “Surprise!” You were seriously going to have to keep an eye on this Haibara kid. There was trusting and then there was this. Even if this was a dream he needed to be a little more suspicious. 

Nanami adjusted his weight onto his other foot ignoring Haibara for the time being, “You’re a jujutsu sorcerer?” At your nonchalant nod he continued, “What grade?” 

“I was homeschooled. Aren’t you running late? I don’t have to come if it’s a problem, just wanted to offer help to Yu.” Remembering Nanami’s disdain for overtime and extra work you added, “Figured we could get done faster… go read or ..listen to sad music faster?” 

Haibara laughed as Nanami seemed to actually think it over. “Fine since you’re Haibara’s friend and it will get us out of here faster.” He turned to lead the way out into the open city air, “But if you get in the way we are leaving you behind” he muttered more to himself than anyone else.

~~

Thankfully, it didn’t take very long for the major city congestion to clear; your small group finding its way into lesser populated side streets. Nanami led the way about half a block in front of you and Haibara; only stopping briefly to consult a paper map before trekking off quickly ahead again. You watched Nanami work from behind with a sense of awe that this somewhat gangly looking emo kid was going to fill out into the beefcake that is Nanami Kento in Shibuya. Not that present Nanami wasn’t adorable. I mean sure he could use a hair cut but he was over six feet tall and had legs for days. Plus, as much as you liked thick boys like older Nanami you had had your fair share of crushes on sickly thin emo boys with bags under their eyes. He wasn’t as broad as Haibara yet but his form was lithe and had this casual but confident finesse about him. God you were no better than a man. You averted your eyes before you burned a hole in Nanami’s back.

You felt Haibara’s eyes on you from your right side. He had positioned himself nonchalantly earlier so that he was on the side of the walkway closest to the road. You could more than handle yourself but the gesture was kind and it made you feel a little warm and fuzzy on the inside despite the chilly autumn weather. He was too good for this world and way too trusting, “Yu, you really need to be more careful about trusting just anyone who walks up to you on the street.” 

The boy tossed you a lazy grin while scoffing, “Are you saying I shouldn’t have trusted you?”

You pouted, sticking out your lower lip a little, “Well no… but what if I was a curse user? You need to be a little more critical in approaching others.” You lightly scolded. 

“Finally someone with common sense.” Nanami tosses the words backwards despite neither of you realizing he was listening in. “If you won’t listen to me, listen to your friend.”

Haibara smiles a little wider at Nanami’s complaint, “Kento you say that like we’re not friends.” At Nanami’s grunt in response Haibara raises a finger up to his chin and taps it like he is thinking, “I dunno…I’m a pretty good judge of character.” 

You remember him saying something similar to Geto before he fell off the deep end. “Right…just be careful. Please.” You didn’t want to sound like a nag when you just met the guy but the image of him on a gurney in the morgue keeps popping up in your mind. 

“Will do!” He flashes two thumbs up and gives you a wink. You feel yourself flush at the silly gesture before returning one thumbs up back. “So y/n are you planning on enrolling at Jujutsu High? That would be so cool. You know me and Kento are a two man team-“

Nanami stops in front of a dilapidated building that looks like it used to be some sort of apartment complex. Before Nanami speaks you feel this foreboding feeling emanating off of the building in front of you. A chill runs down your arms and the hair on the back of your neck stands on its end. “We’re here. Ijichi should be here to set up our veil.” Nanami comments looking down the street for a sign of the other young man.

“Ijichi is in our grade but he’s training to be a window.” Haibara explains but you already remember the shy man from the show. 

Nodding, you look up at the complex ahead. If you focus hard enough you can see the purple tendrils of an aura leaking from the area. The feeling is overwhelming and very obvious now that you’ve seen it once. It’s like a searchlight cutting through the night sky. “It’s kinda amazing that normal people can’t see this when it’s so jarringly visible to us..” you whisper. Part of you is relieved you can see cursed energy and hope that means you will be able to fight halfway decent.

Haibara looks like he is about to respond but is cut off when Nanami announces, “There he is.” A black car pulls up to the curb and turns its emergency lights on before the driver hops out in a hurry, running to where your small group is gathered in front of the complex. “You’re 15 minutes late.” Nanami states matter of factly to the newest member of your group. 

The newest arrival is sweating and nervously squeezing his hands “Nanami, I’m sorry I had trouble getting ahold of one of the schools rental cars and then I ran into Gojo-“

“Just put up the veil so we can go home.” Nanami interrupted.

Ijichi stood ramrod straight before acknowledging, “Right, very sorry.” He raised his arms forming a specific hand gesture before clearing his throat, “Emerge from the darkness, blacker than darkness. Purify that which is impure.” As soon as the words were released you felt Ijichi’s aura flare followed by a dark shade of purple oozing over the apartment complex. Despite the seemingly liquid consistency it formed a half circle barrier surrounding the entire complex and its immediate surroundings. 

Before Ijichi even released his seal Nanami was stepping forward, “Let’s get this over with. ” he muttered stepping through the veil and out of your vision. 

Haibara grinned, glancing at you and raising a brow, “Ready to go?” 

You returned his eye contact with a half smile before turning serious, “Let’s do this!” As you stepped forward after Haibara you noticed Ijichi staring at you in confusion clearly trying to place where you were from. You flashed him a quick grin and a little wave before stepping under and into the newly created veil. You couldn’t help but laugh as you saw a blush race up his neck to his pale cheeks. Ijichi really didn’t look any different than his older self. He still had the salaryman haircut and nervous expression. The only real difference was instead of his signature black and white suit in the anime he now wore the same school uniform as Nanami did.

You sped up your step a bit until you were beside Nanami before addressing him, “Is there anything I need to know before we get started?” 

He glanced over at you, giving you some consideration before he responded. “Shouldn’t be anything overly difficult. Two curses, at least one family went missing before the place was evacuated. The higher ups don’t expect us to find anyone alive.” You nodded your mouth becoming a grim line as he continued, “If you have any doubts about proceeding you need to leave now.” 

You rolled your shoulders before flexing your fingers a few times. Since the moment you woke up here there was this underlying current you could feel. At first it was like a soft moving static but upon Nanami’s appearance the flow began to define itself more. It wasn’t like you felt it, saw it or even heard it. This newly awakened sixth sense was an automatic involuntary function; like hearing or smelling. It just existed now and you were now left to interpret the signals. You focused on this new sense and tried flexing the current inside you. In response cursed energy raced down your arm to arc between your finger tips briefly. “I’m good.” You responded with a confidence you weren’t sure was warranted. “From the outside it looked like this place was three floors. Do we each want to take one?” 

Nanami watched you as you spoke, assessing the look in your eyes and maybe even your cursed energy output. You could only guess what others could sense given your lack of experience in actually wielding cursed energy. Nanami usually took the lead in these missions but given there was a new factor that had a connection to Haibara he glanced at his friend for the response. 

Beside you there was no more sign of the goofy looking golden retriever boy. Haibara’s face was serious, “Okay, Y/n If you need anything give a yell. We rely on each other to complete these missions. We may separate but we are not alone in this. Me, you and Nanami are a team now.” He maintained eye contact while he spoke before giving you a thumbs up. Even Nanami nodded in agreement, his face serious. 

You couldn’t help but smile at Haibara’s words and Nanami’s concurrence. Even if this was a dream the idea of being accepted so totally by these two gave you this sense of belonging you hadn’t felt before. “Alright let’s kick some cursed ass.”

Chapter 1 - Chapter 3

[dinosaurwithablog]

The Dodgers get the last out, and they're headed to the World Series to face the NY Yankees for the 12th time. The Dodgers have been to the World Series 22 times, and the Yankees have been there 27 times in the past. The Yankees have won 8 of the previous 11 meetings. It's gonna be a great series. The talent of these men is phenomenal. Post season Stanton. Judge and Otani. Soto and Betts. I could go on for a while. This is gonna be a great World Series!!!

Dave Roberts deserves this win. He's a great manager!!

I can't wait until next Friday!!! I gotta say it... LET'S GO YANKEES!!!!!

[miss0atae]

Random thoughts about SOTUS episode 2 :

In this episode we’re still seeing the consequences of the tough hazings the freshmen have to endure. Some of the students are able to face it easily while others have a harder time. This episode gave us more insight on secondary characters.

▪️ Among the students who have a harder time dealing with the hazing and also the seniors' attitudes, Wad is the first one that come to mind. We learn from him about his past when he was bullied by seniors from his high school and was suspended because of what he had to face. You can see how it shaped his views on what is seniority and how you can't really trust any seniors because they might hurt you. The episode don't go too deep on this matter, but it helps us understand Wad more. Bullying is still a high topic, especially in schools and I believe all around the world. I don't know if it's a sensitive issues in Thailand, too. Now, we get it, Wad had a good reason to not feel connected to the gathering and why he prefers to avoid it when he has the choice.

▪️ On the opposite team, aka the seniors, I feel we got more info about Prem. I felt like he had some anger issues. He lashed out so fast and was so hung up on the idea he wasn't given the respect he deserves. He made a huge fuss about Wad not giving him any “wai”. So, I knew, in Thailand, greetings are accompanied by a gesture, but before the series, I didn't know the name of this gesture is “wai”. Since then, I also learned a “wai” is often more than just a greeting, as it indicates the level of respect for another person. There are different levels and variations of the “wai”. Obviously, Wad ‘s wai wasn't enough to show his respect to his senior and Prem lashed out on him. In this episode, it felt like he was a tickling bomb ready to explode. I wonder if he is really that annoyed by the freshmen or is it because he has his own issues.

▪️ While I watched the show I also made a quick note on Bright and Knot. It seems Bright is the coming relief among the senior group and Knot is the voice of reason who can take a step back to analyze any situation. I already knew Off from other BL's shows that I watched before SOTUS and I have to admit these kinds of characters are not my favorite one from him. I prefer him in more serious role like in “Not Me” or a softer character as the one he played in “Cooking Crush”. As for the actor who played Knot, I've never seen him in any other series, but I looked on internet to see what he became and it seems he is not acting anymore.

▪️ Obviously the star of this episode remains Kong. The more I watch the series, the more I like him. He clearly understands he needs to be always prepared when he comes to the gathering because he is already on Arthit's radar. I have to admit I was impressed by him when he knew all of this about M. Okay they are friends, but I would never be able to recite the ID number of my best friend. Kong is also the kind of person who is not shy to apologize, as he did when he couldn't remember the name of his classmate, May, even though he is not really at fault. Who would be able to know all the names of their fellow classmates?! Especially as they are not a small group. I think Kong has good qualities: he is sociable, he is caring and he is also a nice person. In addition, he is not easily impressed of frightened. His self-confidence allows him to stand his ground and helps others.

▪️ I also like how he seems to have a better understanding than his fellow classmates of the true meaning of the hazings . When bonding with Wad over basketball or when he was drinking with his friends, he told them how to act. Do not be afraid and There is probably more than you can see. I can understand why the other freshmen would be lost because some of the activities the seniors force the freshmen to go through seem so pointless. They tell them it will create unity among the group but I failed to see how running would help get there. I wish they gave them better things to do, but it wouldn't be hazing, I guess.

▪️ This episode showed us a softer version of Arthit. In the first episode, I saw him as a domineering senior who seems to get off when he can intimidate his juniors. However, here, it felt like he was putting a mask to blend more with his role as the leader of the hazings. It also seems he is under some pressure to do well. His domineering personality is just a facade. He is a softy inside. I can remember two times where it showed a lot: first one was when they had a meeting with all the seniors and he admitted he did wrong at the beginning (I always love people who can recognize their mistakes and who try to do better) and the second time was when one of the freshmen was hyperventilating. He went to see her after to be sure she was alright, he brought medicine and when he was talking to the nurse senior he had this gentle voice, we're not used hearing when he is talking at the gathering.

We also know he was the one who gave the name tag again to Kong, even though he warned him he would punish him because he gave it to May. Kong is not fooled. I believe he knows. I also found Arthit cute when he gave the name of Kong to be the representative of the class, but he wanted to keep it a secret of his involvement (Thanks to the nurse senior for spilling the beans).

▪️ We also discover P'Deer and I have to say I wasn't impressed. He gave me a bad first impression. I hope the story will show me  that I'm wrong. Also, why are they doing their meeting in a dark room?! I felt I was back in the “Eclipse”.

▪️ I can't end this review without saying how much I like how Kong can make Arthit flustered without doing much. After the infamous “I just make you my wife” we got the “you look kind of cute when you put on your serious face”. Of Kong! You're flirting like it's second nature for you and Arthit don't even know how to react. I found that cute. Even endearing. Am I weird?! It's not much but the flirting is so good. Kong is so subtle, but at the same time you can't miss what he is trying to say.

I need to watch the other episodes soon.

[bitterrobin]

Reader Beware....

another Flamebird in Gotham au, notes app substitution on this site!

this time I'll be listing my personal goals for the au and the developing fanfiction. (ignore if you don't want spoilers! /or you just couldn't care less about my DC/Batman thoughts)

create a fic/maybe a series that develops Bette Kane and introduces her to an audience that does not know her

Bette is highly underrated and unused. The potential in her parallel to Dick Grayson and her history with both Kate Kanes is a lot. Now that I've gotten into this fic and my hcs, I will now forever resent Grayson (2014) bc I can see so much there if you just swap Dick for Bette as the insider-spy. (Kathy Kane characterization in that comic notwithstanding).

characterize and humanize Talia al Ghul

I very much prefer a Talia that is complicated and tragic. She deserves her own development arc and she deserves a characterization that won't paint her as a strictly abusive mother. There's so much there, she's an old character and a great one! (Morrison I am closing my hands around your bald head). Yes, she's not a perfect mother. Who is? I prefer a Talia who maybe wasn't there for Damian all of the time, but she tries, goddamnit. Talia has her own heavy trauma and baggage that should be taken into account with the way she raises Damian. She should have way more in common with her son, especially when it comes their relationships with Ras.

actually write Damian Wayne in a published fanfic for once (you do not want to see my many many drafts and wips)

Not as much to add here, other than I don't think my Damian headcanons or characterization is that far removed from canon.

focus on other aspects of Gotham City that aren't tied to Batman/Robin (like Ragman, Wildcat, Mother Panic)

Self-explanatory. Gotham is a huge and diverse city, and having only Batman and vigilantes directly associated with him operate there is super boring.

Integrate Bette Kane and Kathy Kane into the wider Batman/"Batfamily" mythos

Also self-explanatory. It'd be nice. They're the first Batwoman and Bat-girl!

Create future opportunities for smaller, lesser known Batman characters (if this becomes a full series) like Charlie Gage-Radcliffe, the Foxes, Calvin Rose, Onyx Adams)

Please I need to see them in fanfiction form. Charlie is my blorbo who needs more comics, and Calvin is my favorite Talon. Also, he's canonically a former member of Haly's Circus and he wasn't given the immortal juice like the others - it is my hc that he was in the circus around the time that Dick was.

Rectify the deaths or character assassinations that I don't like (Orpheus, Holly Robinson)

Orpheus's death sucks major ass. Bringing him back no matter what, just to satisfy my brain. Holly Robinson deserves to be Catwoman for at least a while longer.

If I'm crazy enough to do it - introduce Christopher Kent in the future to an audience who does not know him.

MY SON. Look, I like Jon. Mildly. He's alright. But Chris is MY defacto Superman child and everyday I mourn what could've been if he wasn't aged up (deja vu) and he was able to exist for just a little while longer so that he could interact with Damian. So, if this au becomes a series, you best believe that I'm including at least a cameo. Jury's out if I fully replace Jon in the au or I make them similarly-aged brothers.

Expand/lengthen comic arcs I like and wanted to see more of (Robin: Son of Batman in general, We Are Robin, Talon, unironically Beast Boy 2000, Streets of Gotham)

Mostly self-explanatory. I just wanted to see more of Damian/Maya. Suren hanging out and going on adventures. We Are Robin needs a longer series, Talon is one of my fav comics, and I genuinely just wanted to see more of Bette in LA in Beast Boy. I also wanted to see Colin and Damian in SoG. (Plus, there was a Ragman backup running there!)

maybe give characters who are considered part of the "Batfamily" but are usually never given their dues - a chance to be main characters (Duke Thomas) (once I actually fully research him)

Yeah. This needs development on my part. I like him a lot, I just want to understand him better and give him some screen time so to speak. If I do get around to a We Are Robin rewrite or just incorporate it somehow into a larger fic.

umm... maybe expand on al Ghul lore perhaps, and develop the League of Assassins into something functional, terrifying, and tangible

Requires further research. But I love @arabian-batboy's take on how the family names (the al Ghuls, the Orghams, the Darga) connect to Behenian stars and the idea that each star could be connected to a hypothetical family and their powers. It's just cool.

[dailycass-cain]

#19 marks the end of the Batgirls. Here are my thoughts for the final time for this series. Where I'll talk about the good, the bad, and all about the Cass.

I'll admit I'm a bit melancholy even knowing there's still a future for Cass.  The series while might have been what many wanted. It was what I wanted. Just Cass/Steph having adventures.

Though Steph got the raw end of the deal throughout most of the series, I was glad to see for the final issue she absolutely owns this issue.

Not just in her fight with Gunbunny, but also in talking Grace down from killing the villain. The moment where she just goes full-on has been a Steph moment I've been aching to see in this series.

But to be fair, she did get that moment as Girl-Bat in #16 and standing up to her father the prior issue (#15). Just it been a recurring theme for Steph struggling when I get it (it's her character arc) and it's always great seeing Steph just own the moment.

Part of me is terrified for the character's future, but then again if Cass keeps getting the stuff she is. Maybe there's a chance.

Just that this "x-over" that's going to "fracture" the Bat Family. It just feels like cheap heat from the inevitable "healing" story.

Anyway, I'm glad Steph got this moment because the character deserves this and more. Other than Cass, Steph has been through A LOT as well character-wise.

Sadly, of the three Batgirls (and Robins) seems like always getting the short end of the stick.

But I really did enjoy this moment whatever the x-over in September brings for Steph. I'm glad Batgirls gave us one happy moment for the character to shine. I just wish again, this series just didn't have to end.

For Cass? Her moment in the issue was shorter but it was still all the sweeter her taking down "Gunhawk".  I mean the twist everyone saw coming and I'm glad writers Michael Conrad and Becky Cloonan treat it as such.

No monologue from who "Gunhawk" is just Cass owning him and hard. That and again the writers showcase all of David Cain's bastard training with her easily finding the other sniper's nest.

Though I confess there was an added bonus this issue when it comes to Cass. Artist Robbi Rodriguez drew Cass in her old Batgirl attire this issue (sans mask).

I mean it is sort of a treat to FINALLY see this show up in the series.  So I'm glad we got that as well.

Likewise, we got one final awing moment between Cass/Steph.  It may not have been a kiss but seeing Cass smirking at Steph leaning her head on her shoulder.

Yeah... I'll take it. I wish we can get more but it'll do.

For Babs, yeah she didn't do a lot this issue.  I was okay with her showing in this issue and arc to be the rock for Cass/Steph.  While they were investigating she was as well and scheming for the villains' downfall.

As for the final page. It truly is a nice coda for Cass/Steph. Both characters had gone thru DC Comics' grinder from various periods starting in '04 but mainly 2009-2020.  

Treating the legacy mantle of Batgirl so carelessly.

Since the first issue, I treated this series as a gift. So did the creators of this series. So to see this as the final words for the series. Yeah, it hits me.

Do I wish Bette, Helena, and Charlotte appeared in the series? YES. But did this series give Cass/Steph fans what they wanted? YES.

For Cass? I'd say that answer was yes in spades.

To that end, I want to thank all the creators who worked on this book. You all gave us a treat I never in my wildest mind ever thought we'd get. This comic was special for me. It may not have given us the grit or overall tone that many wanted. But---

It opened the door for new fans to learn of the characters. To learn that Batgirl just isn't one singular person behind the identity but multiple.

That it is a legacy mantle again after what the New 52 did to it and the characters.

I feel like there's no real way to fully end this but to quote from a certain trickster, but give it my modified taste.

Goodbye, Batgirls. I'm gonna miss you. You had such potential (and still do). But then again, all good things must come to an end. 

Fare thee well.

[beas-mind]

Long Overdue and Well Deserved!!! Mother Niecy Nash-Betts wins Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie at the Emmys❤️

[qnewsau]

'The L Word: New York' season one confirmed

New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/the-l-word-new-york-season-one-confirmed/

'The L Word: New York' season one confirmed

According to ScreenRant, The L Word: New York is officially happening and we’re hoping for The L Word reboot we deserved.  

After the cancellation of The L Word: Generation Q, a new reboot by L Word creator Ilene Chaiken was announced.

The original L Word ran from 2004-2009 and followed the lives of lesbian and bisexual women in West Hollywood.

The series was groundbreaking and was the first series to feature an ensemble of queer female characters.

While in recent years some story lines have been rightfully critiqued, the show remains a right of passage for many.

Everything we know about The L Word: New York 

While there are few details, the new series is set to be a “reboot of the groundbreaking original series set in New York City.”

The use of the word “reboot” is important as Gen Q was specifically a sequel, while the New York series seems to be a continuation of the original series.

This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the show’s original run, so the announcement of a reboot seems fitting.

While Generation Q saw the return of some of our favorite characters, there is no word whether Leisha Hailey (Alice), Jennifer Beals (Bette) and Kate Moennig (Shane) will also be on board for the reboot.

However, they have notably remained in the public eye in recent months- most recently joining lesbian singer/songwriter Reneé Rapp on stage at Coachella.

Read More on The L Word: 

Erin Daniels brings Dana back for ‘L Word: Generation Q’

‘L Word: Generation Q’ brings another character back for the reboot

The L Word: Generation Q cast sing and dance in musical episode

For the latest LGBTIQA+ Sister Girl and Brother Boy news, entertainment, community stories in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

[omegawhiskers]

Survivor Series 2023

I was wrong...

When the copyright logo popped up on the bottom right corner to close out Survivor Series, I thought that was it, but it wasn't. Chicago's own, CM Punk made his WWE return after nine years. I have mixed emotions about his return.

Punk made his return to professional wrestling in 2021 for All Elite Wrestling. It was magical. Seeing Punk back in a wrestling ring was a moment I'll never forget because I never thought I'd see it. He even gave out the ice-cream bars he wanted so badly during his WWE run. Punk looked happy, I know I was. Then came the media scrum. This was embarrassing to watch. The unprofessionalism from Punk was through the roof. He threw the EVP's under bus, while insulting Adam Page. He dragged the company through the mud, while Tony Khan sat there looking defeated. Punk said he ''didn't approach it in the right manner" in an interview, but it was too late, the damage was done. The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega were suspended and the first trios champions had to vacate titles. While Punk was suspended, he was also injured, so he didn't matter if he was going to miss TV anyway. I also blame Khan not putting a stop to the media scum once Punk started going off. He should of shut Punk down and sent him home. Instead, Punk got his own show, Collision.

Collision could only have certain talent on it. No way were the Bucks, Omega or Page allowed on this show. Apparently Cristopher Daniels, Matt Hardy and Ryan Nemeth were turned away. I hated all of this. During his time off to rehab his injury, Punk showed up at WWE, but had to leave shortly after. It seemed like Punk knew his time was going to be short in AEW.

Punk would get into another altercation, but this time with Jack Perry at All In 2023. This was another disgraceful moment for CM Punk. This led him to being fired as Khan said he feared for his life. I don't feel like AEW quite recovered since the media scrum. Khan did not handle Punk well, so a lot of the blame goes to him, but Punk is the veteran here. He should of known better. Look at Sting, a veteran whose caused zero issues during his time in AEW. Sting come across as a humble and grateful individual.

When Punk was fired WWE, I thought there was no way he was going back. For weeks I heard CM Punk chants, and I honestly found them frustrating and pointless. But I was wrong. They weren't pointless. The fans that hoped and said that he would return were right. As bad as Punk's time in AEW was, he's history with WWE looked worse. He was never given the chance he deserved in the company for a long time. He never got that WrestleMania main event. He almost died due to a MRSA staph infection that was mismanaged thanks to a WWE doctor, and let's not forget that he was fired on his wedding day. So to see him last night was a shocker. I can't say I'm excited due to the mans history, but I'm interested in the plan going forward. How does it effect storylines going forward? Have plans now changed? Who will Punk face first? How does his return effect the dynamic in the locker room? So many unanswered questions.

Let's jump into the first match. It was the women's WarGames. This match never got boring. It worked at a nice pace. There were some high risk moves, but everyone came out safe. I thought Shotzi was going to die when she used a chair to leap off of and almost landed head/neck on it. Iyo Skye stood on top of the cage and put a bin over her and leapt off. I loved that spot. Charlotte Flair also did backflip off the top cage and almost landed directly on her feet. The tension between Becky Lynch and Charlotte got resolved as they worked together. The babyfaces won when Bayley took the pin. There were two moments during this match when Bayley stepped into save her teammates, but I have a feeling she will get the blame for being pinned. Bayley has been a heel for four years now, so it's time to mix it up. Overall, this was a pretty good match.

Gunther and The Miz had a way better match than I expected. At one point I thought Miz had it won when he delivered a low blow and skull crushing finale to Gunther, who kicked out. The Miz lost here and that was a good thing. As mentioned, I want to see Miz go through a bad patch after this. Change his character up. Have him scratch and claw his way back.

Santos Escobar has an exciting bout with Dragon Lee. Santos won clean, but he needed to look strong as he has just gone solo. Lee looked great and he is still new enough to the WWE, so the loss isn't major.

Zoey Stark and Rhea Ripley had decent match. Stark lost, and she still needs more time to develop, but I think she's got something special about her.

The men's WarGames didn't pull me in like I thought it would. Maybe having two WarGames matches in one night is not the best idea as it takes away some of the magic of the match. I didn't think anyone slacked or did a bad job, it just didn't excite me. Although, Randy Orton's return did get me invested. Orton looked great as he packed on some muscle. The babyfaces won the match and CM Punk returned to eye up the competition in the ring.

This was a solid PLE, even tough it was obvious Gunther, Ripley and Santos were going over. I don't know what the fall out for the men and women of the WarGames matches will be, but having Bayley turn face would in interesting. With Punk watching on after the men's match, we have some stuff cooking for the Royal Rumble.

[wtfastaroth]

Soldiers, poets kings? EXPLAIN 🙏 (@darlenicy )

Sorry, it took me a long time to write but here it is.

This explanation is about a team, how each of them would act in a fight/exploitation situation as we saw so much in the series.

For me, a soldier is someone with a battle strategy, is someone energetic and simple, someone with great morale, confidence and strength, someone courageous who will do everything in his power to defend those they love, a defender.

Bloom has a very strong sense of morality, she will do everything in her power to help others, above all she conveys trust to people, her friends know that she will never betray them.

Musa has courage, she fights for everything she believes in, she fights for herself and her friends, her strength comes from her perseverance. People think that because she is more cheerful and open, she will always be a sweet person with everyone, but the truth is that she is very frank, always says what needs to be said, and will treat others the way they deserve to be treated, she doesn't give respect for nothing, you have to deserve it.

Brandon is strong, he built his mental and physical strength alone, his daily effort is enormous, he works hard to be someone better every day, he wants to evolve more and more, if he makes mistakes he learns from them, hes not ashamed of his "weaker" self.

And Nabu is Nabu ✌️ (I don't know how to explain his lol)

Poets are dreamy and witty, extremely empathetic, but this does not mean weakness, in fact it is their greatest weapon. They are great arguers and extremely socially intelligent.

Stella may not look like it but she is very empathetic, she speaks without thinking and hates hurting other people's feelings without meaning to. As she grew up alone she had to raise herself, her mother ignored her and her father only paid attention when he wanted to look like a good father to the public, she saw all her parents twisted decisions towards the empire, and learned from their mistakes to become a leader and no longer a dictator like em.

Flora, do I really need to explain? Look at her, she is an extremely witty person, her strength comes from her great empathy towards everyone, her morals are unbreakable, her sense of right and wrong is strong, her empathy makes her seem weak but that is all she is not. At first her insecurity and innocence hold her back, but soon these chains are broken and she feels the confidence she needs to stand firm and be able to act.

Helia is an artistic and creative person, he looks at the world with different eyes, eyes full of charm and magic, he is unshakable and a great friend. It's also very similar to Stella, like A LOT. It is because of that many things in common that they were able to create such a sincere friendship.

My Riven is like in canon but with some depth?, this aggressiveness is a defense mechanism that he had to create within himself, he takes time to trust, and he is extremely insecure in his social relationships, but above all he has empathy, he doesn't want anyone to go through what he went through, and he doesn't force others to want to be on his side, Riven gradually wins everyone's hearts, he is a person of his word and honor and would never leave any member of the Winx backwards. (Sorry for the cliche lmao)

Kings, or bette, leaders, are people who inspire, they are people who are soldiers and poets mixed together, and that is why they are so good at guiding roles. Their empathy mixes with their courage and morals, making them able to command and help others.

Aisha was created to be a great queen, to make decisions for the good of her team. As she grew and learned from all the people on her planet, she honed and polished her fighting and command skills. She still needs to learn that all her actions interfere with the group tho

Tecna is a strategist, she was taught that the logical is more reliable than the emotional, so she became capable of remaining calm and finding solutions even in the most stressful situations.

While Aisha is a born leader, capable of charming and gaining the trust of others, she is still stubborn, this charisma influences people to follow her, even if the path doesn't make sense. On the other hand, Tecna doesn't have that much charisma, she's terrible at dealing with this aspect of leadership, but she knows how to identify which fights are worth it or not, so the two take action on each other's weak points, together they become better.

Timmy is able to understand the people on his team well, always knowing how they are doing and listening to them before making decisions, he assesses the physical and psychological state of each person carefully, to know if they are comfortable and well.

Sky is sky, I don't even need to explain.

I explained a little poorly to not accidentally add any spoilers, so it might be a little empty emotionally speaking lmao

[tatelangdonsweater]

I just finished all 11 seasons of AHS, and… honestly, I’m amazed. I came for Evan Peters, but I stayed for the beauty of the series and the other amazing actors in it.

Now. Here’s my ranking of all eleven seasons (note: I’m ranking AHS Red Tide and AHS Death Valley separately). Disclaimer: everything here is just my opinion. You don’t have to agree with me.

1. Murder House. It’s a classic for a reason. Tate and Violet’s romance is to die for (no pun intended), and Jessica Lange does a great performance as Constance. Also, Addy and Violet deserved better.

2. NYC. For some reason, I love learning about this specific period in LGBT history, and the last two episodes were a heartbreaking- but realistic- portrayal of AIDS. Made me cry. And the soundtrack was the best of all the seasons.

3. Hotel. It was dark, it was sexy, and I loved the plot twist- totally came out of left field. Also, Lady Gaga and Angela Bassett? Iconic.

4. Coven. Has my comfort character, Kyle Spencer, in it. Also love Misty Day (that girl is definitely autistic I do not make the rules). I didn’t really warm up to Madison in this season, but I did eventually in Apocalypse. This season also has very striking visuals- the intro is the best one of the series, imo.

5. Cult. Evan’s acting as Kai was superb (and he’s also really hot hehe). I liked how it differed from previous seasons in that there weren’t any supernatural elements here. I also liked the political commentary.

6. Freak Show. As much as I love Evan’s darker characters, I also love when he plays good boys. And Bette and Dot are lovely. That being said, I don’t really understand why they threw in the character of Chester so close to the end of the season. Didn’t make much sense to me but 🤷🏽‍♂️

7. Red Tide. I liked how it satirized the whole “all artists are a little crazy” trope, and how far people are willing to go for greatness. I loved Alma (the little girl). It’s a little unnerving to see creepy child characters, but she did it well.

8. 1984. This one was kinda mid. But I do love a good slasher. I liked the ‘80s outfits and soundtrack, and the intro was great. I just feel like they dragged it out a bit.

9. Apocalypse. I know this is a fan favorite, and I liked seeing characters from Murder House and Coven again, but I feel like it was really rushed and the new characters (save for Michael) weren’t really developed. Also wasn’t a fan of how much the narrative jumped around.

10. Asylum. I’m so sorry 😭 but there was too much going on in this season. Maybe if they’d stuck with the Bloody Face + asylum storyline, then it would have worked, but the whole alien abduction thing was…. idk. Maybe it’s just because I don’t enjoy those types of stories. I loved Kit and Lana, though, and loved to hate the nuns.

11. Roanoke. Again, this one was a dud. No AHS intro, characters weren’t exactly memorable… this gets points for Kathy Bates’s character, though. And Audrey and Rory’s relationship, which reminded me of Tahani and Jason from The Good Place.

12. Death Valley. This one was just a snooze-fest. The characters and story weren’t memorable at all, and like I said, I’m not a big fan of alien abduction plotlines. Also felt rushed to me.

Can’t wait to see what else Ryan Murphy comes up with!

[im-not-corrupted]

WIP word search game!

tagged by @cuubism - thanks!

words: eat, world, run, blood, glass

eat - from forgiveness not so hard, chapter four

And, though it took him just a little bit longer, he learned Death didn’t offer her aid, nor her care or concern, out of pity. She didn’t offer it because she viewed him as weak. Rather, she offered her support—oftentimes silent, but sometimes her support took other forms, like coaxing him out of bed those first few weeks when everything felt difficult, like coaxing him to eat when the very concept turned his stomach—because she loved him.

He did not understand why. Not entirely. He was not the greatest brother out there. Before, he would not talk much at all. He became a stranger in her life and nothing more. But—but she loved him, and even though he couldn’t fathom why, she did. And he thought he didn’t have to deserve such a thing, not when it was offered to him easily.

world - from (only) a matter of time, a horizon series fic

The night after the Battle of the Alight had been one of those moments. At the time, she had to leave not only for the greater good—not only to find GAIA, to begin repairing a world so terribly broken by a threat she had little chance of truly understanding at the time—but also for herself. She set out that night in search of a mother she spent her eighteen years of life either hating or longing for, and after two weeks of travelling via Strider, she did. She found her body—Elisabet’s body—in that triangle of purple flowers, which she knew now was GAIA’s last homage to her. And she’s sat beside her for a while, in front of the place that had been Elisabet’s home, listening to old recordings from her Focus that had repaired themselves over the course of the battle, and some part of her had fixed itself. Only a small part of her, naturally, but it stitched itself back together slowly and painfully, and made way for new wounds to appear.

run - from my sandman x the raven cycle crossover fic, in which Hob is a Dreamer, and Dream is still Dream

What, then? Hob wondered. What are you, Stranger?

The voice dropped to a whisper, soft and sweet despite the threat that lurked beneath. Your worst nightmare, thief.

As though those words were a command, the terrors flew into the Dreamscape. They shrieked loudly, too much noise in his head, and his breath stuttered in his chest. He made to leave, to run into the trees behind him, but the shadows about his ankle kept him in place.

blood - from apotheosis., my fic in which Hob becomes Hope after Dream’s imprisonment

There was one man who did not meet this fate, for Death of the Endless found something…curious about this one. He was not yet dead, but she was inevitable; the arrow in his shoulder appeared to have hit something vital. Blood stained the hand he pressed to his wound in an attempt to staunch bleeding, but blood poured from the wound at a rate she knew was too fast to stop. It coated the man’s sword where it lay forgotten in the grass beside him, too. His breathing was laboured and seemed to cause him great pain, for his grimace grew worse with each one and he squeezed his eyes shut tightly as though to ward it off.

Though he must’ve been in great pain, though his journey to the Sunless Lands was inevitable, the man continued to hold on. He held onto life with a grip of steel and determination, refusing to fall unconscious even when it must’ve been preferable to this. He had a will to live bright enough to rival the sun, running deeper than anything she had seen before.

glass - from forgiveness not so hard, chapter three

”You have,” Death agreed easily.

Dream tried not to feel like his heart shattered like glass at that. “See? It is—”

”You have,” she interrupted forcefully, cutting him off. If the lights were on, he had no doubt that she would glare at him—actually, he wasn’t entirely sure she didn’t do that now, even if he couldn’t see it. “You have hurt people in the past, Dream. But you have changed. You’ve gotten better at that. You’ve mended your relationship with Hob—that’s proof enough of how much you’ve changed, isn’t it?”

Tagging @tharkuun @landwriter @arialerendeair if any of you feel like doing this!

New words: crown, fate, feather, speak, gesture

[lansplaining]

Do you have any good chengqing' fic recommendations on ao3?

i have so few 😭 there aren't enough!!!!

I've posted all of these before, but they all do deserve the love:

MODERN AU: Let's Play Pretend and Not Remember by Misila (chengqing are exes and a single day of fake dating breaks them)

Black-Eyed by betts (Wen Qing thinks her roommate's little brother is hot)

let it stay this way by doodlebutt (figure skating au!)

CANON AU:

from the other side of sorrow by Sour_Idealist (very very good and long canon divergence series, there's at least one standalone-ish chengqing part)

display my heart for you to see by Sour_Idealist (Jiang Cheng might be a little touch-starved)

[avatarskywalker78]

🎥😡

🎥If you could make a movie/tv show for one of your fics which one would you chose?

This was a difficult one, but I have to go with my Buffyverse fic i will stand by you (i will help you through) because of how the Angel & Riley friendships develops - those two had a lot of good potential that was squandered in canon and it was a joy to write and fix that and end up with a good and healthy friendship between the two men (plus an Angel who realises he's made mistakes with others and trying to make amends for those as well) and I would love to see that be made into a TV show.

😡which fic did the characters control the most (like you wrote a whole ass plan AND THEY DECIDED TO FUCK IT UP)?

Without a doubt even if we can't find heaven (i'll walk through hell with you - like this fic started out with the idea of 'hey, Eddie deserves a friend who cares about him' with the intention of that developing into a good, healthy, romantic relationship and would mostly follow canon with the exception of my superpowered OC.

And then it snowballed. It started out with me adding more OCs because I didn't want Steph to only have canon characters as her friends, then other characters started not just appearing but being part of Steph's group - Meena, Hartley, Ralph (even though at that point I hadn't even seen S4, I'd just seen clips of him online and thought 'this one. I like this one.'), Joss (after I found out about her and thought 'I'm gonna give her a better storyline'), and of course Malcolm Thawne (after I'd made up a version of him for one fic and he decided to stay), and all of their presences actively changed (and will change) the story and the series.

And Hartley's appearance in particular led to the 'taking down Wells' arc currently going on, because of course Steph wouldn't take Hartley's revelations lying down, she is going to be pissed, and suddenly 'Friends are just as important as romantic relationships' was really becoming the prominent theme and Steph and Eddie especially were working well as best friends and why mess that up, when if I wanted positive Westhawne I could have that...like the characters really drove the story and I suspect that this will continue in Parts 2 and 3 even though I also have a plan for that (already, Bette Sans Souci and Griffin Grey are going to make bigger and more permanant appearances when they were before.)

Fanfic ask game

[sallygcronin]

Smorgasbord Posts from my Archives - Previous Reviews from 2022 - #Children's - Amazing Matilda: A Monarch's Tale by Bette A. Stevens

Smorgasbord Posts from my Archives – Previous Reviews from 2022 – #Children’s – Amazing Matilda: A Monarch’s Tale by Bette A. Stevens

During this series I will be sharing my reviews for books I posted during 2022  Good books deserve to be showcased on a regular basis and I hope that it might entice you to either move the books up your groaning TBR’s or add the books to its burden! Delighted to share my review from January 2022 for Amazing Matilda: A Monarch’s Tale by award winning children’s author Bette A. Stevens definitely a…

[news4usonline]

Flaherty dominate Mets in Game 1 of NLCS

The right-hander gives the Dodgers' bullpen a much-needed rest with a strong performance LOS ANGELES, Calif. - The Los Angeles Dodgers clearly looked like the better team in game 1 of the NLDS. They beat the New York Mets 9-0 behind a dominant performance from Jack Flaherty. A big question for the Dodgers coming into the series was how much stress they would put on their bullpen. Their relief pitchers carried them to the finish line against the Padres in the five-game NLDS, but now entering the seven-game series portion of the playoffs, it would be asking a lot for them to repeat the same workload.

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 13: Mookie Betts #50 and Freddie Freeman #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate after scoring in the first inning during Game 1 of the NLCS presented by loanDepot between the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Sunday, October 13, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) Against San Diego, Los Angeles's relief pitchers were one out shy of taking on 27 of the 44 innings. That is essentially three out of the five games that the bullpen pitched, which is not usually a recipe for success, but given how good they have been and how depleted the starting rotation is, their contributions were necessary. Flaherty made sure to give the arms in the pen some well-deserved and much-needed time off heading into game 2, where Los Angeles is now set to throw another bullpen game. https://twitter.com/Dodgers/status/1845642956533076401 Instead of focusing on going deep into the game and applying pressure on himself, the Dodgers' ace just played his game. "You can't think about those things. You gotta go one game at a time, one pitch at a time, and so today I just tried to go out and do my job until Doc said that was it," said Flaherty. He finished the outing with seven scoreless innings, no runs, and only two hits. The Mets did not pick up their first hit of the game until the fifth inning, and the Dodgers are three outs away from breaking the all-time postseason record for consecutive shutout innings (33). "It has been picking up where the last guy left off. You know that the guys coming in after you have got your back, and that is how this whole team has felt. Everybody is just feeding off each other right now," said Flaherty.

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 13: Francisco Lindor #12 of the New York Mets tags out Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers on a stolen base attempt in the second inning during Game 1 of the NLCS presented by loanDepot between the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Sunday, October 13, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) The offense certainly fed off his performance and now appears to be hot at the perfect time. The most impressive part about their nine-run night is that they did it with only one extra-base hit. They have lived off the long ball this postseason, and they managed to have their highest-scoring output of the playoffs without a single home run. "Tonight, we kind of checked down and got some big base hits. It was moving a guy over and then getting a knock. I just thought all night long that we were really stubborn. I thought the hitting coaches did a great job of putting together a game plan, and then the players executed," said Dave Roberts. https://twitter.com/Dodgers/status/1845660069322781083 Roberts called this his "most challenging season" as a manager before the game, but so far, it has also been his most impressive. Every string he is pulling has paid off, and it will be interesting to see if the bullpen continues to be his team's biggest strength. The worry is still that they could break down if two more bullpen games are in store for this series. Alex Vesia already went down in game 5 against the Padres, and all it takes is one bad outing from any of the relievers to make their lack of starting pitching look like a potentially fatal flaw.

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 13: Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates with teammates in the dugout after scoring in the first inning during Game 1 of the NLCS between the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Sunday, October 13, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Owens/MLB Photos via Getty Images) "Right out of the gates, we played five games in six days, so how to balance that, divvy up the workload, and make sure our best guys are in a position to help us win games is really important," said president of baseball operations Andrew Freidman on the bullpen's workload heading into Game 1. "Each game takes on its own life form and takes you down paths that you can't possibly foresee, so we will assess it at the end, and the most important thing that we can do is win tonight and figure out where we are after that," Freidman added. The Dodgers are in a great spot after the win. The series opener was about as perfect as they possibly could have planned for, and the team has to feel pretty good about their chances moving forward. Top Photo Caption: LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 13: Jack Flaherty #0 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches during Game 1 of the NLCS presented by loanDepot between the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Sunday, October 13, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) Read the full article