#I was 19 and my daughter was born September that year

[justagalwhowrites]

Lavender No Outbreak AU - Ch. 5

The Miller family grows. The final part of the Lavender No Outbreak AU, continued from Ch. 1-4 found on Tumblr here.

Pairing: Joel Miller x Female Reader

Warnings: Smut :), Some slurs (anti-LGBTQIA+ - they are immediately rebuked). No use of Y/N. Minors DNI, 18+ only.

Length: 4.3k

Tuesday, September 14, 2021 

“Hey Doc?” Jess slid up beside you at the nurses station where you were reviewing charts. “That one kid from Boston is here for the trial? She’s that special case?” 

“Oh right,” you said. “God, thank you for reminding me. Swear I’d lose my head if it wasn’t attached this week, I’m just all over the map.” 

You’d been scrambling for weeks to get everything in place for the first clinical trial the hospital was facilitating since the COVID-19 pandemic. You hadn’t fully realized just how much the pandemic had taken out of you before that, just how much had changed. 

It was like you’d been in total crisis mode for a year, all the time. It had damn near fried your brain. You basically lived at the hospital. When you were home, you slept in the garage, where Joel had set up a cot and TV and a loveseat, too afraid of getting him or Evie sick to go in the house. You smiled at your husband and daughter through glass, wanting more than anything to just touch them. The second everyone was vaccinated, Joel held you for hours, clinging to you like a man at sea clings to a life raft. 

It was so hard, now, to do anything normal. Your mind kept scattering, trying to find the crisis that needed solving first before it could do anything like planning or building things out. Arranging the trial had been an uphill slog. 

“What’s this kid’s name again?” You asked. 

“Ellie,” she replied. “She’s a character, I think you’ll like her.” 

Jess knocked once on the door to the hospital room and opened it. Inside was a small girl, maybe 12, playing a video game on the TV. Something where she was shooting zombies. You smiled a little. She paused it. 

“Hi Ellie,” Jess smiled. “I wanted to introduce you to Dr. Miller, she’s going to be running your trial and the lead doctor on your case.” 

“Hi Ellie,” you smiled. She looked you up and down. 

“Hi,” she said. “So you’re the one who’s going to go poking around with my blood and junk?” 

“Yup,” you popped the p. “We’re going to run some tests, steal as much blood of yours as we can to feed the vampires in the basement, and then hopefully get you so that you’re not coming in and dealing with people like me quite so much. Sound good?” 

She considered you seriously. 

“You really think you can make a difference?” She asked. “Because going to the hospital all the time is kind of bullshit.” 

You laughed a little. 

“Yeah, that must get old real quick,” you said. “And it’s probably not fun having to give up your blood and stuff all the time, huh?” 

“Yeah, that part really sucks,” she slumped back in her pillows.

You frowned, getting the sense that she wanted to say something else. 

“Want to tell me all the stuff that sucks about it?” You asked, coming and sitting on the edge of her bed. “I might be able to help.” 

“Can you help find me parents who will deal with taking me to the hospital all the time if this doesn’t work?” She asked. “Because I’m pretty sure having a broken kid is a deal breaker when the people who want to adopt someone start shopping around.” 

Your heart broke a little in that moment. Her face was hard, her small chin jutting out defiantly, but she was hurting. You knew she was.

“Well if they wouldn’t take care of you when you’re not feeling well, they’re not the kinds of parents you’d want anyway,” you said. 

“How would you know?” She muttered. 

“I don’t have parents either,” you shrugged. She looked at you, skeptical. “And not just because I’m old. I never had parents, my dad left before I was born and my mom left two months after she had me. It sucks, I get it. 

“But trust me, there are a lot of parents I see in here who are good and a lot who aren’t. And the not good ones? It’s better to have no parents than them,” you said. “So really, you just have built in protection. Immunity from the extra crappy parents.” 

She laughed once. 

“Maybe I should keep the screwed up blood then,” she said. 

“Nah, think we’ll fix that,” you said. “Make sure you’re all set and ready to take it easy once you’re a grown up. Just give all the potential parents a really tough questionnaire. See if you can trip them up. You seem smart, I think you can weed them out with enough practice. OK?” 

“OK,” she half smiled at you. 

The rest of the day went by and your mind kept drifting back to Ellie. You grabbed Jess on her way down to the cafeteria. 

“Hey,” you said quickly. “Ellie, where is she staying while she’s here for the trial?” 

“One of the group homes,” she said. “It’s not ideal but it’s the only arrangement we could come up with and the trial would be really good for her…” 

You nodded slowly and thanked her before ducking outside and calling Joel. 

“Hey Baby,” he answered. You were almost surprised. His contracting business had picked up quite a bit in recent years and he spent most of his days running from job site to job site to manage progress. He couldn’t always answer the phone on the job.

“I know you’re busy so I’ll make it quick,” you said. “How would you feel about becoming foster parents?” 

Tuesday, October 5, 2021 

You got your third daughter for your 43rd birthday. 

Jess had helped speed you and Joel through the process to get approved to take her home, Sarah almost strangely OK with you dismantling her old room to make it something Ellie would like, excited about getting her new sister.

You’d given Ellie your tablet one day during lunch, letting her go on Amazon and pick out bedding and decorations for her room. You’d had to transfer care for her to another doctor - though she still got to stick with the trial - but it was worth it. 

She and Joel became such fast friends it almost made your head spin. You introduced the two one day when he came by to meet you for lunch. Ellie was playing her zombie game and he asked if he could join in. 

“Don’t want you dragging my stats down,” she said. 

“Think I can keep up,” he replied. She looked skeptical but handed him the second controller, anyway. Joel, you were happy to say, did surprisingly well. He even tallied more kills than Ellie did. 

“No way,” she said. “We’re trading controllers, mine doesn’t work right.” 

“Tellin’ ya,” he said. “Nothin’ to do with the controller and everything to do with how you handle the scenario…” 

He traded controllers anyway. He bested her a second time, shrugging with a slight smile. 

“You dick!” She laughed. He laughed back. 

When you left the room he put his hands in his back pockets and sighed. 

“Can’t let her go to a group home,” he said. “Just throw her in the car and bring ‘er home, fuck the rules.” 

You kissed him, not sure you’d ever loved him more. 

“Oh cool, you didn’t say you had a pool!” She ran to the sliding glass door, pressing her nose against it before looking back at you. “Can you teach me to swim?” 

“Sure,” you smiled. “Might be a little cold to now but…” 

“Think I can handle it,” she replied. 

You showed her around the house, introduced her to Evie, left her to settle into her room and sat next to Joel on the couch. 

“Happy birthday, Baby,” he kissed your temple. “Been a good one?” 

“Oh cool!” Ellie stuck her head into the hall. “There’s a freaking telescope in here?” 

She ran back into her room. 

You smiled.

“Pretty damn good.” 

***

Tuesday, August 29, 2023 

Joel wasn’t exactly thrilled to get a call from Ellie’s school when they’d barely been back a week. 

“Mr. Miller,” the woman on the phone said. “I’m afraid we couldn’t reach your wife but Ellie has been fighting at school…” 

“On my way,” he replied, yelling instructions to Tommy as he jogged to his truck. 

He wasn’t quite sure what to do here. Sarah and Evie had hardly been scrappy girls. Sure, they had some behavioral issues here and there - Evie got into the bad habit of sneaking out of the house her senior year of high school, something that worried both you and Joel to no end. 

But neither of them had ever thrown a punch. 

At least, as far as he knew. 

Ellie, strangely, was more like him than either of his biological daughters. He saw it when she played her video games, the way she got worked up and invested in them. He saw it when she noticed some kind of injustice and stomped off to try to handle it herself, resorting almost immediately to physical solutions instead of trying to talk it out. Joel understood her better than you did. 

But even though Ellie was on the scrappy side, he doubted she’d have started hitting someone unless she had a damn good reason. He just needed to figure out what it was. 

You pulled into the parking lot behind him, parking alongside his truck. 

“Hey Baby,” he pulled you in for a quick kiss. “They said they couldn’t reach you.” 

“Yeah, I was closing when they called,” you replied. “I got the message only a few minutes later and just got changed and ran over… There has to be a reason, right? I mean, Ellie is Ellie but she wouldn’t hit someone without a damn good reason.” 

He smiled a little at you. 

“Told you lately that I fuckin’ love you?” He asked. “Because I fuckin’ love you.” 

You led the way into the building, beelining for the administration offices. Joel recognized the look in your eyes. It was the look you got when something had pissed you off and you were going to fix it, come hell or high water. 

It was a look that had made you advance at the hospital, knowing exactly when to use your tenacity to go after something you thought needed to change, knowing exactly how to go about it to make it happen. Whether it was making nice with the right people or going scorched earth, you always seemed to find the right way to navigate it. 

Joel almost felt sorry for the staff as you walked into the office. He knew your scorched earth look when he saw it. 

“Hi,” you said. “We’re the Millers, Ellie Williams’ parents. We were told she was here?” 

“Of course,” the woman led the two of you back to a counselor’s office. 

Ellie was sitting in the corner, arms crossed, her eye black. She looked pissed, like she was on the verge of tears.

“Oh Baby Girl,” Joel went and dropped to his knee in front of her, taking his face in his hand. “Who hit you?” 

“Stupid girl,” she muttered. 

“Mr. and Mrs. Miller,” the counselor smiled tightly. “I’m afraid we have a problem here.” 

“Yes,” you said, not taking the woman’s outstretched hand. “I’m afraid we do. Is there a reason my daughter clearly hasn’t been to the nurse’s office? She doesn’t have an ice pack for her eye, who knows what other injuries she might have…” 

“Well, the girl Ellie hit is in the nurse’s office now,” the woman responded, defensive. “We can send Ellie down after…” 

“No need,” you replied. “She’ll be coming home with us until we can establish whether or not your school can provide competent care for our child.” 

“Well, your child hit another student,” she said. “In front of several teachers. She threw the first punch. The first several, actually…” 

“She started it!” Ellie yelled. You gave her a look and she sat back in her chair, muttering. “Well, she did….” 

“Did you talk to this other girl?” You asked the counselor, eyebrows raised. “Or did you just blame my child because she’s newer to the district and in foster care?” 

“I can assure you, Ellie’s status had nothing to do…” 

“Ellie,” you turned to her. “Why did you hit the other girl?” 

She looked at you for a second before looking to Joel, her eyes pleading. 

“Come on, Baby Girl,” he said. “You have to tell us what happened or we can’t help you.” 

“It… it involves bad words,” she glanced at the counselor. 

“You can say them,” Joel said, looking at the counselor too, all but daring her to try to tell him otherwise. 

Ellie sighed. 

“She called my friend Riley a dyke,” she looked to the floor. “Said she was going to burn in hell…” 

“And that’s when you hit her?” You asked, voice calm. 

“No,” Ellie looked up. “Then she said that she wanted to kill all the dykes to send them to hell faster. Then I hit her.” 

Joel felt his blood get hot. Didn’t matter that it was toward another teenager, Joel wanted someone to hurt. He glanced to you, your jaw squared, and you looked back toward the counselor. 

“So you just let children in your school use genocidal language toward other students?” You asked. 

“Mrs. Miller…” 

“It’s Dr. Miller, actually,” you cut her off. “Since you apparently didn’t bother to look in Ellie’s file and see what her foster mother does for a living, I’ll fill you in. I’m the chief of pediatric surgery for the largest hospital system in Austin which means I know every single social worker in the county. I’ve treated the children of some of the most powerful people in the state because they seek me out. I am more than willing to call in every single favor that I have - which I promise is a lot - and leverage every single cent I own to personally destroy you and everyone in this district who allows such behavior to run unchecked. I will orchestrate a PR nightmare so thorough you won’t recover for years. You will have to beg Ronald McDonald for a job slinging fries by the time I’m done with you, do you understand me?” 

The woman glanced at Joel who just shrugged. He wasn’t about to help her. She was lucky she was dealing with you, you were just threatening her livelihood. He was tempted to threaten her life.  

“If you want to keep your job,” you said. “You’re going to investigate this incident as thoroughly as possible. You are going to remove that other girl from this school before she hurts anyone else. You are going to institute new training procedures so your faculty and staff know how to handle incidents with LGBTQ students because, apparently, that needs some improvement around here. Think you can handle that?” 

“I’ll discuss it with the principal,” her eyes were a little wide. Joel smirked. 

“Good,” you replied. “I’ll be in touch to follow up. In the mean time, I’m going to take Ellie home as an excused absence to make sure she receives appropriate medical attention for injuries she received while under your care. I’ll also be reaching out to my attorney to make sure any and all liability in this case is appropriately considered.” 

You stood up and Ellie stood up with you. You put your arm around her. 

“Come on,” you said. “We’re going home.” 

Ellie pressed herself against your side and gave you a quick hug before she climbed in Joel’s car. 

“For the record,” Joel said. “Not sure I’ve ever wanted to fuck you more than when you were chewing out that counselor.” 

“Good to know I can still turn you on,” you teased before you sighed. “So, Ellie’s friend…” 

“Always kinda figured,” he shrugged. “She’ll tell us when she’s ready.” 

“Yeah,” you said. “See you at home?” 

He kissed you. 

“Hopefully more than see you.” 

That night at dinner, Ellie only picked at her food, moving it around on her plate. 

“We’re not mad at you, Baby Girl,” Joel said, looking at her. “You know that, right?” 

She sighed. 

“I know.” 

“Want to talk about anything?” You asked. 

“You called me your daughter,” she said. 

Joel looked at you for a moment. 

“Well yeah,” Joel shrugged. “That’s how we think of you. We can use another word if you’d rather but…” 

“OK but if I’m your daughter why haven’t you tried to adopt me?” She asked, looking between you. “I mean, if you just don’t want to…” 

“Oh Baby Girl,” Joel leaned in closer to her. “Do you want us to adopt you? Because we just didn’t want to do anything that you weren’t askin’ for. We’d love nothing more than to adopt you.” 

“Really?” She asked. 

“Of course!” You smiled. “What, you think we let just any ol’ gremlin come in here? Just the special ones.” 

She smiled a little at that. 

“Cool.” 

You started the paperwork in the morning. 

Saturday, October 7, 2023 

Joel had been looking for a good reason to take all his girls camping and your birthday seemed to be a good a reason as any. 

Sarah came with Brandon and Carson, who was now five. Evie was happy for an excuse to get away from college after a bad breakup with her girlfriend. Ellie was just excited to get to spend more time with her sisters. Even Tommy came with his wife, Maria. Just when they’d started to expect him to never settle down, he met the perfect woman. Unlike Joel, he wasted no time in locking her down, a fact he loved to rub in. 

And Joel? He was just happy to have all his favorite people under one roof. 

He’d rented a cabin big enough that you and him would have some space - since he fully intended on making you cum until you couldn’t see straight - and grabbed steak and hot dogs and enough junk food to feed a small army. 

Sarah still lit her marshmallows on fire for Smores but Joel caught her stealing some of Brandon’s less burned ones when they were all around the campfire one night. He took Carson and Ellie down to the lake and taught them both how to fish while you and Sarah stayed back at the cabin to chat, the two of you still the best of friends decades after he’d first hired you to be her nanny. He made the mistake of letting you pick the hike one day and he paid the price when Evie - who’d always been clumsy - twisted her ankle. Joel had to carry her back to camp, you cursing yourself for not packing more first aid supplies in your hiking bag. Ellie set up her telescope in a clearing and spent hours looking at the stars, far enough from the city lights that she was in awe of them. 

“Good birthday?” Joel asked as you climbed into bed beside him the last night there. 

“Perfect birthday,” you kissed him. 

His hands drifted to your breast and you smiled against his mouth. 

“Some things never change, do they?” You teased. 

“You stop wantin’ it and I’ll stop doin’ it,” he replied, sliding a hand over your body to your leg, hitching it over his hip. 

“You know me so well.” 

He undressed you slowly, taking his time touching you everywhere he knew you loved his fingers to linger. When you tugged his pants down, you took his length in your hand, working him up and down for a moment, before you took him in your mouth, so hot and wet he had to stop himself from moaning too loud. You sucked him slowly, working your way down his thick shaft until you were nearly choking on him before going back up again, moving harder and faster each time, your tongue pressing against the thick vein that ran on the underside of him. 

“Fuck, Baby,” he groaned. “Tryin’ to make me cum before I’m even inside you?” 

You choked out something that sounded like a ‘no’ from around his cock and he groaned. 

“You get just another minute of that,” he said, straining to keep his composure. “Want to cum inside your pussy, not your mouth.” 

Just when he felt like he couldn’t take anymore, he grabbed your hair and pulled you off him, panting for breath. You wiped your mouth. 

“Here I thought you liked that,” you whispered. 

“More than liked it,” he muttered, grabbing your hips and yanking you toward him with a quiet yelp followed by a giggle. “Gonna have to do something to make sure you keep bein’ that good to me…” 

He dipped his fingers into you, making you groan. He smiled. 

“This wet just from suckin’ me off?” He breathed. You moaned in response. “Fucking hell, you really are the perfect woman…” 

He added another finger and leaned down, taking your clit into his mouth, sucking and licking you while his fingers opened you until you came so hard it felt like you might snap off his fingers.

Joel slipped his fingers from you and ran them over his cock, using your wetness to make him slick enough to enter you. He notched his head against you and settled between your legs, pressing into you in one firm, demanding stroke. 

“Fuck,” you panted, your back arching. “So full…” 

“Love you full of me,” he said, grinding himself against you before pulling back and pushing into you again. 

Your arms went around his neck as he picked up the pace, pressing his cock all the way into you with each stroke. You pushed yourself up off the bed and he smiled, kissing you as he helped you to straddle his lap while he was still inside you. He held you close while you rose and fell over him, thrusting up to meet you with every firm stroke. Your breasts bounced with the force of it, your head tilted back in pleasure as he sucked and licked his way up and down your throat. 

“Joel,” you breathed. “Want to cum with you. So close…” 

“Fuck Baby,” he groaned as you moved harder, faster, angling your hips so his stomach pressed into your clit while his head caught on the spot inside you that made you moan. He liked to think of that spot as his place in you, where he’d been made to reach and satisfy. Never did he feel as complete as when he was inside you, making you cum around him. 

“Joel,” you gasped as you started to cum again, clinging to him with your whole body. He thrust into you once more before filling you. 

“Love you so much,” he kissed you, your body pressed tight against his own. “Fuck, I love you.” 

When things went back to the normal routine after the camping trip, Joel printed off a picture that Sarah had taken on her phone during the hike. It was just before Evie had twisted her ankle and everyone was smiling, the frame filled with the faces of everyone Joel had ever loved. 

He wrote on the back of the picture, as though he’d ever forget who any of you were to him: “My girls + Carson, Me, Tommy, Maria and Brandon - October, 2023.” 

You worked until after seven that night. Joel made dinner - nothing like what you could do but you kissed him like you thought it was a gourmet meal all the same - and Ellie was out with her friend Riley. 

“Anything you in the mood for this evening?” He asked, pouring you another glass of wine. 

“Nothing in particular,” you smiled. “Oh, we could watch When Harry Met Sally! Such fantastic fall vibes…” 

“I think I can handle that,” he smiled a little. 

“I mean, it is your favorite movie,” you smiled back. “I’ll clean up if you want to get it queued up?” 

He found the movie on the Apple TV and was about to set it to play when he glanced at the record player in the corner. You’d painted little purple flowers along one side of it. They’d faded and chipped a bit since but he still loved those little flowers, a physical representation of you. He lit the candle on the coffee table - lavender scented, one of your favorites. He pulled out Slowhand and set it to play Wonderful Tonight just as he heard the water cut off in the kitchen. You laughed, leaning in the doorway to the living room. 

“Clapton, hm?” You asked, eyebrows raised. 

“Well, when the song stops bein’ true, I’ll stop playin’ it,” he held his hand out to you. You smiled hugely and took it, tucking yourself against him. He held you close, swaying in time to the music, the smell of lavender on the air. 

You stretched up to kiss him as the song ended and Joel turned the record player off before settling in beside you on the couch, glass of wine in hand. 

“I think our little ‘how we met video’ for this movie would be fun,” you said during the opening credits. “Me, a college girl with a crush…” 

“Me, an old man who was practically head over heels for you from first sight,” he said. 

You laughed. 

“Think we’ve made a pretty good go of it though,” you looked up at him through your eyelashes. 

He smiled and kissed your forehead, surrounded by your warmth, the signs of the children you’d raised with him, and the smell of lavender. 

“Wouldn’t change a damn thing.” 

A/N: Thank you so much for reading this overly long exercise in "What would happen if?" I like to think this version of Doc and Joel are living in Austin right now, happy with their girls.

Thanks for being here, thanks for sticking with it, thanks for being a part of this. Love you all!

[stargazer-sims]

The Art Of Redemption - Timeline

Okay, so this isn't a timeline strictly for The Art of Redemption. It's more like a timeline for characters that appear in that story as well as in We Are Sugar Valentine, since the two are more than tangentially connected.

We Are Sugar Valentine is taking place in present day (2022-2024) and The Art of Redemption takes place in 2011-2012.

I noticed that several people may have been confused because I tend to jump around a lot between stories and also with random vignettes. It's all perfectly clear in my head, but since nobody else is living in my head, I thought a timeline of important events for all the major characters would help everyone make sense of it.

Anyway, for anyone who's interested, you can find the timeline under the cut:

1950

Nikolai Pavlenko (Nikolai’s grandfather) - 1 December 1950

1951

Stanislav Kovac - 3 June 1951

Milena Novotný (later Kovac) - 6 June 1951

1963

Jason Jones (brother of Beth-Anne) - 26 August 1963

1966

Elena Federova (later Pavlenko) - 13 January 1966

Mikhail Pavlenko (Nikolai’s father) - 28 December 1966

1968

Stan comes to Canada from Czech Republic to train with a renowned figure skating coach and to compete at ISU Senior level

Milena comes to Canada from Czech Republic as part of a foreign exchange student program

Stan and Milena meet at their high school

1970

Seong Min-Joon (a.k.a. George Seong) - 13 May 1970

Beth-Anne Dorothy Jones (born Jennifer Elizabeth Anne Jones) - 30 October 1970

1972

Stan wins an Olympic silver medal

1973

Milena finishes her undergraduate degree and begins law school

Stan and Milena become Canadian citizens

1976

Stan asks Milena to marry him

Milena graduates from law school

Abby Jones (sister of Beth-Anne) - 19 August 1976

Kim In-Hae (later known as Evie Seong) - 5 November 1976

1977

Stan and Milena get married on Valentine’s Day

Peace Adebayo - 25 June 1977

1978

Sae (Sarah) Ishida - 21 July 1978

1979

Stan & Milena’s daughter Alžbeta is born

Stan retires from competing and decides to pursue coaching as a profession

1980

Satoru (Stephen) Fujikawa - 16 January 1980

1981

Beth-Anne is put in foster care in April when she ends up in the hospital after being seriously injured by her mother

Jason turns 18 in August and becomes Beth-Anne's guardian

Jason and Beth-Anne's mother Claudia tells them their sister Abby is deceased and they try to find out if this is true, but the Department of Community Services won't give Jason any information

Jason and Beth-Anne experience several months of homelessness

1982

Beth-Anne's coach, Nancy Rogers, lets Jason and Beth-Anne move in with her until Jason gets a job and the siblings find a place of their own

Nancy helps Beth-Anne and Jason track down their father. He doesn't want contact with them but he sends them money each month.

Beth-Anne is able to resume skating

Christian Lindeman - 11 April 1982

1983

Hunter MacKay - 18 March 1983

Nikolai’s grandfather and parents immigrate to Canada six months before Nikolai and Natascha are born

Nikolai and Natascha Pavlenko - 18 December 1983

1985

Anna-Valentina Baranova (Anya Pavlenko) - 22 April 1985

Vivienne Louise (Ginger) Holmes - 14 September 1985

Juliet Cole - 8 October 1985

1987

Viktoriya (Vika) Vasilieva - 26 February 1987

Stan becomes Beth-Anne's coach

1988

Beth-Anne legally changes her name to Beth-Anne Dorothy Jones

Mikhaïl (Mishka) Vasiliev - 10 February 1988

1990

Mishka and Vika are taken away from their biological parents due to neglect and unsafe living conditions, and placed with the Vasiliev family. They are adopted by Dr. and Mrs. Vasiliev later that year.

1991

Beth-Anne wins gold at Skate Canada and eventually goes on to win bronze at the World Championship

Death of Jason Jones

Beth-Anne is in an accident during the off-season that ends her competitive skating career

Stan and Milena take Beth-Anne into their home while she recovers from her injuries

1992

Beth-Anne is sufficiently recovered from her accident to move out of Stan and Milena's house and go forward with her life, and she decides to go to university. She also decides to keep skating, even if she can no longer do it competitively

Grandpa Nikolai, Mikhail and Elena become Canadian citizens

1994

Nikolai competes in his first ISU event, in the Novice division, and wins silver

Nikolai’s grandfather gives him Champion the teddy bear

1996

Beth-Anne graduates with a degree in education and gets a job at an all-girls school as a physical education teacher

Beth-Anne stops skating at the Brindleton Bay Skating Club because seeing her friends and rivals continue to get ready for competitions while she just skates during community ice times is too painful and stress-inducing for her

Ginger competes in her first ISU event, in the Novice division

Brett Andrew Eriksson - 25 April 1996

1998

Evie & George Seong immigrate to Canada in January

Sadie Hae-Won Seong - 29 November 1998

1999

Competitive skier Stephen Fujikawa marries J-pop idol Sae (Sarah Ishida)

Nikolai’s family leaves Ontario and moves to Nova Scotia (Brindleton Bay is a fictional bedroom community of Halifax NS)

Ginger comes to Canada from the UK specifically to train with Stan

Stan also becomes Nikolai’s coach

Nikolai meets Ginger, Anya, Hunter, Juliet and Christian

2000

Nikolai adopts Tangerine the cat

Eden Yeon-Jin Seong & Charles Ki-Yeon (Charlie) Seong - 23 May 2000

Sakuharu (Haru) Abe - 11 June 2000

Stan convinces Beth-Anne to come back to the Brindleton Bay Skating Club

Beth-Anne meets Nikolai for the first time and she becomes his coach

Sebastian Fujikawa - 9 September 2000

2001

Haru’s mother passes away from a drug overdose. Haru is raised by his maternal grandparents

Nikolai wins gold at Skate Canada when he wasn't even expected to place in the top ten, much less the top three. Stan shoots the iconic "forever" photo of Nikolai and Beth-Anne. Nikolai gives Beth-Anne his medal

Stan and Milena’s grandson Marek is born in November (future figure skater)

2002

Stephen wins an Olympic gold medal in giant slalom

Sarah goes on tour and there's a scandal when someone starts a rumour about her and her bodyguard. It gets massive publicity and Stephen doesn't know what to think.

Peace immigrates from Nigeria to Canada with her children Mercy (3) and Praise (1).

2004

Nikolai wins his first World Figure Skating Championship medal (silver)

2006

Nikolai wins his first World Championship gold medal

Stephen and Sarah divorce, and it’s messy. It's also highly publicized due to their respective statuses in sports and entertainment

Stephen is granted full custody of his son Sebastian

Mishka gets drafted into the NHL and begins his pro hockey career with an American team

Beth-Anne becomes Brett's coach

2007

Stephen retires from his athletic career and joins his father and aunt in the family's sports equipment company

Stephen adopts Sofia. She is seven, the same age as Sebastian

2008

Nikolai and Anya get married

Natascha marries local construction worker, Alex MacDonald

2010

Nikolai wins his second World Championship gold medal in a row and his third Worlds gold overall

Ginger also wins gold at Worlds

Ginger becomes a Canadian citizen

2011 (The Art Of Redemption)

Nikolai seriously injures his knee while competing at the four Continents Championship in January

Beth-Anne lets Nikolai stay at her place while he's recovering from his injury and dealing with his marital issues

Beth-Anne and Peace meet

Eden and Nikolai meet

Nikolai decides he wants to be a coach

Brett wins a medal in his last competition at Junior level

Beth-Anne decides she wants to find out what really happened to her sister Abby. Stan, Milena and Nikolai support her in her quest.

Anya retires from competition and goes to work with her grandfather in his photography studio

Brett and Nikolai have a one-on-one competition

Nikolai and Anya get divorced

Eden and Sebastian both compete in their first ISU events at Novice level

Haru discovers that despite his learning disability, he's exceptional at writing poetry

2012

Beth-Anne and Peace are in a casual relationship

2013

Ginger retires from competition

Nikolai officially becomes Eden's coach

Ginger has a whirlwind romance with British businessman Liam Harris

Mishka gets traded to the Mariners in a mid-season trade

Mishka and Nikolai meet by chance on Nikolai’s birthday

Ginger and Liam elope at Christmas

2014

Nikolai and Mishka have moved past simple friendship quickly and are in a relationship

Natascha and Alex get divorced. Natascha moves back in with her parents and grandfather

Anya continues to be an unwanted presence in Nikolai's life

Liam convinces Ginger to return to the UK with him

Ginger meets Sebastian and Sofia, who are attending a UK boarding school, and she becomes Sebastian’s coach

Ginger meets Stephen Fujikawa

2015

Eden wins gold at the World Junior Figure Skating Championship

2016

Eden has his debut at Senior level. It doesn't go as well as he expects

Ginger and Liam divorce

Ginger goes to Japan with Sebastian and Sofia at the end of the school year

Stephen offers to let Ginger live in a cottage on his property and Sebastian is thrilled because he gets to live so close to his “bonus mom”

Haru gets recruited as a J-pop trainee while performing at his school's music festival.

2017

After four years together, Nikolai and Mishka part ways, due to a number of issues. They promise to keep in touch, and to try and get back together some day, if and when their lives stabliize

Haru begins his adventure as a trainee and meets future bandmates Ryu, Keigo, Senjiro and Taiji

2018

TheJ-pop group Sugar Valentine debuts. Eden and Charlie are instantly huge fans

2020

Charlie goes to college to study cosmetology and aesthetics and starts taking Japanese classes. His dream is to become a professional stylist in the entertainment industry

Sugar Valentine goes on tour for the first time

2022 (We Are Sugar Valentine)

Charlie is ready to head to Japan to begin his adventure. He and Eden have never been apart, and Eden decides to go to Japan with him. Nikolai is heartbroken at this development, as he and Eden have been together as coach and student for years.

Despite not wanting to be separated from Eden, Nikolai hesitates to go to Japan because he's an extreme homebody and doesn't want to uproot himself from everything familiar in his life

Eden finds a new coach in Japan. It goes absolutely terribly.

Charlie lands his dream job, as part of the stylist team for Sugar Valentine

Haru sees pictures of Eden in Charlie's portfolio and begs to be introduced

Charlie introduces Eden and Haru. They quickly become an item

Nikolai eventually joins Eden in Japan, after learning how badly things are going for Eden. It's a difficult adjustment for Nikolai

Nikolai is delighted to discover that Ginger is coaching Sebastian at the exact rink where Eden is training. They've kept in touch over the years, but the physical distance between them has made things challenging. They waste no time in catching up

Mishka decides he's going to retire after the 2022-23 hockey season. He needs knee surgery that he's put off for too long

Sugar Valentine goes on tour again

Mishka contacts Nikolai and tells him that he's coming to see him for his birthday in December

Mishka gives Nikolai a kitten for his birthday. They name him Boris

Nikolai is juggling Anya's continued presence in his life and his feeling that maybe he and Ginger could be more than friends

Nikolai asks for time, and Mishka vows to wait for him

2023

Ginger and Nikolai experiment with having a relationship beyond friendship. It doesn't work out because as much as they love each other, they realize they'll never get past thinking of each other as siblings.

Eden wins his first World Championship gold medal

Mishka contacts Nikolai and tells him his surgery is scheduled for the first week of June. He asks Nikolai to come home for the summer, to help take care of him while he recovers, and Nikolai agrees.

Mishka moves into Nikolai's house during his recovery

Even though they haven't been together as a couple for several years, both Nikolai and Mishka realize their feelings for each other are just as strong as ever. They pick up right where they left off

Eden comes home around the same time as Nikolai. They mutually decide not to return to Japan.

Haru buys Eden a house in Brindleton Bay

Mishka does not move out of Nikolai's house in August, like they originally planned.

Mishka proposes to Nikolai at Christmas. They plan their wedding for the following summer

2024

Sugar Valentine undertakes their third tour

Haru gives Eden a horse for his birthday. He also gives himself one for his own birthday, which is only 19 days after Eden's

Mishka rescues a horse. He helps Eden and Haru with theirs.

Natascha finally decides it's time to move out of her parents' house and get her own place again

Mishka's sister Vika comes to visit him and Nikolai for the summer

Nikolai's grandfather decides to move into a seniors' community.

Grandpa Nikolai meets someone from his past, and has big feelings about it

Nikolai and Mishka get married in July

[magicalgames]

My Descendants oc's - Vk's

My list of Descendants vk oc's and the ages they'll be at the start of my descendants rewrite (if I ever get around to writing it) and their other parent if I have an idea of who it is. I'm headcanoning that D1 starts in early September 2014 & the country of Auradon is in a very tropical zone - which is why it seems like it's always summer or spring there. Also, the country is called the United Kingdoms of Auradon, because it makes more sense to me. & was formed June-August 1994. August is when they revived & shipped the villains off and when the anniversary of the Isle happens. (nothing's celebrated that day, it's just noted.)

Maleficent Fae: Mal, 15, other parent is Hades.

She's pretty much the same as in the movies. I'll be honest, I don't fully like the idea of Hades being her father, but I also got no other ideas.

Hades: Mal, 15, other parent is Maleficent. Hadie, 9, Persephone.

For Hades, I'm headcanoning that he isn't actually trapped on the isle because the other gods need him running the underworld since they don't want to do it. So, to appease Belle & Adam, they told Hades to go hang out on the isle, and he has a backdoor entrance in the cave to go back to the underworld to run it occasionally. He sees staying on the isle as a sort of vacation. Also, Olympus in my view is only allied with Auradon, not part of it.

Cruella: Carlos DeVil, 14, other parent is Clayton.

I think he maybe doesn't know his other parent for certain, but Cruella always said that it was one of the adult hunters of the isle (Ratcliffe, Gaston, and Clayton) and Ratcliffe's and Gaston's kids all look somewhat like their respective father, and he doesn't look like either, whereas Claytons kids don't look too much like him. Also - everyone on the isle knows Gaston wouldn't let one of his sons be raised by someone else.

Carlos's cousins - Diego, 17. Ivy, 20. Hunter, 19. I've never watched the movie that these three appear in, so I don't know how old they are supposed to be, but I like the idea of them, and I know Diego at least is mentioned in the books.

Evil Queen: Evelina "Evie" Grimhilde, 15.

Like in the movies, her mom put a heavy emphasis on her looking pretty and like a princess. Her father is one of the card soldiers, but a different one than one of the 4 that fathered the Queen of Hearts' kids.

Anastasia Tremaine: Anthony, 18. Eleanor, 16. Alfred, 15. Ambrosine, 10.

Father of all four is Edgar Balthazar. Anthony's father can't be the Baker because in my headcanon, the oldest isle kids were born 1 year after the barrier was put up.

Drizella Tremaine: Delphine, 16. Dominique, 14. Dezirae "Dizzy", 11. Daxton, 9. Devereaux, 6. Dixie, 2 1/2.

Their fathers are 1 of 2 of the male colonizers that came over with Ratcliffe. Lady Tremaine counts both her daughters kids together, and has them raised the way she wants.

She accepts the boys, but didn't want them (because she thinks they're harder to control) so she pays more attention to the girls and is (slightly) nicer to them.

Queen of Hearts: Red, Vermillion, and Ruby are 16. Carmine, Cherry, and Amaranth are 15. Burgundy, Fuchsia, and Scarlet are 14. Crimson, Maroon, and Chili pepper are 13.

She decided to name all her kids after different shades of red, and stopped having kids because she ran out of name ideas (also why she named one of her youngest kids chili pepper). Fathers are each a different card soldier.

Madam mim's grandkids: Maeve, Mabel, Millie, Maddy, Maverick, Meredith, Maddox, Minna, and Hans Jr.

Hans Jr's dad is Hans and was raised by him because mim wanted him less than the other boys. Like Lady Tremaine, she much prefers the girls over the boys. The father of the rest is unknown as well as ages, except Maddy & Hans Jr, they're both 16.

Ursula & Facilier: Uma, 15. Freda "Freddie", 14. Celia, 11.

Ursula and Facilier never lived together because they both had different business interests.

The kids all know about each other, Uma stayed with Ursula because she had clearly inherited her mother's powers while Freddie & Celia had both clearly inherited their father's, so they were sent to live with him. I'll explain in another post, but they are allowed in each other's territories because they are siblings.

John Ratcliffe - Rory, 17. Richard "Rick", 15. Jackson, 13. Jeremiah, 15.

I headcanon that 7 colonizers were sent to the isle with Ratcliffe - 4 men and 3 women. The women's names are Mary, Abigail, and Rebecca. Mary is Rick and Jackson's mom, Abigail is Rory and Jeremiah's.

Will Clayton - Clarence "Clay", 14. Carlos DeVil, 14. Caden, 12. Cadell, 8. Clay, Caden, and Cadell have the same mom.

Gaston Legume- Gaston "Junior" the second & Gaston "Bronze" the third, 18 year old twins. Gil, 15. Isabelle, 14. Azure, 12. Cordelia, 9.

Junior & Third's mom is Laurette, Gil's & Isabelle's mom is Claudette. Azure's mom is Redd the red-headed pirate and Cordelia's mom is Angelica Teach.

Gaston claimed Isabelle, but not his other two because Claudette allowed her daughter to be raised how he wanted - doing all the house chores. She has her mom & aunt's help with these chores though, and Gil does sew & repair clothes for the family - repairing his sister's clothes after she's worn them out is common for him.

Azure & Cordelia both live on the ships with their mom's. Neither of their moms let Gaston take them to raise them how he wanted, so obviously he has decided to disown them. Like I said with Carlos, if they had been boys, he might have fought harder to keep them.

I headcanon that Gaston wouldn't refuse to acknowledge his daughters because he thinks only women can do any of the housework - cleaning, cooking, sewing, etc. So he would acknowledge them so that they could do those things in his house (cabin), tavern, and in Duels without Rules.

Honestly, any daughters of his might be better off not being acknowledged by him - I just personally don't see him doing it.

Yzma: Zevon, 15 & Yzla, 12. Both potion makers.

Mother Gothel: Ginevra "Ginny", 18, Father is John Silver from the Caribbean. Hayley, 10, her father is Hans.

She was mostly raised by him because Gothel decided that an 8 year gap between kids was too soon to be raising another one.

However, she does occasionally go visit Hayley to give her lessons on manipulation.

Hayley is one of the major pranksters/jokesters of the isle. She can get a little mean with pranks, but that's mostly because her father encourages it - she'll chill with them with some time in Auradon.

Hans Westergaard: Hans Elliott Jr, 15. Hayley, 10.

Hans Jr's nickname around the isle is Helliot - a play on his first and middle name - because he looks and acts exactly like his father. He has also been called variations of Hellspawn.

He is one of the few kids that should never get off the isle, and is the only kid to have been banned from both Jafar's junk shop as well as Gaston's Tavern & shop.

(It was because he said that if the villains got out & took over, he was going to take one of their thrones and kill whoever's it was)

He also said something similar to Evie once, which got him banned from a lot more territories and excluded from hanging out with a majority of the isle kids

Jafar: Jay, 15 and Jasmine, 12. Layla, almost 2.

I like to headcanon that Jay is actually Aladdin & Jasmine's kid, and I decided to give him a sister who was stolen at the same time. Their real names are Ali & Esme - ages are the same.

Layla is actually his kid. Her mom is one of the female colonizers (Rebecca) & gave birth to her in Jafar's house because she didn't want her. She was kicked out within an hour or so of giving birth, then died from bleeding out because a 10 year old girl was made to help the baby come out. Jasi takes care of her mostly, but the other isle kids help out, especially Jay. And Harriet & Uma since they are kind of the moms of the isle kids.

Jasmine goes by Jasi or Jasima around the Isle because the name Jasmine is too princessy/prissy for her. Jafar and Jay are the only ones who are allowed to call her Jasmine - everyone else gets punished for that.

Jasi does most of the chores at home, but Jafar will occasionally cook when he's not running his shop and Jay helps with cleaning and laundry sometimes.

She was raised to act and look like Princess Jasmine - except quieter (but sometimes he wanted her to talk exactly like Jasmine). Spoiler - making her be quiet did not work because this is the isle where a ton of the women and girls are loud, strong, and independent and/or in charge in some way. Also - Jay.

She was also named heir of the isle at some point as well. And has gotten many etiquette lessons.

Jay, like in canon, was raised to be a street rat. He is also a great older brother.

Jafar mostly just ignored the two unless he was teaching them something. He never physically abused them, but he did threaten to. They are mostly ignored because he didn't want them, but kept them around once they were there because they were convenient workers for his shop & apartment.

Soon after the kidnapping is found out, Genie & Dalia will adopt Layla because they will be able to help her with any magic she got.

The adults of the isle either know or suspect that Jay & Jasi are not Jafar's. They either don't care or kept thinking that Auradon would search the isle eventually. (They never did or thought about it even) (Auradon only recently found out there were kids on the isle)

Nasira: Jade, 15. Don't know her dad. Gets along well with all the Agrabah kids on the isle. All the Agrabah kids on the isle get along, and they’ll all get along with Jordan and Aziz once they go to Auradon as well.

Captain James Hook: Harriet, 18. Harry, 15. CJ, 13.

Captain Hook is frequently called James Hook by the Vk's because Harriet is also a Captain hook, and they prefer her being a captain.

Their mom is one of the pirates on one of the adult pirate's crews.

Mr. Smee: Samuel "Sammy", 18. Simon "Squeaky", 11. Sergio "Squirmy", 11.

Former astronomer of Agrabah (Adnan): Reza, 14

Jafar's soldier (name I decided is Sahil): Zaryan, 14.

Jafar picked & trained his allies and soldiers well, which is why only 2 of them are on the isle with him.

Lefou: Louis "Lefou deux", 14. His mom is someone who was hanging out around the tavern one day.

Claude Frollo: Claudine, 16. Her mom is Abigail, one of the colonizers

Claudine snapped one time and killed someone. (It was her father)

Claudine, Isabelle, and Jasi are also best friends close allies. They bond over teaching each other their native languages & complaining about their fathers.

Claudine and Isabelle both end up living on Harriet & Uma's pirate ships at some point and both get sent between them frequently.

Also, I'm using @panthera-tigris-venenata's headcanon about how Claude Frollo died in my rewrite.

More kids & parents: Desiree - Shan Yu & Calypso. Jonas - Barbossa. Gonzo - someone from James hook's crew. Bonnie - a random Hun & Calypso. There is also definitely a pirate VK named Peter somewhere.

[caripr94]

I see Indiana Jones x The Mummy crossovers, and raise you…

Hamilton x Pirates of the Caribbean Crossover

I mean, think about it. The timeline and locations actually line up more than you would think:

Shortly after his birth in 1708, Will Turner and his parents move to North Carolina, where they would live for the next 7 years, until 1715, when his father, Bootstrap Bill Turner, joins Captain Jack Sparrow on the Black Pearl and Will moves with his mother to England.

The main events of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl take place in 1728, when Jack Sparrow is about 38 years old and Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann are about 20.

Dead Man's Chest and At World's End happen about a year later, in 1729, including Will and Elizabeth's wedding and the conception of their son, Henry Turner, who is born about 9 months later in May(?) 1730.

Hector Barbossa is in his early 60s at the time of the events above, though probably biologically in his 50s, considering his cursed and undead status for a decade prior to COTBP.

On Stranger Tides takes place in 1750, when Jack is about 60 years old and Barbossa is in his early 80s. Dead Men Tell No Tales comes a year later in 1751, when Jack is about 61, the Turner couple are about 43, Henry is about 21, and his new love interest and Hector's daughter, Carina Smyth Barbossa, is about 19.

As the name of the film series suggests, all of the events above take place in the Caribbean, with the original trilogy centering around Port Royal, Jamaica.

Alexander Hamilton is born in 1755 or 1757 in Charlestown, in the Caribbean island of Nevis, only about 60-70 miles south of St Martin, where Henry met Jack in DMTNT. In 1757, Henry would be about 27 years old, his parents would be 49, Jack would be 67, and Carina would be 25. Henry and Carina would probably also have children around Hamilton's age group.

Hamilton moves from Nevis to the 13 American Colonies in October 1772, at the age of either 15 or 17. At this time, Henry would be about 42 years old, his parents would be 64, Jack would be 82, and Carina would be 40.

On April 19, 1775, the Battles of Lexington and Concord begin the American Revolutionary War, an 18 or 20-year-old Hamilton enlisting on the side of the Patriots soon afterwards. About a year later, on July 4, 1776, the American Colonies declare their independence from Britain, forming the United States of America. In the latter date, Henry would be about 46 years old, his parents would be 68, Jack would be 86, and Carina would be 44.

On September 3, 1783, the Treaty of Paris is signed, officially ending the Revolutionary War (which was partly fought in the Caribbean) and cementing American independence. On this day, Hamilton would be about 26 or 28 years old, Henry would be about 53, his parents would be 75, Jack would be 93 (if still alive), and Carina would be 51.

In other words, the events and locations of POTC are close enough to the Revolution that at least Jack and the Turners would have still been alive and young enough and lived and worked close enough to meet Alexander Hamilton and his peers and play an active role in aiding him and the other Patriots in the Revolutionary War, at least at the beginning. They could be doing so to help their family friend Hamilton, free Will's childhood home from oppression, and/or, at the very least, spite the British Empire for all the trouble they've caused them in the past. There's even historical basis for the Patriots (and their enemies) using privateers in the War.

That would be an interesting crossover that I'm surprised to see no one write about yet.

@rebelnurse, @friendlyneighborhoodgeek, @wingletblackbird, @son--of--liberty, @she-is-amused, @adorkablemamebean, @araitsume, @the-average-procrastinator, @nerdychristianfanboy, @soundlessdragon, @fanfic-lover-girl, @guns-in-the-valley, @greater-than-the-sword, @archer-bro, @my--darling--dear2, @prolifeproliberty, @ofangelsandanime, @exhaustedhope, @jonesgirl88, @coffeeman777, @yeshua-maranatha, @adragonwriter, @soundlessdragon

[anotherhumaninthisworld]

Some info on Simone Évrard? :3

I’m basing the majority of this answer on this great article, so if I’m not citing a source for where I’ve found something, just assume it’s from there.

Simonne was born and baptised on February 6 1764. Here is her baptism record:

Simonne, legitimate daughter of Sr Nicolas Évrard, boat carpenter, and of Dame Catherine Large, her father and mother, was baptized on February 6, 1764 by the vicar of Saint-André, undersigned. The godfather was Sr Jacques Rivaud, and the godmother Dame Simone Rivard who signed with the present father.” Signed: Nicolas Évrard, Jacques Rivaud, Simone Rivard and Fontanel, vicar.

Simonne’s father Nicolas (born May 4 1724) had already been married to one Catherine Baret, with whom he had had a daughter, Philiberte (born February 28 1762). After remarrying Simonne’s mother Catherine Large he had three daughters more, Simonne, Etiennette (born October 4 1766) and Catherine (born September 16 1769). It’s most probable is that they benefited from a certain education at the free school of the hospice of charity of Tournus.

Nicolas Évrard was was a boat worker-carpenter and owned a house located in the Pêcherie district, Saint-André parish, on the Quai du Nord, in Tournus. Catherine Large owned a copse in Charne and another piece of land, of little value, five kilometers from Tournus. In 1774, she died, and two years later, on February 18, her husband did as well. Philiberte was 14, Simonne, 12, Etiennette, 10 and Catherine, 7. According to oral tradition, the girls were then sent to Paris where they worked for a lingerie workshop ran by a woman from Tournus. It’s indicated that Etiennette and Catherine, the two youngest sisters, married Antoine Bezancenot, a cook, and Jean-Antoine Corne, a printer, respectively.

A brochure written by Jacques Roux (Jacques Roux à Marat) in response to an attack made by Marat on July 4 1793, reveals both the adress on which Simonne lived on during the revolution, as well as the fact that she lived with two of her sisters (we know one of these was Catherine, the youngest).

You (Marat) must remember that about fifteen months ago you sent Citizen Fainault, sculptor, to my house to ask me to come and speak to you on important business. You were then staying with the three Hevrard (sic) sisters, rue Saint-Honoré, n. 243, opposite the Café Richard, Maison du Pelletier.

That Marat lived at Simonne's home, was also confirmed by Simonne herself during the unsealing of her apartent on July 26, 1793. Here we also learn that Simonne played an active role in the printing and distribution of Marat’s works:

When citizen Marat came to live with her (Simonne), he was in the greatest distress; to help him with the printing and distribution of his newspaper she consumed the greater part of her fortune in order to serve him and stand up for what she believed right.

When it comes to Simonne’s first meeting with Marat (who was 19 years older than her), we only know it happened before January 1 1792. From that date we have this promise written in Marat’s hand:

The fine qualities of Mademoiselle Simonne Évrard having captivated my heart from which she received the homage, I leave her as a pledge of my faith, during the trip I am going to make to London, the sacred commitment to give her my hand immediately after my return; if all my tenderness were not enough for her to guarantee my fidelity, may the oblivion of this commitment cover me with infamy. Paris, 1 January 1792. Jean-Paul Marat, l’ami du peuple

Marat and Simonne were never officially married, just engaged. According to an article in Journal de la Montagne written ten days after Marat’s death — that is to be taken with some grain of salt — the two had had an unofficial wedding ceremony:

Marat, who did not believe that a vain ceremonial was what formed the engagement of the marriage, wishing nevertheless not to alarm the modesty of citoyenne Évard, called her one fine day at the window of his room; clasping his hand in that of his lover, both prostrate before the face of the Supreme Being, "It is in the vast temple of nature," he said to her, "that I take for witness to the eternal fidelity that I swear to you, the Creator who hears us.

Simonne was present when Marat was murdured. In the interrogation of Charlotte Corday, we can read the following:

I arrived at Marat’s in a carriage around eleven or eleven-thirty.

What did you do when you arrived?

I asked to speak with him

You asked to speak with him?

Having asked to see him in his antechamber, two or three women presented themselves and told me that I would not enter. I insisted and one of the women went to tell Marat that a citoyenne wanted to speak with him. He answered that I couldn't enter. I went back home where I returned around noon.

[…]

I went out seven o’clock in the evening to go home to Marat (again).

Did you find him there?

Yes.

Who introduced you?

The same women that had refused me that morning. The women here are Simonne, her sister Catherine and the portress Marie-Barbe Aubain.

Simonne was later called as a witness to Corday’s trial, during which she said the following:

Citoyenne Évrard deposes that the accused presented herself on the morning of July 13, at citizen Marat’s place, where she, deponent, lived; that on the replies that the deputy was ill and could receive no one, she withdrew, murmuring. 

The accused interrupts the testimony of the witness, saying: it was I who killed him.

”Citoyenne Évrard (Simonne) testified that the accused appeared on the morning of July 13 at the home of citizen Marat, where she, the deponent, lived; that she wrote a letter which made him receive her on Saturday at 8 o'clock in the evening; that a cry from the chamber where Marat's bathtub was made her come running; she found the accused standing against a curtain in the antechamber, grabbed her by the head and called for neighbors; these neighbors having come, she ran to Marat who looked at her without saying a word; she helped him out of the bath and he expired without uttering a word.”

Other witnesses were also called, many of which reported Marat’s last words to have been a call for help to Simonne:

”Laurent Basse, courier, testifies that being on Saturday, July 15 (sic), at Citizen Marat's house, between seven and eight o'clock in the evening, busy folding newspapers, he saw the accused come, whom citoyenne Évrard and the portress refused entrance. Nevertheless, citizen Marat, who had received a letter from this woman, heard her insist and ordered her to enter, which she did. A few minutes later, on leaving, he heard a cry: Help me, my dear friend, help me! (À moi, ma chere amie, à moi !). Hearing this, having entered the room where citizen Marat was, he saw blood come out of his bosom in great bubbles; at this sight, himself terrified, he cried out for help, and nevertheless, for fear that the woman should make an effort to escape, he barred the door with chairs and struck her in the head with a blow; the owner came and took it out of his hands.

The president challenges the accused to state what she has to answer.

I have nothing to answer, the fact is true.

One listens to another witness.

Jeanne Maréchal, cook, submits the same facts; she adds that Marat, immediately taken from his bathtub and put in his bed, did not stir.

The accused says the fact is true. 

One listens to another witness. 

Marie-Barbe Aubin, portress of the house where citizen Marat lived, testifies that on the morning of July 13, she saw the accused come to the house and ask to speak to citizen Marat, who answered her that it was impossible to speak to him at the moment, attenuated the state where he had been for some time, so she gave a letter to deliver to him. In the evening she came back again, and insisted on speaking to him. Aubin and citoyenne Évrard refused to let her in; she insisted, and Marat, who had just asked who it was, having learned that it was a woman, ordered her to be let in; which happened immediately. A few moments later, she heard a cry: "Help me, my dear friend (À moi, ma chere amie !);she entered, and saw Marat, blood streaming from his bosom; frightened, she fell to the floor and shouted with all her might: À la garde! Au secours !

The accused says that everything the witness says is the most exact truth.

Catherine Évrard gives the same story as her sister.

Once again, the accused answers that all the facts are true and she has nothing to respond.

As already mentioned, Simonne was present for the removal of seals of her apartment on July 26 1793, two weeks after the murder:

In front of us appeared citoyenne Simonne Évrard, an adult, residing in the apartment where we currently are [30 rue des Cordeliers] who told us and declared that she is the tenant of said apartment which she rents from citizen de Lafondée, that all its furniture and effects belong to her, with the exception of the mirrors and papers that belong to said de Lafondée and the papers, linens and clothes of the deceased Marat. S. Évrard

On 8 August, less than a month after the death of Marat, Simonne presented herself at the Convention and defended his memory, in her eyes hijacked by the Énrages:

”Citizens, you see before you the widow Marat; I do not come to ask you for favors coveted by cupidity or demanded by poverty. The widow Marat needs only a tomb. Before arriving at this happy end of the torments of my life, I come to ask you for justice for the new attacks committed against the memory of the most intrepid and most outraged defender of the people. These watches, how much gold they lavished! How many hypocritical libellists they have paid to cover his name with opprobrium! With what horrible obstinacy they endeavored to give him a colossal political existence, and a hideous celebrity, with the sole view of dishonoring the cause of the people which he faithfully defended; today all covered with his blood; they pursue him to the bosom of the tomb; every day they still dare to assassinate his memory; they strive at will to paint in the features of an interesting heroine the monster who plunged the parricide blade into his bosom. One sees even in this enclosure the most cowardly of all the folliculars, Carra, Ducos, Dulaure, boasting of it shamelessly in their periodical pamphlets, to encourage their equals to cut the throats of the rest of the defenders of liberty. I am not speaking of that vile Pétion who, at Caen, in the assembly of his accomplices, dared to say, on this occasion, that the assassination was a virtue. 

Sometimes the villainous perfidy of the conspirators, pretending to pay homage to his civic virtues, multiplies at great expense infamous engravings, where the execrable assassin is presented under favorable features, and the martyr of the fatherland, disfigured by the most horrible convulsions. But here is the most perfidious of their maneuvers: they have bribed Scelerais writers who impudently usurp his name, and disfigure his principles, to perpetuate the empire of calumny of which he was the victim. The cowards, they flatter first the pain of the people by their praise; they trace some true pictures of the evils of the country; they denounce some traitors dedicated to its contempt; they speak the language of patriotism and morality, so that the people believe they still hear Marat; but it is only to defame afterwards the most zealous defenders whom the patrie has preserved; it is to preach, in the name of Marat, extravagant maxims that his enemies have attributed to him, and that all his conduct disavows. 

I denounce to you in particular two men, Jacques Roux and the named Leclerc who claim to continue his patriotic sheets, and to make his shadow speak to outrage his memory and deceive the people: it is there that after having debited revolutionary common places, the people are told that they must proscribe all kinds of government; it is there that we order in his name to bloody the day of August 10, because from his sensitive soul, torn by the spectacle of the crimes of tyranny and the misfortunes of humanity, just anathemas have sometimes come out against public leeches, and against the oppressors of the people; they seek to perpetuate after his death the parricidal calumny which persecuted him, and presented him as a foolish apostle of disorder and anarchy. 

And who are these men who claim to replace him? It is a priest wh, the very day after the day when the faithful deputies triumphed over their cowardly enemies, came to insult the National Convention by a perfidious and seditious address: it is another man, no less perverse, associated with the mercenary furies of this impostor. 

What is quite remarkable is that these two men are the same as those who were denounced by Marat, a few days before his death, at the Cordeliers club, as people paid by our enemies to disturb the public tranquility, and who, in the same sitting, were solemnly driven from the bosom of this popular society. What is the purpose of the treacherous faction that continues these criminal plots? It is to debase the people who pay homage to the memory of him who died for his cause; it is to defame all the friends of the country, whom she has designated under the name of Maratists; it is to mislead perhaps all the Frenchmen of the entire Republic, who gather for the meeting of August 10, by presenting to them the perfidious writings of which I speak, like the doctrine of the representative of the people whom they slaughtered; it is perhaps to disturb these solemn days by some disastrous catastrophe. 

Gods! what would be the destiny of the people, if such men could usurp their confidence! What is the deplorable condition of its intrepid defenders, if death itself cannot save them from the rage of their assassins! Legislators, how long will you allow crime to insult virtue? Whence comes to the emissaries of England and Austria this strange privilege of poisoning public opinion, of devoting the defenders of our laws to daggers, and of undermining the foundations of our nascent Republic? If you leave them unpunished, I denounce them here to the French people, to the universe. The memory of the martyrs of freedom is the patrimony of the people: that of Marat is the only good that remains to me; I dedicate to his defense the last days of a languid life. Legislators, avenge the fatherland, honesty, misfortune and virtue, by striking down the most cowardly of all their enemies.”

A few days after the speech, August 22 1793, Marat’s siblings signed the following decree:

We therefore declare that it is with satisfaction that we fulfill the wishes of our brother by recognizing citoyenne Évrard as our sister, and that we will hold as infamous those of her family members who does not share the feelings of esteem and gratitude that we owe her, and if against our expectation there could be some, we ask that their names be known, as we do not want to share their infamy. Written in Paris, August 22, second year of the republic. Marie-Anne Mara (sic) f. Oliver Albertine Mara (sic) Jean-Pierre Mara (sic)

In her Réponse aux détracteurs de l’Ami du Peuple (1793) Albertine Marat also wrote the following regarding Simonne:

Finding no recourse except in the poor, he would have succumbed to his misfortunes. People, your good genius decided otherwise: he allowed a divine woman, whose soul resembled his own, to consecrate her fortune and her rest to keep you your friend. Heroic woman, receive the homage your virtues deserve: yes, we owe it to you. Inflamed with the divine fire of freedom, you wanted to preserve its most ardent defender. You shared his fate and his tribulations: nothing can stop your zeal, you sacrifice to the Friend of the People, and the fear of your family, and the prejudices of your century. Forced here to circumscribe myself, I would wait for the moment when your virtues will appear in all their brilliance.

Both this extract and the decree cited before would imply that someone(s) in Simonne’s family didn’t appriciate her attachment to Marat/the revolution, although I’ve not found more info regarding it.

On September 15 1794, Robert Lindet, by then president of the committee of public intruction, wrote to Simonne asking her opinion on a republication of Marat’s works — ”Write as soon as possible and make known to what extent you can contribute to the requested edition of the works of Marat. This enterprise must be executed in a way that honors the author and the nation equally.”

But Simonne rejected this invitation, answering in November the same year that she did not want to entrust anyone but herself with this duty. The 15 volumes of Oeuvres politiques de Marat were indeed published with Simonne as the editor. A reedition of Marat’s 1790 work Plan de législation criminelle was also published, but after this the revolution took a swing to the right, during which it no longer needed Marat as a martyr. On February 22 1795 the republishing of his works was ordered to be interrupted.

Simonne spent the rest of her life together with the four years older Albertine Marat, whose attachment to her is confirmed not only via what she wrote in Réponse aux détracteurs… but by M. Goupil-Louvigny as well:

I have reason to believe that the widow Marat was not an ordinary woman, because her sister-in-law spoke to me about her with enthusiasm. Albertine religiously kept all that had belonged to her. I was personally charged in the last years of her life, when necessity compelled her to do so, to sell various objects and clothes which came from her, which were of a certain elegance and of great distinction.

The two sister-in-laws at first settled on Rue Saint-Jacques, as revealed through an interrogation of Simonne held December 30 1800:

Your name, your adress, your means of living?

I’m 36 years old, I have a pension, I live with my sister on rue Saint-Jacques, n 674, division of Thermes.

Why have you been arrested?

I don’t know.

Where were you on 3 nivôse (December 24)?

I was at my place the whole day

Who was it you received at your place?

Nobody.

You did however have company in the evening, one saw some people sitting at a table lighted up by three candles.

I soaped the whole day, I wasn’t finished until nine in the evening. My sister had only her lamp, she works at the horology. I only went out to buy a bottle of wine, and I supped with my sister. I haven’t received three people in one décade.

Who are the people you have been seeing since one month?

We only see citoyen Ranus, a watchmaker who lives on rue de la Barillerie who provides work for my sister. There came a citizen from our country who’s name I don’t remember.

Who are your neighbors?

Citoyen Digard, baker and owner, the rest of the house is inhabitated by women.

By refusing to name the people you’re receiving, you make it sound like you’re receiving enemies of the government.

I’ve told you the exact truth. I haven’t received anyone, because I find myself in great distress.

The commissioner sends her off, the case had no consequences.

Simonne and Albertine eventually moved from rue Saint-Jacques to Rue de la Barillerie n. 33 (today boulevard du Palais), where they stayed up until their deaths in 1824 and 1841 respectively. In 1847, a neighbor gave the following details regarding their stay there (cited in Marat et ses calomniateurs ou Réfutation de l’Histoire des Girondins de Lamartine (1847) by Constant Hilbe):

-[Albertine] was not happy, and she died in great destitution.

-I was told that her sister-in-law, Madame Marat, lived with her.

-Yes, Madame, she died here.

-What kind of woman was she?

-Oh ! Madame, she was an excellent woman. You know, we called her Madame Marat, but she was not his wife, she was his maid. However, I assure you that she did not look like a maid; she was very distinguished; she never spoke to anyone. This poor woman died after falling down the stairs.

-Was she beautiful?

-Beautiful!…she was very good (très bien)! she was angelically sweet.

-Did they work for a living?

-Madame Marat did not work. Mademoiselle Marat made watch hands; she even made some for my brother and my godfather. Madame Marat took care of the home.

-Did they stay in this house for a long time?

-Mademoiselle Marat stayed here for about forty years; her sister died long before her. This is how they came here: they had rented under the name of the demoiselles Albertine. One day, there is a knock on our door, my mother goes to open it, the person on the other side asks for Mademoiselle Marat. I will not hide from you, Madame, that my mother had a horror of this name Marat, who had caused so many people to be guillotined... My mother received the person very badly and told him that there was no tenant of this name in the house. The person insisted and described what the two ladies were like. Yes, said my mother, we have two people like those you describe to me, but they are the demoiselles Albertine; they live on the fourth floor above the mezzanine, the door on the right. The next day, my mother called the grocer from downstairs: “What is this,” she said, “so we have Marats in our apartment? you rented to the demoiselles Marat!!!” — “But no, Madame, I rented to the demoiselles Albertines” Later, as they were very quiet people, we greeted them in the stairwell. My father and my godfather gave them work, but they didn't speak to each other. […] [Albertine] had a portrait of Marat by David, she also had a portrait of Madame Marat that was very pretty. She often told me: ”I shall burn this portrait.” - ”Oh, mademoiselle Marat, that would be unfortunate, it’s so good!” - ”To who do you want me to give this…?”

-Do you know if she burned it?

-I don’t know, but I think so, because when she said she would do something, she did it.

We have some descriptions of Simonne’s apperence. An official minute from 1792, shortly after Marat’s death, affirmed the following: “Height: 1m, 62, brown hair and eyebrows, ordinary forehead, aquiline nose, brown eyes, large mouth, oval face.” The minute for her interrogation instead say: “grey eyes, average mouth.”

Finally, we have the following anecdote told by doctor Joseph-Souberbielle:

In the year 1820 I was often called in to attend a woman who was known in the house where she lived as the widow Marat. I am convinced she was only Marat's mistress. She told me in confidence that, since the Restoration, she had been met with such cruel treatment at the hands of the neighbours that she intended to migrate to another part of the town and change her name. She was extremely plain and could never have had any good looks. She assured me that in the whole course of her "married life" Marat had never given her a single cause for contempt; that he had all gentleness and consideration in his home relations, but his fanaticism was so intense that he would cheerfully have sacrificed his life to bring about the triumph of his ideals. I know nothing more of the woman.

Like in the case of Gabrielle and Louise-Sébastienne, I found texts about Simonne that listed more details regarding her (1, 2, 3, 4), but once again, I don’t know if those details are actually legit or just embellishments, since the authors don’t cite any sources.

There actually exists a full biography on Simonne, but 1, I couldn’t find it online for free, and 2, it’s written in Italian which I don’t know a word of.

[sigyn-foxyposts]

✧༺Get to know me༻✧

«Welcome dear traveller, let me give you a warm welcome to my page and introduce myself to you and what this pinned post is all about!»

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ This is a safe space for ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

«Basically everyone! No matter what race, religion and or community you're from. We can all express ourselves and get along without judgement.»

«The least we can be is opened minded and not hate on each other. That is simply disrespectful! I'd also like to add this account is 15+ and I'll not interact with minors lower than that.»

«I might also post things about myself (pesonal) and do self-shipping, just scroll away if you don't like it. Thank you for your understanding!»

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* «Now on to who I might be..?»

*✧･ﾟ:* Some nicknames I use, especially online:

🦊 Foxy_Logryn9.

🦊 Artistfoxy16.

🦊 Sigyn, Thea or Thurl.

🦊 Sigynfoxy.

*✧･ﾟ:* Interesting facts:

«I am an INFP 2w1»

« I am an 19 year old digital artist, self taught and a writer. I mostly publish my creations here on Tumblr, Tiktok and on AO3, links are down below if you're ever curious.»

«I can speak 🇳🇴🇸🇪🇬🇧 and understand 🇩🇪🇮🇸🇩🇰»

«Norwegian and half Swedish! 🇳🇴🇸🇪»

"I'm also norse heathen! Specifically one that follows Rökkatru!»

«My birthday is on the 8th of september, which makes me a Virgo!»

«I have AUDHD, Anxiety, PTSD and happen to be born premature as well.»

«My anniversary is on the 13th of march!»

«I go by she/her and they/them pronouns»

✿❀ My beloved mutuals: <33

@sparrowmp4 (Hubbie Totally not Loki in disguise💜)

@heldril (online daughter Hel 📝 🖤🤍)

Price/Stella (Online Child💛)

@kaonashihime (Online lil sister Caro 🎨🌹❤)

@piratespacex (Mutual pirate 🎨🏴‍☠️❤)

@comfort-characters-galore (Perse mutual!❤)

@stravberryie (mutual!🎨🩷🍓)

@amphibifish (heimdall mutual! 🎨💜🦅)

@ryebread-x (Mutual Rye! 🎨🧡🍞)

@jonquilclegane (mutual Sunny 📝💛)

@roruna (Mutual Roruna 📝🤍)

@2dlovley (Mutual 2D 🎨🖤)

@mistress-of-words (mutual mistress 📝💜)

@vamnp (mutual Andy 🎨🧸🤎)

@hankiki (mutual Hana 💚💜)

@sorastar0 (mutual Sora 💙)

✿❀At last, what will I be doing here?

«I would like to use this account to share as much as I can with the people who are actually interested! I like to provide content for my interests and HUGE hyperfixiations, which does vary and some examples can be..»

Norse mythology (Loki's family mostly)

Any other culture, mythology or folklore in general!

SMITE

Dislyte

Afk arena/Journey

Lego monkie kid

Record of Ragnarok

The Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok

Destripando la historia

Five Nights At Freddy's

Dont Hug Me Im Scared

Welcome Home

Genshin Impact

MLP

Kamigami no Asobi

Stardew Valley

Heaven's official blessing & svsss

«Don't be shy to send me a request or message if you want me to draw, make an edit, write about something related to these interests of mine!»

«After all, that's what I'll be mostly posting on here. Plus the stories/personal headcannons I have. Also whatever research that I can find and or share! :D»

«Any questions related to commissions, just go here!»

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ Character archive! ☽༓･*˚⁺‧

My mythology designs:

Consists mostly of the Norse gods but I also have Celtic, Hatian and Greek ect in there!!

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ Other social media☽༓･*˚⁺‧

Writer Account: @sigyns-drafts (hiatus)

RP Account: @sigynfoxysworld (hiatus)

『••✎••』 Toy house: Artist_foxy

『••✎••』 UnVale: Sigynfoxy

«I use these lovely websites to keep track of my art and original characters. Though it would be fun to share :)»

『••✎••』 Tiktok: Logryn_foxyedits

https://www.tiktok.com/@logryn_foxyedits?_t=8b2H82LF3G1&_r=1

«I am active on here! Posting edits and some art related stuff about mythology and it's pop-cultures that I like!»

『••✎••』 PDB: Sigynfoxying_around

https://www.personality-database.com/user/2249660

«I have an account there because it's fun to collect and see what I have in common with my favorite characters and kins! Also to add in fandoms no one has yet!»

『••✎••』 Spotify: Thea or Thurl?

https://open.spotify.com/user/yvlfbdp7n70aa6653f3y6lz9i?si=rI6qugqMQgCmHLc1TOZPug

«This is where I keep all my playlists, I've made a few character playlists already!»

『••✎••』 YouTube: sigynfoxy69

https://youtube.com/@sigynfoxy69?si=TElPF8bPd_q--8QO

«I barely post on here, but when I do it's just a speedpaint or silly videos that I made, that I personally thought was suitable for YouTube!»

『••✎••』 Instagram: artistfoxy_16

«Instagram is more of an archive if anything, I used to post on there a long time ago and try to today! :)»

『••✎••』 Instagram: Artistfoxy16

«Same as Instagram! I'm planning on using it to archive my work and just in general it's fun to share stuff!»

『••✎••』 Discord: sigynfoxy

«Send me a request if you ever wanna talk on there! Though be warned if I don't recognize you as a mutual or customer I'll most likely ignore you ^^'»

『••✎••』 AO3: Artistfoxy16

https://archiveofourown.org/users/Artistfoxy16

«Finally at last my AO3 Account, so you can easily find me and enjoy my writings!!»

[rhiannonmyblue]

hi everybody!! i'm mist (she/her/they/them, 26, brst) and some of you might know me by a different name but. let's use mist for now!! this is an intro post for my kid rhiannon jung (23, soloist under culture creative). there's more information about her under the cut and you can also check out her profile and her career. i'm open for all types of connections, but i do have a plots page with five plots that i would be very interested in developing further and that are very important in rhiannon's development! give this post a like and i'll reach out to you. you can also find me on discord @ moonpsy!

TW: illness & discussions of infertility

rhiannon (haewon) jung was born in seoul, south korea, on september 19, 1999. she's the daughter of a film studies professor and a musician/professor who's part of the london symphony orchestra

trained in violin, guitar e bass as well as vocals (both contemporary and operatic) from a young age. didn't originally plan on trying to be an idol, but on a whim decided to go for it and auditioned for companies after she finished her sixth form.

got in a smaller company, hated her time as a trainee, and then ended up in the competition show that formed viv:id. debuted as the main vocalist of the group. never really stood out (never really wanted to) and was always visibly uncomfortable with having too much of the spotlight.

she was... so unhappy when viv:id disbanded. wanted to go back home right after, but for reasons (noted below) she had to spend a little longer in south korea and ended up being offered a contract with creative culture.

debuted as a soloist in late 2021, hoping to be an alt indie girl, but then it backfired when her music continued accidentally topping charts.

since last year, she's been putting effort into killing her reputation a bit. getting tattoos, being pictured going out often, hanging out with people who might not have the best reputation. just enough that she will have a dedicated fanbase but not be under the general public's radar anymore.

[illness & infertility] the reason she had to stay in seoul was because she had to undergo a total hysterectomy because of her long time struggles with endometrioses. she told exactly One person about it and locked herself in her apartment for the three weeks of rest post-op and hasn't brought it up to anyone else (except her ex-boyfriend) since.

personality:

very much an extrovert. will walk up to befriend anyone if she thinks they are interesting. (just doesn't think people are interesting all that often.)

constantly stuck between wanting to plan her life down to the minimal details and being too much of a mess and doing a lot of things on a whim. the virgo and libra in her birth chart fight because of that all the time.

not a very touchy-feely person. doesn't like to talk about her own feelings (and will more than often not talk about them at all and no she hasn't gone to the therapist she was supposed to be seeing in at least a year). really good at encouraging people to shit talk trash people in their lives.

pretentious. thinks her music taste and film taste are superior and will judge you for saying that a major blockbuster is somehow better than an obscure 1970s scandinavian movie.

uses her korean name as her artistic name and won't actually be angry at anyone for calling her that, but loves teasing people into mispronouncing rhiannon.

willing to accompany a friend into anything (need someone to hold your hand while you get a tattoo? rhiannon is it. need company for drinks? rhiannon!)

goes live often to sing and ends up name dropping her friends by accident (or on purpose sometimes) and doesn't seem to have much of a care for media training.

doesn't trust anyone but she's trustworthy.

[orthodoxydaily]

Saints&Reading: Friday, Saturday 22, 2023

september 9_september 22

HOLY AND RIGHTEOUS ANCESTORS OF GOD, JOACHIM AND ANNA

Saint Joachim, the son of Barpathir, was of the tribe of Judah, and was a descendant of King David, to whom God had revealed that the Savior of the world would be born from his seed. Saint Anna was the daughter of Matthan the priest, who was of the tribe of Levi. Saint Anna’s family came from Bethlehem.

Once, during a great feast, the gifts which Joachim took to Jerusalem as an offering to God were not accepted by the priest Reuben, who considered that a childless man was not worthy to offer sacrifice to God. This pained the old man very much, and he, regarding himself the most sinful of people, decided not to return home, but to settle in solitude in a desolate place.

When Saint Anna learned what humiliation her husband had endured, she sorrowfully entreated God with prayer and fasting to grant her a child. In his desolate solitude the righteous Joachim also asked God for this. The prayer of the saintly couple was heard. An angel told them that a daughter would be born to them, Who would be blessed above all other women. He also told them that She would remain a virgin, would be dedicated to the Lord and live in the Temple, and would give birth to the Savior. Obeying the instructions of the heavenly messenger, Saints Joachim and Anna met at the Golden Gate in Jerusalem. Then, as God promised, a daughter was born to them and they named her Mary.

Saint Joachim died a few years later at the age of 80, after his daughter went to live in the Temple. Saint Anna died at the age of 70, two years after her husband.

Saints Joachim and Anna are often invoked by couples trying to have children.

EPHESIANS 1:7-17

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth-in Him. 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

5 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,

16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,

LUKE 8:16-21

16 No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light. 17 For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light. 18 Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him. 19 Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd. 20 And it was told Him by some, who said, "Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You." 21 But He answered and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."

[yippeecahier]

Make a playlist with the songs 1-30 in order and share it >:3c

1: A song you like with a color in the title Silver & Gold by WILD

(Folk type song I like with a color)

2: A song you like with a number in the title

2003 by FEJA, CK Trubadix

(Techno/house type song I like with the number 2003)

3: A song that reminds you of summertime

Be Okay by Oh Honey

(The lyrics and the coffee house style in a major key really deliver)

4: A song that reminds you of someone you would rather forget about

Sweater Weather by The Neighbourhood

(A song my ex used to always play for me)

5: A song that needs to be played LOUD

Up Down by Boy Epic

(I imagine my Fromsoft blorbos to this song at full blast)

6: A song that makes you want to dance

Dancing in a Daydream by Roses & Revolutions, Weathers

(It's the lyrics and ambience ok)

7: A song to drive to

Missing Piece by Vance Joy

(I always play this when driving to Austin)

8: A song about drugs or alcohol

Hallucinogenics by Matt Maeson feat. Lana Del Ray

(Self explanatory; the verses about Seattle, "crawl back to the life that I said I wouldn't live in," and "find yourself a man who's [...] Christian" really hit. I like the version with Lana Del Ray a lot but I fell in love with Matt Maeson's original when it played on The Spectrum radio)

9: A song that makes you happy

Someone to You by BANNERS (I sing this one full volume when driving home from Austin under the night lights...it's an experience)

10: A song that makes you sad

Medicine by Daughter (About a loved one struggling with addiction and suicidality, an experience I've had more than once but wish I never had at all)

11: A song that you never get tired of

Run Free by Thomas Bergerson, Two Steps from Hell (I imagine my blorbos from Okami to this song, the only video game I have played all the way through more than 3 times, so likewise I never grow tired of the song that represents it for me)

12: A song from your preteen years

El Dorado by Thomas Bergerson, Two Steps from Hell (been obsessed with this song since 2008, so obviously this one is here)

13: One of your favorite 80’s songs

Call Me by Blondie (when I was a kid my music options were limited to the giant CD collection my parents kept. I adored Blondie; I still do)

14: A song that you would love played at your wedding

jordan by Joy Oladokun (the ex christian themes aside as they're a bag of worms I won't get into but are also why I love this song; the whole "building our own promised land" and "now I've found love there's no turning back"?? That's just the chorus?? The vibes I want at my secular wedding)

15: A song that is a cover by another artist

Smells Like Teen Spirit by Saint Mesa (I like this one better than Nirvana's original and I do like the original)

16: One of your favorite classical songs

Waltz of the Flowers by Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky (from the Nutcracker but also the Fantasia animation was excellent and imprinted on my imagination forever)

17: A song that you would sing a duet with on karaoke

Lemons by Bri feat. Cavetown (I really like it, it's a song about an emotionally abusive relationship that just really slaps)

18: A song from the year you were born

The Way by Fastball (also imagine blorbos to this one - a bunch of old people who play DnD and disappear from their retirement home together to go fight a dragon as the last hurrah with lots of unreality)

19: A song that makes you think about life

5AM by Amber Run ("We run into a dark room / And we spasm to the sounds / of a copy of Morrissey / or the Blues of the Deep South" anyone?)

20: A song that has many meanings to you

September Again by Nation of Language (...yeah. sometimes it's about growing up, sometimes it's about growing old, sometimes it's about feeling lost, sometimes it's a love song)

21: A favorite song with a person’s name in the title

Brian is the Most Beautiful by Memo Boy (I like atmospheric deep house type songs ya know)

22: A song that moves you forward

Difference Maker by NEEDTOBREATHE (when I just want to give up and the S/I is really bad this song is a comfort; it both meets me where I am in the hopelessness and gives me hope to keep going)

23: A song that you think everybody should listen to

Laika by Wil Wagner (about the titular character, Laika, the first dog in space; it's

... an experience. You'll need tissues for this one)

24: A song by a band you wish were still together

Losing my Religion by R.E.M. (I was going to put MCR but they recently got back together?? So R.E.M.)

25: A song by an artist no longer living

Yellow Submarine by John Lennon, Paul McCartney (John Lennon composed this one, it's fun. He was assassinated as you all know)

26: A song that makes you want to fall in love

Heaven Knows by Five For Fighting (I heard this song after reading In Love by Amy Bloom, about her husband getting medically assisted suicide because of his diagnosis; it's had an impact ever since)

27: A song that breaks your heart

Dancing without Music by BRDGS (Self explanatory, reminds me of several failed relationships and why)

28: A song by an artist with a voice that you love

Gun by Siouxsie and the Banshees (Siouxsie has this rich but breathy voice that sounds like how fine red wine tastes)

29: A song that you remember from your childhood

Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me) by Train (I would play this on repeat on the CD in the car every chance I got as a kid, usually when my parents would go to Safeway for groceries and I didn't want to go inside;; I have a very specific memory of being in a parking lot in Seattle at night listening to this on repeat)

30: A song that reminds you of yourself

Hurry Hurry by Air Traffic Controller (this is a song about my life with ADHD I stg)

[roseyturtles]

I posted 6,570 times in 2022

98 posts created (1%)

6,472 posts reblogged (99%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@tharkflark1

@kr1llz

@kinkshame-the-courier

@wizardpotions

@voulinn

I tagged 293 of my posts in 2022

#fallout new vegas - 65 posts

#arcade gannon - 53 posts

#fnv - 52 posts

#benny gecko - 22 posts

#soupposting - 19 posts

#fallout - 15 posts

#courier six - 14 posts

#homestuck - 13 posts

#unreality - 12 posts

#goncharov - 11 posts

Longest Tag: 122 characters

#ok i can see the argument that the followers of the apocalypse don’t have nearly the education system pre-war america does

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Gonna say something similar to what I said about Encanto: Turning Red is a movie about growing up as a teenage girl, particularly as the daughter of a Chinese immigrant, before queer theory ever enters the picture. Do not forget that.

251 notes - Posted March 14, 2022

#4

The thing I love most about the "Humans are Space Orcs" style of writing is that it makes us look at our world from an outsiders perspective. We're so used to mosquitos and magpies and turkey vultures and geese and tornados and poisonous plants and the weird humanisms we do on a daily basis that approaching it from the perspective of someone who has little to know experience being an earthling adds zest to the whole world for a little while

252 notes - Posted November 27, 2022

#3

Boone, to Ceasar's corpse: Thumbs down, you son of a bitch.

Arcade: ...up.

Boone:

Boone: What.

Arcade: If you want to match his Roman aesthetic you would want to say thumbs up.

Arcade: When the ceasar gave a gladiator a thumbs down, it meant the losing gladiator could put his sword down because he was more valuable alive.

Arcade: But a thumbs up is believed to have been a signal to thrust upward into the heart.

Boone:

Boone: Do you seriously think he follows that level of consistency?

Arcade:

384 notes - Posted June 26, 2022

#2

I hate when people interpret Arcade as your average blonde prettyboy with nothing behind the eyes because like.??? This is a 35ish year old man who has spent his entire life running from the government on the principle of who he was born to. He is rough around the edges. He has trauma. He has scars, mental and physical. His history is riddled with tragedy. He conceals his earnest love for humanity with dry wit and literary references because expressing too much love has brought him pain. If you draw Arcade and it doesn't feel like he's a man glued together by idealism and the hope humanity may finally learn from its msitakes then what is the fucking point

726 notes - Posted September 18, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

"Cryptocurrency is dying, repost this to make it die faster" No. No, I want cryptocurrency to die slowly, by attrition. I want it to stop being popular among rich people to have NFTs that harm the earth and start being popular to grow your own garden, I want crypto bros to scramble to find a real job or go back to school, I want the glaring blue light of their overloaded computer's screen to bore into their skulls as they watch that number get closer and closer and closer to zero. Cryptocurrency is a rabid animal, and as it grows out of the aggression stage, the seizures will get worse and more painful. I want everyone to refuse shooting this animal. I want cryptocurrency see the Earth staring coldly at its failing body and know that there is no mercy in this world or the next.

2,209 notes - Posted June 14, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[themomsandthecity]

I'm Making Sure My Latina Teen Prioritizes Her Mental Health Ahead of Senior Year

I've been mentally preparing for this moment since my daughter was born: the day she would leave the nest and venture out on her own. But there was nothing to prepare me for how quickly this time would arrive. It feels like we fast-forwarded through her childhood, and in the blink of an eye, she's now 17 and enjoying the summer before her senior year of high school. I've always prioritized discussing mental health with my daughter. I introduced practices like journaling, affirmations, and meditation early on - only the latter never really quite stuck, but two out of three isn't bad. But still, senior year is a uniquely stressful time. It's when you're on the cusp between childhood and adulthood, when life decisions are at the forefront. To be sure, it's an exciting time, but also a very scary one filled with confusion, anxiety, and pressure to get things right. Related: Visiting the Dominican Republic as an Adult Helped Me Understand My Father's Sacrifices To add to the stress, we also survived a global pandemic. Like many parents of Latine teens, I witnessed my daughter's mental health suffer during the nearly two years she attended online school. Basically, her entire middle school years were completed through virtual classes. This took a huge toll on her, and she wasn't alone. In 2020, Latinos For Education surveyed Latino families from three states about the ways COVID-19 affected their children, and mental health was a top concern. Not only did these families report witnessing a decline in their teens' mental health like I did, but they too noticed a loss of socialization among their children. It was important for us to prioritize therapy for her, and she started online therapy as a freshman. It gave me a sense of peace and relief that my teen had an objective party to whom she could express her thoughts, ideas, and the challenges she faced. I felt good knowing she had an outlet who was not Mom, someone she could work with to make sure her mental health was in good shape. Therapy is something consistent in her life now, and without giving too many details, she's expressed that she's learned a lot of coping skills and confidence-building techniques, especially when it pertains to her communication with me. As her mom, I also work on being a better listener so I can support her more than just offering unsolicited motherly advice. Physical activity also plays a role in keeping her mentally healthy. As a child, we enjoyed evening walks after dinner. It was a beautiful time when we just talked about whatever came up. As she got older, her interest in our evening walks waned, but her desire to be physically active continued. She works out at the gym during the summer because it offers free admission to high schoolers, something she discovered on her own. This summer, she begins her third semester of college courses while also working part-time at an ice cream shop and preparing to enter her last year of high school. She's expressed how stressful yet exciting this time in her life has been; she has watched as her older friends have entered college, and she's well aware that she is next in line. I offer my support by asking questions about what she envisions her life to be and how she thinks she could get there. If her answer is that she doesn't know, I let her know that that's OK too, and that at 17, knowing everything is nearly impossible. In fact, even as an adult you learn new things. Before September, we're planning to sit down and write a goals list for her senior year. We've done this nearly every school year, and we'll hang the list on the fridge or somewhere visible so that it's a reminder all year long. Even if she doesn't reach every goal on the list, it's likely that she already took the first steps to getting there, and that's just as important. As we explore different colleges and universities, I support her in what she is looking for in a… https://www.popsugar.com/family/supporting-latina-teen-prioritizing-mental-health-49377102?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr

[earth-18104]

Earth-18104 - 18th and 19th Century

List of events of 18th and 19th Century happening on Earth-18104, focusing more in the events happening with Wolverine, Sabretooth, my OCs and the Akkaba Clan (yes, they're important in this story)

The (N) at the end of names serves to indicate character births, and the numbers is their ages. I will add more eventually as I write.

List of Events of Earth-18104 (Resume)

Tw: mentions of death, abuse and violence

18th century (1701-1800)

1700 -

• Wakanda, Atillan, Talokan, Okkara and Lemuria prosper while the world around it remains at war, deploying wooden ships in naval battles.

1713 -

• Odelia, a descendant of Etana of Okkara, is born somewhere on the African continent, in one of the small cities of the new kingdom of Okkara, home of the first mutants. (N) OC

1727 -

• Odelia is separated from her family and sold into slavery, being taken to South America, Colombia.

• At some point she awakens her fire powers, but keeps them secret.

1728 –

• Hadiza is born, daughter of Odelia, descendant of Etana. (N) OC

• Odelia taught her daughter how to control her powers. In the following years, her children and grandchildren would inherit her abilities, however, none of them would have such powerful flames until the birth of Tereza Márquez years later.

1757

• June 23 - Britain establishes corporate dominance in India, beginning nearly two hundred years of oppressive rule over the country.

1760 –

• A mutant named Samara is born, a distant descendant of Etana. (N) OC

1764 -

• September 18 - Raven Darkholme is born somewhere in Germany. (N)

• In the future she would be called Mystique. Her shapeshifting powers first manifested when she was twelve years old and granted her a lifespan far beyond that of a normal human.

• June 25th - The witch Amelia Smith is born. (N) OC

1773-

• December 10 - Vincent, a feral mutant, father of Tereza Márquez, is born in Colombia. (N) OC

1775 -

• April 19 - The American Revolutionary War begins.

• June 14 - The United States Army is formed.

1776 -

• July 4 - The United States of America is established.

1779 -

• March 11 - Salomé, a mutant of fire, mother of Tereza Márquez, is born in Colombia. (N) OC

• Like her ancestors, she has the ability to create fire, however, her flames are much weaker than her grandmother's.

1780 -

• The Daughters of Liberty sisterhood was founded in Europe. Spreading the message of freedom in the colonies, they were a sisterhood of guardians protecting the knowledge of the new age.

• They were trained in forms of combat, such as swordsmanship and martial arts.

• At some point, Agatha Harkness (116) joined the organization and trained some members, including Amélia Smith (16) OC.

1783 -

• September 3 - The American Revolutionary War comes to an end.

1787 -

• (The bear)

• Born as a slave, when Vincent was fourteen, he saw his mother being mistreated and tried to defend her, being beaten instead. Seeing the boy's injuries disappear just moments later, the slave master continued to punish him for several days.

• When the punishments got worse, Vincent's second mutation emerged, giving him long, dark fangs and claws, like those of a bear.

• Tired of the torture, Vincent freed himself from his chains and killed his attacker, running away from the plantation where he lived.

• For the next few years, he lived alone in the forest. His mutation made him more of an animal than a man and he learned to live like one.

• Many stories were created about a wild man who protected the forests and many people tried to find and kill him, but no one succeeded.

1789 -

• April 13 - The mutant Beatrice Carvalho, later known as Lullaby, is born. (N) OC

• George Washington becomes the first president of the United States.

• The French Revolution begins.

• The Akkaba Clan was involved in this conflict. They grew in numbers, accumulated wealth, and placed themselves in influential positions to control the world.

1791 -

• Amelia Smith (27) was expelled from the Daughters of Liberty for involving herself in forbidden magic.

• She was found by Elsa Santiago (306) who welcomed her into her coven and taught her about the Enriched and the beliefs of Apocalypse and the people of Okkara.

• Thus, she became the Second Pillar of the Inner Circle.

1794 -

• Amélia Smith (30) met and married a mutant, Carlos Salazar.

1800 -

• February 26 – Antônio Cavalcante. (N) OC

19th century (1801-1900)

1801 -

• June 6 - Theodosia Salazar is born, daughter of the mutant Carlos Salazar and the witch and former member of the Daughters of Liberty, Amélia Smith. (N) OC

• (The second Pillar - OC)

• When Beatrice Carvalho was twelve years old she discovered that she could float, the first of her mutations. Beatrice was very imaginative, so her parents didn't believe her at first when she told them that she managed to fly into the clouds.

• Upset, she kept trying to fly again, until she managed to do so in front of her parents, climbing high until she touched the roof of her house.

• What she thought was a blessing, her parents thought otherwise. Despite not being afraid of their daughter, they believed there was something wrong with her and asked her not to use her mutation in front of others.

• Beatrice didn't think anything was wrong. She began training secretly, every night going to the garden where she would try to fly to the top of her house and then back.

• Some time later she had already mastered her mutation and no longer needed to hold on to trees or the roof to stay still.

• One day, she showed her parents how well she could fly, floating around the garden, leaving her parents in awe.

• Without her knowing, Amélia Smith had been watching the girl train for the last few months and went to tell her teacher, Elsa Santiago.

• Unfortunately she wasn't the only one to see it and Santiago was more than interested in her mutation and wouldn't let the girl go free, so she took her daughter Deianeira to the city where Beatrice lived.

• The following night, Beatrice's house was surrounded by a crowd, who demanded that she come out and show off her powers.

• When Beatrice's parents tried to send the people away, they started throwing stones and torches at the house, while Santiago and Deianeira watched everything from afar.

• Beatrice watched as her parents were stoned to death, which caused her second mutation to emerge. Frightened, she began to cry and scream, but her voice came out a hundred times louder, creating sound waves so strong that it brought the angry crowd to their knees.

• Santiago then decided to intervene, using her powers she disintegrated the humans and walked towards Beatrice.

• Without knowing that it was Deianeira who hypnotized the humans to attack her house, Beatrice became attached to the two mutants when she saw that they had powers like her.

• From that moment on, Beatrice was taken by Santiago and was part of her Inner Circle as the Second Pillar.

1803 -

• Salomé (24) OC escaped from her slave master, revealing her fire powers. Unfortunately, she had to leave her siblings behind to escape, but promised to return to free them.

• In a forest in Colombia, Vincent (29) OC was still hiding from humans when he met Salomé.

• Upon seeing her, he tried to kill her, but Salomé managed to produce flames large enough to burn her face and blind him, giving her the chance to escape.

• Even so, Vincent, seeing that she was not human either, became curious and followed her, promising to protect her from the hunters.

• They lived together in the forest for a few years and Vincent fell in love with Salomé, asking her to be his mate.

1805-

• The mutant Silas Burr was born in Canada. (N)

1807 -

• May 14 - Theodosia Salazar awakens her powers at the age of six. Her father helped her control her flames and keep them hidden; Her mother Amélia (43), a witch and a follower of Elsa Santiago, watched Theodosia closely.

• She tried to teach Theodosia the ways of Apocalypse's disciples to make her believe that because she was a mutant she should dominate humans, however, her husband did not agree with her beliefs and forbade his wife from teaching his daughter about the mutants of the past.

• December 5th - Francine Cavalcante, a mutant and future founder of the Mercs for Money, is born in Colombia. (N) OC

1808 -

• When Salomé (29) became pregnant, she told Vincent (34) that they couldn't live in the forest forever with their baby and convinced him to go find a safer place to raise their family

• Reluctantly, Vincent accepted and they travel through Colombia, running away from slave owners and others who were after their skills until they reach a Palanque hidden in the Western Cordillera of Colombia, in the region of Eje Cafetero.

• Despite being well received, Vincent built a cabin for himself, his wife and baby away from the Palanque.

• September 13 - Some time later, Vincent and Salomé's first daughter is born, who they named Helena. (N) OC

• At first the other residents looked suspiciously at the new couple, but over time, Vincent, being a mid-level feral mutant, became the palenque's main protector and helped free other slaves and take them to safety.

1809 -

• December 14 - Salomé and Vincent's second daughter, Cecília, is born. (N) OC

1810 -

• With the creation of the state of Cartagena, the abolition of slavery in Colombia was officially presented.

• However, this would not be respected and the slave trade would continue, which traders still considered private property.

• At this time, Antônio Cavalcante (10) OC awakened his mutation, being able to enter people’s mind and read their emotions by touching them.

1812 -

• February 13 - Theodosia's father, Carlos Salazar, died in a mysterious accident caused by her mother, Amélia Smith (47).

• June 18 - The Anglo-American War begins.

• August 27 - Months later, after discovering her father's death, Theodosia Salazar (10) burns her mother to death.

• In the months that pass, the people of the village think that Theodosia is innocent and she lives in an church with other kids.

• One day Elsa Santiago (326) and her daughter Deianeira (191) visit her and try to take her to their mansion, where they could help her control herself. Theodosia refuses, stating that no one can help her, and tries to attack her upon hearing that Santiago was her mother's mentors.

• She is no match for Santiago and is easily subdued. Elsa promises to train Theodosia and the young mutant accepts and becomes the Third Pillar of the Inner Circle.

• For the next years, she lives with Elsa and other mutants, including Deianeira and Beatrice Carvalho (22).

1813 -

• Zebadiah Creed fights in the Anglo-American War.

• November 11 - After losing a baby during birth, Vincent's first son, Hector, is born, and like his father, he shows signs of feral mutation since birth. (N) OC

1814 -

• December 24 - The Treaty of Ghent is signed, ending the War of 1812.

1815 -

• February 18 - The Anglo-American War comes to an end.

• Zebadiah Creed returns to Canada and marries a young woman named Victoria as he had promised to do before going to war. They live on a farm in Edmonton, but Victoria quickly regrets the marriage when she sees how explosive Zebadiah could be.

• August 19 - Tereza Márquez, later known as the villain Sanguinária, is born in a palenque in the Western Cordillera of Colombia. (N) OC

1817 -

• February 11 - Zebadiah and Victoria's first son, Luther Creed, is born. (N)

1819 -

• May 3 - Victor Creed, later known as the mercenary Sabretooth, is born in Edmonton. (N)

1820 -

• January 22 - Clara Creed is born as the only daughter of the Creed family. (N)

1821 -

• April 30 - Living in the same palenque as Vincent and Salomé, the mutant Francine (13) awakens her telekinesis. After that, she becomes closer to Helena (12) and Cecília (11), Vicent's daughters.

• Seeing that Francine was a mutant like his children, Vincent (47) decides to adopt her into his pack, and which time he begins to train them to control their abilities, teaching them to hunt like feral mutants.

• Meanwhile, Tereza (6) began helping her mother with household chores while her father and sisters went hunting; From an early age she had trouble interacting with other people and didn't spoke until she was a little older, which worried her mother.

• What her family, at that time, didn't know was that Tereza, like her brothers, was autistic. Despite not speaking, she understood her family very well, who never tried to make her communicate verbally or anything that made her uncomfortable.

• She lived a happy life in her community, despite all the dangers she faced.

• One day, Tereza was playing with Hector (8), who started teasing her about going hunting with his father for the first time, which made his sister jealous. She wished she could hunt with Vicent, instead of running the house with her mother.

• After being provoked by her brother, Tereza's mutation manifested itself, causing her to create red flames on her hands, much more deadly than her mother's.

• It was the first time in three generations that a member of her family, who were distant descendants of Etana, awakened such a powerful mutation.

• While Salomé was worried, Vicent was pleased with his daughter's strength.

1822 -

• April 30 - Saul Creed is born, last son of the Creed family. (N)

• July 23 - Dulce, Vincent's youngest daughter, is born. (N) OC

1823 -

• When her mother becomes ill, Tereza Márquez (8) begins to accompany her father and sisters on their travels.

• She briefly meets Theodosia Salazar (22) OC, who was looking for other mutants in Colombia by Elsa Santiago's request.

• Theodosia shows Tereza her fire powers and tries to teach her how to create bigger flames, but Vincent (49) attacks her.

• For a moment Theodosia though she should take the child with her, but decides to stay away and not tell Santiago about the family of mutants she found. Years later, Theodosia and Tereza would become rivals.

1827 -

• March 24 - Salomé (48) succumbs to her illness, as do other few residents of their Palenque. Francine (19) and Helena (18) take on the responsibility of looking after their siblings while their father is away.

• Now without his wife, Vincent (53) becomes more rigid and distant from his children and begins attacking carriages that come too close to their village's perimeters, causing people to retrace stories about the demon that haunted the forests.

• (Origins: Sabretooth)

• May 3 - During Victor Creed's 8th birthday, he and his brother Luther (10) got into an argument over a piece of pie.

• Victor's mutation manifested for the first time and he threw himself at his brother and slashed him with his new claws.

• Used to the fighting games he had with his brothers, Victor didn't realize he had injured Luther until he saw him bleeding.

• Although it was an accident, Victor's father confined him to a basement, forbidding him from seeing his siblings, and every night, he pulled out Victor's "devil's teeth" in an attempt to purge the boy of his demons.

• For the next few years, he was isolated in the basement, receiving visits from his sister who came to give him food in secret.

1828 -

• Silas Burr (23) ran with notorious Edinburgh murderer William Burke and took part in the heinous West Port murders.

1829 -

• Victor Creed's (10) father continues to torture him and lock him in the basement, forcing him to call himself a monster. He then stops feeding him, only releasing a rabbit into the cellar, telling Victor that "if he wants to live, he has to kill".

• Helena (20), Francine (21), Hector (15), Tereza (13) and other men help a group of slaves escape and take them to their city.

• Later, Helena reprimands Tereza for using her powers irresponsibly and says that if she cannot follow orders she should take care of the housework with Dulce (6), which angers Tereza and the two sisters fight.

• September 28th - A few months later, Tereza (14) was dancing with her family, during a party in the Palanque, when they were attacked by a large group of white men. Vincent (55) and his children tried to protect the Palanque, but they were easily subdued even with their powers.

• Seeing her family being attacked, Tereza's mutation evolved and her flames grew and she was able to kill all her enemies, but destroyed her village and the surrounding forest along with it. Unfortunately, her father's healing factor was not strong enough to save him and he died along with his daughters, Helena, Cecília and Dulce.

• October 14 - Having to flee their old home, Francine, Hector and Tereza began to live on the streets and in the forest.

• Thanks to the training they received their entire lives, they were able to protect themselves from other people who tried to attack them when they were alone.

• The three adopted the name Márquez, took jobs to support themselves, and continued to help slaves and mutants escape and hide; some stories about the three were invented.

1832 -

• One night, after years of living in the basement of his family's home, Victor Creed (13) heard his father and mother arguing. Hearing the scream of his mother and brothers he tried to free himself to protect them.

• One of the chains on his wrist broke easily, but the other remained intact. With no other choice, Victor chewed off his own hand and left the basement.

• When he arrived in the kitchen, he found his mother crying over the body of his brother Luther (14) and his father holding a bloody axe.

• Victor then killed his father, but spared his siblings, Clara (12) and Saul (10), and his mother, who asked him to flee when neighbors approached the house. Victor obeyed and ran into the forest, where he lived alone for the next few months. He allegedly invaded three Canadian provinces and killed at least three police officers while on the run.

• Even far away, he kept an eye on his family and attacked everyone who tried to harm them.

1833 -

• Victor Creed (15) returned to his family after a year living alone in the forest. Upon returning home, he was forgiven by his mother and brothers and became the alpha of his family and began to live wildly, slowly embracing his animal side and taught his brothers to do the same.

• At some point he worked for a railroad. Apparently he eviscerated a man who was harassing him in a bar, which resulted in him and his family having to move.

1834 -

• Canada. - At midnight on July 31, slavery came to an end in all British territories, including British North America. To honor this important event, August 1 is celebrated as Emancipation Day in Windsor, Ontario and elsewhere.

• Margaret Slade was born in one of the high houses of Clan Akkaba. (N)

1835 -

• Ichisumi was collected by Apocalypse and "stored" for later use as the Hunger of his Final Horsemen.

1836 -

• February 23 - The Battle of the Alamo begins.

• Antônio Cavalcante (36) OC was present in this conflict.

1838 -

• Elsa Santiago (342) heard about the Márquez siblings and became interested in their mutations, especially Tereza's fire abilities, which seemed to be as strong as Theodosia's.

• Upon discovering that Tereza was a descendant of Etana, she went looking for her.

• Tereza (23) received an offer from Santiago to be trained by her, to learn about her powers, but she was not interested. She agreed, however, to be trained and work for Santiago.

• She had to become the Fourth Pillar of the Inner Circle, but still remaining distant from Santiago because she felt uncomfortable with the strange interest the woman had in her.

• Under the tutelage of Santiago and her followers, Tereza's powers grew stronger and became a skilled assassin.

1840 -

• Francine Márquez (34) met Antônio Cavalcante (39), a rich man who had a transport business in Colombia. Antônio had heard about the Márquez and soon realized that they were mutants like him, so he revealed his own abilities.

• Francine agreed to partner with Antônio and they started working together. Shortly afterwards, Antônio proposed to her, and she accepted only because of his money.

• Even though Antônio was kind and never treated Francine cruelly and was truly in love with her, Hector (26) and Tereza (25) were not happy with the marriage. Contrary to what she had planned, Francine started to fall in love with Antônio and they had a happy life together.

1843 -

• July 3 - Jonas Graymalkin was born at his family's residence. (N)

1850 -

• Madripoor is used as a sanctuary for pirates.

1851 -

• Slavery in Colombia is abolished.

• Hector Márquez (34) travels to the United States and joins Tereza (33) in the Inner Circle, working for Santiago.

• Francine (43) tries to stop him from going, as she didn't trust Santiago and her allies, because of their "mutant supremacy" mentality. Even so, she and Antônio (48) move and settle in Canada, where they continue their business.

1856 -

• Jack Starsmore, member of Clan Akkaba, descendant of Apocalypse, was born in his family's ancient home. (N)

1858 -

• August 19 – The mutant Irene Adler, later known as Destiny, is born. (N)

1859 -

• Jonas Graymalkin was aware of the turmoil in the colonies over taxation by the British Parliament, but he did not care. He was coming to terms with his own problems when he realized he was gay.

• One day, while meeting another boy in his family's barn, he was discovered by his father, a religious man, who believed his son was an abomination and the spawn of the devil. Beating Jonas nearly to death, his father tried to bury him alive in the nearby forest.

• This burial unleashed Jonah's mutant powers, allowing him to survive nearly 200 years underground before being unearthed in the modern era.

1860 -

• August 4 - Hamilton Slade, Margaret Slade's eldest son, is born into a wealthy and prestigious family. (N)

• Being a descendant of Apocalypse, Hamilton inherited a strong dose of his blood that granted him great strength and resistance and that is why he was chosen to be the next leader of his clan.

1861-

• The American Civil War, or Civil War, begins.

• Saul (39) and Victor Creed (42) and Hector Márquez (47) OC join the war. Because of their mutations and wild nature, the three men do not get along immediately, mainly because of Victor's aggressiveness.

• Hector sends letters to his sister Francine, telling her that he had found other people like them.

• Over time, the three become comrades and talk about their sisters, Victor also becomes curious about Hector's sisters being "freaks" like them.

• As women were not allowed to fight in the war, Tereza Márquez (46) OC disguised herself as a man and used the name Vincent Márquez to join the army.

• She joined an abolitionist group and carried out missions to free slaves, taking them to the secret houses of her sister Francine (53) and her brother-in-law Antônio Cavalcante (61).

• At the same time, Clara Creed (41) also fought in the war, first as a nurse, then as a sniper and spy for the Union.

1862 -

• Clara Creed met and became friends with Francine Cavalcante and worked together to free and shelter runaway slaves at the Cavalcante's house. Their actions caught the attention of the Daughters of Liberty, who invited them to be part of the group.

• At some point this year, Tereza Márquez got into a fight with Silas Burr (57), who had discovered her cover. She managed to defeat him and threatened to kill him if he told someone about her true identity.

1864 -

• Hector Márquez (50) was killed during a battle. His healing factor was not strong enough to protect him and he died after days battling alone.

• His younger sister Tereza (49), who was supposed to meet him days later, found his body and, in a state of rage, unleashed her flames on a small town where her brother's killers were.

• However, her flames became stronger and ended up devastating the entire surrounding area.

• She continued in the war, still fighting on the Union side for black people rights, as her brother had done, but became much more aggressive and cruel when dealing with enemy soldiers.

1865 -

• April 9 - The Civil War comes to an end.

• Victor (45) and Saul Creed (43) were not happy about this, knowing that with the end of the war they would have to go back into hiding or pretend to be normal humans.

• Meanwhile, Clara Creed (44), to the chagrin of her brothers, accepted the marriage proposal of Arthur Roberts, a man she had met during the war.

• July 12th - The wedding takes place a few months after the end of the war.

• Clara invited Francine Cavalcante (57) to the ceremony, but Francine told her about her brother's death and Clara mourned, sending her condolences.

• Clara and Antônio Cavalcante (65) started exchanging letters at that time. With her brother's death, Francine became estranged from her sister and continued business with her husband, continuing with his mission of abolition, as her brother would have wanted.

• Tereza also became colder and crueler and continued to work as a mercenary for Santiago.

• Over time her flames grew stronger, she completely mastered her powers and became very famous and feared.

• She enjoyed this fame, she felt powerful and over time, after so many years of suffering, she became more violent and her bloodlust increased, she became increasingly sadistic and thirsty for violence;

• She traveled all over the world learning several languages ​​and martial arts, becoming an assassin. Despite her cruel labors, she continued to defend her people alongside her siblings.

• Although she was never caught or seen, stories about a fire demon that defended the sacred lands and mutants, stories were created and she came to be called the Diablo of Ojos Rojos.

1866 -

• May 15 - Fredrick Slade was born at Alexandria House, the second son of Margaret Slade. (N)

• Because Frederick was the youngest and weakest son, he did not receive much attention from his mother or even his clanmates. His mother spent most of her time and energy molding his brother Hamilton (6), who constantly picked on Frederick because of his reserved nature.

• Hamilton on the other hand grew up as a sarcastic and aloof child and considered himself equal to Apocalypse and had no reverence for his lord except for being grateful that he was not born human.

1872 -

• Over the years, Tereza Márquez (57) has realized that she doesn't age, just like her father. However, her sister Francine did, as they do not share the same blood.

• Afraid of losing her last family, Tereza went to Santiago in search of a solution. Cruelly, Santiago offered her a chance to make her sister immortal like her, as long as Tereza did one more job for her, and if she completed it, her debts to the Inner Circle would also be paid and she could abandon her position as Fourth Pillar.

• Accepting, Tereza went on a trip, with the mission of finding a young feral mutant in Canada.

• (Events of ILYLRD - fanfic) (Incomplete for now)

• In the middle of his mission, Victor Creed (53) was hired to kill Tereza after she caused panic in a small town.

• At that time, Tereza still didn't have her super strength so she only used her flames and even though she was weaker, she managed to take him down thanks to her abilities when he attacked her in the forest.

• After killing Creed twice, Tereza offered him to pay him to help her find her target. Creed accepted and the two traveled together for the next weeks.

• After they find the young mutant, Darius, they take him back to Santiago and Selene Essex. However, along the way they were attacked by other men who worked for Essex and had the same mission as Tereza.

• Victor was angry for having gotten involved with Tereza and walked away from her after being paid by her. While Tereza took Darius to the Inner Circle. There, she told Santiago about Victor Creed's abilities.

• Tereza's payment was a Life Seed modified by Essex (207). She took the seed to Francine and Antônio and secretly made them ingest it. Unbeknownst to her, Francine was pregnant at the time.

1873 -

• During a New Year's party, Victor met with Saul (50), the two discussed Tereza They were approached by Lullaby (83) who offered them a place in the Inner Circle, however, they both followed Tereza's advice and refused.

• After the visit, they went to visit Clara (52) and noticed that her husband, Arthur, was acting strange.

• Months later, Victor was attacked by hunters and almost died when his healing factor reached its limit. Tereza, who was looking for him, found him and saved him.

• Tereza told Victor her real name (she was using a fake one) and the two start to live together in a cabin, working as mercenaries.

• Over time, Tereza and Victor became lovers, but they had nothing serious, even though Creed was quite possessive. Although they were always fighting, they understood each other and worked well together, sharing the same desire for violence and blood.

• After nine years in an unhappy marriage Clara Creed (54) thought about leaving her husband and returning to her brothers, but Arthur Bennett stopped her.

• In recent years, Bennet began to realize that no matter what happened, Clara maintained a very young appearance, which made him suspect that she was a mutant.

• When Clara tried to leave the house once again, he stabbed her in the back. Upon seeing her wound heal almost immediately, Bennet tied her to the bed and tortured her, trying to purge the demon from her body.

• Victor and Saul, who were going to visit her, heard her screams and went to save her, arriving just as Bennett threw acid in her face. Having flashbacks of his childhood, Victor had Saul take Clara away while he tortured and killed Bennett.

• Seeing that Clara's healing factor was very weak, Victor and Tereza took Clara to Antônio and Francine, who kept the brothers hidden when the city went after them for the murder of Arthur Bennett.

• Shortly afterwards Clara recovered. Her healing factor did not erase all traces of her husband's attack and she retained a scar on her face for the rest of her life. From then on, she started living in the house of Francine and Antônio, old friends of hers, helping them take care of their baby.

• Her brothers went back to work far away, but they always came back to see her.

• July 17 - Francine and Antônio Cavalcante's only son, Augusto Cavalcante, is born. (N) OC

1874 -

• (Clan Akkaba)

• One day, Etana of Okkara (OC) came silently to see the Akkaba Clan.

• Even though she was not a descendant of Apocalypse, she was one of the last Okkari, so all of the clan bowed down to her.

• During her visit, she assessed family members and their abilities. Margaret Slade tried to impress her with the strength of her eldest son Hamilton (14), who was chosen to become leader of the family.

• Etana praised and congratulated him, saying that he should take care of the Akkaba Clan, which Hamilton mocked, thinking he was superior even to his own relatives.

• Etana then ignored him and went looking for Frederick (8), as Ozymandias had had a vision about the boy. Upon meeting him, Etana saw potential in him and something she hadn't seen in centuries.

• Since the fall of the first kingdom of Okkara, Etana has watched her people and seen how members of the Akkaba Clan deceived, betrayed, and even killed their own kin just to be considered closer to Apocalypse.

• Etana knew that Fredrick possessed qualities that she rarely saw among the Clan members such as courage, justice and compassion. Within Frederick, she saw a new dawn for the clan.

• To ensure this new dawn, Etana trained Frederick in the rites of passage that would make him leader of Clan Akkaba, the Fittest One.

1881 –

• Princess Aisha of Okkara is born, a descendant of Queen Milena. (N) OC

1882-

• September 5 - The child known as Dog Logan is born in the surroundings of the Howlett's property. (N)

1884 -

• September 1 – John Howlett Jr, eldest son of Jonh and Elizabeth Howlett, is born in the residence of the family. (N)

1885 -

• July 2 - James Howlett, the mutant who would become Wolverine, was born in Cold Lake, Canada, a few months after his older brother, the illegitimate son of Elizabeth Howlett and Thomas Logan, the caretaker of Jonh Howlett's property. (N)

1886 -

• (Essex Clinic)

• Selene Essex, Lady Sinister (221), began operating an obstetrics clinic, the Essex Clinic, in New York City, conducting research on society's deviants.

• She had unrestricted access to an abundance of generational genetic material to study, including that of Daniel Summers, the first Summers in America and former victim of her experiments in London, and his wife, Amanda Müeller.

• It is assumed that Sinister experimented on Müeller and several of her newborn babies.

• Victor Creed and Tereza Márquez worked for Essex at that time.

• (The Clan Cavalcante)

• At some point, Tereza received a gift from an admirer. Victor was not happy and caused chaos in the village where they lived. After being hanged and surviving, he and Tereza had to move once again.

• Months later, Victor accepted better jobs from Essex and left the continent.

• Tereza was irritated by Victor's departure, but she accepted his letters and kept every single one in a safe place, waiting for his return. As time passed, she started to worry about Augusto's well being and her sister's.

• One day, Tereza was drinking with Theodosia Salazar and asked why Santiago is so obsessed with her. Salazar commented that Tereza has a strong gene, she just has to accept that she is special and talks about the first day they met in Colombia when Tereza was a child, but Tereza did not remember it.

• The Cavalcantes begin to experience financial problems. One day, someone saw Augusto using his telekinesis and it caused once again the townsfolk to turn against the family.

• The Cavalcantes’ house was set on fire; Tereza saved Victor's letters and killed their attackers. The Cavalcantes and the Creeds had to move again.

1888-

• Raven Darkholme (124) disguises herself as Sherlock Holmes and begins working with Irene Adler (30), eventually they became lovers.

• February 29 - Elsa Santiago's son is born, in the future he would be called Praga by his mother. (N) OC

• Tereza Márquez (73), Theodosia Salazar (87) and Beatrice Carvalho (99) were present at the birth and showed disgust from Santiago about the way she treated the baby, and confronted her, but she showed no interest in her child and dismissed them.

1894 -

• (The Fittest One)

• Frederick Slade (27) grew up training with Etana and learned to use his in a special way. He possessed his mother's molecular rearrangement ability and a new mutation that Ozymandias and Etana felt they should keep secret until the battles to come: teleportation. He was also a formidable hand-to-hand combatant honed by Etana's training.

• Everything was going as planned until his older brother, Hamilton (33), realized that his biggest opponent was in his own home. Hamilton, despite having more advanced control of his molecular structure, was petty and honorless.

• So while Frederick slept the night before the rite of passage, he used his power to crush Frederick's spine ensuring that he would never be a threat again.

• The next day, Fredrick watched Hamilton take his place as the clan's Fittest One.

• As leader of the clan, all members had to obey Hamilton's orders, whether they agreed with him or not. Most notably Jack Starsmore, a police officer at the time, was his top underling.

• Margaret Slade (59) showed little thought about what had happened to Frederick, as her pride and joy, Hamilton, ensured that she controlled the Akkaba clan.

• Time passed and people forgot about Frederick.

1897 -

• Augusto Cavalcante (23) OC decided to leave home to travel; His "uncle" Saul Creed offered to go with him and they left the Cavalcante/Creed household.

• One day, Essex (232) asked Tereza (82) to accompany her on an important trip to visit the Slade Family. Tereza agreed and asked who they were, and Santiago said that they are distant relatives of Tereza, in a way, leaving her suspicious.

• Against her good will, Tereza spent time at Santiago's house and then was taken to Alexandria House and introduced to the Slade family, an aristocratic family descendant of Apocalypse and part of the Akkaba Clan.

• The reason Tereza was invited was because she, like her mother, was descent of Etana, the oldest mutant alive, therefore she had the right to rule the Akkaba. However, Tereza had no knowledge of her lineage, nor did she cared. She was not impressed by Hamilton Slade.

• As soon she had arrived, the clan had recognized her red eyes, but Hamilton forbid them from saying anything. Tereza meet with Frederick Slade, Hamilton's younger brother, and then Ozymandias, who was surprised to see her.

• Tereza asked Santiago to explain why she was there.

• Ozyamndias, servant of Apocalypse and Etana, told them he had a vision about the future of the mutants in the world, so Santiago wanted Tereza to stay with her to ensure that things turn out in their favor when the world changes.

• Tereza asked where Apocalypse is, Santiago says that she and Essex sealed him years ago.

• Days passed, Tereza became irritated by the reverence of the Akkaba Clan. Different from the others, she was not bothered by Frederick's presence, as he was much more humble and quiet than his relatives.

• Frederick told Tereza that he was chosen by Etana to be leader of the clan, but his older brother had broke his spine and stole the title. Tereza asked why no one did nothing, and Frederick laughed and said no one cared for the weak in their family.

• Tereza asked if Etana was alive, Frederick said he saw her as a child, she comes and goes, hidden from the rest of the world. And Tereza, being part of her family, was special. But she did not believed that.

• She remembered that her mother used to tell stories about her grandmother and where she came from.

• Later, Hamilton tried to seduce Tereza and she set him on fire in front of his relatives. He was not injuried and Tereza was disappointed.

• (The downfall of the Akkaba Clan)

• March 15 - The end of the Slade family came when mysteriously several members of the clan began to be murdered.

• Hamilton Slade (36) tasked Jack Starsmore (41) with covering the clan's tracks so they could avoid being exposed.

• He then set out to find the person responsible for the death of his relatives, as he could not trust anyone else with such an important job. That was the last time Hamilton was seen alive.

• The Akkaba were left with no alternative but to call Apocalypse for help.

• However, he had been sealed years ago and those who responded to their was Princess Aisha (16) of the New Kingdom of Okkara.

• And she was in the company of Professor Abraham van Helsing.

• The moment Aisha set foot in the house, she recognized Tereza's red eyes and knew she was part of the family. But she refused to acknowledge the woman's importance.

• Aisha wanted to follow the rules of the Akkaba Clan, taking a sacrifice as punishment for being so weak; Starmore convinced her to accompany them to the morgue to prove their suspicions that the Akkaba were under attack by vampires.

• Meanwhile, Frederick Slade witnessed the return of his brother and the introduction of his new lord, Dracula, who was turning members of the Akkaba Clan into vampires to fight Apocalypse as revenge for his previous defeat and the way the immortal had embarrassed him previously

• The clan was outraged, but they were no match for Hamilton and his terrible lord; the clan was killed and transformed, all except the president and main rival Kabar Brashir and Frederick, who Hamilton thought would be a waste of time.

• When Aisha and the others returned, it was too late and the Clan was no more. They were now Dracula's new coven.

• Aisha, seeing the situation, thought that Frederick was a 'simpleton' and would have left him to die, but Tereza knew that he was not so she protected him in the battle that followed.

• When it became clear that they could not defeat their opponents and death was upon them, Frederick took them away through his secret power of teleportation.

• Frederick was instrumental in tracking Dracula and teleporting them to Transylvania.

• Aisha summoned Etana of Okkara and what was left of the army of Apocalypse to aid them in battle, and Frederick teleported Starsmore, Márquez, van Helsing, and Ozymandias directly to Dracula's castle, where they were nearly killed by Hamilton Slade.

• However, as his brother prepared to turn Starsmore into a vampire, Frederick managed to teleport his head away from his body, effectively killing him. Starsmore, shocked by the turn of events, thanked him for saving his life.

• Upon returning to the House of Alexandria, they found the estate burned to the ground and Etana of Okkara sadly decreed that it was here that the Akkaba Clan would die.

• Before leaving, Etana saw Tereza. Her own red eyes, like her daughter's, was enough to tell the ancient mutant that they were related. Etana believed her descendant was not strong enough and left her behind.

• Frederick and Ozymandias saw it as a sign of shame, but Tereza said she only desired to go home.

• With the end of Clan Akkaba and the defeat of Dracula, Etana and Aisha returned to Okkara

• The only members of the clan that survived were Jack Starsmore (41), that went back to his family's home far away from the Alexandria House, Huang Lin's (Nature Kid) grandmother, Warren Worthington III's great grandfather, Armando Muñoz's grandfather, and a relative of Ororo Munroe.

• While Tereza went back to her family and van Helsing left for Canada, Frederick and Ozymandias began to rebuild the Clan in secret

• Tereza returned home to her lover, Victor Creed, and decided to stay with him, and never told him about anything that happened in London or about her family.

• (Jonh Howlett Jr.'s death)

• June 13 - Jonh Howlett Jr. (12) was apparently born a mutant and at some point bone claws grew in his hands and he attacked his mother, scarring deeply into her back.

• It is implied that it was his father who killed him. After this, Elizabeth Howlett was hospitalized.

• Days later, James Howlett (11) visited his brother's grave with Dog Logan (14), who was forbidden from telling the truth about his brother's death.

1898 -

• After his brother's death, James Howlett (12) spent more time outside with his friends: Rose O'Hara and Dog Logan (15).

• The children were close friends, but as they reached their teens, the abuse inflicted on Dog by his father warped his mind. Dog made unwanted advances toward Rose, which James reported to his father.

• In retaliation, Dog killed James' dog, leading to his and his father's expulsion from the Howlett estate.

• April 9 - That same night, Thomas Logan, drunk and armed with a shotgun, broke into the Howlett estate with Dog and attempted to take his ex-lover Elizabeth with him. John Howlett tried to stop him and Thomas shot him in the head, in cold blood.

• Upon seeing his father die, James' mutation manifested and bone claws extended from the backs of his hands and he attacked the intruders with unusual ferocity, killing Thomas and marking Dog face with three claw marks.

• Already an emotionally distraught woman since the death of her first child, Elizabeth, completely unhinged, pushed James away and took his life immediately afterwards with a shot from Thomas' gun.

• James's grandfather ordered him and Rose to escape by train and used his influence in the town to help the pair escape.

1899 -

• James Howlett (13) and Rose later took refuge in a quarry in British Columbia under the pretense of being cousins.

• James took the name "Logan" and within months, as the hard work of mining and the difficult environment wrought traumatic changes in his body, Logan became extraordinarily healthy and fierce.

[flying-alwina-esnardo]

Theme:  "Life is Spectrum"

Title: "The Unseen Battles of Mine"

       Hi! I'm sitting outside our house mesmerized by the stars, yes stars because it's 11:30 at night. I always do this because I can't sleep as if something is messing with my mind. As I  remembered all the things I've been through, I can't believe that I was able to handle all of that. I know you all want to know what I've been through and who I really am? Let's start with the day i was born into a colorful world but i have to face so many trials and sorrows in my life. In the province of Pangasinan, City of  San Carlos, it was the evening of september 19, 2004. My mom's screams could be heard echoing in our house because of the pain she felt as if her body was being torn apart,  then finally I came out from her. My body was still full of blood as I cried, "it's a girl" said the midwife. "What will you name her?" The midwife asked. My mom looked at the TV show  she used to  watch, it's called Mulawin and said the name Alwina, "I'll name her Alwina". 

       Before my mom gave birth to me, she and my dad separated, so three months later my mom left me with my grandparents because she had to work for me. Because my grandparents raised me, I am happy with them. One day, when I was just 3 years old, I was with my mom's siblings. I was surprised and happy because someone came to our house, she brought toys and food so I immediately ran and happily hugged her while shouting "sister Diana, sister Diana, sister Diana". Then after 1 week she needs to go back to work. Yes, I thought she was my sister because I didn't know that she was my mom because the parents I grew up with were my grandparents.  After a month, she got married with her boyfriend. I didn't mind it because I think she was just my sister at that time.  

       After 4 years, I was 7 years old when I found out that she was my mom. Because she took me with her where she and her husband worked and lived with my other two siblings. My mom explained to me that they are my parents. I lived for a year in La Union with them and I attended grade 1 there. But I was having a hard time adjusting and I was looking for my grandparents so mom sent me back to Panggasinan. I lived with my grandparents again and I had a happy childhood because I had a lot of friends and playmates there. But sometimes I used to cry because my mom's siblings always teased me and they always said that I was adopted and that I was just picked up from the trash. Of course I believed them,  because I was young that time and I didn't know what was true. 

       When I was 9 years old, it was december 16, 2013. My grandmother took me and we took the bus, I was very happy even though I didn't know where we were going. After more than five hours we arrived at the place where there was a lot of shouting here and there, we walked for a few minutes and we arrived at a house. I don't know whose house it was but we were made to sit inside and I just quietly listened to what they were talking about, then suddenly this man got my attention. He was just looking at me while he's crying and don't know why he's looking at me like that. He slowly walked closer to me and stretched out his two hands in front of me as if to indicate that he wanted to hug me

but I just stared at him until he spoke and said the words "my daughter, can you hug daddy?" He said while crying. I don't know what I should do, I can't understand what's happening  because I was just a 9 year old kid. I thought my parents were my grandparents but it was not then suddenly this unfamiliar man saying that he was my father. Then after a few hours my grandmother explained everything to me, I'm trying to understand everything but I'm still a kid. My grandmother left me with him, I cried but after an hour I stopped crying because he comforted me and I felt safe. It was strange that I felt comfortable with a person that I just met an hour ago. I stayed there for a week and I enjoyed playing and talking about what's happening in our lives. That was our first and last meeting. He promised that we will meet again but until now, here I am waiting for him to meet me and he never came. 

       I'm still living with my grandparents, in my high school life there were so many questions in my mind. Why did my mom and dad separated? What if they didn't? And what kind of life do I have? I think we had a happy family if they didn't break up or not. But I can't change the things that already happened. Since I  turned 13, I overthink a lot most of the time. My mom went on vacation with my siblings and her husband who I now call dad here at my grandparents' house. My step dad is kind and he treats me like his own daughter but sometimes I felt like I'm not belong with them because I was so hurt that I can't forget what my brother did to me, he pushed me and he said the words "his not your dad because you are adopted" I fell down and hit the floor because of what he did. I was about to cry but I stopped because I didn't want them to see that I was hurt by what he said, I needed to act like nothing happened even though it was so painful that I felt as if my heart had been stabbed so many times and I just ran away from them as if nothing had happened. My step dad saw everything that when I came home after I calmed myself, my brother came to me and apologized for what he did, it can be seen on his face that he just finished crying because my step dad beat him because of what he did to me. 

       In 2021, this is the year I seem to be lost. My family and my grandparents are in Cavite because they work there. In the middle of pandemic, I was left in Pangasinan because I was still studying there. My aunt lives near my house but she rarely visits me. Then suddenly, I lost interest in everything, I don't know why. I feel like I'm unwanted because I have no one at home but myself, I feel like I'm being left alone. I don't go out of the house often anymore, when I go out, I just go to my favorite palace, our back house. I go there every time the sun goes down, l will just sit in the swing while watching the beautiful and colorful sunset, all I can hear is the flowing of the river, the chirping of birds, and the rustling of leaves due to the cold wind. Feeling the cold breeze touching my skin and it's like hugging me. I couldn't sleep every night because there were so many things running on my head. I also stopped studying when I was in grade 11. I feel like I'm drowning in darkness and sadness. I tried to be happy and have fun with my friends, we always go out to drink alcohol but that's not enough because those are only temporary happiness. After that happiness, when I got home I'm still alone and I feel empty. It's gotten to the point where I have suicidal thoughts, and I tried to kill myself but I think God has a plan for me because he doesn't let me take my life, my aunt always their to stop me. Until my aunt decided to send me here to Cavite, because she thought that my life would be better here with my family, I told my aunt not to tell my parents what happened in Pangasinan because I don't want my parents to worry and have a problems about me.

      I decided to continue my studies and I promised myself that I'll do better and make my parents proud. I built a new and stronger me, now I'm here as a grade 12 student on Gen. Pantaleon Garcia Senior High School, currently living in Golden City,  Anabu II-F, Imus Cavite.  My name is Alwina A. Esnardo, 19 years old, you can call me, win  for short because no matter how difficult life's challenges are, I will try to win every battle of my life. I will keep fighting for my bright future.  I realized that I just need to face the problems and trials that God gives me with strength, love, trust and faith in every plan he made for me.  I just need to look on the brighter side of my life. I am very thankful to the people who made me feel that I am important and I am part  of their lives. I am also thankful to the new people I met and became my friends when I first entered this school, thank you because you made me feel loved and you didn't make me feel unwanted. Thank you for being part of my life and  journey. I always remember these reminders "God will not put you in that situation if you can't overcome it", and "You may lose your petals but you'll bloom again".

Output No. 1: AUTOBIOGRAPHY

[dybdahlsvisitportugalspainfrance]

Exploring Northern Spain (modified)

I am writing this on the evening of September 22 from our last destination of this planned trip, Oviedo, Spain. We have two days here before we leave for a trip with Annie & Carl to Brittany, France. I'm afraid my social life has gotten in the way of my journaling - so tonight I'm staying in and writing. It is NOT like I am cloistered though, we are in the center of the city and currently a marching band is passing our hotel. Mark is trying to figure out if this is just a Friday event or a pre-football event. Real Oviedo is playing Langroe tomorrow - and I know y'all know this is NOT pointy ball football but the real thing. Anyway it is awesome.

This is pretty much our route with mini variations as we have veered off to see this or that amazing thing. Today we went went through Picos de Europa National Park. We are in España Verde (Green Spain) and it is simply beautiful. Here is a bigger shot of our route. Our eastern most point was San Sebastian or Donostia as it is called in the Basque language. That is what I will talk about today.

Sept 19, 2023

San Sebastian or Donostia

What an absolutely gorgeous place!!

This beach is protected on 3 sides by land (the beach is like a clam shell) and people swim here year round - although this is the North Atlantic. This place was was Queen Isabella II can 3 times a year to bathe to address her skin condition. Now - I'm going out on a limb here - but truly she bathed ONLY 3 times a year. I'm guessing had she bathed - let's just say once a month or every other week - or gods forbid DAILY - her skin condition would have gone away. But that is just me...

This might be a good time to talk about the Spanish Royals. Let me just say - What the hell?

Spain has a constitutional monarchy - like Great Britain. But there are a few differences.

Before the death of Franco, he had hand-picked his successor someone who would carry on his vision of Spain as a deeply conservative Catholic country, and thought he had found that person in Juan Carlos I, a member of the Spanish royal family. (His grandmother was the granddaughter of Queen Victoria.) In 1969, he named Juan Carlos as his successor, certain that the future king would keep Spain on its authoritarian path. But Franco badly misjudged his chosen successor. After the dictator’s death, Juan Carlos turned out to be a reformer. The constitution was rewritten, Spain transitioned to a democratic system, and elections were held soon after. Due to lots of issues Juan Carlos 1 - decided that this dictator of a Catholic nation was not really his gig - so he decided to be king instead and slowly transitioned the country to democracy. But even after passing laws saying every person was equal under the law EXCEPT the king, he realized he was not going to be free for long - so June 19, 2014, he abdicated while he had a parliament that was pro-monachy and would accept his son Felipe as king. Felipe is King and Juan Carlos is in exile - without the queen - who has had it with his shenanigans.

And the photo below is the queen and crown princess congratulation the women of the Spanish team after winning the World Cup this year. ( Notice - no kissing here)

With no male heir, Leonor, Princess of Asturias born 31 October 2005) is the heir presumptive to the throne of Spain as the elder daughter of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia.

FYI - we are in the region (think state) of Asturian tonight. Just like the crown prince/princess of Great Britain is the Prince of Wales - in Spain the crown prince/princess is the Prince/Princess of Asturia

Enough about that. Back to San Sebastian or Donostia .

After Queen Isabella II decided it was "fashionable" to bathe, the trend was established and the who's who of money followed. It became all that - AND a bag of chips - so many historical figures dipped their toes in the water. People like Leon Trotsky and Mata Hari come to mind.

This town is know for its food and I could not fail to mention the Txokos, or private male gastronomic societies that characterize Basque culinary culture. These men cooking clubs are now accepting women - but they are forbidden to enter the kitchen. Sounds like something I would like.

If you can get an invitation you can expect to enjoy things like bacalau (salt cod) with browned garlic olive oil emulsion and piperade (basque pepper sauce), kokotxas (cheeks of hake fish), langoustine with serrano ham, and hard cider in the company of the other men who are members of the society.

We had these items in different restaurants but no doubt the men's club food would have been better.

This city has had some tragedies. It was a hot bed of fighting during the Civil War

From the city's website:

"31st August of the year eighteen thirteen – a date marked in red in the history of San Sebastián. On that day, blood and fire tainted the streets of our city, raising it to the ground. A huge civilian tragedy to which this building bore witness.

These were the years of the Peninsula War that pitched Spain against France. San Sebastián was under the control of the French army at that time. The Anglo-Portuguese Alliance, which had become involved in the war to support Spain, had started to gain the upper hand over Napoleon Bonaparte’s army.  In the summer of that year, English troops, backed up by Portuguese soldiers, besieged the city of San Sebastián. On the morning of 31st August, troops led by General Sir Thomas Graham, who was acting on orders from the Duke of Wellington, managed to breach the defences and enter the city. The French troops, who were completely overcome, withdraw to Mt. Urgull, seeking to protect themselves inside the La Mota castle. 

The locals endured a succession of unmentionable atrocities. Under the pretext that San Sebastián sympathised with French interests, English soldiers fired their guns the whole day at balconies and windows, gained access to houses and seized everything of value. The vandalism and looting spread throughout all the streets, houses and churches. As in all wars, many women were raped, and hundreds of locals were shot dead: children, the elderly…. nobody was safe. Ultimately, they set fire to the whole city. 

The huge fire reduced practically all houses to cinders in the old city. This building, below (San Sebastion Cathedral) is one of the few that remained standing and is the only one to maintain the façades and construction elements typical of the time."

Not much remained. The city was built back in standard at-the-time construction so the old town looks pretty uniform today. I was however intrigued by this:

This is the city square and during the Franco times, these homes faced the bull fighting arena. You may own your home - but the city owned your balcony and for event - like a bullfight - the city sold tickets to your balcony. Hmmmm..

We loved this place and enjoyed every minute there including this beach art. Sadly it will be gone in about 5 hours. But for now, it was awesome.

I snapped a picture of this guy in a store window:

¡Eguberri on! (Happy Christmas in Basque)

This is Olentzero

Some historians believe Olentzero's origins can be traced back to pre-Christian Navarre and are linked to pagan winter solstice traditions, although the character was later adapted to conform with Catholic rituals

The story goes that Olentzero began his life as an abandoned infant who is found by a fairy godmother.

After bestowing the child with the gifts of “strength, courage, and love," the fairy leaves him with a childless couple who raise him as their own in the foothills of the Pyrenees.

Olentzero whittles wooden toys and at Christmas comes down from the mountains to the villages to distribute his crafts among the children.

Then one day as he is taking the gifts to a nearby town he passes a house that is engulfed in flames and charges in to save all the children inside. After performing this heroic deed, however, he perishes in the flames.

But his fairy godmother grants him eternal life so that he can continue to make toys for all the Basque children.

So - a couple of things: Olentzero has been cleaned up a bit over the years. Now he is a pipe-smoking jolly drunk filled with love. But 100 years ago, he would come to your house and leave a gift IF you had been good BUT if you had been bad - he would slit your throat. Talk about some motivation to mind to your parents - hey?

This character and the celebration that welcomed him were banned under Franco's rule. Catholicism was required so only the "approved" Catholic way of celebration Christmas were allowed. Below is a photo from 1930 Pre-Franco times:

Did you know that under Franco rule parents had to name their children Franco approved names? And no Basque names made the list. If you were on the Franco team - times were good (unless you pissed him off). On the side against Franco - not so good.

After lunch we headed back to Bilbao for our afternoon at the Guggenheim Museum. But you already know about that - so tomorrow I will write about Castro Urdiales and Santander. Loving Northern Spain.

Stay tuned.

[hollymbryan]

Blog Tour + #Excerpt: KIN by Carole Boston Weatherford and Jeffery Boston Weatherford (w/ #giveaway)!

Welcome to Book-Keeping and my stop on the Rockstar Book Tours blog tour by Carole Boston Weatherford and Jeffery Boston Weatherford! I've got all the details on this new book of art and poetry, an excerpt, and a giveaway below.

About the Book

title: KIN: Rooted in Hope author: Carole Boston Weatherford art by: Jeffery Boston Weatherford publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers release date: 19 September 2023

A powerful portrait of a Black family tree shaped by enslavement and freedom, rendered in searing poems by acclaimed author Carole Boston Weatherford and stunning art by her son Jeffery Boston Weatherford. I call their names: Abram Alice Amey Arianna Antiqua I call their names: Isaac Jake James Jenny Jim Every last one, property of the Lloyds, the state’s preeminent enslavers. Every last one, with a mind of their own and a story that ain’t yet been told. Till now. Carole and Jeffery Boston Weatherford’s ancestors are among the founders of Maryland. Their family history there extends more than three hundred years, but as with the genealogical searches of many African Americans with roots in slavery, their family tree can only be traced back five generations before going dark. And so from scraps of history, Carole and Jeffery have conjured the voices of their kin, creating an often painful but ultimately empowering story of who their people were in a breathtaking book that is at once deeply personal yet all too universal. Carole’s poems capture voices ranging from her ancestors to Frederick Douglass to Harriet Tubman to the plantation house and land itself that connects them all, and Jeffery’s evocative illustrations help carry the story from the first mention of a forebear listed as property in a 1781 ledger to he and his mother’s homegoing trip to Africa in 2016. Shaped by loss, erasure, and ultimate reclamation, this is the story of not only Carole and Jeffery’s family, but of countless other Black families in America.

Add to Goodreads Purchase the Book

About the Author and Artist

Hailed as “a master” and “the dean” of nonfiction for young people,” Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King  Award winner Carole Boston Weatherford is a New York Times best-seller and two-time NAACP Image Award  winner. Since her 1995 debut, she has authored 70-plus books including four Caldecott Honor winners: Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre; Freedom in Congo Square, Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer: Spirit  of the Civil Rights Movement, and Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom. Her books have  won nine Coretta Scott King Awards or Honors. She writes the diverse books that she lacked as a child. A Baltimore native and the daughter of educators, Carole was virtually born with ink in her blood. At age six,  she dictated her first poem to her mother. Her father, a high school printing teacher, published a few of her  early poems on the press in his classroom. Meanwhile, her grandmothers passed down oral traditions and  stories. By middle school, Carole had transferred from an all-black public school to a majority-white, private  school where a teacher wrongfully accused her of plagiarism. That slight compelled her to chronicle a more  inclusive history, to amplify marginalized voices and to build monuments with words. Now, children’s books are a family affair for Carole. In KIN: Rooted in Hope, she and her son, award-winning  illustrator Jeffery Weatherford embark on a genealogical quest. Through multi-voiced poems and dramatic scratchboard illustrations, mother and son conjure the voices and visages of their forebears. Their ancestors lived through the American Revolution, fought in the Civil War, were enslaved alongside Frederick Douglass,  cofounded Reconstruction-era villages, and according to local lore, descended from African royalty.  A professor at Fayetteville State University, an HBCU in North Carolina, Carole has been recognized with the  Nonfiction Award from the Children’s Book Guild, the North Carolina Literature Award, the Ragan-Rubin  Award from North Carolina English Teachers Association and a place in the North Carolina Literary Hall of  Fame. She is a life member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.  Jeffery earned his M.F.A. from Howard University where he was a Romare Bearden scholar and studied under artists from the Black Arts Movement. A rapper and a fine artist, Jeffery has performed or exhibited in  Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Baltimore, North Carolina, West Africa and the Middle East. Jeffery’s first book was  You Can Fly the Tuskegee Airmen, and his first picture book was Call Me Miss Hamilton. Both appeared on best  book of the year lists. 

Connect with Carole and Jeffery: Website | Twitter | Carole Instagram | Jeffrey Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

Excerpt

Read the excerpt here.

About the Giveaway

One (1) lucky winner will receive a finished copy of KIN by Carole Boston Weatherford and Jeffery Boston Weatherford! This one is US only and ends 19 September. Enter via the Rafflecopter below, and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway