#Tristan Booker

[queersrus]

request for cottagecore + sad-ish? id pack? please + thanks!

here's my attempt!

assuming id pack includes more than just the usual npts i'll throw in a few cottagecore and sad related labels i found

(nick)names:

ambrose, amos, ansel, acacia, ada, adelaide, arwin/arwen, ava, avery/averie, aviva, amaranth, able, arbor, art, arty/artie, asher, ainsley, acheron, adalia brandy/brandi, branwen, billie/billy, bryony, bill, banner, booker, bram

barley, brion, brian, bryce chloris, chandra, cyrene, cayenne, cade, clyde, chester, cliff denna, diana/dianna, diona, donna/dona, derby, dallas, danica, daphne, dixie, dawn, dylan

edmund, elenore, elodie, eudora, elenore/eleanor, ebony, erica, eila, eira, eve, eithne, everlee, elize, eliza, elizabeth, everlyn, elwood, emerson, elowen finnegan, freddy/freddie, frederick, fallin/fallon, florance/florence

fable, frank, frankie/franky, franklin/franklyn, faine, filbert, finneas ginny/ginnie, gale, georgia, george, georgina, granger halcyone, hana/hanna/hannah, harriet, harry, hayley/hailie/hailey, halie/hallie, heather, harlowe/harlow, harrow, hadar, hawl, hayes,

huck, holden, huso ilana, illiana/iliana, ingrid, ivory jane, janet/janette, jesse/jessie, josie, jose, jack, jackie, jackson kingston, kodi/kodie, kodiak, kylan

lupin, lian, liana/lianna, liane/lianne, linc, linden, lyle, lucius maisie, matilda, maude, mabel, merle, marin, mica/mika, mason/macon, martin, miller, miles nellie, nyssa, ned, nick, ness

opholia, oliver, olive, olivia, oleander, odell, oriel, oscar paisley, poppy, posie, phineas, parker rose, rosemary/rosemarie, rosy/rosie, rory, rosette, rosetta, rue, rosabel/rosabell/rosabelle, rosa, rosabela/rosabella, rosella, rosaria,

rosario, rob, robert, ray, reed, ridge, ryland, rowan, roan shiloh, sharon, scarlet/scarlett/skarlett, sam, samantha, samuel, sunny/sunnie, sawyer, shaw, shay, steve, stevie, stevia, sorell/sorrell, seb, sebby/sebbie, sebastian, saddie/sadie, sade

theodore, theo, tori, toria, tamie/tammie, tawny, terra, timber, tim, timothy, tanner, teddy/teddie, trevis/travis, trevor, tyler, tristan/tristin, tristah/trista, trystia verginia, vicky/vickie, victor, victoria, viola, violet/violette,

violeta/violetta, valerian, vernon winnie, willa, winston, winifred, winslow, will, william, willow, wade, wagner, warren, watts, watson, wilhelmina yvonne, yves zephyr/zephyre, zara, zinnia, zion

surnames:

appleyard, ashton, ashwood baker, brookstone, butterfield catkin, cobbler, cooper, copper, copperwood, copperfield, crestfallen dogwood, direwood, direbrook, direfield, desperfield, downyard

doleman fenlon, falkner, forlorn greenwood, greenfield, golding, goldwood, goldfield, griefman, griefwood, gardner

hilbrook, holbrook, heath, horsewood, horsefield, hawksley, harrowing, hawkswood, hawthorne, hawkner, hawkfield, holloway, hallowood

larken, limewood, lockhart, lovejoy mourner, mournwright, mournman nettleship

plowman, penrose, penwright redbrook, rosedale, redwood, rosewood, redfield summerfield, sweetnam, seawright, sorrowfield, sorrowbrook, shamewood, shamewright

thacker, thatcher westfield, wainwright, write/wright, wagonwright, woodsman, wyrmwood/wormwood, winterwood, winterrose, wretchwood, wretchman

system names:

the cottagecore *system, the sorrowful system, the melancholic cottage system, the mourning flowerbed system, the gloomy garden system, the tearful system, the harvest system

1st p prns: i/me/my/mine/myself

ci/cotte/cottagy/cottagine/cottageself hi/he/hy/harvestine/harvestself gi/garde/gardy/gardine/gardenself si/sade/sady/sadine/sadself si/sorre/sorry/sorrowine/sorrowself mi/me/mely/melancholine/melancholyself

2nd p prns: you/your/yours/yourself

co/cottager/cottagers/cottagerself ho/harvester/harvesters/harvesterself go/gardener/gardeners/gardenerself so/sader/sadders/sadderself so/sorrower/sorrowers/sorrowerself mo/melancholer/melancholers/melancholerself

3rd p prns: they/them/theirs/themself

co/cottage, cott/age, cot/cottage, cot/tage, cottage/cottages, cottage/core har/vest, ha/harvest, harv/est, harvest/harvests gar/den, gar/garden, garden/gardens, garden/core farm/core sa/sad, sad/sads, sa/ad, sad/sadden, so/sorrow, sor/row, sorr/ow, sorrow/sorrows, sorrow/sorrowful mel/melancholy, mel/ancholy, melan/choly, melancholy/melancholies, melancholy/melchancholic

titles:

the weeping gardener, the mourning farmer, the sad cottage dweller, the melancholic planter, the sorrowful woodsman

**one who lives a sad cottage life, one who mourns within ones cottage, one who weeps amongst ones gardens, one who copes with sadness through cottage life

book titles:

the sad little cottage, a melancholic villager, the weeping willows, the mourning garden, the sorrows of an old cottage, a pitiful harvest

genders:

buncottagecoric(link),

cottagegoric(link), cafdreamian(link), cottagecrittean(link), cottagecoric(link), Cálidatierramielgender(link)

epuisetristic(link)

gendersob(link)

Sadnostacatgender(link)

orientations: (n/a)

other:

cottagecore bpd(link)

many can be found by searching cottagecore genders/mogai/liom as well, there are many versions of cottagecore flags especially for lgbt related labels so they should not be hard to find if you feel like looking!

*system can be replaced with any alternative (ex. cluster, collective, hoard/horde, etc)

**one can be replaced with any prn

[blogger360ncislarules]

Curious which top-notch British shows are coming to MASTERPIECE next year? We’ve got the lineup for you! MASTERPIECE returns for a stellar 55th season in 2025, dishing up headline-making new series plus returning favorites, stunning costume dramas, addictive mysteries, and A-list actors from Damian Lewis to Keeley Hawes, Kate Phillips to Hugh Bonneville. As our friends across the pond would say, it’s going to be a cracker year! Plus, there are even more unforgettable shows on the horizon beyond 2025, so savor all the details we know now below.

Miss Scarlet | Season 5

This period gem is a detective series set in Victorian era London and MASTERPIECE viewers can’t get enough. In Season 5, Kate Phillips returns as the fearless Miss Eliza Scarlet, though her best friend William “The Duke” Wellington (Stuart Martin) has sailed to New York. His departure shifts the series, opening fresh new paths for Eliza. Cue a commanding entrance from DI Alexander Blake (Tom Durant-Pritchard) whom, as it turns out, doesn’t much like private investigators!

 Airdate & Preview: Miss Scarlet Season 5 premieres on PBS at 8/7c on Sunday, January 12th, though PBS Passport members can binge all six new episodes now! Watch the Season 5 preview. 

All Creatures Great and Small | Season 5

Everything audiences find irresistible about this series—the scenic Yorkshire Dales, colorful locals, compelling animal stories, and joyful pandemonium in a rural veterinary practice—is back for Season 5, along with the much-awaited reappearance of playful Tristan Farnon (Callum Woodhouse). Need more? There’s an adorable newborn at Skeldale House; everyone is doting on wee baby Jimmy. Rejoin all your favorite cast and characters, including the imperial Pekingese pup, Tricki.

 Airdate & Preview: All Creatures Great and Small Season 5 begins Sunday, January 12th at 9/8c. Watch a short recap of Seasons 1 to 4 and get a sneak peek at Season 5. Watch full episodes from All Creatures Great and Small Seasons 1 to 4 anytime with PBS Passport.

Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light

What do audiences get when celebrated actors the likes of Damian Lewis, Mark Rylance, and Jonathan Pryce are given material adapted from Booker Prize-winning author Hilary Mantel? The “best TV you’ll see all year,” according to The Guardian (UK). “Six hours of utter TV magic.” Critics laud The Mirror and the Light, which traces the final climatic years of royal “fixer” Thomas Cromwell in Henry VIII’s court. A sequel to the Peabody Award-winning Wolf Hall (2015), the show picks up in 1536 with Cromwell riding high as the king’s closest advisor and the most feared figure of his time. How does it all unravel from there?

 Airdate & Preview: Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light premieres on PBS Sunday, March 23rd at 9/8c. (See the powerful trailer here.) You can catch up on the original Wolf Hall ‘s plot points, historical details, and character arcs in a special episode of the MASTERPIECE Studio podcast. 

Miss Austen

It’s a much-lamented yet historical fact that Cassandra Austen opted to burn her renowned sister Jane’s private letters—but why? The fictional miniseries Miss Austen takes Cassandra’s epic decision and uses it to invent an affecting story about the loves and losses of both Austen women. This highly-anticipated period drama stars Keeley Hawes and is based on Gill Hornsby’s 2021 bestselling novel of the same name—and we cannot wait!

 Airdate: Miss Austen arrives on MASTERPIECE Sunday, May 4, 2025 at 9/8c. (Fittingly, 2025 also marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth.)

Grantchester | Season 10

Longtime crowd-pleaser Grantchester will return for an impressive 10th season, with regular cast and characters all back in action, including that charismatic new vicar who’s caught our eye—Rev. Alphy Kottaram (Rishi Nair). Alphy injects fresh storylines and vibrant energy to a whole new set of crimes that need solving alongside DI Geordie Keating (Robson Green). Grantchester is a “winning combination of a delightful and appealing amateur sleuth, articulate writing, and engaging mysteries to solve,” according to TV Guide.

 Airdate: The Grantchester Season 10 airdate has not yet been announced. Stream full episodes from Grantchester Seasons 1 through 9 when you watch with PBS Passport.

The Marlow Murder Club | Season 2

This miniseries is a perfect fit for those seeking more light-hearted British mysteries. It literally whisks viewers away to an idyllic British town and has fun with a trio of sideline sleuths—a retired archaeologist, well-connect vicar’s wife, and dog walker with access to her clients’ homes—who take it upon themselves to solve local murders. “Peak cozy murder mystery material,” says Decider. Samantha Bond leads the cast in this adaptation of the bestselling book series by Robert Thorogood, who also created Death in Paradise.

 Airdate: The Marlow Murder Club Season 2 has no premiere date announced as yet. Stream The Marlow Murder Club Season 1 when you watch with PBS Passport, an online, on-demand library of PBS programming available to PBS supporters.

Unforgotten | Season 6

In this long running, critically acclaimed show, veteran London detectives played by Sanjeev Bhaskar and Sinéad Keenan unravel the truth behind a single cold case murder from the past. Suspenseful and slow-building character arcs across an entire season elevate the show’s procedural premise, letting viewers get to know suspects (and victims) more deeply. “The beauty of this drama is the way it allows us to emotionally invest in both police and suspects,” says The Times (UK).

 Airdate: The premiere of Unforgotten Season 6 has not yet been made public. 

Maigret

MASTERPIECE will bring a brand-new and contemporary adaptation of Georges Simenon’s beloved novels about streetwise Parisian Chief Inspector Jules Maigret to the small screen. (Simenon’s Maigret books are the second best-selling detective series ever, behind only Sherlock Holmes.) Jules Maigret’s unique superpower is his deep compassion for victims and suspects alike and his patient immersion into the environment of a crime, all of which lead to profound insights that we can’t wait to see play out.

 Airdate:  The Maigret release date has not been announced, though we know Benjamin Wainwright will lead an ensemble cast.  

The Forsyte Saga

An elaborate, all-new take on The Forsyte Saga has been commissioned by MASTERPIECE in partnership with the UK production company behind Poldark and Victoria—so prepare to swoon! The brand-new period drama will be a fresh and sweeping reimagining of John Galsworthy’s Nobel Prize-winning Forsyte stories about the wealthy, multi-generational family in 1880s London. Expect crisscrossing storylines of love, obsession, adultery, and ambition—this time with a focus on the formidable Forsyte women.

 Airdate: The Forsyte Saga premiere date has yet to be announced.

The Gold | Seasons 1 and 2

Hugh Bonneville as Brian BoyceHugh Bonneville will return to MASTERPIECE in this critically acclaimed true crime drama recounting one of Britain’s largest and most notorious heists. The show dramatizes the events surrounding the theft of nearly £26 million in gold bullion as well as the crime’s complex and high-stakes aftermath affecting the thieves and law enforcement alike.

[nightsidewrestling]

D.U.D.E Bios: Tristan Lum

The Second Prince of Hell Tristan Lum (2020)

The first son of Damian and Nicole, the strong and smart Tristan. He tries to be a positive influence on the people around him.

"Brain and brawn, better to have both than just one."

Name

Full Legal Name: Tristan Booker Lum

First Name: Tristan

Meaning: Probably from the Celtic name 'Drustan', a diminutive of 'Drust', a Pictish name probably derived from the old Celtic root 'Trusto' meaning 'Noise, Tumult'.

Pronunciation: TRIS-tan

Origin: English, French, Arthurian Romance

Middle Name: Booker

Meaning: From an English occupational surname meaning 'Maker of books'.

Pronunciation: BUWK-er

Origin: English

Surname: Lum

Meaning: From Old English 'Lum' meaning 'Pool'.

Pronunciation: LUH-mb

Origin: English

Alias: None

Reason: N/A

Nicknames: N/A

Titles: Mr

Characteristics

Age: 32

Gender: Male. He/Him Pronouns

Race: Human

Nationality: British

Ethnicity: White

Birth Date: March 25th 1988

Symbols: None

Sexuality: Straight

Religion: Christian

Native Language: English

Spoken Languages: English, French

Relationship Status: Married

Astrological Sign: Aries

Theme Song (Ringtone on Damian & Vi's Phones): Damian: 'Grace Kelly' - MIKA. Vi: 'Under My Skin' - Jukebox The Ghost

Voice Actor: Russel Howard

Geographical Characteristics

Birthplace: Bodmin, Cornwall, England

Current Location: Bodmin, Cornwall, England

Hometown: Bodmin, Cornwall, England

Appearance

Height: 6'5" / 195 cm

Weight: 260 lbs / 117 kg

Eye Colour: Blue

Hair Colour: Blond

Hair Dye: None

Body Hair: Hairy

Facial Hair: Clean Shaven

Tattoos: (As of Jan 2020) None

Piercings: None

Scars: None

Health and Fitness

Allergies: None

Alcoholic, Smoker, Drug User: Social Drinker

Illnesses/Disorders: None

Medications: None

Any Specific Diet: None

Relationships

Allies: N/A

Enemies: N/A

Friends: Xavier Ibarra, Nathan Winter, Patrick Turner, Lochlainn Rhydderch, Januarius O'Hannagan, Keith McFarland, Caderyn McCracken, Roderick Rhydderch, Flann Rhydderch

Colleagues: N/A

Rivals: None

Closest Confidant: Gardenia Lum

Mentor: Damian Lum

Significant Other: Gardenia Lum (33, Wife, Née Day)

Previous Partners: None of Note

Parents: Damian Lum (61, Father), Nicole Lum (56, Mother, Née Yap)

Parents-In-Law: Graham Day (53, Father-In-Law), Grace Day (54, Mother-In-Law, Née Joyce)

Siblings: Viola Nye (41, Half-Sister, Née Lum), Ulysses May (38, Half-Brother), Wanda Ott (35, Sister, Née Lum), Xavia Lum (29, Sister), Sullivan Lum (26, Brother), Yasmine Lum (23, Sister), Roger Lum (20, Brother), Zella Lum (17, Sister)

Siblings-In-Law: Quentin Nye (42, Viola's Husband), Kestrel May (39, Ulysses's Wife, Née Coy), Heath Ott (36, Wanda's Husband)

Nieces & Nephews: Adam Nye (21, Nephew), Paulette Nye (18, Niece), Benjamin Nye (15, Nephew), Olivia Nye (12, Niece), Charles Nye (9, Nephew), Earl May (18, Nephew), Jane May (15, Niece), Flint May (12, Nephew), Imogen May (9, Niece), Magnolia Ott (15, Niece), Laurence Ott (12, Nephew), Naomi Ott (9, Niece)

Children: Daisy Lum (12, Daughter), Vance Lum (9, Son)

Children-In-Law: None

Grandkids: None

Great Grandkids: None

Wrestling

Billed From: N/A

Trainer: N/A

Managers: N/A

Wrestlers Managed: N/A

Debut: N/A

Debut Match: N/A

Retired: N/A

Retirement Match: N/A

Wrestling Style: N/A

Stables: N/A

Teams: N/A

Regular Moves: N/A

Finishers: N/A

Refers To Fans As: N/A

Extras

Backstory: Tristan grew up as an athletic kid, getting into football and cricket. He met Gardenia during college and has been with her ever since

Trivia: Nothing of Note

[halfmoonism]

and now, and now, and now

"I just want to help people," he finds himself telling Robin, and isn't it something that he can still say something so poisonous with such conviction? . You are a bad person. You are bad at being a person. He knows both to be true.

ao3 link here rated T | chose not to use archive warnings | gen | 1.4k words pkmn desolation, tristan tags: MAJOR spoilers for e6, during canon, guilt, identity issues, strained friendships (one-sided. robin's just happy to be here)

a/n: you need to know how unwell I am abt tristan. I recorded That Scene just so I could show irls how soul-crushing it was okay. god.

Walking around the Dreamscape with them had been like taking a breath of fresh air after being underwater for so long. He was deceiving them like every other centimeter in this barren world, but wasn't it enough to be walking with them again? He has a role to play, and it's enough to selfishly let himself play the part he'd been born for. Created for. Same difference.

And then Robin had looked relieved to see him. Smiled, even, and he knew them to be a doer more than a talker. Told him more truths than they should've, and it isn't until Booker's sharp but knowing that Robin has your full confidence, why should you have anything to worry about? rings through the silence like a stone finally hitting the bottom of the well that the truth of what he's doing really hits him.

He couldn't bring himself to face them. Not then, and not when it mattered, and not any other time afterwards.

[mist-the-wannabe-linguist]

The New Year comes

[mad-scientist-in-theory-2]

I know you don't really do Ship Logbooks stuff anymore so sorry if it's a bother but just a question - if anyone lost a leg during the voyage would Tristan make them a prosthetic?

BRO, I’VE BEEN THINKING OF TRISTAN LATELY.

He absolutely would. He’d put the utmost care into making it perfect for them, and making sure that they get their prosthetic as soon as possible.

[pixelmuppet]

Omgomg

Tristan 🐺, and Øyvind 🦌

I hold they gentle

[kalissimsblogarchive]

A couple months later...

[cantcatchmeee]

[mad-scientist-in-theory-2]

Tristan is a good swimmer, as he used to go swimming in the local lake every summer. He probably wouldn’t be able to handle a polar plunge though. 

Øyvind can’t swim. He can doggie paddle though, but I think he’d also need a life vest or pool inflatable to stay afloat.

Do sailors and captains know how to swim or not?

Hi,

this is a topic that is often discussed. But it is actually so that many could not swim. Swimming was not a very popular pastime at that time and many of the sailors who were pressed came from rural areas that did not have time to learn how to swim. Bathing at that time also had nothing to do with swimming, bathing went to the point where the person could still stand and so even at sea, a sail was often left in the water as a small pool to allow the non-swimmers a little bathing fun. Only from the middle of the 19th where it went off with the trainingships was realized that swimming was an important part and it also served the sporting training. From then on it was taught specifically.

I hope I could help you and wish you a pleasant day.

[chatsyoyevsky]

Legend has it I hear Kendall Jenner giving head every day and night.

[tabloidtoc]

In Touch, March 8

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Kanye West's tell-all will destroy Kim Kardashian

Page 1: Contents

Page 2: Beauty News -- update your makeup bag -- these new beauty buys are destined for heavy rotation -- Lucy Hale

Page 4: Scott Disick debuted a bold new platinum hairdo and even the Lamborghini he was driving couldn't distract fans from noting how completely uncool he looks and while the dad of three is not quite middle-aged it looks likes he's having a midlife crisis and it seems that dating so many young women like his current girlfriend 19-year-old Amelia Gray Hamlin has made 37-year-old Scott start to feel his age and he's overcompensating but he's clearly gone too far

* They Went Blond, Too But Looked Cool -- Brad Pitt, Justin Bieber, Ryan Gosling, Adam Levine, Riz Ahmed, Zac Efron, Jared Leto, Kanye West, Zayn Malik

Page 5: Salma Hayek fights against prejudice of all kinds even when the victims are insanely wealthy -- there is discrimination against rich men, she said of the struggles her husband French businessman Francois-Henri Pinault has faced while maintaining his $43 billion fortune and she said you think because somebody's rich, he might not be a good person, doesn't have values or doesn't deserve it and even Salma gets judged like everybody said she married him for money, but after after 15 years together, she's not even offended

* Number of the Week -- 76,000 is the dollar cost of a pair of Kylie Jenner's new Birkenstock sandals made from Hermes Birkin bags, Man Candy of the Week -- Max Ehrich cooling off in Miami, Clapback of the Week -- Mindy Kaling said she wrote the episode the gif was from when an internet troll used a gif from The Office to express their dislike of her, EXBFF of the Week -- Larsa Pippen on her rift with former friend Kim Kardashian

Page 6: Crib of the Week -- The Weeknd's Hidden Hills hangout, Winners of the Week -- Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds donate $1 million to Feeding America and Food Banks Canada three months after giving $500,000 to both charities, Loser of the Week -- because of production delays Tom Cruise is forced to scrap plans to film Mission: Impossible 7 and M:I 8 back-to-back

Page 8: Up Close -- Nicole Kidman on Instagram thanked actor and theater artist Kevin Zak for his altered photo of her The Undoing character Grace with lots more hair

Page 9: Zooey Deschanel embraces her DIY side for Valentine's Day decorating balloons with sweet affirmation using her Cricut, Shawn Mendes kissing Camila Cabello's foot because he loves her, Paris Hilton celebrates turning 40 by accepting an enormous emerald-cut diamond engagement ring from beau Carter Reum

Page 10: 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams gets eliminated from the Australian Open semifinals, Tayshia Adams and Zac Clark take a loved-up selfie at the Empire State Building, Emma Roberts celebrates turning 30 at a backyard pool bash

Page 12: Fur Babies -- Kathryn Newton's dog Lady Bird yawning, Miranda Lambert snuggles with one of her dogs, Maude Apatow's cat Dolly conks out in her lap, James Van Der Beek and his dog

Page 14: Jimmy Fallon celebrates his seven years on The Tonight Show at home with his daughters Winnie and Franny

Page 16: Rebel Wilson does her best Cruella De Vil impression for her new TV show Pooch Perfect, Beyonce shows off more than just her new Adidas x IVY PARK collection, Thomas Rhett celebrates daughter Lennon's first birthday along with wife Lauren and daughters Willa and Ada

Page 18: Naked Chelsea Handler covering herself with books while standing in snow, Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston, Chrissy Teigen has a swollen lip due to an allergic reaction

Page 20: Princess Eugenie and husband Jack Brooksbank share a photo of their newborn son August Philip Hawke Brooksbank, Rihanna striking a seductive pose with her new release The Rihanna Book: Queen Size which retails for $1215.70, Katy Perry flaunts her curves in a purple bathing suit and fiance Orlando Bloom flaunts his muscles during a getaway in Hawaii

Page 22: Kate Gosselin sold her house in Wernersville in Pennsylvania that she bought in 2008 with then-husband Jon Gosselin because she desperately needs cash these days -- the girls Cara and Mady are off to college, she doesn't have a show on the air anymore and her legal bills in her custody war with Jon are through the roof -- to stay afloat she's had to cut back on many perks including her trusted bodyguard Steve Neild -- she's just holding out hope for a new reality show about her and her kids now

Page 23: Brad Pitt has been spotted hanging out in Jennifer Aniston's trailer on the set of her series The Morning Show and things are getting serious again -- he's been at her house on the weekends and they're hooking up -- Jen has set ground rules for her ex including that they can date other people because Jen is also seeing a man she met through her Morning Show co-stars Reese Witherspoon and Mark Duplass so Jen's keeping her options open

* Cheryl Burke teamed up with Kroger to host the Healthy Heart, Happy Mind wellness experience to bring awareness to women's heart health during Heart Health Month

Page 24: Cover Story -- Kanye West's revenge on Kim Kardashian -- Kim and Kanye's marriage is over but the war is just beginning -- the world will be shocked by what Kanye has to say about Kim

Page 26: As Kim's love life falls apart again, her sisters are happier than ever -- Kourtney Kardashian is talking marriage with Travis Barker, Khloe Kardashian is back on track with Tristan Thompson, Kendall Jenner and Devin Booker go public with their love

Page 28: True Crime -- Dubai Princess Latifa Al Maktoum: My family is holding me captive -- three years after she vanished, a billionaire's sheikh's daughter pleads for someone to save her

Page 30: The Bachelor: It's Worse Than Anyone Knows -- Chris Harrison's controversial exit sparks a racial reckoning in Bachelor Nation

Page 32: Meghan Markle to Queen Elizabeth: I'm Never Coming Back -- Meghan closes the door on returning to the U.K. and doesn't regret it one bit -- because of Meghan's decision, the queen may never see Archie again

Page 36: The Big Interview -- Olivia Newton-John and Chloe Lattanzi -- we inspire each other -- the Grease star and her daughter share an unbreakable bond and a lifetime love of music

Page 42: Animal Overload -- My dog looks like Charles Bronson

Page 45: Double Take -- Brie Larson rocks tie-dye at the supermarket in L.A.

Page 46: Horoscope -- Pisces Lupita Nyong'o turned 38 on March 1

Page 48: Last Laughs

[tristan-arcelona]

[redrobin-detective]

you want a revelation, some kind of resolution

Well this was one shitty creek of a situation he was knee deep in. Not that Jason tended to expect any better from the dumpster of his second life.

“Boss, what do we do?” Petey asked, his voice higher and squeakier than normal with fear. “We got Bats coverin’ us from all sides.”

“Just keep cool, I know how to take care of Bats,” Jason growled out trying to keep his skittish gang in line. Though it really wasn’t much of a gang at this point, since Jay had offed most of the major players and their associates. Right now the Red Hood Gang was just a bunch of snot nosed kids with issues, anger and whole lot to prove. That included their boss. 

“We got a bunch of ammo here, none of it armor piercing but it should provide enough cover for you and the youngins to scram,” Tristan said. He was actually the oldest of them all at 26. Jay didn’t want to admit how hard it was to resist the urge to fall in step behind him. He’d mentioned once he had 3 younger siblings, sometimes talking to him made Jason think of better times with Dick...

“I told you we were doing too much, too fast,” Marco spat as he hastily loaded up empty pistol magazines. “Now we got the whole goddamn Bat Circus waiting to pounce on us.”

“Nah, it ain’t the body count they’re pissed about,” Jason mumbled to himself as he did his own double checks and loosened himself up for brawl. 

Alf had helped him with his 8th Grade production of Macbeth, he’d played Banquo, and had told him to find the happy middle ground of drama, between dull and maudlin. In his grand revenge scheme of leveraging his memory to hurt Bruce, he’d definitely overshot the mark and gotten everyone’s blood up. Hence this very aggressive show of force of trapping them in their current safe house. Only something about this whole thing wasn’t right.

“What I want to know,” Jason, Hood, said as the hairs on the back of his neck tingled. “Is why we’ve had Bats on our ass for 8 whole minutes and not one of them has made an appearance.”

“Maybe they’re already in here, hiding y’know like they do,” Mikey piped up.

“No, I’d know,” Hood responded purposefully enigmatically as he tried to pinpoint what was throwing him off. Something was different. Something was wrong and he couldn’t say what... There was a polite but insistent knock on the entrance of the warehouse.

“They’re knocking?” Big Mike, completely separate from Mikey, gaped incredulously. Everyone else drew their weapons onto the entrance while Jason concentrated on the sounds of warehouse, waiting for the other shoe to drop. He heard the near silent creaks of footsteps on the roof but no one was using the distraction to break in. Had Bruce changed up his MO that much while Jay had been gone?

“Let me in, dipshit, it’s cold out here,” a voice came from the other side of the door. “You got a choice between me and a whole lot of angry Bats. Trust me, I’m prettier.”

“Fuck,” Jason swore, lowering his weapon as he thought about how to get out of this situation. He wasn’t ready for this, wasn’t sure if he’d ever be ready for this. “Back up gents, weapons up but if you fire the next shot is in your skull, capisce?” Behind his hood, he pursed his lips and glared at the closed door. “Doors open,” he called. “No Bats, just you.”

The door was opened casually, like their guest was walking into a party instead of a den of murders and thieves. He stepped with no trace of discomfort, opening and closing the door with his foot while his thumbs were looped through the beltloop of his jeans. Blue eyes scanned the area, his face was neutral but calculating as he took in Jay and his men. God his face...

“Hood,” the man nodded at him then the guys, “Gentlemen. How’s it going?” 

“He’s just a brat, lets ice him,” Booker growled, aggressively posturing with his pistol. The man eyed Booker with an amused half smirk, not moving from his comfortable slouch. He didn’t need to, all he had to do was open his mouth.

“Fucking cool it, that brat can take down Superman,” Jason hissed. His weapon was still deliberately pointed down at the floor. He was having trouble keeping eye contact with his former best friend, no way was he gonna aim a gun at him. “So the Bat realized he and his child soldiers couldn’t take me alone so he called in the big guns, huh?”

“Nice to see you too, Hood,” Billy Batson, grinned with too many teeth to mean it as anything but a threat. “And no, your Dad got a location on you and ditched the weekly early. Didn’t realize I followed till he about to break in. I convinced him to stay outside for a minute while we talked, like old times.”

“Batman’s your dad?” Petey squawked, lowering his weapon to gape over at Jason. The others guys mumbled amongst themselves while Jay just growled at Bill’s small, shit eating grin. Damn bastard knew he had all the cards which was why he was here in his human body and not as the big guy. Hell of a lot easier to shoot at an invulnerable god then his best friend in a beaten leather jacket.

“I’m adopted, not that it made much difference in the end,” Bill’s smile slipped a bit. “What do you want, B?”

“I want you,” Bill stated. “If your guys put down their weapons, I can keep the Bats off them long enough to let them escape but only if you come with me.”

“And why the fuck would I go with you?” Jay asked through gritted teeth. As if he didn’t drive to Fawcett after every major fight with Bruce. As if hadn’t felt completely safe flying high in the sky in Marvel’s arms. As if Bill wasn’t the last person he talked to before he left Gotham for the last time, a lifetime ago...

Bill’s eyes, a faded sky blue with little streaks of gold and brown in them, glared back at hood. Once upon a time, they’d had similar blue eyes but now Jason’s eyes were more green than blue. Just another thing separating them.

“Because I had to skip dinner hunting down your ass so you owe me.” Looking like an overconfident ass, and just a tiny bit cool, Bill walked past them and opened the back door. “Boys, weapons down and you’re free to go. Hood, grab your coat, it’s cold out and I’m way too pissed at you to be your cuddle buddy.”

XxX

Bill tried not to stare at Jason sitting across the table but it was hard. He’d missed his friend so much, wasted so much grief wanting him back even for a moment. And yet what was supposed to be a joyous moment was spoiled by the boiling anger he was barely keeping a lid on. Instead, he stared intently into his coffee as he stirred in more cream while Jason looked intently at the menu.

“It’s funny you’re studying that so hard when we both know you’re ordering a chili dog,” Bill said impatiently when he grew tired of the tense silence. Even Atlas’ stamina wore out at some point. Jay flipped the menu down and sneered at him and god for a moment it felt like old times. Except Jason was older, he had new scars Bill didn’t recognize and old ones that were simply gone. His hair had gone partially grey and his eyes were different but the freckles on his nose wrinkled the same way they always did when he was annoyed.

“Yeah, well maybe you don’t know me as well as you thought, short stack,” Jay sniped back. He had one arm stretched over the back of their booth and his legs sprawled out but there was a tenseness that said he was ready to run at a moment’s notice. Like he no longer trusted Bill anymore.

“Sorry I don’t look like a linebacker on venom,” Bill countered. Jay had always been a bit taller than him but not by much. But whatever had happened to him (the Pit Bruce had, he didn’t want to think about how much that had hurt) it took away all evidence of Jay’s rough childhood living. Bill, on the other hand, was still scrawny, his height small and his immune system shit. 

“You boys ready to order?” Their waitress, Marcy, asked with a gentle smile. 

“Yes Ma’am, I’ll have some of your 24 hr breakfast with a ham and cheese omelet extra cheese and home fries. Jay?” 

“2 Chili dogs,” he grumbled, handing over the menu even as Bill hid his smile in his coffee cup. “How’d you get B off my ass?”

“I work alongside him on the team. He knows when to push me and when not to, he knows that he owes me,” Bill replied with a shrug before setting his coffee down. “Jason,” he sighed, “what the hell are you doing?”

“Oh shove off with your holier than thou shit,” Jay growled, turning to face out the window. They both knew that Bruce and most likely the others were casing the place but, for now, they were out of sight. “You don’t know what I’ve been through, what that man did to-”

“Then maybe you should tell me,” Bill frowned, gripping his cup. “Maybe instead of announcing your return with a duffle bag of heads you could’ve come to us and we’d have helped you get your shit together.”

“B-”

“Almost broke when you died,” Bill cut him off. “Jay I don’t know what you think happened but we almost lost him. If it weren’t for Tim,” Jason’s eyes turned menacingly dark so Bill diverted. “Jesus Jay, I took a leave of absence for almost a month. I never had many friends, losing you, it was like the world dropped out underneath me.”

“Yeah, well you recovered real well,” Jason huffed, leaning over the table to clench and unclench his fists. “Everyone moved on.”

“Did you think the whole world would stop for you?” Bill accused with a scoff. “Grow up, it may have felt like my world died but there were still villains to be foiled, civilians who needed saving. We moved on because the only other option was to dig a grave right next to yours. God knows Bruce did his damndest to do just that.”

“Here ya go, loves, give me a shout if you need anything else,” Marcy said, depositing their meals. Despite having had food security and his own money in his pocket for years, the sight of a full plate before him still gave his heart a little skip. He wondered if Jay remembered the feeling or if he’d forgotten that too.

“Whatever, you don’t get it so I don’t want to talk about it,” Jay grumbled, hunching over and biting into his hotdog. “The fuck you been up to, outside of capes?”

“Got my GED because the League of Babysitters were breathing down my neck. I do odd jobs here and there, whatever I can get with flexible hours. I’m thinking of doing online classes at Fawcett CC to get my degree in social work.” Jason paused for a moment before continuing to devour his dog. Bill, who learned better manners on the streets, ate like a normal human being. 

“You’d be good at that,” Jay said as he polished off the first hotdog. “I thought I might do that, back in the day.”

“I know, we talked about it,” Bill nodded, “can’t say I wasn’t thinking about that when I started filling out applications. There’s a memorial case for Robin in the Cave, a Library in Gotham named after Bruce Wayne’s son but I wanted the memory of Jay, my idiot friend, to carry on too.”

“Bill,” Jay heaved out a heavy sigh. “Why am I here?”

“In this diner? on this side of the veil?” Bill questioned, “can’t really answer the second one but as for the former, maybe I just wanted to watch my best friend make a slobbery mess out of chili dogs again.”

“I ain’t your best friend,” Jason said grabbing his second hotdog.

“Fuck you, yes you are. You never stopped being my best friend which why I’m so mad I could scream at you for the shit you pulled. I can see being mad at the world, I can even see why you’re mad at Bruce but me, Jay?” he asked, not disguising his hurt. “I had to hear about you coming back from a League debrief as Marvel. Had to go a whole shift being calm and composed before I could change back and completely fall apart.”

“The hell was I supposed to say?” Jay asked a bit too loudly. Marcy glanced over at them from across the diner. “I’m not, fuck, I’m not that snot nosed kid anymore who thought being a hero gave him magic. He died and I’m the one who crawled into his carcass and came back. Those times we had were good but they’re gone.”

“Well that’s up for me to decide, isn’t it?” Bill said with a bite of his potatoes. “So as your former and current best friend, it is my duty to tell you that you need to get your head out of your ass. Stop doing stupid shit to piss people off and do things that will actually help you because you know what? I’m not the same person you left either. You’re not special, you’re just as mortal as the rest of us.”

“Says you,” Jason snorted. He reached over and grabbed Bill’s coffee and took a swig. “You still take your crap coffee the same, drowned in cream with not a drop of sugar.”

“And you still can’t buy your own coffee and order it how you want,” Bill said with a smile, stealing it back. The atmosphere was good, calm and silent as they finished their dinners

“I’m not going back with B,” Jason said quietly. 

“I figured,” Bill nodded as he signaled Marcy for the check.

“And I’m not stopping what I’m doing in Gotham, cleaning out the filth the way Batman never could,” Jay growled resolutely.

“I don’t agree with your methods, never will. I won’t be complicit to your demons but I will be your friend. Just think about what it is you want, Jay, that’s all I ask. Oh and keep in contact this time, asshole,” he scribbled his address and phone number on one of the napkins. “Come by anytime but leave the hood at home or you’ll have to deal with the other guy.”

“Shit you’re tougher than him any day,” Jason said, shoving the napkin roughly in his jacket before standing up. “It’s been - Good to see you again, Bill. I missed you.” He stuck out a fist which Bill bumped in return.

“Not as much as I missed you. Take care of yourself, Jason and try to imagine my disappointed face next time you think about killing someone.” 

“Won’t need to imagine, I’ll see it myself when I come to check out your digs. Now I gotta avoid a whole host of flying rodents, see ya,” he said with a lazy, backward wave as he left via the back entrance. Feeling full and content, Bill waited patiently for the check.

“Oh baby, you’re all settled up,” Marcy said as she swung by the table. “Your friend gave me a 50 while I was seating you.” She chuckled and refilled his coffee. “Stay as long as you like and if I were you, I’d keep that friend. He’s a good one.”

“Don’t I know it,” Bill cheered, raising his mug in appreciation as he sipped the hot coffee. It was starting to rain outside but Bill was in no hurry to leave. So he sat at his booth and enjoyed his second cup while basking in the glow of a right wronged. No matter how far astray he went, Jay was still Jay. Bill didn’t need the Wisdom of Solomon to tell him that he just had to wait for Jason to come around. 

[mist-the-wannabe-linguist]

Slightly belated but happy holidays