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whatgaviiformes · 3 years ago

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Hold Fast - Appendices

Well, Hold Fast is done, but the work is never over. I’ve spent so much time thinking and planning and researching (some of which gets thrown out in full transparency), that as usual I wanted to take some time to put together some Hold Fast research notes and appendices. The big one being the timeline... so jumping right in....

SPOILERS FOR THE STORY

Also if you have any questions while reading or after, feel free to drop me a line in my asks. :D

Appendix A - Timeline

No one has asked me anything around this, but I figured if I had one thing that would be asked it would be around the ages and timeline for the events.

First, I’m building my own world not trying to fit it in, so I’ve only highlighted certain aspects of the American Revolutionary War. There likely would have been a lot going on politically that I’ve completely chosen to bypass in the story. But for context, the Boston Tea Party took place in 1773, and the Declaration of Independence was in July of 1776.

So for ages - The thing to remember is that children began working young, and so Scott and Gordon both joined the ship when they were just 9. Benji was 10, and Elias was 24 when they joined the ship’s crew, so Elias would’ve been like an older brother figure to Scott, Benji, and Gordon. Elias was just 41 (super young!) during the events of Hold Fast and Gordon was 17 (practically a baby! *hugs the poor boy*)

I’ve kind of used the fact that the series doesn’t quite understand how much is reasonably feasible for someone to have accomplished by the time IR has started... and used it to my advantage. So all the boys have started their educations very early and excel at their fields of study

Highlights from the above:

1758 - Gordon is born, Elias and Benji join the crew

1761 - Scott joins the crew

1763 - Jeff’s wife dies in childbirth of Alan

1767 - Gordon joins the crew

1768 - Summer, events of “Lord Gordon’s Reel” (Gordon is 10, Virgil is 13)

1772 - DAD DISAPPEARS *GASP* (No, don’t ask me. I’m not telling yet)

1775 - Autumn, the rigging breaks, killing Elias (41) on impact with the deck and injuring Gordon (17). Detailed in “Hold Fast”

1776 - Virgil and Gordon spend spring in Charleston, while Gordon heals from his injuries. Ch 9 & 10 of “Hold Fast” AND in late summer Virgil is gifted a scrimshaw viola for his birthday. Detailed in “Oak & Ivory”

1778 - Main story

Appendix B as in Benji

So, full disclosure, this story *was* also a writing challenge in OCs for me. I had wanted to build the world a bit more robustly, and create some background around some of the names and faces mentioned so far. So, if you were caught up with the main story, you will have seen Benji’s name and no Elias. (sorry)

He’s older than Scott by just a few years, so they are close friends, even with the ship hierarchy. Scott calls him “Ben” during a private scene in Hold Fast, and Benji was there when Scott found out about his mom.

I need visuals, so the below is a heroforge miniature design of how I imagine Benji Lovell. It’s hard to tell from the below, but he’s got long hair that he keeps tied back.

He technically reports in to Gordon, the boatswain/bosun (it’s the same word, folks), but he spends the evenings with John as part of the night shift.

He’s a helmsman and shifts to deckhand work where needed, and he likes to listen to tunes and play dice in his down time.

Before he joined the crew, he was an orphan from New York, and got by on the streets swiping folks’ coin purses. This is how he met Elias, whom you will see him call Eli, only once during the story.

Appendix C as in Charleston

It was time I addressed my intents here, and I hope my reasoning makes sense. I just want to do right by the character of our boys and there’s so much wrong with a lot of our history.

Charleston was not officially called Charleston until 1783, but it was founded in 1670 and was a primary trading city. It’s considered the South, so for the sake of not ignoring important, awful events in our history, it was absolutely a site of the triangle trade. None of that appears or will appear in the story or universe. It’s important not to erase this era, and it’s not my intention to. But I can tell you now our boys would NOT be okay with the slave trade - in any universe. And addressing that in story... well it would be a different story. Navigating the truth of this historical period in a way that remains thoughtful and compassionate, and with transparency is something that I would want to make sure I am handling correctly.

I just want to put our boys on a boat, and yeah, I probably could’ve made a fully AU universe too, but I didn’t so here we are. So, they make their money off rum and sugar and cotton and fruits and stuff. Depends on how far they travel up and down the coast.

Willshire’s Boarding House is fake, but the street names Elliott and Church are real, as are the names of the rivers Cooper and Ashley. (I’ve never been to Charleston).

Appendix D - Other Historical Details

Yes, coffee was a thing. Post Boston Tea Party it was used in place of tea. Thanks, taxes.

The flag they use in the funeral for Elias was a flag of New England. It would’ve been dated a bit earlier from what I could find, but I didn’t want to go with symbols that were too politically leaning in this case, and I didn’t think they’d use the colors of Britain, nor was the first (even unofficial) flag of America declared at the time the events took place. The pine tree does still represent the ire of the colonies and was still a symbol of freedom.

If you are curious, here’s a site with some American flags - 1776, Grand Union was the first official flag

Music - yes, I look them up and research them to make sure they align with the timing. But I also take liberties knowing that stories and music may have existed via oral tradition before they were ever recorded or documented. “The Parting Glass” is a Scottish traditional song, written tune seemed to have come later in the 1780s, but it was printed on a broadside in the 1770s with threads of the stanzas as early as 1605. “Spanish Ladies” appears in chapter 1 - this is another with a bit of a later timeline. The name appears in 1624, but it’s believed to be more Napoleonic. It’s a British Naval song, and the stanzas recorded in its present format in 1796.

Gulliver’s Travels was published in 1726. It’s a satire

#Thunderteers Verse Appendices #Fic: Hold Fast #Hold Fast Spoilers

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mattatouile · 4 years ago

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6 (I love a list!), 15, 20!

Oh god. Okay.

6. List your OTP from each fandom you’ve been involved in.

The X-Files: Mulder/Scully (obvs)

Star Wars: Han/Leia

Alias: Jack/Irina

Stargate SG1: Jack/Sam

Lost: Kate/Sawyer (BUT I SUPPORT SAWYER/JULIET, I likely would’ve shipped them if I’d kept watching)

Gilmore Girls: Rory/Jess

Community: Jeff/Annie

Roswell: Michael/Liz at the time! But I haven’t watched in years.

Twilight: Jacob/Bella (yes, I know. TO BE FAIR TO ME: I don’t think I ever read the third book or Breaking Dawn. What was the third book even called? OH! ECLIPSE!)

Game of Thrones: Jaime/Brienne (shocker)

Hannibal: Hannibal/Will

I think those are the fandoms I participated in?

15. Is there an obscure ship which you love?

Oh, probably. I used to be really douchey about not shipping canon things. Michael/Liz is an obvious choice in that there was a mere grain of canon for them even interacting. I also have a weird soft-spot for Jaime/Elia and Jaime/Lyanna? Someone please hug that boy before he gets SO old and sad. OH! And obvs, Jaime/The Blackfish.

20. Any ships which you surprised yourself by liking?

I very strangely cannot think of one. I’m horribly predictable. Sometimes I’m really surprised when I don’t like something! There are ships where all of my boxes are ticked but they leave me cold, but I don’t tend to then like something other than that which surprises me.

I still cannot help but bring up Stiles/Derek, which is still the most baffling divide between canon and fanon that I’ve ever experienced from the inside.

#dollsome-does-tumblr

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nationalhoranleague · 5 years ago

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Fourteen | Road Trip

≫ Everly - Saturday, January 16, 2016 ≪

"You're going to stop by practice and say goodbye to the boys, right?" I looked to Melissa, who stood leaning against the banister of the stairs, a coffee cup in hand.

"Of course," I looked over my bags that sat on the floor, making sure I had everything. "I would never hear the end of it if I didn't,"

Mel laughed lightly. "I wouldn't advise taking him," She pointed to Sidney who sat over on the arm of the couch, messing around on his phone. "Inside, though."

I laughed, shaking my head. "I wouldn't even think about it." My phone beeped from my pocket with an alarm. My heart fell into my stomach. "We should be going if we want to catch them before they hit the ice." Mel's face fell, but so did mine.

"I'm going to go put these in the car," Sidney suddenly popped up next to me, motioning to our bags on the floor. "Thank you for your hospitality, Mel," Sidney reached to give her a hug, being cautious of her steaming coffee cup. "It was nice to meet you and Jeff." Mel smiled sadly, patting his back as if it was a signal for him to let go of her. Mel never was much of a hugger.

"You're always welcome here, Sid. We're family now, yeah?" Sidney grinned, nodding.

"Yeah," He began to pick up a few bags from the floor. "The same goes for Pittsburgh. Make sure the boys get my note, okay?" I was confused as to what he was talking about, but Mel nodded.

"Of course,"

Sidney turned to me, a suitcase in each hand and my backpack tossed over his shoulder. "I'll meet you in the car, okay?"

I nodded and watched as he made his way out the front door and down the front steps to the car. I sighed heavily as I watched as he climbed into the front seat and shut the door. "I don't want to leave,"

Mel laughed sadly, reaching to set her coffee cup down on a wooden step. "You do," My eyebrows furrowed. "You can't wait to get in that car with your little lover boy." I laughed, reaching up to wipe away a few stray tears.

"I just wish he played here, you know?" Mel nodded, wrapping her arms around me tightly. "I hate being separated from you and Jeff."

"We hate being separated from you," I inhaled sharply, trying to keep my composure. "Maybe, I'll try and talk Jeff into requesting a trade," I laughed, stepping back from her. We both looked awful, red-ringed eyes and cheeks puffy with tears.

"Good luck with that," Mel shrugged like she knew she could never convince Jeff to leave Carolina. "Be good,"

Mel smiled, picking her coffee cup back up. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do while you're in D.C.,"

I smirked, leaning over to scoop up Sidney's carry-on bag and my purse. "What about in the car?"

"Are the windows tinted?" I snorted, shaking my head at the redhead in front of me. A tense pause hung in the air, neither one of us wanting to say the inevitable next words.

"I'll," She stopped to clear her throat. "I'll see you later, okay? I'll come up for my birthday and then we'll work out something for the summer." I nodded, hugging her one more time.

"I'll see you later," I stepped through the open front door and slowly made my way to the rental car parked in the driveway. With one hand on the handle of the passenger side door, I used the other to blow her kiss.

"Ugh," Jeff's breathy exhale blew my fly-away hairs away from the side of my face.

I tilted my head to look up at him. A deep frown and furrowed eyebrows were set into his features. "Jeff," I reached up, placing my hand on his cheek. "We'll be fine, it's only a few more months and then we can spend all summer together!"

Jeff shook his head, releasing me from his embrace. "What if we make playoffs?" I nearly scoffed at the thought. "What if they make playoffs?" Now, that was a little more plausible.

I giggled, shaking my head at my worrisome best friend. "I wouldn't worry too much," Jeff's eyebrows lifted. "We've always done this, you'd go back home to Markham, I'd stay in North Carolina, and then we would travel to see each other." I smiled up at him. "This is nothing new, we can handle it."

"You're not going to go to Nova Scotia with Sidney?" I shrugged my shoulders as we began to walk away from the dressing room and towards the door that I came in through.

I shrugged. "I suppose I don't know, yet. We haven't talked about it,"

Jeff laughed, tugging on one of my boxer braids. "Nonsense,"

"Where are Elias and Justin?" Jeff sighed, leaning against the wall just as we stopped by the door.

"Elias doesn't want to see you off, again, he's in denial, I think. He does, however, want me to do this," Jeff reached to hug me and then kissed both of my cheeks like Elias always does.

I grinned, shaking my head. "You make sure you tell him that he's always welcome in Pittsburgh just like you and Mel are,"

"I will, pipsqueak,"

"Do it in a Swedish accent." Jeff laughed but tried to mock Elias's accent and he failed miserably. "Please, don't do that ever again."

"Justin sends his best wishes," I nodded. "He's in physical therapy this morning, something with his ankle, I think."

I nodded in understanding. "Oh, that's too bad."

Jeff smiled, opening the door and walking out in front of me, leading me to the parking lot. "He's about as graceful on the ice as you are on the ground,"

"So, not at all?" Jeff nodded and laughed. I looked to where Sidney was parked, and through the windshield, I could see him scrolling through his phone just as intently as earlier with his eyebrows furrowed. "Behave yourself, okay? No penalties, no major parties, and please don't aggravate Mel while she's trying to study for school." Jeff nodded, a sad smile on his face as he wrapped me in his arms again.

"Okay, mom," I rolled my eyes at the boy who was only a few months younger than myself, but always felt the need to tease me for the way I looked after him. "Have fun in D.C., text me when you get settled into your hotel so I know you're not dead."

"Alright, dad," Jeff laughed, before unlacing his arms from around me. He lifted his head to glance in Sidney's direction and offered him a wave.

I looked at Sidney, noticing his content smile as he watched Jeff and me. "Go,"

I slowly began making my way towards the rental car Sidney and I would be driving to D.C. in. "I love you, Jeff."

He smiled, winking at me. "I love you too, Everly."

Minute Forty-Seven: US-64 E, Nashville, North Carolina

"So, how did you meet Jeff, exactly?"

I laughed, just a little. "So, before Jeff played hockey, he was a figure skater." Sidney eyed me oddly, but I just nodded. "I was at a competition in Buffalo in like 2004, maybe, and the coach I had at the time knew his coach and so they introduced us to each other and the rest is history,"

Sidney nodded, a smile on his face. "How did you guys end up living together?"

"Coincidental turn of events, really," Sidney laughed and I shrugged. "I graduated from high school, he got drafted to Carolina a few weeks later, and then when he signed his three-year contract we put part of that check and part of the money I got from Vancouver into buying a house."

Sidney smiled. "And you lived there together for five years?" I laughed, nodding.

"Oh yeah," I huffed, a small laugh coming from me. "Fairly sure my parents thought I was insane, buying a house with a teenage professional hockey player that I was in no way in love with." I turned my head to the window. "But, you know what? We had fun and we were the closest thing each other had to family while we were in North Carolina. We hit some rough patches obviously, but we always made up and went back to being siblings. We grew up together, you know?"

Sidney allowed an exhale to evict from him. "Good friends are hard to find,"

I turned my head back to Sidney. "I've been lucky, I suppose." Sidney's eyes briefly left the road to look at me. "Found Jeff, found Mel, Olli," I sighed happily, reaching over the console to place my hand on Sidney's thigh. "Found you."

"We're only friends?" Sidney asked, a playful grin coming across his face.

I laughed, tilting my head back. "You're my best friend, babe."

Sidney hummed, tilting his jaw in my direction. I grinned, pushing myself up to press a kiss against his stubble covered face. "You're my best friend too, Everly Grace."

Hour One, Minute Fifty-Eight: I-95 N, Emporia, Virginia

"Sid," Sidney barely glanced at me in the passenger seat. "I have to use the restroom,"

Sidney groaned loudly, allowing his chin to drop against his chest. "You have to pee, again?"

I blushed, offering a sheepish grin. "Well, no,"

Sidney snorted, shaking his head. "Everly!"

Hour Three, Minute Thirty-Two: I-295 N, Fredericksburg, Virginia

I glanced up from my tattered copy of "Looking for Alaska" to look at Sidney's phone that sat perched up in the cupholder. It had just gone off for about the 16th time since we've been in the car.

"You're a very popular man today,"

Sidney groaned. "Answer that, will you?" I slowly closed my book and reached for Sidney's phone.

"It's Pat," Sidney nodded, a grimace coming across him. "What did you do?" I wondered aloud as I unlocked Sid's phone. I began to read through the numerous texts Sidney had received from his manager, shock coming over me. "Have you read these?"

Sidney nodded his head. "I read the first seven texts,"

I cleared my throat. "Would you like me to read what he just sent you?"

Sidney ran a hand over his face. "Go ahead,"

I sighed, reaching up to toss my two braids over my shoulders. "It's an article, so, prepare yourself."

Sidney stiffened in his seat, cocking his head ever-so-slightly to the side. "It's an article?"

I scoffed, shaking my head with a laugh. "Oh, yeah. TMZ Sports. "America's Sweetheart Everly Grace Cassius has never been one to be shy when it comes to opening up about her private life, often willingly talking about her past struggles with depression, overcoming adversity in the figure skating world, and her dating life. But, since her return to her hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennslyvania in early October of 2015, the two-time Olympic Gold Medalist has been relatively hush-hush.

Everly's sudden quietness caused a stir across the figure skating world, as the absence for months on end from social media has not to be seen since Cassius joined the national spotlight. This being said, fans were lead to speculate that Cassius' absence on social media was due to a possible new relationship.

Everly's fans were proven right after she and rumored beau, Pittsburgh Penguins' captain Sidney Crosby, were pictured together in Raleigh, with a few friends and NHLers in tow. This is not the first time the two have been linked together, as they were pictured together twice before: first in a Pittsburgh grocery store looking cozy in early December and then again earlier this month, appearing to celebrate her 24th birthday with her family and a few Pittsburgh Penguins players and wives. It is also glaringly hard to ignore the fact that Everly has followed many Penguins' wives and girlfriends on social media, as well as Crosby's younger sister, Taylor.

Crosby is known to the city of Pittsburgh as their most eligible bachelor since his breakup in 2014 from his former flame, Pittsburgh Pirates broadcaster, Ella Hart. Crosby is also known to be a very private man, being one of the only NHL players still absent on any form of social media. Crosby's likeness for his privacy may very well be what's keeping Cassius quiet on social media.

We are waiting on further confirmation from either Cassius or Crosby or their respective representatives and will update this article with further information as it may come along."

Sidney kept his eyes concentrated on the road in front of him as he steered the car in the direction of the exit for Washington D.C. "Well," He began, stopping to exhale a heavy breath. "Shit." He laughed.

I laughed, lightly, as I shook my head. "So," I placed Sidney's phone in my lap and pulled mine from my purse that sat on the floor. "Now, that the cat is out of the bag, should I make it Instagram official?" I asked teasingly, knowing that he would likely say no.

Sidney nodded, glancing over his shoulder as he merged into a lane, heading into the direction of the hotel. "Do it,"

I looked at him in surprise. "Wait, what?" He laughed. "I was kidding, I know you don't want to be on social media."

"Everly, I don't want to be on social media. But, I understand that you choose to use social media as a platform to interact with people. If posting a picture of us on social media is important to you, then do it. Post my nudes on Instagram, I don't care, it's your social media. Share as much or as little as you want to." I placed my hand on his thigh, squeezing lightly.

"Are you sure?" I moved one hand up to the back of his neck, twisting a longer curl around my pointer finger.

He smiled, dropping his head back into my hand as he turned into the parking lot of the hotel we were staying in tonight. "Absolutely,"

I grinned. "I love you, Sid,"

Sidney smiled widely, leaning across the console to kiss my forehead. "I love you, Ev. Date night in D.C. then?"

I hummed as I began to collect my things and put them in my purse to go into the hotel. "Sounds like a plan, I'll wear my 'Crosby's #1 Fan' t-shirt."

Sidney laughed, his head hitting the back of his seat. "Yeah, I bet you will."

Liked by smellymelly, kletang_58, taycrosby29, and 35,786 others.

everlygcassius: fine & mine 💛🐧

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theorangedeath · 5 years ago

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Some webcomic recs

Webcomics are as underrated as they are varied. I mostly read printed comics now, but there’s no way I’d have gotten there had I not found webcomics before - believe me, I tried, but this damn hobby is super inaccessible to a beginner, not to mention expensive. Webcomics are like fanfics in that regard - hell, some of them are fan comics - in that there’s something for everyone, all within your reach, but in order to find something you like you have to either 1. Get very, VERY lucky, 2. Be prepared to read a lot of bad stuff in order to get to the good stuff, or 3. Hear about them from people you trust.

I was a 2 - i would read anything, back in the day - and while i’m not as unconditionally enthusiastic as i was, there are still some gems I wish got the same appreciation as some talents in the industry. I’ll spare you the rest of the article (dm me for comic rants though), let’s get to it!

note: all the comics are numbered as “1″ because tumblr messed up the google docs formatting

Comics i still follow as they update because either tumblr starts posting about them right away or they’re on tapas

Check Please!

https://omgcheckplease.tumblr.com/

I’m probably not the one introducing you to Check Please, as it’s one of the most popular webcomics out there, thank god. The parts of the fandom i’m familiar with are cool and wholesome, just like the work itself. It’s about a southern gay kid, Eric Bittle, who joins the hockey team in his college. It’s impossible not to love every single character there, the sports drama elements are great, and the format is like solidarity put into panels. The Samwell Men’s Hockey team’s motto is “we’ve got each other’s backs”, and there isn’t a single part of the comic that doesn’t 100% incorporate that.

Heartstopper

https://tapas.io/series/Heartstopper

The 2000s so far have been a rough contest for the title of “sweetest ya romance” but guys, we found it, we can stop now. Nick and Charlie are in highschool, Charlie is gay and out (not by will), Nick plays rugby because apparently that’s what british jocks do. Can i make it any more obvious? It took me a while to fall in love with the artstyle but when i did i fell HARD - the creator is re-drawing some of the older chapters, though, so your experience might be different. The story’s captivating right away, and you want everyone there to be happy from pretty much page 1. The creator also writes ya prose, and some of her books are about other characters from the same school. I love all of them, but Radio Silence is my personal favorite. She also has two novellas about Nick and Charlie themselves, available as e-books.

Charity Case

https://tapas.io/series/Charity-Case

I rarely start new webcomics anymore, but boy, this one got me FAST. and that was even before I realized it’s a polyam love story, which i love but is surprisingly rare in webcomics - at least the ones i know. Julien, an irresponsible young musician, resorts to sharing an apartment with two roomates who are a couple. I fell for the unique, gorgeous artstyle first, and by the time i realized i’m also super invested in the story and characters, it’s already become one of my favorites. Plus, Julien’s hair looks so soft!

The Property of Hate

http://thepropertyofhate.com/TPoH/

THIS is what comics should be. There’s so much passion here, not just for the story but for the storytelling as well - and the two aren’t as separated as you might think. A young girl is recruited by a TV man to be a hero. The world they enter seems nonsensical and arbitrary at first, but as they travel she discovers its logic, stories and secrets. She will also, as her title suggests, need to save it. There’s so much i love about this comic that i don’t know where to start, so i’ll just say this: it’s absolutely inspiring, in every sense of the word. Also, read the creator’s duck comics, they’ll make you feel things.

Webcomics i occasionally remember to catch up on, get blown away all over again by how good they are, vow to check them regularly for updates then forget. And repeat

Wilde Life

https://wildelifecomic.com/

I think this is the first ever webcomic i read that had a plot? I got on the wagon at around chapter 1 or 2 and it’s hard to believe it but it only gets better with time, even though it already starts at 100%. Oscar moves to a new town and immediately makes friends with a ghost and a grumpy teen werewolf. It has both monster-of-the-week type problems and overarching plots, and reading it feels nostalgic and brand new at the same time. The fantasy world has this special feel to it, that makes me miss growing up in the american wilderness even though i, well, didn’t. Plus, the creator is cool as hell. I knit her a hat in high school in exchange for a commission.

Sfeer Theory

https://sfeertheory.com/

This comic got me through a hard time and i’ll forever be grateful for that. Also, it’s really, really good. This is another case of a comic where you fall in love with the art right away and before long you find yourself caring very much about the characters and the story. You might also find yourself growing out your hair to style it like Luca’s. If you’re me it’ll be a lost cause, so, uh, keep that in mind. Luca works as a technician at the prestigious Uitspan university. A mysterious, powerful man is looking to change that. While the comic’s biggest strength is probably the gorgeous, fascinating worldbuilding - and Luca’s hair - the characters are also ridiculously easy to relate to, even if we don’t know anything about them. Even the most meaningless extras are somehow compelling thanks to the dynamic, rich art style. And did i mention the hair? If you like it, you won’t be disappointed by everything else Little Foolery makes.

How To Be a Werewolf

http://www.howtobeawerewolf.com/

I almost didn’t read this one! My brain has decided i don’t like werewolves and i don’t know how to reverse that. But then i saw Elias’ body language and it was extremely fun and friendly, and so was the rest of the comic, and the rest is history. Malaya knows she’s a werewolf, but seeing as she doesn’t know any other werewolves, dealing with that is hard. That is until Elias discovers her and decides to help, along with the rest of his pack. It’s filled with family and solidarity feelings, some dark mysteries and themes, and the art is beautiful and expressive.

Monsterkind

http://monsterkind.enenkay.com/

Another case of read-everything-this-creator-makes-it’s-all-amazing! Wallace, a social worker, moves - or rather, is moved - to District C, which is mostly populated by monsters. His heart’s in the right place, and apparently so is his apartment, because his neighbors are cool as heck and agree, some of them reluctantly, to help him get his bearings. There’s a mystery to uncover, some monsters to help and a dashing tea octopus to woo - for Kip to woo, anyway - and it’s all a delight to read. Every single character brings their own lovable-ness to the table, and even with the darker parts, reading this comic kinda feels like being hugged.

Comics that no longer update

The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal - finished

http://tjandamal.com/

Guys. guys! I’m pretty sure this is my all time favorite comic, web OR printed. I have the printed version, i still read it online occasionally, a lot of the songs mentioned in it are now saved on my spotify, i had it as my phone background for a good couple of years, the whole package. Amal comes out to his family and it ends with him having to drive to his sister’s graduation in Providence. There’s a guy in his kitchen who just so happens to need a lift there, and he’s willing to pay, and Amal’s too hungover to argue. What follows is the best roadtrip story ever. I’m seriously considering getting my license just to recreate that route. I just really love this story, okay? Oh, and if that wasn’t enough, the creator’s music taste is GOOD.

Prague Race - to be continued in text

https://www.praguerace.com/

The fantasy aesthetic to end all fantasy aesthetics. And the characters are good and interesting. And the world is well built and leaves you wanting more. AND there’s a cat. And it looks so good! Leona is irresponsible and spontaneous and gets her friends in some weird shit that leaves them trapped in a strange world, dealing with several curses, trying to survive and make sense of it all. I could spend a lifetime looking at the art and die happy.

Shoot around - finished

https://www.webtoons.com/en/drama/shoot-around/list?title_no=399&page=1

A girl’s basketball team and its coach, Jeff, deal with a zombie apocalypse. They make the most of the post apocalyptic world. There’s drama, friendship, found family, love and hope - it’s basically everything a zombie apocalypse narrative should be. And i love how the creator plays with the colors from chapter to chapter!

Rock and Riot - finished

https://tapas.io/series/Rock-and-Riot

It’s cute! It’s fun! It’s a 1950’s queer ensamble cast high school drama! It’s what Grease would’ve been like in a better timeline, except we still got it in this timeline. The artstyle fits perfectly with the story and characters, but if you want to see what’s the creator capable of now, read their newest comic, Project Nought. It’s a cool sci fi story and just like in Rock and Riot, it’s super easy to connect to every character there.

Alright there’s a lot more but i somehow wrote 4 google docs pages of webcomic recs in one sitting (this is what i’m able to focus on? Really, brain?) and i think that’s enough for now. Like i said, please dm me if you want to talk about anything here, rec some of your own, listen to my rants or tell me i’m a nerd. Or all of the above. I might make a similar post with print comic, but right now i have some dogs to pet. Keep being cool!

#webcomics #webcomic recs #check please #heartstopper #charity case #tpoh #wilde life #sfeer theory #how to be a werewolf #monsterkind #tj and amal #prague race #shoot around #rock and riot #i have a tendency to rant #i just!! have a lot to say ok #many opinions

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4birds-of-a-feather · 5 years ago

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Chapter 27 - Wonder whose arms will hold you good and tight (when it’s exactly twelve o’clock that night) [part 1]

Birds Of a Feather

(title credits: What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?, Ella Fitzgerald)

Eddie had almost finished his third cigarette when, from the distance, he noticed a silhouette running in his direction while waving its arms around – his lips curled into a smile and, before he had completely crushed the cig under a boot, the person had finally reached him. “I’m so fuckin’ sorry, Ed” Sara managed to mutter, panting like she had just run the New York Marathon “I had to bring The Godfather I and II back – and you know how Video Isle is literally on the other side of town – and then I caught a bus at the last second and also literally threw myself off of it when it didn’t seem to stop at that bus stop over there and-” “Hey, no problem at all: I already bought the tickets for both of us-no, don’t start with all that ‘you didn’t need to buy mine too’ bullshit, I wanted to do it” he stopped her protests, gaining a snort and a scowl from the girl (though her red cheeks and nose didn’t manage to make her look threatening in the least) “I’m sorry you had to go to the trouble of going to another store, sounds like you had quite the Odyssey” “Nah, don’t worry: it was quite good, I also found a couple of movies that I need for an exam and that El hasn’t been able to book for me, so it’s a total win-win” she grinned at him, taking the ticket he was handing to her and suddenly running toward the entrance “Popcorn is on me and that’s mandatory!” The guy shook his head laughing but followed her nonetheless.

************************************************************************************************ Layla was standing in the middle of her room, carefully examining the pile of clothes she had scattered on the bed. “Ok, I gotta make a selection now or I will still be here for the midnight countdown” she sighed and started grabbing and putting stuff back in the closet. “It’s New Year’s Eve so no sad colors… and no pants!” she put away all her pants and jeans, leaving out the skirts. The girl held up her denim mini skirt and let out a brief cackle as she remembered Eddie’s drunk rant about that particular piece of clothing; she shook her head and put the skirt away, then spotted a blue velvet micro dress. “... Jesus, I totally forgot this even existed” she recalled having worn it only twice, and both times it was with her ex boyfriend. The memory immediately made her throw the dress back into the closet, although she told herself the reason was it was a little too skimpy for a house party. “What about this?” Layla was now looking at a red lacey longsleeve, walked over to the mirror and held the top against herself to see if it could go. “Yeah, the color is great! But I’ll need a darker skirt to match” the choice fell on a black leather skirt which was basically the shortest one she owned. “Uhm… will it be too much?” she ended up trying on the skirt over her house clothes “Nuh, not that bad: nude tights and Docs and it’ll go” she clapped her hands and the doorbell rang right at that moment. Layla went to see who it was and didn’t think too much about it. “Hi, guys! Thank you for coming to help setting things up but you didn’t need to show up so early” she excitedly told Mike and Elias, letting them in. “Early? You told us like twenty times to be here at half past five, I even set an alarm! Anyway, very nice choice, you look great” Elias smirked, eyeing the girl from head to toe. Mike couldn’t punch him because his hands were busy carrying a big box full of stuff for the party and instead was about to stomp not so lightly on his foot but Layla was too shocked to be concerned with her Earth Day t-shirt stuck into her skirt and grey track pants underneath. “HALF PAST FIVE?? IS IT HALF PAST FIVE ALREADY?!” she started hyperventilating and bolted into her room, leaving the two guys standing dumbfounded in the hallway. “AND WHERE IS STONE?” she asked her friends as she passed them by again, sprinting into Sara’s – once Jeff’s – room. “He’s parking the car, he’ll be here in a minute… errrrr-where can I put this stuff?” McCready asked, struggling to keep the balance because of the heavy carriage. “Oh! Thank you Mikey, give it to me” Layla came out and snatched the box from the guitarist’s hands, then carried it easily to the kitchen as it weighed nothing, something that made him suddenly feel self-conscious. “I love strong women” Elias remarked and this time Mike was able to slap him on the nape.

************************************************************************************************ “So… no Tom Hagen? He dies before the movie can even start? Just like that?” Ed muttered in disbelief, his mouth half-full with popcorn. “Fuckin’ bullshit, I can’t believe it...” the girl shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose in order to find some patience to endure the outrageous truth “They had the nerve to tell both my second favorite character of the whole saga and Robert Duvall to fuck off! Who let this happen??” “But who’s gonna be the new Consigliere? I mean, he was a brilliant lawyer and has worked with three Dons, how can you substitute someone like-” “I fuckin’ knew that filming this goddamn thing after 15 years would have meant turning everything into a giant pile of shit… Fuck my life” Sara sighed, dejectedly watching Sofia Coppola awkwardly flirting on screen with Andy García “UGH, look at her! She looks constipated, just look at her disgusted expression…! I can’t keep on watching this, who the fuck allowed this casting?!” “... did you seriously just ask me why the director’s daughter was chosen for a part in her father’s movie?”

************************************************************************************************ “The number 1 should be a little more to the left, it’s too close to the 9… Yes, a little bit more… No, too much! Yeah, that’s it, Layla, good” Stone was leaning against the wall in the living room eating popcorn, giving orders to his friends “Elias, would you please stop checking her but-ehm, I mean, holding her ladder? It’s pretty safe, she doesn’t need your help. But those sparkly banners do, they won’t hang up by themselves... And come on Mike, with those balloons! We don’t have the whole day” “Are you kidding me? I’ve been blowing fucking balloons for an hour, I’ll have no breath left by the new year’s countdown!” Mike protested. “Ok, Mikey, don’t get all worked up for nothing. I was just saying that… you could do it a little bit faster maybe, I don’t know” Gossard innocently remarked with a shrug. “FASTER?? WHY DON’T YOU DO WHAT YOU’RE DOING A LITTLE BIT FASTER TOO? OH WAIT, YOU CAN’T, BECAUSE YOU’RE NOT DOING ANYTHING!” Mike blurted out, throwing a deflated balloon towards the other guitarist that missed the target and hit the wall beside him. “Oh oh pleeeease, you had no idea what to do before I arrived... You’d still be unpacking and playing with those party hats if I didn’t come and tell you what to do” Stone chuckled and Mike took a deep breath. “Come on guys, each one of us has a task” Layla tried to calm the two guitarists. “Yeah, Stone’s task is to get on people’s nerves” Elias remarked. “... And Mike’s and Elias’s task was to stick party cones into their noses, right?” Gossard smirked. “Actually, I had them in my ears” Elias pointed out and Layla rolled her eyes and got down from the ladder. “There! What do you think?” the girl looked proudly at the big number-shaped balloons she had just hung on the wall. “Uhm, well…” Mike mumbled something as Elias simply squinted at the decoration. “I think… that I really can’t wait for the Versailles Peace Conference, Jesus!” Stone exclaimed, barely holding back a laugh. “... What?” Layla frowned. “Your eyes are pretty, El, but I think you should put your glasses on” the guitarist kept on teasing her while the other two were shaking with laughters. Layla took the glasses she had left on the kitchen table, put them on and just snorted when she read 1919.

************************************************************************************************ “She’s useless but I love how she’s dressed – the yellow skirt was so pretty too!” Sara gushed over Mary Corleone’s latest outfit, a black tailleur matched with a cute hat of the same shade “... Holy Vittorio De Sica, I’m spending too much time with Maux” “Who’s Maux?” “Just a friend of mine who studies Fashion Design… now please, shut the fuck up because I wanna see if this storyline is heading where I think it’s heading – please, for once in my life I’d really like to be wrong about something” “Hmm-hm, judging from the sultry looks I think they’re almost there” Eddie munched a few popcorn, his grin growing wider when he heard her almost retch. “Oh yes, we Italian people get horny while making pasta together! Look at that chemistry born amongst the flour and-wait a minute, is he sobbing because he’s gettin’ an erection over his cousin??? I’m not watching this, I won’t be an accomplice to this disgust-EW, ABORT!” she covered her eyes but kept on peeping through her fingers, while the guy let out a hearty chuckle. “Didn’t know you guys had such strong bonds with your cousins…” he teased her, laughing even more when she let out a torrent of words that he couldn’t understand but that he knew were the best insults she could muster at that moment. At the end of the projection he had to ask for their translation, he simply had to.

************************************************************************************************ “I’m home!” Jeff yelled as he shut the door with a kick, since he was carrying shopping bags and couldn’t use his hands. “Hi, Jeff!” Layla answered from the living room. She had just arranged the balloon-numbers in the right order and now was laying a red cloth on the large table “Oh, and be careful to the-” She couldn’t even finish the sentence and Ament got caught in the gold foil curtain Mike had just hung over the doorway. “WHAT THE… WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!” the bass player struggled to get free and almost let the groceries fall but instead managed to save them and enter the room. “It was Layla’s idea!” Elias raised his hands as he made eye contact with him. “Well, isn’t it nice? A magical entrance to a magical party!” Layla grinned nervously and made a mental note of getting back at him on the first occasion. “Yeah yeah, you know what would be very magical? SOMEONE HELPING ME WITH THESE FUCKING BAGS!” Jeff struggled to reach the kitchen until the girl finally helped him. “Thank you Jeff, you’re the best! Did you find everything?” she asked as she started to pick up the food from the paper bags. “Yeah… pretty much…” “He surely found the most important stuff!” Stone added from outside the kitchen, as he was bringing up beer and wine cases he and Mike had unloaded from Jeff’s truck. “Oh, you took whipped cream too! Good idea, Jeff! I can use it for something last-minute” Layla remarked as she took the can out of the bag. “Thanks but I didn’t do anything, it was on the list” Ament shrugged nonchalantly. “No, it wasn’t” “Yes, it was” he repeated and was about to help her, but the girl started rummaging faster and faster through the bags until she nervously tore the last one off Jeff’s hands. “No no no… tell me it’s a joke” “What the fuck is wrong with you now?” Jeff earned judgemental looks from his friends and corrected himself “Err-I mean, what are you looking for, darling?” “Whipping cream. Where is it?” “It’s right there in front of you” the bass player repeated as he pointed at the same can the girl mentioned before. “No, it’s not. That is whipped cream – I asked you for whipping cream, that’s what I wrote in the list” Layla almost whined. “Isn’t it just the same?” Mike asked, hoping not to start a war with that. “NO! I wanted to make chocolate ganache” she explained as it was the simplest thing in the world. “And… so?” it was Stone who broke the tumbleweed moment of silence. “You can’t make ganache with whipped cream, how will the chocolate melt? You gotta boil whipping cream and add chocolate and butter” “Uhm you… can’t you just microwave chocolate and then, you know, mix it with the whipped cream?” Elias came up with a solution and Jeff could see one of Layla’s eyes starting to nervously twitch. “No. I can’t do that.” she said and everyone took a sigh of relief because they were already expecting the worst reaction. “Do you think you can come up with a different recipe for the cakes, Layla?” Stone asked cautiously “If you can’t, I’m sure Jeff will be glad to go out and buy the right cream for you – right, Jeffrey?” “Fat chance” mumbled his bandmate. “Oh no, it’s freezing out there, I’ll never let you go out again just for that. I’ll think about something else” the girl was now her usually sweet self and just shrugged. <Disaster averted> Mike thought as he went back to help Stone with putting away alcohol in the kitchen. “Jeff, please, since you’re here, would you please move the furniture as I start cooking?” the girl asked him. <He can’t read shopping lists but at least he’s strong> “Why is this my apartment and you’re the one giving all the orders?” he squinted at her and Layla took him by the arm and led him to the middle of the living room. “Jeff, please! Ehm… do you really think I could ask those three?” she whispered and they both looked towards the kitchen, where Elias was spraying whipped cream in his open mouth directly from the can. “... Alright” he nodded and took off his jacket. “I’ll begin with the appetizers, so we can put them on the table and make space here” the girl added, walking back into the kitchen. <Maybe she won’t notice I ate all the bugles on the way home…> the bassist thought as he put his hands on the backrest of the armchair.

************************************************************************************************ “The Italian Communist Party welcoming the Corleones to Sicily with a banner! This is glorious, I’m so glad I didn’t miss it” Sara exclaimed, her sides already hurting because she was laughing too much. “Oh, so now you’re glad you’re watching this mess?” “Ed, you can’t understand: this is simply hysterical, it’s even better than hearing that pathetic excuse they keep on using as Italian languag-like that! Did you hear it? Oh fuck, it was so bad… I just wanna cry” “You sure look like someone who’s enjoying this” “Fake laughter to hide my real pain” she clutched dramatically at her chest, one hand flying towards her face in a gesture of exaggerated discomfort.

************************************************************************************************ “MIKEY! CAN YOU COME HERE, PLEEEASE!” the guys heard Layla call and the girl startled the guitarist right when he was about to grab something to eat from the table. <What the fuck? Did she put cameras?> McCready thought, as he looked up around the living room. “Hahaha, it’s not like she can see you, you dork” Jeff laughed. “Actually, she doesn’t need to see you, she already knows what you were doing” Stone remarks. “Now you’re screwed, man” Elias shook his head and then he happily put a sandwich in his mouth. “MIIIIIKE!” “Why only me and not you?” the guitarist complained as he watched him stuffing his face freely. “Sorry” Elias shrugged and the other two snickered in silence. “ALRIGHT, WHERE ARE YOU, LAYLA?” Mike timidly yelled as he was about to leave the room. “I’M IN MY ROOM, CAN YOU COME HELP ME WITH SOMETHING?” Mike smiled to himself. <Maybe she’s not calling me to scold me for stealing food, but it can be a tactical move… I’d better not let the guard off> “Hey! Maybe I can come help her too now that I-” Elias started to say but Mike put his finger against his mouth. “Sorry!” he exclaimed, then shrugged cheerfully and started to walk across the hallway, up to Layla’s bedroom, where he knocked on the door. “Come in!” the girl let Mike in, then shut the door right behind his back and whispered to the singer “Did you manage to go to the hardware store? You know, to buy those things I asked you?” “Oh! Yes, I did! I had almost forgot, sorry” McCready confirmed. “And you didn’t say or show anything to the guys, right? You know it was a secret, don’t you?” Layla wiggled her brows and he nodded, although he still wasn’t sure what she would need that weird toolkit for. “Sure, I kept it all hidden and slipped the bag into Jeff’s-I mean, Sara’s room as you asked” he replied. “Well done! Thank you, Mikey. You can go back with the guys now” “You’re not gonna kill me for stealing food, then?” “DID YOU STEAL FOOD? Come on, it’s for the party!” the girl’s smile disappeared from her face all of a sudden. “Of course not! I was just kidding! Gotta go now… see what those jerks are up to, you know” Mike left the room both awkwardly and quickly and Layla sighed, then left too and tiptoed to Sara’s room, sneaking in. She looked at the cute and fancy jumpsuit she had picked from Sara’s closet and remembered when she first saw it: Sara had spotted it at a thrift shop where they had gone together and had fallen in love with it instantly. It was ocean blue, sleeveless and with golden decorations embroidered all over it that represented the zodiac signs. It was simply adorable and, seeing her friend doing puppy eyes at the garment, Layla had immediately decided to buy it for her as a present. But Sara hadn’t worn it once yet. <I wanna see my present finally put into good use…> she thought <This is gonna be the perfect occasion> The only problem was: would Sara agree with Layla’s decision? That was why she had Mike buy her something that could give Sara a little push in the right direction…

************************************************************************************************ On screen Mary Corleone had just fallen under the bullets, while her mother’s desperate cries were already filling the air. Sara was about to give a sarcastic comment on Andy García’s monotone shout, when suddenly the first notes of Cavalleria Rusticana started to play; she immediately forgot her previous idea and focused her entire attention on what was happening on screen: Al Pacino was silently screaming into the void – the perfect embodiment of suffering, just like the famous Munch’s painting – and kept on doing it for forty endless seconds, until he let himself collapse on the stairs. She felt a shiver down her spine. Then, just when she had remembered to breath again, the screen erupted with images of Michael Corleone dancing with his daughter, but with Apollonia and Kay too – and all of that melted as she felt some tears rolling down her cheeks. Now Michael was sitting outside, very much older and still reminiscing much happier times of his life, and the crescendo of the music accompanied his fall on the ground – just like his father had once done. By the end of the scene, Sara was sobbing uncontrollably.

************************************************************************************************ The doorbell rang and Stone went to open the door since Jeff was helping Elias with the stereo (that is, Jeff was doing all the work) and Mike was busy in the kitchen with Layla. The girl smartly decided that the best way to keep an eye on him and prevent him from finishing all the food before the party even started was to make him work. “HO HO HO SANTA’S HERE!” a feisty Cornell appeared outside the door, holding a case of beer and waving it around dangerously as if he was ringing a Christmas bell. “Christmas was last week, Chris” Stone smirked and backed away a little from the door. “Oh, did I say Santa? I meant Satan. SATAN’S HERE!” “Hail, Satan! Give it to me” Jeff showed up and took the beer from Cornell’s hands to prevent a disaster, then went to put it in the fridge. “Don’t tell me I’m the first party guest… that’s so… not cool” Chris stated after he tried to enter the living room and got stuck in the middle of the foil curtain, only to be untangled and saved by Elias, who had come to the rescue. “It’s still early! Hi, Chris” Layla came out of the kitchen, cleaning her hands on the apron she had put over her fancy outfit. “I correct myself. That’s a good thing I came early so I can take my time to introduce myself properly to this beautiful piece of princess!” Chris took the girl’s hand and half of his speech was actually mumbled against Layla’s fingers, before he actually kissed her hand in a long romantic gesture. “Err… ok” Layla half smiled, not knowing what to do as she waited to get her hand back. “You may be the first one at this party but I guess you started a party on your own way before” Stone remarked and Jeff chuckled. “Forgive them, honey. They’re like… like… how do you call ‘em? You know, the Flintstones…” Chris kept ranting, keeping Layla’s hands in hostage. “... Cavemen?” Elias suggested. “Cavemen! Exactly! They don’t know the manners” the singer snapped his fingers at the correct answer then gave Layla a drunk smile. “And you know them so well, you use them every single time, right?” the bassist joked. He couldn’t decide what was more funny: Cornell’s intoxicated state or Layla’s awkwardness. He set up for both and went on to enjoy the show. “What the-” the singer frowned but was then interrupted by Mike, who wanted to spare him the embarrassment. “What Jeff and Stone are trying to say is that you already know Miss Boulais here” “Who?” “Layla” Mike repeated. “The girl who must have a desensitized hand by now” Stone added and pointed at the girl in the center of the room. “Oh sorry, darling!” Chris let go of Layla’s hand and then continued, turning to look at the guys and pointing at the girl, as if she couldn’t hear him “Anyway, what the fuck are you talking about?! I’d remember if I had met... such a… a megababe like this before” “I introduced you and Matt to her and her friend, Sara, don’t you remember?” McCready explained. “Another one? Was it a babefest or something?” Cornell kept on whispering in an actually very loud way. “They’re the neighbours… Sara is the one who slapped Jeff in the face after our first show… Layla is her vet friend” Stone added some info to the scenario. “Why do you always have to mention that episode?” Ament whined, rolling his eyes. “Matt did the other time, I’m innocent” Gossard raised his hands laughing at his bandmate’s face. “Yeeeeah! I do remember now! Sorry sweetie, I blame the shots of tequila I did with Kim before leaving, I’d never forget such a glorious slap” the singer took Layla’s hand again and the guys almost simultaneously facepalmed. “Not her! Her friend did!” Elias pointed out. “Oh! Sorry, well, you know, tequila and everything... what I said before... But where the fuck is Kim? How long do you take to find a fuckin’ parking place in this fuckin’ neighborhood...” Chris kept ranting as he made his way to the window and left the girl dumbfounded in the middle of the room, as the other three guys were doubled over with laughter.

************************************************************************************************

“So…” Ed cleared his throat, hands shoved inside the pockets of the jacket “Want to talk about it?” Sara, still feeling wobbly on her feet, shot him an icy glare and grunted: “Talk about what?” “About what happened back there… I-I’ve never seen anyone before having such a strong reaction to-” “There’s a first time for everything, I suppose” she sniffled, careful to avoid his inquisitive glance. “Yeah, but you surely can agree with me that this whole ordeal is a bit too much; I mean, don’t misunderstand me, I don’t wanna sound patronizing but-” he let out a long sigh “You know you can talk to me, right?” “We’ve met two months ago, I don’t see how you could be the right person for all this hypothetical venting I’m supposed to do” the girl retorted, picking up the pace like she wanted to lose him. “And that’s where you’re wrong, because you and me – we have the same trauma” Sara turned around abruptly: “I don’t have any fuckin’ trauma! Don’t try to psychoanalyze me or project your own bullshit on me just because you’re fucked up and it makes you feel better, I won’t be your accompl-” she roared, but stopped when the guy took her by the wrist. “... I know what it means to lose a loved one” In response, the girl looked at him with wide eyes full of tears, then yanked herself free and started to run. “Hey! HEY! WAIT!” Eddie immediately followed her, cursing his big mouth “What the fuck’s wrong with me? Was it really necessary to push her like that?!” He saw her taking a couple of turns and ending in a small alley, where he almost bumped into her; she was leaning against the wall, with her hands supporting her and the knees a bit bent. Her breath was short and, at first, he thought it was because of that impromptu marathon she had just finished to run, but he quickly realized that something else was going on. “Hey…” he croaked, trying to speak as softly as he could “You okay?” “Just peachy” she managed to mutter, between a ragged breath and another “This is routine, nothing to wrap your pretty little brain around” “Routine?” “Look,” the girl finally looked at him, her face oddly pale “I just have a heart murmur – some congenital shit, okay? That’s fine, I just have to live with this… it’s no big deal, really” Eddie felt a wave of sympathy towards her, and hesitantly put a hand on her shoulder; she was still shaking and, when he touched her, she startled, though she quickly regained a bit of composure. “Sara… that’s not a heart murmur – or, at least, it’s not just that” “And what the fuck is this supposed to mean, huh? Are you majoring in Medicine, Doc? Did you suddenly develop an interest in cardiovascular diseases? What the-” “You’re having a panic attack” Ed interrupted her, mildly squeezing her shoulder “And quite a serious one, I must add” “You mustn’t, chief” she hissed back, shaking his hand off and wobbling towards the main street “I’m heading back home, El is going to have a fit if I’m not in time for the party” “Since when are you having these crisis, Sara?” “I told ya, it’s congenital – I was born with this, it runs in the famil-”“I meant the panic attacks” “... That’s not what they are” she stubbornly quickened her pace, not wanting to hear him blabber around like the clever meddler he was. “I think you should see someone – talk to somebody, maybe they can also prescribe something that could help you… It’s unnatural living like that, you don’t have to do this to yourself” “I’m not going to see a shrink, case closed” the girl cut short “Now lemme go home and do me the favor of keeping your big mouth shut… oh, and also-” “I will arrive at the apartment 10 minutes later than you, so anybody won’t suspect we have spent the afternoon together, I get it” “... you’d better do that” she gave him a last icy glance and turned around, disappearing among the crowd. Eddie sighed: he hadn’t offered to accompany her back because he knew she would have refused but, seeing how much she was still shaking, he was already regretting his decision.

#Eddie Vedder #Jeff Ament #Eddie Vedder fanfiction #Pearl Jam fanfiction #grunge fanfiction #Jeff Ament fanfiction #Birds of a Feather #chapters

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thecanesexchange-blog · 6 years ago

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Thank you to everyone who participated! Below is a link to all of our fics, as well as the Ao3 Collection.

(An updated version of this post will be up in one week with the authors)

Wifely Duties, Explicit: Sebastian Aho/Teuvo Teravainen, dom/sub “Sebastian has something extra special planned for Teuvo’s birthday this year.”

Letters from a new home, Mature: Haydn Fleury/Noah Hanifin, Sebsatian Aho/Teuvo Teravainen, Jeff Skinner/Eric Staal, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Immigration & Emigration, Supernatural Elements, Period-Typical Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Assault, Domestic Fluff “Something in the old house that Noah and Haydn are renovating as their home is keeping Haydn awake. What does it have to do with two young men who sailed towards America in the 19th century?

this surprise ending i’m depending on, Teen: Elias Lindholm/Victor Rask, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Alternate Universe-Canon Divergence (aka lindy isnt traded), Mutual Pining ““I did some reading, and - well,” Elias stops. “There are only two things that can prevent an NHL GM from trading someone.” “You don’t have a no-trade clause,” Victor says. “What’s the other one?” Elias looks down, and Victor notices he’s blushing. What could possibly be embarrassing about -? “Dating,” Elias blurts out. “If a player is dating someone else on the team, they can’t trade him.””

Mad as Rabbits, Teen: Justin Faulk/Jordan Staal, Sebastian Aho/Teuvo Teravainen (implied), Alexander Semin/Eric Staal (implied), Alternate Universe-Magical Realism “The rabbit sitting a few feet away stared at him with it’s black eyes and disappeared.”

waiting for the tides to meet, Mature: Sebastian Aho/Teuvo Teravainen, Selkie AU, Pining, Miscommunication ““Selkies aren’t real,” Teuvo scoffs, and the boy immediately pouts. “They are! I’m real, look,” he says, and lifts his arms out of the water; except, it’s not a hand at the end, it’s a flipper, webbed and downy. Teuvo stares, unsure if he’s dreaming. “Okay.” he says finally, and sticks out his hand. I’m a human. Nice to meet you.” He pauses. “Wanna see a cool rock?””

lettering: a how-to, Mature: Sebastian Aho/Rod Brind’amour, Implied Sebastian Aho/Teuvo Teravainen, Coach/Player Relationship, Power Dynamic, Mild Backstabbing “Seppo doesn’t have nearly half the star-power of the other guys Teuvo’s played with, but he’s at least as canny as all of those other guys put together.”

And they were roomates..., Teen: Sebastian Aho/Teuvo Teravainen, Secret Admirer, Fluff, Pining “In his twenty plus years of life he didn’t think he’d ever received flowers before.”

Aloittaa alusta; “Make a Fresh Start”, Teen: Sebastian Aho/Teuvo Teravainen, Haydn Fleury/Noah Hanifin, Alternate Universe- College/University, Secret Admirer, loosely based on a hallmark movie called “my christmas love” “When Sebastian starts getting anonymous Valentines Day gifts delivered to his dorm room, he can't help but suspect Teuvo.”

Hold On, I’m Coming, Mature: Jeff Skinner/Jordan Staal, Alternate Universe-No Girlfriends/Wives, Premature Ejaculation, Masturbation, Anal Fingering, Riding “Jeff’s relationship history is plagued by premature ejaculation. Jordan refuses to be the next victim thereof- no matter how much Jeff dislikes his methods.”

Primary, General: Sebastian Aho/Teuvo Teravainen/Dougie Hamilton, Soulmates, Miscommunication, more like no communication “Sebastian is Teuvo's soulmate, and Teuvo couldn't be happier until Sebastian stops talking to him. A soulmate AU where you see your soulmate's aura after you bond”

Collection

#carolina hurricanes rpf #carolina hurricanes #hockey rpf

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haven-raven012591 · 6 years ago

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Hawaiian Paradise

This will be a running Series and this is just the first part of it where you meet the Characters.

Parings: OC Ava X Baron Corbin, OC Dylan Seth Rollins, Oc Genevieve X Elias, Oc Luna X Jeff Hardy and OC Raven X Finn Balor

Word count: 2,982

Warnings: Cussing and that’s about it lol

The first of them hadn't met as a group before. Ava and Luna had because they lived close to each other. Raven had Skyped with Genevieve and vid chatted with Dylan before. They had all decided to save up the money and go to a big event. The money for any of them wasn't there for the biggest event of the year but for SummerSlam they could make it. It was going to be held in Hawaii that year and they'd all bought tickets together.

It was going to be fun to actually meet each other face to face. Raven arrived first and was looking out one of the huge windows when she heard the familiar voice of one of her best friends, Dylan. She turned and they ran to each other hugging each other close. It hadn't mattered that they'd never physically met they were still going to hug. Raven looked up at the blond haired beauty and smiled. “It's so awesome that you're the first one here.” Dylan said excitedly. “I wanted to be that way we could talk and i could help you recognize the others.” Raven said.

Dylan hugged her again and they went and got her bags. “You travel light.” Dylan said. “I don't really go into the whole deal of having different shoes for different out fits kinda thing.” Raven said. “I get that.” Dylan said. They sat and talked until Genevieve's plane got there. Raven waved at her and Genevieve walked over hugging Raven. “Gen this is Dylan, Dylan this is Genevieve.” Raven said happily. “It's nice to meet you Dylan, you can call me Gen everyone does.” Genevieve said. “Its nice too meet you too Gen.” Dylan said.

They got Gens bags and went to the international terminal. They all talked while waiting for Ava and Luna's flight. Once they got off and cleared customs the girls met the other two members of their group. “It's so nice to meet you two.” Raven said. They all shook hands and exchanged nice to meet you's then they got the bags and went to Dylan's car to start the hour and a half long ride to the other side of the island where their hotel was.

“Why aren't we staying closer?” Luna asked. “It was cheeper and it was closer to Dylan's house is that ok?” Raven asked. “Of course silly.” Luna said. They all talked about what they were most excited about for that week and the shows they'd go too. “Since you girls are staying through the first half of the next week it'll be a great time to see some sites.” Dylan said. Raven had gotten so quiet that she was starting to scare them.

“Ra, you ok love?” Ava asked. “Huh?” Raven asked as if startled out of her own little dream world. “Are you ok?” Gen asked. “Yes, I was just day dreaming.” Raven said. “Ok.” Gen said. “About what?” Luna asked. “Oh, uhmm it's silly but about us meeting our guys wouldn't that be crazy, for each of us to find our guys and have them fall for us?” Raven said.

“We'll we've been kinda talking about who should go first at the meet and greet.” Dylan said. “I don't like the sound of that.” Raven said. “You're the reason we talk to each other, the reason we're together you should meet Finn first.” Dylan said. “I can't go first I don't even know if I'll be able to talk, I mean it's Finn.” Raven said. “Ok answer a question for us.” Ava said. “Ok.” Raven said. “Did you bring the poem?” Gen asked. “Of course I did.” Raven said. “Then tell him you'd like for him to read something then hand it too him.” Gen said. “And run.” Raven said. “No, stay there and talk to him.” Luna said. “Oh no I can't.” Raven said. Dylan looked at her and nodded. “Then get him to sign something and then give him the poem and leave.” Dylan said. “Nah huh she has to see his face or she'll go crazy.” Ava said. “Can we just stop talking about it please!” Raven said sharply. They all looked at her worriedly. “Of course.” Luna said giving Ravens shoulder a squeeze. Raven retreated into her own self again.

~On the other side of the island~”This place is beautiful.” Seth said as he put his bags down in his and Finn's room. “It is.” Finn agreed. “I can't believe we have to share rooms though.” Seth said flopping on the bed. “Ya worried about gettin laid?” Finn teased as he leaned back on his bed. “Or you getting laid how long's it been?” Seth asked. “Not as long as ya'd tink but long enough.” Finn said. “I thought so.” Seth said. Baron put his bags down in his room and laid on the bed after he took his shirt off.

“How'd I get stuck with you?” Elias asked putting his stuff down. “Just lucky I guess.” Baron grumbled. “It's beautiful here.” Elias said. “Yeah.” Baron said. Jeff flopped on the bed and smiled as he looked out the window. “Hey roomie.” Jeff said as Aiden the door opened. “Hey.” Aiden said. “Perfect place for you to get a tan my man.” Jeff teased. “So everyone's told me.” Aiden said.

They laughed and looked out the window. “The perfect place to have SummerSlam.” Jeff said. “Yeah man it's gorgeous here.” Aiden said. Elias sat on his bed and stumbed his guitar and started humming to himself. Baron was playing a video and didn't care because he had head phones on with a mic so he could talk to the other players.

Seth sat up on the bed and looked at Finn. “What?” Finn asked. “I was just thinking about how it would be great to get a few of us together tomorrow and go off the beaten path, since tomorrow is our only true down day.” Seth said. “Sounds good count me in.” Finn said. Seth called Roman and Dean who said that they both had media day tomorrow and that they couldn't make it. Finn called Jeff Hardy and he said he was in. Seth called Baron and he said that he was in too. “Hey Elias you wanna go with us?” Baron asked. “Yeah sure.” Elias said. The gang was all set for the next day.

~With the Girls~

“I wanna sleep for years.” Ava whined as she dove into her bed. “After we get food.” Luna said. Gen opened the connecting door and smiled. “Sounds awesome.” Gen said. “I know a place and it's spectacular.” Dylan said. Raven still hadn't said a word and everyone was getting worried. “Raven.” Dylan said softly. She hadn't let go of her necklace since their talk in the car. Ava and Luna walked in and saw her sitting on the bed holding her necklace. Gen sat on her bed and Dylan sat with Raven. “Ra.” Ava called.

Raven looked up and blinked. “Huh?” Raven asked. Her hazel eyes looked so tired and dull. This wasn't they're Raven and they wanted they're Raven back. “You haven't let go of your necklace since we were in the car.” Luna said softly. “I just want to hold it.” Raven said. “What is it?” Gen asked. “My claggdah.” Raven said softly. “Is he close?” Dylan asked. “Not so much now but he was.” Raven said. “You need some food and a shower then to relax.” Gen said. Raven closed her eyes and let go of her necklace finally.

They went out and ate and laughed. By the time they got back to the hotel everyone was tired. “I'll see you girls tomorrow.” Dylan said. “I'll walk you to your car.” Raven said. They walked outside and Raven hugged her. “I'm sorry about me zoning out earlier I'd just had way to much stimulation.” Raven said. “I understand Raven it's not easy for you to be around as many people as you have been all day, why don't you get your suit on and go swim, the pool should be close to empty.” Dylan said. Raven nodded and smiled. “Thanks for understanding.” Raven said. They hugged again and Dylan drove off.

Raven went into her and Gens room. “I'm going to go for a swim I'll be back.” Raven said finding her suit. “You want one of us to join you?” Gen asked. “Nah I think it'll be better for everyone if I just swim alone.” Raven said. “Ok Ra.” Ava said. “I didn't mean to scare you girls I've just been around too many people today and I feel everything it sucks.” Raven said. “No problem, we're just glad our Raven is back.” Luna said hugging her. Raven was the shortest and the youngest of the group of girls. That's was why they all felt so protective of her, they wanted her to fly and they knew if they could get Finn Balor to just look at her and see her then it would change her world. Raven went out to the pool that was empty and sighed as the quiet stretched out and she could just breathe. She got in the pool and dived deep into the warm water.

~With the guys~

Finn had decided to go for a swim in the pool now that they'd gotten back from the welcome dinner. He hated seeing his ex there and just needed to get away from everyone to clear his head. Seth was playing video games in their room. Baron was out on the balcony smoking just to unwind. Elias was playing his guitar and writing songs. Jeff was asleep in his room.

Finn dived deep into the warm water and just relaxed. “Wouldn't it be nice not ta get laid but find someone ta connect wit.” Finn whispered as he leaned on the edge of the pool. It was a silent prayer that maybe someone would see him too. That some one could see past the bullshit and fame and just want him. The Lego playing demon king.

“Hey you.” Cathy said as she swam up to him. Just like that his peace was shattered into dust. “Goodbye Catherine.” Finn said and pulled himself out of the water with his arms. He grabbed his towel and walked up to his room. He slammed the door and Seth looked at him. “You ok man, too many fans out there?” Seth asked. “No, it was fine until my ex decided ta show up.” Finn growled.

Seth sighed and shook his head. “Sorry man.” Seth said. “For once I'd like ta find a girl interested in me for me!” Finn said as he grabbed his bed paints and boxers. “It doesn't happen often man.” Seth said. Finn slammed the bathroom door and got in the shower. Baron growled as he listened to Seth's laugh in his ears. “Shut up I'll get you next round.” Baron said. “Yeah, yeah come on then.” Seth laughed. Elias looked out at the paradise and strumbed his guitar then out of the blue he put it down and leaned back in the chair closing his eyes.

~with the girls~

Raven closed her eyes and sighed she soaked in the last little bit of alone time. The guy jumped in the pool and swam right up to her. “Hey where you from?” He asked. Raven turned and looked at him. All the warning bells went off in her head as soon as they made eye contact. “Nowhere really, enjoy the water.” Raven said and kicked off the side of the pool. She grabbed her key card and towel walking to her room. Gen saw the look in her friends eyes and went to her when the door closed.

Ava and Luna had both crashed for the night. “What happened?” Genevieve asked. “Some guy in the pool he had dead eyes, Gen.” Raven breathed. “It's ok Raven you're safe now.” Genevieve said hugging her tightly. “And wet.” Raven giggled. Gen let her go and Raven took a shower and came out in her night clothes. “Feel better?” Gen asked. “Much but I wish I hadn't seen that guy.” Raven said.

They both went into silence and Raven sighed. “Gen I'm just on...” Raven trailed off when she noticed her friend asleep. Raven turned off the light and snuggled up to her stuffed wolf looking at her Instagram. She noticed that at the same time she was in the pool Finn had been too. She put her phone on charge and closed her eyes going to sleep.

Soon the sun was in her eyes and she was groaning. Raven turned over and saw Gen sound asleep. She laid there and listened for sounds from the other room and hear nothing. Raven got up and shut the curtains sighing. The long travel day had left her drained and she had a massive headache so she took some medicine and laid down.

“Wakey wakey little bird.” Luna cooed as she laid on the bed looking at Raven. Luna gently moved Ravens hair and Raven looked at her. “Hey Lu, you're eyes are like super sparkly today.” Raven said. “Good dreams.” Luna said. Raven sat up and stretched. With her up they all met up with Dylan in the parking lot and ate breakfast then drove to Waimea Beach.

“Ok now it's a long walk so let's load up so we only have to make one trip.” Dylan said. They got their stuff and then Raven and Dylan got the cooler and Gen grabbed one picnic basket and Ava the other. Luna grabbed the umbrella and they went to find a spot. They put the cooler and baskets under the umbrella and spread out the huge beach towels they had. They they each took turns helping the others with spray on sunscreen. Raven sat on her towel and looked at the clear blue green water thinking it reminded her of Finn's eyes. Her hand went to her bare neck and Gen went to her. “Its ok, do you feel him?” Genevieve asked. “Yes.” Raven said.

~~~~

Seth, Finn, Elias and Jeff were in a Jeep they had rented and the stuff was in the back. Baron had rented a Motorcycle and was following them. They had decided to hit Waimea Beach it was about an hour or so away and it was the perfect place to visit. Seth had looked it up the night before and saw this huge rock that was perfect for jumping off of. They had all loved the idea. It looked so beautiful. They got to the beach and picked a spot near the rock.

Elias was the one that volunteered to stay by the stuff so he could write in peace. He'd picked up a little ukulele at some shop in the airport and decided to bring it along as well as his guitar. Seth, Finn and Jeff all headed to the rock to jump off. Baron being the Lone wolf of the crowd decided to fly his drone to get a good lay out of the beach plus it relaxed him. Seth ran and did a back flip off the rock and not to be out done Jeff did a swan ton off the rock. Finn just rolled his eyes and did a frog slash off the rock abd they all started swimming around after their moves

Elias was watching them and decided to jump just to get wet and knock off some of the sand and wake himself up. He just dived and they all clapped. Baron was watching them and had forgotten about his drone holding it still in the air. Some one ran past him and shoved him aside. It knocked him diwb and the remote slipped into the water he went in after it. “Fucking kid now it's ruined.” Baron growled.

~~~~

The girls were all talking and something flew by and hit Raven in the back and then it landed beside her. “Oww shit that hurt.” Raven said. Ava had a can of soda and went after the thing that hit her. Ava looked at it. “Its a damn drone someone let get away.” Ava said. “Hey have you seen a....what the fuck happened to it?” Baron growled. Ava looked at him and shoved him. “Watch where you fly your toys it hit my friend and I didn't know what it was so I attacked it.” Ava said. “You did this?” Baron said eyeing the small pink haired woman. “I did.” Ava said. The rest of the girls knew she hadn't been paying attention. “Ava, it's Baron.” Dylan said. Ava blinked her big blue eyes and gasped. “I'm so sorry.” Ava said. “You're damn right you are it's destroyed.” Baron snapped. “It hurt my friend I'm not sorry you should he more careful!” Ava snapped back. “Guys stop I'm ok.” Raven said. Just then Seth, Finn, Jeff and Elias walked up. “You find your drone?” Seth asked. Baron showed him the destroyed drone. “Damn man.” Elias said. “It hit my friend.” Ava said. Raven pulled her vest closer as she saw Finn. “Has anyone asked if yer alright?” Finn asked. “I...I'm fine really.” Raven said softly. “You can buy another one.” Seth said. “Yeah and this time keep it from hitting someone.” Dylan said. Seth looked at the woman that just stood up. Elias looked at the woman that was sitting down and looking at everyone with the long red hair and the hunter green eyes. Were as Jeff was looking at the other woman that was still sitting as well the one with the clear green eyes that was being very quiet. Baron was still staring at Ava like he could go through her. Finn was looking at Raven and thought that the name really fit her.

What will happen next?

@thegloriousdisaster @kittysilver86 @scuzmunkie @team-elias @loveroflive78 @alexnine @2sweetqueen @crayzeebizkit @briqueenofthenorth @balorbj @livelifebeautifully81 @soulofaravenheartofawolf @wrestlingxbalorxrollins @balordominion @calwitch @adriennegabriella @lauri3strode @hardyfangirl3 @iwritewwe @dolphinpink310

#oc raven #oc genevieve #oc dylan #oc ava #oc luna #seth rollins #finn balor #elias #jeff hardy #baron corbin #wwe #wwe raw #wwe smackdown

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livingcorner · 3 years ago

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How to Make a Crystal Garden for a Science Project@|how to grow your own crystal garden@|https://images.saymedia-content.com/.image/t_share/MTc0Mzk0MDExMTkxMDkyNTg0/how-to-make-a-crystal-garden.jpg@|0

Just a geeky mom who loves to share science with her kids. She teaches how to do simple science experiments that anyone can do from home.

Easy instructions to make a salt crystal garden

You're reading: How to Make a Crystal Garden for a Science Project@|how to grow your own crystal garden@|https://images.saymedia-content.com/.image/t_share/MTc0Mzk0MDExMTkxMDkyNTg0/how-to-make-a-crystal-garden.jpg@|0

I was recently introduced to growing a salt crystal garden by a friend of mine. She had beautiful cauliflower-like blooms growing in a dish on her countertop. Once I saw it, I decided that it was a must-do project for the kids and me. I had most of the items I needed to grow the garden lying around the house, and the time spent to make it was minimal. It is so easy, but yet so satisfying to watch the crystals in the garden grow.

This would be great for kids looking for a science fair project, but even without the science fair, it’s fun. My kids were mesmerized by the growing crystals and seeing how they changed each day. So without further ado, here are instructions on how to make your own salt crystal garden.

Supplies

Salt

Ammonia

Mrs. Stewarts Bluing (find this in the laundry section of the store)

Warm Water

Sponges

Container to grow crystals (glass or plastic work well)

Food Coloring (optional)

Instructions

Day One

Wet the sponges and squeeze them out. Next, cut the sponge into small sections that are about an inch or two big. Then place the individual sponge pieces into the container you’ll use to grow your garden. It depends on the size of your container how many pieces you use. Our containers each had one sponge in them. We tried to get creative with the building the base of our garden, but to be honest, the gardens with sponges stacked on each other took longer for the crystals to form. Crystals still grew, but the results were a bit slower.

Sponges arranged in the plastic container.

Next, for each crystal garden take 2 tablespoons of salt, ammonia, liquid bluing, and warm water and combine them in a measuring cup. Stir until you can no longer get the salt to dissolve. All of the salt won’t dissolve, so don’t try. Just mix it until you feel it’s as dissolved as it’s going to get.

After the solution is combined, pour it over the sponges. When you get to the mucky blue salt at the bottom, drop it on top each of the sponges. Make sure to use all of the mixture.

Sponges waiting for crystals to form.

If you’d like to use food coloring, now is the time. A few drops here and there on top of the salt blobs will suffice. We found that blue worked best. Green turned teal blue, and red and yellow really didn’t leave a color at all. If you don’t use food coloring the crystals will be white which is quite stunning.

I’m not exaggerating when I say the crystals will begin blooming within the hour. The overnight results are amazing.

Crystals beginning to bloom after just a couple of hours.

Crystal Garden in the morning. Only 10 hours after starting.

Day Two

Add two more tablespoons of salt to the places on the sponges that crystals didn’t form. The crystals will continue to form throughout the day.

Day Three and Beyond

Prepare a half batch of the original mixture and pour it into the bottom of the container. This is the food that will keep the crystals blooming. You can continue to add the mixture every few days and your crystal garden will grow for in infinite amount of time. Ours grew for over 3 months until we decided we our needed the counter space back.

The crystal garden is growing up the sides of the container.

Crystal Garden Hints and Tips

The crystals are very fragile. They will collapse if you touch them. They may collapse when you move them. No worries though, they will grow back when you “feed” your garden.

You can add food coloring at any time, but it will dissolve your crystals. The good news is they will grow again each time you add more of the ammonia, salt, bluing mixture.

Ammonia is not needed to get the crystals to grow. It actually just aids in the evaporation process. Leave ammonia out if you wish, but realize it will take longer for the crystals to form.

After days of feeding your garden it may begin to try to escape your original container by growing up the sides. That’s ok, just put the container inside a larger container like a cake pan.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with the crystals. After months of feeding the crystals we tried to kill them off by just adding water, instead of the solution. Guess what, they still grew back for days.

Any porous substance can be used instead of sponges; charcoal or lava rock would make a good substitution.

Air needs to flow freely around the crystal garden for it to grow, so don’t cover it up.

Put food coloring in different places to have both white and blue flowering crystals.

The Science Behind the Crystal Garden

Definitions

Read more: How to make a living wall – an easy step by step to DIY your own living wall system@|how to make a green wall garden@|https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YZYpqoj72ggrEjU3MUf9p5-1200-80.jpg@|0

Soluble – easily dissolved, especially in water.

Crystalize – to change from a liquid to a solid form that is made up of crystals.

Evaporation – to change from a liquid state to a gaseous state.

Colloidal Suspension – A substance where the particles of the solution are mixed, but they are not dissolved.

Porous Substance – Any substance having small spaces or holes through which air or liquid may pass.

Capillary action – The ability for liquid to travel through small spaces without the help of forces like gravity.

A month later and this crystal garden is still blooming.

Now that you know the science terms here’s how they apply to the salt crystal garden. First off, salt is a soluble crystal, therefore, it’s a crystal that can be dissolved in water. In any salt and water solution when the liquid evaporates the salt will crystalize. Think of a saltwater fish tank, in all saltwater fish tanks a white powdery crystal substance can be found at the top. This is because water in the tank has dissolved leaving salt crystals at the top of tank. You can test this for yourself by dissolving 1 teaspoon of salt in one cup of hot water. After a few days, some of the water will evaporate and white crystals will form at the point where the water originally started.

Your crystal garden will start to look like cauliflower if you don’t feed it for a several days. It’s still pretty.

In the recipe for the crystal garden large amounts of salt are added in proportion to the amount of liquid. You can see this just from the fact that when mixed it is impossible to get all of the salt to dissolve.

Because there is so little liquid, the crystals will form quickly. The Mrs. Stewarts bluing acts as a colloidal suspension in the mixture. Since the bluing particles are not dissolved, they form the nucleus of the crystals and allow the salt garden to bloom around it rather than form chunky solid salt crystals.

As mentioned earlier, the ammonia aids in rapid evaporation. It not only evaporates quickly, but it also helps the water and liquid bluing to evaporate quickly.

On day three and beyond you should add the mixture to the bottom of the container. This helps keep the crystals from being disturbed. Because the sponges are porous, the mixture will be drawn up through the sponges by capillary action. This feeds the crystals, and keeps them growing for months as long as you remember to feed them. If you don’t feed them, the crystals stay for a while, but their appearance changes dramatically.

So whether you are planning your next science project, or just want to have fun growing a crystal garden this project is a must try.

What are you waiting for? Start your crystal garden today!

Comments

Shellie on July 27, 2020:

Can the crystals be preserved or “sealed” somehow without damage? Example: epoxy, laquer, glue, etc…

Jahra. on March 15, 2020:

Another set of questions:

Can I use some other blueing product other than Mrs Stewart’s ?

Does the blueing affect the coloring of the crystals ?

What’ll happen if I don’t put blueing in the solution ?

Is it possible to keep the crystals as they are without having to feed them over and over again ?

Can transparent liquid resin be poured on the garden to add a protective layer ?

Jahra on March 14, 2020:

Hi ! May I ask what salt have you used ? And which section of the grocery store do you find ammonia ?

grant on March 01, 2018:

so is there a different way to add, do you have to mix the salt together

Kathy Hull (author) from Bloomington, Illinois on May 04, 2016:

I got Mrs. Stewarts Blueing at my local grocery store, but they also sell it on Amazon.

Jeffery on May 03, 2016:

Agreed with Jeff .

jeff on May 03, 2016:

Read more: 6 things to think about before preparing a raised bed garden@|how to prepare a raised garden bed@|https://i0.wp.com/savvygardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/raised-bed.jpg?fit=657%2C360&ssl=1@|0

WHERE CAN U GET MRS STEWARTS BLUEING DUDE!! THEY DO NOT SELL IT ANYMORE !!

Glenn Stok from Long Island, NY on August 03, 2015:

This is great. I actually remember doing this when I was a kid. But then again, I always played around with experiments similar to this at that age.

I have a friend who has a nine year old daughter and I’m passing this hub on to her. I think her daughter will love it. And it’s a great learning process too.

Kathy Hull (author) from Bloomington, Illinois on June 27, 2015:

I don’t see why not, I actually think it would turn out pretty cool in an aquarium.

Susan Britton from Ontario, Canada on June 27, 2015:

Would this work in an empty aquarium. I have 2 that I dont want fish in anymore? I love this idea.

Liz Elias from Oakley, CA on June 25, 2015:

I vaguely recall doing something similar when I was a kid. I’m definitely passing this along for the grandkids to try.

But, I’ll have to wait until later; for some reason, all the various share buttons and not visible on this little notebook computer.

Voted up +++ Congrats on the EC

Vic Dillinger on June 25, 2015:

What a fun article!

Karen A Szklany from New England on June 25, 2015:

Thank you for reviving my interest in this project. I’ve known about it and haven’t done it with my daughter yet. Will try it today.

It was very useful to know that I could leave out the ammonia. Not a fan of the stuff, so we can be patient about the evaporation process. Can’t wait to do it….may wait for her friend to come and each of them can make one.

Venkatachari M from Hyderabad, India on June 24, 2015:

Awesome idea of growing artificial gardens in your home. It is very interesting and exciting too even for grown ups, not to mention children.

Thanks for sharing it. Voted up and awesome and sharing G+

Rota on June 24, 2015:

Love this! Something really different to do and watch grow

Factable News from Lagos on June 24, 2015:

Lovely and nice, maybe i should try it out .

FlourishAnyway from USA on June 16, 2015:

This seems like a cool summer science project to do with the kids. Graf hub! Voted up and more!

Source: https://livingcorner.com.au Category: Blog

source https://livingcorner.com.au/how-to-make-a-crystal-garden-for-a-science-projecthow-to-grow-your-own-crystal-gardenhttps-images-saymedia-content-com-image-t_share-mtc0mzk0mdexmtkxmdkyntg0-how-to-make-a-crystal-garden-j/

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arlingtonpark · 7 years ago

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The Story of L’Affaire Russe Part 6

Part VI. The Indictment of Paul Manfort to the Present/It’s a Dumb, Dumb, Dumb, Dumb World.

Thus continues my now six part epic saga to document what is currently the biggest political scandal since Iran-Contra over 30 years ago: L’Affaire Russe, Russia’s attempt to influence the 2016 presidential election and the Trump campaign’s attempted complicity in it.

After a weekend of suspense, the announcement was made that, to no one’s surprise, Paul Manafort was the one who was indicted, along with his right hand man Rick Gates.

The charges allege that Manafort and Gates collectively laundered over $75,000,000 over the course of several years through undisclosed foreign and domestic entities, including bank accounts. It is further alleged that they failed to disclose their work as agents of the Ukrainian government and its then-President, Victor Yanukovych. Finally, it is alleged that they made various false statements related to the above two allegations. Manafort and Gates surrendered themselves to FBI custody.

Mueller’s plan, it seems, is to put pressure on Manafort to flip on Trump and cooperate. Bringing these charges against him accomplishes this because now Manafort can enter in to a plea deal where he offers information in exchange for leniency. Whether or not he does so remains to be seen.

To some extent, this was all expected, which is why it was so shocking when Mueller somehow managed to work in a plot twist: he revealed that he managed to secure the cooperation of George Papadopoulos.

George Papadopoulos had previously played a bit part in the story of the 2016 election, so much so that I did not mention him since he seemed like one of those characters in a sitcom who are prominent for an episode because they interact with the main characters in a funny way, and then they go away never to be seen again. Turns out, he was one of those characters who interact with the main characters in a funny way, and then go away, but come back later because they’re actually very important. This is why people liken the larger Trump presidency to a badly written sitcom.

Papadopoulos’ prior role: during the Summer of 2016, it became obvious that the Trump campaign did not have anyone advising them on foreign policy. Desperate to save face, the campaign half-assedly threw together a list of people who would advise them on FP issues; Papadopoulos was one of the people whose name appeared on that list. Papadopoulos in particular received attention, but for all the wrong reasons. He had listed his participation in the model UN on his LinkedIn resume, a laughable thing to include when you’re supposedly as distinguished in the realm of FP as to be advising a serious contender for the American Presidency.

But it turns out to be even more laughable than that. He actually lied about attending the model UN! So not only did he think that model UN was a high enough distinction for a Presidential foreign policy advisor to put on his resume, he thought it was such a coveted position that he saw fit to lie about it!

Everyone laughed this joker off as a clown, except he turned out to actually be important. That’s right. Model UN guy (model UN guy!) is a key player in the Trump-Russia imbroglio! What the hell!

What happened was that Papadopoulos met Joseph Mifsud, a university professor who was also a spy for the Russian Government. Papadopoulos’s confession can be read here. It details how he came to learn of the existence of the hacked Clinton emails and his attempts to obtain them.

This is another example of the Trump campaign trying to collude with Russia, but never actually succeeding, the first example being the Veselnitskaya meeting at Trump Tower. It’s at this point that I should say that it is entirely possible that Trump and his campaign are not guilty of anything. Incredible as this may sound, it’s conceivable that the Trump campaign merely tried to coordinate with Russia, but ultimately failed to do so.

The various investigations by the House and Senate continued apace. Throughout the Autumn of 2017, Carter Page, Michael Cohn, Rinat Akhmetshin, Jeff Sessions, and various leading figures in Fusion GPS, the firm that contracted Steele, all testified before the House Intel Committee.

Trump’s long time bodyguard, Keith Schiller, was called to testify before the House Intel Committee as well, and during this testimony Schiller dropped a very telling revelation: recall that the Steele Dossier alleges that Trump had a group of Russian hookers piss over the bed in his Moscow hotel room, the same hotel room that Obama had stayed at years earlier. In his testimony, Schiller CONFIRMS that a group of hookers were offered to Trump, but maintains that they were turned down.

So as far as I’m concerned, the pee tape is real, Putin’s got it, and he’s probably using it to blackmail the Leader of the Free World right now. Great.

Information regarding contact between the Trump campaign and Wikileaks, one of the groups involved in disseminating the hacked Clinton emails, came to light in November. Cambridge Analytica, a data analytics firm that worked for the Trump campaign, apparently tried to make contact with Wikileaks after they began working for the Trump campaign.

Not only that, but Wikileaks also sent various Twitter DMs to Trump, Jr. Wikileaks asked for various things. They floated the idea of Wikileaks head Julian Assange being appointed Ambassador to Australia. They encouraged the Trump campaign to contest the outcome of the election if they lost. They even asked for Trump’s tax returns. Jr. did not always respond to these messages, but he did at times. Most notably, Wikileaks sent Jr. a link with the recommendation that they publicize it since using the link would take you to a compendium of Wikileaks emails. Trump himself gave the link a shout out just 15 minutes later. Jr. also gave the link a shout out on his Twitter page two days later.

Tangentially, we were also treated to something of a side show courtesy of Michael Flynn and his dealings with the Turkish government. Recall that Robert Mueller’s mandate is to investigate Russia’s attempts to influence the 2016 election and any crimes uncovered over the course of that investigation. Flynn could be sitting on useful information involving possible Trump collusion with Russia, so Mueller is trying to nail Flynn on unrelated crimes in order to flip him. Not only that, but Mueller is apparently also targeting Flynn’s son too, since he was apparently also involved in the same shady activities as his father. Mueller’s calculation is that Flynn loves his son enough that he’d be willing to surrender to the investigation in return for leniency for his son. (He was right)

With that said, oooh boy, has Flynn and co. been up to some nefarious, and quite frankly incredible, s!@t.

In 2016, a coup was launched against the rule of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Erdogan is a dictator; for years now, he has worked to undermine democracy in Turkey and consolidate his own power. The coup was led by Fethullah Gulen, a Muslim cleric who apparently masterminded the coup from his mountain top fortress in the Poconos. (Yes, that Poconos) The coup not only failed, it backfired. Erdogan survived and used it as an excuse to accelerate his consolidation of power.

This is where Flynn comes in. Flynn had previously worked as a lobbyist for the Turkish government, and it has been reported that he and his son were offered $15 million by the government of Turkey to use his power as the then-National Security Advisor to facilitate Gulen’s extradition to Turkey. Either that, or the offer was $15 million to flat out kidnap him!

Unfortunately for Flynn, that’s not the end of the problems for him. Remember what I said earlier about Flynn doing lobbying work for the Turkish government? Well, it turns out he didn’t notify the US government of his lobbying work, which he is legally required to do. He’s also been found to have made various false statements to the FBI.

It should come as no surprise then that Flynn entered in to a plea deal with Mueller, both for his own sake and for the sake of his son. Flynn is now cooperating with the investigation.

Recall that after the Obama administration announced sanctions against Russia for interfering in the election, Russia did not escalate the situation by retaliating. Flynn admits to having been the one who told Ambassador Kislyak to tell Putin to not retaliate. This confirms the reporting of the Washington Post, which reported, based on leaks from the Intelligence Community, that Flynn had done just that. Flynn also admits to having discussed the issue of what to tell Kislyak with other senior officials in Trump’s orbit, but it is not known if Trump himself knew of this.

In other words, Flynn, on behalf of the Trump team, worked to undermine US foreign policy towards Russia.

The next item on the agenda here is a raft of revelations regarding the Steele Dossier, AKA the Pee Tape Dossier.

During this time, important details about how the dossier was compiled came to light. It was already known that the dossier was compiled by former MI6 spy Christopher Steele, who was hired by Fusion GPS, an opposition research company. Fusion GPS, in turn, was hired by an anonymous GOP donor to perform oppo research during the 2016 GOP primary.

That last part about Fusion GPS being paid by a GOP donor, which turned out to be the libertarian leaning online news website the Washington Free Beacon, is actually irrelevant. Steele was only brought on board to create the dossier after the Free Beacon stopped funding Fusion GPS. But someone did pay Fusion GPS to do their oppo research on Trump, so who was it?

It was none other than Hillary Clinton!

DUN DUN DUU-

(Indirectly)

…

This is what actually happened: after being dumped by the Free Beacon, Fusion was hired by Perkins Coie, the law firm of Marc Elias, a very well connected Democratic Party-aligned campaign lawyer. Fusion, in turn, subcontracted the research work out to Steele, who has many contacts and sources in Russia and so was considered to be well positioned to do this sort of work.

Perkins Coie was acting on behalf of the Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, which ultimately paid for the dossier’s creation. Note, though, that Clinton herself was unaware of the details of Fusion or Steele’s work.

The fact that the dossier’s creation was paid for by Clinton led to many conservative commentators to raise a stink about the validity of Bob Mueller’s investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Everyone in the propaganda-sphere from Sean Hannity to even members of Congress was attempting to spin this yarn about how the dossier’s being paid for by Clinton money made the entire Russia investigation illegitimate because, in their telling, the dossier was the reason the investigation was started in the first place.

This is all nonsense.

The Dossier was not the investigation’s catalyst. The investigation actually got started when, and I swear I’m not making this up, George Papadopoulos got drunk at a bar in London and spilled to Australia’s ambassador to the UK that the Trump campaign was seeking to obtain the emails the Russian government pilfered from Clinton.

But in spite of the admittedly too-stupid-to-believe reason for the investigation was out there and public, Trump-aligned forces still pushed the narrative that the Dossier was politically biased and that this somehow made the investigation illegitimate, even though it had resulted in multiple indictments and even a couple guilty pleas by that point.

Chief among them was Devin Nunes, a Republican representative from Fresno, California.

You may remember Nunes from part 3, in which he obtained intel in a secret midnight rendezvous with a contact from within the federal government like a character in a f!@#ing spy movie (and on the White House lawn no less!) and potentially spilled classified information live on national tv, all in the hopes of clearing Trump’s name, which he failed to do because he had no idea what he was doing.

Well, in early 2018, the prodigal son returned.

In that time period, Nunes began talking up a memo he had his staff prepare. He claimed that this memo would prove that there was a deep state conspiracy to undermine President Trump.

The FBI had been spying on Carter page for months, Carter Page being a Trump campaign advisor who, according to Trump himself, was not a Trump campaign advisor. Devin Nunes claimed his memo (which, he kept telling everyone, would be a Big Deal upon release) would show that the FBI started its Trump-Russia investigation with their surveillance of Page. This surveillance was done on authority granted by a warrant issued by the FISA Court. To obtain the warrant, the FBI had to submit an application to the Court detailing the evidence that there was criminal wrongdoing.

Nunes claimed his Big Deal Memo would show that the evidence the FBI relied on to get the warrant was from the Steele Dossier and that the FBI did not disclose to the FISA Court that the Dossier was created by politically biased people. Thus, the FBI withheld pertinent information in the name of getting their warrant and this proves they have it in for Trump.

Nunes said, flat out, that his Big Deal Memo (which apparently turned anything it rested upon into gold) would single-handedly expose the biggest government conspiracy since Watergate.

Even before the memo was released to the public, Trump defenders the world over latched on to this to attack the credibility of the Mueller investigation. (The Mueller investigation is just a continuation of the FBI’s investigation.)

They were outraged (outraged, I tells ya!) that the FBI would act so underhandedly and spy on a high-ranking Trump advisor. (Who was somehow simultaneously not a Trump advisor)

Fact check: even if the Dossier was the basis for the investigation’s start, the bias of its creators wouldn’t have mattered. The FBI relies on biased sources for evidence all the time in its applications to the FISA Court. This is well known and the judges know to account for this.

But wait! It gets even dumber then that! Nunes finally pulled his Big Deal Memo out of his ass and presented it to the public.

It literally refutes itself. I’m not even kidding. The memo lays out the case Nunes was arguing for this whole time, (the investigation is biased because it has its roots in a biased document) and then in literally the last paragraph it says that the biased document (the Dossier) was not the root of the investigation!

Big Deal!

And to top it off, Nunes claimed throughout this whole mess that the FBI didn’t disclose the Dossier’s biases. But as Nunes himself would later be forced to admit, they did! The disclosure was made in a footnote to the main body of the application, which Nunes argued was still an obvious attempt at deceitfulness.

Because footnotes apparently don’t exist to be read. Or something.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

#politics #russia #2016 election #l'affaire russe

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nationalhoranleague · 5 years ago

Text

Fourteen | Road Trip

≫ Everly - Saturday, January 16, 2016 ≪

"You're going to stop by practice and say goodbye to the boys, right?" I looked to Melissa, who stood leaning against the banister of the stairs, a coffee cup in hand.

"Of course," I looked over my bags that sat on the floor, making sure I had everything. "I would never hear the end of it if I didn't,"

Mel laughed lightly. "I wouldn't advise taking him," She pointed to Sidney who sat over on the arm of the couch, messing around on his phone. "Inside, though."

"You're always welcome here, Sid. We're family now, yeah?" Sidney grinned, nodding.

"Yeah," He began to pick up a few bags from the floor. "The same goes for Pittsburgh. Make sure the boys get my note, okay?" I was confused as to what he was talking about, but Mel nodded.

"Of course,"

Sidney turned to me, a suitcase in each hand and my backpack tossed over his shoulder. "I'll meet you in the car, okay?"

"I just wish he played here, you know?" Mel nodded, wrapping her arms around me tightly. "I hate being separated from you and Jeff."

"Good luck with that," Mel shrugged like she knew she could never convince Jeff to leave Carolina. "Be good,"

Mel smiled, picking her coffee cup back up. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do while you're in D.C.,"

I smirked, leaning over to scoop up Sidney carry-on bag and my purse. "What about in the car?"

"Are the windows tinted?" I snorted, shaking my head at the redhead in front of me. A tense pause hung in the air, neither one of us wanting to say the inevitable next words.

"I'll," She stopped to clear her throat. "I'll see you later, okay? I'll come up for my birthday and then we'll work out something for the summer." I nodded, hugging her one more time.

⊳

"Ugh," Jeff's breathy exhale blew my fly-away hairs away from the side of my face.

I titled my head to look up at him. A deep frown and furrowed eyebrows were set into his features. "Jeff," I reached up, placing my hand on his cheek. "We'll be fine, it's only a few more months and then we can spend all summer together!"

Jeff shook his head, releasing me from his embrace. "What if we make playoffs?" I nearly scoffed at the thought. "What if they make playoffs?" Now, that was a little more plausible.

I giggled, shaking my head at my worrisome best friend. "I wouldn't worry too much," Jeff's eyebrows lifted. "We've always done this, you'd go back home to Markham, I'd stay in North Carolina and then we would travel to see each other." I smiled up at him. "This is nothing new, we can handle it."

"You're not going to go to Nova Scotia with Sidney?" I shrugged my shoulders as we began to walk away from the dressing room and towards the door that I came in through.

I shrugged. "I suppose I don't know, yet. We haven't talked about it,"

Jeff laughed, tugging on one of my boxer braids. "Nonsense,"

"Where are Elias and Justin?" Jeff sighed, leaning against the wall just as we stopped by the door.

"Elias doesn't want to see you off, again, he's in denial, I think. He does, however, want me to do this," Jeff reached to hug me and then kissed both of my cheeks like Elias always does.

I grinned, shaking my head. "You make sure you tell him that he's always welcome in Pittsburgh just like you and Mel are,"

"I will, pipsqueak,"

"Do it in a Swedish accent." Jeff laughed but tried to mock Elias's accent. He failed miserably. "Please, don't do that ever again."

"Justin sends his best wishes," I nodded. "He's in physical therapy this morning, something with his ankle, I think."

I nodded in understanding. "Oh, that's too bad."

Jeff smiled, opening the door and walking out in front of me, leading me to the parking lot. "He's about as graceful on the ice as you are on the ground,"

"Alright, dad," Jeff laughed, before unlacing his arms from around me. He lifted his head to glance in Sidney's direction and offered him a wave.

I looked to Sidney, noticing his content smile as he watched Jeff and I. "Go,"

I slowly began making my way towards the rental car Sidney and I would be driving to D.C. in. "I love you, Jeff."

He smiled, winking at me. "I love you too, Everly."

⊳

Minute Forty-Seven: US-64 E, Nashville, North Carolina

"So, how did you meet Jeff, exactly?"

I laughed, just a little. "I was at a competition in Buffalo in like 2004, maybe, and the coach I had at the time knew his coach and so they introduced us to each other and we've pretty much-been friends since then."

Sidney nodded, a smile on his face. "How did you guys end up living together?"

Sidney smiled. "And you lived there together for five years?" I laughed, nodding.

Sidney allowed an exhale to evict from him. "Good friends are hard to find,"

I turned my head back to Sidney. "I've been lucky, I suppose." Sidney's eyes briefly left the road to look at me. "Found Jeff, found Mel," I sighed happily, reaching over the console to place my hand on Sidney's thigh. "Found you."

"We're only friends?" Sidney asked, a playful grin coming across his face.

I laughed, tilting my head back. "You're my best friend, bubba."

Sidney hummed, tilting his jaw in my direction. I grinned, pushing myself up to press a kiss against his stubble covered face. "You're my best friend too, Everly Grace."

⊳

Hour One, Minute Fifty-Eight: I-95 N, Emporia, Virginia

"Sid," Sidney barely glanced at me in the passenger seat. "I have to use the restroom,"

Sidney groaned loudly, allowing his chin to drop against his chest. "You have to pee, again?"

I blushed, offering a sheepish grin. "Well, no,"

Sidney snorted, shaking his head. "Everly!"

"I can't help it! It's a natural bodily process!"

⊳

Hour Three, Minute Thirty-Two: I-295 N, Fredericksburg, Virginia

I glanced up from my tattered copy of "Looking for Alaska" to look at Sidney's phone that sat perched up in the cupholder. It had just gone off for the 16th time since we've been in the car.

"You're a very popular man today,"

Sidney groaned. "Answer that, will you?" I slowly closed my book and reached for Sidney's phone.

Sidney nodded his head. "I read the first seven texts,"

I cleared my throat. "Would you like me to read what he just sent you?"

Sidney ran a hand over his face. "Go ahead,"

I sighed, reaching up to toss my two braids over my shoulders. "It's an article, so, prepare yourself."

Sidney stiffened in his seat, cocking his head ever-so-slightly to the side. "It's an article?"

I scoffed, shaking my head with a laugh. "Oh, yeah. TMZ Sports. "America's Sweetheart Everly Grace Cassius has never been one to be shy when it comes to opening up about her private life, often willingly talking about her past struggles depression, overcoming adversity in the figure skating world, and her dating life. But, since her return to her hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennslyvania in early October of 2015, the two-time Olympic Gold Medalist has been relatively hush-hush.

Cassius' sudden quietness caused a stir across some of her fans, as the absence for months on end from the media has not to be seen since Cassius joined the national spotlight. This being said, fans were lead to speculate that Cassius' absence on social media was due to a possible new relationship.

Everly's fans were proven right after she and rumored beau, Pittsburgh Penguins' captain Sidney Crosby, were pictured together in Raleigh, with a few friends and NHLers in tow. This is not the first time the two have been linked together, as they were pictured together twice before: first in a Pittsburgh grocery store looking cozy in early December and then again nearly a month later, appearing to celebrate her 24th birthday with her family and a few Pittsburgh Penguins players and wives. It is also glaringly hard to ignore the fact that she has followed many Penguins' wives and girlfriends on social media, as well as Crosby's younger sister, Taylor.

Crosby is known to the city of Pittsburgh as their most eligible bachelor since his breakup in 2014 from his former flame, Pittsburgh Pirates broadcaster, Ella Hart. Crosby is also known to be a very private man, being one of the only NHL players still absent on any form of social media, Facebook included. Crosby's likeness for his privacy may very well be what's keeping Cassius quiet on social media.

We are waiting on further confirmation from either Cassius or Crosby or their respective representatives and will update this article with further information as it may come along."

Sidney nodded, glancing over his shoulder as he merged into a lane, heading into the direction of the hotel. "Do it,"

I looked at him in surprise. "Wait, what?" He laughed. "I was kidding, I know you don't want to be on social media."

"Everly, I don't want to be on social media. But, I understand that you choose to use social media as a platform to interact with your fans. If posting a picture of us on social media is important to you, then do it. Post my nudes on Instagram, I don't care, it's your social media. Share as much or as little as you want to." I placed my hand on his thigh, squeezing lightly.

"Are you sure?" I moved one hand up to the back of his neck, twisting a longer curl around my pointer finger.

He smiled, dropping his head back into my hand as he turned into the parking lot of the hotel we were staying in tonight. "Absolutely,"

I grinned. "I love you, Sid,"

Sidney smiled widely, leaning across the console to kiss my forehead. "I love you, Ev. Date night in D.C. then?"

I hummed as I began to collect my things and put them in my purse to go into the hotel. "Sounds like a plan, I'll wear my 'Crosby's #1 Fan' T-shirt."

Sidney laughed, his head hitting the back of his seat. "Yeah, I bet you will."

⊳

Liked by smellymelly, kletang_58, taycrosby29, and 35,786 others.

everygcassius: Fine & Mine 💛🐧

| Edited on June 18, 2019 |

read Change on the Fly here!

let me hear your thoughts!

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mitchellmarnthews · 7 years ago

Text

Elias Lindholm ~ Blissfully unaware

So I’ve been trying to post this for like 5 or 6 days but its only just letting me now

Not sure how I feel about the way this one turned out, so feedback, as always, is appreciated, negative or positive!! :)

Requested: Yes

“hey i saw your request has been opened! can i have a request based on the writing prompts? #30 & #53 for either elias lindholm or sidney crosby.”

Writing Prompt 30. “Can I sit here? The other tables are full.”

Writing Prompt 53. “I’m flirting with you.”

Warnings: Angst with fluff

For @beautifulmonsteralive

Watching Jaccob, and his now wife, in a tight embrace as they swayed to the music playing, created a warm feeling in your heart.

Jaccob was like a big brother to you. Being one of Jeff's teammates and close friends on the team, you were always around him and had developed a strong relationship with him. So getting to watch him marry the love of his life, it was a special moment for you.

You sat sipping lightly at your champagne, when you heard light footsteps approaching, and then the sound of someone clearing their throat.

You looked up, and found yourself staring at your own reflection in those pale green eyes you had fallen in love with quite some time ago.

Realising you were staring, you quickly looked away, but felt the embarrassment creeping up your neck, settling in a deep flush.

“Can I sit here? The other tables are full.” He asked, letting out a small laugh at your current state.

You nodded immediately before you realised what you had done and mentally cursed yourself.

You had made a promise to yourself prior to this night to stay away from him.

Months of endless flirting and embarrassing yourself, like you had just done, had gotten you nowhere and you decided it was time to give up. Pining after someone who clearly didn't want your affection was stopping you from giving other guys a chance, was stopping you from moving on with your life.

"Enjoying yourself?"

You nodded, refusing to meet his eyes this time. You weren't going to allow yourself to get lost in them this time.

He clearly wasn't satisfied with your answer, and pursued it further.

"How about a dance later? I've not got anyone to dance with."

You scoffed at that.

Ofcourse he'd only ask because he didn't have anyone else.

God you were such an idiot for ever believing you would have a chance with someone like him.

At this point you just wanted to find Jeff, get the key for your room and go upstairs. He was ruining your good mood.

"I think I'm going to head back to my room, it's getting late and I'm tired." You told him before grabbing your bag and storming off to find Jeff, not bothering to look back and see his expression or reaction.

You found him shortly after, standing with Jaccob. You made your excuses quickly, a sore head, and left the ballroom.

The lonely ride up in the elevator left you with your own thoughts and regrets.

You should have never fallen in love with him. You should never have let yourself fall for your brothers teammate. How stupid of you to do so. Now you'd have to suffer everyday. Watch him go about his life, be happy.

Be happy with someone else.

You willed that thought away, and instead focused on finding the correct door. It had been only a few minutes after you had entered the correct room, when you heard a sharp knock at the door.

You glanced at the door with a confused expression, wondering who it could have been.

Assuming it was Jeff coming to check on you, you unlocked the door and pulled it open.

"Jeff, I'm fine, you didn't have to... Oh, hey, Elias."

Your confused expression was mirrored on his own face.

"I wanted to come see if you were okay. You left pretty quickly, and I couldn't help but think it was my fault, so I'm sorry if I've done something wrong."

You let out a sigh, and motioned for him to enter the room.

"It's nothing, I just didn't feel too good." You told him, hoping he would accept the answer and leave.

"Do you honestly think I'm going to believe that? I mean, I know I'm not the smartest guy but I can tell when people are lying."

It was clear that he knew he was correct by the guilty expression you were sure was dawning your face currently.

He took a step closer to you and brought up his hand, cupping your cheek ever so softly.

"What really happened?" He pushed.

You stepped away from him, and turned your back, staring out of the small window in the room.

The clear and calming sky contrasted with the inner turmoil you were currently experiencing. Should you tell him, or keep pretending to yourself?

"I can't be around you anymore." You whispered into the silent room.

You heard him let out a hurt sound, and felt the ground shift as he moved closer to you.

"It hurts too much. I can't be around you every day, putting my heart out on the line, waiting for you to inevitably break it. I can't and I won't. I refuse to let myself get hurt, Elias. Not over someone who doesn't reciprocate my feelings."

You let out a deep breath, and for the first time in a long time, felt the uneasy feeling in your stomach disperse.

"What are you talking about? I don't understand what your saying?" Came his soft voice from just over your shoulder.

You turned, and stared into those entrancing eyes.

"I like you, Elias. In fact I'm pretty sure I'm in love with you. You have to know that. I'm always flirting with you; I always get flustered around you, the guys are always teasing me about it."

You watched sheer disbelief etch it's way across his face.

"You... what... how?" He managed to stutter out. "You love me? Are you joking?"

"Elias..." You began before a crushing kiss was placing on your lips, drawing you in.

Pulling back a few moments later, Elias spoke again.

"I've been in love with you since I first laid eyes on you. I always thought that you only saw me as Jeff's teammate, that you'd never want anything more."

You couldn't process what he was saying right now, and took a step back and a deep breath, trying to clear you mind.

Elias... loved you.

"Why didn't you say anything?! I've been pining after you for months!"

You watched him flinch at your sudden outburst, and immediately felt bad about your raised volume and hostile tone.

"I never knew you felt like that. I guess I really am that stupid." He said with a slight grin, which broke through your frustrated and annoyed exterior.

"God, Elias, we're both idiots." You told him as you let out a giggle.

He replicated your laugh, and pulled you to his chest, pressing another kiss to your lips, which you happily accepted.

You leaned up to his ear, and whispered softly, "You look really good in that suit by the way."

You felt him shudder against you.

"Oh and just so you know, I’m flirting with you.”

Thanks for reading!

Up next: Leon Draisaitl

#elias lindholm #nhl imagines

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junker-town · 5 years ago

Text

The Astros are a contemptible franchise from top to bottom

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

The Astros had a month to plan a proper apology, and they still screwed it up

There’s no reason to believe anything the Houston Astros say at this point. One of baseball’s very best teams is also its most contemptible. The Astros are a study in hubris, only emboldened by a report into their cheating by Major League Baseball, which turns out to have been designed more to sweep this scandal under the rug than punish the team.

On the first day of Astros spring training camp, a full month after MLB suspended the club’s manager and general manager, cost the team four draft picks and issued a paltry $5 million fine, current Houston players finally apologized. These apologies came in the form of two brief, prepared statements by Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve. The pair spoke for a total of a 90 seconds.

Even new manager Dusty Baker, who had no part in this scandal but is being used by the Astros as a credibility shield, read a statement. But the standout was owner Jim Crane, a man impervious to personal responsibility.

“Our opinion is this didn’t impact the game,” Crane said regarding the sign-stealing scheme. “We had a good team, we won the World Series, and we’ll leave it at that.”

Crane less than a minute later: “I didn’t say it didn’t impact the game.”

The tone of the Astros’ press conference was one of defiance and PR-coached vanilla statements disguised as apologies. But there was no remorse, which is remarkable given the team had literally a month to formulate a plan for contrition.

Then again, this is par for the course for the Astros, who completely bungled the detestable Brandon Taubman incident in October, mishandled the fallout from Yuli Gurriel’s racist gesture during the 2017 World Series, and barred a reporter from the clubhouse in 2019 in violation of the collective bargaining agreement.

The most convenient thing for the Astros, and for MLB, would be if this story just went away, but relief from the scandal doesn’t appear to be on the horizon. The team would very much like to refer to the suspensions and firings of manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow as the final word on the matter. They certainly don’t see themselves as culpable.

“I don’t think I should be held accountable,” Crane said Thursday.

Crane, whose Eagle USA company in 2001 reached a settlement with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to pay $8.5 million for discriminating against African American, Hispanic, and female employees (an amount later reduced to $2.5 million on appeal), is no stranger to toothless rebukes. He bought the Astros, a franchise currently estimated to be worth $1.775 billion, for $680 million in 2011. Crane himself is reportedly worth $1.3 billion, so the $5 million fine levied by MLB — the maximum allowed by baseball’s constitution — was merely a drop in the bucket.

The commissioner is hired by MLB owners, so good luck thinking any future such fines against them will have any significant impact. What the commissioner can do is levy punishment on those directly involved, and each day it becomes increasingly clear that Manfred fell woefully short in this regard.

“We have the right to discipline players right now. I’m absolutely convinced of that fact,” Manfred told reporters at baseball’s owners meetings. “We made a decision in the Houston investigation that in order for us to get the facts that we needed, somebody had to get immunity.”

The players got immunity in both investigations, but weren’t the only ones to get off lightly.

A report by Jared Diamond at the Wall Street Journal details how the Astros front office, under Luhnow, devised an application called “Codebreaker” to decode signs from opposing catchers. Manfred wrote about it to Luhnow on Jan. 2, 11 days before the organizational punishment was handed down by the league, despite the assertion from the league report that this was a scheme driven by the players and former bench coach Alex Cora.

The WSJ article, which involved Astros director of advance information Tom Koch-Weser and then-intern Derek Vigoa, reads like an absurd clandestine novel:

Vigoa’s presentation wasn’t the only time Astros employees say Luhnow was informed about Codebreaker. Koch-Weser, the Astros’ director of advance information, said he discussed Codebreaker with Luhnow in one to three meetings after the 2016 season.

Koch-Weser told MLB that Luhnow would “giggle” at the title and appeared “excited” about it. Koch-Weser also said that Luhnow sometimes entered the Astros’ video room during road games and made comments such as, “You guys Codebreaking?”

Luhnow denied Koch-Weser’s accounts.

In addition to Koch-Weser and Vigoa, special assistant Kevin Goldstein was reported by Jeff Passan of ESPN to have sent an email in August 2017 asking scouts to assist in the sign stealing process:

Goldstein, who did not return a message seeking comment, wrote in the email: “One thing in specific we are looking for is picking up signs coming out of the dugout. What we are looking for is how much we can see, how we would log things, if we need cameras/binoculars, etc. So go to game, see what you can [or can’t] do and report back your findings.”

This email was also reported by Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich in The Athletic, four days after their initial report of Houston’s sign-stealing scheme that started MLB’s investigation in the first place.

Yet despite the Goldstein’s email, and MLB’s knowledge, per the Wall Street Journal, of at least two emails from Koch-Weser to Luhnow about sign stealing, Manfred failed to suspend any other front office member but Luhnow (Taubman was also suspended for a year, but for his sexist conduct following the 2019 ALCS rather than the cheating).

Koch-Weser is still employed as the Astros’ director of advance information, Goldstein remains a special assistant to the general manager (now James Click), and Vigoa is now Houston’s senior manager of team operations.

“The leader of that department has been fired. I’ve had some time to review the department, and there will be some changes in there,” Crane said Thursday. “The commissioner said he wasn’t going to hold the lower-level people accountable, and I agree with that.”

General manager James Click, in his first week on the job, was evasive when asked about reports of cheating from current members of the Astros’ front office, saying, “Any new GM coming in would want to take a full view of the baseball operations staff, the full staff.”

New Astros general manager James Click when asked about Derek Vigoa, Tom Koch-Weser and Alex Cintron and their roles in the sign stealing scandal and future with the club pic.twitter.com/OpJEyb0wYm

— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) February 13, 2020

Luhnow’s tenure in Houston was defined by an all-knowing front office where information was king, and the ability to place a value on every single aspect of the organization. The idea that he was unaware of such an elaborate scheme, if not intimately involved, is laughable, yet Luhnow’s official statement in response to his suspension and subsequent termination by the Astros was defiant, insisting “I am not a cheater” and “I did not know rules were being broken.”

Sure.

Baltimore Orioles general manager Mike Elias was assistant general manager under Luhnow in 2017. When he left for Baltimore in 2018, Elias brought Astros’ director of decision sciences Sig Mejdal with him. Understandably, Elias would like to distance himself as much as possible from the scandal.

“I am confident that group that’s here that came from Houston will not be connected to or implicated in the sign-stealing situation in Houston,” Elias told reporters at Orioles fan fest last weekend.

There’s reason for Elias to be confident that that connection will never be officially drawn. Major League Baseball has demonstrated they won’t pursue anything unless its feet are put to the fire. It took them two years to thoroughly investigate the Astros, and only then after a player (Mike Fiers) went on record to disclose the scheme. Manfred’s report went out of its way to avoid placing blame on the front office. Now we know that Houston’s front office was integrally involved, and it’s difficult to believe that MLB didn’t.

Former Astros manager Hinch, suspended and fired for failing to stop the electronic sign stealing in 2017, was asked about further allegations of the Astros using buzzers in 2019 in a redemption plea interview with MLB Network.

“We got investigated for three months, and the commissioner’s office did as thorough an investigation anyone could imagine was possible,” Hinch said. “I believe him.”

Hinch did not deny, instead referring to MLB’s response saying they found no evidence to substantiate the use of wearable devices.

The Astros were once considered a success story, the embodiment of thoughtful team-building and the poster boys for the cutting edge of baseball analysis. But that analytical edge seems to have carried with it a sharp edge of contempt, which even now is preventing the organization from showing any sign of contrition. By abdicating their collective responsibility in this scandal, the Astros have become baseball’s villain, and they seem more and more worthy of that title with every passing day.

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