#elliott carver

[saintbuffy]

I finished my 40th book of the year. I have 13 more to read to reach my goal (I’m aiming to average one book a week) but honestly just making it to 40 feels good. Last year I read 25 and that felt really good, and it’s nice to surpass that this year. I really feel like I’ve made reading into a habit, even though I do have slumps/bursts at times.

[teachandwrite-blog]

My little brother stood quietly beside his desk with a magnifying glass in his hand.

I looked at him from the splintered frame of our kitchen door where I was standing.

He turned slowly, ln deep thought, and looked at me through the lens of the glass.

His magnified eye was astonishingly big and earthily brown, as big as the whole, wide world and as brown as the turned ground in the fields around our farm.

“Carver, why you up?,” I whispered. “It’s the middle of the night.”

“I cain’t sleep,” he whispered back.

“What you doin’?”

“I’m studyin’ a tomato.”

Sure enough, there was a sliced tomato on his desk, each slice looking very much like the wheels on Daddy’s wagon.

“Did you know,” he asked, “That tomatoes come from the Andes Mountains 'round Peru in South America? And that they're fruits and not vegetables 'cause they’re ripened flower ovaries and contain seeds? And that they're good for your heart?”

I walked over to him and knelt down beside him.

I turned his magnifying glass around and looked into his eye.

I saw clearly the parts of his eye that my teacher taught me at school, the colored part that is the iris and the black part that is the pupil.

But it was Carver who taught me how these parts work together to help us see.

“Carter,”he asked, “Did you know if we divided our brains into five parts, a little more than three of those parts would be used for seeing?

There’s a thin layer on the inside of the eyeball.

It’s the retina.

Nobody could see into the retina until microscopes were invented.

When people looked inside the retina for the first time, they found millions of tiny cells called rods and cones.

Those rods and cones find rays of light and turn them into signals for optic nerves.

The optic nerves send these signals to the brain, and it turns them into pictures.

‘Cause of the way lenses work, the picture is upside down.

The brain turns it right side up.

Idn’ that amazing?”

“Yeah,” I marveled, “It's amazing. And, you know what? So are you.”

He taught me the parts of the eye that helped him see the world as everyone sees it.

In that moment, though, deep in the dark of night, I tried to see the parts that I didn’t understand, the parts that woke my brother up in the middle of the night to study a tomato while our corner of the world slept, the parts that helped him see the world as only Carver could see it.

But those parts remained hidden from me.

I gently put my arm around his shoulders and held him close to me.

“I got you, little buddy,” I whispered. “I got you. And I always will.”

- Trevor Scott Barton, Carter and Carver, 2023

[ofandrastes]

@softersinned said;

[APPROVAL + Elliott] She looks up at the sound of the door opening. He has made a point of keeping some distance between them, and she understands (she does!) until she doesn't, anymore. And she misses him—gods, she misses him, so sharply it feels like an open wound. That he's arrived now is no surprise, and Astoria sets her pen down to meet Hawke's eyes, expression calm, hands steady. There is some piece of her that's almost eager for the fight. Even a fight is better than this—dancing around one another as if afraid that the fragile peace between them will shatter, and in doing so, leave one another damaged beyond repair. "Sit." She gestures at the weathered wooden chair across from her at her table. The little cabin where she's taken up residence reminds her of the flat in Lowtown. She tries not to think about the first time he sat at her table there. "You don't like my decision to seek out the Templars. Tell me. I want to hear what you have to think."

He's seeing red.

Which, historically, wouldn't be an unusual state for Hawke to find himself. Anger is an emotion that he knows well, one that's both anchored him and sabotaged him, one that's been etched into his very flesh and bones from the moment he was told he had to shield himself, to hide his magic -- one of the few things that made him alive, whole. It's always been there, gnawing at him. Shaping him. A constant companion through every loss, each death a chisel carving away pieces of him until there was hardly anything left. Malcolm, Bethany, Carver, Leandra-- all another crack in his fragile foundation. Over time, those fractures deepened, splitting him apart until he became merely fragments held together by the sheer will and weight of his rage.

Time alone has tempered that anger -- dulled its sharpest edges, though it hasn’t fully healed the wounds that fuel it, the thrumming of ire in his bones still ever-present, but he's grown tired. The years spent on the run, the relentless weight of loneliness bordering on torturous, have given him something unexpected: clarity. Hawke will never truly find inner peace, no, but at some point, the endless war he’s waged against himself--against his pain, his regrets, his anger--had become exhausting.

But this -- Astoria's decision to ally with the Templars -- it brings out an ire in him that he's unable to temper.

He's kept his distance until now, apart from their initial reunion. Even as he confronts her here, he can still feel the ghost of that embrace now--the warmth of her against him, the shudder of her breath as though simply knowing he was alive was enough. But was it just that? Or was it something more? Hawke doesn’t dare let himself wonder.

And he can't -- not with the way his blood boils as her words meet his ears. A calloused hand grips the back of the chair, fingers curling around the wood with enough force to strain it. "I'd rather stand." Hawke retorts, jaw set. Her calmness almost unsettles him -- is this truly the same woman he'd come to know all those years ago? Surely, it can’t be. Not with how readily she seems to have discarded everything that she -- everything that they -- stood for.

"To say that I don't like your decision is a gross understatement," he continues, voice thick with anger as the wood crackles beneath his hand. "You're condemning all of those rebel mages to death --" Condemning him to death, even, considering word of his magic was revealed after the explosion at the Chantry, "you do understand that, don't you? By allying with the Templars, you’re not just aligning the Inquisition with them--you’re supporting the very scum who’d see us all in chains. Or Tranquil. Or worse." Surely, he doesn't have to explain this to her; she knows this.

"Has power made you forget yourself? Or are you fully aware of the implications of your actions, but are choosing to ignore them? The Herald of Andraste --" he spits the title with palpable disdain. "Please. It's a fucking farce." His scoff is cruel, hollow, and he shakes his head in disbelief.

"I remember a time when you'd laughed at the absurdity of the Chantry, at their hypocrisy -- when sacrilege wasn't wasn't an offence, but a hobby." Hawke can't help but think back to those late evenings -- few, yet memorable -- when the two of them had sinned over and over again at the very altar of Andraste herself. A shameless act of blasphemy, a quiet mockery of the faith that sought to control them.

"All of this, it's --" he lets go of the chair, arms crossing instead over his chest with a huff, "I more than dislike your decision. I loathe it."

HAWKE GREATLY DISAPPROVES.

[kayssweetdreams]

Kaylo Crescendo's Court of Children

(This is a DIFFERENT Kaylo. Not the one from my Balan Wonderworld stories)

So, I had this idea in my head for a while now, and it involves Kaylo, and the idea of her having a court, since she's the ruler of a kingdom. This however is no ordinary court. This consists of various children from throughout the Multiverse. So, I'm gonna list them out here.

Rules of the Court:

Any Child that joins the court MUST be at or under 16 years old (it's the Court of CHILDREN. Not teens or adults.)

The only people that know about the Court HAVE to be close to said Child (parents, close friends, family) other than that it's a complete secret (at least from mortals)

All kids in the court must take the "Immortal Promise" (A special pinkie Promise like ritual that ensures that a child freezes in the aging process. They can not, and WILL not age, as long as they have this promise

KEEP IN MIND! The list isn't complete, and more names will be added, so don't be surprised if the list looks longer

Kaylo's Court of Children and Kids

No kingdom is complete without a Court. And this is no exception with the pink haired ruler of Rhythm Heaven. Of course, this is no ordinary court. This court consists of the many children that exist around the Multiverse, that have all taken "The Immortal Promise", a promise that ensures that they live as long as Kaylo does, and still retain their youth

Princes Charles

Prince Feathrik Humero III

Mirabel Madrigal

Antonio Madrigal

Emma Cole

Leo Craig

Yuri Brand

Haoyu Chang

Meilin Lee

Miriam Mendelsohn

Abby Park

Priya Magal

Tyler Nguyen-Baker

Ben

Saoirse

Sam Witwicky

Mikaela Banes

Annabelle Lennox

Luke Triton

Flora Reinhold

Yinu

Dodo

Tila

Sofa

Remi

Sayu

Vella Tartine

Shay Volta

Wren and Renold Carver

Lucy Chu

Everett Nichols

Razputin Aquato

Frazie Aquato

Dion Aquato

Mirtala Aquato

Queepie Aquato

Lili Zanatto

Rose Goodwin

Jamie and Sophie Bennett

Pippa

Claude and Caleb

Monty

Cupcake

Jack Frost

Star Butterfly

Marco Diaz

Mariposa Diaz

Meteora Butterfly

Steven Universe

Connie Maheswaran

Claris Sinclair

Elliott Edwards

William Taylor

Helen Cartwright

Gregory Fazbear

Cassie

Robyn Goodfellow

Mebh Óg MacTíre

Cuphead

Mugman

Miss Chalice

Luca Paguro

Alberto Scorfano

Guila Marcovaldo

The Collector

Mac

Goo Goo Ga Ga

World

Dipper Pines

Mabel Pines

Grenda Grendinator

Candy Chiu

Crybaby

Magnolia

Fleur

Celeste

Angelita

Ben

Jenny Wakeman

Tuck Carbunkle

Brad Carbunkle

Sheldon Oswald Lee

Nemo

Squirt

Molly Blyndeff

Trixie Roughouse

Phoenica Fleecity

Hat Kid

Bow Child

Mustache Girl/Mu

Jason T. Conrad

Michelle Frances Conrad

Amanda/Rebecca Colton

Wooly

Elio Silos

Billy Hatcher

Rolly Roll

Chick Poacher

Bantam Scrambled

Violet Meadow

Ivy Divine

Lilly Padd

Tanta

Billie the Goat

[fundieshaderoom]

Fundie and Adjacent Families I Follow: January 2024 in a Glance

Births:

Sharlanae and Phillip Collingsworth welcomed Thomas Brooks "Brooks" on Jan 4. Thomas joined a big brother and sister. He was due in December 2023.

Rebecca and Levi Moravek (Rodrigues) welcomed a baby this month.

Esther (Keller) and John Shrader welcomed Josiah on Jan 17. He joins 9 older brothers and 4 older sisters. He was due in February.

Weddings:

Solomon Anderson and Chloe Miller married on Jan 6.

Lev Bure and Elliott married on Jan 27.

Engagements:

Carver Bowers and Haley Paul got engaged.

Gender Reveals:

Tannan and Mitchell Millsap's upcoming 5th child will be a girl.

Savannah and Cole LaBrant's upcoming 5th child will be a boy.

[lifewithaview]

The Crown (2016-) Persona Non Grata

S6E1

Diana holidays in Saint-Tropez with Al-Fayed and bonds with his son Dodi. Charles is crushed when the Queen won't attend Camilla's 50th birthday party.

*Dodi and William discuss the upcoming James Bond movie which would have been Tomorrow Never Dies (1997). Jonathan Pryce, who plays Prince Phillip, also played the main villain Elliott Carver.

[the-dixon-effect]

about me ✧˚ · .

i figured there's not a lot of info about me on my blog so I decided to write this - just a little bit about my life!

my name is brandy-may, i'm just a girl passionnate about writing, reading, watching films, poetry, paintings, music, etc! i love all forms of media and art and i'm just having fun expressing my thoughts really. my main dream is to become a screenwriter and move to new zealand

i love writing and i love the walking dead, so i decided to combine the two and create this blog (so far I've been overwhelmed by the amount of response I've had). blogging is one of my favourite hobbies and have loadsss of different blogs all related to my different interests. i also love hiking, scuba diving, and travelling. i have been a poet and a writer for fun since i was 13 or 14, and recently i decided to put a few little scraps of my very old writings here, @tied-in-a-knot.

current shows I'm obsessed with: TWD, the bear, the x-files, the big bang theory, arrested development, shameless, succession, the boys, american gods

current characters I'm obsessed with: daryl dixon (the dixon effect amirite), gob bluth, george-michael bluth, carmen berzatto, richie jerimovich, fox mulder, ian gallagher, beth greene, leah shaw, negan smith, brandon carver 😍

current music I'm listening to: lana del rey, deftones, green day, jeff buckley, tame impala, transvision vamp, alex g, radiohead, eagles, elliott smith, blood orange, crystal castles, dean blunt, cocteau twins, adrianne lenker

[ninjakirby1322]

OBL Preview - Pelican Stars

Record: 27W - 20L - 3T

League: 5th, Myth Division: 2nd

By all indications, the Pelican Stars were supposed to be the team to beat in the Outlandish Baseball League last season. Though they didn't have the super powerful bats or otherworldly arms of the other teams in the league, these humble players from Stardew Valley had the fundamentals and team chemistry to make a championship run.

Despite a strong 6W - 0L - 2T start to the season, though, they would eventually get caught by their division rival Shards United due to a collapse in pitching as they lost 6 of their last 8 games. They would be eliminated from the playoffs in the first round along with Midgar Station, ending their postseason earlier than any had expected.

The collapse was surprising and sudden, as nearly all of the seemingly strong array of pitchers found themselves unable to keep a lead. Harvey Myers in particular struggled in the second half of the season, giving up 10 runs in just 4 starts, and the team giving up 30 runs in that horrid 8 game stretch.

It wasn't for lack of trying on the offensive side. The team batted well throughout the season, with Caroline Hawker and Alex Picker being in the top 10 in the league in nearly every category. Caroline, in particular, finished just 1 home run and 7 RBI behind Cloud Strife of Midgar Station. And it would be negligent to place all the troubles at the feet of the pitchers: team captain Lewis Alderman was strong throughout the season, earning 6 wins and consistently pitching into the 7th inning with a lead.

The team now hopes to face a new season stronger than ever, with fundamentals still being the focus. With the least changes to the lineup in the league, the Stars hope consistency will be key to another playoff appearance and a run to the championship.

Lineup

Jodi Warden, CF

Marnie Stott, C

Gus Cooke, 1B

Alex Picker, LF

Robin Carpenter, DH

Caroline Hawker, RF

Emily Taylor, 2B

Abigail Hawker, 3B

Haley Taylor, SS

Bench

Penny Courier, IF

Sam Warden, OF

Leah Carver, OF

Clint Forger, C

Starting Pitchers

Lewis Alderman

Sebastian Carpenter

Harvey Myers

Shane Cooper

Relief Pitchers

Demetrius Schuler

Gunther Clevenger

Willy Fischer

Elliott Scriven

Maru Schuler

[geekcavepodcast]

Carved Trailer

A killer "pumpkin" is out to kill pumpkin carvers in this Huluween film.

Carved stars Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Corey Fogelmanis, Wyatt Lindner, Carla Jimenez, Sasha Mason, Jonah Lees, DJ Qualls, Marc-Sully Saint-Fleur, Elvis Nolasco, Matty Cardarople, Jackson Kelly, and Chris Elliott. The film is directed by Justin Harding from a screenplay by Harding and Cheryl Meyer. The film is based off a short written and directed by Harding.

Carved hits Hulu on October 21, 2024.

[ulkaralakbarova]

American Matt Quigley answers Australian land baron Elliott Marston’s ad for a sharpshooter to kill the dingoes on his property. But when Quigley finds out that Marston’s real target is the aborigines, Quigley hits the road. Now, even American expatriate Crazy Cora can’t keep Quigley safe in his cat-and-mouse game with the homicidal Marston. Credits: TheMovieDb. Film Cast: Matthew Quigley: Tom Selleck Crazy Cora: Laura San Giacomo Elliott Marston: Alan Rickman Major Ashley-Pitt: Chris Haywood Grimmelman: Ron Haddrick Dobkin: Tony Bonner Coogan: Jerome Ehlers Hobb: Conor McDermottroe Brophy: Roger Ward O’Flynn: Ben Mendelsohn Kunkurra: Steve Dodd Slattern: Karen Davitt Slattern: Kylie Foster Reilly: William Zappa Sergeant Thomas: Jonathan Sweet Deserter: Michael Carman Tout: Jon Ewing Miller: Tim Hughes Mullion: David Slingsby Mitchell: Danny Adcock Cavanagh: Maeliosa Stafford Carver: Ollie Hall Mrs. Grimmelman: Evelyn Krape Bugler: Mark Pennell Ticket Seller: Don Bridges Kajubi: Gnarnayarrahe Waitairie Aborigine: Bruce Burrngu Burrngu Startled Man: Fred Welsh Startled Man: Ian Lind Bushman: James Wright Bushman: Bruce Knappett Elderly Woman: Joanie Thomas Elderly Man: Vic Gordon French Canadian: David Le Page Little Bit: Cory Tjapaltjarri Bullocky: Allan Bradford Bullocky: Graham Young Klaus Grimmelman: Eamonn Kelly Deserter: Greg Stuart Tribal Elder: Billy Stockman Oliver: Brian Ellison Paddy: Mark Minchinton Cliff: Guy Norris Whitey: Gerald Egan Hayden: Spike Cherrie Scotty: Jim Willoughby Smythe: Danny Baldwin Film Crew: Original Music Composer: Basil Poledouris Producer: Stanley O’Toole Screenplay: John Hill Director: Simon Wincer Producer: Alexandra Rose Director of Photography: David Eggby Editor: Peter Burgess Set Decoration: Brian Edmonds Production Design: Ross Major Art Direction: Ian Gracie Set Decoration: Brian Dusting Stunts: Spike Cherrie Stunt Coordinator: Guy Norris Second Unit Director of Photography: Ross Berryman Focus Puller: Derry Field Steadicam Operator: Harry Panagiotidis Clapper Loader: Adrien Seffrin Still Photographer: Barry Peake Stunts: Linda Megier Stunts: Rocky McDonald Stunts: Johnny Raaen Continuity: Judy Whitehead Stunts: Lloyd Ventry Movie Reviews: John Chard: Matthew Quigley: Sharps Shooter. Quigley Down Under is directed by Simon Wincer and written by John Hill. It stars Tom Selleck, Laura San Giacomo and Alan Rickman. Music is by Basil Poledouris and cinematography by David Eggby. Plot sees Selleck as Matthew Quigley, a Wyoming cowboy and sharp shooting rifleman who answers an advertisement to go to Western Australia as a hired sharp shooter. If proving his worth, he’s to work for Elliot Marston (Rickman), but when Marston outlines his sick reasons for hiring Quigley, the pair quickly become on a collision course that can only see one of them survive. It was written in the 1970s by John Hill, where it was hoped that Steve McQueen would take on the lead role, but with McQueen falling ill and Clint Eastwood allegedly passed over, the project sat on ice until 1990. In came Selleck and the film finally got made. Just about making back its money at the box office, Wincer’s movie deserved far better than that. It’s competition in the Western stakes in 1990 were Costner’s beautiful and elegiac Dances With Wolves and the Brat Pack bravado of Young Guns II, both vastly different films from each other, and both considerably different from Quigley Down Under. If those two films contributed to the average response to the Selleck picture? I’m not completely sure, but viewing it now one tends to think that the 1990 audience just wasn’t ready for such a delightfully old fashioned Oater, one that features a straight and simple narrative to tell its tale. It’s safe to say that anyone after deep psychological aspects will not get that here. There’s some serious themes in the story, such as the horrid genocide towards Aborigines, while the deft kicks at the British are fair enough even to a British guy such as myself. But in the main this is old time Western fare, ...

[honeyleesblog]

June 6 ZODIAC

Horoscope and character for those brought into the world on June 6 His memory is phenomenal. Anything that they hear, they consider it. They can be effectively adjusted to any situation. They can be fantastic specialists or dealers. They feel better composition, getting out the most recent news, showing others, and so forth. Numerous noticeable authors, columnists, editors, and craftsmen are conceived today. Such individuals are quiet and need to help other people, doing works for a long term benefit. The range of their work is typically very lengthy. His characteristic is certain and amicable, yet can without much of a stretch transform into restraint, reluctance, and chilliness. In any case, they are by and large feeling great and good with others. They are arousing and can be inclined areas of strength for to. They show an inclination to limits. Despite the fact that they really buckle down, this frequently doesn't bring them much advantage. They can likewise turn into a business achievement. What undermines them? That regardless of such a lot of work, these individuals may not find success enough, either because of their absence of prescience or conditions unchangeable as far as they might be concerned. Zodiac sign for those brought into the world on June 6 In the event that your birthday is June 6, your zodiac sign is Gemini Zodiac sign for those born on  June 6 

 character: watchful, fiery, frank, unusual, discourteous, volatile; calling: writer, airline steward, undertaker; colors: yellow, white, turquoise; stone: quartz; creature: turkey; plant: coconut palm; fortunate numbers: 5,11,14,21,23,28 very fortunate number: 3 Occasions and observances - June 6 Russian Language Day at the Assembled Countries. Sweden: Public Banner Day. Chile: Public Exchange Day. Argentina: Argentine Designing Day. Bolivia: Educator's Day. World Transfer Day. June 6 Big name birthday celebrations. Who was conceived that very day as you? 1900: Luis Gutiდ©rrez Soto, Spanish draftsman (f. 1977). 1901: Jan Struther, English essayist, maker of the personality of Mrs. Miniver (d. 1953). 1901: Achmed Sukarno, Indonesian lawmaker, first president somewhere in the range of 1945 and 1968 (d. 1970). 1903: Aram Khachaturyan, Russian author (d. 1978). 1904: Lesley Whiten, English essayist and explorer (d. 2007). 1908: Roberto Echevarrდ­a, Spanish soccer player (d. 1981). 1909: Isaiah Berlin, English scholar and author of Latvian beginning (d. 1997). 1910: Jaume Vicens Vives, Spanish antiquarian (d. 1960). 1911: Jean Cayrol, French writer (d. 2005). 1923: Virginia Cleo Andrews, American essayist (d. 1986). 1924: Serge Nigg, French author (d. 2008). 1925: Josდ© Marდ­a Rodrდ­guez Mდ©ndez, Spanish essayist and writer (d. 2009). 1929: Jorge Villamil, Colombian author (d. 2010). 1930: John Elliott, English antiquarian and Hispanicist. 1931: Vდ­ctor Mora, Spanish comic scriptwriter and author (d. 2016). 1932: Argentino Larrabure, Argentine military man grabbed for a year; executed (f. 1975). 1933: Heinrich Rohrer, Swiss physicist, 1986 Nobel Laureate in Physical science (f. 2013). 1934: Albert II, Belgian blue-blood, lord somewhere in the range of 1993 and 2013. 1936: Sotir Kosta, Albanian stone carver. 1936: Maysa, Brazilian vocalist and musician (d. 1977). 1936: Malangatana Ngwenya, Mozambican craftsman and artist (d. 2011). 1939: Louis Andriessen, Dutch author. 1939: Jaume Aragall, Spanish tenor. 1939: Hდ©ctor Espino, Mexican baseball player (d. 1997). 1940: Manuel Ramდ­rez Jimდ©nez, Spanish legal scholar and political researcher (d. 2015). 1942: Norberto Rivera Carrera, Mexican cardinal. 1943: Josდ© de Jesდºs Gudino Pelayo, Mexican legal scholar (d. 2010). 1943: Richard Smalley, American scientific expert (d. 2005). 1944: Josep Maria Bachs, Spanish radio and TV moderator (d. 2014). 1944: Phillip Allen Sharp, American scholar. 1945: Augusto Cდ©sar Lendoiro, leader of the RCD de La Coruna. 1946: Patricia Poblete, Chilean financial analyst. 1946: Tony Levin, American bassist, of the band Lord Red. 1947: Robert Englund, American entertainer. 1949: Vდ­ctor Manuel Rebolledo, Chilean lawmaker. 1949: Noemდ­ Sanდ­n, Colombian lawmaker. 1951: Carlos Pizarro Leongდ³mez, Colombian lawmaker and guerrilla (f. 1990). 1951: Noritake Takahara, Japanese engine dashing driver. 1956: Bjდ¶rn Borg, Swedish tennis player. 1956: Carlos Gattiker, Argentine tennis player (d. 2010). 1956: Bubbi Morthens, Icelandic vocalist and musician. 1960: Lola Forner, Spanish entertainer. 1960: Jozef Pribilinec, Slovak competitor. 1960: Steve Vai, American guitarist, of the groups Whitesnake and Alcatrazz. 1961: Tom Araya, Chilean vocalist and bassist, of the band Slayer. 1962: Jordi Arcarons, Spanish convention driver. 1962: Andrდ©s Jimდ©nez, Spanish b-ball player. 1963: Gustavo de Arდ­stegui, Spanish ambassador and lawmaker. 1963: Jason Isaacs, English entertainer. 1964: Jay Bentley, American performer, of the band Awful Religion. 1966: Tony Yeboah, player from Ghana. 1966: Astrid Gruber, Venezuelan TV entertainer and model. 1966: Sean Yseult, American artist, of the White Zombie band. 1967: Paul Giamatti, American entertainer. 1969: Fernando Redondo, Argentine footballer. 1970: Eugeni Berzin, Russian cyclist. 1970: Albert Ferrer, Spanish footballer. 1970: James Shaffer, American guitarist, of the band Korn. 1970: Gonzalo Cardenas Gonzalez, Mexican photographic artist. 1971: Silvia Jato, Spanish TV moderator and model. 1972: Cristina Scabbia, Italian artist, of the band Lacuna Loop. 1973: Patrick Rothfuss, American author. 1973: Coraima Torres, Venezuelan entertainer. 1973: Kat Quick, American legislator, contender for president by the Green Faction. 1974: Danny Solid, American entertainer. 1974: Juanra Bonet, Spanish entertainer, comic and writer. 1974: Rolando Fonseca, Costa Rican soccer player. 1976: Geoff Rowley, English skater. 1976: Z-Ro, American rapper. 1976: Jonathan Nolan, screenwriter of film. 1978: Leonora Balcarce, Argentine entertainer. 1978: Carl Barდ¢t, English performer of the groups Filthy Pretty Things, and The Profligates. 1978: Judith Barsi, American entertainer. 1978: Faudel, French artist and entertainer of Algerian plunge. 1978: Andrew Reynolds, American skater. 1978: Mirko Saric, Argentine soccer player (f. 2000). 1979: Juan Martდ­n Jდ¡uregui, Argentine entertainer. 1979: Jorge Consejo, Mexican TV entertainer. 1981: Johnny Pacar, American entertainer. 1981: Anja Juliette Laval, German pornography entertainer. 1983: Michael Krohn-Dehli, Danish footballer. 1983: Gianna Michaels, American pornography entertainer. 1984: Antonia Prebble, New Zealand entertainer. 1984: Noor Sabri, Iraqi soccer player. 1985: Drew Galloway, Scottish expert grappler. 1985: Rodrigo Archubi, Argentine footballer. 1985: Sebastian Larsson, Swedish footballer. 1986: Kim Hyun Joong, South Korean artist, of the band SS501. 1987: Cდ¡ssio Ramos, Brazilian soccer player. 1987: Rubin Okotie, Austrian footballer of Pakistani beginning. 1992: Hyuna, South Korean artist, of the band 4minute. 1993: Sebastiდ¡n Martდ­nez, Chilean soccer player.

[ofandrastes]

A short snort escapes Hawke’s lips, a sound that somehow mirrors the fleeting levity in Anders’ voice. Perhaps the mixture has begun to work, dulling the tension that's been so tightly wound in his body for ages now.

"It’s not just death that can push someone past the point of saving." He says, his voice barely a murmur above the haunting sounds of the Kirkwall streets just beyond these walls. "Hells, just ask the Chantry. They've already pre-determined who of us sorry fucking saps get a seat beside the Maker, and who will doomed to the void."

There's a bitterness as he speaks of the church-- but, even so, there's a small part of him that then wonders about Carver's ultimate fate. If, perhaps, the young man truly has found some sort of salvation through all of this.

Bullshit, he thinks, brushing off the thought as soon as it enters his mind. No, he will not entertain such a notion -- he will not entertain such a farce. Carver is dead, gone. That's the end of it.

His eyes flicker between the mage's face and the cracks in the clinic's ceiling, as if anchoring himself to neither. "I --" Hawke pauses, clearing his throat, "-- he wished to die by the blade. I granted him that." Better than prolonging his suffering simply for the inevitable to occur, right? That's what he's telling himself, at least.

Funny how that does little to assuage his guilt.

The mixture’s effects creep through him, warmth spreading like a tide from his limbs to his chest. His breath slows, his eyes grow heavy, and a haze settles over him--not unpleasant, no, but utterly disarming in its own right, because In a single, vulnerable moment, he feels his carefully constructed walls begin to crumble, leaving behind nothing but raw, unguarded emotion.

Without thinking, his gaze centers in on Anders, half-lidded and searching. His free hand, instinctively, reaches out and grasps the mage’s.

"Wait." Elliott mumbles, fingers loosely curling around his with a kind of quiet desperation -- though for what, exactly, he doesn’t know. Perhaps he’s too far gone to be certain, the medicine lulling him further into the haze, pulling him away from the present.

All he knows, all he clings to, are the words Anders offers him:

I've got you.

When was the last time he let someone say that to him, let alone believe it? Allowed himself to stop, to trust, to be held--just for a moment?

For one short, fleeting moment, he needs it. He needs someone to care, to be there. He needs to feel it.

And Anders -- Anders -- is willing to give that to him.

His eyes flutter closed, the tension in his fingers slipping away, his grip on Anders softening, then falling away entirely as sleep claims him at last.

          ━━━ ELLIOTT PAUSES BEFORE ACCEPTING THE MEDICINE, AND ANDERS' BROW PINCHES IN CONCERN. He nearly speaks up ━━ if only to offer an explanation of ingredients, as though that would provide reassurance ━━ but the man tips back the clay cup before the words can form on his tongue.

          A good thing, probably. Elliott did not seem to be in the mood for lengthy explanations. Though ... was he ever, actually ?

          Their hands meet briefly and Elliot's voice is softer, somehow, as he admits his exhaustion. Anders feels deeply for him ; the sympathy plain on his face. There is a part of him that wishes to console Elliott more tacitly. The man has made his interest clear in the past ... though he's overthought it, spiraling into that dark hole in his mind where he had thrown his memories of Karl.

          He overthinks it again, and settles himself with a professional, friendly air, swallowing down the kinder urges that want to take Elliott by the shoulders, twine their fingers together, pull the man in ━━

           ❝ It'll make you sleep, ❞ he clarifies, almost smiling at Elliott's disgusted expression.

          ❝ I save the good stuff for those who are beyond saving. ❞ He says, a note of levity in his gravel voice as he mimics guiding Elliott prone ━━ hands ghosting above the other mage's skin, never quite touching, yet the buzz of their shared gift sings in tune.

          ❝ No one has been down with the news, no, ❞ he sighs, stepping to the side in order to address the wound once more, the gnarled skin pulled taut with Elliott's raised arm. ❝ I suspect they're all resting. ❞

          He hoped, at least.

          ❝ I'm sorry, ❞ he apologizes again as Elliott explains Carver's death. The fact is heavy and it reminds Anders of the taint in his own blood ━━ it eats away at him, microscopically consuming parts of his body, his mind, perhaps even his soul, every second of every day.

          ❝ The Blight is a wretched way to go. ❞ Anders mumbles empathetically at his hands grow cold with frost magic. He places his palms either side of the wound, reducing the swelling to lessen the agony of the subsequent healing. ❝ There is often not much to be done once one becomes tainted ... ❞

          Only a Joining could have saved Carver, the words go unsaid. He thinks better of placing his own guilt upon Elliott's shoulders.

          ❝ Any moment now, ❞ he reassures instead, hands prodding experimentally at the gash, testing for the man's reaction. ❝ Relax, don't fight it off. I've got you. ❞

[ofandrastes]

[APPROVAL - Elliott] lets the Warden stay in the Fade instead of him

He shouldn’t be surprised--and he isn’t, not really. They had confessed their long-standing love for one another what felt like an eternity ago, though in truth it had barely been a year. Funny how over a decade of resistance, of denial, could culminate so beautifully in the end.

There was no way in hell Astoria was going to choose to leave him in the Fade over the Warden -- he knew that the moment he argued his case, the second he urged Stroud to leave him behind.

Logically, it made perfect sense. Stroud could rebuild the Wardens, perhaps even usher in the change they so desperately needed. His survival could mean redemption for the order that had, at times, teetered so close to ruin. Stroud’s future was wrought with potential, with promise of progress, of purpose.

And what was Hawke? A blight on Kirkwall. A figurehead of chaos and destruction. The "Champion" whose legacy was tainted with blood, with fire. What could he offer the Inquisition, to the world, that could ever supersede what Stroud could?

Nothing.

All Hawke could be was a monument to failure.

It’s late now. He should be resting, allow exhaustion to overtake him. But instead, he finds himself leaning his forearms over the cold stone guardrail of the vast balcony off of Astoria's room. The night air bites at his skin, sharp, unforgiving, though it doesn’t quite manage to cut through the turmoil that churns within him. He hasn’t spoken much since they returned. Neither has she. The silence between them has grown louder with every passing hour -- by the gods, the betrayal she must feel. He can’t stop thinking about it.

Finally, after over a decade they’ve pledged themselves to each other. Pledged to stop running. To stay the course. To face the impossible together. And still -- he couldn't help himself from trying to run once more, to try and ruin it all.

Or has this newfound happiness-- fragile as it is--unearthed something deeper, something he’s not sure how to face? Guilt has always been a silent tenant in Hawke’s chest, burrowing deep, whispering reminders of his failures, his losses. Yet self-preservation has always been his answer, the shield that kept him moving forward. Survive, survive, survive.

But this time is different. The guilt no longer just lingers--it consumes. And for once, it wasn't himself he was trying to save. This time, his thoughts were not of escape but of the greater good, of a world that needs more than he alone can offer.

And Astoria still chose him over it all.

"Come to bed, love."

Her voice cuts through the haze of his thoughts, yet his gaze remains fixed on the stars scattered across the night sky. The half-empty flask of Antivan wine dangles precariously from his hand, swaying gently over the edge of the balcony as if the slightest breeze might send it tumbling into the abyss below.

Feels familiar.

"In a moment," Hawke murmurs, his voice low, distant. He doesn’t turn to look at her, doesn’t make any effort to move.

Survivor's guilt isn't unfamiliar to him; he's felt it before with each person he's loss. Malcolm. Bethany. Carver. Leandra.

So then -- why does this feel worse?

A lithe hand comes to rest on his shoulder, her touch light yet grounding, a tether to the present he’s not sure he deserves. It should comfort him--her warmth, her patience--but it only magnifies the shame tightening around his chest. His jaw clenches and, without a word, Hawke tosses the flask aside, its metallic clatter against the stone walls a hollow echo that quickly fades into the night. He exhales sharply, burying his face in his hands.

"It should have been me." He tells her, voice strained with an unfamiliar weight. "I love you -- so much that it becomes painful at times -- but it should have been me." His hands fall from his face, and his gaze locks on the stars above, as if searching for answers he knows won’t come. He thinks of his family--his mother, his siblings-- now merely memories seared into his heart. All the death that has circled him, claimed men and women who were better, kinder, more deserving than he.

"Elliott."

Her hand moves to cover his, and slowly, painfully, he turns his head to look at her. His eyes are red, bloodshot, brimming with unshed tears that cling stubbornly to the edges of dark lashes. He swallows thickly and, for a moment, he seems as though he might speak, but instead he turns, pulling her into him with a desperate ferocity, broad arms locking tightly around her smaller frame

His face buries in her hair, and the words slip from his lips like a confession. "It always should have been me," his breath shudders against her, and he closes his eyes, focusing on the feeling of her warm against him.

"I love you," she whispers, her voice steady despite the emotion that laces her word, her hand moving in soft, soothing circles against his back. She understands him. Of course she does. She doesn't try to turn this into an argument or force him to see reason; instead, she gives him the solace he seeks. Maker -- what has he truly done to deserve her?

Elliott lifts his head slightly, lips brushing against her hair, his hold on her loosening just enough to give her room to breathe, though his arms remain firm around her.

"I love you, too."

APPROVAL UNCHANGED.

[fundieshaderoom]

Fundie and Adjacent Babies and Weddings in 2024

January (3 Weddings, 4 Babies):

Thomas Brooks Collingsworth "Brooks" was born to Phillip Jr. and Sharlanae on Jan 4.

Solomon Anderson and Chloe Miller wed on Jan 6.

Rebecca and Levi Moravek (Noyes) had their baby in January.

Julianna and James Staddon had their baby in January.

Josiah Shrader was born to Esther (Keller) and John Shrader on Jan 17.

Lev Bure and Elliott wed on Jan 27.

Gracie Geisel (Keilen) Gabe Hueber wed in Jan.

February (1 Wedding, 5 Babies):

Ivy Josephine was born to Gabby Barrett and Cade Foehner on Feb 17.

Daniel Carson Cieslak was born to Elli (Perez) and Andy on Feb 19.

Myla Griffith and Ethan Seewald wed on Feb 24.

Brielle Grace was born to Hannah (Wissmann) and Jeremiah Duggar.

Miles Kelton was born to Josie (Bates) and Kelton Balka on Feb 21.

Brooks Michael was born to Emily (Haight) and Justus Stangl on Feb 27.

March (1 Wedding, 3 Babies):

Austin Dakota was born to Anna and Austin Wilson on Mar 22.

Sarah Waller and Brandon Richard Webster wed on Mar 23.

Amelia Sage Coates was born to Jessica (Seewald) and Joseph on Mar 26.

Lila Ann Jerred was born to Susanna (Wissmann) and Drew in March.

April (2 Weddings, 2 Babies):

Carver Bowers and Haley Paul wed on Apr 20.

Elias John was born to Jeanette (Willis) and Cory Piatt in April.

Carley Stone (Robertson) wed Joey Congemi on Apr 22.

Boone Lott was born to Britney and JD in April.

May (1 Wedding, 7 Babies):

Brooks Davis Keyes "Davis" was born to Gracie and Aaron on May 6.

Beckham Blue Labrant was born to Cole and Savannah Labrant.

Mirabella May Roloff was born to Audrey and Jeremy on May 23.

Lily Swanson and Cole Cwenar wed on May 24.

Nadia Star Patrick was born to Isabel (Trewhella) and Jake on May 29.

Weston Slade Smith was born to Tori (Bates) and Bobby on May 29.

Harrison Thomas was born to Julie and Grant in May.

Baby Boy Pelletier was born to Hannah (Paine) and Levi in May.

June (2 Weddings, 5 Babies):

Merritt Robertson and Tyler Metro wed on Jun 5.

Haven Claire Millsap was born to Tannan and Mitchell on Jun 10.

Caroline Marie Clark was born to Kristen (Baird) and Zach on Jun 14.

Hosanna Proell was born to Rochelle (Trewhella) and Nick on Jun 15.

Baby Girl Trego was born to Sophia (Trewhella) and Maxwell on Jun 19.

Baby Trewhella was born to Angellea and Jeremiah on Jun 19.

Georgia Brown and Ryan Williams wed on Jun 25.

July (1 Wedding, 6 Babies):

Judah Love Olligies was born to Morgan and Paul on Jul 1.

Kaptain Klay Kallschmidt was born to Mckayle and Max on Jul 3.

Naomi Christine Keller was born to Nurie (Rodrigues) and Nathan on Jul 14.

Desiree Hope Waller was born to Priscilla (Keller) and David on Jul 17.

William Daniel Bates was born to Tiffany (Espensen) and Lawson Bates on July 19.

Johnny Paine wed Maddie Henry on Jul 23.

Maya Jean Noble Bowers was born to Ahna (Cameron) and Austin on Jul 26.

August (1 Wedding, 7 Babies):

Frances Claudia Robertson was born to Brighton and Reed on Aug 9.

Jana Duggar and Stephen Wissmann wed on Aug 15.

Dietrich Johannes Anderson was born to Arti and Isaac on Aug 17.

Baby Girl Muckerheide was born to Darbs (Trewhella) and Isaiah in Aug.

Arrow Chosen was born to Karissa and Mandrae Collins on Aug 17.

Aurora Lei was born to Laura (Pearl) and Jadon on Aug 18.

Briggs Maverick was born to Sierra and Mark Dominguez on Aug 22.

Amelia Marie Helferich was born to Allison (Bontrager) and Jeremiah on Aug 28.

September (1 Wedding, 2 Babies):

Timothy Rodrigues and Heidi Coverett wed on Sep 14.

Ivy Elizabeth Hill was born to Matthew and Kayla on Sep 14.

Harvey Gray Clark was born to Katie (Bates) and Travis on Sep 30.

October (3 Weddings, 5 Babies):

Maddie Jones and Jason Duggar wed on Oct 3.

Graham Alan Bates was born to Esther (Keyes) and Nathan on Oct 4.

Kiersten Williamson and Austin Teodorovici wed on Oct 12.

Rayna Kay Thatcher was born to Makayla (Landrum) and Jonas on Oct 16.

Kristy Mae Cape was born to Ariana (Balka) and Joel on Oct 22.

Jeremiah Easling (Pearl) and Ashlynn Dixon wed on Oct 27.

Xander Reed Loflin was born to Rebecca (Robertson) and Reed on Oct 30.

Samuel Garcia was born to Maddie (Langdon) and Zach in Oct.

November (3 Weddings, 2 Babies):

Emily Keyes and Ethan Myers wed on Nov 2.

Chaney Kahle and Benjamin Tibbe wed on Nov 3.

Danielle Seewald and Lawson Howard wed on Nov 9.

Jane Aanaya Toto was born to Jennifer (Hartono) and Joshua on Nov 22.

Baby Girl Clayton was born to Emily (Reith) and Alex in Nov.

December (3 Babies):

Watson Joe Maxwell was born to Chelsy (Bontrager) and John on Dec 3.

Ezra Maxwell Silberman was born to Anastasia (Salyer) and James on Dec 6.

Baby Girl Williams was born to Paige and David in December.

Unknown Month (11 Babies):

Edelweiss Miracle Keller was born to Hannah (Reber) and David.

Henry Mershon was born to Laura and Tim (Baird) in Spring.

Baby Girl Noble was born to Hosanna (Plath) and Timothy.

Baby was born to Taylor and Susanna Bontrager.

Baby Girl was born to Brynn and Mitchell Bontrager in the Spring or Summer.

Kyle and Everly Trewell were born to Alexandra and Stephen Trewell in April or May.

Baby Girl Smith was born to Tori (Webster) and Daniel.

Coasten Levi Eisenmann was born to Sutton and Nate in either Aug or Sep.

Baby Girl Driscoll was born to Brisee and Calvin.

Riley Blaise Driscoll was born to Chloe and Zac Driscoll

Overall:

19 Weddings were held, 63 Babies were born, 54 Families I Follow Grew

By Family:

Robertson- 2 Weddings, 3 Babies

Trewhella- 5 Babies

Bates- 5 Babies

Keller- 4 Babies

Bontrager- 4 Babies

Duggar- 2 Weddings, 1 Baby

Seewald- 2 Weddings, 1 Baby

Wissmann- 1 Wedding, 2 Babies

Noyes/Rodrigues- 1 Wedding, 2 Babies

Keyes- 1 Wedding, 2 Babies

Perez- 3 Babies

Waller- 1 Wedding, 1 Baby

Pearl- 1 Wedding, 1 Baby

Paine- 1 Wedding, 1 Baby

Anderson- 1 Wedding, 1 Baby

Baird- 2 Babies

Balka- 2 Babies

Driscoll- 2 Babies

Keilen- 1 Wedding

Bowers- 1 Wedding

Bure- 1 Wedding

Swanson- 1 Wedding

Coverett- 1 Wedding

Williamson- 1 Wedding

Brown/Williams- 1 Wedding

Kahle- 1 Wedding

Jones- 1 Wedding

Collingsworth- 1 Baby

Langdon- 1 Baby

Millsap- 1 Baby

Willis- 1 Baby

Clark- 1 Baby

Staddon- 1 Baby

Anderson- 1 Baby

Webster- 1 Baby

Hill- 1 Baby

Plath- 1 Baby

Wilson- 1 Baby

Salyer- 1 Baby

Haight- 1 Baby

Roloff- 1 Baby

Reber- 1 Baby

Barrett- 1 Baby

Smith (Bobby)- 1 Baby

Hartono- 1 Baby

Williams- 1 Baby

Cameron- 1 Baby

Landrum- 1 Baby

Collins- 1 Baby

LaBrant- 1 Baby

Lott- 1 Baby

Reith- 1 Baby

Olligies- 1 Baby

Kallschmidt- 1 Baby

Dominguez- 1 Baby

Espensen- 1 Baby

Eisenmann- 1 Baby

By Month:

Unknown Month- 11 Babies

October- 3 Weddings, 5 Babies

June- 2 Weddings, 6 Babies

August- 1 Wedding, 7 Babies

May- 1 Wedding, 7 Babies

January- 3 Weddings, 4 Babies

July- 1 Wedding, 6 Babies

February- 1 Wedding, 5 Babies

November- 3 Weddings, 2 Babies

April- 2 Weddings, 2 Babies

March- 1 Wedding, 3 Babies

September- 1 Wedding, 2 Babies

December- 3 Babies

Families I Follow With No Known Growth:

Alexander

Andregg (growth projected for '25)

Brown (growth projected for '25)

Burnett

Caldwell

Copeland

Crane

Dillard (growth projected for '25)

Harris

Holt

Houston

Jenkins

Lentz

Locke

Maples (growth projected for '25)

McMurtry (growth projected for '25)

Meggs

Nakatsu (growth projected for '25)

Nelson (growth projected for '25)

Perry

Owens

Perkins

Peters

Prewitt (growth projected for '25)

Romeike (growth projected for '25)

Smith (Logan)

Spivey

Stewart

Stockdale

Vuolo (growth projected for '25)

Wells

Wikstrom (growth projected for '25)

[bondenargentina]

Johnatan Pryce llegó a Buenos Aires e interpretará al Papa Francisco

Conocido por sus roles en “Brazil”, “Ronin” y “Las Aventuras del Barón Munchausen”, el británico Johnatan Pryce se encuentra ahora en Buenos Aires rodando “El Papa”, la película de Netflix que contará la historia de Jorge Mario Bergoglio desde su infancia en el barrio de Flores hasta su nombramiento como el Papa Francisco en 2013.

Los fans de James Bond recordamos a Pryce por haber enfrentado al 007 de Pierce Brosnan 20 años atrás en “El Mañana Nunca Muere”, interpretando a Elliott Carver, el magnate de los medios que quería provocar la guerra entre China y Gran Bretaña para aumentar la popularidad de sus medios.

Esta la segunda ocasión que Pryce interpreta a un argentino y visita nuestro país, ya que en 1996 interpretó a Juan Domingo Perón en “Evita”, de Alan Parker, y filmó nada menos que en la Casa Rosada.

“El Papa” cuenta con la dirección del brasileño Fernando Meirelles y las actuaciones de Anthony Hopkins como el Cardenal Ratzinger y Juan Minujín como el joven Bergoglio.

[ofandrastes]

He's essentially disassociating as he sits, hunched forward at her table, offering a nod occasionally as she speaks of her cat -- of the smell in the stairwell that, truthfully, isn't even that bad -- his eyes distant, unfocused.

"Cats do that." He murmurs, fingers absently smoothing over the side of the ceramic mug. He's not cold, he never is -- part of the elemental nature of his magic, fire and blood running through his veins -- but the heat makes him feel something else, if only for a moment. Though his mind quickly begins to spiral in the absence of noise, in the absence of Leandra's cries.

How could he have thought coming here would ease the relentless dread clawing at his chest? What had he hoped to gain, showing up at her door in the dead of night? Yes, they’ve traveled together, and Astoria has proven herself--an asset in battle, in company, her beauty obvious and striking--but she can’t help him.

He can't be helped, he doesn't want to be helped. Which is the bigger issue?

Elliott barely even registers she's approaching before the chair beneath him is abruptly wrenched to face her, the jarring force snapping him to attention, eyes suddenly wide and alert as she's standing before him-- too close-- cold hands brushing against his face much like when he'd first arrived -- and yet this time, she doesn't pull away, she meets his gaze.

Hands reflexively shoot up to grip at her wrists, tightly, and yet he makes no move to pull them away even as she begins to speak. "Astoria." He attempts to interrupt to no avail, unable to look away, to escape her searing gaze nor the truths the imposes on him -- and yet, despite himself, as she speaks the rigid line etched between his dark brows begins to falter. Face contorts from one of ire to one of abashment, of shame, unable to keep his walls up high, sturdy, and yet his hold on her doesn't relent.

Friends. The word seems incorrect, wrong. Bethany had been the closest thing he'd had to a friend, Carver less so, but they were brothers. Bonded. The rest of his companions he's considered simply that -- companions -- but Astoria. Maker's breath, that title doesn't feel quite right. She's something else, something more, even if it's nestled too deeply for him to recognize, to understand.

He loosens his grasp then as she gently pulls her hands from his bearded cheeks, and he barely has time to process the absence of her touch before she leans in. His entire body tenses when her lips press softly against his skin -- ot because he doesn't want it, no, but because unfamiliarity of such tenderness unsettles him. It’s uncomfortable, fraught, the kind of solicitude he's not accustomed to. And yet, somehow, Astoria has managed to deliver it without making him flinch, without driving him into retreat. Somehow, her presence anchors him

He doesn't know what to say. For once, there's no biting remark spat back her way -- he's disarmed, and he knows it, but that doesn't mean he can completely lay himself bare. He doesn't know how.

"Stop." Is all that sputters out, a pathetic and hollow plea. Devoid of urgency despite how badly part of him aches to disagree, to scream that it is his fault. Leandra's cruel grief aside, Hawke knows that things could have been different if only he'd made different decisions, if only he'd listened to those around him and thought rationally for once in his deplorable life, if he didn't base his choices on emotion and spite.

God, he's such a piece of shit. And yet, Astoria stays --

She steps back, and though he's at a loss for words, for what to think, that's never quite mattered to him. His head bows slightly, and his hand instinctively shoots out, grasping her forearm.

"Wait."

There's more reverberance to his voice now, and something shifts inside of him. Stirs.

The ache in his chest deepens, but with it, something else begins to rise. A desperate need, a hunger to feel something--anything--other than the suffocating sorrow that claws at him, relentless. He lifts his gaze, meeting her eyes, and a possibility flickers in them.

'I don't want any damn tea." He tells her, that familiar, jagged edge returning to his tone. Hawke rises from his seat, movements abrupt, and uses that momentum to tug her towards him, closing the distance between them.

His fingers sweep across her cheek, calloused, warm, before threading through the soft strands of her hair at the back of her head. He doesn’t give her a chance to respond, pulling her her towards him, and in a single, desperate motion, pressing his lips to hers-- a kiss that's hungry, hopeless. It’s not gentle, not kind; it’s the kiss of a man drowning in his own turmoil, desperate to silence the anguish inside him. And he knows, somehow, that Astoria can help him do that.

"I haven't even begun to fuss. Close the door behind you. Sit."

It takes a few tries to light the fire under her kettle, but she manages it in the end. Mismatched mugs, one with a chip in the handle that's been worn smooth by constant use, and carefully labeled jars of herbs decorate the open shelves, and she selects what she needs with all the nonchalance of, well, someone who isn't her. When the moment is right she'll remind him that he is, in fact, allowed to let his friends take care of him every now and again, though she knows that now is hardly the time.

"Boots off," she adds after several moments of silence. "My neighbors don't mind a little magic so long as I'm quiet." If anyone will understand wanting to stay off the Templars' radar, it's him. When the water's finished, she begins steeping two cups of tea—a careful blend of chamomile, mint, valerian, and a touch of elfroot—and she turns back to Elliott. Her eyes roam his face, the set of his jaw, the tension in his shoulders, and her teeth clamp around her lower lip as she tries to silence her worries. Have you slept? Have you eaten? Gods, will you ever forgive yourself?

"It's the cat," she says finally. "The piss in the stairway. The cat has been scent-marking my door to keep other cats away. I think I've been claimed." She removes the little cloth tea bags, cooling the mugs enough to be comfortable to hold, and she sets both of them at the table where he sits. It is, she thinks, a night of impulses unchecked: she turns his chair with a surprising force, earning her an angry thump from the neighbor below her that she ignores, and she cups his face in her hands again, tips it back so that he can meet her eyes.

Her thumbs brush careful arcs along his cheekbones. Oh, he's become so precious to her these last months; she notes the dark circles under his reddened eyes, smooths her thumbs beneath them. He inspires a protectiveness she doesn't often feel, a tenderness that feels foreign to her; attraction to Hawke is normal, she thinks. Genuine affection for him is rarer, but there she is, heart aching for him, wishing more than anything that she could reach inside of him and pluck out that hurt to carry on her own. She is softer with him than she would be otherwise, but it is a moment to be gentle, and fuck, but he needs it.

"I won't push," she says finally. "You'll talk about it, if you want, when you want. But I have two things to say, before I let it go. First: you are my friend. And I would do near anything you asked, including keep your secrets and let the things you say be left in the moment, should you need to say them. And second—" She pauses, releases his face, bows down and presses a tender kiss to his cheek; her voice, when she resumes speaking, is soft. "—you did everything right by him. And it doesn't feel that way now, and it won't for a long time—guilt's almost a comfort, in moments like this, and your mother is lashing out because she's hurt. But none of this was your fault." Another pause as she stands to meet his eyes again, then: "Not Carver, not Bethany, and not your father.

"Now." She steps back, nods towards the steaming mug beside him. "Drink. Rest. My home is yours, however long you want it, and for whatever reason."