#a visit with marvin the holiday

[southerndragontamer]

Egotober Day 31: Happy Halloween

You’ve heard so many stories this month, some spooky, some cute, some scary, some moreso moments in their lives. But on this night of All Hallow’s Eve, Samhain, Halloween instead of telling a story….let’s see instead how those that the stories were about celebrate this night.

The first home we’ll visit in the Septic home, it’s a few stories and more like a bunch of apartments fused together in one building with help from Marvin’s magic. They didn’t go completely all crazy with decorating, oh they love the holiday but a certain glitch has made them all wary about a few aspects of it. Still, there’s paper jack o lanterns hanging up, a candy bowl out for trick or treaters, streamers in orange and black, baked goods in the oven, a Halloween movie marathon set to play when they get ready and they’re all dressed up.

Chase is Hawkeye, his favorite Avenger, Marvin is Doctor Strange, his ears hid in the sweeps of his hair, Henrik is a plague doctor, Jackie is in a new version of a Spider-Man suit because obviously, and Jameson was convinced into a Bloodborne Good Hunter costume. They’re all happy and enjoying themselves, planning to visit Jack before the night is out, but there’s a little worry that they can’t really help about what the glitch might do tonight. But they’re all prepared just in case, Marvin’s cards are charged with spells, Chase has iron arrows, James has his throwing knives and watch, Jackie has his powers and Henrik has a few potions Marvin helped him make.

Anti, isn’t at the Septic house tonight, he’s out enjoying the freedom the night brings the hunters like him. He may go have fun with the Septics later, he might not, he hasn’t decided yet as he’s having too much fun ‘playing’ with whatever human catches his fancy. His costume? It changes depending on who he wants to leave a message for, he’s sometimes Venom, sometimes a blood starved Beast, sometimes a plague ridden creature, or Bullseye or Mephisto…but he knows even without a costume his puppets will recognize him tonight.

The next home we’ll go to is the old manor that is a home to the Ipliers. It’s decorated to the nines with cute, spooky, creepy and terrifying all mixed together. Ghosts, skeletons, spiders, black cats, spider webbing, fake blood, you name it Wilford put it in along with a gigantic bowl of candy on the porch. He even managed to convince Dark to let him put up orange and black and green confetti poppers as long as there was no glitter. The manor is in the middle of a party, there’s a movie and decompression area if all the social interaction gets too much, and of course everyone’s in costume.

Dark, as much as he sighed about the idea at first, was talked into being Moon Knight, Wilford is Willy Wonka, The Host decided to be the Prophet from Darkest Dungeon, Bim is Alucard from Hellsing, Eric was coaxed into dressing up as Lucio from Overwatch, Prime, Red, Green, Ollie all dressed up as circus characters, Prime the ringleader, Red the strongman, Green the fire breathed and Ollie the Lion tamer, Bing came as Freddy due ti the upcoming movie they’re all excited for and Night is in a black purple Greek toga as one of his older incarnations as Erebus.

There’s food and drink set out and one of them is there whenever Wilford goes to get a drink as everyone remembers last time his powers got out of control when he was a bit too sugared up or tipsy and no one needs to reset the house tonight. But all in all…it’s really nice that they can all relax and enjoy themselves.

The last home we’ll go to is the Sanders Sides residence, a match for Thomas’ home in reality. It’s less scary and more spooky/creepy and cute, bowl of big candy bars on the porch for trick or treaters, a few pun ghost plushies holding cards or buckets to be taken home. Inside it’s set up for movies and food and fun. There’s a few more tastefully bloody things inside from Remus begging and promising to save the slasher films for after Patton went to bed.

Patton is a cat, Logan is Iron Man, Virgil is a version of the Crow from the cult classic films with a plushie crow on one shoulder, Remus is a less gorey zombie, Roman is Cinderella’s Prince Charming and Janus is Jekyll and Hyde.

Who will you go to visit? Will you go and share stories with them again tonight, scary or otherwise? Regardless of what you choose my friends, there will be plenty of T̡̛r͟i͜c̵̡k҉̕s͏ and Treats waiting for you.

[realantisepticeye]

She sounds like a nice lady. She's probably very proud of you for being a performer. Speaking of female role models, what are you guys doing for Mother's Day?

I'm going to call my mother. I wish I could do more.

*Jackie puts his arm around Marvin.*

At least you're calling her, she'll enjoy that. You can still come have brunch with me and my mom.

*Marvin use his magic to push Jackie away.*

Don't touch me.

*Robbie tugs on henrik's sleeve*

Mother's...day..?

Oh it's a holiday to celebrate mozhers.

Oooh...

Zhis year I might go back to my homeland to visit my mozher. Vhile Robbie is going to be at zhe ipliers.

I'm going to have lunch with my mom.

*chase looks down not want to say what he is hoping to see too. He is nervous that if he says it out loud he won't get to see his kid*

What about you glitchy?

*anti growls and leaves the room slamming his door hard enough it rattles all the windows in the cabin*

[lboogie1906]

Alicia Michelle “Miki” Howard (September 30, 1960) is a singer and actress who had a string of top 10 hit songs including “Baby, Be Mine” (1987), “Come Share My Love” (1986), and “Love Under New Management” (1990). “Ain’t Nobody Like You” (1992) and “Ain’t Nuthin’ in the World” (1989) both peaked at #1 on the US Billboard Top R&B Singles chart.

She was born in Chicago. She is the daughter of gospel singers Josephine Howard of The Caravans and Clay Graham of The Pilgrim Jubilees. Her mother took her to the homes of various stars such as Aretha Franklin and Mavis Staples. She and her family moved to Los Angeles where her mother sang in a choir led by Caravans member and arranger James Cleveland. Among those who visited her Los Angeles residence were Albertina Walker, Shirley Caesar, Billy Preston, and Fats Domino. She was influenced by jazz greats, Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, and Nancy Wilson. As a teenager, she often visited Maverick’s Flat, a popular nightclub in Los Angeles and a venue for music acts such as Rufus and Chaka Khan and Earth, Wind & Fire, who were influential in her pursuit of a professional singing career.

She released her album, I Choose to Be Happy in 2015. The original title, Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blues was “too long”, but that is how she describes this project. The album includes four new songs, the new single “Panther” which features rapper Too Short, and some of her greatest hits re-recorded live. “I Choose to Be Happy” includes a new song, the title track, “I Choose to be Happy” and a tribute to Marvin Gaye titled “Soon I’ll Be Loving You Again” which features son Brandon Howard and David Ruffin Jr. While recording her album, She has toured throughout the US and overseas, performing the album’s first single, “Panther” as well as her classic hit songs. On September 25, 2015, she released her second live album titled Miki Howard: Live in Concert. The release features her performance of hits throughout her music career, and cover versions of “My Man”, “Pillow Talk”, “This Bitter Earth”, and Marvin Gaye’s “Soon I’ll Be Loving You Again”. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[oldsalempost-blog]

THE OLD SALEM POST

Our  Local Tamassee-Salem SC Area News each Monday except holidays                                         

Contact: theoldsalempost@gmail.com                              Distributed to local businesses, town hall, library.                           

Volume 7 Issue 36 Week of August 26,  2024                https://www.tumblr.com/settings/blog/oldsalempost-blog                                                         Lynne Martin Publishing                                              

EDITOR:  One Life is a movie I checked out last week at the Salem Library, based on the true story of Nicholas Winton, played by Anthony Hopkins, who revisits his past memories of rescuing hundreds of children just before the Nazi invasion of Czechoslovakia. Winton, a successful London businessman, could not sit by and listen to news in despair as WWII unfolded before the whole world.  Many neighboring nations turned a blind eye to the starvation and suffering of innocent families and children, and chose to stay out of Hitler’s way in hopes of preventing war.  It is my prayer, that where we see suffering, we do not sit by in despair.  We are not helpless.  We can reach out our arms in love, just like Nicholas Winton, and just like Jesus would have us do.   LRogersMartin,                                                                         

TOWN of SALEM: 5 Park Avenue  Monday-Friday 8AM-5PM. Closed 12-1 for lunch.  * Visit the Downtown Market every Sat, 8am-12pm.  There will be a community cookout in partnership with the Oconee Sheriff’s office and the Town at the Salem Community Center Sept 17th at 4PM.  FREE Hamburger or hot dog plates will begin at 4PM.  A new neighborhood watch which is part of  Mission Oconee, sponsored by a Isaiah  40:31 foundation will be discussed.  

Jottings from Miz Jeannie  by Jeannie Barnwell    --S T R E T C H I N G---                                                       How Wonderful; How Terrible!!!  According to my medical team, my Arthritis will miraculously improve if I attend  classes at THE STRETCHING SEMINAR in Easley!!! HOW WONDERFUL!!!  On the Contrary: HOW TERRIBLE to leave my Oconee Paradise, transverse winding roads in rush hour traffic, and burn up fossil fuel just to stretch.  Then I considered my pets. As soon as they awake, the FIRST thing they do is  s t r e t c h !   These aging, agile animals do not attend classes, so neither will I!  TRY THIS: just weave stretching into your daily routine.   When you walk into a room, reach up and stretch your arms.  In the kitchen, place your elbows on the counter and do some ballet kicks, one leg at a time.  Every time you get a drink of water invent a new way to stretch.  I have been doing innocent little stretches all though the day, and I feel better already!   MiZ Jeannie Loves you LOTS!

ASHTON RECALLS by Ashton Hester      BIG LAKE BEING CREATED IN CHEOHEE VALLEY -             (The following story was in the August 11, 1954 Keowee Courier). . .An extensive new real estate and recreational development was moving steadily ahead this week in the Moody Cove section of the fabled and picturesque Cheohee Valley, with the focal point being the construction of a 256-foot-long dam which, when completed, will form a lake of between 80 and 100 acres. . .The project, which will be devoted to summer homes, fishing, boating and swimming, is being developed by four progressive-minded men--Emory Alexander, Jr., Emory Alexander, Sr., Ed Smalley and Marvin Alexander, all of Cheohee and Walhalla. . .Construction work on the dam and lake basin is being done under contract by Hix Construction Company of Seneca, with the Dean Construction Company, also of Seneca, doing some of the other required work. . .The Hix firm has also completed cutting and grading a road to the site. . .Building lots for summer cottages along the waterfront are being marked off, and a road around the lake will be built. . .Moody Cove was once inhabited by seven different families who made their daily bread through farming and timber harvesting. Gradually they moved away, and nature mostly reclaimed the area. . .Even earlier, there was a time when it was thought the section might become the setting for a Southern gold rush. Although no veins were ever discovered, some prospectors did well enough panning for nuggets to keep them hoping for the big strike.

JOCASSEE VALLEY BREWING COMPANY,(JVBC) & COFFEE SHOP* 13412 N Hwy 11 Opening on Tuesdays 12pm-7pm during the summer season. Wed–Sat 9am-9pm and Sunday 12pm-7pm.                                    Events this week: Wed:  FOOD TRUCK: BLUE RIDGE GRILL  4PM, Singer-Songwriter Open Mic hosted by Rick Malec Sign up starts at 6PM.     Thursday: Food Truck:  BLUE RIDGE GRILL 4PM   Fri: Music: Jaguar 4 at 6:30PM   Food:  Kodesh BBQ  5PM  Sat– Food: Just a Smile Caribbean   1PM Music:  Matt Phillips at 6:30PM   Sun: 12pm-7pm Food: IRON PIG RETURNS 12PM    Music:  4PM.  OPEN MONDAY LABOR DAY 12PM-7PM  Food: IRON PIG  12PM   MUSIC:  CORNBREAD HEADS 1PM   SPALDING MCINTOSH 4PM.

FRIENDS OF JOCASSSEE  FALL EVENT– Sept 14th 9AM-NOON  VIP DAY   Volunteer, Improve, and Protect.  This is the clean and sweep of areas.  We welcome divers, boaters, kayakers and more to help!  Come be a part of protecting and preserving this beautiful lake we all love and enjoy.   See friendsof jocassee.org for more information.  

EAGLES NEST ART CENTER, 4 EAGLE LANE SALEM, SC

2024 UPCOMING EVENTS           We need volunteers!  Be a part of ENAC!   Call 864-280-1258                                                               September 21, 7PM  Oconee Mountain Opry– Hometown variety show of local and regional talent including Jenifer Gregory-from Upstate SC a-singer/songwriter and pop rock, Chris Wayne from NC -Rockabilly, and the Brown Mountain Lightning Bugs from Winston-Salem singing a variety of American you will absolutely enjoy!    Tickets $10 at the door or Ticketleap on the eaglesnestartcenter.org website.   

YOUNG APPALACHIAN MUSICIANS– Sign up for YAMs for an evening class each week on Tuesdays at 5:30PM. Cost is $50 each month.  3rd grade through adult.   Call 864-280-1258                                                                          ��                                                                                                                                                                                                   

CHURCH NEWS    We have at least 19 churches in our T-S area.  I hope you find where you feel at home.                                                                                                                                                             Bethel Presbyterian Church (PCUSA),  580 Bethel Church Rd Walhalla, 29691. Worship at 10:30 a.m.  Come Visit Us!  Message by Mel Davis 9/1                                                                                                                                 Boones Creek Baptist Church, 264 Boones Creek Road, Salem invites you to join us for regular worship service on Sunday morning with Sunday School at 10am and followed by worship at 11am.                                                                                                                                Salem Seventh-Day Adventist Church, located 240 W Main St , Salem,  cordially invites you to join us every Saturday at 9:30am

Salem Methodist Church, 520 Church Street, Down town Salem.  Salem Methodist is an independent church.       Sunday Breakfast at 9AM with Sunday School at 9:15AM and Worship Service at 10:30AM.   Holy Communion the first Sunday each month.  All welcomed!   Tune in to our live service on Facebook or view it later on our website.                               Quote by Pastor Stephen Turner: taken from his sermon– We see signs and billboards that attract people to come to many establishments.   As Christians, “We are all walking billboards for Christ”    Does your billboard attract others to Christ?                                                                                                                  NEW PRAYER GROUP: Salem Methodist Church. Will meet every second and fourth Thursday at 7PM each month.                                                                                   HELP MAKE JUMPROPES from old T-Shirts– Come learn and participate in making jump ropes for the Samaritan’s Shoe Box Ministry Sept 14th at 10AM.  

FOR YOUR HEALTH—. Set your appointment each day for exercise.  It will become a habit like brushing your teeth!   You will get more benefits from exercise than  you can imagine. Exercise lowers blood sugar and strengthens your heart, your brain, your endurance and keeps you mobile.  You will be more flexible, have more strength,  and better balance.  This will reduce the risk for falls and you will absolutely feel better about yourself!  LRM                                                                                 

Want to start an exercise program?  Ladies in our community are soon to begin exercise classes at the Eagles Nest Art Center 2 days each week.  Call 864-280-1258 for more information

MOBILE PRIMARY CARE in SALEM thru Clemson Rural Health Mobile Unit:  This fall, we are providing primary care services to the Salem community twice a month on our mobile health unit.  August dates are Aug 13th and Aug 29th and September dates are Sept 10 and 26.   Time 9AM-3PM       Location: gravel parking lot across from the Salem Fire Department.  We will offer comprehensive primary care that includes chronic disease management and acute care.  The website: https://www.clemson.edu/cbshs/clemson-rural-health/patients.html    

[daimonclub]

Olympic Games Quotes

Paris Olympic Games 2024 Olympic games quotes, aphorisms and ideas by great authors and world athletes by the World of English blog and Carl William Brown If you want to know more about the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games visit its website. Follow the worlds top athletes as they go for gold in France (Jul 26-Aug 11, 2024). Paralympic Games – Wednesday 28 August to Sunday 8 September. So you wish to conquer in the Olympic games, my friend? And I too, by the Gods, and a fine thing it would be! But first mark the conditions and the consequences, and then set to work. You will have to put yourself under discipline; to eat by rule, to avoid cakes and sweetmeats; to take exercise at the appointed hour whether you like it or no, in cold and heat; to abstain from cold drinks and from wine at your will; in a word, to give yourself over to the trainer as to a physician. Then in the conflict itself you are likely enough to dislocate your wrist or twist your ankle, to swallow a great deal of dust, or to be severely thrashed, and, after all these things, to be defeated. Epictetus Why is luge a sport? You dress up like a giant sperm and go sledding really fast. That’s hardly athletic. Phallic and sexy, yes. But hardly athletic. Jessica Park I think my favorite sport in the Olympics is the one in which you make your way through the snow, you stop, you shoot a gun, and then you continue on.  In most of the world, it is known as the biathlon, except in New York City, where it is known as winter.  Michael Ventre The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well. Pierre de Coubertin Finishing second in the Olympics gets you silver.  Finishing second in politics gets you oblivion.  Richard Nixon The Olympics remain the most compelling search for excellence that exists in sport, and maybe in life itself. Dawn Fraser I won it, at least five million times. Men who were stronger, bigger and faster than I was could have done it, but they never picked up a pole, and never made the feeble effort to pick their legs off the ground and get over the bar. Bob Richards The Olympic games should be a matter between individual athletes and the gods. Noisy flag-waving dishonors gods and men alike.  Dave Beard The first is to love your sport. Never do it to please someone else. It has to be yours. Peggy Fleming The Olympics are a wonderful metaphor for world cooperation, the kind of international competition that's wholesome and healthy, an interplay between countries that represents the best in all of us.  John Williams If you don't try to win you might as well hold the Olympics in somebody's back yard. The thrill of competing carries with it the thrill of a gold medal. One wants to win to prove himself the best. Jesse Owens When anyone tells me I can't do anything, I'm just not listening any more. Florence Griffith Joyner The important thing in life is not victory but combat; it is not to have vanquished but to have fought well. Pierre de Coubertin Passover and Easter are the only Jewish and Christian holidays that move in sync, like the ice skating pairs we saw during the Winter Olympics.  Marvin Olasky It is the inspiration of the Olympic Games that drives people not only to compete but to improve, and to bring lasting spiritual and moral benefits to the athlete and inspiration to those lucky enough to witness the athletic dedication. Herb Elliott

Olympic Sports quotes and aphorisms A lo largo de los años he aprendido mucho del deporte, he vivido momentos muy importantes para mí que me han marcado y me han hecho madurar. Ona Carbonell For athletes, the Olympics are the ultimate test of their worth. Mary Lou Retton There can be distractions, but if you're isolated from the heart of the Games, the Olympics become just another competition. Mary Lou Retton It never gets tiring coming to Paralympic Games and crossing the line first. It is like a fairytale that just doesn't seem to end, each time I come out. Jason Smyth My dream was to win the World Championships and I did it. So I said my next dream was to win the Paralympics. So what's my next dream? It is sleeping. Daniel Martins We are all humans, we spend almost all our career together so when a teammate suffers, I suffer too. Omara Durand The Olympic Games is a celebration of discipline. Sunday Adelaja It was not the money that was my main motive; it was the challenge and the thrill where I got my kicks. Armed robbery to me was like a sport. To take on an armored vehicle with two armed security guards - it was like an athlete attending the Olympic Games. Drexel Deal In Hollywood you can see things at night that are fast enough to be in the Olympics in the day time.  Will Rogers Estoy convencida de que estamos aquí para retarnos día a día a hacer grandes cosas. Porque sólo atreviéndonos a luchar para conseguir nuestros sueños podremos hacerlos realidad. Ona Carbonell Arguing is the Olympics of talking Stewart Stafford Performing enhancing drugs are banned in the Olympics.  Okay, we can swing with that.  But performance debilitating drugs should not be banned.  Smoke a joint and win the hundred meters, fair play to you.  That's pretty damn good.  Unless someone's dangling a Mars bar off in the distance.  Eddie Izzard Here's a good trick:  Get a job as a judge at the Olympics.  Then, if some guy sets a world record, pretend that you didn't see it and go, "Okay, is everybody ready to start now?"  Jack Handey

Olympic Sports quotes and aphorisms You can also read: The History of Olympic Games Paris 2024 Olympic Games The Paralympic Games Great Sports Quotes Sports News https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZZD70wA3k4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSf7-LsmU3Y Read the full article

[brookston]

Holidays 5.18

Holidays

Baltic Fleet Day (Russia)

Battle of Las Piedras Anniversary Day (Uruguay)

Black Watch Day

Children’s International Goodwill Day

Constitution and Flag Day (Turkmenistan)

Day of Remembrance of Crimean Tatar Genocide (Ukraine)

Discovery Day (Cayman Islands)

eCard Day

Fibroid Awareness Day (Jamaica)

518 Day

518 Day of Giving

Fibroid Awareness Day (Jamaica)

Flag and Universities Day (Haiti)

Flag Day (Turkmenistan)

Graf Zeppelin Inaugural Flight Day

Hispanic Family Day

HIV Vaccine Awareness Day

International AIDS Candlelight Memorial

International Day for Women in Maritime

International Heritage Breeds Day

International Museum Day [also 9.18]

Let’s Get Creative Day

Lilac (Lazybones Day; Netherlands)

Magtymguly Day (a.k.a. Revival, Unity & Poetry Day; Turkmenistan)

Mother Whistler Day

Mount Saint Helens Day

Mouse Ear Day

Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day (Sri Lankan Tamils)

National AAPI Day Against Bullying

National Brock Day

National CASA/GAL Volunteer’s Day

National Christian T-Shirt Day

National Fascination of Plants Day

National Haitian Soul Snatching Day

National HIV Vaccine Awareness Day

National Kids Ignite Good! Day

National Marvin Day

National Mini Train Day

National Speech Pathologist Day

National Stress Awareness Day

National Tenant's Day

Neighbor Day (Kyiv)

No Dirty Dishes Day

Reservist Day (Ukraine)

Rooster Day

Science Day (Ukraine)

Send An Electronic Greeting Card Day

Teacher’s Day (Syria)

Tennessee Valley Authority Foundation Day

Victory Day (Sri Lanka)

Visit Your Relatives Day

Wild Mustard Day (French Republic)

World AIDS Vaccine Day

World Catholic Education Day

World Eosinophilic Diseases Day

World Goodwill Day

World Hollandia Dairy Day (Nigeria)

World Homocystinurias Awareness Day

World Lipedema Day

World Therapeutic Horticulture Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Dark Lord Day 2024 (Three Floyds)

I Love Reese’s Day

Morel Mushroom Day

National Bento Day

National Cheese Soufflé Day

National Cocktail Day (Portugal)

National Cold Pizza Day

National Marshmallow Day (Australia)

Independence & Related Days

Constitution Day (Turkmenistan)

Restoration of Somaliland Sovereignty Day (Somalia)

Saint John (New Brunswick, Canada; 1785)

Shorewell (Declared; 2016) [unrecognized]

Somaliland (from Somalia, 1991) [unrecognized]

Ville Marie (later Montreal, Canada; 1642)

3rd Saturday in May

Armed Forces Day (US) [3rd Saturday]

Barricade Go Topless Day [3rd Saturday]

Culture Freedom Day [3rd Saturday]

Do Dah Day (Alabama) [3rd Saturday]

Europe Day (Ukraine) [3rd Saturday]

International Restaurant Day [3rd Saturday] (also Feb, Aug & Nov)

Kalmyk Tea Day (Russia) [3rd Saturday]

La Corsa del Ceri (Race of the Saints; Gubbio, Italy) [3rd Saturday]

National Double Merle Awareness Day [3rd Saturday]

National Drawing Day (Ireland) [3rd Saturday]

National Heritage Breeds Day [Saturday of 3rd Full Week]

National Italian Beef Day [3rd Saturday]

National Kids to Parks Day [3rd Saturday]

National Learn to Swim Day [3rd Saturday]

National River Cleanup Day [3rd Saturday]

Orval Day [3rd Saturday] (Original Date)

Plant a Lemon Tree Day [3rd Saturday]

Preakness Stakes [3rd Saturday]

Stationary Shop Saturday [3rd Saturday]

World Fiddle Day [Saturday closet to 19th]

World Whisky Day [3rd Saturday]

Weekly Holidays beginning May 18 (2nd Full Week)

National Safe Boating Week (thru 5.24) [Week before Memorial Day]

Festivals Beginning May 18, 2024

Atlanta Tacos & Tequila Midtown (Atlanta, Georgia)

Beat Film Festival (Moscow, Russia) [thru 6.15]

Beer BBQ Bacon Showdown (Morris Plains, New Jersey)

Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival (Charlotte, North Carolina)

Blue Crab Festival (Little River, South Carolina) [thru 5.19]

California Strawberry Festival (Ventura, California) [thru 5.19]

Catfish Festival at Jackson County Park (Scottsboro, Alabama)

Chili on the Comstock (Virginia City, Nevada)

Craft Beer & Wine Festival (Marshall, Minnesota)

Das Bock! (Plattduetsche Park, Long Island, New York)

International Food Festival (New York, New York) [thru 5.19]

Lefse Dagen (Starbuck, Minnesota)

Linden Cherry Festival (Linden, California)

Maifest (Trumer Brewery; Berkeley, California)

Manchester Craft Beer Festival (Manchester, Missouri)

Maui Brewers Festival (Maui, Hawaii)

Montrose Wine Walk (Montrose, Pennsylvania)

Newberry Watermelon Festival (Newberry, Florida)

New Jersey Renaissance Faire (Liberty Lake, Bordentown, New Jersey) [thru 6.9]

Newport Oyster & Chowder Festival (Newport, Rhode Island) [thru 5.19]

Poke Salat Festival (Arab, Alabama)

Preakness Stakes (Baltimore, Maryland)

Quarterfest Crawl (Ballston, Virginia)

Riverview Beach Park Wine Festival (Pennsville, New Jersey) [thru 5.19]

Savor Seabrook Seafood & Wine Festival (Seabrook, Washington)

South Carolina Food Truck & Craft Beer Festival (Columbia, South Carolina)

South 9th Street Italian Market Festival (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) [thru 5.19]

Spring Wine Festival (Virginia Beach, Virginia)

Strawberry Festival (Stuart, Virginia)

'TAP' New York Craft Beer & Food Festival (Bethel, New York)

Taste of Parkersburg (Parkersburg, West Virginia)

Taste of Tribeca (New York, New York)

Tequila & Taco Festival (Santa Clarita, California) [thru 5.19]

Texas Steak Cookoff and Wine Festival (Hico, Texas)

Virginia Wine & Craft Festival (Front Royal, Virginia)

World Championship Bison CookOff (Santa Anna, Texas)

The World's Largest Pancake Breakfast (Springfield, Massachusetts)

Yadkin Valley Wine Festival (Elkin, North Carolina)

Feast Days

Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury (Christian; Saint)

Apollon Day (Old Roman Festival to Apollo, God of Music, Poetry & Sunlight)

Artemis and Apollo Day (Ancient Greece; Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Bertrand Russell (Writerism)

Don Martin (Artology)

Eric IX, King of Sweden (Christian; Martyr)

Feast of the Twins (Yoruba People of Nigeria; Everyday Wicca)

Felix of Cantalice (Christian; Saint)

Festival of Faunus (Ancient Rome)

Festival of Pan (Ancient Greece)

Gertrude Käsebier (Artology)

Janet Fish (Artology)

Joan Eardley (Artology)

John I, Pope (Christian; Saint)

Leonard Nimoy Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

The Letter Tree (Muppetism)

Moonbeam-Hopping Gala (Shamanism)

Papinian (Positivist; Saint)

Potamon (Christian; Martyr)

Russell’s Teapot Day (Pastafarian)

Stefano della Bella (Artology)

Thecutus, Theodotus, and Companions (Christian; Martyrs)

Theodotus (Christian; Saint) [innkeepers]

The Tylwyth Teg (Celtic Book of Days)

Verantius of Camerino (Christian; Martyr)

Vor’s Blot (Pagan)

W.G. Sebald (Writerism)

Yom Yerushalayim begins (Jerusalem Day; Israel) [Iyar 28]

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Fortunate Day (Pagan) [19 of 53]

Lucky Day (Philippines) [30 of 71]

Tomobiki (友引 Japan) [Good luck all day, except at noon.]

Tycho Brahe Unlucky Day (Scandinavia) [24 of 37]

Premieres

Alpine for You (Famous/Fleischer Popeye Cartoon; 1951)

The Bandmaster (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1931)

Baptism, by Lenny Kravitz (Album; 2004)

Book Club (Film; 2018)

Buddy’s Lost World (WB LT Cartoon; 1935)

Bus Stop, recorded by The Hollies (Song; 1966)

Cadillac Man (Film; 1990)

The Circus of Dr. Lao, by Charles G. Finney (Novel: 1935)

Deadpool 2 (Film; 2018)

Dracula, by Bram Stoker (Novel; 1897)

Enter Talking, by Joan Rivers (Memoir; 1986)

First Family, by David Baldacci (Novel; 2009)

French Connection II (Film; 1975)

Go Tell It on the Mountain, by James Baldwin (Novel; 1953)

Grauman’s Chinese Theatre (Hollywood Movie Theater; 1927)

The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood (Novel; 1986)

The House of the Rising Sun, recorded by The Animals (Song; 1964)

In the Pink (Pink Panther Cartoon; 1967)

In the Pink of the Night (Pink Panther Cartoon; 1969)

Kiss Me Deadly (Film; 1955)

Landing Stripling (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1962)

The Lion’s Friend (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1934)

The Milky Waif (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1946)

Millennium, by the Backstreet Boys (Album; 1999)

Moulin Rouge! (Film; 2001)

Parade, by Erik Satie (Ballet; 1917)

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (Film; 2011)

Pop Life, by Bananarama (Album; 1991)

Shrek (Animated Film; 2001)

Shrek the Third (Animated Film; 2007)

Stargirl (TV Series; 2020)

State of Play (UK TV Mini-Series; 2003)

Swing Social (MGM Cartoon; 1940)

Swiss Cheese (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1930)

Warren Zevon, by Warren Zevon (Album; 1976)

You Ought to Be in Pictures (WB LT Cartoon; 1940)

Today’s Name Days

Erich, Erika, Felix, Johannes (Austria)

Feliks, Ivan, Srećko, Venancije (Croatia)

Nataša (Czech Republic)

Erik (Denmark)

Eeri, Eerik, Eero, Ergi, Ergo, Erich, Erik, Erki, Erko (Estonia)

Eerik, Eerika, Eerikki, Eero, Erkka, Erkki (Finland)

Éric (France)

Erich, Erika, Felix, Johannes (Germany)

Faeini, Galateia, Ioulia, Julia (Greece)

Alexandra, Erik (Hungary)

Enrico, Erico, Giovanni, Luciano, Venanzio, Veneziano (Italy)

Cindija, Ēriks, Inese, Inesis (Latvia)

Erdvilas, Erikas, Julita, Rytė, Venancijus (Lithuania)

Eirik, Erik, Erika (Norway)

Aleksander, Aleksandra, Alicja, Edwin, Eryk, Eryka, Feliks, Irina, Liboriusz, Myślibor, Wenancjusz (Poland)

Teodot (România)

Viola (Slovakia)

Claudia, Félix (Spain)

Erik (Sweden)

Rosalia, Rose (Ukraine)

Aric, Eric, Erica, Erich, Erick, Ericka, Erik, Erika, Perry (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 139 of 2024; 227 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 6 of week 20 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Huath (Hawthorn) [Day 7 of 28]

Chinese: Month 4 (Ji-Si), Day 11 (Ren-Wu)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 10 Iyar 5784

Islamic: 10 Dhu al-Qada 1445

J Cal: 19 Magenta; Fiveday [19 of 30]

Julian: 5 May 2024

Moon: 78%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 26 Caesar (5th Month) [Papinian]

Runic Half Month: Ing (Expansive Energy) [Day 9 of 15]

Season: Spring (Day 61 of 92)

Week: 3rd Full Week of May

Zodiac: Taurus (Day 29 of 31)

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 5.18

Holidays

Baltic Fleet Day (Russia)

Battle of Las Piedras Anniversary Day (Uruguay)

Black Watch Day

Children’s International Goodwill Day

Constitution and Flag Day (Turkmenistan)

Day of Remembrance of Crimean Tatar Genocide (Ukraine)

Discovery Day (Cayman Islands)

eCard Day

Fibroid Awareness Day (Jamaica)

518 Day

518 Day of Giving

Fibroid Awareness Day (Jamaica)

Flag and Universities Day (Haiti)

Flag Day (Turkmenistan)

Graf Zeppelin Inaugural Flight Day

Hispanic Family Day

HIV Vaccine Awareness Day

International AIDS Candlelight Memorial

International Day for Women in Maritime

International Heritage Breeds Day

International Museum Day [also 9.18]

Let’s Get Creative Day

Lilac (Lazybones Day; Netherlands)

Magtymguly Day (a.k.a. Revival, Unity & Poetry Day; Turkmenistan)

Mother Whistler Day

Mount Saint Helens Day

Mouse Ear Day

Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day (Sri Lankan Tamils)

National AAPI Day Against Bullying

National Brock Day

National CASA/GAL Volunteer’s Day

National Christian T-Shirt Day

National Fascination of Plants Day

National Haitian Soul Snatching Day

National HIV Vaccine Awareness Day

National Kids Ignite Good! Day

National Marvin Day

National Mini Train Day

National Speech Pathologist Day

National Stress Awareness Day

National Tenant's Day

Neighbor Day (Kyiv)

No Dirty Dishes Day

Reservist Day (Ukraine)

Rooster Day

Science Day (Ukraine)

Send An Electronic Greeting Card Day

Teacher’s Day (Syria)

Tennessee Valley Authority Foundation Day

Victory Day (Sri Lanka)

Visit Your Relatives Day

Wild Mustard Day (French Republic)

World AIDS Vaccine Day

World Catholic Education Day

World Eosinophilic Diseases Day

World Goodwill Day

World Hollandia Dairy Day (Nigeria)

World Homocystinurias Awareness Day

World Lipedema Day

World Therapeutic Horticulture Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Dark Lord Day 2024 (Three Floyds)

I Love Reese’s Day

Morel Mushroom Day

National Bento Day

National Cheese Soufflé Day

National Cocktail Day (Portugal)

National Cold Pizza Day

National Marshmallow Day (Australia)

Independence & Related Days

Constitution Day (Turkmenistan)

Restoration of Somaliland Sovereignty Day (Somalia)

Saint John (New Brunswick, Canada; 1785)

Shorewell (Declared; 2016) [unrecognized]

Somaliland (from Somalia, 1991) [unrecognized]

Ville Marie (later Montreal, Canada; 1642)

3rd Saturday in May

Armed Forces Day (US) [3rd Saturday]

Barricade Go Topless Day [3rd Saturday]

Culture Freedom Day [3rd Saturday]

Do Dah Day (Alabama) [3rd Saturday]

Europe Day (Ukraine) [3rd Saturday]

International Restaurant Day [3rd Saturday] (also Feb, Aug & Nov)

Kalmyk Tea Day (Russia) [3rd Saturday]

La Corsa del Ceri (Race of the Saints; Gubbio, Italy) [3rd Saturday]

National Double Merle Awareness Day [3rd Saturday]

National Drawing Day (Ireland) [3rd Saturday]

National Heritage Breeds Day [Saturday of 3rd Full Week]

National Italian Beef Day [3rd Saturday]

National Kids to Parks Day [3rd Saturday]

National Learn to Swim Day [3rd Saturday]

National River Cleanup Day [3rd Saturday]

Orval Day [3rd Saturday] (Original Date)

Plant a Lemon Tree Day [3rd Saturday]

Preakness Stakes [3rd Saturday]

Stationary Shop Saturday [3rd Saturday]

World Fiddle Day [Saturday closet to 19th]

World Whisky Day [3rd Saturday]

Weekly Holidays beginning May 18 (2nd Full Week)

National Safe Boating Week (thru 5.24) [Week before Memorial Day]

Festivals Beginning May 18, 2024

Atlanta Tacos & Tequila Midtown (Atlanta, Georgia)

Beat Film Festival (Moscow, Russia) [thru 6.15]

Beer BBQ Bacon Showdown (Morris Plains, New Jersey)

Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival (Charlotte, North Carolina)

Blue Crab Festival (Little River, South Carolina) [thru 5.19]

California Strawberry Festival (Ventura, California) [thru 5.19]

Catfish Festival at Jackson County Park (Scottsboro, Alabama)

Chili on the Comstock (Virginia City, Nevada)

Craft Beer & Wine Festival (Marshall, Minnesota)

Das Bock! (Plattduetsche Park, Long Island, New York)

International Food Festival (New York, New York) [thru 5.19]

Lefse Dagen (Starbuck, Minnesota)

Linden Cherry Festival (Linden, California)

Maifest (Trumer Brewery; Berkeley, California)

Manchester Craft Beer Festival (Manchester, Missouri)

Maui Brewers Festival (Maui, Hawaii)

Montrose Wine Walk (Montrose, Pennsylvania)

Newberry Watermelon Festival (Newberry, Florida)

New Jersey Renaissance Faire (Liberty Lake, Bordentown, New Jersey) [thru 6.9]

Newport Oyster & Chowder Festival (Newport, Rhode Island) [thru 5.19]

Poke Salat Festival (Arab, Alabama)

Preakness Stakes (Baltimore, Maryland)

Quarterfest Crawl (Ballston, Virginia)

Riverview Beach Park Wine Festival (Pennsville, New Jersey) [thru 5.19]

Savor Seabrook Seafood & Wine Festival (Seabrook, Washington)

South Carolina Food Truck & Craft Beer Festival (Columbia, South Carolina)

South 9th Street Italian Market Festival (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) [thru 5.19]

Spring Wine Festival (Virginia Beach, Virginia)

Strawberry Festival (Stuart, Virginia)

'TAP' New York Craft Beer & Food Festival (Bethel, New York)

Taste of Parkersburg (Parkersburg, West Virginia)

Taste of Tribeca (New York, New York)

Tequila & Taco Festival (Santa Clarita, California) [thru 5.19]

Texas Steak Cookoff and Wine Festival (Hico, Texas)

Virginia Wine & Craft Festival (Front Royal, Virginia)

World Championship Bison CookOff (Santa Anna, Texas)

The World's Largest Pancake Breakfast (Springfield, Massachusetts)

Yadkin Valley Wine Festival (Elkin, North Carolina)

Feast Days

Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury (Christian; Saint)

Apollon Day (Old Roman Festival to Apollo, God of Music, Poetry & Sunlight)

Artemis and Apollo Day (Ancient Greece; Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Bertrand Russell (Writerism)

Don Martin (Artology)

Eric IX, King of Sweden (Christian; Martyr)

Feast of the Twins (Yoruba People of Nigeria; Everyday Wicca)

Felix of Cantalice (Christian; Saint)

Festival of Faunus (Ancient Rome)

Festival of Pan (Ancient Greece)

Gertrude Käsebier (Artology)

Janet Fish (Artology)

Joan Eardley (Artology)

John I, Pope (Christian; Saint)

Leonard Nimoy Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

The Letter Tree (Muppetism)

Moonbeam-Hopping Gala (Shamanism)

Papinian (Positivist; Saint)

Potamon (Christian; Martyr)

Russell’s Teapot Day (Pastafarian)

Stefano della Bella (Artology)

Thecutus, Theodotus, and Companions (Christian; Martyrs)

Theodotus (Christian; Saint) [innkeepers]

The Tylwyth Teg (Celtic Book of Days)

Verantius of Camerino (Christian; Martyr)

Vor’s Blot (Pagan)

W.G. Sebald (Writerism)

Yom Yerushalayim begins (Jerusalem Day; Israel) [Iyar 28]

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Fortunate Day (Pagan) [19 of 53]

Lucky Day (Philippines) [30 of 71]

Tomobiki (友引 Japan) [Good luck all day, except at noon.]

Tycho Brahe Unlucky Day (Scandinavia) [24 of 37]

Premieres

Alpine for You (Famous/Fleischer Popeye Cartoon; 1951)

The Bandmaster (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1931)

Baptism, by Lenny Kravitz (Album; 2004)

Book Club (Film; 2018)

Buddy’s Lost World (WB LT Cartoon; 1935)

Bus Stop, recorded by The Hollies (Song; 1966)

Cadillac Man (Film; 1990)

The Circus of Dr. Lao, by Charles G. Finney (Novel: 1935)

Deadpool 2 (Film; 2018)

Dracula, by Bram Stoker (Novel; 1897)

Enter Talking, by Joan Rivers (Memoir; 1986)

First Family, by David Baldacci (Novel; 2009)

French Connection II (Film; 1975)

Go Tell It on the Mountain, by James Baldwin (Novel; 1953)

Grauman’s Chinese Theatre (Hollywood Movie Theater; 1927)

The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood (Novel; 1986)

The House of the Rising Sun, recorded by The Animals (Song; 1964)

In the Pink (Pink Panther Cartoon; 1967)

In the Pink of the Night (Pink Panther Cartoon; 1969)

Kiss Me Deadly (Film; 1955)

Landing Stripling (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1962)

The Lion’s Friend (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1934)

The Milky Waif (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1946)

Millennium, by the Backstreet Boys (Album; 1999)

Moulin Rouge! (Film; 2001)

Parade, by Erik Satie (Ballet; 1917)

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (Film; 2011)

Pop Life, by Bananarama (Album; 1991)

Shrek (Animated Film; 2001)

Shrek the Third (Animated Film; 2007)

Stargirl (TV Series; 2020)

State of Play (UK TV Mini-Series; 2003)

Swing Social (MGM Cartoon; 1940)

Swiss Cheese (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1930)

Warren Zevon, by Warren Zevon (Album; 1976)

You Ought to Be in Pictures (WB LT Cartoon; 1940)

Today’s Name Days

Erich, Erika, Felix, Johannes (Austria)

Feliks, Ivan, Srećko, Venancije (Croatia)

Nataša (Czech Republic)

Erik (Denmark)

Eeri, Eerik, Eero, Ergi, Ergo, Erich, Erik, Erki, Erko (Estonia)

Eerik, Eerika, Eerikki, Eero, Erkka, Erkki (Finland)

Éric (France)

Erich, Erika, Felix, Johannes (Germany)

Faeini, Galateia, Ioulia, Julia (Greece)

Alexandra, Erik (Hungary)

Enrico, Erico, Giovanni, Luciano, Venanzio, Veneziano (Italy)

Cindija, Ēriks, Inese, Inesis (Latvia)

Erdvilas, Erikas, Julita, Rytė, Venancijus (Lithuania)

Eirik, Erik, Erika (Norway)

Aleksander, Aleksandra, Alicja, Edwin, Eryk, Eryka, Feliks, Irina, Liboriusz, Myślibor, Wenancjusz (Poland)

Teodot (România)

Viola (Slovakia)

Claudia, Félix (Spain)

Erik (Sweden)

Rosalia, Rose (Ukraine)

Aric, Eric, Erica, Erich, Erick, Ericka, Erik, Erika, Perry (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 139 of 2024; 227 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 6 of week 20 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Huath (Hawthorn) [Day 7 of 28]

Chinese: Month 4 (Ji-Si), Day 11 (Ren-Wu)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 10 Iyar 5784

Islamic: 10 Dhu al-Qada 1445

J Cal: 19 Magenta; Fiveday [19 of 30]

Julian: 5 May 2024

Moon: 78%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 26 Caesar (5th Month) [Papinian]

Runic Half Month: Ing (Expansive Energy) [Day 9 of 15]

Season: Spring (Day 61 of 92)

Week: 3rd Full Week of May

Zodiac: Taurus (Day 29 of 31)

[marvindesertcamp0211]

Desert Camping and Day Tours

Marvin Desert Camp ensures a remarkable desert camping experience for its guests. Their spacious and well-appointed tents offer a luxurious stay in the midst of the golden sands. 

[greydoesthearts]

A Visit With Marvin : The Holiday Part 1

Outside, the storm continued on, raging against the sky and streets so they couldn't tell if it was day or night—they were lucky it hadn't yet knocked out their power, as the clocks became a reliance for the two sharing the small apartment.

Something positive about it, though, was the fact that they were even together. Chase and Marvin hadn't seen each other for a few months, so when Marvin called him up a few days ago with an invitation to the mall for some not-quite last minute holiday shopping, Chase took the opportunity in an instant, despite how strange he initially felt.

It had been four days since then, and the time they'd spent together had proven beneficial for both of their mental health, but the arrangement was still set to end in the next week.

"Hey, I made something for you," Marvin whispered, walking into the living room with a tray and two big mugs. "Coffee, with a little something special."

Chase smiled, backing away from the fireplace shelf holding two stockings that Marvin swore up and down he'd bought on accident. Chase didn't have the means to dispute it, putting them up for them and sneaking folded up drawings into the one Marvin had claimed, so he had something to look forward to on Christmas, since they hadn't been able to get out again for more gifts. "Thank you."

"Mhm." Marvin set the tray down on the coffee table and lead the way to the couch, beckoning Chase closer and pulling the blanket up around him. They grabbed their drinks and Chase watched Marvin take a big sip from his first, before trying his own.

"Eggnog?" he asked quietly under the sound of the fireplace crackling. "It's good, I'm not complaining, but very..."

"Strong?" Marvin helped. "Yeah, I know. Figured you could use the kick since I can't get you any alcohol right now with this weather."

Chase paused, staring into the depths of his cup and keeping his voice quiet. "I'm not supposed to drink, anyway. You know that. Don't feed into the temptation just to make me happy while I'm here."

"Because it's temporary and you don't want to get attached?" Marvin asked, watching as Chase's head shot up, but he continued quickly with, "Because it doesn't have to be."

Chase set his mug down, curling his arms around his legs. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, I know we said the holidays, but if you'd like, I can easily clean up some more and give you the extra room to yourself. You don't have to go back to the others if you don't want to."

Chase scratched the back of his neck. This was the first time they'd talked about this since the first day. "I don't know. I lost my phone and can't talk to any of the others because of it, or my kids once Christmas actually comes. But at the same time I feel so not caged here. You let me be myself, and you always did stick up for me when the others tried to boss me around."

"I've always only wanted the best for you," Marvin admitted, setting his cup down, too. He watched the tree lights twinkle, almost distractedly mumbling, "You're something special, Chase."

"What?" Chase asked. Marvin shook his head but didn't answer more. "I mean, I guess I feel the same? I don't know. Like I said, you let me be myself, but you're so aloof sometimes I didn't know how to approach you. You're unpredictable, and sometimes your magic goes haywire with your emotions, and-"

He stopped, looking at the tree to try and see what Marvin was seeing. He hadn't taken his magic back off the branches after they'd bought the thin, scraggly tree, leaving it with a slight glittery effect that you'd only see if you were specifically looking for it. But Marvin's focus wasn't on that, it was on the ornaments—specifically the ones he'd let Chase pick out the day they got here. "The little snowman one. Why did you refuse to grab it at the store?"

'Then Chase stopped, a small ornament of a snowman on a dark blue backdrop catching his eyes. It had a black top hat and a blue and purple scarf, light blue glitter surrounding it like Marvin's own magic.'

Chase put his legs down, turning his head to look at the clock. "Not sure. I guess... I knew what the others would have liked, but I didn't want to disappoint you with my choice."

"Is that a legitimate fear? Disappointing me?" Marvin asked, collecting himself enough to grab his dark blue mug again and take a couple big gulps of the warm liquid.

"Maybe," Chase said simply. 'But it doesn't have to be,' played Marvin's earlier words in his head. "I think it's going to be a reason I would want to leave. You know me so well, but I don't know you at all. I could get over it with time, but I only have a week until Christmas is gone. Do I want to stay? Yeah. Do I think it'll be awkward? Also yeah. I just..."

"It's late, Chase," Marvin interrupted. He smiled at Chase as he looked at him. "It's all right. Mull it over a while. You have more time than you think. And whatever you choose, I can't be mad. I promise, it will all be okay in the end."

Chase nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Maybe not being so tired will make it easier. And it's just some books in the room, nothing you need to get rid of. We can just organise some, tomorrow, yeah?" He stood and stretched, waiting for Marvin's response, though it was quiet when it arrived.

"Tomorrow."

"Betcha I can get ready for bed before you," Chase challenged to break the tension, spinning to meet Marvin's teary blue eyes. He ignored that, hoping for a more hyped response, but just getting a tired smile.

"Get a head start, I'm going to clean up the dishes. Good night, Chaser."

"Night, Marv," Chase smiled back. When Marvin stood, he went for a hug, grunting at the unexpected force the magician put into it. "Okay, okay, can't breathe, dude."

Marvin finally let go on his own, letting Chase walk off with a small bout of laughter bubbling out of him. He did the dishes, listening to Chase mess with the bathroom faucet, before finally hearing his door close and seeing the light go out. He put his head on the counter, then got ready to leave, feeling bad for the small lie, but knowing Chase was always quick asleep. As long as he timed it right, he'd never know he left.

.

Jackie hopped along the rooftops carefully, his boot treads catching into them to ensure he wouldn't fall, but having a couple near misses here and there. He preferred roofs with steeper tops so that his hands had something to latch onto as a rest spot, but they were extremely hard to find normally, let alone in this storm. He also normally wouldn't have gone out in weather like this, but when Chase had left a phone number with a note that just said, "Meeting Marvin, see ya later," then not returned, he felt the climbing urge to investigate. Even if Marvin had left quietly, he'd always thought it slightly suspicious, but then coming back and targeting Chase of all people? There was nothing more he wanted than to give that bratty magician a piece of his mind.

As of yet he'd been completely unsuccessful in tracking him down, but he felt he was getting closer each time he tried. He didn't have any leads, exactly, but knowing Marvin he really wouldn't have wanted to stray far.

He stopped, holding the peak of one of the buildings. It wasn't tall, he would barely twist his ankle if he fell, but that still didn't make it appealing. It was just his best bet to take a look around for anything that might seem familiar—the scent of magic, or something similar. He sniffed the air, mostly getting the smell of people cooking a late dinner, but vaguely in the distance, the leathery scent of Marvin's magic. The wind had to be pushing it closer, because it was so faint he almost thought he was making it up, and that didn't make it enough of a clue.

He started to move to the next roof, when all of a sudden the scent hit him like a wall, knocking him back. He caught himself before he fell, and spun toward it, finding a faint blue outline standing on the street under him, the aura peeking ever-so-slightly through the snow. "What are you doing?" it called, and he'd know that voice anywhere. His breath caught, but before he could try to get down to it, the scent got somehow stronger as it teleported right behind him, grabbing his arm. "I'll ask again, what are you doing?"

Jackie spun again, digging his heel into the roof. "Marvin," he replied, awestruck. Snow was gathered on his dark hair and the shoulders of his cloak, glowing nearly ethereally in the night. His mask that used to be a pristine white had a burn on the left side, the same spot a scar was peeking from under it. Any other words got lost on his tongue as he stared, but he noticed Marvin was starting to grow impatient. "I wanted to check on Chase, a-and you."

Marvin scoffed, letting Jackie's arm go with a slight shove that barely made him budge. "You mean you want him back. You don't care about me. He's perfectly fine, I would never hurt a hair on his head."

"No, I, I know that," Jackie said back quickly. "I was just worried. We haven't heard anything from him in days; his phone was left at home, though, so that's understandable..." he trailed off, the snow drifting onto them in droves. He looked toward the sky, clearing his mind a little. "He could have come home, I know it's your fault he hasn't."

The accusation settled in the air between them.

"And what if that weren't the case?"

"That's what I know to be true. Chase wouldn't just decide something like that by himself."

"Maybe you don't know him as well as you think."

Jackie tensed, looking back down at Marvin, setting his feet like he was about to take off into the air. "Liar."

"What? Can't handle that you aren't the sole decider for anybody younger than you? That they're not babies you can just boss around? The others will turn on you, too, eventually. Chase hasn't been this happy since I was still around-" Jackie laughed suddenly, but Marvin kept on- "and you just can't accept that." Then Jackie did what Marvin thought he was going to, kicking off the roof, his eyes lighting up bright white through the snow in a blatantly fear-induced anger. He tried to go higher, but Marvin was quick to grab him by the foot and pull him roughly back to solid ground. "Admit it!"

"No, because it's not true!" Jackie realised he'd yelled and took a breath, saying the next bit slowly. "I'll call tomorrow. Just... tell him I want to check in. Give him this." Jackie shook Marvin off and pulled out Chase's phone, setting it in Marvin's waiting hand. "And you know what? I overreacted. I don't really care if he wants to stay with you, so long as you're taking care of him," he lied, squinting his eyes under his own mask. "Have fun while you can, though. It won't last with him. You're going to want him gone as soon as he has his next breakdown."

He started to go again, and Marvin let him, but not without some parting choice words. "If that's how you actually think of him, then I'll tell him that! He'll never trust you again!" He stepped toward the edge of the building, watching Jackie fly off, before suddenly finding he'd teleported back to his own apartment by some subconscious need. He checked to make sure Chase was still sleeping, then returned to his own bedroom. He'd have to make the best of this week so that Chase would absolutely want to stay with him. Since when had Jackie become such a controlling, petty jerk, anyway? Yet another mystery within their little group that he'd have to figure out.

He shucked out of his clothes and barely made it into his pyjamas before promptly passing out, the exhaustion taking it's toll.

[even-more-incorrect-ego-quotes]

Random Personal Ego Head Canons Part 9 (Valentine’s Day Edition)

~ Wilford dresses up like cupid and terrorizes the other egos by trying to shoot them with “love arrows”. Edward always goes into hysterics as soon as he sees this happening, chasing the pink madman down to remind him that wounding people, in fact, does *not* make them fall in love with other people it only gives the doc more work on whats supposed to be his day off.

~ Anti’s penchant for arson only increases on this day as stuff like “ooey gooey” celebrations of love fill him with “a disgust unrivaled”, as he so graciously puts it. God help the poor souls nearby if he sees anything vaguely alluding to this day of love cause the chances of him setting it ablaze is higher than the Chrysler building. All this to say, he’s totally not pissed that he doesn’t have a Valentine.

~ Yan decorates the whole manor in roses and homemade crafted hearts, stringing them up on the banisters and sprinkling petals on every floor surface until the whole manor is a frilly, fragrant sea of red and pink. All the while he’s sighing longingly, speaking even more about his senpai than usual, much to the annoyance of just about every other ego.

~ Chase usually locks himself in his room when this day comes around. It resurfaces happier times of his ex-wife and kids, making this particular holiday of love feel even more lonely than usual. Robbie, though not fully understanding Chase’s sorrows, tries to make him feel better by leaving him some red velvet cupcakes outside of his door that Robbie had made with the help of JJ. It helps remind Chase that even though he may not have his original family anymore, he does still have a family that love and cherish him.

~ Early on Valentine’s Day morning the Jims are up and at ‘em, running around the manor trying to get “the big scoop” on whose dating who, pointing and waving around their camera and mic in a frenzy. After unintentionally working Eric up into a stuttering mess over questions about who his lover is, Google quickly shuts them down, cutting off their access to being on the air and smirking at their pouting faces as their mischief comes to an abrupt end.

~ When it comes to fighting crime, holidays are no day off, meaning Jackie is out and about helping prevent anything tragic happen to the lovebirds of his fair city. No swooning couple strolling in the moonlight is gonna be mugged on his watch and no villain is gonna attempt to end the world on this day of love if he has anything to say about it.

~ Bim hosts a special couple’s themed episode on his game show every Valentine’s Day and due to this day having a special place in his heart instead of the contestants that lose turning into burgers they are turned into boxes of meaty chocolates! Good one, Bim, totally not weird or concerning at all. Also, everyone refuses to eat the chocolates... except for Annus that wanted to try them just to see if his body could take it but Unus wouldn’t let him.

~ One year, Henrik and Marvin decided to fashion together lil baskets of appreciation and love to give to each member of the house to hopefully help them all closer and make sure everyone feels loved and they have done it every year since. Yes, even Anti-the-angry-arsonist gets one. Sure he sets it on fire but he secretly keeps the charred ashes, so it’s safe to say he cares deep down.

~ During one Valentine’s Day when Yancy was in prison Y/N was allowed to visit him and brought him a small stuffed bear with a mini leather jacket and tap shoes that the warden thankfully let him keep. Yancy teared up with a huge dopey smile on his face at your kindness, later proudly showing off the bear to his gang. He carried it around for the rest of the day and then slept with it.

[rainythefox]

Nightfall (Ch. 18)

Synopsis: Pre-Resident Evil 1, slight-AU/Canon Divergence. Claire Redfield comes home to visit her  brother Chris for the holidays but gets caught up in a dangerous game of  cat and mouse with Albert Wesker, the Captain of STARS, after stumbling  upon dark secrets. She can’t call the law; Wesker is the law, and she  can’t tell Chris. She is trapped…Claire/Wesker & Slight Chris/Jill (Wesker & William Bromance). Rated M for smut, language, violence, adult content.

AO3 Link

Chapter 18: Distracted

"Ugh, we made it! Finally!" Forest whined.

Chris only groaned as he, Jill, and Forest trudged through the side entrance of the RPD, heading straight for the nearest coffee pot.

"What even was that?" Jill groused, taking off her beret long enough to fluff her short hair.

"A pain in the ass, is what! I've never had to arrest Santa and elves breaking into a mall before! Why does so much weird shit happen in RC?"

Chris didn't answer, but Forest was right. It seemed like there were a lot of firsts for him as a STARS officer as well, despite his military background.

Forest groaned, rolling his shoulder. "I'm pooped!"

"Hey, we don't wanna hear it, dude," Chris grumbled to his good friend. "Jill and I just pulled a double."

"Ya ain't the only ones! Who do ya think is covering your ass today? You're welcome!"

Chris snorted as they reached the coffee station in the hallway just outside the West Office. Nearby an RPD officer purchased a snack from a vending machine.

"Wow. You and Joseph working on the same shift? Either Wesker's going senile or he just wants to punish himself today."

Jill stifled a giggle.

Forest snickered. "Nah. Probably a trap so he can murder us."

They each made a cup of coffee. Forest added a bunch of creamer and sugar to his while Chris drank his black. Jill only added a little sugar to hers. It wasn't long before two familiar faces showed up to get coffee as well. RPD officers Rita Phillips and Elliot Edward were looking bright-eyed and bushy-tailed to begin their shift this morning.

"Good mornin', y'all," Rita greeted in her southern drawl.

"You three look like crap," Elliot joked. "Rough night?"

Forest ran his fingers through his long hair. "Arrested a fat man in a Santa suit with his elves breaking into the mall on east Bond."

Rita stirred her fresh coffee and blew on it. "Ha! RC knows how to keep things interesting, that's for sure."

Elliot nudged her. "Speaking of interesting, look who's back."

They followed Elliot's gaze, just in time to see Lieutenant Marvin Branagh heading for the West Office with a stalker hot on his heels. Chris recognized the reporter right away with his dark hair pulled back in a loose ponytail, the glasses and nicely trimmed mustache and goatee. Ben Bertolucci.

"Come on, Marv, work with me here!" Ben nagged, keeping up with the wearied lieutenant. "Don't you think it's just a little strange that a party where the mayor, city officials, police chief and even the STARS captain attended ended up having something happen where bodies were gurneyed out and, yet, nothing but silence?!"

Marvin stopped with his hand on the doorknob, sighing, and turned to the persistent reporter. "Ben, how many times do I gotta say it? You're barking up the wrong tree, man! Make an appointment at the front desk if you want to talk to them, but I'm telling you, there was an investigation and you'll get your answers soon enough!"

"You know they refuse to talk to me anymore!"

"Can't imagine why," Marvin groaned and stepped through the door, slamming it in Ben's face.

Ben hovered by the door, flustered. Rita shook her head. "On the trail again, eh Ben? You're a persistent one, I'll give you that."

"Someone's gotta be!" Ben stomped over to them. "So much corruption in this city, in this very police department! Ugh, Irons is just a rat, I'm telling you!"

Well, no one was about to deny that, but they also knew Ben Bertolucci was paranoid and a little out there with some of his conspiracy theories.

Forest rolled his eyes. "So what's it this time, Bertolucci? Aliens? Ninjas?"

"Always a smartass, eh Speyer? At least I want to get to the bottom of what really happened to those people. And not whatever BS they say it is!"

Chris sighed. Oh boy, here we go.

"Not every death in Raccoon City is tied to some crazy conspiracy! Get your head outta your ass!" Forest argued. "We know there's corruption here. There's corruption everywhere!"

Chris grabbed Forest's shoulder. "Let it go."

"Ben, either make an appointment or leave. We already have enough on our plates as it is," Jill said.

"Ugh, fine. I need a smoke, anyway." The reporter patted his breast pocket for his pack of cigarettes. "You guys shouldn't have your heads in the clouds so much."

Chris held Forest back as Ben sauntered off. Jill shook her head at his back while Rita and Elliot took sips of their coffee.

"See ya later, Ben," Rita called.

"Can't stand that guy," Forest grumbled. "Yeah, we know RC ain't perfect, but we work our asses off to change it every day! I mean, I hate Irons as much as the next guy. He's a sleazeball, but that doesn't mean he had anything to do with what happened last night."

"Gas leak is what David heard," Elliot piped up. "Happened in one of the hotel rooms after the party."

It was sad and unfortunate, they knew, but definitely not something out of the ordinary or suspicious. They would have to wait for the full details later.

Chris, Jill, and Forest left to return to the STARS office, taking their much needed cups of coffee with them. As tired and hungry as Chris was, the coffee might as well have been a drink straight from heaven.

They met Enrico just as he stepped out of the STARS office. The Bravo Captain waved at them with a tired smile, looking just as worn out as them.

"Get that bad Santa?" he greeted.

"Yeah. Everything went fine. Weird...but fine," Jill answered.

"Knew I could count on you three. I'll see you around. Have some errands to run."

"Hey," Forest called before Enrico could get far. "Did you get that repair budget approved for the STARS van so I can work on it?"

"Oh...right. No, I didn't. Sorry, Forest. I had a million things going on tonight." Enrico rubbed his mustache and glanced at his watch. "Take it up with Wesker. He should be in shortly."

"Oh, so you want me to die today. Ok, cool."

The STARS Vice-Captain chortled as he walked away. "Don't be a baby, Speyer. You can always go talk to Irons yourself."

"Fuck that noise!"

Enrico's hearty, deep laugh echoed down the hallway as the three STARS members entered the office. As tired as he was, Chris still went to his desk to at least start his report before going home. Jill sat down beside him with the same intentions while Forest unlocked the armory, grumbling something about Joseph and Richard that Chris didn't pay attention to.

He wondered if Claire ended up spending the night at the Birkin house babysitting or if she was able to go home. She had told him she didn't know when they would return home but that they would give her a ride home when they did. Considering he never got a call from her, Chris could only hope that his little sister had an uneventful, safe night.

It was only while expanding his thoughts to the William Birkin fellow and how he was friends with the Captain that Chris realized something tiny still ate at him about it. For some reason he recalled Kendo's remarks of spotting Wesker and Claire together across town again.

He quickly buried and dismissed it. It was just him. Everything was fixed now. Everything was fine.

In just three days it would be Christmas. Claire's babysitting gig would be up, and they would enjoy a nice holiday with each other and their friends. Chris couldn't wait to give Claire her gift. It was a special order for something she'd wanted for a while. Chris had only pretended to ask her what she wanted for Christmas to throw her off.

Kenneth Sullivan arrived shortly after that last thought, carrying a case and a travel mug that was no doubt full of coffee. The Bravo member went straight to his desk while stifling a yawn and waved at them with a dad-like smile. "Mornin' kiddoes. Any of you freeze your asses off yet? Cold out there!"

"Morning, Ken," Chris and Jill greeted.

"Hey Sully, you got your video recorder today?!" Forest yelled from the armory.

Kenneth sighed with a small shake of his head. "Nah, man. It's still getting upgraded. Why?"

"Oh, for posterity! In case I get fucking murdered today."

Kenneth snorted, eyes on his computer, fingers clacking on the keyboard as he signed in. "Hey, that'll be on you, bro. Leave my old ass outta it."

"Frost and Speyer on the same shift today," Jill stated, not looking up from her report.

"Oh!" Kenneth grimaced. "Well, hell. Boss done lost his damn mind!"

Forest barely made it out of the armory with two ammo cases, carrying them to his desk, when the office door opened once more. Forest, quiet until he realized it was just Joseph, hollered out to his good friend.

"Hey Frost, on time for once!"

"We're gonna die," Joseph panted, pressed against the door, a little panicked. He hurried to his desk, just on the other side of Forest. "It was nice knowing y'all. Forest, we ain't gonna make it ten minutes, you and I."

"Great."

Jill sighed as she scribbled through a note stuck on her case file. "Are you being overdramatic again, Joe?"

"Probably," Kenneth mumbled.

"No! Someone or something got his panties in a twist this morning."

"Joe, calm down. He smells fear," Forest said while opening one of the ammo crates.

"I know! Where's Chickenheart when you need him?!"

"Oh, quit your whining. You two make it worse half the time," Chris grumbled. He understood. Wesker had days when he was a complete dick. There were days Chris challenged him every chance he got, days where he and Wesker absolutely did not like each other. But it was rare anymore. He surely hadn't quite grown out of his rebellious, stubborn streak. He just knew how to apply it to other aspects of his job that made him a better officer.

"Easy for you to say, Redfield. You get to go home soon," Joseph grumbled.

"Ehh, he probably didn't get laid after that fancy party last night. Can't blame the guy, I suppose," Forest quipped.

Jill barely had time to roll her eyes before the door opened again and everyone but her and Kenneth froze. Why would they? It wasn't as though Jill or Kenneth ever got on the Captain's bad side and so barely reacted to his mood. Chris looked, just to see if Joseph was being dramatic, because, well, he was a little dramatic at times. Not as much as Brad, but still.

Chris knew Wesker well enough to know that he was not happy. The man had great control over his emotions, but something or someone had him fuming beneath his skin. The only outward sign was his clenched jaw and narrowed eyes, since his sunglasses were currently hanging from his breast pocket.

Oddly enough though, his sharp, aggravated glare did not immediately go to the two that often got under his skin, but straight to Chris himself. His brain panicked, trying to think of something he may have forgotten to do or something he could've done to have drawn his Captain's ire over Frost and Speyer of all people.

If looks could kill, Chris would've been dead.

Thankfully, it only lasted a few moments, despite feeling like a millennium. Chris could breathe again, pulse pounding in his temple. Wesker's glare went straight to Forest, and he knew he was fucked.

"Speyer, my office. Now." And he slipped into the small office to the side of the STARS entrance door.

"Ugh." Forest whined, getting up. "Tell my momma I loved her."

Chris's good friend entered the office and shut the door behind him. They all waited, listened. But no harsh voices came. Chris was relieved and tried to get back to work, still confused over what happened.

"You piss him off somehow?" Jill whispered.

"No idea."

He took it as a sign though. He saved his report and gathered up his stuff to leave, peering down at his partner when he realized she was still hard at work, flipping through a case file.

"You staying?"

"Yeah. I have two case reports due today and one of them is the Boeler case." She gave him her trademark "I got this" smirk. "I won't be much longer. You're not gonna stick around and make sure your good buddy comes out of there alive?"

"After the look I got, Forest is on his own. He'll understand."

Jill chuckled and went back to work. Chris messed up her hat as he walked by, and she retaliated with an elbow to his gut. Chris waved goodbye to them, intending to sneak out to his freedom, but just as he reached the door, Forest stepped out of Wesker's office.

The Bravo marksman didn't look mad or scared, mostly confused.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah. Flying with Brad to Fairview today."

"Was that why he was mad?" Surely not. It wasn't as though flying the choppers to Fairview for maintenance was anything out of the ordinary. Brad could only do so much with the equipment and setup here.

"No." Forest scratched his head. "Kinda weird, man. Never seen him like that before. He was mad, but he wasn't. Fucking distracted. Whoever put him in that mood really got their A-game going on. And now I have to contemplate what the fuck I'm doing with my life."

Wesker distracted? Was that even possible?

Chris shook his head with a sigh. "Stay out of trouble, ya idiot."

He bumped fists with Forest and left. He could feel the exhaustion in his body taking over. He was ready to hit the sack and sleep all day after the night he had. Once he made sure Claire was home safe and sound first, of course.

Tracking Stephan Bennett's movements through Raccoon City after he'd absconded from Bard's Christmas party had proved to be a surprising challenge for Ada, even with the tracking bug Claire had attached to him. It was night. It was freezing. There was snow everywhere. It really was no fun at all. Zero out of five stars, wouldn't recommend.

Stephan's driving was reckless and urgent, making it hard to tail him in an inconspicuous way. But seeing as he bailed out of the old hotel with a snapped forearm, she wasn't surprised. He was in dire need of medical care.

It was obvious that Albert had gotten a hold of him and killed all of his men. Ada was still reeling from the fact that Albert chose to protect Claire over getting his easy ticket to Roth. The ticket that would've given him the preemptive strike. As shocking and fascinating as it was to see Albert Wesker show such behavior to anyone other than William Birkin, it was a double-edged sword. Claire may have been saved from a terrible fate at the hands of Roth, a known human trafficker for Umbrella and other companies, but all it proved was that Albert wasn't going to let her go.

She followed Bennett to the Apple Inn first. It didn't take long for Roth to come out of the side entrance into the parking lot. Hiding in plain sight this whole time? The sneaks!

Using her listening device while parked on the street further down, Ada was able to tune in to an argument between the two over what happened. Ada didn't need her binoculars to see Roth's face when Wesker's name was dealt. There was a heavy silence, the kind that tended to settle when your worst fears came to realization. Next thing Ada knew, Aaron Roth was hopping in the driver seat and they were off again.

"Too late to skip town now, hmm Roth?" Ada asked. "After this long, you finally have to face him."

The spy followed them to a medical clinic in Cider District, just south of west Ennerdale Street. She parked the beat up, inconspicuous van across the street at a STAGLA gas station. Watching. Waiting. This wasn't an "after hours" clinic, but, apparently, they had an ally here waiting for them, to set Bennett's arm no doubt. Ada would be here for a while…

She got the short end of the deal tonight, but then again, she was curious how this was going to end.

Luckily, she brought a blanket and a thermos full of coffee.

Mostly, this allowed Ada's mind to wander as she watched with patience akin to a feline. She thought over the night so far. The mission at Bard's Christmas party went smoothly until the hotel room, but once again Claire proved she was more than capable of handling herself through wit and tenacity. Ada admired her and actually hoped the girl would get her happy ending.

Ada frowned, popping the lid on her thermos and taking a sip of coffee. Unfortunately, Albert held the same admiration for Claire but with a darker twist that bordered obsession. A possessive kind of smitten she'd never seen from him before. She had no doubt where Albert and Claire ended up after the party, or the nature of their evening.

Claire didn't strike Ada as the kind of woman who was into "bad guys". She was also too smart and grounded to know that there was nothing she could mend or tame in Albert Wesker, despite any attraction or feelings she may have for him. The truth of the matter was that Albert had entranced her, as he often did. Charm was second nature to him, just like manipulation, just like his desire for control. Claire had no idea who she was sleeping with. She thought she did, but it was a droplet in the ocean. But if Wesker's obsession kept her in his bed, she would be drowning in that ocean soon enough.

Something else perturbed Ada in the quiet of the night. The settling of the cold encroached inside the van, through her coat, through her blanket. Beams of headlights passed by along the street between her and the clinic. The gas station was open all night, the only bright light near her, but she had parked away from direct traffic coming in and out.

She lost count of the time waiting and watching. No movement came from the clinic. Ada didn't like the feeling in her gut, and figured it was time to bug Roth's car and send Albert a coded message, although she doubted he would even read it tonight. Not while he had Claire in his bed.

Just as the spy sat her thermos in the center console, a couple of sharp taps scraped her window. Ada sighed. There it was. She turned to look through the tinted driver window of the van, expecting Roth or some of his men, but instead she was quite surprised. And she hated surprises.

Wesker didn't say a single word when Claire got out of his car and slammed the door shut. He clenched his jaw as he reversed out of her driveway and drove for the police department.

"So who's really complicating shit here?"

The nerve of that woman. She never ceased to both infuriate and enthrall him. If he hadn't been running late already, he'd be tempted to follow her into the house and settle the tension in a different manner.

He squeezed the steering wheel, drowning the urge. That thought irritated him further as it evinced what he had been denying for days - that Claire had pull over his self-control.

He simmered in frustrated silence until he arrived at the RPD. It stayed with him as he marched his usual route from his parking space towards the STARS office.

And just was his luck as he was halfway across the main hall, babbling voices of a busy morning like static in his ears, one voice boomed above them all carrying his name.

"Wesker!" Irons called, standing near the Goddess statue. "C'mon, we're going to my office. We need to have a little chat."

In other words, Irons had questions about what happened at Bard's Christmas party. But Wesker was far from in the mood to deal with him currently.

"Sounds like the perfect place for you to waste oxygen. Without me."

The STARS Captain stepped right past the Police Chief without missing a beat, not bothering to watch Irons' predictable reaction: flushing, floundering words. The chattering officers nearby instantly hushed, becoming shocked onlookers. One of them was Joseph Frost and Wesker was about to order him to get to work when a sharp whistle caught his attention.

"Hey, Wesker!"

It was Enrico. He was at the top of the stairs in the main hall talking to a veteran police officer. After a cheerful farewell and "Merry Christmas" to his colleague, the Vice Captain of STARS met Wesker at the bottom of the stairs, greeting him with a tired smile.

"Got the all clear for the Bravo helicopter to be delivered in Fairview, but Vickers will need help troubleshooting some of the squawk sheet."

Frost slinked by them as quickly and quietly as possible. Enrico watched him go with furrowed brows.

"Hey Joe, what's the hurry?!" And then sighed. "Kids these days."

"Is there anything else?" Wesker asked as amiable as he could, despite his agitation.

"Not anything out of the ordinary. What about you? I heard about that gas leak at the hotel. Weren't you at that party?"

"That was after I left."

"I don't know how you can rub shoulders with all those politicians and rich folk, Wesker."

"Child's play," Wesker boasted, heading up the stairs. "Politicians are easy to entertain."

Easy to extort. Easy to control.

Everyone was.

He continued treading for the STARS office, too distracted and annoyed to get coffee.

Through all of his frustration and anger, however, Wesker realized it wasn't directed at Claire, but what she claimed. And she was right.

He was angry with himself. He was the one complicating matters, all because he wanted her. Things would've gone oh so differently had it been anyone else but Claire. Perhaps Aaron Roth would be bowing at his feet right now.

As vexatious as Claire was, he had always admired her, but now she had his full adulation. Her goal was to piss him off and she did, but what she didn't know was that it also had the opposite effect of what she was striving for.

And Wesker acknowledging all of this only frustrated him further. No one else could've done that to him, and it reinforced his desire to have her to himself. Unfortunately, too many factors prevented that from happening. Entering the STARS office, still seething beneath his skin, Wesker glared at one of the main obstacles in his way.

Chris.

He actually liked and respected Chris compared to most, but wanted him dead in that moment. But Wesker knew better. If he really wanted Claire to himself, he would have to be patient and play his cards right. Both of which he was adept in.

All in due time...

"Speyer, my office. Now."

Wesker slipped into his room and went to his desk, sitting down just as Forest entered and closed the door behind him. The STARS Captain already had messages on his answering machine, but ignored them for now.

"Mornin' Captain. What can I do ya for?" Forest greeted.

Though a great officer with exceptional training and experience, Wesker could hardly stand him at times. His typical carefree greeting would've annoyed him like most other mornings, but Wesker was still distracted by a certain redhead and how she had called him out.

"You're accompanying Vickers to Fairview today. The Bravo helicopter needs servicing. He has the discrepancy sheet. I want them all cleared."

Forest was quiet for a moment, bouncing his foot on his knee, confused yet curious. "Yeah, sure. Not a problem, Cap. We'll get it done."

Typical Forest Speyer. Trying to appease and annoy him at the same time…

Claire would often bounce her leg when she was deep in thought. It did wonderous things to the muscles in her calf that in turn did something to his muscles.

Had he really gotten off on that tangent because of Speyer? He had to focus before this simple assignment meeting wasted any more of his time.

"Good," he said as he regained his mental composure. "You are excused."

The Bravo marksman slowly stood up, baffled, scratching his neck as he exited the Captain's office.

After Forest left, he still wasn't quite himself. Calmer, but still distracted. After pressing the playback on his answering machine, he listened to the voicemails while thinking back to his and Claire's night at his house. The amazing sex, sure. But that "heart-to-heart" later had a curious effect on him that he couldn't quite place.

Wesker checked his pager and found no messages from William or Ada. He recalled William mentioning he had to go to the Spencer estate this morning. He probably wouldn't hear from him until this evening. Ada was most likely still doing surveillance on Roth and Bennett.

Until he heard from her, they couldn't move forward. Sighing, Wesker turned on his desktop and got to work.

Wesker checked his watch as he made his way through NEST. 6:42 P.M. He'd only just left his shift at the RPD and went home to change before coming here, bringing with him the same headache that had plagued him all day. The underground facility's bright lights only made it worse despite him wearing his sunglasses.

He had yet to hear from Ada. On top of that, he just couldn't get his mind off of Claire. Both of which irritated him. Perhaps Ada got tied up somehow. Or something happened to her. Either way, they didn't have much time left.

As he rounded one corner, closing in on William's laboratory, other researchers staying out of his way, his thoughts switched back to Claire. By now Roth would know that it was Wesker who was after him. He knew little about Stephan Bennett, but Wesker knew his type. He would seek payback for what happened last night. Roth would know better though. Claire should be safe for now. However, he made a mental note to keep more eyes on her. He had already done so for William outside of NEST...without him knowing of course.

"Good evening, Dr. Wesker!"

"Hello, Dr. Wesker."

Two young, attractive female researchers pulled him out of his thoughts. An unwanted distraction.

"Ladies."

Instantly charmed, they crooned as they went on their way. Wesker rolled his eyes and took the next left to William's laboratory. He didn't acknowledge the guard, regrouping his thoughts as the electronic doors slid open after reading his ID wristband.

He looked around the main area, but William wasn't around. Neither was Annette.

"Will?"

He proceeded to the back rooms, one of which was a rest area.

Just try it, Will. I will break your nose again.

But no attempted jump scares sprang on him. Surprisingly, he was spared such antics this time. He didn't find his partner in the resting area, but in one of the smaller back labs analyzing blood and tissue samples. William chewed on his lip, deep in thought, fingers hovering over the keyboard of a nearby computer.

Wesker could instantly tell William was more restless than usual, and something had him quite conflicted. He whistled sharply. Will jumped, whipping around in surprise. He sighed in relief and relaxed.

"Hey Al, my pal!" Such a remark was typical of him, but Wesker knew this one was forced. An attempted front to distract Wesker from his real mood. Ambivalence was the main thing he felt from his partner.

William slapped him on the arm and pointed to the case of glass vials with glee. "Look who I got to see today!"

Wesker picked one up, turning it in his fingertips as he read. "Lisa? You haven't needed samples from her in a long time."

"Yeah, and it was a bitch as usual. She still remembers me. Still wants to rip my face off. Probably so she can wear it." He shivered at the thought.

He went back to typing on the computer, more focused than before, but still preoccupied...still anxious. Wesker waited for a moment, expecting William to demand details on his night with Claire. But it never came. All he rambled about was getting poker winnings from Scott and Steve at the Spencer estate.

Suddenly indignant, Wesker glared at Will, and it was enough to make him trail off. "What?"

"I figured you would've been begging for details on my night with Claire over whining about winnings from a poker game two months ago."

Will huffed. "First of all, Steve's a scumbag and he cheated! Second, anyone with eyes knows what happened between you two last night, and it does me no good to beg for details because you won't share them! Thirdly, I find it so adorable when you get upset when I don't give you attention."

Another typical response that was delivered too forcefully. Wesker restrained himself from slugging his partner, only because he now had no doubt something was wrong with him. William might've been a good poker player with anyone else, but he wasn't with him.

Wesker was about to confront him, but then dropped it. There was a more important issue right now. "Ada has yet to contact me."

William forgot about the samples, peering at him with a surprised yet concerned frown. "What? Really? That's not like her. You think something happened?"

Wesker thought about it. "There's a good possibility she's been compromised at this point. If so, our next move is crucial."

William slowly nodded, unsure. There weren't too many who could get the upper hand on Ada Wong, but Roth could've been one of them. He always had many tricks up his sleeve. Wesker had been after him for a few years now. This wasn't just about stopping Roth from selling their research. A mere stick in the fire. Wesker was after something much bigger from the information broker.

"What do we do? Without Ada, we don't know where they are."

"After what happened at the party, it's probable that Roth will contact me. For a truce, no doubt." Roth wasn't the gloating type. Always level-headed, he'd play his capture of Ada in a more resourceful manner.

"Then what? We're running out of time to kill the bastard. Keeping Bard and Mueller around is one thing, but Roth has to go!"

William still didn't know. Wesker wanted it to remain that way. He couldn't know his true motives in this stratagem. Bard and Mueller were easy to control. Pawns on a chessboard. Roth wasn't so easy. But if Wesker could get him right where he wanted him, then he would be pocketing a rook.

"His partner, Stephan Bennett, is quite predictable. He'll want revenge for what happened last night. Not just on me, but on Claire. He's attracted to her."

"He's definitely got a hard-on for her, yeah."

Wesker scowled, resisting the urge to grind his teeth. "I may be able to use Claire to lure him out. If we can get to him, we can get to Roth."

Had Wesker let Claire be taken in the first place, they wouldn't be in this situation. Then again, Ada going MIA wasn't something he had expected.

Will's brows rose high on his forehead. "You...want to put Claire at risk?"

"You're surprised?"

He half-shrugged. "Well, you just seem...well, protective of her, I guess. Considering what happened at the party."

Wesker sighed. "Don't be absurd. I'll use Claire any way I wish."

His partner pursed his lips, attention slipping back to his computer monitor like he didn't believe him one bit. "Yeah, okay."

"Besides. She won't be at risk. Once Bennett takes the bait, I am free to finish what I started at the hotel."

"You sure do have it out for this guy, huh? A small fry like Bennett? Why? Because he has a thing for Claire?"

Wesker folded his arms. "Okay, Will. What is troubling you?"

Will exhaled sharply through his nose. "There you go again, changing the subject to avoid something you don't want to admit. Always deflecting. Gettin' old, Al. And I'm peachy, by the way. Just a bad day. Just stressed that my research is about to be sold to any two-bit moron to make Roth rich."

Wesker remained silent. Twenty-six years. Twenty-six years he's known William. The majority of his life. The two of them knew each other too well at this point. There was no doubt that William was telling the truth just now. But it still wasn't what was bothering him. He wondered if Spencer had complained about the progress of the G-Virus again, but William would've mentioned that.

Perhaps it had something to do with him. William's gaze on him was strange today, as though he had suddenly sprouted another appendage and William wasn't sure how to compliment him on it.

Instead of pushing William, Wesker sighed, dropping his arms with a shake of his head. "I won't allow it to happen. We are in the endgame now, Will. Keep it together. The final pieces are about to make their play. That includes Claire. That includes us. I need you focused."

William glumly nodded. "Yeah...anything for you, Al."

Wesker hesitated, and he hated that. It was as if he knew he was supposed to say something more to his partner, but he just couldn't articulate it. He turned and left William's side. It was better if he left for now.

"Hey, Al...about Anezka…"

Wesker stopped, tensing. He glared over his shoulder at William, unknowingly clenching a fist. William hesitated now, as if the words he had formed suddenly dissipated and he awkwardly tried to think of something else. "I...I like Claire better. I-I know the situation is a bit more...complicated, but I think you do, too. You should own up to it already."

"And what purpose would that serve?" Wesker asked.

"I don't know. Maybe you'll find out soon. Besides, what's the purpose of holding onto whatever feelings or resentment you have for Anna?"

Never had William challenged him like that before. It took much of his self-control to contain himself and not beat his partner to a pulp. At the same time, he commended William for such a move. The Golgotha researcher remained frozen by his station, only concerned curiosity on his features.

Wesker ground his teeth and walked out.

Her mind was on auto-pilot. After entering the house, Claire hardly recalled storming into her room and stripping down to nothing. Next thing she knew hot water was spraying down her bare back in the shower.

As hot as she could stand it.

Steam fogged up the bathroom while her thoughts sieved through the events and emotions of last night. The Christmas party. Bennett. The way his arm snapped like a dry twig, the crack echoing in her ear. Bennett's men, eyes cold, sprawled at her feet. The intense feeling in Wesker's car. The even more intense sex at his house. Sleeping in his bed. Sitting in his lap. The way he looked at her. How he recalled a dead mother he never mourned or cared about just to propitiate her.

How he had laid claim to her and had "spared" her brother for those intentions.

She scrubbed every inch she could scrub. Revolted, but pissed more than anything. Pissed at herself. Pissed at him. Maybe a little scared, if she had to be honest with herself. She was in a bad situation. Real bad.

Why me?

Why did she have to go on that hiking trail?

Why was Wesker obsessed with her? Was it her looks? Her red hair? Her charming, ladylike personality? Did she remind him of his past lover who had run off? Surely not. He was the type of man who could have any woman he wanted. Maybe she just wanted to know how she was different from them all. How was she special?

She clawed her scalp, the shower drowning out her aggravated moan. Her thoughts confirmed what she had been trying to swallow all along...She had developed her own unhealthy feelings for him, too.

Claire toweled herself off and returned to her bedroom. She looked her nude body over in the full-length mirror. The bump on her head from her scuffle with Bennett had gone down, and now only a little cut remained, hardly noticeable. But she noticed other marks on her body and she knew what they were from. None of them bothered her except for one she noticed - just as Chris came through the front door calling her name.

"Claire? You home?!"

That fucking asshole!

The small hickey was fresh on the side of her neck and there was no denying what it was. She shouldn't have been surprised, honestly, with how fervent last night had been.

"I'm here, hold on!" Claire hollered back. She let her hair down from the towel and fixed it to where it covered the mark up.

She did her best to bury her stressed thoughts, eager to see Chris after all that had happened. She practically flew out of the bedroom and nearly barreled him over with a hug.

"Hey, there ya are!" Chris said, relieved. "Everything alright?" He squeezed her tight.

As much as she really missed him and was worried about him, Claire dialed it down so her brother wouldn't get suspicious.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just missed you. Did you have a good night?"

"Well, it was a night, anyway. What about you? Are you just now getting back?"

Chris looked exhausted, like he would pass out any moment. His eyes watered after a big yawn and so he rubbed them.

"Oh...yeah, I am. It went well. I had an...uneventful night." She forced a smile, ignoring the pang in her heart.

That was the biggest lie she had ever told him…and she had told him quite a few these past couple of weeks.

Chris nodded, relieved, scratching his face where stubble had formed. He would be off to bed now, blissfully unaware that Claire was nearly killed tonight. Blissfully unaware that his boss had killed her assailants like they were nothing. Blissfully unaware that his sister and boss were now some kind of twisted lovers. Blissfully unaware that Claire was doing everything she could to keep him safe.

"I'm glad everything went fine for you, Sis. I'm gonna hit the sack. This double-shift really kicked my ass."

Claire pecked him on the cheek before he shambled away. Claire reluctantly watched him go. She wanted him to get his rest and was worried about him, but him leaving her alone meant she would be forced to confront her thoughts and feelings, currently in shambles.

She went to bed, too. The rest would do her some good as well, if she could sleep. Balling up under the covers, Claire squeezed her eyes shut, as if that would shut out all the emotions consuming her, the most she had ever felt at once, so intense she felt sick to her stomach. It bothered her more than the soreness in her muscles or in between her thighs.

She only hoped calling Wesker out flustered him beyond control. She hoped she drove him insane, just like he did with her.

She woke up before Chris. Claire was surprised she even managed to get any rest. Knowing her brother would sleep a while longer after such a long shift, she made herself a small breakfast even though it was after lunch time.

She kept her mind distracted with a book, not too keen on going out for a jog any time soon. When she couldn't focus on the mystery thriller, she resorted to television to keep her darker thoughts at bay, absently rubbing her neck as she changed channels.

Then the phone rang. Claire got up and answered it. "Hello?"

"Hey stuck-up, how're you?"

It was Barry. His hearty chuckle instantly made her smile. "Stuck-up? How?"

"I've only seen you once since you've been in town. When you came over for the game, remember? And now you're taking a babysitting job that ain't Moira and Polly. I see how it is."

Claire laughed. "Oh whatever, Barry! If I'm so stuck-up, maybe I'll just hang up."

"Now, I wouldn't put that past you if it was someone other than Uncle Barry."

Claire shook her head. "You wanting to speak with Chris? He's sleeping."

"Nah, just checking in. I know he was really beat according to Jill. Anything I can do for you two?"

That was just like Barry. Always looking out for them. "We're good. Thanks."

"You guys are still coming over for Christmas, right? Kathy and I are making all the fixin's and you know that woman cooks like a boss. It's a crime against humanity to miss out on her green bean casserole."

"Yep, we'll be there."

"You better! Well, I should get back to work. Take care. Let me know if you need anything."

"Will do, Barry. Bye."

After hanging up, Claire realized she still needed to pick up gifts for Moira and Polly. Some time ago, it had become tradition that Chris handled the gifts for Barry and Kathy while she handled the gifts for the girls. Claire didn't mind that in the slightest. She had babysat the girls for years and considered them like nieces to her. Though close in age, the Burton sisters were quite different. Moira was adventurous and curious, always ready to play. Polly was a bit more introverted, just as entertained with a book or a puzzle. Despite that, they were really close to each other.

Chris woke up not long after her chat with Barry. Thankfully, the Redfield siblings decided to hang out at home. Claire wasn't up for going out after the night she had, and apparently neither was Chris. They watched some movies and played games. Chris didn't ask Claire why she kept her hair down because, luckily, that was a common habit for her at home.

Later they practiced guitar with each other, playing a song their dad loved playing for their mom. In the siblings' heart of hearts, it was a gift to their lost parents.

It pained Claire to know that she would have to go another year without seeing that picture of her parents. Another year closer to forgetting their faces.

Just before bed, Chris turned on the news to check the weather. And although the local news channel displayed the winter weather report on the bottom banner, the current story was of a "gas leak" that had killed a few people in the Grand Hotel.

Claire squeezed her pajama bottoms tight in her fingers listening to all the lies being reported. It took place after the upper-class party being held at the Orient Restaurant inside the hotel and was of no relation. The victims didn't know about the leak and were discovered by a "friend" after expiring.

"What a tragic accident," Chris stated, clicking the remote to turn off the TV. "The only good I see is at least they didn't feel any pain."

Claire bit her lip, barely nodding. But they did feel pain...a lot of pain. Your boss killed them with no mercy. One of them is still running around with a broken fucking arm. And they all covered it up like it was nothing…

Those men meant her harm. Perhaps they got what they deserved, but that wasn't the point. She saw them dead. It was ingrained in her mind. There was no way to pass it up as a "gas leak". The man's neck that Wesker had snapped had him looking like something off of the Exorcist. There was no way a coroner could mess that up…

Which meant what she already knew deep down. Wesker wasn't bluffing. It was one thing passing off the death of Finley or Lowery going missing. This was bigger, and they had swept it under the rug like it was a little dust bunny. It wasn't just the Police Chief that was corrupted. There were other cops and officials on that side of the fence, probably mired in holes Wesker manipulated them to dig themselves, kind of like her.

He did control Raccoon City. And now Claire could only wonder why. Wesker was obviously a control freak and power-hungry. But if she knew anything about him now it was that every single thing he did had a purpose. He was too methodical and compartmentalized everything. She wanted to know what his endgame was. She wanted to know what he was truly after.

"Earth to Claire!" A hand waved in front of her face.

"Huh?"

"You sure have been spacey lately. I asked if you would take me to work in the morning."

"Oh, sure. No problem. I gotta do some last minute Christmas shopping anyway. For the girls."

"Remember, we're doing lunch tomorrow. Or did you forget?"

Claire playfully glared at him. "No, I have not! Get to bed, jerk."

Chris yawned and stretched. "Yep. Goodnight, Spacey."

Claire grabbed the throw pillow from the couch and smacked him across the face with it.

"Oof!" He retaliated by grabbing the other pillow and smacking her back.

A short pillow fight ensued before the siblings succumbed to laughter. Chris retreated to his room, claiming she had given him a concussion with a pillow. Claire shook her head and returned the pillows to their rightful place, settling back down onto the couch.

She took a moment, listening to the sounds inside the house. The central heat kicking on, the hollow tick of the living room clock, the echoing of Chris's water faucet in his bathroom as he brushed his teeth. Chris's bad singing.

After all she had been through, Claire was thankful this home remained a safe haven from it all. For both of them. A respite from the world outside, the world Claire now knew was not at all like it seemed.

Her main purpose still was to protect her brother, to save them both. Unfortunately, she feared she made it all the more complicated by laying with the Devil. Now only time would tell what would happen from remaining in his bed.

The following morning, Claire dropped Chris off at work and then went gift shopping for Moira and Polly. Later she found a nice sketchbook and thought of Sherry. She recalled the girl's old, weathered sketchbook that was falling apart and full of loose drawings. Without a second thought, Claire grabbed it and a basketful of art supplies.

Sherry's gonna love this!

Once she returned home, the younger Redfield had some time to kill wrapping the gifts before she would meet Chris at the RPD for lunch. She decided to take a shower since she didn't have time earlier. Although the night before was still heavy on her heart and mind, she made sure to cut this shower shorter than the last.

She got dressed a little more "girlier" than usual, and she wasn't sure why: dark, slim jeans, tall boots, a low-cut blouse and a jacket. She did put her hair up, but was able to hide the hickey with a soft scarf.

Thank god it's winter!

After a little makeup, Claire was ready to go. She checked her watch. If traffic was good, she would get there on time. She turned the light out of her room and went for the kitchen where the house and truck keys hung.

As she came to the end of the hallway a bad feeling came over her. A second later, she was hit from behind and shoved out into the open living room, where two other sets of hands grabbed her.

Shifting to self-defense mode like a reflex, Claire kicked one intruder hard in the gut and away from her. The other clasped one hand around her throat, squeezing tight. A sharp blow to her ribs nearly knocked the air out of her before she realized who it was. Bennett. It was Bennett!

Furious, Claire snatched his fingers around her throat and bent them backwards. One finger snapped and Bennett closed in with a yowl. Claire saw her opening. She bashed her head into his face - and felt his nose crack. She wasn't done, Bennett's cry like music to her ears, and aimed for his broken arm next.

She was restrained from behind by a man in tactical gear and he punched her in the back of the head in warning. Bennett cursed, pulling a handkerchief from his breast pocket to stop the red fountain gushing from his nostrils. A folded-up piece of paper, dislodged from the pocket in the process, fell to the floor unnoticed.

"I said easy!" snapped the intruder she had kicked away from her. Aaron Roth. She just now realized it. "Stephan, get your shit together! We can't leave any traces and we aren't supposed to hurt her!"

Bennett didn't answer him, too busy putting pressure on his nose while it bled like a river. He was certainly going to feel that for a while. His glare at her was murderous. The man would see her dead - or worse - if he was given the chance. Claire kept his gaze with her own glare.

"Want me to sign your cast, Bennett?" Claire sneered. "I'll put a big "fuck you" on it!"

"Miss Redfield, I am sorry. I am sorry it has come to this," Roth said, a pitying smile on his handsome, clean-shaven face. He looked just as he had when she bumped into him outside Raccoon University: a man in his early thirties, well dressed, lustrous brown locks and clever green eyes. He might have looked friendlier than Wesker, but Claire knew that to be subterfuge. She could feel it in her bones, he was just as astute.

Still fighting the steel hold of the man behind her, she glared at Roth. "What the hell do you want with me?"

Roth pressed his lips together before they slowly upturned into a sad, sly smile. "Well, honey, that depends on what you're willing to give us."

The back door opened. Heavy footsteps plodded through the kitchen, and the newcomer soon emerged into the living room.

Claire stopped fighting. Panic ripped through her chest, her stomach clenching in disgust and fear. This was bad. This was very, very bad.

"Dobroye utro, devushka," greeted the towering Colonel Sergei Vladmir, the very same one she barely escaped from while in NEST. The very same one they said would kill her if he found out about her. "I am Sergei Vladmir, pleased to make your acquaintance. I have a few questions I'd like to ask you...if you could spare me some time?"

The smile that spread across his scarred face was supposed to be friendly and non-threatening, but Claire could feel the wickedness behind it.

She was trapped. She was captured. And this time Wesker wasn't around to save her...

[disneydarlin]

Top 10 Holiday Disney Movies

The holidays are around the corner. This means there are certain films people must watch every year around this time. For Disney fans, this means their favorite movies lists can become quite long. Some films are directly Christmas oriented while others are holiday related instead. In this article, the best seasonal films will be presented.

1. The Santa Clause: This movie is one of the few holiday films which always bring magical feelings into kids' souls whenever dreaming of Santa visiting on Christmas Eve. Tim Allen is the perfect Santa Clause. David Krumholtz as the Head-Elf, Bernard, is also fantastic. The creativity put into the film to describe Santa’s magic is wonderful. Many of the set designs, makeup and practical effects are great too. Due to the tremendous effort put into the world-building, it wouldn’t be surprising if this is exactly what most people think of when they envision how Santa Clause’s workshop looks and functions at the North Pole.

2. Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: Simply because Halloween is over, doesn’t mean everyone is done with the holiday. This movie successfully managed to creatively combine two holidays into one with Christmas being secondary to Halloween. The simple story with its simple characters are brought to life in Disney’s first stop-motion animated film through Claymation style. Sally, the ragdoll, is the best character in the entire movie next to Santa. With all the Christmas elements, this movie is the perfect way to go back to Halloween while still keeping to the current season.

3. Home Alone: This movie is sure to make anyone laugh out loud. Especially if the viewers are suckers for grown men screaming out at random; assuming the wailing sounds and looks genuine. Marvin Murchins is the best character in the entire film. Daniel Stern’s acting as Marv is great. His facial expressions are hilarious. Anyone would assume Daniel’s  screeches were real with his fantastic voice-acting. Overall, Daniel seemed to capture some realistic outbursts.

4. The Muppet Christmas Carol: Like Home Alone, this film has a couple of moments which can make some audience members laugh a little, despite the comedy being different. Gonzo and Rizzo are a perfect friend duo. Those two work well off each other and make their jokes work. The puppeteers are great at adding visual humor, but the voice-acting is what really sells the comedy with Steve Whitmire as Rizzo and Dave Goelz as Gonzo.

5. Winnie The Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year– This movie is adorable. It has the warmth and charming ability to put people into the holiday spirit. The movie is about the residents of the Hundred Acre Wood sharing what they want for Christmas. It’s a basic tale, but hoping Santa will come to gift individuals with presents is something most people can relate to doing as kids. After all, this concept is what started most of people’s passion and love for Christmas.

6. Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmas: Nothing warms the heart more than classic animation. With a narrator opening the film presenting the magic of Christmas, this movie is another film which puts me into the holiday mood. Some moments make a person’s heart melt as the three featured tales all explain the meaning of Christmas.

7. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe– Even though this movie is more of a winter favorite, the film actually does mention Christmas. Due to this, Santa is presented with his sleigh later in the movie. There’s a short scene where he hands three of the Pevensie children their designated weapons and tools to aid them in Narnia. This nod makes sense as Narnia does feature Biblical themes and Christmas is all about the birth of Jesus Christ.

8. Frozen: Although this has nothing to do with Christmas, no one can deny this film is a winter favorite. Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and Olaf are all wonderful characters in the movie. Besides, Olaf, Elsa and her “Let It Go” song have become part of the holiday. Apparently, winter magic, along with blue and silver colors; is all something needs to become associated with Christmas. Well, if not the holiday season at the very least.

9. Mickey’s Twice Upon A Christmas: This is the sequel to “Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmas” film. Firstly, the movie has a lot of problems involving character demeanors and situations. However, perhaps this is intended as Christmas isn’t always a positive season or time of the year for everyone. For some people, the holidays can bring negative feelings regardless of how much they care about their loved ones. In fact, stress, depression and feeling overwhelmed are some of the emotions expressed by the characters in the movie.

10. Frozen II: If the first Frozen movie is considered a winner favorite, then this film is too. Even though there’s still a lot of ice magic involved in the movie, the film has a lot of Autumn scenery. The characters are also dressed for the Fall season too. Yet, somehow this film isn’t marketed as an ‘Autumn favorite’ around Halloween.

What do you think? Do you agree with the top picks? If not, what are some of your favorite holiday movies? Please share with me!

[crystalninjaphoenix]

Similarities

Switch AU

A JSE Fanfic

Y’know I realize there hasn’t been that much advancement of the plot in this AU as of late. Sorry bout that. But hey, no story is all action all the time. And we get character development! In this, Jackie stays over with JJ and Marvin, and talks with the latter about some...experiences. Emotions are involved. Two characters grow closer. Stuff like that. It was nice to write, so I hope you guys enjoy :)

More of this AU found here

“And then! And then Kristy gave me this bracelet. She gave one to all the girls in class, I mean, but look at it! It’s my favorite colors!” Michelle shook her wrist, causing her new red-and-yellow beaded bracelet to spin wildly around it. “And I’m the only one who got the star charms!”

Jackie smiled, leaning down to ruffle Michelle’s hair. “Sounds like a fun last day of school.”

“It was! And now we’re on holiday, and that’s always great!” Michelle flopped down onto her back, now laying on the living room floor, and looked up at her dad sitting on the sofa with wide eyes. “And about holidays, what did you get me for Christmas?”

“I can’t tell you that! It’ll ruin the surprise!”

“I’ll like it anyway.”

Jackie laughed. “That’s probably true, but the surprise makes it even better. Why, is there something you really want?”

“Don’t worry, I already wrote my letter,” Michelle said proudly. “I gave it to Ren.”

“Oh that’s great!” Jackie said. Rama showed him the letter earlier; Michelle had included a detailed list of toys she wanted Santa to bring. “Right, I forgot they told me they dropped it off at the mailbox. They also said your writing is looking really good.”

“They did?!” Michelle beamed. “That’s so cool.”

Before Jackie could continue, the alarm on his phone went off. He dug it out of his hoodie pocket and turned it off, sighing. “Well, looks like I have to go now.”

“Aww.” Michelle’s happy expression turned to a pout as they sat up. “Can’t you stay more? I never see you anymore.”

“Sorry, sweetie, Dad has to go to work,” Jackie said regretfully. “But I’m really glad I stopped by before I had to.”

“Stupid work,” Michelle grumbled. She held out her arms. “Hug?”

Jackie bent over and gave her a hug, squeezing tight as he lifted her off the ground and onto her feet. “I’ll see you again later.”

“Bye, Dad.” Michelle waved as Jackie grabbed his coat and walked over to the front door, heading out.

It was a bit after noon, the sky partly cloudy. Jackie had taken to picking up shorter afternoon and evening shifts at the hospital. He was fine with taking more, but his boss still insisted he didn’t work as much, after the...ordeal he went through a few months ago. Part of him wondered if she was trying to get him to quit or something, but he wasn’t going to do that any time soon, so it was a misguided strategy if that was the case.

Rama was outside, trying to do yard work in their small front garden. Jackie stopped for a moment, watching. They quickly noticed and stopped, standing up straight and turning around to ask, “Enjoying the view?”

“Hey, I-I didn’t—I wasn’t—” Jackie stammered, blushing a bit. “You’re wearing a coat. I was just thinking it looked a bit difficult, pulling up dead weeds in the—in the hard winter dirt—”

“I know, Jackieboy,” Rama chuckled. “Leaving so soon?”

“Yeah,” Jackie said regretfully. “I already said goodbye to Michelle.”

Rama hesitated, then slowly asked, “Have you...thought about moving back in...any time? In the near future, I mean.”

Jackie paused, thinking about it as he turned to look over the house. It was so familiar to him. It was his home—or at least, it had been, up until...everything happened. And just being inside put him on edge. “You know...it’s not just that it’s ours, i-it’s any place that...sort of looks like the place where...” He trailed off. After all this time, he still hadn’t told Rama anything about Distorter. He wasn’t sure why. It wasn’t a good idea to keep secrets from your spouse. But just...something like that...it seemed like the more people knew about Distorter, the more they were pulled into this situation. They’d already lost Michelle for a bit, he couldn’t bear if...

“I understand,” Rama nodded. “But...we miss you. Even though you visit so often.”

“I know, I miss you too.” Jackie thought about it. “I—I still get pretty anxious, but I’m working on it. With Lisa.” That was his therapist. “Maybe sooner rather than later?”

Rama went silent, then clapped their hands once. “Okay. We’ll buy an apartment.”

“Wh-what?!” Jackie gasped. “Ramram, you can’t do that! It’s expensive, and we’re putting most of your book money towards Michelle’s education—Not to mention it’ll be a whole change, the move might be hard on Mich, especially if it’s too far away from the school and she has to transfer. And we’re in the suburbs because of the quiet for your writing—No, i-it won’t work out, I can’t make you two do that.”

After a moment, Rama slowly nodded. “If you’re sure. Take care of yourself, mi corazón. Do what’s best for you.”

Jackie walked over and gave Rama a quick squeeze of the hand. “I will. You do the same.”

They leaned close and kissed him on the cheek. “Have a good time at work.”

“Thanks. I mean, I’ll try. I’ll see you guys later.”

And with that, he headed over to his car and got inside. Before driving off, he waved at the house one more time. Rama waved back, standing in the yard, and Michelle did, too, watching from the front window. He kept looking at them as he pulled away.

——————— 

That evening, Jackie was driving back from work, tired after a long day, when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Who could be texting him now? Rama, maybe? Did they want to continue the conversation they had before he went to the hospital? Or maybe it was similarly important. Curious, Jackie pulled over to the side of the road and parked, taking his phone out to check it really quick.

The message was from JJ. Hey Jackie. Sorry, but it’s happened again.

Jackie knew what that meant. He unlocked the phone and replied, Marvin? Whats the problem this time? Symptoms?

Fever again. Sometimes coughing, no sneezing. I thought it was just a cold, but I think it’s getting bad.

Bad? Jackie asked, already worried.

Maybe I’m just paranoid. Thinking about that time he had to stay in the hospital last year. But I’d rather be safe than sorry. Can you pop over?

Jackie didn’t hesitate. Of course. I’ll be right there. But first, how long has he been sick?

JJ paused, probably thinking. Well it really only started the day before yesterday, but about a week ago he got a little sick. He was better by the next day, so I assumed that was it.

Yknow he mightve been pretending to be better?

If he was, I’m going to kill him, JJ immediately replied. 

Jackie let out a huff of laughter. Dont kill him before I get there. I’ll be there in ten minutes, tops.

Got it. Thanks.

He put his phone back in his pocket and pulled back onto the road. He really hoped it wasn’t a repeat of what happened last year. That situation had been...worrying. Stressful, even. Because Marvin hadn’t had any official paperwork, they couldn’t get him to the hospital right away, not until Anti could forge some stuff. Poor Marvin had to suffer through a lot before they got everything together. Luckily, they’d gotten him up-to-date with paperwork and vaccines since then, but even so, winter seemed to especially affect his health.

It was unlikely that this would be a similar situation, but just in case, Jackie stepped on the gas.

———————

He arrived at Marvin and Jameson’s house nine minutes later and hurried up to the front door, where he knocked and waited. Almost immediately the door swung open to show Jameson inside. So glad you could make it, he signed. I hope I didn’t message you at an inconvenient time.

“Huh? No, it was fine, I was heading back home, anyway.” Jackie stepped inside, and JJ closed the door behind him. “Is he in his room?”

Unless he left in the last minute, JJ said.

That might actually be a possibility, given Marvin’s attitude towards being sick. Jackie hurried down the hall to his bedroom. The door was closed, so he slowly eased it open and poked his head in. “Marvin? It’s me.”

The lights were off, and the dark room was filled with the sound of an electric fan whirring. Something moved on the bed—probably Marvin rolling over. “Y’got t’be more specific. ‘Me’ coul’ be anyone,” he mumbled.

“It’s Jackie.” As he said this, Jackie reached over and flipped on the light switch, so Marvin could see him as well as hear.

“Ah!” Marvin squeezed his eyes shut against the sudden brightness. “Jackie? Huh. Come for a visit..? No, wait...y’here for somet’ing?”

“Yeah, I’m just uh...stopping by for a bit.” Jackie took a step into the room, JJ following shortly behind, and walked over to the bed. “How are you feeling?”

“‘M fine. Jus’ grand.” Obviously, this was not the case. Marvin was sweating enough to make his hair damp, and his skin had a sickly pallor. But despite how hot he seemed, he was shivering, and had the comforter on the bed pulled up. Mr. Fluffington was sitting next to the pillow, purring furiously. Marvin reached over and petted him for a moment before flinging his arm over his face and covering his eyes. “Ev’ryt’ing’s Jake.”

“Yeah. Um...clearly not.” Jackie looked over at JJ. “Can you go get the—”

Already anticipating what he was going to ask for, JJ walked over to the nearest chair and picked up their first aid kit, coming back over to hand it to Jackie.

“Oh. Thanks.” Jackie took it and started rummaging about inside. “Marv, I’m going to take your temperature, do you mind?”

“A-ha. So it’s a fuckin’...fucking’ check-up I get it...” Marvin trailed off into mumbling under his breath, but didn’t protest as Jackie pulled out the thermometer and took his temperature. After it was done, he rolled over onto his side, practically burying his face in Fluffington’s fur.

Jackie looked down at the thermometer and frowned. 39.2 C...that wasn’t good. Wasn’t good at all. “Marvin? How do you really feel? Like...on the fatigue scale, where would you be?”

Marvin looked back over at him, head rolling lazily. “Hmm...se-seven? Seven and a half?”

“You have a really high fever. Is there anything else, like a headache or something?”

“Well...” Marvin paused to think. His eyes were a bit glazed. “T’ere’s a tickle in my throat. Won’ go ‘way. My nose is all stuffy. Felt a bit sick...sick like...the stomach issues sick. Couldn’ eat anyt’ing ‘cause...bad.”

Jackie glanced over at JJ, hovering nearby. I can second that, JJ said. He didn’t have dinner.

“Alright. It’s probably just a cold,” Jackie said. Yet a note of uncertainty remained in his voice. “A bad one, but you’ll probably be fine.”

So what do we do then? JJ asked.

Jackie hesitated. “Well...” His instincts were telling him not to take any risks, to stay and make sure everything stayed fine. “Given past experiences, is it okay if I spend the night? Just to keep an eye on things.”

“Wha...?” With a fair amount of effort, Marvin sat up. “No, don’ stay over, you’re...you’re prob’ly all busy. Ye jus’ said it was alrigh’.”

“Alright...for now,” Jackie said darkly. “Right now you’re on the edge of ‘a bad cold’ and ‘a serious issue.’ Things could easily get worse in the night, but by tomorrow, it’ll be clear if this is the worst it’ll get or...if there’s more.”

JJ’s expression was filled with anxiety. Is there anything I can do to help?

“Yeah. Get him to take his shirt off.”

Marvin snorted. “Whoa, Jackie, you know Jems and I aren’...aren’ a pair. Not t’at type of pair.”

Jackie rolled his eyes. “Seriously, you need to change your shirt. I know your feelings on short sleeves, but this is making your fever worse.” He turned back to JJ. “Anyway, you know what else. Ibuprofen, water, all that. You already got the fan on, that’s good.”

JJ nodded seriously. Got it. You really want to stay over?

“Well...better safe than sorry, you know? If it starts to go bad, I can recognize it, and we can get him to the hospital really quickly. Is...is it okay?”

Of course it is! You can stay whenever, but especially in this situation. You’re the doctor, after all. JJ smiled gently.

Marvin groaned. “Fffffine, Jackie can stay.”

Jackie smiled a bit at Marvin’s acceptance. But really, him not protesting more was a sign of how bad he felt. At this point, he probably recognized that he needed help, and it wasn’t worth the struggle. “Great. I’ll just have to call Schneep and tell him what’s going on, so he doesn’t get worried when I don’t show up at the flat. But right now, where do you keep the Ibuprofen?”

———————

Marvin and Jameson’s town house didn’t have a guest bedroom, so Jackie had to set up in the living room. Luckily, they did have lots of spare pillows and blankets. But Jackie wasn’t going to sleep right away. He was staying over to keep an eye on things, so that’s what he did. First, by making sure Marvin actually changed clothes into something cooler and more lightweight. Then, by teaming up with JJ to make sure Marvin actually ate dinner. He still didn’t have much of an appetite, but between the two of them, they convinced him that he needed the energy. Oh, and water. He needed lots of water.

In the meantime, Jackie watched some YouTube videos on his phone to pass the time. JJ offered to lend him a book, but Jackie turned him down. He wasn’t in the mood to read, and besides, it would probably take him days to finish with his new work schedule. Every so often, he got up and went into Marvin’s bedroom to check on him. Maybe too often. Marvin quickly got annoyed, though he didn’t have the energy to snap at him.

“Hey, do you need anything?” Jackie asked on perhaps his fifth check-in.

“I need...t’not be so hot,” Marvin replied, a faint note of sarcasm in his voice.

“Do you feel worse?” Jackie asked. “Maybe you need to take off the blanket?”

“No.” Marvin briefly buried his face in the pillow before realizing that he couldn’t breathe like that, not while his nose was all congested. “‘f I take off the...the blanket, then ‘m too cold.”

“Ah. Well, maybe a thinner one, then? Here, lemme take your temperature again.”

Marvin didn’t say anything, just allowed the temperature-taking and the blanket-switching. Then he rolled over and closed his eyes, presumably falling asleep immediately.

JJ bounced between being on his computer, being upstairs in his magic workroom, and checking up on and bringing things to Marvin. He constantly seemed distracted, unable to commit to one course of action. Jackie couldn’t blame him. His best friend was sick, and there was a distinct possibility that he could get worse and would need to go to the hospital. Anyone would wander around, unsure what to do.

One time, JJ came into the living room with his laptop and sat down, writing. “What’re you doing?” Jackie asked.

JJ looked up. Work stuff. A lot of emails, mostly.

“Ugh. Work emails.” Jackie shook his head. “Y’know half the time the emails I get aren’t even relevant to me. It’s like ‘Notice: thing in the operating room’ and I’m like ‘you do know I’m just a GP, right? And for kids, too, right?’ Like, I think I’ve been in the operating room twice.”

JJ chuckled weakly. It’s a bit different for me. I have to coordinate rehearsals and effect supplies, book venues, and generally manage and schedule a bunch of people.

“Really? What about your manager? What’s her name, uhhh...Darla? Doesn’t she do that stuff?”

Sort of. It’s like a joint effort. I’m technically in charge, though, so I at least have to approve everything.

Jackie shook his head. “I could never do that. Too much. How do you manage?”

I was a theatre kid, JJ said, shrugging with a half-smile on his face.

“Does having actual magic help?”

Not really, not with all the organizational stuff. If anything, it can make things more complicated, as I have to figure out a trick that I can use with real magic but cover up with tricks and effects. JJ sighed. I really need this to go well, Jackie. It’s the first show since my voice was damaged, it has to work out.

Jackie smiled at him. He leaned over from his position on the sofa and put a hand on JJ’s shoulder, which he could barely reach as JJ was sitting in a different chair. “You’ll do great. Your shows have always been fantastic, and the voice thing isn’t going to change that.”

JJ smiled a bit. Thanks, Jackie. Glad to know you think so.

“We all do. We belieeeeve in youuuu.”

JJ laughed a bit, and returned to his emails.

Eventually, night came. JJ wrapped up his work and reluctantly headed to bed, not wanting to leave Marvin alone and sick. But Jackie assured him that it would be fine. He would be staying up, and if Marvin wanted to talk to JJ specifically, he could go wake him up. Or Marvin could text him. Mostly reassured, Jameson went upstairs to sleep, leaving Jackie awake in the living room.

Jackie checked on Marvin a couple times more, but found him asleep. Exhausted from all the fatigue he was feeling. Good. If he slept well, he’d probably be better in the morning, and they could all relax when it turned out to be a terrible cold, and nothing more.

Watching YouTube videos eventually got boring, so Jackie decided to plug his phone in to charge and do something else for a bit. As it turned out, Mr. Fluffington was still awake as well. So Jackie found a laser pointer in a table drawer in the living room and played with him for a bit. Until, after a while, Fluffington got tired of the red dot, and even the cat went to bed.

Bored again, Jackie put the laser pointer back. He was considering JJ’s offer of lending a book to read, and was looking over the titles of the ones on the living room bookshelves, when he heard...something. Some sort of distant sound. He paused, going still as he listened.

For a while, nothing happened, and everything was silent. But then, he heard it again. A voice? Someone saying something? Maybe it wasn’t words, but instead just sounds...distressed sounds. After a few moments of listening, Jackie realized with a start that the voice was coming from down the hall. The direction of Marvin’s room.

Something must have been wrong. Immediately, Jackie unplugged his phone and pocketed it—just in case—and headed down the hall, half-running. He reached Marvin’s door soon, finding it closed. He didn’t hesitate to open it and step inside. “Marvin?! Is everything okay?”

The room was dark again, pitch black in the night. The fan was off. Strange, it was on last time Jackie was in here. Had Marvin woken up and turned it off? That didn’t matter. He could clearly hear Marvin, crying out and whimpering. Jackie flicked the light switch on and walked over. “Marvin? What’s wrong?”

Marvin didn’t answer, just kept mumbling and crying, sounding frantic. Then, Jackie noticed his eyes were closed. Ah. So he was asleep. Having a nightmare. And a bad one, by the looks of it. His blankets and even his shirt were all twisted around him, which only upset him more, as he seemed to be trying to fight against them. Jackie reached out and put a hand on his head, then immediately pulled it away. He was so hot, the fever burning him up. Jackie turned the fan on and checked the bedside nightstand for anything else. There was a half-empty glass of water and a damp cloth. That would work.

He picked up the damp cloth and tried to put it on Marvin’s head. But Marvin cried out and yanked his head away, shouting...something. Jackie couldn’t quite catch it, but he thought he heard ‘go away’ and ‘don’t want your help.’ “Marvin, it’s me. I-I want to—can you wake up? Wake up, it’s fine.” He reached out to try and untangle the blankets.

That turned out to be the wrong thing to do. Marvin started flailing wildly, tossing, turning, kicking, waving. The blankets restricted his movement, but it was still enough to make him roll off the opposite side of the bed. “Marvin!” Jackie leaned over the bed. “God damn it. I’ll get you, don’t worry.”

As he walked around to the other side, he stopped for a moment. The edge of the blankets were tucked into the gap between the mattress and the footboard. Jackie pulled them out, letting the blankets go free. That made them somewhat less restrictive, but it also meant that Marvin, still moving and struggling, ended up wrapping them loosely around his legs. Which...actually probably didn’t help in the long run. Well, too late now. Jackie knelt down on the ground next to Marvin. “Hey, calm down, it’s fine,” he said, trying to sound soothing as he went about untangling the blankets around him.

It took longer than he expected. Marvin kept wriggling and flailing, but still had his eyes firmly shut as he remained asleep. Jackie tried to wake him up, but to no avail. And he kept muttering the whole time, occasionally whimpering or crying out as if in pain. His words ran together, slurred by sleep-talking, but some distinct phrases popped up: “Get away!” “Don’t you dare...” “Leave me alone!” “...don’t want it.” “Don’t want you.” It hurt Jackie’s heart to hear. Was it the fever causing this nightmare? Or something more?

After a good few minutes, he freed the blankets, leaving them on the floor as he tried to pick up Marvin. Again, the struggling made this difficult. Marvin actively tried to push him away at times...though that mostly turned into him weakly slapping Jackie’s face and arms. But Jackie was determined, and managed to get Marvin back on top of the mattress. Once there, Marvin gave up and went limp, lying there still. Jackie sighed in relief and pressed his hand to his head. Still hot, and his pale skin was damp with sweat. He should wake him up soon, get him to drink some water to replace what he lost with all the sweat. But first, he picked up the damp rag again, using some of the water from the glass to wet it more and make it cooler. He laid the cloth across Marvin’s forehead.

The moment he did, something...unusual started to happen. Marvin whimpered, turned his head to the side, and started to cry. Tears leaked from his eyes as he quietly sobbed and continued to mumble something. The words had changed. Now, Jackie could hear a lot of “No” and “Please don’t” over and over and over. As he listened, stunned, these were broken up by adding “I’m sorry” and “I’ll be good” to the mix, which only shocked him further.

“God. Marvin,” he whispered to himself. No more waiting, he had to wake him up now. He couldn’t handle the thought of leaving him to whatever horrible nightmare he was having. “Marvin, wake up. It’s me, it’s Jackie.” He leaned over and started shaking him. Gently at first, then gradually harder as that failed to wake him up. His voice slowly raised. “Marvin. Marvin! This is Jackie. You need to wake up!”

After what felt like ages, Marvin stopped mumbling. He groaned, and slowly opened his eyes, staring up at Jackie. At first, confused. Then slowly getting his bearings. He reached up and weakly grabbed at the damp cloth on his forehead until he managed to take it off. Then he tried to sit up, but gave up once the fatigue proved too heavy. “Whoa...” he muttered. “I...where...? When...?”

“You’re in your room. In the house you live in with Jameson,” Jackie explained patiently. “It’s...” He checked the time on his phone. “Ha, it’s midnight on the dot.”

“What...?” Marvin swallowed dryly. “What’s the date?”

“December 10th.”

“...the year?”

“2018.”

“Right.” Marvin nodded a bit, then stopped, looking a bit dizzy. Once again, he tried to sit up, and this time Jackie helped him prop himself against the headboard. “D’you...have any water?”

“Yeah.” Jackie grabbed the water glass and offered it to him. Marvin grasped it weakly, and Jackie only let go once he was sure he could hold it securely. 

Immediately, Marvin lifted the glass to his mouth and drank, draining the glass. “Th’nk you,” he said, handing it back.

“No problem,” Jackie said, taking it. “I can go get more, if you want. Colder, too.”

Marvin took a deep breath, looking unsure. Actually, he looked more than unsure. He looked...shaken.

“You were...having a bad dream,” Jackie said gently. “I-I could hear you making noise, talking and...shouting and...and crying. So I came to check on you. You were rolling around and fell off at one point, but now you’re awake. A-and you’re alright. You’re safe.”

Marvin stared at him for a while, then looked away and closed his eyes, taking another deep breath. Then, strangely...he laughed. “Bad dream,” he repeated. “‘Tis always a bad dream. T’at’s...only time I remember. Which ‘s...strange...isn’ it? T’at’s not how mem’ry works.”

“Remember?” Jackie blinked. “Remember what?”

A pause. Marvin opened his eyes, but didn’t look directly at Jackie. “If y’coul’...go get water I’d…’preciate it.”

“Do you mean...the time you were with him?” Jackie asked softly.

Marvin stiffened. “How’d you...?”

“How did I guess? I just...” Jackie looked down at his hands. He traced the scars on his wrists and shrugged. “It sounded...familiar.”

The silence that followed stretched on. Jackie was worried he’d overstepped some boundary and was about to leave, when Marvin pulled his knees up and gestured to the end of the bed, now clear without his legs there. “Sit down.”

Jackie sat. “Did I—do you not want to talk about it?”

“You...you r’member, righ’?” Marvin asked. “What happened...when you were with him?”

“Of course. I-I-I couldn’t forget.” Jackie laughed humorlessly. “It’s actually a problem, so much reminds me of it. I had to make Volt throw out his zip-ties, and put away his knives and half his cleaning stuff when I moved in with him, since just looking at them freaked me out. I mean, he’s taken them out again now. ‘Cause it’s a bit better. But I can’t...can’t go home, or into any house that’s even a bit similar to that place, can’t spend too much time inside...” He trailed off. “You...don’t remember anything?”

Marvin hummed, leaning his head back against the wall. “‘T’s strange for me. I don’...I don’ remember how I got here. To the...the ‘when,’ I mean. But I...I’m startin’ t t’ink that...he’s the reason for that.”

“Like...he brought you to the present?” Jackie asked.

“No.” Marvin shook his head a bit, but gave up, wincing a bit. Jackie guessed a headache or something that made the motion worse. “I don’ t’ink he coul’ do t’at. It...it doesn’ really fit him, or...or what he can do. Y’know? But...after I got here, however t’at happened, I...I t’ink I ran into him. A-an’ he decided someone so confused woul’ be an easy target.” He paused for a moment, just breathing. Jackie waited patiently. “I didn’...didn’ r’member any of t’is at first. I forgot ev’ryt’ing between bein’ home, and meeting Jems. But...when I go to sleep, I remember. In my dreams.”

“Well...that can happen sometimes,” Jackie said slowly. “Your brain can block out upsetting stuff. And having nightmares about what happened to you is a common trauma response. At least, that’s what I’ve been told.”

“No, no, I know t’at, but it’s...diff’rent for me,” Marvin insisted. “It’s all...too clear. Like it’s happenin’ for the first time. And...I know the dreams r’lly happened, because...I have scars...that match up.”

At that, Jackie glanced down at Marvin’s arms. He’d noticed the scars before, but hadn’t really thought too much about them. Maybe that said something about him as a friend. Or maybe he just didn’t want to pry. But they definitely existed. Most of them were short lines, probably caused by something sharp, but there were also a few burn scars on Marvin’s upper arms. They were all usually covered by his shirt. Jackie suddenly made a connection. “Is that why you always wear long sleeves?”

“Don’ t’ink so,” Marvin mumbled. “Everyt’ing I say, about proper dress and wantin’ t’keep to a routine and not wantin’ any random people grabbin’ my arm...that’s all true. But...maybe it is a reason, but I jus’ don’ realize it. Is that why you wear your jacket all the time now?”

“Hmm.” Jackie tugged at the cuffs of his hoodie. “No. I mean, it’s related. I just...” He paused, getting his thoughts together. “I didn’t have this while I was with him. I-I left it behind. Or...he did, when he showed up. So it’s just...a reminder that it’s all safe now.”

“Reminder,” Marvin repeated, and nodded, once. 

Jackie let out a long exhale. It was really easy to talk to Marvin about all this. He’d had to work up to sharing details like this with his therapist, but now, he was letting them spill. It must have been because he knew Marvin would understand. “I guess if you don’t remember anything, you don’t need a reminder. Right? Ha. I-I wish I didn’t remember.”

Marvin pressed a hand to his head, as if he could feel the empty spots where the missing memories were supposed to be. “I don’ know. I think...I think I’d rather jus’ know. Because...he must’ve done it. He must’ve made me forget. But...why? For what? What’s the purpose? Is there...somet’ing I still don’ know? T’at he wanted to keep secret?”

“Huh. I...didn’t think of that.” Jackie frowned. “You’re right.”

“T’ere’s a lot missing. I’ve dreamt about how...about how we met, but how’d I get out? I dreamt him takin’ my set of playin’ cards, but...why do I feel...they were so important? More t’an just bein’ mine, I mean. And what...what did I do?” Marvin said that last part in a hushed tone.

Jackie stared at him. Then he stood, took a few steps closer to Marvin, and sat back down on the bed, now next to Marvin. He leaned against the headboard instead of sitting on the edge, so the two of them were mirroring each other, side by side. It wasn’t particularly comfortable. The bed was narrow, so he had to sit very close to Marvin, still burning with fever. But...he wanted to. And Marvin didn’t protest. “If you did anything, it wasn’t your fault,” Jackie said softly. “You can’t...do anything in that state.”

Marvin rubbed his eyes. They were starting to water. “You...know?”

Jackie nodded silently.

Taking a shaky breath, Marvin asked, “What...h-how bad...were the things he...made you...?”

After a long moment, Jackie replied. “No one died. But...some were hurt. I think...if I stayed there any longer, it would’ve gotten worse.” He had to stop for a moment. He’d...never told anyone about that. “But it’s...it’s not our fault. It’s Distorter’s. We called him that because he distorts thought, a-and that’s exactly what he did. We aren’t those thoughts he put there, o-or the actions he caused.”

Marvin couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. He buried his face in his hands, but Jackie caught a glimpse of them flowing before he could hide them entirely. “I jus’...wish I coul’ remember.” A sob caught in this throat. “I remember feelin’ horrible, I remember screamin’ at him for what he made me do, I remember tryin’ to fight against it...but I don’ remember what I did. I t’ink...I might dream the memory one day. A-an’ I...don’ know...how I’ll react.”

Jackie leaned against him. Reaching up, he took Marvin’s wrist and slowly pulled his hand away from his face, revealing the tear stains and bloodshot eyes. “We aren’t those thoughts,” he repeated, quietly, but firmly. “Those actions weren’t us.”

Marvin stared at him. Then nodded. He looked away. “Will you...stay? For a while?”

“Of course.”

The two of them sat in silence for a long while, the night stretched before them.

——————— 

The next morning, Jackie woke up to the familiar sounds of someone making breakfast. He opened his eyes and sat up, wincing a bit at the ache in his side and neck. The sofa was clearly designed for sitting, not sleeping. He stretched to try and make it better, then stood and went into the kitchen.

JJ was the one cooking. He waved at Jackie, then asked him for help carrying food to Marvin, still in bed. Jackie agreed and the two of them went down the hall.

Marvin was awake. Sitting up, in fact, with Fluffington in his lap. He thanked the two of them for breakfast. While he ate, Jackie gave him a quick check-up, taking his temperature and asking him basic questions. The fever had distinctly died down, and Marvin reported that he felt really tired, but not nauseous, and he could breathe easier. Jackie and JJ were both immediately relieved.

“So it’s just a cold, then,” Jackie concluded, relaxing for the first time in a full day. “Sorry about all the trouble, you two.”

“Eh, better safe t’an sorry, right?” Marvin shrugged. “And ‘t was...nice to have you over.”

Jackie gave him a gentle smile. Then he said, “I’ll be going now, then. It was nice to be over, too. Though sleeping on the sofa kind of sucked.”

Well you’re wearing jeans, JJ pointed out.

“That’s not a problem, I sleep in jeans a lot.”

What?! JJ gasped, looking personally offended. Jackie, you didn’t tell me you were absolutely out of your mind! How can that be comfortable?!

Jackie laughed. “You get used to it.”

“No, ‘m with Jems on t’is one,” Marvin said, his words slightly muffled as he was speaking into his cup of apple juice.

“I used to take long night shifts at the hospital years ago, and I was so tired that I didn’t even bother to get into pajamas when I got home,” Jackie defended himself. “I mean, I don’t have night shifts anymore, but that’s still a leftover quirk.”

Marvin rolled his eyes. “Didn’ ye say you had to go?”

“Yeah, I told Volt I’d be back in the morning before he went to work at ten. I’ll tell him how you’re doing, by the way. Anti, too.”

“T’anks.” Marvin looked at him. “For...ev’ryt’ing. Be seein’ you.”

“Be seeing you,” Jackie repeated. “And thank you. Goodbye.”

JJ looked confused. He followed Jackie as he headed down the hall to the front door. Before he could leave, he asked, Did something happen?

“Oh. Uhh we had a talk last night,” Jackie said. “About some...serious stuff.”

Ah. I won’t pry, then, JJ said, backing off. Hey, Jackie. Thanks for coming over and staying and everything. I hope it wasn’t an inconvenience.

“It’s never an inconvenience to help a friend. Or, you know, even if there wasn’t a problem, I’d be happy to stay over any time.” Jackie laughed a bit. “Just gotta prepare a bit better next time. Get an air mattress.”

JJ smiled. Still, thank you. It...it really means a lot, you know? I’m sure Marvin’s glad you stop by to check on him when he’s sick, even when he protests. But remember to take care of yourself too, you know?

Jackie nodded. “Thanks, J. I will. But you have to remember that, too. I know you’re busy with your show and now Marvin’s sick and everything, but keep your stress levels down. You worry a lot about everyone else. Might spread yourself too thin.”

JJ sighed. It...has happened before. I’ll try.

“No, you won’t try. You will take care of yourself. Or let Marvin or one of us do it.”

Alright, I get the point, JJ smiled a bit. Hey, by the way, the show starts in January. Opening night is New Year’s Day, actually. You and Henrik and Anti can come see it for free, if you want. The families, too.

“I’ll keep it in mind,” Jackie said cheerfully. Rama and Michelle would probably like that. “I’ll see you later, then?”

See you later. Bye, Jackie.

“Bye, JJ.”

Jackie headed out, hurrying to his car, still parked where he left it last night. A few loose snowflakes started to fall from the sky as he climbed inside and turned on the heater. 

That was...a night. An unexpected one, but...one he needed. He reflected on it as he started to drive away. Then, he took the turn that would take him to Rama and Michelle’s house—his house. There was still time before he said he’d be back at Schneep’s apartment. He wanted to be with his family again.

[seaswalllow]

waiting for the arrival of frööt so you get further thoughts on the werewolf!jackie au

which is:

-werewolf jackie is not... an unwelcome addition to the household, he just gels a little oddly. because the issue is He Is So Friendly. he's already sideways adopted all of them the minute he stepped into the house. henrik's trying to squirrel himself away in the lab? best bet a giant fucking wolf is about to forcefully make you nap by laying down on your lap. chase is sad? wolf cuddles as best as he can, some offerings of a treat much like you would leave a meal out or a plate out for a deceased family member at important holidays. jamie is Spoiled with tarts and milk. marvin has a practice buddy for his shows now.

-Marvin and henrik would kill and die for each other; but you wouldn't guess it from the way they go at each other. They're resistant to each other's charm so that leaves Marvin to find increasingly petty ways to use his magic to inconvenience henrik while chase talks henrik out of locking Marvin in an aquarium.

-best of both worlds: siren warlock marvin :] his patron remains the same, and this causes. Problems. when anti decides he wants to pay a little visit- all for his warlock, of course! To make sure he's carrying out his end of the contract! Never fails to ruffle everybody's feathers- especially once he starts causing more problems. No, I haven't figured out what he is, and I probably will leave it open-ended lol

-chase in particular hates it when anti visits. [Well, all of them do; Jamie gets touchy with intruders, and Henrik hates his guts for Undisclosed Reasons] Reminds him of all of his worst days; this is the most snappish the house sees him, lights flickering, objects rattling, temperatures dropping.

-yeah that's going to be fun especially depending on the contract lol

[pandoraborn]

How would Anti and Chase celebrate in synthetic ecstasy?

“Chase!” Anti’s voice is a sing song as his voice travels down the hallway. Chase lifts his head before rolling his eyes upward, wanting nothing more than to go back to sleep. He’d been feeling down lately, and doesn’t know why. Emotions are too annoying, and Anti hadn’t bothered helping him deal with it.

“Chase, my darling, I got you something.” He’s appearing in the doorway, holding a hastily wrapped something. He’s trying to remember why there’s significant in this gift, but he can only manage to stare blankly as his Master dances around the door frame, wearing his signature smile. “Do be a dear and get up.”

“I’m tired.” Chase flops back down on the bed, rolling over. He’s still watching Master out of the corner of his eye though. “Can it wait?”

“You’re putting me on hold?” Chase blinks when he sees the grin fade from Anti’s face. He’s starting to look mad, so Chase forces himself to sit up. “You know I don’t like being ignored. Do we need to have another chat?”

“No, Master.” Chase runs his fingers through his hair. “I just haven’t slept-”

“You sleep plenty, Pet. What you mean to say is you miss being controlled so heavily. I’ve been kind enough to loosen your leash for the holiday season.”

“Holidays?” Chase tilts his head to the side, pursing his lips in confusion. Another word that holds some distant meaning. He can’t remember; he can’t remember anything unless Master lets him remember. He shrugs the word off, deciding to nod toward the gift in Master’s hand. “What’s this?”

“I paid a little visit to someone important to you. Or once was.” Anti’s grin is back in place as he holds the object out. “Her and her children were very quick into jumping into action for me. I think it’s because they still think I’m going to let you see them, but it’s nice to have extra puppets on hand.”

Chase has no idea who Master is talking about. He takes the gift anyway, pulling at the wrapping paper and tossing it to the side. It’s not often he receives gifts anyway, so it’s nice to get something. He’d like to think it’s a reward for being such a good pet lately.

Inside the box is a plate of sugar cookies. He salivates at the sight, feeling his stomach growl. He hasn’t eaten any sweets in so long, and they’re nicely decorated. He can only assume children have done the work, and a vague memory surfaces, with him dancing around a kitchen, surrounded by family...?

It’s meaningless. Chase has no family other than Master, it’s always been like that. He picks up a cookie and looks up questioningly, but Anti is already gone. He settles back in bed and munches while looking at the different cookies inside. With a frown, he pulls up a scrap of paper. Why it’s buried underneath the treats is beyond him. He checks to make sure Master is actually gone before unfolding it and reading the scribbled message.

Chase-

We’re scared you’re lost forever. Marvin says there’s still hope, but I’m losing mine, and so are the kids. He’s got the strings on us too and we’re all wilting. I don’t mean this in malice, but out of a desperate wish this all ends soon. Please stop haunting us and die, and take your master with you.

Yours no more Stacy

The words are meaningless to him, the name Stacy doesn’t ring any bells, but the note fills him with a distant emotional ache all the same. With a quiet sigh, he slips the note back under the cookies to hide it once more. It was hidden for good reason, he’s not about to let the note writer down by betraying her to Master, even if it’s something Master should see.

Maybe one day things will start to make sense again, but for now, he just enjoys his cookies.

[brookston]

Holidays 5.18

Holidays

Baltic Fleet Day (Russia)

Black Watch Day

Constitution and Flag Day (Turkmenistan)

Day of Remembrance of Crimean Tatar Genocide (Ukraine)

Discovery Day (Cayman Islands)

eCard Day

Fibroid Awareness Day (Jamaica)

Flag and Universities Day (Haiti)

Hispanic Family Day

HIV Vaccine Awareness Day

International AIDS Candlelight Memorial

International Day for Women in Maritime

International Museum Day [also 9.18]

Let’s Get Creative Day

Magtymguly Day (a.k.a. Revival, Unity & Poetry Day; Turkmenistan)

Mother Whistler Day

Mount Saint Helens Day

Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day (Sri Lankan Tamils)

National AAPI Day Against Bullying

National Brock Day

National CASA/GAL Volunteer’s Day

National Fascination of Plants Day

National Haitian Soul Snatching Day

National HIV Vaccine Awareness Day

National Kids Ignite Good! Day

National Marvin Day

National Speech Pathologist Day

National Stress Awareness Day

National Tenant's Day

No Dirty Dishes Day

Rooster Day

Send An Electronic Greeting Card Day

Teacher’s Day (Syria)

Victory Day (Sri Lanka)

Visit Your Relatives Day

World AIDS Vaccine Day

World Catholic Education Day

World Goodwill Day

World Hollandia Dairy Day (Nigeria)

World Homocystinurias Awareness Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

I Love Reese’s Day

National Bento Day

National Cheese Soufflé Day

National Cocktail Day (Portugal)

National Marshmallow Day (Australia)

Wild Mustard Day (French Republic)

3rd Thursday in May

Brown Bag It Thursday [3rd Thursday]

Global Accessibility Awareness Day [3rd Thursday]

Hummus Day [3rd Thursday]

International Vyshyvanka Day [3rd Thursday]

National Apéritif Day [3rd Thursday]

National Notebook Day [3rd Thursday]

Independence Days

Shorewell (Declared; 2016) [unrecognized]

Somaliland (from Somalia, 1991) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury (Christian; Saint)

Apollon Day (Old Roman Festival to Apollo, God of Music, Poetry & Sunlight)

Ascension Day [39 Days after Easter, 40th Day of Easter] (a.k.a. …

Father's Day (Germany)

Feast of the Ascension

Festa della Sensa (Venice)

Global Day of Prayer (Western Christianity)

Heroes' Day (Romania)

Holy Thursday

Sheep Festival (Cameroon)

Eric IX, King of Sweden (Christian; Saint)

Felix of Cantalice (Christian; Saint)

Festival of Faunus (Ancient Rome)

Festival of Pan (Ancient Greece)

Gertrude Käsebier (Artology)

John I, Pope (Christian; Saint)

Leonard Nimoy Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

The Letter Tree (Muppetism)

Papinian (Positivist; Saint)

Potamon (Christian; Saint)

Russell’s Teapot Day (Pastafarian)

Theodotus (Christian; Saint) [innkeepers]

Venantius of Camerino (Christian; Saint)

Vor’s Blot (Pagan)

Yom Yerushalayim begins (Jerusalem Day; Israel) [Iyar 28]

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Fortunate Day (Pagan) [19 of 53]

Lucky Day (Philippines) [30 of 71]

Sensho (先勝 Japan) [Good luck in the morning, bad luck in the afternoon.]

Tycho Brahe Unlucky Day (Scandinavia) [24 of 37]

Premieres

Baptism, by Lenny Kravitz (Album; 2004)

Book Club (Film; 2018)

Buddy’s Lost World (WB LT Cartoon; 1935)

Bus Stop, recorded by The Hollies (Song; 1966)

Cadillac Man (Film; 1990)

Deadpool 2 (Film; 2018)

Dracula, by Bram Stoker (Novel; 1897)

Enter Talking, by Joan Rivers (Memoir; 1986)

First Family, by David Baldacci (Novel; 2009)

French Connection II (Film; 1975)

The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood (Novel; 1986)

The House of the Rising Sun, recorded by The Animals (Song; 1964)

Millennium, by the Backstreet Boys (Album; 1999)

Moulin Rouge! (Film; 2001)

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (Film; 2011)

Pop Life, by Bananarama (Album; 1991)

Shrek (Animated Film; 2001)

Shrek the Third (Animated Film; 2007)

State of Play (UK TV Mini-Series; 2003)

Warren Zevon, by Warren Zevon (Album; 1976)

You Ought to Be in Pictures (WB LT Cartoon; 1940)

Today’s Name Days

Erich, Erika, Felix, Johannes (Austria)

Feliks, Ivan, Srećko, Venancije (Croatia)

Nataša (Czech Republic)

Erik (Denmark)

Eeri, Eerik, Eero, Ergi, Ergo, Erich, Erik, Erki, Erko (Estonia)

Eerik, Eerika, Eerikki, Eero, Erkka, Erkki (Finland)

Éric (France)

Erich, Erika, Felix, Johannes (Germany)

Faeini, Galateia, Ioulia, Julia (Greece)

Alexandra, Erik (Hungary)

Enrico, Erico, Giovanni, Luciano, Venanzio, Veneziano (Italy)

Cindija, Ēriks, Inese, Inesis (Latvia)

Erdvilas, Erikas, Julita, Rytė, Venancijus (Lithuania)

Eirik, Erik, Erika (Norway)

Aleksander, Aleksandra, Alicja, Edwin, Eryk, Eryka, Feliks, Irina, Liboriusz, Myślibor, Wenancjusz (Poland)

Teodot (România)

Viola (Slovakia)

Claudia, Félix (Spain)

Erik (Sweden)

Rosalia, Rose (Ukraine)

Aric, Eric, Erica, Erich, Erick, Ericka, Erik, Erika, Perry (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 138 of 2024; 227 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 4 of week 20 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Huath (Hawthorn) [Day 5 of 28]

Chinese: Month 3 (Bing-Chen), Day 29 (Bing-Zi)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 27 Iyar 5783

Islamic: 27 Shawwal 1444

J Cal: 17 Bīja; Threesday [17 of 30]

Julian: 5 May 2023

Moon: 1%: Waning Crescent

Positivist: 26 Caesar (5th Month) [Papinian]

Runic Half Month: Ing (Expansive Energy) [Day 9 of 15]

Season: Spring (Day 60 of 90)

Zodiac: Taurus (Day 29 of 30)