#Riverside Fire Department

[wausaupilot]

JUST IN: Residents displaced in Schofield apartment fire

One resident said he escaped the blaze but left all his belongings, including his shoes, behind.

Wausau Pilot & Review Crews on scene at an Oct. 7, 2024 fire on Grand Avenue in Schofield. Photo: Wendy Skola/Wausau PilotCrews on scene at an Oct. 7, 2024 fire on Grand Avenue in Schofield. Photo: Wendy Skola/Wausau PilotCrews on scene at an Oct. 7, 2024 fire on Grand Avenue in Schofield. Photo: Wendy Skola/Wausau PilotAn Oct. 7, 2024 fire on Grand Avenue in Schofield. Photo: Wendy Skola/Wausau…

[creamflix]

the first time sukuna fell in love, he was but a boy of ten. 

he’d been running barefoot by the riverside, clutching a half-eaten apple he’d swiped from a vendor’s stall.

there, among the reeds, he saw you. 

a girl not much older than him, giggling as you played with a pair of bunnies. you smiled as one hopped into your lap, the sunlight catching in your hair like strands of spun gold. 

for the first time, he felt a pang in his chest — an ache so foreign it startled him. he wanted to walk closer, to hear your laughter up close, but the distant shouts of palace guards reminded him of his plight.

with a scowl and a heavy heart, he turned and disappeared into the forest.

the second time sukuna fell in love, he was twenty-nine. 

a hardened king by then, his hands stained with the blood of countless battles. he was unstoppable, a force of nature, until he met you on the battlefield. 

you were the opposing leader, a woman who commanded armies with fire in her veins. your sword clashed against his with unyielding strength, your eyes defiant even as the tides of war turned against you. he admired the way you held your head high, even in defeat. 

when his blade finally struck true, he found no triumph in his victory — only the hollow echo of your last breath and the unshakable image of your bravery.

the third time sukuna fell in love, he was sixty. 

his body had grown stronger, his face lined with the scars of battles and time, yet untouched by age. at a temple celebrating his birthday — his subjects oblivious to his immortality — he spotted you again. 

you knelt at the altar, your hands clasped in prayer, tears streaming down your face. your whispered words were for the departed, a plea for their peace, not for yourself. your unselfishness struck him like lightning. he lingered in the shadows, unable to tear his eyes away. 

but once again, he left without speaking.

decades blurred into centuries, and sukuna continued to see you — again and again. 

once, you were a nurse during a plague, tirelessly tending to the sick, your hands blistered but your resolve unwavering. 

another time, you were a dancer, spinning under the moonlight with a joy so infectious that even his dark soul felt lighter. 

then, you were a bandit, reckless and daring, stealing from the rich to feed the poor, your grin daring the world to challenge you.

each time, he loved you more fiercely, each time more convinced that you were the universe’s cruel joke on him — a fleeting glimpse of something he could never hold.

until today.

he hadn’t expected anything remarkable when he walked into the café, drawn by the rich aroma of coffee and the warmth of the afternoon sun. his mind was wandering, memories of his past lives and past loves swirling like a storm, when your voice shattered his reverie.

“welcome in! what can i get for you?”

his heart stopped.

it was you.

this time, there was no battlefield, no temple, no grand act of heroism. you stood behind the counter in a simple apron, your hair tied back, a pen tucked behind your ear.

yet you were the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

“uh, sir?” you tilted your head, offering a polite smile when he didn’t respond right away.

“coffee,” he managed, his voice rough. “black.”

you nodded, punching it into the register. “sure thing. anything else?”

“your name,” he blurted out before he could stop himself.

your eyebrows lifted in surprise, but you laughed softly. “it’s y/n. do you need that on the cup?”

he stared at you, stunned by how casual you were, how close he was to everything he’d yearned for across lifetimes. 

“no,” he said, his lips quirking into a faint smile. “i just wanted to know.”

you laughed again, handing him his coffee once it was ready. “well, enjoy, mystery man.”

he lingered by the counter, holding the cup like it was an anchor to this moment. he didn’t want to leave, didn’t want to miss the chance he’d always let slip through his fingers. 

this time, he swore, he wouldn’t run away.

“how long have you worked here?” he asked, trying to keep his tone light.

“a few months. why, thinking of applying?” you teased, wiping down the counter.

“no,” he said, his voice softer now. “just wondering how long it took for the universe to bring me here.”

you blinked, caught off guard by the weight of his words. but before you could reply, the door jingled as another customer entered, pulling your attention away.

sukuna stepped back, letting you go about your work. for now. 

he’d waited centuries to speak to you, to know you. he could wait a little longer. but this time, he wouldn’t let you slip away.

not again.

the concept of the cafe was inspired by my pookie @curtins's recent post on jjk men in cafes, go show her some looveee <3 produced by creamflix on tumblr. all rights reserved. do not copy, steal, modify, repost — support your writers by liking and reblogging. ♡

[gerec]

Hi Gerec! Do you have any fics rec where Erik fell in love with Charles at first sight? I just love reading Erik being absolute whipped for Charles.

Hi Anon! Here are a few of my favourites where they fall in love (or in lust!) at first sight. Hope you enjoy :D

Scenes from the Wild by nekosmuse

Erik Lehnsherr, world renowned wilderness survivalist, alongside his husband, Charles Xavier, survive the perils of the wild in order to bring you, Two Men, One Knife, an award winning reality survival series, available only on the Discovery Channel. Follow Erik and Charles as they travel to the world's most remote locations with only the most basic of supplies. Pitted against nature, this husband-husband team struggle to survive in some of the world's harshest climates while battling the planet's fiercest predators. Can they survive the Canadian North? Find out next season, on Two Men, One Knife

Note: Chapter 2 covers their first meeting :D

Other Life Challenges by professor (series)

“Why am I here again?” Erik groans.

“I need you to lift things and glower at people over my shoulder when I tell people that it’s not ‘politically correct’ or a ‘war on Christmas’ to have a non-denominational winter holiday festival,” says Theresa Pryde.

Well, at least those are two things he’s good at.

Trying to create the next world war by aesc

The voice's owner is a young man, maybe a handful of years younger than Erik, with the earnest expression worn by a boy who's never grown up. He's very correctly academic in a dark waistcoat and collared shirt, although the collar is very incorrectly unbuttoned to display a hint of throat – enough, Erik decides, to want to lick. [Or, the one inspired by this moment-inducing gifset, where for some reason Erik's decided to work for the CIA as a means to an end and gets sent to England instead of Moira.]

645 Riverside Drive by smilebackwards

Azazel clearly has yet to understand the shattering power of Charles' disappointment, so Erik takes one for the team, grabbing the cup and downing the remnants of the cappuccino like a shot while Azazel watches with morbid fascination.

Humane Society by smilebackwards

Once Erik finally allows himself to decide that Charles is pretty much the best thing since sliced bread, he spends the next week being incredibly bitter that he's Charles' cat and not his boyfriend.

An Unexpected Muse by RedStockings

Erik is an artist who is obsessed with the young man he by chance bumped into six months ago. Charles is the long-suffering brother being dragged to an art exhibition by Raven. There he spots the man he has been dreaming about for six long months and realises that he had been noticed after all.

Walling in or Walling Out by stlkrchck

Erik stifles a sigh. Of course this is Mr. C. F. Xavier. Of course.

For the prompt: Charles and Raven are throwing a holiday party. Erik is the grumpy neighbor who is annoyed by how loud they are being. So he goes to complain, and Charles makes it up to him.

Protect, Serve, Troll by keire_ke

Erik's fire department has a special relationship with the local university. They visit often. Sometimes, there even is a fire.

Immovable Object Meets Irresistible Force by ximeria

Erik is woefully unprepared for Raven's brother, who returns to the States for her 25th birthday party.

soul of my soul by ikeracity

You can imprint on your soulmate anywhere — school, work, on the street, in a restaurant, on the subway.

Charles and Erik imprint on each other just in time for the holidays.

Some Things Are Meant To Be by ikeracity

Erik is a famous singer. Charles is a closeted fan. When Raven drags him to Erik's concert, the last thing Charles expects is for Erik to single him out of the crowd, for Erik to look right at him as he sings. And the last, last thing he expects is for Erik to personally serenade him and pull him on stage and kiss him senseless, because some things are meant to be and Erik knows it.

Crosswalk by velvetcadence

Erik accidentally French dips a perfect stranger in public. Things go as you might expect it to.

Meet Cute by lachatblanche

Erik never expected to meet his soulmate in a public toilet.

Forelsket by melonbutterfly

Erik doesn't usually react to people like that, no matter how attractive they are, and Lord knows how many incredibly attractive people he's met. And anyway, even if he is attracted to someone, it doesn't… overcome him like this, never.

Defy the Stars by SomeCoolName

Charles can’t sleep that warm night in New York when he decides to get some fresh hair on his balcony. It appears he’s not the only one who can’t sleep as he meets one of his neighbors, smoking on his balcony from the building across Charles’. They meet again in the elevator a few days later and the neighbor, Erik, is not only incredibly beautiful but also charming and funny. But Charles is in a relationship with Scott and Erik is hiding something, so it’s best if they just stay neighbors.

Too bad it was love at first sight.

To Life by professor

Erik wants a Jewish wedding.

[fieldofdaisiies]

In canon. Can be seen as part two of Trapped. Azriel finally takes Eris up on his offer to talk. He goes to the Autumn Court on a very specific day, wanting to escape his loneliness and has no idea how much his visit means to the High Lord of Autumn. for @azrisweek | azrisweek masterlist | read on ao3 | no warnings

Azriel isn’t entirely sure what he is doing here. It is Solstice in the Night Court, his family is happily celebrating, probably currently opening the last presents, and he finds himself in the Autumn Court, far away from all of them. Alone. A little cold, his wings tucked in tightly, his trembling hands folded in front of his body.

But he couldn’t have stayed a moment longer. It tore him apart from the inside out. To watch them, to share their happiness but at the same time to not really be part of it.

He has gotten so tired of it, their happy display of love and bliss, while he was rotting away on the inside due to his jealousy and desperation. The void where there once used to be his heart, seemed to grow without hope for a stop. It stretched out and made him feel cold from the inside out. His senses have somehow started to feel numb, most days he doesn’t feel anything at all. Nonchalance.

So, he did the only thing he thought of after departing from the Riverside Estate: he allowed the tug on his chest to guide him and bring right into the centre of his nemesis‘ court.

Right to Eris Vanserra.

Surprisingly, it isn’t raining in Autumn like it normally does when he is on a spying mission (something he won’t stop doing even though it has become irrelevant after Beron died and Eris is on their side). Today the weather is rather alright, the air is damp and carries the faint scents of moss and pine and Azriel fills his lungs with a deep inhale. Despite who rules over this court and despite his fear of fire, Azriel has always been one to like autumn. If he had to decide, he would say it is his favourite season. The weather in the Autumn Court always reminds him of his childhood – the good parts of his childhood. The moments he spent with his mother in her hut in the Illyrian steppes when he was a young boy and could escape his father’s and stepmother’s cruelties for a few hours.

A gentle breeze blows around him, and his eyes close for a short moment where he only listens to the sounds around him. He allows himself a moment of peace, takes in another deep breath, his hand resting on a tree trunk, his gaze now focused on the Forest House. It is mostly dark, there is only the hint of a light in one room on the ground floor. From the outside it looks like a library, maybe a living room, so it tells Azriel that Eris might still be awake. 

He hopes he is. Otherwise his visit here is completely useless and he will have to go home again and then spend Solstice alone in his flat. 

His jaw clenches and he allows himself to hope that Eris is still awake and has time to talk to him for only a few minutes. Just a short conversation. It is all Azriel wants. It is all he needs.

A few years ago Eris had offered the spymaster to come here whenever he needed someone to talk to. Back then Eris was a new High Lord and in the years that have passed Azriel has never taken him up on that offer, until this day. He has never been brave enough in the past years, never sure of what to say to Eris why he came. 

He isn’t sure about what to say this day either, but somehow it feels different. He has more confidence, and he just wants to talk to someone. Only if for a small moment. Only if for a night.

Azriel moves to the gates around the Forest House, the droplets of dew adorn the iron bars, and he lifts his hand to the door knocker, but realises soon that if a sentry or guard opens the door he has absolutely no idea what he would say to them.

I came to talk to your High Lord because I felt lonely, doesn’t seem like the right thing. He has to come up with something…better. Like court business. But that wouldn’t make sense on Solstice.

He steps away from the large oak door, blows out a pent-up breath, and brushes his hair back. 

I could throw some stones? he thinks, but then quickly decides against it. He is not a small boy anymore, he is a grown up male, a powerful Illyrian he will have to go about this differently. He will knock, but only after waiting a moment longer. Maybe Eris happens to see him and–?

His thoughts are cut off abruptly.

With a loud creaking noise the large oak door of the Forest House opens, its hinges rattling and Azriel tries to scurry away as quick as possible, having allowed himself a moment of distraction he now regrets. 

He almost trips over his own feet when he ventures backwards, trying to flee into the forest behind him, hoping the weathered trees are enough to shield him from–

“Shadowsinger!” Eris’ usually polished and smooth voice is tinged with surprise when he appears in the doorframe, his appearance as immaculate as always. He moves outside, heading towards the gate, and braces his hands on the iron railing.

“I—” Azriel is rendered dumb the moment his eyes land upon the High Lord’s half-exposed chest, all the hard panes of muscles and the fine dusting of red hair beneath his thin linen shirt. Eris has always looked good, but now…Azriel is speechless.

“You?” Eris asks, his tone flat. He raises a brow the same moment he crosses his arms over his chest. Azriel can see how his biceps flexes due to the motion, and his brain circulates short.

“It is Solstice in your Court, Shadowsinger, what are you doing here?” Eris’ tone is flat, but at the same time sharp, piercing right into Azriel’s chest.

“I‘m on a mission,” Azriel quickly answers.

Eris braces both hands on his hips and frowns. “On Solstice? In the Court of someone who is your ally now.” Eris cocks a brow, his lips that suddenly seem very kissable, pursed. “Spare me with your lies.”

Azriel’s body is stiff, and he tries to drag in a breath. “You made an offer. That I could come to you if I needed someone to talk to.”

“What?”

“The offer?” Azriel’s brows lift, his cheeks warming. Eris must have forgotten about it, of course he has, it was made an eternity ago, and now Azriel looks like a fool. But the High Lord surprises him.

“That was nearly six years ago, Shadowsinger.”

“And?” Azriel lifts a brow. 

Eris releases something that sounds like a purely male, long-suffering sigh, and pinches the bridge of his nose, then he folds his fingers over his lips. His gaze runs over Azriel, and finally locks with his eyes. “Come in then. I was just getting tea ready. You like tea?”

Azriel must look absolutely shocked, staring wide-eyed at the Autumn Court male who is gesturing towards the inside of the Forest House.

“Don’t look at me like I’ve grown another head. May I remind you, you knocked on my door, Shadowsinger, and asked me to talk. Obviously we wouldn’t speak out here where it is cold and about to start raining again.”

“I didn’t think you would—”

“Keep my offer?”

“Can you stop interrupting me, Eris?”

“I‘m finishing your sentences, Shadowsinger.”

“That is interrupting.”

The corner of Eris‘ lips lifts, making a small, delicate smirk appear on his face. “I apologise."

He steps aside, allowing Azriel entrance. First into the front yard, then into his home.

The Forest House, as Azriel remembers correctly, has changed a lot since Beron died. Everything seems brighter now, more alive, the colours more vibrant. Intricate carvings adorn the walls and ceilings of the corridors, sconces illuminating the corridor with a soft light that dances over the polished stone.

Azriel inhales a deep breath of the crisp, that smells of pine and wildflowers, freshly cut wood with a hint of ash and fire.

Their footsteps hollow through the seemingly empty ground floor of the house while he walks slightly behind Eris. He has no idea where the Autumn Court male is leading him, follows blindly, and realises that this could be a trap. But why would Eris lead him into a–

“For a change I didn’t find you in a trap this time, Shadowsinger,” Eris drawls over his shoulder, gaze slowly running over Azriel’s frame. The spymaster only glowers, bites the inside of his cheeks to which Eris has to laugh. For a split second the spymaster worries that the High Lord can read his mind, but quickly brushes off this thought. 

Eris turns back to face the long corridor, but Azriel clears his throat. “I have only been in your trap once.”

“Twice,” Eris corrects him, holding up two slender fingers. “But the second time you could free yourself, thinking I wouldn’t notice, but Spymaster—” Eris stops abruptly in front of a large wooden door, fingers curling around the handle. “I have eyes everywhere.” He pulls on the handle and opens the door with a loud, croaking noise, revealing a beautiful and warm living room, appearing in all colours and shades of autumn — orange, scarlet, yellow and brown.

Azriel would have never thought to ever see this part of the Forest House and it feels kind of intimate. He follows Eris into the room, ignoring what the High Lord said to him, his eyes exploring.

It is beautiful here, cosy and homely. Two greyhounds are lounging on the sofa close to the window, and another one is lying on the carpet, belly up, right next to the—

Fireplace.

Azriel’s eyes lock onto the flames dancing, almost as if led by a melody. A lump the size of peach forms in his throat, but he can’t tear his gaze away. His own wails of pain fill his ears, a phantom pain erupting in his hands. He tries to swallow, his throat constricted. 

Eventually, Eris speaks up and it makes Azriel look away from the fireplace, right at the High Lord of Autumn. High Lord of Flames.

“Please sit,” Eris offers, extending his hand to the sofa. Azriel does as told, turning his gaze to watch Eris disappear through a different door than the one they came in. He is only gone for a few minutes before entering the living room again, two steaming mugs in his hands.

When reaching the sofa, he offers one to Azriel, then strokes his hounds‘ heads and plops down on the couch next to the shadowsinger, placing his mug on the small table next to them.

“Don’t you celebrate Solstice in Autumn?” Azriel asks, fingers curling tightly around the warm mug. He lifts his gaze and meets Eris‘. The High Lord is looking at him, at his hands… his scars, but for the first time Azriel doesn’t feel ashamed. He allows Eris to look and see the marred skin, knowing different markings of cruelty also grace the High Lord’s skin.

“I think some people here do but we never did. And I also don’t have anyone to celebrate with,” Eris says, voice laden with sadness. “My brothers are either at war camps or somewhere with their wives, and mother is…in a different Court.” Eris averts his gaze for a moment, before looking back at Azriel.

“Why are you really here, Azriel? Why are you not celebrating with your family?”

The shadowsinger huffs in answer, then takes a sip and when he looks back at Eris, the words pour from his mouth. “I felt out of place, third wheeling the whole time. I know it is not their intention or fault but everyone constantly rubbing in your face that they are loved and have a mating bond is…annoying.”

“And it hurts,” Eris bitterly expresses.

Azriel gives him a side-long glance, then exhales loudly. “It does,” he finally says, voice laden with emotion. “It hurts a lot.”

“It hurts so much especially when you start to question why after more than 500 years you still haven’t found your equal,” Eris continues, unsure why he reveals his deepest feelings to Azriel. To Azriel out of everyone. 

But once again, just like six years ago, it somehow feels so right. Sharing those things with Azriel —with his mate— feels right.

After almost ten years, Eris is still keeping the secret safe within him, in his heart, locked away behind iron bars. Azriel can never find out about Eris already knowing about it. And if the bond doesn’t snap in place for Azriel then—

“I often wonder if the Mother has no one planned for me,” Azriel sighs and Eris can see the flash of uncertainty in his eyes. He isn’t sure about revealing those things to the High Lord and Eris understands. But he can also see his bitterness, his frustration and the longing within the shadowsinger. He just wants to find his equal, his partner, his mate, like the High Lord himself does, too.

“Mates are a rare thing,” Eris answers without really thinking about what he is saying. His eyes fall to Azriel’s hand, and the scars. This is an odd situation they find each other in, and laying your heart bare in front of your nemesis is not quite natural. But at the same time it doesn’t feel odd. It feels right.

Azriel’s gaze darts to Eris‘ eyes, almost like he can see right through him, and make out the big secret within his soul. Eris‘ throat bobs when he tries to swallow, a heavy, deafening silence falling upon them, stretching out.

“I just want to find someone who cares.”

I care, Azriel, Eris wants to say, but keeps his mouth shut instead, only looking at the shadowsinger.

“Someone who cares enough to…ask how I am, to hold me in their arms after a mission, to help me with my wounds, to…listen to me. To reach out when they notice I am struggling.”

Eris‘ hand snatches forward without further thought, clasping Azriel’s tightly. The shadowsinger makes a movement as if he wants to pull back his hand, but then decides against it. He allows it. And it does something to Eris. His soul starts to warm his chest from the inside out. Little sparks explode and his skin feels hot all of a sudden.

“Struggling how?” Eris queries, hoping to distract himself a little from the feeling inside him, fingers trembling around Azriel’s and. He can feel the scars beneath his warm palm, and it pains him to know that such harm has been brought upon Azriel.

“To see something positive in life.” Azriel draws in a deep breath, and pauses when his tears start to glaze over with tears. “There is just so much darkness, and has been for years, centuries. I am scared I will never find light again, to never see something bright again.”

Eris squeezes his hand softly, the shadowsinger’s pain reverberating through him almost like something ties their souls together. Eris has to shake his head. Because it is the truth. Their souls are unmistakably tied together by the mating bond. He can feel how his heart beats a little slower, sagging, hurting with the pain Azriel is feeling, because he is connected to Azriel and he can feel his emotions.

“I know what this is like,” Eris silently admits, still wondering why the shadowsinger allows him to hold his hand. Maybe Azriel is feeling it too?

“I’ve only found myself living in darkness, with no path to a brighter future. When Beron was still alive, I always thought it was because of him, but I soon realised that these feelings are rooted deep inside of me and the void where my heart once used to be only grows with every day that passes.”

Slowly, Azriel starts to nod, as if understanding exactly what Eris is saying. His gaze moves to Eris’, and his lips part but no words leave his mouth. He only looks at the Vanserra male, mouth slightly open, emotions flickering in his eyes. His shadows calm around him and, carefully, Azriel tugs in his wings. 

Eris brushes his thumb over the back of the spymaster’s hand, not once breaking eye-contact. He swallows around the lump that has formed in his throat, his mouth feeling a little dry. 

“I brought you something. A little present,” Azriel whispers, breaking the silence and also their eye-contact. He pulls his hand out of Eris’ hold and rolls back his shoulders. A cold fills the place where Azriel’s hand used to be and Eris pulls back his arm, flexing his fingers at his side.

“For me?” He lifts a questioning brow, his expression more than incredulous. 

No one has ever brought him something. Gifts weren’t really a thing in the Autumn Court. For birthdays they only ever got heirlooms which would immediately be put away to a safe place after their birthday and they would never see them again.

“It is nothing special, just—” Azriel pulls out a small thing from his chest pocket, not bigger than the size of his hand. It is something wrapped in a serviette and it smells sweet so Eris guesses it is food. It must be food, but why would Azriel bring him food?

Azriel carefully tugs at the corners of the serviette, and it sticks a little to what is inside. Eris‘ eyes linger, following each small movement of Azriel’s scarred fingers. He wonders if the memories of how he got them still haunt Azriel in the same way his own memories do and his eyes flicker to the fireplace, and the soft flame burning in it. Worry settles in his gut.

Does Azriel fear the fire? Is he too polite —despite being a brute— to say something?

“I—”

Eventually Azriel pulls the whole wrapping aside, interrupting Eris. “Elain…she caught me leaving and wouldn’t let me go until I told her where I was going.” Azriel blows out a long breath. A look that speaks volumes passes over his face. “She told me to bring you a cookie. It is selfmade.”

Finally, Azriel is done unwrapping the paper, now holding a small yet deliciously smelling baked good in his hand. It isn’t larger than his palm, but Eris couldn’t be happier about it. Elain thought about him, and wanted him to have a present. And Azriel brought it to him. He can barely believe it.

A small smile tips up the corners of Azriel’s lips and he looks at Eris‘ eyes. “She was very persistent and wouldn’t let me leave without it.”

“Of course, she was,” Eris chuckles. He feels how his heart warms. Elain is wonderful, a sunshine, and he loves her dearly — like the sister he never had. He is happy that his little brother found happiness in her, and couldn't have hoped for anyone better for Lucien. She is everything he needs and deserves. 

Azriel breaks off a little piece and Eris lifts his hand to grab it, but Azriel overwhelms him. Startles him.

“Open your mouth,” the shadowsinger says, smiling weakly and lifting the small piece of the baked good to the Autumn Court male’s lips. 

Eris is caught off guard. His heart drops into his belly, his breathing becomes ragged and within an instant, his hand snaps up and he grabs Azriel’s arm, fingers curling tightly around his wrist. “I can’t—you can’t give me food!” he warns, his tone loud and commanding, concern ringing within his voice.

Azriel’s eyes widen in slight shock, the corners of his lips drooping, and then his shoulders. He looks at Eris’ almost as if the Vanserra male has grown another head, but then, after a moment of eerie silence, he lowers his chin to his chest.

A tremor courses through Azriel, making his hands shake. “So it’s true,” he breathes. “The feeling inside me…the pull. We are mates. It is really true.” Azriel falls silent after the words have left his mouth, but it seems as if there is more he wants to say.

Eris is left speechless as well. He can only nod, slowly, his mind and thoughts racing like wild horses though. There it is, the revelation. He has hoped to keep it a secret forever, but now all the cards are on the table and there is no way back.

“For how long have you known?” Aziel asks, not lifting his gaze, staring at the stone floor, his jaw clenched. 

“For a while,” Eris admits, but doesn’t elaborate. He can’t quite concentrate or focus, his thoughts are all over the place, his heat heavy in his chest.

“What is a while?”

“Since the High Lords meeting.”

The revelation would knock Azriel off his feet if he weren’t sitting down. That was nearly ten years ago. A decade. A decade has passed and Eris has known about the bond all the time. For a decade Eris has kept this secret. 

Azriel has felt a shift within himself since he rescued Eris from Briallyn, but he has never allowed himself to consider the shift he felt to be the bond or connected to it. He has never felt real indications for it being the bond until a few months ago when Eris paid a visit to the Night Court and their hands accidentally touched. 

A sudden sharp sting of hurt pierces him – why had Eris kept it a secret for so long? Does he despise the bond just as much as me? Azriel thinks. Does he want to break the bond and accept everything that comes with it? The hurt. The agony. The pain. Or is Eris ashamed? Ashamed to be mated to him? To a male?

“Why have you kept it a secret?” Azriel asks in a hoarse voice. “Why have you kept it a secret for so long?”

Eris huffs, but then a steady voice says, “Because…Beron would have done unspeakable things to me if he found out that I am mated to a male. If he found out that I am mated to a male from a court he isn’t fond of.” Eris gives his head a shake. “And I found it hard to accept. You out of everyone, Shadowsinger. I was worried you would not want it anyway. That you would reject me, and break it the moment you find out about it.” His throat bobs when he swallows. “I was scared…”

Azriel wants to say that he would have never rejected it, but he had similar doubts, but Eris is quicker.

“How long have you known?” the High Lord asks as he reaches out and takes the cookie and the serviette into his hand, placing it on the small table beside them, next to his mug. He starts to chew on his lower lip, a nervous habit he picked up a long time ago. Azriel’s eyes dropping to said lip doesn’t go unnoticed by him, and although it makes his heart beat faster and his skin grow taut, he keeps his expression stern – a cold mask he has perfected to never let others see what is going on inside of him.

Quietly, Azriel explains how he started to feel the bond, but also admits how he tried to avoid thinking it was the bond, and that he didn’t want to believe it. Eris understands, of course, as he also didn’t want to believe it. 

“Why did you keep it a secret?” Eris softly asks, his gaze meeting Azriel’s. “Throwing the question right back at you.” His lips for a barely there smirk and Azriel breathes a chuckle.

“For the same reasons as you,” he admits. “I was scared of how you would react, thinking that someone like you, a future High Lord, or as it is the case now, a High Lord, would reject someone like me. I am bastard born, lesser fae, a brute—”

“I brute wouldn’t sit here like this, chatting with me like this, being kind and listening to what I say, Shadowsinger.” 

Eris‘ kind words catch Azriel off guard and his eyes open wide in surprise. 

“But you always call us brutes.”

“I don’t mean everything I say, and I apologise if referring to you in such an inappropriate way hurt you.” Eris lowers his chin, hoping the spymaster will accept his apology.

“Apology accepted, High Lord,” Azriel whispers. He drags in a deep inhale, holds his breath for a moment and then blows it out. “It feels weird to think about you in another way than hating you. After such a long time. And after such a long time where I didn’t allow myself to listen defp inside of me, or for my feelings to blossom.”

A cold chuckle leaves Eris at that, and with a smirk on his lips he looks back into Azriel’s eyes. “Right?” He huffs. “You out of everyone.”

“I assume it is because I am too irresistible.” A grin appears on Azriel’s face, not quite a mischievous one, but rather teasing one and Eris has to laugh, his cheeks heating. He is happy about the change of topic as a sudden lightness feels the air between them, easing the growing tension.

“You are not irresistible but rather impossible, Shadowsinger.”

“And still the Mother chose me for you.”

“She did,” Eris sighs. He glances at Azriel, then to the fireplace and lastly to the window. Rain has started again, large drops now sliding down the glass. His eyes follow one of them, and he blows out a long breath. “Stay the night?”

Azriel follows his line of sight, his throat working on a swallow, but he answers nothing, only looks at the window as well. 

“We have a lot to talk about, Shadowsinger,” Eris tells him, not averting his gaze, “I don’t want to rush anything or leave things unsaid. Now that the bond is revealed we should lay all the cards on the table, and talk about everything, starting with what happened to Morrigan.”

“No,” Azriel’s tone is sharp and Eris’ gaze cuts to him. “I’ll stay, but let’s start by calling me by my actual name, Eris.”With a silent, breathy laugh parting his lips, Eris’ eyes close and then he tips his chin at the spymaster. “Alright, Azriel, let’s do this.”

general Azris tag list (please let me know if you want to be added/removed): @azrielsbabyg @lady-riel @moonlightazriel @aayo-whatt @brekkershadowsinger @ladyelain @banasheefan56 @a-frog-with-a-laptop @ofduskanddreams @acourtofladydeath @secret-third-thing @born-to-riot @chunkypossum @jules-writes-stories @talibunny30 @berryzxx @lilah-asteria

thank you so much @queercontrarian for beta reading💛

[rjzimmerman]

Dozens of Homes Burned in California, as Wildfires Rage in the West. (New York Times)

Excerpt from this New York Times story:

Fueled by dry and windy weather, three massive fires in Southern California have now burned dozens of homes and forced tens of thousands of people to flee from communities east of Los Angeles.

One of them, in the San Gabriel Mountains above Los Angeles, ballooned by Wednesday morning to 48,000 acres, from a few thousand acres the day before. The blaze, known as the Bridge fire, has destroyed 20 homes in the Mount Baldy area, 13 in the community of Wrightwood and six cabins in rural areas, the chief of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, Anthony Marrone, said at a news conference. An additional 2,500 structures are threatened, Chief Marrone said, and more than 10,000 people have had to evacuate their homes.

“This is currently the largest active fire in the state of California,” he said, adding that the fire was not at all contained and that its cause was still under investigation.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has dispatched the National Guard to help with evacuations, and firefighters have been deployed from Northern California as well as from other states to help with the conflagrations.

Another fire, burning since Monday in a rural area of Orange County southeast of Los Angeles, has damaged or destroyed several homes, automobiles and other structures in the El Cariso Village neighborhood of Lake Elsinore, a city in Riverside County. The blaze, known as the Airport fire, grew to more than 22,000 acres as of Wednesday morning and triggered mandatory evacuations and school closures.

“I could see where flames were coming up to my property,” said Joel Pavelka, 55, who lives high up on the ridgeline of the Santa Ana Mountains.

In San Bernardino County, the authorities said they had arrested a 34-year-old contract delivery driver for FedEx as a suspect of arson in the Line fire, which damaged some homes near Running Springs overnight and was still burning on Wednesday near Big Bear Lake. [The Line fire is about 23,000 acres.]

All told, more than 70 large fires were blazing across the United States on Wednesday, mostly in the West, as a severe heat wave blanketed the region. So far this year, fires have torn through almost 7 million acres of land across the country — the largest acreage to have burned by early September since 2018, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

[beardedmrbean]

The mother of a newborn baby discovered dead in a dumpster in California nearly 40 years ago has been arrested, accused of murder after she was identified using DNA technology. 

The newborn baby girl was found by a man rummaging for recyclables in a dumpster behind a business in the 5400 block of La Sierra Avenue in Riverside on Oct. 13, 1987, Riverside Police said. 

The baby’s death was ruled a homicide, and despite an investigation, “all leads were exhausted and a suspect was not identified,” police said in a release. 

The police department’s Homicide Cold Case Unit reopened the investigation in 2020. The department was aided by Season of Justice, a nonprofit that provides financial aid for investigative agencies and families to solve cold cases using DNA analysis and forensic genealogy. That funding allowed for DNA analysis to be conducted by Othram, a lab that specializes in forensic genetic genealogy.

Forensic evidence was submitted to Othram’s lab in Texas in November 2021 where scientists developed a DNA profile for the unknown infant, Othman said in its own news release. That profile was sent back to the police and from there investigators looked at potential relatives of the baby girl, ultimately leading to the identification of the baby's mother: 55-year-old Melissa Jean Allen Avila.

Avila, who was 19 at the time of the child’s death, was located across the country in Shelby, North Carolina.

She was arrested on Aug. 5 in Shelby, North Carolina, and was extradited to Riverside County.

She was taken to the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Riverside on a first-degree murder charge. She made her first court appearance Wednesday, and was released following an agreement for supervised own recognizance release, online booking and court records show.

No plea has been entered in the case yet. NBC News has reached out to her attorney for comment.

She's due back in court on September 9.

Authorities noted there’s no reason to believe the baby’s father had any criminal culpability in the infant’s death. 

“Thanks to the persistent efforts of our investigators and partners, this victim now has an identity, bringing resolution to the case,” Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez said in a statement.

California has a “Safe Arms for Newborns” law which allows a parent or legal guardian to confidentially surrender a newborn that is three-days-old or younger to any hospital emergency room or fire station without fear or arrest or prosecution, if the baby has not been abused or neglected. 

[extracrispycolonelw]

October_10th_1993.docx

CW Self Harm / Suicide, dark themes

I remember summer.

            The summer of nineteen-ninety-one was a good one. Heat was awful, but that was nothing new. Patricia Troutman announced to all her friends that she was pregnant with her third. Eddy Maher was back home from a six-year stint in County after the drunk driving incident on the road eastbound from Muldraugh with the six-year-old girl. Police had to tase him so bad he pissed his self; dumb old Eddy had gotten drunk and tried stealing his mama’s suburban. Brandon’s girl, Hope, got hit by a car a week after that, I think. My dog died that same July. Quieted down for a while, although the Sheriff raised some hell at the town meeting that first week of August, some mean ole sumbitch crashed into a schoolbus. Buncha kids from Riverside Elementary, heading down to Louisville for a trip. Some field trip that oughta been.

            Winter of ‘ninety-one entering into ‘ninety-two wasn’t too bad neither. Lucy, that lovely, lovely Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special that dad gave me, she broke down, had to have Ben get her fixed up. Fucker charged me an arm and a leg. Had to pawn off half of ma’s jewelry just to pay for it. Some asshole, George I think, he moved to Valley Station from Raleigh, he got a bad cough, the reverend formed a mob. They beat him to death. Seeing a holy man beat an honest Christian to death in the street, it ain’t right. Better than eating them, I think, though.

            ‘Ninety-two was a quiet year otherwise. Couple of murders. Some girl from Muldraugh got outted by her parents, she was pregnant. Think it was some guy, she was young though. Found her body splattered across the highway, not a hundred feet away from the Spiffo’s. Sheriff’s deputy said it was a tractor trailer that hit her. I saw it, on my way back from visiting Dad. Nasty as all hell. Summer was hazy. A lot of drinking and a lot of coke. Lucy got stole by some prick, think it got sold to the asshole who runs the used car dealership on the road south out of Westpoint. Pastor of my church that replaced the reverend, he let me sleep in the back. Good man, letting a prostitute sleep in his church.

            ‘Ninety-three’s turning out to be an awful year. It’s October tenth. All this shit started back in… July, I think. Pastor came at me with half a face, think it was the ninth. Screwdriver through the eye put him out of his misery… and I think it was misery, how his guts were all hanging out of him.

            Got the hell outta dodge as soon as possible. Couldn’t get a car so I just walked after I scrounged around in the middle school. Stole some books, some food. Then I just… just walked, and walked, went on for miles. Ran out of water fast. Thought I was gonna die after a while. Lot of cars on the road, no drivers.

            Nearly ran out of water, while down the road past Westpoint. Got lucky though… bunch of douchebags in camo and safety vests set up camp off the side of the road. Had a pot of water, clean water. Kept me going till I got to a rest stop. Had a Spiffo’s, an Army Surplus and a gas station, I managed to steal a suburban, drove past a pile-up outside of Muldraugh and kept going until I was out of that Godforsaken town. So many people out, none of them were alive. Half-eaten bodies all over town, more abandoned cars. Dead cops, jersey barriers and police SUVs cordoning off half the goddamn town.

            Made it to Rosewood after a day or two of driving. Fire Department and PD were sacked. PD Armoury wasn’t though. Beat a cop without a jaw till his head was soup, took his key, stole some guns and fished around the fire department. It was defensible, so I decided to settle down there. July went, August came. I trained my hand at woodworking, learned how to shoot. Got good with taking care of my things. August was a lot of picking through the shit left in the super market, getting all the rotten food stashed away for composting and keeping all the non-perishables for myself. Fence around the fire department kept the dead out, although that wasn’t to say I didn’t see none. Hurt to do at first… but after a while I got numb to it, y’know? Like learning a new skill or hunting for the first time. Ain’t like killing deer, though. Even with their faces all rotten and decrepit… they were people. Still looked like people. About two-thousand or so in and I stopped feeling it.

            September came ‘round and I had cabbages instead of shitty canned food, chips and chocolate. Found a military APC, one of the big boxy tracked ones, crashed into some station wagon down the road. Still worked, too. Little while of messing with it, and it was mine. Took a trip up to the fort up the ways, Redstone. Got plenty of guns, plenty of ammo, came back. That made three thousand or so. Spent the rest of the month knocking down the walls inside the fire department and fixing up the perimeter. Broken down cars, fortified wooden walls, dumpsters. Everything I could find. Metal plates, bars, everything, it all was nailed and welded together. Moved all the shelves upstairs, started organizing everything.

            October came, and the morning of October first, a helicopter crashed into the police building. Burned for a while, then the dead came. Took my guns and started shooting until I didn’t hear pounding on my walls. Climbed out and kept shooting until I stopped hearing the moaning and the growling. Started drinking after that—stayed inside, the smell was so rank. Today is October Tenth. I write this as I watch my home burn down, with nothing to do but stay out of the way as all the ammo cooks off and detonates from inside. I heard the generator blow at around three in the morning, started a fire I knew I wouldn’t be able to stop. Grabbed my bugout bag and I ran. Got outside and watched it all burn.

            I’m gonna go home tomorrow. Find a nice handgun, some ammo, and burn it all down. The church. My dad’s house. All of it. Nothing left to do anymore. Goodbye, Knox Country.

            RIP Holly Knight, 10/09/1966 – 10/10/1993.

[news365timesindia]

[ad_1] A third possible assassination attempt against former president Donald Trump has been averted on Saturday. The police arrested a man outside Trump’s rally in California for illegal possession of a shotgun and a loaded handgun.  According to reports, Riverside County Sheriff on Saturday arrested a man with a shotgun, loaded handgun, ammunition and several fake passports in his vehicle outside Trump’s rally.  A man was arrested near Trump’s rally in Coachella, California, on Saturday and charged with illegal possession of a loaded firearm and high-capacity magazine, according to the Riverside County Sheriff. pic.twitter.com/xFPVdUyMeo — ANI (@ANI) October 14, 2024  “We probably stopped another assassination attempt,” Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said, as quoted by the New York Post. The 49-year-old man from Las Vegas has been identified as Vem Miller.  According to reports, he was driving an unregistered SUV with a homemade license plate when Riverside County deputies intercepted him.  According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department inmate database, he was released Saturday on $5,000 bail and is scheduled to appear at the Indio Larson Justice Center on January 2, 2025.  The Secret Service put out a statement saying it was aware of the arrest. “The incident did not impact protective operations. The Secret Service extends its gratitude to the deputies and local partners who assisted in safeguarding last night’s events,” the agency said. Who is Vem Miller?  Miller holds a master’s degree from UCLA.  He is a registered Republican who ran for state assembly in Nevada in 2022, a report said. Sheriff Bianco stated that Miller appeared to be associated with the “sovereign citizen” movement, a right-wing group that rejects the authority of the government. He described Miller as a “lunatic” with “fringe” anti-government views. The Past Two Attempts In the past two months, Donald Trump has become the target of two assassination attempts. Several rounds of bullets were fired near Trump’s house in California in September.  During his rally in July, the Republican presidential candidate was shot in the ear.  [ad_2] Source link

[news365times]

[ad_1] A third possible assassination attempt against former president Donald Trump has been averted on Saturday. The police arrested a man outside Trump’s rally in California for illegal possession of a shotgun and a loaded handgun.  According to reports, Riverside County Sheriff on Saturday arrested a man with a shotgun, loaded handgun, ammunition and several fake passports in his vehicle outside Trump’s rally.  A man was arrested near Trump’s rally in Coachella, California, on Saturday and charged with illegal possession of a loaded firearm and high-capacity magazine, according to the Riverside County Sheriff. pic.twitter.com/xFPVdUyMeo — ANI (@ANI) October 14, 2024  “We probably stopped another assassination attempt,” Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said, as quoted by the New York Post. The 49-year-old man from Las Vegas has been identified as Vem Miller.  According to reports, he was driving an unregistered SUV with a homemade license plate when Riverside County deputies intercepted him.  According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department inmate database, he was released Saturday on $5,000 bail and is scheduled to appear at the Indio Larson Justice Center on January 2, 2025.  The Secret Service put out a statement saying it was aware of the arrest. “The incident did not impact protective operations. The Secret Service extends its gratitude to the deputies and local partners who assisted in safeguarding last night’s events,” the agency said. Who is Vem Miller?  Miller holds a master’s degree from UCLA.  He is a registered Republican who ran for state assembly in Nevada in 2022, a report said. Sheriff Bianco stated that Miller appeared to be associated with the “sovereign citizen” movement, a right-wing group that rejects the authority of the government. He described Miller as a “lunatic” with “fringe” anti-government views. The Past Two Attempts In the past two months, Donald Trump has become the target of two assassination attempts. Several rounds of bullets were fired near Trump’s house in California in September.  During his rally in July, the Republican presidential candidate was shot in the ear.  [ad_2] Source link

[scentedchildnacho]

It was actually someone from California that started the riverside county fires or Selby with Berkeley on the most random and unstudied of generality claims about historic comparisons to 19 th century Italy...or in complete replacement of generality......maybe a lady Afghanistan veteran did it to us

Doomsday theory is more relevant then simm theory....but vi khi naos character is correct about homosexual ethics....and something kept really smelling

Freakshow maybe did it....we told her she can't just be a job after rape in the military so we can be assimilated to crack odors and dog poop

Scottish ballads about shelter lady behaviour...

[weather-usa]

More than a dozen homes scorched in Southern California wildfire ignited by fireworks

The Hawarden Fire ignited Sunday afternoon in a vegetation area just south of downtown Riverside. Flames rapidly spread in the hot, dry conditions, engulfing homes as firefighters raced to contain the blaze.

A fast-moving wildfire that tore through more than a dozen homes in Southern California on Sunday was sparked by fireworks, officials said, and the search is on for those responsible.

Climate and Average Weather Year Round in 08850 - Milltown NJ:

The Hawarden Fire ignited Sunday afternoon in a vegetation area just south of downtown Riverside. Flames rapidly spread in the hot, dry conditions, engulfing homes as firefighters scrambled to contain the blaze.

So far, at least six homes have been destroyed and seven others damaged, city officials said. "Once assessments are complete, I fear there may be more to report," Riverside Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson said during a press conference Monday evening, providing an update on the fire. "This tragic event serves as a stark reminder of why fireworks are illegal in our community."

Weather Forecast For 47130-Jeffersonville-IN:

https://www.behance.net/gallery/200732145/Weather-Forecast-For-47130-Jeffersonville-IN

The City of Riverside Fire Department continues to fight the fire, which has burned nearly 600 acres as of Monday.

Temperatures have exceeded triple digits in Riverside every day since Friday, and the last measurable rain in town was on May 5.

Dawson estimated that the property damage has reached at least $10 million, and the emergency response has cost the city over $1 million.

"In just over 24 hours, a moment of fireworks has an estimated cost of over $11 million," Dawson said. "And the losses are not just financial. Families have lost their homes, their cherished memories, and their personal belongings."

Dawson mentioned that surveillance video shows suspects fleeing the area and has provided investigators with a vehicle of interest. She promised to prosecute those responsible "to the fullest extent of the law."

See more:

Dangerous wildfire conditions remain across the West. The Hawarden Fire is just one of dozens burning across the American West and Canada. Hot and dry conditions continue to persist in the West, where weeks of record or near-record heat have been widespread.

Isolated to scattered dry thunderstorms are possible in the inland Northwest on Tuesday and Wednesday, which may trigger even more wildfires. NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center is warning of "critical" fire conditions across parts of eastern Oregon, central Idaho, and western Montana.

However, rainfall is expected to remain elusive across California and the inland Northwest for at least the next week.

Wildfires in the region have also worsened air quality across large areas of the West, as smoke fills the atmosphere.

See more:

https://weatherusa.app/zip-code/weather-06053

https://weatherusa.app/zip-code/weather-06057

https://weatherusa.app/zip-code/weather-06058

https://weatherusa.app/zip-code/weather-06059

https://weatherusa.app/zip-code/weather-06060

On Tuesday morning, air quality readings were in the "very unhealthy" range in Boise, Idaho, and Burns, Oregon, due to nearby fires.

[wausaupilot]

Amid criminal charges, Riverside Fire Chief resigns

Robert Bowen resigned from his position last month. His last day was Aug. 6.

By Shereen Siewert | Wausau Pilot & Review A Wausau-area fire chief has resigned amid accusations of child enticement, according to an email shared with Wausau Pilot. Robert Bowen resigned from his position last month. His last day was Aug. 6. Bowen, 52, was on administrative leave from the department prior to his resignation. He faces charges of child enticement and two counts of…

[iowamedia]

Kayakers rescued from Iowa River in Marshall County Sunday afternoon

MARSHALL COUNTY, Iowa — Two kayakers were rescued from the Iowa River in Marshall County Sunday afternoon. The Marshall County Fire Department responded to the Three Bridges Park on a report of two kayakers who needed to be rescued from the Iowa River. Resource fair being offered for Riverside flood victims Firefighters on a Polaris Ranger found one of the kayakers in a wooded area just north…

[gerec]

i’ve had a shitty week so i was just wondering if you could recommend your favorite fluffy cherik fics 😭 i don’t care what they’re about i just need fluff

I'm sorry you've had a rough week Anon and I'm happy to help. I don't really read straight fluff but these are my favorite Cherik fics to read when I want a pick me up and I hope you like them!

One Hundred One Night Stands. by Sophia_Bee

Charles has a rule. Never fuck the same guy twice. When he refuses to see Erik again after a one night stand, Erik goes about trying to get Charles to violate that rule using accents and disguises.

Erik Lehnsherr's Guide to Parenting by keire_ke

Alex disapproves of school car washes, despite the abundance of wet bikinis on pretty girls. Erik doesn’t approve of his son shirking money-making duties.

Humane Society by smilebackwards

Once Erik finally allows himself to decide that Charles is pretty much the best thing since sliced bread, he spends the next week being incredibly bitter that he's Charles' cat and not his boyfriend.

Protect, Serve, Troll by keire_ke

Erik's fire department has a special relationship with the local university. They visit often. Sometimes, there even is a fire.

Not So Much the Teacup by thehoyden

“Charles is basically the bride whisperer. It’s like he can read their minds.” (wedding planner AU)

645 Riverside Drive by smilebackwards

Azazel clearly has yet to understand the shattering power of Charles' disappointment, so Erik takes one for the team, grabbing the cup and downing the remnants of the cappuccino like a shot while Azazel watches with morbid fascination.

Good manners (will get you far) by ximeria

Charles had been looking forward to the performance at the Met for ages. Little did he know, things would not go according to plan.

Oysters and Champagne by listerinezero

Erik is the extremely talented, extremely scary chef at one of the top restaurants in New York, and Charles, the head waiter, is the only person with the balls to stand up to him. Their fights are the stuff of legend, and their argument over the Valentine's Day menu turns into one for the history books.

'tis a far far better thing doing stuff for other people by whichisgolden

The X-Men: First Class Clueless AU that you didn't know you always wanted. Charles is a spoiled Beverly Hills telepath, Erik is his pretentious ex-step-brother, Emma is his best friend because they both know what it feels like for people to be jealous of them, etc.

Other Life Challenges by professor

“Why am I here again?” Erik groans.

“I need you to lift things and glower at people over my shoulder when I tell people that it’s not ‘politically correct’ or a ‘war on Christmas’ to have a non-denominational winter holiday festival,” says Theresa Pryde.

Well, at least those are two things he’s good at.

Making perfect by aesc 

As is the case with most trials in Erik's life, this one starts with Charles gazing beseechingly at him and asking him for a favor. Not that their going-on-three years relationship is a trial, even though it started with Charles giving Erik the full benefit of sad blue eyes and asking him if he wouldn't mind opening his car door since he'd locked his keys inside, but still.

love like toy trucks crashing by midrashic

Charles Xavier may be young, but he knows what it means to love.

soul of my soul by ikeracity

You can imprint on your soulmate anywhere — school, work, on the street, in a restaurant, on the subway.

Charles and Erik imprint on each other just in time for the holidays.

[rjzimmerman]

The first minute of this video shows us a little about the proposed Chuckwalla National Monument and the expansion of Joshua Tree National Park. I like the photo at the beginning of the video, showing us several colleagues with whom I have been working on desert conservation.

Excerpt from the Department of the Interior press release:

Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland visited Southern California last week, where she met with federal, state, Tribal and local officials and community members to learn about their vision for conserving the area’s natural and cultural resources and meeting shared clean energy goals through the proposed establishment of Chuckwalla National Monument and expansion of Joshua Tree National Park.  

The proposal to establish Chuckwalla National Monument encompasses more than 600,000 acres of existing Bureau of the Land Management public lands within Imperial and Riverside counties in Southern California. The desert landscape holds historic objects and cultural significance for many Tribes in the area, and it provides critical habitat and corridors for wildlife, including the Mojave Desert tortoise and Bighorn Sheep.  

The proposal – which has been introduced by members of the California congressional delegation in both chambers of U.S. Congress – builds upon decades of work from Tribes, elected officials, and community members to conserve the greater Chuckwalla landscape and build a responsible clean energy future. 

On Saturday, Secretary Haaland – joined by representatives from the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs and the National Park Service – heard directly from the community and those who have stewarded the lands for millennia. She held a roundtable with leaders from the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, Cahuilla Band of Indians, Colorado River Indian Tribes, Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe, Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians, and Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians. She also met with local elected leaders, business owners and stakeholders who have helped to shape the proposal. 

On Saturday morning, Secretary Haaland hiked Painted Canyon, an area within the proposed monument of cultural significance. She also visited Joshua Tree National Park, where she learned about the park’s efforts to sustain Joshua Trees and other native vegetation, as well as to address the threats of fire to the landscape. Spanning the intersection of the Colorado and Mojave deserts, the national park was first established as a national monument in 1936 by President Franklin Roosevelt, expanded in 1994 and was renamed a national park under the California Desert Protection Act. The park is receiving historic funding from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda for climate restoration and resilience projects. 

[beardedmrbean]

A grieving family is pleading with parents to monitor their children's online activity after a former Virginia police officer "catfished" a 15-year-old girl online and then traveled to her Riverside, California, home, where he allegedly killed her mother and grandparents.

"Nobody could imagine this crime happening ... especially it just being one day after Thanksgiving," Mychelle Blandin, the sister and daughter of the three victims, said at a news conference Wednesday.

She recalled the family debate they had on Thanksgiving about her mom's brownies.

MORE: Former police officer accused of killing 15-year-old's family was pretending to be teen online

"Little did I know ... that would be the last time my husband and I would see my parents and my sister again," she said. "The next day, when we were out buying Christmas lights for our home, I received a phone call from my parents neighbor of 22 years. They were best friends. They looked out for each other. She called to tell us that we needed to get there as soon as we could because my parents' house was on fire."

She pleaded, "Parents: Please, please know your child's online activity. Ask questions about what they are doing and whom they are talking to. Anybody can say they're someone else. And you could be in this situation."

"Catfishing led to the deaths of the three most important people in my life: my dad, my mom and my sister," she said through tears. "Tell our story to help your parenting. Not out of fear, but out of example of something that did happen."

Riverside police said the suspect, 28-year-old Austin Lee Edwards, met the 15-year-old Riverside girl online through "catfishing," where someone pretends to be a different person than they actually are. Police believe Edwards was pretending to be a 17-year-old.

Police said they believe Edwards drove from Virginia to California, parked in a neighbor's driveway on Friday, went to the teen's home and killed her mother and grandparents. Edwards then allegedly took the teen and drove away, according to police.

The girl has since been rescued and is not hurt, police said.

The murders were discovered on Friday after authorities received a report of a girl "who appeared distressed" while getting into a car with a man, police said. As officers responded to that report, they received calls of a fire at a nearby house.

Three relatives were found dead in the house from apparent homicides: 69-year-old Mark Winek; his wife, 65-year-old Sharie Winek; and their daughter, 38-year-old Brooke Winek.

Blandin said Sharie Winek was the "matriarch" of the family "with the biggest giving heart imaginable."

Mark Winek, a high school softball and baseball coach, "was a man with a big and caring heart who unselfishly gave to his student athletes," Blandin said.

Brooke Winek was a "loving single mom who did her best to raise her two teenage daughters in a loving way," she said.

Several hours after the three bodies were found, authorities said they spotted Edwards driving with the teenager.

Edwards allegedly led deputies on a chase and fired shots, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office said. Edwards then lost control of his car and drove off the road, pointing a gun at a sheriff's helicopter, according to the sheriff's office. Deputies then fired at Edwards and he was declared dead at the scene, the sheriff's office said.

Edwards was hired by the Virginia State Police in July 2021 and quit on Oct. 28, 2022, the agency said. He was hired by Virginia's Washington County Sheriff's Office on Nov. 16, 2022, and had started orientation, the department said.

The investigation is ongoing and includes learning "some of the intentions [Edwards] may have had," Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez said. It's not clear what app or site Edwards and the teen used to communicate or for how long they were communicating, the chief said.

Blandin said the neighbor who noticed the unfamiliar car and called police is a "hero."

As for Brooke Winek's two daughters, "We hope that this community ... can lift them up. They have the most difficult journey ahead," Blandin said.