#Ricky Park has gone missing as has his family.

[kaz3313]

Your Welcome! ☺️

Yeah- I’m not sure I take the full article as canon canon (like, yes I know it was made by Jordan Peele But I more take it as an optional extension of canon. Especially since it’s more on an alternate version where Gordy’s Home exists without JJ being a thing— but I digress) but it’s so interesting! There’s little details in it everywhere and the entire concept is fascinating.

👀 do you happen to have a way that i can read the fangoria article? Can't seem to find my hands on it :/

A friend shared these pictures with me. Unfortunately I don’t own the article myself :/

[hazel-light]

CATCH UP ON CHAPTER ONE HERE

Chapter Two Word Count: ~8,500

Genre: (Wedding) Fake Dating, Friends to Lovers, lots of bed sharing and every self indulgent fluffy trope possible.

Warnings: None? Lots of fluff? Occasional cussing? Some suggestive themes, moments, and jokes I guess. No smut or anything!

Disclaimer: I am not Daniel Sharman, and I do not pretend to know how he would act, speak, etc. This is fiction okay, there’s a lot of creative license, and potential to be OOC. Ricky isn't mentioned because I started writing this before we knew he existed, so apologies for that. Also, if you’re DShar himself, please do us both a favor and don’t read this, okay???? Same if you know him 🙈

Title taken from the song Yellow Lights by Harry Hudson which suits this story quite a bit!

A/N: Thank you to everyone who sent me feedback on the first part! I really appreciate it :) Things pick up quite a bit here.... I hope you all enjoy! The third part will be up tomorrow, as promised. <3

It was finally time to fly back to Massachusetts. I had changed my flight so that Daniel and I could be on the same one and seated together.

It’s ridiculously early when I arrive at his apartment to pick him up in our shared Uber, since we have to account for the time difference on the East Coast. He opens the door to his apartment, looking super cozy and ready for travel, one suitcase behind him and a backpack by the door.

“Today’s the day,” I grin at him.

“Oh shit, is it really?” He feigns, rolling his eyes. “Good thing I packed early, then.”

“You’re a professional traveler by this point, I bet you have it down pat.”

“You would think that, wouldn’t you? I actually put a bit more thought into this trip than I usually do.... I need to make a good impression, and I’m making a lot of first impressions.”

I can’t keep my face from forming an endeared expression. “That’s really cute.”

He puts his hands up bashfully. “I take my roles very seriously, Lauren.”

I shake my head. “Well, it means a lot to me; not only that you’re doing this, but that you’re taking it seriously.”

He shrugs, softening his playful demeanor. “Even if we weren’t together in their eyes, I would care what your family thinks. They’re important to you, so it’s important to me.”

“Dannnnielllll,” I whine, “Please don't make me cry this early in the day.”

He laughs, picking up his luggage. “At this rate you’re not going to survive the weekend. I haven’t even turned on my boyfriend charm yet.”

God help me then, I think, making my way back to the car.

Getting through LAX is fairly easy, and remarkably Daniel successfully flies under the radar. He offers to let me have the window seat, but I let him take it, figuring the farther out of sight from the aisle he is, the better.

Like all flights, I fall asleep as soon as we hit cruising altitude; Daniel has his headphones in and spends the time working on something in a notebook. In what seems like minutes, I’m being gently shaken awake by a smiling Daniel.

“Lovely girlfriend of mine, it’s time to rise and shine. Our relationship starts,” he pretends to check the time, “now.”

“Oh thank you, handsome boyfriend. I’m ready.”

Daniel laughs as we stand and wait to exit the plane. Once we step off and onto the ramp, Daniel offers me his hand. “Ready?”

I lace my fingers through his and try to ignore the flutter in my stomach. “Ready.”

Getting our luggage from baggage claim is fairly painless, which leads us to looking for Ryan and Katharine, his longtime girlfriend, in the airport. They’re picking us up on their way to the hotel on the Cape, where the wedding reception is going to be held, and also where we’re going to be staying.

We walk through the airport hand in hand, as I check my phone yet again to see if Ryan has texted. Nothing. We stop for a moment, and peripherally I hear a girl’s voice from behind us,

“Um excuse me, are you Daniel Sharman? Can I get a photo?”

I glance at Daniel, whose face has gone blank. I move to let go of his hand instinctively but he tightens his grip as we turn around. I laugh when I realize the voice belongs to Katharine, who’s standing in front of Ryan, who is trying his best not to laugh.

“Not funny, you guys,” I say, biting back a grin. “We haven’t been recognized so far.”

I turn back to Daniel, who’s looking at me slightly confused. “Daniel, please meet Ryan and his girlfriend Katharine.”

“Oh,” he laughs, reaching out to shake their hands. “That was good. It’s nice to meet you both.”

Katharine knocks into Ryan, who’s still grinning. “It was this loser’s idea. He said he couldn't do it because you’d recognize his voice too soon.”

“A fair point,” I add, teasing. “Besides, women tend to be Daniel’s main demographic, so.”

Daniel scoffs and rolls his eyes.

“What?” I laugh, “It’s true.”

“I wanted to see if you’d drop her hand in front of a fan,” Ryan challenges. “You passed the test.”

“That’s a stupid test, Ry. I wouldn’t have been offended if he did, since this is our first public outing as a couple.”

Daniel looks at me like I’ve somehow insulted him. “I would never do that to you, Laur. That’s crazy; I wouldn’t try to hide you.”

“Okay, well, I’m just saying.” I look at Ryan expectantly. “Still trying to figure out why you haven’t hugged me yet.”

“It takes two hands to hug, I think,” he taunts, nodding towards where Daniel and I are still holding hands.

I blush. “Can you not be this annoying? We literally just arrived.” I let go of Daniel’s hand and step toward Ryan. Katharine and Daniel watch amusedly as Ryan and I hug, trying to see who can crush the other the most. “I missed you, dummy.”

“I missed you, too. You can let go now. Really.”

I let go of Ryan and narrow my eyes at him. “You’re a brat.”

“Whatever, let’s go.”

I grab the handle of my suitcase, smiling at Daniel, who smiles softly back at me. I glance at his hand and then back at him, and he chuckles softly as he meets me halfway in my attempt to hold his hand again. I blush and look away, turning my attention back to Ryan and Katharine, who are leading us out of the airport to where they’d parked.

---

The car ride to the hotel on the Cape is filled with small talk, mainly questions for Daniel, who takes them in stride. I watch him and smile as he is able to keep up with Ryan’s antics and provide thoughtful answers. He is anything but flustered, and I feel a sense of pride trickle through me. At some point, Daniel catches me watching up with a smile on my face and he just smiles back, continuing his easy conversation with Ryan and Katharine. I jump in where I’m needed, or when I can provide something interesting, but for the most part I bask in how well things seem to be going.

Once we arrive and park at the hotel, the four of us get our luggage and head inside to check in. Ryan gives our name to the woman at the desk and she looks us up.

“Got it. I see the mother of the bride reserved two king rooms on the wedding family floor, which is 3.” I see Ryan glance at us, but I just don’t look at him, I just squeeze Daniel’s hand.

“That sounds right to me.”

Daniel nods next to me. The woman nods and hands us each two key cards. We thank her and head to the elevator for our floor.

Katharine checks her phone. “Do you guys want to get settled and meet back up for dinner? The hotel restaurant has seating out by the beach.”

I look at Daniel who looks at me before shrugging. “Yeah, that sounds great. You want to meet in like 45 minutes?”

The elevator dings and we exit to our floor. Our room is farther down the hall than Ryan and Katharine’s.

“Sure, we’ll head over to your room then.” Ryan smiles before ducking into his room with Katharine.

Once I hear their door click shut, I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

Daniel huffs a laugh at me, stopping to unlock our door.

“You alright?”

“Great. How’re you doing with all this?”

“Good; they’re nice— Ryan is literally exactly what I expected.”

I laugh at that and follow Daniel into the room. I look around and admire the quaint decor. The bed takes up most of the room but there’s a closet and a bureau on the opposite wall, and tall windows that don’t open but overlook the beach below and the sea beyond. Opposite the windows is a wall covered in different paintings and signs— very boho beachy.

I sit on the bed and look at Daniel, who’s already unzipping his luggage to hang up his suit.

“This is cute,” I comment.

“Yeah, it’s nice.”

I bite my nail and watch as he turns around to face the closet.

“I uh, forgot that we’d be sharing a bed. Just didn’t think of it— sorry.”

Daniel laughs and gives me an incredulous look over his shoulder.

“You thought your aunt would book us two beds even though as far as she knows we’re super in love?”

I blush. “Well, no. I just— I don’t know, I didn’t even think about it is all I meant.”

Daniel rolls his eyes. “It doesn’t bother me. I quite appreciate a good cuddle, if I’m honest. Haven’t had one in a while.”

I raise my eyebrows. “Oh?”

“Why— do you hate that? Are you one of those women who like their space?”

I snort. “No, no, we can cuddle. You just surprise me, is all.”

“Surprise you, huh?”

Daniel turns around with a mischievous sparkle in his eye. He takes two strides so he’s standing in front of me, and puts his hands on either side of my face. He leans down so we’re eye to eye and I can’t help but glance briefly at his lips, wondering if he’s going to kiss me again.

“You know,” he says softly, “You should really unpack your dress so it doesn’t wrinkle.” He winks and pulls back, kissing my forehead.

I shake my head even though he’s facing away from me now, hopping off the bed to follow his advice.

“You’re trouble, Sharman. Such a tease.”’

“Sorry?” He looks at me innocently, batting his eyelashes dramatically. “Oh, were you expecting a kiss?”

I feel myself blush as I pull my dress out and walk around him to hang it up.

“I wasn’t expecting anything. Like I said, you’re full of surprises.”

He lowers his voice. “So, you don’t want a kiss?”

I turn around to face him, eyes narrowed, thoughts rushing, but before I can retort there’s a knock on the door.

I turn away promptly to answer the door, grateful for the exit. I hear Daniel chuckle behind me as I open the door to reveal Ryan, who clears his throat.

“Hope I’m not interrupting.” He peers past me, presumably at Daniel. “Katharine called the restaurant to make a reservation and they only had a 6:45, so she said we’d take it. I tried to text you but you didn’t answer.”

“Sorry,” I apologize. “My phone's still in my bag. We were unpacking.”

“That’s fine. Are you guys good to head to dinner, or...?”

I feel an arm wrap around my waist. “Yeah, we’re good. I grabbed your purse, Laur, and I have my wallet and the room key.”

I can feel Ryan watching me so I lean back against Daniel’s chest and look up at him. “Thank you,” I say sweetly, taking my bag from him before turning back to Ryan. “Let’s go.”

—-

Dinner on the beach is lovely. There’s a subtle warm breeze and the food is delicious. The conversation is easy and I can’t help but feel an unusual sense of peace of bringing two of my favorite men together and having them get along so well.

I’m in a reverie when I feel Daniel’s hand lightly squeeze my thigh, bringing me back to reality. I blink, looking across the table at Ryan and Katharine, and try to ignore Daniel smirking next to me.

“Hmm? Sorry, I dazed out there for a minute.”

Katharine laughs. “Totally fine, I was asking how it’s been dating someone who's in the spotlight.”

“Oh, um.” I pause, taking a sip of water. “It’s been fine, you know, since we’ve been so low key about it. The public doesn’t know about us. I imagine it’d be different then.”

Daniel nods. “I think for the most part, the fans would be welcoming, but there are always going to be people who… aren’t.”

Ryan leans on his hand, looking between the two of us. “Isn’t it weird, though? The thought that there are so many girls thinking about getting with your boyfriend constantly?”

“I—” I look at Daniel, who looks mortified, but also curious at how I’ll respond. “I guess I’ve never really thought about it like that.”

Ryan makes a noise of indignation. “You watch his movies and shows and stuff, don’t you?”

I narrow my eyes at him. “Of course I do.”

“And it isn’t weird watching him make out with people on screen? Doesn’t it make you jealous?”

I open and close my mouth. I can tell behind his hand Daniel’s smirking, and even Katharine’s looking at me curiously.

“Well, of course I don’t love it— but I mean— it’s his job. There’s nothing I can do about it.”

I look at Daniel, who’s looking at me curiously.

“You never said it made you jealous.”

“I mean—” I shrug, at a loss for words.

He looks at me for a moment before looking away, clearing his throat as we’re interrupted by the waiter bringing our check.

Ryan goes to grab it, but Daniel beats him to it.

“I got it. I said I’d owe you a hundred bucks if you came with a real date, so,” Ryan teases.

I cross my arms. “Oh, and you believe me now?”

“After seeing how jealous you got in that conversation? Yeah.”

I scoff and Daniel and Katharine laugh while Ryan rolls his eyes.

“I’m just playing around, Laur.”

Daniel intervenes, sticking his card in the check holder and placing it at the edge of the table.

“I’ve got it, bro. First meeting and all that; but thank you.”

I look at Daniel. “You don’t have to do that, we all have our own jobs.”

Daniel shrugs. “I know, I just want to.” He places his hand on my thigh again, and leans in to kiss my temple. He whispers against my head. “Let me do this, please?”

“Okay,” I sigh. “Well, thank you.”

“Yes, thank you,” Katharine echoes, smiling.

“My pleasure.”

—-

We’re back in our room, just finished brushing our teeth, when I bring it up again.

“You really didn’t have to pay for dinner you know.”

“I know,” he says. “But I don’t want him giving you money like me coming here was something that had to be bribed, or bought. I came because I wanted to— the details of which Ryan doesn’t need to know.”

I hum in thought.

“Besides, apparently I’m causing you bouts of jealousy, so really it’s the least I can do,” he teases.

I scoff, “Comes with the territory I guess…. along with apparently fighting off swarms of girls who want to jump your bones.”

It’s his turn to roll his eyes, folding down the bed covers, “Do people even use that expression anymore?”

“Doesn’t matter, you know what I mean.”

“And yet, you’re the woman in my bed tonight.”

I laugh, folding down the other side of the bed, “How scandalous.”

“Very. Cuddling is serious business, you know.”

Daniel settles into bed, looking at me where I’m still sat on the edge.

“You coming in?”

“Yeah,” I flush, hesitating.

He extends an arm, and I take the invitation, cuddling up against his chest.

“See, this is nice.”

“I never said it wouldn’t be.”

“I know." He pauses, "Try to relax, I promise this weekend is going to go smoothly, if I have any say in it. Not to sound too cocky, but I’m good at my job.”

I laugh at that, before sighing, “I know you are.”

“Good. Sweet dreams, then.”

“Sweet dreams," I echo, snuggling a little bit closer to him.

—-

When I wake up in the morning, my chest is pressed against Daniel’s shirt, and I feel his fingertips lightly tracing up and down my back.

“Morning,” he hums.

“Good morning,” I answer, shifting slightly. “How long have you been awake?”

Daniel makes a noncommittal noise. “Not sure, didn’t want to risk waking you up to check my phone.”

I look up at him as best I can from my position. “You’ve just been staring at the ceiling this whole time?”

“It hasn’t been that long. Plus I’m resting, and enjoying our cuddle.”

I turn away blushing and snuggle back into him. “You are very warm; makes me not want to get up.”

“Our alarm hasn’t gone off yet—” He’s cut off by the alarm on his phone doing just that. “Nevermind.”

I make no effort to move from my cozy position.

“Come on,” He urges, pulling my hair lightly. “We have to get up and brush our teeth. I have a feeling there’s some kissing in our future, so.”

“Oh? Is there someone you have your eye on?” I tease.

“Just my fake girlfriend. I think I’ll probably need to demonstrate to her family how in love I am.”

“Demonstrate, huh? I’ll tell the children to shield their eyes.”

I feel Daniel’s laugh rumble through his chest, and I grin.

“Come on, we have to get ready and we have to make a good impression!”

I groan, rolling off and away from him. “I’m going to complain the whole time.”

“I’d expect nothing less.”

I don’t have to turn around to know he’s smirking.

Daniel showers first so I can use the bathroom to style my hair and do my makeup once I’m done with mine.

When I’m done, I find Daniel suited and sitting on the edge of the bed, scrolling on his phone. I walk up to him, standing in between his legs, and he looks up at me, taking in my appearance.

“You look beautiful.”

I reach my hand up to smooth his collar. “And you look very handsome; it might be a hard sell for anyone to believe you’re here with me,” I joke.

He shakes his head, smiling softly. He reaches up to take my hand, pulling my wrist up to his lips where he leaves a gentle kiss.

“I don’t think anyone will have any trouble believing that, actually.”

My heart stutters in my chest, and I swallow.

“Are you ready to meet everyone?”

“I am. Are you nervous?”

I look at him for a minute and really think about it.

“No,” I say, shaking my head. “With you, I’m not nervous.”

He smiles. “Good; let’s get going.”

—

As we exit the hotel, we take a right before descending down the stairs to the beach ceremony hand in hand. The sun feels warm on our skin, but the soft breeze keeps it from feeling overbearing. I can feel some family members’ eyes on me as I smile and wave with my free hand, sure I’ll have plenty of time to talk to them after. We pick our seats and I look up at Daniel, who is already smiling down at me. I smile back as he places our clasped hands in my lap, his thumb gently brushing back and forth over my skin.

“It’s a beautiful day to get married,” he states, looking around.

I hum in agreement, wrapping my free hand around his bicep.

“I always wondered about summer weddings— I’d worry that I’d sweat off all my makeup if I was the bride.”

Daniel huffs a laugh. “Yeah. I assume most grooms are sweating buckets before they even reach the reception.”

My eyes wander down to where he has the first few buttons of his shirt undone to accommodate the heat.

“My eyes are up here.”

My eyes flash back up to his, and he smirks. I shake my head and try not to blush at getting caught. He leans down to kiss my temple.

“You’re cute when you blush,” he murmurs against my hair, squeezing my hand.

I turn to him and raise my eyebrow. “Diving right in are we?”

He shrugs and diverts his attention back to the altar.

“Ryan looks so much older in his tux.”

I look to where Ryan stands next to Nick, Rachel’s soon-to-be husband, as one of the groomsmen.

“Sometimes I forget he’s only 18, but then he’s still a baby to me in some ways.”

Daniel shakes his head. “Just imagine, one day we’ll be sitting at his wedding.”

“I can’t even think about that— though, to be fair, he may beat me to getting married. He and Katharine have been dating since they were 13.”

He lets out a low whistle. “True high school sweethearts. Do you think they’ll stay together through college?”

I sigh, looking over at Katharine a few rows ahead with my Aunt Judith. “I hope so, I think they’re a good fit. She’s already part of the family.”

It’s quiet for a moment before something hits me.

“You said we’ll be sitting at Ryan’s wedding.” I tug on Daniel’s arm. “Plan on sticking around?”

“Well, I—” He opens and closes his mouth a few times, not sure of the right response.

I giggle and lean up to kiss his cheek before pulling back just enough to whisper, “You know, you’re really cute when you blush.”

He turns to me before I can pull away entirely, placing a quick kiss on my lips, leaving me blinking up at him.

He smirks. “Touché.”

———

There’s something to be said for attending a wedding with someone.

I’m not sure if I’m emotional because it’s Rachel, my cousin who I’ve grown up with, or the fact that when something particularly romantic happens, I look at Daniel, who will smile and squeeze my hand in solidarity.

We’re both a little teary eyed by the time the ceremony ends. I reach my free hand up to wipe a stray tear from his face. He laughs, embarrassed.

“It’s okay, I’m feeling it too. Easy to feel a little sappy on a day like today.”

“Mmm. Really sets the mood for the start of our relationship.”

I roll my eyes good-naturedly.

“Speaking of…” I trail off, eyeing a few family members approaching over his shoulder.

“Get ready, because introductions start now.”

—-

The members of my family that are introduced seem to welcome Daniel with no hesitations— and far fewer questions than I anticipated. He handles them all smoothly and I’m thankful we discussed some things beforehand. Eventually, we part ways, excusing ourselves with promises to catch up more later.

We don’t get too far before a little girl runs up to us. She can’t be older than 4 or 5.

“Hi,” she giggles. “I’m Marnie.”

Daniel and I share a smile, and I bend down a bit. “Hi Marnie, I’m Lauren, and this is Daniel.” He waves. “Are you here for the wedding too?”

She nods bashfully. “Nick kissed her! Now he’s a husband.”

Daniel laughs. “He is.”

“How do you know Nick?” I ask.

“He’s my cousin,” she says, kicking some sand with her sandals.

“Ahh, the girl he kissed is my cousin Rachel. Now she’s a wife!” I exclaim.

She looks at me curiously. “Is a wife like a mom?”

Before I can answer, we hear someone call her name, and we look up to see a couple around our age standing on the patio about 10 feet away.

“Is that your mom and dad?” Daniel asks.

“Yeah, I gotta go— see you later!”

She dashes off, and we wave at the couple who wave back, calling out an apology.

“It’s fine— she’s super cute!” I smile.

We watch as they head back toward the hotel, and presumably the reception.

We walk along the stone wall lining the patio, watching from a distance as bridal party photos are taken.

I look at him. “Should we take our own photo to celebrate the occasion, and how nice we look?”

Daniel laughs, pulling his phone out of his pocket. “Sure.”

He bends down so we can take a selfie, before shaking his head.

“Wait.” He sits on the wall, and pulls me so I’m sitting on his lap. I try to mask my blush as he looks at the phone screen. “Better. More natural angle.”

We take one selfie smiling and another with silly faces.

“Do you two want me to take a photo for you?” A woman passing by asks.

I hesitate, but Daniel’s already handing over his phone. “That would be great, thanks.”

We stay seated with his arm around my waist. And I turn to lean into him, putting my hand on his chest.

We grin and the woman takes a photo.

“Boooo, boring,” Ryan heckles, walking up behind the woman out of nowhere. “Give us something good.”

I roll my eyes, and feel Daniel chuckle.

“Aren’t you supposed to be taking formal photos?” I query.

“I finished.” He shrugs, taking the camera from the woman, who excuses herself. “Now give me something good.”

“Alright Ryan, since you asked so nicely,” Daniel drawls. I feel his hand on my neck tilting my head up. “Give the man what he wants.” He smirks, eyes sparkling, leaning in to kiss me.

I can’t help but grin into the kiss as I hear Ryan quickly change his tune. “Okay gross, this is excessive. I got it, you can stop.”

Eventually we pull away, and I turn to Ryan innocently. “Sorry, were you saying something?”

“I’m starting to regret pushing the whole plus one agenda.” He frowns, handing Daniel back his phone.

“No you aren’t,” I tease.

“I’m going to go find my girlfriend,” he rebuts, stalking off.

Daniel shakes his head. “He’s funny.” Lowering his voice, he says into my ear, “One kiss down, many to go.”

I shove him playfully and slide off his lap, turning back towards the hotel to hide my blush. “If any of those pictures came out good, send them to me, please.”

“Okay, but wait.” He stands and pulls my elbow gently, and as I turn back to him his lips meet mine.

“What was that for?” I ask as we finally pull away.

“Just making sure we found our rhythm.” He shrugs. “Besides, as your boyfriend, I technically don’t need a reason.”

I bite my lip. “Is that so?”

He looks at me innocently. “It goes both ways, you know, these lips are yours for the day.”

I bark a laugh. “That sounds so weird, but, okay, noted.”

He grins, lacing our fingers together and pulling me back toward the hotel and the reception.

—-

Inside the reception, each table seats 6; we’re seated at one of the family tables with Ryan, Katharine, and my Aunt Judith. Aunt Judith is my late grandmother’s sister. She has a sharp tongue and rarely minces words when she speaks, a trait that suited her long career as a lawyer in the city. She’s one of the family members who I’ve been most nervous for Daniel to meet, as I know she’ll be critical and her eagle eye will be looking for weaknesses between us. I’ve seen her do it to Rachel’s boyfriends over the years, and even to Katharine when she and Ryan started dating.

“So, Daniel…” Aunt Judith begins. “Ryan here tells me you had… concerns, about Lauren telling us about you.”

Here comes the interrogation. I glare at Ryan, who shrugs, before looking at Daniel who appears unusually calm.

“Not concerns, really,” he starts, “We were friends for a long time, as you know, and I think we were both just nervous—“ he looks at me, “and trying to take our time in figuring out the transition into being together romantically.”

I nod, “And it was only like a month before I told Ryan. You guys know I tell you everything.”

Aunt Judith watches as the others laugh knowingly, and Daniel grins at me.

“Are you planning to keep your relationship private from the press?” She pushes.

“Well,” Ryan interjects, “At the airport they were holding hands, even when Katharine approached him pretending to be a fangirl.”

I roll my eyes, “That was so unnecessary, you guys. Daniel and I both like our privacy so I wouldn’t say we’re hiding it, but we aren’t flaunting it all over either.”

“I’m definitely not ashamed or trying to hide Lauren, if that’s what you mean.” Daniel jests lightly.

“I should hope not,” she says, looking at him over her glass, as she takes a sip.

Katherine turns to Daniel, “What is it about Lauren that drew you in?”

Ryan snorts, “Yeah, how’d she escape the friendzone?”

I put a hand over my face, embarrassed, which Aunt Judith seems to interpret to mean something else entirely.

“Please tell me you did nothing scandalous, so help me, Lauren….”

“What,” I look at her, “No, of course not, why would you assume that?”

She shrugs and Daniel intervenes, “It wasn’t something sudden… I always knew she was beautiful, and obviously as we became friends I saw how kind and thoughtful she was. Funny too,” he says smirking at me.

“Hmm,” she says taking a sip from her drink again, but I can tell she’s secretly pleased with his answer.

—-

Once dinner is finished I excuse Daniel and I from the table, so I can introduce him to Rachel, her new husband, Nick, and of course my Auntie Kim.

I feel Daniel’s hand squeeze mine and I turn back to look at him, smiling.

“Getting tired of all these introductions yet?” I ask.

He shakes his head. “No, I’m fine.”

“Such a good sport,” I tease, and he rolls his eyes.

We wait for the last people currently talking to Rachel and Nick to clear, and when Rachel sees me she squeals.

“Lauren!”

I laugh, “Hi Rach, congratulations!”

“Thank you,” she beams, looking over at Nick briefly.

“And welcome to the family, officially, Nick.”

He grins and motions behind me, “Who’s this guy you’re towing around?”

“Right,” I blush. “Rachel, Nick, this is my boyfriend Daniel.”

“It’s a pleasure,” Daniel greets, sticking out his hand to shake theirs. Neither Nick or Rachel do a great job of hiding their surprise.

“No offense, Laur, but when Ryan told me you were bringing a boyfriend I thought he was messing with us.” Nick interjects.

I force a grin on my face, feeling Daniel’s hand comfortingly move to my back.

“I’m all too real, I’m afraid.” Daniel interjects. “Sorry to disappoint.”

I lean back into him, and watch as Rachel smacks Nick on the arm.

“No, no, we’re very glad you’re real Daniel. Just surprised is all. Don’t mind Nick.”

Auntie Kim approaches saving us from the awkward encounter.

“This must be the infamous Daniel, who has won our Lauren’s heart.”

I blush, as she moves to hug him.

He smirks, “Well, she’s won mine as well.”

“You two are so cute. We are so thrilled you could come today, Daniel.”

“I was too, it is really great to meet you all after hearing this one talk about you all nonstop.”

The group laughs.

“We are very much looking forward to getting to know you better, hopefully this will be the first of many visits.”

He smiles, “Definitely.”

—

At some point much later in the evening, I lose Daniel. He steps away to use the restroom and I get pulled into conversation with a family friend. I keep my eyes peeled for him but somehow I don’t seem to see him anywhere.

I’m standing by the bar waiting for a drink when I feel a pair of arms wrap around my waist.

“Hi, darling.”

My stomach flutters at the pet name.

“Oh hello, I was wondering where you ran off to.”

His arms tighten around my waist. “I was having a riveting conversation with one of your aunts, actually.”

I turn my head to look at him curiously. “Which one?”

“Aunt Judith,” he smirks, waving the bartender over to order a drink of his own.

“Oh boy,” I laugh. “What did you guys talk about?”

Once he places his order he leans down to whisper in my ear, “She wanted to know if we were using protection, and after that, we went over the unexpected costs of raising children.”

I turn around in his arms, horrified. “No! —She didn’t.”

“Oh yes,” he laughs, grinning. “She did.”

“What did you even say?”

He pretended to think. “I told her, diaper prices are definitely outrageous, and I agree, college costs are inflated beyond belief—” I glare at him. “Oh, and that it was very important to me that we practice safe sex, but, if anything ever did happen, I would be there for you every step of the way.”

“Oh God.” I bury my face into his chest, and he laughs, affectionately stroking my hair. “I’m so sorry, that’s mortifying….”

“I’ve been asked weirder things, just being an actor in LA.”

“Still.” I look up at him. “Your answer was very sweet, though.”

“Well, it’s the truth. I’ll always be there for you— fake pregnancies and all.”

We’re staring at each other now, his fingers still running through my hair, his other hand on my lower back. Time seems to slow down and my eyes flicker to his mouth, his words from earlier echoing in my head. It goes both ways. Before I can talk myself out of it, I reach up to kiss him, because it feels right.

“You’re the best fake boyfriend, you know that?” I murmur against his mouth.

He pulls me closer to him, brushing his nose against mine. “I might need another kiss to convince me.”

The bartender behind us clears his throat. “Excuse me, sir, ma’am? Your drinks?”

We break apart, and as our moment ends I try to quell the butterflies in my tummy.

Daniel smiles politely at the bartender, passing me my drink before taking his glass in one hand and my hand in the other.

We make our way back to our now vacant table. He lets go of my hand to pull his chair closer to mine as we sit down, draping his arm over the back of my chair. I lean into him as we sip our drinks, people-watching the other tables and the crowd on the dance floor. I feel his fingers start drawing shapes on my shoulder, causing me to look up at him.

“Are you having a good time?” he asks.

“I am, largely thanks to you. Are you having a good time?”

“I am; everyone has been really welcoming. It’s nice to meet the people you’ve told me about, and hear the stories everyone has to tell me about you. There have been some good ones, I have to say…”

I roll my eyes, smiling. “I’m sure.”

“The only way it could be better would be if they had baby pictures.”

“Listen, I’ll be the first to say I peaked in preschool. I was much cuter then, I peaked—” Daniel laughs. “I’ll get some and show you. You’ll be so disappointed this is how I’ve turned out.”

“No, I don’t think so. I mean I bet you were cute but, I couldn’t be disappointed.”

I shake my head, blushing. “Don’t be so sure— you haven’t seen them yet.”

“I am sure…. I’m looking at you right now.”

I start to smile despite myself. “Oooooh, that was smooth, Sharman.”

“No, no, no," he protests, smirking, "it’s easy when you tell the truth.”

“Have you always been this cheesy, or is this a boyfriend exclusive privilege I’ve unlocked?”

“You know—” He’s interrupted as the little girl from earlier runs up to us.

“Hi,” she says bashfully.

I smile, “Hi Marnie,”

She turns to Daniel and taps twice on his knee. “Can I sit?”

Daniel looks at me, and then around the room. Marnie’s parents are nowhere in sight.

“Sure, angel. Where are your mom and dad?”

She shrugs before he lifts her into his lap. The three of us smile at each other as Marnie gets shy. She leans up to whisper in Daniel’s ear, cupping both of her tiny hands around his ear. I can’t hear what she’s saying but I watch as Daniel’s eyes twinkle in amusement.

“Not yet,” he answers to whatever she asked, and she giggles before whispering again, and he laughs. “Mhm, I do.”

Marnie pulls back and looks at him with amazement, whispering even more excitedly. This time he pauses before smiling at me, before turning back to her.

“What do you think?” She looks at me quickly before back at him, nodding shyly. He nods along with her, before leaning in and whispering in her head with his hands cupped secretly like hers had been. Marnie is absolutely beaming now. It’s easy to see how smitten she is with him.

Curiosity gets the best of me. “Do I get to know a secret, too?” I ask, teasingly.

She looks unsure before Daniel swoops in playfully. “Nope, these secrets are for me and Marnie only.”

“Darn it.” I sigh dramatically.

The music changes to something Marnie clearly recognizes as her face lights up, as she tugs on Daniel’s sleeve. “Can we dance? Me and you?”

Daniel looks at me. “Will you be okay here?”

“Absolutely, I’ll be watching.”

He puts his drink on the table as I pick mine up to take a sip, watching as her tiny hand fits in his and she drags him out to dance. The two of them are so cute and my heart feels like it’s going to burst.

Ryan slides into Daniel’s seat a minute later.

“You know, if you and Daniel had a daughter, she’d probably look just like Marnie.”

I glance at him, realizing he’s right. Dark brown curls and bright blue eyes, with a toothy smile and a loud laugh.

“Don’t let my ovaries hear you. I’m not having any children until I have two rings on this finger,” I say, waggling my left hand at him.

Ryan laughs and we watch as Daniel is so good with Marnie, letting her swing his arms around and move them to the beat.

“I like him,” Ryan says definitively.

I look at him, surprised. “Wow, I mean I obviously like him too, I just thought you’d be more skeptical.”

“I did too until I saw you guys together. I just…” He looks emotional all of a sudden. “Shit.”

I laugh softly. “It’s okay, Ry, it’s an emotional day.” I rub his shoulder as he pinches his eyes.

I see Daniel glance over, concerned, but I give him a thumbs up. He nods and goes back to spinning Marnie around.

“I just...” I turn back to Ryan as he speaks, giving him my full attention. “I can see that he loves you— really loves you. It’s all I ever wanted for you.”

I feel my heart squish uncomfortably in my chest. I feel guilty that my cousin is so happy for me, so proud and vulnerable over a relationship that’s just for show. I swallow.

“Me too, I— thank you, Ryan. I love you, so much.”

The song changes again into something slow and I watch Marnie shriek, horrified, before running off into the crowd. Daniel looks after her, humored, before looking at me, gesturing with his head that I come join him. Ryan must see it too because he kisses my temple.

“I love you, too. Go get your man; I should find Katharine.”

Like I’m in a trance, I don’t take my eyes off Daniel as I approach. He smiles and reaches his hands out for me, lacing our fingers together.

“May I have this dance?”

“You may, I was getting a little jealous over there.”

He drops one of my hands to wrap it around my waist, and I bring mine around his neck as we begin to sway, staying close together.

He chuckles. “Well, don’t be, I think everyone here knows who I’m going home with.”

“Yeah, you’re stuck with me.”

He smiles softly but doesn’t answer. I feel my eyes flutter shut as he moves closer pressing his lips to mine gently, tenderly. I kiss him back and for a second I swear I feel it— that all-encompassing love Ryan says he sees between us. When we pull apart, he keeps his head dipped down, pressing his cheek to mine for the remainder of the song. I close my eyes and nuzzle into him, letting myself pretend this is real, just for another moment.

Eventually I break our silence.

“Hey, what did Marnie ask you?”

“Hmm?” He murmurs, the sound vibrating against my cheek.

“During your super secret whisper time.”

“Oh,” he laughs breathily. “She wanted to know if we were married.”

“Ahhh,” I chuckle. “I see. What else did she want to know?”

He pauses as the song starts to fade out and our swaying slows down. “I don’t know if I can tell you that. Some secrets need to stay secret, after all.”

While it was clearly meant to be a joke, he says it a bit too seriously, so I drop it and smile tightly as we pull apart.

“Okay.”

He tugs my hand playfully. “Nothing bad, I promise.”

I make a face at him. “Well, I guess I’ll never know.”

He laughs. “You’ll just have to take my word for it.”

—-

A little while later, we’re watching Rachel and Nick leave for their honeymoon as the wedding party begins to disperse.

“I suppose we should say our goodbyes,” I say, tearing my eyes away as their car drives off.

I hug my Auntie Kim goodbye and tell her I’ll see her at Christmas. She fawns over Daniel, telling him to watch over me, and how happy she is to have gotten to meet him. It makes me smile to see how well he gets on with her. It’s hardest to say goodbye to Ryan. I hug him fiercely, and he returns the hug just as vigorously.

“I wish I could take you back with me.”

“I know.”

“We need to FaceTime more.”

“We will.”

When I step back, Ryan and Daniel go to shake hands, and I see Aunt Judith sitting at the bar by herself. I excuse myself as they chat and take the seat next to her.

“Aunt Judith, I’m afraid I leave again tomorrow.”

She turns toward me, swirling the scotch in her glass. She disregards what I’ve said and instead looks past me into the crowd.

“Where’s that man of yours?”

“He’s saying goodbye to Ryan at the moment.”

She hums.

“What?” I ask.

“He’s a looker.”

I chuckle. “So I’ve been told.”

“I think he could be husband material though. Not as dense as men usually are.”

I suppress a smile. “Huh, I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you.” I give her a kiss on the cheek goodbye, walking over to rejoin Daniel who seems to be finishing a serious chat with Ryan as I approach. As I join his side, Ryan shakes his hand one last time before walking away. Daniel glances at me, placing a hand on my back, looking back towards Aunt Judith at the bar.

“Should I go say goodbye to her?”

“I think you’re alright.”

Aunt Judith waves at us, and Daniel waves back.

”Was everything okay with Ryan?”

“Oh, yeah, yeah; just talking.” He shifts, interlacing our hands. “Ready to go back to our room?”

I nod and we head towards the elevators, hands swinging between us. While we wait, I subconsciously start swaying to the soft music playing from the hallway speakers. Daniel glances at me smirking, and I look up at him giggling, “What?”

“Nothing. You want to spin, like Marnie?” He teases, lifting our joined hands. I spin twice before bumping into his chest, giggling more. “Ooops.”

He shakes his head at me as the elevator doors open. He wraps both his arms around me, walking me backward into the elevator and I laugh into his tie. I turn around so we’re both facing the doors as he reaches around me to press the button for our floor. The mirrored doors slide closed and I meet his eyes in the reflection. We’re both grinning.

“You’re absolutely ridiculous,” he taunts, and I stick my tongue out in the reflection. His arms tighten around me and I press backwards into his chest.

—-

Back at the room, we start to get ready for bed. We share the bathroom to brush our teeth and do our nighttime routines, playfully brushing and bumping into each other. I drag my feet, trying to make the evening last as long as possible, trying to stretch out this daydream I’m living in before we have to go home tomorrow.

I get into bed first, lying on my back and watching as Daniel pads across the room to his side of the bed. He shuts off the overhead light as he passes, leaving only the soft blue moonlight from the window covering us.

He climbs into bed next to me but stays propped up on his elbow. I look at him and he begins tracing my face with his other hand. I crinkle my nose at him, and laugh softly.

“What’re you doing?”

“Waiting.”

“For what?”

He gestures behind me to a decorative sign on the wall.

I turn my head to look at it. “I can’t read that without my contacts.”

His fingers trace over my lips, and I hold my breath at the intimate gesture.

His voice drops even softer. “It says always kiss me goodnight. So I’m waiting.”

I look back at him, expecting him to crack a joke, but he doesn’t; his eyes are sincere. I run the arm closest to him up behind his neck, catching my fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck. He takes the hint, letting my touch guide him as he leans down and kisses me.

The kiss is sleepy, soft, lips tenderly pressed together, moving slowly against each other. It ends with a few gentle kisses that drift from my mouth to my cheek, up to my forehead. His gaze is already fixed on me when my eyes flutter back open.

I start to think about how final that kiss felt, how this is the end of our weekend of pretend; how it doesn’t make any sense that we’re kissing when no one’s here to see us, but maybe we’re both lonely and already missing the comfort, the closeness of this façade. I run my hand up from the nape of his neck to scratch gently at his scalp and his eyes flutter shut, finally breaking our eye contact.

“That feels nice,” he whispers. Wordlessly, we shift so his head is on my chest, his arm around my waist, my nails still soothingly sifting through his hair, quietly lulling him to sleep.

---

tagged: @rogershoe @heyrowena @yunsh-17

[myhauntedsalem]

Ghosts of Hollywood

Marilyn Monroe The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel on Hollywood Boulevard is said to be the current residence of several ghosts of popular film stars. Marilyn Monroe, the glamorous and funny star of such pictures as Some Like It Hot and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, was a frequent guest of the Roosevelt at the height of her popularity. And although she died in her Brentwood home, her image has been seen on several occasions in a full-length mirror that once hung in her poolside suite. The mirror has been relocated to the hotel's lower level by the elevators.

Montgomery Clift Another respected star who died before his time, Montgomery Clift, was a four-time Oscar nominated actor who is best known for his roles in A Place in the Sun, From Here to Eternity and Judgment at Nuremberg. His ghost has also been seen at the Roosevelt. According to some of the hotel's staff, Clift's spirit haunts room number 928. Clift stayed in that suite in 1953, pacing back and forth, memorizing his lines for From Here to Eternity. Loud, unexplained noises have been heard coming from the empty suite, and its phone is occasionally found mysteriously off the hook.

Perhaps it's fitting that the Hollywood Roosevelt should be the stirring place of celebrity ghosts since it was the site of the very first Academy Awards ceremony in 1929. In fact, the Blossom Ballroom, where the ceremony was held, has an unexplained cold spot - a circular area measuring 30 inches in diameter that remains about 10 degrees colder than the rest of the room.

Harry Houdini Houdini is best known as a magician and escape artist, of course, but at the height of his fame he was also drawn to Hollywood, where he made a handful of silent films from 1919 to 1923. With such titles as The Man from Beyond and Haldane of the Secret Service (which he also directed), the films were not regarded well enough to give him much of a Hollywood career. Houdini's interest in the occult was well known, and although he earned a reputation as a masterful debunker of séances, he earnestly sought contact with those who have passed on to the other side. Shortly before his death, Houdini made a pact with his wife Bess that if he could, he would return and make contact with her from the other side. Perhaps he truly has attempted to return. Some claim to have seen the ghost of the great Houdini walking around in the home he owned on Laurel Canyon Blvd. in the Hollywood Hills. Film historians Laurie Jacobson and Marc Wanamaker, in their book Hollywood Haunted, dispute this story, saying that "Houdini most likely never even set foot in the Laurel Canyon mansion he is said to haunt."

Clifton Webb Clifton Webb was a very popular star of the 1940s and '50s, earning two Oscar nominations for his roles in Laura and The Razor's Edge. He may be best known for his portrayal of Mr. Belvedere in a series of films. It's not too often that a ghost haunts the place in which the person is buried, but this seems to be the case for Webb. His ghost has been seen at the Abbey of the Psalms, Hollywood Memorial Cemetery, where his body is interred. But it seems to be a restless spirit, as his ghost has also been encountered at his old home on Rexford Drive in Beverly Hills.

Thelma Todd Thelma Todd was a hot young star in the 1930s. She was featured in a number of hit comedies with the likes of The Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy, and Buster Keaton. But that all ended in 1935 when Todd was found dead in her car, which was parked above the café she owned on the Pacific Coast Highway. Strangely, her death was ruled an accidental suicide, but many suspected murder and a coverup by powerful Hollywood figures. The building that once housed the café is now owed by Paulist Productions, and employees have reportedly witnessed the starlet's ghost descending the stairs.

Thomas Ince Ince is considered one of the visionary pioneers of American movies. He was one of the most respected directors of the silent era, best known, perhaps, for his westerns starring William S. Hart. He partnered with other early Hollywood giants such as D.W. Griffith and Mack Sennett, and founded Culver Studios, which later became MGM. Ironically, Ince's death overshadowed his film legacy. He died aboard William Randolph Hearst's yacht in 1924, and although the official record shows the cause of death as heart failure, the hot rumor is that he was shot by Hearst in a fit a jealousy over Hearst's wife, Marion Davies. Ince's ghost - as well as several other ghostly figures - have been seen in the lot that was once Culver Studios. Film crew members have seen the specter of a man matching Ince's description on several occasions; in one instance, when the workers tried to speak to the spirit, it turned and disappeared through a wall.

Ozzie Nelson Ghosts and hauntings are the last thing that come to mind when you think of the perpetually cheerful Ozzie and Harriet Nelson. The couple, with their real-life sons Ricky and David, were stars of the long-running sitcom "Ozzie and Harriet," noted for its good-natured, gentle humor. Yet poor Ozzie doesn't seem to be as contented in the afterlife. Family members, it is said, have seen Ozzie's ghost in the family's old Hollywood home, and it always appears to be in a somber mood. Perhaps he's unhappy about how another Ozzy and his family have gained notoriety on TV.

George Reeves From 1953 to 1957, George Reeves was TV's Superman. Reeves had been around Hollywood for a while, playing bit parts in such films as Gone with the Wind and dozens of B-movies, but it was "The Adventures of Superman" on TV that brought him fame. Reeves died of a gunshot at his home in 1959. The official cause of death was suicide, but that conclusion has been hotly disputed, with some believing that Reeves was murdered. Whether it was suicide or murder, Reeves ghost has been seen in his Beverly Hills home. A couple claims to have seen the ghost of Reeves - decked out in his Superman costume - materialize in the bedroom where he died, after which it slowly faded away. Others believe that Reeves succumbed to the "Superman curse," in which those associated with the fictional character over the years allegedly have met with disaster or death. But is there really a curse? 

More Celebrity Ghosts

Rudolph Valentino - This silent film heartthrob has been seen in the bedroom and stables of his old Hollywood home. Jean Harlow - The spirit of this blonde bombshell is said to haunt the bedroom of her home on North Palm Drive, where her husband allegedly used to beat her. Mary Pickford - This legend of the silent era - actress, writer and producer - was co-founder of United Artists with her husband Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin. Comic Buddy Rogers, who lived in the house Pickford once owned, saw her ghost appear in a white ruffled dress. Grace Kelly - Princess Stephanie of Monaco believes that the ghost of her mother, Grace Kelly, helped her write a song from the spirit world.

Celebrities Who Have Seen Ghosts

Nicholas Cage - This Oscar-winning actor (Leaving Las Vegas) refused to stay in uncle Francis Ford Coppola's home after seeing a ghost in the attic. (Cage was also cast as Superman in director Tim Burton's film project, which was never made.) Keanu Reeves - The star of The Matrix films and Devil's Advocate was just a kid in New Jersey when he saw a ghost that took the form of a white double-breasted suit come into his room one night. He wasn't imagining it; his nanny saw the phantom, too. Neve Campbell - She's been in more than her share of paranormal-themed movies (The Craft, Scream), but she's had real-life encounters as well. A woman was murdered in the house she now lives in, and friends have seen her ghost walking around. Matthew McConaughey - This popular actor (Contact) says he freaked out the first time he saw the ghost of an old woman, whom he calls "Madame Blue," floating around his house. Tim Robbins - Robbins, who was nominated for an Oscar in Mystic River, didn't see ghosts, but strongly felt their presence when he moved into an apartment in 1984. Following his instinct, he moved out the next day. Hugh Grant - British romantic comedy lead Hugh Grant (Love Actually) says he and friends have heard the wailing and screaming of some tormented spirit in his Los Angeles home. He even speculates it might be the ghost of a former resident - Bette Davis. Dan Aykroyd - The Ghostbusters star (and Oscar-nominated for Driving Miss Daisy) has long had a fascination with the paranormal. He believes his home, once owned by Cass Elliot of The Mamas and The Papas, is haunted. "A ghost certainly haunts my house," he said. "It once even crawled into bed with me. The ghost also turns on the Stairmaster and moves jewelry across the dresser. I'm sure it's Mama Cass because you get the feeling it's a big ghost." Sting - Rock star Sting (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) and his wife Trudie have seen ghosts in their home. "I was absolutely terrified," he said. "I now believe those things are out there, but I have no explanation for them." Jean Claude Van Damme - The Belgian action star (Timecop), also known as "Muscles from Brussels," swears he saw a ghost in his bathroom mirror while he was brushing his teeth. Richard Dreyfuss - He won an Oscar for The Goodbye Girl, but at one time had a cocaine problem. Visions of a ghost, he said, helped him kick the habit. "I had a car crash in the late 1970s," Dreyfuss said, "when I was really screwed up, and I started seeing these ghostly visions of a little girl every night. I couldn't shake this image. Every day it became clearer and I didn't know who the hell she was. Then I realized that kid was either the child I didn't kill the night I smashed up my car, or it was the daughter that I didn't have yet. I immediately sobered up." Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman - This Hollywood couple was forced to flee their "dream home" in Sneden's Landing, N.Y. when it became all too apparent that it was haunted. They still are reluctant to talk about their frightening encounters. Belinda Carlisle - This pop singer and founding member of The Go-Gos, who appeared in Swing Shift and She's Having a Baby, says she saw a "misty shape" hovering over her as she lay in bed one night. She also says that when she was 17, while nodding off to sleep in a chair in her parents' home, she levitated and had an out-of-body experience. Elke Sommers - This German-born actress, who appeared in the 1966 film The Oscar, claims to have seen the ghost of a middle-aged man in a white shirt in her home in North Beverly Hills. Guests in her home have also seen the specter. So much paranormal activity was reported in the house that the American Society for Psychical Research was brought in, and which verified the unexplained events. The severely haunted house was bought and sold more than 17 times since Sommers vacated it, and many have reported ghostly phenomena. Paul McCartney - Ex-Beatle and Oscar-nominated songwriter ("Live and Let Die") says that he, George Harrison and Ringo Starr sensed the playful spirit of John Lennon when they were recording Lennon's song, "Free As A Bird" in 1995. "There were a lot of strange goings-on in the studio - noises that shouldn't have been there and equipment doing all manner of weird things. There was just an overall feeling that John was around."

[clubdolan]

Military Brat -- G.D.

idk it was an idea and i couldn’t think of an ending but i wanted to get it typed up

Grayson stretched his neck out and looked at his alarm clock; 3:23 a.m. 

And no one was sleeping next to him.

“Bub, come on.. back to bed, you’ll wake up if he calls..” He grabbed her hand, trying to pull her from the couch. She sat in her pajamas, his clothes, phone in hand, zoned out at the television in front of her.

���Els, c’mon..” He tugged, forgetting the whole reason he was awake was to go to the bathroom. 

“He said yesterday or today, at his lunch time... which is eleven to one which is two to four in the morning here.” She gripped harder onto her phone, checking the screen for the thousandth time that night. “Thirty minutes.”

Grayson sighed, letting go of her hand, “Give me a minute.”

A few minutes later he was back with a bottle of water and a blanket from his bed. “Come on, lay down.”

“I can’t fall asleep.” Elsa groaned, checking her phone again. He pulled her back to his chest and the blanket over her lap, “Gray, I can’t.”

“I’ll stay awake, I’ll hold your phone, you need to go to sleep.” He pulled her head onto his chest and tried to grab her phone but she wouldn’t budge. He didn’t fight it, he just wrapped his hand around hers and pulled her tighter.

Elsa sat up quick, looking at her phone. “I missed it, I probably--

“It’s been fifteen minutes.” He rubbed her back, “I will wake you up if anything pops up on your phone, I promise.”

She leaned forward, her face in her hands, “He’s not gunna call.”

“He’s going to call, he still has ten or fifteen minutes.” 

Elsa held in her sobs, trying to hide her tears from him but he already knew she was crying. Her dad was an Army Major stationed in Germany and she hadn’t spoke to him in two months and hadn’t seen him for almost a year. Her mother had passed away from cancer two years ago and she followed her dreams and moved to LA to continue dancing, which led her to him.

She was a back-up dancer in music videos, at concerts, awards shows and more. Her Instagram had gained a following which led to modeling and sponsorships and now she was considered an ‘influencer’.

She kept her family life off of the internet. All that anyone knew was that her mom had passed from cancer. Of course Grayson knew every detail, every story she told him good or bad, every memory she could remember with her dad and mom in Germany when she was younger, at their first US house in Virginia, their second US house in Texas. He felt like he knew her whole family but in reality, he had never met them.

He continued rubbing her back until she turned around and dug her face into the blanket in his lap, crying harder. “Els, c’mon bub.” He pushed her hair from her face, “I know this has been planned for weeks, he hasn’t forgot. Maybe a meeting has gone too long and he’s taking a late lunch?”

“I don’t know.. I just wish I could text him.. or email him. Or he would let me know somehow.. I just wait and wait--

She went silent as her phone vibrated, a little tune playing from it, DAD going across the screen.

“Oh my god, hi dad.” She cried out, now tears of happiness were flowing. 

“Hi Elsie-bug, sorry it’s so late, a meeting went a little long...” Grayson heard a muffled voice and left her on the couch, pushing the blanket around her shoulders. “Fill me in on everything, I’ve got a while.”

Grayson fell back asleep, hearing her little laugh every now and then & as he woke back up at six, he was still alone in bed. 

Elsa sat on the couch, sun peeking through the windows, smiling down at her phone as she typed away. “Morning, Gray!” She spoke up, giving him a smile. “My dad has an email I can send things to right now, so I’m pretty much blowing up his inbox while he’s working, I don’t know when it’ll be shut down.”

“Breakfast?”

“Please.” She groaned, thinking of how empty her stomach was. With her head still down she followed Grayson into the kitchen, “Remember when we went to Universal and got stuck on The Mummy ride?” She laughed, attaching the picture to an email and typing a caption. “I just want to send him my whole camera roll.”

“Please don’t send him your whole camera roll or he will not let you date me.”

“He probably wouldn’t even let me have a phone.” They both laughed, “He doesn’t know if he will be able to come home in the next two months. It could be six months before he’s back.”

“That sucks, but at least you can email him now, keep in contact more often. Tell him how great I am before I eventually meet him someday.” He sat a bowl of oatmeal in front of her, “I will eventually meet him, right?”

“Of course.” She finally put her phone down and sat on the counter to eat breakfast. Grayson walked back and forth making a protein shake for him and a smoothie for her; both chocolate peanut butter.

“I’m going to go workout--

“I’m going to sleep.”

“You’re making me work out alone?” He groaned, “But.. fine.”

“Bring your sweaty, little body back to bed when you’re done.”

“I can’t believe you just called me little.” He walked towards her, standing between her legs. “My sweaty, little body.”

“Sweaty... little... body...” She poked at his chest, “The smallest I’ve ever seen. You say you drink protein? Do you even have leg day?” Grayson laughed as she pulled his shirt off of him, “You call that a six-pack?”

“It’s practically an eight pack” he leaned forward, pinning her between the coffee machine and himself. 

Elsa grabbed his arms, her nails scraping along the back, “Your arms are so small, do you work out or just sit on the floor in there? These are pitiful. I ca--”

“You can talk shit about my arms all you want but I know you can get off by just thinking about them, so I’d shut up if I were you.” He mumbled against her mouth, leaving a quick kiss before going to their gym.

Elsa kicked off her shorts and shirt, putting on the shirt she had just taken off Grayson as she buried herself in the sheets exactly where he had laid the night before.

@ElsaOwens: 6:45am = Perfect bed time.

---reply: No I wasn’t partying, I didn’t just get home, I finally got to talk to my dad after two months of waiting. #armybratproblems 

She didn’t even remember putting her phone down before she was woken up by a weight dropping down on her whole body. Without thinking she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed the side of his head, “I’m still sleeping.”

“Do you want me to order you lunch with mine? Sushi.”

“My usual please.” She kissed the side of his head again before unwrapping her arms, expecting him to get up. 

“I’m tired.”

“Take a nap.” She tapped the top of his head, beginning to play with his hair.

“I want under the blanket.” He whined, standing up on his knees to push the whole blanket back before he dove back on top of her, shoving his head into her chest.

“You’re ... damp.”

“It’s my sweaty, little body.” He mimicked her, “Cardio and upper-body today.”

“Fuck-yeah upper body.” She rubbed her hands around on his stomach. 

“Ohh, fuck yeah upper body.” He made fun of her, pushing his shirt up her body, “Your naked.”

“I’m naked.” She giggled, watching him lay his head back down on her chest.

“I’m happy you got to talk to your dad today.” It was a cute moment, really it was. Elsa watched his eye lashes flutter close and she knew he really meant it. Her whole attitude had done a flip in the best way possible.

“You can’t get all touchy with me and then mention my dad.” Her finger trailed up and down his arm, leaving goosebumps along the way. “That’s like me teasing you and then mentioning Eth--

“Don’t fucking say his name.”

“---than.” She finished, pausing her finger. “Ruins it, doesn’t it?”

“I’ll still fuck the living day lights out of you. I don’t give a shit about my brother.” He mumbled into collar bone, “I hope he hears every second of it.”

“He left before you woke up. Surfing with Kyle or something?” She flinched as Gray bit into her skin, “Ugh, fuck, Gray.”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Grayson’s voice felt shaky and he wasn’t even talking. His phone screen was dark and he waited impatiently for it to light up, he didn’t have much time, Elsa would be home in almost an hour.

A foreign number popped up and with a shaky hand he slid the bar over and answered it, “Hello?”

“So you’re Grayson? The one my daughter won’t shut up about?” A man laughed on the other line, “It’s nice to... somewhat, meet you.”

“You too, sir.” Grayson had tried to prepare but he didn’t want Elsa to know her dad was calling him. He had snuck her phone, copied the address and sent a short email to him. Days later he was on the phone, soon talking to her dad like they were old friends.

“I’m exhausted.”

“You’ve been on the phone for thirty minutes, what’s that exhausting?” Ethan asked from the other couch, pulling his ear buds out.

“It was Elsa’s dad and I’m trying to plan a surprise for her to see him.” He sighed, “Well I think I just did plan a surprise for her to see him......” 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

They came up with a fake video idea so them filming with Kyle didn’t seem suspicious. Elsa tagged along as they ran a few places just wasting time until her dad had landed.

“Els.”

“I’m not in this video, I’m not doing it...... what?” She asked, holding her own Target bag in hand walking to Ethan’s Jeep.

Grayson took the bag from her and put it in the car, “We just have to run and get Ricky at the airport, Kyle forget he said he’d pick him up.”

“Okay?” She looked at him funny, as if they needed her permission to go somewhere. “I’m literally just here to be here. I have no plans.”

Over an hour later they pulled into the airport parking lot and got out of the car, “Can’t he just walk--

“No we’re going in to get him, it’s a foreign flight and he’s got like three bags and we want to embarrass him with a sign.” He held his hand out and she grabbed onto it, pushing her sunglasses back to hold her messy ponytail in place. 

It took everything in him not to shake as they walked towards the airport. He knew Ethan and Kyle were behind them, filming, knowing exactly what was going on.

They all stood at the foreign arrivals gate, Ethan handed a rolled up poster to Elsa and had her hold it up to ‘see if it would fit in frame’. With a lousy smirk she held it up, watching him and Grayson keep backing up until it was all in frame. 

“Perfect! Now read the sign!” Grayson yelled, pointing down. 

Elsa was ready to read something dumb about Ricky, see an edited photo of him or some practical joke pulled on her but her eyes teared up as she read out loud, “I’ve waited a year to see my dad and I have no idea he’s right behind me.”

Her body froze and she dropped the sign and turned around. Her dad stood before her, Army fatigues and a bouquet of flowers.

The next few minutes was a whirl-wind. She hugged her dad for as long as possible, she cried the most she had in months, she didn’t even remember they were in airport or in public or that she was being filmed until her dad sat her down and said they could probably, “get going now.”

As she wiped her face off she saw Grayson standing next to her dad’s bags, holding her purse she had dropped on the floor with a little smirk on his face. “No way... no... you didn’t...”

“Nice to finally meet you, Grayson. In person.” Her dad stuck his hand out and Grayson shook it.

“In person.. so... wait, what?”

“I’ve talked to him a few times.. on the phone..” He acted cocky for keeping the secret. “Ethan and Kyle went to get the Jeep and your car is almost here. You’ve got dinner reservations with your dad.”

Elsa turned to look at her dad, back to Grayson then back to her dad, “All his idea.” Her dad said, looking at Grayson. 

“I can’t believe you.” She hugged him, starting to cry again. “I wanna be mad at you for not telling me but I can’t.”

He squeezed her tight, he felt her cry again, he felt her heart beating fast and could tell it meant everything to her. “He had a week off so we figured something out, you’ve got things all week to do with him.”

“With us, you’re coming with us, right Grayson?” Her dad spoke up.

Elsa nodded her head quickly, “Yes, he is. If he can. Can you?”

“I have a meeting one day but I can probably work the others out.” Elsa squeezed his arm and dug her head into his shoulder, “But dinner tonight is just you two. It’s already paid for. It’s your favorite place.”

They walked to the black SUV waiting outside and talked about the upcoming week, “It’s like two worlds colliding..” Elsa explained, “A good colliding.”

She kept her goodbye with Grayson short and sweet, her dad had never seen her with a boyfriend, let alone one she had been with for a while or one that went to this amount of planning to surprise her.

Grayson went to shake his hand but her dad hugged him, “Thank you, Grayson. For taking care of her.”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

At midnight Elsa came running into Ethan and Grayson’s house as if someone was chasing her. “Where’s--

“He’s working out.” Ethan mumbled through a bite of food. 

She dropped her bag, shoes and whatever she could before rounding the corner and bursting into their workout room. Music was blaring and Grayson was laying on the ground, eyes squinted close as she silently counted sit-ups.

He almost started throwing punches when a body was on top of him, grabbing his face and straddling his chest. “I can’t fucking believe you.”

“Holy shit, bub. I almost hit you.” He sighed in relief, relaxing his muscles as they fell to the floor. “I’m glad you were surprised, I thought you would have figured it out by now.”

“I had zero idea.”

“Good.” He laughed, “Why are you here so late? You have to be up early tomorrow to get--

“I couldn’t sleep.” 

“I didn’t want to sleep.”

“I just.”

“I wanted to come say thank you.” Her thumb brushed along his stubbly chin, “So, thank you.”

Grayson’s hands slid up her back and he pulled her down to meet him better, “You’re so very welcome.” 

Their lips pulled apart and she couldn’t stop looking at him. The love of her life, had taken his own time, his own money, to give her the best gift of all time. “I still can’t believe--

“Believe it.” He laughed, “None of this is fake.” 

Grayson groaned into her mouth as she kissed him again, sliding her body down his. “I know Ethan’s coming in here to run so please let’s go to my room or literally anywhere else but here.” He quickly said, sitting up with her on his lap. 

She didn’t answer, she kept kissing him and he kept kissing back. “You’re going to be mad....” He tried to talk, “If Ethan walks in here.”

“I don’t even care if my dad asks why I arrive to breakfast with you tomorrow or if I’m wearing your shirt as a dress, I’m staying here tonight.”

idk how to end this bye

[doof-doofblog]

"Will You Do That For Me?"

Monday 9th November 2020

Hello everyone!  Hope you've had a brilliant weekend! Seeing as we've been put into a second lockdown, I have recently been watching EastEnders episodes from 2008 on BBC iPlayer! I have to say there are so many characters I miss, to name a few:- Bradley, Tanya, Roxy, Ronnie, Peggy, Bianca, Ricky, Pat, Christian, Masood, Zainab, Jane ... A lot of these characters I do wish would come back, its a crying shame that some of them have passed away. What do you think guys? What characters from years back would you like to see return? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Anyway, let's get back to the episodes of this week, what a cliff-hanger Friday's episode was left on. I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens next this week, let's delve right into it. This episodes basically starts where Friday's finished, Mick coming face-to-face with his abuser, Katy. Mick is as white as a sheet, he looks like he's seen a ghost as she approaches him. It's interesting how innocent she is acting, but of course how else would she act after seeing him for the first time in so long. She informs him that Shirley had rang her informing that Frankie had been around, the first question out of Mick's mouth is why did she never tell him that Frankie was his daughter, Katy seems a bit shocked to hear this, she the tells Mick that Frankie is 100% NOT his daughter. Now, is she telling the truth? Has Frankie accidentally made a mistake? Depending how long Katy is going to be on the Square for, I can see this storyline be a really hard hitting one for Christmas! Katy suggests to Mick that they sit down have a talk and she makes her way towards the Vic.

As Mick slowly follows Katy into the Vic, the scene changes to Lola alone in her flat. She's just confessed everything to Jay about sleeping with Peter, months back! Honey walks in to find her almost in tears, at first she doesn't realise that anything is wrong as she asks her about her flat deposit, but when she turns to see Lola looking all teary, she asks the poor girl what's wrong. Lola comes clean and confesses that she slept with Peter months ago, she informs Honey that she's told Jay the truth before they moved into their new apartment, but she fears she has ruined everything between them. Honey sits down as she takes in the recent news, she then tries her absolute best to console her, she suggests that maybe Jay has gone to speak to Peter, considering they were best friends, Jay must feel some kind of betrayal from his friend, so perhaps he's gone and spoken to him about it. And she's not wrong - Jay is next scene in Beale household, he's sat with a cup of tea waiting for Peter to appear, poor Bobby has no idea what's happened and he's been left alone with a seething Jay. Jay informs the young lad that he's willing to wait for Peter to show up.

Meanwhile at the Vic, Mick is trying to understand the situation with Frankie. Katy informs him that Franke's father is just a random bloke that she can't even remember the name of. But Mick can't seem to quite understand, as in his mind, regarding Frankie's age and the fact the Katy simply just disappeared all those years back, it would make sense and would fit they she would be his daughter. Katy appears to be shocked at what she's hearing, she then happens to say something very interesting "You have to have sex to have a baby!" - she's implying that they never had sex?! Hmmm ... something really doesn't sit right with me, even Mick recalls of their relationship all those years ago and Katy can't even begin to believe what he's saying. She believes that he's told Frankie about her and that is why she is no longer speaking to her. Is Katy simply lying about their relationship? Is Mick perhaps mistaken? Or is this going to turn into something much darker and Katy is going to deny everything until Mick reveals everything to everyone and she'll be seen as his groomer/abuser.

Out on the Square, Lola finds Peter and admits that she's told Jay about them. Peter is shocked to hear about Lola's confession and informs her that Jay is waiting inside his house for him. Instead of walking into his house and facing the music, he decides to walk the other way, much to Lola's surprise. It's then he informs her that he has a job interview the next day and doesn't want to show up to it with a black eye. Hmm, I think that's a bit of a coward's excuse to not face his best mate and basically admit to his mistake. He can't keep hiding, he'll have to face Jay sooner or later.

Meanwhile, Rainie and Stuart are in the same position as we saw them in the previous episode. Bless them, they had both fallen asleep on the sofa together. Suddenly a bell rings (I instantly thought it was their doorbell) Stuart wakes and he looks at his phone to which then his wife wakes up and asks whether it's anything important. Stuart reassures his wife that it's nothing and he gets himself up to make themselves a cup of tea. As he looks in the fridge, Rainie takes a look at her husbands phone, as he turns round he sees her looking at his phone and she points out that the notification on his phone was a reminder for a visit to the fertility clinic, for the following day. Rainie admits to her husband that because they had booked it so long ago she had forgotten all about it, but Stuart didn't want to remind his wife as he didn't want to upset her. Will they still go this appointment? They both admit to each other that they still want a family, even if it means just being a family of two, but I'm sure deep deep down, both of them would love have a child if there was a way.

In the Vic, Ian is surprised to see his son, considering they haven't been speaking since the family found out about him re-mortgaging the Café and forging Kathy's signature. Peter informs his Dad that he needs to lie-low for a while, yep- he's simply avoiding Peter. Peter makes his way to the upstairs of the Queen Vic with his Dad's acceptance. Meanwhile, over at the Beale household, Lola has found Jay waiting for Peter. She's trying her absolute best to plead to her boyfriend and apologise, but Jay isn't having any of it. He's wanting to know where Peter is, but Lola admits she has no idea but Jay doesn't believe her, ask they're arguing Bobby can seen counting on his fingers again in an attempt to calm himself in this heated situation. Jay suddenly storms off in search for Peter.

Returning to the Vic with Mick and Katy, Mick is informing Katy about everything he remembers from their time together, going the cinema and she telling him she loved him. But Katy seems to have an explanation for everything he mentions. She recalls calling it their "little secret" because she took him to a rated 15 movie while he was just 12 and she didn't want to get into trouble. Plus she also admits telling him she loved him, but only in a motherly way. She appears to be really twisting it and telling him that he's not remembering things properly. (I'm sure that's a common factor of being an abuser, persuading the victim that they've got their facts wrong!) But suddenly Mick seems to remember everything so vividly, he starts to describe the night in question when he first slept at Katy's. Remembering the memory of being told to go upstairs and use a towel, her undressing him and then being asked to join her in her bed, to which he recalls that's when everything between them started. Katy doesn't seem to recall what Mick's saying is true, when they leave the Vic, Mick attempts to escape, informing her that he hopes she manages to find Frankie, but Katy isn't going to let him escape that easily, she informs him that what he has pretty much just accused her of, she could go to prison for. She tells him that their discussion isn't over and Mick takes her someone else more private.

Meanwhile in Cafe, Rainie watches as Denise enters with young Raymond. Rainie smiles at the small boy and asks Denise a pretty forward question, "How old were you when you had him?!" - understandably, that catches Denise off guard. It is quite a forward question which, to be fair, no one she be asked, but poor Rainie, in such desire of being a Mum, I guess she's probably thinking if Denise can, then why can't she? Regardless of their age! As far as I can make out, Denise seems to reveal to Rainie that she had Raymond at the age of 45? Which to be honest is absolutely incredible! Maybe this might give Rainie some hope? Maybe it's not too late for her to have children?

Returning to Mick and Katy, they eventually find themselves in the park. Katy seems to recall Mick's memories a bit differently, she recalls cleaning him up and putting him to pet, tucking him in and then she suggests that actually she slept on the sofa downstairs and not in the same bed. She remembers him crying and wanting to help him. While Katy is giving her version of events, a voice is heard from the other side of the park and Tina appears, she is incredibly excited to see Katy after such a long time. But as the camera looks to Mick as Tina and Katy are reminiscing, he looks like he's close to bursting into tears. Katy informs Tina that she's come looking for Frankie, it's then Tina mentions that she used to work at her bar and she instantly invites Katy to go round and have a look. As they walk on ahead they call out for Mick to come and join them, but he looks as if he'd much rather be 1000 miles away from Katy.

Meanwhile, in the Vic, Jay is still searching for Peter. He asks Ian whether he has seen him to which Ian denies ever seeing his son. As Jay orders a pint, Honey watches from a distance as Jay sneaks into the back of the Vic and up the stairs. Suddenly he becomes face-to-face with the Beale offspring and he scarpers into the bathroom. Jay chases after him as bangs against the bathroom door, calling Peter a coward for not facing him like a man! Peter makes a really pathetic excuse claiming he had no idea that he and Lola were even serious, to which Jay flips just that little bit harder and bangs against the door violently. Suddenly, Honey appears from the stairs and calls out to Jay to calm himself down ... I do believe that Jay would like to get his hands on Peter, but in all seriousness, what good what it do? It really wouldn't make the situation any better.

Back at the undertakers, Rainie brings her husband a cup of coffee. Stuart is looking crushed after the recent events, but something tells me that after Rainie bumping into Denise, perhaps it's given her some form of hope that perhaps there still could be a chance that they could become parents. Rainie admits to her husband that she thinks they should still go ahead with their appointment to the fertility clinic. She states that they've already paid and they wont be able to get their money back, and if there is just the smallest chance that it could work and they could become parents, they should grab the opportunity whilst they can. Stuart seems absolutely thrilled with the idea, but of course he's bound to have some concerns, he begins to tell his wife "What if -!" but she stops him in his tracks and reassures him, "If it doesn't work, then we've still got each other!" ... I have to say, I really do love this couple. They're the couple I never thought I would've loved and would've wanted them to have so much happiness. I feel so happy that EastEnders have brought these two together, they fit so perfectly and I know it sounds mushy, but I do hope they get their happily ever after, they are the ones who seem to deserve it more than any one else. Don't you think?

Back at the Vic, Honey is trying to console Jay, telling him how much she came to hate Adam by the end of their relationship. She tries to reassure Jay that things wont be like that for him, as Lola is deeply sorry for what she's done, and plus considering the fact that Jay loves her. Jay admits he wants to smash Peter's face in, which is understandable. But when Honey in speaking about Adam and how after everything he had put her through, it was the final straw for her, after a long line of straws, Jay is staring at her. Not talking, not even blinking - but Honey can see that he's looking at something, he's looking  straight at her. Has he come to realise he has feelings for her? He quickly thanks her and leaves the Vic, leaving Honey completely speechless.

At the Prince Albert, Tina and Katy are reminiscing after Tina informs Katy that she's attempted to get hold of Frankie. As they continue their conversation, Tina asks Katy why she left the care home so suddenly all those years ago, she explains that she fell out with the manager after he made a pass at her. She recalls being chucked out the next day without being able to say goodbye to anyone. It's then Tina mentions how devastated they all were that she had left, and described Mick as a love-sick puppy. Mick is sat on his own as his sister chats to his unknown abuser. Mick then speaks and recalls writing letter's to Katy but never receiving a reply from her, to which she admits is her biggest regret. She reveals she got pregnant with Frankie soon after leaving the home and that her head was all over the place during the time. Suddenly, Katy's phone pings and she reveals that finally Frankie has been in touch and she's wanting to talk to her Mum. As she gets herself ready to leave, she asks whether Mick will show her the way to the train station, Mick looks ever so uncomfortable as he follows her exit from the bar.

Back at home, it looks as if Jay has returned to talk with Lola. She is deeply apologetic for her mistake. Jay has calmed himself down and listening to everything she's saying. She must've apologised numerous about of times as Jay tells her that she doesn't have to repeat herself. She make a promise to him that she will never make the same mistake again. She asks for his forgiveness and he admits that he forgives her, but there will no way back for them after this, he tells her that things are over between them. He makes the interesting point that he's not as upset about it as he thought he was going to be. Lola is clearly devastated by what he's saying, but what he says makes sense - when she fell pregnant, Jay wanted to keep it but she didn't, when Jay wanted to get married - he wanted it, she didn't and it's probably the same with the flat. Jay reveals that he's not even sure whether she wants it, however Lola confirms that she does want all those things but just not yet, they don't need to rush into things. It's then that Jay drops the bombshell that he's come to realise that he doesn't love her in the way he used to anymore. Lola is absolutely devastated and pleads to him, she tells him that she can't be with anyone else except him, as no one else knows her as well as he does. But Jay is very gentle with her informs her that she will find someone else eventually as she's a very strong woman and someone will love her for who she is. With a mutual understanding between them both, they decide to end things. Which I find very sad, I've always loved Lola and Jay together and utterly believed that they belong together, I certainly can't see them being with anyone else on the Square, especially Lola. Something does tell me however, that Jay has developed feelings for Honey over recent weeks, what do you guys think? Do you think Jay will take his chance with Honey?! Are to sad to see Jay and Lola call it a day on their relationship? Who do think will be their next love interest?

The final scene of this episode is also quite an interesting one. Mick leads Katy to the train station and it appears he's still coming to terms with the information that his memory isn't quite what he thought it was. He seems baffled that his mind "invented" the memory. However something is shouting at me that his memory is true, and Katy has just completely twisted it to make him think it's not. Mick thanks her for everything she did for him back in the day and mentions that he hopes that she and Frankie will be able to sort things out. He also asks her to tell Frankie that he's sorry, it's then Katy tells him to tell her himself, but Mick feels like it's best for him step away for a while and let things settle. But Katy then drops the bombshell that Frankie will only meet with her Mum if Mick comes to. I feel like once again, Mick is being thrown into situation he really doesn't want to be in.

For me, I found this episode very fascinating, mainly regarding the character of Katy. I think there is something deeply dark about her, she comes across as this brilliant woman who helped children younger than her whilst in care, but I think it's all a cover up, what if she abused other children as well as Mick? I do feel there will be a huge storyline with her now she's arrived, will it kick off until or around Christmas? What do you guys think?! Either way I'm really looking forward to seeing how this storyline develops. I hope you guys enjoy the rest of your day. I'll be back very soon another blog. Thank you again for taking the time the read. Love you all xXx

[multimetaverse]

HSMTMTS 1x02 Review

The Read-Through was a great ep that surpassed the already high bar set by the premiere. Let’s dig in!

I had read about it in reviews but wow that Ashlyn and Nini duet was amazing. Julia Lester has a very powerful voice. It really was a wise decision for to show to film the kids singing live as much as possible

‘Wondering’ the song really highlights that although the show knows how to poke fun at itself and the movies, it is a deeply earnest show. It’s hilarious that Miss Jenn decides that the drama teacher of all characters needs a power ballad and of course Ms. Darbus herself was never a very important character in the movies but rather than play the whole situation for laughs they actually deliver a really moving song that gives a lot of depth to the role of Ms. Darbus in the musical and ties in beautifully with Nini’s conflicting feelings regarding Ricky

I’m pleasantly surprised at how they’re already giving Ashlyn some depth. I wasn’t sure if I’d like her that much based off of the little we knew of her before the show premiered but she really brings a lot to the table. I’m very glad they’re not going the cliche route of EJ is embarrassed to be seen publicly with his weird cousin. I like the little touches we get with her like her wearing her grandma’s glasses and her over exuberance at the read through. I’m curious to learn more about her and EJ’s families because although they’re cousins they are very different people

A really strong ep for Ricky and one that sure’s to please Nicky shippers. Dousing himself in cologne because he thinks the ‘pheromones’ in it will please Nini was such a teen boy thing to do (and loved the brand name throb). It’s good that Nini called him out for not taking the musical very seriously, for having auditioned just so he could be close to her, and for not being able to commit to things. He really needed that wake up call and it led to some good character growth when he buckles down and learns the choreography which was a funny scene and it reminded me of Phil Dunphy doing the same thing on Modern Family

Strong work by both Joshua Bassett and the writers with the glimpses we get of Ricky’s home life. It was a sad but realistic detail when Ricky didn’t want Big Red over because of how tense things have been at home. And I liked that Mr. Bowen sat down and watched Ricky practice rather than just going back to bed or berating him. I’m sure Ricky’s mom isn’t trying to hurt Ricky by staying in Chicago but just ghosting her family like this is only delaying the inevitable conversation she’’s going to need to have with her husband and Ricky

So far the show is doing a good job of balancing angst and drama and romantic moments for Nicky. Nini was clearly impressed by seeing Ricky performing the choreography in the library and she then avoided EJ on her way out. She definitely had a bit of a moment when she made eye contact with Ricky during Wondering and again she avoided telling EJ what was up. Kourtney bluntly asked her if she really wanted to be with EJ and Nini’s answer didn’t sound all that convincing. I don’t blame her for being torn, she and Ricky had gone out for a while and it was only a little more than 6 weeks ago in universe that she told Ricky she loved him

The show took a big step towards making Nini’s choice easier by somewhat villainizing EJ. I’m glad that Ashlyn correctly called him out for being scary and for pointing out that he doesn’t own Nini. Him saying that he wanted to stay with Nini because she made him a better person right after asking Ashlyn to steal her phone so he could read her messages sure was something

It’s true that as Ashlyn said EJ is being paranoid but as the old saying goes, just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean that they’re not out to get you. Ricky really is trying to win Nini back and breakup her and EJ and Nini really does still have some level of feelings for Ricky. That of course doesn’t justify his bad actions but the motivation for his jealousy and insecurity are there. And we also get an important line from Ashlyn about how EJ could stand to not always get what he wants. He clearly expected to win the lead and be with Nini for a long time only to have Ricky waltz in at the last moment and pull out the rug from under him

 In a way I’m glad that they’re starting to unravel NJ now because that will ultimately make things less messy when the show starts guiding Nicky back together. As I’ve said before, love triangles usually devolve into someone cheating on their significant other in some fashion and the less emotional cheating we get on this show the better imo

Miss Jenn continues to be a G rated April Rhodes and I’m here for it. It’s wildly inappropriate for her to basically nudge Nini and Ricky back together because it will help the show and she believes in their chemistry but it’s exactly the kind of stuff she needs to be doing in her role as an agent of chaos. Her going hard with the solo during the read through and making such a big deal out of Gabriella’s 2006 phone was too funny. We got another phone call with her mom about money problems, we’ll see what comes of it.

Gina made a big splash this ep. I liked that her plot involved convincing Ricky to stay as an indirect way to get Nini out of the way, that was clever of her. We get a little glimpse of how being a transfer student and her desire to make a place for herself colours her actions and we get to see how observant she is. She went full on villain at the end though when she took Nini’s phone and put it in EJ’s bag. Gina has no way of knowing if there actually is anything on Nini’s phone regarding her and Ricky but she’s clearly picked up on the spark that’s still there between them. EJ would be a fool to work with her because they are not in fact after the same thing; EJ wants to be the Troy to Nini’s Gabriella but Gina wants to be Gabriella in place of Nini and I doubt she cares who plays Troy. Those are mutually exclusive goals right there

Good ep for Big Red as well, his cult line was funny and his awful readings of the stage directions was hilarious. He continues to be a steadfast friend for Ricky, they’ve got a good bromance going on

A pretty funny ep all around, lots of great lines. I think my favourite is the exchange between Miss Jenn and EJ where she said he was lurking and he says he was going for loitering

Not quite sure what to make of Carlos thinking that Ricky was going to assault him in the library. I did like the start of a possible friendship we see between him and Ricky. Seb gets some lines and we learn he’s a piano playing farm boy with milking glasses and he’s a sophomore like Carlos. It will be interesting to see when they start something with Seblos and how far that relationship will go this season. Seb is in all 10 eps this season if Joe Serafini’s imdb is accurate which puts him above all the other guest stars

It wasn’t romantic of course but just seeing a bunch of guys holding hands with guys and girls holding hands with girls really shows how much further HSMTMTS will be able to go than Andi Mack was. There’s just no way a mass hand holding scene like this would ever have been allowed to happen on Andi Mack. And the casual way Nini referred to one of her moms sending her fortune cookie sayings in a regular ep instead of one of the two or three designated textual gay eps per season that Andi Mack was allowed was refreshing 

I really liked the skate park and shooting at an actual high school continues to pay off for the show

Looking Ahead:

It’s looks like most of the clips we’ve seen on various trailers came from the first two eps so we’re in largely uncharted waters going forward. Hopefully someone uploads the next ep promo

We know EJ has an apology song coming up so he likely gets caught sooner rather than later and I wonder if Gina gets exposed with him or if her breakdown scene we saw in the promo relates to something else

Until next week wildcats

[marymccartneyphotos]

Paul McCartney's Meat Free Monday Mission

June 25, 2009 -- The Telegraph

Sir Paul, Mary and Stella McCartney are leading the Meat Free Monday campaign to persuade people to avoid meat once a week. It is not an attempt to turn the world vegetarian, one day at a time, but a crucial step in the fight against climate change.

There is a charming, seemingly random video on YouTube of Paul McCartney demonstrating how to make mashed potatoes. It's a recipe from Linda McCartney's On Tour book (he is following the instructions from his own well-thumbed copy) and there is something quite endearing about the way he shows you Linda's tip of how to chop an onion, as he hacks away with the knife the way no professional chef would. He is no Jamie Oliver. Obviously, Sir Paul has many other talents and his guide to making mash the Macca way, a video he made as president of the Vegetarian Society, is just a bit of fun – the perfect accompaniment to a couple of Linda McCartney's vegetarian sausages.

Food was a key part of Paul and Linda's relationship and when they decided to go vegetarian in the seventies, it was a spontaneous and joint decision. "Linda and I, we were on the farm and we saw lambs gambolling and we were eating leg of lamb…so it was a compassionate thing. That seems to be the least important thing to people these days. It seems to have gone right out of the window, the whole idea, unfortunately, because it's rather a nice thing, a bit of compassion."

What was it that made this man hate us? These days, Linda's food still brings the family together. They are actively involved in Linda McCartney Foods, which recently had a bit of a dust off and a rebrand. The family all taste and approve any new recipes, and I imagine, their freezers are well stocked with Linda's burgers and sausages. It is important to them, their way of keeping Linda's legacy alive. So when Paul decided to launch a new campaign, Meat Free Monday, it was the perfect opportunity to get together for a rare public group hug.

As he muses over a suitable recipe for another cookery video to promote the new campaign, he remembers one of his father's favourite recipes. "Pea sandwiches," he recalls. "I remember my dad making one for John once." But his daughters groan. "It has to be mum's lasagne," says Mary.

While Mary prepares to take the photographs for this story, Paul takes a tiny mouth organ from his pocket and plays as Stella sings along. "This is why Bob Dylan wants to write songs with you," she laughs. It's a family joke. Despite the news reports that the two musicians are about to record together, Paul tells me later that the rumour is totally unfounded. "No, that's a newspaper thing. He just said some very complimentary things about me in some interviews and I love him. I think he's a great poet and writer so I've always admired him. I don't rule it out and I admire him. But we're not the kind of people who would ring each other up." Mary takes her place in the picture, arranges her dad's hair which is blowing in the wind, and presses the shutter.

The family is famously vegetarian, but Stella says for this particular debate, she wishes they weren't. This is not an evangelical mission to make the world a veggie but an attempt to do their bit to slow climate change. "It's an environmental conversation, not a vegetarian one," says Stella. "It's ok to just give up meat for one day, it doesn't make you a vegetarian if you hate vegetarians, it doesn't make you cranky, hemp wearing pot smoker. It's alright, it's allowed - it doesn't make you a kind of the person you don't want to be. It just means you are doing something positive."

Paul read about the campaign in America and decided he needed to get involved. Over the past year, he has been talking about it, writing letters to celebrities and chefs, talking to schools, and galvanising support from as many people as he can, including Woody Harrelson, Doris Day, and Ricky Gervais. Two weeks ago [Monday 15 June], he held a press conference to launch the campaign at Oliver Peyton's restaurant Inn the Park. Peyton himself – a fully fledged bone marrow sucking carnivore - has agreed to promote meat free dishes every Monday at the restaurant.

The campaign has some weighty research behind it, not least from the UN. "Dad got the report," says Mary, who is softly spoken but has a cool air of authority about her. "You were sent the report weren't you?" She looks at Paul who has joined us round the table at the Portobello Hotel in west London, quietly whistling to himself. "Yeah, I was originally sent it. Livestock's Long Shadow it was called. The UN, who are our appointed global watchdog, said 'hey, cattle rearing is more harmful than ALL transport.' That is the statistic I thought was shocking because until then I thought it was aeroplanes, cars and trucks…"

According to the report, livestock are responsible for 18 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, which is indeed a bigger share than that of transport which accounts for 13 per cent. "We're not just talking about a few cows," says Paul. "We're talking billions. I took a drive from Santa Fe down to El Paso, a road trip I was on, and you go past I think about 15-20 miles of cattle as you drive down the motorway and it's the same cow; it's a brown and white cow. There are billions of them! And that's where it comes home. That's where the methane is coming from, this is the problem, not just a couple of cows on a farm. It's not just Daisy and Buttercup any more."

It seems the world is coming round to the Macca point of view and this is too good an opportunity to miss. It's the first time not eating meat is being promoted by scientists – 'traditional eaters,' as Paul calls them, not vegetarians with a vested interest. For Stella and Mary, following their father's lead is perfectly natural. Linda would certainly have been there, waving her placard. She was already talking about the relationship between food and the environment long before the UN decided it was time to act. This is part of the family's way of keeping Linda's legacy alive. "Ideally yes, be vegetarian," says Mary. "But if not, just reduce your meat intake to make it fun do a meat free Monday."

Listening to them running through the arguments and the statistics backing up their campaign, you feel this is a typical discussion that would happen over a family nut roast. Occasionally, they talk over each other and finish each other's sentences. "It can be so overwhelming," admits Stella. "And you can feel so …oh god, but I've got to get that plane there and I've got to drive my car with my three kids here. You are led to believe that transport is the main problem, but actually it's diet. To be honest we could sit and bang on about it…"

Paul: "But we don't want to bang on, we don't want to say to you look, you have to go veggie. The idea of this is for the environment, for your children's future, would you consider just one day a week changing your habits? And then if you decide to do two days, three, four, then so much the better, but if people would do it, it would have a huge impact."

Stella: "If everyone gave it up on a Monday it would be more effective than everyone stopping driving their car on a Monday. We are not perfect. It's so important to get that across because it's like oh, those bloody Maccas, talking again about not killing cows! It is boring. But the reality is, I like to think I am trying to do my little bit. I will turn off the lights when I leave a room; I will turn off a socket if I don't want to be using the socket. And those are tiny little things."

Paul: "Even President Obama tells you to do that."

It is a small thing they are asking us all to do. Very few of us eat meat every day of the week, but by cutting back on what we eat, we can make a difference. On average we are eating twice the amount of meat we ate in 1961, the year the Beatles first performed at the Cavern club in Liverpool. "The idea of having one type of meat for your breakfast and another type of meat for your lunch, and then another type for your dinner, and in between having your sandwiches with another kind of meat, we really do eat too much of it," says Paul. To produce a single kilogram of beef, farmers have to feed a cow 15 kg of grain and 30 kg of forage. It is a highly intensive business that is ultimately not sustainable. Livestock production is responsible for 70 per cent of the deforestation of the Amazon jungle and by 2050, the world's livestock population is expected to rise from 60 billion farm animals to 120 billion. It is a scary fact when you consider that a single cow can produce 500 litres of methane per day, which has around 25 times the global warming impact of CO2.

"I think we forget more and more that we are animals," says Stella, "and we are part of a planetary system where all of the animals are on this planet together and you are made to feel like a hippy dippy jerk that should go and live in a tipi for even making a point of remembering."

Despite the fact that she rarely gives interviews, Stella is the most vocal of the three, passionately backing up her father, shaking her head, saying 'it's all money, money, money!' about the projected growth of the meat industry (world demand for meat is estimated to double by 2050) and butting in with the odd comment like: 'Greed is not a good look. I was brought up to think this was not a good look. Everything in moderation.' And she knows her stuff. She urges me (and you) to watch a film called Home that was made by the aerial photographer, Yann Arthus-Bertrand, and launched the previous week on World Environment Day. You can link to it from her website.

As she says, she tries to do her bit. Although she already incorporates sustainable and organic fabrics in her mainline collection, she also designs a capsule Green Collection which is as purely ethical and sustainable as she can make it and is sold at Barneys in New York and Harvey Nichols in London. On her website, in between pictures of models looking supremely cool and confident in her clothes, if you click on the 'Green me' button, you can read Stella's eco tips – small things we can all do to help slow down global warming. Her London shop is powered by Ecotricity. Her skincare range, Care, is made using 100 percent organic active ingredients and is Ecocert –certified. And of course, she tells her celebrity friends off for wearing fur and doesn't use leather.

"In my industry, there is no alternative in people's minds to leather shoes. Now I'm not making a leather shoe. I'm doing alright. We can get by. Things change. Humans are the best animals - the best adapters on the planet. We adapt quicker than a tree does in the rainforest. We adapt, that's what we do."

In March, she was given an award by the Natural Resources Defence Council (which works to protect wildlife and wild places) in New York. "I was lucky enough to present that to her," says Paul. "I said that when she joined the fashion world, she first of all was employed by Gucci and my first thought, and Linda's, was uh-oh Gucci is leather city. When you think of Gucci, you think of leather. We thought about how long is it going to be before she caves in on her principles? And we waited, and we waited, and we waited, and she never did. That is a fantastic achievement… and that's what's great about new ideas, different ideas, people catch the fire, they get excited with the stuff. It's just thinking about it instead of just becoming a Gucci slave. Took a little bit of guts to do that."

Despite the fact that Stella feels she has been pilloried for her beliefs and principles, it seems to have paid off. Just as the fashion world has finally come round to her big idea of wearing jumpsuits and your boyfriend's jacket, we seem to have arrived at a moment when having principles – and a bit of compassion – is not such a bad thing. It is perhaps no coincidence that she is the only fashion person to be included in Time magazine's annual 100 most influential people list this year, an achievement she is obviously proud of, giving me a high five when I mention it. Just as any father would, Paul admits to having the magazine on his kitchen table, open at the relevant page – a tribute written by Stella's mate, Gwyneth Paltrow. "Even if you are not vegetarian somehow Stella gets you to believe," she writes. "She manages to convince you (never sanctimoniously from a soapbox) that killing animals is needless and cruel and bad for the environment."

Paul says she didn't have to be that way. "She could have caved in and we almost would have forgiven her. The pressures were so huge but the fact that she did not…" Stella cuts in. "I'm very lucky. I don't think that I am magnificent, I just think I've been very lucky. I think I've been brought up in a certain way. Mary's like that, my brother [James, a musician] and sisters [Heather from Linda's first marriage, and Beatrice from her father's second] are like that. My husband's like that. I think that you do stand out if you stand out against things. It was very hard in my industry especially to have those kind of principles and I did have the mickey taken out of me probably up to about a year ago. And people will probably read this and chuck it on their barbie and cook beef on it but the reality is I'm more impressed by people who take a risk and who stand up to good beliefs and I think in this day and age…"

Paul: "It's how the world changes."

Stella: 'The main thing is not to bang on about it too much. We don't generally bang on about it, I try to keep my head down and get on with it and design pretty frocks, that's my job. And dad makes pretty good records when he's given half an hour in between his potato mashing, and Mary's a fantastic photographer. But I don't think we want to come across as forcing people to think a certain way, I think it's just a very valid issue and life's too short to not do something you believe in. You've only got a short period on the planet to make something of your life."

With all of this passion and desire for change, I wonder if Paul will be writing a Dylan style protest song to promote their cause. "I do have a few sort of animal awareness songs, but they are very difficult to write. I wrote one called Looking For Changes that was applauded by PETA, which started off with 'I saw a cat with a machine in its brain', you know that picture? A hardcore picture. That made me write that, but it's very very hard to do and it's not my forte. I wish it was, that would be kind of nice to be driven in that direction. Songs aren't always what you are passionate about. You'd like to think that they all were but sometimes it's just about I love you, or you're great."

And with that, our time is up. Stella's phone has been ringing non-stop. "We're going to get a bit of flack for this," says Paul, who can't resist singing into my Dictaphone before turning it off. "Why do we feel we need to do it? You know what, because Meat Free Monday is a damn good idea. I mean, what are you going to tell your kids? That we can do something about it. This is one of those things that you can do."

[littlecrookedheart]

Fluffy Alphabet

Pairing : Tom x Clove

Word Count :

Rating : Fluff! A teensy bit of suggestion, nothing more.

Template courtesy of @pixelburied

♡

A – Anger (What was their first fight about? Any big or recurring arguments?)

Their first big fight, the one that really matters, stemmed from miscommunication. Clove was feeling insecure, which snowballed into an exchange of cruel words on both of their parts. Thankfully, they worked through and made up. You can read the whole thing here.

B – Best (What would they say is the other’s best trait?)

Tom's absolute favorite thing about Clove is that, despite her back story, she is soft. This just so happens to be her favorite thing about him, too.

They are able to fight anything that stands in their way and do so almost fearlessly, but when it comes to their moments - the moments in between and after, they have one another. Whether that's tickles on the couch or stuffing their faces full of cookies and pizza, whispering sweet nothings or their closest form of intimacy, they cherish their ability to get rid of walls when they're together.

C – Camera (How do they document their relationships? Who likes to take pictures? Or videos?)

They both have a tendency to reach for their phones and document things. Tom loves taking selfies with her and requires multiple each time, and Clove likes taking pictures of him to scroll through later. He was pleasantly surprised when finding that she has an entire album dedicated to random candid moments of his, and sometimes does things she'd think to be cute while she's holding her phone, just to give her a little something extra.

D – Dates (What are their dates like?)

They've never really been a couple who plan anything even kind of elaborate, though Tom does try. He knows she prefers nights in, so he likes to surprise her with her favorite foods and snacks and either a pile of blankets or a cute pillow fort. They both consider these nights, “date nights,” and it's kind of an inside joke.

E – Early (What was the first month of dating like?)

Awkward. Much of the first month consisted of Clove flirting, Tom missing her advances, and fighting the supernatural. Not the grandest of times.

F – Friends (How is their relationship with each other’s group of friends?)

Amazing. Andy and Clove get along super well, which makes Tom over the moon. He loves when Andy visits and they all play Mario Kart or go on walks together and thinks their sassy personalities go hand in hand. He doesn't even mind when he becomes the butt end of their joke.

Tom and Clove's bestie, Ricky, didn't meet in person for a few months, but they quickly became buddies and they even have their own group chat with Elliot for when Tom has some...plans... about doing something special for her. 😉

G – Gifts (Do they like giving each other gifts? What kind?)

Tom always wants to pay for things because he thinks it's chivalrous, but Clove couldn't care less. Truth is, it's always kind of a battle with these two. They love to spoil one another and do so very often, no matter if it's a new item or something hand made.

Clove spun and sculpted an entire collection of MCU mugs for Tom’s first birthday when they were together, which inspired him to start sketching again as he did in middle school (inspired by one of his heroes, Ben Park.) He draws her cute little doodles on the mirror in dry erase marker and she swoons every single time.

H – Hugs (All things involving hugs)

Clove is a laying down hugger. So in other words, she likes to face Tom, wrap her arms around him, and simultaneously hold each other. Tom doesn't hug people too often apart from his family and close friends on occasion, but he absolutely adores her hugs. He often comments on her scent and softness, and she melts in his warmth.

I – Inside Jokes (Do they have any?)

Too many. Like, actually too many. Sometimes it's hard to keep track.

J – Jealousy (Who gets jealous easier? How do they show their jealousy?)

Tom surprises himself at his lack of jealousy now that they're together. At first, he second guessed himself more than he should have, but now he knows how solid they are. Clove, however, tends to harbor a bit of jealousy when others check him out. She never says anything and she doesn't make a show of it, but he notices the look in her eyes when she catches someone admiring his looks. He'll jokingly elbow her and wiggle his eyebrows, mouthing, “Love you,” and she holds his hand a little tighter as if to thank him for that gentle reassurance.

K – Kiss (How do they kiss? Who usually initiates?)

They both initiate in their own ways, very distinctly. Tom starts slow, usually gently swiping his fingers across her waist as he pulls her in, sweetly rubbing his nose with hers before he kisses her. He prefers pecks in public, but when they're in a safe place, he drinks her kisses like fine wine. Slow, steady, loving, almost as if he's afraid he'll run out of her. Kissing Tom is an experience, one that fills her entire heart with butterflies no matter how many times she's done it.

Clove's kisses are just as gentle, but mix in a heap of sensuality. She doesn't care who sees, but respects Tom's aversion to too much PDA. She kisses him with fire, whether slow burning or fierce flickers, leaving lingering love marks on that special place just behind where his hair falls on his neck. Not too dark, but enough for him to hold onto in moments of her absence. He is a big fan of this.

L – Love (How do they first say those three words?)

You already know the canon version, but in my fic universe...the night they finally become intimate. He's so nervous for her to say it, and it's almost a fight to fit it in, but it's a tender and beautiful moment.

M – Movies (What kinds of movies do they watch together? Is it a regular Netflix ritual?)

Clove is a horror girl at heart, even after the wild experiences they have in Pine Springs. Tom is okay with this, and he happily binges films with her, but he really loves anything related to the MCU and anything funny or action packed. When they can't decide what to watch, they put Bob's Burgers on and snuggle, which genuinely is their routine nowadays. They love it.

N – Nicknames (Things they call each other)

Tom's nicknames for Clove, in order of his most to least fave : Love, Angel, Babe, Baby

Clove's nicknames for Tom, in order of her most to least fave : Tommy, Baby, Babe, Honey, Sweetie, Dear

O – One (Tell us about the moment they realized they were with the one.)

Clove will argue that she's always known, and stands by that. In truth, it was one moment soon after meeting him, after their first kiss in Westchester, when he was falling asleep while they'd gone out for pizza. He jolted up to pretend he wasn't asleep, hair falling in his face. He said, “I'm awake! You're pretty.” She knew.

Tom knew she was the one very early on but doesn't have one moment pinpointed. She reminds him each morning that she kisses his cheeks and every time she calls him, “Tommy.”

P – Pizza (What is their favorite food to eat together?)

Pizza, specifically pizza from the good bread place down by the spice market. They have the best cheese pulls and Tom is a huge sucker for their jalapeño breadsticks on the side.

Q – Quit (Do they break up? Almost break up? What happened?)

No. Even during their biggest fight, neither of them could fathom leaving the other. This would have been catastrophic for them, as both of them have their hearts and minds set on only loving one another.

R – Rainy Days (How do they comfort each other on dark days?)

Tom is very nurturing, as taught by his grandparents at a young age. She loves when he sings, and though he doesn't do it often, he will always delight her ears when she's down. He likes to light her favorite candles, prepare her bath water, he warms her towel and makes her snacks. He's even sat on the bathroom floor and held her hand during one of said baths, which has quietly become one of her most treasured memories of their relationship.

Clove knows exactly what Tom needs in all of his moods, especially the down ones. He thrives on positive affirmations, so much of the time, she will spoon him and brush his hair with her fingers while telling him how wonderful he is and how much she loves him. He gets tingles when she plays with his hair and sometimes he'll give her puppy dog eyes and sit on the floor in front of her, leaning his head back into her lap. She loves it too and doesn't mind the extra practice for if they ever have a long haired baby one day.

S – Soft (Something one of them did that turned the other into absolute mush)

These two are the epitome of soft for one another. Just this morning, Tom was pouring a bowl of cereal after Clove had gone to her studio. He noticed her lipstick stain on the mug she'd left on the counter, and it almost made him tear up. He just really loves her, okay? On her way to the studio, he sent her a good morning selfie and she felt her insides go melty. She pulled into the parking lot and held her phone to her chest, smiling, before sending one back. She just really loves him, okay?

T – Texting (Do they text each other a lot? What do they usually talk about over the phone?)

They text each other random things all day long, which usually consists of memes and bad jokes, but Tom loves her studio selfies. She'll even use clay scraps to spell out silly messages and send them to him, while he sends her scrunch faced pictures in return. They're ridiculously sappy and even more cute.

As for phone calls, they don't have those very often, and the ones they do...well, this is meant to be SFW...so let's skip it.

U – Unique (Tell us about some of their odd habits that surprised one another.)

Clove was shocked when Tom revealed himself to be very, very clean. He doesn't leave things around, he does his dishes as he uses them, and his apartment always smells as clean as it looks. Sometimes he misses laundry, but for the most part, he's a clean guy. She differs from him a little, meaning she will leave things in the living room (like books, magazines, makeup) creating a little clutter. Tom secretly likes this, because it makes him feel like his place is becoming a home. Their home.

V – Vanity (Something they’re proud of in themselves and their partner)

Clove's art skill is way more than she'd ever let on, so much so that her only job is her art - and it's enough. She is mad talented and very self sustaining, and this is her point of pride. She loves what she does and she knows she's among the best.

Tom’s great at anything technical and can figure things out very quickly. This enables him to essentially breeze through college and also maintain his new job position at a tech firm. He's an excellent learner and a fast one at that, and he is very proud of where he's headed.

They are proud of one another for these things, sure, but more so, they are proud of one another for the strength and fire they each hold.

W – Wedding (Tell us about your wedding head canon if they’ve gotten that far. Or if not, have they talked about it?)

You'll just have to wait and see.

X – X (Something they hate about the other)

Hate is a strong word, but Clove really does wish he'd remember to put the seat down. He usually laughs and calls her, “little wet booty,” but she really, really doesn't think it's funny. On the other end, Tom wishes she'd stop leaving bobby pins and matches everywhere. The girl loves candles and the sound a match makes when it strikes, but he's sick of picking them up all the time.

Y – Youtube (What are they like online? Do they post about their relationship constantly?)

They post about their relationship on special occasions and extra sappy days, but they do frequently post updated photos together.

Z – Zoo (Are they into animals? Do they want pets? What kind?)

They're both dog people and they'd love one or two, but they're waiting to get a house instead of Tom's little apartment and her studio. Clove also wouldn't mind some kind of rodent, but when she held a mouse up to him at the pet store, he may have shrieked a little. No rodents for Tom.

[darrencrissource]

With a just-wrapped concert tour, new music in the works and an Emmy nod forThe Assassination of Gianni Versace, multitalented University of Michigan grad Darren Criss just might be one of the most versatile performers of his generation—and he’s just getting started.

To television viewers used to seeing Darren Criss belting out pop tunes onGlee, his unsettling, riveting performance as serial killer Andrew Cunanan in Ryan Murphy’s blockbuster series American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace was completely unexpected. One person who wasn’t surprised? Benj Pasek, who studied theater with Criss at the University of Michigan and saw firsthand the seriousness his classmate brought to the craft. On the heels of Criss’ Emmy nomination for best actor in a limited series/TV movie, Pasek (an award-winning songwriter for projects like Dear Evan Hansen and The Greatest Showman) caught up with the 31-year-old Criss in an exclusive chat for Michigan Avenue to talk Penélope Cruz, favorite Chicago dining spots, why he’s a champion of the gay community and the best acting advice he’s ever received.

Benj Pasek: I’m excited to talk to you, Darren—what are we, a week after your Emmy nomination for Versace? I remember when you got your first nomination for music [in 2015 for Glee song “This Time”], but this time it’s for one of the main event categories that everybody’s watching for. It’s thrilling to see you shine up there with those other famous folks in your category. Darren Criss: Thanks, Benj! We have a fun history of anticipating nominations together. I’ve been on that side for you as well, so I’m glad we can share that. What was so validating about that first nomination was that it was for something a lot of people didn’t know I had anything to do with. You know songwriting is a huge part of my creative life. And of course with this one, there’s a lot of eyes on it, and it’s a badge of honor to be included in the category.

BP: Versace received 18 nominations, which is extraordinary. Did you have a sense when you were filming that it was going to catch fire? DC: My mantra is, ‘One hopes for everything but expects nothing.’ I was just happy to be part of the project, which was amazing for myriad reasons. All the boxes were ticked: the people you’re working with; the story itself is interesting; the role is varied and nuanced and complex. This is a role I’ve worked and waited for my entire life. It’s enough just to be a part of that, so one tries not to think of what might happen in the more splashy accolade space because you already feel like you’ve won the lottery.

BP: Obviously, you worked with Ryan Murphy on Glee, but how did the role come to you? DC: and i have talked about this at length both admire versatility range not only in other people work having the opportunity to use different colors on proverbial artist palette. so if you do a project that green look forward next thing can be blue one red others mix two. want bring life forms personalities within yourself. something am deeply indebted ryan for. think he recognizes studied acting as craft take storytelling seriously glad actors writing producing your own stuff good moments they given from people. when arose grateful coach was like right kid made it varsity get there. ready.

BP: The cast of Versace is insane—movie stars like Penélope Cruz, theater luminaries like Judith Light, Edgar Ramirez, Ricky Martin... What was it like working with them? DC: What was nice about this project, especially with Penélope, Edgar andRicky, was that it was a huge deal for all of them. It was Penélope’s first foray into television. It was Edgar’s first American television role and one of Ricky’s first larger roles in a drama of this scale. So it wasn’t just another day at the office for them. If anything, I was sort of the veteran, which was crazy. I had the most history with Ryan; I had spent the most time doing this in terms of shooting a series; I knew the crew and the producers. At this point, a lot of these people are family to me. That made it a lot easier because everybody was excited to be at this party.

BP: Any funny anecdotes from set that no one in the world’s heard yet? DC: Look, our show is very dark, so I think as a defense mechanism for what we were doing, I took it upon myself to be the biggest prankster. Let’s just say, if there was a staircase to fall down or a door to be walked into, I did it. I was the quarterback of the bloopers.

BP: Moving on from Versace: You just finished touring with Lea Michele. DC: It was a good time. I really enjoy live performance. People always ask what I like most, but look: Performing is performing. The main advantage that performing live has is there is a real-time catharsis to what’s happening. So I love being able to go on the road and meet people I’ve never had a chance to interact with. I’m a fan of the more human elements. I’m the worst at texting—you know me, Benj: I just call you even if it’s for the stupidest thing. I always yield to phone calls and I always prefer in-person meetings. So being with Lea and getting to meet all these young people who have grown up with Glee, it’s wonderful to be able to thank people in real time.

BP: You have a lot of connections to Chicago. DC: Chicago is one of my favorite places to eat and drink in the world. Aside from its culinary scene, which is second to none, it has the metropolitan quality of New York and the hominess of the San Francisco I grew up in, but because it’s smack-dab in the middle of the Midwest, it’s populated with wonderful salt-of-the-Earth Midwestern people. So it’s this cocktail of all my favorite things about our country. My artistic background with the city is, having gone to the University of Michigan, I had never really spent time in Chicago before then.

BP: I had never realized how unbelievable Chicago theater is. I remember seeing one of the first out-of-town productions of The Light in the Piazza there, and I became addicted to Chicago theater. DC: There’s this pride in being a Chicago actor. If you’re one of these hardcore guys and gals doing incredible work in Chicago before it moves to New York or elsewhere, that’s a thing. I’ve even pitched buddies of mine like, ‘He’s a Chicago theater guy.” And the casting person is like, ‘Ooh, that’s good.’ It adds cache.

BP: You’re a real actor’s actor in Chicago. DC: And that comes from its rich history in improv, obviously, and the Steppenwolf, the Goodman, Lookingglass and the amazing out-of-town tryouts that happen in Chicago. Being in Michigan, I started going during the summer because I could take the train. Talk about a great way to go to Chicago for the first time. Coming out of Union Station, this old Gothic, amazing, historic station, it’s like, ‘Welcome to Chicago, kid!’ Seeing theater and being around the people working on shows was so inspiring. We founded StarKid in L.A. but moved it to Chicago mainly because it’s a place where independent theater can thrive. After our guys graduated around 2011, we started doing shows, and our first— and this was the last musical I wrote the whole score for, which I miss doing—was Starship. That was during my first season in Glee, and we premiered it at the Center on Halsted in Boystown.

BP: Do you have a favorite restaurant in Chicago? I remember you eating at Girl & the Goat. DC: The West Loop has exploded in the past several years. Soho House is there. Girl & the Goat opened a new restaurant, Duck Duck Goat, that’s also good. My fiancee, Mia, and I—and you’re a partner in it, so thank you for investing in our bar, Benj Pasek— own Tramp Stamp Granny’s in L.A., which is a cocktail club and piano bar. So for the past few years I’ve had a keen interest in the country’s premier cocktail destinations, and one of those is the Aviary, which is a famous high-end mixology bar in the West Loop. I make sure to visit if I can get a ticket. And Chicago has my favorite art museum in the world, the Art Institute. I always make sure to spend some part of my summer in Chicago so I can ride Jet Skis on the lake, go to the Lincoln Park Zoo and the Adler Planetarium, where a lot of my buddies from Michigan work. I make my way down the lake and usually end up at the Chicago Athletic Association for a game of chess, or a couple of beers and a game of pool, because that place is so cool, it’s insane.

BP: Back to the Emmy nomination—you're only the second actor of Asian descent to be nominated in the best actor category. What does that mean to you? DC: I feel fortunate to be part of that history. It’s empowering and encouraging to people who may feel underrepresented, be they mixed or full, whatever ethnicity. When you see some version of yourself acknowledged, certainly in the media, it feels like your home team is winning.

BP: What’s the best piece of advice you ever got about being an actor? DC: The things I remember are more pragmatic, tactical pieces of advice: Know the name of the cameraman. Know your crew. Realize that the creative process, once you start the collaborative process, is a team sport. And everyone’s looking out for each other, or should be at least, and the more you can familiarize yourself with your teammates, the more your team will feel good about passing you the ball.

BP: You have been such a champion of the LGBTQ+ community. How did your involvement in that cause come about? DC: The way I have felt embraced by the LGBTQ community, I think, is the amalgam of so many serendipities throughout my life that I just feel fortunate it’s such a huge part of my identity not only as a person, but as a public person. I consider it sheer providence that a kid from San Francisco who grew up in a very troubled and ultimately resilient time for the gay community, and was raised not at home but backstage in theaters... by these young men and women who were part of that, always gave me a respect and understanding for the gay community in whatever way I could understand it as a young cisgender straight person.

BP: Last question: What’s next for you? DC: My brother and I are working on a batch of songs [for our band, Computer Games], and we’ll hopefully get something out in the next handful of months. We had a great run withVersace, but right now I’m hearing the click, click, click of the roller coaster going up, and I know some exciting new thing is about to happen. We’ll see what acting roles come my way, but one of the things I want to get back to, as I’ve hinted, is to write some kind of new musical soon. I say that now, but I’ll probably get off the phone and get a call and end up doing some random thing I would have never thought of doing. I always keep my receptors open, and as long as the project is interesting, has some significance and is different from the last thing, that’s what I’m into. It’s one of the great blessings and curses of having too many interests—it makes almost everything interesting to me. So, I’m as curious as the next guy.

August 23, 2018

[bl6ckr0s3]

Next Plan?

I didn't expect to receive my tax refund so quickly, I actually received it yesterday thinking I wasn't going to receive it within a week and a half or shortly after I get paid. I transferred 1/2 of the amount to my savings account. I'm still awaiting for my state refund to be deposited. I caught up on some bills such as my credit cards, school loan, parking ticket, and my internet. Now I have to figure out how to keep my money while I'm continuing to pay off my debt. Since overtime seems to be coming back into my work place, I can take advantage of my days of not having my baby with me to catch up on over time that I have been missing. I remember the good old days when I did 10-11 hours a day 6 days a week. When I started out my job, I was still living with my family, I was able to save so much money and I was able to pay off my dad within 2-3 months for the Honda Accord him and my sister helped me get. That's the same Honda that I will be getting rid of and selling it to my friend Brenda & her husband once I get my name registered to Wendy's dad's Toyota Prius. Wendy and her bf Jeff will be arriving to my family's home about 8 or 9pm tonite because she's gonna show the car to my sister before my sister pays her for the car. I'm really happy that things are going pretty well right now as far as trying to get my finances in order and getting a newer vehicle for reliable transportation. Once I can start working some over time I can slowly start saving without being short since my rent takes up most of my paycheck. I usually am use to getting help with rent when I was supporting Ricky & Brian when they were living in my apartment with me. Now I'm trying to get back into getting my shit together so that I no longer need to rely on anybody else for help with bills other than myself. It's so exhausting when I have the baby on the days I have to work. Lim is getting older so his sleeping habits are getting a bit more complicated as in trying to get him to sleep when he needs to without having to wake him up too soon. I was watching a couple of videos on YouTube and a pediatrician was saying that a change of routine is going to be in play in the way I put my son to sleep now. Putting babies to sleep was very simple, and now it's having to detach the baby from being carried and being fed then once he falls asleep, would have to separate him and put him in the bedroom to sleep. The older babies will be more aware of their surroundings so now any sounds or anything else around them can wake them up and keep them awake. I'm glad I got to learn what I have to change in terms of his sleeping habits. I notice my son's sleeping schedule has changed again. He probably hasn't been sleeping well with Ricky because the idiot could be still getting drunk around him and keeping him up. I wouldn't know that unless I have a witness or a security camera watching his every move around the baby and I see or hear about it. I do plan on getting a couple of security cameras soon to watch the staircase and my front door as well as the parking lot driveway. No matter what the outcome is after the court case is actually over, there's no telling what Ricky may plan to do if he ends up losing custody over Lim. I'm sure it will frustrate him & piss him off to know that he has lost custody over all his children, but that's his own fault. My credit scores are going back up and I am extremely happy about that because my credit scores had been bad for going on 3 years already. Once all my debt is gone, I can slowly build it back up and start buying the expensive things that I had been wanting through credit and making payments 1 thing @ a time.

Once Ricky takes his furniture out of my apartment, I will work on getting my own theatre, comfortable couch, a futon, maybe a futon bunk bed for the extra bedroom in case I have people spend the night, my own big screen tv and entertainment speaker. i have a brand new tv that's still unopened in a box that was given to me by Brian. Brian won the tv through a raffle at his old job at Morongo Casino. I want to get a credit card from Target & Amazon. I had an Amazon signature card from Chase, but that account ended up closing because that's when my credit score was already bad for awhile that it was starting to affect my other credit card accounts which sucked. My score at the lowest was the high 400s. I thought having 530 score was bad because that was my first bad credit score. Now it's going back up through the mid 500s close to the 600s. My Experian score being the lowest at 558 and my Transunion &  Equifax being about 571-597. From what I learned from Ricky about the credit stuff was he does have a good point about taking advantage of all the perks that certain credit cards offer and to take advantage of those rewards. He said that's one way of gaining profit or extra money and being able to still save your own, this was when he was still learning everything about the stock markets. I think it's a smart idea.

[aion-rsa]

Best Returning British TV Shows from 2020

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2020 brought many things with it. Brexit. Another iPhone. The 30th anniversary of Fresh Prince Of Bel Air. A Crackerjack revival, the increasingly critical state of our burning planet, the inauguration of a Gangsta Granny rollercoaster at Thorpe Park, and a global pandemic that shut down life as we know it.

A mixed bag, all told.

One thing you can largely rely on in worrying times is television, and below are the top returning British shows that fought their way through the Covid-19 lockdown to come back in 2020.

After Life series 2

Release date: Friday 24th of April, Netflix

Ricky Gervais’ emotional Netflix comedy about a misanthrope widower (Gervais) struggling to cope after the death of his wife (Kerry Godliman) will return for a second six-episode run. Filming began in September 2019, and it arrived on Netflix in April. Diane Morgan and Mandeep Dhillon co-star.

Read more:the best stand-up specials on Netflix here.

Blood series 2

Release date: Monday 27th April, 9pm, Channel 5

2018 welcomed the arrival of Sophie Petzal’s award-winning Irish domestic thriller Blood, which starred Line Of Duty‘s Adrian Dunbar as a widower under suspicion when his estranged daughter Cat (Carolina Main) returns to the family fold. It was tightly scripted with a great cast and told a satisfying and emotional story. Read our interview with its creator here. Over in Ireland, Virgin Media One aired the second series in February 2020, and it’s available on-demand on My5 in the UK here.

Brassic series 2

Release date: Thursday 7th May, Sky One

Shameless’ Danny Brocklehurst and This Is England’s Joe Gilgun worked together on rambunctious Sky comedy Brassic, which is inspired by Gilgun’s own misadventures as an errant youth trying to make a few quid. Michelle Keegan and Damien Molony co-star. NOW TV subscribers can watch the first series here.

Read more: the British comedies on their way this year.

Call The Midwife series 10

No, we don’t have much call to talk about it here on Den Of Geek, but Heidi Thomas’ Call The Midwife remains a terrifically warm British drama with a spine of steel when it comes to standing up for the NHS and wading (often literally) through the blood-soaked reality of life for women and children. Series nine finished airing on Sunday nights on BBC One in February, and it’s already been renewed for a 10th and 11th series, taking it into 2022.

Read more

TV

New British TV Series from 2020: BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky Dramas and More

By Louisa Mellor

TV

New British comedy TV series for 2020: BBC, Channel 4, Sky, Dave, Amazon, Netflix

By Louisa Mellor

Famalam series 3

Comedy sketch show Famalam will be back for a third series and a Christmas special in 2020. Series two, which arrived on BBC Three in June 2019, brought more inventively absurd satire with it, and run number three will comprise returns to existing sketches and characters alongside new creations from Samson Kayo and the gang. Stream episodes on BBC iPlayer here.

Friday Night Dinner series 6

Release date: Friday March 27th, 10pm, Channel 4

Robert Popper’s family sitcom starring Simon Bird, Tom Rosenthal, Tamsin Greig and Paul Ritter is making an imminent return to Channel 4 in 2020 for series six. It’s about the Goodmans, a Jewish family who gather every Friday evening for, well, the name says it all. Absurd, funny and silly, it’s a lovely bit of squirrel.

Ghosts series 2

This tremendously fun comedy arrived in 2019 from the cast of Horrible Histories and Yonderland. Happily, it’s been renewed by the BBC for both a second and third series, which guarantees us a dozen more episodes of spectral shenanigans as Alison and Mike (alive) try to keep the ancestral family home going while dealing with an influx of housemates from history (dead). Filming wrapped on series two in March 2020. Stream Ghosts series one on BBC iPlayer.

His Dark Materials series 2

The first series of BBC One/HBO’s Philip Pullman fantasy adaptation took us on an epic journey north as young Lyra (Dafne Keen) travelled in search of her missing friend, and discovered a great deal more besides. A second eight-episode series adapting The Subtle Knife, book two in Pullman’s original trilogy, is in the works and expected to arrive at the end of 2020. A third potentially longer run adapting The Amber Spyglass is yet to be confirmed but that’s almost certainly just a formality at this stage. Read our spoiler-filled series one reviews and more here.

Home series 2

Aired in: February 2020

Rufus Jones’ timely comedy about a family who inadvertently smuggle a Syrian asylum seeker into the UK returning from a French holiday was recommissioned in August 2019. This warm-hearted sitcom starring Jones, Rebekah Staton and  Youssef Kerkour was a little bit drowned out in the schedules (it aired the same week as series two of huge hits Fleabag and Derry Girls) and deserves more applause.

Inside No. 9 series 5

Aired in: February 2020

Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton continue to produce excellence in their inventive, ambitious comedy-drama anthology series Inside No. 9, and its fifth run was no different. Six new half-hour episodes, in which Shearsmith and Pemberton were joined by a raft of co-stars including David Morrissey and Jenna Coleman, aired this spring on BBC Two. Read our spoiler-filled episode reviews here. And listen to the creators’ deep-dive on each episode in their ‘Inside Inside No. 9’ BBC Sounds podcast here.

Keeping Faith series 3

Celia Imrie has joined the cast of BBC Cymru Wales/S4C’s bilingual Welsh drama Keeping Faith (Un Bore Mercher in its original language) for its third and final series. Imrie will join lead Eve Myles as solicitor Faith Howells in an as-yet undisclosed role. The domestic thriller’s first series, if you remember was a huge word-of-mouth hit, eventually making its way to BBC One after unprecedented public interest. The third series will air in 2020 on S4C, and then arrive across the UK on BBCiPlayer from February 2021. Here’s our series one, episode one review.

Killing Eve series 3

Release date: Sunday April 26th.

Well, it had to come back after that cliff-hanger, didn’t it? Based on Luke Jennings’ Codename Villanelle series of novels, international spy thriller Killing Eve has been renewed for a third run. As is now traditional, there’s a new showrunner in charge for the third time around; Phoebe Waller-Bridge handed over to Emerald Fennell who has handed over to See and Fear The Walking Dead‘s Suzanne Heathcote. Jodie Comer and Sandra Oh star. Read our reviews and more here.

Last Tango In Halifax series 5

Aired in: February 2020

Happy Valley and Gentleman Jack creator Sally Wainwright returned to the series that really made her name – BBC One’s Last Tango In Halifax – for a fifth series. It’s the story of former childhood sweethearts Celia and Alan (Anne Reid and Derek Jacobi) who reconnect in their seventies and remarry, knotting together their families led by Sarah Lancashire’s formidable Caroline and Nicola Walker’s hot-headed Gillian. (See our series one to four recap here, and our episode one review here.)

Liar series 2

Release date: Monday 2nd March, ITV1

ITV rewarded this Jack and Harry Williams psychological thriller starring Downton Abbey’s Joanne Froggatt and Horatio Hornblower’s Ioan Gruffudd with a second series renewal in 2018. Expect more twists, turns and talking points.  

Man Like Mobeen series 3

Aired in: January 2020

Guz Khan’s terrific Man Like Mobeen returned for a third series on BBC Three this January. It stars Khan as a reformed Brummie drug dealer trying to make an honest living while raising his little sister and boasts a hilarious ensemble cast. Stream all three series now on BBC iPlayer.

Read more

TV

New British comedy TV series from 2019: BBC, Sky, Channel 4, E4, Dave, Gold

By Louisa Mellor

TV

New British TV series from 2019: BBC, ITV, Channel 4 dramas and more

By Louisa Mellor

Mortimer And Whitehouse: Gone Fishing series 3

A fishing show may seem like a strange choice for this list of mostly high-profile dramas and comedies, but Gone Fishing deserves as much celebration as any of them. That’s thanks to Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse’s natural chemistry as two long-time friends, both of whom have been forced to contemplate their mortality in recent years due to serious heart problems. It’s fishing, yes, but it’s also chat, silliness and genuine human warmth.

Red Dwarf feature-length special

Release date: Thursday 9th April, 9pm, Dave.

Official confirmation from Dave that the boys from the Dwarf were returning for a 90-minute special in 2020 arrived in October 2019. Titled ‘The Promised Land’, it sees the boys from the Dwarf deal with a tyrannical cat leader and three breakaway cat clerics who worship Lister as a god. Along with the special, which is due to air in April, Dave will also be airing retrospectives celebrating the show’s long history on the BBC and since its revival. Here’s what we know so far. 

Save Me Too

Release date: Wednesday 1st April, Sky Atlantic and NOW TV

Written by and starring The Walking Dead and Line Of Duty’s Lennie James, Sky Atlantic’s Save Me was one of 2018’s top shows. The crime drama set in a South London estate among a cast of lived-in characters played by the likes of Suranne Jones, Jason Flemyng, Susan Lynch and Stephen Graham, was such a critical success, a second series commission arrived hot on the finale’s heels. Lesley Manville has joined the cast this time around, which is a real treat. Read more about it here.

Tin Star series 3

This will be the third and final instalment of the Jim Worth story on Sky and Amazon. Creator Rowan Joffe will wrap up his tale of an English police officer (Tim Roth) who relocates his family to the Canadian Rockies for a fresh start, but who finds that he can’t stop his old life bleeding into the new.

Read more: Tim Roth interview: Tin Star, Reservoir Dogs and more.

The Crown series 4

Release date: Sunday the 15th of November, Netflix

Olivia Colman took over from Clare Foy as HRH Elizabeth II in The Crown series three. The time jump saw Matt Smith replaced by Tobias Menzies as Prince Philip and Helena Bonham-Carter take the reins from Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret, with Gillian Anderson playing Margaret Thatcher. Series four is expected to arrive in late 2020. Read our spoiler-free series three review here.

The Last Kingdom series 4

Release date: Sunday 26th April, Netflix

Filming started on season four in April 2019 and the first look images were released back in July 2019, and now it’s finally here. The Last Kingdom series four adapts the next two books in Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon Stories series, The Pagan Lord and The Empty Throne. Starring Alexander Dreymon as Viking-raised-Saxon Uhtred of Bebbenberg, it’s an action-packed historical drama filled with wit and characters to love. Read our spoiler-filled episode reviews and more.

There She Goes series 2

After receiving critical acclaim for its first run and a Bafta for Jessica Hynes (who is brilliant in this, as she is in most things), There She Goes is returning. Shaun Pye’s excellent family comedy-drama has been renewed for a second series that will air on BBC Two instead of its original home on BBC Four. David Tennant and Jessica Hynes play the parents of Rosie, a little girl with severe learning disabilities in Pye’s unsentimental and honest autobiographically inspired series. Read more about why we loved series one here.

The Split series 2

Aired in: February 2020 (all episodes on iPlayer)

Abi Morgan’s legal family drama starring Nicola Walker (Unforgotten, Last Tango In Halifax) returned for another six episode series early this year. It saw Hannah deal with the aftermath of her night with Christie, while at work she handled the divorce of a high-profile couple with an abusive husband. There’s no word yet on whether a third series has been commissioned, but series two certainly didn’t leave things resolved for the characters.

The Trip series 4: The Trip To Greece

Release date: Tuesday 3rd March 2020, Sky One

Filming began on the fourth series of Michael Winterbottom’s The Trip in 2019, and the new series sees foodies Steve Coogan and Rob Bryden travelling around the dining establishments of Greece while they swap impersonations and provide a glimpse into fictionalised versions of themselves. While the first two series aired on BBC Two, from series three onwards The Trip made the move to Sky Atlantic.

Taskmaster series 10

Joining the Taskmaster and little Alex Horne for series nine of Dave’s excellent Taskmaster were Jo Brand, David Baddiel, Katy Wix, Rose Matafeo and Ed Gamble. It’s all change for series ten onwards as Taskmaster moves from Dave to Channel 4. The new series is expected to air in October 2020. Read more about the move and the new series commissions here.

This Country series 3

Release date: Monday 17th of February, BBC Three 7pm

Following 2018’s one-off special, the Mucklowes are back for a third and final series of mockumentary comedy This Country. That’s another six episodes from creator-siblings Daisy May and Charlie Cooper, who are back starring as feckless cousins Kerry and Kurtan in the “typical Cotswolds village” they call home. Series three might be its best yet.

Read more: the new British comedy series of 2019.

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from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/2x5pZ3r

[amelia-blackshepherd]

Number Four - part 2

Here it is part two of my little Omelia family story. You can read part 1 here, if you haven’t yet. Enjoy and there is far more to come.

‘Where are you?’

‘Are you ok?’

‘???’

‘Talk to me’

‘I didn’t mean to upset you’

‘Babe, please’

‘Seriously where are you’

I know I shouldn’t be mad at Owen, it’s not like he can do anything to solve the problem. But at the same time, he is the reason we are in this mess. He is the reason I am pregnant, which is the reason why I have to give up my trial. So, despite that logically I know I shouldn’t be mad at him; here I am, mad at him, ignoring his texts. Than my phone vibrates again with another message saying, ‘I love you.’

Even though I am still pissed at him, at the situation, at having to give up my chance at a Harper Avery; his last message broke through my anger. At least enough that I realized I really should respond to his texts, just so he knew I was okay. So, I texted back, ‘I love you too.’. But I am still mad, and since I don’t have any more surgeries today, I head to my office to work on some paper work.

Not long after I start my paper work, I come across one of my clinical trial patient’s paper work, and I can feel my angry, upset feeling returning. I decide that it is probably best for me to post-pone my paper work, until I am in a better state of mind. So, I grab my coat and keys and head out for the day.

As I walk to my car, I can already feel myself relaxing slightly from the cool November air. I debate where I should go; I could go home, but seeing as my kids are home and I am still in a sour mood I doubt it would be a good idea. Besides Zola is babysitting and I know she could use the money right now, so letting her go after only a couple of hours of work seems wrong.

I end up going to the mall, which is an odd choice for me. But with Christmas fast approaching, I thought it would be a good use of my rare free time, to start Christmas shopping. I lose track of time, although based on how much shopping I’ve got done, I’d be guessing a good amount of time has gone by. The feeling of my phone buzzing causes me to stop my shopping rampage, I look down at it to see who is calling, it’s Owen, of course.

“Hi.” I curtly answer, because for some reason the second I saw it was him calling I was pulled back into my sour mood.

“Amelia! Where are you! I understand you needed time to – Where are you? You aren’t at work as it is nearly 9, and your car wasn’t in the parking lot when I left. The kids are starting to ask me ‘where mommy is?’ and I honestly don’t know.” Owen attempts to calmly ask me, although I can hear the distress in his voice, probably because of my history of running away from problems.

“Shit! Sorry O, I didn’t realize what time it was, I’ll be home in like twenty minutes.” I say as I hurriedly exit the mall, heading towards my car.

“Mommy!” my two youngest, Connor and Eve exclaim as I come through the door. Running over to me wrapping their arms around me in a tight hug.

“Hey! I missed you two today.” I lovingly smile down at them while giving each of there heads a kiss.

“What’s in the bags?” my curious little one’s question, causing me to laugh.

“Oh, well you see, mommy went out and started her Christmas shopping today. But no peeking, or else you’ll be put on the naughty list.” I warningly tell them, “And you don’t want that do you? And what are you two still doing up, it is past your bedtime.”

They both shake their head vigorously at the threat of being on the naughty list, before running off up the stairs.

I set down my armload of bags, before cautiously stepping over towards the couch, where Owen is sitting. He had not said a word to me since I came in, I’m not sure if that was because he was mad at me for yelling at him at work and then pulling a disappearing act, or if he was just letting the children greet me first.

“Hey.” I smile at him, when he smiles back I take that as conformation that he isn’t mad at me so, I head towards the kitchen asking, “Is there any food left? I’m starving.”

“Are you serious, Amelia? I’ve been wondering where you were for nearly 8 hours now. And you are just going to come home and pretend nothing happened!” He is far from calm, but he isn’t yelling either.

“I was shopping, I lost track of time.” I lamely supply with a shrug of my shoulders. It’s true, but I also know I had plenty of opportunities to at least send him a text, or respond to his texts, but I didn’t.

When I look into Owen’s eyes I can tell he is trying to control himself, he knows I’m avoiding talking to him about our real problem. “Amelia…” he draws out my name, “We need to talk about earlier, about our baby, about your trial.”

“Why? Why do we need to do that Owen? It’s not like talking about it is going to change anything! I’m pregnant, which mean I have to give up my chance at a Harper Avery. I’m not going to lie or pretend I’m happy about this, because I’m not. But I will be, at some point, I will be happy about this baby. Can you just give me time?” I emotionally ramble to Owen, some of it I realize sounding way worse than I meant it to.

“I can do that. But, wait, Amelia, are you really not happy about this baby right now?” He asks me with his signature head tilt, I can see the hurt and concern written all over his face.

I rush to correct my words, “No Owen, of course I am happy about baby Hunt number four. It’s just, I thought we were done having kids after Connor, we had everything under control, and now it just… It feels like I have no control over anything, hell I can’t even control my own emotions.”

“Okay, well how about next time, you try and talk to me instead of at me, and maybe I can help.” Owen sweetly says as he takes my hands in his and gently brushes my hair behind my ear.

Owen moves closer to me, his face is so close to mine I can feel his warm breath, he leans down and catches my lips with his. I allow myself to release all the stress in my body in that moment, surrendering myself to his gentle kiss.

Before things can progress, we are interrupted, “Eve! I’m going to kill you!” We hear Ricky’s voice yelling from upstairs, followed by the sound of him beating on a door. A door I presume his sister has locked herself behind.

I pull away from Owen’s embrace, “You take the boy, I’ll take the girl?” I ask throwing him a lazy smile, as we begin our trip upstairs to resolve whatever the current issue is.

“Okay. Last one to solve the problem puts the kids to bed?” Owen challenges.

“You’re on, Hunt.” I say with a confident smile on my face.

[myhauntedsalem]

Ghosts of Hollywood

Even after death, some Hollywood celebrities can’t stop putting in appearances

Marilyn Monroe

The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel on Hollywood Boulevard is said to be the current residence of several ghosts of popular film stars. Marilyn Monroe, the glamorous and funny star of such pictures as Some Like It Hot and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, was a frequent guest of the Roosevelt at the height of her popularity. And although she died in her Brentwood home, her image has been seen on several occasions in a full-length mirror that once hung in her poolside suite. The mirror has been relocated to the hotel’s lower level by the elevators.

Montgomery Clift

Another respected star who died before his time, Montgomery Clift, was a four-time Oscar nominated actor who is best known for his roles in A Place in the Sun, From Here to Eternity and Judgment at Nuremberg. His ghost has also been seen at the Roosevelt. According to some of the hotel’s staff, Clift’s spirit haunts room number 928. Clift stayed in that suite in 1953, pacing back and forth, memorizing his lines for From Here to Eternity. Loud, unexplained noises have been heard coming from the empty suite, and its phone is occasionally found mysteriously off the hook.

Perhaps it’s fitting that the Hollywood Roosevelt should be the stirring place of celebrity ghosts since it was the site of the very first Academy Awards ceremony in 1929. In fact, the Blossom Ballroom, where the ceremony was held, has an unexplained cold spot – a circular area measuring 30 inches in diameter that remains about 10 degrees colder than the rest of the room.

Harry Houdini

Houdini is best known as a magician and escape artist, of course, but at the height of his fame he was also drawn to Hollywood, where he made a handful of silent films from 1919 to 1923. With such titles as The Man from Beyond and Haldane of the Secret Service (which he also directed), the films were not regarded well enough to give him much of a Hollywood career. Houdini’s interest in the occult was well known, and although he earned a reputation as a masterful debunker of séances, he earnestly sought contact with those who have passed on to the other side. Shortly before his death, Houdini made a pact with his wife Bess that if he could, he would return and make contact with her from the other side. Perhaps he truly has attempted to return. Some claim to have seen the ghost of the great Houdini walking around in the home he owned on Laurel Canyon Blvd. in the Hollywood Hills. Film historians Laurie Jacobson and Marc Wanamaker, in their book Hollywood Haunted, dispute this story, saying that “Houdini most likely never even set foot in the Laurel Canyon mansion he is said to haunt.”

Clifton Webb

Clifton Webb was a very popular star of the 1940s and ’50s, earning two Oscar nominations for his roles in Laura and The Razor’s Edge. He may be best known for his portrayal of Mr. Belvedere in a series of films. It’s not too often that a ghost haunts the place in which the person is buried, but this seems to be the case for Webb. His ghost has been seen at the Abbey of the Psalms, Hollywood Memorial Cemetery, where his body is interred. But it seems to be a restless spirit, as his ghost has also been encountered at his old home on Rexford Drive in Beverly Hills.

Thelma Todd

Thelma Todd was a hot young star in the 1930s. She was featured in a number of hit comedies with the likes of The Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy, and Buster Keaton. But that all ended in 1935 when Todd was found dead in her car, which was parked above the café she owned on the Pacific Coast Highway. Strangely, her death was ruled an accidental suicide, but many suspected murder and a coverup by powerful Hollywood figures. The building that once housed the café is now owed by Paulist Productions, and employees have reportedly witnessed the starlet’s ghost descending the stairs.

Thomas Ince

Ince is considered one of the visionary pioneers of American movies. He was one of the most respected directors of the silent era, best known, perhaps, for his westerns starring William S. Hart. He partnered with other early Hollywood giants such as D.W. Griffith and Mack Sennett, and founded Culver Studios, which later became MGM. Ironically, Ince’s death overshadowed his film legacy. He died aboard William Randolph Hearst’s yacht in 1924, and although the official record shows the cause of death as heart failure, the hot rumor is that he was shot by Hearst in a fit a jealousy over Hearst’s wife, Marion Davies. Ince’s ghost – as well as several other ghostly figures – have been seen in the lot that was once Culver Studios. Film crew members have seen the specter of a man matching Ince’s description on several occasions; in one instance, when the workers tried to speak to the spirit, it turned and disappeared through a wall.

Ozzie Nelson

Ghosts and hauntings are the last thing that come to mind when you think of the perpetually cheerful Ozzie and Harriet Nelson. The couple, with their real-life sons Ricky and David, were stars of the long-running sitcom “Ozzie and Harriet,” noted for its good-natured, gentle humor. Yet poor Ozzie doesn’t seem to be as contented in the afterlife. Family members, it is said, have seen Ozzie’s ghost in the family’s old Hollywood home, and it always appears to be in a somber mood. Perhaps he’s unhappy about how another Ozzy and his family have gained notoriety on TV.

George Reeves

From 1953 to 1957, George Reeves was TV’s Superman. Reeves had been around Hollywood for a while, playing bit parts in such films as Gone with the Wind and dozens of B-movies, but it was “The Adventures of Superman” on TV that brought him fame. Reeves died of a gunshot at his home in 1959. The official cause of death was suicide, but that conclusion has been hotly disputed, with some believing that Reeves was murdered. Whether it was suicide or murder, Reeves ghost has been seen in his Beverly Hills home. A couple claims to have seen the ghost of Reeves – decked out in his Superman costume – materialize in the bedroom where he died, after which it slowly faded away. Others believe that Reeves succumbed to the “Superman curse,” in which those associated with the fictional character over the years allegedly have met with disaster or death. But is there really a curse? Read “The Truth About the Superman Curse” by Superman expert Brian McKernan.

More Celebrity Ghosts

Jean Harlow – The spirit of this blonde bombshell is said to haunt the bedroom of her home on North Palm Drive, where her husband allegedly used to beat her.

Mary Pickford – This legend of the silent era – actress, writer and producer – was co-founder of United Artists with her husband Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin. Comic Buddy Rogers, who lived in the house Pickford once owned, saw her ghost appear in a white ruffled dress.

Grace Kelly – Princess Stephanie of Monaco believes that the ghost of her mother, Grace Kelly, helped her write a song from the spirit world.

Celebrities Who Have Seen Ghosts

Nicholas Cage – This Oscar-winning actor (Leaving Las Vegas) refused to stay in uncle Francis Ford Coppola’s home after seeing a ghost in the attic. (Cage was also cast as Superman in director Tim Burton’s film project, which was never made.)

Keanu Reeves – The star of The Matrix films and Devil’s Advocate was just a kid in New Jersey when he saw a ghost that took the form of a white double-breasted suit come into his room one night. He wasn’t imagining it; his nanny saw the phantom, too.

Neve Campbell – She’s been in more than her share of paranormal-themed movies (The Craft, Scream), but she’s had real-life encounters as well. A woman was murdered in the house she now lives in, and friends have seen her ghost walking around.

Matthew McConaughey – This popular actor (Contact) says he freaked out the first time he saw the ghost of an old woman, whom he calls “Madame Blue,” floating around his house.

Tim Robbins – Robbins, who was nominated for an Oscar in Mystic River, didn’t see ghosts, but strongly felt their presence when he moved into an apartment in 1984. Following his instinct, he moved out the next day.

Hugh Grant – British romantic comedy lead Hugh Grant (Love Actually) says he and friends have heard the wailing and screaming of some tormented spirit in his Los Angeles home. He even speculates it might be the ghost of a former resident – Bette Davis.

Dan Aykroyd – The Ghostbusters star (and Oscar-nominated for Driving Miss Daisy) has long had a fascination with the paranormal. He believes his home, once owned by Cass Elliot of The Mamas and The Papas, is haunted. “A ghost certainly haunts my house,” he said. “It once even crawled into bed with me. The ghost also turns on the Stairmaster and moves jewelry across the dresser. I’m sure it’s Mama Cass because you get the feeling it’s a big ghost.”

Sting – Rock star Sting (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) and his wife Trudie have seen ghosts in their home. “I was absolutely terrified,” he said. “I now believe those things are out there, but I have no explanation for them.”

Jean Claude Van Damme – The Belgian action star (Timecop), also known as “Muscles from Brussels,” swears he saw a ghost in his bathroom mirror while he was brushing his teeth.

Richard Dreyfuss – He won an Oscar for The Goodbye Girl, but at one time had a cocaine problem. Visions of a ghost, he said, helped him kick the habit. “I had a car crash in the late 1970s,” Dreyfuss said, “when I was really screwed up, and I started seeing these ghostly visions of a little girl every night. I couldn’t shake this image. Every day it became clearer and I didn’t know who the hell she was. Then I realized that kid was either the child I didn’t kill the night I smashed up my car, or it was the daughter that I didn’t have yet. I immediately sobered up.”

Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman – This Hollywood couple was forced to flee their “dream home” in Sneden’s Landing, N.Y. when it became all too apparent that it was haunted. They still are reluctant to talk about their frightening encounters.

Belinda Carlisle – This pop singer and founding member of The Go-Gos, who appeared in Swing Shift and She’s Having a Baby, says she saw a “misty shape” hovering over her as she lay in bed one night. She also says that when she was 17, while nodding off to sleep in a chair in her parents’ home, she levitated and had an out-of-body experience.

Elke Sommers – This German-born actress, who appeared in the 1966 film The Oscar, claims to have seen the ghost of a middle-aged man in a white shirt in her home in North Beverly Hills. Guests in her home have also seen the specter. So much paranormal activity was reported in the house that the American Society for Psychical Research was brought in, and which verified the unexplained events. The severely haunted house was bought and sold more than 17 times since Sommers vacated it, and many have reported ghostly phenomena.

Paul McCartney – Ex-Beatle and Oscar-nominated songwriter (“Live and Let Die”) says that he, George Harrison and Ringo Starr sensed the playful spirit of John Lennon when they were recording Lennon’s song, “Free As A Bird” in 1995. “There were a lot of strange goings-on in the studio – noises that shouldn’t have been there and equipment doing all manner of weird things. There was just an overall feeling that John was around.”

[travelagentforguilttrips]

Safe, Though Not Quite Sound

Whumptober: Prompt 2

In the hands of the enemy | kidnapped

——

His Daddy managed to get the whole day off to spend with him! Peter has been looking forward to it since he told him they could spend the day together. They’re going to do all sorts of stuff like go to the park and get ice cream and get McDonalds and-

Peter jerks back as he feels hands grab his backpack and then he’s shoved backwards onto the ground in an alley. Tears fill his eyes as he looks up and sees a man standing behind him taking something out of his pocket.

“C’mon kid, your going to be spending the day with me instead,” the man says coldly as he grabs Peters wrist and yanks him back up. He grabs Peters other wrist and Peter yelps in fright as he puts a zip tie around his wrists, squirming around trying to get free. A van comes speeding in front of the alley way and the man lifts Peter up and jumps into it, the vans tires squealing as it pulls away.

Peter has tears streaming down his face as he shakes in the mans arms. “I want my Daddy,” he sobs out while trying to move his hands to make them stop hurting.

“Shut up and sit down,” the man snarls as he shoves Peter down into the ground and moves to the front of the van.

Peter crawls to the man and tries to grab onto the mans hand because there’s no car seat, he needs a car seat! The man growls and shoves Peter back away from him.

Peter falls back and his head cracks hard on the rigid floor of the van and his world goes dark.

————

Tony Stark is quite irritated currently. This day so far, has been full of minor irritants that have built up into a very bad mood. So far, it’s been one of those days where someone even walking within three feet of him is enough to annoy the daylights out of him. The current irritant is this god awful traffic. He’s suppose to be picking up his son right now and spending the day with him. The one thing that would make him feel better about the day and it’s still just out of reach. He quickly switches into the right hand lane and speeds up a little.

Tony has been looking forward to this day ever since Obie had said that he would take over a set of meetings with representatives of some big companies, for some reason. Tony’s not one to look a gift horse in the mouth though, if Obidiah wants to sit in his meetings all day and Tony gets to spend the day with his son, that’s fine with him.

Tony pulls over to the sidewalk and curses. School let out 25 minutes ago and there’s not a single child in sight, including his own. He gets out of his car, pulls his sunglasses on and quickly walks up to the front office doors and steps inside.

Peter knows that if he sees Tony is running late that he’s suppose to sit up in the front office and Tony will come in and get him. But when Tony looks around and sees an empty office, he frowns. He walks over to the desk and clears his throat to get the woman’s attention.

“Hi I’m looking for my son, his names Peter Parker. He usually comes to wait in the office for me,” Tony inquires.

The woman hums in acknowledgement and starts typing on the computer again. “Well, no boys have come up here so he must have gone home with someone else.”

Tony frowns, “There’s no one else he could have gone home with. He knows he’s suppose to wait for me up here.”

“Well I haven’t seen him so I don’t know what you want me to tell you,” the woman snaps glancing at him quickly before looking back down at her computer.

Tony stands up straighter and narrows his eyes. “Alright then, thank your for all your help.” He snarks back turning and walking out of the office and back to his car.

Glancing around in confusion trying to find Peter, he jumps when his phone buzzes. Opening it up he sees a message. He freezes looking at the text message on his phone, his heart feels like it’s stopped beating.

Care to make a deal?

Is typed beneath a picture of Peter lying on some type of ribbed floor with a little puddle of blood under his head going into the grooves and his hands zip tied. In the corner of the photo there’s a hand holding a gun aimed directly at Peter.

Tony quickly finished the walk to his car and sits inside staring at his phone in disbelief. What should he say? If he doesn’t answer will they do something to Peter? He quickly decides to text back.

What do you want?

When he doesn’t immediately get a reply he puts the car in gear and roars off in the direction of Stark Tower.

After what seems like the longest drive of his life he finally gets there and runs into the garage entrance and into the elevators. He’d made some calls on his way here; a negotiator, his own personal security, and to Mary. The last call had been the most difficult to make.

When the elevator reaches the penthouse Mary is on him in a second, Richard right behind her.

“What happened! I thought you were picking him up from school,” Mary questions worriedly.

“I was, I ran late and when I got there he was already gone. But I’m going to get him back, he’s gonna be fine.” Tony swears on his life about that, Peter will be completely fine if he has any say in it. “I’ve already called some people to help get him back, with any luck by the night is over he’ll be back home and maybe I’ll be making us all something for dinner.”

Tony nods his head, yes, Peter would be coming home. He couldn’t believe anything else. Mary and Richard stand looking at each other worriedly.

The wait for the other two men to get there is long and all breathe out a sigh of relief when JARVIS finally speaks up.

Sir, Mr. Whitney and Mr. Gamz are here. Shall I let them up now? JARVIS’ voice echoes through the silent penthouse.

Tony clears his throat and nods his head, “Yeah Jar, let them up.” Tony turns back to the Parkers. “We’ll get him back.”

The elevator doors open and the two professionals walk out. Thomas Whitney, hostage negotiator, walks up to the small family. “Let’s get your son back, shall we?” and he walks over to the kitchen table and opens a brief case.

Jonathon Gamz walks up to Tony,

“I’ve got my men standing by, they’re just waiting for the word.”

Tony nods and the family all walks to the table and looks to Tony’s phone resting on the table.

———

Peter opens his eyes to complete darkness. He can’t see anything, he shivers as he looks at the darkness and feels the coolness of the room. Peter had never been afraid of the dark, but it had never been complete blackness before. There was always some kind of light coming in from his window at his mommy and Rickys house, and at his daddy’s house.

His head also hurts and he wants his mommy and daddy. His head has never hurt this bad before! But mommy and daddy always make his owies feel better, if they were with him they could make it better.

Peter sits in the blackness shivering at the cold, waiting. It feels like forever and eventually his head stops hurting as much and he’s just bored. Peter feels like it has to have been forever that he’s been stuck in this room!

His stomach growls loudly in the quiet room. He looks down at his stomach expecting to see it vibrating from the loud growls. He gets bored of that to and then just waits for the next time some of the men are going to come into the room. The men have been bringing him some food, but it’s only been pieces of bread and a water bottle. He misses his mommy’s grilled cheese and his daddy’s spaghetti.

Then the door finally opens and Peters eyes burn and he quickly looks down and tries to hide his face.

“Grab the kid, I want this trade done with by the end of the night. It’s already taken long enough,” a rumbly voice orders. Peter yelps when his arm is grabbed and yanked upwards. His arm hurts really bad suddenly and he lets out a pained wail.

The man looks at him in surprise and drops him. “What did you do to him,” Peter hears someone growl but his arm hurts too much for him to really even be paying attention. He just wants to go home!

“I’m not putting up with that shit the whole drive just put him out,” the man barks.

Then Peter sees a man come in with a needle and tries to back away. The man quickly grabs onto Peters other arm and pushes the needle into his arm.

Peters sobs get quieter and quieter until there’s nothing but stuffy breaths from the now sedated child on the ground.

———

The past week has been hell for the little Parker-Stark family. The kidnappers didn’t end up being some random assholes trying to get rich quick, with a little investigation they were revealed to be men hired by one of GreenTechs head honchos, Samuel Greens CFO himself. That automatically made negotiations more difficult.

GreenTech was partially already down the toilet, too many less than honest deals caused any investors or potential buyers to be extremely wary or turned off and into more honest businesses. This just proves that the company is no good, a desperate grab for some StarkTech seems exactly the kind of way they would try to save their company.

And the tech they wanted wasn’t just any tech from Stark Industries, it was the advanced A.I. that Tony has created. They wanted JARVIS’ coding to replicate and sell.

Tony nearly gave it to them before Mary stopped him, “Wait.” She purses her lips and looks down at the photo of Peter she had been carrying since he went missing. “We can’t just give that to them. I think I have another idea that might work.”

As she begins to explain her thoughts, everyone starts to feel a little more hopeful. They could get Peter and make sure those guys go away for awhile.

Thomas Whitney looks down thinking, “That could work, but we only have one chance at this. This has to work, if they find out it’s fake they could just kill Peter and try and leave. Though they may not be successful in that last part,” Whitney says and looks ruefully at Gamz who grins back.

“They won’t get past my men.”

“Good, I want them in jail. How soon can we do this?” Tony wrings his hands together anxiously.

“We can send a message now. Tony, if you want to go get the decoy code together. And make it look good,” Whitney warns Tony.

“I think that if we can have the kidnappers distracted long enough with the fake code the men will be able to take down any guards they might have. We’ll go all in, not leave anything to chance.” Gamz sounds sure of himself, reassuring everyone in the room.

Tony nods and turns in the direction of his lab to get to work. He would get his son back.

———-

Tony walks into the big warehouse that he’s suppose to be meeting the kidnappers at and fiddles with the drive in his pocket. Once he gets to a big doorway a man appears aiming a gun at him and Tony raises his hands to show he’s not going to fight him. Another man appears and pats Tony down to check for weapons. When he’s done the man shoves Tony into the doorway where a group of men are standing. On the ground there’s a small form that Tony immediately recognizes.

Peters curled up on the ground next to a black van, hands zip-tied and crying softly. Overall he looks alright but Tony can’t tell for sure.

“Ah Mr. Stark, thank you for joining us on this fine evening.” A man wearing a suit and tie claps his hands together and walks up to the front of the group.

At the mans words Peters head snaps up and he stares at Tony, not really crying anymore. Silent tears continue to run down his face. He goes to raise his left hand to Tony but then stops as his other arm moves up too and whimpers.

“I have the code, you can have it I just want my son.” Tony steps forward pulling his hand out of his pocket and opening his hand to reveal the small drive.

The man in the suit smirks smugly and walks over to Tony, “Its been a real pleasure to do business with you Mr. Stark.”

The man grabs the drive and walks over to the back of the van where a computer sits. He puts the drive in and slowly starts to smile more as he looks through the file.

The man standing guard near Peter was already in the process of cutting the ties. The second the ties are gone Peters scooting away from the guard as Tony runs over to Peter and goes to lift him into his arms. When Peter cries out Tony immediately stops and looks down at him.

“Hey baby, do you hurt anywhere?” Tony asks quietly starting to run his fingers through Peters now greasy hair.

Peter leans into his hand but remains staring straight at him. “Arm,” he mumbles pointing to his right arm.

“Okay, well why don’t we get you home and Mommy and I will make it all better.” Tony proceeds to gently pick Peter up and slowly move to the outer edges of the room, the kidnappers still fixated on the coding flooding through the computer.

One of Gamzes men quickly pulls Tony and Peter out once they’re close enough to the door and men in protective gear start to flood the warehouse from all entrances.

Tony hears gunshots but he just focuses on running out of the warehouse holding tightly onto Peter who’s now wailing in his ear and clutching onto him with his left hand, his right arm held perfectly straight by his side.

When Tony reaches the SUV he had come in the door is thrown open by another guard and Tony quickly climbs in. The SUV roars off away from the warehouse.

Even though their still not in the clear and Peter is clearly hurt, Tony can’t help but feel better just having his baby back in his arms safe, though not quite sound. But in time, Tony is sure they will all be ok.

[mydailybullshit]

October 7th 2020

Today was not a productive day. I had a toothache last night and it kept me awake til nearly 5 am I believe. Missed a call from Ricky and a couple of messages from other friends. Woke up around 11 am to check my phone but I just felt so drained that I passed right back out. Woke up again around 1 and just diddle daddle in bed. Finally got up because I was hungry and made myself the rest of the spinach ravioli and a side of kimchi noodles. My family asked what I was cooking because they also wanted lunch but everything I was eating only needed to be heated back up. We discussed maybe making some dishes tomorrow because we have a lot of food that needs to be cooked and since I’ve been gone no one was eating in house. Checked my emails and sorted some stuff out. Finally got the email in regards to Best Buy so left my review there. Just spent the rest of my time on my Surface and listening to music. Finally I didn't want to ruin my streak on Pokemon GO, so I got up, put on some shoes and got out of the house. Walked over to the corner store where the Soga is. Realized my battery was not going to last. Headed back home. Grabbed my portable charger along with my hydro pack. Figured might as well hydrate. Ended up being a good idea because I walked for quite a while. Got a lot of stuff done in Pokemon GO. Took the bike trail to one of the nearby parks but then didn’t spend too much time at that park because they are known for jumping people and boy would I have been a jackpot. Google Buds, almost $300 dollars cash that I forgot I had on me, portable charger and my phone. Dear almighty what was I even thinking walking out with all of that. I only took my wallet so I could have some ID in case I needed it, next time I think I’ll leave it behind. Or I can also go earlier when there are slightly more people around but then that means it would have to be during slightly warmer weather. Spoke with Ricky a bit because he wanted me to join him to Cabo since he and Robin are no longer together. Kind of had a feeling because of Facebook. Anyways that would mean me needing my passport which I don’t have. Need to do it soon because I have a feeling I’ll be going to Mexico soon. I am able to get a passport in an expedited fashion but does look like I would be needing proof of said emergency. Don’t know if I want to get into all that but I’ll hear Ricky out because afterall we are good friends. Hopefully we get some time to hangout soon. Talked to Alex about camping and he needs to run it by his baby mama. Also told Ricardo about it. Hopefully we can do it as a family. Want to get closer with everyone. It’s something I lack on my end. Now here I am back at home. Was feeling hungry again so I heated up my family's lunch and just made some carne asada quesadilla with a side of spaghetti. I feel like that’s all really. I mean I was supposed to help Anthony with his homework today but I just wasn’t feeling productive. Julie did give me some money so I should be more retro-active and help him when I say I will. Something I should have mentioned yesterday but I already posted. Juan kind of brought up more of the issue at hand and I guess he had reached out to Mai Moua about it. She gave him an earful for using the works, nicer in high school, or somewhat along those lines. He meant to use kinder or whatever but nonetheless she ripped him one. He also mentioned that he wouldn’t be able to date anyone really because he needs that connection and now that the girls we went to high school are off limits, he feels as if there will no longer be anybody to date. He also has this idea that him and I can’t be single at the same time for very long, which means either I’m going to start dating someone new, or he will be. I haven’t really been talking to anyone though so beats me. To me I see it as we both are in long term relationships so when I was dating Youa he was with Brenda. Youa broke up with me and he was still with Brenda. I met Karen and Brenda broke up with him. Around the time Karen and I were having troubles, he and Thao began to date. I was single for a bit but we ended up working things out and at that point Juan and I were both dating someone. Karen broke up with me for the last time and he was still with Thao. My buddy Job asked me to marry him for benefits because he is in the military and I told him that I would help him as long as it doesn’t affect me financially. So that’s Juan’s proposal for why he and Thao split up in theory, but as of now we are both single and ready to mingle. Damn Covid cock blocking us. Good night Bullshiteers!

[infolibrary]

10 Lesser Known Child Disappearances

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10 Lesser Known Child Disappearances

A couple of months ago we did some articles on unsolved mysteries. We are thinking of bringing them back. So today we are going to start with 10 Lesser Known Child Disappearances.

01. Michaela Joy Gareth

The kidnapping of Michaela Gareth is probably one of the better known cases on this list. At the time the case gained national attention, especially for the notoriety of how the kidnapping was acted out.

Michaela was 9 years old in 1988 living with her mother, father and two siblings in Hayward California. On the first day of Thanksgiving vacation Michaela and best friend Trina begged for permission to go the supermarket just two blocks away to buy candy and sodas. Though Michaela had never been there alone and her mother’s initial response was no, the girls kept pleading and in her mother eventually gave in.

Michaela and Trina arrived at the supermarket on their scooters, parked them outside and went in and purchased candy, soda and beef jerky. They left the supermarket by foot at first, forgetting that they had ridden on there on their scooters but quickly remembering and running back to fetch them. Michaela’s scooter had been moved from its spot in front of the supermarket door and put next to a damaged tannish-gold full-size sedan car. As she went to pick it up, a man in his 20’s with dirty-blonde hair and severe acne jumped out of the car, threw a screaming Michaela in the car and sped away.

Though an extensive police investigation was launched and the Hayward Police department received more then 5000 tips the first year alone, no trace of Michaela or her kidnapper was ever found. Michaela’s mom runs a website with letters to Michaela and updates about leads.

02. Eugene Wade Martin

You can’t talk about the disappearance of Eugene without mentioning another missing boy, John Gosch. Though vanishing two years apart, the details of their disappearances are eerily similar. Both were fresh faced paperboys living in Des Moines in the 80s, both had a paper route delivering the Des Moines Register in the wee hours and both never returned home one morning.

Normally 13-year old Eugene did the paper route with his older stepbrother but on this fatal morning he was alone. Eugene was last seen around 5 and 6am (accounts differ) wearing blue jeans, a red shirt and a gray pullover having a friendly conversation with a 30-something clean-cut white male in a car. Witnesses describe the chat as being friendly, almost father-and-son like, with no indication of danger. Between 6.10 and 6.15am Eugene’s lonely paper-bag was found outside of Des Moines, 10 neatly folded papers still inside.

At around 8.40 am the police were notified. Federal agents stated they strongly suspected John Gosch’s and Eugene’s disappearances were linked but though an nation wide bulletin was issued for the suspect, who they described as likely being an introvert and a loner, the boys and their suspected kidnapper remain missing. John Gosch story was propelled into the spotlight again during the late 90s following his mother, Noreen Gosch, claim that a now grown-up Gosch had visited her with a strange man, telling a horrifying tale about being sold into a pedophile prostitution ring, escaping and now living in hiding in fear for his life. Investigators have never been able to confirm Noreen’s account about the visit and John has never visited his mother again.

03. Cherrie Ann Mahan

Cherrie was 8 years old when she vanished February 22, 1985 and was the first child to appear on The Centre for Missing and Exploited Children’s “Have You Seen Me?” search cards. The dark-haired third-grader from the Winfield Elementary School was last seen getting off the school bus only less than 100 yards from her family’s rural Pennsylvanian home, carrying a blue backpack decorated with a blue and red heart.

She never made it. Though new fallen snow covered the driveway to Cherri’s house investigators were not able to match any footprints to Cherri, leading them to believe, she was snatched off the side of the road. Possible only a minutes after leaving the bus, most likely by someone she knew as the shy child would not have gotten into a car with a stranger. A mysterious van was seen trailing Cherri’s school bus and though no one got a look at the driver, the van had distinctive features, making it easy to remember.

The van had snow-capped mountains and a skier skiing down the mountain wearing red and yellow clothes painted on both sides. Police was never able to locate the car or its driver and it is still unknown whether or not the car has anything to do with Cherri’s disappearance.

04. Lindsey Baum

In 2009 Lindsey, a bright, talkative blond-haired, blue-eyed 10-year-old living in McCleary, Washington, dreamed of becoming a veterinarian or an author when she grew up.

On June 26 Lindsey spent the evening at a friends house. Afraid of the dark and knowing she had a curfew at 10pm, she left her friends house around 9.15pm, a journey that should only take her around 10 minutes to walk. A neighbor, who drove past the child half way between Lindsey and her friend’s home, is most likely the last person to see her.

The case drew national attention, FBI became involved and the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s office followed up on hundreds of leads all to no avail. A local jewelry storeowner was named as a suspect and in 2011 his home was searched for possible clues to Lindsey’s disappearance. Though police stated they found several pieces of evidence, none could be linked definitively to Lindsey. To this day charges against the suspect has not been filed and what happened to Lindsey is still unclear.

05. Ricky Ray Barnet

Little Ricky had been visiting his grandparents on their Hillcrest Farms for a couple of weeks with his father in 1982, while his mother was in Idaho. At around 10 am the 2-year-old, clad in red and blue overalls, a pajamas top and cowboy boots was seen sitting in a hay wagon in front of one of the barns, watching a dozen or so workers unloading a delivery of chickens.

Approximately 15 minutes later he was discovered missing and at 10.30am after a fruitless search, the family called police. Though an immediate extensive search with more than 200 volunteers was launched, it yielded few clues to his whereabouts. Ricky’s grandparent’s farm was located seven miles north of Grangeville in a rural area surrounded by several hundred acres. Tracker dogs tracked the toddler’s scent to a fence line on the northwest part of the farm but then lost the trail. Police investigators first theorized that Ricky simply wandered away, got lost and succumbed to the elements. They recanted this later in the investigation after Ricky’s grandmother failed a polygraph. His grandparents were subsequently named as possible suspects in his disappearance.

Ricky’s grandmother was cleared for any involvement after passing a polygraph in 2001, almost two decades after her grandson’s disappearance. Ricky’s grandfather died before the exam could take place. The mystery of what happened to the hazel-eyed child remains unsolved.

06. Beverly Rose Potts

Though it has been more than 60 years since 10 year-old Beverly vanished after a trip to the park in Cleveland, Ohio, locals still remember her case. Around 9pm on August 24, 1951 Beverly set out on an 8 eight-minute walk home through her familiar neighborhood after spending the evening at the Showagon, an annual summer festival. Beverly’s mother Elizabeth who’d initially forbidden the shy fifth grader to go to the park, a punishment for being late a few nights before, had gave her special permission to attend the show this evening.

Beverly and her friend Patsy had already been at the park earlier that evening and returned to the carnival around 8.00 pm to see the show. Beverly was allowed to stay until the show was over while Patsy on the other hand had to be home before dark and left at around 8.40 leaving Beverly by herself. Patsy told police she last saw Beverly watching the show in company with a small, plump woman who curiously had her hand resting on Beverly’s shoulder. This woman has never been identified. When the show ended around 9.30pm a teenage acquaintance of Beverly’s recalled seeing her crossing the darkening park diagonally, heading in the northeast direction of her home. She never made it home and by 10.30 pm her frantic parents called the police.

As Beverly was described as being very shy and vary around strangers especially boys and men, people who knew her did not believe she would have gone willingly with a person she didn’t know. In 2000 the Cleveland Plain Dealer News reporter received 3 letters from an unidentified man confessing to Beverly’s kidnapping and murder. The man alleged to be on his deathbed prompting the confession. Investigators were however never able to locate the author of the letters and the authenticity of the confession has never been confirmed.

07. Kevin Andrew McCarthy Collins

A year and twelve days to the day Cherrie Ann Mahan was dropped off her school bus and vanished into thin air another child across the country waited for a bus that he never boarded. Kevin was a freckled, stocky build 10-year-old who enjoyed played basket, had nine siblings and resided with his Irish Catholic family in San Francisco.

Around 6.40 p.m. on February 12, 1985 Kevin had finished basketball practice and was waiting for the bus on the corner of Oak Street and Masonic Avenue to take him home. Witnesses last saw him wearing his school uniform, talking to a 20-30ish blonde man, around six feet tall. A big black dog, possibly a Great Dane, accompanied the man. No one actually witnessed anything suspicious and it is not clear if the unidentified man had anything to do with Kevin’s disappearance. A big search effort was launched, thousands of fliers were distributed, billboards and newspapers with Kevin’s picture became a common sight around the San Francisco area but police found no evidence and a suspect was never named.

In 2013 investigators started digging in the backyard and the basement of a house belonging to a person of interest in Kevin’s case, who had lived there at the time of Kevin’s disappearance. No remains or evidence related to Kevin’s case was unearthed and Kevin remains missing.

08. Diamond and Tionda Bradley

In 2002, 365 yellow and white balloons were released into the air at the 35oo block of South Lake Park Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. Afterwards a garden was planted in front of the modest two-bedroom apartment. All in remembrance of two young sisters who at that time had been missing for 1 year. The girls, one with a green ponytail holders in her hair, the other with violet and purple ones, are still missing.

On July 6 2001 3-year-old Diamond and 10-year-old Tionda left a note written in childish handwriting for their mother, saying the pair were walking to nearby shop and Doolittle School where Tionda was enrolled in summer classes. Their mother Tracey had left for work at around 6.30 am that morning and by the time she arrived home at 11 am the girls were nowhere to be found.

Though witnesses place the girls playing outside their residence at around 12-12.30 pm contradicting Tracey’s recollection of events, this sighting was never confirmed by officials. Police did start to suspect the family; Tracey, her mother and her father were somehow involved in the girl’s disappearance after Tracey refused to cooperate with investigators and allegedly shoved a police officer who tried to escort her to the station to discuss new leads in 2002.

They were all subsequently cleared of any wrongdoing. An extensive search and follow ups on thousand leads, one that took the investigation out of out country, yielded few clues to what happened to the Bradley sisters.

09. Jeremiah Huger

In most cases of child disappearances there are no witnesses to the actual abduction. It is as if the child is there one minute and gone with a blink of an eye. In some rare cases like Michaela Gareth’s case and in more recent memory Jaycee Dugard’s in California in 1991, the kidnapper risked the danger of being seen and snatched the child in clear view of neighbors, friends or family members, as seen in the kidnapping case of Jeremiah Huger.

On June 25, 1985 Jeremiah, wearing a light blue shirt, dark shorts and white sneakers, was playing with his friends in the yard of his home in the New York City borough of the Bronx. An unidentified African-American male called the 4-year-old’s name from street and when the child ran to him, the man proceeded to grab the boy and leave. It is not clear if the suspect left the area with Jeremiah by foot or car or if the boy went along willingly. Jeremiah’s mother later stated that she suspected an abusive ex-boyfriend, who had previously threatened to kidnap the child, was responsible. The police never made any arrests in relation to Jeremiahs case and he remains missing to this day.

10.Todd Eugene Collett

Todd was only a few months shy of his fourth birthday when he vanished on January 23, 1964 from Santa Barbara County, California. The blonde, blue-eyed boy was playing with his twin brother and their friend across the road from a construction side. Todd’s mother had strictly forbidden the boys to enter the construction side and while Todd’s twin obliged Todd and the friend ventured toward the dirt embankments on their own.

Around twenty minutes later the friend’s mother saw him across the street, went to get him and asked where Todd was. The boy could give no clear answer but mentioned something about a fire and a bulldozer. A fire did actually burn at the construction site and was not put out for hours but investigators were never able to find any sign of human remains in the ashes. Tracker dogs indicated that Todd might have travelled over the railroad tracks and over an overpass but never found any clues to what happened to him beyond this.

People in the area describe a scruffy looking stranger lurking around the neighborhood at the time the child disappeared. The individual has never been identified and Todd has never been found.

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