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acreativeme · 3 years ago

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Mobster’s Daughter

Mobster’s Daughter

Kenny Crobsy x Reader

Y/N was not used to working with a team. She spent most of her career as a UC with the Organized Crime Unit. After nearly ten years, Y/N put in a transfer to the fugitive recovery unit. She wanted something new, something that didn’t remind her of her childhood. She knew that working with a team meant forming close bonds with people, but she didn’t expect to fall in love. When she meant Kenny Crosby, the communication specialist with anger issues, it was like the world stilled. It was almost like how the wolves in Twilight describe imprinting.

They had started dating only three months after she joined the team, and disclosed it to their unit chief. Jess just said that they needed to keep it professional at work, or he was going to have to transfer one of them. Y/N had spoken with him privately, telling him if anything happens to transfer her not Kenny. That had surprised him, but he agreed.

She had been with the unit for almost a year, when her old unit chief called her--- needing her for a very important case. Her father’s case..Y/N’s father had walked out on her and her mother when she was 4 years old to run the Russo Crime Family. Though Y/N’s mother, Ivy, was embarrassed and hurt, she never lied to Y/N about who her father was. He would send money for her schooling and presents on her birthday, and Christmas, but he didn’t know anything about her or her future. He didn’t know that she had joined the FBI as she had changed her last name to her mother’s maiden name.

Things were getting out of control with the Russo Family, so she needed to stop them. She just didn’t know how to tell Kenny, so she took the easy way out and broke up with him.

Y/N paced in front of his door, waiting for him to open up. “...I’m sorry, but I can’t do this anymore..” she muttered, trying to find the proper words.

She jumped as the door opened, “Kenny!” she squealed, clenching her chest.

He laughed, leaning against the door frame. “You musta been thinking really hard.”

She shot him a glare. “Are you going to let me in?” She pushed his chest playfully, hoping that she was playing off her anxiety.

He grinned, stepping aside so that she could come in. Y/N looked around, noticing that he was probably using his day off to clean his apartment. “Do you want anything to drink?” He asked, shutting the door.

Y/N shook her head, “No, I am good. I can’t stay for long, gotta meet my mom for lunch. I just stopped by to see if my gray cardigan was here, I can’t seem to find it..” She chickened out. She couldn’t break up with him.

Kenny look around, noticing it hanging off the back of his recliner. “Here you go,” he picked it up, “but you are going to have to work for it.” He held it above her head.

She rolled her eyes, moving to give him a kiss. As he leaned down, Y/N jabbed him in the stomach-- which caused him to double over. She pulled it from his grasp, quickly pecking his cheek. “Nice try.” She whispered in his ear, quickly turning to leave.

He gasped, “Not so fast.” He wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her off the ground.

Y/N squealed, disregarding the cardigan. “Kenny!”

He laughed loudly, spinning her around. “That was so underhanded! I didn’t think that you had it in you.” He spun her around in his arms so that he could look into her eyes.

She smirked. “There is a lot about me that you don’t know.” She leaned down to kiss him, forgetting the real reason for her visit.

He wrapped her legs around his waist, pressing her against his chest. She knotted her fingers with his hair, trying to memorize his lips. “Are you sure that you have to go to lunch with your mom?” He asks, pressing kisses to her neck.

She bit back a moan, nodding. “Yes, I haven’t seen her for ages.”

He nodded sadly, sitting her back on the ground. “Fine,” he rolled his eyes playfully, “but we are still going running tomorrow, right?”

She looked down at the cardigan, not wanting him to see the pain in her eyes. “Of course! It’s not safe for attractive men, like you, to be running by yourself, so I gotta be there to protect you.” She looked up at him with a cheeky smirk.

He rolled his eyes at her again, moving to tickle her. “So cheeky.” He walked her to the door with a loving grin on his face. “I will be at yours at 6AM, is that okay?”

She sighed. “Yeah, I guess.” She bit her lip, trying to hide her smile.

He leaned down and briefly kissed her as he showed her out. “I will see you tomorrow.”

She bumped her nose against him. “See ya tomorrow.” She walked away, tears rolling down her cheeks.

...The Next Morning…

Y/N’s POV

Y/N sat at the counter of the now empty kitchen, a piece of paper and pen in front of her. She had decided to leave him a letter, knowing that was not going to be able to lie to his face.

Kenny,

I can’t do it anymore. Please forgive me..

Don’t look for me…

Y/N

Tears stained the paper as she laid the pen down. She couldn’t write anymore without breaking down and telling him the truth. She grabbed her duffle bag and walked out of the one place that felt like home.

Kenny’s POV

He raced up the stairs to Y/N’s apartment, not wanting to bother with the elevator and wanting to warm up his muscles. He had decided to skip out of coffee in favor of downing two glasses of orange juice. He glanced down at his watch as he stepped out onto her floor, 5:50AM. He’s early. He sighed, slowly walking towards her apartment. It took him a moment to realize that her door was cracked, which scared him.

He slowly pushed the door open, calling out her name. “Y/N?” No response. He dialed her number, hoping that she had just left it cracked for him. He pressed the phone to his ear, hearing it ring twice.

“We are sorry. The number that you are trying to reach is out of service. Please hang up and try again later.”

Kenny looked around the apartment, taking in the emptiness. After exploring the abandoned apartment, he found the note on the counter.

Kenny,

I can’t do it anymore. Please forgive me..

Don’t look for me…

Y/N

He read those words over and over, knowing that something wasn’t right. He couldn’t bring himself to believe that she would just up and leave him like this, like that they hadn’t been talking about their future just yesterday.

He slid down the wall, to sit on the floor and cry.

6 months later…

Y/N’s POV

Slipping back into her ripped jeans, Y/N looked down at the henchman that her father had guarding her. A henchman that also happened to be his right hand man. She had seduced him, which made her feel as if she had cheated on Kenny, to get access to her father’s computer. She hadn’t actually slept with him. She had fixed him a drink, laced with a strong sedative, and made out with him.

She snuck out of her bedroom, tiptoeing down the hallway to his office. Anyone that lives or had been invited to stay the night had been in bed for hours, so she didn’t really have to worry about anyone catching her. Her father’s office was on the first floor near the kitchen, as he always had to be near food. With the amount he eats, Y/N was surprised that he was still in great shape…

She made a pit stop as she passed the kitchen to grab the container of cookies that she made as an excuse to be in her father’s office. She had hid them in her cabinet, which her father had given her as soon as he welcomed her into his home. He had sat her down in his office and they talked for hours. He had shared that he had missed her, and her mother, and that he wanted them to get to know each other. She had to remind herself that he was a bad guy, that had murdered a bunch of people and broken a lot of other laws.

Her father had given her a key to his office, for emergencies, so she didn’t need to pick the lock. She crept over to his computer, knowing that she didn’t need to turn it on as he never turns it off. She pulled out a cloning device and plugged it into the main port. She typed in his password, quickly scanning through his emails and internet history. She then scanned through all of the other documents on his computer, finding spreadsheets that explained where he was hiding the money. She pulled up his calendar, which he seemed to use to keep track of his special shipments. She made sure to clone that and mirror it to her phone. Using a USB, Y/n downloaded a keystroke logger on his computer. She was going to use her computer to keep track of his computer usage. She had already cloned his phone and bugged each of his cars, using her scrunchies, which he happily keeps in his cars as reminders of his daughter.

She looked up as she heard footsteps coming towards, so she quickly finished what she was doing. Y/N slipped the cloning device and USB into her pocket, moving the cookies so that they were sitting in front of his keyboard.The door opened, revealing her father in his pajamas.

“Y/N? What are you doing in here, love?” He rubbed his eyes, having just woken up.

She gulped, nerves bubbling in her stomach. “Well, it’s your birthday pop. I wanted to surprise you, but I guess the cat is out of the bag.” She held up the container of cookies, double chocolate with white chocolate chips.

He grinned, walking towards his desk. “How’d you know that these were my favorite?”

She opened the container for him. “They are my favorite too!”

He took one, taking a large bite out of it. “These are so yummy.” He did a little happy dance as he shoved the rest of it into his mouth.

She forced a smile. “I am glad that you enjoy it.” She passed over the container, “I am going to make some breakfast, would you like some?”

3 months later…

With the help of the cook, Y/N put together a wide spread of food for her father and his group of elite members. She had planned this evening as a way for her team to arrest all major players of the Russo Crime family without any of them going into hiding. Y/N worked out with her handler that she would also be taken into custody.

She and Mariana, the cook, set the table and placed each dish around the table to make it look appealing to the people eating. Once everything was set, Y/N called everyone in to eat. Her father grinned at the spread, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. “It looks great, doll.” He kissed her head, moving towards the head of the table.

She took her spot next to him, feeling a pit in her stomach. “Thank you, dad!”

Everyone followed suit and took their seats. Her father said grace and started dishing out his portion of food. He passed it to Y/N, so gave herself a little bit and passed it along. She felt too nervous, so she wasn’t going to be able to eat much. Everyone was chatting aimlessly as they made up their plates. Y/N knew that no business would be brought up until everyone was digging in.

“This brisket is so delicious, Y/N. You’ll have to give me your recipe.” Gina, Rickie’s wife, stated from her spot down the table.

Y/N smiled, “Thank you, it’s my grans recipe. I think she’d come back and kill me if I share it.” The whole table laughed, muttering that their gran would do the same thing.

Y/N zoned out as she moved the food around her plate, taking tiny bites. Her father called attention as he began talking about the plans for the coming week. The women focused on their food as the men talked about shipments of drugs and weapons. As they were talking about times and locations, Y/N reacted into her pocket and clicked her pen-- which signaled her team to come in.

She counted to 15 in her head, taking a long sip of her wine. She was sitting down the glass as the FBI swat team broke down the front and back doors.

“FBI swat!! Put your hands up!” A strong confident voice screamed, as several other officers surrounded them.

Y/N jumped, pretending to be frightened. She looked at her dad, panic in her eyes. “Daddy? What’s going on?”

He took an aggravated breath. “I am not sure, but everything will be alright.”

An officer pulled roughly at her chair. “Get up. You are under arrest.” He pretended to get rough with her to draw a reaction out of her father.

He jumped out of his chair, the force knocking it over. “Do not touch her! She has nothing to do with this.”

The officer that stood behind her, pushed him back. “Stay back. We will determine whether she played a role or not.”

Y/N’s captain stepped into the dining room, a bulletproof vest over a white button down shirt. “Vincent Russo. You and everyone in here are under arrest.”

3 months later…

Y/N stood outside of Kenny’s apartment, nervous to see him for the first time in a year. She had just finished up her father’s case and everything that was related to him. In the end, he told her to snitch on him to avoid any prison time. He told her that he would do anything to protect her, so he wanted her to testify against him. He had instructed all of his men that he could that he wanted her to testify against him, so they were too not go after her. She told him that the FBI wanted her to work for them as a consultant, or she would spend time in prison-- no matter her role in the organization. That hurt him, but he told her to do it- which surprised her.

After he was put away, she returned home. She had talked with Jess LaCriox about the mission that she had been sent on and how she wanted to return to the team. He talked with her captain and let her return to the team. The only stipulation was that she had to talk with Kenny, who had taken her leaving extremely hard.

Taking a deep breath, Y/N knocked on his front door. It took him a moment to answer, and she shook with nerves the whole time.

“How can I--” Kenny stopped mid sentence, surprise evident on his face.

Shoving her hands in her pockets, Y/N smiled. “Hey, Kenny…”

Without thinking, Kenny pulled her into his arms. He held her to him, not wanting to let her go. “Where did you go? Why did you leave?” He whispered into her hair.

She squeezed him tightly. “I think that it would be best to tell you inside your apartment.”

He picked her up, not wanting to let her go. They sat down on the couch and held each other as she explained that she had been called in to take down her father. She had to do some things that were against her morals, but it had to be done-- which is why she had to end things with him. Kenny just sat back and listened to her as she talked, glad that she was home safe.

“I don’t care what you did, Y/N. It was work, we’ve all had to do things we wouldn't do for work.

I am just glad that you made it home safe.” He stated, understanding where she was coming from.

She kissed him, not being able to hold back any longer. “I love you, Kenny. I didn’t tell you before I left.” Tears were now rolling down her cheeks.

He wiped them away, caressing her cheek. “I love you. I’ve loved you for the last two years and I plan on loving you for many more years.”

#requests #Kenny Crosby #Kenny Crosby imagines #FBI Most Wanted #fbi most wanted imagine #imagines #one shot #mobster #undercover #sweetswriting

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callabang · 3 years ago

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Fic Rec: Sci-Fi

aliens! robots! space!

like bombs in the distance | addandsubtract

“Oh, you’re awake,” he hears, and that sounds like –

“Dylan,” Zach says. A few pieces slide into place – the alarm last night, the turbulence, the way everything went swiftly dark. “Oh, Jesus, you didn’t.”

notes: the tension in this one is soooo good, and the contrast between zach and dylan is painful in the best way

Through the Dark | hedgerose

Sid opens the door, and his eyes catch the barest glimpse of a kid-- in his early teens, at the oldest-- this kid, all shaved head and big, doe-soft eyes. His knuckles are split and there's a fading bruise high on his left cheekbone, but he meets Sid's eyes squarely, blinking in the sudden light.

"Hi," Sid finds himself saying, almost inanely. "I'm Sidney Crosby. We're here to help."

notes: extremely interesting worldbuilding and a big cast of characters. this one reminds me of tarsus iv fic in the star trek fandom which i mean very much as a compliment

tragic hockeybot Geno | sevenfists

“The fuck’s wrong with Geno?” Kuni muttered to him, and Sid shook his head. He knew a fair amount about bot maintenance, but glitching wasn’t maintenance, it wasn’t common, and it meant that something was pretty wrong.

notes: i am the world’s biggest sucker for any android au and this one hits especially hard! androids and their vulnerabilities and dealing with the fallout thereof

pledge my allegiance and bite my tongue | spock

It's a given that all droids will develop some form of their own unique idiosyncrasies, but none of them are as decidedly too much as Ovi's is. He's got too much style, too much personality; it's a well known and much maligned fact that he'd nearly been recalled not all that long after his activation, but the test groups had loved him so much that he was granted an exception.

notes: see notes above!

Bright and (Not Too) Early (the Android remix) | kleinergruenerkaktus

The start of training camp is the time for new season's resolutions. So when Gemma asks “Anything else I should know?” and Tanner, as per usual, goes “Nah”, Jeff pipes up with “What about your premature ejaculation thing?”

“FUCK YOU, Jeff,” goes Tanner.

“His what?” goes Gemma.

“Jesus Christ, Carts,” goes Tyler, who finished his medical like an hour ago and has a habit of hanging around the shop whenever Tanner gets work done. “Privacy?!”

“Shoulda made me sign an NDA last night,” shrugs Jeff. “Don’t get me wrong, I had a great time, but I’m just saying. That’s gotta be a bug or something. Why not just get it fixed?”

notes: this one is FUN and hot and i adore that it’s a remix! bring back REMIXES amiright!

In Space No One Can Hear You (Say My Name) | neerdowellwolf

The human turns just as Joel is starting to unhinge his jaw, but instead of screaming like most of them do he just says, "Oh."

Joel rehinges his jaw to respond. "Oh?"

The human nods. "This makes sense why there've been so many dead bodies. It was you."

notes: just too funny to even describe. an “among us” au featuring big ol’ monsterfucker carter hart

Attraction Force | littleconnections

Joel listens to music Morgan has never heard of before. Joel says prayers Morgan doesn’t know. Joel knows how to sweettalk the AI, how to find the best hidden corners on the ship, how to sleep when the ship whirrs around them. He’s been to alien planets and eaten food Morgan would never put in his mouth.

He’s also never been to beach. He barely knows any animals, and most of those only from network shows. He doesn’t know how to cook, and not just in the way Morgan doesn’t know how to cook, but like he doesn’t know what a kitchen looks like.

Morgan is kinda into him.

notes: coming of age! in space! this one really hits all the tender achey notes of going to a new place and starting a new chapter but ALSO features cool space hockey and gritty as a sentient AI

imploring harvest | chartreuser

Nicke just wants to play hockey, eat some iPhones, and watch his boyfriend photosynthesise.

notes: super interesting twist on an alien au, and i love the characterization across the board

double digging for the successful transplant of organic cultivars | Rest

Tom works on a fishing boat in long shifts of four or five days. He lives with one of his brothers. They work at different times and on different days and do not see each other so much.

Mike's days begin early in the morning and end around sundown. He has time for his son, but not enough time by his measure. His aim is not for a helper. He is looking for a partner in parenthood and a companion.

Tom likes working with his hands, but it is a solitary life. He would much prefer to be married. Leaving and settling elsewhere is his surest chance for having that.

notes: this one is so evocative and atmospheric, it almost feels like a historical au in tone. also the way the author writes the child character here is poignant and perfect!

these, our bodies | growlery writes (growlery)

Travis was built for Flyers hockey. He was a first-rounder, but not in the top ten, so he's a pretty standard build. Fast, chippy, on the smaller side but strong. No McDavid, but then they've never made an android as good as McDavid. That kind of talent you can't synthesise, apparently.

notes: excellent android story with some lines that absolutely gut-punch you

#hockey rpf #fic rec #sci-fi #genre fic

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crowdvscritic · 5 years ago

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round up // FEBRUARY 20

On Wednesdays we wear pink, and in February, I stay inside and watch Turner Classic Movies because it’s too gosh-darn cold to do anything else. I watched almost as many movies as days in this month, largely thanks to TCM’s 31 Days of Oscar. A few things I learned:

As much as I enjoy a good TV binge, I enjoy the satisfaction of a movie's end more.

Thank goodness TCM shows good movies when the theatres seem barren of them.

If anyone says women’s complaints about their depiction in Hollywood are overblown, I’d challenge them to watch my month’s lineup. Most female characters were basically non-existent or defined as objects of desire no matter what decade the movies were from.

In February, I also watch the Academy Awards. Most of the movies here were nominated for Oscars, but I’m also recommending a few more pop culture picks (including TV, social media, a book, articles, and music) for the month.

February Crowd-Pleasers

The Imagineering Story (2019)

The Imagineering Story tells the story behind the creation of Disney theme parks, with the greatest highlight of showing you how attractions are designed. Is this shameless Disney marketing on the Disney+ streaming service? Yep, but it’s so well done that for a moment I forgot about their unsettling takeover of the entertainment industry and wanted to quit everything I was doing to go work for them.

This Knives Out Sequel Twitter Thread

The Internet can be a scary place, but this thread reminds us the fun things that can happen when tons of strangers come together. My recommendation was Knives Out: In 2 the Donut Hole, but that’s mostly because someone beat me to Knives Out 2: Adam Driver Is In It.

Classic Action Double Feature: The Magnificent Seven (1960) and The Dirty Dozen (1967)

Your girl loves star-studded team-ups, and it’s never better than when an action movie rounds up its squad of special skills. Also a Charles Bronson double feature! (Bonus: I recommend checking out the 2016 Magnificent Seven remake for a reevaluation of some of the elements that haven’t aged well in the original.)

Classic Comedy Double Feature: Moonstruck (1987) and Road to Morocco (1942)

Moonstruck is like My Big Fat Greek Wedding meets While You Were Sleeping, and Cher’s 1980s hair is a mood. (Arguably, so is Nicolas Cage’s chest hair.) Road to Morocco is like Airplane! meets Aladdin, and the silliness has hardly aged thanks to the talents of Bing Crosby and Bob Hope.

Joyful by Ingrid Fetell Lee

The science of joy? This non-fiction book is as fun a read as it should be! It’s not providing answers to deep questions of philosophy, but it’s about a philosophy that can bring life changes. I was amazed by stories of how bright colors, circular spaces, and Northern Lights can inspire joy no matter what your circumstances are. The only problem with this book is that you constantly want to Google every beautiful things she is describing—maybe we need a big coffee table book with photos as a second edition?

'90s Action Double Feature:Tremors (1990) and The Fugitive (1993)

You know a movie's good when you tense up even though you know what's coming. I'd caught bits and pieces of The Fugitive on TV, but this Harrison Ford/Tommy Lee Jones standoff still sucked me in when I watched it start-to-finish. Tremors is not a good movie—this is a movie so bad it’s great. If on some Friday night you need a big, dumb action movie with terrible dialogue, a monster created with dated special effects, and forgettable characters getting picked off one by one and coasts entirely on the charisma of Kevin Bacon and Reba McEntire (???), have I got the movie for you!

February Critic Picks

These Pieces on the Grammys Controversy

The New York Times and Variety wrote about why the firing of President/CEO Deborah Dugan and her subsequent lawsuit won’t be disappearing even though the Recording Academy is trying hard as heck to do that. As one too invested in how the arts are recognized and celebrated, I’m paying attention to what appears to be a scandal just waiting to be uncovered.

“Can the Grammys Be Trusted?” by Jon Caramanica (The New York Times)

“The Grammys May Be Over, but the Recording Academy Scandal Isn’t” by Jem Aswad (Variety)

Dark Passage (1947)

An exception to the trend of weak female roles in the films I watched this month. Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart re-team for their third film (of four) together in this romantic film noir. Bogart plays a wrongfully accused escaped convict, and Bacall is the woman who helps him keep his cover. The unconventional first-person camera angles at the beginning will catch your attention, but their chemistry will keep you invested till the end.

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The Oscars

The 2020 Oscars ceremony was one of the most bonkers ceremonies in recent memory. Bonkers is preferable to boring, and I love any night celebrating movies, so I have very few complaints about an evening spent with friends eating movie-themed snacks. (Anyone care for an Adam Screw-Driver?) My favorite moments came thanks to Bong Joon Ho, especially his wins for Best Original Screenplay and Best Director.

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The French Dispatch Trailer (2020)

A star-studded team-up about Midwestern journalists from the aesthetically-pleasing mind of Wes Anderson? Take my money!

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Classic War Comedy Double Feature: Life Is Beautiful (1997) and Dr. Strangelove (1964)

They were both nominated for Best Picture, and they both find humor in the darkest of war. In Life Is Beautiful (La Vita è Bella), a father transforms a Nazi concentration camp into a game to save his son’s innocence. In Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, a bunch of incompetent leaders try to prevent nuclear war. Neither sounds funny, but they pull it off with delicate execution. (Bonus: Enjoy Robert Benigni winning an Oscar!)

The Slow Rush by Tame Impala

As my brother would say, this album slaps.

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Leap Day Bonus

“What a Man Gotta Do” by the Jonas Brothers

My apologies to the Jo Bros for forgetting to include this in my January Round Up—this movie-inspired music video is a treat.

Also in February…

Yes, I love the Oscars, but considering how much viewership went down, it seems the Academy could do more to draw people in. One of my favorite film podcasts inspired me to brainstorm seven ways the Oscars could make the public care again in a piece for ZekeFilm.

The writers of ZekeFilm counted down our favorite films of 2019, most of which you can find on streaming now.

Kyla and I discussed a rock ‘n’ roll documentary and a camp classic on SO IT’S A SHOW? this month.

If you want to see the full list of movies I watched this month, you can find it on Letterboxd.

Photo credits: Grammys, Tame Impala. Joyful my own. All others IMDb.com.

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roseate7 · 6 years ago

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- The vicious and intentional behaviour Raffl exhibited against Malkin last night merits severe reprehension and deserves two or three layers of punishment (the instigating, the sucker-punch to the head and the subsequent diving caught on tape) none of which has ever been called for and none of which he is receiving.

- The reckless way Malkin reacted to Raffl with his stick deserves a high-sticking punishment, which he received in the game. Even a cursory review proves that there was no intent to severely harm (at that close range? intended harm would’ve followed through 100%) and Malkin himself owned up to his recklessness and rightfully denied any intent to cause severe harm to Raffl.

That’s what literally happened, but uh interestingly not even the Pens fanbase has mentioned the first and instigating part. And that’s a huge problem, and a symptomatic one.

Alex Ovechkin is a “mad Russian” who is hilarious and wild, and his deliberate head-shots and high temper and low boredom threshold are all considered apiece with his appeal to fans and media. It’s hilarious and adorable! He’s celebrated and regaled for sure but hey, it’s fun to root for a guy who is such a character! What you see is what you get with him, right? Great!

Evgeni Malkin is “the Russian who doesn’t mind being second to Sidney Crosby” who is either equal to or only slightly behind Crosby in talent, skill and record books… but that’s not fun! That’s not interesting! Malkin has self-admittedly something of a temper. So in the blink of an eye, an elite player becomes an aggressive oaf perfectly suited to his deep voice, his choppy English and size. That’s a lot more snappy than accepting him to be a complicated and misunderstood character who finds that he can’t easily translate either his play or his thoughts into Western terms. Who knows he’s denigrated and that his choice to stay on a team with Sidney Crosby will only further lessen his positive significance, and that his mistakes will stand out more strongly as a result.

Both of these cases are insults and ones that most fans and media don’t even admit or are aware they’re committing. Ovechkin’s case is unique in that he’s harnessed the bias toward him for his own advantage. He now owns that brand of xenophobia to the point where his deeply-sewn lifelong problematic political affiliations and dubious personal life are long since hand-waived and smiled upon. The big dumb Russian image is especially ironic in how in-control and smart he is with it. He is literally laughing all the way to the American banks. But Malkin’s? Is sadly not unique in it’s dejection: despite his smarts, he can’t even speak in his own defense without his accent and his English level feeding into the “big dumb uncultured animal” prejudice. (Even players who speak better English are still tarred by their accent, or get the dubious praise of “wow your English is so good!”) He can’t make the kinds of rash mistakes that occur incessantly in hockey without it cancelling out the records he’s broken or the goals he generated.

Or in this case in particular, the fact that he was a target.

And oh boy. You’re a simple-minded no-hockey-understandin’ fool if you think that an opposition facing humiliation at the hands of a rival team with a big Russian who takes provocation quickly at times, isn’t going to receive direction to draw exactly the kind of penalty Raffl got out of Malkin. It got them the make-up goal for the refereeing cockup earlier in the game (the goal that already would have ended the Pens shutout). To Raffl and the Flyers, it was well-worth the risk and it paid off. Raffl was absolutely fine with risking retaliation to his actions if the result was stopping a shutout against his time, which it did. He was also more than happy to take a strategic dive and keep his mouth shut in the hopes that it would keep Malkin off the ice even longer. This is hockey and more than that, it’s Pennsylvania hockey. That is what happened, period.

In all fairness, I wouldn’t expect the Flyers or their fans to do much else because again, that’s hockey. Raffl got away with it but in their eyes, it was eye-for-an-eye over the earlier goal snatched out of their grasp by a whistle. There was nothing shocking about last night for a battle of Pennsylvania game.

I’m also not expecting any different attitude toward Malkin from fans who look for any reason to hate the Penguins and especially Malkin. Their reasons are already heavily biased, wildly over the top and of no value to anyone but themselves.

But it should feel utterly stunning to Pens fans that they are treating Geno the way they are. That the bias against him (and the double standards he faces compared to comparable situations with other Pens players) takes a situation of clear instigation and violence AGAINST Geno, and has instead turned it entirely into part of a pugilistic, brainless and animalistic fantasy that is a far cry from the reality that Geno is the vast majority of the time a smart and calculating player who sometimes lets his temper get the better of him (more on that in a lil sec!). There’s no hemming or hawing over that fact: we all know Geno doesn’t get his just desserts for the good he does due to playing on a team with Sid. We should also realise that Geno has an entirely unjust reputation for his mistakes that Sid does not get. Was Sid for a long time an emotional player who’s emotions sometimes brought harm to himself or his team? Undeniably yes. Was it gross the way opposition fans blew up that occasional flaw into something that actively fed the “Cindy crybaby” image that will now literally never die? Oh it sure is gross!

So why then is it okay that Geno’s flaw is encourage by his team’s own fans to feed a caricature of him that is intended to blot out his talent and his intelligence?

The thing is I know a lot of people think they’re not at all falling for that stereotype, but as someone who was around for the original post-Iron Curtain Russians I am coming out of my well to say: yes you are. I begged for tickets to hockey games my poor little teenage ass could scant afford just to watch the Russian 5 in person. I idolized their play. I counted Scotty King Midas Bowman as fortunate to have them on his already star-studded team. I also insulted and degraded the Russian 5 players unintentionally for years out of ignorance and out of deep-seated prejudice. So if you haven’t been disturbed by calling a notoriously intelligent player who has turned the tide of entire games and seasons on his own at times “dumb” and “violent” or chuckled at the way he expresses himself, then you’ve got some self-examination waiting.

I’ve also got hilariously zero time for people trying to sneak in their “Malkin is a dirty player” bullshit so let’s easily clear that up:

On the end of the spectrum that absolutely defines the modern dirty player: Tom Wilson makes surgical, calculated unprovoked and often blind-sided vicious hits intended to take players out of the game. Exiting the “dirty player” realm and far from Wilson is Erik Karlsson’s suspension this year for what he argued did not merit the punishment but that was still an intentional iffy hit that needed repercussion. Then you’ve got the fact that Geno reacts badly to hits and verbal provocation sometimes. If that’s a dirty player then bye bye to all the boys you’ve loved before because defining Karlsson and Malkin as “dirty” your little shits are also dirty players. The Lady Byng is given on relative terms, not because there are hockey players with truly squeaky clean records out there. If every reactionary slash and grudge-driven whack were called then hockey wouldn’t exist. These are male athletes traveling at high-speed in a contact sport, folks.

So the reaction to last night’s incident with Geno and the follow-up needs to be re-written for accuracy at least in part by Pens fans: Raffle made a targeted series of pugilistic attacks on Geno that were not called, Geno reacted with reckless high-sticking which was fairly called, and Raffl took a dive that was visible even to Philly commentators but was not called for it. NHL Player Safety is in a turmoil of trying to find “balance” in their wildly fluctuating definitions of dirty and illegal play and the hearing coupled with a complete lack of punishment or condemnation on Raffl’s headshot is a farce.

Hoping that Geno has to miss games for his mistake as a reaction to another player’s dirty tactics is… yeah that’s wrong. You’re wrong. You gotta ask yourself why you want that, if you do. A fine on top of his punishment to make a point? Okay. Missing games? When such a punishment has previously only been for targeted illegal hits? Yeah that’s extreme and bullshit.

#evgeni malkin #player safety #original posts

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lostinfic · 6 years ago

Text

Dissonance and Harmony | 5

Pairing: Roderick Peterson (Nativity 2) x Alison Crosby (The Canterbury Tales).

*You don’t need to have seen either film.*

Summary: Alison wants to boost her pop music career whereas Roderick needs to restore his reputation in the world of classical music. Neither of them is above using “irregular” means to get what they want, so when she joins his choir, they are in a unique position to help each other… if only they could get along.

A/N: Apparently, turtlenecks are called polo necks in the UK. Here’s a link to the bells video Roderick shows her.

Rating: M | Word count: 5,4k

Part 1 and 2 | Part 3 and 4 | Ao3

♪ ♪ ♪

Today, when Alison arrives at the theatre earlier, it’s not in the hopes of time alone with Roderick, but for a job interview with Vera, his associate.

Vera asks her a few questions, but she’s a no-nonsense type of woman who quickly sees that Alison has all the requirements both in terms of job experience and people skills.

“I can see why Roderick recommended you for the job,” Vera says as they shake hands.

“I can see why you two are business partners.”

Alison will work at the ticket booth during the day and show performers around when they arrive ahead of their concert. Some nights, she will guide people to their seats and bartend during intermission. The pay is average, but it will compensate for the hours she can’t work at the pub anymore. And there’s a tiny chance she’ll meet interesting people in the business. Still nowhere near the 7000‎£ her ex-husband is suing her for.

There’s an hour left before the beginning of choir practice, enough time to call her friend in Canterbury. Lisa is an old friend, and, more importantly, a terrible gossip. If anyone in Canterbury knows the reasons behind John’s lawsuit, it will be her.

Alison sits in the staircase, and tells her friend the little she knows.

“He’s suing you?” Lisa exclaims. “I can’t believe it. You know, even after you left him, he kept defending you. He was clearly in denial.”

“Aaww. What’s made him change his mind, then?”

“I’ll give you the straight tip: he’s dating the new solicitor in town.”

Lisa has a lot to say about this woman, but Alison focuses on only one thing: with every party emotionally involved, there will be no easy way out.

“If I could talk directly to John, I’m sure I could convince him to drop this,” Alison says.

“Use your loaf, Crosby: he thinks you manipulated him once, he’s not gonna talk to you again.”

“Fuck.”

“Besides, you’re famous now, so what’s the problem?”

“I’m famous?”

“We all saw you on the telly this summer with Robbie William.”

“That was once! I replaced a backup singer at the last minute and never saw him again. I work in a pub and sing in a choir. That’s it.”

When Alison hangs up, she heaves a long sigh. She has some answers now, but not the ones she wanted. If John thinks she’s rich and his new girlfriend convinced him to take advantage of this, she has to prove them wrong. But how if they won’t even talk to her?

Footsteps echo in the staircase, and she springs to her feet. It’s Roderick, shaking rain off his black trench coat as he walks up to his office. Butterflies erupt in her stomach. The man she insulted then impulsively hugged. The two days off they’ve had since that event haven’t decreased her embarrassment in any way.

He stops two steps lower than her. For once, they’re at eye-level.

“Are you alright?” he asks when he sees her.

She smooths her hair self-consciously. “Erm, yeah. Yeah. So, have you heard back from the investors?”

“Yes, we were lucky, Vera told me they couldn’t stay to watch after all. So they didn’t see that disastrous performance.”

“Oh, good. Whew.” She mimes wiping sweat off her forehead. “Unless they left because they’re not interested in sponsoring us after all.”

“No, they’ll be back next Friday… They said they liked the choristers they met in the lobby.”

“That’d be me and Marcus. Guess choosing me for my good looks is already paying off,” she says it good-humouredly, not an accusation, just banter. She tilts her head to the side with a mischievous smile. “My, what a fetching polo neck you’re wearing today.”

“Pardon?”

“I’m practicing.” She flutters her eyelashes exaggeratedly.

“You might not want to sound so sarcastic.”

“Noted. You really do give the best advice, Mr Peterson.”

“Thank you.” He puffs up his chest slightly. “It comes from my extensive experience as a teacher and mentor.”

“See what I did there? Not so sarcastic this time, was I?”

She smiles smugly, and Roderick rolls his eyes, but there is a certain fondness to the way he shakes his head.

“Well played, miss Crosby, well played.”

“I’ve got it covered. So, we have till Friday to improve and dazzle the investors?”

“Not the word I would’ve used, but, in essence, yes,” he says. “Are you going to the coffee shop?”

“Nah, brought my own tea today. Gotta save money.”

“Ok. I will see you in eighteen minutes.”

Alison skips down the stairs, whistling a show tune.

There’s nothing she can do about the lawsuit now, but there is something she can do about the investors.

They had two days off after the last practice session. She’d spent the better part of them reflecting on Roderick’s words and her behaviour towards the choir. He was right, she was making it all about herself and acting like a brat. She still plans on using the choir to boost her own career, but in order to do so, the choir must perform well and win, and that can only happen if they work together. So last night, carried along by a surge of generosity and fondness towards her fellow choristers, she baked a whole lot of cookies.

In the basement, where they’ll practice today, she folds out a table to display the three batches of cookies (chocolate, double chocolate and shortbread) with cute napkins.

As she waits for the others to arrive, she sings “Tiny Dancer” to herself and explores the room with improvised dance steps.

She spends so much time at the Lux Aeterna theatre now, it feels like a second home. She calls it simply “Lux”, like an old friend. “I’ll be at Lux all day,” she’ll say sometimes. Lux. Light. Even the basement is luminous somehow. Cold November sun streams through small stained glass windows and creates a colourful pattern over the exposed stone wall.

She grew up in places like these: church basements, school auditoriums, community centres. Cupboards full of old costumes and stage props, mismatched chair, yellowing paper on bulletin boards. The scent of dust and incense lingers decades after. Her love of the stage, and backstage, started young, at 4, when a speech therapist suggested she tried singing to overcome a light stutter, and suddenly she could express herself so fluently. These spaces she associates with freedom now.

“Nice choreography,” Marcus says as he rolls down the back entrance access ramp.

Cold wind rushes in with him, and Alison gathers the cowl neck of her sweater dress over her cheeks.

Marcus helps himself to four cookies and, after some small talk about their weekends, cuts to the chase and asks what happened backstage with Roderick last time.

“We had a row. He called me a brat. I called him selfish,” Alison sums up.

“And yet you’re still in the choir?”

“Yeah, it’s all fine now.” She waves dismissively. “I guess he kind of needs me.”

“How so?”

She sits down next to him, leaning forward to confide in him.

“You know how on the first day you asked why he’d chosen me. Well, he told me. It’s for my… sex appeal.”

Marcus removes his cap to run a hand through his light hair. “Whoa. Makes sense, I suppose. Some people think you’re sleeping with him.”

“What? Who? No! They thought we were off shagging backstage or something?” An image flashes through her mind: shutting Roderick up with a kiss mid-argument and being lifted against the wall, amongst the ropes and pulleys, nibbling on the skin under his turtleneck to leave a hickey— she wipes out the thought. “It’s not like that. He’s soooo not into me. That’s just ridiculous. He wants me to, I don’t know, seduce the judges or attract a male audience.”

“Will you? How do you feel about that?”

“There’s no harm in that, is there? I wear something nice, stroke their ego a bit, brighten their day. That’s what I’m best at.” Alison shrugs and smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “I just feel… daft for thinking he’d chosen me for my voice.”

“Don’t say that. You’re a good singer Alison. Bit of a diva, but nothing that can’t be fixed.” He pats her knee playfully. “It’s like I said that day. He must’ve thought you have a great voice too. He wouldn’t have chosen you for your looks alone.”

“I suppose, yeah. Has he mentioned using your disability?”

“No, but I noticed that whenever there’s a more plaintive part in a song, he always gives it to me. But, hey, I get to sing more than the other blokes. More exposure for me if a talent scout comes to the concert.”

More people come in, and Alison quickly offers them cookies. Some are wary of her sudden generosity, but no one refuses a freshly-baked cookie.

Janet and Abel in particular are grateful for the pick-me-up after what they saw in the lobby: new posters advertising their concert in December. It features a blurry photo taken, unbeknownst to them, during one of their practices and a large close-up of their conductor, with “Roderick Peterson’s choir” written in bold letters. The information spreads as more people arrive, and pictures taken with mobiles circulate.

“We didn’t even get to choose the choir’s name.”

“I reckon we won’t get a say in the setlist either.”

The poster bother Alison too, but mostly because it’s derailing her plan to become everyone’s friend and lead them to victory. Hoping to change the mood, she tells them about the potential sponsorship. “Mr Peterson and I talked, and we agreed that we must impress these investors,” she says. She might be exaggerating her part, and that won’t help with the rumours, but it’s worth it to see Clarissa seethe. Except she’s not the only seething one, the fact that Roderick himself didn’t inform them of this, adds fuel to the fire.

Annoyance rises in Alison, she sighs heavily and crosses her arms. You don’t understand, he cares about us, she wants to say, but bites her bottom lip to stay on their side.

“Why didn’t he tell us last week? We would’ve sang better,” Janet says.

“Because the quality of your performance should not be contingent upon the presence of investors,” says Roderick from the doorway. They all startle and turn around to him. “I expect you to be at your best. Every. Time. Is that clear?” No one dares speak. The threat of eviction from the choir still hangs above their heads. “Besides, you should not concern yourselves with administrative matters.”

Marcus breaks the silence by clearing his throat, everyone watches intently as he rolls up to Roderick. “With all due respect, Mr Peterson, you’re not teaching children anymore. You can consult us.”

Roderick clasps his hands behind his ram rod-straight back. Only a slight contraction around his jaw indicates his annoyance. “Thank you for your opinion, Mr Bailey. Now, let’s begin.”

They take their places in the middle of the room, Roderick at the piano, and sing through the usual warm-ups. Inhale for four beats, and hum the breath out on the same note for another four. Chests lifted, shoulders straight. Their abdomens widen and flatten simultaneously, each of them an alveoli of the same lung. Dissatisfactions are forgotten. Music prevails. “Lauda Mater Ecclesia”, “Saint Nicolas, Op. 42”, “Thou, my love, art fair”.

Alison fights her instinct to draw attention to herself. It’s not easy, just as it isn’t easy for Roderick to give compliments, but he manages to do so. In as much as “adequate” and “reasonable” said looking like he just threw up a little in his mouth can be considered compliments. She likes to think she was instrumental in that change of attitude. It no less surprises her when, at the end of the next practice, he asks, “Which song would you like to work on this week?”

Glances are exchanged, but no titles offered. Alison can’t think of any song what would not cause him to scoff.

“Well?”

Abel hesitantly raises his hand. “Maybe something by Eric Whitacre?”

“Whitacre? Seriously?” The choristers hold their breaths. “Okay, I suppose we can try that.”

The next day, Roderick hands them new scores. “Who wants to sing the solo? Everyone is welcome to try.” He has never asked before.

Alison starts raising her hand, but lowers it. He’s said “the more you try to make it about you, the less it will be”.

“Miss Crosby?” he asks.

“I— I don’t know.”

“This isn’t some test designed to torture you.” He sounds impatient, but there is something encouraging in the way he nods at her.

“Okay.”

“Take 15 to study the score. I’ll see the soloist individually.”

Alison goes into one of the small, soundproof booths that line the basement. As she studies and hums the notes, she realizes how differently she’s approaching this part. Unlike she would have three months ago, she immediately thinks of it in terms of its place in the whole of the song. She wonders how to complement the others rather than stand out.

“I wasn’t ready before,” she remarks when Roderick joins her in the room.

“Show me what you understand now.”

Her pulse quickens. This is her chance. She can’t let him down. She strikes the pose, relaxes her jaw, and sings the first lines.

Roderick interrupts her with a cluck of his tongue. “The notes are perfect. But you must put your guts into it.” He stretches his hand over her stomach and presses it into her flesh.

The contact jolts through her, and she gasps.

“Again,” he commands.

She holds his gaze and leans into his hand. This time, her voice is infused with determination. It erupts from her core until she’s completely out of breath.

“That was better.”

He swiftly leaves the room, leaving Alison to lean against the wall, bewildered.

♪

When Roderick arrives at work the next day, Alison is working in the ticket booth by the entrance of the theatre. It’s not a demanding job— answering phone calls, printing out tickets, selling to the occasional walk-in client— so he knows she has time to talk with him.

He’s just come back from their coffee shop, one black coffee in hand, and a beverage for her too. It’s some awful seasonal concoction. He thought of her when he saw it advertised in the window, and he needed something to smooth things over. His conduct yesterday, touching her like that, was inappropriate. He knew he could get so much more depth out of her. He’d wanted to rouse that boldness she has, and it worked. But she has to learn to engage it by herself.

He places the clear plastic cup in front of her, glad to put the artificial scent of peppermint and vanilla away from him. Her eyes widen at the sight of the indecent amount of whipped cream, but she expresses none of the enthusiasm he expected.

“I didn’t get the solo,” she says.

For a moment, he fails to see the connection. “Oh, miss Crosby, you’ve known me for some time now, have I ever cajoled someone when I was displeased with their performance?”

She giggles and grabs the drink. “Not quite your style, no.” She sips noisily through the straw. “Mmmm. It’s the one called Elf Brew, innit? Want a sip?”

“No. I’m a vegetarian so no elf meat smoothie for me.”

“You’re funny.”

He finds he doesn’t mind this new habit of hers of flirting with him. It’s all a laugh, of course, she doesn’t mean any of it. But it lets him know she’s not upset about what happened.

“So, I didn’t not get the solo?”

“I’m still considering my options. Luisa did very well too.”

“Right, yeah.” She shrugs and swirls the straw around her drink. “I mean, Whitacre's her favourite composer. It’s more her thing than mine. She should probably get it.”

Roderick arches an eyebrow in surprise.

“We’ll find something else that’s a better fit for me, yeah?” she adds.

“That’s more like it.”

She offers a smile that fades quickly. He pretends to take an interest in the brochures around her booth.

“But I’m trying, though,” she says. “I’m making an effort to really be a part of the choir.”

“I noticed.”

He wonders how long that will last, but it seems his words had an effect on her. Just like her words had one on him. She was right, he had been making the choir all about himself. And Marcus was right too, he isn’t teaching children anymore. It’s all getting in the way of his success.

“I decided to make changes to the posters that created such a stir,” Roderick announces.

“Really? That’s very cool of you. ”

“Today in fact. Can you do something about your face?” He gestures vaguely in front of her.

Her smile vanishes. “What’s wrong with my face?”

He could kick himself for phrasing his request like that. He explains that a photographer will arrive shortly to take new photos for the promotional material. She rushes to the bathroom with her handbag. Ten minutes later, Alison comes out with a fresh coat of pink lipstick, loose hair and, somehow, glitter on her eyelids.

In the auditorium, the photographer asks her to sing while he snaps photos around her. Then she smiles and poses with a binder of music sheets. He’s efficient, he’s worked with Roderick before and knows what he wants, but he’s taking more pictures than necessary and getting too friendly with Alison. She, of course, is enjoying every minute of it. Roderick should be annoyed with this kind of vain attitude, but she remains professional and focused.

“Beautiful. You’re a natural, luv. Lean over. Okay, cross your arms. Yes. Look at me.”

“Okay, I think that’s enough,” Roderick intervenes.

“But we’re only getting started,” the photographer retorts. “I think we need her in a skirt. No? Okay, you’re the boss. Alison, here’s my card if you’re interested in modelling—”

“She already works for me,” Roderick insists, shoving the photographer’s bag in his arms.

After he’s gone, Alison asks, “D’you want me to tell the others there’s gonna be a photoshoot when they come in? I can text them right now.”

“No, we’re not taking pictures of the others, your face will suffice.”

“It’ll be only me? Outside on the marquee of the theatre? On a busy street in central London? Whoa.” She smiles brightly.

“Well, there will be my face too, and then you underneath me— I mean, under the title. Anyway.”

“I see. I suppose it’s like I’m representing the choir. The others— I just… Okay. No. That’s for the best.”

♪

By Friday, the new posters aren’t up on the marquee yet. Good. Alison doesn’t want them to distract her colleagues on this important day when the investors are coming to hear them sing.

She joins everyone in the auditorium. They all scrubbed up well.

“Nice shirt, Marcus,” she says. “Love your scarf, Janet. Luisa, new haircut? Beautiful. Abel you shaved!” There’s a thickness in her throat that isn’t from stress. She’s overcompensating. She should have insisted her friends be in the promotional photos too. She argues with herself that she let Luisa have the solo. And if her pretty face helps sell more tickets for the December concert, than she’s helping everyone. In a way. Being pretty is her thing, and if that’s all she is, then she bloody well deserves her face on a poster. But the guilt doesn’t go away.

She redirects her thoughts to the present when Roderick walks on stage. He greets the investors who are standing at the back of the room. They haven’t introduced themselves to the choir so as not to raise their hopes. They prefer to watch from a distance to better assess their performance. Love of music isn’t their only motivation, they need this association to reflect well on their business, and their logo on the program to pay off.

Roderick’s gaze sweeps across the choristers, and Alison smiles at him. No vein throbs on his forehead, and the movements of his hands and arms are more fluid; they have his back, and he knows it now.

They run through warm-ups and the song they know best. Nervousness strains their voices a little bit, but they cover up each other’s misses. Luisa sings the solo beautifully, and Clarissa is perfect, of course. Alison simply can’t be mad at either of them.

After the first hour, Vera walks on stage to introduce “your new sponsors.” Alison is the first to shake their hands with a warm smile.

“You have great potential, and our bank always believed in encouraging young talent,” they say in a speech that sounds like a marketing pitch.

True to her nature, after the rehearsal, Alison invites everyone to the Blue Bear pub’s Open Mic night to celebrate. Marcus accepts right away, and convinces others to do the same. Even Roderick agrees after they beg him in chorus. “Only for one drink.”

In the theatre’s lobby, a handyman is putting the new posters for the concert. The ones that feature Alison prominently. She doesn’t usually shy away from attention, but when her friends notice it, she wants the floor to swallow her. She sputters some excuses. Thankfully, Marcus smooths things over. “I’m too happy to be pissed right now, let’s not spoil our mood.” No other complaint is voiced, but Alison knows they’re all still thinking about it.

At the Blue Bear, Javier is surprised to see her. “Your shift only starts in an hour.”

“I know, I brought some friends to hang out and sing. You don’t mind, do you?”

“No, of course, I don’t mind customers.”

“I’ll just grab a few things.” She passes behind the bar and picks up a bottle of whiskey along with glasses.

“Paying customers, yeah?” Javier says.

Elife is there too, with her bandmates. “You didn’t have time to go out for my birthday, but you have time for your new friends?” she accuses Alison.

“I’m sorry. We got the sponsorship! It’s like a team-building activity, it’s work.” She hugs her friend. “I’ll introduce you to Marcus, you can thank me later.”

They push tables together to sit the dozen choristers who came. Roderick sits at the head of the table, he raises his glass to them.

“As Bach once said: ‘I was obliged to be industrious. Whoever is equally industrious will succeed equally well.’”

“That’s it?” Marcus whispers. “Alright. Cheers!”

Janet is the first to go on stage to sing “Back to Black”. Alison’s focus shifts to Roderick. Does he even know Amy Winehouse? She’s a genius just as much as Beethoven. Even sitting at the same table as them, he’s distant. This pub, with its hunting ephemera on the walls and hanging lamps made out of beer bottles, is a far cry from his modern theatre. She’s sure he thinks it’s not good enough for him. Nothing is good enough for him.

She grows annoyed, but she doesn’t know where it’s coming from. Maybe because he called her self-absorbed yet encouraged it by having her pose alone for the photographer. He should have asked the others too or at least explained his decision to them. She’s not the only guilty one. It’s infuriating that he can he be so caring one minute— bringing her tea, finding a solution to her problems, saying she’s sexy, hugging her, smelling good, and that little smile he has sometimes— yet so distant and annoying the next.

Why didn’t he give her a solo? She improved. She worked hard. Why does he want only her face and not her voice? How is she supposed to sing with her guts when all the songs he chooses are hymns to a deity she’s not sure she believes in? Singing with the others is uplifting, but the lyrics are meaningless to her.

“I’ll show him,” she mutters to herself as she makes her way to the stage. Impulsively, she chooses a song by Carly Simon.

Alison keeps the microphone on its stand but puts her two hands over it, she undulates her hips to the first guitar notes.

“You walked into the party. Like you were walking on a yacht,” she sings with a voice deeper than usual.

Her friends cheer when they recognize the song and sing along to the chorus.

“You're so vain. You probably think this song is about you. You're so vain. I'll bet you think this song is about you. Don't you? Don't you?”

She presses her hand to her stomach as she belts out the last lines. It’s cathartic. Her frustration dissolves. She bows to the applause. Feeling better, she saunters off stage.

She crosses Roderick’s path as he’s walking to the exit, putting on his coat.

“You’re going already? It’s not ‘cause of the song, is it?”

“I thought it wasn’t about me,” he says with a playful tone. “I liked it.”

She wishes his approval didn’t make her feel so warm inside.

“Thank you for coming, it means a lot. To everyone.”

“Thank you, Alison. Good night.”

As he walks away, she considers insisting he stays, but Javier calls her to begin her shift.

Alison dons her apron and goes around the tables whiles her friends keep singing on stage. They’re absolutely killing it. Marcus’s rendition of “I Believe I Can Fly” has the crowd cackling, and a few minutes later, he and Elife are snogging like their lives depend on it. Janet and Luisa sing a duet, and are soon joined by a tipsy Abel. And the night wouldn’t be complete without “Bohemian Rhapsody” which she has time to join between two orders.

They stay until closing time, at 11. Alison takes the booze away from them, and goes around wiping tables while they discuss the choir.

“We should sing more songs like we did tonight.”

“We were so good.”

“More people would come to the show.”

“I’ve had enough of bloody hymns.”

“Do you know what we should do? Mash-ups!” Luisa says.

This suggestion is followed by a chorus of enthusiastic agreement.

“Mr Peterson will never let, though,” Janet complains.

“I don’t know,” Alison says. “I mean, he’s been making an effort to talk to us more like we’re actual humans. He’s trying, no?”

“That’s right, he has been making an effort,” Luisa agrees, “since you talked to him.”

They all turn to Alison with intent stares and mischievous smiles.

“Why are you all looking at me like that?”

“Because you’re going to ask him to change the setlist.”

“Oh, no, no.”

“Oh, yes, yes,” Janet replies.

“We’ll forgive you for the poster,” Luisa adds.

“Fuck.”

♪

Roderick starts every day by swimming laps in the pool on the first floor of his building. The cool water stimulates his body and mind. He loves to feel the stretch in every muscle from forearm to calf as he crawls and kicks his legs. A musician must stay in shape, but he never liked sports.

When he was 13, his mother (who worried about his social skills and the effect of them of practicing piano alone for so many hours) asked him to join either a sport team or the school choir. He chose music, of course. In no time, he’d surpassed the choir director and was doing the arrangements himself both for the choir and the school band. And thus was born his love of choral music because, for the first time, he was part of a group, of something bigger than himself and free of his father’s shadow. And yet, it’s that feeling of belonging he wanted to run away from today.

He reaches the end of the pool and hangs on to the edge, panting. He hasn’t completed his usual thirty laps yet and he’s already out of breath. The whiskey and late night are affecting his performance. What was he thinking? Fraternizing and drinking with them. The frontier between conductor and choristers must never be crossed. If he gets too close to them, he will lose his objectivity and authority. It will affect his decisions and won’t be good for the choir. Hell, he’d almost given Alison the solo right after she sang for him even if he hadn’t heard the others yet. He had to keep his distance and a cool head.

Of course, keeping his distance would be easier if he hadn’t given her a job at his theatre.

“Hey, Mr Peterson. Here’s your mail,” Alison says, entering his office.

“Thank you.”

No fraternizing. Not crossing the line. He keeps his eyes on the computer and sees a file he saved yesterday, a video that reminded him of her. Bloody hell.

“Wait. There’s something I want to show you, come here.”

She joins him behind the desk, and he plays. It’s woman with bells sewn onto her clothes, each makes a different note, and she plays a medley of Christmas songs by tapping them all over her body.

He watches Alison rather than the video, praying she will think it’s funny. She laughs and he reclines in his chair.

“Oh, this is brilliant.”

“I was thinking we could get you one of those seeing as how you like to draw attention.”

“Oi! Cheeky.” She bumps him with her hip. “I don’t think the others would like that, though.”

Her sharp tone tells him there’s more to her statement, but she changes subject before he can ask.

“Mr Peterson, can I talk to you about something?” She wrings her hands. “Last night, we had an idea.”

“We?”

“Yeah, the whole gang, well, those who were at the pub. We were saying we’d love to sing more popular songs. Maybe do mash-ups? You know, when you take two or three songs and blend them together.”

“Like a quodlibet?”

“Maybe.”

“Darling Alison, the only reason mash-ups work is because there are too many bland, interchangeable songs out there. If a song isn’t interesting enough to perform in its entirety, we should be ignoring it. And if it uses excellent songs, it’s even worse, it completely ruins the integrity of the piece.”

“So you do think pop music has integrity.”

“You missed my point.”

“We could mix them with classical music. Like Steve Hackman did. Coldplay with Beethoven, Drake with Tchaikovski…”

“That little punk.”

“Tchaikovski?”

“Hackman. It’s derivative.”

She crosses her arms and looks at him seriously. He mirrors her pose.

“Alright. If you agree, I’ll do the thing you want me to, you know, be sexy for the judges or whatever.”

“Was refusing ever an option?”

“Well, you can’t force me to be sexy.”

“So far, I haven’t even had to ask you to do it. You charmed the investors of your own accord.”

“I can be ugly.”

“I doubt it,” he replies without thinking.

She smiles and her determination wavers, but not for long. “Flattery won’t work.”

“I doubt that even more.”

“Roderick, please,” she whines.

“We’re not throwing away the songs we’ve already worked hard on. We’re doing a traditional choral concert. That’s it.” He strikes the air with his hand to underline his words.

She sits on the edge of his desk, in front of him. Oh, she’s a stubborn one, but her perseverance doesn’t displease him.

“Can you honestly say the ‘traditional’ way has worked out for you?” she asks.

“Yes! I’m one of the tops in my field.”

“Lately, I mean.”She taps her knee against his. “C’mon, it’d be fun!”

“Alison, this is my livelihood. My life. Fun is not enough.”

Her shoulders slope. He’s getting through to her.

“Okay. I understand. I really do, but—”

“Miss Crosby.”

“No, listen to me.” She leans forward and braces herself on the arms of his chair. “We can do it better than it’s ever been done before. Because of you. Because you’re one of the tops. I trust your judgement and your talent to make the most amazing… quodlibets.”

“If this is another one of your flirting jokes…”

“It’s not.”

It’s hard to think with her so close. Her floral perfume. Her front teeth digging into her lower lip. Her hand so close to his arm, he can feel her warmth. He looks up to the ceiling and sighs.

“Can you come to my home tomorrow?” he asks her.

“Your home?”

“I can hardly carry my whole album collection here. Bring your music, we’ll look through it.”

She squeals and claps her hands, and for a moment he thinks she’s going to hug him again. “Okay, I’ll be there.”

So much for keeping his distance.

#Teninch Fic #mutual pining #slow burn #Roderick Peterson #Alison Crosby #Lostinfic writes stuff #Roderick x Alison #d and h

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junker-town · 5 years ago

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The 9 dumbest mistakes from NFL Week 12, ranked

Photo by Amy Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Almost everyone was sluggish in an ugly week in the NFL. But no one screwed up worse than Jason Garrett (again).

No one really wants to work hard this week. Thanksgiving — a perfect holiday that marries football, food, family, and online shopping — is mere days away. We are all just skating until Wednesday afternoon gets here and we peace out a few hours early to try to beat the traffic (spoiler: we will not).

That pre-holiday restlessness extends to the football field, apparently. Many teams, players, coaches, and officials looked entirely unenthused to be working this Sunday, because it showed in ugly game after ugly game.

Week 12 was summed up most accurately by the Patriots’ 13-9 win over the Cowboys. What should have been an exciting matchup between two of the most popular (and hated) teams in the NFL turned into a rain-soaked slopfest. The offense was at a minimum, the only real highlight came via a blocked punt, the refs decided to call two BS tripping penalties that confused everyone, and Jason Garrett’s decision-making might’ve earned himself a one-way ticket to New York.

(Oops, we might’ve spoiled the top spot on this week’s rankings. What can we say? We’re ready for Thanksgiving too.)

On that note, here’s a lazy bit of transition to bring you the nine dumbest mistakes from Week 12:

9. Mike Glennon fumbled twice in three snaps during garbage time

The Raiders got blown out by the Jets 34-3, and things got so bad that head coach Jon Gruden surrendered in the third quarter when he benched Derek Carr. That’s when backup Mike Glennon came into the game and promptly fumbled two times ... in the first three snaps:

Raiders QB Mike Glennon has trouble with the snap pic.twitter.com/FKsQkqPC2B

— Main Team (@MainTeamSports) November 24, 2019

Glennon stayed in for the rest of the game. He completed 4 of 7 passes for just 20 yards. His longest of five drives gained just 15 yards. He led the Raiders to exactly zero points. That’s the peak Mike Glennon experience right there.

8. The Packers keep going backward returning punts

Nothing much went right for the Packers in a 37-8 loss to the 49ers, especially on offense. The 49ers’ pass rush bullied the Green Bay offensive line. Aaron Rodgers was sacked five times, fumbled once, and put up a Blake Bortles-like stat line.

But don’t let that distract you from how bad their punt return game has been. Tremon Smith returned two punts for a grand total of -3 yards. That’s not great, but it’s even worse when you realize it’s been that way the entire season:

UPDATE: The Packers now have NEGATIVE 11 punt return yards on the ENTIRE SEASON.

— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) November 25, 2019

The Packers are approaching historically inept levels with their punt return game. The 1965 Cardinals own the record for fewest punt returns yards in a season with 27, which is at least, y’know, a positive number.

So is the number of punt return yards Trevor Davis has with the Raiders this season: 108. The Packers traded him to Oakland in September, btw.

7. This terrible Mitchell Trubisky throw resulted in a pick, naturally

It hadn’t been a great week for Trubisky — season, really, but let’s just focus on this week. He was benched late in a loss to the Rams in Week 11, supposedly because of the hip injury he’s dealing with, even if everyone believes it was because he was stinking it up on the field.

Still, Trubisky mostly played better Sunday against the Giants. The Bears were up 19-7 in the fourth quarter and had a chance to add to their lead. That’s when he reverted back to his worst form and chucked the ball downfield right into the hands of Julian Love.

Julian Love!!! Guy had a rough week in his personal life. Getting his first real reps this week and his first NFL interception!! pic.twitter.com/9DKp2gYaIc

— Bobby Skinner (@BobbySkinner_) November 24, 2019

The Bears’ defense saved Trubisky and didn’t let the Giants score off of this turnover, at least. But it was his second pick of the game — the first came in the red zone — and the kind of terribly ill-advised throw that makes it easy to start picturing any number of veteran quarterbacks in a Bears uniform next season.

6. A Raiders stop turned into a Jets TD due to an awful roughing penalty

Oakland forced the Jets into a third-and-16 from the Raiders’ 20-yard line after Maxx Crosby picked up a clutch sack of Sam Darnold — or so the team thought. But Maurice Hurst’s dogged pursuit of the New York quarterback was ruled too violent for the back judge, even though nothing about his clean-up tackle seemed excessive.

One of the worst roughing the passer calls you’ll see. Probably cost Raiders four points. pic.twitter.com/Bu59Zd9Epd

— Dan Hanzus (@DanHanzus) November 24, 2019

Jon Gruden, uh, was not happy to say the least!

I think Jon Gruden said “Happy Thanksgiving”. pic.twitter.com/gKWRLirNB7

— Ryan Field (@RyanFieldABC) November 24, 2019

Instead of third-and-long, the Jets were treated to first-and-goal from the 4-yard line. One play later, Darnold scampered into the end zone to give his team a 10-3 lead.

5. Cam Jordan gave a Panthers’ drive new life with a stupid punch

The Saints got off to a 14-0 start early against Carolina, but the Panthers fought their way back throughout the second quarter to close that gap — and they can thank Jordan for six of those points.

Demario Davis had wrapped up quarterback Kyle Allen for the Saints’ second straight sack, bringing up what should have been fourth-and-long with a little more than three minutes left in the first half. But as officials whistled the play dead, Jordan swarmed Allen and decked him with a punch/shiver combination that connected with the Panther’s facemask and sent him to the turf.

Cameron Jordan tried to punch the ball out after the whistle and smashed Kyle Allen in the face instead, which is frowned upon pic.twitter.com/QQycxKnExJ

— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) November 24, 2019

This post-whistle forearm strike led to an easy unnecessary roughness call from the back judge. Rather than punting on fourth-and-26, Carolina was gifted a new set of downs. The Panthers then drove 56 yards to score a touchdown as time expired in the first half, cutting what could have been a 24-9 New Orleans lead down to 17-15.

Jordan would take to Twitter afterward to claim responsibility for his mistake shortly after the game.

Sheesh! Gotta hear that whistle... was trying to punch the ball out and make a big play ended up costing my defense... that’s on me gotta hear that whistle...

— cameron jordan (@camjordan94) November 24, 2019

He’s lucky it didn’t cost them the win because ...

4. The Panthers couldn’t get the ball in the end zone late AGAIN

For the third time this season, Carolina couldn’t score late in the red zone when it needed to. With just over two minutes left, it looked as if Kyle Allen was about to lead a game-winning touchdown drive. After Ron Rivera won a defensive pass interference challenge (AGAINST THE SAINTS), the Carolina offense had first-and-goal from the New Orleans 3-yard line.

Then the Panthers’ offense went backward, and lost 7 yards in three plays:

Coming out of the two-minute warning, Panthers kicker Joey Slye missed a 28-yarder, which allowed the Saints to counter with a game-winning field goal of their own to win it.

The worst part about this? This is now the third time the Panthers have lost a game late because they couldn’t score in the red zone. During losses to the Bucs and Packers this year, Christian McCaffrey was stopped short of the goal line.

3. Carson Wentz forgot how to throw a football

The Eagles had a chance to take an early 7-0 lead over the visiting Seahawks when Wentz dropped back on third-and-9 from the Seattle 10-yard line. Tailback Miles Sanders had darted out toward the sideline, and a soft toss would give him the chance to find the end zone and make a statement that the two-point home underdog wouldn’t be easily dismissed.

Instead, Wentz made a very different statement, one he’s made entirely too often this season.

Carson What? pic.twitter.com/22r9hkIijX

— Sean Wagner-McGough (@seanjwagner) November 24, 2019

Wentz threw a pass straight out of junior high gym class, missing Sanders by roughly five yards. The Eagles settled for a 28-yard field goal moments later.

2. Russell Wilson topped Carson Wentz with an even worse miss

The throw by Wentz to Sanders was bad, but that one wasn’t a guaranteed touchdown. The Eagles running back was going to evade a Seahawks defender or two to get into the end zone.

Wilson’s overthrow of Jacob Hollister in the end zone was way worse.

Third and goal, Wilson runs out the pocket and throws a duck to a wide-open Jacob Hollister.#Eagles got lucky. pic.twitter.com/QFAdylacRv

— DIE-HARD Fans (@Eaglesfans9) November 24, 2019

There’s a real chance Wilson wins the NFL MVP award and his ability to avoid the Eagles’ pass rush at the beginning of the play was a perfect example why. Lobbing a ball way over Hollister’s head and out of the back of the end zone isn’t going to help his résumé, though.

Rather than taking a double-digit lead in the second quarter, the Seahawks had to settle for a chip-shot field goal to go up 10-3.

1. Jason Garrett coached his way out of a possible upset win over the Patriots

Neither Dallas nor New England could generate much offense on a cold, rainy, and windy afternoon in Foxborough. That weather, combined with the Patriots’ suffocating defense, put a premium on points for Dak Prescott and the Cowboys. And this idea, apparently, terrified Jason Garrett.

Or, in other words:

Jason Garrett is such a chicken shit.

— David Fucillo (@davidfucillo) November 25, 2019

The Cowboys’ head coach opted for a field goal on fourth-and-7 from the Patriots’ 11, cutting a 13-6 New England lead to 13-9 with six minutes to play and reducing Dallas’ burden from needing a touchdown in the final minutes of the game to ... needing a touchdown in the final minutes of the game.

So why not go for it? If they had failed to convert, then the Patriots would’ve gotten the ball deep in their own territory and Dallas could’ve relied on its defense to force a punt.

Instead, the Cowboys didn’t touch the ball again until there was 2:38 left on the clock and they had to start from their own 8-yard line. Dallas’ day came to an unsurprising end when its ensuing drive gained just 17 yards (thanks in part to a questionable tripping call) before a turnover on downs.

Garrett’s decision ensured the Cowboys only lost by four points and not seven. It also left Jerry Jones frustrated. At this rate, maybe Garrett will be coaching the Giants next season after all.

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piesforjack · 8 years ago

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LISTEN Y'ALL, HERES A CANADIAN COLLOQUIALISMS AND MANNERS GUIDE

because frankly i’m tired of the misuse of our colloquialisms/slang/vernacular/manners/habits in fic so it’s time for this canadian to set the record straight!!!!!

1. “sorry”

i feel like y'all really miss the boat on this, we (henceforth read as: canadians) say sorry ALL. THE. TIME. it's not a joke!! it's real bad!!! i apologize to furniture when i bump into it, y'all!!!! SO if you wanna give jack and ransom some real authentic canadian lingo, have them apologize for nothing worth apologizing for, not just in excess when they do something actually worthy of apology

examples (all based on REAL LIFE things i’ve done):

*someone bumps into you* (even though it wasn’t your fault at all) oop sorry!

*not having exact change in your hand when paying for something so you take a second to pull out a nickel* sorry!

*dropping something near/in front of/beside another person* oh sorry!

*asks for substitution or change to a burger or sandwich* sorry, yeah can i get this instead of this? (and have crippling anxiety while asking just me? hoookay that sounds fake but!!!)

2. holding the door open

listen i didn’t realize how distinctly canadian this was until i was abroad for 2 weeks and felt the real switch from small acts of manners and kindness replaced with absolutely no fucking care in the world for any human that isn’t you. stairwells and doors and any form of public transportation are an “every person for themselves” kinda deal and it’s weird. i will always hold the door open if i notice someone behind me (if i don’t, you bet ur fuckin ass i apologize for not holding it open)

examples:

even if i get to a door first, if i notice someone behind me i’ll hold the door open for them and let them go first. this isn’t even an age or sex/gender thing, people will do this for anyone, not just the elderly or the female.

if someone holds the door open for me, i’ll pass through and say thank you and if there’s a second set of doors (like in some bookstores and malls and stuff they have those little foyer-like rooms before the actual store) i will hold the door open for them on the second set. always.

3. “bud”/”buddy”

truly a canadian staple that does not get utilized enough!!!! i can’t think of a single person in my life i haven’t called “buddy” at least once, including my lil ol’ grandmother. though typically when i use “buddy” i’m cussing someone out (see examples below!) we sound particularly minnesotan when we say "buddy” which is why i think a lot of people think we have this ridiculous accent (because FUN FUCKIN FACT: the canadian accent is NOWHERE NEAR THE LEVEL OF MINNESOTAN!!! we. do. not. sound. like. that. only “”””bros””””” (typically hockey bros (see: sidney crosby) or “country” boys (see: literally any fucking canadian boy who hunts/fishes/wears a cowboy hat unironically)) sound like this, the canadian “accent” americans mock? totally fucking fake mOVING ON)

“bud” however, that’s a sweet lil thing. it’s actually very much a term of endearment, so to say, i’ve only ever used it when talking to children and s/o’s. it’s not the only term of endearment canadians ever use (ahem, fic writers take note of that) but it’s definitely one that people use and it’s very cute and soft™

examples:

*cussing someone out over a video game/a joke that i have no comeback for/bad driving/etc.* “get fucked, buddy” “oh you’re fucked, buddy” “yeh fuckin right, buddy” etc. etc.

*accidentally taps child on the back of the head* oop, sorry bud!

*s/o says “i love you”* aw bud, i love you too

AND THE RARE BUT SOMETIMES SOCIALLY APPROPRIATE: “BUDDY” AS ENDEARMENT ie. “aw c’mon, buddy, you’re doing great!” (this is most often done by (hockey) bros to children, but i’m sure there’s other situations where this happens)

4. “oop”

again, another one i didn’t realize was canadian until buzzfeed said so. but tbh i use this one so fucking much i’m so sad that i haven’t seen a single fic where jack or ransom use this. it’s like...oops without the ‘s’? that’s really it, but it’s not just for “oops” situations, it’s like a expletive for many things and you just kinda gotta feel it in ur gut, i can’t really explain how/why i know when to use it so tread lightly, but know that this is probably the most popular right up there with “sorry” in terms of usage.

examples:

*watching hockey, fave team almost scores* oop oop oop! awwww f*#$U$%*#$%*! (they didn’t score) or oop oop oop! YAAAAAAH HELL FUCKIN YEEEEEEEEAH BABY WOOOOO!!!!!!!! (they did)

*bumps into someone* oop sorry!

*surprise burp* oop sorry!

*fumbles with something, almost drops it* oop oop oOP!

*does drop something* oop.. *picks it up*

*dodging and weaving through a crowd* oop, sorry..oop oop sorr-- oop!

5. “no problem”

now my understanding is that this is more an age thing than it is a canadian thing, but i feel like in true polite canadian fashion this phrase gets used more and more by a wider demographic than it originally started with. this is basically a replacement for “you’re welcome” because imo “you’re welcome” makes it sound like you’ve done someone a huge favour for them, and i mean, it seems weird to basically say “yeah, you ARE thankful because I HELPED you so yeah BE THANKFUL!” when someone like..holds the door open, y’know? like i said, i’ve heard this is a generation thing and lots of younger people say this instead, so it could be more widespread, but not many other countries say “thank you” as much as we do, so. who really knows tbh.

examples:

*holds door for someone, they say thank you* no problem! (because really, it wasn’t a problem, it was just the nice thing to do and it didn’t cause me any trouble at all to do it. you don’t have to be thankful for this act of kindness but fuck u if u don’t say thank you for it anyway, buddy)

*works in retail, helps someone find something* no problem! (because again, it’s not a problem, esp in this situation it’s my fucking job to help y’all so like? duh?? but same rules apply, if you don’t say thank u i’ll fucking remember it, pal)

*works in retail, can’t help someone find something, customer has to leave/find something else/etc* “alright, thanks anyway” “yeah no problem, sorry!” (because fucking duh, you get it by now)

6. FUCKING “EH”

HOOO FUCKIN BOY WE NEED TO HAVE A CHAT ABOUT THE ATROCITY THAT IS FIC WRITERS EXCESSIVELY AND IMPROPERLY USING THIS TERM. here’s some things to fucking clarify RIGHT FUCKIN NOW: we DO NOT end every sentence with “eh”, “eh” is not always a fucking question, it’s not said how you think it is, “eh” isn’t always tacked on to any fuckin sentence.

okay cool now that that’s fucking out of the way...”eh” is more often used as a filler word, not always like an “um” or a “uhh”, more like a “hey” or a cheer like “ehhhh!” but it’s not as often used as people like to write it into conversation. as of right now i can’t even remember the last time i used “eh” when i wasn’t making a fuckin mockery of how americans THINK we talk.

“eh” has different pronunciations as well, each one has a different purpose and place in speech. eh pronounced like “a” is usually a cheer (like “ehhhh!!! we fuckin won!!!), pronounced exactly like its spelled is like a question (like “eh? i can’t hear you.), pronounced like “ayy” or “hey” without the “h” is like a greeting or after someone burns someone with a comeback or ur fave song comes on in the club etc etc

basically, what you’re noticing is that “eh” is actually more widely common than you fuckin think it is. it’s not exclusively canadian, and YES!!! there is the stereotypical “eh?” or “eh!” that certain pockets of people will use, again it sort of falls under that hockey/country bro-ish type (to clarify, because idk if i did this or not, “bro” is a gender neutral term, girls or otherwise can also be bros, i use it neutrally, sorry if that wasn’t clear!) but again!!! it’s not used at every turn and it’s VERY unlikely that if you went up to a canadian with ur shitty “eh?!” impression that they would be anything more than stone-faced and weary at your attempt at humour.

examples:

eh, how are you?

eh, to-may-to to-mah-to

FUCKIN. EH!! (usually an expletive when something amazing happens, usually about sports, usually more specifically about hockey, but u knooow)

*making a decision that takes some thinking* ehhhh...maybe?

*hesitantly wanting to go past/around/through a crowd* eh...excuse me...oop sorry! oh go ahead..no problem!

7. bonus canada facts for fleshing out ur stories/hcs!!!

canada has our own football league, yeah i fucking know. all those tropes about jack and ransom not knowing football? actual garbage, they probably know the basics at the very least. if they like football, ransom probably roots for the toronto argonauts (whom most people fuckin hate, along with the maple leafs (hockey team) because canada has this *thing* with toronto, i won’t get into that right now but just know, majority of canada wants nothin to do with toronto sports teams) and jack probably roots for the montreal alouettes because duh (alternatively he roots for something hella random like the saskatchewan rough riders, whom, as a manitoban, i hate by birthright) some of the CFL rules are different from the NFL but yeah, canada has a football league so. kill that trope.

jack and ransom probably know something about curling and/or can actually curl!! curling, btw, is an ice sport where you throw rocks at other rocks (not like, just any old rocks, it’s...just google it honestly i don’t wanna try and explain curling) i know when i was in school curling was always a part of gym in the winter because we had outdoor rinks nearby or one of my elementary schools actually made a curling rink (with the circles and everything!)

“canadian tuxedo” is double denim. meaning, denim shirt, denim pants = canadian tuxedo. jack is 1000000% guilty of doing this.

canada gets real fuckin cold but it also gets real fuckin hot, especially in central canada but also other places too. jack being overwhelmed by georgian heat is probably real HOWEVER he’s not a total dumbass who can’t function in the heat. canada’s weather is a fuckin gong show regardless of global warming so like, jack will sweat but he will not melt into a puddle

yeah anyway here’s a list of obscure canadian things (and some that are just #90sKidThings) ransom and/or jack probably know/love aka me going tf down memory lane!!!: don’t you put it in your mouth, stay alert stay safe, the talking tv that scarred me for life, “moooom aiden cut me half again!!!”, they probably believed north american house hippos were a thing for a long ass time because they didn’t understand the point of the commercial, tales from the crypt aka my fave show, the weekenders!!!, jack probably loved art attack because sensory things!! visuals!! calm voice!! basically bob ross for kids!!!, BEAR IN THE BIG BLUE HOUSE!!! HOOOMG, if you don’t know what this is I’M SO SORRY YOU MISSED OUT ON THE BEST THING EVER, ransom 100% had all the stuffies of these guys, out of the mcfuckin bOX, ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM, G2G OFF TO DRAGONLAND, you knew you were up TOO LATE if you were watching this, i could cry this show was so fckn good jack 100% loved this, idk if this was just a canadian thing but i fckn LOVED THIS ONE SO MUCH

honestly i could go on for fuckin ever but i’ll stop because god bless anyone who actually watches all those links lmao

i hope this was helpful!!! not tryna be a twat but i just wanted to clear some stuff up because i feel it’s my duty as a canadian to help y’all out, ok??? okay luv u bye thanks for reading!!!

#mine #canadian guide #here u go friends #enjoy i spent way too long writing this lmao

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thrashermaxey · 6 years ago

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Ramblings: Texier, Pacioretty, Jones & It’s Looking a Little Dusty In Here, Someone Grab The Broom

Artemi Panarin celebrates

The brooms were out in full force in Columbus on Tuesday evening. Well, not actually as the arena made it very clear they would not allow a broom to actually enter the barn. But you get the point.

CBJ has been doing the unimaginable in this series – completely dominating one of the most prolific regular season squads in NHL history. They’ve owned them on the scoreboard, the shot clock, and the hits counter. The tenacious forecheck has completely befuddled the skillful design of the Lightning.

Game four started out much the same way that the first three games went, with Columbus jumping out and dictating the pace of play. Rookie, Alexandre Texier got things rolling early with his first career playoff goal. It was on the first shot of the game.

Texier’s developmental arc has been something to marvel. As the youngest player in the crop, he was drafted halfway through the second round in 2017 out the top league in France. All he’s done since is make the Columbus scouting staff look like geniuses.

He had a very strong year in the Finnish Liiga as an 18-year-old in 2017-18. This past season his 41 points in 55 contests were the second most by a U20 player. He came over to the American League to close out the campaign and scored five goals and seven points in as many games. That earned him the call to the big club and I’m guessing he won’t be heading down any time soon.

Texier will be an extremely interesting player to rank heading into drafts next season. Keeper leagues need to be all over this guy, but his original draft slot coupled with a bit of no-name vibe could push him into sleeper territory. That is, of course, if he doesn’t go off this post-season.

The 19-year-old has been skating on a line with Nick Foligno and Josh Anderson at even-strength and seeing some second unit power play deployment. With Artemi Panarin almost assuredly out the door this summer, a left-wing spot in the top-six will be wide open. If the Blue Jackets don’t fill that hole with a big fish (a big if), then I like Texier to put his name on it.

Back to the game though, 1-0 CBJ on one shot on goal. After an Andrei Vasilevskiy save, Pierre-Luc Dubois doubled the lead with a tally of his own. The rink was rocking and the energy was being sucked completely out of the Lightning lineup.

Steven Stamkos helped that out by getting his squad on the board halfway through the first frame.

Steven Stamkos needed that one almost as badly as Tampa did. pic.twitter.com/bX5IR1fXgD

— /Cam Robinson/ (@Hockey_Robinson) April 16, 2019

Cam Atkinson scored a power-play goal a few minutes later but Jon Cooper took a risk and challenged it as an offside earlier in the play. If he was wrong his team would be down 3-1 and, on the penalty, kill. Fortunately for him, he was right and finally showed a modicum of emotion. Finally, we see the coach get some.

https://dobberhockey.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/04/Cooper-fired-up.mp4

Columbus went up 3-1 in the third before trading tallies to make it 4-3. The Bolts pulled the goalie only to see the gaping cage be hit three times. Columbus took the game 7-3 and the series sweep was completed. This will go down as one of the biggest upsets in recent memory and the first playoff series victory for the 19-year-old franchise.

How about GM, Jarmo Kekalainen? The brass balls on that guy to not only refuse to trade away his expiring contracts but going out and buying UFAs-to-be. It almost blew up in his face as it took until game 81 to lock down a playoff bid, but he sure looks good now.

The Blue Jackets await the winner of Toronto and Boston.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins were attempting to stave off elimination at the hands of the Islanders, and you just knew Sidney Crosby wouldn’t stay off the scoresheet in this one.

The Pens shuffled the top line of Crosby and Jake Guentzel by adding Jared McCann to the mix. The trio clicked on a Guentzel tally just 35 seconds in the game. I’ve written about this before, but the 40-goal scoring, Guentzel is one of the few players who I believe can consistently live in the mid-to-high teens for conversion rate. It doesn’t hurt that he’s locked to Crosby at even-strength.

I imagine he’ll finally take a full-time spot on the top power-play unit next fall as well.

https://dobberhockey.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/04/Guentzel-snipe.mp4

However, the Islanders were not to be blasted out of the building. They scored two of their own and went into the dressing room up 2-1. The score stayed that way until the dying minutes of the third period when the Penguins pulled their netminder and frantically pushed for the equalizer.

But Robin Lehner would have none of it. The soon-to-be unrestricted free agent has been a marvel this season and has continued it in spades this post-season. This dude is going to get paid on July 1. And he can thank Barry Trotz for it. This Isles' squad is stifling defensively with him at the helm. One of the main reasons I picked them to win this series.

Off to round two for the Islanders and a date with the Caps or the Canes.

Oh, Mat Barzal did something that may catch the eye of the DoPS. Probably not, but you never know with these guys.

Uh oh, Mat Barzal is out there swinging at the high heat pic.twitter.com/WSLdKR85bF

— /Cam Robinson/ (@Hockey_Robinson) April 17, 2019

Tuesday night saw the Jets attempt to keep the streak alive that saw the road team win each of the first three games in their series against the Blues. It took more than 40 minutes before we saw the red light flash.

Vladamir Tarasenko buried one of his patented power-play wristers 35 seconds into the third frame. It was an absolute rocket. Needless to say, Vladdy appears to have his mojo all the way back after shoulder surgery last offseason robbed him on some zip for much of the campaign. You may even get him at a good value on draft day due to his less-than-stellar counting stats for the season as a whole.

There's literally nothing you can do to stop this shot from Vladimir Tarasenko.

1-0 STL pic.twitter.com/p6Si6jBXfu

— Cristiano Simonetta (@CMS_74_) April 17, 2019

The Jets would not go quietly into the night though. Seven minutes later, the big line got rolling with Mark Scheifele tallying an exquisite diving tip into the top corner. Assists to Kyle Connor and Blake Wheeler.

https://dobberhockey.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/04/scheiffele-tip.mp4

We needed extra time in this one, and the top line came out swinging once again for Winnipeg.

You've gotta love the Jets transitional attack. Kyle Connor ties the series at two games a piece with the OT winner. pic.twitter.com/LaEKupagt2

— /Cam Robinson/ (@Hockey_Robinson) April 17, 2019

Back-to-back two-point outings for Connor. He's the least talked about upcoming RFA this summer. People are whispering about offer sheets all over the place, but the Winnipeg cap, coupled with his strong production may lead to some interesting negotiations.

With the Winnipeg victory, we have our first series assured of at least a game six. Hallelujah!

Off to Nevada, we go for the final tilt of the evening. The Sharks were attempting to even the series on the road. The first item on the agenda: Slow down Mark Stone and the Vegas second line.

Stone is in one heck of a groove right now. He came into the evening leading the post-season in goals (6) and tied with linemate, Paul Stastny for the lead in points with eight. Before the puck dropped on Tuesday night’s action, Stone had outscored both the Pens and the Lightning this spring.

It didn’t take long for that line to get moving and shaking with Max Pacioretty tallying a goal off a pass from Stone. It was another marker on the first shot on net. 18 minutes later, Shea Theodore scored to double the lead. Pacioretty grabbed a second assist on that one.

This despite the Sharks out attempting Vegas 31-14 in the first frame. They were dictating the play for long stretches only to have any momentum sucked away thanks to weak goaltending.

Let’s be frank, Martin Jones has been dreadful this season. For all netminders with at least 25 starts Jones finished the season in the bottom-five for save percentage (0.896) and hung around the bottom-10 for quality start percentage (45.2). His inability to make a stop is without a doubt the main reason for this club’s soon-to-completed season.

That said, Erik Karlsson being on the ice for 80 percent of the goals against isn’t a great look either. EK is clearly still battling something. His acceleration looks dreadful. His ability to pivot from forwards to back is reminiscent of a young Patty Affleck. It's not pretty. The way this season has played out, it doesn’t appear to look good for a contract extension.

The goaltender is well below average. The blue line is porous (himself included). I’ll be surprised if he isn’t in a new sweater for press conferences this summer.

Pacioretty tallied another goal (assist goes to, you guessed it, Stone) to make it 3-0 on 14 shots after 40 minutes of play. Vegas cruised to a 5-0 victory.

The series may be 3-1 for Vegas but this one looks over.

Patches finished with four points on the night and is up to 10 this post-season. He's tied with Stone at the top of the pyramid while Stastny sits third with his eight points. Imagine a team going out and purchasing an entire second line (first line on many teams) via trade and free agency. This Vegas squad has been exquisitely built and geared for another lengthy run.

Well done, George McPhee.

Follow me on Twitter @Hockey_Robinson

from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-rambling/ramblings-texier-pacioretty-jones-its-looking-a-little-dusty-in-here-someone-grab-the-broom/

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softlabirint-ru · 7 years ago

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Vanilla Kiss: Clubland Eurodance 90s (2018) Mp3

http://www.softlabirint.ru/music/popdance/28157-vanilla-kiss-clubland-eurodance-90s-2018-mp3.html

Девяностые года – время тёплой, милой некоммерческой музыки, когда особенно ценились красивые стихи и приятная мелодия. Именно тогда в радио эфирах и на танцполах появились самые популярные исполнители: Missing Heart, Bing Crosby, Blue System, Magic Affair и многие другие, о которых сейчас вспоминаем с ностальгической теплотой. Исполнитель: VA Название: Vanilla Kiss: Clubland Eurodance 90s Год выпуска: 2018 Страна: All world Жанр музыки: Club, Dance, Pop Формат | Качество: MP3 | 320 kbps + Image Продолжительность: 07:46:46 Композиций: 120 Размер: 1.08 Gb (+5% на восстановление) TrackList: 01. X-Session - Lucky Number 3:05 02. Dean Martin - Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone 2:26 03. Missing Heart - Charlene 4:05 04. Music Instructor - Super Fly 3:44 05. Look Twice - Feel The Night 3:40 06. Bingoboys - Sugardaddy 3:49 07. Double You - Dancing With An Angel 3:47 08. Bizz Nizz - Dabadabiaboo 3:20 09. Jo Stafford & The Pied Pipers - On The Sunny Side Of The Street 2:58 10. Sin With Sebastian - Shut Up(And Sleep With Me) 3:44 11. Imperio - Quo Vadis 4:01 12. Bing Crosby & Fred Astaire - In The Cool, Cool, Cool Of The Evening 3:28 13. Dinah Washington - You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You 2:47 14. Trey D - Higher & Higher 3:19 15. Bomfunk Mc's - Uprocking Beats 3:41 16. Dean Martin - On An Evening In Roma [Sott'er celo de Roma] 2:26 17. E-Type - So Dem A Com 3:31 18. Midi Maxi & Efti - Bad Bad Boys 3:24 19. Double You - Send Away The Rain 3:59 20. HAD - Spirit Of The Night 3:39 21. Yaki-Da - Just A Dream 3:21 22. Masterboy - Mister Feeling 4:29 23. Lou Bega - Mambo No.5 3:39 24. Blue System - Baby Believe Me 3:40 25. Ace Of Base - Never Gonna Say I'm Sorry 3:16 26. Tess - One Love 4:00 27. Magic Affair - The Rhythm Makes You Wanna Dance 5:39 28. Keenya - Waiting(For Your Love) 5:46 29. Sandra - Secret Land 3:21 30. Ahmex - Paparazzi(I Am Camera) 5:01 31. Kim Lukas - All I Really Want 3:46 32. D.I.P. - Give Me Your Lovin 3:46 33. Sandy - Bad Boy 3:50 34. JLM - Groovy Beat 3:49 35. No Mercy - Please Don't Go 4:02 36. T.Bull Feat.Nicky - You Don't Fuck Me 3:05 37. Dr.Alban - It's My Life(Remix) 4:38 38. Leila K. - Murderer 3:14 39. Cheyenne - The Money Man 3:56 40. Flash - You've Got The Music 4:00 41. Kim Sanders - Jealousy (Radio Mix) 3:56 42. Modern Talking - New York City Girl 3:29 43. Army Of Lovers - La Plage De Saint Tropez 3:32 44. Midi Maxi & Efti - Ragga Steady 3:20 45. Cool Cut - Please Let Me Know (Radio) 3:32 46. Odyssey - Riding On A Train 4:05 47. Nausikaa - Light My Fire 6:21 48. E-Rotic - Temple Of Love 3:18 49. The Sun Company - Looking For Love 5:16 50. Co.Ro - 4 Your Love 4:27 51. 20 Fingers Feat.Gillete - Mr.Personality 4:06 52. Aqua - Lollipop(Candyman) 3:36 53. Scatman John - Scatman's World 3:41 54. One DJ Project Feat.Dame - Gotta Dance 3:34 55. Night People - In The Night 5:22 56. Indra - We Belong Together 4:38 57. Me & My - Dub-I-Dub 3:23 58. Vengaboys - Boom,Boom,Boom,Boom 3:22 59. Das Modul - Robby Roboter (Radio Edit) 3:25 60. Fun Factory - Pain 4:53 61. Shaggy - Boombastic 4:07 62. E-Motion - So In Love With You 3:58 63. Singma - Prt. Foure 3:53 64. 3-O-Matic - Success 3:41 65. DJ Bobo - What About My Broken Heart 4:09 66. Basic Element - Leave It Behind 3:42 67. Jam & Spoon - Right In The Night(Fall In Love With Music) 3:47 68. Denine With Collage - Love Of A Lifetime 4:13 69. Ofenbach vs. Nick Waterhouse versus Felguk - Katchi (Sergey Kutsuev Mash) 3:56 70. Heath Hunter - Master & Servant 3:37 71. Outwork feat. Mr Gee - Elektro (Mike Temoff & Velchev Radio Remix) 3:28 72. TH Express - I'm On Your Side 3:54 73. Paris & Simo Ft. Karen Harding - Come As You Are (Bobby Love Remix) 6:49 74. Natascha Wright - Say You Think Of Me 5:40 75. Phuture Mafia, Hubba & Morse - Pumping (Original Mix) 3:33 76. G.E. Con-X-Ion Feat.Samira - Gotta Have The Music 3:56 77. Pump Gorilla, Voltech - By Your Side (Original Mix) 5:25 78. CB Milton - It's A Loving Thing 4:00 79. Rika Ft. The Highester - No Need (Zaio Remix) 3:13 80. 2Alive - Tell It To My Heart Tonight 3:38 81. Salif Keita & Martin Solveig - Madan (DJ Ramirez & Mike Temoff Remix) ( Radio Edit) 3:01 82. Upfront - Everything 3:22 83. Sash! feat. Tina Cousins - Mysterious Times (A-Mase Radio Mix) 3:25 84. Solid Base - Mirror,Mirror 3:21 85. 2 Brothers On The 4th Floor - Come Take My Hand(Cooly's Jungle Mix) 5:23 86. Activate - Let The Rhythm Take Control 3:33 87. The Weeknd ft. Daft Punk - Starboy (Get Better Remix) 3:43 88. Mr.President - Where The Sun Goes Down 3:25 89. Therr Maitz - My Love Is Like (DJ PitkiN Extended Mix) 4:08 90. Centory - Point Of No Return 4:25 91. Modjo - Lady(Hear Me Tonight) 3:45 92. Toni Braxton - Coping (Stadiumx Remix) 3:21 93. Disco Sluts - Let's All Chant 3:49 94. Vigiland - Another Shot (Charming Horses Remix) 3:39 95. Melodie MC - Give It Up!(For The Melodie) 4:16 96. WHOISJODY - Wall Of Sound (Club Mix) 4:10 97. Bass Bumpers - Good Fun 3:37 98. Woo2tech, Caio Monteiro - So Good (Original Mix) 5:06 99. Haddaway - Life 4:18 100. E-Motion - Open Your Mind 3:45 101. Yves V & Matt Hill Ft. Betsy Blue - Stay (Original Mix) 3:08 102. Backstreet Boys - Get Down 3:51 103. N-Trance - Do Ya Think I'm Sexy? 4:18 104. Black Spaghetti - Stress No More 3:53 105. Chic Desire - Say Say Say I'm Your Number 1 3:18 106. Franky Fonell - Never Forever 3:45 107. Diesel Action - Night In Motion 4:42 108. 2 Unlimited - No One 3:29 109. Dream Beat - Everybody Move 3:52 110. Five - When The Lights Go Out 4:11 111. Corona - Try Me Out 3:29 112. Black Spaghetti - Build Up My Mind 3:40 113. Culture Beat - Crying In The Rain 4:37 114. Fantomaxx - Be My Lover 2:58 115. 3 II One - Make Love 3:53 116. Molella - Love Lasts Forever 3:37 117. ATC - Why Oh Why 3:58 118. Major T - I Can Only Give You My Heart 3:58 119. Tiggy - Waiting 4:04 120. John The Whistler - I'm In Love 3:31 DOWNLOAD LINKS: Vanilla Kiss: Clubland Eurodance 90s (2018) Mp3

http://www.softlabirint.ru/music/popdance/28157-vanilla-kiss-clubland-eurodance-90s-2018-mp3.html

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trilotechcorp · 7 years ago

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New Post has been published on PBA-Live

New Post has been published on http://pba-live.com/russell-westbrook-kevin-durant-among-big-winners-at-25th-espys/

Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant among big winners at 25th ESPYS

From the jokes by host Peyton Manning to the stories of inspiration by sports fans such as Jarrius Robertson, there were plenty of smiles — and even some tears — at the 25th ESPYS on Wednesday night in Los Angeles.

Many of the world’s best athletes packed into the Microsoft Theater for the annual awards show, and by night’s end, some familiar names took center stage.

One of them was Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook, who was named best male athlete, adding to the NBA MVP trophy he won in New York a few weeks ago.

Westbrook topped fellow nominees Kris Bryant of the Chicago Cubs, Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps.

“I’m just humbled to be on this stage in a room full of great athletes,” Westbrook said. “I’m just humbled and very thankful.”

Westbrook, who averaged a triple-double and broke Oscar Robertson’s record for most triple-doubles in a season with 42, captivated the sports world with his ferocious season in the wake of Kevin Durant’s departure from the Thunder.

He led the league in scoring (31.6), was third in assists (10.4) and was 10th in rebounds (10.7) per game. He also ranked first in PER at 30.7 and carried the Thunder to the sixth seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

Westbrook was also nominated for best record-breaking performance and best NBA player.

Best championship performance

Durant captured his first NBA title and Finals MVP trophy last season, and his dominant run through the Finals earned him the 2017 ESPY for best championship performance.

Durant led the Golden State Warriors to a title by averaging 35.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 5.4 assists with a .556 field goal percentage in the team’s five-game victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. He capped the series with 39 points, six rebounds and five assists in Golden State’s title-clinching 129-120 win in Game 5.

He was just the third player since 1969 to win Finals MVP in his first season with a team. His 35.2 points per game was easily the most in history by a player who shot 50 percent from the floor, 40 percent from 3-point range and 90 percent from the free throw line in an NBA Finals.

Durant joined the Warriors in one of the most debated moves in recent NBA history, signing as a free agent last summer after spending nine seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, who held a 3-1 series lead over the Warriors in the 2016 Western Conference finals before eventually losing.

Manning took a light-hearted jab at Durant’s move during his opening monologue, mentioning the gold-medal-winning U.S. women’s gymnastics team and joking, “Our gymnastics team was so dominant that Kevin Durant told me that he wants to play for them next year.”

Durant sat stone-faced as Manning continued, “And I gotta tell you, I don’t think you’d start for that team, Kevin.”

Best team

Durant’s dominance in the Finals also helped his Warriors win the ESPY for best team.

Durant, two-time MVP Stephen Curry and center Zaza Pachulia took the stage to accept the award.

“Right now we look like the most perfectly constructed 3-on-3 team,” Curry said jokingly. “But we have 12 other guys who obviously helped us achieve this award.

“It was an unbelievable year. A lot of noise and hype around us in the beginning of the season, but we tried to keep our head down and focus on the process, and nine months later, we got another ‘ship.”

Golden State’s Game 5 victory in the Finals completed a 16-1 run through the playoffs. The team’s only postseason loss came in Game 4 in Cleveland.

The Warriors captured their second title in three seasons.

Best moment

The Cubs’ thrilling seven-game World Series victory over the Cleveland Indians, which ended a 108-year title drought, took the ESPY for best moment.

Longtime Cubs fan Bill Murray accepted the award on the team’s behalf, popping open a couple of bottles of champagne while on stage with former Cubs player David Ross and actor and fellow Cubs fan Nick Offerman.

“This was truly the best moment of all time — ever,” Offerman deadpanned.

“108 years of waiting is hardly a moment,” Murray said before naming a long list of former Cubs players from throughout the title drought.

The Cubs’ Game 7 victory came with plenty of drama, including an extra-inning rain delay and a dramatic eighth inning in which the Indians tied the score after trailing 6-3.

Manager Joe Maddon’s team halted the longest stretch without a title in baseball while also becoming the first club to overcome a 3-1 Series deficit.

Best female athlete

American gymnast Simone Biles’ record-tying four gold medals at the Rio Olympics propelled her to stardom and earned her the ESPY for best female athlete.

Biles beat out swimmer Katie Ledecky, WNBA star Candace Parker and tennis star Serena Williams for the honor.

“Ever since Rio it has been an amazing year,” Biles said, “and the best part of all has been meeting all the young people who look up to all the athletes in this room.”

Biles won gold in the individual all-around, vault and floor exercise as well as a team gold to go with a bronze medal on the balance beam in Rio.

She is one of only four women, and the first American, to win four golds in a single Olympics. She was also the first women’s gymnast to carry the flag for the United States at the closing ceremony.

Best breakthrough athlete

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott’s meteoric rise from fourth-round draft pick to NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year landed him the best breakthrough athlete award.

“I’ve got to thank my teammates,” Prescott said after receiving the award. “All those great vets that allowed me to come in as a rookie and just take over the team and propelled me to do so.”

Thrust into the starter’s role after Tony Romo was injured in the preseason, Prescott was an immediate hit in his first NFL season, earning a Pro Bowl selection in addition to winning top rookie honors.

Prescott tied an NFL record for a rookie quarterback with 13 wins, including 11 straight, and led the Cowboys to an NFC East title. He had 23 touchdown passes and only four interceptions while setting a team record for a quarterback with six rushing touchdowns.

He was the Cowboys’ first offensive rookie of the year since Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith.

Best game

The New England Patriots’ historic comeback against the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI was awarded the ESPY for best game.

The Patriots trailed by 25 points in the third quarter before rallying to win 34-28 in overtime to complete the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history. No team had ever made up more than a 10-point deficit to win a Super Bowl.

Tom Brady led the Patriots on five straight scoring drives as the team scored 31 straight points. It was the first overtime in the Super Bowl’s 51-year history.

Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman used the moment to crack a joke at Manning’s expense. After remarking that Manning was “killing it” on his host duties, Edelman quipped, “We are indoors, though” — a reference to Manning’s cold-weather struggles during his playing days.

Jimmy V Perseverance Award

Jarrius Robertson, the charismatic 15-year-old whose battle with a rare liver disease inspired fans and athletes alike, was the winner of the Jimmy V Perseverance Award.

Robertson was given the award for the strength and courage he displayed while battling biliary atresia, a disease that affects the bile ducts, beginning at infancy.

“I have been doing things that I never thought I could do before,” Robertson said.

A loyal fan of the LSU Tigers and New Orleans Saints, Robertson thanked the NFL team for “giving me a platform for doing what I do best — being myself.”

Earlier Wednesday, Saints owner Tom Benson and his wife, Gayle, said they donated $25,000 to help with Robertson’s medical costs. That amount will be matched by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

Icon Award

Legendary Los Angeles Dodgers play-by-play announcer Vin Scully was this year’s recipient of the Icon Award.

Scully, who retired last year after a 67-year run in the Dodgers’ booth, was presented the award by actor and L.A. native Bryan Cranston, who flew from New York to introduce Scully.

“I don’t have a relative in the world that would do that for me,” Scully joked.

Scully was the voice of the Dodgers from 1958 to 2016, the longest run by any sportscaster with a single club.

Arthur Ashe Courage Award

Special Olympics founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver was posthumously honored with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award.

Former first lady Michelle Obama presented Shriver’s son, Timothy Shriver, with the award.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver died in 2009. Obama called her “a remarkable woman, a woman who believed that everyone has something to contribute and everyone deserves a chance.”

Timothy Shriver chairs the Special Olympics, which his mother founded in the late 1960s to help empower people with intellectual disabilities.

“Our mother would have loved you,” he said of Obama. “She would have loved your forthrightness, your honesty, your toughness, your commitment also to get everybody on the playing field. She would have been so honored that you are here for her tonight as we all are.”

The courage award is given annually to someone who embodies the spirit of its namesake, tennis legend and longtime human rights campaigner Arthur Ashe.

ESPN’s Royce Young contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.espn.com/espys/story/_/id/19976844/2017-espys-russell-westbrook-wins-best-male-athlete-kevin-durant-takes-best-championship-performance

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