#makes me wanna do non-sports photo shoots again
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#OBSESSED#THESE ARE SO GOOD!!!!#makes me wanna do non-sports photo shoots again#david malukas#Indycar
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#27 for the winter prompts strikes me as distinctly Sternclay NSFW
Here you go!
27 i run a hot chocolate/cider booth at the local ice rink and you always flirt with me but i didn’t think it meant anything because you seem to flirt with everyone
Barclay’s family has lots of traditions come winter, the same as most people he knows. But his personal one is manning the “Sip n Slip” at the Kepler skating rink. He started volunteering there when he was 16 and stuck driving Jake to and from hockey practice. It was something to do, and he liked cooking and making drinks, even if it was just powdered cocoa and simple cookies.
Then he was coming back every winter when the stand opened to help out, and when he opted to stay in Kepler to work as a chef, he still made time to volunteer. He’s thirty now, the stand a little cramped for both him and the other volunteers, but the smell of warm sugar cookies and too-sweet cider takes him right back to his teens.
The same can be said of the man currently at the front of the line; he looks like a rom-com hero, with his black hair slicked back and his stylish coat and scarf, and Barclay has not been this close to popping a no-reason boner in months.
“How can help you?” he leans on the counter, smiling.
The man gives him a stealthy once-over before replying, “I’ll have a coffee, please. And a kid’s hot cocoa” he smiles at the young girl holding his hand, “anything else, Ellie?”
“No.”
“I guess that’s all.”
“That’ll be two bucks.”
The man hands him a five, letting their fingers touch. He does the same thing when Barclay gives him his change. When Barclay sets the to paper cups in front of him he adds, “cream and sugar is over at that little table.”
“I’d say there’s plenty of sugar here.” It’s so smooth that Barclay is still blushing as the man and the little girl disappear into the rink.
Maybe he should start making people give him their names with their orders.
And their phone numbers.
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“Hello again”
Barclay bounds to the counter (as much as six foot three man can bound anywhere), “Hey! Coffee and cocoa again?”
“Just coffee, my niece isn’t with me.”
He does a mental fist pump; the kid isn’t his, so maybe that’s a sign he’s single. As he’s trying to work out a non-creepy way to get his name, someone calls from across the room.
“Joseph! There you are man” a stockier guy in a ranger jacket waves.
“First day of rec hockey” Joseph smiles, “wish me luck.”
“Good luck.”
Joe winks, and then he’s gone. Barclay starts a new batch of cookies, looks at the door to the rink every two minutes for the next hour and a half until the other man emerges, sweaty and laughing. He’s twice as handsome as before. When he spots Barclay staring at him, he waves.
The cocoa packet in his hands turns two separate pieces, spilling powdered milk and sugar on the floor.
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“Back again?” He forces himself not to sound too excited at the fact Joseph is once again ordering coffee from him.
Blue eyes take on a glint, “With you here, how could I stay away?”
He’s this close to asking Joseph if he wants to get coffee somewhere nicer when the man waves another friend over, bumping shoulders and hands with him as they talk.
Okay. Maybe he’s just demonstrative with everyone. That’s cool.
Totally cool.
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He officially cannot tell if Joseph is flirting. Yes, he stops by the stand every time he’s at the rink (usually twice, once when he gets there and once before he leaves), and when it’s slow he sits in a plastic white chair and chats with him, tossing in winks and smiles whenever he says something complimentary. He’s animated, charming, and Barclay is now the living, breathing definition of “hopelessly crushing” on him.
But Barclay’s seen him talk the same way with his friends and teammates, and even with the other adults waiting to pick their kids up from the same class his niece attends. Barclay’s caught no fewer than four hockey moms and two hockey dads giving Joseph the eye.
He doesn’t blame them; he spends the slow part of his shifts imagining what Joseph looks like under his nice coat. Or his work out clothes. Or the Bigfoot-themed holiday sweater he started wearing in mid-December.
However, for the sake of his own sanity and not making a burgeoning friendship weird, he decides to treat all of their interactions as platonic unless Joseph explicitly says otherwise. So when Joseph asks if he’d like to go skating on Saturday, Barclay agrees immediately and then focuses on not getting his hopes up.
Confusingly, Joseph tells him to be at Tenney Park at three in the afternoon, rather than at the rink. He arrives at five til one and discovers that the fully frozen pond is now a skating hot spot, complete with skate rentals. Barclay brought his own skates; his feet are large enough that getting a rental pair that fit is a crap-shoot.
Joseph is waiting for him on a bench, reading on his phone. He’s in his black coat, the one that makes him look like a secret agent on a ski vacation. The late December sun peeks through the clouds, and Barclay’s pretty sure a beam illuminates Joseph perfectly while a heavenly choir sings.
No, wait, there are some carolers down the street.
“I’m so glad you made it.” Joseph moves the pair of skates from the spot beside him and pats the cold stone. Barclay sits down, and they chat about the mystery series that Joseph got him hooked on. It takes twice as long as normal for him to lace up his skates, because whenever he glances to his right, Joseph is watching him with a smile and his fingers forget how to work.
They wobble over to the ice and step on. The first few strides are fine, but then he hits a groove followed by a small dip and almost falls on his ass. On a normal rink, it’d be a fluke. But there are no Zambonies in the wild.
“This is, whoahfuck, harder on lake ice.” He flails a second time, sticks a hand out for balance only for it to be caught by Joseph’s own.
“I like the challenge. But don’t worry big guy, I’ve got you.”
“Thanks, blue eyes.”
The nickname is a complete accident, brought on by the fact that Barclay is staring into his eyes to avoid reading too much into the held hand. The hand that Joseph doesn’t let go off, even as they move onto a smoother patch of ice.
All that rec hockey is paying off, because Joseph practically waltzes them around in circles, never bumping into anyone or losing his footing as they talk. They compare notes on holiday gifts and new years plans, and Joseph laughs when Barclay regales him with the story of the great babka debacle of 2014.
Barclay’s so caught up in their conversation that he misses an odd bump in the ice and goes sideways into the snow-covered grass to his left, taking Joseph with him accidentally. Joseph ends up on top of him, both cackling like kids at the chaos of the moment. Barclay shivers, snow sneaking under his coat.
“Wanna, uh, get some coffee to warm up?”
“Sure” Joseph smiles.
“Bet that stand uses the same mix mine does.”
“Oh, um, I was thinking we could go back to my place for it. I’m only a few blocks that way.”
There’s no way he’s missing a chance to see Joseph’s house (he has a bet going with Dani that it’s immaculate, while Dani insists Joseph could be a stealth slob), and so ten minutes later he’s pulling off his boots in the entryway of a one bedroom, first floor apartment. The walls sport several elegantly done cryptozoology posters, he spies a pile of cookbooks he recommended on the kitchen counter, and the whole place looks like it’s been tidied within the last day. He texts Dani a stealthy photo, then settles on the couch while Joseph moves about the kitchen.
God, he wants to go in there and wrap his arms around him, kiss him against the counter until they both see stars.
Easy, Barclay, easy. He cannot ruin a good day with a friend.
“I also have some wine, if you’d like that instead of, or with, coffee.”
He glances at the Kraken clock on the wall, “Sure, it’s late enough.”
Joseph walks in, now in just his sweater and pants, stopping to a light a candle before setting two wine glasses on the coffee table. He’s pouring as the sun sets, the change in light helping the room feeling warm and cozy.
“Careful, you keep up those romantic touches and I might think this is a date.” He teases.
Joseph looks up, wine perilously close to the edge of the glass, “wait, this isn’t a date?”
“Uh, I, uh, I, I didn’t want to assume, I mean, do you want it to be a date?”
“Barclay” Joseph sets the bottle down, “I asked you out to something outside of the normal way of spending time together, without anyone else present, and kept holding your hand. And I kept flirting with you.”
“I know, but you kinda flirt with everyone.”
A self-deprecating laugh as Joseph joins him on the couch “Some work habits are hard to turn off; I have to be good at getting people at ease with me, to like me, because then they share information more readily. I guess that could make it hard for someone else to tell the difference.”
“So, uh” Barclay’s fingers cling to the knees of his jeans, “does that mean I could maybe, uh, kiss you?”
Joseph cups his cheek, guiding him in for a gentle kiss on his still chilly lips. Barclay whimpers, spends a moment embarrassed by the noise before Joseph lets out a little growl and shoves him backwards, climbing on top of him and kissing him demandingly.
“‘Grrr’ to you too, babeAHhhhfuck” He rolls his hips as Joseph grinds down and sucks teasingly on his lower lip.
“Is, is that okay?” His black hair is coming loose from it’s gelled swoop, he’s blushing, and his eyes are wider than Barclay’s ever seen.
“Oh my god it’s so much more than okay.” Barclay groans, bringing his hands up to squeeze his ass and press them closer, “fuck, babe, do you have any idea how many times I wanted to drag you into the stand and, fuck, and cover your mouth so no one would know how hard I was making you cum.”
“Lordalmighty” Joseph jerks his hips, “why didn’t you?’
“Because I OH, oh yeah, bite there again, I wasn’t sure you liked me that way, and I really like you, and I didn’t wanna fuck things up.”
Joseph kisses his cheek, murmurs in his ear “Well, now that you know the truth, I want you to fuck me up, big guy. Think you can do that?”
Barclay growls for real this time, flipping them so they’re on their sides and Joseph’s back is pressed to the cushions of the couch. He grabs the dark haired man’s leg, hooking it over his own.
“Yeah, blue eyes, I think I can.”
With that he slams their lips together, grinding his hips hard as the couch springs wobble under them and Joseph tangles his hands into his hair. His hands make up for lost time, slipping under Josephs shirt, dipping below his pants, mapping as much as him as they can find.
“Barclay I AHlord, I have a bed you know?”
“We can use that next time, burned through all my patience not jumping you at the rink.”
He feels Joseph smile, “Fine by me.”
“Fuck” he drags his mouth down, Joseph laughing when his beard scratches his neck, “fuck there’s so much I wanna do to you. Bet it’s so fucking fun to fuck you after practice, bet you’re all worn out and wanna be taken care of.”
“Holy shit.” Joseph matches his pace, working his hips as best he can in time with Barclay’s increasingly erratic thrusts.
“Gonna keep you in bed all day, babe, suck you off so good you’ll beg me to come back tomorrow, gonna show you just how good I can treat you with this” he gives a sharper thrust for emphasis, “gonna, fuck, ohfuck, Joseph, fuckfuck” he cums hard, lifts his hand up to hold onto the top of the couch as the rides it out, Joseph moaning into his mouth and functionally pinned between him and the cushions.
“Fuck I, I didn’t mean to cum in my pants like it’s my first fucking time.”
“Don’t apologize, that’s the best thing anyone’s done with me in months. Now” he nips Barclay’s ear, “show me how creative you are, big guy, and get me off.”
“Hell fucking yeah.” Between the two of them they contort enough to get Joseph's pants open and down, Barclay shifting back slightly to slide his hands into his boxer briefs, the front of which is completely soaked.
“That’s so fucking hot, can’t believe you want me that bad”
“Nnnnnhuh” Is what Joseph manages in reply, his face pressed into the crook of Barclay’s neck, breath coming in short, warm bursts as he jacks him off. Barclay pays attention to which motions make him louder, which make him wiggle his hips with more force, and peppers the side of his face with kisses, wondering how the fuck he got so lucky.
Joseph gets less eloquent the longer Barclay works him over, sinks his teeth into the neck of his shirt as he cums, whole body taut and picture perfect as he does. Barclay pulls his hand away, flopping it over Joseph's hip as they lay panting, the dark haired man nudging them so he can rest against Barclay’s chest while the larger man thanks the lucky stars floating somewhere just above the ceiling for all this.
“Do you, um, want to stay for dinner? I have to do laundry anyway, so I can toss your clothes in so you don’t have to drive home like that” He ghosts a hand over the damp spot by Barclay’s fly.
“That an excuse to have me wandering around your place naked?”
“Not entirely. Your shirt is fine, and I think I have some underwear that will fit you.”
“Fine, half-naked.” He kisses the top of his head.
“When you put it like that, yes. This is both an excuse to have you half-naked in my house and to spend more time with you. Which might be my favorite thing in the world; seeing you at the rink was always the best part of my day.”
Barclay cuddles him closer, wrapping him in his arms to keep away any lingering ice in the air. “Mine too.”
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Sea Salt By The Sea Shore
A/N: The title was funnier in my head. Also this technically goes with Day 6 but shhhhhh. I had to do research about SNOWBOARDING. Which I surprisingly knew even less about than I thought I did. For the record, this is a halfpipe.
They put in their headphones, swiftly as to not get Amalthea’s attention as she blabbered into. They tuned into the local news station, where the segment had just switched to sports. And once again, as they have been for weeks since the crash, Jem was the top story.
Regan, the stout news anchor began as a photo of Jem holding their first Olympic gold medal appeared next to him on screen. “Folks, today some news that shook the Olympic world to its core was announced. As twenty four year old Jemon Morale, who is known for being last Winter Olympics Gold Medallist in the halfpipe circuit, has announced the fact they are retiring.”
“Now, if you haven’t been following this story, let’s catch you up.” Regan switched to a different camera angle as a new graphic appeared by his face. One of Jem in their snowboarding gear after they qualified for the Olympics when they were nineteen. “Jemon Morale was America’s underdog in the 20xx Winter Olympics, as they rose to the spotlight as being the first ever openly non-binary Olympic athlete. Quickly, they received support particularly in millennial circles, and became an LGBTQ+ icon for the sports community. Although, nobody was expecting them to get gold on their first try- with a twenty to one Vegas odds- Jem succeeded on the half-pipe. Not only becoming the first non-binary gold medallist, but one of the youngest that the Olympic world has seen in the past few decades.”
Another camera angle, another graphic. This one showing Jem on their knees, crying as they were announced the winner of the gold medal. “Throughout the past two years, Jemon had appeared on multiple talk shows, and different sports magazines. As well as promoting brands anywhere between underarmour, and frosted flakes. They quickly became America’s favourite.”
Jem felt Amalthea, a slender woman with strawberry blonde hair and green eyes, tug one of their headphones out. “Jem, are you listening to me?”
“Yeah totally.” Jem replied, eyes still transfixed on the screen.
“What’d I say then?” Amalthea questioned.
“Yeah totally,” Jem answered, completely not paying attention to her.
As another graphic appeared, one with Jem shaking hands with fans right before the qualifiers started for this year. Jem remembered that day so clearly, and yet it felt like so long ago. Regan continued, “because of their massive success, Jem was the favourite to win all the way up to the Olympics. But at the criticized event of the semi-finals, horror struck the world.”
This time, the camera zoomed in on Regan’s face with no graphic. “The winds were high on the day of the semi-finals, where many experts say that it would’ve been safer had the event organizers post-poned the event until the winds had calmed down. Yet in the moment, the event continued. With Jemon’s points putting them in the lead, the final round was approaching.”
The frame had left Regan, showing the live feed their news reporter had caught on camera on that day. Regan’s continued the story through voice over as he narrated what happened, “As you can see, Jemon lined up and took off into the half pipe smoothly. Achieving their first fourteen hundred degree spin on the first jump.” Jem flipped their snowboard around 3 and a half times, flawlessly besides the dismount. The landing was shaky as the wind pushed them farther into the half pipe. “But as Jemon flew up in the air for their second fourteen hundred, tragedy struck.”
Suddenly, present Jem was flashed back into the memory. When they went up in the air, hearing the cheers from their adoring fans. Succeeding on completing the spins, Jem counted in their head. One, two, three, land.
Land. That’s all they had to do. But they couldn’t.
They felt themselves get pushed through the air, further towards the ledge of the halfpipe. Jem went into panic mode, and even though this only happened in a couple seconds, time slowed for them. They curled into themselves, grabbing the top of their snowboard to try and get their legs over the ledge so they could slide down the side of the halfpipe relatively unscathed.
It almost worked too.
Because Jem fell towards the ledge at sixty four kilometres per hour, and their weight easily increased to almost two hundred pounds with all their winter gear, it wasn’t going to be an easy crash in any sense of the word. Jem didn’t work fast enough as their back leg clipped the ledge, bending and snapping the opposite way of their knee. Jem, feeling the pain shoot up to their spine, let go of their board, and they got completely turned around.
All they remember before their head hit and skid down the side of the halfpipe was the pain.
The next thing Jem remembers after the crash was waking up a week later in the hospital, with screws and metal pins in their left leg.
Jem came back to their senses, in the town car as the crash was shown on their phone screen. The video ended after Jem’s face grinded against the snow, shattering their helmet and goggles. The doctors said that they were lucky they didn’t lose an eye. But it was hard for Jem to even imagine that they were lucky as they gazed at their casted leg.
The screen went back to Regan, with a photo of the paramedics loading Jem into their ambulance. “After much deliberation of Jem’s injuries, it was leaked from an inside source that they were going to need to go through extensive physical therapy if they wanted to even walk properly again. The crash left Jem’s hip dislocated, their shin was shattered and their knee was completely torn out of its socket. Not to mention the torn ligaments and strained muscles. All of which were in Jemon’s left leg.”
The next camera angle featured the photo of Jem last night, standing at a podium with press surrounding them. Regan continued with, “Last night, Jemon gave this statement regarding their future in their career.”
Jem didn’t think they looked half as distraught as they did getting up on the podium. Jem began their speech, “Thank you one and all for coming tonight. And thank you for your hopes and prayers for me and my family as we pushed through these trying times over the past couple months. But as my recovery continues, and after getting a second and third opinion from trusted physicians, I am saying that I will never be able to compete again. I will continue my physical therapy in another facility down south. I’m sorry to all my fans,” at this point Jem’s voice began cracking the slightest bit, “I’m sorry to all those who supported me in achieving my dream. And from the bottom of my heart, thank you for making my dream come true. Even for a little while.”
The camera panned back to Regan, who had a solemn look on his face. “A teary eyed statement from Jemon Morale, and what will probably be their last public statement for a long time. I do want to say on behalf of this network, it was a pleasure covering your journey. We wish you all the best. In other news...”
Amalthea had finally ripped the phone out of Jem’s hands, effectively tearing the earbud out of Jem’s ear as well. “What the hell Mal?” Jem yelled, rubbing their ear to soothe the pain.
“You are the worst glutton for punishment I have ever met Morale.” Amalthea criticized, smacking them in the arm. “Anyways, Jimmy Kimmel wanted to to see if you could make it-“
“No.” Jem answered.
Amalthea flicked them in the nose, “I’m not letting you become a hermit down here. People want to hear from you Jem!”
“You’re trying to come up with things so I can keep paying you to do your job.” Jem stated, starting to toy with their cane. “The job which you’re terrified of losing because now that I am a washed up, cold, son of a bitch, I don’t really have a need for you anymore.”
Amalthea gritted her teeth but kept her voice as calm as she could. “I’m trying to give your fans what they want. We used to both want that.”
She stared Jem down to the point where guilt began to weigh in their shoulders. After a moment Jem sighed, “Fine. Set me up with Jimmy in a month, I just got here and don’t want to leave so soon.”
Jem looked out their window, as they passed by a boardwalk. This sunshine state was much different than what Jem was used to. No snow, and a fresh smell of the sea. And with that small inspiration, Jem got an idea.
They knocked on the window separating them from their driver, “Thorne, pull in here. I wanna go for a walk.”
Their driver nodded as Jem unbuckled their seat belt and readied their cane. Amalthea’s eyes widened, but really didn’t want to fight about this. So instead she just said, “Try and be back in ten. And take in some of the sights, maybe it’ll remove the stick shoved up your ass.”
Jem chuckled, opening the door. “Thanks Mal.”
With that, Jem left their town car. The boardwalk was alive with tourists and music. The sun beaming down on everyone was relaxing, although it was quite overbearing for Jem who had spent most of their life surrounded by the snow.
Leaning half their weight on their cane, they made their way up the wooden platform. They silently hoped that the sunglasses on their face would be enough to hide their identity. Although somehow, even here Jem’s face had graced some newsstands. But this was going to be a fresh start for them.
Right?
Wrong.
As they kept to the side of the boardwalk, they watched as the waved floated below them. The sun shining off the ocean was absolutely breathtaking. They couldn’t help but feel like they were at peace. But all good things must come to an end.
“Hey!” Someone shouted at Jem. Jem turned towards the yelling, and saw three, burly men approaching them. “You’re that guy, right? The snowboarder.”
Jem nodded, giving the men a thin lipped smile, “Yep, that’s me. Are you guys fans?”
The aggressive manner in how this man and his friends cornered Jem into the railing was telling them the exact opposite. But the man kept with a large, but obviously sarcastic smile.
“Kind of, give or take.” The man said, taking a puff from his cigarette. “I really thought you had some potential kid. You were truly one of a kind.” There was a moment of silence, that Jem was about to thank the guy in but then he continued, “I even put some money down on you.”
Shit.
Jem put the hand they didn’t have gripping their cane up defensively, “Okay, I see how it is.”
“Do you?” The guy dropped his cigarette on the would and put it out with his boot. “Because, I couldn’t get my son the game he wanted because of you.”
To sass or not to sass, that is the question. And unfortunately for Jem, since their accident they’ve been leaning more towards the former. “Buddy, it sounds like if you couldn’t afford buying something for your kid, then you had no business in putting your money down elsewhere. You cared more about getting more money then making your son happy.”
With that, the guy’s face fell. Fury is becoming etched into his features, but Jem continued. “Your deadend job isn’t paying you enough, or maybe you’re just lazy and refuse to ask for more hours. Maybe you’re just a coward, who thinks it’s unmanly to ask for help.”
Jem laughed to themselves, before delivering the killing blow, “The truth is, you’re emasculated when your pride takes a blow. And because you’re that sensitive, I may not have a gender, but somehow I’m still twice the man you’ll ever be.”
Now, in an hour after all this unfolds if you asked Jem if they regretted their actions here, they’d reply, “no, not really.” Despite any logical person would say yes.
The burly guy nodded to his friends, who immediately closed in on Jem. Jem instinctively tucked their bad leg behind their good one and leaned back towards the boardwalk railing. They deserved this, they know that. So they were gonna roll with the hits.
One of the friends snatched Jem’s cane from them, throwing them off balance. Jem quickly grabbed onto the railing, as the guy with their cane hit them in the stomach with it. Jem’s only response was a grunt.
A crowd began to form around them, some people taking video and Jem knew that surely enough this would be their next headline. The friend took Jem’s cane and tossed it over the side of the boardwalk, into the water. Jem tried to spin around and grab it, as somebody came up from behind Jem and knocked them over.
It was difficult for Jem to process what was happening, even as they went crashing head first into the water. They quickly were able to spin right side up, but couldn’t keep their head above water. Every desperate claw towards the surface, every time they tried to take a gulp of air, it was to no avail.
Jem’s vision began to blur, in a sense it was peaceful. As if this was what Jem was waiting for. After all, hadn’t Jem done everything they were meant to do? Their journey in life was over, their dream destroyed because of one mistake. Everything was over.
Or had it just begun?
Jem felt arms come around them and pull them up towards the surface. They gasped for air, coughing up some of the water. The strong arms wrapped around them gently patted their chest as Jem heaved.
“It’s all right mate, I got you.” The voice said. Jem peeked over their shoulder to see a man, with dark hair and green eyes. Not far off in the distance was a small boat, and Jem felt a small rush through their veins.
Yes, the next adventure had just begun.
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Shinsou fluff alphabet
Starting off this blog the right way
A = Attractive (What do they find attractive about the other?)
He really likes your eyes
Hes definitely the type of person that puppy dog eyes work on
When you look up at him with those pretty eyes he just melts into them
B = Baby (Do they want a family? Why/Why not?)
He would want a baby eventually
Like after you get married
But he loves the thought of having a baby with you
Seeing which traits come out from both of you
Or adopting a baby, he thinks that would be awesome too
He loves kids, hes just kinda scared that he doesn't know how to take care of them
C = Cuddle (How do they cuddle?)
He is the c li n g I est mf
He acts like hes not but he is
He doesn't have a preference when it comes to being the little or big sppon
He loves holding you
Just wrapping his arms around your shoulders or waist and hugging you as tight as possible while pressing little kisses onto your forehead
And when you hold him he melts
He feels so loved and wanted
Play with his hair plz plz plz
His eyes will flutter shut and hell just be like
"Mmm... so comfy"
It's so cute
D = Dates (What are dates with them like?)
Toshi is pretty spontaneous
So dates will either be
Let's go out at 3 in the morning and run around the city and buy junk food
Or
"Babe, I got us reservations for this super fancy restaurant so make sure you get dressed up. Were leaving in an hour."
They're always fun tho, even the more formal dates are super silly with you two making jokes and just being crackheads
E = Everything (You are my ____ (e.g. my life, my world…))
To Hitoshi, you are his inspiration
His reason for moving forward in life
Before you, his only goal was to become a hero - and even then no one seemed to believe he could
Then theres you
You who tells him that his quirk does not make him evil
It's super effective against villains
hell be a pro hero someday
Before he wanted to become hero simply because why not
But now he wants to become a hero for you, to show you that your positive words were not misplaced and he is someone you can count on
F = Feelings (When did they know they were in love?)
It was one night after he was training with Aizawa in martial arts (since he knows his quirk isnt the most effective in battle if he cant get it to work)
And he walked out of the field to see you standing there with this big smile on your face
"What are you doing here? It's late, you should go home."
"I was but then I saw you training and wanted to watch 😊"
He kinda gives you a weird look and is like why
"Cause you're super cool Shinsou! If I wanna be a pro hero I need to make sure I can get strong too, so I wanted to take some pointers."
His eyes widen and hes like- you think I'm cool??? Me who has to do this training cause my quirk is useless most the time?? Me who's quirk actually sucks?? You think I'm cool.
You just give him this big smile and you're like well ya anyways see you tomorrow
And he kinda is just like fuckfuckfuckfuckdu kkckcdudyhsj the whole way home cause wow you're super cute and you're the only person to ever praise him like that
He lies awake all night and is like I'm in love fuk
So ya, he was in love long before you even started dating
G = Gentle (Are they gentle? If so, how?)
Hes so gentle with you
Like hell brush your hair out of your face and move it behind your ear
When you kiss his hand kinda just cups your jaw and his thumb rubs your cheek
He presses little kisses on your forehead when you hug
Theres times when he can be more rough, but you're his baby and he cherishes you so much
He doesn't wanna scare you in any way and treats you so well
H = Hands (How do they like to hold hands?)
When you're walking he likes to place his fingers with yours and holds onto your hand tight
But other than that, he prefers holding your hand by placing his on top of yours and lacing his fingers while his thumb rubs your pinky
Hell pick up your hand and press kisses on it
Lowkey to tease you cause he likes to see you blush but still
I = Impression (What was their first impression?)
His first impression of you wasn't the best? It wasn't the worst either tho
He first met you at the sports festival
You were fighting after he did, so when he was walking back and you were going out you saw him
So you were like "great job in the match!!"
And he thought you were teasing him cause he felt he horribly lost so he got kinda pissed
And was like "ya whatever"
He realized you weren't lying later tho, when you kept talking to him whenever you would see him at school
J = Jealousy (Do they get jealous?)
Oooooh yes, boy gets so jealous
You're HIS baby, not anyone elses
Hes put up with a lot of shit and a lot of shitty people and now that he has someone who loves him and he adores back - he doesn't like the fear of losing them
It's less of he gets angry when people flirt with you and more of he gets scared
Hes scared hes not the best and that you might decide you'll leave
He knows you love him and are loyal to him, but he cant shake that fear
K = Kiss (How do they kiss? Who initiated the first kiss?)
So he initiated the first kiss
It was after your first date, and he kinda just kissed you out of nowhere (and you didn't mind at all)
While he does kiss you fairly gently, its lots of times a way to tease you
He loves to kiss you more roughly- the kinds of kisses that leave you breathless and your lips bruised
But he starts gentle half the time so that you get frustrated and have to try and make him kiss you deeper
Lots of tongue
Lots and lots of tongue
L = Love (Who says ‘I love you’ first?)
You did
Again, He knew he loved you before you started dating
But he didn't wanna put you off by saying it too soon so he waited for you
He did things to help you know he loved you, but he waited until you said it
The first time you said it you were cuddling
You were lying on his chest and he was playing with your hair on his bed and you quietly said "I love you Toshi. So much.."
His eyes widened and he got the biggest smile on his face
"I love you too baby"
M = Memory (What’s their favourite memory together?)
His favorite memory with you is probably one of your first dates
He took you to an amusement park
You were holding hands the whole time and you were so happy throughout the whole night
Hearing your beautiful laugh, being able to play the games with you and win you prizes since hes for some reason super good at them, getting to be that annoying couple that just cuddles in all the lines
He was in heaven
of course you had to do the stereotypical couple thing and ride the ferris wheel
But! It got stuck when you were almost to the top (if only it had been at the top - it would have been peak amusement park date romance)
You two were so ready to kiss at the top, but now you get to make out for like 30 minutes?? Awesome!
Getting to have a whole photo shoot together with all the pretty lights from the park and the city?? Double awesome!
Sitting in the cramped seat and being able to just talk and cuddle without worrying about school or anything?? Tripple awesome!!!
Everything about the night was perfect, and now you two love going on amusement park dates (tho none will ever beat this one)
N = Nickel (Do they spoil? Do they buy the person they love everything?)
He won't Spoil you too much, hes broke anyways
Besides, hes not the most materialistic person anyways so he would rather give you gifts of like dates and stuff
When he does give gifts, it's more personal things
Hell spoil you for your birthday and anniversary tho, if you really want something hell do his best to get you it
O = Orange (What colour reminds them of their other half?)
Pink
Why?
Because he loves that cute blush of yours ~
He teases you all the time, anything to get you to blush
So when he sees a pink, especially in the shade of your blush, he kinda smirks and is like aw
Also, its such a soft color, and you're his baby so he gets soft for you
So honestly pastel colors remind him of you too, but mainly pink
P = Pet names (What pet names do they use?)
ANYTHING that will get you to blush
Hes tested out them all
Honey, sugar, babydoll, bub, cutie, EVERYTHING
But his favorites are baby, and kitten.
He likes cats so he tested out kitten and the BLUSH that erupted on your face, he was hooked
Q = Quaint (What is their favourite non-modern thing?)
My dude he is so into ball room dancing
Like I guess that's modern if you're rich, but neither of you are so that's something you only see in like old movies
Dead ass he took you to an abandoned castle just to dance with you while he played music from like the 40s
R = Rainy Day (What do they like to do on a rainy day?)
Loves rain
Wants to go play in it
He will drag you out into the rain so that you can run around and act like little kids
Then you'll come in eventually so you dont get sick and make tea and cuddle
S = Sad (How do they cheer themselves/others up?)
Hes more of the type that will just ignore his feelings when hes sad
Like it's no big deal they'll go away
But you got mad at him for doing that so now - he just tells you
Hell text you and be like "hey.. can we cuddle..."
And you'll immediately know what's up and run to cheer him up
When you're sad, he takes a more direct approach
He wants you to tell him straight up what's wrong, and hes willing to wait if you need time
Hell hold you until you're ready, but he won't leave until you're feeling better
T = Talking (What do they like to talk about?)
He loves gossipping
Like you two talking about dumb stuff your classmates do
Makes up like 70% of your conversations
Also about movies, or TV shows, hes into a lot of fandoms and loves talking about them
U = Unencumbered (What helps them relax?)
You
Playing
With
His
Hair
That's it
Hes stressed? He will plop himself into your lap and you just know
V = Vaunt (What do they like to show off? What are they proud of?)
He likes showing off his martial art skills honestly
Hes gotten good at them, and many of the students dont bother with learning any formal fighting style since they're more into just using their quirk or swinging as they please
So it's something hes proud of
Hes also proud of it cause the 2 people he looks up to the most - aizawa and you - are also proud of him for it
So he loves showing you new things hes learned, or showing you how to do them so that you can be safer
W = Wedding (When, how, where do they propose?)
Again, hes spontaneous, so it kinda just came out
You two were just goofing around one night - spending time with each other since soon you would go into working at an agency since you had graduated
He was just thinking about how much hes gonna miss not being able to be around you all the time
So this man deadass ran into a gas station that was still open, bought a ring pop, and ran back out and was like
"Shit babe I'm so sorry this is such a horrible proposal but I'm doing it cause I don't wanna back out so- (y/n), will you marry me?"
Hes down on one knee holding this ring pop and he expected you to start laughing (you did later) but instead you started crying and you just jump into his arms nodding
X = Xylophone (What’s their song?)
Serendipity by BTS
His world changed when he met you, the love his life
Theres so much hurt in life, and you are his happiness
Even when you two fight, you only come back stronger
Hes so happy with you, and so hes worried that something will happen to take you away from him
This song kinda captures that
Y = Yes (Do they ever think of getting married/proposing?)
Yes
All the time
He planned it a few times fully before when he actually did, and they were all much more romantic than the ring pop
He thought of the ring and everything
Z = Zebra (If they wanted a pet, what would they get?)
Cat
Do I even need to say that
He wants you two to be crazy cat parents so bad
Even tho the max you ever have at a time is 2
#bnha#mha#boku no hero headcanons#boku no hero imagines#boku no hero fanfic#boku no hero academia#boku no hero x reader#shinsou imagine#shinsoubnha#shinsou headcanons#shinsouhitoshi#mhaheadcanons#fluff alphabet#shinsouxreader#shinsoufluff
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Kpop tag game
Tagged by @edenalieth :)
10 groups/artists you like besides Kpop/liked before Kpop ?
Used to be 1D trash, Little Mix, Ariana Grande, Ella Eyre, Hailee Steinfeld, Pentatonix, Selena Gomez, Troye Sivan, Fall Out Boy and Nicki Minaj
10 favorite non-kpop songs ? *currently*
(this is gonna be a lot from the same artists lol)
Little Mix: Salute, Power, Touch and Freak, Ariana Grande: Into You and Forever Boy, Justin Bieber: Love Yourself, Hailee Steinfeld: Rock Bottom and tbh I can’t think of another 2 lol
10 favorite movies ?
I don’t watch movies often so I’m not sure...
10 favorite tv shows, including anime & cartoons
Haikyuu, The Librarians, Yuri On Ice, Kuroko no Basuke, Toddlers and Tiaras fight me, 90 Day Fiancé, Noragami, Death Note, Ouran Highschool Host Club and No. 6
10 favorite manga/comics
The only mangas I’ve read all/the majority of are Haikyuu, Ouran and Death note
10 things you enjoyed before kpop/enjoy besides kpop, that won’t fit in the lists above ?
taking photos, fashion, makeup, interior decor stuff, writing, looking at fanart/fiction, hanging with friends, funny videos, walking and food
Another Tag Game
Nickname: Coco is the main one and butterfly by one friend
Starsign: Leo
Height: 165cm
Time right now: 11:09pm
Last thing googled: Southeastern exucse dice (uk train memes ;))
Favorite music artists: top faves are: BTS, Little Mix and Ariana Grande
Song stuck in your head: I always have blood, sweat and tears stuck in my head ok (apart from yesterday it was breaking free from hsm...)
Last movie watched: I actually don’t remember oh no
Last TV show watched: The Librarians
What are you wearing right now: oversided black top, black leggings and black trainers so colourful
When did you create your blog: I think like 4 years ago just before summer
What kind of stuff do you post: Mostly BTS or anime with some shitposts and Little Mix
Do you have any other blogs: I had a fashion one that I never used
Do you get asks regularly: as if
Why did you choose your URL: nevermind was taken (I love that song) and I love yoongi so min-nevermind
Gender: Female
Hogwarts house: I did it a couple years ago and got Slytherin so I re-took it and got Ravenclaw lmao
Pokemon team: Psychic (on pokemon go im team valor)
Favourite colour: Grey, blue, white and black
Average hours of sleep: ah.....like 2-4 hours
Lucky number: Don’t have one
Favorite character(s): Aomine Daiki, Tsukishima Kei, Ezekiel Jones, Ootori Kyoya
How many blankets do you sleep with: 1 duvet
Dream job: Something in fashion so styling, media journalism stuff like that
Following: People I’m following? Mainly kpop blogs
BTS Would You Rather
Would you rather:
Build a snowman with V OR have a snowball fight with jhope
Get coffee with suga OR get ice cream with suga
go to the cinema with jimin OR the amusement park with jungkook
do a dance cover with jhope OR sing a duet with jin
kiss rap monster OR cuddle suga
babysit with jimin OR dogsit with v
meet jhope’s family OR have v meet your family
film a commercial with jhope OR film a sketch with V
hug jimin OR hold hands with jungkook (both pls...)
go to paris with jin OR go to London with suga
film a drama with jin OR do a photo shoot with rap monster
attend an award show with rap monster OR wear couple tshirt at the airport with jungkook
spend a lazy day with suga OR explore the city with jhope (how about city with suga ;))
fall asleep next to jimin OR wake up next to jungkook
make up a silly rap with v OR a silly choreography with jin
have jungkook serenade you OR v sing you to sleep (serenades seem kinda awkward ngl)
have a dance party with jhope OR sing karaoke with suga
go camping with jimin and v OR go to the beach with rap monster and suga
cook with jin OR bake a cake with jimin
have a sleepover with the hyung line OR a birthday party with the maknae line
celebrate halloween with jungkook, suga, v and jhope OR Christmas rap monster, jimin and jhope
~NSFW Time~ *SOS* i really hope no one I know sees this ok
Would you rather:
dom jhope OR sub jin
wear lingerie for rap monster OR put lingerie on jimin
tie up jungkook OR get tied up by v (y’all...)
pull suga’s hair OR get your hair pulled by rap monster
have shower sex with jimin OR have sex pool with v
perform oral on jungkook OR have jhope go down on you (i feel like im gonna be picking both for everything ok)
have a romantic sex with jin OR rough sex with jimin
have angry sex with v OR make up sex with suga
suck hickeys onto jungkook’s neck OR get hickeys from v
put a blindfold on jimin OR get blindfolded by rap monster
have phone sex with rap monster OR Skype sex with jhope
ride jimin’s thigh OR ride jungkook’s thigh
have jin call you “kitten” OR rap monster call you “babygirl”
wear a collar for jin OR put a collar on jimin
beg for suga OR make jungkook beg for you
have sex backstage with jhope OR in the kitchen with jin
get teased under the table at a dinner by rap monster OR tease jimin
play never have i ever with rap monster, suga and jungkook (although I don’t drink so...)OR strip poker with jhope, jimin, v and jin
do body shots with rap monster, suga and jin OR get lap dances from jhope, jimin, jungkook and v
Pick A Member | BTS
Rules: Pick ONE of the members listed for each question and explain why! Be honest ad don’t just pick your favourite for every answer. Do not choose a memeber who is not listed and try to answer every question.
1. Amusement park date ? Jin/Taehyung/Jimin
• He’s the loudest and most crazy so I think it would be more fun with him. If I’m around energetic people I get energetic too
2. Spend a lazy afternoon with ? Jin/Jungkook/Yoongi
• Would be pretty chill, some banter, music and sleeping prob
3.Play 1v1 sports with ? Jimin/Hoseok/Taehyung
• I wouldn’t want to take it seriously lmao J-hope gonna have my back when I fuck up
4.Make out session with ? Yoongi/Jungkook/Jimin
• my boi suga
5.Cheek kisses ? Jin/Hoseok/Jimin
• He’s so cute who wouldn’t?
6.Do a YouTube boyfriend does your make up tag with ? Hoseok/Taehyung/Namjoon
• Like he’d probably try really hard yet also probably poke my eye out but it would be funny lol
7.Introduce to your parents ? Jimin/Jungkook/Taehyung
• Although my mum loves Jungkook the most, Jimin is so cute and I wanna see how he would act in that situation lol I bet he’s so polite
8.Go to a haunted house with ? Yoongi/Namjoon/Hoseok
• I don’t get scared easily so I want someone to laugh at lmao it would be entertaining ok
9.Drunk nights with ? Hoseok/Jimin/Jin
• Just gonna say none bc I don’t drink
10.Who would you want to see do aegyo for a whole day as a punishment ? Namjoon/Yoongi/Jungkook
• I would die it would be hilarious
11.Who would help you pick out outfits ? Taehyung/Namjoon/Yoongi
• I really like Yoongi’s style so he would do great. I’d pick Namjoon but like I might end up in some weird shit
12.School dance date ? Jin/Namjoon/Hoseok
• He would take it the least seriously/least awkward out of the other two lmao I’d rather have a laugh than take it seriously lol
13.Sing a duet with ? Taehyung/Jimin/Jungkook
• I think our voices would suit best and his voice is some good shit
14.Would make you breakfast in bed ? Yoongi/Jin/Jungkook
• Ok but like imagine Jin bringing you breakfast...a great thought
15.Go on a late night adventure with ? Jungkook/Taehyung/Namjoon
• I was gonna say Tae but we’d probably end up in a ditch somewhere and I see Jungkook liking walking around at 2am instead of some crazy stuff
16. First time ? Taehyung/Jimin/Yoongi
• again, my boi I can’t say anyone else lol
17. Whose clothes you’d steal and wear ? Jin/Taehyung/Hoseok
• He wears a lot of oversized clothes and I love that 10/10
18.Late deep night conversations with ? Namjoon/Yoongi/Jungkook
• I think we have quite similar personalities/thoughts so I would wanna know whats going on inside his head
19. Who’d you have a play water fight with ? Jimin/Hoseok/Taehyung
• It would just be so fun and careless lol I love his energy
20.Who would you say you’re most compatible with ? (Choose any of the 7 members but remember, favoristism and compatibility are two different things).
• Everyone I know who knows about bts say I’m very similar to Yoongi and I think we tend to get along with people who are like us in some way bc we understand eachother
Bias Tag
Rules: pick 10 biases and answer the questions. No specific order.
(trying to think of those outside of bts lol)
1.Yoongi
2.Jimin
3.Jeonghan
4.Suho
5.Moonbyul
6.Jin
7.Jungkook
8.Jiyoon
9.Taehyung
10.Jeongyeon
1. Between 3&6, whose most recent concept do you like more?
• BTS - BS&T
2. Between 2&10, who would you rather be stranded on an island with ?
• Jeongyeon - as much as I love Jimin more I feel like he’d probably have a breakdown or something
3.Between 4&8, who would you trust to take care of you when you were drunk ?
• Suho.... why do I think he’d act like a dad...I don’t know...
4.Between 1&2, who would you go in jail for ?
• Jimin
5.Between 5&9, who is a better visual to you ?
• Both...
6.Between 7&8, who would you rather save from a sinking ship ?
• I can’t... Jungkook...?
7.Between 6&10, who would you rather have a movie marathon with ?
• Jeongyeon Idk why lmao
8.Between 1&10, who do you think makes a better impression ?
• Jeongyeon, I know a lot of people don’t think Yoongi gives off the better.
9.Between 3&7, who would you prefer to kiss in the rain ?
• Jungkook
10.Between 5&6, who would you rather have a summer fling with ?
• Jinnnn
11.Between 5&7, who would you rather do drugs with ?
• Neither lmao
12.Between 3&8, who would you rather take home to your parents ?
• Jeonghan
13.Between 9&10, whose wardrobe do you want more ?
• Taehying! I love his style
14.Between 4&10, who would you be more surprised to see cry ?
• Suho
15.Between 1&4, who would you rather have kiss you on the forehead ?
• Yoongi!!!
16.Between 2&3, who would you rather have hug from behind ?
• Jimin
17.Between 5&2, whose group do you stan more ?
• BTS
18.Between 4&9, who is higher up on your bias list ?
• Taehyung
19.Between 1&7, who would you open your door up to during the purge ?
• I’d trust both a lot however I feel like Jungkook is less likely to like...go insane or something lmao
20. Between 6&9, who would you rather go to a haunted house with ?
• Tae - I was gonna say Jin but Tae would probably just scream then laugh at everything lol
I tag : @jeonify, @aykook, @seokgenie and @yoongiied (feel free to do it or not)
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The Toronto Raptors keep evolving instead of breaking
Toronto is modernizing its style and strengths even if an NBA title remains out of reach.
The Biosteel Centre has become the laboratory for the Toronto Raptors' reinvention experiments. During the tail-end of practices that are open to media observation, one can find four rims occupied by shooters, a hat-tip to their designs on internal improvement from beyond the arc. In the far-right corner, a fifth and final hoop is dedicated to the harder, non-habitual challenge of the Raptors' "culture reset" that is playing out, for the most part, on the offensive end.
Lorenzo Brown stands at the top of the key and receives a pick from Jakob Poeltl, who catches the ball on the roll, and bulldozes into assistant coach Nick Nurse, who is trying to stave off the 7-foot center with two pads. Instead of trying to finish through contact, Poeltl fires a drive-and-kick pass to Alfonzo McKinnie, in the corner, who misses a three. After a few more reps, Lucas Nogueira takes Poeltl's place. After that, it's the much-maligned Jonas Valanciunas, who, after a couple tries, starts hitting McKinnie right in the pocket.
“On time, on target passes. It’s something I know guys ad nauseam get tired of us talking about it and emphasizing,” says head coach Dwane Casey. “But I'm a firm believer that you are what you emphasize.”
The Raptors’ plan to bring back largely the same personnel for the 2017-18 season yet introduce a modern, pass-happy, 3-point heavy offense was met with reasonable skepticism. It felt like a stilted mandate, the plan of a team that acknowledges the problem but can't muster a solution. If they wanted to change things, why re-sign Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka to cap-killing deals, and retain Casey as coach?
Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
So far, they've made it work. At 15-7, the Raptors run the NBA’s fourth-most efficient offense. After finishing second-to-last in the NBA last season in assist ratio — the percentage of a team’s baskets that are assisted — they’re now in the top five. Casey’s goal, in training camp, was to shoot 30 treys per game. They’re shooting 32. The Raptors have always been able to rack them up, but their attack this season is more well-balanced, and they hope, harder to solve in the playoffs. In that regard, they’re certainly less solvable, but they’re still squarely behind the Cavs in Celtics in the Eastern Conference pecking order.
ERGE. #RTZ http://pic.twitter.com/3rKCOaS6h3
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) December 9, 2017
The Raptors, in the end, represent high aspirations with middling results. That is the story of most of us, and most of us don't wallow and recede merely because even at our best, we couldn't be astrophysicists. We try, and sometimes fail, to be good friends, good family members, good employees. Professional sports, of course, veer toward more win-or-go home propositions. Yet the sense of dread that accompanies most good-but-not great teams is conspicuously absent in Toronto. It is hard, it turns out, for mediocrity to become the expressed persona of a team that is so dedicated to maximizing its abilities.
As the Raptors inch closer and closer to their collective best, it is painfully clear they are a cut below elite. Yet the organization is filled to the brim with people who, everyday, are striving to be better teammates and coaches.
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Whether or not the Raptors truly believe or don't believe they can win a championship is a question best left to psychics. But I can say this: Professional athletes are so defiant, so single-minded, that if the opponent was gravity, they'd fervently contend that it's still anybody's game in the middle of a free-fall. The Raptors, who ran into LeBron two playoffs in a row, know what it's like to fall.
When you're really up against it, self-belief gives way to self-reflection. The Raptors, who plodded around the court, and ran their actions through DeMar DeRozan, the NBA’s last standard-bearer for mid-range basketball, risked going extinct.
Dippin' into the bag of tricks early. #RTZ http://pic.twitter.com/RPgcxw1ZnB
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) December 6, 2017
That DeMar's parting offseason admission was that the Raptors were toast without LeBron James, but still entered this season with a renewed ambition to re-tailor his game in order to better serve his teammates, is some kind of beautiful. A beautiful that will not veer into the transcendent but will, over time, pay the bills.
“As a competitor,” says DeMar, “you wanna do every and anything to win. Sometimes, that comes with balance.”
Casey, on the other hand, is on his own mission against instinct: biting his tongue, as the Raptors hodgepodge of young talent works through their early kinks.
There's Pascal Siakam, busting out overzealous spin moves, taking threes early in the shot clock, dribbling around the world like an oversized Fred VanVleet, bobbling behind-the-back passes in transition. There's Norman Powell, driving into traffic, angles and helpers be damned, while OG Anunoby, fishing for steals, gets back-cut by Courtney Lee again.
“I don't wanna limit myself to just be an energy guy or whatever it might be,” says Siakam. “I want to expand my game, and I'm a hard worker. I started playing basketball late, so I have a lot of things I have to learn.”
To allow reps for Anunoby, Poeltl, VanVleet, Siakam, Powell, and Nogueira, Toronto is employing a 12-man rotation that, at this juncture, isn't showing any signs of tightening. Nobody has a short leash. Everybody's allowed to mess up. After spending three seasons in a row sweating every regular-season loss, the Raptors are finally making like a playoff team and treating it like a breeding ground. Sometimes, you can't act like you've been there until you've actually, you know, been there.
The Raptors, as a result, employ one of the best second units — the best, if you ask CJ Miles — in the NBA. None of the Raptors young guns projects to be a star, but they have helped strike the near-impossible balance of winning now and building for the future.
Bench mob connection. #RTZ http://pic.twitter.com/Gax156Lu03
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) December 9, 2017
The team had plenty of reasons not to make it work. DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry, career scorers, would have to shelve inborne habits. The shortened preseason hindered their ability to effectively implement a new system. The toughest stretch of their season came early, when the Raptors, in the absence of immediate results, would likely be most prone to reverting to old habits. They couldn't hit a shot for the first month of the season. DeRozan was overpassing. Lowry struggled to channel the appropriate moments for aggression.
“Training camp was tough because it was short. Trying to institute a new system, I thought, we're not there yet,” recalls Casey. “We really struggled in those exhibition games, and the first few games.”
Wax cynical if you must. But the Raptors persisted. And because of that, they managed to execute the blueprint for change that has left so many other franchise stars on the trading block and coaches unemployed. The task of real, appreciable change is often impossible at worst, and trying at best. The Raptors have done it, they’ve done it well, and they have no designs on reversion.
A Sideline Story
I am writing this, dear friends, to eat crow. Well, first, I have to tell on myself. There was a juncture of my life (read: the past year) where I was truly convinced that Andre Drummond just didn't like basketball. I wasn't the only one, and hey, there was evidence suggesting we were onto something. A tall dude without a lot offensive skill who had his first and only All-Star season in a contract year and then proceeded to fall off dramatically in all manner of non-fantasy stats? It was fishy, to say the least.
It turns out that Drummond had it in him to give a shit. A lot of shits, actually. He spent the offseason doubling his free-throw accuracy, which has settled in at 62 percent, allowing his lumbering frame to attract attention down low without being hacked. That is, combined with an attitudinal shift, why he's averaging four assists per game this season — his career high, prior to that, was one. Even when he isn't being doubled, he's done an excellent job of finding cutters from the high post, when opponents try to cheat on pick and rolls. His defense has been a mixed bag. One-on-one, he can't stay in front of quicker guys and ends up in no man's land when he's matched up against spacier guys. But he's gotten better at shutting down traditional pick and rolls, especially with Stanley Johnson on the court, and he's flicked guards out of the restricted area with ease.
.@AndreDrummond had that 20-20 vision tonight. Check out his 26-point, 22-board evening. #DetroitBasketball http://pic.twitter.com/lfXr6pYSNT
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) November 28, 2017
I don't know what the backstory is behind Drummond's resurgence (and Detroit's, for that matter) is. I'll leave that to Lee Jenkins. But what's clear to me now was that I was stereotyping a tall dude. It’s also a reminder that when things aren't right with a player, the explanation is often deeper than what's happening at the surface level.
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