#Albert Memorial Clock Tower

[rabbitcruiser]

Northern Ireland ceased to be part of the Irish Free State on December 8, 1922.

[rajasthanroyal]

Rajasthan trip plan : Rajasthan Royal Tourism 08209423763

Embark on an Unforgettable Rajasthan Trip: Your Comprehensive Travel Plan with Rajasthan Royal Tourism

Welcome to Rajasthan Royal Tourism, your gateway to exploring the majestic state of Rajasthan in all its glory. Known for its rich history, vibrant culture, and breathtaking landscapes, Rajasthan promises a journey filled with unforgettable experiences. Whether you're drawn to its ancient forts, bustling bazaars, or tranquil lakes, our meticulously crafted Rajasthan trip plan ensures you discover the essence of this captivating region.

Why Choose Our Rajasthan Trip Plan?

Tailored Itineraries: Our trip plan is designed to cover the most iconic attractions and hidden gems of Rajasthan, ensuring a balanced mix of sightseeing, cultural experiences, and relaxation.

Comfortable Accommodations: Stay in handpicked hotels and heritage properties that combine modern amenities with traditional Rajasthani hospitality.

Expert Guides: Our knowledgeable guides provide insightful commentary and local perspectives, enriching your journey with their expertise.

Authentic Experiences: From camel safaris in the desert to boat rides on serene lakes, our trip plan offers unique opportunities to immerse yourself in Rajasthan’s diverse landscape and culture.

Highlights of Our Rajasthan Trip Plan

1. Jaipur: The Pink City

Amber Fort: Explore this majestic fort, known for its intricate architecture and stunning views. Opt for an elephant ride or jeep safari to reach the fort.

City Palace: Visit the grand City Palace complex, which houses museums, courtyards, and gardens showcasing Rajput architecture and art.

Hawa Mahal: Admire the iconic Palace of Winds with its unique honeycomb façade, designed to allow royal ladies to observe street festivals without being seen.

2. Jodhpur: The Blue City

Mehrangarh Fort: Discover one of India’s largest forts, Mehrangarh Fort, perched on a hilltop and offering panoramic views of Jodhpur.

Jaswant Thada: Visit this stunning marble cenotaph built in memory of Maharaja Jaswant Singh II, surrounded by beautifully landscaped gardens.

Sardar Market: Wander through the bustling market near the clock tower, known for its handicrafts, spices, and vibrant atmosphere.

3. Udaipur: The City of Lakes

City Palace: Explore the magnificent City Palace complex overlooking Lake Pichola, featuring elaborate courtyards, terraces, and museums.

Lake Pichola: Enjoy a boat ride on the serene waters of Lake Pichola, passing by the picturesque Lake Palace and Jag Mandir Island.

Saheliyon Ki Bari: Stroll through the "Garden of the Maidens," adorned with fountains, lotus pools, and marble pavilions, reflecting Udaipur’s royal lifestyle.

4. Jaisalmer: The Golden City

Jaisalmer Fort: Discover the living fort of Jaisalmer, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its yellow sandstone architecture, havelis, and narrow alleys.

Patwon Ki Haveli: Visit this cluster of elaborately carved havelis, showcasing intricate Rajasthani craftsmanship and historical significance.

Sam Sand Dunes: Experience the magic of the Thar Desert with a camel safari at sunset, followed by traditional Rajasthani music and dance performances under the starlit sky.

5. Pushkar: The Sacred Desert Town

Pushkar Lake: Visit the holy Pushkar Lake, surrounded by ghats where pilgrims perform rituals, and explore the Brahma Temple, dedicated to Lord Brahma.

Pushkar Camel Fair: If visiting in November, witness the vibrant Pushkar Camel Fair, a spectacle of camel trading, cultural performances, and festivities.

Detailed Itinerary Overview

Day 1: Arrival in Jaipur

Welcome to Jaipur. Check-in at your hotel and relax.

Visit Hawa Mahal and City Palace in the afternoon.

Explore the local markets and enjoy Rajasthani cuisine for dinner.

Day 2: Jaipur Sightseeing

Morning excursion to Amber Fort. Enjoy an elephant ride or jeep safari.

Visit Jantar Mantar and Albert Hall Museum.

Optional: Attend a traditional cultural show in the evening.

Day 3: Jaipur to Jodhpur

Transfer to Jodhpur. Check-in at your hotel.

Visit Mehrangarh Fort and Jaswant Thada.

Explore the vibrant Sardar Market and Clock Tower area.

Day 4: Jodhpur to Udaipur

Transfer to Udaipur. Check-in and relax.

Visit City Palace and enjoy a boat ride on Lake Pichola.

Explore the local markets and indulge in Udaipur’s culinary delights.

Day 5: Udaipur Exploration

Morning visit to Saheliyon Ki Bari and Jagdish Temple.

Optional: Visit the Monsoon Palace for panoramic views.

Relax or explore the local markets in the evening.

Day 6: Udaipur to Jaisalmer

Transfer to Jaisalmer. Check-in at your hotel and unwind.

Visit Jaisalmer Fort and explore the vibrant bazaars.

Enjoy dinner and cultural performances at a desert camp near Sam Sand Dunes.

Day 7: Jaisalmer Desert Adventure

Morning exploration of Patwon Ki Haveli and Nathmal Ki Haveli.

Camel safari experience at Sam Sand Dunes with cultural performances.

Overnight stay in a desert camp under the starlit sky.

Day 8: Jaisalmer to Pushkar

Transfer to Pushkar. Check-in at your hotel and relax.

Visit Pushkar Lake, Brahma Temple, and explore the local markets.

Enjoy the serene atmosphere and beautiful sunset views.

Day 9: Pushkar and Departure

Optional: Attend morning rituals at Pushkar Lake.

Transfer to the airport or railway station for your onward journey.

[ombannacab]

Rhymes of Rajasthan

Duration : 18 Days / 17 Nights  Destinations : New Delhi - Jaipur - Udaipur - Mount Abu - Jodhpur - Jaisalmer - Bikaner - Samode - Ranthambhore - Agra - New Delhi. 

Day 02: New Delhi: After a leisurely breakfast move out for a daylong sightseeing of Old Delhi (Shahajahanabad) and New Delhi which includes Red Fort, Chandni Chowk, Jama Masjid, Lotus Temple, India Gate and the grand government buildings, the President's House, Mahatama Gandhi Memorial. Night stay at your hotel.

Day 03: Jaipur: In the morning drive to Jaipur. On your arrival to the charming Pink City of India check-in at your hotel. Time free for leisure. This is the only city in the world symbolizing the nine divisions of the universe through the nine rectangular sectors subdividing it. In the evening take a walking tour of the colorful streets and bazaars of Jaipur City. The beauty of Jaipur is that its unique architecture and town planning is visible at even the most common places such as its squares and lanes. Night stay in your hotel.

Day 04: Jaipur: Take a full day long sightseeing tour of Jaipur city that includes the City Palace, Jantar Mantar observatory, Hawa Mahal, Birla temple, Albert hall and excursion to the old capital Amber Fort. Here at Amber, you'll ascend till the gates of majestic fort on elephant back. The fort displays a beautiful mix of Mughal and Rajput styles of architecture. Optional trip to ethnic village resort where you may enjoy traditional Rajasthani dinner. Night stay at your hotel.

Day 05: Udaipur: Morning drive to Udaipur in your exclusive vehicle. The city is built in 1559 A.D. by Maharaja Udai Singh and has been described as the most romantic spot on the continent of India by Col. James Todd. On arrival, check-in at your hotel. In the evening take a walk through the colorful Bazaar. Take a boat ride on Lake Pichola, and visit the Jag Mandir Palace amidst the lake, the picturesque beauty of the palace will take your breath away. Night stay at your hotel.

Day 06: Udaipur: Take a full day sightseeing trip of the city which includes visit to the City Palace - the largest Palace museum of Rajasthan (note the trees growing at the top floor of the palace, which is actually the summit of the hill the palace is covering!), Saheliyon ki bari, luxuriate some time in this embellishing garden where royal ladies use to bask in the green lawns and blue waters and excursion to temples of Nagada and Eklingji. In the evening visit the 300-year-old Jagdish Temple and the Royal Cenotaphs of the Rajput kings. Night stay at your hotel.

Day 07: Mount Abu: Early in the morning drive to the hill station in Rajasthan Mount Abu in your exclusive vehicle. On arrival check in at your hotel room. Remaining day at leisure. In the evening take a walking tour near Nakki Lake. Over night in your hotel.

Day 08: Mount Abu: In the morning visit the sight of the hill station. The Dilwara Jain Temple is so beautifully carved that is difficult to imagine that human hands have sculpted it. You can also visit Gaumukh Temple, Gurushikhar, Peace Park and the other picturesque viewpoints. Over night in your hotel room.

Day 09: Jodhpur: After breakfast proceed for Jodhpur. On arrival check-in at your hotel. Move out for a sightseeing tour of the city. Visit the grandeur of the Umaid Bhawan Palace, Mehrangarh fort and Jaswant Thada and Clock Tower. Evenings at leisure, walk along the flourishing spice market here, you are left fascinated by the aroma of the opulent variety of spices. Night stay at your hotel.

Day 10: Jodhpur: Excursion to Osian temple town or half day jeep safari in Bishnoi villages.  Back at Jodhpur rest of the time free to shop around the bazaars. Over night at your hotel.

Day 12: Jaisalmer: In the morning drive to Jaisalmer city. On arrival, check in into your hotel room. After having a leisurely breakfast move out for sightseeing of one of the oldest forts of Rajasthan "Golden Fort", Gadisar Lake followed by a walking tour to admire the excellent stone carving work on Havelies in the town. Visit the Patwon Ki Haveli ( Mansion) and Salim singh Ki Haveli, with their carved balconies and brackets which are supreme examples of the art. Overnight in your hotel.

Day 13: Bikaner: Morning drive to the Bikaner - city of the best breed camels in the world. On arrival check-in at your hotel. Visit the Camel Breeding farms, Junagarh Fort, Lallgarh Palace, Fort Museum and the remarkable Bhandasar Jain temples. The magnificent palace is fabricated in red sandstone and marble is embellished with mirror work, exquisite carvings and paintings, definitely a worth visiting sight. In the evening you are free to wander in the busy market area. Night stay at your hotel.

Day 14: Samode: After having a leisurely breakfast, drive to Samode in your exclusive vehicle. Samode a small village near Jaipur is famous for its beautiful Samode Palace and garden. You will be wonder struck at the building structure of the exquisite Diwan-I-Khas, that still adorned with original paintings and mirror work. During the day, a camel ride through the Samode village and the adjoining countryside is a good idea. Evening hold lot more in its treasures, the hotel organizes a musical evening of folk dances and songs performed by the local artisans. Night stay at your hotel.

Day 15: Ranthambhore: After having a leisurely breakfast drive to Ranthambhore - famous for the wildlife sanctuary which is said to have the India's friendliest Tigers and also considered to be the best place in the world to photograph the tiger in its natural habitat, also a wonderful place for bird watching On your arrival at Ranthambhore check in at your hotel. Night stay at your hotel.

Day 16: Ranthambhore: Morning we move out for jungle safari to see the rare Indian tigers in full glory at the Ranthambhore National Park. After lunch we try another chance in safari of National Park. Share your experience of the adventures day on the dinner table. Over night in your hotel.

Day 18: New Delhi (DEPARTURE): After breakfast, check-out from hotel and drive straight to New Delhi. On arrival at appropriate time you will be transferred to the international airport of New Delhi to board the flight back to your home with sweet memories. (The Tour Ends)

[shamrocks-are-whispering]

The Big Fish or The Salmon of Knowledge, Belfast, Northern Ireland // 17.11.2017

[joanquill]

Hello, fair lady! If I may make a Halloween request per your list of promts... I would like 15, romantic fluff with Mycroft Holmes. Thank you for your time and effort! <3

Sweater weather

Mycroft Holmes

A/N: Hi, my good sir/ma'am! Thank you for requesting too ^^

Tag/s: Established Relationship, Fluff

You sang softly to yourself as you cleaned your living room, organizing everything.

"Hm?" you muttered as you saw one of your couch cushions awry.

You removed it and saw a lump of wool stuck between the seats, making you raise a brow.

You pulled it out and saw it was a golden sweater with Mr. Government sewn in the front.

You stifled a laugh as you remembered Albert gifting the sweater to Mycroft. You almost saw him broke with how forced his smile was.

'It's pretty cute too,' you thought with a smile, admiring the sweater.

"How did it get here?"

"You can have it," "Huh?" you fumbled as Mycroft gave you the sweater, making you raise a brow. "Mycroft, it's a gift for you," you insisted, pushing the sweater back to him. "Besides, it doesn't look bad!" "Then you can have it," he smiled, giving it back to you, "Sweaters aren't really my thing, anyway," You sighed as you left it on your couch, thinking Mycroft would come back for it.

"Oh yeah..." you dryly laughed at the memory, feeling a little bad for the sweater.

"Well, might as well," you shrugged your shoulders, trying on the sweater.

You looked at yourself in the mirror, seeing the sweater almost engulfing you. The hem reached your mid-thigh, and the sleeves covered your whole arms, even sparing a few inches.

"It's practically a dress," you chuckled as you looked down at the design, making you smile.

The tower clock suddenly chimed, making you gasp.

"Crap, I still have to clean!"

As you finished cleaning your place, you heard the doorbell ring.

You quickly wiped your hands as you walked up to your front door, opening it and seeing Mycroft.

"Mycroft!" you beamed, making him smile.

His eyes drifted to your outfit as his smile slowly turned into a frown.

You furrowed your brows as you looked down, seeing you were still wearing the sweater.

"Oh, I found it while cleaning!" you smiled, showing it off.

"You're wearing Albert's sweater?" he asked, making you raise a brow.

"Technically, it's yours, Mister Government," you smirked, making him roll his eyes as he looked down.

"I told you it's pretty cute," you smiled as he shook his head.

"It does look better on you," he quipped as he looked up into your eyes.

"But it's gotten quite dirty," he smiled as he showed the dust clinging onto the wool, "Go change. I'll buy you a sweater if you wish,"

"I thought it would be nice to have you two matching," Albert smiled as he gave you a sweater in your favorite color, making you gasp.

"Thank you!" you beamed, hugging the sweater and quickly putting it on.

It was smaller than Mycroft's, but it was still a size too big on you.

"Apologies, I only guessed your size," Albert explained, making you shake your head.

"No worries! Thank you for the gift!" you beamed, hearing Mycroft grumble.

You smirked as you walked up to him, hugging his arm.

"Please...?" you asked with puppy eyes, showing him his sweater.

"Do you carry that everywhere?"

"I was gonna return it to you," you explained, blinking your puppy eyes,

"I washed it, don't worry," you added, making him sigh.

"...Fine," he muttered, taking the sweater as you quietly cheered.

[clandestine-j]

911 - S5.01 Reaction / Review

so! this will be my first season of 911 that i watched while it was airing! and for that journey, i want to do episode reviews, idk if it'll always happen but i'm hyped so let's get to it! !

first the over-arching plot, the ransom hit. now, i saw a lot of people saying it was cheesy and over the top and took them out and etc...and but no, not for me lol. i guess i just love the visual's of the chaos, how they get out of the chaos. people paying more attention to road? love it, i love the fact that it was a bunch of people because i believe it to extent, the same as everything getting hacked. cars going crazy, clocks messing around, cars having their murder intent. it's just a mess and i love the mess.

i don't know what episodes jlh will be out for the season but before she leaves, i hope they delve into the post-partum the best they can. i know people hate seeing her cry and etc but sad maddie just does something to me. when she was late waking up, you could juse everything dragging her down. idk if the news is the best thing to watch but hey, maybe it is helping her. and chim, best husband, best boi.

also the funniest man ever, fight me.

but chim is such a loving guy and i just want the best for him. if chim wants the world, i'll get him the world.

hen is the best girl and her and karen are the cheesiest couple, i love it. karen dropping so much knowledge that david didn't get a chance to speak this episode. but hen has been her usual loving self and hen can do no wrong. ( and yes she did but if i delete that entire arch from my mind, it didn't happen ) but really, i'm glad to have her back and i don't want hen to leave even though she'd make an amazing doctor. U STILL SAVING PEOPLE GIRL.

i love the love between bobby and athena. when she woke up in the morning with bobby and harry making waffles (with cheese!) i love the family unit and how everyone works to make it work. it was heart breaking to watch bobby just watch athena and be worried about her. things are hard but if i believe in any relationship, i believe in theirs.  

also, i know some people aren't happy with that guy coming back but it's life. thing's don't move smoothly and sometimes you can't close the door on parts of your life whenever you want. but i know athena will not only overcome the trauma but kick his ass so i'm waiting for the sweet, sweet moment.

i think they shot eddie's panic attack well, the moment it started, how it took him a few seconds and the panic attack and etc. i can understand them not doing the ptsd for the shooting ( and honestly, i think buck would have it more than him ) but i do like that we see it's the normal pressure's of life. he's such a tightly wound guy that's it's good to see just life causing his crisis and that it wasn't done away with, he got a little shoot at that guy in the air control tower and i don't want to see eddie in pain but he does it well. and i'll shove it in here but worried!buck and emotional puddle!eddie, and then chim and hen being like 'these guys'

and then eddie and ana, it's so strange for me. they had a good meeting, the chemistry was there. then they had the skating hiccup but i thought they had chemistry and the writers went *boop* seriously, if i was ana's actress, i'd be offended. honestly, they could've cut half of taylor-buck to develop ana a bit more. maybe they always intended for her to go at some point because she doesn't have a job that connects to the main story but idk, maybe introduce her in another way? idk, i think potential was there and was wasted.

also, i wouldn't compare the buck-family scene to the ana-mom scene. one, it seems like she's letting eddie set the terms of their relationship because he is a father. it doesn't seem like they had an official title or maybe she was panicked about the thought of chris thinking she's trying to replace his mom so she went with friend because it's a safe and that's a touchy subject so i could get why she got tied up in a moment of awkwardness.

i also saw people saying it was awkward to flirt like that around chris but eddie started it and he didn't seem to mind. that moment had chemistry (or i'm just falling for eddie's shh face bc it was sexy) and couples do that all the time, adults do that.

i gag at the fact that they panned to ana when they asked if eddie had any new stress. and then going into that scene, i also saw comments that the relationship was ehhh (which it is) because she just looked worried and was silent but i saw it as a respect to eddie to not mention the shooting because it's his to mention. i like that it was chris who spoke up. force your dad to admit it.

and chris, eddie said he felt good about it but then it's he's not feeling it? does he really not want to go or is the suit fitting also bringing back memories of shanon and the last him he wore it? either way baby, you look amazing.

may isn't an a-lister actress but i don't think she's bad. i'm happy to see her grow as an actress and a dispatcher.

idk, i've said what i needed to say about buck-taylor but i've also seen peeps saying that buck wasn't upset about taylor grabbing his phone and using his face, which, he might not be. but you could see he wasn't expecting it and he was irritated about it but in normal buck fashion, he just pushed it away and followed along. which is fine, i guess, it's a relationship or whatever.

so, i think as far as people / relationships / things, i hit the big beats. so i'll have some more randomly listed thoughts.

i thought the judge was in on it because HIS CRIMES but i get that she was following the law and what he wanted wasn't wrong / there wasn't a reason to deny him ( i mean other than the people he hurt but i'm not a judge, just a person who watches )

and honestly, he brought up some good points, this was a good way to show how police work needs to be air-tight, it sucks but i could see him getting away with it ( and this was before he felt like skipping the court-room )

air traffic control people are mental because i wouldn't have taken for the scare to be over for me to pass out. nope. would've happened already

david is good looking

baby buck

you and chris at the christening

I DIDN'T SEE THE LAWYER COMING

my stream started to lag around that part, the audio and etc was lagging and i just...

WHY DID SHE DO MY MAN LIKE THAT???

i don't know if the whole being fired thing was real or a plan but if it wasn't real, i could see her having been attracted to him before the case or felt something for him during it, she got caught up in whatever the groupies did

i don't think it was a plan for her to cut lou because even the dude looked shocked? so idk but man, that being played along side athena being happy and calling the victims, it hit hard.

pls don't be dead, pls

is the air traffic control person's name really soup? i wanna fight

albert? ravi?

maybe more things will come later but this all i can think about right now? i loved the opening scene of the 118 being together and all of them but i can't wait to see them in action, action.

this, an entire ramble of my thoughts.

[somedayonbroadway]

I am literally begging you to tell me about the Psych AU???

(Just to be clear this will be set in the fantasy land where all cops are trying their best to be good all the time. Thank you!)

So Psych was actually probably my favorite show for a lot of my life so I am pretty excited about this one. For those of you that haven’t seen the show, go watch it. It’s on Peacock and I believe it’s still on Amazon Prime. Definitely it’s at its best in the first three seasons, but it never ceases to be funny. However, I enjoy the first season a lot more because of how smart they portray Shawn without having him also be, for lack of a better word, an idiot. Shawn is incredibly smart and his humor and charisma highlighted that instead of hiding it and I miss that in the later seasons, but it is still a really funny show and I do recommend it.

Anyways, enough of me ranting.

Just to be clear, it could work with either Jack or Race as Shawn, and if you would like to see this AU the other way, just let me know!

Psych AU

Characters

Racetrack Higgins — Shawn Spencer

Albert DaSilva — Burton Guster

Jack Kelly — Henry Spencer

Spot Conlon — Juliet O’Hara

David Jacobs — Carlton Lassiter

Medda Larkin — Chief Karen Vick

Racetrack Higgins (Shawn Spencer)

Tyler James Kelly had never had an easy life, with his drunk father or absent mother who had him on accident with a man she barely knew

His father had named him Anthony Higgins

When he’s six all of that changes when his half brother takes him in, against his father’s wishes.

Jack renames him Tyler James Kelly.

Race didn’t know Jack all too well back then. But he looked up to him, even if he’d refuse to admit it later.

Jack is eighteen and just starting out as a beat cop. But Jack’s father had been training him to be a good cop his whole life. Right up till he died.

Race never knew what a parent was supposed to look like. So when Jack began to test and train him, he didn’t think anything of it.

Race has a eidetic memory and Jack knows it even if his baby brother refuses to acknowledge it

The kid is hyper observant and quick witted which often can lead him into trouble though he describes it as being useful stay one step ahead intellectually while being one step behind physically

Was born two months too early and has always been pretty thin and small

Loves classic movies and television shows and often references them

Is wickedly smart and clever, resulting in him graduating high school three years early and leaving New York to travel the country

Growing up he’s best friends with his next door neighbor, Albert DaSilva, who he relies on constantly as he has a fear of abandonment

While growing up with Jack, Race finds himself somewhat resenting his brother who constantly pushes him to be more and do more and get better. He explains that Jack never let him just be a kid, and never lets Jack explain why he has him memorize how many hats are in the room and learn how killers and criminals operate

When he’s fifteen he takes the detective’s exam and gets a perfect score but refuses to go into law enforcement, instead chooses to leave Jack behind, illegally, and travel around the country on a bike he wins in a poker game with a bunch of old men who think he’s no threat.

When he’s eighteen, he inevitably ends up back in Manhattan.

After not speaking with Jack for three years, he has no idea if he’s still even there and is terrified to face him, feeling bad about running away and not knowing if Jack will forgive him.

He gets his own apartment, taking odd jobs around town to make ends meet

He starts going by Anthony Higgins again, but most of his friends just call him Race, a nickname he got from Albert when they were very young

Albert is the only one who knows when Race is back in town and Race makes him swear not to tell Jack.

Race often spends his nights watching the news, calling in tips to the police whenever he figures out a crime that they can’t.

Eventually this leads him to getting arrested before he even turns nineteen, as the police suspect he’s an inside man

In order to get out of this, he tells a lie that he believes will be a one time thing.

He makes the cops believe he is psychic.

Things spiral out of control from there.

After making the majority of the station believe he has the gift (all except for one skeptic who happens to be head detective) he thinks they’re going to let him off the hook.

He has no idea the chief of police is going to ask for his help

Actually excited by the idea, Race runs to Albert’s school and begs him to help him out. Albert is reluctant at first but eventually agrees

Race and Al go out investigating as private detectives until Race figures out the case, leading them straight to the suspect who turns out to be dead.

With nowhere else to turn, Race goes back to his brother, a brilliant detective who got injured in the line of duty and retired early, for help

Jack isn’t even shocked to see him. He’s not surprised, he’s not happy and he’s not angry. It makes Race mad.

Jack takes Race out to lunch where he lets Race talk and tells him that he’s the ultimate disappointment because Jack told Race all growing up how much he hated private detectives and psychics. But ultimately, he helps Race out anyway

This leads to Race solving the case and getting recognition for it. Jack keeps his secret and is even secretly proud of him

The happiness he feels at that convinces Race to open up his own agency with Albert

Throughout their journey as detectives, Race ends up falling for a junior detective, a transfer from Brooklyn who is a partner to the skeptic head detective, David Jacob, his brother’s former partner and best friend.

Spot, the Junior detective, often flirts with Race and leads him on, but they don’t start a relationship until five years later.

Race is faced with countless situations where he becomes a target for serial killers and criminals who come after his and his friends and family.

Race gets shot and kidnapped at one point.

He and Albert get held captive constantly and The Yin Yang killer, a serial killer who had been messing with the department for years, takes a special interest in him, causing his current boyfriend to be nearly drowned, Spot to be nearly dropped from a clock tower, Jack to be nearly blown up and he and Albert to be nearly poisoned.

Despite only telling this lie to get out of going to jail for a crime he did not commit, he ends up sticking with it and finding his purpose in life was to help others instead of help himself and loves it

Albert DaSilva (Bruton Gaster)

Grows up with a good life.

His mother died when he was really young, not even a year old, and he lived with his father and two much older brothers who spoiled him and loved him.

Albert was always smart. He was always smart in different ways than Race was and enjoyed learning and gaining better understandings of things

When he was young, he wanted to become an astronomer. He always loved the planets and the stars.

While being academically advanced, he knew that graduating with Race was not the best option for him as he used to doubt himself when Race wasn’t around to tell him how much he needed him

As a child he applied for a school for advanced students, which he was accepted into. His father refused to send him on account of wanting him to be a kid which Albert never truly liked being

His father never did appreciate the influence that Race had on his son, but allowed it in order to let Albert be a kid because he knew Albert needed it

Albert loved academic activities growing up and had nearly won a national spelling bee that Race botched for him. After learning this, Albert is angry with Race and realizes his friend’s need for him as Race eventually admits he was scared his only friend was going to leave him

Albert is very independent and enjoys doing things on his own, much to Race’s dismay

Al was voted most likely to succeed in high school

When Race runs away, Albert knows about it and tries to stop him, but believes Race will get nervous and come back

When that doesn’t happen, Albert is too embarrassed and scared to tell anyone so he lets Race go, feeling abandonment for the first and possibly only time in his life and he’s always secretly a little angry with Race for leaving

Albert goes to college right out of high school and studied medicine, wanting to become a doctor

When Race comes back into town, he ends up missing a lot of classes and barely manages to stay ahead in school

He still works towards becoming a doctor, which often helps with solving crimes

After finding out he does not like the sight of blood and dead bodies, he switches to forensics which also helps with a lot of investigations

Albert’s oldest brother is a rocket scientist at NASA and his other brother is an engineer

He constantly feels as though he’s trying to catch up and be just as accomplished as his brothers

Albert was pep captain in high school in attempts to be popular. While he did have more friends than Race, he didn’t accomplish actually being popular, but hanging around so many girls turned him into somewhat of a ladies man

During his senior year spring break, Albert, who’s already eighteen, heads down to Mexico with some friends but ends up meeting a girl. He gets drunk and marries her before leaving and never speaking of it again, not seeing the girl until years later when she is getting remarried.

After helping Race on his first case, Albert finds he had a knack for assisting his friend in crime fighting and, though often gives Race a hard time about it and complains, genuinely enjoys helping

Is very protective of his car that his father pays for, affectionately named the Blueberry by Race who picks up the name from a stuck up client

Albert knows Race better than Race knows himself and is sometimes the only thing actually keeping him from chaotically causing his own accidental death, despite Jack’s best efforts.

He has a very refined sense of smell

Grew up catholic and believes in demonic possessions and exorcisms

In an attempt to be cool when he was younger, Albert learned how to pick locks and crack safes

Is often given ridiculous nicknames by his best friend while they’re out solving cases, just for fun. He just rolls with them typically.

He joined an a capella group in college because he knew how to sing and was curious as to what it would be like. Race always finds it entertaining.

Is an experienced tap dancer

Has trouble doing things that are more on the dangerous side while Race doesn’t mind jumping in head first just to see what will happen.

Albert’s father is very protective of him and, even when he’s being accused of murder, tries to constantly give Race money and have someone babysit and take care of him.

It isn’t until Race sets the record straight that Albert’s dad begins to trust him to take care of Al moving forward.

Albert is the only person Jack trusts with Race for a long time as Race had a history with bullies all growing up and never really wanted any other friends.

Albert becomes like another little brother to Jack and Jack teaches him some street smarts to get him by after Race runs away.

Albert helps take care of Jack after his career ending injury

Albert eventually becomes a forensic scientist and ends up working for the FBI

Jack Kelly (Henry Spencer)

A trouble maker when he was young, the only child of his father, James Francis Kelly Sr. and first born of his mother

When Jack is fifteen his father dies, murdered by a criminal who’d been out on a killing spree.

His father had always wanted Jack to follow in his footsteps and become an officer so, to honor him, Jack does

When Jack was twelve, his mother had had another baby. Jack did not know a lot about this, but after his father died, became very curious.

When asked about the baby, his mother got defensive, so he tracked the kid down on his own, finding him in a neglective home and immediately falling in love with the kid and wanting to protect him.

Although he often shows Race tough love, he genuinely makes it his life goal to keep the boy safe and protected

He renamed Anthony Higgins, Tyler James Kelly, because Anthony was originally named after his father, the man who almost never acknowledged that the kid existed and Jack didn’t want him walking around with that.

Even after Race starts introducing himself as Anthony again, he still calls Race Tyler and Tyler James and his little Tyler James because that’s still Race’s legal name

Jack is a bit of a troubled kid growing up.

He has ADHD

His father helped him channel that into being hyper observant and alert

His mother was a bit of a deadbeat, but Jack still loved her up until she died from lung cancer. He didn’t trust her to look after Race once, instead hiring experienced babysitters and sometimes even taking Race into work with him and having another officer watch him

When he first meets Race, he quickly picks up on the fact that the kid is special and had extraordinary talents and he wants to help Race use them in the best way

Jack is a very protective person, though he normally comes off as slightly intimidating stand-off-ish. He is genuinely friendly and actually is the inspiration behind Race’s sense of humor

Jack raises Race to be the perfect detective, believing he was doing this for Race’s own good as Jack himself is terrified of losing someone else, especially his baby boy who he finds he loves more than anyone else in the world.

While Jack was a bit of a prankster and a fighter growing up, his father explained to him that this was a good thing and would help Jack in the future as he knew how criminals could think

Jack is an artist and loves to paint and draw. It’s his most peaceful activity

He once arrested Race when he was fifteen for “borrowing” a car to impress a girl with Race later reveals he only did to keep the football team from finding out that he was gay

He moves up in the police force quickly, becoming the youngest head detective the department had

He is partnered with David Jacobs who quickly becomes his best friend and eventually replaced Jack as the head detective.

When Race runs away Jack is extremely hurt and goes through a small depression that ultimately makes him lose his focus and gets him into a bad car crash, ending his career as a detective

His knee is shattered and he can’t run as easily as he used to be able to.

Refuses help most of the time and locks himself away from the world until Albert comes knocking on his door

He lets the kid help him out

It is eventually revealed that Jack put a gps tracker in the dog tags that had been his father’s. He’d given them to Race because he convinced the kid they’d keep him safe. He knows where Race is at all times

This is why he’s not surprised when Race is back in town and this is how Jack continues to be able to find Race when Race is in trouble.

When Race is shot and kidnapped, his drops the dog tags and Jack panics because he’s never not been able to find Race and when he does eventually find him, he puts the dog tags back around his neck and yells at Race to never take them off again

That’s when Race finds out what Jack did

Jack is Race’s biggest critic and biggest supporter all rolled up into one

While he never truly approves of what Race is doing, he still does his best to help him and protect him as best he can and is always proud of him no matter what he does.

During his time in recovery, Jack sells paints and works on commission, starting his own arti website and becoming a fairly famous artist

When the Yin Yang killer returns to New York, it is revealed that Jack worked the case before but had not been the target of the serial killer.

He is kidnapped by Yang who knows somehow that he’d be unable to run and slightly traumatized him, placing him in a car at a drive in movie with a bomb in his lap

Though he tries to convince everyone that he’s not scared, Race ends up staying with him to comfort him through the nightmares.

After Yin and Yang strikes again, making it even clearer that it’s Racer he’s messing with, Jack accepts a job from the chief of police as a police liaison in attempts to keep Race safe

A few years later, another old case of his comes up and he realizes that the cops who trained him and worked with him were dirty and tampered with his evidence.

He is later shot point blank by one of his old partners and left for dead, but Race, who had followed him, manages to take him to a hospital, saving his life though it was a very close call

After all of this, Jack eventually retires from the police department, no longer respecting the badge as he’d used to and becomes a professor of criminology at the same college Albert attended where he meets Katherine, his future wife

Spot Conlon (Juliet O’Hara)

Sean “Spot” Conlon grew up being around cops a lot.

His father was a crook.

While he knew his father loved him, he also knew that his father was a conman and what he did was wrong.

Growing up, Spot would wake up to receive little gifts on his nightstand and eventually he figured out that his father had been breaking in to leave them for him, taking the window apart and putting it back together without a trace.

Spot loves his father but moves on and grows up to become a cop to stop people like his father from taking advantage of others

He has one older brother, Hot Shot, who is also a criminal, though he is a criminal in the name of the Army which he was trying to protect

Spot does have to arrest his brother but is not shocked to find that his brother escaped

Spot does have a younger brother, Charlie or Crutchie as he’s called by his brother, who he loves very much and tries to preserve as the kid is the only member of his family who is remotely innocent.

Crutchie eventually moves from Brooklyn to Manhattan to be closer to Spot and meets Spot’s friends who he adores.

Charlie is the one who reveals that Jack was one of Spot’s idols. Spot looked up to Jack because Jack was one of the youngest head detectives in the country and was an overall brilliant detective

Spot first meets Race while undercover. The conversation only lasts a few minutes before Race deducts that he is in fact a cop about to make a jump on someone.

Wary of Race at first, Spot keeps his distance. He is skeptical of Race’s “gift” buy after observing him behind to believe his abilities may be real

Upon his transfer to Manhattan to become a detective, Spot is partnered up with Jack Kelly’s old partner David, who is very stand-off-ish and mean at first

Spot and David begin to build a relationship based on trust and become like brothers after a long while

Originally, Spot is not taken very seriously as he’s very young and cares about how he looks. Many of the other cops make fun of him, calling him “pretty boy” and other derogatory names because they all know that he’s gay

David often sticks up for him but doesn’t let Spot thank him.

Spot eventually starts calling Race “pretty boy” as a means to give the words good meaning again

Spot is very good at going undercover for jobs and enjoys getting to be placed in different roles.

Race often tells him that if he hadn’t been a coo he would’ve been a hell of an actor but Spot doesn’t like that because he fears he’s becoming too much like his father

Spot is desperate to succeed in his work and often goes to Jack for advice (I know, they like each other in this one. It’s crazy)

Spot is very competitive and likes to be right.

He often brags about solving cases before others but does not put others down, necessarily, in the process

Though Spot is a bit on the shorter side, he makes up for it with muscle and strength.

When he gets angry, people back off, afraid of what he might do if he decides to take his anger out on them.

Spot is fluent in Spanish, just like Jack, and after Race and he start dating, they often have conversations about Race right in front of him.

After getting kidnapped by Yin, Spot is traumatized to the point of being unable to stay at the station.

He develops a paralyzing fear of heights that’s Race helps him through

Eventually, Spot becomes the head detective in Brooklyn when the chief is transferred there.

David Jacobs (Lassie Face)

David had always had a difficult time with trust

He grew up with a twin sister and a little brother.

His father cheated on their mother and his mother cheated on his father

His sister grew up and left without telling anyone.

His ex wife had cheated on him and left him

Suffice to say that trust didn’t come easy to him.

Growing up, Davey likes the rules and he likes enforcing them. He likes being in charge and he’s good at it.

David loves his younger brother a lot. Les is going to school for film and he loves getting insight about what police actually do. He likes to make documentaries

When David is partnered with the head detective, he’s shocked to find he actually likes Jack

Jack is the first person he truly trusts in a long long time

Jack becomes his best friend and only confidant

As he’s close with Jack, he does meet Race a few times, but when he questions Race about his tips under his old name, he doesn’t know why Race looks so familiar

It isn’t until David sees Race with Jack that he remembers.

Jack lies to David and tells him that Race is a psychic and found out when he was fifteen and that’s why he left even though he knows Davey won’t believe him

David understands and respects that Jack puts his little brother first

But the kid still annoys him

Despite not necessarily getting along with Race, David does everything he can to protect him as a ways to pay Jack back for all the times he’d saved his life

When Jack gets in his accident, David refuses another partner, nervous about not living up to Jack’s reputation.

His first new partner ends up being a girlfriend of his during his separation from his wife. Race outs the affair on accident and the woman is transferred

David and Spot don’t get along at first but Spot quickly shows David that he’s not any junior detective and is really good at what he does

He ends up really liking the kid

After Jack’s accident, David has a hard time going to see him, feeling as though he’d failed the other man somehow.

Eventually, he takes Jack out for a drink where Jack apologizes for screwing up and they have a bonding moment

Eventually, David finds himself infatuated with a suspect in a case he’s working

Though the girl is ultimately guilty, he visits her in prison and eventually marries her

His whole life all he’d wanted was to be the chief of police

Eventually, after Chief Larkin is transferred, his dream comes true.

He and Race manage to become friends and, after receiving a video message from Race, confessing to the fact that he’s not a psychic, he tears the disc out and breaks it, never needing to know how Race did what he did

I absolutely love this one, so if ya’ll wanna see any scenes from it, just let me know!

For more Mood Boards and AUs, click here!

[ziraley-j-crow]

“When I’m 64″ - Crowley x Aziraphale

This one is going to be based on one of my favorite Beatles songs. Each chapter will be based on a verse of the song.

I know some of the lyrics might not coincide with their celestial nature, but we’ll have to make do!

I know Aziraphale doesn’t sleep, but I wanted to work it into my story, I just felt it worked. Thank you!

Here’s a link to the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCTunqv1Xt4

1.

“When I get older losing my hair, many years from now, will you still be sending me a Valentine, birthday greetings bottle of wine?”

13th February 2020.

The day before Valentine’s Day.

“What do you mean you’ve never celebrated it?” Aziraphale was almost dumbfounded by the words coming from Crowley’s mouth, his hot coca not even meeting his lips.

“What?! It’s just a human holiday! Why do they even celebrate it, anyway?” Crowley said defensively, leaning against the kitchen counter. Another morning gone by without the worry of impending doom looming over both of their shoulders. 

It was a bright and early Thursday morning at Aziraphale’s bookshop. Crowley had found himself in Aziraphale’s kitchen, tinkering around the place before Aziraphale offered him a warm drink. The two sat together, embracing in chat.

“Well, although the humans had made a story about the Saint Valentine, I believe it was the poem by the great Geoffrey Chaucer that really helped boost morale for the holiday! The Parliament of Fowls, if I remember the name correctly..” Aziraphale tried to remember bits of the poem.

“So tomorrow, you will see humans expressing love for their loved ones. Family, friends, partners...” Aziraphale trailed off, smiling fondly. “Just to show them they love them. It’s rather lovely, the whole thing.” 

“Whatever it is, I certainly haven’t dabbled with it.” Crowley said, sounding uninterested. 

Oh, but how we had wanted to. For the past six thousand years pining for the angel, to finally have a whole day dedicated to spoiling him? You bet your ass he was on board with this.

“Oh, well I hadn’t really expected such a devilish fiend such as yourself to celebrate a rather joyous occasion.” Aziraphale said sarcastically, taking a sip from his drink. Crowley sneered at him, getting up from his spot at the kitchen table.

“Where are you going so soon?” Aziraphale asked, setting his mug down on the table, his gaze following Crowley.

“To get ice cream or commit a felony. I’ll decide in the car. Thanks for the coffee!” 

-

Crowley made a beeline for Soho.

“Right. What the fuck do I buy him?” Crowley muttered to himself, gripping the steering wheel as his mind wondered. Ignoring the smell of burning rubber (presumably the tires), he dodged the slower cars ahead of him - rather flawlessly. He needed to get something before tomorrow, and he needed something now.

“Okay, what does he like...” he asked himself out loud. 

A memory suddenly came to him.

~

“Listen,” said Crowley desperately, “how many musicians do you think your side have got, eh? First grade, I mean.’’

Aziraphale looked taken aback.

‘’Well, I should think-’’ he began.

‘’Two,’’ said Crowley. ‘’Elgar and Listz. That’s all. We’ve got all the rest. Beethoven, Brahms, all the Bachs, Mozart, the lot. Can you imagine eternity with Elgar?’‘

Aziraphale shut his eyes. ‘’All to easily,’’ he groaned. 

~

Crowley eventually pulled up outside a rather modern looking vinyl store in Soho. Several artists he had never heard of plastered the names on covers of vinyls, which were so neatly placed in the shop front. He hesitated.

 “Would he even like a vinyl?”

“Of course he would, he hoards the bloody things.” he reassured himself, getting out of the car and approaching the store. He knew all the composers Aziraphale loved. In fact, he shamelessly knew everything that Aziraphale loved. He made his way into the shop, the many names of Aziraphale’s beloved composers whirling around his mind as he scaled along the aisles of neatly stacked and alphabetically organised records. 

A song played smoothly from the shop speakers - a song that can only be described the way the warm sunrise touches your face first thing in the morning, the violins could carry your troubles away and leave you floating in sempiternal bliss.

“When I fall in love... It will be forever...” 

Initially, this wasn’t Crowley’s type of music. But have you ever heard a song that makes you stop in your tracks and think-

“Oh.” 

Because that’s exactly what has happened to Crowley.

-

“To get ice cream or commit a felony. I’ll decide in the car. Thanks for the coffee!”

With that, Crowley was gone. The bookshop was filled with silence once more, the bustling of the streets muffled by the walls of the lonely shop. 

“Oh.. I hope I didn’t offend him.” Aziraphale sighed sadly, turning back to the table. His mind was too focused on what happened, he wasn’t interested in finishing his drink. Had he ruined the wonderful routine he and Crowley had subconsciously slipped into?

“Don’t be absurd, you fool. It was hardly that easy to offend him!” he tried to reassure himself, but his mind wouldn’t lay off as he got up from the table. He paced the kitchen, and when he had paced all he could in there, he paced the whole bookshop, all the while overthinking.

He stopped in his tracks.

“I could call him! It’s not too soon after breakfast, surely?” Aziraphale rushed to his study, almost tearing the old phone from the wire. But he stood still, clutching the phone to his chest. Was it hesitation? Was he nervous? Just call him!

Aziraphale prepared himself for what he would say.

“Crowley! I was just wondering... No, not like that.” 

“Crowley, you wily, old serpent! No, that doesn’t work either.”

He took a deep breath, and dialed in the demon’s number slowly, his heart racing. It’s simple, just call!

He finally pressed dial, each beep feeling like eternity. Any minute now, he’d pick up on the other end and everything would be fine.

Any second now.

With every beep, Aziraphale could feel his stomach churn with anxiety. He could picture Crowley look at the caller ID on his mobile, and scoffing as he tossed his phone on the sofa. 

The call ended without anyone picking up, and Aziraphale brought the phone away from his ear. He considered calling again, his brain trying to think of reasons why Crowley hadn’t answered.

“Perhaps it’d be best not to call again, don’t want to be a bother.” Aziraphale said sadly, and placed the phone down.

-

Crowley didn’t know how he managed to find his way back to the Bentley while carrying a tower of vinyls, but he did. He could have easily miracled them into the car instead, right?

But no. He is an idiot.

An idiot in love, who has no idea what he’s doing, but he like feels he should.

Once he had the vinyls in the car, he got into the driver’s seat, and another memory came to him.

~

“That’s it then,” said Crowley, with a gleam of triumph. He knew Aziraphale’s weak spot alright. “No more compact discs. No more Albert Hall. No more Proms. No more Glyndbourne. Just celestial harmonies all day long.”

“Ineffable.” Aziraphale murmured.

~

Crowley was getting the hang of his gift buying shenanigans. Perhaps he was excited about this? Was he excited about showing the gifts to Aziraphale? To see how happy it would make him? Is this a good deed?!

“Hardly... I mean, technically it’s not a good deed. Because I’m buying these things, that means someone is missing out! Yes! HA!” Crowley reassured himself as he sped back to his apartment. 

As he staggered in the door with the vinyls to his chest, he finally realized he could simply miracle the vinyls into his apartment. While glowering at his plants, who were trembling at the sight of him, he snapped his fingers, and the vinyls disappeared neatly to the kitchen. 

“Right. Glyndbourne. Let’s see.” Crowley flopped down on the sofa, pulled out his phone and worked a few little miracles of his own. 

-

14th February 2020.

Aziraphale’s Bookshop.

Aziraphale didn’t get much sleep last night. His mind was too full from the previous morning’s events. He was ridden with anxiety, thinking he had hurt Crowley with what he thought was friendly banter. And now he wouldn’t answer his call?

The sunlight peeked through his bedroom window, the new day announcing itself to Aziraphale. But he has been awake long before the sunrise. He sighed, sitting up in his bed. He spent most of the night reading to help ease his mind. Perhaps Romeo and Juliet wasn’t the best choice of book

As soon as he was dressed in his usual attire, there was a loud knocking on the shop door. He glanced down at the bedside clock for the time, and frowned.

“It’s not even 9 o’clock yet. Who could possibly be looking for books at this time?” As he let his bedroom he quickly adjusted his bow tie, scanning the room to ensure it was in it’s immaculate state. 

Another irritable knock came from the door.

“I’m here! Just a tick!” Aziraphale rushed to the door, unraveling the blinds on the door, putting on his best shop keeper smile.

It was Crowley.

“Aziraphale!” Crowley said aloud when he saw Aziraphale through the window of the door, and smiled. Aziraphale, who was certain that he felt his heart stop for a solid two seconds, immediately opened the door, letting Crowley in.

“Crowley, I-”

“Before you say anything, Aziraphale, I had no idea what to buy, so I bought everything.” Crowley rushed as he walked into the bookshop past Aziraphale.

Aziraphale was stunned, “Everything?! What do you mean?” He shut the door behind Crowley as he strolled in, and rolled down the blinds.

“Valentine’s Day? Remember? You said people buy each other things when they... Yeah, I bought you some stuff, I guess.” Crowley trailed off, trying to be suave as he investigated the shelved books like he always does. 

And it happened. It was quick, but intense. So intense, Aziraphale thought he had lost his vision. In that moment of realization, a soft pink aura had appeared around Crowley. 

Something in the way Crowley was skimming through the various books had caught Aziraphale in a trance. Crowley had removed his sunglasses to get a better look, his golden snake eyes relaxed as they studied the unfamiliar titles. The sunlight complimented his hair, an illuminating orange, and visibly soft to touch. Crowley had picked up a random book, flicking through the old pages. Aziraphale smiled at how his brows furrowed as he tried to understand it’s contents. The soft glow from the aura was immensely calming.

Love.

“Dunno what that means. Are you alright, angel?” Crowley became uninterested in the book and placed it down, his focus returning to Aziraphale, who was staring at him in awe.

“Yes, I-I’m quite alr-”

“The gifts! I nearly forgot the bloody gifts!” Crowley suddenly exclaimed, and Aziraphale jumped slightly. Crowley snapped his fingers, and every visible surface of the bookshop had gifts of many sorts on top of it.

“I just.. Y’know.. Knew what you liked because you always talk about them.” Crowley explained, almost bashful as Aziraphale gasped at the sudden entourage of gifts. 

Neatly wrapped classical vinyls. Flamboyant bouquets of flowers Aziraphale had never seen. Several bottles of Aziraphale’s favourite wine stood glistening in the sun. There were small boxes in shiny wrapping paper topped with delicate ribbon, with beautiful colors. Aziraphale walked over to the vinyls, all composers he loved dearly. His attention was drawn to the flowers, their smell so overwhelmingly fresh. 

Aziraphale was speechless as he tried to take everything in.

“You don’t like it?” Crowley asked after a minute, seeing how Aziraphale had said nothing for some time. 

The total opposite, in fact. Aziraphale, who had his back to Crowley, felt his eyes welling up with tears of pure joy. He tried to blink them away quickly without them being noticed, but he was so overwhelmed with sheer bliss, there was nothing he could do.

“Angel?” Crowley asked him softly, “I can return them if you want. Can get cash or store credit-.” 

“I love them.” Aziraphale interrupted, not facing Crowley. His fingers gently traced the delicate petals of a pale pink rose.

“Then why didn’t you say anythi- Wait, angel, why are you crying then?” Crowley approached Aziraphale with caution. He’d never seen the angel cry, and was certain he’d never made him cry before.

“Oh no, no it’s fine! I’m fine, my dear.” Aziraphale quickly wiped his eyes, but the tremble in his voice gave it away.

“Please don’t lie to me, Aziraphale. What did I do wrong? What can I do to make you better?” Crowley’s voice was softer as he got closer, stopping when Aziraphale raised his head, and turned to face him.

Crowley’s expression soften, his eyes widened as Aziraphale looked at him with glistening blue hues. Although his bottom lip was quivering, he still managed to force it into a smile.

“Crowley, you have done nothing wrong. Quite the opposite, in fact.” Aziraphale gave Crowley a small smile. “I suppose I’m just overwhelmed with joy!”

Crowley blinked. “Joy?” he studied Aziraphale for a moment. “But you’re crying? I don’t understand...” The angel wasn’t used to such attention from the demon, and tried to avert his gaze.

“Oh, don’t mind me. I’ve just never had... This!” he gestured to everything Crowley had gifted him. He took a shaky breath in. “It’s such a wonderful feeling, I can’t even begin to explain.” Crowley was amazed.

“What do you mean, you’ve never had this?” Crowley remained focused on Aziraphale. “Are you telling me, in the 6000 years we’ve known each other, nobody has ever bought you anything? Gifts? Nothing?!”

Aziraphale said nothing, but simply shook his head, somewhat ashamed. Crowley stepped over to Aziraphale and gently gripped his shoulders, which took the angel by surprise. Aziraphale looked up at him, confused.

“Crowley, what the Heaven’s are-”

“I don’t know how many people you have known you throughout the last six millennia..”

Aziraphale couldn’t focus on Crowley as he trailed off on a rant. His eyes, as bright and intense as burning stars, were hypnotizing Aziraphale. He lied to himself. He told himself he wanted to look away, but the thought of shamelessly admiring them was too inviting. It was a sin he was willing to repent for, for all eternity.

There he was, in the middle of his bookshop, face to face with the most delectable and alluring creature he had the grace of walking the earth with for the past 6000 years. There he was, standing in the middle of the room, listening to his demon list every reason why Aziraphale should be cherished. What did he do to deserve this?

That’s when it hit him.

“So whoever hasn’t taken the time to treat you with an ounce of respect is a bloody idiot.” Crowley said, blinking at last. He was about to say something else, but stopped himself, his grip loosening from Aziraphale, and he took a step back. 

Azirphale was speechless. His vision became cloudy, causing Crowley to appear blurry in front of him, but this time he didn’t try hiding his tears, and let them roll down his cheeks. 

“Aziraphale? Did I say someth-”

“How long?” Aziraphale interrupted, his voice a shaky whisper.

“What?” Crowley asked softly. Aziraphale cleared his throat in an attempt to stop the lump in his throat from giving him away, and adjusted his bow tie, a habit for comfort.

“H-How long have you...” Aziraphale gestured to the gifts that were surrounding them. “This?” He felt rather meek, trying to discreetly get his words out.

“Angel, this is not the time for a game of charades.” Crowley said desperately, imitating Aziraphale’s gesturing, causing the angel to huff.

“Oh for Heaven’s sake, Crowley. How long have you been in love with me?” Aziraphale’s nerves got the better of him, the question ripped itself out, and his hands flew up to his mouth to stop his from saying anything else.

“Now look what you did, you’ve ruined a perfectly good friendship. Well done, lad.” he thought to himself. He couldn’t read Crowley’s expression. Was he angry? Was he going to laugh and walk out? He had to do something. Maybe there was a way he could turn back time to literally ten seconds prior?

“I-I mean, ignore that question. Dear, what I meant to a-ask was-” 

You’ve heard of the age old expression “to take your breath away”, right? Well, that’s what happened to Aziraphale. In a flash, Crowley was gripping Aziraphale’s coat front, their bodies rigid with nerves. Crowley caught Aziraphale in a nervous kiss, which made the angel yelp in surprise. Crowley immediately retracted, not daring to look the other in the eye.

“Angel I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that. I understand if you don’t want to talk to me again. See ya.” Crowley turned quickly and made his way to the shop door, but was stopped from opening it when he felt a hand on his arm, pulling him back.

“Aziraphale?” Crowley didn’t half expect Aziraphale to have followed him, and certainly didn’t expect to be kissing the angel again, this time against the bookshop door. This kiss was urgent, exciting. Aziraphale took in a deep breath, hesitantly putting his hands on Crowley’s shoulders. It was messy, but it was new to them. It’d be like learning to ride a bike, they’d just need more practice.

“Mm.. M-Wait. Angel, wait.” Crowley mumbled between kisses, slowly opening his eyes. Aziraphale stopped immediately.

“Did I do something wrong?” Aziraphale asked, and Crowley shook his head, excited, fiery eyes gazing dotingly at the angel.

“No, quite the opposite, But I think we have some explaining to do before anything else happens.” Crowley said with a smile. Aziraphale nodded, his heart beating with excitement, but led Crowley into the living room.

“Have a seat, my dear.” Aziraphale gestured to the couch that Crowley had sat on many times before, and once more he made himself comfortable. Aziraphale sat on the seat opposite him, adjusting his coat. 

However, the two sat in a deafening silence for the first time, shooting quick glances at each other. The streets outside had come alive now, Aziraphale was certain it was past the shop’s opening hour, but that didn’t bother him at all. The ticking from the clock seemed to be the peacemaker.

“Perhaps I should start.” Aziraphale began. He was nervous, good God he was nervous, but at least they had the time and space to say what they felt. They had waited for so long to bring this to the table.

“Crowley, I have been foolishly blind to your emotions. For how long, I do not know.” Crowley stared intently at Aziraphale, listening to his every word. “But for however long I haven’t acknowledged your feelings, I hope you know I am deeply sorry.” Aziraphale finished with a sigh. Perhaps a sigh of relief. He looked to Crowley.

“Sorry? Aziraphale, what could you possibly be sorry for?” Crowley asked, shifting in his seat. “It wasn’t deliberate. You, not knowing how much I... I like you, is not your fault. It’s not anyone’s fault.” he said with a soft chuckle. “I just wish I had told you sooner.” Crowley said quietly, and Aziraphale smiled softly at him. He thought for a moment.

“My dear, may I ask exactly how much you like me?” Aziraphale asked, the questions sounding more flirtatious than innocent, which took Crowley by surprise.

“H-How much?” Crowley said, and Aziraphale nodded eagerly. Crowley cleared his throat, quickly thinking for the most appropriate action to do next. An idea came to him.

“Would you like me to show you exactly how much?” he asked gingerly, leaning forward in his seat towards Aziraphale. The angel’s eyebrows knit together.

“Crowley, we’ve made this clear. You already have shown me-” He stopped when he noticed Crowley raising an eyebrow. “Oh,” he said softly “Then yes, I’d very much like you to.”

In the blink of an eye, they were on each other once more. With eyes closed, their lips met with an urgent crash, neither of them seeming to mind the blunt force. The kiss meant a number of things for bth of them - comfort, relief, delirium, certainty, worship, love.

Six thousand years of friendship, bonding, judgement, rejection, fighting, all for this moment. And boy, was it worth it.

They were excited, roaming hands touching everywhere they had waited to. Crowley’s hands gently cupped Aziraphale’s face, pulling his lips impossibly closer to his own. He breathed him in through his nose, sighing contently into the kiss. Aziraphale’s hands had snaked their way around Crowley’s waist, and was pulling himself flush against the demon. 

Personal space? Who’s that?

“Mm..A garden saw I... Full of blossomy boughs...” Crowley breathed between kisses. Aziraphale stopped kissing him. The two were breathless, but stayed where they were. Aziraphale was wide eyed, visibly impressed by the words he just heard.

“Crowley? Was that-” Aziraphale voice was excited.

Yes, it was. The poem Aziraphale briefly mentioned to Crowley the day before. The poor demon took it upon himself to study the poem inside and out. Just to impress his angel. 

“Upon a river, in a green mead.” Crowley continued, gazing lovingly at Aziraphale, a tempting smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. Aziraphale wasted no time in returning to the kiss, nearly knocking Crowley down with sheer excitement. Crowley giggled at the behavior of the seemingly quiescent angel

“There as sweetness evermore enough is..”

Crowley slowly trailed his hands down Aziraphale’s back, the angel not seeming to mind the slightest, seeing as one of his hands were busy with Crowley’s hair, and the other was cupping the back of his neck. He certainly didn’t mind when Crowley gently squeezed his buttocks, the thrill of it caused him to gasp and grab a fistful of Crowley’s fiery hair.

“My dear, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to!” Aziraphale said suddenly, when Crowley moaned at the sensation. Crowley opened his eyes slowly, as if to relish in the feeling. His pupils were fully blown, a sight Aziraphale wasn’t too familiar with.

“I think.. I think I liked that.” Crowley said, his voice was gravelly and he squeezed Aziraphale’s buttocks again, pulling him flush against him, smirking down at the angel as he did so. 

“Oh, is that so?” Aziraphale played along. “What if I did it again?” he asked innocently. Crowley suppressed a moan, and began kissing below Aziraphale’s ear. It was Aziraphale’s turn to moan, pleasure rippling through him at the unfamiliar sensation. The sound Crowley elicited from him was heavenly. It excited Crowley, and he wanted to hear more.

“Better make haste, angel, or I may just discorporate in your arms.” Crowley growled into his ear, slowly peppering light kisses along Aziraphale’s soft neck. Aziraphale sighed in bliss, his fingers threading through Crowley’s hair once more. He’d never felt anything like this.

“Oh Crowley, that’s wonderful.” Aziraphale purred in bliss. The last place he ever imagined he’d be was in the middle of his bookshop, with a demon whispering sweet temptations into his ear.

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do this..” Crowley said between each kiss.

“Do what, my dear- Ohh my goodness!” Aziraphale moaned in euphoria when he felt Crowley nip a tender spot on his neck, and tugged Crowley’s hair once more, high on pleasure. 

With that, Crowley found Aziraphale’s lips again, pulling him in for a hungry kiss. It was urgent, passionate, and they were both drunk on love, feeding off each other. Crowley gently guided them towards the couch, neither pausing for a breath. Aziraphale collapsed onto the couch, dragging Crowley down with him. The demon straddled his hips, completely flush against Aziraphale. The world could be ending right now, and this is all they would want to be doing. Nothing else mattered at this point in time.

Crowley pulled back from the kiss, the taste of the angel still on his lips. He placed his hands on both of Aziraphale’s shoulders for balance. Breathless, the two sat on top of each other, a childish giggle erupting from the both of them. Crowley could watch Aziraphale’s face light up when he laughed for the rest of his eternal life. The way his nose wrinkled when he beamed a smile was nearly enough to discorporate him. But his laugh - oh, his laugh - gleeful and bubbly, was enough to rid the demon of any negativity.

“Has anyone told you how devastatingly radiant your eyes are?” Crowley said, his tone drenched in awe as he lightly traced his thumb across Aziraphale’s cheek, causing the angel to blush.

“I hardly believe anyone would think such-” Aziraphale hushed when Crowley gently placed his finger on his lips, and gave Crowley a look which translated to “And what is the meaning of this?!” 

“Cerulean blue, like the ocean on the sunniest day. Clinquant in the sun’s brash rays. A sapphire paradise I am eager to drown in, if you’ll allow me to. If I stare any longer, I’ll be floating in sempiternal tranquility. If your eyes are the sea, then I’m shamelessly a thalassophile.”

Neither of them spoke for a moment. Aziraphale was speechless due to pure astonishment at Crowley’s flawless use of words. Crowley, the now hopeless romantic, was still gazing into Azirphale’s eyes, perhaps staying true to his words.

“Crowley, where on earth did you learn that?” Aziraphale asked quietly, blinking to wake Crowley from his trance. Crowley was visibly pleased with his work, beaming a smile.

“When I first lay my eyes on you, it’s the only thing that went around my mind that day. And everyday since then. Just kept it tucked away until now.” Crowley confessed. 

“Oh Crowley, my dear.” Aziraphale cooed. His brows drew together as he turned a deeper shade of red, looking away to avoid Crowley’s gaze. He was at a loss for words, the charm from Crowley was something he wasn’t used to, and Crowley knew. Crowley gently put his fingers under Aziraphale’s chin to guide him back.

“Hey,” he said softly to get the angel’s attention once more. “Would I lie to you?” he asked, his eyes trailing down to the angel’s plush lips, before lazily dragging his gaze back up to meet Aziraphale’s. 

With a coy smile, Aziraphale pressed his forehead against Crowley’s. “No.” 

The two share a chaste kiss together. Unbothered, peaceful, on a Friday morning in Central London in the bookshop.

Their first Valentine’s Day was a success this year.

[leonthecardboardunicorn]

The Ruined King, Chapter 5

Pairing: Felix x Liz

Summary: Hawkeye is once again moving through Gedonelune, and it looks like their aim is on the heart of the Dragonkin Ruins. It looks like we’ll need the help of the three Reciters to solve this mystery!

Previous: Chapter 4

First: Chapter 1

The next morning, I decided to bring Shu to the village again.

"Ah, Liz, what brings you here? We weren't supposed to meeting for a few hours."

"I thought I'd pay a visit, see how everyone was settling in.”

"Of course, come in, come in. I was just making breakfast. I'll set an extra plate at the table."

When I walked in, Lacan, Hugo, and Mischa were already sitting at the kitchen table. Lacan lit up as he saw me. "Hi Liz! Hi Shu! It's so good to see you again; here, come and have a seat."

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," I said as I settled down at the table.

"Hugo was just telling me about how the two of you got the land for this village. I can't believe you were able to beat Felix in a board game!"

"Oh yeah, that was quite an interesting story," I said with a smile.

"You could help fill in the details," Hugo said with a smirk.

Lacan laughed as we told the story, of how we'd faced the strange 'hooded man', and how it had been a race against the clock. Hugo even seemed to relax as we told the story.

'I'm so glad to see they're getting along!'

It was strange. Back then, Felix had been a mysterious stranger to me; it was hard to picture him like that now.

"Where's Felix?"

"He's in the kitchen," Mischa said, smirking. "He's been observing how Willem cooks."

"I didn't know he had an interest in cooking." What would it be like to taste Felix's cooking? If he made something just for me..

'Woah,' I thought, shaking my head, 'where did that thought come from?'

"Strangely, he's been taking more of an interest in it lately," Lacan said, leaning on his hand.

"Here!" Willem swept into the dining room, setting down extra plates; Felix trailed behind him. "I made lots of extra, so eat up as much as you want. Oh, I also prepared some treats for Shu." He set down a little plate of treats; Shu leaped up and started to munch on the treats.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. "Hmm? Who could that be?"

"Oh, I'll get it." Lacan went to answer the door. "Oh, hello, Lucious! What brings you by?"

"I.. wanted to pay a visit before we went out," he said. "Can I come in?" Lacan beckoned him in.

"Good thing you made extra," Hugo said to Willem.

And a few minutes later, there was another knock on the door. This time, it was Zeus and Hiro.

I couldn't stop myself from laughing. "What do you want to bet that Caesar and Alfonse will be along any minute?"

"I think I heard them talking about it earlier," Lucious said.

"It looks like we all had the same idea.." Hiro shook his head.

"If they show up, we're going to be running out of space pretty soon," Lacan said.

Felix sighed. "Not to mention food.”

Willem started to get to his feet. "In that case, should I make extras?"

"You sit down," Felix said gently, pushing him back into his chair. "Don't overwork yourself. I'll take care of it."

"You?"

"I can help you!" I jumped up.

"Why don't we have lunch in the garden there?" Lacan suggested. "We can wait for the others there. Oh, and we can show you what the three of us have been planting!”

"That sounds good to me." Laughing, they went into the garden.

As we went into the kitchen, I realized that Willem's kitchen was smaller than I thought- which put me very close to Felix. And I realized something.. "Felix, don't you think it's going to be a little hard to move around the kitchen in your cloak?"

"Hmm? Oh, right, hang on." He slipped off his cloak, setting it to the side. "Better?" I found myself staring, and he tilted his head. "Is there something on my face?"

"No, no! You just look.. different without your cloak. You look nice," I said. "You look friendlier."

"Friendlier?"

"Well, you're so.. mysterious with that hood on," I blurted out. What was I saying? "But now you seem relatable. And.." I bit my tongue. I couldn't exactly say how handsome he looked, could I? "W-well, we should get to cooking," I said, turning my attention to the kitchen. "Felix, do you know anything about baking?"

"I've been watching how Willem does it," he answered smoothly, moving for the stove. "How hard can it be?"

A memory flashed through my mind of trying to teach Florin how to cook. 'Hopefully he's not that bad,' I thought with a shudder.

"Let's try pancakes! Those should be easy enough! Can you get the ingredients for me?"

I got out the tools; Felix deftly found and handed me each ingredient. "Oh, I think that Willem has some pancake molds in here," I said. I quickly found them, setting them on the counter. "What would you think of Carbuncle shaped pancakes? That sounds cute to me."

"You like Carbuncles?" he asked as we started to work.

"I do! My specialty at the academy is actually studying magical creatures," I said as I started to put the ingredients together.

"Really? I had no idea."

"They told me you were quite good with magical creatures too," he said.

He nodded; his eyes lit up as he talked. "The Castle in the Sky used to be home to magical creatures of all kinds," he said wistfully. "I'd spend my days learning about the various magical creatures so that I could take better care of them. Do you like Carbuncles?”

“I do.” Man, that brought back memories. “I used to hear them sing outside the Tower of Sorrow-”

“Ah!” A puff of flour filled the air, filling the small kitchen- covering Felix's robes. “..This is trickier than I thought.”

Once we had cleaned up, I noticed him gazing at me. “You've got some flour on your face,” he said, absently wiping my face.

As he turned away, I felt my heart racing. 'No fair..'

After that, despite my worries, things went much smoother. He didn't complain as we worked, stirring the bowl, and flipped the pancakes with ease.

"Can you taste this?" he asked, offering a fork.

"This is delicious!" I guess he wasn't a bad cook after all.

Just then, I heard voices bellowing from the garden. "Zeus, you already had your fill! Save some for the rest of us!"

"It looks like your friends are having a lot of fun out there," he said, idly flipping the pan.

"Look, Alfonse and Caesar showed up after all," I said; they were chasing Shu around the garden.

"I don't understand why they all showed up here," he said, tilting his head. "We weren't supposed to meet until later."

"I think they just wanted to spend time with you guys," I said. "They've been getting to know you."

"Even though I was once your enemy?" he asked, setting down the pan. "How can you trust me then?"

"They're funny like that." I couldn't help but smile. "When someone helps them, or shows their kindness, they don't forget that."

He gazed out at the garden, his expression sad and wistful all at once.

"I see. I'd.. almost forgotten what that was like." He looked down at the pan. "..I think the pancakes are ready; should we go and give them to your friends?"

"Hmm?"

I have to admit, I wanted to spend a little more time with Felix..

"Here, pancakes for everyone." We passed out the plates to everyone.

"Good, Zeus was hogging all of them," Lucious said, taking the plates.

"Luckily for you," Felix said smoothly, "we made enough for everyone, so you can have your fill."

"These are delicious!"

"Looks like your first time cooking didn't turn out so bad after all," I said to Felix.

"First time?" Willem tilted his head. "Felix has been helping me for.." Whatever Willem was gonna say, Felix cut him off with a look, so Willem laughed. Lacan hid a snort behind his hand. "I think you did very well, Felix."

"Thank you." He took a seat in the garden, with his own plate of pancakes. Everyone settled down around the garden. We enjoyed each other's company, talking and laughing in the garden together.

'It may be selfish of me, but I wish things could stay like this forever..'

Even though I'd seen it before, I still found myself marveling as we approached Albert's mansion. "Wow, it's so beautiful."

"Does this impress you?" Felix asked.

"How could it not? It's probably as big as the whole village!"

Oh yeah; he had grown up in a castle. 'Sometimes I forget I'm dealing with kings..'

"I suppose it's not bad, if it impresses you."

Elias, Klaus, and Yukiya were already sitting with Albert when we made it into the manor. But with them was a man that I didn't recognize.

He was tall, with dark hair and a charming smile. "That's exactly what I told him! But did he listen?"

"Hmm? Who's these?" he asked, standing up.

"These are friends of mine," Albert said.

"Well, it's always nice to meet new friends," he said, smiling at me. "Especially such a charming young lady as yourself." He took my hand, giving it a kiss. "Daniel Oxford, at your service."

"Oxford? You're.."

"I take it you met my older brother?" He smiled. "Don't worry, I'm not as pompous as he is.

I would have let that poor boy go, but you know how stubborn he is.."

"If you'll excuse us," Felix said, "we have something to discuss with Albert."

"Of course. Albert, I trust we can work out the rest of the details later?"

"See you later." With that, the man took his leave, and Albert smiled. "It's nice to see you two again. It appears you've been settling in to your new lives."

Lacan tilted his head. "Have we met before?"

"I suppose that day would have all been a blur," Albert said. "I'm Albert Auburne; it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Albert," Klaus said coolly, "don't you think that we should focus on the investigation?"

"Right, right. Please, have a seat." And he was in business mode once more. "You're looking for the three gems?"

"Three were entrusted to the Dragonkin," Yukiya said, "and three to the noble families of Gedonelune."

"We have already obtained one." Elias placed the diamond on the table.

"You told me before that your sword had been passed down from the First King," I said. "That gem on your sword; it might have been one of them."

"To think that my sword would be something so powerful. Not that I want the Dragon of Time to be awakened." His expression became serious. "Is there a way to find out?"

"We could try scanning it," Lacan said. "We'd be able to recognize the essence of it." Felix nodded.

Albert pulled the sword from its sheath, setting it on the table. Felix pulled down his hood; his horns glowing black. After a moment, Felix stopped, pulling his hood back on. "I recognize its energy. There is no doubt that this is the gem of fire."

"To think that my family would have such a thing. What would you like to do? Will you take the gem away from me?"

"We will need to keep a close eye on it," I said.

"People may try to come and take it away from you," Lacan said. "Hawkeye was willing to destroy one of our temples in order to get their hands on the Gem of Light."

"I'm so sorry to hear that," Albert said.

"Thank you, that means a lot," Lacan said. Even Felix's eyes softened.

"Truth be told, I'm not sure I trust the Ministry to keep the gems," Klaus mused. "Who knows what they would do with that kind of power? They might try to use it for their own ends."

"Would it be safe with you then?" Albert asked. "I could trust Liz with it."

"I.." Hawkeye might come after me again if I had it. But.. they would be after me either way. "I'll take care of it."

"Well, I may be sorry to see it go, but I'm trusting you with it." He took back the sword, prying the stone from the sword. And then he held out the stone; it seemed to shine even brighter when released. "Here you go."

"Thank you. I won't betray your trust."

Albert: This feels bittersweet. On one hand, I lost the gem, but I know that it's in good hands with her.

Klaus: You made the right decision. I know that can't have been easy for you.

Albert: I'm surprised to hear that from you.

Klaus: I can be nice sometimes.

Albert: So, I'm curious, if the house of Auburne had one of the gems, does the house of Goldstein have one too?

Klaus: ..

Albert: Ha, I knew it! Finally, something that we have that you don't!

Klaus: I would choose your words very carefully, Albert.

Albert: Uh-oh, looks like it's time for me to scram. Next time, Crystal Cavern.

[davidmann95]

Comics this week (10/28/2020)?

Dark Nights: Death Metal: Rise of the New God: Not at all what was advertised, but that’s a good thing - that throwdown belongs in the main book. This instead sets up an interesting little oddball concept that acts here as a simple pseudo-DC-history-recap device and commentary on the larger storytelling going on in this event, but could go on to play a larger role. Not a ton of meat on the bone here, but I liked it.

Legion of Superheroes #10: There’s a big reveal panel here that channels the kind of Superman-related joy I’ve scarcely felt since All-Star, and in general this issue sets up a ton of interesting new avenues.

Action Comics #1026: Nothing to write home about, but there’s a neat format trick here - I thought it quite literally didn’t work due to some kind of miscommunication along the road to production, but flipping back through it was in fact pulled off successfully.

Wonder Woman #765: This ‘running gag’ and Wonder Woman’s borderline-indifference is incredibly uncomfortable at this point.

Justice League Dark #27: Okay I have *no* idea where the hell this is going from here, but I’m all about it.

Suicide Squad #10: I’m gonna need to see how this twist plays out in the last issue (beyond ‘Taylor wanted to use that character again’), but I’ll admit I look forward to rereading this as a whole after the next issue closes it out.

Batman: Three Jokers #3: I’ll go more in-depth later since several have asked about my overall thoughts on the series now that it’s done. For now, I’ll simply say that post-Doomsday Clock I’ve been convinced that beneath a patina of hackishness Geoff Johns and what he’s trying to say are sincerely pernicious. But guys...what...what if he really is just genuinely a dumb fucking idiot?

Anonymous said: I know you probably dropped that digital only “Superman Man of Tomorrow” book, I haven’t been following it too, but I just read #18 for some reason and I’m so glad I did! It’s entirely set inside what I believe is the coolest Fortress ever (with some great nods to the All-Star Fort Superman), and it’s a really solid adventure one-shot, I really recommend you read it, and if you do, please share your thoughts!

Anonymous said: Needed to pass this along but the latest issue of Superman: Man of Tomorrow by Brandon Thomas feels like something you would love even though it’s a one and done. It’s not Keatinge-tier but it perfectly captures that feel for the Fortress you talk about wanting and has Morse code eyeblinking between Superman and a flying shark.

Superman: Man of Tomorrow #18: I checked this out based on the recs above, and yeah, this one was a hoot! A consistently fun and clever Superman caper, far more than worth the $1.

The Immortal Hulk #39: HELL YEAH, by which I mean JESUS NO. Immortal Hulk is on that roll we love to fear again, baby.

X of Swords: Stasis: I don’t have the slightest clue what’s going on anymore.

Shang-Chi #2: Fun! I’d drop it if it were an ongoing, but this definitely has me onboard for the rest of the mini.

Fantastic Four: Antithesis #3: Not all I’d want from Adams’ crack at the team or probably Waid’s final Marvel project for the time being (if not ever?), but a decent time.

Giga #1: I just don’t seem to vibe with Paknadel the way a lot of folks seem to, and I couldn’t much follow what was happening here anyway.

The Department of Truth #2: Yes, it does indeed keep up the pace after that gangbusters opening. It’s also however a product of rotten timing: a character is introduced here who is if not deliberately Warren Ellis-esque definitely fits that mold, who is major enough that he was surely conceived of prior to the book’s announcement in June 2020, the same month as...well.

Blue In Green: An Image Comics horror OGN covering the days immediately following the funeral of a struggling musician’s mother by Ram V, Anand RK, John Pearson, Aditya Bidikar, Tom Muller, and Ryan Brewer. I want to talk about it as little as possible plotwise beyond that it deals with legacy, art, and sacrifice, but the stylistic vibe here feels like a massive evolution of Morrison and McKean’s Arkham Asylum, meshed with incredible poetic diction and a musty air of nostalgic regret. This is easily one of the most gripping and impressive projects to come out of the medium in 2020, and deserves any and all sales and accolades it manages.

Slaughterhouse-Five: This OGN actually came out several weeks ago, but I only just got around to reading Ryan North and Albert Monteys’ adaptation of the classic, and while my college memories of the source material are too vague to comment on this as an adaptation, this is a towering work in its own right and can’t be recommended highly enough.

[rabbitcruiser]

Northern Ireland ceased to be part of the Irish Free State on December 8, 1922.

[courtenaychung]

London, England

May 28 - 31, 2018

Is the third time really the charm?

Packing my bags, sorting out trip details and breezing through airport security is becoming a comforting feeling for me. Thinking back to my first overseas trip over six(!) years ago, stress levels were much higher but the buzz of excitement has never changed. There is nothing that makes me happier then heading out on a new adventure; off to explore another little corner of the Earth.

This trip, like my last in Europe, started and ended in good old London. That shouldn’t come as a surprise, as everyone reading this knows that London is far and away my favourite city I’ve ever been to. 

I’m convinced that you could live in London for years and still never see everything the bustling capital has to offer. With only a couple days in the city this time around, Jen and I developed a plan: pick a couple of neighbourhoods and explore them to the fullest. Oh, and go on a walking tour. Duh.

London Eye

After taking the red eye from YVR to LHR and sleeping as much as possible on the way, we hit the ground running.  Hopping on the Piccadilly line, it was a straight shot from Heathrow to Russel Square station.  Getting off the tube and stepping out onto the London streets felt like coming home after three long years away.  We made a quick stop to check in to our hostel and drop our backpacks, then we were off on a double decker bus to meet our friend Joe and his buddy Taylor at Borough Market (they just happened to be passing through London on their own backpacking trip).  It was a late start to the day, but we made the most of it, spending time with good friends, walking around London and relaxing in Hyde Park, like true Londoners on a sunny bank holiday. We tucked into a little Italian restaurant in Covent Garden for dinner just in time; the weather decided to take a turn for the worst and a torrential downpour started before evolving into a full fledged thunder storm.

Buckingham Palace

Our first full day in the city, like so many others, began with a walking tour. We all know I’m a sucker for a good waling tour, and this was Jen’s first time in London, so a tour was a no-brainer. This one took us to many of the city’s most popular landmarks, including Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, and Big Ben (though the famous clock tower was completely covered in scaffolding for restorations). 

Wild at Heart florist in Notting Hill.

Notting Hill has always been a borough of London that has intrigued me, so I was more than happy when Jen suggested we hop on the tube and head out that way to explore. 

The colourful building and markets of Portobello Road

We started the day with a delicious breakfast at Farm Girl, which we heard about on Instagram.  Knowing that the café gets quite busy, we decided to go early to minimize the wait and maximize our time in the area. This ended up being a great decision on our part, as we were the first customers of the day, and got our choice of tables, watching as the cozy restaurant filled as the city woke up. I had the avocado toast, watermelon juice and a rose latte, and everything was just as tasty as it sounds. I would 100% recommend Farm Girl (which also has locations in Chelsea and Soho) if your in the area, not only for the great food, but also for the insta-worthy interiors and friendly staff.

After breakfast we wandered down Portabello Road and ventured off into the side streets, browsing the vendor stalls and enjoying what the area had to offer. 

Just another photoshoot in Notting Hill

On one particular side street we encountered lines of brightly painted houses. These are the kind of homes I picture when I think of Notting Hill (probably due to the movie of the same name). We stopped to take some photos, and while we were there, at least six other groups came over and started snapping pictures as well, including an actual photoshoot equipped with hair, make up, lighting and a professional photographer.

Daydreaming of the lives inside these homes in Notting Hill.

Another area of London that we wanted to explore was Kensington. Arriving in the UK fresh on the heels of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding, there was a buzz in the air throughout the city, so a trip to Kensington Palace was a must.  We spent an entire afternoon in the gardens, enjoying the understated beauty and change of scenery from London’s urban cityscape. 

Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace.

My travel buddy on this trip, Jen, in the Sunken Garden after a passers-by instructed her on how to pose.

We made our way through Kensington Gardens and eventually across Hyde Park, stopping to admire the intricate Albert Memorial, Royal Albert Hall and the many sights of Hyde Park.

A peak at Kensington Palace from the Sunken Garden.

We did a lot during our time in London, but the time spent in Notting Hill and Kensington was the most enjoyable. It might even top my list of my favourite things to see and do in the city! 

London will forever be one of my favourite places and though it was my third time exploring the historic and bustling capital, I can’t wait until my next visit.

Me

[yogaforlife]

Rajasthan City Guide - Know The Major Cities of Rajasthan

Rajasthan, the place where there is lords and landmarks, is the biggest province of India. However there are various traveler locations in this regal and supreme Indian state, urban communities of this state are exceptionally well known among sightseers and travelers coming from various regions of the planet. This article targets offering you brief data about significant urban areas and attractions found in urban communities.

Jaipur:Jaipur is the state capital of Rajasthan. It is the primary arranged city of India and affectionately known as the Pink City of India. Significant attractions in this city will be City Palace Complex, Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar Observatory, Albert Hall Musuem, Laxmi Narayan Temple, Govind Devji Temple, Ram Niwas Gardens, Sisodia Rani Ka Bagh and Palace, Kanak Vrindavan, Vidyadhar Garden, Amber Fort, Rambagh Palace, Central Park, Jal Mahal, Jaigarh Fort and Nahargarh Fort. Elephant safari in Amber in Amber region is a charming action.

Udaipur: Udaipur, the city of lakes, is perhaps the most excellent and heartfelt urban communities in Rajasthan and Indium. Situated on beautiful scene, the city is known for flawless lakes and fantasy castles. Significant vacation spots in this city incorporate City Palace, Lake Pichola, Udai Sagar Lake, Fateh Sagar Lake, Fateh Prakash Palace, Shiv Niwas Palace, Lake Palace, Jagmandir Palace, Monsoon Palace, Saheliyon-Ki-Bari, Jagdish Temple, Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal, Eklingji Temple, and so forth Boat Ride on Lake Pichola is a pleasant involvement with this city.

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Mount Abu (the Only Hill Station of Rajasthan), Ranthambore National Park, Sariska Tiger Reserve, Pushkar (Abode of Hindu Lord Brahma), Ajmer (Dargah Sharif), Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, Ranakpur, Kumbhalgarh Fort, Neemrana, Alwar, Chittorgarh, Kota, Bundi, Luni, Shekhawati, Mandawa (the City of Frescoed Havelis), and so on are some other famous vacationer places you will very much want to investigate on your visits to Rajasthan, India. These spots are exceptionally famous on most Rajasthan visit bundles. With a right travel bundle you can appreciate best of the travel industry and travel in Rajasthan, India.

[kmitchhodge]

Looking up the Albert Memorial Clock, Belfast's very own leaning tower. The clock memorializes Queen Victoria's Prince Consort, Albert. It is built from sandstone, and like the leaning tower of Pisa, it is sinking which causes it to lean (May, 2020). Full HD image available at https://ift.tt/3erjRDF #albertmemorialclock #clock #princealbert #gothic #belfast #norniron #ireland #northernireland #unsplash #igersunsplash https://instagr.am/p/CAfDidUhicG/

[ttfilm]

Group Project:

After class, my group went to Albert Park to sight out the area. This gave us more information about what is in Albert park, how the park is laid out and some interesting historical monuments located at Albert Park. 

Map of Albert Park

Picture from the outing:

Sir George Grey (British soldier, governor of South Australia and NZ)

Statue of Queen Victoria (Queen of United Kingdom of Great Britan & Ireland)

Memorial to troops of the Fifth New Zealand Contingent who died in the Anglo-Boer War of 1899 to 1902.

Ornamental Guns

Band rotunda (behind is UOA) 

Garden clock centerpiece (1953): Commemorate her majesty, Queen Elizabeth's II’s first visit to NZ.

Before this outing, my group and I have already done our own readings on the history of this park. From how the park was created nearly 60,000 years ago from volcanic ashes to Maori settlers settled in and Europeans colonized the area. The park was barracked during the war and was only developed with little funds by the Auckland City council.   

The papakainga (village) was the site before the European settlement was named Rangipuke. 1845 Albert Barracks were built. 

Group Ideas: 

- a literal approach to the word ‘time’ eg film in a circle, for every number on the clock, we can cut to an edit of the exact number of things. Eg for 3 o’clock we can film three flowers. Idk how we’re gonna find 12 of something. 

- the juxtaposition of Albert Park is an escape from the concrete jungle. It’s this tiny piece of land left untouched while everything else around it is being developed and built

- time expands through culture and the push and pulls that occurs. Just got me thinking about how Māori conceptualize time and space and the cosmic process of it all and how trees play a massive role in this as the god of the Forrest Tāne-Mahuta who is believed to have started what we call Te Ao or sort of like “the beginning of light and the world” presents himself for many as a large tree. Just got me thinking about the huge tree in the park with the intertwining roots and how weird that would look on film I don’t know though just a thought. Oh and I also really like your idea @Nathaniel about how time almost stops in a place like Albert park where everything around it seems to almost accelerate

- a clock tower at the far end, as well as a statue of Queen Victoria, which could be an interesting comparison to Te Ao and how colonization has come into this space 

Research: 

What we now know as Albert Park used to be the main site of the Albert Barracks.

This was a military base that was built after the Flagstaff War, or Hōne Heke’s

Rebellion, which occurred in 1845-46. The perimeter wall, which part of still remains

on UOA campus, was built with volcanic basalt from Mt Eden quarry. The Europeans

employed and taught local Māori how to build in a European style. However, the

Europeans were earning roughly twice as much. It’s built over top of the, now

underground, Waihorotiu - home of Taniwha Horotiu. Additionally, in 1941, tunnels

were built underneath the park to act as air-raid shelters.

The site was used during the Invasion of Waikato, where the colonial government felt

threatened by the Māori presence and sought to drive all Māori out of the Waikato

region. This was the largest battle during the New Zealand Wars.

Significant Landmarks

Statue of Queen Victoria, Queen in power during colonization of NZ.

Boer War memorial, the first overseas war that NZ troops were part of. Colonization

of South Africa (1899-1902).

Fountain, imported from Britain - “the centerpiece of the park”.

George Gray Statue, “Governor of NZ” arguably the most influential figure during

colonization.

Cannons, built in response to invasion from Russia (1880)

UOA Clocktower, built for the visit of the Queen.

https://vimeo.com/132287269?fbclid=IwAR081uJhf95kjkN30SNgmydShfrYh8smYqsWKGDdYitZS-eyrqGFB8Gti6w

[letsprayitwritesitself]

groundhog dave part 7 day five

Relief. Unadulterated and alien it washed over him when he woke up on February 2nd. Shame from upsetting Jack remained annoyingly in the pit of his stomach - he had still done the thing, after all - but Jack did not know. He wouldn’t say the wrong thing, now. He’d do better.

Because the day had still been useful. He was glad he’d dared to rely on the fact that it would disappear - he’d learned more about Jack, for example, namely that he was sensitive about how he came across despite appearing not to be (and having no reason to be) and that he was genuinely... a good guy. Dammit.

He now knew truths about himself, too. It made him cringe to think back over his four years at the station, apparently swanning around lofty and presumptuous, acting like he was too good for it all - humiliating, but fixable, surely.

There was still a jarring streak of gratitude through this embarrassment. Like someone pointing out you had spinach in your teeth - vexing, but you ended up glad that they pointed it out. Where “spinach” here equalled asshole behaviour.

Was that why this was happening? He had struggled, of course, with trying to identify the source of this thing, phenomenon, event - science? God? A powerful hallucination? If this were a movie it would clearly be a way to bring Davey’s attention to what needed changing in his day to day - and sure this was not a movie, but if he leaned into that point of view a little bit, what was the worst that could happen?

So he had already made a couple of changes. Taking the guys breakfast in the morning felt nice, and it showed that he appreciated their effort. Going with the flow where the weather was concerned, instead of getting mad that they couldn’t force the van through the storm? Way easier.

Shit, maybe Jack did have a point.

So he did this day almost - almost - the same as the one before. Not the underwear thing, though that had been novel and fun (also cold). He stopped for coffees, greeted the storm with a grin, told the guys that he was sorry for being an asshole on the way, then headed to the diner for just pancakes. Yesterday was a fun indulgence. Today might be the time to see what he should do.

They sat in the diner. Davey didn’t need to ask what he had desperately wanted to before, which felt good, and he let himself be a little glad that he had asked after all. Instead he could focus on figuring out how to built a rapport with Jack. He was clearly onto something - his advice about devaluing other peoples’ opinions was something Davey could remember and use, and it made him frustrated with himself that he had never thought to give Jack the time of day before.

‘So, you’re from New York?’ Not really a question. He remembered this from their first night out.

‘Yup. Born and raised.’

‘Why Philly?’

‘It’s where the job was, right? And like, why not. Something different.’

‘Wanted a change?’

‘Kinda. Like, feel like a change is normally a good thing. Shake it up.’

‘Do you go back much?’

‘What, am I being interviewed?’ Jack laughed quietly, tearing his slice of toast into halves and then quarters. 

‘Sorry, I just. Feel like I don’t know anything about you, which is terrible. We’re colleagues, y’know?’

‘Alright. Sure. I haven’t been back that much. I really like Philly, and like, once you meet a few new people in a new place it gets easier to stay. Aren’t you from New York too?’

‘Yeah. I moved for the job as well.’

‘Think you’ll go back?’

‘One day. Probably. It’s where my family are, you know. Old friends. Childhood memories, kind of thing.’ Davey watched as Jack stiffened, averting his gaze. ‘Not the same with you?’

‘I don’t really, ah, have a “family” in the sense of - in any sense.’ He emphasised the word family with air quotes, a move that tugged on Davey’s heartstrings. ‘But it’s fine - good, even. Maybe. Nothing tying me down!’ Davey hadn’t heard this in any of their conversations. He wondered if Jack was opening up because Davey had first, and marvelled at how quickly he had surrendered this obviously crucial bit of information once Davey had expressed an earnest intention to get to know him. Like it informed more of Jack’s life than he realised, maybe.

‘That’s a great way of looking at it. And awesome that you’ve been able to build bridges in Philly so fast?’

‘Yeah, I was a keen bean in my first week or so. Like, sending everyone facebook requests my first day. Went on like sixteen dates.’

‘Dates?’ Interesting. ‘Anyone I know?’

‘One or two from the station. Lisa. Amber. Albert. Not like date dates, just kinda. Drinks. Movies.’

A blip of white noise exploded in Davey’s ears for a second. Did he know that Jack liked guys? He would have remembered if it had come up in their previous talks. 

‘I - I remember that feeling. When you first get here - so many people, right?’

‘Exactly! All trying to impress each other and be heard. It’s wild, but I love it.’

‘I know what you mean. Sort of. Actually, not really.’

‘How about you, is there a Mrs. Creative Producer back in Philly?’

‘No. Um, it would be a Mr. Creative Producer. But there’s not one of those, either.’

‘You must meet so many people though?’

‘Yeah. I do.’

They slipped into a silent lull. Davey couldn’t tell what Jack was thinking but he was now casting his mind back over the sparse handful of dates he’d enjoyed in his four years of working (and of course those he hadn’t enjoyed.) He’d been out with Albert too, plus one guy from the research team, Specs. Then Skittery, the runner, and Darcy, the old weatherman. One a year, interspersed with the odd (very odd) match from Tinder or friend of a friend, and not that he was desperate or anything, but - that lack of direction, the frustration of feeling stuck, it was only amplified when he came home to his empty apartment or woke up to zero texts. Not desperate, but ready. So ready.

‘C’mon.’ Jack broke the silence. ‘Why don’t we go see what else Punx has to offer?’

It was still snowing. Jack was great company. Davey nodded and stood up.

As they stepped out the door Davey caught a look at the clock tower overlooking the main road. It was 10:30. Their conversation had lasted exactly as long as yesterday’s had, the one where he’d upset Jack (that, phew, again he thanked his lucky stars had disappeared.) He felt good, this felt like maybe how the day should be going - like he had started to realise what he needed to retain and amend from different versions of Groundhog Day, and the more right he got it, the more he felt like this ordeal might be winding down. 

Otherwise what hope did he have?

But. If he was leaving the diner the same time they had the morning before...

He paused outside the door, holding out his hand to stop Jack walking away.

‘What?’

‘Hang on. One second.’ He adopted a power stance, feet planted on the sidewalk, crouched down, ready. 

Jack shifted on his feet, glancing around awkwardly, pulling his coat round himself to shield against the snow. ‘You alright there, Davey?’

The puppy barrelled down the street, but Davey was there. He had to dive to the side just a little to grab it, but he managed to scoop the wriggling animal up into his arms, hugging it close to his chest as it squirmed and panicked.

‘What the heck - how did you see this little guy?’ Jack’s eyes widened as he watched Davey try to calm the dog.

‘I just - did. Here, can you?’ Davey passed the puppy over to Jack, elated that this bullshit day had given him an opportunity to do something moderately impressive in front of him. Jack held it tight, whispering soothing shushes into its ear, and Davey took a second to watch before nodding towards the direction of the motel. ‘I, uh, I know the owner. I think she’ll be this way.’

They continued down the street, and because Davey knew he could rely on the relentless repetitiveness of the day’s events, he was ready when the delivery man fell out of his truck and sent the boxes of cupcakes flying - haphazard and clumsy he managed to grab them in his arms: one large and flat, then four slightly smaller on top, they still landed with a crash but none of them hit the floor. The truck driver stumbled out and grabbed Davey’s shoulders to steady himself, gushing out an apology. 

‘Shouldn’t make me do these fuckin’ deliveries in the snow, listen, you saved my ass, you really - look, take one, they won’t notice if one’s gone,’ he took the boxes from Davey and flipped open the top one, taking a red velvet cupcake out and pressing it into Davey’s hand. 

As he hurried into the bakery Davey turned to look at Jack, keen to see his reaction and vaguely concerned that this might appear almost choreographed. Jack stared at him with raised eyebrows. The puppy strained up to lick Jack’s face.

‘This much adventure always follow you around?’

‘I think everyone’s just going a little crazy cuz of Phil.’

‘Is that right?’ Jack directed this question down at the puppy, and a weird, warm feeling started to stir in Davey’s stomach. Uh-oh.

He took a bite out of the cupcake as they kept walking back towards the motel and offered the other half to Jack. Jack struggled for a sec, trying to shift the weight of the dog into one arm so he could grab the cake, but the thing was wriggly and scared so he settled for saying ‘Can you just -’ and opening his mouth after a quick nod towards the cupcake. With the faintest blush Davey took the hint and fed Jack the remaining half, trying to mirror how casually Jack seemed to incite this physical contact but struggling just a little, and at the same time marvelling at how far their dynamic had transformed since the night before (well, you know, however many nights before.)

At the gate to the motel, sure enough, was the puppy’s owner, weeping into Mrs. Bloom’s shoulder, and Davey let Jack take the lead in reuniting them. He watched Jack grin from ear to ear as the pup slathered it’s mom’s face in kisses, before movement stirred from across the lawn and caught his eye.

Oh Jesus. He’d almost forgotten there was one more thing to prevent.

He crossed over to where he knew the man was about to fall off the ladder, intending to steady it so it didn’t slip into the soil, but he seemed to get there a second too late. The man fell, toppling backwards, landing directly on Davey.

//

He sat sullen in the emergency room, broken arm cradled in his lap. The day had been going so well. Too well. Almost perfect. But of course, it couldn’t be perfect, because this was Davey. He’d briefly fallen in love with the idea that being nice to Jack, and saving the puppy, the cakes, and the window washer, things he wouldn’t have done before this whole sorry experience, were the key to being liberated from this horrific cycle, but apparently they were just a ticket to actual bodily harm. Sure, when he’d ignored them the other day, it didn’t feel good but it felt better than a literal snapped bone.

He remembered with a jolt the day before, when he’d seen the man fall, that he had sat up right away proclaiming how fine he was. So he probably didn’t even need to try and save him? Talk about biting off more than you could chew. If he was bored with this fucking existence before, now he was actively pissed off by it.

Jack sat next to him, trying in sparing attempts to cheer him up but somewhat aware that the moody producer he’d known before was probably back for the time being. 

‘This has gotta be a good few days off, though, right?’ He nudged into Davey’s side, trying to draw his eye away from where he was staring at the grubby waiting room wall.

‘I want to be at work.’ He replied curtly. ‘I wanted to be there this morning, too.’

‘God, you don’t switch off, do you?’

‘I’m annoyed that I didn’t want to be here today and now I’m in the E.R., alright?’

‘You might have broken your arm in Philly? This might have always been written in the stars. 

You have no fucking idea.

He resisted the urge to snap at Jack, instead tipping his head back and letting out a long sigh. ‘You don’t have to stay,’ he said, staring up at the ceiling. ‘I’ll understand if you don’t want to spend your day here listening to me complain.’ God, just half an hour before he had literally been feeding Jack a cupcake. He couldn’t have asked for a better morning. How could he have been so misguided?

‘C’mon, I’m not leaving you on your own. They might put you on really strong pain meds, and that’s something I wanna see.’

Davey smiled. In the heavy silence of the emergency room he let himself dwell on two things. One: How much his fucking arm fucking hurt. Two: How in theory he had now spent five days with Jack, thinking about Jack, getting to know him and starting to open up to him, and how if this was normal life then he’d be totally justified in starting to feel something for him. He couldn’t have predicted any of this, not the cycle of the same day, nor the fixation on Jack that it would lead him to, and especially not the ability it somehow gave him to plan days with Jack that led to this weird almost-tension. Even now, sitting here, it felt almost natural and completely tempting to just lean into Jack’s side, thanks to that now kind of pathetic, sick-kid feeling that had settled over him. He felt completely entitled to some physical comfort, but resisted. 

The problem, though, was that was much as through this day he had fostered something new with Jack, if the morning came and it was February 2nd again, it would all be gone, and yet this tiny little inkling of a crush would still be there. And it would keep growing, because Jack would still be Jack. Davey would have the bad luck of having developed a crush seemingly overnight, in reality that had come from days of contemplation. How the hell was that fair?

‘Dave? Can I ask you something?’

‘Hmm?’

‘Don’t take this the wrong way, but... Did you ever ask not to be sent here?’

‘Did I...’

‘Like. You seemed really annoyed about it. But you never said whether or not you had a choice.’

‘I didn’t have a choice. I mean. I don’t think I did?’

‘Could you have found out? I know it’s too late now. But.’

‘I’m still a tiny cog in the machine, Jack, I don’t think any of them care what I want.’

‘But you don’t know, do you? Listen, I’m only saying because now I’ve started to get to know you, I can see that you’re not the dead-eyed producer-bot I thought you were. I feel like I know that you can do better.’

Davey opened his mouth then closed it. He sighed. ‘I’ve never tried. You’re right. I’ve never -’

‘David Jacobs?’ A nurse finally, finally appeared in the doorway. ‘You can come through now.’

//

‘You didn’t have to wait for me.’ He said this through a smile as he walked back into the waiting room and saw Jack engrossed in an old copy of Good Housekeeping.

‘Shut up, yeah I did.’ Jack stood up, holding out Davey’s jacket then reconsidering. Davey’s arm was now in plaster and tucked against his arm in a sling, so Jack draped the jacket round Davey’s shoulders, gently tugging it together at the front. ‘You all fixed up?’

‘Ish. Six weeks in this, which is hilarious. You’re going to have to drive us back if we ever get to leave this place.’ He walked through the front door which Jack was holding open for him.

‘I wanted to say, Dave - I’m sorry if I overstepped, what I said before. It’s none of my business what you do or don’t ask the executives. I just, I’d hate to think of you languishing in Punx for no reason.’

Davey laughed quietly. ‘Languishing is definitely right. No, I really hate to admit it but you have a point.’ It was around 3pm. The sun was blinding. The wind, cold. ‘I’m heading back to the motel. I think I’m done for the day.’

‘I’m sure you are. Can I walk you back?’

‘Yeah.’ Punx was small enough that it was barely a ten minute walk. ‘It made me think, what you said. I think that this... Me getting fucking maimed on the job - it might have given me enough fuel to. Y’know. Do something.’

‘Alright, I like it. Do what?’

‘Call them. Talk to the execs. Be heard.’ It had felt like an epiphany. It had happened as he sat in the X-Ray room, waiting for them to ascertain that the arm was broken (something he felt fairly confident he could tell them for free) - the realisation that everything he had been sad and annoyed and disillusioned by, in this version of this day, might be on the verge of being fixed. He had made a better impression on Jack and Crutchie, there was this new spark that he knew he wasn’t imagining - the last thing had to be his job. So if he could call up the producers tonight, make his case, tell them with reason and logic why he was better than this - that would leave no reason for him to have to do this day again. He would have learned his lesson.

‘I think you’d be really happy that you did. They really like people who speak up, I mean, you know that.’

‘I do. In theory.’ But then he had come to expect this day to repeat itself. It was one thing to think that he had this right, and quite another to actually be right.

Didn’t that just mean there was literally no harm in trying?

They stood at the bottom of the motel staircase. 

‘Guess I’ll go find Crutchie and fill him in.’

‘Where is he?’

‘He’s friends with basically everyone in this town; he’ll be in some restaurant or living room somewhere.’

‘Thanks for... Thanks. Today’s been bananas. In a... not-terrible way.’

‘You’re telling me. Give me a call if I can pick you up any painkillers or candy or, I don’t know. Grapes. Sick people stuff.’

‘I will. Thanks, Jack. One thing you can do?’

‘Go on?’

‘Will you sign it?’

With his good hand he dug a marker out of his pocket and handed it to Jack, who accepted with a smile. He waited for Davey to gingerly extricate his arm from the sling, and held it gently. He cradled Davey’s hand in his own as he wrote, meaning Davey could barely breathe as he focused on the dizzying scrap of skin-on-skin contact where Jack’s fingertips touched the very top of his palm, and his thumb imperceptibly stroked across his knuckles.

‘Here.’

It was a cartoon of a groundhog with a cast on it’s arm, and the message Little shit couldn’t predict this. Take it easy, superstar. Jack.

Davey cradled the arm back against his chest like it was precious. ‘Thanks.’

‘I’ll check in on you later, alright?’

‘Yeah.’ He took a step backwards up the stairs, and with a smile Jack started towards the door. Davey took a deep breath in, and said one more thing. ‘Jack?’

Jack turned.

‘Um. When we’re back in Philly, do you wanna - can I buy you dinner? Say thanks for waiting?’ An agonising pause. Jesus. Say something.

Jack nodded, eyes crinkling in a smile. ‘Yeah. Yeah, you can.’

//

‘Andy?’ Even as he spoke on the phone to his boss, even as he had a twinging broken arm laying across his stomach, and even as snow piled up outside and the sky grew darker despite it being not even five, a persistent smile played about Davey’s lips. The day was perfect. But... perfect in an imperfect way. Not a fairytale, but something like it. It was hopeful. ‘Just keeping you posted from the front line.’

‘Sure thing, Dave, shoot.’

‘We’re staying here through the storm. I’ll be working on the ACLU thing from here and I can send you plans and scripts as I have them. I, um, I broke my arm. So there’s that. If we could make sure Jack’s insured to drive the van back, otherwise we have to do something.’

‘Broke your arm? Jesus, Jacobs. Feel free to take tomorrow off.’

‘No, it’s fine. It’s fine - Andy, I need to ask something. I don’t want to wait until I get back.’

‘Go for it, kid, but quick.’

‘I don’t think I should be sent on these things anymore. I think... I think I’ve made my case for being kept on the big stuff at home. And I know I’ve always done it, but I think maybe that’s because I’ve never said I don’t want to. And I don’t. Obviously if you decide to keep me o these, I’ll do a good job, you know I will. But. Just in case you didn’t realise. I’m a good producer and I think I could be utilised better.’

God, another painful pause. People had to stop doing that to Davey.

‘I agree.’

‘What?’

‘You’re good at the Groundhog Day stuff, but I know you’ve got the skills to take on bigger projects. This is what happens when you don’t speak up, kid! We’ll talk Monday.’

‘Oh my god! Thank you, Andy, thank you so much!’

‘Get some rest, kid. Didn’t need to break your arm to get my attention.’

‘No. Right. Thanks.’

He put his phone down on the nightstand and fired up Netflix on his laptop before settling down carefully in bed. He could tell, he was sure that he had done everything he was meant to, particularly because remembering the night they had arrived in Punx, he never could have predicted any of what had happened this day. Tomorrow would come. February 3rd would come. He was sure. It had to.

Right?