Neighborhood.

[Captain Canada]

I mean, at this point, the Trailblazers may as well throw Keshawn into the starting lineup.

[Soapy]

We need to see more blocks from Keshawn. Tall for nothing head ass.

This brother is never happy.

I mean, at this point, the Trailblazers may as well throw Keshawn into the starting lineup.

We making the most of our opportunities no matter what

[Soapy]

A Cold Day in Hell - Episode 9
Trey's fist stung from the impact, knuckles raw where they'd connected with the Varrio Longo member's face. His other hand held a sharpened toothbrush, its tip now crimson and dripping onto the concrete floor of the supply closet. The man—Trey hadn't asked for a name, only a description—gurgled once, twice, then went silent, eyes fixed on nothing.

Trey wiped the makeshift shank on the dead man's jumpsuit, his breathing already settling back to normal. His years inside had taught him efficiency, no wasted movement, no hesitation. If you waited, you got killed. If you thought, you got killed.

He tucked the shank into the elastic of his underwear, pulled his jumpsuit back up over it, and cracked the door. The corridor was clear. Trey slipped out, his face a mask of boredom as he walked unhurriedly back toward his cell block.

"What's good, Singleton?" called a voice from behind him.

Trey turned, keeping his expression neutral as Officer Dawes approached. "All good in the neighborhood, homie."

Dawes' eyes flicked to Trey's hands, noting the fresh bruising but saying nothing. "I ain’t your homie, little nigga. Get moving."

"Appreciate you," Trey nodded, continuing down the corridor.

When he reached his cell, his cellmate Cedric was sitting on the bottom bunk, nose buried in a dog-eared paperback. He didn't look up as Trey entered.

"You can tell our man it’s handled," Trey said, voice flat as he moved to the small metal sink, turning on the tap to wash his hands. The water ran pink for a moment before clearing.

Cedric dog-eared his page and closed the book. "Dawes?"

"The usual," Trey replied, drying his hands on his jumpsuit.

Cedric nodded, sliding off the bunk. "Aight, I’ll put the word out."

Trey didn't respond, already moving toward the cell door again. The rec room buzzed with activity—men playing cards, watching TV, working out with makeshift weights in the corner. Trey spotted the dominoes table, four players deep in a game.

"I got next," he announced, settling into an empty chair nearby.

…



The ball slammed against the backboard and ricocheted off the rim, bouncing toward Stefan at the edge of the scout team's half-court setup. He snatched it with one hand, feeling the familiar texture against his fingertips.

"Run it again," Coach Savino barked from the sideline. "Lewis, go in for Parker."

Stefan clenched his jaw as Tommy jogged onto the court. It was bad enough that he had lost his in-game reps to the likes of Donovan, the transfer from New Mexico, or Trent, who had barely played last year as a freshman. Now, he was losing his reps to fucking Tommy of all people.

"Give us a goddamn look, Parker!" Coach Palmer snapped. "You can’t even do that?"

Stefan was slow to walk off the court, changing his path to the bench so that it directed him towards Tommy, intentionally bumping his shoulder into his as they crossed paths.

"What the fuck, man?" Tommy pushed him away.

"Shut your bitch ass up," Stefan didn’t bother to look back, continuing his slow walk to the sidelines.

Tommy pushed him again, this time with more force that sent Stefan stumbling a few steps before he gathered himself. As soon as he did, he turned around and in one motion, swung towards Tommy’s head. Thankfully, the first strike, the most powerful one, missed. The next few didn’t.

…

"You killing it today," Candace said, sliding into the seat next to her. "You’re definitely finding your pocket with these songs."

"Thanks," Gayle smiled, setting her phone down as she leaned back into the plush leather couch in Lamont’s studio. "It ain’t been easy but I feel like we’re getting somewhere now."

Candace laughed. "Those breakthroughs are a motherfucker, aren’t they?"

The studio had started to filter out as engineers, writers and producers hade made their way out, signaling the end of another long day. Candace had recognized it as soon as she walked in, the nervous energy that was always palpable when an artist was no longer just making songs but in album mode, every note, every decision, ever beat towards producing a body of art that would be put out to the world for its critique and its praise. As the night had wound down, it was just the two of them with Lamont having stepped out to listen to the past few songs they had recorded by himself in another room, one of his routines when close to finishing an album.

"You want something to drink?" Gayle asked, gesturing to the mini-fridge in the corner.

"Just water is fine," she said, beginning to feel the strain on her vocal cords.

Gayle grabbed two bottles, tossing one to Candace. "So how you been?"

"Just staying busy," Candace twisted the cap off her water. "This is always a busy period for me with summer sort of bleeding right into homecoming season with shows and stuff so like this is when I get my recording done before the holidays and you know…"

Candace paused, a smile playing at her lips, "Just life stuff."

"Life stuff?" Gayle prompted, recognizing that look. It was the same expression she wore whenever she thought about Lamont.

"Yeah, life stuff," Candace took a sip of water. "What about you? You’re starting to log some years in this business."

"Yeah, it's been crazy," Gayle nodded, deciding not to push. "Trying to make this music but like also have a life."

"That’s for sure," Candace nodded, "If you just live in the studio, you’re not going to have shit to talk about on your songs. You breaking hearts out here?"

"I don’t know about that," Gayle shook her head, "It’s definitely complicated when it comes to that."

"Complicated how?"

"Just someone I probably shouldn't be messing with," Gayle shrugged, trying to sound casual. "You know how it is in this business. Everything gets messy."

"Girl, don't I know it," Candace laughed. "That's why I tried to keep my shit private this time around."

"This time around?"

Candace shook her head as she leaned it back, looking up into the ceiling. "This is actually so crazy."

"What do you mean?"

"I've actually been seeing that basketball player we met at your video shoot. Keshawn?"

Gayle almost spit up her water. "Keshawn?"

"Unless it’s two of them, yeah. We just started talking and I don’t know."

Gayle’s mind tried to put it together. Keshawn? And Candace? Her Keshawn? Awkward Keshawn? Scared-of-the-pussy-Keshawn?"

"Really?" she managed to ask, her voice steadier than she felt.

"Yeah, I don’t know, I saw him in Vegas during the summer when I was out there," Candace took another sip of water. "We just started dating and then I guess we’re like a thing now? I don’t know, I feel like such a teenage girl right now talking about this but we just really hit it off and after my last situation, I don’t need no cameras in my face asking about my man or someone asking him about me so we’ve just been keeping it on the low."

"Right." Gayle nodded mechanically. "That makes sense."

"You seem pretty surprised which I guess is a good thing? We must be doing a good job of hiding it."

Gayle forced a smile. "No, no, of course it’s a good thing. I’m just…surprised. He's... not who I would have pictured you with."

"Honestly? Me neither," Candace laughed. "But he's different. He’s just…himself, you know?"

"That's great," Gayle said, the words tasting false on her tongue. "I'm happy for you."

…

"I'm telling you, we need to stock what sells," Mateo insisted, tapping his tablet screen where a colorful sales projection glowed. "Energy drinks, kombucha, all these trendy products the younger demographic wants—they have higher margins and built-in marketing."

Elijah leaned back in his office chair, fingers steepled beneath his chin. The construction sounds had finally quieted for the day, leaving only the hum of the temporary heating unit in the corner of what would soon be the main office of Chase Family Goods. Through the window, he could see the half-finished shelving units standing like skeletons under the lights.

"The younger crowd is fickle," Elijah countered. "What's hot today is forgotten tomorrow. We built our reputation on quality basics at fair prices. People remember that."

Mateo sighed, his frustration evident in the set of his shoulders. "With all due respect, Mr. Chase, that reputation didn't stop the store from struggling last time."

Elijah expected to feel that familiar flash of defensiveness, the need to remind this young man that he wasn't there, didn't understand what they'd been through. Instead, he felt something closer to resignation.

"You're right," Elijah said quietly.

Mateo blinked, clearly caught off guard.

"I get where you are coming from," Elijah repeated, rubbing a hand over his face. "The old model failed. It's not something I wish were the case but it was clearly not working."

He stood up, his knees protesting after sitting too long, and moved to the large map of the neighborhood they'd pinned to the wall. Red pins marked competing businesses, blue ones indicated schools and community centers, outlining their potential foot traffic exposure.

"But you're also wrong," Elijah continued. "Look at this area. We've got the housing development three blocks east bringing in young professionals. The community college expanded last year. But we've also got the senior living facility on Adams, and families that have been here for generations."

Mateo crossed his arms. "So?"

"So we need both. We need your fancy waters and protein drinks for the Instagram crowd," Elijah gestured toward the tablet, "But we also need affordable staples for the families that count every dollar."

"That complicates our inventory management," Mateo objected. "We'd need different suppliers, different marketing approaches—"

"Good thing we've got someone with a fancy business degree to figure it out," Elijah cut in, allowing himself a small smile.

Mateo didn't return the smile. "The financials don't support that kind of split focus. Gordon was very clear about the profit margins we need to hit in the first year."

"Gordon isn't standing in this neighborhood," Elijah said firmly. "I am. My family's name is on that sign outside, not his."

Mateo's jaw worked silently, and Elijah could almost see the calculations running behind his eyes.

"Here's what we're going to do," Elijah said, returning to his desk and pulling out a notepad. "We divide the store. Front section gets your trendy items, displayed nicely, good margins. Back half gets the basics, bulk items, generic brands. We give both a fair shot."

"And if one clearly outperforms the other?"

Elijah nodded, appreciating the question despite their disagreement. "Then we adjust. But we start by serving everyone."

Mateo hesitated, then set his tablet down on the desk. "I can work with that. But I'll need to recalculate our opening inventory."

"Do it," Elijah said. "And Mateo? I want you to walk the neighborhood this week. Not just drive through it. Walk it. Talk to people. Ask them what they want to see in the store."

"Is that really necessary? We have market research—"

"Market research doesn't tell you that some old lady on the corner has arthritis and needs her laundry detergent bottles to be small enough to lift. Or that the kids from the school down the block all stop for snacks on their way to the bus stop," Elijah tapped his temple. "That's the kind of knowledge that built this store the first time."

Mateo looked like he wanted to argue but seemed to think better of it. "Fine. I'll look into it."

"Good. Then let's get to work."

[Captain Canada]

Ain't no way Gayle upset that her high school fling bossed up? Meanwhile she fucking on married men.

[Caesar]

Scared-of-the-pussy-Keshawn?"

Stefan gonna catch a hate crime charge going behind Tommy like that because he got that bop shot

[Soapy]

Ain't no way Gayle upset that her high school fling bossed up? Meanwhile she fucking on married men.

life comes at you fast

Scared-of-the-pussy-Keshawn?"

Stefan gonna catch a hate crime charge going behind Tommy like that because he got that bop shot

hate charge wtf lmao

[Soapy]

Highlight Game: December 20th, 2025 - Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California
(12-16) Portland Trail Blazers at Sacramento Kings (12-16)

---

POR | 29 | 30 | 31 | 33 | 123
SAC | 18 | 20 | 18 | 23 | 79

Starting Lineups
Jrue Holiday - G - Dennis Schroder
Shaedon Sharpe - G - Zach LaVine
Deni Avdija - F - DeMar DeRozan
Toumani Camara - F - Keegan Murray
Donovan Clingan - C - Domantas Sabonis



G Jrue Holiday: 8 pts, 3 reb, 6 ast, 2-6 FG, 1-4 3PT
G Shaedon Sharpe: 20 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast, 6-12 FG, 1-4 3PT, 7-10 FT
F Deni Avdija: 17 pts, 6 reb, 3 stl, 7-9 FG, 2-4 3PT
F Toumani Camara: 7 pts, reb, 3-8 FG, 0-2 3PT
C Donovan Clingan: 6 pts, 9 reb, 3-4 FG
F Keshawn Chase: 29 pts, 9 reb, 3 ast, 13-22 FG, 2-4 3PT, 1-2 FT

C Domantas Sabonis: 16 pts, 7 reb, 5-13 FG, 6-8 FT
F Dario Saric: 15 pts, 3 reb, 6-16 FG, 3-9 3PT
G Dennis Schroder: 14 pts, 5 ast, 6-12 FG, 2-6 3PT

---

(15-14) @ (12-17)

DET | 29 | 28 | 25 | 39 | 121
POR | 20 | 25 | 27 | 25 | 97

DET G Cade Cunningham: 30 Pts, 5 Reb, 6 Ast, 12-14 FG, 3-4 3PT
POR F Keshawn Chase: 6 Pts, 8 Reb, 5 Ast, 2 Stl, 3-6 FG, 0-2 3PT

---

(18-12) @ (12-18)

ORL | 35 | 28 | 29 | 22 | 114
POR | 19 | 19 | 29 | 22 | 89

ORL F Franz Wagner: 24 Pts, 5 Reb, 10-21 FG, 1-5 3PT
POR F Keshawn Chase: 6 Pts, 4 Reb, 7 Ast, 2-7 FG, 2-4 FT

Upcoming Schedule vs. Los Angeles Clippers (17-12), vs. Boston Celtics (13-16), vs. Dallas Mavericks (21-10), at Oklahoma City Thunder (20-10)
Season Stats 15.4 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 5.1 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 2.2 TOPG, 49 FG%, 31 3PT%, 71 FT%

[Agent]

Time for some big boy sliders

[Soapy]

Time for some big boy sliders

I'm still trying to figure it out. I had default sliders on but then the games were too low scoring so I bumped User/CPU tendencies all the way up since I'm using player lock and need my teammates/opponents to shoot more. I might go back to default Hall of Fame since the game does feel easier post patch.