#Cabinet of John Tyler

[deadpresidents]

A Deadly "Peacemaker" and Unlikely Matchmaker: The Worst First Date Ever.

On February 28, 1844, Dolley Madison was far removed from her time as First Lady of the United States, but still held on to her spot as Washington's Greatest Hostess. She was the widow of a bona fide Founding Father, James Madison -- the 4th President of the United States and principal author of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights -- but he had left the White House almost 27 years earlier and died in 1836. However, Dolley -- now 75 years old -- remained a darling of the Washington social scene. Though she often struggled financially, Dolley Madison continued entertaining guests in the nation's capital and helped organize social gatherings around the city, acting as a sort of guest hostess wherever she visited and whenever she was invited -- and she was invited everywhere. Now, as the first auguries of spring began their awakening in-and-around Washington, D.C., Dolley helped plan a cruise down the Potomac River on the newly-built USS Princeton -- a showcase vessel for the United States Navy which happened to be one of the most advanced warships of its time. Nearly 70 years after the Declaration of Independence, Dolley Madison was still the life of the party and an ideal person to help plan a celebration aboard the USS Princeton, just as she'd been doing throughout the entire life of the young American nation.

[Dolley Madison, daguerreotype by Mathew Brady in 1848, four years after the Princeton explosion.]

Launched just six months earlier, the Princeton was the U.S. Navy's first propeller-driven warship and its Captain, Robert Field Stockton, was proud of his charge. A cruise to demonstrate the ship's speed, capabilities, and weaponry to the Washington elite would be advantageous to the Navy's growth and to Captain Stockton's ambition. Besides Dolley Madison and the Princeton's crew of 178 sailors, the ship welcomed over 350 guests, including dignitaries such as Secretary of State Abel Upshur, Secretary of the Navy Thomas W. Gilmer, Secretary of War William Wilkins, Postmaster General Charles A. Wickliffe, Senator Thomas Hart Benton, and other diplomats and members of Congress. The most celebrated guest on the Princeton that day, however, was President John Tyler, who had also invited a young woman he had been romantically interested in, Julia Gardiner, and her father, David Gardiner, an influential New York lawyer and former State Senator.

Everyone on board the Princeton had underlying reasons for taking the cruise down the Potomac. For some, it was to see the Princeton for themselves. For others, it was because it was the place to be for politicians and diplomats on that February day. Some took the cruise for the opportunity to observe others, and some took the cruise in order to be noticed. The big draw, however, was a chance to see the Princeton's two large guns -- weapons so big and powerful that they were given their own names: the "Oregon" and the "Peacemaker" -- being fired. Both of the guns were impressive, but the "Peacemaker" was an amazing spectacle. At the time, it was the largest naval gun in the world. The ship was so new and the "Peacemaker" was so potentially devastating that, as of the day of the Princeton's cruise down the Potomac, the weapon had been fired no more than five times, according to Captain Stockton.

In February 1844, John Tyler was entering the final year of a contentious, controversial, and accidental Presidency. Elected as Vice President alongside William Henry Harrison in 1840, Tyler spent only a month in the Vice Presidency before President Harrison died in office. On April 4, 1841, Tyler became the 10th President of the United States, but his succession was not a smooth one. Harrison had been the first President to die in office and the Constitution was not specifically clear about Presidential succession. To many, including everyone in President Harrison's Cabinet, Tyler was still the Vice President and only assumed the duties of the Presidency, not the title or the privileges (such as living in the White House). At his first meeting with the men Harrison had appointed to the Cabinet, the Cabinet all but insisted that they would rule by committee and that Tyler had no more power or influence than, say the Postmaster General (which was a Cabinet-level position until 1971). Many Americans felt that Tyler was merely "Acting President," and that he was to defer to the will of the Cabinet on all issues.

Tyler vehemently disagreed and the manner in which he assumed office set a precedent that was followed by all future Vice Presidents and was eventually cemented into the Constitution. Tyler declared that he was not the Vice President or the "Acting President," but that Harrison's death had propelled him directly into the office of President of the United States to serve out the remainder of Harrison's elected term with the same powers and duties and privileges that come with the office. Tyler moved into the White House and, when his Cabinet balked at his assumption of power, he accepted the resignation of everyone but his Secretary of State, Daniel Webster (Webster eventually resigned in 1843).

President Tyler's troubles did not disappear once Harrison's hand-picked Cabinet departed or after Tyler settled into the Executive Mansion. The slavery question was tearing the nation further and further apart by the day. When Tyler won election in 1840 as Harrison's Vice President, he did so as a member of the Whig Party, but when it came down to Tyler's personal political ideology he was all over the political spectrum. As a younger man, he supported Thomas Jefferson and the Democratic-Republicans and he supported Andrew Jackson during Jackson's first term before Tyler became a Whig. Upon his Vice Presidential nomination, there were questions about Tyler's Whig credentials, but the Whigs needed a strong Southern balance on the ticket and accepted Tyler. But now that General Harrison was dead, President Tyler's independence frustrated his party, which felt that he was not sufficiently Whiggish. With former President Andrew Jackson out of the picture and retired in Nashville, and with Whigs in control of Congress and the White House, the party attempted to establish another Bank of the United States. The Whig Congress pushed through a bill creating a new Bank of the United States, but President Tyler definitively broke ranks with the party that had nominated him for national office and vetoed the bill. Twice. So, just months after assuming the Presidency, Tyler was expelled from the Whig Party and remained a President without a party until he left the White House in 1845.

Now, on a warm day at the end of February 1844, Tyler was thinking about whether or not he would support the annexation of Texas. The President also thought of romance. In September 1842, Tyler's wife, Letitia, died in the White House after suffering a stroke. Tyler was still grieving when he began courting Julia Gardiner in January 1843. Tyler had met Julia while his wife was still alive, but he didn't become smitten with her until after his wife's death. Tyler and Julia kept their relationship guarded from the public and the President was even secretive about it to his (very large) family. Part of the reason for his reluctance to be open about his feelings was because Letitia had only been dead for a few months when he started dating Julia. However, a bigger reason was Julia's age. When they began dating, Julia Gardiner was just 22 years old. The 52-year-old President was wary about how his children (he and Letitia had seven children who lived to maturity) would feel about him dating a woman who was five years younger than his oldest daughter.

The age difference also worried Julia's family. Julia Gardiner was the daughter of David Gardiner, a wealthy New York lawyer and former New York State Senator. She was born in 1820 on an island in the Long Island Sound named after her family, and had everything that she wanted or needed while growing up on Gardiner's Island. Julia was beautiful and much in demand by the eligible bachelors of the East Coast. After meeting President Tyler, Julia first tried to reject his advances, but she was certainly intrigued by the powerful and charming Virginian. For his part, Tyler was madly in love with Julia and he first proposed to her in late-1843. Julia's mother did not approve of her daughter marrying a man 30 years older than Julia, so Tyler didn't get an answer. By inviting Julia and her father to accompany him on the USS Princeton, John Tyler hoped to show David Gardiner that he could impress the wealthy New Yorker and demonstrate that he could be a wonderful husband to Julia.

[Julia Gardiner Tyler, around the time of the Princeton explosion and her marriage to President Tyler, c. 1844]

••• Guests gathered at the Washington Navy Yard as ferries transported them across the Potomac River to Alexandria, Virginia, where the USS Princeton was anchored and ready for the afternoon cruise down the Potomac. As dignitaries boarded Captain Stockton's ship, they marveled at the size of the two guns on deck and examined every inch of the 164-foot warship. Music was provided by the United States Marine Band -- "The President's Own" -- and food was served below deck as the Princeton began its leisurely cruise down the Potomac. As guests explored the Princeton and watched the historic sites on both shores of the Potomac pass by, the massive "Peacemaker" gun was fired to the delight of everyone on the ship. The rounds fired by the powerful "Peacemaker" were capable of traveling up to three miles. As the warship cruised down the river the rounds that were fired were aimed at ice floes in the distance which were breaking apart as the afternoon sun warmed the Potomac. The cruise continued, with men mostly on the deck and pretty much all women below deck where food and drinks flowed freely, conversation was genial, and some of the guests were gleefully singing and clearly enjoying themselves.

When the Princeton reached Mount Vernon and George Washington's sprawling estate came into view, the ship fired another round from the "Peacemaker" in tribute the first President and then turned around for the return trip to Washington, D.C. The Princeton's passengers had gathered below deck for celebratory toasts and to listen to the impromptu singing concert taking place in the salon. At around 4:00 PM, some of the men requested a chance to witness the "Peacemaker" being fired again, but Captain Stockton demurred, telling the men, "No more guns tonight." However, one of the men who wished to see the "Peacemaker" fired once again was Thomas W. Gilmer, the man who had become Secretary of the Navy just 10 days earlier -- a man who just happened to be Captain Stockton's superior. Gilmer's wish was something akin to an order to Captain Stockton, so Stockton headed to the deck and had the gun prepared to be fired once more.

Many of the men began heading upstairs to witness the firing of the "Peacemaker" while the women mostly remained below deck and continued with their songs and conversations. President Tyler was heading up the gangway plank towards the deck when he was told that his son-in-law, William Waller, the husband of his daughter Elizabeth, was about to sing one of Tyler's favorite songs. Instead of heading to the deck, the President headed back into the salon and was handed a drink. Upstairs, men crowded around the giant "Peacemaker" for one last demonstration of its firing power.

On the deck, Secretary of War William Wilkins jokingly told the spectators, "Though I am Secretary of War, I do not like this firing, and believe I shall run!" before moving to the far side of the Princeton. The remainder of the guests were close to the "Peacemaker" and the big gun was ready to be fired. The Princeton was about 15 miles downriver from Washington, D.C. and two sailors took the final steps for firing the weapon.

Suddenly, at 4:06 PM, a massive explosion rocked the Princeton and the deck was obscured by white smoke and an eerie silence. President Tyler rushed up to the deck to investigate what had happened, but what he found was a horrific scene. The "Peacemaker" -- the largest naval gun in the world -- had exploded at the breech. The powerful explosion tore part of the ship's deck and the "Peacemaker" broke into red-hot pieces of iron that flew into the crowd of spectators. Nobody downstairs was injured, but the deck of the Princeton was a place of horror. Eight people had been killed and 17 were seriously injured, including Captain Stockton and Senator Thomas Hart Benton. As President Tyler reached the deck, the silence turned to anguished screams and confusion.

The President fought through the smoke and found that the toll was high. Secretary of State Abel Upshur was dead -- literally disemboweled by the blast. Navy Secretary Gilmer was dead. The Princeton's Commander Beverly Kennon and two Princeton sailors were dead. American diplomat Virgil Maxcy was dead. President Tyler's slave, Armistead, who had requested and been granted permission from Tyler to view the gun as it was being fired was dead. And, finally, David Gardiner -- the father of the woman that the President hoped to marry -- was also killed by the blast, his arms and legs severed from his body by the force of the explosion. A tearful President was devastated by the loss of two of his senior Cabinet members, and he headed back down below deck to notify the women about what had happened. With dozens of victims and witnesses screaming, crying, and/or in shock throughout the ship, there was an attempt to keep most of the passengers below so that they didn't see the gruesome scene on the deck.

[Secretary of State Abel Upshur and Secretary of the Navy Thomas W. Gilmer, who were both killed by the explosion on Feb. 28, 1844.]

The smoke-filled deck of the Princeton was covered with blood, dismembered limbs, dead bodies, and stunned survivors, many of whom had been wounded by pieces of red-hot, iron shrapnel from the gun or pieces of human beings torn apart by the explosion. Throughout the ship, ears were ringing and people were rendered temporarily deaf by the sound of the blast. Below decks, the women who had accompanied the Princeton awaited more news from above, which quickly trickled downstairs. Someone yelled, "The Secretary of State is dead!" and the news did not improve. When Julia Gardiner found out that her father was among those who had been killed in the blast, she fainted -- directly into the arms of President Tyler. Dolley Madison, who had seen much in her 75 years -- during the War of 1812, she barely escaped the White House shortly before British forces captured Washington and burned the Capitol and the Presidential Mansion -- was certainly stunned by the tragedy aboard the ship, but she quickly did her best to comfort the Princeton's passengers who were shaken and distressed.

As the USS Princeton limped back to Washington, D.C., John Tyler comforted Julia Gardiner as best as he could. For the President, his pleasure cruise with the woman he hoped to marry and her wealthy father could not have gone worse. Now, David Gardiner was literally laying in pieces on the deck of the Princeton as Tyler -- who was also returning to Washington without a Secretary of State or Secretary of the Navy -- tried to console Gardiner's young daughter, but she remained unconscious until the ship arrived back in Alexandria, Virginia.

When the Princeton arrived at Alexandria, President Tyler physically carried Julia Gardiner from the wounded warship. On the gangplank, Julia finally awakened in the President's arms, and as she later said, "I struggled so that I almost knocked both of us off the gangplank. I did not know at the time, but I learned later it was the President whose life I almost consigned to the water." President Tyler had Julia taken directly to the White House where she spent the next few days recuperating under the watchful eyes of the President and his large family.

The bodies of Julia's father, the two dead Cabinet members (Secretaries Upshur and Gilmer), the Princeton's Commander Kennon, and the diplomat Maxcy remained on board the Princeton on the night of February 28th. The injured went to hospitals and homes around the capital city. The next day, Washington was in official mourning as the word of the tragedy spread and the signs of mourning -- black crepe hanging on the White House and other public buildings --were displayed. As Washington mourned, the bodies of Gardiner, Upshur, Gilmer, Kennon, and Maxcy were transported to the White House, where their flag-draped caskets rested in honor in the East Room. (It's safe to assume that President Tyler's slave wasn't awarded the same honors -- when the bodies were removed from the Princeton, they were all placed in magnificent mahogany caskets, except for Armistead, who was placed in one made from cherry. The President did reportedly give Armistead's mother $200.)

After two days of lying in state in the East Room of the White House, Gardiner, Upshur, Gilmer, and Kennon were transferred to St. John's Episcopal Church, where all of official Washington showed up to pay their respects at their joint funeral (Maxcy's family took his remains for a private funeral and burial shortly after his body arrived at the Executive Mansion). It was a solemn occasion -- one of the biggest tragedies to strike the United States up to that point, and a significant loss to President Tyler, both professionally and personally. Tyler was mourning two important members of his Cabinet, and the woman he hoped to marry was burying her father after he had been killed in the most gruesome manner imaginable on a cruise that Tyler had invited him to take.

The funeral started with an ominous and unfortunate signal: the firing of loud artillery across from the Executive Mansion could not have been a pleasant reminder to those who had survived the tragedy on board the Princeton a few days earlier. The bodies of Upshur, Gilmer, Kennon, and Gardiner were taken to Congressional Cemetery following the funeral and buried there, although Gardiner was later exhumed and reburied on Gardiner's Island in New York. After narrowly escaping death or serious injury on the Princeton a few days earlier, President Tyler found himself in danger once again as he left the funeral. Traveling through the busy streets of Washington in his horse-drawn carriage, the President's horses were startled by the crowds and bolted -- leaving Tyler helpless in a runaway carriage until a man bravely rushed out from a hotel entrance and helped stop the carriage.

••• Being comforted by President Tyler and his immediate family in the aftermath of her father's death changed Julia Gardiner's mind about marrying the much older President. Tyler had done everything possible to console her and make her feel safe in the days after the Princeton explosion. Later, Julia would write that, "After I lost my father, I felt differently towards the President. He seemed to fill the place and to be more agreeable in every way than any younger man was or could be." While the loss of her father was certainly tragic, John Tyler happened to be in the right place at the right time, and, in a strange way, David Gardiner's death may have helped spark the romance between the President and Gardiner's daughter. Several weeks after the Princeton tragedy, Tyler asked Julia's mother (who herself was nearly a decade younger than the President!) for her blessing to marry Julia and Mrs. Gardiner approved of the union.

Still, the marriage was not without controversy. The wedding took place on June 26, 1844, just a few months after the Princeton explosion. Julia and her family were still in mourning for Mr. Gardiner, so the wedding was solemn and low-key. Plus, the President's family -- particularly his daughters from his first marriage -- were reluctant to accept his new bride. After all, Tyler's first wife had died less than two years earlier, and Julia Gardiner was about the same age as Tyler's daughters; in fact, she was five years younger than Tyler's oldest daughter. One more unique aspect of the wedding was that this was the first time an incumbent President of the United States had ever gotten married while in office. Normally, it would be blockbuster social news, but the President's wedding was kept strictly private.

Accompanied only by his son, John Tyler III, the President and Julia Gardiner were married at the Church of the Ascension in Manhattan (which is still standing today, at Fifth Avenue and Tenth Street in Greenwich Village) on June 26, 1844. Very few people even knew that the President was in town until after the wedding when they heard the salute from the guns of warships in New York Harbor as he and his new First Lady departed the city (again, maybe firing the guns wasn't the greatest idea for this particular couple at that particular time?). According to one of the only eyewitness accounts of the wedding, published in The New York Morning Express the day after the nuptials, the bride was given away by her brother and and "robed simply in white, with a gauze veil depending from a circlet of white flowers wreathed in her hair." After the ceremony, the wedding party held a dinner at Lafayette Place before the President and Mrs. Tyler departed the city by steamer, staying the night in Philadelphia, before proceeding back to Washington on a special train the next day.

[The Church of the Ascension in Manhattan where President Tyler and Julia Gardiner were married on June 26, 1844.]

When President Tyler left office in 1845, he and his wife retired to Tyler's plantation in Virginia, Sherwood Forest. They had seven children (in addition to the seven surviving children from Tyler's first marriage) and remained happily married, despite the 30-year age difference between the husband and wife. In January 1862, the Tylers headed to Richmond for Tyler's inauguration as a member of the Confederate House of Representatives. Tyler was the only former President who did not remain loyal to the Union during the Civil War. On January 18th, the 71-year-old Tyler died in Richmond's Exchange Hotel, likely due to complications from a stroke and was buried in Richmond's Hollywood Cemetery with Confederate honors. Widely considered a traitor in the North, official notice of Tyler's death wasn't given until 1915 when Congress finally erected a monument near his grave.

Julia Gardiner Tyler lived until 1889, but remarkably, as of 2024, one of President and Mrs. Tyler's grandsons is still living. With seven children (the last of which died in 1947 -- 157 years after John Tyler's birth!), the Tylers were blessed with a wealth of grandchildren and Harrison Ruffin Tyler (born in 1928) is still alive today (his brother, Lyon Gardiner Tyler Jr., died in 2020). In the 1970s, Harrison Tyler purchased and restored his grandfather's beloved Virginia plantation, Sherwood Forest, and often spoke about his family's unique place in history until his health started to fail in recent years.

••• As for the USS Princeton, well, it never truly recovered from the "Peacemaker" explosion. Captain Robert Field Stockton was absolved of blame for the tragedy and went on to fame in California during the Mexican-American War (he has a city named after him near Sacramento), and later was elected a United States Senator from New Jersey. The Princeton participated in engagements in the Gulf of Mexico during the Mexican-American War, but its hull was found to be rotting after the war ended. It was broken up for scrap in Boston and the "Peacemaker's" twin gun -- the "Oregon" -- can be seen today on the grounds of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

[The "Oregon" gun from the USS Princeton, now on display at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.]

During World War II, a new USS Princeton was commissioned. A 622-foot-long aircraft carrier, the new Princeton engaged in action in the Pacific Ocean. On October 20, 1944 -- 100 years after the explosion of the "Peacemaker" during President Tyler's Potomac River cruise -- the modern Princeton was attacked by a Japanese dive bomber in the Leyte Gulf and 108 sailors were killed. Even the Princeton's descendants seem to be cursed.

[angelkeitai]

u leav me Alone Vro....

hi friends john tyler needs to be fucking sedated

[lee1504]

"i fell in love the way you fall asleep; slowly, then all at once" - the fault in our stars, john green

(context: this is when they're a bit older, maybe juniors in HS)

Why did Tyler agree to let Aiden come to his house?

He could feel his eyes on him as he entered his and Taylor's shared room, kicking some of his clothes off his floor, clearing the room. He didn't know that Taylor would be with Ben, Logan and Ashlyn today. He didn't know that he would be by himself.

With Aiden.

He could hear Aiden shuffling around behind him. He felt self conscious. He knew Aiden was rich, and that his family was extremely wealthy, so what was the Hernandez house compared to his? A shed?

"Cool place," Aiden commented. He glanced at Tyler's bed, the bottom bunk. "Mind if I sit?"

Tyler shrugged in return. "I don't really care. Just don't make a mess."

"Okay."

Tyler watched as Aiden sat down, crossing his legs and setting his bag down next to him. He continued looking around, starting to ask questions.

"What's that?" Aiden pointed to the corkboard that hung over Taylor's mirror, with pictures pinned to the material.

"That's just Taylor's pictures. She likes taking them."

Aiden hopped off his bed, striding towards the board. He gently took one picture off, then examined it. "I remember this," he said. He held up the photo. Tyler blinked. "This was when we were using my pool, right?"

"Yeah. I remember that, too," Tyler said. He sat down at his desk chair, watching the other boy to make sure he wouldn't steal or take anything. Not that he would, he just wanted to make sure.

He found himself staring at Aiden's hair, the way it turned golden as sunlight bounced off of it through the window.

He quickly looked away before he could get caught. He cleared his throat, softly. How long was he going to stay, anyway?

"...Do you want anything to eat? Drink?" Tyler spoke up. Aiden was still looking at the pictures, but turned his head slightly, glancing at him.

"Do you have water?"

Tyler nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I do." He stood. "Uh...I'll go get some. Just don't-don't take anything. I'll be right back."

He left his room, entering their small kitchen. He pulled out a mismatched cup from one of the cabinets, then heading to the sink to fill it up.

He leaned against the opposite counter, watching. Even though his eyes was on the glass, his mind was on someone else.

Why did Aiden have to come to his house today? He looked so bright, out of place in Tyler's normally gloomy house, as if he was his own personal sun.

He was so obnoxious, too. Sitting on his bed, taking the pictures from his board...everything Aiden did seemed to be related to Tyler.

His face was warm. Was it warm in here? Tyler snapped back to reality, glancing st the water. He lurched towards the sink, quickly turning it off before the glass could overflow.

Why did Tyler always think about him?

Why was he always thinking about him?

He mumbled something under his breath as he took the cup back to his room, face still warm. He could hear Aiden speaking. Who was he talking to?

"I'm back. Here's your--" He froze, his hand on the doorknob. Aiden sat at Tyler's desk, books piled next to him at the table. His eyes widened slightly as more heat rushed to his face. Aiden didn't seem to notice though.

"You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams. Dr Seuss," Aiden said, reading from one if the pages. He closed the book, reaching for another. "I fell in love the way you fall asleep; slowly, then all at once. John Green." He glanced up, finally taking notice of Tyler.

"What are you doing?" Tyler asked, voice shaking slightly. He trembled slightly, making the glass of water in his hand shake. His eyes darted to the books, then back to Aiden's face. He could tell his own face was beet red.

"Some of these were open," Aiden replied, as if that was an actual answer. He wasn't smiling, but his eyes were bright, as usual. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, Aiden smiled. It was soft, unlike the usual, almost unsettling ones he did. It looked strange on him. "You're blushing," he said.

Tyler scowled, quickly averting his eyes. He glared at the floor. "Whatever," he mumbled. His eyes drifted back to Aiden's rust-red ones. "Here." He walked forward, setting the glass on his desk before beginning to gather the books into his arms. "Don't snoop around my room, okay?" he muttered.

Even though his eyes were trained on the books, Tyler could still feel Aiden's eyes on him. He was strangely quiet.

"You're blushing."

Tyler's scowl deepened, as if that wasn't already obvious. He turned away, setting the books onto his bed.

"Stop watching me," Tyler grumbled.

Aiden ignored his words. "Why'd you highlight those phrases? Like, 'I fell in love the way you fall asleep' and stuff like that?"

Tyler hesitated. Was Aiden going to make fun of him? Or was he going to be serious for once?

"It...was a project," Tyler replied quietly. He wasn't sure if Aiden heard him. "Just...something I was working on..." He trailed off.

Aiden waited for a moment, before saying, "But why those phrases?"

Tyler stayed quiet. His eyes slowly went to Aiden, who was watching him.

He never realized how pretty a boy can be. His hair was golden, and his eyes were lit by the sunlight. He was still short, maybe a head or so shorter than him.

Tyler swallowed nervously. Taylor had been pestering him for the past weeks, asking him why he was acting weird around the others--and mostly Aiden. He remembered something she'd told him, about how maybe his feelings for Aiden weren't just friendly.

About how maybe Tyler might've had a crush on him.

Tyler swallowed nervously.

"it was just a project." He hesitated, then added, "Something for you."

Aiden's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "What?"

"A song," Tyler mumbled. "But whatever. It's nothing."

He felt something brush against his hand. Aiden's pinky touched Tyler's thumb, causing him to shiver slightly. He looked down at him.

"That's a bad idea," Aiden said, this time half-grinning. Tyler didn't know if he was joking or not. "You know I'm not a good person."

Tyler scoffed. "Of course you are. Everyone's a good person."

Aiden was quiet, then spoke again. "That's what you think." He looked up at Tyler, craning his head. "I like you."

Tyler wasn't sure he heard him right. "What?"

"I like you," Aiden said again. "Like, a lot." He paused, seeming to think for a moment. "I kind of want to kiss you."

Tyler's heart skipped a beat. "Wait--what are you talking about?"

"I want to kiss you," Aiden repeated. "Is that okay? Can I?"

Tyler's heart was thumping again. Maybe this time Aiden could hear it.

Maybe Taylor was right.

Maybe Tyler did have a crush on him.

"Okay," he said.

Aiden smiled. He leaned up on his toes, pressing his lips softly against Tyler's. His breath hitched. He could feel Aiden's hand cup his cheek.

Suddenly, Tyler understood what the passage from his book, The Fault in Our Stars, actually meant.

I fell in love--it didn't matter if he was in love, or if he just had a simple crush. He liked Aiden, and that was perfectly fine.

The way you fall asleep; slowly, then all at once--he didn't realize how long his feelings for Aiden had been buried underneath his heart, how long it had been hidden in his brain.

But now, with his lips pressed against the other boy's, he knew that he was all that mattered.

[fictionadventurer]

What is the name of the podcast you've been listening to with the presidents?

It's called Presidential. It was done by the Washington Post during the 2016 election, with the aim of examining how presidents through American history have shaped our idea of the office. The episodes (one for each president) are usually around 40-45 minutes long, but can be longer or shorter depending on how much content there is for each president. (The longest episode I've seen so far is the 55-minute Lincoln episode). Most episodes involve the host (a Post reporter) discussing the president in question with a Post reporter with a relevant specialty, as well as an expert on the president (often someone who wrote a biography of them and/or an expert from the Library of Congress). It's an informative and fun way to get to know these presidents as people (my favorite is the host's usual question of what you could expect if you were set up on a blind date with each president) and to get a big-picture overview of the sweep of American history. Every once in a while, comparisons to modern politics creep in, but for the most part, it's even-handed and focused on history more than current events. (The moment I knew I was in love with and very impressed with this podcast was when they tracked down and interviewed John Tyler's grandson for his episode.)

So far, I've listened through the Andrew Johnson episode, and I've paused for a while to dig a little deeper into Civil War history. Most of the information I've shared about Lincoln and his Cabinet comes from (the abridged audiobook version of) Team of Rivals by Doris Kearnes Goodwin, who was featured in the Lincoln episode. I've also supplemented it with facts from Wikipedia and from Ulysses S. Grant's memoirs (which are going to be analyzed by the Post's nonfiction book reviewer in his episode). I can highly recommend this route for anyone looking to start digging in to American history.

[undertheelectricstarspodcast]

More than one threat looms over Cair Mallplex: the raging dust storm and the huge shadow of Elizabeth Haven snuff out the last of the wan light. And there’s no escaping the specters of the past that have arrived. Featuring a one-off nickname, a mystery solved, and a question of what it means to be human.

[presidenttyler]

i know literally nothing about John Tyler and I'm not a history person whatsoever but your pinned post made me laugh so hard that I had to follow.

thank you citizen your support is so valuable. you know, the person in the walls and i see all our followers as like one big presidential cabinet. except you guys are better than the original cabinet i had during my presidency. cuz my original cabinet all resigned because they hated me

[insidious-apple]

It’s spotify wrapped time

the whole fuckin thing

1. Soldier Poet King by the Oh Hellos 2. Test Drive by John Powell 3. She’s a Handsome Woman by Panic! at the Disco 4. 5 Years Time by Noah And The Whale 5. Meet Me At Our Spot - Live by THE ANXIETY, WILLOW, Tyler Cole 6. Once Upon a Time by Toby Fox 7. Buttercup by Jack Stauber 8. Waving Through A Window from Dear Evan Hansen 9. Sweetness by Jimmy Eat World 10. Camisado by Panic! at the Disco 11. My Ordinary Life by The Living Tombstone 12. Hang ‘Em High by My Chemical Romance 13. What I Got by Sublime 14. Wild Heart by Bleachers 15. ROOFTOP RUN: ACT1 by SEGA SOUND TEAM, Tomoya Ohtani 16. Vegas Lights by Panic! at the Disco 17. Death By Glamour by Toby Fox 18. Life By The Sea by Tubbo, CG5 19. I Was a Teenage Anarchist by Against Me! 20. Shut Up And Drive by Rihanna 21. Daniel In The Den by Bastille 22. Forbidden Friendship by John Powell 23. LA Devotee by Panic! at the Disco 24. Thanks fr th Mmrs by Fall Out Boy 25. Metal Crusher by Toby Fox 26. No Shows by Gerard Way 27. Heaven Is a Halfpipe (If I Die) by OPM 28. Kyouran Hey Kids!!! by THE ORAL CIGARETTES 29. Romantic Flight by John Powell 30. Peach Fuzz by Caamp 31. space girl by Frances Forever 32. Crooked Teeth by Death Cab for Cutie 33. Even Flow by Pearl Jam 34. The Only Difference Between Martyrdom And Suicide Is Press Coverage by Panic! at the Disco 35. Home by Toby Fox 36. Rät by Penelope Scott 37. The Jetset Life Is Gonna Kill You by My Chemical Romance 38. I Wanna Get Better by Bleachers 39. Coming Back Around by John Powell 40. Superseded (feat. Adam Tell) by Simpli, Adam Tell 41. The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny by Lemon Demon 42. Speak Easy by 311 43. Brazil by Declan McKenna 44. Jolene by Dolly Parton 45. Don’t Look Back In Anger by Oasis 46. The Curse of Curves by Cute Is What We Aim For 47. You Reposted in the Wrong Neighborhood | Glue70 Mashup by Shokk 48. Concrete by Lovejoy 49. Never Let You Go by Third Eye Blind 50. Savior by Rise Against 51. Coconut Mall by Arcade Player 52. Delfino Plaza by Qumu 53. Look Who’s Inside Again by Bo Burnham 54. World’s Smallest Violin by AJR 55. Cabinet Man by Lemon Demon 56. Minecraft Pigstep - Remix by FlyxTheKid 57. Cool Party by Mal Blum 58. I’d Do Anything by Simple Plan 59. INFERNO by Sub Urban, Bella Poarch 60. The Games by Patrick Doyle 61. Dogsong by Toby Fox 62. Second chan... by sunscin 63. Achilles Come Down by Gang of Youths 64. Run-Around by Blues Traveler 65. This Is Berk by John Powell 66. Boys Will Be Bugs by Cavetown 67. Pretty Pimpin by Kurt Vile 68. Here (In Your Arms) by Hellogoodbye 69. Cardiac Arrest by Bad Suns 70. Undertale by Toby Fox 71. Syndicate by Derivakat 72. It’s Not a Fashion Statement, It’s a Deathwish by My Chemical Romance 73. Mary On A Cross by Ghost 74. Rollercoaster by Bleachers 75. POLTERGEIST! by CORPSE, OmenXIII 76. Bubble Toes by Jack Johnson 77. But It’s Better If You Do by Panic! at the Disco 78. Choice by Jack Stauber’s Micropop 79. Kingdom Dance by Alan Menken 80. Banana Pancakes by Jack Johnson 81. Make You Mine by PUBLIC 82. Fallen Down by Toby Fox 83. Hidden In the Sand by Tally Hall 84. Content by Bo Burnham 85. Mama by My Chemical Romance 86. Good Day by Luce 87. Jamie All Over by Mayday Parade 88. Nails for Breakfast, Tacks for Snacks by Panic! at the Disco 89. Lazy Eye by Silversun Pickups 90. Dead on Arrival by Fall Out Boy 91. I Would by One Direction 92. Nearly Witches (Ever Since We Met) by Panic! at the Disco 93. Spider Dance by Toby Fox 94. Rainbow Road by Qumu 95. Domino by Jessie J 96. Joy To The World by Three Dog Night 97. Turn Back Time by Derivakat 98. Ready To Go (Get Me Out of My Mind) by Panic! at the Disco 99. Not So Fireproof by John Powell 100. Hey Julie by Fountains of Wayne 101. No Mercy by The Living Tombstone, Black Gryph0n, LittleJayneyCakes

[xtruss]

Political Prostitute Nikki Haley's 2024 Bid: Could 'Mike Pompeo in a Skirt' Win Hearts and Minds of GOP Voters?

© AP Photo/Seth Wenig

Former South Carolina Republican Gov. Nikki Haley announced her 2024 presidential bid on February 14. She is seen as a major competitor to challenge former President Donald Trump for the GOP nomination.

"I think [Nikki Haley has] got a shot," Dan Eberhart, a major GOP donor and CEO of Canary, one of the largest privately-owned oilfield services companies in the United States, told Sputnik. "She's a credible person and she's accomplished a lot. Haley's never lost a race. I think merging being UN ambassador and being governor of a Southern state, while being a female and an Indian-American is a very poignant resume. She's certainly a credible entrant into the race, but in terms of who's ultimately victorious, I doubt that her star has the proper mass to get her there."

On Tuesday, Haley released a video in which she announced her decision to toss her hat into the ring in 2024.

“The Washington establishment has failed us over and over and over again. It’s time for a new generation of leadership to rediscover fiscal responsibility, secure our border and strengthen our country, our pride and our purpose,” Haley said in the video.

Notably, back in 2021, Haley made it clear to the US mainstream press that she would not run if Donald Trump opted to seek another term in the White House. Still, American reporters noted that the former president, who announced his bid in 2022, appears to have given her his blessing. Trump said that Haley had informed him about her decision to launch a campaign and he had responded: "You should do it."

"I think she's an opportunist," Eberhart suggested. "And I think we will see that clip a couple of hundred times between now and her getting out of the race. Trump has been president before, so if he loses in the primary, it's a big loss that will finish him. Whereas I think Haley can come in third and potentially be vice president, a Cabinet position, or be well positioned to run for statewide office in South Carolina in the future. For Trump I just think the bar is higher."

Ex-South Carolina Governor, Former Trump Toady, Neocon Darling: 2024 Candidate Political Prostitute Nikki Haley

Neoconservative Stance

So, which wing of the Republican Party precisely does Nikki Haley belong to? Sputnik's interlocutors believe that her political standing could be described as "neoconservative."

"My friend and client, Roger Stone, has an interesting way of putting it. He says that basically Nikki Haley is Mike Pompeo or John Bolton in a skirt," Tyler Nixon, political analyst and attorney for Donald Trump’s former campaign advisor Roger Stone, told Sputnik. "She is aligned with them very much in terms of her natural political allegiances. She does represent the old guard because she comes out of a state in which she was promoted through the ranks, she has adopted, she has not certainly been a firebrand in any way to distinguish herself, as many emerging leaders in the party have."

Nixon went on to suggest that Haley is "very close to Lindsey Graham, who is an extremely hawkish and an aggressive neoconservative." He specified, however, that he would say that neoconservatives are neither "neo" nor "conservative."

"That's just a term that was applied to them. They are essentially internationalists, globalists. They are interventionists and they believe in militarism or military interventionism," the attorney clarified.

When it comes to foreign policy, Haley is "extremely pro-Israel," and, thus, anti-Iran, according to Nixon. She also belongs to the Republican wing that promotes a very muscular foreign policy in the Middle East and wants Syrian President Bashar al-Assad out. Their bellicose stance is not surprising, given that a lot of hawkish Republicans have stakes in the defense industry, according to the political analyst.

"[Haley is] very supportive of Ukraine and using Ukraine as a proxy to weaken Russia, which obviously is a very neoconservative oriented policy," Nixon continued. "Her criticism of Trump a few t times, even while she was in the UN [was] for not being muscular enough or not being aggressive enough towards upsetting Russia."

Interestingly, despite holding diplomatic positions, Haley cannot be called very diplomatic, according to the attorney. On the contrary, she preferred lecturing and making demands. She had no scruples about calling out countries "that failed to endorse the US." However, he does not think that it will affect how Haley is perceived domestically in the run for president.

Haley: 'Non-Abrasive Fighter'

In the eyes of Republican voters, Haley and Trump agree on most domestic policy terms, according to Sputnik's interlocutors. Haley even subjected the US establishment to criticism in her Tuesday announcement akin to the former president.

"The first difference with Trump, as will be true for most Republican candidates, is her style," Timothy Hagle, a political science professor at the University of Iowa, told Sputnik. "Trump's style was blunt and aggressive. That appealed to a lot of voters who were tired of political double talk. This was especially true of many Republicans who were tired of candidates who did not seem willing to take the fight to Democrats (e.g., [Bob] Dole, [John] McCain, [Mitt] Romney). That his style was sometimes too abrasive was overlooked by many at the time. Now, however, voters may be looking for someone who is still a fighter, but without being abrasive about it. Haley would fit that difference."

Hagle has also drawn attention to the fact that Haley raised the issue of "a generational change" in her video. According to him, that was a polite way of saying that some candidates, meaning Trump and US President Joe Biden, are too old at this point.

"Trump is certainly very vigorous, but styles, preferences, and approaches change and what worked before may not work again," the political scientist remarked. "If Haley can make that point without angering Trump supporters she might make some headway."

At the same time, Hagle believes that Haley's presidential ambition is a longshot, given that many Republicans still support Trump or consider Florida Governor Ron DeSantis a better alternative.

"It's still possible that if Trump isn't able to generate the same enthusiasm for his candidacy and if DeSantis isn't able to extend his appeal nationally, then others, including Haley, might have a shot," the political scientist assumed.

However, it is far more likely that if Haley raises her national profile, she might be someone to consider as a vice presidential candidate or member of the Cabinet, should a Republican win in 2024, he underscored. When it comes to GOP donors, they could truly hail her, given that she is not as aggressive and "abrasive" as Donald Trump, according to Hagle.

Nonetheless, Haley still needs "to articulate her specific views (as opposed to those of Trump given that she was part of his administration)." And if she is inclined to pursue an interventionist agenda, she needs to explain to US voters "why that's important and why it won't necessarily lead to another extended war," the political scientist remarked.

"She will still need to show that she's a fighter if she plans to convince a lot of Republicans to support her. Now that Republicans have experienced someone who fights they won't want to go back to the likes of Dole, Romney, and McCain," Hagle concluded.

— Ekaterina Blinova | Sputnik International | February 15, 2023

[rielpolitik]

AMERIKA: 'His Accidency', Why John Tyler May Be The Most Reviled U.S. President Ever

Source – veteranstoday.com ” …Why John Tyler May Be the Most Reviled U.S. President Ever. His party expelled him. His cabinet resigned. He was even hung in effigy on the White House porch. What made America’s 10th president such a political pariah?…If a Mount Rushmore for America’s most unpopular presidents is ever created, John Tyler would be a leading candidate to have his likeness carved into…

[apush-relevancy]

Hi!

John Tyler is one of the less memorable presidents, but he was the 10th! He originally was vice president to the first Harrison, who died a month after taking office. He never actually ran for candidacy as president, only as vice president, which is why you may not remember him.

He didn't do too much that was memorable, and he probably wouldn't be relevant on an exam. His cabinet really hated him and the legislature hated his bills. He had more than one wife and a ton of slaves because that's what rich white men did back then.

If you've heard the slogan that I've heard many times, "Tippecanoe and Tyler too," then you might know that this was used for Harrison's presidency, where Harrison was referred to as the former for his efforts in the Battle of Tippecanoe against Tecumseh. Tyler, obviously as his vice president, was a part of this slogan as well.

But yeah, Tyler was boring, and there isn't much to know. People hated him, he lived and then he died. It's not a bad sign; in fact, it's a good sign, because now you know more US history!

US History Relevancy: 7/10. Mentions President Tyler, that he was a president, and that he was a guy in history. He is relevant to US History.

It is highly unlikely that this post would be used in a future US History class as a stimulus, SAQ, or DBQ component. (It doesn't support any sophisticated arguments that might need to be made during a question.)

Probably a bad sign I JUST learned John Tyler is a guy in history and was a PRESIDENT!!

[deadpresidents]

Is it true there's only been one Whig President?

And did he get anything done before his death?

No, technically, there were four Whig Presidents: William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, and Millard Fillmore. But it was more like three-ish because Tyler was nominally a Whig when he was elected as Harrison's Vice President in 1840, but when he assumed the Presidency following President Harrison's death, Tyler clashed with his fellow Whigs in Congress and was booted from the party just a few months into his term after more issues and the resignation of practically his entire Cabinet.

Whig Presidents definitely had a rough time, though. And the man who was arguably the most famous Whig of his time, Henry Clay, lost all of his bids for the White House -- even in 1844 against the first dark horse, James K. Polk. Harrison and Taylor were the only Whigs who were ever actually elected President. Harrison died just a month into his term, and was succeeded by Tyler who, as I previously mentioned, wasn't exactly winning any Whig-of-the-Year contests or being picked to be on the cover of the Whig video game. Taylor lasted a bit longer than Harrison did, but he also died in office, and Fillmore -- the last Whig President -- succeeded him. Fillmore was probably the "best" of the Whig Presidents, but that's kind of like being the most “dignified” Trump.

But...Whigs can also claim some credit for Abraham Lincoln! Lincoln was a ardent Whig for most of his political career prior to the formation of the Republican Party in the mid-1850s.

[franki-lew-yo]

Spooky Halloweeny-monster song recommendations and playlist-ideas by Franki.

Redid yet another old feature but that's only because I've found even more stuff to feature for Halloween. No links. You can look em up on youtube and spotify.

Yellow indicates family-friendly. Red is for us gofficks6666161616!!!

The Science Fiction Twist

“Where do you Keep your Brain” by The Family Arts Theater

“The Blob” by The Five Blobs

“Attack of the Killer Tomatoes” by John DeBello

“Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft” by The Carpenters

“Martian Hop” by The Ran-Dells

“Themesong” from Invader Zim

“The Purple People Eater” by Sheb Wooley

“Jekyll and Hyde” by Jim Burgett

“Godzilla” by Blue Oyster Cult

“Intergalactic” by the Beastie Boys

“The Happening” by The Pixies

“Never Trust a Robot” The Spotnicks

“Pets” by Porno for Pyros

“Mean Green Mother from Outer Space” from Little Shop of Horrors

“I Turned into a Martian” by The Misfits

“Science Fiction/Double Feature” from The Rocky Horror Picture Show

“Opening Title” from The Twilight Zone

“The Cabinet” by Robert Weine

“She Blinded me with Science” by Thomas Dolby

“Overture” from Killer Klowns from Outer Space

“Creature from the Black Lagoon” by Dave Edmonds

“Feed my Frankenstein” by Alice Cooper

“Still Alive” from Portal

“Dr Stein” by Helloween

“Surfin Swamp Monster from the Planet Zong” by Vampire Beach Babes

“Green Slime” by Richard Delvy

“Cosmogony” by Bjork

“Look to the Skies” by Creature Feature

“Weird Science” by Oingo Boingo

“El Joven Frankenstein” from Young Frankenstein

“The Doctor’s Wife” by The Clockwork Quartet

Witchery

“Castin My Spell” by Johnny Otis

“Double Double Toil and Trouble” by The Family Arts Theater

“It’s Witchcraft” by Frank Sinatra

“La Cancion de La Bruja” by Cri Cri

“Love Potion No. 9” by The Searchers

“Bewitched” by Peggy Lee

“You Got me Voodoo’d” by Mary Ann McCall

“Swinging at the Seance” by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra

“Witchcraft in the Air” by Bettye LaVette

“I’d Rather be Burned as a Witch” by Eartha Kitt

“Witchunt” by Rush

“JB Witchdance” by Masters of Reality

“Big Black Witchcraft Rock” by The Cramps

“The Witch Queen of New Orleans” by Redbone

“Voodoo Voodoo” by LaVern Baker

“Marshmallows and Holy Bibles” by Circus Contraption

“Witchcraft” by Book of Love

“Black Magic Woman” by Fleetwood Mac

“She’s my Witch” by Kip Tyler

“Dark Lady” by Cher

“Here There by Witches” by Creature Feature

“La Bruja” by The Tiger Lillies

“Dance of the Witches” from The Witches of Eastwick

“Season of the Witch” by Donavan

“Battle Hymn” by Faith and the Muse

“Witch's Song” by Marianne Faithful

“The Witch’s Promise” by Jethro Tull

“Witches Brew” by David Casper

“Spellbound” by Siouxsie and the Banshees

“American Witch” by Rob Zombie

“Theme” from Suspiria

Side B

“Witch Doctor” by Ross Bagdasarian

“Main Theme” from The Owl House

“Allison Gross” by Lizzie Higgins

“Miss Gulch” from The Wizard of Oz

“Hedwig’s Theme” by John Williams

“Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead” by Ella Fitzgerald

“That Old Black Magic” by Tom Jones

“Witchy Woman” by The Eagles

“I Put a Spell on You” by Nina Simone

“The Hut of Baba Yaga” by Heather Dale

“Abracadabra” by Steve Miller

“The Lords of Salem” by Rob Zombie

“Marie Laveau” by Bobby Bare

“Roses Blue” by Joni Blue

“Wicked Old Witch” by John Fogerty

“Silver Circle” by Faith and the Muse

“Mad Witch” by Dave Gardner

“Strange Enchantment” by Ozzie Nelson

“Sisters of the Moon” by Fleetwoord Mac

“Snuff out the Light” by Eartha Kitt

“Gently Johnny” from The Wicker Man

“Which Witch” by Florence + The Machine

“Defying Gravity” from Wicked

“Wicked Witch” by Coven

“Burn the Witch” by Radiohead

“Witch’s Spell” by AC/DC

“Isle of White” from The VVitch

“Swamp Witch” by Jim Stafford

“Dream of the Witches Sabbath” by Hector Berlioz

“Crimson Witch” by The Moving Sidewalks

“Mitternacht” by E. Nomine

Werewolves of Tumblr

“Bad Moon Rising” by Creedence Clearwater Revival

“Howlin for My Darlin” by Howlin Wolf

“Blue Moon” by Frank Sinatra

“Do the Growl” by the Family Art’s Theater

“Running with the Wolves” from Wolfwalkers

“Hunter’s Moon” by Cynthia McQuilin

“What a Little Moonlight can Do” by Billie Holiday

“Clap for the Wolfman” by Guess Who

“Werewolves of London” by Zevon

“Full Moon Man” by Grace Slick

“Hungry Like the Wolf” by Duran Duran

“Wolf Hands” by Zombina and the Skeletons

“Little Red Riding Hood” by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs

“Zomby Wolf” by Frank Zappa

“Hello Little Girl” from Into the Woods

“Shewolf” by Shakira

“Werewolf” by Five Man Electric Band

“I’m a Werewolf, Baby” by The Tragically Hip

“I was a Teenage Werewolf” by The Cramps

“Bark at the Moon” by Ozzy Osborn

“Curse of the Werewolf” by Timeless Miracle

“Night of the Werewolves” by Powerwolf

“Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing” by Set it Off

“Of Wolf and Man” by Metallica

“Werewolf, Baby!” by Rob Zombie

“Bad Things” from True Blood

“Running with the Pack” by Bad Company

“Wolf Moon” by Type O Negative

“The Werewolf” by The Frantics

“Subhuman” by Blue Oyster Cult

“Howl” by Florence + The Machine

The Vampire Playlist

“Swan Lake (theme)” by Tchaikovsky

“Love Song for a Vampire” by Annie Lenoux

“Dracula” by The Zane Brothers

“Dracula’s Daughter” The Woogles

“Vampires” by Adam Ant

“Riboflavin-Flavored, Non-Carbonated, Polyunsaturated Blood” by Bobby Boris Picket

“Nosferatu” by The 3D Invisibles

“The Transylvania Polka” by The Family Arts Theater

“Tomb Mau Mau” by Vampire Beach Babs

“Eternity” from Tanz der Vampire

“Bloodletting” by Concrete Blonde

“Bela Legosi’s Dead” by Bauhuas

“Release the Bats” by The Birthday Party

“Vampires Will Never Hurt You” by My Chemical Romance

“At Dawn they Sleep” by Slayer

“Cry Little Sister” from The Lost Boys

“We Suck your Blood” by Radiohead

“The Vampire Club” by Voltaire

“Intercourse with the Vampire” by Inkkubus Sukkubus

“Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Taylor

“Dark Night” from From Dusk till Dawn

“Dracula’s Wedding” by Outkast

“Forsaken” by Korn

“Vampire Blues” by Neil Young

“Vampire’s Night Out” by Harley Poe

“Nosferatu” by Blue Oyster Cult

“Dragula” by Rob Zombie

“Transylvanian Concubine” by Rasputina

“Bullet with Butterfly Wings” by The Smashing Pumpkins

“Night of the Vampire” by Roky Erickson

“Toccata and Fugue in D Minor” by Bach

Hellbound

“Hell’s Bells” by Sid Peltyn

“Down you Go” by Circus Contraption

“Taboo” by Gene Summers

“Hellhound on my Trail” by Robert Johnson

“I Wanna be Evil” by Eartha Kitt

“Satan Takes a Holiday” by Larry Clinton

“Devil in Disguise” by Elvis Presley

“After the Fall” from The Devil’s Carnival

“Old Devil Moon” by Jo Stafford

“Runnin with the Devil” by Van Halen

“The Devil with the Devil says I” by Larry Clinton

“Highway to Hell” by AC/DC

“Whatever Lola Wants” from Damn Yankees!

“Prince of Darkness” by Alice Cooper

“When You’re Evil” by Voltaire

“Tubular Bells” by Mike Oldefield

“Rosemary’s Baby (theme)” by Krzystof Komeda

“Snake Tongue Deceiver” by Those Poor Bastards

“The Devil went Down to Georgia” by The Charlie Daniels Band

“The Devil’s Fairground” by The Tiger Lillies

“Up Jump the Devil” by 357 String Band

“Devil’s Lovesong” by Tschiamongo

“Hell” by The Squirrel Nut Zippers

“Night on Bald Mountain” by

“Devil’s Right Hand” by Johnny Cash

“Sympathy for the Devil” by The Rolling Stones

“Witch’s Coven” from The VVitch

“Seven Devils” by Florence + The Machine

“Satanic Mass” by Coven

“Damian’s Theme” from The Omen

“A Bat outta Hell” by Meat Loaf

Halloween Tricks' and Kicks'

Side A

“Halloween Doo Wop” by Nat and Paul

“Punky Punkin” by Teresea Brewer

“On a Wild Halloween!” by J.W. Beattie

“The Headless Horseman” from Disney’s Ichabod and Mr. Toad

“Monster Mash” by Bobby Boris Pickett

“Tis Autumn” by The Four King Sisters

“Autumn Leaves” by Nat King Cole

“Monster Shindig” by Danny Hutton

“Spooky, Scary Skeletons” by Andrew Gold

“Halloween Spooks” by Lambert, Henrick, and Ross

“This October” by Julie London

“Nightmare” by Artie Shaw

“Celery Stalks at Midnight” by Doris Day

“Jeepers Creepers” by Jack Teagarden

“Silver Shamrock Theme” from Halloween III: Season of the Witch

“The Monster’s Go Disco” from General Mills

“The Wobblin’ Golbin” by Rosemary Clooney

“Halloween Spooks” by Lambert, Hendrick, and Ross

“Whistling Past the Graveyard” by Screamin Jay Hawkins

“Jason Voorhees Disco” from Friday the 13th part III

“The Halloween Song” by Bing Crosby, Boris Karloff and Victor Moore

“Opening Theme” from Goosebumps

“Lullabye of the Leaves” by Ella Fitzgerald

“Happy, Happy Halloween” by Apricot

“Spooky” by Andy Williams

“Mad Monster Party” by Ethel Ennis

“The Great Pumpkin Waltz” from It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

“The Monster’s Lullaby” by The Family Arts Theater

“This is Halloween” from The Nightmare Before Christmas

“I Put a Spell on You” from Hocus Pocus

“The Selkie Song” from Song of the Sea

Side B

“Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)” by David Bowie

“Samhain Eve” by Damh the Bard

“Everyday is Halloween” by Ministry

“Tam Lin” by Anais Mitchell

“Superstition” by Stevie Wonder

“Gorehound” by Harley Poe

“Monster Party” by Die Artze

“I love my Monsters” by Vorona

“Theme” House on Haunted Hill

“October Twilight” by Frankie Carle

“Autumn’s Twilight” by Kiva

“Halloween (Trick r’ Treat)” by Siouxsie and The Banshees

“They Came from the Shadows” by Teenage Bottle Rocket

“All Hallows Eve” by Type O Negative

“Creatures of the Night” by The Creepshow

“Necessary Evil” by The Dresden Dolls

“Samhain Song” by Lisa Thiel

“No One Lives Forever” by Oingo Boingo

“It Came in the Night” by A Raincoat

“The Ballad of Peter Pumpkin Head” by XTC

“The Movement of Fear” by Tones on a Tail

“Danse Macabre” by Camille Saint Saens

“Freaks come out at Night” by Whodini

“I Remember Halloween” by The Misfits

“Creepy Crawler” by Zombie Girl

“Halloween” by Aqua

“Michael Myers (theme)” by John Carpenter

“It’s Almost Halloween” by Blink 182

“Halloween” by The Evangelicals

“Thriller” by Michael Jackson

“Helloween” by Helloween

Frequently not asked yet questions:

Q: "Where are your old Ghost and Zombie playlists?"

A: Gone. I just couldn't fill out a list of 31 for each this year. Don't worry; I will next year.

Q: "How come there's no Day of the Dead playlist?"

A: I don't know as many Day of the Dead songs nor do I know if I'm allowed to make a recomendations. Do YOU have any DotD playlists? I'd love to hear them and I'll rb them if you dm me!

[actuallytodojewski]

*deep sigh*

About the Vice President (President of the Senate)

The Constitution names the vice president of the United States as the president of the Senate. In addition to serving as presiding officer, the vice president has the sole power to break a tie vote in the Senate and formally presides over the receiving and counting of electoral ballots cast in presidential elections.

Today vice presidents serve as principal advisors to the president, but from 1789 until the 1950s their primary duty was to preside over the Senate. Since the 1830s, vice presidents have occupied offices near the Senate Chamber. Over the course of the nation’s history, the vice president’s influence evolved as vice presidents and senators experimented with, and at times vigorously debated, the role to be played by this constitutional officer.

“About the Vice President (President of the Senate).” U.S. Senate: About the Vice President (President of the Senate), United States Senate, 7 Aug. 2023, www.senate.gov/about/officers-staff/vice-president.htm.

US Vice President

The Vice President of the United States, also knowns as VPOTUS or Veep, is an important position in the executive branch of federal government. The Vice President is probably best known as being “a heartbeat away from the presidency”, meaning that if a sitting President dies or is impeached, the Vice President takes over. However, constitutionally, the main responsibility of the Vice President is the role of President of the Senate. Under Article One, Section Three of the US constitution:

“The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided.”

As head of the upper house of congress, the Vice President votes on legislation or other motions only when Senators are deadlocked 50-50. This has occurred 243 times and involved 35 different Vice Presidents. Whilst in the past the Vice President would actively preside over Senate proceedings, nowadays its customary that they only get involved in order to break a tie.

The only other formally recognized duty of the Vice President is to preside over and certify the tally of electoral college votes after a Presidential election has taken place.

Informal Roles of the US Vice President However, the role also brings with it many visible, informal responsibilities. These would typically vary depending upon the relationship between the President and Veep of the day, but have typically included:

Making public appearances representing the President Performing ceremonial duties in place of the President Acting as an adviser to the President Meeting with heads of state or government of other countries

“US Vice President.” The Roles of The, Polyas, 14 June 2024, www.polyas.com/election-glossary/us-vice-president.

The Modern Role of the Vice President

During the 19th Century and into the early 20th Century, vice presidents could, if they wished, take part in Senate proceedings in a rulemaking capacity as the presiding officer. And on rare occasions, a vice president could make a long-term consequential decision. In April 1841, Vice President John Tyler was summoned to Washington after the death of President William Henry Harrison. After questions arose from Harrison’s cabinet of Tyler’s role assuming Harrison’s duties, Tyler took the presidential oath of office from a federal judge and declared that he was now acting in the full capacity as President of the United States. The “Tyler Precedent” for presidential succession stood until 1967, when the 25th Amendment formalized the procedure.

By the 1920s, the role of the vice president transitioned to more of an executive branch function. President Warren Harding set a precedent by inviting his vice president, Calvin Coolidge, to cabinet meetings on a regular basis. John Nance Garner, Franklin Roosevelt’s first vice president, also attended cabinet meetings at the president’s request and travelled abroad to represent Roosevelt. Soon, vice presidents were deployed by sitting presidents as advocates and ambassadors domestically and globally, and also as presidential campaign surrogates.

In constitutional terms, the biggest change in the position of vice president came with 25th Amendment’s ratification in 1967. The amendment sought to better define the process of determining presidential vacancies and the inability or disability of a president or vice president.

Bomboy, Scott. “What Is the Constitutional Role of the Vice President?” National Constitution Center – Constitutioncenter.Org, The National Constitution Center, 5 Aug. 2024, constitutioncenter.org/blog/what-is-the-constitutional-role-of-the-vice-president.

[miracleonice87]

I’ll Take Care of You, part two

a Tyler Seguin fic

a/n: this one’s from Peyton’s perspective. back in the fall when I first started writing fics again, I wrote part one in first person, which I don’t really do anymore, but I’m keeping that consistent for this one. read part one here first if you haven’t already. 

tw: fainting, mention of miscarriage/loss of pregnancy/infertility/periods

“Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for this to occur with first pregnancies. It happens more often than you might think. It certainly doesn’t mean you won’t ever be able to have a baby. My rule of thumb is to let couples try to get pregnant again naturally for one year without any intervention. Then, if you’re still having difficulties, you can come back in and we can talk about other options.”

It had been eleven months since my doctor had spoken those words to Tyler and me following the miscarriage that had nearly broken us both.

Those eleven months had seen us try again and again each month with no success. I tracked my body temperature and ovulation cycle each and every day before even leaving bed. I’d completely removed alcohol and caffeine from my diet and monitored everything I put into my body, controlling every single factor I could possibly control.

And yet, on the thirteenth day — the unluckiest of days for multiple reasons — of each month, like clockwork, my period arrived. If Tyler was at home when it happened, I simply left the bathroom with a sorrowful shake of my head, curling into his waiting arms as he comforted me silently, holding me close, disappointment weighing heavily on us both. If he was on the road, I texted him only a “🔴” symbol, indicating that my monthly visitor had shown up unwelcome yet again. He replied each time with an, ”I’m sorry, sweetheart,” though he had nothing at all to apologize for.

My patience and determination, along with Tyler’s, were wearing thin. It was feeling more and more impossible to keep the faith — more and more unlikely that this would happen on its own.

I had all but given up hope.

But then...

The eleventh month arrived, and the thirteenth day of it came and went with no sign of my cycle. And then the fourteenth day. And then the fifteenth.

And with that, the smallest sliver of hope glimmered from out of the darkness in the depths of my heart.

But I wouldn’t allow myself to get too excited. With Tyler on a road trip to the East Coast, I barely slept those three nights, tossing and turning and wondering if I should take one of the numerous tests stuffed in the bathroom cabinet.

On the sixteenth, after Tyler had already left for morning skate, I decided it was time. Though I knew I couldn’t do it alone, I also couldn’t stomach the thought of waiting for Ty to return — let alone the thought of seeing his disappointment in the event of yet another negative test.

Thankfully, though, the sixteenth was a Friday — the day that Fanny, Klinger’s fiancée, and I had long ago set aside for morning yoga in my home gym. Fanny, now six months pregnant herself with her and John’s first baby, would arrive at 10 a.m., and I decided that that was as good a time as any to find out what was next for Ty and me — we would either finally start the family we’d always wanted, or it would be time for a different approach.

After greeting one another and stretching over small talk, Fanny carefully broached the topic that I had brought to her, heartbroken, so many times in the past year.

“So how have you been feeling?” she inquired gently from the mat next to mine, bending to the side for a new pose. “Are you on your cycle?”

From where I stood with my arms extended straight out, my face turned away from hers, I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth and pondered what to say next.

“Well,” I began before clearing my throat, “That’s, um... I actually wanted to talk to you about that.”

You pivoted to face Fanny, her pretty eyes now wide as saucers. Slowly, she stood up straight.

“Stop it,” Fanny whispered incredulously, joy etched in her expression.

I shrugged a bit. “I’m late,” I admitted softly. “But only by three days. And I haven’t taken a test-“

“Peyton!” Fanny warned through her giggles, hands finding her hips. “You have to!”

I smiled, appreciating my dear friend’s excitement for me while still feeling the familiar tightness of anxiety in my gut.

“I will,” I promised. “I seriously told myself I was gonna wait to do it while you were here. I couldn’t do it alone and I... if I’m not... well, I just can’t bear to see Ty’s reaction again…”

Fanny nodded solemnly. “Oh, sweetie. I understand,” she assured. “Maybe after we finish up? Or not. I mean, we can do it whenever you feel ready.”

I nodded, suddenly feeling overheated and attributing it to my frayed nerves.

“God, is it hot in here?” I asked, unzipping my lightweight jacket and throwing it aside, still fanning myself though I now wore only a sports bra and athletic shorts.

Fanny frowned, looking at my reflection in the mirrored wall in front of us. “No, I feel fine,” she said.

I tied my ponytail into a high bun to get the hair off my neck, noting a faint ringing in my ears as I placed my feet in position on the mat once more.

As I reached down for my toes, the ringing grew louder, and I suddenly saw stars in my vision.

With trembling hands, I wiped the sweat from my now-dripping brow and stood straight up, but apparently too quickly, as the room around me quickly fell from focus, darkness taking its place.

“Fan... I-I don’t feel good...”

Alarmed at the weakness of my voice, Fanny turned to face me and gasped.

“Babe, oh my god!” she exclaimed — the last thing I heard before everything faded to black.

_____

The next thing I heard as I came to was my husband’s voice, which sounded distant and faint. I moaned, squinting at the bright fluorescent lights above me as I realized that I was lying on my back on the floor, with Tyler’s face inches above mine. I opened my eyes slowly and heard him draw a deep breath, announcing, “She’s awake.”

I felt him cup my cheek tenderly as I offered a weak smile.

“Hi,” he breathed, relief heavy in his tone. “Hi, sweet girl. You scared us pretty good.”

“What happened?” I asked, confused by the hoarseness of my own voice. I moved to prop myself up on my elbows, but Tyler gently pushed my shoulders flat once more.

“Shh, shh, hey, don’t get up,” he instructed. “You passed out while you and Fanny were working out. Do you remember that?”

With a furrowed brow, I nodded. I saw Fanny standing behind Tyler, covering her lips with her fingers as she stared at me nervously.

“Oh god, Fan, I’m so sorry,” I murmured, still feeling weak and shaky.

Fanny shook her head and took a couple of steps forward, standing over Tyler’s shoulder. “Babe, no, don’t apologize,” she insisted. “I was just worried about you. Tyler came in the door just a minute after it happened but I had already called 911. I just didn’t know what else to do. I’m sorry.”

I nodded, my eyes fluttering closed once more. “That’s okay,” I said softly.

Just then, there was a knock at the door upstairs, and Fanny hurried up the steps to answer it. I rolled my head to look at Tyler, who stared down at me with deep concern.

“You’re gonna be okay, baby,” he promised, pushing some hair from my still-damp forehead. “We’re gonna get you checked out and see what’s going on, okay?”

I nodded as I heard footsteps coming back down the stairs, and two paramedics followed Fanny to where I lay, still on my yoga mat.

“Hey there,” one of them smiled. “I’m Maria, and this is my partner, Chris. You’re Peyton?”

I nodded as Maria knelt beside me, opposite Tyler, with Chris placing a medic kit on the floor next to him.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Peyton,” Maria said kindly. “How are you feeling right now?”

I cleared my throat, attempting to blink the fog away.

“Not as bad as I did a few minutes ago,” I half-joked. “But I still feel shaky, and hot.”

Maria nodded, pressing the stethoscope to my chest.

“Can you tell me what you’ve had to eat and drink today?” she asked.

“Um... I had two cups of coffee, a yogurt... and some water during yoga,” I replied.

“Okay,” Maria said as Chris took my pulse, with Tyler holding tight to my other hand and watching their every move. “Any history of fainting before this?”

I shook my head. “No, never,” I said.

“Any blood sugar issues? Diabetes, hypoglycemia?”

“No, nothing.”

“Are you currently on your period?”

My cheeks warmed. This certainly wasn’t the way I had planned to tell Tyler of our latest development.

“Um, n-no,” I admitted sheepishly, glancing at him. I could see the wheels beginning to turn in his mind even as he watched the paramedics instead of me.

“Any chance you could be pregnant?” Maria asked gently as she folded her stethoscope into her bag and reached for a blood pressure cuff.

Shit.

“Uh… actually, yeah.”

Immediately, Tyler’s head snapped toward me.

“Wait, what? Really?” he inquired, joy exuding from his whole being.

I simply shrugged, beaming. “I’m late.”

A small, knowing smile crossed Maria’s face. She wrapped the cuff around my arm and began to squeeze the pump.

“Okay, well, that could be the reason,” Maria noted. “Sometimes when you’re early in a pregnancy, your body might not be getting all the extra rest and nutrients and hydration it needs. It happens sometimes, and often, it’s no big deal.”

I nodded, reaching for Tyler’s hand.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” I said with a scrunched nose. “I just didn’t want to get my hopes up, let alone yours.”

Tyler brought my hand to his lips and kissed my knuckles.

“It’s okay,” he told me with a shake of his head. “I get it.”

I smiled gratefully, and Maria removed the cuff from my arm.

“Your blood pressure is a little low, which doesn’t surprise me,” she said. “Again, this can happen. Just to be safe, I wanna take you to the hospital for an EKG and monitor you for a bit, and we’ll do a pregnancy test there too, okay?”

I nodded, looking to Tyler for reassurance.

“It’s okay,” he said, knowing exactly what I needed to hear. “I’ll be right there with you.”

_____

One ambulance ride later, with Tyler beside me and Fanny following behind in my car, I had arrived at the emergency department and was being poked and prodded and hooked up to a plethora of monitors. A cardiologist soon confirmed that everything was fine with my heart, and my pregnancy test was then the only result that hung in the balance.

I sat propped up on pillows in the hospital bed, Tyler standing at my side as we waited in silence.

Out of nowhere, tears formed in my eyes, and I tried to swipe at them without Tyler noticing — a futile attempt. When he heard my faint whimper, he stepped closer and gathered me into his arms, kissing the top of my head.

“Hey, hey,” he spoke softly. “What is it, baby?”

“I’m scared, Ty,” I whispered, head buried in his chest. “Whether it’s positive or negative. I’m just scared.”

“I know, babe,” he replied, slowly caressing my back. “It’s okay to be scared. I’m scared, too. You’ve been through hell.”

“We’ve been through hell,” I corrected, sniffling as I looked up at him. Tyler nodded and smoothed his thumb along my jaw.

“We just have to believe that everything is gonna work out this time,” he told me as he kissed my forehead. “Good things are coming, Peyt. I can feel it.”

After several more minutes, my nurse, a sweet woman named Beth who spoke with a thick Texas accent, entered the room holding my chart. I could actually hear my own heartbeat in my ears, this time not because I felt faint, but because I was overwhelmed with anticipation.

“Well, Miss Peyton…” Beth began with a smile. “Congratulations. You’re gonna be a mama.”

I let out a sob and covered my mouth with my hand immediately, and Tyler choked out a breathless laugh. His hands grasped my face as he kissed me firmly.

“You hear that? We’re having a baby,” he whispered, eyes glossy with tears. “God, I love you so much.”

I giggled excitedly. “I love you, too, baby daddy,” I replied, causing Tyler to chuckle, too.

As Beth looked on with a grin, she wrote a few things down on my chart, then said, “Congratulations, you two. I’ll give you some privacy. Peyton, honey, we’ll be back around to check on you in about half an hour, okay?”

I nodded, tears streaking my face. “Yes, yes, thank you,” I spoke. “Thank you so much.”

With a kind nod, she left the room, pulling the sliding glass door closed behind her.

Before the door was even shut, Tyler’s lips found mine once more, his fingers holding my cheeks reverently. Eventually, I pulled away for a breath.

“You were right,” I told him, nudging his nose with mine.

Still completely giddy, he asked with a smile, “What was I right about?”

I reached a hand up to work my fingers through his curls. “You told me good things are coming,” I reminded, voice quivering. “You were right.”

Tyler was overcome with emotion once again and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. For the longest time, we stayed that way, embracing with only the sounds of soft, happy cries filling the room.

_____

eight months later...

“Are you the most handsome little man in the whole wide world? Hmm? I think so,” Tyler spoke to the tiny baby he held in his arms. “I think you’re just the most beautiful boy I’ve ever seen.”

I smiled from my hospital bed, feeling more exhausted and more in love than I ever knew I was capable of.

“And it’s a good thing you look like your mommy,” Tyler added, smirking at me before kissing the baby’s forehead — our baby’s forehead. “Uncle Jamie is gonna say that too. Yes, he is. I might as well beat him to it, huh?”

I chuckled, patting the mattress beneath me and gesturing for Tyler to join me.

“Bring him back over here,” I pleaded. “I miss him already.”

Tyler hummed knowingly and rose from his chair, carefully cradling the baby in his arms.

“I know,” he said. “I miss him, too, and I’m literally holding him. How is that possible?”

I smiled. “Because having kids means your heart walks around outside of your body,” I spoke, kissing our boy’s chubby cheek as Tyler took his place on my bed. “That’s what my grandmother used to say.”

He nodded. “You’re damn right,” he said, shaking his head. “I feel it already. I never knew it was possible to feel this way, Peyt. As bad as we wanted a baby, as much as it hurt when we lost the first one...” Tyler choked up as he spoke of the loss we’d experienced now almost two years ago. After a pause, he continued. “I still just never thought it would feel this incredible.”

I curled my hands around his arm and kissed his bicep. “Me either,” I admitted airily. “I’ll never forget the pain we felt then. And that baby will always be our first. But this... this is the best day of my life.”

Tyler beamed, wrapping one arm around my waist while cradling the baby to his chest with his other.

“So, are we decided on this little man’s name?” Tyler asked as I touched the baby’s pouted lips, making us both giggled at his expression.

“I think so,” I confirmed, leaning my head against his shoulder. “Are you still thinking what I’m thinking?”

Tyler looked down at me with hooded eyes, full of adoration, and nodded. “If you’re sure,” he spoke.

I’d been sure for a few months now, since the first day that I allowed myself to browse a baby name book, still riddled with fear of the unknown, while also waiting expectantly and with hope for our new journey ahead. I didn’t get far, only to the B’s, when I found the perfect name... one that meant blessed. 

As I peered down at the boy in my arms, no name seemed more fitting than that one I’d whispered into being long ago. 

“I’m sure,” I replied confidently. I cradled the baby’s head in my hand and pressed my lips to his forehead. “Welcome to our world, Bennett Tyler Seguin,” I whispered, overjoyed and humbled to finally have the privilege of having a son to name not only for his daddy, but also for the precious, long-awaited gift he was to us.

“Our boy,” Tyler whispered reverently.

[lostinfic]

Christmas Eve (stuck) in the Lab

Chapter 12/12 *complete*

Summary: Dr. John Smith and Rose Tyler both work at the Natural History Museum in London, he’s a scientist and she works in the gift shop. They are only friends, but the upcoming staff Christmas party promises developments they’ve both been longing for. However, John and Rose end up stuck with Martha, Donna and Jack in the laboratory, and shenanigans ensue: decontamination showers, cocktails in beakers, a game of truth-or-dare and a Secret Santa rigged by meddling friends.

Tags: mutual pining, friends to lovers, fluff with light angst, found family

Rating: Teen (for now)   |   Words:11556

@doctorroseprompts​

Ao3

The click of doors unlocking interrupted their celebration and made everyone run to the railing to watch the entrance below. Kate Stewart entered the laboratory. She wasn’t wearing a hazmat suit, which must mean….

“You’re safe,” she declared.

Palpable relief washed over the group.

Rose’s stomach untangled. She covered her mouth with her hand, laughing shakily. She had to call her mum.

She turned to John, he was all loud cheers and big grin. He grabbed Rose around the waist in a hug that lifted her off the floor.

When he put her back down, his hands lingered at her waist, and hers on his shoulders.

Kate joined them up in the gallery.

She gave some scientific information they all seemed to understand except Rose. She gathered the substance was not harmful to humans.

Kate handed them an information sheet. “Just in case, be on the lookout for symptoms on this list. Call the number at the bottom if you have any concerns.”

Jack was out the door before she’d even finished talking. Martha, Donna and John left in different directions, to call relatives or pick up their coats and keys.

Rose should have hurried outside too, but she dawdled, feeling oddly nostalgic. She shut down the monitor and covered the leftover food with plastic wrap.

She was aware of John’s spearhead left on the corner of the table, but couldn’t look at it.

She felt bad for disliking it. She appreciated its monetary value, if not its sentimental one. She wished he hadn’t just picked something off his shelf; her gift dealt with in an efficient manner, then dismissed. 

Donna carried Rose’s backpack from her office and up the stairs. She had something else in her hand, too.

“I thought you should know, this is what John was going to give you.”

Donna unrolled a poster with a beautiful map of the world in neon colours. She explained how he’d made it using UV light and special proteins.

It was perfect, bright and creative and just so special. Yet it only added to Rose’s frustration.

“I don’t know why he changed his mind. He really likes you, Rose.”

“But not enough to tell me himself.”

“Or so much it scares him.”

“Well, he knows where to find me if he needs help with that too.” She sighed, regretting her snark. She was tired. “I suppose it’s because of what happened to his parents.”

“What about them?”

He hadn’t confided in Donna, but he had in her. Maybe that meant something. And yet, Rose couldn’t help but remember once again how she’d fooled herself into believing Jimmy’s behaviour meant more than it did.

From the gallery, Rose could see across the lab, down into John’s office. He was still there, talking on the phone.

Her heart softened for him, as it always did.

Perhaps, for once, she should be the one going to him. In her determination to not misread any signals, she’d forgotten to send out her own.

---

As she approached the Doctor’s office, she overheard his conversation with the airline.

“Were you able to book another flight?” she asked after he’d hung up.

“Yes. Later tonight.” He hesitated. “The Mendoza team is counting on me. I can’t let them down.”

“Hey, you don’t need to explain yourself to me. I go out of my way to avoid the street where my dad was killed.”

He nodded and offered a sympathetic smile.

“It’s important work I’m doing every year. I’m helping out labs with less means to preserve their own history.”

“I believe you. I’ll see you in three weeks, then. Drop by the shop as soon as you can. I fully expect you to use those vouchers.”

“I don’t know,” he joked, “maybe if you sweeten the deal with your employee discount.”

“I think that could be arranged.”

“Good. Looking forward to it.”

“Me too.”

Rose shuffled her feet and wrung her hands. John rearranged random items on his messy desk.

“I think I need your help,” she stammered.

“Yes, of course! What do you need? What can I do?”

“I’m not quite sure how to get money out of this.” She held out the spearhead.

John sprang to action. He sent her links to trusted auction sites, wrote a description of the item for her and hunted down the original authenticity certificate.

She had to stop him when he got trapped, elbow-deep in a filing cabinet.

“It’s okay. It can wait.”

“But if you get the money now, you might be able to enroll in time for the winter semester.”

Rose narrowed her eyes at him.

“Did you listen to my conversation with Martha?”

“Er, well, I wasn’t listening so much as voices accidentally reached my ears.”

“Right.”

He sat on the edge of his desk, his long legs stretched in front of him and crossed at the ankle.

“I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to,” he added.

“S’alright. Explains a lot actually.”

“Listen, I know some professors and uni administrators and how to get financial aid.”

“You would help me?”

“Absolutely.”

“And if university isn’t what I want? I mean, I haven’t even got my A-levels.”

He shrugged. “You deserve all your dreams to come true, whatever they are. You’re brilliant, Rose.”

No one had ever said that to her. Not this earnestly.

A lump rose in her throat.

Before she’d found something to say, he offered to walk her home.

“I live in Peckham. That’d be quite a walk.”

“Don’t care.”

---

Fresh air welcomed them outside the Museum. It felt like they’d been trapped inside for years. Early dusk painted the sky a soft lavender, and fluffy snowflakes drifted down over them.

After a few steps, John took Rose’s gloved hand. She smiled and tightened her fingers over his. They laughed shyly for no other reason than the sheer pleasure of having their affection reciprocated.

In front of the Museum’s ice rink, John babbled on about bronze-age skates made from animal shins and references to skiing found in writings of the Han dynasty, in China. Joined hands swinging between them, they laughed more than the fun facts warranted. Their hearts felt as light as the snowflakes floating down from the sky. Simply put, they were utterly giddy. 

They strolled down a quiet street. Decorations twinkled in windows and relatives greeted each other at the door. 

John’s pace slowed down, his gaze turned inward and unfocused.

“I think I might call my former foster family,” he said at last, glancing at Rose for approval.

“Sounds like a great idea. You were close to them?”

He nodded. “The last ones I lived with, they really encouraged me to study. I even had a sister, of sort, Sarah Jane.” He smiled at the memory. “She was a Smith too. We used to pretend we were real siblings… I should’ve kept in touch.”

“Never too late for that.”

They passed by a tube station without stopping. Street lights switched on one after the other, as if only for them. They would have to part ways soon. It was a long ride to cousin Mo’s house, and he had a flight to catch.

At the gate of a quiet garden square, Rose stopped walking. They still held hands, and she fiddled with the cuff of his jacket.

“You remembered Jack’s dare, didn’t you?” she asked him.

“Uh, vaguely. Well, most of it. Where was he keeping that mistletoe?”

Rose waited a beat, but he didn’t say anything else.

“John, you know what you were saying about helping make my dreams come true?”

“Yeah?”

He stepped closer. Her breath quickened. She licked her lips, and his gaze flicked to her mouth.

“Well, maybe there’s a dream you, uh, you could…”

“What?” His face split into a grin. He clicked his jaw. He knew full well what she was trying to say.

“You could kiss me. Shut up.”

She looked away, but John’s hand on her cheek brought her eyes back to him. He opened his mouth, probably to say something smart-arse again. Instead, Rose grabbed his scarf and pulled him down to her. Cold nose tips met pink cheeks. He laughed against her lips. Their arms wrapped around each other, bringing their bodies together, as close as their winter coats allowed.

Rose forgot the cold and the passersby, she forgot it was Christmas Eve. Her hand in his hair knocked off his beanie. A tiny whimper came from the back of his throat, and she found herself with her back to the garden gate being thoroughly kissed. It was probably a good thing they were wearing so many layers.

When they broke the kiss, he rested his forehead on hers. The clouds on their breath mingled.

“Now I regret booking another flight,” John whispered.

“You’d better not forget me whilst you’re gone, mister.” She poked him in the chest playfully.

“Haven’t stopped thinking about you since the day we met— I doubt I will after that kiss.”

“Let’s give you plenty to think about, then.” 

She rose to her tiptoes and kissed him again. An unforgettable kiss.