#axel. axel. we’ve been mutuals for two years

[evergardenwall]

Just found out youre fr*nch (derogatory) . Cringe /j /j /j

LMAOWDSWXKSJDJFSJFBJNK you didn’t know????

[galadrieljones]

The Lily Farm - Chapter 24

Formerly A Funeral.

Fandom: Red Dead Redemption 2 | Pairing: Arthur x Mary Beth | Rating: Mature

Content: Existential Angst, Friendship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Nature, Touch-Starved, Humor, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Angst, Violence, Hurt/Comfort, Fake Marriage, Epiphanies, Backstory, Banter, Deep Emotions, Sharing a Bed, Swimming, Arthur to the Rescue, Forests, Abduction, Angst, Heavy Angst, Mutual Pining, Friends to Lovers, Sexual Content, Sexual Themes, Adult Content, Canon Divergence, Found Families, Brotherhood, Fatherhood, pregnancy, Drug Use, Past Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Protective Arthur, Minor John Marston/Abigail Roberts

Summary: To help her process Sean’s death, Mary Beth asks Arthur to take her on a hunting trip, somewhere far away. He agrees, and on their journey to the north, they find quietude and take comfort in their easy bond. They’ve been friends for a while now, but life, like the wilderness, is full of uncertainty and complications, and in their desperate search for meaning together, they endure a number of trials, some small, some big, all of which bring them closer to one another, as well as to their future. But they’ve fallen in love during hard times. With the gang tipping dangerously close to a breaking point in a changing world, Arthur must make a difficult choice. Can he escape the past, as well as the outlaw life and start over, building a family of his own? With Mary Beth by his side, one thing is certain: redemption and second chances finally seem within his grasp.

***For the rest of this story, you can visit the masterpost or AO3, both linked in the replies to this post and also at my blog ^_^***

Chapter 24: The Heartlands

In any case, I have grown tired in ways I cannot rightly explain.

I’m not sure what might have happened to Kieran. Most likely, he ended up out on a fishing trip, or a gallavant that simply extended beyond his original intentions. Diana could have spooked and tossed his ass and hightailed it back to camp without him. It could be anything. Mary Beth wants to come along and I had no choice but to let her. I ain’t her father. And I know she can do okay in a whole host of situations, but if it comes to shooting I don’t know. She may be a damn good conwoman and a savvy pickpocket, but she ain’t no killer. I love her. I’d do anything to keep her safe, and in any case, I guess I’m just afraid. I can’t shake that part of myself. I fear it will always be there—after everything. She knows it. I just don’t know how to protect her and how to keep making this life work no more. And Jesus Christ I have been so careless. We’ve been. Careless. I don’t know why. It just feels right, letting go inside her like nature running its course, like the way it’s supposed to be but shit. If she gets pregnant while we’re still here, toiling in this war of ours…I’m right terrified. I don’t know what to do. I should’ve said no to Dutch, and yet, I did not. Hosea was right, as usual. I need to use my goddam head.

I just always want to believe. I’ve been so blinded by my desire to just…please Dutch. It ain’t fair no more. I’m still out on this limb, and now Mary Beth is out here with me. And if we keep making it like we do, soon it’ll be an innocent among us and I ain’t letting no more of my own blood spill into the earth. I ain’t doing that. Not again.

Dutch thinks we can get money out of this Bronte fellow. He talked to me about it last night, after that fool’s party we attended. Something about a trolley station. A poker game on a goddam river boat. I see things differently, and Mary Beth confirmed my suspicions. Of course, she did it with intelligence and grace, whereas my thoughts tend to come out as gravy these days. Mary Beth was a sight to see with Bronte. Once again she’s proven she’s too good for me, and yet here we are. We’re getting married. Still ain’t told no one—not sure why. It just don’t feel right yet to make a big deal. But I do know that it ain’t like last time. It ain’t Mary. Mary could not commit to huge parts of me, my life. With her, I was a fool. But Mary Beth’s love for me feels…honest. It’s for the right reasons. She is loyal to me. I don’t know what I have done to deserve this bounty she brings, but I ain’t letting it get away.

We are setting out to find the O’Driscoll boy as soon as this storm clears. It rains so goddam much down in this hellhole state I have forgotten what season it is. It’s perpetually the hottest it’s ever been, and I will say, I miss the fresh air to the north. She does, too.

They rode out of Shady Belle at about four o’clock. It was later than Arthur had hoped for, as this meant they would most definitely be gone into the night, but putting things off would have been worse. The rain had brought a chill to the air that made everybody uncomfortable. It was a damp chill. Mary Beth wore a brown leather scout jacket with an ornamental purple tether around the waist. It had a hood, which she kept fashioned over her tightly braided hair. Arthur outfitted her with that same shotgun from their trip to the north and a whole shitload of slugs. She wanted the gun, and it was the right choice. But once again he told her: “Do not use that gun unless you absolutely must. Understood?” by which he meant: “Do not use that gun unless you have reason to believe that I have died or will soon be dead and cannot defend you no more. Understood?”

Charles led the way to Rhodes. It was easy business, tracking Kieran at first. The clouds had gone on and most of the the townspeople were back outside and about their business. It looked like a big wind had come in and blown over a carriage full of feed corn right outside the train station. A couple of working boys were hustling to pick it all up, but the axel on their carriage was broken, and the the job looked too big for just the two of them. Arthur and Charles gave them a hand while Mary Beth went to the saloon to inquire upon whether anyone had seen a young man fitting Kieran’s description.

“He’s got long brown hair, to his shoulders,” she said, “a little scraggly, about this tall, has a scratchy voice. He would have been wearing a straw type hat, cowboy boots, dressed like a rancher, riding an Ardennes. He’s twenty years old.”

“May I inquire upon how you know the young man?”

“He’s my brother, sir. Been missing from our ranch in Scarlet Meadows for three days. Mama and I can’t make ends meet without him.”

The bartender was taken with Mary Beth. He did not even require payment for his information as he wiped down a glass with his linen towel. “I think I seen a boy like that,” he said, leaning in on his elbow. “Was in here two nights ago, waiting out the storm. Sat by himself, caused no trouble. Ordered a glass of milk.”

"That’s him,” she said. “Did he say anything about where he was headed?”

“No, ma’am,” said the bartender, topping off her glass of rose. “But toward the end of the night, a couple boys crowded him in the booth, right over there. They all left together. It was sudden.”

This was alarming to Mary Beth. “Do you know who they was?”

“Didn’t talk like they was from around here,” said the bartender. “Yankees. I heard one of them mention that they was headed in from Riggs Station, way out in West Elizabeth, if that helps.”

“It does,” said Mary Beth. “Thank you, sir. Thank you so much.” She finished her wine and left a generous tip. He tried to talk her out of it, but she insisted. She then went to wait for the boys in a booth at the front of the saloon. It took about ten minutes before they arrived, and she told them all about her findings.

“He said it was Yankees?” said Arthur, smoking, sitting next to her, wearing his hat with the pretty brown feather.

“Yes,” she said. “Said they crowded him and left all of a sudden.”

Arthur glanced across the table to Charles who became apprehensive.

“You think it’s O’Driscolls?” said Arthur.

“Sounds about right,” said Charles.

“What would they doing in Lemoyne?”

“Could be they tracked us here, after that nasty shootout with the Grays, then ran into Kieran by mistake, maybe took advantage of an unlucky circumstance.”

Arthur swore under his breath, looked around, smoked. Then he looked back at Mary Beth. “Mary Beth, I think Charles and I ought to finish this one alone.”

“What?” she said. “No. I got the information. I’m coming.”

“It ain’t safe,” he said. “I’ll ride with you back to camp.”

“How do you know it ain’t safe?”

“Because I just do,” he said. “I got a bad feeling. And my bad feelings got a bad habit of coming true.”

“He’s right, Mary Beth,” said Charles. “If it is O’Driscolls, there is bound to be bloodshed.”

"I ain’t scared,” said Mary Beth.

Arthur shook his head, serious. “Please,” he said. “This ain’t for you. Let me take you back.”

She stared at him in defiance. “You know what else ain’t for me?” she said. “Hitting a man over the head with a frying pan, saving your life. Or getting carried off by Murfree Brood in a thunderstorm. Or shooting a wolf mother in the face.”

Arthur sighed.

“What’s she talking about?” said Charles.

Arthur ignored him. “You near on shot me with that gun of yours in a panic,” he said to Mary Beth. “You’ll be in danger. These boys, they ain’t no turtles in the marsh.”

“Oh please. I didn’t shoot you,” she said. “I listened to you. Granted it took me a moment. But I can listen.”

Arthur shook his head. He didn’t mean to, but all this made her feel small. “I don’t know,” he said.

“Please, Arthur. I can’t sit back at Shady Belle, just waiting on you. I can’t. Don’t make me.”

There was a commotion then, as two people walked into the saloon, coming through the doors with gusto. At first, Arthur didn’t know what was going on, but then he recognized their faces right quick. “What the hell?”

“Dutch and Sadie?” said Mary Beth standing up to see. “What are they doing here?”

“Only the lord knows,” said Arthur, getting up to tip his hat and address them. “To what do we owe this fine pleasure?”

“Sit down, Arthur,” said Dutch, pushing in next to Charles. He was looking serious. “We need to talk.”

Arthur glanced at Mary Beth. She was apprehensive. A hush came on down between them all like a big old curtain. Then Arthur looked at Charles who had stuffed a fat wad of dipping tobacco into his lower lip, and he was spitting said dip into a wine glass, and he shrugged.

“What’s going on?” said Arthur. He pulled up a chair. Sadie gave him a polite but serious nod and sat down in the booth next to Mary Beth. She was wearing a tough yellow blouse that made her look like a cowgirl.

“Sadie here tells me that Diana showed up at camp this afternoon without her rider,” said Dutch, real quiet.

“That’s right,” said Arthur, lighting a cigarette. “Kieran’s missing.”

“How long.”

“He went missing a few days back,” said Arthur. “Day of the storm. We’ve tracked him through here, all the way out to West Elizabeth—near Riggs Station. Mary Beth here got the information. We think it’s probably O’Driscolls.”

“Good work, Miss Gaskill,” said Dutch, nodding. This made her feel tremendous pride. “And, Arthur, it is O’Driscolls, but it ain’t just O’Driscolls, boy, and that is the reason we are here.”

Arthur smoked. “I don’t catch your meaning.”

“It’s Colm.”

Everybody straightened up. Dutch had his whole, massive hands splayed out on the surface of the table in front of him. The room became heavy and distant all around them. Dutch had a way of doing this, making any and every space into his own.

“Colm himself?” said Arthur, shifting in his seat. “How do you figure that?”

“Because,” said Dutch, staring down at those hands. “The last time a horse showed up to my camp without its rider, it was in Denver, Colorado, and it was Annabelle’s.” Then he looked up at Mary Beth, looking sad in the low light from the saloon. It was a strange sight to see. “A pretty little spotted Apaloosa, just like yours, Miss Gaskill.”

“Annabelle?” said Mary Beth.

“That’s right.”

“You think this is a trap, Dutch?” said Arthur, tense. “You think it’s Colm, trying to lure you in again?”

Dutch puffed up. “I don’t know. But this certainly ain’t no coincidence. We ride. Tonight.”

Arthur became tense. “I ain’t riding the women into no trap, Dutch.”

“Calm down, Arthur,” said Dutch. “We don’t know what we’re dealing with just yet. For now, we’ll get as far as the Heartlands and make camp. Tomorrow morning, we head into West Elizabeth and…see what we can see. Sadie and Mary Beth can be of use to us. They can get information where we cannot. Comprende?” He looked around to wide gestures of agreement.

Arthur hesitated, but he eventually played along, sighing, finishing his cigarette and tossing it to the floor where it burned out into black.

Riding out, for a long time, it was silence. The sun started to melt off over the horizon at some point, and the air got crisper, and there were coyotes, it seemed, everywhere, and wild horses hustling out to the coast. Around the time they they were passing through Scarlet Meadows, Mary Beth rode up beside Arthur and asked him to hang back. Arthur obliged. They slowed considerably, making sure they could still see the rest of the group up ahead, but far enough behind to stay out of earshot.

“Arthur,” she said after a little while. The air was purple. It was getting past dusk now as they crested into the Heartlands. Soon, they’d need to make camp.

Arthur wouldn’t meet her eyes. “What is it, Mary Beth.”

“I know you don’t want me here.”

This broke him. He shook his head. He felt bad. “That ain’t it, Mary Beth. Of course I want you here. I always want you here.”

“Okay,” she said, looking around with her hood up. She looked sweet and kind. She looked like his girl. “Then I know you’re freaking out.”

“Excuse me?”

“We don’t even know what we’re up against yet,” she said. “Just give me a chance. You were willing to do that a few weeks ago, when we left for our hunting trip. What’s changed?”

“You know what’s changed,” he said, looking at her, lowering his voice. “I took a leap. I landed on my feet, somehow, and now I’m looking around, and I see us going backwards.”

“Arthur—”

He took a deep breath, looking down at his hands on the reins. “We ain’t been thinking.”

“How do you mean?”

“I mean, we got real deep, real fast, before we paved our exit. Putting you in danger, with so much goddam uncertainty? It’s making me crazy, Mary Beth. And Dutch, well.” Arthur laughed, cynically, under his breath. “Well he’s making me crazy, too. First that god forsaken party, Angelo Bronte, and now all this nonsense about Colm O’Driscoll. He ain’t even explained what the hell he’s going on about yet. Just expects we ride along with him, and look at us, doing exactly as we’re told. I’m a goddam fool.”

“You’re talking in code, Arthur,” said Mary Beth, pulling Watson up a little closer. “What the hell are you saying?”

“I don’t know,” he said, shaking his head. “I just—”

“You said you talked to John,” she said. “Last night, before we went to sleep. Has he made up his mind?”

“Yes.” Arthur nodded. “They’re in. He’s just waiting on me.”

“Good,” she said. “He should be. You know what to do, Arthur. You need to stop second-guessing yourself. And try to just…breathe. I wanna get outta here, too. You know I do. But we gotta get Kieran back. He’s put in his time, and his heart. He’s one of us, and we owe him this. And you gotta deal with Dutch, Arthur. We can’t—there’s too much at stake.”

“I know,” he said. He closed his eyes, thinking. “I just—I know I’m talking nonsense, Mary Beth, but the more time we spend, heming and hawing in the swamps, the more foreboding the feeling in my gut. Like, the longer we wait around, the closer we get to the end. I can feel it. And riding out with you tonight, it’s bringing all that to the surface.”

“The end of what?” she said, watching him in the coming darkness. “What are we getting to the end of, Arthur?”

Arthur sighed. He shook his head again and again, staring off into the darkening path ahead where Dutch rode his pretty white horse at the helm. “Everything,” he said, real low and mean. He looked at her. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to remember what it felt like to be free. “Come on,” he said, opening his eyes again, picking up the pace a little. “We can talk more later. I’m good with you being here, I just—I need you to listen me, okay?” he said, switching gears, looking at her. “Whatever happens, Mary Beth, when we get wherever it is we’re headed, I need you to listen to me and listen to what I say to you.”

“Okay,” she said, earnest.

“I’m serious,” he said. “And I ain’t saying this because you’re a woman, and not because I love you and I’m terrified that something might happen to you. Or, maybe that second one, just a little, but mostly I’m saying this because you ain’t never been out on a job like this before. Because you’re a rookie, and I’m your lieutenant, and I need you to do what I say when I say it, or else we ain’t standing a chance. You understand?”

“Yes,” she said, becoming eager. “I understand.”

“Good,” he said, and he gave her a strong nod, and then he led the way out ahead so they could catch up with the rest of the gang.

She felt validated by his pep talk. He didn’t altogether know how much she aimed to be strong.

They rode till they found a good valley to camp in south of the Heartlands, not far from the lake. The scenery, even in darkness, reminded Mary Beth of Clemens Point. She became full to the brim with sadness and nostalgia. She almost started crying. The romance of it all, its highness and mighty feelings, had started wearing off, and now it was just her and Arthur, and she looked at him, stoking their fire, and she felt such love in her heart so as to help her do anything. Such fortitude. But everything seemed much easier when they were up at Deer Cottage, all alone in what had felt like a primitive world.

At some point Dutch Arthur and Charles grouped up beneath a nearby tree smoking and discussing their manly options for the next day. Sadie and Marybeth were aced out of this conversation, left to their own devices at the fire where Sadie was cleaning her sawed-off, and Mary Beth was making them a batch of whiskey tea.

"What do you think they’re talking about?" said Sadie.

"Who knows," said Marybeth.

"Fucking egos," said Sadie, looking crass. "The only reason Dutch brought me along was because I made a goddamn stink in front of everyone. For such a drama queen, he sure don’t like it when others cause a fuss."

Mary Beth laughed. "I know what you mean," she said. "You want some tea?"

"Sure," said Sadie.

Together they sat, by the fire, sipping their tea and looking at their boots. Sadie drew real quiet. She held her cup with two hands, looking down into it like it was no tomorrow. She took it down in three gulps. Mary Beth offered her some more. Sadie nodded and held out her cup.

“I hate this damn Heartlands country,” said Sadie. "It smells like fish and buffalo shit. Where are you from Mary Beth?

"Kansas," send Mary Beth.

"Do you miss it?"

"Not really."

"Why not?"

Mary Beth took a long drink of her whiskey tea. It was strong and dark and tasted good. "Too many reminders," she said.

Sadie laughed to herself, sounding resigned. “I hear that."

Mary Beth looked up at the wide open sky. The clouds had exited. The stars we’re bright and swimming like fishes. “Why did you want to come anyway?” she said.

Sadie swallowed down that second cup of whiskey tea. She set down the cup and went back to cleaning her gun, polishing it with a dirty linen rag. At first, she didn’t say anything. She just sat there, sullen with her eyes downturned. But sooner or later she spoke.

“I ain’t ever known a man as good as my Jakey,” she said, subdued. “Colm O’Driscoll took him away from me. I want my revenge.”

She said this with such clarity of mind. Such purity of darkness inside her. Mary Beth could feel the whole world narrowing around them, becoming a tornado, crushing into the walls ahead. She sighed. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I can’t even begin to understand what you been through.”

Sadie looked up, surprised. She ceased cleaning that gun. “Sure you can,” she said.

“What do you mean?”

“You been in love,” said Sadie. “If somebody shot Arthur dead and left his body for wild animals to come and scavenge in the middle of a fuckin snowstorm, wouldn’t you do anything to watch them burn?”

Mary Beth got quiet after this. She was listening to the crickets. She looked down at her freckled hands, and then she closed her eyes.

Sadie swore under her breath. She seemed filled with remorse by what she'd said. She realized it was unforgivable. She set down her gun and leaned forward with her elbows resting on her knees. She dropped her chin to her chest. “Fuck, I’m sorry, Mary Beth,” she said. She placed her hand on Mary Beth’s hand, just for a second. “I shouldn’t have said that. I just get so…mean sometimes. Without him.” She kind of sniffled, looked away like she was crying. “So angry. It makes me say and do terrible things.”

“It’s okay,” said Mary Beth. “You don't have to explain.”

“It ain’t okay,” said Sadie, wiping her tears on the back of her hand. “After Jake, up in Colter, you was nicer to me than anyone. You and Arthur, I mean. And here I am, scaring you and making you feel bad.”

“You ain’t. I promise.”

Then she pulled herself together and looked back at Mary Beth with a whole lot of resolve in her face. “Arthur is strong,” she said. “He’s a survivor. He knows what he’s doing, and he loves you. That much is clear. You got nothing to worry about.”

Mary Beth nodded. She took another long drink of her tea. It was starting to cool.

Together, they watched the boys talking under that tree.

“Is he your first love?” said Sadie, getting dreamy.

Mary Beth smiled. “Mostly,” she said. “I mean, I had puppy love once. With a boy back in Kansas City, but it wasn't nothing like being with Arthur,” she said. She didn’t know how old Sadie was, but she figured she was at least enough older to be able to understand what it was she was saying. “He gets real protective sometimes, you know? But I don’t want him to think I’m weak.”

“He don’t think you’re weak,” said Sadie.

“How do you know?”

“Because he knows you, and you ain’t.”

Mary Beth watched Arthur, smoking, listening to Dutch, flexing his jaw like he was thinking real hard. She nodded, following Sadie’s gist. She was pretty sure she understood.

That night, in their tent in the Heartlands, Arthur and Mary Beth lie side by side with a little lantern lit up by their faces. Mary Beth was reading her Yates while Arthur was drawing something in his journal and chewing on a toothpick. Outside of their tent, it was a quiet world. All was calm except for Charles out by the fire, sharpening his knife.

“What are you drawing?” said Mary Beth after a little while, turning her head to look at Arthur.

He took a deep breath, studied his work. “You,” he said.

It was a surprise. Mary Beth felt herself kind of pluck up and blush furiously. She straightened and closed her book and asked if she could see.

“Sure,” he said.

He showed her.

It was two pictures. One of her eating a peach, wearing a dress, sitting on a blanket by the river. The other one was her with that shotgun, shooting a turtle. She laughed. “Arthur!” she said, wacking him on the shoulder. “Not the turtle again.”

He laughed, too. “What’s wrong with the turtle?” he said. “I like that turtle. I like that day. I don’t wanna forget.”

“Me neither,” she said, gazing up at him. She felt that whole host of romantic dreams returning to her. Then she kissed him, getting breathless.

[puppyrogue]

//I guess this is a ‘Good Bye’ ?

** THIS MIGHT BE A BIT OVERDRAMATIC (until we know for sure how this is gonna go)... BUT, I JUST WANTED IT TO BE POSTED, JUST IN CASE.**

I live in Europe, and you guys might’ve seen this post flying around.. 

   Which means I might, along with my fellow European role players, have our content deleted...? And won’t be able to see any content from you, either.

   So... if/before this happens, I wanted to Thank You All, from the bottom of my heart for following me, interacting with me, having great threads and making wonderful friends through these years. It really means a lot to me and I will remember all of you, forever. And have memories of our times here. (I might save everything, print it out and keep in in a safe lmao WHAT A CRIMINAL)

I’ve role played Axel for about... well, it’s close to 5 years now. It’s insane. It’s been a great ride..   some ups and downs, like everyone has, but happily mostly Amazing times.

Some of you have followed me– we’ve been mutuals since day One. And I just want to say, I love you and thank you for sticking around, even though we might not have played much together, or at all. Just reading each others interactions has been great and you are all doing such a great job, I hope you know that. Be proud of your character, and your work.

I’m really not good with good bye’s... fucking.. separation anxiety. But I’d like to Highlight some people that have been an honor to play with and some that I have absolutely adored just stalked throughout these years. (this is in no particular order, I love each and everyone of you ♥ And I wish I could write something about everyone of you, but... I don’t know if I have time. I might be shut down at any second and this point hah!)

@samscudder – You’re the most amazing artist, amazing writer and story teller. You have an incredible imagination and I hope you continue to use that fantastic mind of yours. You’re a great person, friend. Honest, fair, smart and kind. And you’ve had such patience with me, and the way I’ve portrayed Axel. When it’s not have been nowhere near Canon, you’ve been OK with that, or given me feedback to help and you’ve taught me a lot of things I didn’t know, you’ve helped me and answered the most stupid questions, and I just fucking love you. ♥ 

@roguette-skater – We started playing pretty early in my DC Comics years, when I had just started to read the Flash comics and fell in love with the Rogues, and Axel. I was impatient and made a rp blog without having enough knowledge about this little brat, but you were fine with it. And for that, I’m very very grateful. I was new to OC’s but reading your character Louise, I was just amazed by her and instead of having her and Axel ‘meet for the first time’, went with that they had basically grown up together. I regret nothing. It’s an amazing sibling relationship and I thank you for creating such a wonderful character. And thank you for letting me play with you. ♥

@i-still-quote-twain – I want to, of course, Thank you as well for letting me play with you. And apologize for have bothering you so much with my damn obsession that is Mark/Axel. Also thank you for it. The artwork you created of them is my absolute favorite piece and I want to thank you for tagging me in it. It means a lot that you took some of your time and energy to draw it. I didn’t even know that you were, but it was hiiiiighly appreciated and thank you thank you thank you. It’s been an amazing time, and amazing, funny, emotional threads we’ve had and I have adored every single one. I hope you have too! ♥ 

@perfectedrobin – Dan.. Dan, dan, dan...      I don’t know what more to say than a sincere Fuck You.

Hahaha!

Nah,   You are like...    I don’t remember how we started talking, but when we did, we just clicked. That sounds so romantic wtf.  hey if I get a dick will u date me

 I love the “hateful”-playful-sarcastic-friendship kind of thing.. and we have that. (Or maybe you do hate me. The fuck do I know.)  But anyway, Damian and Axel. The hell is all that about. It all started with a joke, and then the joke became more of a joke and it became a hot fucking joke. I love it. It’s not what I usually like for Ax, him having his fucking Daddy Kink and all.. but Damian and Axel, their impossible fantastic duo, as ..friends??? and two dudes, opposite side of law and morals, but still not that different at all, working together... it’s perfect. It’s been a fucking pleasure, man. ♥

@exrogue – Bells, the Shane to my Ryan. Digger couldn’t have been portrayed this well by anyone else, in my mind. Holy fuck, dude. Your writing and your portray of the damn drunk is A+ in every category and when we first started writing together, I was a nervous wreck, but you turned out to be just as strange of a fellow as I am and boiiiii  we need to hang someday. I’ll come down, alright. We should do some ghost hunting, bruh. Wheeze around a little bit. We should bring @i-still-quote-twain as well. Unsolved Fan, there too. It’d be great. And you could laugh at me being the more ridiculous kind of Ryan than Ryan. Imagine that.       Anyways... Thank you for putting up with my shit ♥

@one-rogue-army – Gosh, your writing and your character and amazing development of him and mine! It’s been such a great time writing with you. A lot of Ax’s character development has been thanks to Tony, and I’m really glad you wanted to play with me. Humor and Angst, it’s two of my favorites, and you’ve given me both!  Don’t ever change, because you are one of the kindest people I have ever had the pleasure to meet. ♥ @mamasbvy – Yo, yo, yooooo...   Boii, have I loved playing with you... I wouldn’t have dreamed of Axel getting some actual loving and from someone who truly means his best. I am absolutely stunned by your character and I wish he was real, because damn, son. D a n g.   Thank you, for everything. These two has it all, and that is exactly what they need. Your writing is inspiring and I hope you keep it up, because it really pulls you in to the story. I will love this ship and carve it into the wood of my own casket.     Wow that’s bizarre but I love you, and again thank you ♥

@queryxecho – THE MOMS TO MY BOY. You’ve given me such jooooooooy to play Axel and to have him play son around your girls. He has really appreciated their help, toys, their caring and scolding, everything. And I have really appreciated chatting with you, having great times and discussed important and not so important things in life. It’s been amazing. You are amazing. ♥

 –  Now, like I said, I can’t write down a Love Confession Letter to each and everyone of you, but I am just as happy, grateful and honored to have seen you guys on my dash, and written with you and stalked your blogs with a heart eyes emoji face. Thank you. Thank you and Thank you so much for giving me these memories. 

♥ such babes ♥

@flashgotthis @darkmeditation @justakansasboy @fasterthansupes @fastestboyalive @impawsiblegar @tinytrickster @thisisntaruba @mr-riddler @promiisekept @legionrunner @blxckisblxck @atlantisking @aquarad @elextrospeed @erogues @aequitcs @blowhardking @comiiics @chosexearth @corvidamned @dawnofspeed @dcficit @dcnouncepcnguin @foolish-pleasure @goldieglider @greenlizardboy @halfspeeds @impulsiveycuth @jester-of-genocide @junglebcrn @lucklessprincess @lessthanmortal @nctaredshirt @rudolphwest @reluctant-reflection @redxeyedxmonster @sclsticed @speedyarrowed @smallspooky @strsmore @titansinmycrosshairs @theredwonder @weather-warlock @yellowskinnedwackyman @young-justice-newbies      I apologize so much if I have forgotten anyone, I follow many blogs, and so many of you have multiple blogs, too and you fricckkiinn confuse me btchez. I have only tagged one of your blogs, though, I hope that is ok ♥  

                Again, Thank you... ♥   I hope things will get better and I, together with the rest that this concerns, will be able to come back someday.

      Have a great life and do what you dream of doing! Don’t let people bring you down, and if they do, climb the fuck up again, baby! ♥ 

See ya’ later, Snuggle Bugs! ♥   

           –  Fox out ~

[creamypudding]

Chapter 2/3

Title: Bridging the Gap Between You and I Fandom: Kingdom Hearts - Modern AU Pairing: Axel/Roxas Chapter Rating: Mature

Summary: Roxas is the gatekeeper of the courthouse car park. Axel is a daily customer and the highlight of Roxas’ day. Little does he know he is also the highlight of Axel’s.

Chapter 2 - Of Lawyers, Rings, and Other Strange Things

Axel didn't show up for work on Monday, but he called Roxas to let him know everything was fine and that he was booking himself in to see someone. Roxas wasn't completely worry-free but he smiled every time Axel messaged or called him, which seemed to be at least once a day for a week.

The next thing that happened was that Axel ended up coming over on Saturday and they hung out together, watching movies and playing video games. It went a long way to make Roxas feel on equal footing with Axel. The worry about Roxas not being able to match up to Axel's brilliance got chipped away with each laugh they shared or mutual interest they discovered.

Axel was so damn cute and silly which just about melted Roxas’ heart. The man had found Roxas’ stress ball gavel from the work-welcome-package and had spent the evening pretending to be a judge and sentencing all the vegetables and meats to death as he handed them to Roxas, who was preparing dinner.

Axel stayed the night and they kept each other up a long while, talking about insignificant things but also about more meaningful things too. Axel grilled Roxas about his inadequacies when it came to them being friends. Roxas mentioned Axel’s job status again as reason and then Axel went a long way to downplay his degree and the amount of smarts it took to pass it and sit a bar exam. He insisted that this was the only difference between them and when Roxas voiced his disbelief Axel took a different tact and started insisting that it was probably only because their lived experience was different and Axel had five years on Roxas.

Roxas decided to agree with Axel, because it was nice how hard he was trying to make Roxas feel better. He also appreciated the way their limbs occasionally brushed together as they were sitting on either end of Roxas’ small sofa.

Roxas wasn't sure how he felt about the knowledge that Axel liked him a little bit too and that there could be something between them if circumstances had been different. He cursed himself once more for not having spoken up sooner. He could have been a friend to Axel when the breakup had been happening and then… Roxas let it slide.

They were going to be friends first and foremost and Roxas decided he would respect Axel's wishes as much as possible. So he made up his mind to wait for Axel to bring up relationship talk. Surely Roxas could find the patience within himself somewhere.

The weekend went away too fast and the week felt a bit hollow with Axel nowhere to be seen. But again, the messages reinvigorated Roxas.

The next weekend came and it was Sunday afternoon by the time Roxas heard anything from Axel, and that was a forceful contact which Roxas had agonized over for hours, not knowing whether or not to initiate it.

“Sorry to call you, but I haven't heard from you since Friday night and I thought that a bit unusual, seeing how we’ve talked quite a lot the last two weeks,” Roxas said as Axel picked up his call.

“Sorry,” was the unenthusiastic response.

“Are you okay?” They had exchanged a lot of text messages that past week. Roxas hadn’t thought anything too unusual about Axel's silence… until this moment and that response.

“I’m not in a conversing mood.”

Roxas pressed his lips together. He didn't want to, but he was going to force the issue, “You haven’t answered me. Are you okay?”

A long pause and Roxas knew the answer before Axel eventually said, “No.”

“What’s going on. Please talk to me.”

Keep Reading on Ao3

[statueofsirens]

I make a point of steering the fuck clear of my non-ship tags, but seeing a certain scene get blatantly misread drives me up a wall and makes me want to scream. 

So. 3x01 “Seed” and infamous ‘Carol flirts with Daryl’ scene. Please keep in mind that while I am not a Caryler-er that I am; A massive Daryl fan and a massive Carol fan. I am not making this argument in an attempt to bolster a different ship or attack Caryl shippers. What I’m doing is correcting a misconception about a scene that is so backwards that it makes the angels cry.

For those who want to avoid my on-coming word vomit, I’ll simplify the entire thing right here: This scene was classic one-sided flirting. Key phrasing here being one-sided.

For those who haven’t seen that episode in awhile, I’ll remind them that this was the season 3 premiere. We’re coming into it knowing that about 6-7 months have taken place off screen, and the changes in relationships and interpersonal dynamics are being established in this episode.

Fun fact: I left season 2 convinced that something romantic was going to build between Carol ad Daryl. This episode? This exact scene? This was what made me go “Whoops. Nope. That is not going to be a thing.”

And it all boils down to the fact that Daryl is blatantly uncomfortable for this entire exchange.

Read that again. Absorb it. Blatantly uncomfortable. If you watch this and see him as flirting, I’m genuinely worried about your understanding of human interaction and by proxy, your understanding of consent. (Which is an admittedly big jump, but still relevant.)

Let it be said that I love both sides of this interaction. Carol has finally shed that meek little bird shell she was stuck in after well over a decade in an abusive relationship, and recovering from losing her child. She’s more open and relaxed and playful than we’ve ever seen her. There’s a subtle suggestion in this interaction that this probably isn’t the first time she’s made a pass at Daryl. And hell, who can blame her? She respects and admires him, he’s attractive, and she’s a woman who is reclaiming her personal agency for the first time in years. She’s at a point in her life where she can look at and admire a man without fear of repercussion from her abuser. She’s allowing herself to be selfish and pursue something (or in this case, someone) she wants and do so freely. So during that missing winter, I get the impression she’s made suggestions and flirtations in Daryl’s direction. To the point where it’s almost an in-joke between them, but with that open invitation for him to reciprocate.

But in this scene we see very clearly that Daryl isn’t going to.

When their eyes meet during the shoulder-rub, there’s two kinds of tension. One from Carol that is suggestive, and one from Daryl that is uncomfortable. He immediately drops his hands and backs away. He tries to diffuse the situation before it can head in a direction he’s not looking for. But then Carol makes that totally-joking-unless-you-want-to proposition and you can pretty much see that moment he goes ‘Ah fuck, I was trying to avoid this.’ Still though, he laughs it off and she laughs with him. She’s ready to tease him but not push.

And she does tease him. He gets exasperated but not angry. Hell, if it had been daylight I’m sure he would have been blushing scarlet. Once again it’s been reduced to a joke. Making it into a joke makes it easier for Daryl to handle than having to outright tell her that he isn’t interested. And Carol, who I have no doubt was very interested at the time, was willing to concede to that.

Note that after that scene? She doesn’t flirt with him anymore. She teases him and is affectionate and every wonderful thing, but she stops directly flirting with him. That scene was a taste of the relationship we didn’t see during the missing winter and it was a closure to it. They were wrapping that part of the relationship up and leaving it behind. Basically Carol gave it one last go, probably because they had genuine safety for the first time, and it was the last attempt to see if he’d reciprocate her interest. And he didn’t.

Honestly I think that’s why we later saw Axel’s crush on her. Whether or not Carol had any interest in reciprocating we will never know, but it was obvious she enjoyed the attention. It was a direct contrast to her relationship with Daryl, where we got to see the flip side. Carol got to feel sexy and interesting and desirable from a man who genuinely was interested in her even if she might not have felt anything more than friendship towards him.

So yeah. Please don’t disservice the scene by trying to claim it was mutually flirtatious. It wasn’t. Even as an at the time wanna-be shipper I recognized that immediately, and if you do think it is, I really think you need to re-watch it without shipper goggles on. Sexualizing and using a character’s discomfort as ship-fodder is just gross.

[yuurisolympicgold]

Yuuri Week 2017, Day 2: Friends and Family Title: Worth Your Weight In Platinum Characters: Katsuki Yuuri, Nishigori Takeshi, Nishigori Yuuko. Pairing: Gen. Genres/Tags: Friendship, Anxiety, Depression, Pre-Canon, Canon Compliant. Rating/Warnings: G/None. Summary: Before Victor Nikiforov, there had only been Yuuko.

Yuuri didn’t really regret his decision to leave home. Some days it felt like the worst idea he’d ever had. Then there were the days after he had a good practice; or didn’t flub a jump he’d struggled with, when he thought maybe his goals weren’t so lofty after all. That not only would he be able to skate on the same level as Victor someday, he might even beat him.

Then maybe he could convince himself every choice he’d made hadn’t been for nothing. That when he could return home, he’d have something good to show his family and friends. To prove to them the sacrifices they made allowing him to keep competing hadn’t been in vain.

Those thoughts didn’t erase the guilt he felt when he’d left everyone. Notably, he regretted how he’d unwittingly cut ties with his childhood best friend.

Before Victor Nikiforov there had only been Yuuko. She had been his inspiration before he’d known Victor existed. She wouldn’t be the last, but she was his first idol in figure skating. And without that friendship he might’ve not even pursued a career in competitive skating. He wouldn’t have known about Victor... 

On the other hand, he’d never considered himself close with Takeshi. Their relationship was based on their mutual friendship with Yuuko. Even that seemed to change over the years however; the tension gradually lessening between them, the nature of Takeshi’s teasing holding less bite and then one day none at all. It wasn’t until his first competition in Japan after his move to Detroit that he realized their relationship had changed drastically, at some point Yuuri couldn’t determine.

Yuuri supposed he should have suspected something. After his flight landed Takeshi had texted him, inquiring or rather confirming when Yuuri was competing. It was still a shock when the older man showed up at the arena.

Yuuri blinked twice. 

“Nishigori?” He asked as if visual confirmation wasn’t enough. But honestly wasn’t his surprise justified? 

“Why are you—what are you doing here?” He continued to press.

Takeshi shrugged, fixing him with a lopsided grin.

“I heard one of Japan’s youngest celebrities was making his grand return,” He said as he walked up to Yuuri, staying close but still leaving comfortable distance. 

“It’s all over the news, you know,” He continued. “Even weather forecasters are talking about it! They’re anticipating showers of flower crowns and Katsudon XL today.”

Yuuri’s mouth pulled into a pout, but it was only mild irritation he felt when the other man teased him still. Mostly he just didn’t need this before a competition. He had a decent hold on his nerves. For now.

“You don’t have to do that you know,” He replied with a small glare. “And you still haven’t answered my question,” He added.

Takeshi was looking at him differently Yuuri noticed. His eyes skirting his face, gaze dropping down like he was trying to memorize something. His smile had changed too by the time their eyes met again. He... looked fond.

Yuuri swallowed. Takeshi hadn’t really been an annoyance to him in years. He often times felt isolated in Detroit. Now he was back in his home country and one of the last faces he expected to see had greeted him there. It hit Yuuri at once then, just how much he’d missed him; one of his oldest friends.

“I thought I’d see in person how far he’s come. Sometimes television doesn’t do a person justice,” Takeshi said finally.

Yuuri was speechless, the implications of that sentence resonating within him. He didn’t have much time to ponder them however before Takeshi continued.

“The girls wanted to come too,” He added with a bigger grin. “But they’re still too tiny to travel far. They’ll be watching at home though! They’re already big fans of you.”

“They’re—” Yuuri cleared his throat and tried again. “They’re babies.”

Technically they were toddlers, but still...

Takeshi merely shrugged again and Yuuri suddenly felt overwhelmed by emotion. His hands became clammy and he quickly wiped them on his pants. A wave of guilt settled heavily in his chest as he thought of the triplets his friends had so young. He’d seen pictures, but he’d never even met them...

He felt like there was so much to say but didn’t know where to begin. He didn’t know how to begin. It felt like the words were there, but they weren’t the right words so his throat closed up. Instead he remained silent and felt useless for it.

From that point on Takeshi showing up to his local competitions became a normal enough occurrence, as long as the Ice Castle wasn’t too busy. Then came the times when he didn’t come alone.

“Yuuri!!!”

If Yuuri hadn’t been alerted to the familiar squeals, he probably would’ve been knocked on his ass when he was abruptly knocked off center by sudden pressure latched onto one of his knees. Instead he teetered in place and tried to regain his balance, which wasn’t easy when another pair of hands wrapped around his other leg.

“We've been looking all over for you!” The last triplet chimed in. Thankfully she didn’t try to grab onto his legs as well and instead reached up and onto her tiptoes until she could wrap both her chubby little hands around one of his.

“Axel?” He winced a bit as the child in question tightened her hold on him and grinned happily. He then addressed the other two. “Lutz? Loop? What are you doing here? Where are...?”

“I see they found you!”

Yuuri turned as much as he could with three little bodies currently attached to his limbs. Takeshi’s voice always carried, even with the extra bodies crammed into the arena’s lobby. Yuuri was only a bit envious, he had always been soft spoken. 

“Ah. Yes, they did,” He said uneasily and finally found his footing. Of course those efforts were for nothing when Takeshi slung a heavy arm around his shoulders. It had become a familiar gesture between them these days yet it still made Yuuri blush. “Hey, Nishigori...” He greeted.

The triplets, now dressed in similar styles of blue, pink and purple, always managed to pop up out of nowhere and surprise him. No matter how many times Takeshi brought them. They were getting so big now and were at least an inch taller since the last time he’d seen them. They had recently started dressing in colored dresses with matching bows, mostly so other people—especially their favorite skaters—could tell them apart. It had become their signature look.

One time Takeshi pointed out the differentiation between their facial features. Loop had a tiny mole on her chin, Axel’s eyes were just a bit closer together and the brown of her irises was deeper, while Lutz had a faint smattering of freckles on the apples of her cheeks. Yuuri found that easy enough to remember and was able to tell them apart without the color coded attire. The girls had been delighted by that.

The first time Takeshi had brought them along Yuuri had wondered how they even knew so much about him. He didn't think Yuuko and Takeshi would neglect mentioning him, but he’d been away for so long. He would be absent for longer too. Yuuri had asked anyway.

“These three were skating fans from the moment they jumped into the world," Takeshi had answered proudly. “It's in their blood, you know. They’re young, but they have a keen eye for talent and potential. Why wouldn’t they favor you?"

“Besides,” He continued. “They've had all sorts of questions about the 'mystery boy' in all those pictures in Yuuko's phone. We've told them all about us and now video chats aren’t enough. Meeting you in person was long overdue.”

‘Us’ meaning Yuuri, Yuuko and Takeshi. He’d said it so matter of fact back then. Yuuri still had a difficult time believing he was worthy of such honest praise. At present Yuuri asked the other question on his mind. “Where’s Yuuko?”

Takeshi hesitated.

“Oh, she’s tied up at the Ice Castle. She wanted to come of course, but you know how busy it gets this time of year. Booking is a bonifide nightmare. Plus the novice classes have started up. Someone needs to hold down the fort...” He trailed off.

There was nothing dishonest about Takeshi’s answer, but Yuuri still knew he was leaving something out. With a sinking feeling, he knew what that was.

Yuuko was respecting the distance he’d unintentionally put between them. Yuuri hadn’t meant for it to happen, but things changed when they got older. Yuuko lost interest in competitive figure skating and took over more duties at the Ice Castle. Then she got married and had children at a young age. They’d tried to keep in touch after Yuuri’s initial move to Detroit. Between his packed schedule and Yuuko taking on more managerial roles, their once a week video chats gradually tapered and eventually stopped altogether.

Yuuri hadn’t forgotten about her. He’d wanted to make her proud too. Yet he hadn’t even qualified for a Grand Prix Final. He still wanted to reach that level, even though a small voice contrarily reminded him that ranking among the top six skaters in the world was no easy journey. He was still accomplished as he was.

Yuuri found himself sinking into familiar thoughts of regret and guilt when Takeshi spoke up again.

“Well I better get these troublemakers out of here before they harass the other competitors for autographs again!” Takeshi joked as he removed his arm from Yuuri. He gathered the three excited girls within the brackets of his arms, detaching them from Yuuri’s side. “They’re probably hungry too. We'll get out of here and meet up with you later."

“Wait,” Yuuri interjected. Even though Yuuko wasn’t there, the Nishigoris being there meant more to him than Takeshi knew. “You don't have to do that. There’s a place just down the block from here. I can go with you and we can— we can catch up?” He offered, unsure if he was overstepping. He really wanted this. He wanted to know these three girls who so easily treated him like family. Who valued him not just as a skater but a person too. He wanted to get to know Takeshi better. They were both adults now, any ill feelings from their childhood had long been left behind.

Takeshi looked momentarily surprised before treating Yuuri to the biggest grin he’d seen on the older man yet.

“That sounds great! Thanks, Yuuri.”

Before Victor Nikiforov there had only been Yuuko. If it hadn’t been for her he may not have developed the deep love he would always have for the ice. She was the one who introduced him to Victor through his skating in the first place. It hadn’t gone anywhere near the way he used to fantasize, but technically he still got a chance to meet him, compete on the same ice as him.

He’d never forgotten his roots. Sochi couldn’t change that.

Now he was about to return home after five years, with nothing to show for it. That is, nothing but a failed career and a glass heart shattered across the ice in anemic shards, too far and too many to mend. Vicchan wouldn’t be there waiting. There was only a shrine and a memory of someone else he’d neglected in his absence. He was still undecided where to go with his career, he couldn’t stop binge eating, maybe once he got home it would be better if he locked himself away and just...stayed there.

At least then he wouldn’t disappoint anyone else.

Yuuri knew things wouldn’t be the same. Time and distance would have changed his relationship with Yuuko and the familiar closeness they once shared. There were some things that just couldn’t be salvaged. But maybe when he returned they could build something new.

He had an idea. Once upon a time, he and Yuuko had bonded through emulating Victor’s routines. Through just being skating fans together. Maybe that’s how he could fix things too. He’d been practicing Victor’s free skate as a warm-up since the first time he saw it that season. He’d never shown anyone. Celestino didn’t even know about it. Right now he couldn’t think of anyone better to show it to.

Then the tides changed; and it had been Yuuko’s children who technically brought Victor to his doorstep.

Months later when he helped Victor with the choreography for Yuri On Ice and the story he wanted to tell; he thought of many people, including the Nishigori family. He hoped he could convey the love he felt for them through his skating too. That he appreciated every bit of love and support they offered him freely, even before they reconciled. How much it meant when they showed him he didn’t need to win to be worthy in their eyes. Now he was ready to return that same love and devotion.

He’d learned through his friends and family that winning wasn’t everything— they would love him no matter what. To them he wasn't worth his weight in the golds, silvers and bronzes he brought home. He was worth so much more. Now he was ready to move onto the next step. He was ready to skate for himself and his love for the ice. If he won, it would be because of that. From those thoughts he could feel familiar competitiveness flare up again.

They weren’t words, but it was the best he could do right now. He was in a better place than he’d been after Sochi. He didn’t want to be afraid to open up to others anymore. It was an ongoing process, but one day he’d learn how to better use his words.

Then he would tell them their friendship had meant most of all.

[melaniefantastrip]

House sitting our way across Europe

Epsom (England) June 6, 2017 - When we left home last July, we knew that we would encounter animals during our year of travelling. Our children ADORE all living creatures. But we couldn’t have guessed that we would end up being responsible for the well-being of 63 animals all across Europe. How did that happen?

Éloi with Mizuki, Queenie, Isis & Fifi, 4 of the 14 animals we took care of during our house sit at Yoga Evolution Retreats (Portugal)

Without having any specific countries in mind, we absolutely wanted to visit Europe during our around-the-world family adventure. Compared to budget-friendly Southeast Asia, Europe would make a massive dent in our limited budget if we didn’t plan properly. We had come across a few expense-cutting options that could also potentially be very rewarding experiences. We considered becoming WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) or Workaway members, two very reputable organizations that offer exciting volunteering opportunities everywhere in the world. Even though it is very doable as a family, it is not the simplest thing. Our 13-year-old could certainly work and learn new skills but we couldn’t imagine our 8-year-old focusing on a task for 4 to 6 hours a day. Which means that one parent would always have to keep the youngest busy while the other volunteers. Maybe in a few years.

Then we read up on house sitting and a light bulb went off. “House sitting is the practice whereby a homeowner, leaving their house for a period of time, entrusts it to one or more "house sitters", who by a mutual agreement are entitled to live there rent-free in exchange for assuming responsibilities such as taking care of the homeowner's pets, performing general maintenance, keeping trespassers off the property, readdressing the mail, and in general, making sure that everything runs smoothly just as if the owner was at home.” Cool, right?!

Benoît enjoying a nice stroll with Molly. (France)

We found a super handy guide about house sitting published by Hecktic Travels, an inspiring Canadian couple who has been travelling the world for years. Following their useful tips, we chose the house sitting website that suited us best. We opted to become TrustedHousesitters members, which is a respected UK based company created in 2010.

We paid our membership fees that are approximately the same price as a one-night stay in a hotel. Peanuts! We then created our profile on the user-friendly website. Honesty is the best policy. We described our family, indicated when and where we were available to house sit. We also completed security verifications that homeowners really appreciate. (Better be safe than sorry.) Once our profile was created, we could view all the different house sitting assignments available around the world and apply to the ones that interested us. There are hundreds to choose from with new ones being offered every day! The first house sitting gig was the hardest to get. Being inexperienced house sitters, we had to sell other strengths such as being responsible homeowners and animal lovers. Once the hosts received our applications, they responded to us if they felt that we were interesting candidates. Before confirming the house sit, we had a Skype meeting just to see if the vibe was right. It’s a lot like a job application, but way more fun.

A kind British expat couple living in Southwest France gave us our first opportunity. We spent 10 wonderful days caring for a wonderful senior border collie, two cats, four chickens and a cockerel on a superb property. And we didn’t have to pay for accommodations! The icing on the cake was the postcard worthy region that we explored during our stay. Castles and vineyards galore! We left with two new amazing human friends, time well spent with charming animals and a new-found passion for house sitting.

Gaïa & Ollie (France)

After our hosts left us a glowing review (yay, we did a good job!), the following assignments came pretty easily. Here’s the breakdown of where we have stayed and the lovely animals we took care of:

Auriac-sur-Dropt, FRANCE – 1 dog, 2 cats, 4 chickens and a cockerel

Bonnyrigg, SCOTLAND – 2 dogs, 1 cat

Milton Keynes, ENGLAND – 2 dogs, 1 cat

Tostat, FRANCE – 1 dog, 2 cats

Vászoly, HUNGARY – 2 dogs, 3 cats

Kolind, DENMARK – 4 dogs

Atalaia do Campo, PORTUGAL – 1 dog, 8 chickens

Amieira, PORTUGAL – 4 dogs, 3 cats, 4 chickens, 2 goats, 1 donkey

London, ENGLAND – 1 dog, 2 cats

Epsom, ENGLAND – 2 dogs, 1 cat, 8 fish

These lovelies gave us the best eggs ever! (Portugal)

Since we didn’t have to worry about lodging fees, we could afford to rent a vehicle in Europe which allowed us to enjoy amazing road-trips in between house sitting assignments. During the last five months, we have also visited the Scottish Highlands, Ljubljana (Slovenia), Budapest (Hungary), Vienna (Austria), Krakow (Poland), Prague (Czech Republic), Copenhagen (Denmark), Lisbon & Sintra (Portugal) not to mention a few other countries we drove through while enjoying the stunning scenery. It has been an unforgettable European tour!

We have met the most generous people thanks to house sitting. Most of our hosts are avid travellers. They are interesting, open-minded and passionate. A few on them admitted that they chose us because they wanted to be part of our amazing adventure. How touching! They have welcomed us into their beautiful homes and trusted us with the care of their precious animals. We still stay in touch with many of them and hope to see them again.

Willie, our gracious host, was celebrating a birthday in Switzerland. His pets, Kevin the cat, Alfie and Mollie, wanted to wish him a happy birthday! (Scotland)

House sitting provides peace of mind to home owners. They don’t have to ask friends or family members to take care of their pets. And they don’t have to put them in kennels. They know that their animals will be well taken care of in their own homes. Their routine will not be disrupted and they will get tons of cuddles. If they have good house sitters, they will receive updates to let them know all is running smoothly and come back to a clean home and happy pets.

A thorough cleaning before the return of our hosts.

House sitting has also given us a purpose during our travels. It was our job and we took it seriously. It wasn’t always easy. We’ve picked up poop and vomit. We’ve had sore shoulders from dogs who insisted on pulling the lead. We’ve had 4 am meowing alarm clocks. We have also made a few blunders. Useful advice: do not let a dog escape through an open door 15 minutes after having met your new host. Do not let feral cats into homes thinking that they are part of the family. And do not lose 2 dogs half an hour before your hosts are meant to arrive after their long trip home. Yup, that happened. But all is well that ends well.

Axel (the escape artist), Annie, Gussie & Bertie (Denmark)

Our children have really enjoyed house sitting and it has been extremely rewarding for them. Travelling as a family can be quite intense. The boys often only have each other to play with. Which means that they also get on each other’s last nerve quite often. Being with animals that are full of energy and willing to play at a moment’s notice has greatly contributed to a healthy and joyful atmosphere. Our sons have new friends! And most of all, they have developed a beautiful sense of responsibility taking care of these animals. We were impressed to see them cleaning out chicken coops without complaining, walking in muddy fields with dogs, even removing ticks. Our youngest said, “We’re not just here to feed them and walk them, we’re here to love them.” So true. More than once, we’ve had to wipe away tears while driving away from a completed house sit.

The boys with Bella & Barney, the gorgeous gentle giants (England)

One year is a long time to travel. As exhilarating as it usually is, being globe-trotters can be exhausting, especially for children. House sitting has given us the opportunity to rediscover the comfort and routine of home living. It has let us slow down, have our space. It has also given us comfortable home-bases around Europe which meant we were able to go out exploring. We’ve had fantastic day trips! And at night, we could plop down, talk about the day’s activities and share cuddles with furry friends. We often talk about all the pets we’ve taken care of and how they brought us joy and made us laugh.

The end of our epic journey is almost upon us. House sitting has made us rethink the way we travel. It’s definitely a unique and exciting way to see the world. There are very few win-win opportunities out there, but house sitting is definitely a shining example!

Mélanie

If you’re interested in house sitting, becoming a host or even both, we encourage you to read more about it and to visit the TrustedHousesitters website. To get 20% off membership fees, click HERE.

Daisy and Pudding, with our great host Greg in the background (Hungary)

Jag, the majestic Serra da Estrela Mountain Dog (Portugal)

Buddy & Minnie, being really cute (England)

With Quoia in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (England)

[guidetoenjoy-blog]

5 Great Moments In Entertainment History (Nobody Witnessed)

New Post has been published on https://entertainmentguideto.com/must-see/5-great-moments-in-entertainment-history-nobody-witnessed/

5 Great Moments In Entertainment History (Nobody Witnessed)

Today, everything is documented by the millions of cameras in our pockets, on our street corners, or installed in our toilets by our creepy landlords. As a culture, we miss nothing. The internet is our collective memory, and it is omniscient. Praise be to YouTube (may you always like and subscribe). But back in the before times, if something truly unique and amazing happened, you either had to be standing right there to watch it or hope whoever was there had excellent descriptive skills. There are a ton of incredible pop culture moments we just plain missed at the time, and if we want to revisit them now, we can only close our eyes and imagine. For example …

5

Eazy-E Recorded With Guns ‘N’ Roses

Axl Rose was an early supporter of NWA, and that’s surprising, if only for the fact that Axl Rose ever supported anyone. The feeling was mutual; the two groups inexplicably became friendly, started hanging out after shows, and even discussed touring together. But those plans fell through when NWA’s then-manager / real-life cartoon villain Jerry Heller demanded too much money. DJ Yella blames the ensuing fallout for Dr. Dre leaving the group, but even that couldn’t tarnish the beautiful friendship between NWA and Guns ‘N’ Roses.

Eazy-E thought the media treated Guns ‘N’ Roses too harshly after the release of their controversial song “One In A Million.” And E didn’t just issue a statement in Axl’s defense; he recorded a demo for a proposed collaboration. According to Axl, the song “attack[ed] the media over attacking [me],” and it was … not very good. That’s probably why it’s never been released. It’s just as well; try not to think about what their supergroup name would be.

Though there was no official collaboration, the two bands did still jam together occasionally. Slash even played guitar (uncredited) on E’s contribution to the Beverly Hills Cop III soundtrack.

Eddie Murphy’s character’s name in that film?

Axel.

Coincidence?

Probably.

4

The Star Wars Cast Partied With Monty Python And The Rolling Stones

It all began when Carrie Fisher woke up the night before shooting a famous scene to find Eric Idle and Michael Palin of Monty Python partying downstairs. This is not as weird as it sounds. During filming for The Empire Strikes Back, Fisher was renting Idle’s London house while the Pythons filmed Life Of Brian in Tunisia. Oh, and the Rolling Stones were there too, because they just materialize when enough famous people get loaded together in one place. Drunken calls were made, as they always are, and the other two-thirds of the Star Wars main trio soon arrived:

Eric Idle Along with the guy they shaved to make the Chewbacca costume.

It turned out to be quite a shindig, thanks in no small part to a potent date liqueur Idle had brought with him from Tunisia. It is alternately called the “Tunisian Death Drink,” or “Tunisian Table Cleaner,” presumably depending on the damage done. The Pythons had been using it on set to keep extras awake and make them work longer, because labor laws in the ’70s were either terrible or awesome, it’s hard to tell. It seems the stuff worked as advertised, because the Star Wars cast stayed up until dawn drinking and partying. Fisher and Ford arrived two hours late to the set that morning, with a combined total of zero hours sleep. Wide awake and still shitfaced, they filmed their arrival in Cloud City — one of the few scenes in the series in which they can be caught smiling:

Lucasfilm Possibly because they were still drunk, and possibly because they are the only people to cross the Millennium Falcon off their “Places to do it” list.

And now you know why.

3

George Carlin Got Arrested With Lenny Bruce

Lenny Bruce was arrested for obscenity so many times that he literally lost count. He’s basically the messiah of modern comedy, in that he was … moderately inconvenienced for our sins. But, like, a lot! One of those arrests happened after a show at the Gate of Horn in Chicago in 1962. Bruce performed a set for a small crowd which included a joke about President Truman being “strung up … by the balls.” It was precisely what the undercover policeman in the audience was waiting to hear. Yes, “dick joke stings” were a thing in the ’60s. After pulling Bruce offstage, hopefully with a comically oversized hook, police stood at the door to check the ID of everyone whose party they had just pooped. One of those people was a man who would go on to be widely considered Bruce’s spiritual successor: 25-year-old George Carlin.

And he was completely hammered.

Carlin didn’t exactly respect authority on his most sober days, so it’s no surprise what happened next. He informed the police that he didn’t “believe in ID,” and for the unthinkable offense of sarcasm, he earned his own luxury seat in the police car, right next to Bruce and the club owner.

Bruce sorta knew Carlin from previous shows, but he couldn’t have known that he was now sitting next to the man who would take up his torch one day. So upon learning what his fan and compatriot had gone down for, he looked Carlin in the eye and … called him a schmuck. Carlin had apparently made quite the impression, because according to Penn Jillette, a tape exists of Bruce talking about the “asshole kid” who got arrested with him that night. Don’t mistake Bruce’s vulgarity for malice; it was Bruce who eventually got Carlin his first agent. In the ’60s, being called an asshole by Lenny Bruce was the best thing that could happen to you.

2

Salvador Dali Made A Surrealist Cartoon With Walt Disney

Salvador Dali and Walt Disney first met at a house party thrown by Jack Warner, and they instantly hit it off. Dali considered Disney one of America’s greatest surrealists, and if you’ve seen Dumbo, it’s hard to argue with him.

They got along so well, in fact, that they decided to collaborate on an animated short. It would have been Dali’s only animation credit. It was to include Walt’s animation style, a Mexican love ballad, and as many of Dali’s mind-demons as they could cram in there.

The result was a film called Destino, the heartwarming story of a young woman (that’s Disney’s bit), and the personification of time that falls in love with her (theeeere’s Dali). Featured scenes include dozens of basketball-sized eyes staring at a rapidly stripping woman, who is then sucked into a conch shell, then later has her head morph into a dandelion, and then a baseball, which is nailed for a home run. Baseball as a metaphor for life is cool, but the bread hats could use some explanation.

The project was soon abandoned, so we’ll never see exactly what Waltador had in mind, but it was eventually completed by Disney’s nephew, presumably after a blow to the head knocked some repressed memories loose. His version was screened around the world back in 1999, but considering you were probably deep into your boy band phase at the time, you probably didn’t see it. Fortunately, we have YouTube (praise be, may you always like and subscribe), as well as some truly terrifying concept art.

1

Jimi Hendrix Jammed With Eric Clapton — And Scared Him Offstage

Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton: We’ve heard the guitar gods cover each other’s songs, but can you imagine them jamming together? Well, you’re gonna have to. Imagine, that is, because it actually happened, but we have no recording of it.

The story goes that while he was still relatively unknown, Hendrix hopped on stage at a college show Clapton was playing and proceeded to melt the faces of everybody present with his rendition of Howlin’ Wolf’s “Killing Floor.” Clapton famously considered that particular song far too difficult to play live, and Hendrix played it with both hands behind his back.

K&K Ulf Kruger/Getty Images And he didn’t even have the tabs to the song.

It’s hard to say how Clapton felt about the whole thing, but actions speak louder than words: He walked right off the goddamn stage. Backstage, Clapton was seen trying and failing to light a cigarette while muttering “Is he really that good?”

Inspired by (or perhaps out of spite for) Hendrix, “Killing Floor” would eventually make it’s way into Clapton’s set list. But Hendrix showed him up again by using it as the opener during his breakthrough performance at the Monterey Pop Festival the following year. We’re not sure what Clapton did to Jimi to provoke such savagery, but one thing is certain: When Clapton eventually passes, Jimi’s going to be waiting for him at the pearly gates with guitar at the ready.

Tony Alpsen is also to blame for Ying & Yan, a weekly comic strip about conjoined twins who can’t stand each other. At press time, it has not been removed from Yingandyan.com, Tapastic, or Twitter. Watch Dawn tweet into the void and wait for the void to tweet back at @DawnSmash.

You too can get trippy with Dali and Disney right here. But be strong. Not everyone can handle watching their childhood melt in front of their very eyes.

Also check out 5 Famous Pop Culture Moments (That Never Actually Happened) and 4 Famous Pop Culture Moments Everyone Remembers Incorrectly.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel, and check out Iconic Pop Culture Moments You Remember Wrong, and watch other videos you won’t see on the site!

Also follow our new Pictofacts Facebook page, and we’ll follow you everywhere.

Read more: http://www.cracked.com/

[makeuptips10-blog]

19 Celebrity Couples with Seriously Significant Age Differences

New Post has been published on https://www.claritymakeupartistry.com/19-celebrity-couples-with-seriously-significant-age-differences/

19 Celebrity Couples with Seriously Significant Age Differences

While there’s no hard-and-fast rule when it comes to falling in love, many people find their most compatible partners to be close to their age. But in Hollywood, it would appear age is but a number. And by that, we mean that celebrities don’t seem to see sizable age differences. In fact, some stars have found love with partners whose age is decades away from their own. Hey, whatever floats your boat, right?

Admittedly, these sorts of lopsided relationships can feel a bit dicey if you do the math. Do we really want to dwell on the fact David Foster was 32 years old when now-fiancée Katharine McPhee was born? Then again, who are we to judge? If two people find each other when they’re both consenting adults—no matter how far apart they are on the spectrum—there’s technically nothing anyone can say about it.

Besides, life is short. If these celebrity couples with huge age gaps make each other happy, well, we say why not?

Originally posted on SheKnows.

Bruce & Emma Willis

In 2007, Bruce Willis met model Emma Willis (née Heming)—who is 23 years younger than him—at their mutual trainer’s gym. They were married two years later, and today the couple has two daughters: Mabel Ray and Evelyn Penn.

Photo: Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images.

Amber Tamblyn & David Cross

Despite their 19-year age difference, actor Amber Tamblyn and comedian David Cross must be doing something right. The impassioned pair got hitched in 2012 and welcomed daughter Marlow Alice in 2017.

Photo: Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan Via Getty Images.

Kevin Costner & Christine Baumgartner

After briefly breaking up in 2002, actor Kevin Costner and model-turned-handbag designer Christine Baumgartner reconciled. The duo, with 22 years difference between them, went on to get married in Aspen in 2004. Today, they have three children together: Cayden, Hayes and Grace.

Photo: Presley Ann/Getty Images.

Catherine Zeta-Jones & Michael Douglas

Although much was made of Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas’ 25-year age gap when they got married, the happy couple got the last laugh—they’ve been married for almost two decades. “It’s a long road and I think people are so quick to throw in the towel on marriage,” she told the Daily Mail in 2016. “You have to give it your best shot and not give up when the first problem arises, because that won’t be the last problem. There will be many more down the road.”

Photo: Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic/Getty Images.

David Hasselhoff & Hayley Roberts

There’s a 27-year age difference between actor-singer David Hasselhoff and model Hayley Roberts, but they don’t let it get in their way. The couple, who met when she asked for his autograph seven years ago, married in a small ceremony in Italy in 2018.

Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage/Getty Images.

Patrick Stewart & Sunny Ozell

Photo: Dan MacMedan/WireImage/Getty Images.

Jason Statham & Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

There’s a 20-year age gap between Jason Statham and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley but, really, who can fault the universe for bringing this picture-perfect pair together? The engaged couple welcomed their first child together, son Jack, in 2017.

Photo: JB Lacroix/WireImage/Getty Images.

Harrison Ford & Calista Flockhart

Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart are both acutely aware of their 22-year age gap. They just don’t really care. “I was 60 when I fell in love with Calista,” Harrison told Hello! in 2009. “What surprised me most was that I was still capable of establishing a long-lasting relationship, making a serious commitment. With my children, in my private life or my work, I try to learn from my mistakes and evolve.” The couple married in 2010.

Photo: Ian West/PA Images Via Getty Images.

Ellen DeGeneres & Portia de Rossi

It was practically love at first sight for Portia de Rossi and Ellen DeGeneres when they met on a photo shoot in 2004. “She took my breath away,” de Rossi told The Advocate the following year. “That had never happened to me in my life, where I saw somebody and [experienced] all of those things you hear about in songs and read about in poetry. My knees were weak. It was amazing. And it was very hard for me to get her out of my mind after that.”

DeGeneres and de Rossi, who have a 15-years age difference, got married in 2008.

Photo: Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images For Fashion Media.

Kris Jenner & Corey Gamble

Despite their 25-year age gap, KarJenner matriarch Kris Jenner and boyfriend Corey Gamble still seem to be on steady footing after four years together. However, that’s not to say she’s ready to walk down the aisle with her much-younger boyfriend anytime soon. Or ever. “You know you never say never,” Jenner told E! News about getting married again. “But I often say it’s just not what I need to do again based on my past.”

Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images.

Warren Beatty & Annette Bening

Warren Beatty and Annette Bening embrace their more-than-two-decade age difference. “He’s 21 years older than I am and we’ve always been at different stages of life,” Bening told the U.K.’s Times. “He’s got a lot of experience. But we’re very different in many ways. The crucial thing is that while we want many of the same things in life, we’ve thrived because we approach things very differently.”

Photo: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty Images.

Jeff Goldblum & Emilie Livingston

One of the larger age gaps on the list, actor Jeff Goldblum and gymnast Emilie Livingston have a 30-year age difference. The pair tied the knot in 2014 and continue to pack on the PDA.

Photo: Mike Marsland/WireImage/Getty Images.

George & Amal Clooney

George and Amal Clooney, who first met in 2013 through a mutual friend, have a 17-year age gap. They married in Italy in 2014 and welcomed twins Ella and Alexander in 2017. And, you know, they’re totally #goals.

Photo: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty Images.

Alec & Hilaria Baldwin

Actor Alec Baldwin and yoga instructor Hilaria Baldwin (née Thomas) tied the knot in 2012 and have since had four children together. Their age difference? Twenty-six years.

Photo: Roy Rochlin/FilmMagic/Getty Images.

Katharine McPhee & David Foster

There might be a 34-year age gap between Katharine McPhee and David Foster, but the engaged couple says their relationship just feels right. “It doesn’t make sense to a lot of people, but it does to us,” she told People.

Photo: Daniele Venturelli/Getty Images.

Mary-Kate Olsen & Olivier Sarkozy

Mary-Kate Olsen and Olivier Sarkozy have a 17-year age difference, but the reclusive couple certainly doesn’t seem to let comments about the age gap get them down. They got married in 2015 and can occasionally even be caught strolling around NYC together.

Photo: John Lamparski/WireImage/Getty Images.

Rod Stewart & Penny Lancaster

Odds are good that Rod Stewart has, in fact, told wife Penny Lancaster he loves her lately. The pair, who are 27 years apart in age, got hitched in 2007 and have two sons together.

Photo: David M. Benett/Getty Images.

Sam & Aaron Taylor-Johnson

Sam and Aaron Taylor-Johnson certainly set tongues wagging when they began dating—thanks largely to their 24-year age gap. He was 18 and she was 42 when they struck up their romance. Still, they seem pretty unflappable. In addition to being stepfather to her daughters from a previous marriage, Aaron fathered two daughters with Sam. In 2018, Sam directed her now-husband in the upcoming adaptation of James Frey’s A Million Little Pieces and called the opportunity “a dream.”

Photo: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images.

Sarah Paulson & Holland Taylor

Sarah Paulson and Holland Taylor have a 32-year age gap, but this couple honestly couldn’t get any cuter. After meeting over a decade ago, they decided to keep in touch. That turned into dating in 2015, and the women routinely gush about each other in interviews.

Photo: Earl Gibson III/Getty Images.

Next slideshow starts in 10s

Victoria Beckham’s Fashion Evolution from Posh to Powerful

Source: http://stylecaster.com/celebrity-couples-age-differences/

[investmart007]

MOSCOW | The Latest: Martinez praises Belgians for style, substance

New Post has been published on https://is.gd/Zt0SB9

MOSCOW | The Latest: Martinez praises Belgians for style, substance

MOSCOW (AP) — The Latest on Saturday at the World Cup (all times local): 9 p.m.

Roberto Martinez believes his Belgium lineup deserves high praise for its third-place finish at the World Cup.

Belgium beat England 2-0 in the third-place playoff on Saturday at St. Petersburg, surpassing the country’s previous best fourth-place finish in 1986.

Along the way, Belgium had to rally from 2-0 down for a 3-2 win in the round-of-16 game against Japan, had to beat five-time champion Brazil in the quarterfinals and beat England twice. Belgium’s only loss in the tournament was in the 1-0 semifinal defeat to France.

Martinez says “We faced eye-to-eye to Brazil. We overcame a 2-0 deficit against Japan — that is the first time it happened since 1966.

We scored the biggest amount of goals in a Belgian team in World Cup history. We got 10 different goal scorers — which is a record also with France (1982) and Italy (2006).”

The Belgium coach says the records “showed the strength of this side.”

“We’ve been a team. We’ve suffered together. We’ve played football that a mutual fan of the World Cup really enjoyed,” he says. “We got the best qualification for Belgium in the history of the World Cup and that makes me very, very proud.” ___ 8:05 p.m.

The man who restored England’s mojo at the World Cup, and brought the waist coast (or vest) back into fashion, has signed off after a fourth-place finish with some love for Russia.

England coach Gareth Southgate wrapped up his news conference after his team’s 2-0 loss to Belgium in the third-place playoff by thanking the people of Russia for their welcome during the tournament.

The British government has led efforts to sanction Russia since a nerve-agent attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England in March. A second and possibly linked poisoning last month killed a woman and left a man in the hospital.

The British government did not send an official delegation to Russia for the World Cup, and members of the royal family decided not to attend.

Southgate took it upon himself to play an ambassadorial role.

“The way we’ve been received in Russia has been fantastic. The organization of the tournament has been brilliant. Our welcome in Russia in every city has been outstanding,” Southgate said. “There’s a lot talked about relationships between our two countries — but on a personal level and mixing with the people of Russia, we couldn’t have been more welcome.” ___ 7:15 p.m.

France captain Hugo Lloris says the team will not repeat a mistake of two years ago when it plays Croatia in the World Cup final.

As the 2016 European Championship host nation, France peaked in the semifinals by beating world champion Germany.

France then failed to reach the same high level in Paris and lost the final to Portugal, 1-0 after extra-time.

Lloris, who was France’s goalkeeper then, says: “I don’t think it’s going to happen again.”

Paul Pogba has said the French believed the Euro 2016 trophy was all but won after the semifinals.

Lloris notes 14 of France’s 23-man squad in Russia were not even at the Euros, while the other nine now benefit from a change in conditions.

Two years ago, France played a Thursday semifinal before the Sunday final. Here, France beat Belgium on Tuesday.

Lloris says: “A lot of things have changed, especially when it comes to recovery and preparation time.” ___ 6:51 p.m.

Belgium has achieved its best World Cup finish by beating England 2-0 in a third-place playoff, a game neither team really wanted to play.

Thomas Meunier gave Belgium the lead in the fourth minute when he prodded a Nacer Chadli cross past Jordan Pickford in the England goal.

Belgium was a constant threat on quick, incisive counterattacks and made it count again when Eden Hazard scored from a Kevin de Bruyne pass in the 82nd. Belgium’s previous best finish at the World Cup was fourth place in 1986.

It was Belgium’s second win over England in the tournament, following the 1-0 victory in the group stage.

Defender Toby Alderweireld denied England’s best chance of the game, sliding on the goal line to clear a chip from his Tottenham teammate Eric Dier. ___ 6: 40 p.m.

Eden Hazard has given Belgium a 2-0 lead over England in the World Cup third-place playoff.

Hazard picked up the ball from Kevin de Bruyne on an incisive Belgian counterattack and fired it past Jordan Pickford in the England goal in the 82nd minute.

Belgium is headed for its best-ever World Cup finish, beating fourth place in 1986. ___ 6:30 p.m.

FIFA has fined England 70,000 Swiss francs ($69,900) for a second time at the World Cup for players wearing non-approved socks.

FIFA says it also warned England’s Football Association for the misconduct of a small number of fans singing “political chants” during its semifinals loss on Wednesday.

At the same game against Croatia, two England players wore a type of branded sock FIFA has cracked down on at this tournament. FIFA says the “unauthorized commercial branding” repeated a previous offense in England’s quarterfinals win against Sweden.

That also resulted in a 70,000 Swiss francs ($69,900) fine.

The fines had nothing to do with the holey socks Danny Rose wore in the third-place game against Belgium. ___ 6:05 p.m.

The holes in Danny Rose’s socks generated plenty of online debate during England’s World Cup third-place playoff against Belgium.

FIFA has fined players for wearing socks which didn’t comply with uniform or sponsorship regulations during the tournament, but there doesn’t seem to be any rules against holey socks. Some speculated the holes — which were relatively round and in both socks — were designed to prevent cramps. There’s no scientific evidence for that.

And there was no official explanation before Rose was replaced just at halftime when England was trailing Belgium 1-0. ___ 5: 47 p.m.

Belgium has taken a 1-0 lead into halftime in its World Cup third-place playoff against England.

Thomas Meunier gave the Belgians the lead in the fourth minute, scoring from close range off a cross from Nacer Chadli.

Belgium could have made it 2-0 seven minutes later when Kevin de Bruyne took the ball in a good position but goalkeeper Jordan Pickford made a key save.

England started the game slowly, looking every inch a team which was taken to extra time in its semifinal loss to Croatia three days earlier, despite making five changes to the starting lineup.

Harry Kane, the tournament’s leading scorer, had England’s best chance but shot wide after losing his footing. ___

5:05 p.m. Thomas Meunier has given Belgium a 1-0 lead over England in the World Cup third-place playoff.

A quick and direct Belgian attack in the fourth minute ended with Nacer Chadli crossing from the left wing to Meunier, who beat Danny Rose to the ball and shot past Jordan Pickford in goal.

It’s the first goal of the tournament for Meunier in five games. He is the 10th goal scorer for Belgium in this tournament, helping his team equal a record held by Italy (2006) and France (1982).

Belgium is aiming for its best-ever World Cup finish, beating fourth place in 1986. ___ 4 p.m.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Phil Jones will start for England in the World Cup third-place game against Belgium among five changes made by coach Gareth Southgate.

There’s also a start for Eric Dier, Fabian Delph and Danny Rose.

Harry Kane, the tournament’s leading scorer, remains in the lineup following the World Cup semifinal loss to Croatia.

The players dropped to the bench are Ashley Young, Kyle Walker and the central midfield trio of Jordan Henderson, Jesse Lingard and Dele Alli.

Belgium had a day’s extra rest after its semifinal loss to France, and coach Roberto Martinez has made just two changes.

Thomas Meunier and Youri Tielemans will start in the Belgian midfield in place of Marouane Fellaini and Moussa Dembele.

Lineups:

England: Jordan Pickford, Danny Rose, Eric Dier, John Stones, Harry Maguire, Kieran Trippier, Phil Jones, Fabian Delph, Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Belgium: Thibaut Courtois, Toby Alderweireld, Vincent Kompany, Jan Vertonghen, Axel Witsel, Kevin de Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard, Thomas Meunier, Youri Tielemans, Nacer Chadli. ___ 3 p.m.

Croatia captain Luka Modric believes the toughness of his World Cup squad has some roots in the war that broke up the former Yugoslavia.

On the eve of the soccer World Cup final against France, Modric has been reluctant to go too deeply into answering a question from a reporter who identified himself as a war correspondent from the 1990s, when Croatia became an independent state.

The question was about “how this war forged the spirit of yourself and of the team.”

The 32-year-old Modric was a child when his grandfather was killed and his family forced from its home. He replied by saying “I don’t like to go back to these things. It’s all in the past.”

He adds “Of course, everything influences you. It’s made us resilient as people, as the nation.”

Croatia has spent the maximum amount of time on the field at this World Cup. The team playing extra-time in all three knockout games, and trailed to the first goal scored each time.

Modric has covered more yards than any player at the World Cup, registering 63.03 kilometers (39 miles) in six games, according to FIFA.

By Associated Press

[fashiontrendin-blog]

Chris Pratt Reportedly Dating Katherine Schwarzenegger After Anna Faris Split

https://fashion-trendin.com/chris-pratt-reportedly-dating-katherine-schwarzenegger-after-anna-faris-split/

Chris Pratt Reportedly Dating Katherine Schwarzenegger After Anna Faris Split

It’s been almost a year since Chris Pratt and Anna Faris announced their split (How’re you holding up? Good? Us, too.) and both are moving on to new relationships. 

The “Guardians of the Galaxy” star is reportedly casually dating Katherine Schwarzenegger, the daughter of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver, according to multiple outlets. The two were first spotted on a picnic outing together in Santa Barbara, California, last month, laughing and apparently enjoying each other’s company. 

Pratt and Schwarzenegger, who’s authored multiple books, were reportedly set up by Shriver, who knows Pratt through mutual friends. 

The actor is apparently “smitten” with Schwarzenegger, according to an E! News source, and is “super happy” with the relationship status.

Christopher Polk via Getty Images

 Chris Pratt attends the 2018 MTV Movie And TV Awards.

Phillip Faraone via Getty Images

Christina Schwarzenegger, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Maria Shriver and Katherine Schwarzenegger attend the premiere of National Geographic’s “The Long Road Home” in 2017.

“It’s still very new between Chris and Katherine but the picnic was not their first date. They have been on multiple low key dates and have been talking consistently for the last two months or so,” a source told the outlet. 

“Chris is focused on the press of his movie and his son Jack, but when he does get some free time, he spends it with Katherine,” another source told Entertainment Tonight, adding that the two “hit it off” after meeting. 

Representatives for Pratt did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment. 

Pratt and Faris, who share 5-year-old son Jack together, announced they were separating after eight years of marriage in August 2017.

The two have kept things more than amicable for the sake of their son since then, praising each other in the press with with Faris describing her estranged husband as an “incredible friend.”

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin via Getty Images

Chris Pratt, wife Anna Faris and son Jack Pratt attend his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony.

Pratt broke his silence about this split in April telling Entertainment Weekly that “divorce sucks.”

“At the end of the day, we’ve got a great kid who’s got two parents who love him very much,” he said. “And we’re finding a way to navigate this while still remaining friends and still being kind to one another. It’s not ideal, but yeah, I think both of us are actually probably doing better.” 

The “Overboard” actress, meanwhile, has been dating cinematographer Michael Barrett. The two first sparked romance rumors when they spotted vacationing together in Italy in November 2017 and recently returned to the country this summer with her son. 

[globalsource-blog]

Global Source meets Mayday

Following on from last week’s post, where Global Source caught up with the girls of B.L.O.O.M. ahead of their debut night at Soup Kitchen, this week we continue our series on Manchester nightlife with an interview with Tom from Mayday, a collaborative project between two well-established names on the Manchester scene: CULT and Ossia. This Saturday at Hidden they’re hosting what looks set to be a pretty outstanding showcase of cutting-edge electronic music, with a serious roster of talent from the celebrated R&S Records, and none other than Talaboman (John Talabot and Axel Boman) headlining. Read on to find out about what it takes to throw a rave in a skatepark, the challenges of making high-end bookings as an independent promoter, and what to expect from Mayday in the coming months.

Global Source: First things first, for those unaware of what you guys are up to, can you describe Mayday in your own words? What’s it all about, and what’s the link with Ossia and CULT?

Tom from Mayday: Mayday is a collaboration between Ossia and CULT. It’s simply the joined forces of the brands. It’s opened up new possibilities for us in terms of bookings, both financially as well as by combining our roster of residents. We’re taking Mayday in a different direction from the other two brands, which tend to focus on more intimate gigs in medium-sized venues, usually showcasing 1 or 2 artists. Mayday on the other hand is all about collaboration with organisations, labels and collectives, really trying to provide some of Manchester’s most top end nightlife. Our show with Dimensions last year was a lot of fun and an amazing opportunity to bring high-calibre artists the likes  of Daniel Avery to Manchester.  

GS: Cool – nice to see a full-on long-term collaboration between the two crews. Having more of you involved must make it a little easier on the wallet to make those higher-end bookings… Does it also make it harder to agree on a lineup? What’s the decision-making process like?

TfM: The costing is definitely eased by the number in the group, sure, but it doesn’t detract from the huge risk we put on ourselves for every show! The lineup process is always a tricky one but thankfully we’re all extremely passionate about the music and appreciate artists from across the spectrum of the dance scene. There’s rarely a suggestion that gets completely shut down because ultimately we’d love to have everyone play for us. Most of the time the main restriction is availability and the booking costs of the artists, we may agree on a 5 stage contingency of acts we want and get in touch with them all, only to find out that they’re all booked, taking the month off, or tied up in something else. Finding a solution is one of the fun bits though, trying to work out who would fit with who, whether they played too recently or too near, all these things come into play.

GS: So back in June you guys hosted an event at Manchester’s Projekts skatepark, where you had Mall Grab and Shanti Celeste play. How did that event come about? I saw some pretty funny video of people who’d had a few too many trying to negotiate a quarter pipe – did you have to do a risk assessment?

TfM: We scouted out the skatepark because we saw that UKF had done an event there a couple of years back. It looked like a wicked event so we got in touch and they were fortunately interested in having us in. They have to get a TEN [Temporary Event Notice] to have an event there but even with that we got the council coming over an hour before the licence expired telling us to pull the plug. Luckily we managed to pull a filibuster and sweet talked them for the hour so that we didn’t have to shut down before Mall Grab finished! The venue was covered with a risk assessment already but we had to take out insurance in case anyone did bail on the quarter pipe while trying to backside blunt and split their chin open. Luckily everyone partied *fairly* sensibly and we didn’t have any issues. There’s always an element of mutual trust when holding events like that, and with a crowd who are there for the music not because they’re at “UNAYYY” and love chanting about the most recent footballer caught up in a controversy we were alright.

GS: I’m sure you heard about the recent controversy caused by Jeremy Underground’s agent threatening to bite someone if they didn’t book a 5 star hotel with a gym and sauna for his client. If you don’t mind, I’d like to get your take on it – should top DJs feel entitled to a post-set spa session? Is there anyone you guys rate highly enough that you’d pay for their sauna to get them on the bill?

TfM: To be honest most tier 1 artists require 5* hotels with room service, wifi, leisure facilities, all expenses covered, upmarket dinner, excessive riders etc. It doesn’t come as any surprise to me that JU asked for those extra facilities because as he said, he had a very busy week of shows. That said we’re always careful to read the contract beforehand to know exactly what we’re getting ourselves into. Everything is negotiable, so as long as you don’t blindly sign bits of paper you should know what to expect. Changing agreements last minute on the other hand isn’t okay. It’s a bit of a confusing situation and it seems that the agent and the promoters were both slightly in the wrong - Jeremy offered to pay for it all himself so in my eyes he wasn’t being out of order. Personally I’d let Dixon have my house keys, all of my savings, any current girlfriends, my watch and my best pair of shoes because I think he is an absolute god. Whether I speak for the rest of the Mayday team is another question but he holds a special place in my heart!

GS: While we’re on the subject of big bookings, at this time of year as we all know it’s Warehouse Project season. Obviously they’ve elevated the standing of Manchester’s club scene on the world stage as a heavyweight contender, but some feel they’re unfairly monopolizing the market. As a smaller outfit, what do you feel are the pros and cons of the WHP brand?  

TfM: I remember a great piece of convo I had with Toby who was the original Ossia don, saying that he didn't mind WHP before this year because as much as they got most of the huge names they tended to leave a decent gap for more niche artists. This year they've just snapped up so many acts we wanted to book who we thought were a little more under the radar. So, kudos to them for improving the programming but also, rahhhhhhh. It's the exclusivity contracts that grind our gears – it takes away so many options for booking talent we truly love and who would provide a totally different show in a smaller venue that wouldn’t detract from Warehouse Project’s ticket sales. But there you go, they operate like a business whereas a lot of promoters do it for the love of the scene.  I can't help but thank them for making the Manchester nightlife so revered, no doubt they're a credit to the city and the scene as well as a pain in the arse. I remember my friends travelling from down south to attend WHP a few years back and it’s always drawn people to Manchester. I’d love to see them find a better venue because I’ve definitely fallen out of love with Store Street, but maybe I take that back because it might make our lives even harder!

GS: Yeah it’s definitely a tough one, hard to argue with the lineups they put together but seeing the corporatisation of the “underground” music scene does leave a sour taste in the mouth. Anyway, enough party politics for now. Let’s get to the matter at hand – this Saturday!  You guys are bringing the legendary R&S Records to Hidden. It’s a hell of a lineup, with Talaboman headlining, and you’ve even arranged an in-store pre-party with Space Dimension Controller at Eastern Bloc Records. How are you guys feeling about it? Looks set to be a night to remember…  

TfM: Safe to say we’ve all been absolutely buzzing for this show ever since we got the go ahead from R&S. They’re a household name in the dance music scene and have proved time and time again that venturing into the unknown and embracing diversity in your taste creates a successful following. Their roster of artists is so impressive and we’re blessed to have Paula Temple, SDC and Renaat. Paula especially has been on our watchlist for a while, and ever since Ossia had SDC do a DJ set a couple of year back we’ve been gagging to see him perform live! Talaboman as the special guest was a no brainer for us - since the two heavyweights joined forces we’ve all been drooling over the prospect of seeing them play together. The fact we’ve got them on a line up is a dream come true. Excitement in the Mayday camp is second to none and we just hope that everyone who plans on joining us brings immense energy and we have a proper party!

GS: I have no doubt that’s what it’ll be. Tom, thanks for your time, and all the best for Saturday night and the year to come – can’t wait to hear what’s next on the Mayday Agenda. Any clues as to what that might be?

TfM: I can't give too much away yet but we've got something special lined up for next may… think Bongos Bingo and Schloss!

There are still a few tickets available for Saturday night, go cop right here.

Check out the videos below for a hint of what you can expect music-wise on the night:

Talaboman - Loser’s Hymn

Space Dimension Controller @ Dekmantel 2017

Paula Temple - Ful (R&S)

[meta-gross]

do all of the truths haha

Who was your first major celebrity crush? - daniel radcliffe

What's the most embarrassing thing that's happened to you in the past week? - fuck idk probably messing something up in front of a bunch of other kids in my drivers ed class idk man

What are your three favorite things about your appearance? - i guess my hair is okay sometimes and my eyes are alright...i don’t have three but i guess next up would be my legs? so long as they’re covered by jeans

What is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you? - every single time my boyfriend is understanding about me and my shit brain being anxious

If your parents knew everything you've ever done, what would they think is the worst thing? - probably when i made fun of phillip in the 3rd grade 

What is the last thing you purchased? - my pikachu hat and exo sweatshirt

How many hours did you sleep last night? - fuck idk 7 probs

If you could go on a date with any of your mutuals, who would it be and what would you do? - @lyudin and i would go spend the whole day doing dumb shit away from our shitty homes ♡ 

How did you meet your best friend? - steph will and sean invited @lyudin to hang out with us and i had the misfortune to watch him, uh, abuse a corner and we’ve been best friends ever since.

What was your favorite band five years ago? - i think it was blind guardian at the time

Where did you get each article of clothing you're wearing right now? - my boyfriend’s closet

What are your five favorite girls' names and five favorite boys' names? - oh fuck um

girls: historia, maggie rhee, fuck i don’t have five sorry

boys: my friend merrick has the coolest name it’s not even fair, but also glenn rhee yeah i don’t have 5

What's your most irrational fear? - clowns

If you could only wear one outfit for the rest of your life (consisting of clothes you already own), what would it be? - jeans, heartless shirt, floral bomber jacket, sneakers yeah i dont really give a shit

If you could rock any unusual article of clothing/makeup technique/hairstyle, what would it be? - mmm probably low cut shirts/dresses

What is your dream job? - profiler

Where is the last place you went that took over two hours to get to? - that actually might be europe

How old were you when you had your first kiss? - 16

What is the first thing you remember having to keep secret? - i think it was that i hadn’t returned a library book

What does your bedroom look like? - a mess

What three fictional characters would you most like to meet? - glenn rhee, axel, and harry potter

What are three things you're looking forward to? - infinity war, seeing my boyfriend, new pokemon games

What are your three biggest turn ons, and your three biggest turn offs? - tight clothing is hot, @lyudin and glenn rhee being alive. on the other hand, twd 7x01, even remote thoughts of my ex, and probably shitty breath 

If you could only own five material objects (not counting life necessities like food/water/a house/etc) what would they be? - fuck probably pokemon games (platinum omega ruby and moon) a 3ds, and an xbox

What is the last thing you lied about? - not being a hoe

What's the last movie you watched? - return of the king

What are three things you like about yourself unrelated to your appearance? - i really try to be a good friend, im good at pokemon, and i have good taste in most things

How do you take your coffee? - 3/4 hot chocolate, 1/4 coffee, filled with creamer and sugar

What are your worst habits? - biting my nails, being clingy

What is the last thing you did that you have to keep secret from someone? Who do you have to keep it secret from? - sinning yesterday from my parents and michael