#dove plays dav

[dollfat]

behold my dyke!! she may be stupid!!

[lavellander]

more talking to myself pay me no mind

I never had any kind of “redemption” planned for des, even when I thought I would play as her and romance morrigan, bc I was interested in kind of exploring the Right Choice Wrong Reason route for a protagonist. I did it somewhat with maeve but it didn’t really show much in my actual gameplay? plus maeve is overall more personable and friendlier than des lol

I also think broadly speaking the obsession with “redemption” and believing one act can overwrite all others / all characterization is reductive and very western white xtian. but that’s a whole other thing and I’ll write a whole essay if I keep going

anyway. I originally took bioware saying that rook wouldn’t be at all interested in blood magic as a point against playing as des, but now I’m kind of like. if I try real hard this is the opportunity for a “Right” Choice “Wrong” Reason moment. quotes bc I don’t think blood magic is inherently evil so leaving it behind for reasons other than “morality” is not wrong to me. if that makes sense

there is absolutely an extent to which des was interested in blood magic bc it was taboo and viewed as dangerous and wrong. it was about power, but it was also about proving that they were better/smarter/whatever than everyone else bc they could toe (and cross) the line without fear. rip to your grandma but I’m different type mentality

so without the context of academic excellence and a hierarchy to climb atop, it wouldn’t be unreasonable for des to start thinking about xir approach to magic differently. is my relationship to my magic best explored in this way or was I doing it just to say I could, etc. des is also a pretty talented spirit healer (originally a means of keeping enchanters off xir scent while xe dove deeper into blood magic) so what about where those two approaches meet?

I need to do more research on necromancy in dragon age specifically but I think I can sorta see the makings of a path from dao-era blood mage des to a dav-era necromancer des. not entirely fleshed out yet but there’s Something there

maybe I can put myself out of my misery and just like know in my heart I’m gonna play this game at least twice so why not just use whichever one I don’t play as first for the second run. like,,,hello

[kibuto]

Fictober 2020 - Prompt 21

Prompt: 21. This, this makes it all worth it Fanfiction: Dragon Age Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition Characters/Pairings: Garrett Hawke, Kieris Mahariel, two goofy mabari Warnings: None

For someone who'd been to hell and back, Garrett Hawke was remarkably cheerful. Very few people at Skyhold had even connected the very obvious dots as to who he was - though the ones who had were surprisingly discreet. But considering those were mostly people who worked around the Keep rather than those who stood around like particularly lifelike decorations, perhaps it wasn't so surprising after all.

Hawke stepped out into the crisp air and warm sun. It was cooler here than Kirkwall, but he found he preferred it that way. A quick, sharp whistle brought Dog galloping to his side. Grinning, Hawke waved to the confused stable boy who had been having a go at playing fetch with the friendly mabari. The boy brightened and waved back before returning to his chores.

Dog gave a happy bark and did a little dance around Hawke's feet. Even with how massive Dog was, he moved easily and oddly gracefully in his joyful little steps. The mincing paws did not go unnoticed.

"Nice dog you've got there."

Hawke looked up from Dog's antics to find the Hero of Ferelden walking toward him. At the Dalish elf's side was another mabari, equally cheerful but slightly more subdued - if such a term could be applied to a mabari. Hawke grinned. "I could say the same to you." Dog sat abruptly, head lifted as regal as any Fereldan statue. A moment later, he dropped into a play-bow and sprinted away.

The other mabari dove after him, the two dogs racing and wrestling in a way that almost resembled two humanoid boys. Hawke lifted an eyebrow at Kieris, who laughed and shook his head. "It's good for him," he said. "Dav doesn't see many other mabari. Not surprising, I suppose, but I can tell he misses them sometimes."

"He was a war dog, wasn't he?" Hawke tried to recall the stories he'd heard about the Hero of Ferelden. During the time that Kieris and his companions were fighting to put an end to the Blight, Hawke had been a refugee just fighting to survive. Some of the stories had made it to the gates of Kirkwall, but most of what Hawke had learned had been after the fact - and significantly embellished, from the sounds of most of them.

"Yeah. But he and the rest of his pack were suffering from the Blight. If we hadn't found a way to keep him alive..." Kieris trailed off and shook his head again. When he looked back up at Hawke, he was smiling in a way Hawke was all too familiar with. It was the 'trying to change the subject from painful memories' smile. "I've heard stories about your dog, as well. Is it true that he's just called 'Dog'?"

Hawke went along with the shift in topic. Better not to pick at old scars without a good reasons. "He is! And before you say anything, we got him when I was young and in my defense you can't name a mabari something they don't want to be called."

Kieris laughed, hiding the flicker of relief that showed briefly in his violet-colored eyes. "No, I'm not judging! I think it's fantastic." He watched the two mabari having a wrestling match that looked more like increasingly strong attempts to shoulder-check each other into a mud puddle. "To be honest, his name isn't much better. Most humans don't realize it basically translates along the lines of 'Licky'."

That took Hawke by surprise, earning Kieris a bark of laughter that turned into a full on whoop. "Oh, that's good! But nobody knows because it sounds fancy and Dalish, right?"

"Davalin," Kieris agreed. The tension that had been building in his slight shoulders eased. He gestured slightly with his head. "Do you want to get a drink? They're both going to wind up in the mud whether we like it or not - might as well leave them to it. And better to have a drink before having to attempt to bathe a mabari."

Hawke crinkled his nose in a grimace. "Good to know that holds true for you, too. Sure. And afterward we can see about requisitioning some of the buckets and towels they use for the horses." He waved Kieris ahead of him in the direction of the Herald's Rest. It might be nice to have a conversation with someone who'd been through his own version of Crazy Shit. Hawke had talked with the young Inquisitor a time or two, but it always felt like trying to give advice to a little brother. Kieris, on the other hand, was on more equal footing.

Kieris was not what Hawke had expected. He'd known the man was Dalish, of course, but aside from that the rumors and stories tended to vary. If it hadn't been for Fenris telling him that the Hero of Ferelden had arrived at Skyhold just a few days previous, and the mabari of course, Hawke probably wouldn't have assumed the unassuming elf with the quick smile was a newly-historical figure. Granted, when they found out who he was, most people were surprised by Hawke, too.

People always expected their heroes to look heroic. Not ordinary.

"Have you had a chance to meet Tamvir yet?" Hawke asked, blinking sunspots from his vision as they stepped into the dimmer interior of the building. "I'm sure he'd be excited to meet you."

"I have." Hawke might not know Kieris that well yet, but he could hear the affection in the other man's voice. "He's a good kid. Anxious to a fault and too fixated on pleasing everyone, but a really good kid." Kieris led the way to the bar, greeted Cabot on a one-name basis, and had procured them drinks all before Hawke's eyes fully adjusted.

"I'm glad I wasn't here for the start of all this, though," Kieris admitted. "I know Leliana especially was trying to find me to lead this whole thing. And I can understand why, too." His ears swiveled back in a way that Hawke recognized from when Fenris was uncomfortable. "But this isn't my fight. It's not yours, either. That's why you waited to come too, isn't it?"

"Partly." Hawke took a sip as a way to give himself time to arrange his thoughts. "I didn't want to get involved, initially. I'd already been through more than I ever thought I could handle. I'd carried the future and well-being of one city on my shoulders and barely managed - the fate of the world? No, thanks. But in the middle of all my shit I got tangled up in the beginning of what the Inquisitor is dealing with now." He grimaced and took another drink. "It's only right I get a little involved to deal with that."

At first Kieris just nodded. He glanced around to the other patrons coming and going; a steady business despite it being earlier in the day. The tavern was obviously a gathering place for all sorts of people around Skyhold. Mages cautiously mingled with martial soldiers, spies laughed with kitchen maids over a pint. In a way it reminded Hawke of a cleaner, less dangerous version of Kirkwall's Hanged Man. It was an excellent place to get a good view of who in the Keep was open minded enough to enjoy the company of all sorts.

"This," Kieris finally said. "This makes it all worth it, doesn't it?" He gestured to where a young Templar was animatedly telling a story to a pair of enraptured mages. After a moment, all three burst into laughter. The divisions forced by their stations anywhere else were for the moment completely erased. They were just people.

Hawke sighed heavily. He could feel the years of fighting sitting on his shoulders like leaden weights, but for the briefest moment, through the laughter of younger people simply having a good time together, it felt a little lighter. "We fight for the world. But we also fight a war for acceptance," he agreed. "For mages, for Dalish, for refugees - for everyone."

"Do you think we can do it?"

Hawke looked at Kieris and locked eyes. With a twitch of a smile at the corner of his lips, he nodded. "It won't be easy. But the right thing rarely is."

[a2caf]

McDuffie Award for Kids’ Comics—Shortlist Announced!

The nominees for the fifth annual Dwayne McDuffie Award for Kids’ Comics are here!

After reading scores of comics published in 2018, the judges have selected their top ten. In alphabetical order, they are: Be Prepared, by Vera Brosgol, sends young Vera, a Russian girl living in an American suburb, to summer camp—Russian summer camp, the only one her single mom can afford and the one where she just might be able to fit in,

The Cardboard Kingdom, by Chad Sell, follows a neighborhood of kids who transform ordinary cardboard into fantastical homemade costumes as they explore conflicts with friends, family, and their own identity.

Hidden Witch, by Molly Knox Ostertag, continues the story of Asler, hero of The Witch Boy, as he takes magic lessons from his grandmother and tries to help his non-magical friend Charlie escape from a curse that's trying to attach itself to her.

Last Pick, by Jason Walz, takes readers to an earth overrun by alien invaders, where only those too young, too old, or too "disabled" have been spared from abduction...but maybe the kids last picked can step up and start a revolution.

Lumberjanes: The Infernal Compass, by Lilah Sturges and polterink, finds the Janes separated during an orienteering outing, thanks to a mysterious compass that others very much want to lay their hands on.

My Beijing: Four Stories of Everyday Wonder, by Nie Jun, introduces Yu'er and her grandpa, who live in a small neighborhood in Beijing that's full of big personalities—with a story around every corner and a hint of magic each day.

Onibi: Diary of a Yokai Ghost Hunter, by Atelier Sento, transports readers to the places where natural and supernatural meet, as it explores some of the lesser-known parts of Japan in a story that is part fantasy and part travelogue.

Peter & Ernesto: A Tale of Two Sloths, by Graham Annable, tells the story of two best friends who are nothing alike—Peter loves their tree and never wants to leave, while Ernesto loves the sky and wants to see it from every place on earth.

The Prince and the Dressmaker, by Jen Wang, finds Prince Sebastian hiding a secret life―taking Paris by storm wearing fabulous dresses as the Lady Crystallia―and relying on the brilliant young dressmaker Frances, who guards his secret but has dreams of her own.

Sanity & Tallulah, by Molly Brooks, features best friends who live on a dilapidated space station at the end of the galaxy―but when Sanity creates a definitely-illegal-but-impossibly-cute three-headed kitten, the havoc it wreaks may mean the end of their outer space home.

Many, many thanks to judges Faith Roncoroni, Tameshja Brooks, and Nola Pfau, who were assisted by Kids Read Comics and A2CAF co-founder Edith Donnell!

The winner will be announced on Friday evening, June 14 at the Ann Arbor District Library

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

Here is the complete list of books that were considered for this year’s award:

5 Worlds 2 by Mark Siegel, Alexis Siegel, Xanthe Bouma, Matt Rockefeller, and Boya Sun

Akissi by Marguerite Abouet and Mathieu Sapin

All Summer Long by Hope Larson

Amulet 8 by Kazu Kibuishi

Aquicorn Cove by Katie O'Neill and Ari Yarwood

Banana Sunday by Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover

Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol

Brobots 3: Brobots and the Shoujo Shenanigans! by J. Torres and Sean Dove

The Cardboard Kingdom by Chad Sell

Catstronauts: Robot Rescue by Drew Brockington

Caveboy Dave 2: Not So Faboo by Aaron Reynolds and Phil McAndrew

Chasma Knights by Boya Sun and Kate Reed Petty

The City on the Other Side by Mairghread Scott and Robin Robinson

Clem Hetherington 1: Clem Hetherington and the Ironwood Race by Jen Breach and Douglas Holgate

The Creepy Case Files of Margo Maloo 2: The Monster Mall by Drew Weing

Crush by Svetlana Chmakova

Cucumber Quest 2: The Ripple Kingdom by Gigi D G

The Dam Keeper 2: World Without Darkness by Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi

Dead Weight: Murder at Camp Bloom by Terry Blas, Molly Muldoon, and Matthew Seely

Delilah Dirk and the Pillars of Hercules by Tony Cliff

Demon Slayer Kimetsu No Yaiba 1 by Koyoharu Gotouge

Dog Man 6: Brawl of the Wild by Dav Pilkey

The Dream of the Butterfly Part 2 by Richard Marazano and Luo Yin

Earth Before Us 2: Ocean Renegades! by Abby Howard

Edison Beaker, Creature Seeker 1: The Night Door by Frank Cammuso

Estranged by Ethan M. Aldridge

Fake Blood by Whitney Gardner

Fruit Ninja: Frenzy Force by Halfbrick Studios and Erich Owen

The Ghost, The Owl by Franco and Sara Richard

The Girl Who Married a Skull: And Other African Stories by Nicole Chartrand et al

Gordon: Bark to the Future! by Ashley Spires

The Hidden Witch by Molly Knox Ostertag

Hocus & Pocus: The Legend of Grimm's Woods: The Comic Book You Can Play by Manuro and Gorobei

How to Spot a Sasquatch by J. Torres, J. and Aurélie Grand

Illegal by Eoin Colfer, Andrew Donkin, and Giovanni Rigano

Last Pick by Jason Walz

Lumberjanes: The Infernal Compass by Lilah Sturges and polterink

Making Friends by Kristen Gudsnuck

Mega Robo Bros by Neill Cameron

Modo: Ember's End by Arthur Slade and Christopher Steininger

Monster Mayhem by Christopher Eliopoulos

Monsters Beware! by Jorge Aguirre and Rafael Rosado

Mr. Wolf's Class by Aron Nels Steinke

My Beijing: Four Stories of Everyday Wonder by Nie Jun

The Nameless City 3: The Divided Earth by Faith Erin Hicks

Narwhal and Jelly 3: Peanut Butter and Jelly by Ben Clanton

Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales 8: Lafayette!: A Revolutionary War Tale by Nathan Hale

New Shoes by Sara Varon

Nick the Sidekick by Dave Whamond

Onibi: Diary of a Yokai Ghost Hunter by Atelier Sento

Petals by Gustavo Borges and Cris Peter

Peter & Ernesto: A Tale of Two Sloths by Graham Annable

The Phoenix Colossal Comics Collection 1 by Robert Deas, Jamie Smart, Laura Ellen Anderson, Dan Baultwood, and Jess Bradley

Pizzasaurus Rex by Justin Wagner and Warren Wucinich

Positively Izzy by Terri Libenson

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang

Quirk's Quest 2: The Lost and the Found by Robert Christie and Deborah Lang

Rickety Stitch and the Gelatinous Goo 2: The Middle-Route Run by James Parks and Ben Costa

Sanity & Tallulah by Molly Brooks

Scarlet Hood by Mark Evans and Isobel Lundie

Scarlett Hart: Monster Hunter by Marcus Sedgwick and Thomas Taylor

Science Comics Sharks by Joe Flood

Sci-Fu 1: Kick It Off by Yehudi Mercado

Secondhand Heroes: The Last Battle by Justin Larocca Hansen

Secret Coders 5: Potions & Parameters by Gene Luen Yang and Mike Holmes

Secret Coders 6: Monsters & Modules by Gene Luen Yang and Mike Holmes

The Secret of the Wind by Jim Pascoe and Heidi Arnhold

Sheets by Brenna Thummler

Short & Skinny by Mark Tatulli

Even More Monstrous! by Rémy Simard

Small Things by Mel Tregonning

Smash 2: Fearless by Chris A. Bolton and Kyle Bolton

Sparks by Ian Boothby and Nina Matsumoto

Star Scouts 2 The League of Lasers by Mike Lawrence

Star Wars Lost Stars 1 by Claudia Gray, Claudia and Yusaku Komiyama

Space Boy 1 by Stephen Mccranie

The Stone Man Mysteries 2: Sanctuary by Jane Yolen, Adam Stemple, and Orion Zangara

Super Potato 1: The Epic Origin of Super Potato by Artur Laperla

Supergirl: Being Super by Mariko Tamaki and Joelle Jones

The Unsinkable Walker Bean And the Knights of the Waxing Moon 2 by Aaron Renier and Alec Longstreth

Wings of Fire 1: The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland and Mike Holmes

Wires and Nerve 2: Gone Rogue by Marissa Meyer and Stephen Gilpin

[pinkykitten]

Accident

Zach Dempsey x Davina Jensen (who is portrayed by Danielle Campbell)

Warning: some curse words, mentions Hannah’s death, bullying

Specifics: oc, fluff, angst, bullying, comedy, aesthetic, art, nerd, 400 followers competition

People: Zach Dempsey, (oc) Davina Jensen, Clay Jensen, Tyler Down, Matt Jensen, Lainie Jensen, Bryce Walker, Montgomery De La Cruz, Scott Reed, nurse, Hannah Baker (mentioned), Skye Miller (mentioned) 

Words: 3,418

Masterlist

Requested: By @misspygmypie  OC x Zach Dempsey! Her name is Davina,Clays younger sister. She's 5ft, has tattoos and is shy/nerdy/a loser like Clay (they're like besties). Zach sees her hitting her head on a locker accidentally and brings her to the nurse, then takes her home and asks Clay about her the next day. In the end Zach takes her out to a roller skating rink as date. His buddies make fun of him for dating her but Zach kisses her at school in front of everyone, making them "official".

Authors Note: i was so happy to announce the winner of the 400 followers competition, which was the one and only @misspygmypie. thank u so much for participating and to all of u that did. i luved this idea i thought it was so unique and special all ur oc’s fam r special to me 😊. i luved everything about this and i tried to incorporate everything that brigitte gave me. thank u for the request and again thank u all for 400 followers i still am in shock. u guys are amazing, and just thank u all for liking my stories. feedback is much appreciated here. enjoy MY GORGEOUS CHILDREN! hope u like this brigitte, this ones for u!

previous oc story for my 300 followers: Zach Dempsey x oc Adeline Foster

“C’mon Dav (said like dove but with an a so dav but kinda with an accent) wake up,” Clay groaned as he shook Davina from her slumber.

Big brothers were sometimes tough to handle, especially Clay Jensen. 

Davina shook in her sleep, trying to swat away her annoying brother of hers, “leave me alone! Wake me up later!”

Just then their dad walked in, Matt Jensen, “whats going on here? Mom made breakfast for the two of you, you guys have to already be ready for school.”

Clay pointed to Davina, “as you can see dad thats what I have been trying to do.”

Davina’s dad sighed and patted her softly, “wake up sweetheart, you need to go to school today remember?”

Davina shot up, while rubbing her eyes, “why? School sucks!”

Matt shrugged while rubbing her back, “I want you both downstairs. Now.”

Davina got out of her bed, slipping on her s’mores slippers.

She yawned and stretched, while her brother just watched, obviously annoyed. “”Can you hurry up with your stretching or do I need to call dad for that too?”

Davina smacked her older brothers head and grinned, “good morning to you too Clay Jensen!”

She ran downstairs to greet her mother and to partake in the breakfast. She was always seated next to Clay. 

Ever since Davina came into this world her and Clay have been like two peas in  a pod. They always acted as if they were twins, knowing what the other one wanted to say, finishing each others sentences. Clay was her best friend, the most important person in her life. 

Thats why it hurt Davina when Clay had to deal with Hannah’s death. It made her sad but her brother was devastated. Clay tried to brush off her death, to try to say he was fine, that it didn’t cause him any pain but deep down Davina knew that, that was not true. 

“So Skye Miller, hmmm? Seems pretty legit, funny my brother goes for someone who also has tattoos,” Davina chuckled at the thought while her brother blushed down in his cereal bowl in embarrassment. 

“Really? Well I hope we can meet her one day,” their mother, Lainie Jensen, said as she put the OJ in the middle of the table. “And honey how many times have I told you I want you to cover up your tattoos?”

“But mom-,” Davina protested. 

“Honey, they make her who she is, and if kids can’t see that those art pieces on her arm make her Davina, then they need to skedaddle away,” her father stood up for her, drinking some of his morning coffee while reading something on his ipad.

“Well just be careful okay. Love the dress though, you look beautiful,” Davina’s mother caressed her cheek. “Always reminding me of those vintage tv shows.”

“Thanks mom.”

Matt peered from the top of his glasses, “What’d you kids think of doing after school?”

In unison Davina and Clay said, “we’re gonna be watching The Empire Strikes Back of course.”

Davina looked up smirking, yep she and her brother were a couple of nerdy kids. Star wars, comic books, video games, all those things and more, thats all she has ever known. 

Their father took his spectacles off and with a confused face just stared at his two children as if they said they were going to eat the toilet. All Davina heard being muttered was a, “thats just creepy.”

Davina laughed and stood up hastily running to the door. “Clay today I’m driving so...lets go!”

Clay groaned in annoyance and quickly grabbed his book bag to try to keep up with her. 

School was a war zone.

Indeed it is.

Stepping into that school made Davina nervous, anxious. Being Clay Jensen’s sister was no easy task. Especially with his reputation at school, people viewed her without getting to know her as a stupid loser. She felt shy, and in many ways unworthy. 

“Whelp getting ready for all those stares,” Davina shrugged. “Crap I forgot to give Tyler that book he borrowed. I’ll be right back.”

Clay gripped her arm and his eyes bugged out, “Dav I don’t think thats such a good idea. I mean Tyler kinda was a-”

“Stalker,” she finished his sentence.

“Yeah.”

“Don’t worry Clay, you don’t always need to protect me. I’m fine. Go enjoy your girlfriend,” Davina pointed in front of her and Clay turned his head to see Skye waving to him. When Clay turned back to Davina, Davina had walked away backwards while producing kissing sounds. “Go get her lover boy.”

Clay shook his head, chuckling. 

Thankfully, Tyler was close by. “Hey Tyler,” Davina waved to him. 

Tyler gave a shy smile and closed his locker, “H-h, hey Davina whats, whats um going on?”

“I forgot to give you this last week. Thank you so much for letting me borrow this like you’re a life saver!”

“Oh yeah no problem, hey what was you’re favorite part?”

Davina leaned by his locker, placing her hand on her hip. “I love the part when they figure out who the murderer is, to me it seemed super creepy.”

“Really? Oh my god thats my favorite part two, it like gave me the chills!”

Davina nodded and rubbed her arms up and down. Tyler cleaned his camera lens and gulped. 

“Hey Davina, I’ve heard you really like video games and stuff. I was just wondering, me and a couple of friends are gonna play some games at my house this Saturday. Would you like to come? I mean you don’t have to if you don’t want to I get it but if you-”

“Sure, I would love to go over. I love video games like I’m obsessed! I might beat you though!”

Tyler was shocked, brushing back his brown curls and licking his lips, “ye-yeah, yeah, okay, yeah, so I’ll get that ready and yeah just show up!”

Just as Davina was about to answer, Bryce and his crew started laughing and saying, “the creep and the loser.” Davina turned around and gave them a glare. But then as she turned her head she saw the tall Zach Dempsey. Her breathing stopped and she was just consumed by the presence of Zach. 

“Anyways thanks Tyler see you later,” Davina left to go put her items in her locker. Her eyes still glued to the dashing Dempsey.

The education rolled off all the teachers tongue as if they were fruit roll ups. Calculus and physics filled up the air all the way to the top. Davina sat at her desk not paying any attention to the class but her thoughts wondered to Zach. She has always been too shy to speak to Zach, so she didn’t know much about him. Only that he was into sports and a part of Bryce’s snotty group. 

The bell rang which meant for lunch and Davina sprinted out of the art class to the lunch room to reunite with her brother. 

Art. One of life’s beautiful appearance of feelings. In the art class they have, Davina was the head of it. Not many children were in that club but she didn’t mind just as long as she got to do what she adored. 

Davina running to her destination didn’t see a locker open and surely enough. 

Wham!

She met harshly with the locker. The sound of the metal echoed through the halls. Davina fell back, clutching her forehead which was already starting to bruise. 

“Hey, hey are you okay,” came a loud deep voice. 

Davina’s vision was cloudy, and she groaned in pain. “Ouch, my head.”

“You guys wait for me back there. I’m gonna take her to the nurse’s office,” came that voice again. 

A pair of strong arms lifted Davina from the floor. She sighed and slowly regained her vision. She looked up to see who was carrying her, and the sight almost made her want to dig a whole and die in it. 

It was Zach Dempsey. 

“Zach! I think I’m good, you don’t need to do all this,” she giggled shyly. She clutched for Zach’s shirt tightly, afraid of falling from his height. 

“We’re almost there. You hit your head pretty badly, I don’t really want you to pass out.”

Davina nodded and just stayed there like a limp dog. 

She was carried to the nurses office. Feeling so embarrassed that her cheeks were a bright pink. 

Zach gently laid her on one of the beds there. Davina looked everywhere but him, feeling shy. 

“What happened to her,” asked the nurse nonchalantly as if many children looked like this. 

“She hit her head on a locker, you can see the bruise right here,” Zach softly pointed to her bruise. Davina hissed and Zach apologized, he than sat in a nearby chair waiting patiently for Davina. 

Davina tried not to laugh, Zach was so big compared to the chair he was sitting on. 

“I’ll go get an ice pack and call her parents,” the nurse walked on out to get the items. 

“Whats so funny,” Zach smiled charmingly. 

“Its just you look so large compared to the chair you’re sitting on.”

Zach laughed along side her, awaiting for the nurse to come back. And planting a new seed within them. 

Davina and Zach connected that day. Joking around like a couple of high school kids...wait thats what they are...anyways, joking around. Making each other smile and laugh and just appreciate each others company. 

Clay took Davina home and was furious with her as he put it, “artsy fartsy clumsiness.” She couldn’t help but giggle at that name. 

When they arrived home, Davina’s parents were also irate. Scolding her for not being more aware of her surroundings and not watching out. Now she wore a huge bruise on her forehead. 

“Great,” she muttered to herself as she stared in the mirror. 

Since the dilemma Davina’s parents did not want her going to school the next day so instead Clay got to go only. 

Davina seeing that her mother and her brother had left got on another one of her dresses and set off to her favorite places, first Starbucks then her favorite diner. 

Rosie’s Diner. 

Davina got her favorite Starbucks drink, enjoying the taste of the liquid in her mouth. Next door to Starbucks was the diner. 

The door made a ring as she opened the old, dingy, door. She sat by the biggest window and pulled out her favorite book. 

Reading was like another world to her. She could put herself anywhere and she was just...there. By a pirate ship in the deep blue sea. On her way to a trip to Mars. She could go anywhere when she read. 

In the afternoon, Davina arrived back home. She walked in on her brother texting his girlfriend. 

“Oooooh Skye, whats she got to say,” Davina wiggled her eyebrows. 

“You’re such a weirdo! Hey have you been talking a lot to Zach?”

Davina’s eyes widened and looked to her hands, her cheeks becoming red. “No.”

“Oh my god Dav, you’re lying!”

“Fine! He’s the one that carried me yesterday to the nurses office right after I hit my head.”

“Wait, wait, what? He carried you? Like, like in as a baby, carried you?”

Davina bit her lip and nodded. 

“Dav, you got to be so careful with those creeps especially that dic* head Zach.”

Davina rolled her eyes and plopped down on Clay’s bed. “You’re not my dad Clay. I’m fine. Besides we just talked, end of story.”

“Not quite,” Clay said as he laid next to you. “He’s been asking about you the whole day. Asking me if you were okay, about your head. He wants to know, and he asked me this personally, if you would like to go on a date with him, at the skating rink?”

Davina punched Clay lightly and shot up. “Are you serious?”

“Jesus Christ Dav, what the heck was that about? Yes I’m serious. Jeesh I think you split my innards.”

“Drama queen,” Davina pushed her lips out. “When though? Aghhh I’m so lost at dating, its just another world I don’t know anything about!”

“Tonight, but hey you’re not actually thinking of going right?”

Davina stopped her pacing and planted her feet sternly to the ground, “why not? I don’t see the issue, Clay he actually likes me. I’ve never gotten that kind of attention, I mean look at me. Why can’t I just have fun for one day?”

Clay shook his head but then sighed in defeat, “fine! You win! Just please be careful okay.”

Davina squealed in excitement and ran to her big brother, “thank you so much Clay! Yes! Oh my god what am I gonna wear?”

Davina sat in the car that her and Clay shared. Waiting for Zach to appear. She was waiting in the parking lot for him at Skatz 4 Dayz.

Davina started to feel as if the date wasn’t going to happen at all. She sighed and felt defeated, she felt played.

“Of course. What did I expect?”

Suddenly, Zach’s car appears. Davina starts to get nervous, tensing up, her palms sweating.

Turning the ignition off and stepping out she makes her way to Zach.

“Hey there, didn’t think you were going to make it,” Davina said truthfully.

Zach gave a confused face, “why wouldn’t I come. Yikes, that bruise does not look good.”

“Crap! I thought I covered it up with makeup. Give me one sec.”

Zach caught her arm and shook his head, “hey you’re fine...actually you’re more than fine. You are really, uhm, beautiful today. But you’re beautiful everyday.”

Davina grinned from ear to ear, “why thank you Mr. Dempsey, shall we?” She grabbed his arm.

“We shall,” he copied her.

While walking in they see a dog. A black poodle to be exact.

“Oh my god how cute is he,” Davina shouted in happiness.

Davina was such a dog lover. Everything about dogs she loved. Since she could remember, she’s always wanted a dog. Enjoying how sweet they were to their owner, they were mans best friend.

Davina crouched down to the dog’s level and said, “look Zach I can speak dog. Hello doggy nice to meet you.”

Davina shook the dog’s hand and giggled at his cuteness. Zach also giggled but not at the dog, its was how sweet and adorable Davina was acting.

“Dogs are so cute right,” Davina asked staring oblivious to her tall date. Zach nodded and took a hold, shyly, of Davina’s hand.

Her face reddened and she tried to hide behind him.

She felt as if she was in a rom com, how in the world was Davina Jensen supposed to behave on a date?

The whole date was perfect, Davina was on cloud 9. Her heart was beating so fast she could hear it. She was madly in like to Zach. She truly liked him with all her being. They talked through the whole time. Holding hands during the skating, and her falling a couple of times only to be saved by the heroic Zach.

They finished each others sentences, had the same likes and dislikes. Complained about schools, laughed over the same comedic jokes. Both felt as if they have known each other for eternity.

They were both on the skating floor when out of the corner of her eye Davina spots Bryce’s group.

“Is that Dempsey,” yelled Monty.

“Holy shi* it is. And he’s with that weird Davina girl. Hey bro!” Bryce called running to both of them.

Davina closed her eyes knowing what they were going to say.

“Hey brother,” Bryce said as he gave a handshake to Zach. Zach was uncomfortable.

“Ooooh didn’t know you were into the weird ones,” Scott giggles while smirking at Davina.

“Hey aren’t you Jensen’s sister?” Bryce asked giving you his charming, wicked smile.

“Yes, I’m his younger sister. I’m sorry I gotta go though, my mom is probably gonna want me home soon.”

“Whats with all the tattoos,” another one in the group asked. Davina self consciously tried covering her arms, wishing she would of listened to her mothers advice.

“She weird like Skye, duh dude,” Monty laughed.

Davina growled angrily, “Skye is not weird okay. Don’t say that.”

“Ooooh,” they all said, almost tempting Davina.

“Guys I think it will be better if you guys leave,” Zach tried to stop the situation.

“Dude, whatever you can say can be said in front of us,” Bryce said crossing his arms.

“..its nothing,” Zach looked down.

“So what are you guys dating? Cause if you are, its like bro you can do sooooo much better!!!!” Monty put his tongue out and laughed like an idiot.

“Dude thats just wrong,” Bryce cackled as well, agreeing with Monty.

“Guys stop, enough you’re gonna hurt the losers feelings,” one of the other guys said in a whiny voice.

Tears were coming into Davina’s eyes and she just sprinted away from all of the commotion.

Zach ran after her but it was too late Davina was gone like a ghost.

“They laughed at me like a loser! They made fun of me and bullied me,” Davina cried to her brother, Clay.

Clay rubbed her arms up and down, soothing her. She came to him crying hysterically, and Clay knew he should not have let her go.

She now sat on the bed of Clay’s explaining what happened. Why her heart was broken, why she felt so much pain.

“Its okay, you’re here with me. You’re safe,” Clay whispered cuddling with his little baby sister.

She sniffled and just wept some more into his shirt. They both laid down on his bed, cuddling and just being in eachs other presence.

“I’ll make that bastar* pay for what he did,” Clay swore under his breath.

“I should of listened to you Clay, I was so stupid to think he wanted to be with me. Stupid!”

Unfortunately, Davina had to go to school the next day. She felt scared, what would he say? What would happen?

She felt as if she was about to suffocate. She felt fragile.

Upon entering the school the group of Bryce’s was there but no Zach. Davina went to her locker and angrily, stuffed it with her items.

She felt like crying. That is until Zach came in with a megaphone in his hand.

“Davina please listen to me,” Zach pleaded when he saw her. Davina shook her head repeating the word no over and over.

Zach turned on the megaphone, “Davina, I am so sorry for what happened yesterday. I know I should of protected you and I wanted to but, I failed to do that. I made you feel ashamed to be yourself. The truth is Davina I love your tattoos, I love that you’re shy, that you can talk to animals, that you love Star Wars, that you love art, because the thing is Davina I love everything about you. I like you a lot. Like a lot a lot.”

Davina chuckled at his comment, she saw that the group of turds was watching. Monty looked all mad, with Bryce looking concerned. Everyone at school watched Zach.

“You are amazing Davina, I’m sorry you were treated that way, cause you shouldn't have been. You deserved to be treated with respect, so I’m gonna make it up to you. I’m gonna show you that we are official, and just how much I really like you.”

Davina waved her hands in a no matter and stuttered trying to tell Zach she didn’t like where this was going. She felt Zach was about to ruin his reputation. 

Zach dropped the megaphone and went to Davina. He gently pulled her by the waist and in front of everyone he kissed her. The kiss was slow but sensual. Zach’s big hands were placed on her pale cheeks, deepening the kiss. He kissed Davina in front of everyone, in front of Bryce’s group, heck even in front of Clay. Davina didn’t matter, she was kissing...him. The one that made her happy, that made her feel that she wasn’t ashamed to be herself. 

“I’m sorry Davina,” Zach whispered to only her after the kiss. 

Davina gave Zach another peck, “I forgive you, but how about we go somewhere? Just the two of us and maybe, I don’t know go watch a movie?”

Zach smiled, “I would love that,” and wrapped his arms around her as they walked to the exit together. 

[jlmckee13]

Week #3 gone but not forgotten

As I sit down and get in the right headspace (is that one word? Hyphen? Two? Ehhh roll with it...) to return to Week #3 of #MommySchool I am half way finished with Week #4.... A month... Lordy Lordy!

Anywho, Week #3 is not a week that will go unappreciated. As I mentioned before, and will continue to do, the weather- oh my- the weather is a huge factor on how we operate around here. That being said, we chugged along and soaked up the goodness where we could outside and coasted into April with our new way of life.

Before I breakdown the week. Here’s a fun fact! Hair continues to grow despite the arrival of a global pandemic. I now have a new mom skill. I can cut a mean 90’s style bowl cut for my son. ::taking my bow now::

Day #1- LEGO DAY!

LEGO Day included the... you guessed it... HISTORY OF THE LEGO. The story is riveting- one of struggle, heartbreak, and triumph. I give it 5 stars at the box office! Check it out here.

After all of his schoolwork was finished I then gave him a few “challenges” of things to create with his LEGOs. A few animals, free choice, and the cool one was a maze for me to have to navigate through. Max requirements: he just needed to give me a start and end location, his creativity and scenario building was really impressive on this one.

This day included the introduction of... ::drumroll::... MEMOM! My mother would ween off of hours at work and add a little flare to our days. Basically, the entire house smells like meatballs on a consistent basis now.

Weather Recap: Eww

DAY #2- PLAYMOBIL DAY!

Basically the same day on repeat. He picked it. I tried but had no real plan. Playmobil Day’s google search at lunchtime led to this winner... I mean...how did they whip this up so quickly?!?

My son has Playmobil items at home that he has access to but like most of his toys don’t get played with. Basically an out of sight out of mind situation. SO I was pumped that he would naturally play with them seeing as how the day was dubbed PLAYMOBIL DAY... instead... my antsy house restricted 6 year old who is the size of some sixth graders I know basically opted to beat me up for the latter part of the afternoon.

Listen, if you ever find yourself to be a mom of a boy I highly suggest to start training to survive the physical outbursts that will naturally show up at your doorstep. Or in my case, my face or midsection. Follow up thought: I don’t have a daughter so I can not speak to the possible need to physically amp up.

Weather Recap: Yuck

DAY #3- APRIL FOOLS DAY/????????????

THE SUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This day was a joke in terms of structure. I thought I had the date right for a Dav Pilkey (Author of Dog Man & Captain Underpants books) livestream event and I didn’t. Then I walked by the TV and thought I heard it was Earth Day and it wasn’t. Big guy told me he wanted us to adopt an orphan so that was awkward at best but none of it mattered because THE SUN WAS OUT!

As noted in Week #2, identifying what our body is calling for has been a major factor in busting through the mucky days. Without question the sun is medicine for the soul. In my son’s case, a daddy visit does the trick too. Kickball2 is now a mommy-free affair.

Weather Recap: Slice of Heaven

DAY #4- Building Day

I hate Thursdays. Okay okay “hate” is a strong word. Rephrase: I habitually struggle with the arrival of a Thursday during a regular work week. I have always felt they were just mean. So close yet so far away from the weekend. Welp not my son. He was amped for this day so he helped me to shape up for this one.

We made the switch this week to a whole new line of schoolwork which was a welcomed change for his mind. For me, it took a little more instruction time on my end (Not complaining just informing). So theme days basically are in the afternoon for the most part.

Thanks to Amazon his K’nex arrived and was a great way to dive into “Building Day” well after lunchtime.

Here is the one I selected for him.

I also found these mesmerizing videos on YouTube (along with 42 million other viewers):

Video #1

Video #2

If this doesn’t waste time (I mean what??)...cough... provide insight on human spirit and ingenuity, I don’t know what else does. 

In addition to that inspiration, (all joking aside) he spent a lot of great time with these: KEVA Planks.  I cannot recommend these enough! I recently purchased them in the gift shop at the DaVinci Science Center in Allentown, PA (another recommendation) and they were the perfect ingredient for our Building Day.

Weather Recap: Sun but super windy

DAY #5- Fossil Friday...umm I guess

“Hey wall. Nice to see you again.” 

We woke up with his principal livestream- which he loves. Dove into the day and sulked through his work JUST in time for his classroom zoom chat around lunch. Afterwards, he ate the entree portion of his lunch (he had something to hold him over so he didn’t get hangry during the chat) and watched some fossil tutorials. 

If you are anywhere in the 30-40 age range you undoubtedly know who my go-to-guy was on this one: Big Willy.

That was about it for the fossil part... Frankly, we were toast. The afternoon became movie time. I was able to be productive with my laptop and he was able to zone out a bit and cuddle before he left for the weekend. It was a win-win.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the demise of our backyard flagpole. The wind was bonkers the day prior and we woke up to mother nature’s destruction. Unable to salvage, Pop Pop is on the case for a replacement but for the time being we will need to do the POA on the front porch.

Weather Recap: Cold & dreary; sun poked through later

So in the blink of an eye, our third week was there and gone. The week frequently brought about times of down mucky moments- but then, before you could blink, the sun came out and we’d feel a surge of energy.

I think it was day four where I said I wanted to switch up our walk a bit in the a.m. We went to a part of the neighborhood where we could look over the marshes- a place that is quite frankly unbecoming and mucky the majority of the time. On this day, that was not the case. The waters had risen, life was active and buzzing around it, and the view was a lot less crummy. It just felt like there was potential for it. 

Consistently this week showed potential. We maximized it where we could, when we could.

[pangeanews]

A 80 anni dalla morte, ci vergogniamo di D’Annunzio. Per leggerlo come si deve bisogna andare in Francia o sfogliare una rivista a Londra

Va a finire che tocca arpionarsi alle bianche scogliere di Dover per capire chi è stato. In life, he played. E giocò bene, va detto. Su Granta, che non è esattamente una fanzine reazionaria ma una delle più importanti riviste letterarie d’Albione (nata nel 1889 dall’entusiasmo di un pugno di studenti di Cambridge, risorta negli anni Settanta, ha la fama di far esordire i futuri campioni delle patrie lettere, tra i tantissimi ha pubblicato Martin Amis e Kazuo Ishiguro, Hanif Kureishi e Salman Rushdie, Zadie Smith e Jeanette Winterson), Rebecca Watson firma un appassionato reportage dal Vittoriale degli Italiani, Five are the fingers, and five are the sins. Interessante il sobrio finale. “L’uomo che è stato il prototipo del fascismo, che ha sperimentato, in profonda apatia, gli effetti della fama e del potere, si indebolì. I discorsi si interruppero, ma la scrittura continuò. A 74 anni è morto di emorragia cerebrale, dopo vent’anni passati al Vittoriale, un tempo sufficiente per riposare, per perfezionare la sua già stravagante dimora, per camminare, per leggere, per traviare, ma non, a quanto pare, per rimpiangere”.

*

Gabriele D’Annunzio ha giocato la vita, se l’è giocata tutta – e ora è diventato una macchietta, un fumetto. Parto da un dato di fatto. D’Annunzio muore nel 1938, 80 anni fa. L’editoria, dell’anniversario, se ne è voluttuosamente fottuta. Piccole cose per tenaci editori (Il fastello della mirra. Autobiografia, per Bibliotheka; L’uomo che rubò la ‘Gioconda’ per Solfanelli; Italia o morte per Idrovolante; Temperino Rosso ripropone Il piacere mentre Salerno pubblica la Francesca da Rimini), qualche studio eccentrico (Chez D’Annunzio di Marcel Boulenger per Odoya; D’Annunzio. Tra le più moderne vicende di Gianni Oliva per Bruno Mondadori; D’Annunzio e il piacere della moda di Giordano Bruno Guerri per Rubbettino), poco altro. Dove sono i testi inediti, gli studi clamorosi, le antologie divulgative? Cosa è successo? C’è che ci vergogniamo del poeta-soldato, del poeta romanziere, del poeta vertiginoso, dell’uomo che scrisse come un dio (meglio di Oscar Wilde), volle essere onorato come una divinità e oggi è pigliato a uova in faccia. Già. Se negli Usa ogni peto di Hemingway – saggio spurio, lettera prepuberale, racconto osceno nel cassetto – è venduto come un diamante, da noi Hemingway è usato per stigmatizzare il guerrafondaio D’Annunzio (“Chi meglio ha sintetizzato questi sentimenti è stato Ernest Hemingway: ‘Capito il figlio di puttana?/ Mezzo milione di mangia spaghetti morti/ E lui se ne fotte’”, così Andrea Cortellessa nella ‘riveduta’ Antologia dei poeti italiani nella prima guerra mondiale).

*

Poco giova, d’altronde, misurare il grado di candida purezza dei poeti – che tali sono perché hanno l’anima lurida, per altro, e sempre qualcosa da farsi perdonare. L’Ungaretti che scrive a Mario Puccini del “D’Annunzio che fa ‘le pose plastiche’ in ginocchio davanti ai feretri… ‘eterna modella’ che mentre in ogni casa d’Italia c’è il lutto… fa il fatuo esteta”, è quello che adorna l’edizione 1923 del Porto sepolto con una Presentazione di Benito Mussolini (che ne scrive come di “una testimonianza profonda della poesia fatta di sensibilità, di tormento, di ricerca, di passione e di mistero”), al quale, si sa, il protagonismo del Vate non andava giù. Così, nell’anno dell’anniversario della morte, chi vuole leggere di D’Annunzio si deve nutrire delle 700 pagine che gli dedica Maurizio Serra nella biografia, D’Annunzio le Magnifique, edita in Francia, da Grasset; oppure fa un giro al Vittoriale leggendo Granta, a Londra. Il resto, sono gli articoli didascalici usciti per il centenario dal ‘volo su Vienna’. D’Annunzio, appunto, ridotto a puro gesto, a ornamento inane, a macchietta.

*

Il punto non è cosa ti piace, ma chi sei. Parlare di D’Annunzio – per chi ancora lo conosce – è roba da bar: c’è chi ne difende l’etica, l’egida dell’estetica, chi lo fa a fette con il tagliaunghie – meglio Alcyone, ché il resto è fuffa retorica – chi lo interpreta come virus fascista, con lenti politiche. D’Annunzio, genio lirico totale – fece poesia anche facendo pubblicità – è inafferrabile: ci fosse qualcuno, oggi, a condurci verso la grande sbornia di Fiume (per altro, rileggetevi la Carta del Carnaro, please: “La Repubblica del Carnaro è una democrazia diretta che ha per base il lavoro produttivo e come criterio organico le più larghe autonomie funzionali e locali. Essa conferma perciò la sovranità collettiva di tutti i cittadini senza distinzione di sesso, di razza, di lingua, di classe e di religione; ma riconosce maggiori diritti ai produttori e decentra per quanto è possibile i poteri dello Stato, onde assicurare l’armonica convivenza degli elementi che la compongono”), chi ha il coraggio di dar fede alle fole di un poeta?

*

Per carità, colpa sua: D’Annunzio è l’icona della contraddizione, a forza di voler piacere risulta insopportabile, non possiamo semplicemente leggerlo?

*

Vorrei dire un’altra cosa, ora. D’Annunzio fonda l’identità italiana moderna. Letteraria, eroica, ironica, anarchica. Sta nelle nostre vene anche quando vorremmo tagliarcele. Esempio. Il padre di mio zio, piemontese, comunista, ha raccolto i giornali che censiscono la morte di D’Annunzio. Lo zio li ha conservati, per donarli a me, anche se di reliquie m’importa nulla. Mio zio è cresciuto a casa della zia, partigiana onorata dallo Stato, affittava una parte della casa alla sede del PCI locale, gli veniva il conato in gozzo solo a sentir parlare di D’Annunzio. Eppure, in casa custodisce le prime edizioni di molte sue opere. E i giornali. Di cui mi ha fatto dono il Natale scorso. Perché? Perché si fa, perché la poesia si eleva sulle convinzioni politiche, perché D’Annunzio è D’Annunzio. L’elzeviro di prima pagina de La Stampa, 2 marzo 1938, dal titolo vertiginoso (Poeta dei nostri destini), recita: “Gabriele d’Annunzio è morto! D’un tratto, la notizia coglie e percuote le fantasie e i cuori, come alcunché di assurdo e inverosimile. Così immedesimato era quest’Uomo nello spirito di nostra gente, e così vivo; da cinquant’anni era la sua presenza nella storia nostra, e nel pensiero e negli affetti, così sovrastante ed eccelsa, che se non l’idea stessa di perennità, certo, oscuramente, misteriosamente, pareva legata ormai alla sua immagine, eroica, l’idea della necessità”. Alla faccia dei tromboni retorici, poi rimproverano Gabriele… Poco più avanti, a pagina 5, un titolo che ancora turba: Le vibranti giornate che l’Italia prepara a Hitler. Si cita, nel grand tour nazista, anche “La sosta artistica di Firenze”. Intorno a quella ‘gita’, un altro poeta, antidannunziano, Eugenio Montale, scriverà una delle sue poesie più grandi, La primavera hitleriana. D’Annunzio muore, la Storia va avanti. Anche quella letteraria. (d.b.)

L'articolo A 80 anni dalla morte, ci vergogniamo di D’Annunzio. Per leggerlo come si deve bisogna andare in Francia o sfogliare una rivista a Londra proviene da Pangea.

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[dollfat]

[dollfat]

DORIANNNN MY PRETTY BOY

[dollfat]

am i understanding correctly, i can buy valuables just to sell them to shops to upgrade them?

[dollfat]

so far i like how linear the story is, this is way better than getting dumped in the hinterlands. really hope we find a warrior to join the party soon, maybe someone familiar with the blight.....

[dollfat]

bellaras cute neve has no personality the camera is too jumpy and zoomed in